Vorsprung Suspension — Steve Mathews (Ep.60)
We talk to Vorsprung Suspension founder Steve Mathews about the past, present, and future of mountain bike suspension, and a whole lot more.
Bikes & Big Ideas
Reviewer Reports: Longer-Travel Enduro Bikes (Ep.59)
We talk to Blister bike editor, David Golay, about 4 longer-travel enduro bikes from Privateer, Santa Cruz, Rocky Mountain, & Marin that he’s been spending time on in the PNW.
Kera Linn is Coming Up Fast (Ep.58)
We talk to Kera Linn about her rather meteoric rise in the mountain biking world — from her first time on a mountain bike, to her recent signing with Cannondale. We also talk about her equally interesting backstory (which includes playing all of the sports and going to all of the colleges) in this really fun conversation.
Cassie Abel on Wild Rye, Women-Led Wednesday (Ep.57)
Cassie Abel is the co-founder and CEO of Wild Rye, which is a company that creates apparel for women-identifying outdoor-lovers, regardless of age, background, size, or skill level. But Cassie is not only running a women’s apparel company, she is working to change the entire business landscape for women.
Rémy Métailler on Doing Stupid Stuff, Responsibly (Ep.56)
Rémy Métailler has described himself as someone who is “just trying to be as responsible as he can while doing stupid stuff.” So we spoke with him about his approach to riding super steep, gnarly lines, as well as his background, filming, Rampage, mullet bikes, and a whole lot more.
Endura’s Brand Director, Pam Barclay, on Going Carbon Negative (not Neutral) (Ep.55)
We spoke with Pam Barclay about Endura’s pledge to plant one million trees every year for the next 10 years to cancel out all of the emissions produced over the entire history of the company; how Endura is working to offset their transportation and shipping emissions; what we all can do to mitigate the carbon footprint of the apparel we use, and much more.
The New Race Landscape (Ep.54)
We’re discussing the major rider and team moves in the world of men’s DH and women’s DH; we place our $1000 predictions on the upcoming season; and we discuss some of the news and moves in the freeride and enduro scene, too.
Reviewer Reports: Privateer 161; Suspension Roundup; Aggressive Hardtails; & Wheel Size (Ep.53)
We’re discussing the Privateer 161; offering more fork and shock comparisons; wrapping our heads around Marin’s aggressive hardtail; and our bike editor makes the case for why you might want to reconsider swearing allegiance to one particular wheel size.
Brooklyn Bell on Biking, Art, Skiing, & More (Ep.52)
Brooklyn Bell is a mountain biker and a skier and an artist and a former figure skater and a future frog scientist (maybe). So we talk about all of that and a whole lot more, including Brooklyn’s current big idea.
Privateer Bikes: Origins, Philosophy, & Trajectory (Ep.51)
We talk to Sam Meegan of Privateer Bikes, which is a company that has been pushing forward certain aspects of bike design that have been gaining broader acceptance in the bike industry. So come to learn more about Privateer, but stick around to hear Sam’s big idea about how to revolutionize a whole other product category.
PeopleForBikes President & CEO, Jenn Dice (Ep.50)
PeopleForBikes is one of the most important organizations in the bike world that you might not be too familiar with. So we caught up with Jenn Dice to talk about what the organization is up to; working with a new administration; and what each of us can do to get involved.
Yoann Barelli on his move to Guerrilla Gravity; Coaching; Comfort Zones; & More (Ep.49)
We talk with Yoann Barelli about his new partnership with Guerrilla Gravity; the coaching he’s now doing at Barelli Concepts; his background; comfort zones; and a whole lot more.
2020: Gear in Review (Ep.48)
Blister’s bike editor, David Golay, talks about some of the gear he’s recently been testing; some of the most surprising products of the past year; some of the standout products of 2020; and a few predictions for 2021.
Sage Cattabriga-Alosa on Biking, Skiing, Similarities, & Transitions (Ep.47)
Sage Cattabriga-Alosa is one of the best big line skiers of all time, and he’s an extremely good — and extremely passionate — mountain biker, too. So we talked with Sage about how he thinks about the similarities of skiing & mountain biking; riding lines in Virgin, Utah back in 2004; riding with Cam McCaul; what aspect of mountain biking he is most focused on improving; and his film, Balance.
Reviewer Reports: Parenthood, Carbon Wheels, Convertible Helmets, & Forks (Ep.46)
Noah Bodman offers his review of parenthood (he’s a new dad); then we discuss carbon wheels; Sweet Protection’s convertible full-face helmet; and a number of forks that Noah has been spending time on.
Canfield Bikes’ Lance Canfield (Ep.45)
We talk to Lance Canfield about Canfield’s new Tilt and Lithium bikes and the rest of their 20/21 lineup; the origins story of Canfield; the evolution of Rampage and competing in the first Rampage comps; the mountain bike industry today; and more.
Anneke Beerten on Her Accident; Recovery; Pastranaland, & More (Ep.44)
Anneke Beerten (the 2 x world champion BMX rider, 3-time Four Cross world champion, and Queen of Crankworx) was in an accident and suffered a serious concussion, so we check in with her to hear more about what happened; get a firsthand report of her recovery; and present a public service announcement that we all need to hear. Then we shift gears to talk about participating in the amazing Pastranaland Pit Bike Championships, so this is both a serious and super fun conversation.
Reviewer Reports: Shoulder Season MTB Gear + Forks Roundup (Ep.43)
For many of us, it’s shoulder season, where the riding conditions are wet, muddy, and / or cold. And some of us live in places where we regularly encounter those conditions. So on our latest Bikes & Big Ideas podcast, we discuss why some of the apparel that’s intended for wet/muddy riding sucks; which products have worked the best for us; and then we shift to a conversation about forks from Fox, RockShox, and Manitou.
In Defense of Indoor Trainers (Ep.42)
Trainers? Trainers?? Roadies have been using them forever, but many mountain bikers dismiss them (like we did). But Simon Stewart (aka, Mr. Tank Driver / co-owner of BV Bike Company) lays out a compelling case for why all cyclists — including mountain bikers — should reconsider their stance on the modern, indoor trainer.
Surfing Trails on a Bike without Pedals (Ep.41)
A bike without pedals? Dog mushing? Surfing mountains? We talk to Gravity Scooters about how the idea of a DH scooter came to be; the advantages of ditching your pedals — and seat posts; designing a DH scooter; dog mushing; and more.