After a few days shooting photos and getting to know his family in Buena Vista, Colorado, Brandon Turman had the chance to sit down with none other than Mick Hannah, also known as "Sik Mik." With a mountain bike career that spans nearly two decades and well over two hundred results, you've no doubt seen this man lighting up the races. While some of today's younger riders may know Mick as the guy that throws a perfect suicide every race, there's a whole heap of history to talk about. 

We cover everything from his formative years in Australia, growing up racing BMX, and his first DH races to how mountain biking has evolved, what the future holds, burnout, racing with a sibling, and integrating his family and the sport he loves so much. Mick is a truly genuine individual with a strong work ethic and dedication that keeps him firing on all cylinders. 

Your three-time consecutive (4-time total) UCI Mountain Bike Downhill World Champion and 2019 World Cup Downhill series winner, Loic Bruni, sits down with his race team manager, Laurent Delorme and the manager of Canyon Factory Racing, Gabe Fox. Laurent and Gabe have been involved with winning World Cup downhill teams for years and they share their insight about what it takes to earn the rainbow stripes and race wins. Gabe Fox has been instrumental in scouting talent like the late, great, Stevie Smith and continues to build race-winning programs. At Vital, we are honored that Loic committed to this incredible interview series this year in the midst of defending his racing accomplishments. His interview skills and personable demeanor have made Outspoken a must-watch and must-listen for any mountain bike race fan. Thank you to Aaron Bartlett of Creative Concept for producing the programs and Fox MTB for their support behind the project.

Welcome mountain bikers! We're proud to bring you an Inside Line episode with a wonder grom of #USDH, Chris Grice. The 16-year-old from North Carolina is amped to ride and race mountain bikes, driving across the country multiple times a year to get it done at the national level. We caught up with him on August 1, a week after he won his second U.S. National Championships DH race in the 15-16 Junior Cat 1 category. The race was in Winter Park, Colorado, and he was road-tripping through Idaho on his way to Crankworx with his dad and JD Swanguen.

Chris isn't the only superstar of the up-and-coming downhill MTB race scene. The junior classes at local mountain bike races are growing like wildfire, often being the largest classes at events. We're glad to share some of the stoke around the future of our sport!

Thanks for listening and enjoying The Inside Line

The Inside Line is an exclusive mountain bike podcast produced by Vital MTB with support from Maxxis Tires, Jenson USA and The Gravity Cartel.

#USDH

Was this the greatest downhill mountain bike race ever? Steve Peat thinks so, and he's seen almost every one of them! The final race of the 2019 UCI Mountain Bike World Cup Downhill season concluded in Snowshoe, West Virginia, with Danny Hart taking the race win and Loic Bruni narrowly edging out Amaury Pierron for the World Cup overall Championship of 2019. Loic would need a third place finish to keep the overall if Amaury won the race. Amaury was leading the race with an early run that seemed unbeatable. Loic dropped in and ended up in 3rd place with only Danny Hart remaining. If Danny landed in 2nd, Amaury would win the overall. If Danny won the race, Loic would win the overall. Danny's split times were so close the entire way down his run, that until he crossed the line, no one was sure what the outcome would be. Danny eventually beat Amaury by just .656 seconds, winning the race and leaving Loic with the title.

Tracey Hannah earned the women's overall championships victory, but not after Marine Cabirou took the race win, forcing Tracey to be mistake-free within a tight threshold. If Marine won the race, Tracey would have to finish 7th or better. Tracey ended up finishing 5th with just a few seconds to spare and earned the overall victory.

Rider Interviews and Times Table of Contents
1:26 - Steve Peat
5:13 - Loic Bruni
11:38 - Amaury Pierron
20:45 - Eddie Masters
22:18 - Laurent Delorme, Loic's Team Manager
23:47 - Tracey Hannah
29:56 - Danny Hart
34:09 - Marine Cabirou
35:48 - Charlie Harrison
42:12 - Dakotah Norton
43:09 - Bruce Klein
45:11 - Thibaut Daprela
47:01 - Myriam Nicole
48:21 - Troy Brosnan
51:54 - Chris Kilmurry
55:12 - Veronika Widmann
56:10 - Greg Minnaar
1:00:00 - Loris Vergier
1:03:37 - Luke Meier-Smith
1:04:53 - Greg Williamson
1:06:28 - Thomas Estaque
1:07:21 - Dean Lucas (Nicest guy in Downhilling?)
1:10:56 - Finn Iles
1:16:08 - Kye A'hern

It often seems those young, natural talents, who have so much promise and future, end up struggling with the biggest hurdles. Finding success in something easily at a young age can cripple the growth and maturity of an individual, leaving them wondering what happened when opportunities finally close and success can't override questionable personal choices. JD Swanguen tasted success in mountain biking at a young age. The San Diego native was around the right people thanks to his father, John, who is one of the unsung pioneers of freestyle BMX. When JD found an interest in mountain biking, that interest was fostered through family support and eventually sponsorship. His style was honed through dirt jumping and skatepark riding and his downhill racing results were rising. Without ever seriously training, and in the face of some hard partying, JD managed to earn a silver medal at the Junior World Championships in Fort William, 2007. As his career blossomed, his decisions as young man still in his teens, would end up sidelining that career before he ever reached his true racing potential. Before his career came to end, however, JD was experimenting with some of the first 29er downhill bikes made by Jeff Steber at Intense back in 2010, and JD always remained one of the most stylish riders on the track. By 2012, JD just wasn't at the races anymore. He found his way into Lindsey Wilson College, met a girl and had a daughter and continues to live on the East Coast. We're honored to have caught up with JD to put some myths to rest and to hear his story, full of hard lessons learned. 

The current Downhill Mountain Bike World Champion, Loic Bruni, is interviewing the rider of his choice at each World Cup DH round in 2019 for his Outspoken series on Vital MTB. This episode features the Greatest Of All Time, Greg Minnaar. Following a horrific start to the season in Maribor, where Greg failed to qualify for race day (a career first), he sits down with Loic to discuss all aspects of mountain bike racing. Career longevity, bike tech like 29ers in downhill, being on the Santa Cruz Syndicate with Steve Peat, Nathan Rennie and Josh Bryceland, the boredom of training and even the art of crying are touched on. When the person conducting the interview knows the elite-level stresses and struggles as well as the subject, incredible insight is the result.

This may be the most insightful look into what it means to be a modern downhill mountain bike racer. Troy Brosnan, tied for 2nd place in the 2019 UCI World Cup DH overall, sits down with Loic Bruni, the current leader in the downhill race series. Troy is known for his consistency at the races, regularly placing 2nd or 3rd. He's won two World Cup downhills in his career, but Loic questions Troy if it's time to push harder for the win. The two discuss race technique, the mountain bike community, being teammates with Sam Hill, Aaron Gwin and Fabien Barel, junior racing and bike setup (with Troy racing a 29-inch front wheel for the first time in Val di Sole this weekend). The interview concludes with the two discussing pro racing contract negotiation and the secrecy behind it all. Truly a fascinating and candid interview with two of the fastest mountain bikers on the planet in the latest Outspoken interview.

We are honored at Vital to be a part of this incredible interview series with Loic this year. Aaron "Mono" Bartlett put it all together and made it happen, and we're blown away. The questions Loic asks, the experiences only he and these riders have gone through make it so special. Thank you Loic, Mono, Fox Racing for getting behind it and the interview guests. -gordo

Loic Bruni, the current World Cup DH overall leader and reigning downhill World Champion, interviews Brendan Fairclough at the Lenzerheide race. He and Brendan discuss what it means to be a pro downhill racer, competing in Red Bull Rampage and the future of the sport. Brendan recently missed qualifying at the Lenzerheide World Cup, but still agreed to sit down with Loic for the discussion. Yeah Brendan!

We're excited to have Logan Binggeli on The Inside Line this week. Logan is a former U.S. National Downhill mountain bike champion and Red Bull Rampage podium finisher. Growing up in Utah with a motocross background, he found his way to mountain bikes and downhill racing, rising to the top national ranks. Living in Saint George, Utah, near the site of the Red Bull Rampage, he found his way into the event, comfortable on the local terrain. Logan finished in 3rd place at the 2012 Rampage event ahead of some of the sport's biggest freeriders. He broke his femur at Rampage in 2013 when he got off line flipping a massive drop. He discusses injury, recovery, success, failure, rider support and his dedication to KHS, the bike brand that he's been with for years.

The Inside Line is an exclusive mountain bike podcast produced by Vital MTB with support from Maxxis Tires, Jenson USA and The Gravity Cartel.

#USDH

Darren Murphy of PUSH Industries answers all of our mountain bike suspension-related questions in part 2 of his Inside Line podcast interview. Myths, mysteries, set-up tricks and tips are all discussed in this fun, informative episode. Some answers may surprise you, some may leave you wondering. Regardless of opinions and preferences, there's no doubt that the modern mountain bike is one incredible machine.

Hit the Vital MTB forums for interactive discussions and debates about mountain bike tech

Listen to Part 1 of Darren's Inside Line interview

Visit www.pushindustries.com to learn more about PUSH

The Inside Line is an exclusive podcast produced by Vital MTB, thanks to support from Maxxis Tires, Jenson USA and The Gravity Cartel.