Singletracks Mountain Bike Podcast

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? How is mountain bike trials different from BMX or motorcycle trials?
• Where did the idea for Road Bike Party come from?
• Prior to your injury, what did you know about adaptive biking?
• Tell us a bit about your new Gen2 Bowhead RX.
• Adaptive bikes are very expensive, so how is RideAble Now is working to make it easier for folks to afford them?
• What's the experience like for first-time adaptive riders?
• What are some of the barriers to creating adaptive mountain bike trails?
• There's a misconception that adaptive trails will be boring. How do you counter that perception?
• What's your goal for RideAble Now video and podcast content?
• How does riding an adaptive bike on technical trail features compare to the challenge and feeling of trials riding?
• What upcoming trips or projects are you looking forward to?

Visit rideablenow.com to learn more and keep up with the latest from Martyn on YouTube and Instagram @martynashton. And visit rideablenow.com/join to become a supporter.

This episode of the podcast is brought to you by Feedback Sports.

If you love your bike, you know that regular maintenance is the key to a smoother, faster, and safer ride. But a good wrenching session starts with the right setup. Enter the Feedback Sports Pro Mechanic and Sprint repair stands. Trusted by World Tour mechanics and home hobbyists alike, these lightweight, anodized aluminum stands are ultra-stable, highly portable, and fold down in seconds.

Whether you're chasing down a tricky drivetrain click in your garage or dialing in your shifting at the trailhead, Feedback Sports gives you shop-quality precision wherever you are. Pair their award-winning stands with their professional-grade tool kits—like the Reflex Fixed Torque Ratchet Kit—and you have everything you need to keep your rig running flawlessly. Stop wrestling with your bike upside down on the grass. Elevate your maintenance game and give your bike the care it deserves.

Head over to ⁠⁠⁠feedbacksports.com⁠⁠⁠ today to check out their full lineup of repair stands and precision tools.

An automated transcript will be available at Singletracks.com later today.

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 mountain bikes at age 49? 
• In 2021, after multiple attempts, you set the FKT on the Repack DH course. What surprised you about the project? Would you ever consider giving it a try on a Klunker?
• You've been experimenting with 32-inch wheels, and recently picked up a Naked Bicycles 32er gravel bike. What do you think about the emerging wheel size? How substantial are the performance benefits?
• Do you have a favorite race format? Has that changed for you over the years?
• What was it like racing the BC Bike Race this year? Do you plan to race the new format next year? 
• What's your secret to staying fast into your 40s and 50s? How much of a race like the Downieville Classic is mental vs. physical?
• Racing and sponsorships look very different today than they did when you first started out. Do you think it's harder for athletes today who are expected to be influencers and competitors at the same time?
• You've ridden your bike and raced all over the world. What's your favorite place to ride? As a Squamish local, do you have any trail recommendations for visitors?
• What other challenges do you have planned for this year?

Keep up with Geoff's latest adventures on Instagram @geoffkabush.

This episode of the podcast is brought to you by Feedback Sports.

If you love your bike, you know that regular maintenance is the key to a smoother, faster, and safer ride. But a good wrenching session starts with the right setup. Enter the Feedback Sports Pro Mechanic and Sprint repair stands. Trusted by World Tour mechanics and home hobbyists alike, these lightweight, anodized aluminum stands are ultra-stable, highly portable, and fold down in seconds.

Whether you're chasing down a tricky drivetrain click in your garage or dialing in your shifting at the trailhead, Feedback Sports gives you shop-quality precision wherever you are. Pair their award-winning stands with their professional-grade tool kits—like the Reflex Fixed Torque Ratchet Kit—and you have everything you need to keep your rig running flawlessly. Stop wrestling with your bike upside down on the grass. Elevate your maintenance game and give your bike the care it deserves.

Head over to ⁠⁠feedbacksports.com⁠⁠ today to check out their full lineup of repair stands and precision tools.

An automated transcript will be available at Singletracks.com later today.

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 president of the Copper Harbor Trails Club. What was the vision for the trails in Copper Harbor at that time?
• What makes for a quality mountain bike trail? 
• How do trail builders create memorable trails? Do riders want to ride difficult trails, or just trails that appear to be difficult?
• When it comes to tourism, are high-quality trails alone enough to bring visitors?
• How has trail building changed since your time as a Trail Specialist at IMBA?
• Why do you think so many riders prefer hand-built trails over machine-built ones? Is it possible to make a machine-built trail feel like a hand-built one?
• What are some of the projects you are most proud of? 
• Who is your primary client for a trail build: riders or the land manager? How do you balance the desires of both groups?
• Tell us about some of the custom trail-building tools Rock Solid has developed over the years. 
• What are some projects Rock Solid is working on now?

Visit rocksolidtrails.com to learn more about the trail-building company.

This episode of the podcast is brought to you by Feedback Sports.

If you love your bike, you know that regular maintenance is the key to a smoother, faster, and safer ride. But a good wrenching session starts with the right setup. Enter the Feedback Sports Pro Mechanic and Sprint repair stands. Trusted by World Tour mechanics and home hobbyists alike, these lightweight, anodized aluminum stands are ultra-stable, highly portable, and fold down in seconds.

Whether you're chasing down a tricky drivetrain click in your garage or dialing in your shifting at the trailhead, Feedback Sports gives you shop-quality precision wherever you are. Pair their award-winning stands with their professional-grade tool kits—like the Reflex Fixed Torque Ratchet Kit—and you have everything you need to keep your rig running flawlessly. Stop wrestling with your bike upside down on the grass. Elevate your maintenance game and give your bike the care it deserves.

Head over to ⁠feedbacksports.com⁠ today to check out their full lineup of repair stands and precision tools.

An automated transcript will be available at Singletracks.com later today.

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 advice would you offer a young professional considering a job in the outdoor industry?

Keep up with the latest bike industry analysis from Rick at Bicycle Retailer.

This episode of the podcast is brought to you by Feedback Sports.

If you love your bike, you know that regular maintenance is the key to a smoother, faster, and safer ride. But a good wrenching session starts with the right setup. Enter the Feedback Sports Pro Mechanic and Sprint repair stands. Trusted by World Tour mechanics and home hobbyists alike, these lightweight, anodized aluminum stands are ultra-stable, highly portable, and fold down in seconds.

Whether you're chasing down a tricky drivetrain click in your garage or dialing in your shifting at the trailhead, Feedback Sports gives you shop-quality precision wherever you are. Pair their award-winning stands with their professional-grade tool kits—like the Reflex Fixed Torque Ratchet Kit—and you have everything you need to keep your rig running flawlessly. Stop wrestling with your bike upside down on the grass. Elevate your maintenance game and give your bike the care it deserves.

Head over to feedbacksports.com today to check out their full lineup of repair stands and precision tools.

An automated transcript will be available at Singletracks.com later today.

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 titanium?
• Why does it seem like so many British bikes made from steel? Are most of your buyers located in the UK, or do you see a decent amount of demand internationally? 
• Why move away from matched 29" wheels for the recently updated Cotic Jeht trail bike?
• Do you see mountain bike geometry continuing to evolve, or is it pretty well optimized at this point?
• Have you ridden a bike with 32-inch wheels? What's your perspective on the bigger wheel size?
• The Cotic Rocket is one of the few high-end electric bikes with a steel frame. What made you want to design an e-bike? 
• What's next for Cotic?

Learn more about Cotic at cotic.co.uk.

An automated transcript will be available at Singletracks.com later today.

This episode is sponsored by Greater Sandpoint Chamber of Commerce.

If you’re looking for your next mountain bike destination that offers just about everything, put Sandpoint, Idaho at the top of your list! The Lower Basin trail system serves up world-class riding through towering timber and across massive granite rock slabs, with trails for every rider — from technical black diamond descents to fast, flowy cross-country loops.

For excellent park-style riding, head up to Schweitzer Mountain Resort with dedicated downhill trails and e-bike access to more than two dozen trails. Or pedal from town to the Pine Street Woods trail system where the trails range from flowy to technical.

When you’re ready to take a break from the trails, Lake Pend Oreille is right there for camping, boating, swimming, or even standup paddleboarding. And after a big day outdoors, head into the town of Sandpoint where you'll find a great selection of bars and restaurants to relax and refuel. 

Get all the details to plan your perfect getaway at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠visitsandpoint.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. The trails and the good times are waiting for you when you Visit Idaho!

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 about existing tire plug tools?
• Walk us through the process from idea to finished product. What were the biggest challenges along the way?
• Why did you decide to call it Every Rider's Must (ERM)?
• What have you learned about patents? Why go for a design patent instead of a utility patent?
• What did you think when you saw the Robert Axle Project tire plug tool that also fits inside a front axle? What makes the ERM different?
• Do you have any tips or tricks for making fast and effective puncture repairs on the trail?
• As a young rider, what's your outlook on the sport of mountain biking? Which aspects of mountain biking get you and your friends stoked?
• What's next for Garrett Dynamics? Are you looking at creating new products?

Learn more about the ERM at garrettdynamics.com.

An automated transcript will be available at Singletracks.com later today.

This episode is sponsored by Greater Sandpoint Chamber of Commerce.

If you’re looking for your next mountain bike destination that offers just about everything, put Sandpoint, Idaho at the top of your list! The Lower Basin trail system serves up world-class riding through towering timber and across massive granite rock slabs, with trails for every rider — from technical black diamond descents to fast, flowy cross-country loops.

For excellent park-style riding, head up to Schweitzer Mountain Resort with dedicated downhill trails and e-bike access to more than two dozen trails. Or pedal from town to the Pine Street Woods trail system where the trails range from flowy to technical.

When you’re ready to take a break from the trails, Lake Pend Oreille is right there for camping, boating, swimming, or even standup paddleboarding. And after a big day outdoors, head into the town of Sandpoint where you'll find a great selection of bars and restaurants to relax and refuel. 

Get all the details to plan your perfect getaway at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠visitsandpoint.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. The trails and the good times are waiting for you when you Visit Idaho!

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 after all those years of mountain bike racing?
• Tell us about your Unbound 200 win in 2015. How did that unfold?
• How did the Bantam Classic gravel race in Petaluma, CA get started? How does the event compare to Unbound or, say a UCI gravel race? 
• Do you think gravel racing has changed over the years, particularly since 2022 when the UCI added gravel events?
• Do you think there's an opportunity to young riders into gravel riding in the same way NICA has introduced them to mountain biking?
• How have gravel bikes changed since you started riding? Is the line between gravel bikes and drop bar road bikes becoming blurred? What do you think about 32" gravel wheels?
• Tell us about the Life Time Foundation’s “Chase the Race” initiative. How many riders do you hope to pass? What will the funds support?
• Outside of racing, what does a fun ride look like for you? 
• What are some places you've visited that are worth going back and riding again?
• Can you ever really retire from bike racing?
• You've reinvented yourself several times over your career. What's next?

Fundraiser link: https://app.99pledges.com/fund/yurichasetherace/yuri-hauswald

An automated transcript will be available at Singletracks.com later today.

This episode is sponsored by Greater Sandpoint Chamber of Commerce.

If you’re looking for your next mountain bike destination that offers just about everything, put Sandpoint, Idaho at the top of your list! The Lower Basin trail system serves up world-class riding through towering timber and across massive granite rock slabs, with trails for every rider — from technical black diamond descents to fast, flowy cross-country loops.

For excellent park-style riding, head up to Schweitzer Mountain Resort with dedicated downhill trails and e-bike access to more than two dozen trails. Or pedal from town to the Pine Street Woods trail system where the trails range from flowy to technical.

When you’re ready to take a break from the trails, Lake Pend Oreille is right there for camping, boating, swimming, or even standup paddleboarding. And after a big day outdoors, head into the town of Sandpoint where you'll find a great selection of bars and restaurants to relax and refuel. 

Get all the details to plan your perfect getaway at ⁠⁠⁠⁠visitsandpoint.com⁠⁠⁠⁠. The trails and the good times are waiting for you when you Visit Idaho!

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 right moment to launch an online retailer?

• What made you focus specifically on the high-end, enthusiast market?

• Is content creation and media an important part of selling bikes?

• What Covid-era effects are retailers like Worldwide Cyclery still seeing today?

• As someone who loves bikes, how do you square the convenience and price advantage of ordering online with wanting to support your local bike shop?

• In 2019, you acquired KETL Mountain Apparel when it was still in its infancy. What was the vision behind growing that brand?

• In 2021, you co-founded Trail One Components with a giving component attached to every sale. How does that model work?

• What's the value proposition for Trail One products compared to other component brands?

• Why is owning your own brands, like KETL and Trail One, important to you?

• You're known for building really dialed, unique custom bikes. What are you riding at the moment?

• You've mountain biked all over the US and even internationally. What are some of your favorite places to ride?
  

An automated transcript will be available at Singletracks.com later today.

This episode is sponsored by Greater Sandpoint Chamber of Commerce.

If you’re looking for your next mountain bike destination that offers just about everything, put Sandpoint, Idaho at the top of your list! The Lower Basin trail system serves up world-class riding through towering timber and across massive granite rock slabs, with trails for every rider — from technical black diamond descents to fast, flowy cross-country loops.

For excellent park-style riding, head up to Schweitzer Mountain Resort with dedicated downhill trails and e-bike access to more than two dozen trails. Or pedal from town to the Pine Street Woods trail system where the trails range from flowy to technical.

When you’re ready to take a break from the trails, Lake Pend Oreille is right there for camping, boating, swimming, or even standup paddleboarding. And after a big day outdoors, head into the town of Sandpoint where you'll find a great selection of bars and restaurants to relax and refuel. 

Get all the details to plan your perfect getaway at ⁠⁠⁠visitsandpoint.com⁠⁠⁠. The trails and the good times are waiting for you when you Visit Idaho!

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 Guatemala, and he's here to talk about stage racing, training, and what it's like to rides bikes around the world.

• How did you first get into mountain biking and racing?
• You've been with Jamis since 2010 — what's been the key to making that relationship last so long?
• You've raced BC Bike Race, La Ruta, Pisgah Stage Race, even gravel events like Unbound and The Crusher — what is it about adventure races, and stage races in particular, that keeps drawing you back?
• What does it take to be competitive in a stage race?
• How do you choose which races to enter each year?
• You just raced El Reto del Quetzal in Guatemala — what was that event like?
• What does your training look like when you're preparing for a multi-day stage race?
• How do you handle recovery during and after a stage race?
• What's your bike setup for a race like El Reto del Quetzal?
• Do you have a favorite place to ride in the world?
• What's a fun and accessible stage race you'd recommend for someone trying their first one?

Follow along with Thomas Turner's adventures on Instagram @thomasturnermtb.

An automated transcript will be available at Singletracks.com later today.

Follow Singletracks on Instagram ⁠⁠⁠@singletracks⁠⁠⁠ to keep up with the latest mountain bike news.