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In this episode the boys are joined by Tim March who ghostwrote Steve Peat’s new autobiography “Forged By Speed – The Making of a Mountain Bike World Champion”. 

Steve Peat needs no introduction, he had a prolific downhill race career with 17 World Cup wins, 2 World Cup Overall titles, and a World Championship title.  He is currently the head coach and team manager of the Santa Cruz Syndicate race team.  He is hands down one of the fastest and most successful downhill mountain bike athletes in history.

He’s well known, not only for being wicked fast on a bike, but for his rock star persona.  There’s no other athlete that we can think of that embodied the “work hard – play hard” philosophy more than Peaty.  His party animal shenanigans are as well documented in the media as is his downhill supremacy.

The book, which was underpinned by ~20,000 journal entries that Steve religiously kept throughout his career, tells the deeper story of Steve’s upbringing, thought process, training methodology, challenges, and a healthy amount of his infamous shenanigans.

Ghostwriter Tim March (who himself, is a Professional BMX racing legend and long-established bike journalist), worked for several years with Peaty to document and give fans a true inside look into Steve’s back story and the trials and tribulations that lead to his success.

Forged By Speed – The Making of a Mountain Bike World Champion 

• Apple: https://books.apple.com/us/book/forged-by-speed/id6717572064
• Amazon (U.S.): https://www.amazon.com/Forged-Speed-making-mountain-champion/dp/1839810963
• Amazon (U.K.): https://www.amazon.co.uk/Forged-Speed-making-mountain-champion/dp/1839810963
• Web: https://www.adventurebooks.com/products/forged-by-speed

Peaty’s (Steve Peat’s mountain bike product company)

• https://peatys.com/

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Who is Faction Bike Studio?  You can think of them as the creative minds behind your next bike. 

Faction Bike Studio is a cutting-edge industrial design and engineering consulting company based in Quebec, Canada.  Essentially, bike brands (small, medium, and the big guys) hire Faction to help them design and engineer their company’s bikes or bike parts.  They’ve done 350 projects for over 100 customers since they were established in 2010.

This is the first of 2 podcasts we’ve got planned with Faction Bike Studio.  In this episode we chat with Faction Bike Studio’s Product manager Adam Robbins who introduces Faction.  In the second episode, we’ll bring on Simon (Faction’s R&D Lead Engineer) to answer detailed questions about how and why bikes are designed the way they are…

We need your help!  Please submit any questions you have about how and why bikes are designed the way they are… submit your questions using the “Send Us A Text” link above or via Instagram or Facebook.

Faction Bike Studio links... 
Web: https://factionbikestudio.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/factionbikestudio/?hl=en
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/factionbike/

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Outbound Lighting is a premier bicycle light manufacturer in Chicago, IL.  In this episode, the boys sat down to chat with Tom Place (Co-Owner, Engineer, Testing, & Customer Service) from Outbound Lighting to go deep on all things related to mountain bike lights.

And as the title of this podcast would suggest, we learned that there’s a lot more to a great mountain bike light than just the number of lumens.  Those things include; beam pattern, light requirement, runtime, battery management, thermodynamics and heat, mounting systems, durability, charge time, size, weight, price, and the user interface. 

After this episode Josh was so intrigued that he went ahead and ordered two Outbound Lighting Trail Evos (their flagship light) for his wife and him to test out (at full price).  Will advise on their experience in a future episode, but we are optimistic that they will love them.    

Outbound Lighting
Web: https://www.outboundlighting.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/outboundlighting/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/OutboundLighting/

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To celebrate Dane’s 25th episode co-hosting the MCP, the boys sit down to debate the benefits, issues, and costs of electronic mountain bike components.  In addition to electronic components (shifting, droppers, suspension, brakes?, etc.) the boys also cover other bike-tech topics like the right way to torque bolts, when grease is really needed, and more.  And.  Of course.  There are a few “minor” disagreements about Shimano vs. SRAM. 

Some links to accompany this episode... 

Shimano MTB Components (Acoustic)
https://mtb.shimano.com/us/products/mtb/ 

SRAM MTB Components (Electronic & Acoustic)
https://www.sram.com/en/sram/mountain

PinkBike Video: Broken On Live TV: The Untold Story of Pivot’s New Phoenix DH Bike
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NNinULVRHcU

Torque’ng got your down?  Here’s an article about bikes + torque + tools.
https://bike.bikegremlin.com/18208/tightening-torque-and-torque-wrenches-explained-101/

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In this episode Josh & Dane sit down with Chris Johnson who is the CEO & President of the Tonto Gravity Riders (TGR).  TGR has built and maintained some amazing gravity focused trails in Arizona including in the Pinal Mountains Trail System and Sunrise Bike Park.

TGR is a large group of dedicated outdoor enthusiasts that share a passion to better the user experience. It is a large core of highly experienced trail volunteers who have worked on many projects throughout Arizona. Many of them have been working together for over a decade now and it shows in their work! Sustainability is #1. 

They share a vision for the great recreational possibilities that await all user groups, especially mountain bikers within the Pinal Mountains by providing the resources needed to restore, maintain and help re-develop the Pinal Mountain Trail System.

Tonto Gravity Riders (TGR)

Web: https://www.tontogravityriders.org/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tontogravityriders/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TontoGravityRiders/

Trails

Pinal Mountain Trail System: https://www.trailforks.com/region/pinal-mountain-trail-system/

NRA Jumps: https://www.trailforks.com/poi/1410/

Sunrise Bike Park: https://www.sunrise.ski/summer/downhill-mountain-biking/

Mt Graham Trail System: https://www.trailforks.com/region/pinaleno-mountains-mt-graham/

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In this episode we dive into the value of bike-adjacent businesses deliberately planning for and taking actions to make it convenient for cyclists to visit their establishments.

Tucson’s Hop Shop does exactly that… in fact, they are of 1 of only 11 businesses in Arizona to get a “Bicycle Friendly Business” award by the League of American Bicyclists.

In this episode, the guys sit down with Jessie & Sarita from the Hop Shop.  The Hop Shop is a bottle shop & beer garden in North Tucson that has a deep connection to both the mountain & pavement bike communities.  It’s located off Tucson’s infamous 150+ mile paved “loop” trail system.

The Hop Shop is a popular “post ride” location where mountain bikers, commuters & roadies can enjoy a fresh pint and amazing pizza from the Hop Shop's neighbor Ciao Down (which is a “culinary studio” next door that delivers the pizza to your table inside or outside the Hop Shop). Oh, and you can bring your bike inside, in fact, it’s encouraged.

Episode links...

Web: https://www.tucsonhopshop.com/

Insta: https://www.instagram.com/tucsonhopshop/profilecard/?igsh=eWJwMGZ5NmQxZThz

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/NT5ZtV6rwunyrCEs/?mibextid=LQQJ4d

The Loop: https://tucsonloop.org/

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In this episode Josh & Dane sit down with the President (Nick Giovannucci) and Vice President (Matt Hrabko) of the Tucson Off-Road Cyclists and Activists (TORCA).  They are doing some amazing work relative to building & maintaining big mountain trails on Mt. Lemmon in Southern Arizona.

The mission of Tucson Off-Road Cyclists and Activists (TORCA) is "To preserve the tradition, condition, and etiquette of the trail; and to present novel trail opportunities in a sustainable and responsible manner."

They represent all facets of the mountain biking community and enjoy riding all of the trails that Tucson has to offer. TORCA invites you to get involved so that mountain biking's voice becomes louder and our trails get faster!

TORCA...
Web: https://www.torca.org/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/torcamtb/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TucsonTORCA/

Santa Catalina Trails Plan: https://www.fs.usda.gov/detail/coronado/home/?cid=FSEPRD974570

Home Grown MTB: https://homegrownmtb.com/

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In this episode, Josh & Dane chat with Charles Kwintero (or as he says it, Carlos Quintero). Carlos has worked in the bike industry for 15+ years including roles at Giant, Specialized, and managing Bicycle Warehouse in SD.  Today, Carlos is the Southwest Marketing Manager for Enso Sales Group (which covers Intense, POC, Mavic, & Derosa) and is a specialist at Guru Bikes.

The conversation includes some humorous stories from Carlos’ time at Giant and Specialized and sheds some light on the role sales reps play in the mountain bike supply base.

Enso Sales Group...
Intense: https://intensecycles.com/
Mavic: https://www.mavic.com/en-us
POC: https://poc.com/en-us
Derosa: https://derosa.it/

Carlos also digs… https://alchemybikes.com/

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In this episode you’ll learn about two things…
#1. Sunrise Park Resort (which is outside of Greer, AZ.)
#2. Colby Landin (seasoned trail & track builder)

We kept hearing that Sunrise Park Resort was making great progress in improving their bike park.  Then we ran across Colby’s Instagram Page and saw what he was doing up there.  We reached out to Colby and last weekend drove up and spent a couple days riding the park and recording this episode with Colby. 

First and foremost, shoutout to the White Mountain Apache Tribe, who owns and operates the Sunrise Park Resort.  We love to recreate on your mountains in the winter and summer and we appreciate you sharing them with us and working to make the trails even better.

Secondly, we couldn’t talk about Sunrise without shouting out the Tonto Gravity Riders.  They’ve been advocating for and working on trails throughout the state (including Sunrise and with a focus on the Pinal Mountains) since 2010.

 Sunrise Park Resort Summer Activities

-       Bike Park:  31 trails (8 x green, 4 x blue, 10 x black, 8 x double black).  2 lifts.

-       Alpine Coaster (3000’ of track, up to 25mph)

-       High Flier Zipline (tandem lines, 2100’ of elevation, up to 50 mph)

-       Tubing Hill (magic carpet ride up, 300’ hill)

-       Airbag Jump (18’ & 32’)

-       Rock Climbing Wall (42’)

-       3d Archery Course (15 target course)

-       Disc Golf (lift accessed).

eMTBs are allowed at Sunrise Park Resort.

Note: Other than letting us record this episode at the resort, we have received no compensation or perks from Sunrise.  We bought our tickets full price.

 Links to accompany this episode…

Colby Landin
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/colbys_bike_tracks/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@skillsandbuilds3987

Sunrise Bike Park
Web: https://www.sunrise.ski/summer/downhill-mountain-biking/
Trail Map: https://www.sunrise.ski/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Trail-Map-Sunrise-Park-Resort-Summer-2024-VistaMap-large.jpg

Tonto Gravity Riders
https://www.tontogravityriders.org/ 

Ollies Cacti (Colby’s Home Grown Nursery of desert plants)
https://www.instagram.com/ollies_cacti/

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Dr. Jody Bartz is Founder and Executive Director of Gro Girl Gro a non-profit with a mission to INCREASE the number of girls and young women who BELIEVE they are capable and strong athletes and outdoor leaders through safe and supported outdoor experiences. 

Additionally, Jody offers connection-based mountain bike skills, endurance, and strength coaching to women and men through the Sonoran Endurance Sports Academy.   

Jody got her PhD in Special Education, Family Studies, & Human Development from the University of Arizona.  She is an ambassador for Liv Cycling.  She is a L1 BICP Certified Bike Instructor and an L3 USA Cycling Certified Coach.  She’s a single speeder and endurance athlete.  She is a mountain bike guide with Tanque Verde Ranch resort.  She founded and coached for 4 years a NICA mountain bike team in Flagstaff, AZ.  Her catch phrase: take the space.  Her pet peeve: ‘trail Chads’ that say ‘atta girl’.

We last chatted with Jody in Episode 29 when Gro Girl Gro was just starting out.  She has amazing energy and an unwavering drive for empowering women and young girls, helping them increase their confidence, and bringing them into the sport of mountain biking.  We always learn much from Jody… and this episode is no exception. 

Gro Girl Gro

Web: https://www.grogirlgro.org/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/grogirlgro/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/grogirlgro

Sonoran Endurance Sports Academy
https://www.sonoranendurance.com/ 

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