Steed Cycles podcast

Spoiler: hydraulic disc brakes are here to stay, of course!

This time on the Steed Cycles podcast we've got a mechanic's round table, with a selection of our finest mechanics: your host, Ash, our service manager, Ben, mechanics, Bridget and Mark, and our marketing coordinator, Sam (he was a mechanic, trust us). 

Between these guys there are collective decades of both wrenching and riding experience across a broad swath of bike genres. While being a bicycle mechanic is not rocket science, it does require a lot of specialist knowledge, fine motor skills, problem solving, and patience. Go behind the scenes with some of our best mechanics to get an unadulterated glimpse behind the service shop curtain.

Thank you for listening

• Get in touch with us via Steed Cycles or via our Instagram
• Hosted by Jarrad Connolly
• Produced by Sam James

Listen to other episodes here.

Spoiler: everyone is a winner at the NSMBA Fiver!
May saw us host the first Classic Fiver of the year, an event the whole mountain bike community looks forward to. The Fiver is a friendly evening enduro race putting the emphasis on friendly. While it's timed, there are no podiums or prizes, just bragging rights. Everybody that shows up gets to race their mates, have a good time, and have a good time at the apres.

We host a Fiver apres every year - supporting our community is one of our favourite things to do, so we're stoked to welcome the racers in for some well-earned food and drinks. Ash headed to the race up on Mount Fromme and caught up with racers back at the apres to find out what people were thinking about the course, how they were feeling after the race, and to get people stoked.

Ash caught up with Brian Earle, Fiver founder and organiser to chat about the history and format of the Fivers, and much more. Brian is a legend in the community and has done so much for us - so thanks Brian for all of your hard work!

Thanks to the NSMBA for allowing us to be a part of the Fiver series each year and for everything they do for the local mountain bike scene. If you haven't already, go get an NSMBA membership and help contribute to our trails.

Thank you for listening

• Get in touch with us via Steed Cycles or via our Instagram
• Hosted by Jarrad Connolly
• Produced by Sam James

Listen to other episodes here.

Some of you may notice we took a short break from the podcast, but we're back with a new host - Ash Kelly. Ash brings with her a wealth of experience from the newsroom, as a CBC presenter, and now a bike mechanic, having spent a lifetime around bikes. 

As we prepare for a summer of selling and fixing bikes, community events, and riding bikes with our friends, we wanted to spend some time introducing some of our awesome staff to you. Some are new, some are old, some you may know, some you may not. They all have one thing in common though; they all love bikes.

So tune in and find out what's happening at your favourite bike shop this summer!

Thank you for listening

• Get in touch with us via Steed Cycles or via our Instagram
• Hosted by Jarrad Connolly
• Produced by Sam James

Listen to other episodes here.

When you think of a power couple, you might imagine two individuals, each influential or successful in their own right, complementing each other. This is precisely what Steve Vanderhoek and Kelsey Toevs have achieved.

While rumours suggest that Kelsey won Steve over in high school, all of that occurred before they entered their professional careers or pursued elite-level hobbies. Now, they have grown into complementing each other's skills, with Steve’s riding and Kelsey’s photography.

What distinguishes them from other filmmaker-athlete combos is that they are a married couple, both holding full-time jobs. Steve continues his role as a full-time firefighter, while Kelsey manages her residential photography business. This unique aspect means they don't rely on content income which reflects the genuine passion they pour into creating their remarkable content.

Check out their latest creation, winning the 2023 Crankworx Dirt Diaries video competition, Ready or Not film.

Thank you for listening

• Get in touch with us via Steed Cycles or via our Instagram
• Hosted by Jarrad Connolly
• Produced by Sam James

Listen to other episodes here.

Have you ever found yourself captivated by the allure of mountain landscapes on the big screen, wondering about the visionary minds behind the lens? Well, we did too.

Join us as we delve into the world of the adventure film festival with the legend himself, Alan Formanek – the driving force behind the Vancouver International Mountain Film Festival (VIMFF), set to kick off on February 23 across multiple theatres including Centennial Theatre, Rio Theatre, Cinematheque, Roundhouse Community Centre, and Delbrook Community Centre.

As a pioneer in modern free climbing hailing from Slovakia, Alan's unique perspective as a festival director and outdoor enthusiast adds unparalleled depth to the festival's narrative. Alongside his dedicated team, Alan has propelled VIMFF onto the global stage, showcasing films that have left audiences in awe at various film festivals worldwide, both in person and online.

We’ll be peeking behind the curtains, exploring the films that have graced VIMFF, and gain exclusive insights into what the future holds for Alan and the VIMFF legacy.

If you're as intrigued as we are, feel free to connect with VIMFF through their channels or drop us a message via our social media platforms. Get ready to embark on a cinematic journey like never before, where the mountains meet the silver screen.

Thank you for listening

• Get in touch with us via Steed Cycles or via our Instagram
• Hosted by Jarrad Connolly
• Produced by Sam James

Listen to other episodes here.

Colombia is a bucket list destination for many road cyclists. With its high-altitude, challenging terrain, favorable weather, beautiful landscapes, and a cycling-friendly culture, it’s one of the best places in the world to ride a bike.

Colombia Dreaming is about an idea that was hatched among friends to explore Colombia by road bike. To take on a challenging loop of the country, connecting the best cycling regions and do so in the spirit of adventure. 

In nine days of riding, Rich, Steve, Dave, Marty, Zack, Kevin and Daniele rode 1200km, up and down the Cordilleras mountains climbing over 25,000m. Starting out in Bogota, the guys descended to the Magdalena valley and took on the ultimate bucket list climb, Alto el Sifon (the alternative and superior Letras). With over 100km of fresh tarmac rising to 4100m of elevation, this climb will surely become one of the all-time classics. The route continued to Medellin and into the coffee lands before returning back to Bogota.

In this audio diary, recorded by Steed Ride Club Leader, Rich Costello, you’ll follow the journey each day as the guy’s report from the roadside. There’s a recording from a walking tour of Medellin, where the guide shares his perspective of life under the rule of Pablo Escobar aka “Voldemort” (many locals don’t speak his name). You’ll hear the voices of the support crew, Andres and Sylvana as well as all the sounds of the countryside and towns the guys passed through on this epic trip.

A big thank you goes to Atenea, Omar and Julian from Tingua Hidden Journeys who provided their expertise and contacts to bring the idea to life. To learn more about Hidden Journeys: https://www.hiddenjourneys.co/.

Thank you for listening.

Thank you for listening

• Get in touch with us via Steed Cycles or via our Instagram
• Hosted by Jarrad Connolly
• Produced by Sam James

Listen to other episodes here.

When you think of Haute Route, where does your mind wander? Does it lead you to envision the toughest amateur cycling event globally, a miniature Tour de France, or perhaps a fully supported cycling tour conquering renowned climbs?

Whether you perceive it as a timed challenge or a journey of exploration, we are excited to have the Marketing Director for the French Cycling Federation, Marius Louvett, live from Paris, and one of our own from the Steed Cycles Ride Club family, Eric Hung, to unveil the unique allure of Haute Route events.

Our expedition takes us through the heart of cycling's haven, traversing from the picturesque Alps to the awe-inspiring Pyrenees, where riders are tested on legendary peaks like Col du Tourmalet and Alpe d'Huez.

Envision timed ascents, intricate team dynamics, and unwavering support, all converging to make Haute Route a cycling spectacle and event like no other. For those who missed our previous podcasts featuring the Steed Cycles team at the race last year, they offer valuable insights into every aspect of this extraordinary event.

For those curious to explore more about the Haute Route events, visit https://hauteroute.fr/. Avoid a simple Google search for Haute Route, as it may direct you to an outdated website. Alternatively, feel free to reach out to them at [email protected]. The adventure awaits!

Thank you for listening

• Get in touch with us via Steed Cycles or via our Instagram
• Hosted by Jarrad Connolly
• Produced by Sam James

Listen to other episodes here.

Ever wondered what makes a filmmaker's mind tick and how they can envision scenes before they come to life? Well, so did we. That's why Jarrad sat down with Gordie Rogers from The Grove Collective to discover the creative process behind his movies.

Gordie, along with his team, Zac and Casey, has seen many of their films selected at various film festivals worldwide, including our local Vimff here in Vancouver, such as Only A Ride with Anthony Boussetta, one of our first podcast guests. We delve deep into a couple of Gordie's films and get insights into what's on the horizon for him.

If you're curious to learn more about Gordie and The Grove Collective, feel free to reach out to them or drop us a message via our social media channels.

Thank you for listening

• Get in touch with us via Steed Cycles or via our Instagram
• Hosted by Jarrad Connolly
• Produced by Sam James

Listen to other episodes here.

Colombia is a bucket list destination for many road cyclists.  With its high-altitude, challenging terrain, favorable weather, beautiful landscapes, and a cycling-friendly culture, it’s one of the best places in the world to ride a bike.

Colombia Dreaming is about an idea that was hatched among friends to explore Colombia by road bike.  To take on a challenging loop of the country, connecting the best cycling regions and do so in the spirit of adventure.  

In this episode, Steed Ride Club Leader, Rich Costello sets the scene by explaining how the idea came about.  We also hear from Atenea and Omar from the tourism agency, Tingua Hidden Journeys, who are providing their expertise and contacts to bring the idea to life.

Part Two will take place on the road as Rich records an audio diary which will go live in a few weeks.

If you’re interested, please follow the guys on Strava and reach out to them directly if you have any suggestions or recommendations.

Steve, Marty, Daniele, Kevin, Zack, Dave, Rich 

Learn more about Hidden Journeys: https://www.hiddenjourneys.co/

Thank you for listening

• Get in touch with us via Steed Cycles or via our Instagram
• Hosted by Jarrad Connolly
• Produced by Sam James

Listen to other episodes here.

From broken necks to races, trail days to road cycling, 2023 was a big year for us at Steed. As we head toward the end of the year, we're wrapping up the podcast with a special end of year episode featuring Steed mechanic Ash Kelly, media & marketing manager Sam James, and our usual podcast host Jarrad Connolly.

2023 was one of our biggest and best years here at Steed, but it didn't come without its ups and downs, but mostly ups. Ash tells us about recovering from a broken neck earlier in the year, as well as taking part in the RideLab women's MTB festival and winning tire-change competitions. Sam gives us the lowdown on some of the community events we've been holding including Fivers, Trail days, huge gravel rides and a ton more. 

This episode is all about good times and reflecting back on our favourite things of 2023 - we had the best time recording this episode, so tune in and reminisce along with us. As always, thanks to all of our customers, brand partners and everybody else that made 2023 such an incredible year. We can't wait to see what 2024 brings!

Thank you for listening

• Get in touch with us via Steed Cycles or via our Instagram
• Hosted by Jarrad Connolly
• Produced by Sam James

Listen to other episodes here.