The Ride Companion

Mathew Pritchard is best known as one of the stars of MTV's Dirty Sanchez but, this chat goes far beyond the stories everyone has already heard... In this episode, Mathew joins Davi and Olly to talk about who he was before the fame, how skateboarding shaped his life, how Pritchard vs Dainton became Dirty Sanchez, what MTV saw in the group and what life was really like when the show exploded around the world. Mathew opens up about the difference between 'Mathew' and 'Pritchard', the pressure to perform in public, the money, the partying, the loss of routine and what happened when the fame slowly dwindled away. He also speaks honestly about addiction, anxiety, going cold turkey on 6 October 2022, the support system that helped him through and why routine, training, food and purpose are now central to his life. The conversation also covers The Road of Excess, Mathew's new documentary about rowing across the Atlantic, fame, excess, addiction, mental health and life after Dirty Sanchez. Plus veganism, Dirty Vegan, Dirty Health, Ironman Wales, Everest plans, why mountain bikers are 'nuts' and whether a Dirty Sanchez reunion could ever happen. Go see The Road Of Excess: https://mbentertainment.co.uk/the-road-of-excess/

Don't forget to book your ticket to TRC Live on 31st of July, details here: https://www.haslemerehall.co.uk/sales/genres/events/the-ride-companion---bike-nigh Get early access & ad-free episodes → https://www.patreon.com/theridecompanion Episode Sponsors:- - RX Sport: RX Sport are your one stop eyewear shop. From prescription sunglasses, to riding glasses and everything in-between. Use code TRC at https://rxsport.avln.me/c/kdvMdXvBBUjH for a deal on Pit Viper products! - invisiFrame: 15% off with code REFRESHANDRIDE at https://www.invisiframe.co.uk

You can also support our long term partners: Marin Bikes → marinbikes.com/gb Focus Bikes → focus-bikes.com SRAM: sram.com/en/sram adidas FiveTen: adidas.co.uk/five_ten invisiFrame: 15% off with code REFRESHANDRIDE at invisiframe.co.uk Manta Sleep → 10% off with code theridecompanion tinyurl.com/theridecompanion HUEL → 15% off with code RIDE: huel.com/ Mudhugger → Get 10% off with code ridecompanion10 at themudhugger.co.uk Compex → 20% off with code THERIDECOMPANION: compex.com/uk/ Igloo → igloocoolers.com/ Kecks → https://kecks.co.uk use code THERIDECOMPANION for 10% off Feedback Sports: feedbacksports.com WORX → 15% off with code THERIDECOMPANION at https://uk.worx.com/aff/theridecompanion/ HKT Products → 10% off with code PODCAST at hktproducts.co.uk Follow The Ride Companion Instagram @theridecompanion YouTube @TheRideCompanion Olly Wilkins Instagram @odub_23 YouTube @owilkins23 YouTube clips and BTS channel @moreridecompanion Get official Ride Companion merch, find old episodes and more theridecompanion.co.uk 📝 Contact Us & Business: https://theridecompanion.co.uk/pages/contact Edited By: Doug Tucker, onlyflightdispatch.com & TRC Media House

YOU'RE INVITED! Book your ticket to TRC Live on 31st of July, details here: https://www.haslemerehall.co.uk/sales/genres/events/the-ride-companion---bike-nigh See you there?

Alan Milway joins Davi and Olly for an inside look at the Norco x adidas Race Division and the realities of coaching riders at the sharp end of the UCI Downhill World Cup. Alan explains why what feels fast on a downhill bike isn't always fast, how he uses split-screen analysis and trackside timing to improve line choice, and why some elite riders need to slow down to actually go faster. There's also discussion around the tiny margins deciding World Cup qualification, the psychology of missing finals and why more practice could potentially make downhill racing more dangerous. This episode also covers athlete and product development with adidas, F1 inspired technology, changing race lines, mental fatigue, caffeine, junior women being prevented from hitting features, protected riders, privateers and whether World Cup downhill is doing enough to create genuine sporting heroes. Alan also shares the full story of suffering a perforated bowel, undergoing emergency surgery and experiencing some terrifying hallucinations during his recovery. We hope you enjoy this episode!

- Don't forget to book your ticket to TRC Live on 31st of July, details here: https://www.haslemerehall.co.uk/sales/genres/events/the-ride-companion---bike-nigh - Get early access & ad-free episodes → https://www.patreon.com/theridecompanion Episode Sponsors:- - LAKA Insurance: Don't risk it, head to https://laka.co/trc to learn more and get 30 days FREE cover on us! - WORX → 15% off with code THERIDECOMPANION at https://uk.worx.com/aff/theridecompanion/ - Feedback Sports: https://feedbacksports.com

You can also support our long term partners: Marin Bikes → marinbikes.com/gb Focus Bikes → focus-bikes.com SRAM: sram.com/en/sram adidas FiveTen: adidas.co.uk/five_ten invisiFrame: 15% off with code REFRESHANDRIDE at invisiframe.co.uk Troy Lee Designs → 10% off with code theridecompanion at saddleback.avln.me/c/OzduCWvjtcOr Manta Sleep → 10% off with code theridecompanion tinyurl.com/theridecompanion HUEL → 15% off with code RIDE: huel.com/ Mudhugger → Get 10% off with code ridecompanion10 at themudhugger.co.uk Compex → 20% off with code THERIDECOMPANION: compex.com/uk/ Igloo → igloocoolers.com/ Kecks → https://kecks.co.uk use code THERIDECOMPANION for 10% off Feedback Sports: feedbacksports.com WORX → 15% off with code THERIDECOMPANION at https://uk.worx.com/aff/theridecompanion/ HKT Products → 10% off with code PODCAST at hktproducts.co.uk Follow The Ride Companion Instagram @theridecompanion YouTube @TheRideCompanion Olly Wilkins Instagram @odub_23 YouTube @owilkins23 YouTube clips and BTS channel @moreridecompanion Get official Ride Companion merch, find old episodes and more theridecompanion.co.uk 📝 Contact Us & Business: https://theridecompanion.co.uk/pages/contact Edited By: Doug Tucker, onlyflightdispatch.com & TRC Media House

Join us live for Rob Warner's Race Companion, a downhill watch-along party for the La Thuile World Cup. Rob Warner joins The Ride Companion for a live watch-along party, expect reactions, stories, predictions, chat interaction, giveaways and probably a fair bit of chaos while the racing unfolds. To watch the actual race footage: open the official UCI Mountain Bike World Series broadcast on TNT Sports / HBO Max in the UK & Ireland, or your local official broadcaster wherever you are. Find where to watch in your territory here: https://www.ucimtbworldseries.com/where-to-watch This is a watch-along/commentary show. We won't be showing official race footage.

Outdoorsy: Looking to book an RV or a camp site for an EPIC adventure? Check out our new friends at https://www.outdoorsy.com and enter code RIDE at checkout to remove all service fees! Listen to Rob Warner's Just Ride podcast here: https://open.spotify.com/show/03zN67ToY8kd5Rq1zGsQln?si=715bd93e0dcc4f54 Watch the full stream here https://youtube.com/live/6eAYF3mf3Qs

Follow The Ride Companion Instagram @theridecompanion YouTube @TheRideCompanion Olly Wilkins Instagram @odub_23 YouTube @owilkins23 YouTube clips and BTS channel @moreridecompanion Get official Ride Companion merch, find old episodes and more theridecompanion.co.uk 📝 Contact Us & Business: https://theridecompanion.co.uk/pages/contact Edited By: Doug Tucker, onlyflightdispatch.com & TRC Media House

This week on The Ride Companion, Davi and Olly dive into a listener questions special… which very quickly turns into rants about stag do refunds, billionaires, ghosts, Morzine, beer vs lager, belt drive bikes, Strava shortcuts, trail etiquette, Angel Delight and whether Race Companion live commentary will return.

The lads also talk about the response to the first Race Companion watch-along with Rob Warner, future Patreon rides, the greatest ice cream flavour of all time, Davi's paranormal family stories, and why racing a rectangle in your pocket might be ruining your local trails.

- Don't forget to book your ticket to TRC Live on 31st of July, details here: https://www.haslemerehall.co.uk/sales/genres/events/the-ride-companion---bike-nigh - Get early access & ad-free episodes → https://www.patreon.com/theridecompanion Episode Sponsors:- - RX Sport: RX Sport are your one stop eyewear shop. From prescription sunglasses, to riding glasses and everything in-between. Use code TRC at https://www.rxsport.co.uk for FREE next day shipping! - invisiFrame: 15% off with code REFRESHANDRIDE at https://www.invisiframe.co.uk

You can also support our long term partners: Marin Bikes → marinbikes.com/gb Focus Bikes → focus-bikes.com SRAM: sram.com/en/sram adidas FiveTen: adidas.co.uk/five_ten invisiFrame: 15% off with code REFRESHANDRIDE at invisiframe.co.uk Troy Lee Designs → 10% off with code theridecompanion at saddleback.avln.me/c/OzduCWvjtcOr Manta Sleep → 10% off with code theridecompanion tinyurl.com/theridecompanion HUEL → 15% off with code RIDE: huel.com/ Mudhugger → Get 10% off with code ridecompanion10 at themudhugger.co.uk Compex → 20% off with code THERIDECOMPANION: compex.com/uk/ Igloo → igloocoolers.com/ Kecks → https://kecks.co.uk use code THERIDECOMPANION for 10% off Feedback Sports: feedbacksports.com WORX → 15% off with code THERIDECOMPANION at uk.worx.com HKT Products → 10% off with code PODCAST at hktproducts.co.uk Follow The Ride Companion Instagram @theridecompanion YouTube @TheRideCompanion Olly Wilkins Instagram @odub_23 YouTube @owilkins23 YouTube clips and BTS channel @moreridecompanion Get official Ride Companion merch, find old episodes and more theridecompanion.co.uk 📝 Contact Us & Business: https://theridecompanion.co.uk/pages/contact Edited By: Doug Tucker, onlyflightdispatch.com & TRC Media House

Andrew 'Needles' Neethling joins The Ride Companion for a full race-chat episode covering the current state of World Cup downhill, the brutal new qualifying format, Luca Shaw missing finals after winning a World Cup, Finn Iles' incredible back to back wins, Anna Newkirk's breakout victory, team pressure, privateers, broadcast storylines and what downhill needs to do to grow. We also get into Andrew's wild Mountain of Hell experience, his unofficial top-10 before a controversial DQ, arm pump, bike setup for mass-start racing, World Cup salaries, team dynamics, Warner's Race Companion and why downhill racers are basically modern-day gladiators. - Don't forget to book your ticket to TRC Live on 31st of July, details here: https://www.haslemerehall.co.uk/sales/genres/events/the-ride-companion---bike-nigh - Get early access & ad-free episodes → https://www.patreon.com/theridecompanion Episode Sponsors:- - Looking to book an RV or a camp site for an EPIC adventure? Check out our new friends at https://www.outdoorsy.com and enter code RIDE at checkout to remove all service fees! - Mudhugger → Get 10% off with code ridecompanion10 at https://www.themudhugger.co.uk - invisiFrame: 15% off with code REFRESHANDRIDE at https://www.invisiframe.co.uk

You can also support our long term partners: Marin Bikes → marinbikes.com/gb Focus Bikes → focus-bikes.com SRAM: sram.com/en/sram adidas FiveTen: adidas.co.uk/five_ten invisiFrame: 15% off with code REFRESHANDRIDE at invisiframe.co.uk Troy Lee Designs → 10% off with code theridecompanion at saddleback.avln.me/c/OzduCWvjtcOr Manta Sleep → 10% off with code theridecompanion tinyurl.com/theridecompanion HUEL → 15% off with code RIDE: huel.com/ Mudhugger → Get 10% off with code ridecompanion10 at themudhugger.co.uk Compex → 20% off with code THERIDECOMPANION: compex.com/uk/ Igloo → igloocoolers.com/ Kecks → https://kecks.co.uk use code THERIDECOMPANION for 10% off Feedback Sports: feedbacksports.com WORX → 15% off with code THERIDECOMPANION at uk.worx.com HKT Products → 10% off with code PODCAST at hktproducts.co.uk Follow The Ride Companion Instagram @theridecompanion YouTube @TheRideCompanion Olly Wilkins Instagram @odub_23 YouTube @owilkins23 YouTube clips and BTS channel @moreridecompanion Get official Ride Companion merch, find old episodes and more theridecompanion.co.uk 📝 Contact Us & Business: https://theridecompanion.co.uk/pages/contact Edited By: Doug Tucker, onlyflightdispatch.com & TRC Media House

This is a free teaser from Loam & Away, our Patreon exclusive show for The Ride Companion supporters.

In this one, Davi, Olly and producer Doug spiral into the tiny everyday things that make them feel like complete aliens. People standing up on planes, champagne, Guinness, expensive watches, sleep trackers and social media turning real places into photo queues.

Watch/listen to the full episode and support TRC on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/theridecompanion

The main show stays free. Patreon helps us keep building more TRC.

Crashing is part of mountain biking but, how much do we really understand about what happens to the brain when we hit our head? On this episode of The Ride Companion, Davi and Olly are joined by HIT Recognition founder Euan Bowen and Sam Reynolds for an eye opening conversation about concussions, head impacts, brain health and the future of safety in MTB. Euan explains how HIT Recognition started as a university project inspired by concussion in rugby, before developing into a head impact monitoring platform now being used across mountain biking, rugby, motocross, ice hockey and more. Sam Reynolds also shares his personal experience with serious concussion, including the crash that left him unable to finish sentences, struggling with noise, forgetting words and wondering whether he would fully recover. He explains why having real data could have helped him make better decisions around competing and recovery. This conversation covers everything from MTB crash culture, to World Cup downhill practice loads, kids in bike parks, helmets, rotational forces, CTE, concussion symptoms, recovery, and why brain health might become as important as training load in action sports. HIT Recognition has offered the TRC family a discount should you wish to get yourself a HIT device. Simply use THERIDECOMPANION discount code online at https://hitrecognition.com Episode Sponsors:- - RX Sport: RX Sport are your one stop eyewear shop. From prescription sunglasses, to riding glasses and everything in-between. Use code TRC at https://rxsport.avln.me/c/kdvMdXvBBUjH for a deal on Evil Eye products! - LAKA Insurance: Don't risk it, head to https://laka.co/trc to learn more and get 30 days FREE cover on us!

Get early access & ad-free episodes → https://www.patreon.com/theridecompanion

You can also support our long term partners: Marin Bikes → marinbikes.com/gb Focus Bikes → focus-bikes.com SRAM: sram.com/en/sram adidas FiveTen: adidas.co.uk/five_ten invisiFrame: 15% off with code REFRESHANDRIDE at invisiframe.co.uk Troy Lee Designs → 10% off with code theridecompanion at saddleback.avln.me/c/OzduCWvjtcOr Manta Sleep → 10% off with code theridecompanion tinyurl.com/theridecompanion HUEL → 15% off with code RIDE: huel.com/ Mudhugger → Get 10% off with code ridecompanion10 at themudhugger.co.uk Compex → 20% off with code THERIDECOMPANION: compex.com/uk/ Igloo → igloocoolers.com/ Kecks → https://kecks.co.uk use code THERIDECOMPANION for 10% off Feedback Sports: feedbacksports.com WORX → 15% off with code THERIDECOMPANION at uk.worx.com HKT Products → 10% off with code PODCAST at hktproducts.co.uk Follow The Ride Companion Instagram @theridecompanion YouTube @TheRideCompanion Olly Wilkins Instagram @odub_23 YouTube @owilkins23 YouTube clips and BTS channel @moreridecompanion Get official Ride Companion merch, find old episodes and more theridecompanion.co.uk 📝 Contact Us & Business: https://theridecompanion.co.uk/pages/contact Edited By: Doug Tucker, onlyflightdispatch.com & TRC Media House

This is a preview of Loam & Away, our Patreon exclusive show for The Ride Companion supporters. In this clip, Davi and Olly discuss weird personal habits, social awkwardness, panic buying expensive wine and why normal life sometimes makes you feel like a complete alien. Watch/listen to the full episode, get early access and exclusive offers at: https://www.patreon.com/theridecompanion The main show will always stay free. Patreon just helps us keep building TRC and to keep the lights on in the studio.

Join us live for Rob Warner's Race Companion, a downhill watch-along party for the Leogang World Cup. Rob Warner joins The Ride Companion for a live watch-along party, expect reactions, stories, predictions, chat interaction, giveaways and probably a fair bit of chaos while the racing unfolds. To watch the actual race footage: open the official UCI Mountain Bike World Series broadcast on TNT Sports / HBO Max in the UK & Ireland, or your local official broadcaster wherever you are. Find where to watch in your territory here: https://www.ucimtbworldseries.com/where-to-watch This is a watch-along/commentary show. We won't be showing official race footage. Listen to Rob Warner's Just Ride podcast here: https://open.spotify.com/show/03zN67ToY8kd5Rq1zGsQln?si=715bd93e0dcc4f54

Follow The Ride Companion Instagram @theridecompanion YouTube @TheRideCompanion Olly Wilkins Instagram @odub_23 YouTube @owilkins23 YouTube clips and BTS channel @moreridecompanion Get official Ride Companion merch, find old episodes and more theridecompanion.co.uk 📝 Contact Us & Business: https://theridecompanion.co.uk/pages/contact Edited By: Doug Tucker, onlyflightdispatch.com & TRC Media House