Vital MTB

Latest Episodes:

John Lawlor, MTB Filmer - The Inside Line Podcast Dec 09, 2020

Show notes

Welcome mountain bikers! We're lucky as a four-leaf clover to have John Lawlor on the show! John is a long-time mountain bike rider and racer-turned videographer and filmmaker. He’s been responsible for Vital RAW videos from World Cup downhill races the last few years and is a staple on the race scene. We talk team rumors, VHS tapes, his career as a former Elite-level bike racer, and the future of mountain bike filming.
We hope you're getting on the trails and staying safe out there!
Thank you - Maxxis Tires

Maxxis Tires

A big shout out goes to Maxxis tires. Make sure your bike has the right shoes for springtime shredding! Maxxis has supported The Inside Line since day one and they continue to make our bikes grips, rip and roll.

Thank you - Jenson USA

Jenson USA
Use code INSIDELINE and get 10% off select items
At jensonusa.com, you can save big with their MTB Gift Guide. Jerseys, shorts, outwear, helmets and even shoes are available at big discounts right now. Get dialed at Jenson USA!
Thank you - Santa Cruz Bicycles

Santa Cruz Bicycles offers free pivot bearing replacement for life on any of their full-suspension frames. If your riding has slowed down with a bit of lockdown, now’s a great time to get your local shop for some bike maintenance. hit up santacruzbicycles.com/dealers to find a great shop near you.

Maxxis Tires' Aaron Chamberlain - The Inside Line Nov 25, 2020

Show notes

Welcome mountain bikers! Thanks for tuning in to Vital MTB’s The Inside Line podcast. Today we're joined by MTB Marketing Manager for Maxxis Tires, Aaron Chamberlain. Maxxis has been behind The Inside Line since day one, almost four years now, and it's all thanks to Aaron. We're honored to have such a top-shelf brand getting behind something we believe in here at Vital.

Aaron discusses his love for bikes and finding his way into the bike industry after being an art school dropout. We discuss all things Maxxis, including choosing which tire models and constructions make the cut and having to deal with the name Assegai for Greg Minnaar's tire. How are mountain bike tires made? Why do some tires cost $90? We hit on those topics and there is even some censored team rumor gossip. Enjoy the show!

The Inside Line is proudly sponsored by Jenson USA, your online shopping source for bikes, riding gear, apparel, and components. Holiday deals are in full swing and if you use coupon code InsideLine (all one word) at checkout, you can receive 10% off qualifying items.

Maxxis Tires will keep you and your bike connected to the trail with their wide variety of tread patterns, rubber compounds, and tire constructions. I’m still enjoying an Assegai front tire with Minion Semi-Slick out back on my daily driver 5010. The Assegai decides the line with the Minion SS keeping things playful as it slides along for the ride. Maxxis.com has all your MTB tire needs.

How rad is this? Our friends at Santa Cruz announced that their PayDirt initiative has named 16 organizations as the first funding recipients in the company's three-year, $1 million pledge aimed at trail building and mountain bike development across the globe. Hit up santacruzbicycles.com/paydirt to see the grant recipients, to apply for a grant or learn more about this awesome trail-funding initiative.

Trail Building, Back Injury and Downhill MTB - Steve Wentz of Momentum Trail Concepts - The Inside Line Podcast Nov 11, 2020

Show notes

Welcome mountain bikers! We're proud to have a trail-building, bike-shredding guest on The Inside Line podcast today. Steve Wentz of Momentum Trail Concepts joins us in Boise, Idaho, in between excavator sessions, as he carves out a new trail here in town. The trail is part of a SWIMBA project that has been in the works for some time, and it offers up some new, exciting riding in our region.

Steve is a former US Junior National DH team member, a former World Cup DH racer, he’s a professional trail builder, a mad consumer of M&M’s, and a long-time Vital MTB test rider. In 2004, Steve freeloaded a ride in spomer's 2001 Chevy Malibu from the Calgary World Cup to Denver with Clay Porter riding shotgun. Steve Wentz is a unique human being who can't snap or whistle and was even a door-to-door window salesman. Thank you listeners for your support, I hope you’re getting some good ride time in, give your local trail builder a big, fat socially-distanced hug, and enjoy the episode!!!

The Inside Line is proudly sponsored by Jenson USA, your online shopping source for bikes, riding gear, apparel, and components. jensonusa.com has a Fall Riding essentials shopping page to keep you outfitted and on the trails as the temperatures drop. Use coupon code InsideLine (all one word) at checkout to receive 10% off qualifying items.

WORLD CUP DOWNHILL Interviews - The Inside Line Podcast Nov 01, 2020

Show notes

Welcome Mountain Bikers! Thanks for tuning in to this special race-edition of The Inside Line mountain bike podcast. Today we feature racer interviews from the final World Cup Downhill of 2020. Race winners and others discuss the challenging double-header weekend. Loic Bruni, Greg Minnaar, Marine Cabirou, Matt Walker are just a few on the mic with @maddogboris and Dan Hearn, who covered the race for Vital MTB.
How rad is this? Our friends at Santa Cruz announced that their PayDirt initiative has named 16 organizations as the first funding recipients in the company's three-year, $1 million pledge aimed at trail building and mountain bike development across the globe.

With all these new trails, you’re going to make sure you have the right gear for the ride. Hit up jensonusa.com/sale so save big on bikes, riding gear and components. whatever you need, Jenson has it through their online store and, you can even save 10% off qualifying items by using coupon code InsideLine (all one word) at check out.

Maxxis is a long-time supporter of the Inside Line. We love their tires and we’ve noticed more bikes are being spec’d with their MaxxGRIP rubber tires. Are you a MaxxGRIP type of rider or a MaxxTERRA, maybe one of each? What about you MaxxSPEED riders? They’re the goods for some serious hauling. Whatever compound you choose, Maxxis will keep you blasting the trails this autumn. Dig into more on maxxis.com to learn more about their tire constructions and compounds.

LACY KEMP - The Inside Line Podcast Sep 30, 2020

Show notes

Picture this: You move from Florida to the West Coast, only to hear the siren song of mountain biking. In a matter of years, it takes over your life. You move to a small, mountain bike-centric town and the house you move to is strategically located a short pedal from the local trail network. You make your passion your job, you write about riding, and dedicate your livelihood to sharing the lives of mountain biking's biggest names. Along the way, you ride nearly every day. Rain gear is for riding in the rain and bike lights are for riding at night. Your worldview is through the lens of bikes and your view of bikes is about the people on them.

There is an element of that story in each of us but the complete picture is that of Lacy Kemp. Part of Kona Bicycles' marketing team, Lacy has a rich history among the heroes of our sport. She's a writer, a rider, an advocate, and has an idea or two about some things.
How rad is this? Our friends at Santa Cruz announced that their PayDirt initiative has named 16 organizations as the first funding recipients in the company's three-year, $1 million pledge aimed at trail building and mountain bike development across the globe.

Developing Giant's New Trance X 29 with Adam Craig and JC Schellenbach Sep 17, 2020

Show notes

In this Tech Talk episode, Vital MTB's Brandon Turman calls up Giant Bicycles Category Manager, JC Schellenbach, and retired Professional mountain bike rider, Adam Craig, to discuss one of Giant's most exciting new bikes – the just-introduced Trance X Advanced Pro 29. Featuring 135mm rear travel, 150mm up front, progressive geometry, and a clever flip chip, this one is ready for anything. The three cover everything from Live Valve shock tuning to frame stiffness decisions and who it was designed for.
Visit Vital MTB to learn more

KIRT VOREIS - Full Episode REPLAY Sep 09, 2020

Show notes

Welcome mountain bikers! Thanks for tuning in to Vital MTB’s The Inside Line.
I’ve been missing the face-to-face interviews that have become less frequent due to the Covid restrictions. It’s hard to believe that almost two years ago, we ran this two-part interview with mountain bike legend, Kirt Voreis and Cam McCaul as co-host. I wanted to run it again because, 1. you can never get too much Voreis and, B. you can never get too much Voreis. I’ve crushed the two parts into one for this replay, so sit back, listen again or listen for the first time and #allhailvoreis
How rad is this? Our friends at Santa Cruz announced that their PayDirt initiative has named 16 organizations as the first funding recipients in the company's three-year, $1 million pledge aimed at trail building and mountain bike development across the globe.
With all these new trails, you’re going to make sure you have the right gear for the ride. Hit up jensonusa.com/sale so save big on bikes, riding gear and components. whatever you need, Jenson has it through their online store and, you can even save 10% off qualifying items by using coupon code InsideLine (all one word) at check out.
Maxxis is a long-time supporter of the Inside Line. We love their tires and we’ve noticed more bikes are being spec’d with their MaxxGRIP rubber tires. Are you a MaxxGRIP type of rider or a MaxxTERRA, maybe one of each? What about you MaxxSPEED riders? They’re the goods for some serious hauling. Whatever compound you choose, Maxxis will keep you blasting the trails this autumn. Dig into more on maxxis.com to learn more about their tire constructions and compounds.

MTB Suspension Talk & Big Rides - The Inside Line with SRAM's Chris Mandell Aug 26, 2020

Show notes

Welcome mountain bikers! Thanks for tuning in to Vital MTB’s The Inside Line podcast. We have a great show today with guest, Chris Mandell of SRAM. He has a long history in the mountain biking industry. We get into all kinds of suspension discussion thanks to his experience at RockShox, and we learn about his penchant for big, suffering rides.
We hope you're getting on the trails and staying safe out there!
Thank you - Maxxis Tires

Maxxis Tires

Thank you - Jenson USA

Jenson USA
Use code INSIDELINE and get 10% off select items
At jensonusa.com, you can save big with their summer MTB apparel sale. Jerseys, shorts, outwear, helmets and even shoes are available at big discounts right now as summer comes to a close. Get dialed at Jenson USA!
Thank you - Santa Cruz Bicycles

E-MTB Testing - The Inside Line Podcast Jul 28, 2020

Show notes

Welcome mountain bikers, this is a pre-game E-Bike Test Sessions edition of The Inside Line podcast. I’m Shawn Spomer and I’m stoked to be social distancing, in-person, with Vital’s very own Brandon *huck-n-slap-it-to-flat* Turman, Brad, *B3z-Bullet-Head* Howell, and our secret weapon tester, Sean *Griz* McClendon, who, when he’s not slinging the bling at Deity, likes to pretend he’s Kovarik doing two-wheel drifts at 90mph on Trail 4 here in Boise.

E-bikes aren’t that fun without electricity and The Inside Line isn’t that fun without the support of our gracious sponsors
The Inside Line is brought to you by Jenson USA. Jenson USA has great deals on great mountain bikes and bike-related products both online and in-store and, coincidentally, two of the bikes in our test are available at Jenson. The Norco Sight VLT is available for online purchase or in-store purchase, and the Santa Cruz Heckler can be purchased in-store only through Jenson. Shop in person at their Corona California retail location, hours are limited right now and masks are required, but the doors are open. You can also access online purchases for curbside pick-up only at their Riverside, California location. As always, use coupon code insideline at check out on jensonusa.com to receive 10% off qualifying items.
Maxxis Tires makes The Inside Line and predictable traction on the trail possible. The Santa Cruz Heckler and Norco Sight VLT in our test both have Maxxis Minion DHR II tires front and rear. I think it’s safe to say that no one in the test is bummed with that tire spec. Hit up maxxis.com for more info.
Finally, one last Santa Cruz plug because they make sure The Inside Line is possible - You get free, lifetime pivot bearing replacement on any Santa Cruz full-suspension bike, including, the Heckler we’ve been hucking this week. santacruzbicycles.com/dealers will get you to a local Santa Cruz shop near you.
Considering the polarizing nature of this e-Edition of The Inside Line, please send all hate mail or love mail to sspomer@vitalmtb.com - We accept recorded, audio excerpts, memes or good, old-fashioned, opinionated written notes.
Alright, I’m gonna light the match, throw it into the leaf pile, sit back and watch it burn!!

KYLE STRAIT - The Inside Line Podcast Jul 15, 2020

Show notes

Welcome mountain bikers. This is the inside line podcast. I’m gordo and I’m honored to have co-host, Sean "Griz" McClendon, with me as we grill the one, the only, Kyle Strait. There’s no box to put Kyle in. He’s been a successful World Cup DH mountain bike racer, he's a king of style at the dirt jumps, he owns the Dual Slalom track, is a two-time Red Bull Rampage winner and one of the most influential bike riders in our sport. Kyle is candid and open about the ups and downs of his mountain biking career. Did you know he did a half-marathon while dribbling a soccer ball? It's all in there.
Thank you - Maxxis Tires

Maxxis Tires

Thank you - Jenson USA

Jenson USA
Use code INSIDELINE and get 10% off select items
At jensonusa.com, a long-time supporter of The Inside Line, you can get 20% off a single qualifying item when you use code SAVE20 at check out. Riding season is right around the corner, so get dialed at Jenson USA!
Thank you - Santa Cruz Bicycles

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