The DH World Cup is back in Fort William and George is on site, roaming the pits and talking to the riders ahead of the race about the track and their season so far.

Credit: James Vincent

Starring(in order of appearance):

* Meghan Flanagan* Will Longden* Jordan Williams* Matt Walker* Taylor Vernon* Adam Brayton* Thibaut Daprela* Eleonora Farina & Olly Morris* Brook MacDonald* Luke Williamson* Luca Shaw* Jordi Cortes* Jack Reading* George Gannicott* Dan Bladon* Joe Krejbich* Joe Breeden* Dean Lucas* DavidTrummer* Abby Hogie* Charlie Hatton* Remi Thirion* KJ Sharp* Greg Williamson* Amaury Pierron

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The Making Up The Numbers podcast is sponsored by:

* Hope Technology www.hopetech.com @hopetech* J-Tech Suspension www.j-techsuspension.co.uk @jtechsuspension* Revolution Bike Park www.revolutionbikepark.co.uk @revolutionbp* Ride Southern Spain www.ridesouthernspain.com @ridesouthernspain* Schwalbe www.schwalbe.com @schwalbetyresuk* Singletrack www.singletrackworld.com @singletrackmag

Previously on Making Up The Numbers Podcast

Season 4

* Episode 2 | Loic Bruni* Episode 1 | Matt Walker and Izabela Yankova

Season 3

* Episode 12 | Dean Lucas*

Joining George, Jack & Emilie on this episode of the podcast is the one and only #Superbruni! We chat about everything from his mental strength to his epic WorldCup overall battles with Amaury in 2019 & Loris & Thibaut in 2021; his chances of becoming the GOAT to how he nearly joined the Syndicate. It’s an epic 90 minutes that will set you up perfectly for the Fort William World Cup…

Loic Bruni Gallery

Loic Bruni seen at UCI DH World Cup in Lourdes / Red Bull Content Pool

Social stuff if you’d like to follow:

* @loicbruni29* @specializedgravity* @iamspecialized

Watch the podcast here:

Listen to the podcast here:

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Help us make our podcasts even better

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The Making Up The Numbers podcast is sponsored by:

* Hope Technology www.hopetech.com @hopetech* J-Tech Suspension www.j-techsuspension.co.uk @jtechsuspension* Revolution Bike Park www.revolutionbikepark.co.uk @revolutionbp* Ride Southern Spain www.ridesouthernspain.com @ridesouthernspain* Schwalbe www.schwalbe.com @schwalbetyresuk* Singletrack www.singletrackworld.com @singletrackmag

Previously on Making Up The Numbers Podcast

Season 4

* Episode 1 | Matt Walker and Izabela Yankova

Season 3

* Episode 12 | Dean Lucas* Episode 11 | Amaury Pierron* Episode 10 | Benoît Coulanges and Emilie Siegenthaler* Episode 9 | Vali Höll and Thibaut Dapréla* Episode 8 | Loris Vergier* Epidsode 7 | Greg Minnaar and Myriam Nicole*

Hannah is out at the Sea Otter Classic in California, USA. It’s a four day festival of racing and a huge expo area. There are races for every type of bike, but there’s a strong leaning towards mountain biking, and if you want to see new products, prototypes, and unique bikes, it’s the place to be. Head here for all our Sea Otter 2022 Coverage

Out at Sea Otter there is a demo area where two tech companies and Audi are demonstrating the technology they’re developing which they say will help make roads safer for cyclists. Perhaps you’re supposed to ooh and ahh and think it’s wonderful, but, call me a huge sceptic with a chip on their shoulder about car culture, the lobbying power of the automotive industry, and a deep sadness over how the entire planet has been reshaped by a single invention… and breathe… but… I wasn’t going to be won over easily.

The people from the companies agreed to sit down and discuss with me not only the technology itself, but some of the policy and cultural implications of what they were proposing. It was all impromptu and recorded outside at the trade show, so the sound isn’t the usual podcast studio quality, but hopefully you’ll find it interesting.

The voices you hear are – in order – mine (Hannah, Managing Editor at Singletrack), Reid Sigety, CSO and COO of Spoke, Laslo Virag, Chief Executive Officer of Commsignia, Brad Stertz, Director of Government Affairs, Audi USA, and part way through the podcast you’ll hear some additional questions from Singletrack contributor, Kevin/Fahzure.

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There’s a whole world of other things I’d have liked to cover with them, and in many respects I’d have liked to talk about the Commsignia product separately, as it seems like it offers some potential for intelligent infrastructure planning and smart operation which could be used to prioritise active travel and mass transit and make private driving more difficult. But will that happen with the automotive industry’s involvement? Or will it just be used to make private driving more convenient?

I can’t help feel that all this technology is seeking to shift the burden of responsibility off drivers, when we should be seeking to make drivers feel the full weight of the responsibility when they get in a car.

The amber markers alert the driver to the presence of a hazard

Reid from Spoke referenced US data showing that the driver not seeing the cyclist was the main cause of deaths (it’s mentioned on their website though I don’t have the source). In response I was saying that I believed that if the driver didn’t see them it was down to driving too fast and/or inattention and then not having as much time to react because of the speed, rather than just bad luck. And that speed kills – lower speeds injure. He asked about my data source for that, and I was recalling this press release from Cycling UK,

We’re on the cusp of the 2022 DH World Cup Season and there’s much to talk about… And joining George and Jack as co-host for 2022 is Emilie Siegenthaler who retired at the end of the 2021 Season after an illustrious 14 year career including 16 World Cup podiums. Their guests on this episode are 2020 World Cup Champion Matt Walker & 2021 Junior Women’s World Champion & World Cup Champion Izabela Yankova. 

Izabela Yankova Gallery

Matt Walker Gallery

Credit: Dan Hearn

Social stuff if you’d like to follow:

* @mattwalkerdh * @madisonsaracen* @izabelayankova * @iamspecialized

Watch the podcast here:

Listen to the podcast here:

Help us make our podcasts even better

Take our podcast survey

The Making Up The Numbers podcast is sponsored by:

* Hope Technology www.hopetech.com @hopetech* J-Tech Suspension www.j-techsuspension.co.uk @jtechsuspension* Revolution Bike Park www.revolutionbikepark.co.uk @revolutionbp* Ride Southern Spain www.ridesouthernspain.com @ridesouthernspain* Schwalbe www.schwalbe.com @schwalbetyresuk* Singletrack www.singletrackworld.com @singletrackmag

Previously on Making Up The Numbers Podcast

Season 3

* Episode 12 | Dean Lucas* Episode 11 | Amaury Pierron* Ep...

Isla Short is doing things differently. Rather than chasing a Factory Team signing and riding whichever products that salary comes with, she’s hand picking her sponsors. It means more admin for her, but it also means she never has to pose for social media posts with a product she doesn’t believe in.

Just as she was about to announce her headline sponsor, Hunt Wheels, and fly out to Spain for her first race of the season (in which she came 4th!), we caught up with her to chat about believing in what you’re doing, plus the importance of physical and mental health when you’re chasing medals.

Image credit: Pete Scullion

Hand picked sponsors

Turning her back on social media fakery

If Isla ever needs a double, we can volunteer our Amanda.

There’s the Greatest Of All Time pic right there.

How do we improve the domestic XC scene? 

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When Aneela McKenna won the Singletrack Reader Award for Most Outstanding Human, we invited her to come and talk to us for a podcast. However, rather than talk about herself, she decided she wanted to bring some friends along and collectively chat about making mountain biking a better place. It’s easy to see why she won the award!

Along with fellow FNY collective riders Emma Neale and Julie Mulvanny, we talk about what intimidates people or puts them off training to be ride leaders, how to create appealing sell out events, and why the FNY Collective is not just for women.

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Don’t be THAT Person, Give People Space on the Trails

Ride Over Racism – Mountain Biking As a Healer

Most Outstanding Human – The Finalists

When Aneela McKenna won the Singletrack Reader Award for Most Outstanding Human, we invited her to come and talk to us for a podcast. However, rather than talk about herself, she decided she wanted to bring some friends along and collectively chat about making mountain biking a better place. It’s easy to see why she won the award!

Along with fellow FNY collective riders Emma Neale and Julie Mulvanny, we talk about what intimidates people or puts them off training to be ride leaders, how to create appealing sell out events, and why the FNY Collective is not just for women.

Help us make our podcasts even better

Take our podcast survey

Don’t be THAT Person, Give People Space on the Trails

Ride Over Racism – Mountain Biking As a Healer

Most Outstanding Human – The Finalists

This episode of the pod is a little bit different. It’s about racing, but it’s not just about racing. It’s about mental health but it’s not just about mental health. If we had to encapsulate it all in one word, it’s about mindset. Joining George is Scott Factory Racing’s Dean Lucas & they cover everything from World Cup podiums to making time; addiction to depression. It gets pretty deep, particularly in the second half & if you’re struggling with any of the things they talk about, please don’t suffer in silence, talk to someone & tell them how you’re feeling.

Dean Lucas gallery

Credit: Riley Matthews

Social stuff if you’d like to follow:

@deanos_mykonos@scottdhfactory@makingupthenumbersracing

Watch the podcast here:

Help us make our podcasts even better

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This episode of the pod is a little bit different. It’s about racing, but it’s not just about racing. It’s about mental health but it’s not just about mental health. If we had to encapsulate it all in one word, it’s about mindset. Joining George is Scott Factory Racing’s Dean Lucas & they cover everything from World Cup podiums to making time; addiction to depression. It gets pretty deep, particularly in the second half & if you’re struggling with any of the things they talk about, please don’t suffer in silence, talk to someone & tell them how you’re feeling.

Dean Lucas gallery

Credit: Riley Matthews

Social stuff if you’d like to follow:

@deanos_mykonos@scottdhfactory@makingupthenumbersracing

Watch the podcast here:

Help us make our podcasts even better

Take our podcast survey

We talk to Ride Sheffield, the winners of the Best Community Initiative Award in the Singletrack Reader Awards, sponsored by Kona.

We wanted the Best Community Initiative Award to be about people, and to go to the project, campaign or other initiative that’s helping build our community. Ride Sheffield’s ‘Be Nice Say Hi’ campaign is one that’s spread nationwide and is well deserving of recognition. What’s more, Ride Sheffield is one of the most successful and well established trails advocacy groups in the UK, and its Be Nice Say Hi campaign has become an integral part of UK MTB culture, almost universally recognised as the first step towards shared trail harmony. We chat to them about winning the award, and what’s to come next in their work.