Happy New Year errybody! In this episode, we go through the components, places to ride, and habits Vital users listed as their favorites in 2025. We then touch on what we enjoyed in 2025 and what we are looking forward to in the year ahead.

Shoutout to Vital user Ervan for starting the forum thread “2025: Things I loved this year” and giving us the idea for this week's podcast.

Read the forum thread in discussion - https://www.vitalmtb.com/forums/hub/2...

Chapters

00:00 New Year Reflections and Family Time

11:08 Retirement in Action Sports: A Bittersweet Transition

13:38 Women in Racing: Breaking Taboos

16:49 Health Reflections: The Impact of Illness

19:46 Excitement for Upcoming Events

24:03 Dak's New Journey with Dream Team

36:05 Community Engagement and User Feedback

53:25 Trends in Mountain Biking: E-bikes and Upgrades

01:13:50 Product Discussions and Industry Insights

01:26:23 Wheels and Brakes: Performance Insights

01:38:13 Starting a Business: Flowcraft and Community Engagement

01:47:32 Reflections on Racing and Industry Changes

01:52:30 Engaging the Community: The Podcast Forum

The news of Aaron Gwin making a new home on Frameworks TRP yesterday left a lot of unanswered questions. Thankfully the man himself was down for a candid chat to discuss his new future.

Cover photo by Callie Horwath

Topics

0:00 - Intro and What About Crestline?

9:34 - History with Neko

12:26 - How Can Frameworks Afford Gwin?

15:38 - Does Gwin Have to Race Now?

19:14 - Dealing with So Many Product Changes

32:31 - Does the Frameworks Accomodate Gwin's Riding Style?

43:00 - Being on a Team with Asa Vermette, Battling the Kids

49:50 - Game Plan for 2026 Races

53:55 - Gwin's Training Regimen

1:00:35 - Involvement with Lake Placid World Cup and TN National in 2026?

1:06:30 - Racing Hardline Tasmania

1:11:32 - Aaron Gwin 2011 vs. Aaron Gwin 2026?

0:00 - Aaron Gwin

8:16 - James McAllister

16:05 - Neko Mulally

As the 2026 downhill mountain bike season dawns, Frameworks TRP Racing announces that #USDH superstar, Aaron Gwin will join the team. Aaron, multi-time World Cup-winning downhiller, ran his own team, Gwin Racing, aboard Crestline bikes in 2024 and 2025. The change to Frameworks means a focus on racing, rather than team management, as Gwin seeks to wrap up his competitive career giving it all he can. With a new team comes new equipment. Besides the Frameworks frame, Aaron returns to FOX suspension after Ohlins with Gwin Racing. He'll be on Burgtec bars, a departure from his long-time Renthal setup. Wheels change to ENVE from e.thirteen, and he'll be aboard Continental tires.

Vital contributor, Jack Rice, catches up with Aaron, Neko and James McAllister, Aaron's mechanic during a testing session at Windrock Bike Park in December to discuss the changes and challenges.

After an exciting two years with Mondraker Factory Racing, our guy Dak has moved to Scott DH Factory and signed a three-year deal. So naturally, we had to podcast about it. We wanted all the details on what prompted his departure from Mondraker, what attracted him to Scott, his goals and expectations for the upcoming season now that he's mostly recovered from his injury, and most importantly: will he still be running 75mm rise bars on his new Gambler? Per usual, Dak was transparent about what he’s seeking from a team at this point in his career, the reality of having to prove he’s still a podium contender post-injury, and his newfound appreciation for the opportunity he has to keep racing his bike. We hope you enjoy the conversation!

We have a very special, and probably tear-and-laugh filled episode of The Inside Line as we catch back up with Colin Meagher, all-around nice guy, incredible, storied mountain bike photographer and man dealing with the late stages of ALS or Lou Gehrig’s disease. Since Colin’s symptoms have progressed so strongly, he’s not really able to speak, so we have a gaggle of his best buds in Seattle to help do the talking for him.

You can watch this interview on our YouTube Channel

It was almost 7 years to the day that I first met with Colin in Hood River, Oregon, for an interview (found here). We talked about his career highlights and his diagnosis with ALS and what the future looked like for him. Well, we’re back to celebrate him and his life through some memories and some roasting by a group of friends that only know each other because of Colin.

Since Colin can't speak, we go through a Q&A with Patrik Zuest reading the answers that Colin wrote and provided via email.

Everyone at Vital hopes you get inspired by listening to the stories of how Colin impacted so many lives. Colin, we love you!

Contents

0:00 - Intro and Colin's crew on how they met colin

8:26 - Colin answers questions about his ALS

35:35 - Colin gets roasted by his crew

Electric mountain bikes. Either you love ‘em, or think they’re wack. Granted, the latter opinion has been losing steam as more brands release good e-bikes, and more riders toss a leg over one. They’re the talk of our industry and are one of the few, if not the only, segments of bikes experiencing significant change year after year.

In this show, Vital’s own Jason Schroeder and Shawn Spomer, along with industry veteran Lars Sternberg, and Founder/Operator of Crestline Bikes, Troydon Murison, sift through the current landscape of e-bikes and discuss what the future might hold. The conversation also kicks off with a rad (almost hour-long) dive into how Crestline Bikes became a thing and the challenges posed by making bikes overseas.

Contents

00:00 "My Watch Said I Was Dead" - Lars Sternberg
08:54 What's In and What's Out: Weekly Highlights
21:17 The Founding of Crestline Bikes and how they were made
59:02 Transitioning to DJI Motors
01:35:08 Consumer Behavior and E-Bike Sales
01:53:20 Understanding Power and Performance in E-Bikes
02:10:13 The Balance Between Analog and E-Bikes
02:20:43 Regulations and Safety Concerns in E-Biking

In this special edition of the Inside Line podcast, Jeff Brines interviews Sam Nicols, the former CEO of YT Industries from 2021 to 2024, exploring his journey from a career at Amazon to leading a prominent bike company during tumultuous times. 

He reflects on his experiences as CEO of YT Industries, discussing the challenges faced in the bike industry, particularly around demand fluctuations, inventory management, and the impact of cash flow on business decisions.

00:00 Introduction to Sam Nicols and YT Industries
01:49 Sam's Background and Career Path
09:28 Challenges of Stepping into YT During the Pandemic
11:35 Navigating Supply Chain Issues and Customer Care
16:01 The Private Equity Interest and Acquisition Process
23:45 Aligning Goals with Private Equity
30:15 Understanding the Risks of Private Equity
34:11 The Impact of Market Conditions on YT's Valuation
37:05 Transitioning to In-House Assembly
49:43 Demand Fluctuations and Market Realities
50:21 Navigating Demand Fluctuations
54:08 Strategic Decisions Amidst Overstocks
01:00:05 The Impact of Cash Flow on Business Decisions
01:03:43 Cost Management Challenges in the Bike Industry
01:10:08 Marketing Strategies: Balancing Brand and Performance
01:17:48 The Role of Data in Business Operations
01:25:12 Leadership Dynamics and Company Culture
01:30:12 Reflections on Competition and Industry Evolution

In episode 2 of Bikes: Unaffiliated, Jason Schroeder, Lars Sternberg and Shawn Spomer discuss the evolution of mountain bike technology, focusing on the durability of bikes and components. They explore the expectations riders have for bike longevity, and the importance of community feedback in shaping technology. The conversation also touches on maintenance practices and the balance between cost, weight, and durability in bike design. They delve into the evolution of mountain biking, focusing on suspension setups, the impact of e-bikes on component durability, and the importance of understanding rider skill levels. The crew discusses the challenges of navigating suspension adjustments, the significance of bearing technology, and the lifecycle of bike components. They also dissect where to spend money when building a durable bike.

Chapters

00:00 Introduction, What's In/What's Out
14:10 The Evolution of Mountain Biking Gear
18:28 Tires and Tubeless Technology: A Game Changer
23:43 The Balance of Durability and Performance
29:00 Expectations on Bike Longevity
34:05 The Future of Mountain Bike Technology
45:20 Dynamic Forks and Rider Preferences
48:23 Sensitivity to Suspension Setup
51:27 Skill Levels and Equipment Accessibility
52:16 Understanding Compression and Adjustments
54:29 E-Bikes and Durability Challenges
58:17 Headset Issues and Innovations
01:03:36 Durability in High-End Bikes
01:12:14 E-Bike Technology and Future Considerations
01:17:38 Understanding Bike Longevity and Maintenance
01:19:41 Investing in Bike Parts for Durability
01:22:51 Building a Bike: Prioritizing Components
01:26:01 Injury and Its Impact on Riding
01:26:10 Choosing the Right Bike and Brand
01:29:40 The Lifecycle of Bike Parts and Consumer Expectations
01:36:49 Engaging with the Cycling Community

Join Vital's own Jason Schroeder and Shawn Spomer, along with industry veteran Lars Sternberg, as they discuss the gripping topic of launching new bikes and their embargoes. Why do we have embargoes? What goes on behind the scenes of a new product launch? Are embargoed launches still impactful? How do brands and media make a splash on embargo day to give riders something to get excited about?

Vital MTB's new podcast show— bikes ≠ unaffiliated,  is our spot to chat about bike-related topics that aren't necessarily focused on current events, racing, or covering the latest-greatest tech. It's not a space for interviews, but rather for having a conversation about things we find interesting.

Jeff Brines follows up our "We Discuss YT" podcast with his thoughts after listening to the Markus Flossmann interview on the Downtime podcast. 

Jeff also notes corrections made in our original show after learning information shared in the Downtime pod.

Discuss more with the Vital community