Singletracks Mountain Bike Podcast

Alastair Beckett is a mechanical engineer and bike race mechanic based in the United Kingdom. His firm Redburn Design helps small bike brands expand “their product range through innovative and award winning product development and manufacturing process refinement.” Listeners may be familiar with one of Alastair’s most recent design projects, the new 161 enduro bike from the Privateer brand. We learn how frame designers like Alastair work with bike brands to create unique mountain bike designs, and talk about the constraints and tradeoffs that need to be made along the way. Alastair also weighs in on the limits of “long, low, slack” geometry and the convergence of enduro and DH geometry. Connect with Alastair at redburndesign.com. This episode is sponsored by Backcountry.com, an online outdoor gear & apparel retailer carrying thousands of brands and products for mountain biking and your everyday outdoor lifestyle. Not only does Backcountry have the widest assortment of gear and apparel, but the heart and soul of the company lies with their Backcountry Gearheads. These Gearheads are former pro-athletes, Olympians, and all-around experts that are available 24/7 by phone/email/chat for one-on-one service, product recommendations, and to ensure you have everything you need for your next outdoor adventure. For the entire month of August, Backcountry is running their Semi-Annual Sale, which only happens twice a year. Take advantage of the final days of summer and save up to 50% off on huge brands like Patagonia, The North Face, Arc’teryx and more. Go to www.backcountry.com/singletracks and use the code SINGLETRACKS15 to get 15% off your first purchase (some exclusions apply). --Keep up with the latest in mountain biking at Singletracks.com and on Instagram @singletracks

In this episode we share an interview Singletracks podcast host and editor-in-chief Jeff Barber recorded with Gareth Beckett from the MTB Tribe podcast. Gareth and Jeff chat about the mountain bike industry, swap notes about how trail access works in the US compared to parts of Europe, and discuss general mountain bike culture. Be sure to check out the MTB Tribe podcast on iTunes and Spotify, or visit the website at mtb-tribe.com. This episode is sponsored by Boeshield (boeshield.com), makers of Boeshield T-9, a lube designed to waterproof your bike chain, lubricate cables, and prevent rust with its unique and effective all-in-one formula. This month Boeshield is giving away a free prize pack to a lucky listener! Visit singletracks.com/Boeshield to enter — open to anyone the contiguous United States, no purchase necessary. --Keep up with the latest in mountain biking at Singletracks.com and on Instagram @singletracks

Harry Molloy is the brains behind the Flow Style World Cup DH racing team, and runs the Flow Style riding apparel brand. He has been racing top level downhill for over ten years. In this episode, we find out what it takes to put together a professional mountain bike team racing at the World Cup level. Harry shares the strategies involved in competition and how race teams like Flow Style are financed. We discuss how Covid-19 is affecting the current downhill race season and the athletes on his team. This episode is sponsored by Backcountry.com, an online outdoor gear & apparel retailer carrying thousands of brands and products for mountain biking and your everyday outdoor lifestyle. Not only does Backcountry have the widest assortment of gear and apparel, but the heart and soul of the company lies with their Backcountry Gearheads. These Gearheads are former pro-athletes, Olympians, and all-around experts that are available 24/7 by phone/email/chat for one-on-one service, product recommendations, and to ensure you have everything you need for your next outdoor adventure. For the entire month of August, Backcountry is running their Semi-Annual Sale, which only happens twice a year. Take advantage of the final days of summer and save up to 50% off on huge brands like Patagonia, The North Face, Arc’teryx and more. Go to www.backcountry.com/singletracks and use the code SINGLETRACKS15 to get 15% off your first purchase (some exclusions apply). --Keep up with the latest in mountain biking at Singletracks.com and on Instagram @singletracks

In this episode, the Singletracks staff talks about the process we use to the evaluate the mountain bikes and gear we review regularly. * What are some things to consider when testing a piece of gear?* How are bike reviews different from component or accessory reviews?* Are there questions that can’t be answered in the review process?* What happens if a sample breaks, and how do press camps work? For a sampling of reviews, browse our mountain bike review and gear article archives. This episode is sponsored by Backcountry, an online outdoor gear & apparel retailer carrying thousands of brands and products for mountain biking and your everyday outdoor lifestyle. Not only does Backcountry have the widest assortment of gear and apparel, but the heart and soul of the company lies with their Backcountry Gearheads. These Gearheads are former pro-athletes, Olympians, and all-around experts that are available 24/7 by phone/email/chat for one-on-one service, product recommendations, and to ensure you have everything you need for your next outdoor adventure. For the entire month of August, Backcountry is running their Semi-Annual Sale, which only happens twice a year. Take advantage of the final days of summer and save up to 50% off on huge brands like Patagonia, The North Face, Arc’teryx and more. Go to www.backcountry.com/singletracks and use the code SINGLETRACKS15 to get 15% off your first purchase (some exclusions apply). --Keep up with the latest in mountain biking at Singletracks.com and on Instagram @singletracks

Jason Finnell is a mountain biker who works with the The Schejola Foundation and PedalUp, an organization that is working with Boys and Girls Club locations to start onsite mountain bike programs. We talk about how the program got started, and how it’s using pump tracks and funding for bikes to empower disadvantaged kids. The group is currently reviewing applications from Boys and Girls clubs around the USA to fund more programs like the ones already in place in locations all around the southeast. Jason also gives us an update on the mountain bike scene in his hometown of Chattanooga, Tennessee and in Dalton, Georgia, home of the Snake Creek Gap time trial. This episode is sponsored by Boeshield (boeshield.com), makers of Boeshield T-9, a lube designed to waterproof your bike chain, lubricate cables, and prevent rust with its unique and effective all-in-one formula. This month Boeshield is giving away a free prize pack to a lucky listener! Visit singletracks.com/Boeshield to enter — open to anyone the contiguous United States, no purchase necessary. --Keep up with the latest in mountain biking at Singletracks.com and on Instagram @singletracks

Hannah Bergemann has been busy making a name for herself in the enduro and freeride scene over the past few years. We caught up the rising freeride star and talked to her about how she got started, her life in Bellingham, Washington, the women’s freeride scene, and how she shot her segment for the new Teton Gravity Research MTB movie, Accomplice. To hear more from Hannah, check out this March 2019 interview on Singletracks. --Keep up with the latest in mountain biking at Singletracks.com and on Instagram @singletracks

Scott Nydam is a longtime bike racer who has been inspired to start a NICA program for youth in Gallup, New Mexico. The city borders the Navajo reservation, and Nydam hopes to create numerous opportunities for native kids, both in Gallup and on the reservation. Vincent Salabye is the Diné comp NICA team head coach and board president of Silver Stallion bicycle and coffee works.  He’s also a father of two kids and lives on the Navajo reservation. The nonprofit Scott and Vincent support recently received a grant from the Outride Fund. In this episode we talk about the challenges facing folks living on the reservation and how mountain biking fits in with efforts to serve the community. For more information visit bicyclecoffee.org and the Diné NICA team’s fundraising page here. --Keep up with the latest in mountain biking at Singletracks.com and on Instagram @singletracks

Lindsey Richter founded Ladies AllRide as “a movement dedicated to growing the community of female mountain bikers across the globe.” She’s a former professional mountain bike racer and was a contestant on the reality television show Survivor. Singletracks talks with Lindsey about why she’s so passionate about mountain biking, and how she and others use the sport to build confidence and self esteem. Lindsey tells us why she thinks more women aren’t riding (yet) and shares tips all mountain bikers can use to improve their skills. We ask Lindsey what she’s learned since starring on Survivor, and who is inspiring her to be her best self. --Keep up with the latest in mountain biking at Singletracks.com and on Instagram @singletracks

The Singletracks staff kicks off a busy summer mountain bike testing season! In this episode we share our impressions of the mountain bikes we’ve recently tested, and those we are just getting to know. If you’re considering a new bike this year, from gravel to enduro, and from expensive to cheap, we have you covered. Settle in, this is going to be a long one. Recently tested: * Guerrilla Gravity Smash and Gnarvana* YT Jeffsy* Ibis Ripmo* Transition Scout* Pivot Switchblade* Niner RIP 9* Spot Ryve 115* Specialized Epic S-Works* Schwinn Axum* Viathon G1 Currently testing: * Santa Cruz Megatower* Canyon Spectral* Mondraker Foxy* Orbea Occam* Revel Rascal (bike build)* Trek Fuel EX * Norco Torrent (bike build)* Surly Karate Monkey (bike build) Compare pricing and availability for these and other mountain bikes at singletracks.com/deals --Keep up with the latest in mountain biking at Singletracks.com and on Instagram @singletracks

Lael Wilcox started biking in 2008 at age 20 with an around the world bike trip that took her through more than 30 countries. In 2015, essentially her first year of racing, she won the Tour Divide and smashed the women’s record by more than 2 days. The next year  she won the 4,400 mile Trans Am Bike Race, and set the overall record for both men and women on the Baja Divide route in 2017. Today Lael continues to race and co-leads a mentorship program for middle school girls called Anchorage GRIT in her hometown. We ask Lael to share her tips and tricks for bikepacking and mental toughness, and talk about the role gender plays in ultra endurance competition. Lael fills us in on how her plans have changed for 2020, her take on documenting and filming her adventures, and finding nutritious food to eat during races. Follow and connect with Lael on Instagram @laelwilcox --Keep up with the latest in mountain biking at Singletracks.com and on Instagram @singletracks