We're re-sharing one of our favorite episodes from 2022, so be sure to listen in case you missed it! Check back soon for more fresh episodes. Seth Gebel is a mountain biker and trail builder living in Missouri. His popular YouTube channel, Backyard Trail Builds, shows how he builds beautiful trail features like ramps, skinnies, and bridges using natural materials. We ask Seth: Tell us how you got into mountain biking, and trail building. You’ve been building at Howler Bike Park this year. What were you working on there? How much of your time do you spend building on your own land versus paid projects for others? Where did you learn your carpentry skills? Is there a science to building features that are fun to ride, or is it guess-and-check? Have you had to progress your bike skills to keep up with your builds? You use a lot of natural wood as opposed to cut lumber, which seems to be pretty time consuming. Why make the effort? Is longevity a concern when building features out of wood? Are there things you can do to ensure features remain safe and durable for many seasons? Do you enjoy riding skinnies? What makes a good mountain bike skinny? Were you looking to start a YouTube channel initially? Your most popular YT video (so far) is about building a set of indoor rollers out of logs. What was the reaction to that video?Are you still using the rollers? Which builds are you most proud of? What’s next for your builds and your channel? Check out the Backyard Trail Builds YouTube channel, and visit the Backyard Trail Builds website for more. 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.

Learn from Sam Anderson about the intricacies of MTB suspension, including sag, rebound, and common setup mistakes. Discover the differences between coil and air shocks, and the importance of minimizing stiction for a smoother ride. Explore the latest innovations in suspension design and how to optimize your bike's performance for an enhanced riding experience.

The Downcountry category has been around for a few years now, and by this point most mountain bike brands have a bike in their lineup that fits the description. Not only that, there are downcountry tires and shoes available now. But what does downcountry even mean? In this episode, Matt and Jeff take a stab at defining downcountry, taking into account geometry, suspension travel, weight, and components. Other questions addressed include: How do downcountry bikes differ from cross-country and trail bikes? What were some of the earliest downcountry bikes? Which popular mountain bikes today can be considered downcountry? Are certain trail types or race disciplines well suited to downcountry bikes? What are your impressions of the downcountry bikes you have tested over the past few years? Where does the downcountry category go from here into the future? 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.

Eddie O'Dea is an ultra endurance athlete and member of the board at the Georgia Cycling Association. Last summer he became the first person to complete the 5,900-mile Eastern Divide bikepacking route over the course of 78 days and 10 hours. Why did you decide to attempt ride the full Eastern Divide Route? Tell us about the start of the ride. It seems like you ran into some snags even before you go rolling. Which sections were your favorites? Did you get to hang out in any interesting towns along the way? Are there any changes you would make to the Eastern Divide Route? As a member of the Georgia Cycling Association board, what do the high school athletes think about your achievement? How did your bike and equipment hold up? Was there any point where you wanted to give up? How did you keep going?  How long before you think someone else completes the route in one go? Will there ever be enough demand for a Grand Depart? How did it feel to finish the ride? Would you do it again? How does the Eastern Divide compare to the Great Divide? What was the final mileage that you covered? Does completing a big ride change you as a person? Connect with Eddie at cycletechniques.com and @eddieodea. 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.

Nick Bennette is the Executive Director of the Vermont Mountain Bike Association, a position he's held for a little over two years. The group recently put together a 5-year Strategic Plan to "ensure the sustainability of mountain biking in Vermont and thoughtfully promote exceptional riding experiences for all through advocacy, education, and community-driven stewardship." How did your experience as a consultant help you craft the VMBA 5-year Strategic Plan?   Vermont was an early adopter of a state advocacy model apart from IMBA. How has the VMBA Chapter model evolved since it was first launched? How does Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion fit with trail advocacy? Aside from being the right thing to do, how does it benefit the MTB community? Is e-bike access a hot topic in Vermont? Do you think it's been framed properly in the past? How did VMBA get to 10,000 dues paying members? Is advocating for trails easier today than it has been in the past? Are there additional considerations involved when public trails are located on private property? Is relying on volunteers to help build and maintain trails viable in a state like Vermont where so many trail users live out of state? What's so great about mountain biking on the east coast of the US? Why is there a perception that the trails are better out west? Learn more about the Vermont Mountain Bike Association at vmba.org and view their strategic plan here. Photo credit: Mark Clement. 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.

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. 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.

Matt Shriver is the General Manager and technical director for the Trek Factory Racing cross country team and is based in Durango Colorado. He’s a former pro rider himself and previously served as the technical director for the Trek WorldTour road team for seven years. How did you make the transition from professional racing to managing race teams? What are the responsibilities of a pro team liaison? Does Trek Factory Racing provide coaching resources to athletes, or do athletes tend to bring their own training team? Some pro teams are organized as collectives, while others like Trek Factory Racing seem to lean on more of a team model. Are there different philosophies among the different racing groups in MTB? Is mountain biking a team sport? Is there a lot of strategy in MTB racing? How does recovery work between races? Is there much downtime for the staff and athletes in between events? How are team athletes selected? What is the most stressful part of being a team liaison? How intrusive are anti-doping protocols for athletes and staff? How does a brand like Trek measure the success of their race team? Do you think the current international MTB competition model is sustainable? For core mountain bikers who love riding but don’t necessarily follow pro racing, why should they start paying attention to races? What can we learn from watching World Cup competitions? In an upcoming episode we'll also talk with Ryan from the Trek Factory Racing DH team. Keep up with the Trek Factory Racing team at racing.trekbikes.com. Photo credit: Trek Factory Racing. 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.

Dr. Kristin E. Keim is a sports psychologist and a member of the US Olympic Committee Sport Psychology and Mental Training Registry. She has helped countless individual athletes and teams achieve their goals using a holistic, strength-based approach to sports psychology. (Click here or see the link below for Dr. Keim's complete bio). In this interview, we ask Dr. Keim: What are some of the areas where athletes like mountain bikers face mental challenges? Is it common for athletes to incorporate mental skills training into their preparations? Do you have any tips for helping folks get through a tough workout, or even just a really tough part of a ride? Is positive visualization an important part of developing a winning mindset? What are some things that make it tough to stay motivated? Are there any shortcuts to developing confidence? How do we get it back after a crash? Is happiness connected to athletic performance? Do you get nervous before a race or competition? How do you calm your nerves? Connect with Dr. Keim and find out about the services she offers through Keim Performance Consulting at keimperformanceconsulting.com. Photo credit: by Jared Harber. 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.

Karlos Bernart is the Founder, Off Road Architect, & Event Mastermind at Singletrack Samurai. His group organizes and plans a number of rides and bike routes in Florida including the Huracan 300, CFITT, and the Florida Divide. How did you get into mountain biking and route planning? Is your goal to include as much singletrack as possible when you design bikepacking routes like the Huracan 300? How has the route evolved over the years, and why? Is it difficult coordinating access with land managers along the route for a long, 100+ mile rides? How do you know when you’ve added the right number of challenges to a route? Do you try to balance difficulty with enjoyability? What is the right size for an race like the Huracan? How much time do you spend scouting new routes, and verifying that existing ones still work? Of all the Florida off-road routes you’ve assembled, which one is your favorite? Which one do you recommend for folks who want the full Florida off-road experience? Which bikepacking gear developments do you think have made bikepacking more accessible and enjoyable over the past 5-10 years? How do you motivate someone who is having a bad ride? Do you have any mental tricks or strategies for getting yourself through the toughest parts of a big ride? Find out more about biking in Florida at singletracksamurai.com. --Keep up with the latest in mountain biking at Singletracks.com and on Instagram @singletracks

Lennard Zinn is a bike designer and frame builder with a shop  in Louisville, Colorado. He was a member of the U.S. Olympic cycling team and worked with Tom Ritchey on some of the earliest mountain bikes. He’s also the author of Zinn and the Art of Mountain Bike Maintenance, one of the world’s best selling guides to mountain bike repair. In this episode we ask: How did you get into designing and building bikes? Zinn and the Art of MTB Maintenance was first published in 1996, and it’s now in its 6th edition. What’s changed over the years? Are today’s bikes easier to work on than bikes were 10, or 20 years ago? Why? What are the challenges involved in fitting taller riders? What have you learned about crank lengths over the years? Do tall cyclists have any particular advantages when it comes to power or bike handling? What are the considerations in terms of frame design for bigger and heavier riders? Is any of this applicable to more aggressive mountain bike designs, and vice versa? What are the main factors that influence a bike tire’s rolling resistance? What led you to write about heart conditions in athletes in your latest book, heart conditions in athletes? What did you learn through researching the book? Did your own heart condition influence your decision to build your first e-bike? Is there room for further bike fit improvements in the future? Which tech trends are you excited about? Find out more at zinncycles.com or order Haywire Heart from Amazon.