Singletracks Mountain Bike Podcast

John Calendrille has spent decades designing and patenting everything from derailleurs and shifters to dropper posts and brake levers. He's consulted for industry brands including TRP and Box, and now he’s got his own company, Vivo, that sells a customizable 12-speed shifter, the Vivo F3. How did you first get into designing bike components? What are some of the limitations of existing mechanic mountain biker shifters? What makes the Vivo F3 an improvement? Have you found that many riders struggle with the ergonomics of off-the-shelf mechanical shifters? One of the patents you hold is for a combination brake/shifter lever, a design that's pretty much standard for gravel and road bikes today. Where did this idea come from? Are bike cockpits becoming cluttered again with all the controls riders need for dropper posts, motors, etc.?  With electronic drivetrains becoming more common, a lot of riders are wondering if mechanical systems will eventually go away. What's your take? Is there still room to improve mechanical derailleurs? Do you think moving away from front derailleurs has been a positive development? Is 12 (or 13) speeds enough? Are there technical issues that prevent us from going beyond 13 gears, or is it more of a practical consideration? What makes (or made) derailleur hangers necessary? Bikes have been around for more than 100 years and the basic form hasn't changed a lot. Aside from e-bikes, is the pace of innovation in the bike world slowing or accelerating? How important are patents in the bike industry?  You're manufacturing and assembling your Vivo F3 shifters in the USA. How's that going? Do you foresee challenges with scaling domestic production? What's next for Vivo? Learn more and connect with John at vivocycling.com. --Keep up with the latest in mountain biking at Singletracks.com and on Instagram @singletracks

Kurt Refsnider is a cycling coach and the founder of Bikepacking Roots, an organization that advocates for bikepacking and the environment. He's the only person to have won all three events in the Triple Crown of Bikepacking, and he recently became one of only a few people to have biked the entire Continental Divide Trail (CDT), a 3,300-mile route stretching from Canada to Mexico.   Are you glad to be off the trail after three months of riding? How is the Continental Divide Route different than the 2700-mile Great Divide Route that runs from Banff, Alberta to Antelope Wells, New Mexico? How is the CDT currently managed and administered? Are there groups working to connect the dots? What does it mean to be a responsible bikepacker?  How did you approach sections of the route that go through Wilderness areas where bikes aren't allowed?  Are there communities along the route that benefit from the CDT running through town? Is there much overlap with towns along the Great Divide Route? Which sections would you want to revisit to ride without all the gear on your bike? How will the Biking on Long Distance Trails (BOLT) Act help trails like the CDT? What is the latest status of the legislation?  Were you surprised that it took three months to complete the trail? Why isn't the CDT more popular with mountain bikers? What does a trail assessment look like? What are you hoping to do with the info you collected on your CDT ride? How was your bike setup different for this ride compared to what you might use on the Great Divide route? Was going full suspension the right call for such a long ride? What's your next adventure? Connect with Kurt and learn more at ultramtb.net and bikepackingroots.org. --Keep up with the latest in mountain biking at Singletracks.com and on Instagram @singletracks

Matt Harvey is the co-founder of Enduro Bearings, a company dedicated to producing premium, high quality bearings for the bicycle industry. He's been working in bike shops starting as a teenager and later for industry brands like Gary Fisher and Bianchi. What was your 'aha' moment for forming Enduro Bearings? What makes bicycle bearings different from bearings used for other purposes? What are the challenges involved in designing high performance bicycle bearings? Which parts of a mountain bike will benefit the most from high quality bearings?  How do you know when your bearings are worn out, or need maintenance? Are bearings generally serviceable, or are home mechanics better off replacing them? What kind of grease should you use for bearings? What's the advantage of ceramic bearing balls? Where are most bearings products produced? Why do you think Pressfit bottom brackets have such a bad reputation? Aside from bottom brackets, it seems like the bearings in pedals tend to give riders problems over time. Why is that? What's next for Enduro Bearings? Is there still potential for innovation and improvement in bicycle bearings? Learn more at cycling.endurobearings.com. --Keep up with the latest in mountain biking at Singletracks.com and on Instagram @singletracks

The patent for the acclaimed DW-Link suspension design recently expired, and we wanted to know: What does its expiration mean for the mountain bike industry? Matt and Jeff interviewed several industry experts, including those involved in licensing the DW-Link patent, to make sense of it all. Originally published online as an article, this audio version includes snippets from select conversations that were featured as quotes in the written version. Words by Jeff Barber and Matt Miller. Photo by Matt Miller. --Keep up with the latest in mountain biking at Singletracks.com and on Instagram @singletracks

Learn how to build MTB strength and fitness like a pro. Explore the effectiveness of bodyweight exercises. Discover the training differences between pros and amateurs. Understand individual differences in training adaptation. Find out the importance of climbing strength, especially for descending. Get insights into strength training for middle-aged mountain bikers.

Dylan Johnson tells us why he believes his drop bar hardtail is the perfect bike for the Leadville 100 in this audio story. Written and narrated by Matt Miller. This story first appeared on Singletracks.com on August 29, 2023. Photo credit: Dylan Johnson The Singletracks podcast is brought to you by TPC -- The Pro’s Closet. Spring is the perfect time to upgrade, and TPC has an industry-leading selection of new and Certified Pre-Owned bikes, plus frames, wheels and accessories. Each Certified, Pre-Owned bike is inspected, tested and serviced, and every bike includes thirty day returns. Visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠tpc.bike/singletracks⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and enter code Singletracks40 to save forty dollars on every order over two hundred.

Angi Weston is the founder of Radical Roots MTB, a group that provides "fun, safe, mountain bike skills progression" through various lessons, programs, events, and group rides. In addition to working with riders, Angi also trains MTB skills coaches and is based in Bellingham, WA. What led you to launch Radical Roots in 2018? What can riders learn from riding flats that they can't learn riding clipless pedals? Do you think it's better to learn skills on a hardtail than a FS bike? Are the junior riders you work with looking to develop different skills from the adults that attend your other camps?  How much does having a good mountain bike contribute to rider confidence, and perhaps even skill? How do you know if you need to upgrade your skills vs. your bike? What are the skills your students are most interested in learning? Is there a fundamental skill or skills everyone should learn first? What are the skills you're working on personally? Are there things you wish you could do better? What makes someone a successful MTB skills coach? Visit radicalrootsmtb.com to connect with Angi and find out about upcoming clinics. Photo: Katie Sox. The Singletracks podcast is brought to you by TPC -- The Pro’s Closet. Spring is the perfect time to upgrade, and TPC has an industry-leading selection of new and Certified Pre-Owned bikes, plus frames, wheels and accessories. Each Certified, Pre-Owned bike is inspected, tested and serviced, and every bike includes thirty day returns. Visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠tpc.bike/singletracks⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and enter code Singletracks40 to save forty dollars on every order over two hundred.

Nichole Dandrea-Russert is a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist and the author of The Vegan Athlete's Nutrition Handbook. Her website Purely Planted offers tips for adding more plants to our diets, and she's based right here in Atlanta. How did you get interested in nutrition? Have you always been an athlete? For the vegan athletes you work with, is improving performance a primary reason for adopting a plant-based diet, or are other considerations that tend to come first? How does a plant-based diet help athletes with recovery and reducing inflammation? How does eating less saturated fats and cholesterol improve athletic performance? Is it helpful for endurance sports like cycling? How do you know if you are not getting enough fat? What are some good plant-based sources of protein? What are some other advantages of a plant-based diet for cyclists? Do you have any tips for keeping to a healthy diet while traveling? How big of a factor is diet in athletic performance?   Can mountain bikers get some of the advantages of a plant-based diet without giving up meat and dairy completely? The Vegan Athlete's Nutrition Handbook is out today and you can purchase it online or keep up with the latest at purelyplanted.com. The Singletracks podcast is brought to you by TPC -- The Pro’s Closet. Spring is the perfect time to upgrade, and TPC has an industry-leading selection of new and Certified Pre-Owned bikes, plus frames, wheels and accessories. Each Certified, Pre-Owned bike is inspected, tested and serviced, and every bike includes thirty day returns. Visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠tpc.bike/singletracks⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and enter code Singletracks40 to save forty dollars on every order over two hundred.

In this episode, Matt and Jeff talk about the latest mountain bike drivetrain developments from electronic shifting to Eagle Transmission. What are the advantages of electronic shifting? What are the disadvantages? How does the new SRAM Eagle Transmission wireless electronic drivetrain compare to AXS? What's the deal with dropouts? Is UDH going to be the standard? How have consumers and readers responded to the Eagle Transmission news? How do you think Shimano will respond? We'll also recap some of the latest mountain bike trail and gear news at the top of the show. Let us know what you think! The Singletracks podcast is brought to you by TPC -- The Pro’s Closet. Spring is the perfect time to upgrade, and TPC has an industry-leading selection of new and Certified Pre-Owned bikes, plus frames, wheels and accessories. Each Certified, Pre-Owned bike is inspected, tested and serviced, and every bike includes thirty day returns. Visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠tpc.bike/singletracks⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and enter code Singletracks40 to save forty dollars on every order over two hundred.

Yvonne Kraus is the executive director of Evergreen Mountain Bike Alliance, a mountain bike organization dedicated to creating, maintaining, and protecting sustainable mountain biking opportunities in Washington. Evergreen, if you don't know,  is one of the largest, if not the largest, statewide mountain bike association in the US with 8 regional chapters and thousands of members. How did Evergreen get its start? How does Evergreen divide responsibilities between its chapters and the top-level organization? How have the challenges facing mountain bikers in Washington changed since the group was first formed? What are some of the most popular trail systems in the state? What does e-bike trail access look like in the state of Washington currently?  Do you have any new MTB trails in the planning stage, or currently under construction? Is there much of a push for mountain bike tourism in Washington? What are the primary funding sources for Evergreen? What’s the biggest constraint that Evergreen faces in carrying out and growing the mission? What’s next for Evergreen? Connect with the Evergreen Mountain Bike Alliance and find was to support the group at evergreenmtb.org. The Singletracks podcast is brought to you by TPC -- The Pro’s Closet. Spring is the perfect time to upgrade, and TPC has an industry-leading selection of new and Certified Pre-Owned bikes, plus frames, wheels and accessories. Each Certified, Pre-Owned bike is inspected, tested and serviced, and every bike includes thirty day returns. Visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠tpc.bike/singletracks⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and enter code Singletracks40 to save forty dollars on every order over two hundred.