Singletracks Mountain Bike News

Douglas Carchrie is a bicycle mechanic, mountain bike guide, and mountain bike trail consultant at Big Mountain Scotland. He has also served as a national park conservation intern and conducted research into mountain biker behavior as a student at the University of Highlands and Islands in Scotland. In this episode, we ask: Do mountain bikers tend to bother animals more than other trail users? What are some of the things mountain bikers have been asked to do to avoid disturbing animals like the threatened Capercaillie bird? Based on your study, do you think most mountain bikers are willing to change their behavior if they understand the impact of their actions? Which methods are most effective when it comes to communicating conservation information to riders? There are a number of tools available to land managers, including enforcement, trail design, and education. Which ones provide the biggest impact in your opinion? Based on your experience as a mountain bike guide and director for Big Mountain

Doug Blease is a mountain biker and environmental researcher based in Scotland. He’s a member of IMBA-EU and has served in active trail planning roles with the Aberdeen Trail Association. In this interview, we ask: What does an environmental impact assessment look like when it comes to trail planning? How big of a concern is erosion when it comes to bikes, especially compared to other trail users? How resilient is nature in terms of the ecosystem? Could there be long-term effects due to trail building if it’s not done properly? As individuals, how can we minimize the impact of our rides? How can we balance the tension between creating opportunities to enjoy the environment, with protecting it from damage or overuse? How would you grade the mountain bike industry’s overall eco footprint? If you'd like to contact Doug for advice or to ask a question, email info@singletracks.com and we'll pass your message along. --Keep up with the latest in mountain biking at Singletracks.com and on Instagram @singl

Jeremiah Stone is a mountain bike skill instructor who has taught hundreds of riders across the western USA with Ninja Mountain Bike Performance and the Sedona Mountain Bike Academy. He’s also a freelance trail builder and machine operator in addition to being a skilled rider. In this interview, we ask: How did you develop your own mountain bike skills? Did you have a coach? Do you think today’s mountain bikes make it easier to be a good biker, compared to the equipment that was available in the old days? Timing seems to be a big factor when it comes to landing jumps or clearing doubles. How can riders develop a good sense of timing and speed? Why is it easier to ride a technical feature once you’ve seen someone else ride it first? What are some common bad habits when it comes to technical trail descending? Beyond improving physical fitness, are there skills that can make climbing on the bike more tolerable? Do you have any tips for helping riders overcome their fear of trying something new? How

Jon Cariveau is the head of marketing for Moots, the Steamboat Springs, Colorado based bike brand known for hand building premium, titanium bikes. Jon is a passionate rider and racer, and has been with the brand for 24 years, starting in the shop when Moots had less than half a dozen employees. Moots is celebrating its 40th anniversary this year so we look back at some of the brand's unique bike designs and product decisions over the years, starting with the YBB soft tail mountain bike released in the 1980s. We also ask: What are the biggest advantages of a titanium mountain bike frame? What are the disadvantages or tradeoffs? In 2010 Moots featured a "96er" in the lineup. Are you surprised to see mixed wheel bikes making a bit of a comeback today? As a company that is building bikes domestically, how has Moots been dealing with supply chain disruptions due to Covid? How does the company's location in Steamboat Springs, Colorado influence the products and design? What does Moots have in store for the

Tony Boone has been building mountain bike trails for more than 30 years, and literally helped write the book on the subject, contributing to IMBA’s Guides to Building Sweet Singletrack and Providing Great Riding. He established the first bike patrol in Colorado in 1989 and has been an active member of the Professional Trail Builders Association since 1995. Tony talks about the trail building and mountain bike scene in China, what it's like to work as a government land manager, and the projects he's most proud of. In this interview we also ask: What are some of the most common mistakes new trail builders make? How do concepts like sustainability and stewardship fit into recreational trail building? How do the early trails you built compare to the ones you’re involved in creating today? Can trail builders benefit from a more formal education? To connect with Tony, or to learn more about his work and the studies mentioned in this episode, choose from the following links. https://www.

Earl Serafica is the owner of Earl’s Bike shop, a Specialized dealer located on the west side of Atlanta near the Georgia Tech campus and close to downtown. I first met Earl on a mountain bike ride several years ago, and he’s remained a good friend and tireless promoter of the local cycling community here in Atlanta. Earl talks about how the pandemic and surprising bike boom has affected business, and his approach to connecting with new and old customers.  We also ask: What’s the most common repair you make? Which repairs are more challenging? How has Covid affected your inventory and your ability to get bikes and parts? Which bikes sold the fastest in 2020? Do you worry that delays, and lack of inventory is pushing some folks toward alternatives like wrenching at home, or buying complete bikes online? How are e-bike sales looking? Which types of electric bikes are people choosing, and what do the buyers look like? Connect with Earl and his shop at earlsbike.shop. --Keep up with the latest in

Rab Wardell is a mountain bike athlete and coach living in Glasgow, Scotland. He recently set the fastest known time on the West Highland Way, a 96 mile off-road route connecting Milngavie and Fort William. In this episode, we find out what makes a Fastest Known Time (FKT) attempt different from other mountain bike races, and why Rab chose to challenge the FKT on the West Highland Way in Scotland. Rab outlines the steps he took to prepare his body and his gear for the attempt and shares some of the issues he faced during the ride. In addition to competing, Rab is also a cycling coach, and he shares his tips for building skills, confidence, and fitness that any rider can apply. For more info and to connect with Rab, visit rabwardell.com. --Keep up with the latest in mountain biking at Singletracks.com and on Instagram @singletracks --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/singletracks/support

Simon Lawton is the founder of Fluidride, a world-class mountain bike instructional school that offers both online courses and in-person clinics around the world.  We first spoke with Simon on the podcast in the summer of 2019, and spent some time catching up and learning what mountain bike skills clinics and instruction look during Covid-19. With so many new mountain bikers joining the sport in 2020, Simon talks about the opportunity for not just skills training but also educating riders on trail use and etiquette. For those rejoining the sport, we ask if certain mountain bike skills can get rusty, and what it takes to break old habits. In this episode we also talk about the mountain bike scene in Baja, Mexico where Simon now spends his winter season. Connect with Simon and learn more at fluidride.com. --Keep up with the latest in mountain biking at Singletracks.com and on Instagram @singletracks --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/singletracks/support

Fabio Wibmer is an Austrian trials rider and mountain biker with almost 6 million YouTube followers and is closing in on 1 billion views. He’s known for starring in videos like Wibmer’s Law, Fabiolous Escape 1 and 2, and most recently, Home Office. In addition to trials riding, Fabio is also a winning downhill and freeride mountain biker. In this episode, we ask Fabio how he got his start riding and talk about the athletes who have inspired him along the way. Fabio shares the source of his confidence on the bike, the projects he’s most proud of, and tells us what he would be doing if he weren’t a Red Bull sponsored athlete. We also ask if he considers himself a perfectionist, hear about his recovery from a recent broken foot, and learn his secret for pulling off a really good whip. You don’t want to miss this episode! Find Fabio on YouTube at youtube.com/user/fabwibmer and Instagram @wibmerfabio. --Keep up with the latest in mountain biking at Singletracks.com and on Instagram @singletracks --- Support thi

Mat Stanke is a trail builder and board member of the Clinch Valley Trail Alliance in Oak Ridge, Tennessee outside of Knoxville. He and his club recently opened a new skills park called the Dirt Lab through a grassroots effort involving local businesses and community members. We talk about the vision behind creating the Dirt Lab bike park and how it differs from the natural singletrack trails that were already available to riders in the area. Mat walks us through approvals, funding, and construction, offering insight into the process for others who might be considering the same for their local community. More than just a place for riders to progress their skills, the Dirt Lab offers builders an opportunity to hone their trail feature building skills for future projects as well. Tune in to hear about the mistakes the group made along the way as Mat speaks candidly about some of the challenges the project faced. --Keep up with the latest in mountain biking at Singletracks.com and on Instagram @singletracks

Ron Bergin is the Executive Director of the Chequamegon Area Mountain Bike Association, also known as CAMBA, located in northern Wisconsin. The club is known for maintaining a well known network of mountain bike trails which host popular races and events including the Chequamegon Mountain Bike Festival and the Borah Epic. CAMBA recently worked with River Falls Research Center on a study linking trail visits to $7.8 million in economic impact within two surrounding counties. We learn how the CAMBA trail usage and economic impact study was conducted, and what the results mean for future trail building and maintenance. Are events big economic drivers, or are trails alone enough to make an impact? Is it tough to find enough local volunteers to maintain trails used primarily by tourists? Do groomed fat bike trails draw winter visitors? Ron answers all these questions and more. Read the full report here (https://cambatrails.org/about/economic-impact-studies/) and learn more about the group at cambatrails.org. --Ke

Ben Turits runs a coaching business and sports therapy practice called The Endurance Collective. He’s joined us a couple of times on the Singletracks podcast in the past, and we’re stoked to have him back to talk about strength and fitness training in the time of Covid. Pro and amateur cycling athletes alike have seen their 2020 race and training schedules disrupted, so we dig into the ways athletes are adapting. While our discussion is centered around the effects of the current pandemic, many of the takeaways are applicable to anyone who is facing fitness or training challenges due to unexpected events. We discuss mental tricks for staying focused, the effect of competition on performance, and the positive things some have learned amid forced downtime. The current pandemic is accelerating training technology adoption so we discuss which changes will stick around. Connect with Ben at theendurancecollective.com This podcast is sponsored by Gloworm Lites. Gloworm is a mountain bike light brand founded almos

In this week’s episode, Gerow, Jeff, and Matt sit down to discuss the latest mountain bike news, starting with a question that seems to come up every few years: is this the golden age of mountain biking? We’ll talk about interesting new products including a linkage upgrade and a shippable, cardboard pump track template, plus we take a look at the short 2020 professional mountain bike race season. There’s also much to talk about in the world of e-bikes, from trail access to the latest take on lightweight eMTBs from Orbea. Listen in as we answer the question: what’s been your best and worst ride lately? This podcast is sponsored by Gloworm Lites. Gloworm is a mountain bike light brand founded almost a decade ago by two mountain bikers in New Zealand, and today the company offers some of the most customizable, highest quality bike lights on the market. Gloworm’s complete line of lights start at 1200 lumens and range up to a blinding 3400 lumens, all at reasonable prices. Save 15% off all light systems on the G

Chris Currie is a bike industry veteran with decades of experience in everything from retail and marketing to product design. His patented mountain bike suspension design, dubbed 3VO, is well regarded and is currently being used by Jamis Bikes in their full suspension bike line. Chris fills us in on what it takes to design and patent a brand new mountain bike suspension setup, and talks about what makes his approach unique. We also ask Chris to explain confusing but important terms like instant center and axle path. What’s the most annoying thing about mountain bikes at the moment? Listen in to find out how Chris answers. This podcast is sponsored by Gloworm Lites. Gloworm is a mountain bike light brand founded almost a decade ago by two mountain bikers in New Zealand, and today the company offers some of the most customizable, highest quality bike lights on the market. Gloworm’s complete line of lights start at 1200 lumens and range up to a blinding 3400 lumens, all at reasonable prices. Save 15% off all

The Singletracks staff has tested a ton of gear this year, and this week we’re looking back at some of our favorites. Listen in to hear what impressed us about each of these items, from clothing and accessories to complete bikes. Some of the products covered in this episode: MTB components * TRP G-Spec brakes* Teravail Honcho tires * Schwalbe Magic Mary tires* Formula Selva R fork * Hope Fortus 30 wheels * Versus tires* MRP Raven fork * Ohlins TTXAir shock * And four more favorite tires tested in 2020 MTB accessories * Topeak Burrito seat pack * Thule Roundtrip duffel bag * Garmin Forerunner 235 watch * Polar Grit X watch * Topeak Tubi 18 mini tool * Topeak DA mountain pump * Fidlock bottles * Camelbak Chase hydration vest * Topeak Prepstand Pro work stand Clothing and wearables * Pactimo Ridgeline hoodie * Gore C5 All-mountain shorts * Tasco gloves * Giro Ventana shoes * Endura MT500 jacket * Fox Speedframe helmet --Keep up with the latest in mountain biking at Singletracks.com and on Instagram @singletra

Dr. Chris Leatt is the founder of the eponymous bike and moto protection brand based in South Africa. The company’s bike product line has expanded over the years to include helmets, pads, goggles, and even hydration packs, all designed with a focus on safety and protection. We find out how the Leatt company got its start, and what the brand is doing to help athletes stay safe. Dr. Leatt explains how everything from neck braces to helmets and body armor are designed to work, and offers tips for reducing risk on the bike trail. 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 @singlet

Mike Bush is the President of Stans, a brand whose founder Stan Koziatek pioneered the use of tubeless tires in mountain biking. Today the Stans brand designs and markets its own line of popular wheels and tubeless tire accessories to keep mountain bikers rolling. For most mountain bikers, tubeless tire sealant is basically magic, and Mike gives us one of the best explanations we’ve heard for how the stuff actually works. Of course tire sealant is just one piece of the inflation puzzle, so we spend a lot of time talking about rims and also tires. Is carbon a better material for building rims than aluminum? Are 30mm-wide rims becoming the standard? Listen in to hear the answers to these questions and more. There’s also additional info about the Stans brand at NoTubes.com. --Keep up with the latest in mountain biking at Singletracks.com and on Instagram @singletracks --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/singletracks/support

Vittorio Platania is the marketing manager for the Formula group based in Italy, and he’s here to fill us in on everything we need to know about mountain bike brakes. We’ll discuss how hydraulic disc brakes work, and the factors that going into making a more powerful brake. Vittorio explains why brakes need to be bled, how hose selection plays into the overall system, and how rotor and pad selection can affect the feel of a brake. We’ll also get tips for braking and talk about potential areas of improvement for modern mountain bike disc brakes. Info about Formula brakes at rideformula.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

David Juarez, known to mountain bikers around the world as Tinker, is a 2-time Olympian, 4-time 24 Hour Solo series champ, and Mountain Bike Hall of Famer from California. Long-sponsored by Cannondale, he’s been racing mountain bikes professionally for 31 years and continues to compete in ultra endurance racing at the highest level. Tinker talks about his BMX background, growing up in southern California, and his transition to cross country and later ultra endurance mountain biking. We ask whether winning races is more about physical or mental strength, and get Tinker’s tips for staying fit and fast at 59 years old. Tinker also shares his most difficult races, and reflects on the 24 Hour race scene. Find out more about the Tinker Classic race at gropromotions.com/tinker-classic/ 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 hav

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 t