Podcast 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.
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Martyn Ashton is a four-time British BikeTrial Champion and World Expert BikeTrial Champion, and has been a regular on-camera presenter for the Global Mountain Bike Network, GMBN. His Road Bike Party videos have racked up tens of millions of views and just last year he established RideAble Now, a non-profit group dedicated to adaptive mountain biking. What drew you into motorcycle trials as a kid?…
In this bonus mini-interview, we speak with world-famous trials rider Danny MacAskill about his latest video project, The Impossible Bike Obstacle Course Race. Danny shares his tips for riding skinnies and talks about his approach to challenging situations. If you haven't seen the video yet, be sure to watch before listening so there are no spoilers! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SChm4DyivOU
Geoff Kabush is a three-time Olympian and professional cross-country mountain bike and cyclocross racer with multiple Canadian National titles to his name. He's also a two-time winner of BC Bike Race and recently finished seventh this year against a stacked field that included Nino Schurter. Tell us about your very first bike race. Why did you decide to sign up? Did you think you'd still be racing…
Aaron Roger is the founder and CEO of Rock Solid Trail Contracting which provides planning, consulting, design, and build services for projects mostly around the US. Rock Solid has built thousands of miles of trails in the US since 2014, in iconic destinations like Bentonville and Copper Harbor. What was the first mountain bike trail you ever built? Before starting Rock Solid, you were the…
Rick Vosper has been in the bike industry since the 1980s, serving in marketing and communications roles for some of the biggest brands in the business. His company, RVMS, provides creative services to consumer products and outdoor companies, and he's a regular contributor to Bicycle Retailer and Industry News. What was your first job in the bike industry? How did you land that job? Is cycling…
Cy Turner is the founder and owner of UK-based Cotic Cycles. The Cotic brand got its start in 2003 and is known for high-quality, handcrafted steel bikes, ranging from hardtails to full-suspension bikes to gravel bikes. What were you looking for in a hardtail in 2001 that you couldn't find back then? Where does the Cotic name come from? Why build mountain bikes from steel? Why did you stop using…
Sam Garrett is a teenage mountain biker and inventor living in Rapid City, South Dakota. He was recently awarded a design patent for a tubeless tire plug tool that fits inside a standard mountain bike thru axle. How did you get into mountain biking? When did you start wrenching on your own bike? Why did you decide to create your own tubeless tire plug tool? What did you think you could improve…
Yuri Hauswald is a former 24 Hour Solo mountain bike racer who won the Unbound Gravel 200 in 2015 at age 45. In 2023, he was inducted into the Gravel Cycling Hall of Fame, and this year, he's hoping to raise $50K to support cycling in Emporia, Kansas through a unique fundraiser . You didn't turn pro until you were 36 years old. How did you get into cycling? What attracted you to gravel racing…
Jeff Cayley started Worldwide Cyclery in 2011 when he was just 21 years old, and today he's also the founder and CEO of two more brands, KETL Mountain Apparel and Trail One Components. Jeff is based in Nevada, where he also co-hosts a podcast known as the MTB Podcast. In this episode, we ask: What was happening in the bike industry when you started Worldwide Cyclery that made you think it was the…
Thomas Turner is a professional mountain bike racer who's been competing at the top level of gravel and mountain bike racing for nearly two decades. He's been sponsored by Jamis since 2010, was the 2012 Cyclocross Masters World Champion, and has notched multiple National Ultra Endurance Mountain Bike Race Series podium finishes along the way. He just got back from racing El Reto del Quetzal in…
Leo Kokkonen is the founder of Pole Bicycles, a boutique mountain bike brand based in Finland that's known for its innovative design and construction techniques. Founded in 2013, the brand was forced to file for bankruptcy in 2024, but now they're back with a brand new prototype and a desire to continue pushing the envelope. Why start a bike company in 2013? What did you want to do that wasn't…
Gabriel Wibmer is a 23-year-old Austrian free ride and trials rider who's built a massive YouTube following with his creative urban riding videos, including the viral late for school series that's racked up nearly 25 million views, sponsored by Canyon bikes and hailing from East Tyrol, Austria, Gabriel has proven himself both as a Downhill Racer and as one of the most innovative content creators…
Josh Whitmore is the founder of the MTB Skills Factory (mtbskillsfactory.com) in Brevard, North Carolina. He's a Level 4 certified mountain bike coach and he’s spent more than 25 years helping riders, from total beginners to professional racers, improve their skills and confidence on the trail. We'll dig into what makes riders better: how to train your instincts, how to practice effectively, and…
Today we’re talking with Nick Ryan, the Trails Coordinator for the Copper Harbor Trail Club in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. Copper Harbor has been on mountain bikers’ radars for years, both for its remote location and its incredible trail quali. With some exciting new projects underway and a lot of lessons learned over the years, we get up to speed on Copper Harbor with Nick. An automated…
Jarrod Harris is the co-founder of Jarrod's Place bike park in Summerville, Georgia. We'll be diving into what it takes to open a bike park, the challenges and rewards of building trails, and we'll talk about Trail Armor, an innovative product that was actually developed right there at Jarrod's Place. What's your background? How does someone end up starting a bike park? How did you learn to build…
The Virginia Tech Helmet Lab has been providing independent safety ratings for sports helmets since 2011, and today we’ll hear from Dr. Barry Miller about how their testing works, why their rating system stands apart from standard certifications, and how the system has pushed manufacturers to improve designs over time. In this episode we discuss the following questions. Why did the Virginia Tech…
Alex Larson is a registered dietitian who works with endurance athletes, including cyclists, helping them fuel smart both on and off the bike. In this podcast episode we’ll be tackling some serious nutrition questions—like how much protein do you actually need?—and some not-so-serious ones—like if hot dogs make for a good pre- or post-ride meal. When should athletes choose hydration mix over plain…
Miles from Mullet Cycles has carved out a unique niche in the bike industry by going against the grain. From his brash and unconventional approach to bikes to his knack for creating one-of-a-kind accessories, Miles has been challenging industry norms for years. He's dedicated himself to perfecting the mixed-wheel format for mountain bikes, and he’s also the creative force behind Miles Wide…
Behind the scenes, it takes a lot of planning and hard work to keep a massive trail network like Coldwater Mountain in great shape. That responsibility falls to Marcus Tillman, who works with the Northeast Alabama Bicycle Association and the city of Anniston as Recreation Trails Director for Coldwater Mountain. Today we’ll hear from Marcus about what it takes to maintain such a large system,…
This week we're joined by Greg Heil, Managing Editor at Singletracks. Over the years, Greg has shared stories from trails all over North America—and for two of those years, he was doing it all while living full-time on the road in a van. We’re going to talk about what that experience was like: the incredible places he rode, the highs and lows of vanlife, and what ultimately led him to settle down…
If you’ve ever watched a World Cup downhill or cross-country race at Mont Sainte Anne, you’ve seen Mountain Bike Hall of Famer Pat Drouin's work. And if you’ve ever wondered how a venue like that gets selected—or what it takes to actually host one of these massive events—we’re going to dig into that today. We’ll also talk about the riding in and around Quebec City, which you might be surprised to…
If you follow the bike industry, you probably saw the news earlier this year that Revel was shutting down. It caught a lot of people off guard, including customers, fans, and even some insiders. But just a few months later, found Adam Miller announced he was buying the brand back and relaunching Revel with a new vision. So today, we’re going to talk about that journey—why Revel is going…
If you want to get better at jumping, or you’re trying to progress your riding without a mountain in sight, this episode is for you. Tadas Puodžiūnas is the founder of MTB Hopper, a Lithuanian company that designs and sells portable bike ramps. What was it like learning to mountain bike in Lithuania? How did the idea for MTB Hopper come about? Do you think growing up in a flat place gave you any…
Joe is the Calirado Kid, a Sacramento-based mountain bike content creator known for posting hilarious bike-related videos on Instagram, TikTok and Youtube. This summer he's teaming up with a nonprofit organization called Adventure Scientists to encourage riders to help document biodiversity in California. How did you first get into mountain biking? Do you think mountain bikers take riding too…
Joey Klein has been involved in mountain bike trail design for more than 30 years, and has worked for the International Mountain Bike Association (IMBA) longer than anyone else. This year he's being inducted into the mountain bike hall of fame in recognition of his contributions to the sport. How did you first get involved in trail design? What it like to be a part of the Subaru-IMBA Trail Care…
Jack Pittens is the co-founder 9point8, an Ontario-based bicycle component brand known for its dropper posts and other innovative products. How did 9point8 get its start? What is your background? For dropper posts, is there an advantage to using a sealed cartridge vs. one that's tunable, or another design? How do you make a dropper post lightweight? Do today's buyers even care about the weight of…
Lee McCormack is a mountain bike skills instructor and coach, and he's the author of nearly a dozen books, including the NICA Skills Training Manual. He's written extensively on bike fitting and fitness training, and just last year he launched his own bike brand, Mistress Cycles. How have mountain biking techniques changed over the years? What's the difference between a good mountain bike racer,…
In this episode of the Singletracks podcast we're going to be discussing some of the latest news and trends from the world of mountain bike trail development. We discuss: A recent meta-analysis of mountain bike tourism by IMBA and the Trust for Public Land The use of private land for trail development Threats to existing trail systems What's happening in Arkansas What to expect in 2025 and beyond…
David Folch is the founder and CEO of Dirty Sixer, a boutique bike builder focused on fitting tall riders with big wheel bikes. The Dirty Sixer line currently features gravel, all-road, and electric bikes, and will soon include a mountain bike with 32" wheels. How did your brand Dirty Sixer get started? How tall do you have to be for a 32er to make sense? What are some of the MTB geometry…
Thomas Schoen is the CEO of First Journey Trails, a trail building company based in British Columbia. He's also the Director for the Williams Lake Cycling Club, the Aboriginal Youth Mountain Bike Program and is the President of the Cariboo Mountain Bike Consortium. How long have you been building mountain bike trails professionally? How did you get started? Which aspects of a trail build do you…
Cory Wallace is the reigning, six-time World Solo 24 Hour Mountain Bike Champion and the Head Organizer for the Rockies 24 race in Canmore, Alberta. His mountain bike adventures have taken him all over the world, inspiring riders and raising funds for various humanitarian causes along the way. How did you get interested in endurance mountain bike racing, and 24 solo racing? What happened to…
Chris Canfield's company, Suspension Formulas, develops and licenses mountain bike suspension designs used by brands including Revel and Canfield Bikes. Now he's launching his own bike brand, Vampire Bikes while also continuing to race DH at the Masters level. In 2019 you won the UCI Masters World Championship at Mont St. Anne when you were in your 40s. What's allowed you to be so fast for so…
Miranda Miller is a downhill mountain bike World Champion and three time Canadian National downhill champion from Squamish, British Columbia. Her video series, Here, There, Everywhere regularly features inspiring riders and mountain bike destinations around the world as Miranda takes on new cycling challenges ranging from gravel biking to gravity racing. How did you get introduced to downhill…
Lance Canfield is a mechanical engineer and former professional mountain bike racer who drew his first mountain bike design in 1996. Today his bike brand, Canfield Bikes, sells mountain bikes and components designed and tested in Poncha Springs, Colorado. What were downhill bikes like when you began racing in 1994? What did you want to improve about your bike? Your first bike design in 1999, the…
Riley Amos won overall Under 23 World Cup titles in both short track and cross-country this year and finished seventh in the Paris Olympics, the highest an American has ever placed in the event. He is a member of the Trek Factory Racing Team and lives and trains in Durango, Colorado . Going into the 2024 season did you expect to win the overall U23 titles in short track and cross-country? Do you…
Lennard Zinn is a bike designer and frame builder based in Louisville, Colorado. His shop, Zinn Cycles, offers "a full line of semi-custom and off the shelf bikes for riders from very small to very tall and everyone in-between." 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 first-half of our podcast…
Craig Calfee is an innovative bike builder and the founder of Calfee Design. Calfee was an early adopter of carbon fiber for bike frames in 1987, and brand's Tetra road bike is said to have been in production longer than any other carbon bike. You might also recognize his work with Bamboo bike frames, which he began in 1995. How did you get your start building bikes? What did people think about…
Wes Holland is the owner of Bullmoose Softgoods where he designs and produces one-of-a-kind bags for cycling and adventuring. Bullmoose is based in Summerville, Massachusetts and currently offers handlebar and frame bags plus hip packs and accessories. What came first for you: bikes or bags? What kind of riding do you like to do? What is the riding scene like in Boston? There are a lot of hip…
Greg Mazu is the self-described "Chief Dreamer" behind Backslope Tools, a company that designs and sells tools for trail building and forest maintenance. He's also the founder of Singletrack Trails, a trail building company that recently finished its last project after 20 years in the business. When did you build your first trail? How did you get into professional trail building? What motivated…
Hannah Otto recently became the fastest known woman to ride the 137-mile-long Kokopelli's trail from Moab, Utah to Loma, Colorado, besting the previous fastest known time by over an hour. In addition to racing gravel and mountain bikes, she's also a certified athletic trainer. How do you feel now that you can finally talk about your accomplishment? Were you worried someone else would make an FKT…
Chuck Teixeira is a Senior Advanced Concept Engineer at Specialized where he's been involved in countless projects from mountain to road, and from bikes to components. Prior to joining Specialized in 2011, Chuck spent 28 years at Easton-Bell where he was the director of R&D. How did you end up in the bike industry? How does the Smartweld tech used on the new Specialized Chisel mountain bike frame…
Colin Ryan is a Senior Development Engineer at Norco and was involved in the design of the latest Norco Optic trail bike which features a high-pivot design. Prior to joining Norco he worked at General Kinetics testing and developing shock absorbers for military and construction equipment. At a basic level, what problem does a high pivot design solve? Is there a certain type of riding that benefits…
Sara Hunter is a Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselor in the state of North Carolina and a PMBIA Level 1 Mountain Bike Instructor. Her practice includes individual and couples counseling services plus mountain bike therapy and counseling for athletes and outdoor instructors. She's also a Specialized USA Ambassador. What led you to get into counseling? Does everyone benefit from spending time…
Alex Larson is a registered dietitian and multi-sport athlete who helps endurance athletes optimize nutrition and performance. She's written multiple nutrition guides and offers customized nutrition coaching services to athletes around the world. Do athleticism and nutrition go hand in hand? Are athletes generally healthy eaters by nature? What is a "flexible eating style"? Are restrictive diets…
Amanda Carey is the President of NICA, the National Interscholastic Cycling Association , a non-profit that develops mountain biking programs for student athletes across the United States. Prior to joining NICA, Amanda served as the executive director of Mountain Bike the Tetons and as a mountain bike coach. What drew you to mountain biking initially? What's kept you so engaged over the years?…
Sara Bresnick is a former professional mountain biker, cycling coach and founder of Pedal Power Training Solutions which offers customized training plans plus advice on nutrition, race strategy, and technique. What are some fitness goals your clients have beyond racing? For example, does it make sense for a rider to work with a coach before a big weeklong mountain bike trip? Do older athletes need…
Claudio Caluori is a seven-time Swiss National Champion and founder of Velosolutions, "a global network of professionals with profound knowledge in cycling, action sports, tourism and urban development." He's also a popular YouTube personality, delivering entertaining course previews and ride-alongs with top athletes. In addition to building pump tracks around the world, Velosolutions recently…
In this episode of the Singletracks podcast, Matt and Jeff discuss the current trends around mountain bike weights. Are bikes too heavy, or are they where they should be given how durable and capable they are today? This discussion covers: Examples of specific bikes and their weights Why bike weights might be increasing The benefits to lightweight -- and heavy -- mountain bikes Areas where…
Will Hart is Product Marketing Manager at Cane Creek, a western North Carolina based maker of suspension and bike components. Besides looking cool, what are some advantages of a coil shock? Are certain styles of riding better suited to a coil shock than others? What makes some FS mountain bikes coil compatible, and others not? How does compression damping work on a coil shock? Is there any air…
Sean Leader is the founder of Windrock Bike Park and Southern Gravity, a Tennessee-based company that builds ramps and shuttle vehicles for bike parks. Not only that, Southern Gravity recently released a prototype steel DH mountain bike that's being tested by top elite and junior DH riders. You've worn many hats in the mountain bike world. When was the moment you realized you could make a living…
