Jack Pittens is the co-founder 9point8, an Ontario-based bicycle component brand known for its dropper posts and other innovative products. 

• How did 9point8 get its start? What is your background?
• For dropper posts, is there an advantage to using a sealed cartridge vs. one that's tunable, or another design? 
• How do you make a dropper post lightweight? Do today's buyers even care about the weight of a dropper post? 
• Why do you assemble 9point8 dropper posts in house vs. outsourcing production to Asia? 
• How often should riders service their dropper posts? What does service involve?
• Do you think adding electronics to dropper posts is a good idea? What are the pros and cons?
• Why do two similar dropper post diameters — 30.9mm and 31.6mm exist? And why are 27.2mm diameter dropper posts so hard to find?
• Why are seatpost head designs so complicated?
• How did the 9point8 INVRS pedal design come about?  
• What else is 9point8 working on?

Get more info at 9point8.ca. An automated transcript is provided at Singletracks.com.

This episode is sponsored by Trailbot. Trailbot is the smarter way for trail managers to communicate updates without relying on social media. Don’t let The Algorithm bury your posts—easily share conditions and closures to your web site, social media and the app all at once. Best of all, it’s free.

Trailbot is used by over 260 trail systems in 17 states and growing fast. Over 50,000 riders have installed the free iOS and Android apps to get official updates with optional push notifications, without having to see what their weird relative posted on social media. 

Learn more at trailbot.com.

Lee McCormack is a mountain bike skills instructor and coach, and he's the author of nearly a dozen books, including the NICA Skills Training Manual. He's written extensively on bike fitting and fitness training, and just last year he launched his own bike brand, Mistress Cycles.

• How have mountain biking techniques changed over the years?
• What's the difference between a good mountain bike racer, and a good mountain bike coach? 
• Is pedal cadence important for mountain biking? How do you know if your cadence is too fast or too slow? How can you improve your cadence?
• Why are you such a fan of pump tracks. Why?
• How do Moto Cranx work on a pump track?
• Do you think mountain bikers tend to be overconfident, or underconfident in their skills?
• Do you think it's possible to be faster in your 40s or 50s than in your 20s by maintaining fitness and progressing your skills?
• How did Mistress Cycles come about? What is it about "modern" mountain bike geometry that you find frustrating?
• You've come out with some innovative products over the years, like the RipRow trainer and Moto Cranx. In addition to the bikes from Mistress Cycles, do you have any other projects in the works?

You can keep up with the latest from Lee McCormack on Instagram @leelikesbikes, where you'll find links to all of the projects we talked about today.

An automated transcript of our edited conversation is provided at singletracks.com. Click here for an unedited video of our conversation, where Lee illustrates many of the concepts discussed. Note: may contain brief language some readers find offensive.

This podcast episode is sponsored by Backslope Tools.

Backslope Tools designs and produces innovative lockable, stackable, and field-repairable tools for trail building, landscaping, and gardening. With 20 years of trailbuilding experience, Backslope is putting the right tools for the job into builders' hands, from individuals to full-on trail crews. Order online at backslopetools.com and save 15% on your order with code SingletracksPod. 

In this episode of the Singletracks podcast we're going to be discussing some of the latest news and trends from the world of mountain bike trail development.

We discuss:

• A recent meta-analysis of mountain bike tourism by IMBA and the Trust for Public Land
• The use of private land for trail development
• Threats to existing trail systems
• What's happening in Arkansas
• What to expect in 2025 and beyond

Visit Singletracks.com for a complete transcript,

--Keep up with the latest in mountain biking at Singletracks.com and on Instagram @singletracks

David Folch is the founder and CEO of Dirty Sixer, a boutique bike builder focused on fitting tall riders with big wheel bikes. The Dirty Sixer line currently features gravel, all-road, and electric bikes, and will soon include a mountain bike with 32" wheels.

• How did your brand Dirty Sixer get started?
• How tall do you have to be for a 32er to make sense?
• What are some of the MTB geometry challenges involved in designing around 32" wheels? Does anything get easier in terms of fitting tall riders thanks to the bigger wheels?
• Has tire availability limited the development of 32" wheel bikes up until this point?
• Are any current MTB forks designed to fit 32" wheels?
• You hinted that you're working on a full-suspension mountain bike with 32" wheels. What are the challenges involved in designing a bike like that?
• Will a 36er mountain bike ever be viable in terms of tire and fork availability? 
• There are several comments on your Instagram posts from people who are against the idea of a mountain bike with 32" wheels, seemingly because this would represent another standard. Do you think 32" wheels will ever gain significant traction like 29er wheels did in the early 2000s?
• What's next for you in terms of big wheel mountain bike development?

Visit dirtysixer.com to get more info about the bikes and tech discussed in this episode.

--Keep up with the latest in mountain biking at Singletracks.com and on Instagram @singletracks

Thomas Schoen is the CEO of First Journey Trails, a trail building company based in British Columbia. He's also the Director for the Williams Lake Cycling Club, the Aboriginal Youth Mountain Bike Program and is the President of the Cariboo Mountain Bike Consortium.

• How long have you been building mountain bike trails professionally? How did you get started?
• Which aspects of a trail build do you enjoy the most?
• Is everything on track to get the First Blood trail officially opened this season? What's left to be done?
• Are you seeing increasing demand for more technical trails? Do you think trails are too easy because our bikes are so good, or because bikers are getting better?
• Considering all the trails you and your team have built over the years, which one is your favorite trail to ride?
• What's the expected lifespan for a wooden bridge on a trail in BC?
• What do you think makes for a successful mountain bike destination?
• Tell us about your work with aboriginal youth First Nations trail builders.
• What's the next big thing for you and for trail development in BC?

You can learn more and connect with Thomas and First Journey Trails at firstjourneytrails.com.

An automated transcript of this episode is available at singletracks.com.

--Keep up with the latest in mountain biking at Singletracks.com and on Instagram @singletracks

Cory Wallace is the reigning, six-time World Solo 24 Hour Mountain Bike Champion and the Head Organizer for the Rockies 24 race in Canmore, Alberta. His mountain bike adventures have taken him all over the world, inspiring riders and raising funds for various humanitarian causes along the way. 

• How did you get interested in endurance mountain bike racing, and 24 solo racing? 
• What happened to 24-hour racing? Is it making a comeback in terms of interest and participation?
• The race you organize, Rockies 24, started in 2022. Why did you decide to start up a new 24 Hour race at Canmore?
• How do prepare for a 24-hour solo race? Is it different than preparing for a stage race or an XC marathon race? Do you have a team at the race supporting you in terms of nutrition and bike repair? What is your strategy for such a long race? Is the strategy different for teams?
• Are you excited about pursuing a record-breaking seventh title this year? Where and when is the championship race being held? Which bike are you planning to ride?
• I saw that you were recently training in Nepal. What's the riding like there?
• As someone who has mountain biked all around the world, what is your favorite place to ride?
• What are some of the humanitarian projects you've supported through your rides and advocacy, and why did you choose them?
• Which projects and rides are you stoked for in 2025?

You can follow Cory @wallacesworld on Instagram.

An automated transcript of this episode is available at singletracks.com.

--Keep up with the latest in mountain biking at Singletracks.com and on Instagram @singletracks

Chris Canfield's company, Suspension Formulas, develops and licenses mountain bike suspension designs used by brands including Revel and Canfield Bikes. Now he's launching his own bike brand, Vampire Bikes while also continuing to race DH at the Masters level.

You can follow along with the launch of Vampire Bikes on Instagram @vampire_bikes and learn more about some of the suspension designs we discussed at suspension-formulas.com.

--Keep up with the latest in mountain biking at Singletracks.com and on Instagram @singletracks

Miranda Miller is a downhill mountain bike World Champion and three time Canadian National downhill champion from Squamish, British Columbia. Her video series, Here, There, Everywhere regularly features inspiring riders and mountain bike destinations around the world as Miranda takes on new cycling challenges ranging from gravel biking to gravity racing.

You can follow Miranda on Instagram @mirandamillermtb and catch up on Here, There, Everywhere on the @DVRGNTminds and SRAM YouTube channels.

--Keep up with the latest in mountain biking at Singletracks.com and on Instagram @singletracks

Lance Canfield is a mechanical engineer and former professional mountain bike racer who drew his first mountain bike design in 1996. Today his bike brand, Canfield Bikes, sells mountain bikes and components designed and tested in Poncha Springs, Colorado. 

Visit canfieldbikes.com to see the bikes and components discussed in this episode.

--Keep up with the latest in mountain biking at Singletracks.com and on Instagram @singletracks

Riley Amos won overall Under 23 World Cup titles in both short track and cross-country this year and finished seventh in the Paris Olympics, the highest an American has ever placed in the event. He is a member of the Trek Factory Racing Team and lives and trains in Durango, Colorado.

Follow Riley @rj_amos on Instagram.