Singletracks Mountain Bike Podcast Are Pro MTB Race Bikes THAT Different from Stock? We Asked a Team Manager
Mar 21, 2023
43:35
Ryan Gaul is the Trek Factory Racing DH team manager and technical director. He’s been at Trek for about 10 years and is based in Madison, WI.
- How close to stock do DH and enduro riders run their bikes?
- Which aspects of a bike are modified to suit track conditions, and what stays the same for every race?
- Do World Cup racers take many risks when it comes to equipment, or are they pretty conservative?
- Is it common to run test parts, or prototypes in races?
- Is it difficult to convince athletes to try new components on their bikes?
- What type of race information is useful for product designers at the brand? How do you collect and communicate that information?
- How many spare parts/bikes do you bring to a World Cup race for each athlete?
- Are most athletes pretty involved in working on their own bikes?
- What’s the most stressful part of a World Cup weekend for you?
Keep up with the Trek Factory Racing team at racing.trekbikes.com.
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