Stay ConnectedPodcast host Jeff Barber, Editor-in-Chief at Singletracks.com, aims to inform and inspire with topics and interviews from the mountain bike world. Since 2015, we have been sharing weekly stories from under the helmets of the most inspiring and influential mountain bikers.
Join us as we learn from top athletes, product designers, trail builders, coaches, mechanics, artists, and leaders in the mountain biking community.
Chris Cocalis is the founder and president of Pivot Cycles based in Tempe, Arizona. Pivot is known for creating cutting-edge, high performance mountain bikes and also for sponsoring many talented athletes over the years while giving back to the community.
In this episode we talk about the mountain bike design process and how bikes are manufactured. Chris fills us in on current trends in the bike world, the benefits of sponsoring and working with pro-level riders, e-commerce challenges, new technologies, and why Pivot doesn’t offer builds priced less than $5,000.
--Keep up with the latest in mountain biking at Singletracks.com and on Instagram @singletracks
Maurice and his partner Elaine started Dirt Rag back in 1989. For decades the magazine documented the sport and for many carried with it the very soul of mountain biking.
Maurice talks about how mountain bike gear and culture has evolved over the past three decades, and his recent decision to cease operations at the iconic publication.
--Keep up with the latest in mountain biking at Singletracks.com and on Instagram @singletracks
In 2012, Kate was the first American woman to win a UCI Mountain Bike World Cup Junior title. Then in 2017, she won the Under 23 World Cup Overall title. In 2018, she won gold at the UCI Mountain Bike World Championships, and then the next year she took the overall UCI Mountain Bike World Cup title. Recently, Kate was named to the 2020 Olympics team for cross country mountain biking.
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.
Please visit Singletracks.com for the full transcript of this interview with Kate.
--Keep up with the latest in mountain biking at Singletracks.com and on Instagram @singletracks
Chris Sugai is the co-founder and President of Niner Bikes, a brand which was an early adopter of the now ubiquitous mountain bike wheel size. Over the years Chris and Niner have worked with incredible athletes, produced countless innovations, and generously supported the International Mountain Bike Association.
We get the inside scoop on how Niner got its start and talk about the current state of the mountain bike wheel size debate. Chris talks about building a culture and a brand, and what’s changed now that Niner is part of a larger parent company. We ask about gravel bikes and also what’s next for the bike industry.
--Keep up with the latest in mountain biking at Singletracks.com and on Instagram @singletracks
Oskar Blues is known primarily as a beer company, but the brand also has a big toe in the mountain bike world with the Reeb bike brand based in Lyons, Colorado. We geek out about beer with senior marketing manager Aaron Baker and also hear from Reeb sponsored rider Jeff Lenosky who fills us in on all the different bikes in the line.
In addition to the bike and beer brand, Oskar Blues also operates a bike shop in Longmont, Colorado and a place called Reeb Ranch with access to some of the best mountain bike trails in Dupont State Forest near Pisgah. The company opened a second brewery in North Carolina near the Pisgah National Forest about 8 years ago and also puts on popular events each year.
This episode is sponsored by Mountain Biking Park City. As the world’s first IMBA Gold Level Ride center since 2012, Park City, Utah is a premier mountain biking destination. What makes Park City a gold-level ride center? For starters, the immediate area boasts a diverse variety of trails spread across 450 miles with everything from paved commuting paths for a family-friendly ride to aggressive cross-country rides like the Epic Wasatch Crest trail. Combined with magnificent scenery, numerous bars and restaurants, world class accommodations, free public transit and a wide range of entertainment options, it’s no wonder Park City was awarded gold. Experiencing Park City, Utah has never been easier. And, there’s never been a better time than now. Arrange your stay, rent a bike, and book a guide, by visiting mountainbikingparkcity.com.
--Keep up with the latest in mountain biking at Singletracks.com and on Instagram @singletracks
Rebecca Rusch is a 7-time World Champion in cycling, adventure racing, and cross country skiing events, a best-selling author, and a passionate community activist. She’s also an Emmy award winner for her documentary Blood Road which highlights the problem of unexploded ordnance in Laos that her Do Good foundation is working to solve.
In this episode we dive into the life equations Rebecca has figured out like “blood flow = brain flow” and “passion = payoff,” and how these apply both on and off the bike. Rebecca shares how she approaches challenges, talks about why gravel riding is so attractive to all types of riders, and tells us about what her foundation is doing to help others around the world.
We also ask Rebecca to weigh in on why women’s performance in ultra endurance events is more evenly matched with men than in other sports, and what it’s like riding for her new sponsor, Liv/Giant.
Learn more about the Be Good foundation and keep up with Rebecca at rebeccarusch.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
Ryan White is the senior product designer at cycling apparel company Pactimo based in Denver, Colorado. He studied industrial design at Wentworth Institute of Technology and has been designing soft goods for almost a decade.
In this episode, we dig deep into the design decisions that go into creating clothing that mountain bikers want to wear. If you’ve ever wondered why mountain bike apparel costs as much as it does, or what the true benefits are to wearing jerseys and shorts designed specifically for biking, this show will answer those questions and more.
Learn more at Pactimo.com. This podcast was not sponsored, influenced, or directly supported by Pactimo in any way.
Let us know if you’d like to hear more episodes like this one where we talk shop and geek out about gear!
--Keep up with the latest in mountain biking at Singletracks.com and on Instagram @singletracks
If you’re a mountain biker, chances are you’ve seen Paris’s brilliant photography online and in your favorite magazine. He’s spent more than a decade capturing mountain bike culture through the eyes of its athletes and brands in locations around the world, and his highly regarded work is routinely showcased in both commercial and editorial features.
In this episode, Paris talks about how he got started as a mountain biker, and later a mountain bike photographer. We hear stories about lost memory cards, dropped cameras, and one particularly unusual technique he’s used to get perspective in his shots. He’ll also share some great tips for budding photographers.
View Paris Gore’s work online at ParisGore.com and follow him @ParisGore on Instagram.
--Keep up with the latest in mountain biking at Singletracks.com and on Instagram @singletracks
Keri Hatley is the head coach at Shred Science Nutrition, a program designed to help clients lose weight and build lean muscle to unlock their optimum performance. She’s an athlete who has competed in everything from running and cycling to powerlifting and holds a certificate in Nutrition coaching.
We’ll find out what macro nutrients are, and how tracking them can help mountain bikers — and anyone really — reach their fitness goals. Keri weighs in on current diets and intermittent fasting, muscle imbalance in cyclists, and the idea that food is fuel. We also talk about the ideal pre- and post-ride foods.
If you want to get faster or feel better this year, listen in for some ideas to try! Learn more and connect with Keri at shredsciencenutrition.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
There are few topics in the world of mountain biking more controversial than electric mountain bikes. While one side believes anything with a motor goes against the spirit of the sport and could have a devastating effect on trail access, the other side argues the new tech helps disabled riders and makes mountain biking even more fun.
So who is right? Like most issues, the truth lies somewhere in between the extreme views on either side, and none of us know for certain how this will all shake out in the future. This is a debate that’s been going on for several years, yet today we’re starting to see how some of the early predictions of the impact e-bikes might have are coming true in terms of trail access and riders’ health.
In this episode I’ll share two recent stories about e-bike trail access and a study that looks at the health benefits of riding an electric mountain bike, and how riders’ perceptions change (or don’t change) after riding one. You can read all three of these articles, written by Matt Miller, on Singletracks.com, listed below.
* Secretary of Interior Allows E-bike Access Across BLM Land, National Parks
* We Asked Four Major Trail Organizations for their Thoughts on eMTB Trail Access
* Study Suggests eMTBs Offer Nearly Same Workout as Non-motorized MTBs, Attitudes Towards eMTBs Change After Riding
--Keep up with the latest in mountain biking at Singletracks.com and on Instagram @singletracks
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