Vital Mtb - Speaking Of Mountain Biking

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

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 #allhailvoreisHow 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, Jen

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 TiresMaxxis TiresA 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 USAJenson USAUse code INSIDELINE and get 10% off select itemsAt 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 BicyclesSanta Cruz Bicycles offers free pivot

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 sponsorsThe 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 limi

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 TiresMaxxis TiresA 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 USAJenson USAUse code INSIDELINE and get 10% off select itemsAt jensonusa.com, a long-time supporter of The Inside Line, you can get 20% off a

In this Tech Talk episode, Vital MTB's Brandon Turman calls up RockShox Product Manager, Jon Cancellier, to discuss one of the biggest, burliest forks in years – the just introduced RockShox ZEB. Featuring 38mm stanchions and travel lengths up to 190mm, you know this one is ready for business. The two cover everything from stiffness considerations to Pro rider feedback, where it shines on the trail, and who it was designed for. Visit Vital MTB to learn more about the new RockShox Zeb fork

Clear down to the smallest details, Ibis bikes are known for their incredibly clean design. Roxy Lo has played a major role in making those bikes look and function in a phenomenal way. Her experience and role merge analytical and creative worlds. She's a bad-ass industrial designer with experience in a wide variety of fields and isn't afraid to bust out the sketchbook or virtual reality headset.Thank you - Maxxis TiresMaxxis TiresA 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 USAJenson USAUse code INSIDELINE and get 10% off select itemsAt 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 BicyclesSanta Cruz Bicycles offers free pivot bearin

Ryan Cleek has been one of mountain biking's storytellers for over 20 years. He's played many roles in the industry as a photographer, writer, videographer and product tester for media outlets and bike brands alike. Along the way, he has made two feature-length films about mountain bikers and their journey in our sport. We had a chance to sit down and get the story of the storyteller, and it's pretty good, if we say so ourselves.Learn More About Ryan Cleek and His Projectshttps://www.ryancleek.com/Instagram: @cleekndestroy Cam Zink - Reach for the Sky Documentary http://www.camzinkreachforthesky.com/ also now on Amazon Prime for free, here.My mountain bike art site features images I've shot and made them into unique pop-art style designs through Illustrator and Photoshop. After each image, Ryan deletes the history of the layers, so it would be impossible to reproduce one of these designs from scratch. They are truly one-of-a-kind pieces. https://www.etsy.com/shop/BikeBlotterThank you liste

The Big Mountain Enduro is the premier enduro mountain bike race series in North America. Brandon Ontiveros, founder of the BME, took his love for bikes, adventure and racing to make it his full-time job. When pro rider friends told him about European-based enduro mountain bike racing in the early 2000s, Brandon saw the writing on the wall, embraced the format, and began the successful and fun, Oregon Enduro Series and eventually the BME.Kyle Warner, a Big Mountain Enduro racer, interviews Brandon about the different facets of what enduro racing is, or could be, they discuss the challenges and logistics of hosting a race, and they look into the future of the Big Mountain Enduro. In 2020, there will even be an e-MTB class at select venues.COVID 19 has obviously impacted the 2020 race season, but BME events are currently scheduled to resume at the end of August in Big Sky, Montana. BME 2020 Revised Racing ScheduleBig Sky, MT: August 22nd-23rdWinter Park, CO: September 12th-13thAngel Fire, NM – BME Finals: Octob

Welcome Mountain Bikers, we're trying something a little unique today with our guest Patrik Zuest of FSA. He builds a brand new wheel from start to finish during our interview. He filmed the process and we have the video on Vital MTB and our YouTube channel, so you can watch and listen at the same time if you'd like. Patrik is a long-time mountain bike rider and mechanic. Starting as a frothing grom in bike shops, he eventually worked is way up to the pro mechanic ranks. He was Aaron Gwin's mechanic with Yeti when Gwin first burst onto the scene at the Mont-Sainte-Anne World Cup in 2008. Since then Patrik has kept the love of bikes running is currently a jack-of-all-trades at FSA, running everything from tech support and QC to photography and video. We hope you're hanging in there and being safe as things open up, and we hope you enjoy the show with our little experiment. There are a couple of audio inconsistencies, but the stories and the tech insight are worth the full listen. Thank you,

Welcome mountain bikers! We are stoked to present an interview with Andrew Neethling. He's a man known for his style and fluidity on a bike with a consistent and decorated downhill race career. Since retiring from the race scene, Andrew remains involved in mountain biking as a rider for Scott Sports and a commentator for Crankworx live webcasts. He's also started his own MTB podcast called Moving the Needle, so be sure to give it a listen!*Needles* and I go on for nearly two hours, and I wish we could have gone on for two hours longer! His knowledge and experience within our sport is second-to-none and the interview was a pleasure for me.The Inside Line is brought to you by Jenson USA. If you or your mountain bike needs to be freshened up for the trails as lockdowns start to lift, JensonUSA.com has the best products at the best prices. use coupon code insideline at checkout, and receive 10% off qualifying items, too. Thanks Jenson!If you go to VitalMTB.com and search our product guide for Maxxis, yo

Welcome mountain bikers! In this special Tech Talk episode of The Inside Line podcast, we dive deep into the world of carbon composites used in mountain biking. Vital MTB's Brandon Turman is joined remotely by Nic McCrae, the R&D Manager and Senior Composites Engineer at Santa Cruz Bicycles.Nic's insightful words will help you learn the basics of how a carbon frame gets made, dispel some myths, and shine a light on some of the projects that happen in the Santa Cruz Carbon Lab.Among other work, Nic played a large role in the creation of Reserve Carbon wheels and a custom full-carbon trials bike for Danny MacAskill.If you need a new helmet as the season ramps up, go to JensonUSA.com. They have a big helmet sale going right now with savings up to 67% on protection for your dome. As always, with Jenson USA, if you use coupon code insideline at checkout, you can receive 10% off qualifying items.Maxxis Tires has introduced XC Wide Trail tire spec for their Aspen and Rekon Race tires. The 29 x 2.4-inch

We are pleased as punch to sit down with a man who's own personal history is so interwoven with the history of our sport. Howie Zink has a deep and rich relationship with mountain biking. Beyond being the older brother to freeride icon, Cameron Zink, Howie has his own stories of globe-trotting exploits, brushes with greatness and heartbreak. Listen in as Howie walks us through his journey from riding his dad's mountain bikes to heading the US division of Pyga Mountain Bikes. Along the way, he recalls a junior Sam Hill, how he was beaten by Wade Simmons at Crankworx and defeated Brandon Semenuk in a video contest. Howie is a proud father, a businessman and a mountain biker and we hope you appreciate his story as much as we did.Thank you - Jenson USAUse code INSIDELINE and get 10% off select itemsHit up the Revive Your Ride sale at jensonusa.com, a long-time supporter of The Inside Line. Riding season is right around the corner, so get dialed!Thank you - Maxxis TiresA big shout out goes to Maxxis tire

The current Downhill Mountain Bike World Champion and World Cup DH overall winner, Loic Bruni, continues his Outspoken interview series in 2020. Despite the disruption to the racing schedule due to Coronavirus, Loic gets the last World Cup DH race winner, Danny Hart, on the line. Danny won the World Cup Downhill race at Snowshoe, West Virginia, last season and has a string of other strong performances throughout his career like a 2016 World Championships victory, as well as the unforgettable winning run at the 2011 World Champs in Champery.Two of the greatest mountain bike racers on the planet bring a unique perspective to their discussion as they talk about racing, bike setup, success, family and what it takes to win.Thanks to Fox MTB for supporting the series

Welcome mountain bikers. thanks for tuning in to Vital MTB’s The Inside Line podcast. We pushed back our episode a day, so it didn’t land on April 1st. Our guest today is Dan Hallada, co-founder of Cushcore. Kyle Warner sat down with him at the Sedona Mountain Bike Festival before all the Corona chaos, and the discussion is inspiring and enlightening. It’s really crazy to think about how quickly tire inserts have taken our MTB world by storm and without a doubt, Cushcore is at the front of that movement.Jenson USA has a Speed into Spring sale going on now through April 19th with some big savings on Specialized products and gear. And, as always, use coupon code insideline at checkout and receive 10% off qualifying items.Maxxis tires has supported The Inside Line since day 1, and they make the best tires for your mountain bike schralping needs. If your bike needs some spice, there’s nothing better than a new pair of Maxxis tires to bring it back to life.And finally, before getting into the show, don’t forget ab

Vital's Brandon Turman checks in with Guerrilla Gravity to discuss how the Coronavirus is impacting their US-made mountain bike production. This conversation was recorded on March 18, 2020.Thank you - Maxxis TiresThank you - Jenson USAThank you - The Paydirt Fund

Welcome mountain bikers! As our guest today just said in an email, "I'm stoked to bring something positive to people's day." Nate Hills, the man behind #followcamfriday is way more than just a POV celebrity. He has a long riding and racing history that blossomed into an "ambassador" career. Nate and Kyle Warner got together at the Sedona Mountain Bike Festival to discuss how Nate arrived at his current position, hitting on Colorado MTB race history, trail stewardship, developing his YouTube channel, and what it means to be an approachable person on the scene. Nate defines himself as a mountain biker, not a just a YouTuber. For the bike nerds, we get some insight into his bike build and setup, too.Thank you, Jenson USA for being a supporter of The Inside line since the beginning. Nate rides Yeti mountain bikes and you can get Yeti at Jensonusa.com. Use coupon code InsideLine at checkout and get 10% off qualifying items.You can see Nate on YouTube channel running Maxxis Tires on hi

Has MTB design peaked? Can we really get better mountain bikes that what we have now? This week The Inside Listeners give their feedback on whether mountain bike design is as good as it gets. For our next topic, we want to know your best mountain bike-related tips, tricks, techniques and hacks for maintenance, for riding, for trailside repair or safety and security. It’s a broad topic, but we know you all have some secret tricks or tools or techniques that could make everyone’s lives a little easier. Sky's the limit on what you can shareShare your best MTB-related hacksEmail your audio (preferred) or written responses to sspomer@vitalmtb.com by March 22nd and we'll air them on our March 26th show.Thank you - Maxxis TiresThank you - Jenson USAThank you - The Paydirt Fund

What started out as an addiction to racing downhill mountain bikes turned into a career of building and designing competitive bikes and suspension platforms. Chris Canfield, who just happens to be a current Masters World Champion DH racer, created the CBF suspension platform found on Revel Bikes and Canfield Bikes. He and Kyle Warner go into some epic history about Canfield Brothers bikes and the early Big Fat Fatty Fat downhill bike, the hustling involved with running a bike brand, his racing career and his take on mountain bike suspension design. It's an informative and exciting show this week!This week's Inside Line Listener Response question: Is Mountain Bike Design as Good as it gets? Can bikes get any better?Email your audio or written responses to sspomer@vitalmtb.com by March 8th and we'll air them on our March 11th show.Learn more about Chris Canfield and Suspension FormulasThank you - Maxxis TiresThank you - Jenson USAThank you - The Paydirt Fund

Welcome mountain bikers! Thanks for tuning in to The Inside Line podcast. If you’ve been listening, you know that I've taken a stab at getting direct feedback from you, the listener, and I’m really stoked with how it’s taken off. As a result, I’ve decided to split up the alternating weeks with our normal guest interviews while adding shows dedicated to listener interaction. Instead of taking away from our guest interviews with listener response questions at the beginning their shows, let’s just do two separate styles of The Inside Line. Today, we’re going hear the responses after I asked “are mountain bikes too expensive?” It seems to be a pretty relevant and hot topic these days and there was no shortage of quality replies from you out there, so thank you.Before we get into the responses, the next question in our listener response series will be “Is mountain bike design as good as it gets?"Have we topped out with quality, geometry, suspension, materials etc? I had a Santa Cruz Nomad in 2009. I said