Singletracks Mountain Bike Podcast

Julian Tyo has lived in the Wood River valley for over a decade where he started the Ketchum bike park and managed the development of gravity trails on Bald Mountain and at Sun Valley Resort. Today he’s on the board of the Wood River Trails Coalition and also serves as the Community Recreation Supervisor & Events Manager for the city of Ketchum. In this episode, we ask Julian: How did you end up in Sun Valley? What makes Sun Valley stand out among mountain bike destinations? Who builds and maintains the trails in your area? What are some of the challenges the Wood River Valley faces as a popular recreation destination? For someone visiting for the first time, what are 2 or 3 must ride trails or trail systems? What are the family-friendly rides, and which ones are the most challenging? What are some lesser-known trails where riders can get away from the crowds? Who are the tour operators or clubs visitors can connect with if they want to ride with locals? Where do people hang out after the ride? Are there any bars or breweries that tend to attract mountain bikers? Is there camping available in the area? Are there bike-friendly hotels in town? What is the best time of year to visit? Are there any festivals or races visitors can plan to attend? Are there plans to expand or improve trails in the area? Is there anything else mountain bikers need to know before visiting Sun Valley? For more information, and to support mountain biking in the Wood River Valley, visit woodrivertrailscoalition.org --Keep up with the latest in mountain biking at Singletracks.com and on Instagram @singletracks

Dr. Kate Leeming is an explorer and adventurer who has biked tens of thousands of miles around the world, including 15,000 miles around the Australian continent in 2004 and 2005 and 22,000km across Africa from Senegal to Somalia. In 2019 she became the first person to cycle 1600km through the sands of the Namibian coast and is working toward the first-ever Antarctic bicycle crossing via the South Pole for her educational outreach organization, Breaking the Cycle. In this episode, we ask Kate: What is your first memory of going on an adventure? Were you a good student in school? Did you enjoy learning? Have you always considered yourself an explorer? How does Breaking the Cycle: Education connect with your expeditions? What is the goal? What got you interested in the traversing the Skeleton Coast in Namibia by bike? Tell us about the all-wheel-drive fat bike you used. Was this a custom set up, or something you were able to find off the shelf? How did the bike perform? Were there any surprises along the way? How do you prepare for such massive expeditions, especially ones that no one else has completed before? How much of the preparation involves physical training versus research and logistics? How do you prepare yourself mentally? What are the challenges that women continue to face in the world of adventuring and exploring today? Are there ways we can be “explorers” in our day-to-day lives? What is the value of staying curious? Learn more and connect with Kate at KateLeeming.com and BreakingTheCycle.Education. Diamonds in the Sand will air on Outside TV this summer. Cover photo: Simon Wearne.

Anya Bruhin is a Northwest Arkansas local who has lived and worked in Fayetteville and Bentonville for 25 years. She’s also the education program manager for Bike NWA. In this episode we ask Anya: What makes Northwest Arkansas stand out among mountain bike destinations? For someone visiting for the first time, what are 2 or 3 must ride trails or trail systems? What are some family-friendly rides? Which rides are the most challenging? What are some lesser-known mountain bike trails? Who builds and maintains the trails in Northwest Arkansas? What are some ways visitors can connect with local mountain bikers? Where do people hang out after the ride? Are there any bars or breweries that tend to attract mountain bikers? What is the best time of year to visit? Are there any festivals or races visitors can plan to attend? Are there plans to expand or improve trails in the area? Is there anything else mountain bikers need to know before visiting Northwest Arkansas? For more information and resources visit bikenwa.org.

Cimarron Chacon is the president and race director at GRO Promotions, which offers mountain bike event and trail development services in and around St. George, Utah. She also founded the Dixie Mountain Bike Trails Association which is now known as the Trail Alliance of Southern Utah. We ask Cimarron: What makes St. George stand out among mountain bike destinations? For someone visiting for the first time, what are 2 or 3 must ride trails or trail systems? Which trails are family-friendly, and which ones are the most challenging? What are some lesser-known trails where riders can get away from the crowds? Who builds and maintains the trails in the area? Where do people hang out after the ride? Are there any bars or breweries that tend to attract mountain bikers? What are some of the mountain bike races or events visitors can plan to attend (or avoid)?  Are there plans to expand or improve trails in the area? Learn more about mountain biking in St. George at tasutah.org and gropromotions.com. This episode is sponsored by Explore Brevard. Picture yourself in the middle of 100,000 acres of public lands and over 300 shredable miles of single track. A place often referred to as one of the top mountain biking towns in the country. Brevard, North Carolina has countless epic adventures for every kind of rider on tap. Whether you love rocky, rooty technical lines in Pisgah, or flowy lines in Dupont State Recreational Forest, or something in-between – Brevard has it all…in spades. Come discover the place often referred to as the Cycling Capital of the South. Start planning your trip at ExploreBrevard.com --Keep up with the latest in mountain biking at Singletracks.com and on Instagram @singletracks

Kevin Adams is a board member for the Verde Valley Cyclist Coalition, a nonprofit group working to promote cycling in the Verde Valley, including the town of Sedona, Arizona. Kevin also is the President of the Sedona Red Rock Trail Fund that raises money for the maintenance and enhancement of the non-motorized trails near Sedona and the Village of Oak Creek. In his spare time, he’s the Chair of the Arizona State Committee on Trails. Of course he’s a mountain biker too, and he’s been connected to the local scene for almost a decade. There are massive plans for new mountain bike trails in the Verde Valley, and Kevin fills us in on the details. In this episode, we also ask: What makes Sedona and the Verde Valley stand out among mountain bike destinations? What are 2 or 3 must ride trails or trail systems? Which trails are family-friendly, and which ones are the most challenging? Are there any lesser-known trails where riders can get away from the crowds? Who builds and maintains the trails in Sedona? Are there tour operators or clubs visitors can connect with if they want to ride with locals? Where do people hang out after the ride? Are there any bars or breweries that tend to attract mountain bikers? Where are the best places for mountain bikers to stay during their visit? What is the best time of year to visit? Are there any festivals or races visitors can plan to attend?  Are there plans to expand or improve trails in the area? Find out more at vvcc.us and visitsedona.com. This episode is sponsored by Explore Brevard. Picture yourself in the middle of 100,000 acres of public lands and over 300 shredable miles of single track. A place often referred to as one of the top mountain biking towns in the country. Brevard, North Carolina has countless epic adventures for every kind of rider on tap. Whether you love rocky, rooty technical lines in Pisgah, or flowy lines in Dupont State Recreational Forest, or something in-between – Brevard has it all…in spades. Come discover the place often referred to as the Cycling Capital of the South. Start planning your trip at ExploreBrevard.com --Keep up with the latest in mountain biking at Singletracks.com and on Instagram @singletracks

Dr. Adam Phaneuf is a Doctor of Chiropractic with a degree in Exercise Science based in Bellingham, WA. He's also a bike fitter and has studied bicycle biomechanics. In this episode we ask: How important is bike fit to mountain bikers compared to say road or gravel riders? Even within MTB, is fit more important for XC than gravity riders? What are some signs that a rider needs a better bike fit? What types of improvements can mountain bikers expect to see? How does a bike fit work? How much does a bike fit generally cost? Can non-racers benefit from a bike fit in terms of comfort or other factors? What are some key component swaps that can be done as part of a bike fit, and why? How can you tell if your bars are too wide? Do you have a rule of thumb for setting seat height for mountain biking? Do droppers make seat height settings easier, or more complicated? What's the best way to figure out the proper bike frame size? Are there certain key measurements buyers should consider? What are the challenges to fitting extremely tall or short riders? Follow Adam on Instagram @apexbellingham and visit the website apexchirobellingham.com. This episode is sponsored by Explore Brevard. Picture yourself in the middle of 100,000 acres of public lands and over 300 shredable miles of single track. A place often referred to as one of the top mountain biking towns in the country. Brevard, North Carolina has countless epic adventures for every kind of rider on tap. Whether you love rocky, rooty technical lines in Pisgah, or flowy lines in Dupont State Recreational Forest, or something in-between – Brevard has it all…in spades. Come discover the place often referred to as the Cycling Capital of the South. Start planning your trip at ExploreBrevard.com --Keep up with the latest in mountain biking at Singletracks.com and on Instagram @singletracks

David Billstrom is the CEO of Kitsbow, a North Carolina based cycling apparel company known for producing high-quality products. The company utilizes a made-to-order model for many of the items in their catalog to reduce waste, cut lead times, and support the local economy. In this episode we ask: What is lean manufacturing? How does it work specifically for an apparel company like Kitsbow? How significant are transportation costs associated with manufacturing your products overseas? Has it been difficult to find manufacturing workers in Old Fort, North Carolina? Is hiring a bottleneck in terms of expanding domestic production? How much waste is due to forecasting errors on sizing, styles, etc.? Does lean manufacturing eliminate most of this? What are some of the things you’ve learned from your customers or been able to improve about your products? What does the future of cycling apparel look like for Kitsbow? Learn more at Kitsbow.com. This episode is sponsored by Explore Brevard. Picture yourself in the middle of 100,000 acres of public lands and over 300 shredable miles of single track. A place often referred to as one of the top mountain biking towns in the country. Brevard, North Carolina has countless epic adventures for every kind of rider on tap. Whether you love rocky, rooty technical lines in Pisgah, or flowy lines in Dupont State Recreational Forest, or something in-between – Brevard has it all…in spades. Come discover the place often referred to as the Cycling Capital of the South. Start planning your trip at ExploreBrevard.com --Keep up with the latest in mountain biking at Singletracks.com and on Instagram @singletracks

Ashley Korenblat is the CEO of Western Spirit Cycling Adventures and founder of Outerbike, as well as the Managing Director of Public Land Solutions, a non-profit dedicated to “providing comprehensive recreation planning and stakeholder coordination to support effective and sustainable public land solutions.” She also previously served as IMBA Board chair. In this episode we ask Ashley: What is a “recreational asset?” Is this considered in strictly monetary terms, or are intrinsic values considered as well? How does PLS identify recreational assets and what does a typical plan look like? How significant is the Land and Water Conservation Fund in terms of recreation project funding in the US?  Is there an opportunity to work with energy development companies on recreation plans? What are some of the ways trail advocacy groups could improve on their current land management and access strategies? What is the PLS stance on MTB Wilderness access?   How does your advocacy background inform and connect with your trip offerings at Western Spirit? Learn more about Public Land Solutions at publiclandsolutions.org and Western Spirit at westernspirit.com. This episode is sponsored by Explore Brevard. Picture yourself in the middle of 100,000 acres of public lands and over 300 shredable miles of single track. A place often referred to as one of the top mountain biking towns in the country. Brevard, North Carolina has countless epic adventures for every kind of rider on tap. Whether you love rocky, rooty technical lines in Pisgah, or flowy lines in Dupont State Recreational Forest, or something in-between – Brevard has it all…in spades. Come discover the place often referred to as the Cycling Capital of the South. Start planning your trip at ExploreBrevard.com --Keep up with the latest in mountain biking at Singletracks.com and on Instagram @singletracks

Josie Fouts is a two-time National Paralympics Road and Track Cycling Champion with plans to compete at the 2021 Games in Tokyo. She's also working to make mountain biking a Paralympic sport and stars in a new short film called Go Josie. In this episode, we ask Josie: Have you found being stubborn is a strength? Does it ever get you in trouble? Are you able to use your formal education in nutrition and nutritional immunology as a part of your own training?  What is the level of competition like at the US National Paralympics? Were you surprised the first time you competed? How difficult is it to find off-the-shelf products that work for para athletes? Have you found gear manufacturers are willing to work with you to find solutions? What’s it been like working with a gear sponsor like Swiftwick?  Are there things the bike industry could be doing to make equipment more para-friendly?  Why do you think mountain biking is not a part of the Paralympics? What do you do to keep your workouts interesting? Is training fun for you? Were there any surprises on the first bikepacking trip you recently completed? Are there other challenges you’ve set for yourself this year in addition to competing in Tokyo? View the short film Go Josie on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F1GfDjyUBJ4 Follow Josie on Instagram @ms.stubbornness. Thanks to Josie's sponsor Swiftwick for arranging this interview. --Keep up with the latest in mountain biking at Singletracks.com and on Instagram @singletracks

Renee Hutchens is a mountain biker, storyteller, and artist living in Colorado. As a member of the Diné Nation, Renee is an advocate for both Indigenous people and the lands they call home. In this episode we discuss what it means to have a respectful and consensual relationship with the lands where we ride. Renee explains the meaning of the phrase environmental justice and talks about the mission of the Ute Land Trust. We talk about how words and naming in the bike industry can be hurtful to indigenous communities and why land acknowledgements at races are important. Follow Renee on Instagram @renay.h and view her work at linktr.ee. Editor's note: We reached out to Handup for comment about the "savage" glove mentioned in this interview and received the following reply: "We stopped selling these gloves in June 2020 after this came to our attention. Since then, we've changed gears to highlight 'Gloves that Give' in order for us to be able to give back to underrepresented community members of the mountain bike industry." --Keep up with the latest in mountain biking at Singletracks.com and on Instagram @singletracks