Phil Gaimon is a former World Tour road cyclist who rode for Garmin-Sharp and Cannondale-Drapac among others. While racing, he blogged for VeloNews, Bicycling, ESPN, and Sports Illustrated and wrote the popular book Pro Cycling on $10 a Day (2014). He retired at age 30, expecting to hang up his race bike and put on some cookie-weight. He continued writing (Draft Animals (2017)), but through a series of unexpected twists, launched his wildly successful YouTube show “Worst Retirement Ever,” which follows his pursuit of breaking hill climb records all over the world. In this conversation, Phil and Payson discuss his decision to quit pro cycling early, how he got his start on YouTube after a marketing job fell through, stealing STRAVA KOM’s from dopers, racing Fabian Cancellara for charity after an internet spat, and how he became the final authority on cookie ratings on Instagram.
Instagram: @theadventurestache
YouTube: Payson McElveen