The Mountain Flyer Podcast

Cycling, in all its forms, has a way of transcending geography and culture. Prime Ability, a bike-based nonprofit in Washington, D.C., is dedicated to empowering BIPOC youth through the transformative power of cycling.

Prime Ability Founder Alex Clark is a passionate cyclist and a health and physical education teacher at Dunbar high school, in Washington, DC. Through Prime Ability, Clark established DC's pioneering youth cycling team of color.  

He sees cycling as a vehicle for education and exploration; a chance to learn about the city’s history and see it in a different light; and an opportunity to cultivate a passion for cycling among the BIPOC community.

In this episode, Clark shares what inspired him to start Prime Ability, and how cycling has impacted his teaching—and his life. He speaks to the importance of getting more students of color and students from underserved communities into mountain biking, road racing or any facet of cycling. 

Learn more about Prime Ability

This episode was made possible by YETI CYCLES.

Presented by Mountain Flyer Magazine

As the executive director of Vermont’s Kingdom Trail Association, Abby Long carries on a legacy that began 30 years ago. The Kingdom Trails encompass more than 100 miles of trails and pump tracks in Vermont’s Northeast Kingdom. The region is known for its remote location, rural character and mountainous landscape that lends itself to skiing and mountain biking alike. 

In this episode, Long reflects on the unique nature of the public-private partnerships that make the Kingdom Trails viable. Whereas in the Western United States there are vast amounts of public land, the opposite is true in Vermont. The Kingdom Trails traverse the land of more than 100 private landowners.

Long also speaks to the positive economic impact the trail network has on the region. Riders travel from Canada and throughout the U.S. to experience what the Kingdom Trails have to offer. In thinking about the future, Long says sustainability and community are paramount in maintaining—and expanding— the Kingdom Trails network.

This episode was made possible by ABUS

Presented by Mountain Flyer Magazine

During the early aughts of mountain biking, men dominated the scene and took most of the credit for the birth and progression of the sport. It’s a fact that early rider and photographer Wende Cragg reflects on with a good-natured laugh, before shrugging off the egos that like to take credit for what has become a global phenomenon.

Cragg played a pivotal role as one of the first female mountain bikers. She always carried a camera on her adventures, mainly to capture images of wildflowers and the idyllic California landscape. Along the way she happened to document the birth of mountain biking in and around Fairfax, California, and Crested Butte, Colorado. Cragg’s collection of photography can be viewed at the Marin Museum of Bicycling, on The Radavist and through her frequent posts on social media. 

In this episode, she recalls her early rides on a 50-plus pound bike and the characters she shared the trail with. She reflects on what it was like to be part of the birth of a sport, and the importance of curating and preserving its history 50 years later.

This episode is made possible by Big Agnes

Presented by Mountain Flyer Magazine

Silverton is a remote outpost in Colorado’s San Juan Mountains. The former mining town is known for the steep skiing at Silverton Mountain, and the narrow gauge railroad train that brings throngs of tourists from Durango. Most of the area’s established trails ascend steep, rugged terrain that’s best suited for expert mountain bikers, if they are rideable at all. 

More recently, the Silverton Singletrack Society has embarked on a mission to add more purpose-built mountain biking trails to the area. Silverton local Klem Branner is president of the Silverton Singletrack Society. Branner, who also owns and operates Venture Snowboards out of Silverton, is a passionate mountain biker who is working to build more accessible trails in his backyard. Thirty miles of trail, to be exact.

In this episode, Branner speaks to the partnerships that are making that dream a reality. And he explains why the non-profit decided to work with the local land managers right out of the gate, instead of building pirate trails and asking for forgiveness down the line.   

This episode is made possible by Big Agnes.

Presented by Mountain Flyer Magazine

Filmmaker T.C. Johnstone has been making documentaries for more than 25 years. So far his career in film has taken him to over  60 countries, including a trip to Rwanda with cycling legend Tom Ritchey. Most recently, he filmed In The Dirt, a moving documentary about the Native American cyclists who are growing the sport of mountain biking on the Navajo Nation, where no bike shops exist. It’s a moving film that shows how the bicycle can heal and bring together a community, whether through trail building, racing or giving castaway bikes new life.

In this episode, Johnstone explains why you don’t show up at a Navajo residence unannounced, describes the beauty of the Navajo Nation, and emphasizes the energy and passion Navajo riders exude while on their bikes.

This episode is made possible by Big Agnes.

For this special edition of the Mountain Flyer podcast, host Trina Ortega welcomes Seattle-area broadcast journalist Paul Andrews in co-hosting a panel discussion about e-MTBs and their place in today’s mountain bike landscape. Industry leaders Ace Bollinger, Leslie Kehmeier, Nat Ross and Yvonne Kraus dive deeper into the impacts e-mountain bikes are having on trail development and access, land management decisions, and advocacy efforts.

This episode is possible thanks to the support of Shimano.

Richmond Cycling Corps uses cycling to create positive change in the lives of youth who live in Richmond, Virginia’s public housing projects. It is not like a typical after-school or drop-in program, where kids might attend once and never return. Services include casual and long-distance cycling outings; mountain bike racing in middle school and high school; a bike rental service completely run by the youth; case management that includes tutoring, help with medical needs and other day-to-day life challenges; and a small school, the Legacy Academy, for students who don’t thrive in a typical classroom.

In this episode, Richmond Cycling Corps Director Matt Kuhn talks about how the program uses bikes as a way to connect and build relationships with kids and teens.

This episode is possible thanks to the support of Shimano.

[Photo] Courtesy of Richmond Cycling Corps

Bikepacking Roots is the only nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting and advancing bikepacking, growing a diverse bikepacking community, advocating for the conservation of the landscapes and public lands through which we ride and creating professional routes. At the heart of the organization are professional endurance mountain bikers, land stewards and cofounders Kait Boyle and Kurt Refsnider. In this episode, Kait and Kurt talk about the need for their nonprofit, the joys and challenges of creating epic routes, paying homage to both the land and the people who came before, how bikes have changed their lives and their new Backcountry Bike Challenge. 

This episode is possible thanks to the support of Shimano.

[Photos] Cort Muller

From pump tracks to career inroads, Grow Cycling Foundation aims to build pathways into cycling for marginalized demographics. At the heart of this new nonprofit is former World Cup downhill racer Eliot Jackson, who admits he’s always had a “bias for action.” A longtime motocross racer who grew up in Oklahoma and California, Jackson first got into racing mountain bikes at age 18 and immediately set his sights on racing World Cup downhill, which he ended up competing in for 10 years. Today, he is a presenter for Red Bull TV and continues to race the Crankworx series. 

In this interview, which was recorded in mid-January, Jackson talks about his life growing up with two entrepreneurial parents; how he got into mountain biking, his experience as a Black athlete, Grow Cycling’s aspirations—including the construction of a $1.2 million pump track in Los Angeles—and the best way one person can make a difference.

This episode is possible thanks to the support of 10 Barrel Brewing.

[Photo] Jeff Clark

Given that Hannah Finchamp has been competing in triathlons since she was 9, she already has amassed a lifetime of racing experience at age 26. The two-time overall amateur Xterra world champion and five-time collegiate cycling national champion now rides for the Orange Seal Off Road Team and has made the 2020 Olympic Long Team, vying for a spot to compete in the Tokyo Games. Among the topics covered in this episode, Finchamp—who is also a USA Cycling certified coach and board certified athletic trainer—talks about how she got into mountain biking, what to look for in a coach, her bout with Covid-19 (which occurred during the European World Cup races of 2020), and her positive outlook that keeps pushing her to excel.

This episode is possible thanks to the support of 10 Barrel Brewing.

[Photo] J Vargus