Born and raised outside Austin, Texas, Payson McElveen relocated to Durango in 2012. There, he pursued a degree in exercise science at collegiate cycling powerhouse, Fort Lewis College, and furthered his dream of becoming a professional mountain biker. Following his graduation in 2016, he earned his first back-to-back national titles at the Marathon Mountain Bike Championships in 2017 and 2018.

Now splitting his time between mountain bike and gravel racing with a focus on the Lifetime Grand Prix, Payson has continued to enjoy success at the biggest off-road endurance events in the world. Between his popular podcast, The Adventure Stache, films, fastest known times and the first single-push crossing of Iceland, he hopes to inspire riders to think about the sport in new ways.