Vital Mtb - Speaking Of Mountain Biking

The 2022 UCI Downhill World Cup season has come to a close, and racing concluded on debatably the gnarliest track of the year in Val di Sole, Italy. Overall titles were crowned, bikes were pushed to the limit, and our co-host, Dakotah Norton, finished the year with a career-best 3rd place. It was a bitter-sweet ending to the season with Dak ending on a high note, Camille Balanche pushing through injury to wrap up her first Elite title, and Red Bull signing off on their last broadcast.    This week, the B Practice crew breaks down all the craziness from the weekend, discussing Dak’s podium weekend, World Cup bonuses, UCI podium payouts, Rob Warner’s final race as the voice of World Cup downhill, Amaury Pierron’s dominating season, and ability to ride the edge, rumors of an A and B final next year at World Cups, plans for the podcast this offseason, plus lots of random banter. Enjoy!

Can this season get any more exciting!?! World Champs from Les Gets, France, was one for the record books, with Loic Bruni taking his 5th World title and France sweeping the Elite Men's podium. There were plenty of other highlights from the weekend, including Valentina Holl taking her first World title, upsets in the Junior field, custom bikes and gear, and one of the largest crowds we've ever seen.This week the B Practice crew breaks down all the craziness from the weekend, discussing the mental approach to a one-off race like Worlds, favorite custom bikes, Greg Minnaar's Jamaican bobsled team kit, Loris Vergier's grip choice, why the French have been historically so successful at Worlds, and most importantly, what is up with riders cuffing their pant legs. All that, plus some insights into the gnarly Val di Sole track being raced this weekend for the final World Cup of 2022.

Two weeks ago, we attempted to record our usual post-race podcast after the 2022 UCI Mountain Bike World Cup in Mont Sainte Anne, but unfortunately we had issues with the recording upload. Oh, the joys of conducting a podcast with multiple people in various countries across the globe. As World Championships approaches, we decided to wait and record a pre-Worlds show, covering highlights from MSA and touching on the World Cup overall standings heading into the final round from Val di Sole, Italy.We also chat about concussion protocol, Crankworx Whistler, the dangers of World Cup spectating, who is the sickest downhill racer currently, the updated Les Gets track, and speculate on the anarchy that could follow if a French racer wins on Saturday. Enjoy! 

Welcome mountain bikers, let's jump back 5 years to a previously aired Inside Line featuring Eliot Jackson. This was the very first Inside Line ever and Eliot was kind enough to be the guinea pig for us. Needless to say it's been an awesome ride for the Inside Line and we're stoked for more. Eliot mentioned on his Instagram account that the Mont-Sainte-Anne Red Bull webcast with Rob Warner a week or so ago was his last World Cup commentary. We'll definitely miss his knowledge and enthusiasm on the broadcasts and are excited to see what his future holds. He's the founder Grow Cycling, doing great things there and always has something up his sleeve. Jenson USA has a Labor Sale going on right now. Bikes are on discount, parts, riding gear, you name it. It's a great time of year to save big and if you use coupon code inside line all one word at check out and receive 10% off qualifying items.If you're lackin' the traction or wanna ride like Jackson (Goldstone), Maxxis tires

Back in the USA, baby! Last weekend, the World Cup circus headed across the pond for the first time this season to Snowshoe, West Virginia. After years of relatively dry racing, the east coast provided, welcoming riders with plenty of rain and slippery conditions. Not many made it down without having a near-death moment (or two), and it might have been the toughest track raced in years.  This week, the crew discusses Dakotah’s now infamous race run inside line, how the Snowshoe track humbled the world’s best racers, the tripod corner that ended a few race runs, the rise of Ronan Dunne, who is responsible for track maintenance and safety during a race weekend, result breakdowns for each class, and then they close things out with some pre-Mont-Sainte-Anne chatter. Enjoy!

The mud at the 2022 UCI Mountain Bike World Cup Downhill in Snowshoe provided the drama, but the racers, fans and atmosphere were the highlight of the weekend. Trill Will got his hands on interviews from Bernard Kerr, Camille Balanche and Eliot Jackson, Ronan Dunne, Gracey Hemstreet, Superfan Alex Ohlman, Laurie Greenland, Matt Sterling, Preston Cline (Race Director for the Snowshoe World Cup) and Wyn Masters.

After two years, the World Cup circus returned to the heart of the Pyrenees Mountains for an exciting weekend of dry, hot, fast, and tight racing. With a brand new track on a completely different side of the mountain, gone were the steep, technical sections we are used to seeing in Andorra, and instead, the track was made up of blistering fast off-cambers and high-speed turns with no shortage of loose shale and dust. Times were tight, and the margin for error was even smaller.This week, we discuss if World Cup downhill should assign permanent race numbers, if selling more downhill bikes is the answer to the longevity of the sport, the multiple death-defying sections on this year’s track, Loic Bruni's softer-than-average suspension setup, Jackson Goldstone having the fastest time of the day, plus our usual deep dive into results and overall standings. Enjoy!

In this episode of The Inside Line podcast, Jason Schroeder sits down to interview his good friend and past landlord, Austin Smith, better known as Cheddar Child. Originally from Southern California and now residing in Boise, Idaho, Austin is first and foremost a ripping snowboarder. Introduced to mountain biking during his college years, his love for two wheels and digging trails have become his newfound passion. As the current Director of Innovations and Marketing at Bogus Basin Mountain Recreation Area, he has played a huge role in growing Bogus’ new bike park, which has moved the needle forward for mountain bike trails in the greater Boise area. He’s a staple in the community who is constantly organizing dig days and trying to improve the experience of every rider who visits the park. He also has some of the sickest backyard dirt jumps you’ll likely never see and a love for music festivals and drum and bass. Austin is truly a one-of-a-kind individual whose intensity for life and motivated personality leav

Dakota Norton qualified 2nd in Lenzerheide, was up at the splits and had an unfortunate slideout during his race run at the UCI Mountain Bike World Cup Downhill. Jason Schroeder and Tanner Stephens, former World Cup downhill racers, talk with Dak about his race weekend and then the three of them dive into the performances of top finishers in all categories.

Will Washam, also known as Trill Will, is on the Inside Line podcast today. If you've raced a Downhill Southeast, watched one of their race replays or attended a recent National Champs gravity event, you have heard him making the calls as commentator. We talk about his journey into mountain biking, finding his way into announcing duties over the years and more.Thanks to jensonusa.com for supporting The Inside Line. They have their Independence Day sale going on right now with big savings on bikes, components and riding gear. Summer is here, so make sure you and your bike are ready for shredding. Use coupon code InsideLine, all one word, at check out and receive 10% off qualifying items.Maxxis tires are stacking wins this year with Richie Rude winning the latest EWS, Jesse Melamed winning the week before, Vali Holl taking a Crankworx DH win in Innsbruck and Matt Walker winning the Leogang World Cup downhill. Hit up maxxis.com to find the mountain bike tire that best suits your riding style and conditions

We're going to take a trip back in time to 2018 with a previously aired Inside Line featuring Rob Warner. If you didn't know, after this 2022 season, Red Bull will no longer produce the Live webcasts of World Cup Downhill and Cross Country as the UCI sold those rights to the Discovery channel through 2030. Upon hearing the news, I asked Rob if he would still be involved as race commentator, hopeful for a "yes" answer because he has been such an integral part of what makes those shows so exciting to watch. This was his reply, "after this year, it's highly unlikely I'll be commentating on any UCI MTB World Cups for the foreseeable future." and he left it at that. With that answer, I thought it was a great time to revisit our interview from 4 years ago to showcase just how much passion he has for what he does.Thanks to jensonusa.com for supporting The Inside Line. They have their Independence Day sale going on right now with big savings on bikes, components and riding gear

Dakotah Norton, Jason Schroeder, Austin Hackett-Klaube and Tanner Stephens discuss all things UCI Mountain Bike World Cup Downhill Leogang, Austria. #MTB #downhill #DH

Vital's B Practice podcast continues with a discussion about the last mountain bike World Cup Downhill in Fort William, Scotland. Jason Schroeder and Tanner Stephens get on the line with #USDH shredder, Dakotah Norton, to hear about his race experience and break down the other results of the weekend. The Leogang World Cup DH is next in line June 10 and 11.

Riding bikes and hanging out with friends as a kid has translated into riding bikes and hanging out with friends as an adult. Jeremiah work found fun and success racing BMX and building and riding trails in Texas. Eventually, he found his way into mountain biking through 4x racing, working his way up into the pro ranks of the Mountain States Cup and pushing on some heavy World Cuppers at a few select events. When his race career subsided, he shifted his focus with a desire to build the mountain bike community at home and in his region. He and his crew created the fun Trail Party race series that is going off. They recently announced the Downhill Rockies series which will bring #USDH racing back to the Rocky Mountain region this year with a race at Angel Fire and Purgatory and possibly 5 races in 2023. Listen to some great stories and get stoked to go rip some laps with friends.www.trailparty.comwww.downhillrockies.comThe Inside Line is brought to you by Jenson USA, your one-stop shop for mountain bikes, produ

Welcome mountain bikers! Thanks for listening to Vital MTB's Inside Line podcast. Our guest today is Noah Sears of MRP, but you may know him in the Vital forums and comments as NoahColorado. Today we discuss Noah's skills in the comment box, how he got into bikes, his eBay-bike-parts-sales career, blogging, working for Over the Edge Sports, how he found his way to MRP, ebikes, gravel bikes and more.The Inside Line is brought to you by Jenson USA, your one-stop-shop for mountain bikes, products and riding gear. Use coupon code InsideLine at checkout and receive 10% off qualifying items at jensonusa.com.Maxxis Tires make our bikes and The Inside Line go. Spring is here, so make sure your bike has new rubber for primed riding conditions. Hit up maxxis.com to see which tire fits your riding conditions and style best.Santa Cruz Bicycles is giving $1m over three years to trail projects and advocacy groups through their PayDirt fund. If you have a project worth supporting or if you want to see which projec

Ryan Condrashoff, a #USDH shredder, joins Griz on The Inside Line to discuss getting into mountain bikes, becoming a top U.S.-level rider, racing World Cups, dealing with injury and coming to grips with the reality that a professional race career is not in his future.The Inside Line is brought to you by Jenson USA, your one-stop-shop for mountain bikes, products and riding gear. Use coupon code InsideLine at checkout and receive 10% off qualifying items at jensonusa.com.Maxxis Tires make our bikes and The Inside Line go. Spring is here, so make sure your bike has new rubber for primed riding conditions. Hit up maxxis.com to see which tire fits your riding conditions and style best.Santa Cruz Bicycles is giving $1m over three years to trail projects and advocacy groups through their PayDirt fund. If you have a project worth supporting or if you want to see which projects have been helped, hit up santacruzbicycles.com/paydirt to get all the info you need.

Vital's B Practice Podcast kicks off with a post-race show discussing the Lourdes World Cup Downhill. Dakotah Norton, 11th place finisher in Lourdes, joins former #USDH World Cuppers, Jason Schroeder, Austin Hackett-Klaube and Tanner Stephens to discuss the first round in France. They ask Dak about his transition from YT to Intense, riding a brand new bike at the race, track difficulties, race results across all categories, why all the kits seem to look the same, Dak's color palette to stoke out his grandmother who's been diagnosed with cancer, and Fort William coming up. Oh, they apologize for leaving Luca out of the discussion. He's so good, it wasn't a shocker, HA!See all of Vital's Lourdes World Cup Downhill coverage

Mountain biker, Kyle Warner, joins us on The Inside Line for his second appearance. Kyle recently got back on the bike after being sidelined with an adverse reaction to the Covid-19 vaccine. It's a very personal discussion about loss, depression, recovery and hope.Kyle is involved with ReAct19, a research-focused, grassroots organization made up of patients, scientists and physicians.You can watch Kyle and April's mountain bike videos on their channel - www.youtube.com/c/KyleAprilRideMtbThe Inside Line is brought to you by Jenson USA, your one-stop-shop for mountain bikes, products and riding gear. Use coupon code InsideLine at checkout and receive 10% off qualifying items at jensonusa.com.Maxxis Tires make our bikes and The Inside Line go. Spring is here, so make sure your bike has new rubber for primed riding conditions. Hit up maxxis.com to see which tire fits your riding conditions and style best.Santa Cruz Bicycles is giving $1m over three years to trail projects and advocacy groups through the

Even after a fruitful World Cup- and National-level downhill race career over a decade ago, Kieran Bennett is still one of the fastest DH riders in New Zealand. The Kiwi pinner joins us on The Inside Line today to discuss how his mountain bike race campaign took shape, its highs, its lows, and where he's at today living in Nelson, NZ.cover photo by Sven MartinThe Inside Line is supported by jensonusa.com, your one-stop shop for all things mountain biking. Use coupon code insideline at checkout and receive 10% off qualifying items.Thank you to Maxxis tires for making The Inside Line go 'round and keeping Kieran on the gas. Maxxis.com is the place to find the perfect mountain bike tire for your riding style and terrain.Lastly, thank you Santa Cruz Bicycles for supporting The Inside Line. Kieran rides Santa Cruz Bicycles, and we get into his experience with the V10cc MX.

Welcome mountain bikers. You’re listening to Vital MTB’s The Inside Line podcast and our guest today is industry legend, Mike Redding. Mike helped get the fastest and most exciting riders into Troy Lee gear back in the day, working with the likes of Steve Peat and Sam Hill just to name a few. He moved on to Fox, bringing that energy to their MTB marketing through big video projects and campaigns with Ratboy, Voreis, the McCauls and others. He’s currently consulting for Alpinestars, so we’re excited to see where he takes things there.  Sean ‘Griz’ McClendon walks with Mike through his story, battles with kidney failure and so much more. Mike, thank you, Griz, thank you, listeners, thank you! Enjoy the show!The Inside Line is brought to you by Jenson USA, your one-stop shop for mountain bikes, products and riding gear. Use coupon code InsideLine at checkout and receive 10% off qualifying items at jensonusa.com.Maxxis Tires make our bikes and The Inside Line go. Spring is right around the corner, so make sure yo