Join Vital Tech Editor, Jason Schroeder, as he wanders the sea of vendor tents at the 2024 Sea Otter Classic. From new products to athlete check-ins to Pro dual slalom practice, get a taste of what it's like to have boots on the ground at the event. 

Day 1 Photo Gallery #1 - https://www.vitalmtb.com/photos/features/pit-bits-sea-otter-2024-day-1/pit-bits-sea-otter-2024-day-1

Day 1 Photo Gallery #2 - https://www.vitalmtb.com/photos/features/pit-bits-sea-otter-2024-day-1-part-2/pit-bits-sea-otter-2024-day-1-part-2

Day 1 You Tube Video - https://www.vitalmtb.com/videos/features/sea-otter-classic-2024-crazy-and-cool-day-1

To learn more and hear our thoughts on the new Grip X2 damper, check out our First Ride review.

After years of mostly positive reviews intertwined with some shortcomings, FOX has ditched its Grip2 and FIT4 dampers for model year 2025 forks. In their place are three new dampers that seek to offer a heightened level of discipline-focused performance and features.

Grip SL - XC, short track, marathon
Grip X - all mountain, trail
Grip X2 - all-mountain, enduro, gravity

We joined FOX for a few days at their HQ in Scotts Valley, California, to get the run down from their engineering and development team on the new damper line and the goals surrounding each product.

0:00 - Overview of Grip dampers with Bill Brown, Head of Engineering
14:35 - Grip X2 details and development goals with Sergio Avanto, Manager of Product Performance
SUPERCROSS TALK WITH SERGIO
27:19 - Who was most difficult to work with (hint: the world's fastest German SX racer)
Epic insight into James Stewart during his prime 
45:49 - Jett Lawrence vs. James Stewart
50:13 - Similarities between supercross suspension and mountain bike suspension  
55:48 - Remi Gauvin of the Rocky Mountain Gravity Team talks about the differences in performance and setup between Grip 2 and Grip X2

Thanks to  Maxxis Tires, FOX and Jenson USA    for supporting The Inside Line MTB podcast! 

The first-ever Monster Energy Pro Downhill Series race took place at Ride Rock Creek in North Carolina this weekend. Clay Harper, founder of the series, has a vision to bring back national-level downhill mountain bike race events and round 1 has proven to be a strong start. Jack Rice was at the event and caught up with Clay and others to get their thoughts on the weekend. Our show concludes with the Pro Women's and Men's press conference audio which can also be watched on our site.

Contents
0:00 - Clay Harper, Race Director
9:39 - Sean Griz McClendon
13:26 - Callie Howrath
15:27 - Neko Mulally and Sean Leader
17:51 - Cory Rimmer
23:14 - John Hall
27:23 - Pro Women's Press Conference
37:51 - Pro Men's Press Conference

The Redcar Rocket, Danny Hart, handles the dreaded 17 without a flinch. Watch the video of this interview

• Watch Danny's Vital RAW
• Watch Danny's Bike Check video

Thanks to  Maxxis Tires, FOX and Jenson USA    for supporting The Inside Line MTB podcast! 

The 2024 Tennessee National Downhill mountain bike race at Windrock Bike Park is in the books with Dakotah Norton and Frida Ronning taking Elite wins.  This was the first downhill event at Windrock since Aaron Gwin took over ownership of the park and racers and fans alike seemed stoked with the track and the way the event was run. Jack Rice checks in with racers and the people who make #USDH so great.

Asa Vermette was on pace to challenge the time of Dakotah but washed out in a corner injuring his hip and resulting in a DNF. In the Junior classes, Dane Jewett posted a time that would have been 2nd in Elite Men and Aletha Oostgard's time would have been 2nd in Elite Women.  Dig into the results, G-Out Project Photos and more on VitalMTB.com

Interviews
0:00 - Dakotah Norton
4:44 - Don Rogers
6:11 - Asa Vermette (pre-race run)
8:39 - Clay Harper
13:56 - Luca Shaw
15:51 - Angel Suarez
17:46 - Neko Mulally
21:31 - Ryan Griffith
22:42 - Frida's Mechanic, Josh Thwaite
24:42 - Jack Pederson
26:08 - Kale Cushman
28:21 - Lucas Dedora

Thanks to  Maxxis Tires, FOX and Jenson USA    for supporting The Inside Line MTB podcast! 

The first major race of the 2024 #USDH season is here with the Tennessee National at Windrock Bike Park. Jack Rice hits the ground and meets up with racers, managers and the great people who make the event happen in this weekend's Inside Line.

0:00 - Aaron Gwin
5:41 - Luca Shaw
8:05 - Frida Ronning
10:38 - Sean Leader
14:52 - Alvaro Castillo
19:28 - Rachel Kelleher
26:51 - Seth Sherlock
29:28 - Rachel Pageau
33:34 - Jorge Gomes
35:44 - Joey Palmer
38:48 - Evan Warner
45:21 - Doug Sharp

Thanks to  Maxxis Tires, FOX and Jenson USA    for supporting The Inside Line MTB podcast! 

With the 2024 UCI Mountain Bike World Cup Downhill season fast approaching, we talk with Aaron Gwin  about his move to Crestline Bikes,  how his 2023 injury is healing, why he has like 497 different jobs, including being the owner of  Windrock Bike Park , and how he thinks he'll handle racing this year.

Interview Topics
0:00 - Intro, Move to Crestline Bikes
3:05 - Did Aaron Spend Personal Money for the New Team?
4:27 - Why Did the News Take So Long?
5:57 - How'd He Keep the Team Rumor Secret?
9:10 - From Vee Tires to e.13 Tires - Is There Really a Difference?
11:42 - The Day He Realized He We Would Be Off Intense
16:17 - Did Aaron Try to Be a Part of Big Brand?
21:36 - Does the Frame's Suspension Platform Matter Any More?
24:55 - Gwin's Crestline DH Bike Weight
26:56 - Does He Still Run Firm Suspension?
32:32 - Dakotah Norton
35:51 - Are There Enough Crestline Frames for the 2024 Season?
41:39 - Windrock for World Cup DH Training and Making Trails Harder
45:32 - What Goes on at a Red Bull Athlete Camp?
53:39 - World Cup Snow DH, Cool or Lame?
54:18 - Aaron Gwin's 2023 Injury in Detail
1:07:02 - World Champs is Gwin's 2024 Goal and He Thinks He Can Win
1:09:35 - Does a Winning DH Run Have to Be Out of Control?
1:12:27 - Jackson Goldstone and How to Compete Against Him?
1:17:43 - Gwin Racing at the World Cups
1:20:17 - Why Aaron Gwin has Like 53 Different Jobs
1:26:55 - The Future of Windrock Bike Park - Host a World Cup? Get a Chairlift?
1:32:31 - Favorite Bike He's Ridden in the Past? YouTube Habits and Life Outside of California

Watch our video and see photos of the fork on Vital MTB and our YouTube channel.

Thank you Maxxis Tires, FOX Suspension and Jenson USA for making The Inside Line possible.

Vital first rode a prototype PUSH Nine.One inverted mountain bike fork a year ago in February of 2023. The same day, we recorded an interview with PUSH owner, Darren Murphy, getting all the details about the fork before its release. At the time, the scheduled release for the Nine.One was only a couple months away and PUSH eventually showed the fork at the Sea Otter Classic. A couple months turned into 4, then 7 then 8. Fast-forward 12 months later, and the fork is now available to the public.

Discussion Topics

• 0:00 - Intro (2024)
• 1:00 - (Feb 2023 Start) Why Make a Fork at All?
• 4:23 - Why Make an Inverted Fork?
• 8:43 - PUSH Nine.One Fork Specs & Features
• 10:21 - The "Grab the Bars Torsional Stiffness Twist Test" is Dumb
• 15:54 - Modular, Updatable Axle Lugs for Wheel Size, Offset and Brake Mounts, Travel Adjust
• 20:23 - Simple Fork Servicing Through Bleed Ports, Long-term Product Use
• 25:47 - Why is it a $2,600 Mountain Bike Fork? Weight, Fabrication Details
• 31:44 - Comparing Other Inverted Fork Designs, Why Not Carbon?
• 34:22 - Spring, Damper and Internals
• 38:20 - The Parking Lot Test
• 41:45 - Jason's Ride Experience on the PUSH Fork
• 44:57 - Purposefully Not as Torsionally Stiff as a Regular Fork
• 47:14 - Availability
• 48:47 - What About Stanchion Scratches / Guards?
• 51:47 - WHY DID IT TAKE SO LONG? (2024)
• 1:00:44 - Did Anything About the Fork Change During the Year?
• 1:02:30 - Fork Specs (Again : )
• 1:05:14 - Four Years in the Making
• 1:06:58 - FIXED BUSHINGS and Why
• 1:09:51 - Would Darren Do It All Over Again?
• 1:11:53 - The Twist Test is Still Pointless
• 1:16:00 - What MTB Standard Would Darren Change?

At $2,600 USD, the coil-sprung Nine.One is made in the USA at the PUSH factory in Colorado. It features 140-170mm of user-adjustable travel in 10mm increments and uses modular axle lugs that can run 27.5 or 29-inch wheels with built-in brake mounts for 180mm or 200mm rotors. The damping technology is that of the PUSH Elevensix shock and oil can be changed and serviced through bleed ports at the top of the fork.

While most riders can't comprehend spending that much money on a fork, Darren and PUSH set out to make a highly refined piece of suspension that can last and be updated for years to come. We dive into why PUSH would make a fork, their philosophy on what makes good suspension, misconceptions of upside-down fork design, what took so long to finish production, and why someone may want such an expensive MTB fork.

Thank you Maxxis Tires, FOX Suspension and Jenson USA for making The Inside Line possible.

Watch this interview on YouTube

Joe Bowman of The Union and Steel City Media gets on the mic to discuss sponsor and rider changes for the team in 2024. 2023 was an extremely successful year for the not-for-profit program with Chris Hauser grabbing a Junior World Cup DH win and team riders graduating to bigger factory teams. As a development team, The Union's goal is to help young and up-and-coming riders get experience at the World Cup level with hopes of building their future in the sport.

Follow @join.the.union on Instagram

The #frecklegate conspiracy comes to fruition as Dakotah Norton officially joins the newly formed Mondraker Factory Racing Team. After two years of upward trajectory under Intense Factory Racing, Dak hopes to continue edging closer to that elusive first World Cup win while helping develop Mondraker's new DH bike alongside Ryan Pinkerton and Ronan Dunne.

Dak is a staple of our B Practice Podcast, so we had to hop on last week to discuss how the switch to Mondraker came about, what he was looking for in a new team, and how he feels heading into the season. Enjoy!

These awesome brands make The B Practice Podcast possible!
Maxxis | Burgtec | Industry Nine

Interview Contents

0:00 - Intro, Crew Catch Up
6:29 - Norton Compound Update
10:48 - Dak Joins Mondraker Factory Racing!
11:30 - Why He Left Intense Factory Racing
14:53 - How Riding For Mondraker Came Together 
16:49 - What Was Dak Looking For in a New Team
18:43 - Getting Paid Fairly
23:48 - Difficulty Finding a Ride as a Top 10 Racer
31:28 - Aaron Gwin's Impact on Dak's Program 
36:33 - Things Learned from DH Racing
39:39 - The Draw of Riding for Mondraker 
42:45 - New Team, New Bike to Develop 
45:17 - Intense M1 vs. Prototype Mondraker 
49:46 - Offseason Plans to Prep for WC #1
53:02 - Having Ryan Pinkerton and Ronan Dunne as Teammates   
57:46 - Thoughts on Frame Stiffness vs. Compliance 
59:55 - How Much Stack We Rockin' on the Mondy?!
1:04:42 - Team Sponsors
1:08:25 - New Mechanic
1:14:20 - Would Dak Wear A Onesie?
1:16:08 - Will Dak Race in Shorts Next Year?
1:20:27 - Team Rumors Talk
1:25:42 - Dak Doing Hardline??