Ride What You Got: Purpose, Pivots & Building a Life That Fits with Casey Wytaske
This week on Tarin It Up, we are joined by the incredible Casey Wytaske—bike mechanic, demo tech for Liv Cycling, senior tech rep for SRAM, and all-around badass when it comes to building confidence through bikes. We met in real life at Sea Otter (for once, before podcasting), and I knew I had to have her on.
We get into her journey from a dream of real estate to a hands-on life in the bike world—and how a dusty nonprofit shop, her son’s mountain bike team, and a whole lot of volunteering opened the door to a career she never saw coming.
🎧 Listen now:
Helping People Find Their Bikes (and Their Confidence)
Casey’s story isn’t about overnight success—it’s about following what feels right, even when it doesn’t make sense on paper. She opens up about how she found purpose in fixing bikes, teaching mechanics, and helping women feel empowered on two wheels.
“That moment when I said, ‘No, I’ve got it’—I realized I was the help. I could fix it. That hit me deep.”
She also breaks down how her original dream of being a real estate agent actually connects to what she does now: helping people feel at home, just in a different way.
Behind the Scenes of Bike Events
From demo tents the size of small buildings to teaching first-timers how to use a dropper post, Casey walks us through what it’s really like to support riders at events like Sea Otter and Roam Fest. She shares what goes into making a demo experience feel personal—and why those small details matter more than most people realize.
“It’s not just about throwing someone on a bike. I make sure they’re set up right. I want them to feel confident when they ride.”
Bikepacking Dreams, Tubeless Realities & Why Skills Matter
We also dive into the bike mechanic camps Casey co-leads with Girls Gone Gravel, where riders learn how to maintain, fix, and understand their bikes. Whether you’re dreaming about solo bikepacking trips or just want to know how to change a flat without panicking, Casey is proof that you don’t need to know everything—you just need a place to start.
“You leave knowing your bike inside and out—and you trust yourself to work on it.”
Why You’ll Want to Hit Play
✅ You’ve been curious about bike maintenance but don’t know where to start
✅ You love a good story about finding purpose in unexpected places
✅ You want the behind-the-scenes of demo events and women-led bike clinics
✅ You’re dreaming about a bikepacking trip (but don’t want to get stranded)
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