Singletrack Magazine MTB Podcast: Recent Episodes
Singletrack Magazine
Weekly chat, news and interviews from the people who brought you Singletrack Magazine and the massively popular website singletrackworld.com
Benji and Mark layout the Singletrack concerns around peak power for new eMTBs
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In this episode Benji talks to outgoing editor of 25 years, Chipps Chippendale to ask him what his highlights and lowlights of his tenure.
Issue 166 is out now - the final issue edited by Chipps. It's Benji all the way down from this point. But no need to worry - this will not be the last you hear from Chipps. Subscribe to Singletrack World Magazine today at https://singletrackworld.com/membership
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In this episode of the Singletrack Magazine MTB Podcast, Benji chats to Benedikt about the origins of Lauf and what makes them stand out amongst the relatively conservative cycling scene.
For this Podcast we’ve specifically tried to stay on the subject of mountain bikes and mountain biking. There are plenty of other Pods out there about Lauf’s gravel and fatbike stuff. In fact, the best place is on Lauf’s own website – check out the Our Story section.
Click on the play button below for 25 minutes of mountain bike nerdery. Principally about the Lauf Elja but also encompassing subjects like tyre volume, single pivots done differently and why fancypants high-modulus carbon fibre may not actually be the best thing to make a mountain bike out of…
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Hannah is leaving us soon, which is sad news for all of us. But heather is here to take on some of Hannah's many, many duties. Not all of them of course because Hannah is truly unique and irreplaceable. But we'll somehow work it all out. Anyway, this week we are joined by Singletrack staff alumni in the form of Andi Sykes, marketing manager at Hunt Wheels. They talk about what comes next for Hannah and go through some of her Singletrack highlights.
Andi gets a ton of guerrilla marketing mentions in for all his brands too. And no, Andi's marketing is not included in the no ads part of your subscription.
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Like Waldorf and Statler, Hannah and Benji are coming at your from above this week. Our office balcony is the location while the weather is still playing nice.
Hannah reckons real bodeos need to be represented better in cycling gear marketing as she embarks on a test of rding shorts that are good to pee in. Or out of.. Rather. Pee ing IN shorts is best left tp pro road racers who get caught short.
This week's podcast is sponsored by Join.cc - A personal trainer app you can keep in your pocket.
Get 30 days free by visiting join.cc/singletrack
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We took the Singletrack Outside Broadcast unit (SOB) to the local park to record this week's episode on the world's most uncomfortable park bench.
It's too sunny to be in the hot studio.
Benji and Hannah talk about the state of Enduro racing (It's in quite a state) and look at some new One Up pedals with pins for miles.
There's tiny dogs and other park inhabitants from time to time.
This week's episode is sponsorted by Join.cc the personal trainer that fits in your pocket.
It's an app and Singletrack listeners can try it for free for 30 days by visiting..
https://join.cc/singletrack
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Gosh it’s hard not to talk about the weather. But we won’t. Instead we’ll simply spray some product at your eyes. Fresh Goods y’all!
But yeah, how about this dry spell we’re having eh?
This week's episode is sponsorted by Join.cc the personal trainer that fits in your pocket.
It's an app and Singletrack listeners can try it for free for 30 days by visiting..
https://join.cc/singletrack
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This week German ebike trade companies have started to ask for legislation to limit the maximum power of ebikes. WHy are they dpoing this and what does it actually mean for us off road types? We get into the weeds of this story and explain some important differences between power ratings and what the law says you can and can't do with ae eBike motor.
Plus Benji explains why he hates drop bars and how gravel riding is really not for him.
Plus get 30 days free access to the Join.cc training app with our podcast sponsor Join.cc. Head to https://join.cc/singletrack
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Are you being lied to? Benji and Hannah discuss some of the big stories of the week.
Our sponsor this week is Join.cc - a training app like having a personal trainer in your pocket. Get 30 days free access at https://join.cc/singletrack
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This episode is psonsored by Join.cc - the training app for cyclists. Like a personal trainer in your pocket.
Hannah interviews the founder of a startup making a bike computer to track your air time and race telemetry. Benji and Mark answer your questions on the cycle to work scheme and whether expensive bikes give you more joy on the trails.
We have a special guuest in to talk about watching dots on a screen. No really! It's a thing!
Check out https;//join.cc/singletrack for a free 30 day trial.
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Was our April Fool story a little too believable?
Benji goes drops the new RockShox AXS dropper post - literally. See what we did there?
Just how do you demonstrate the functions of a wireless dropper post on the 'radio'?
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Everything from tyre pressure calculators to the details of the new SRAM groupset that still uses mechanical cables like it's still the noughties or something.
Hannah loves it and hates having to charge batteries for shifters and mechs. Benji loves it and reckons if you don't know how to charge stuff in 2025 then you are wrong.
What do you think?
As ever, all th edetails of the new stuff this week can be found here at https://singletrackworld.com/2025/03/fresh-goods-friday-750-the-testing-messing-edition/
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Benji and Hannah discuss bikes they would like to lick (?) and how the Marzzochi Bombers could save your life.
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Benji and Hannah talk dirty about British Cycling, i9 wheels and Hannah tells us the longest and possibly worst whale joke ever.
Are black spokes more fragile and do tan wall tyres result in more punctures? We answer your burning questions.
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Has Benji converted to the dark side? Come on! What do you think?
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Benji reveals the results of our eBike reliability survey. Hannah gives us her thought for the day to send you into the weekend.
Turns out that Benji's perfect riding jacket already exists and it's not at all spendy.
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Hannah was invited to discuss the price of watching bikes on the BBC 5 Live Wake Up To Money programme this week. Benji finds out why she was there. Plus, multi-tools and why you should sit down and play with yours.
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Andi Sykes works for Hunt Bikes these days but before that he was one of the Singletrack team. He's also managed his own DH race team so he's got a lot of insight and experience. Hannah talks to him about cheap(er) bikes and racing in 2025. Hannh calls Andi the cockapoo of the bike world, which came as a shock to Andi, but listen and find out why.
For more Fresh Goods Friday sillyness go and check out this week's FGF 741 here https://singletrackworld.com
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New pedals from OneUp plus we have riders team news, some of which is accurate.
Hannah grills Benji on his dog owning skills and why the new pedals from OneUp are very different to what they've offered in the past. Plus, team news from around the 'paddocks' and how not to look after a dog. Featuring silent contributions from Archie the office dog, Hannah Dobson, Managing Editor and Benji Haworth, Technical Editor.
Full Fresh Goods Friday news can be found here https://singletrackworld.com
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Benji and Hannah argue over ratings for reviews and offer up their predictions for the bike world in 2025.
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Adam has written a few articles for us over the years, in between his medical school training. His stories are always a great read, though I do wonder how he continues to convince his friends to ride with him. There always seems to be a lot of wading through bogs and mysteriously missing paths. Something that I find especially refreshing is the absence of fancy kit. Adam and friends appear to be largely riding in gear that might have been obtained at an Outward Bound bring and buy sale, on bikes that would make a mechanic wince. His - excellent - writing focuses instead on the experience of exploring with friends, and finding humour in the challenges along the way.
Chariots of Rust is an especially personal tale from Adam, as he covers a series of rides he did with friends around Scotland following his recovery from a nervous breakdown and diagnosis with bipolar type 2 disorder. It’s poetically written, with humour, friendship, honesty and insight. Congratulations to Adam for the award.
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In this episode George & Jack run a Mock Draft of how they see the teams lining up in 2025 & then they’re joined by the Fighting Irish; 2 of the fastest DH riders on planet earth, Oisin O Callaghan & Ronan Dunne…
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In this episode George, Jack & Emi chat MSA, 2025 & Team Rumours before they’re joined by the G.O.A.T., Norco Race Division’s Greg Minnaar to chat about his final season racing World Cups & to play retirement 20 questions!
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In this episode the 2024 Elite Women’s World Champion and World Cup Champion, the YT Mob’s Vali Höll, chats with George, Jack and Emi about equal pay, three-peats, and MTB Reform...
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George, Jack and Emi are joined by Intense Factory Racing’s Joe Breeden to discuss the racing that’s gone down since the mid-season break, the leaked Warner Brothers Discovery MTB Reform document, before closing out the show with some #teamrumours.
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All the chat from the Pits at Champery
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We’re over halfway through the 2024 World Cup season and in this episodeGeorge,Jack & Emilie round up the first half of the season and grade the teams on their performance so far...
The Making Up The Numbers podcast is sponsored by:HopeTechnology www.hopetech.com @hopetechJ-Tech Suspension www.jtechsuspension.co.uk@jtechsuspension
Revolution Bike Park www.revolutionbikepark.co.uk @revolutionbp
Ride Southern Spain www.ridesouthernspain.com @ridesouthernspain
Schwalbe www.schwalbe.com @schwalbetyresuk
Singletrack www.singletrackworld.com @singletrackmagazine
downhill #mtbpodcast #dhworldcup #downhillmtb #mtbracing #dh #mtb #enduro
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This week it's election time. We voted and we hope you did too. I this week's episode Mark reminisces about past Passporte du Soleil events and how one fellow journo didn't even make it to the start line. Benji gives us a load of new info on the 15th Specialized Stumpjumper that has just launched and Hannah has just come back from the Bespoked hand built bike show and was hugely impressed.
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Desert Island Disc Brakes is our interview format for the pro riders we keep bumping into. It is a 'tribute' to other similar formats you may have heard on the radio.
This week Hannah talks to pro rider Josh Bryceland about his life as a DH racing pro around the world discussing everything from his mythical house boat to comparisons of life with donuts and salad.
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WC DH Semi-Finals, Welsh Trail Access Nightmares, Goodbye Rob, How to amputate your finger at home
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Hannah chats to racers and their support crew at the British National Downhill Series, Round 2, at Fort William. Thanks to the Scottish Downhill Association for making it happen!
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George has been up to Fort William to chat to folks in the pits before the racing kicks off. He's also sent us a very interesting collection of photos. Enjoy, sports fans!
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In this episode George, Jack & Emilie are joined by the Privateer Project’s Wyn Masters to preview the 2024 World Cup Season…
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After a little break over winter, Making Up The Numbers is back! The 2024 race season is already underway and in this episode the gang chats about those races that have already taken place. Then, making her debut on the podcast, they’re joined by one of the new generation of female riders making waves in the Elite Women’s category, Cube Factory Racing’s Jess Blewitt.
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Mark introduces our first episode of the new year. We've had a bit of a break but we are back now.
In this episode we get to find out what's been happening at STHQ and what's coming this year. Then Benji and Hannah answer some questions from the forum starting off with a biggy from user Snotrag.
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It’s a bumper Christmas Special ‘double episode’ of the pod! We kick things off with Dean Lucas’ retirement 20 questions, then Loïc Bruni chats winning World Champs in 2022 and the World Cup overall in 2023, his relationship with Finn and Jordan, and the rider he’s “a little bit scared of”. Merry Christmas everyone, it’s a banger!
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It's another stonking podcast episode from Making Up The Numbers. From car mechanic to World Cup winner... In this episode our very special guest is Atherton Racing’s Andi Kolb. There’s also Jack Reading’s retirement 20 questions, and possibly the biggest #teamrumour of all time.
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In this episode George, Jack & Emilie discuss 2024; the World Cup calendar and some team rumours. Next up they’re joined by Mr 23 Degrees, Martin Whiteley who has exciting news about his 2024 plans and then it’s over to the 2023 DH World Champion, Charlie Hatton. It’s a huge one…
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With Charlie choosing to retire early we thought it would be the perfect time to get him in front of a mic and ask him about his riding life to date and where he plans to go next.
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The 2023 DH Season ended with a bang & in this episode George, Jack & Emilie chat with two of the young guns who brought the fire, Øisin Ø Callaghan & Harriet Harnden. Enjoy!
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Paul Bas talks through the bikes of his life, why he hates rocks, and recovery from his 2015 crash at Red Bull Rampage.
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It's Hannah leading with Mark and Benji in the chat room. This week they talk about Benji's recent enduro race experiences and what it's like to actually compete these days. Plus Hannah doles out some race rumours she's been hearing about.
There's a couple of swears in this week's episode so watch out if that's a problem for you.
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In this episode George, Jack and Emilie catch up on World Champs and three World Cups, including a special guest appearance from Camille Balanche. Then they’re joined bythe winner of the Les Gets World Cup, Benoit Coulanges before closing out the show with a few predictions for the final two World Cups of the season and some Team Rumours. Will there be more retirements? Where will riders go as teams close down? Which teams are closing? And where is Vali Höll off to?
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Check out Sam's Grounding film here https://singletrackworld.com/2023/06/grounding-with-samantha-soriano/
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George made the trip to Fort William between bouts of real life to catch the pros in practice. Hear from:
Part 1
Charlie Hatton
Dom Platt
Andreas Kolb
Emilie Siegenthaler
Nathan Carr
Jordan Williams
Matt Walker
Reece Wilson
Louise Ferguson & Ronan Dunne
Hattie Harden
Part 2
Jake Ireland & Eleonora Farina
Will Longden
Ian Jones
Joe Breeden
Grant Wildman
Monika Mixova
Wyn Masters
Ryan Pinkerton
Part 3
Camille Balanche
Phoebe Gale & Tahnee Seagrave
Gracey Hemstreet
Brook MacDonald
Laurie Greenland
Finn Iles
Simon Burney
Dislocated shoulder at Red Bull Hardline no less, although the story is not quite as impressive as you'd imagine
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Jake100 – or Jake O’Neill to give him his full name – is an urban riding star and YouTube creator. This year he’s helping run the London BikeStormz event, as well as working on his tricks and skills. We caught up with him for an episode of Desert Island Disc Brakes and chatted about what urban riding means to him, how his skills translate to the trails, and what he hopes to do with the opportunities his public profile now presents him.
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Hannah and Dan Stanton sit down to chat about the challenges in running a bike manufacturing business, how he found a way through Stanton Bikes going into Administration, and what you can expect next from the new company, Stanton Bicycles.
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The one where Chipps and Benji disagree over the ideal crank length
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The first round of the World Cup kicked off at the weekend in Switzerland and it was not without it's drama. How did the new hosts do? How was the new format? Does it bode well for the season ahead? Our panel discusses everything from the racing to the quality of the coverage.
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The DH World Cup season is just around the corner & in this episode George, Jack& Emi discuss the amendments to the rule changes for 2023. Then, they’re joined by Pivot Factory Racing’s Ed Masters for a chat about The Black Pearl, seeding second at Fort William & winning an EWS. Expect a lot of laughs..
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And where Amanda explains why racing with a tracking chip actually slows her down.
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Round 2 of the British Cycling National Downhill Series would be the only opportunity to race Fort William in 2023 before World Championships in August. As well as his armour, George also packed his mic and in between runs he caught up with the crème de la crème of the World’s Elite DH racers…
Part 1 (Friday) - Matt Walker, Monika Hrastnik, Luke Williamson, Andreas Kolb, Roger Viera, Loic Bruni, Jordan Williams & Joe Breeden
Part 2 (Saturday) - Thibaut Daprela, Luca Shaw, Adam Brayton, Hattie Harden, Ben Cathro, Charlie Hatton & Jordan Williams
Part 3 (Sunday) - Marine Cabirou, Mille Johnset, Camille Balanche, Benoit Coulanges, Loris Vergier, Henry Kerr, MUTN Team: Mark Weightman, Richard Binns & Neil White, Phoebe Gale & Nina Hoffmann
Hannah, Chipps and Amanda bring you a huge dose of the giggles and take random to new heights with tales of punching geese. There's some mountain biking in there somewhere if you listen carefully enough.
After a short break they’re back and in this episode George, Jack and Emilie are joined by the five time World Cup Champion, Intense Factory Racing’s Aaron Gwin, to chat about moving away from SoCal, redemption in 2022, and the new era of DH that’s upon us. Enjoy!
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Benji, Mark and Chipps discuss matters from the return of 2x gearing to how short travel big e-MTBs are daft. Then Hannah chats to Fabien Barel before packing him off to his fully equipped desert island.
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Hannah opens Singletrack in your ears and we send the Keeper Of The Peak to a desert island
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There's a bit of everything thrown in to this week's episode. We have Mark, Chipps and Amanda trying to make themselves heard over a cacophony of mating geese; an excerpt from Chipps' interview with Rob Warner that nearly made our bleep machine overheat; and finally Hannah asks the nicest man in MTB, Nick Craig how he would survive on his desert island.
Oh and listen out for some of the outtakes from this episode after the final credits.
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New SRAM AXS, Glucose monitoring and an interview with a Giant
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Chipps beams in briefly from his mountainside retreat and Hannah is triggered by the recent budget
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Mark, Charlie and Benji are in the office studio this week talking about everything from British cycling's new concussion policy to whether anyone needs to kno wthe science behind a product if ultimately it does what it claims to do.
Hannah talks to international adventurer Vedangi Kulkarni about her upcoming accessible DH race event at Fort William later this month.
Mark, Hannah and Charlie talk about Hannah's recent incapacitation and how that lead to the realisation that the bike industry could maybe do a better job of selling itself in the media. Also in this week's episode: Things that caught our eye in the news and on the legendary Singletrack World forum.
Oh and did you know that our weekly podcast has been nominated in the Podcast Awards sports category?
This week Hannah leads the way with extra voices from Benji and Mark. We start off with a poor attempt to get Benji to rant about 90's bikes, which he does in the end. Hannah explains to us why we should be paying attention to Taiwan and then finally Benji tells us why we should all be making rear mudguards great again.
Join us for another Singletrack World staff room chat.
Read Hannah's in-depth feature on Taiwan here
Benji's mudguard review is here
In this week's podcast we eventually manage to get Old Man Charlie attached to the interwobble and into the virtual studio in order to chat with Hannah and Mark. Technology gets trickier the older you get... Skateboard tricks just hurt more. When is a warranty claim not a warranty claim, what does a bus shelter have to do with voiding a warranty, and why should you resist the purchase of an extra long shoe horn?
Somehow, all of this will make sense, more or less, once you tune in to the podcast.
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In this podcast we're joined by Sophie Gordon, Cycling UK's Off Road Campaigns Officer. We chat about why the Dartmoor camping ruling matters, and the broader implications for access rights. After a good old moan about this and other things we're not looking forward to in 2023, Hannah, Mark, Benji and Sophie put on their positive pants and look on the bright side.
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George, Jack & Emilie round up all of this off season’s #teamrumours & chat with the Bulldog, Brook Macdonald, about his struggles in 2022, a new Mondraker DH bike and the broken back he sustained in 2019. Enjoy...
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In this episode… George, Jack & Emilie try & make sense of the new rule changes. Then they chat with 2 x EWS Champion Richie Rude about that DSQ in Innerleithen, his battles with Jack Moir & Jesse Melamed & his return to DH; will there be a new Yeti DH bike? Is there a new Pivot DH bike in the works? There’s definitely a new Intense DH bike & in the final section Todd Schumlick tells us all about the development process, life on Intense Factory Racing & training his Perform X athletes. Enjoy…
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Just a hint of what’s in this episode…
A Red Bull Race Series? Mark Wallace, Mille Johnset and Angel Suarez Team Rumours. Wyn bending the plate in his arm. Why was Ronan Dunne riding gloveless at Hardline? Greg Williamson and Sam Blenkinsop Team Rumours. The return of Sam Hill, Richie Rude and Brendan Fairclough? Wyn racing Loic’s dad. Camille Balanche taking her trailer test. The impossible question. Ronan’s incredible 2022 & who will he be riding for in 2023? Brook MacDonald cooking pasta. Enjoy…
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In this week’s podcast we’re joined by Anthony de Heveningham, fresh from a trip to the Developing Mountain Biking In Scotland conference. He gives us a debrief on the key issues, including a likely new policy from the forestry world that has worrying implications for trail builders.
You’ll also find out more about the process of redesigning Singletrack Magazine – why are we doing it and what have we done? Amanda explains a bit more about the wizardry she’s been doing behind the scenes.
Plus, there’s the usual selection of news, tenuously related anecdotes, and lightly structured ramblings. And, listen before 25th November to catch the code for a discounted Singletrack Membership to get the next great issue of our magazine, out early December.
Blenki to Cube? Madison to quit DH? A new rider on Pivot Factory Racing? Just some of the team rumours discussed in this episode of the pod. We’ve also got the inimitable Bernard Kerr talking about hitting those 90ft Hardline jumps for the first time, his love of women’s racing and if he could add any rider to the Pivot FactoryRacing team, who would it be? Plus, do World Cup jumps need new standards, like motocross, to make them safer? And does anyone know what's happening with ESO next season?
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https://singletrackworld.com/2022/11/pete-scullion-canyon-kis-amp-the-art-of-taking-pictures-podcast/
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Hello & welcome to Episode 9 of Season 4 of the podcast.
Episode 8 with Greg Minnaar & Jordan Williams amassed over 25,000 downloads & streams in its first week & is now our most popular episode ever, so a big thank you to everyone for tuning in & hello to any new listeners out there. We hope you all enjoyed that episode, you’ll enjoy this one & any future ones.
So, what have we got for you in this episode?
Well, in May 2020 we did our first show with Vali Hoell & Thibaut Daprela – 2 young guns who’d dominated their Junior categories & were about to embark on their first elite seasons. Then in September 2021 we did a follow up show. Thibaut had just crashed out in Snowshoe ending his chances of a first elite overall, but Vali won both Snowshoe races to take her first title. In this episode we’ll be catching up with them both about their 2022 seasons. But first…
Emilie Siegenthaler… It could’ve been the GOAT talking about 2022, or maybe it was Jordan Williams’ first podcast which made the last episode so popular… or maybe, it was your jetlagged team rumours? So, what have you got for us this time?
Another week, another episode of four of the Singletrack team sitting around their laptops talking about the big issues of the week. With only a very passing reference to politics this could well be your aural refuge for the next hour. Give it a listen and remember to hit subscribe on whatever platform you use for your podcasts.
This week’s episode is brought to you in association with…
Beer 52
Coming up in this week’s episode…
- A Beer 52 Exclusive offer for all our listeners
- Our thoughts on Rampage – Is it safe or are we just getting old and grumpy? You decide. No.. Wait.. Don’t decide right now. Listen to us first. ok?
- Hannah talks about why the Bespoked Handbuilt Bike Show is much more than just a showcase for pretty one off creations.
- Mark has a social media dilemma after scoring an Instagram Reel that has clocked up over 6.5 million views.
Join Mark, Amanda, Chipps and Sanny as they talk about the issues of the week. What does Mark think about the British Cycling/Shell sponsorship bombshell? What piece of suspension tech from the late 80’s seems to be making a comeback? Why does Amanda need so many social media accounts just to arrange a ride? And what’s the weather like in the Pyrenees about now? All these questions and more are answered in this week’s episode.
InterviewHannah catches up with Richard Breedon from trash free trails to talk about the Trash Mob Academy.
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On this episode of the pod George and Jack chat with Greg Minnaar about his 2022 season, the three broken vertebrae he sustained in Val di Sole & how excited...
The post Old Hand and Young Buck: Greg Minnaar and Jordan Williams – Making Up The Numbers Podcast appeared first on Singletrack World Magazine.
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Hannah, Mark and Benji regroup after a summer break. On the agenda: our failures as parents, Mark’s triumphant return to racing, Hannah’s misgivings about exclusivity, and Benji’s favourite stem. Plus,...
The post Podcast: Tracy Moseley, Exclusive Motors, and A Nice Stem appeared first on Singletrack World Magazine.
Don’t call it a comeback… On this episode of the pod George, Jack and Emilie wrap up the final weeks of the season, chat with Amaury Pierron about his amazing...
The post Amaury Pierron & Magnus Manson Talk Victory and Recovery with Making Up The Numbers appeared first on Singletrack World Magazine.
Luca Shaw talks life on and off the Syndicate, training with Jolanda Neff and that 2018 season when he seeded first at three World Cups.
The post Making Up The Numbers podcast with Luca Shaw appeared first on Singletrack World Magazine.
On this action packed episode of Making Up The Numbers, George apologises to the fastest woman in the world right now, Camille Balanche for not making her the favourite in...
The post Podcast: Flo Payet, Camille Balanche, and Lenzerheide World Cup Preview! appeared first on Singletrack World Magazine.
Hannah, Benji and Mark sit down for a chat about the news you may have missed and the news that got them thinking. Benji likes Strava, Hannah is pretty sure...
The post The Singletrack Podcast – everyone in disagreement, then? appeared first on Singletrack World Magazine.
On this episode of the podcast, George, Jack and Emilie chat all things Fort William and Leogang. They’re joined by 2011 and 2016 World Champion Danny Hart, and 2021 US...
The post Making Up The Numbers Podcast With Danny Hart and Dakotah Norton appeared first on Singletrack World Magazine.
Perhaps you’re in the boat of thinking ‘one day, for a special birthday, maybe I’ll get a hand made bike’? Petor hopes that for the sake of the many small...
The post Podcast with Bespoked’s new co-owner Petor Georgallou appeared first on Singletrack World Magazine.
The DH World Cup is back in Fort William and George is on site, roaming the pits and talking to the riders ahead of the race about the track and...
The post Making Up The Numbers Podcast | On The Ground at Fort William Special! appeared first on Singletrack World Magazine.
Joining George, Jack & Emilie on this episode of the podcast is the one and only #Superbruni! We chat about everything from his mental strength to his epic WorldCup overall...
The post Making Up The Numbers Podcast with Loic Bruni appeared first on Singletrack World Magazine.
Hannah is out at the Sea Otter Classic in California, USA. It’s a four day festival of racing and a huge expo area. There are races for every type of bike, but...
The post Podcast: Road V2X tech – Safer for bikes, or car culture? appeared first on Singletrack World Magazine.
We’re on the cusp of the 2022 DH World Cup Season and there’s much to talk about… And joining George and Jack as co-host for 2022 is Emilie Siegenthaler who...
The post Making Up The Numbers Podcast with Matt Walker and Izabela Yankova appeared first on Singletrack Magazine.
Isla Short is doing things differently. Rather than chasing a Factory Team signing and riding whichever products that salary comes with, she’s hand picking her sponsors. It means more admin...
The post Podcast: Isla Short – Factory Racing with integrity appeared first on Singletrack Magazine.
When Aneela McKenna won the Singletrack Reader Award for Most Outstanding Human, we invited her to come and talk to us for a podcast. However, rather than talk about herself,...
The post Podcast: Aneela McKenna and the FNY Collective appeared first on Singletrack Magazine.
Joining George is Scott Factory Racing’s Dean Lucas & they cover everything from World Cup podiums to making time.
The post Dean Lucas interview: Podcast with Making Up The Numbers appeared first on Singletrack Magazine.
We talk to Ride Sheffield, the winners of the Best Community Initiative Award in the Singletrack Reader Awards, sponsored by Kona. We wanted the Best Community Initiative Award to be...
The post Podcast: Ride Sheffield – Best Community Initiative: Be Nice, Say Hi. appeared first on Singletrack Magazine.
In 2018, Amaury Pierron won 3 World Cups in a row & clinched the 2018 World Cup Overall title. In 2019 he won another 3 but dramatically lost out on...
The post Amaury Pierron Interview – Podcast with Making Up The Numbers appeared first on Singletrack Magazine.
When we chatted to Dom Ferris of Trash Free Trails before the Singletrack Reader Awards voting opened, he had so much to say that we couldn’t bring you all of...
The post Podcast: Trash Free Trails – Best Environmental Initiative, Singletrack Reader Awards appeared first on Singletrack Magazine.
It might seem like a mountain biking paradise in the Tweed Valley, but that’s thanks in large part to the volunteers of the Tweed Valley Trails Association that keep the...
The post Tweed Valley Trails Association – Best Trail Stewardship Initiative appeared first on Singletrack Magazine.
In the last two seasons Benoît Coulanges has jumped from the world’s top 30 into the top 10 & is now a podium threat at every race. Along the way...
The post Making Up The Numbers: Benoît Coulanges and Emilie Siegenthaler appeared first on Singletrack Magazine.
Daren Austin OBE, known on the Forum as TiRed, is the winner of the ‘Best Use of Lockdown’ award in this year’s Singletrack Reader Awards, in association with Kona. He...
The post Best Use Of Lockdown Winner – Daren Austin OBE aka TiRed appeared first on Singletrack Magazine.
We’re revealing the Finalists in each of the Singletrack Reader Awards 2021 categories. Thanks to all of you for your nominations, and to our awards sponsors, Kona Bicycles. Here’s who made the cut for the Most Outstanding Human.
Whose work has really changed your point of view? Who always seems to be busy doing something else for the good of someone else? Who would you like to take 5 minutes out of their days of giving to others to give a pat on the back?
Aneela McKenna
We’re not sure when she sleeps or eats because Aneela’s palmares is so long it seems more than enough for a lifetime. She’s the Scottish Parliament’s Equality Officer, a mountain bike guide, Juliana ambassador, co-founder of the FNY Collective (a not for profit organisation empowering women on bicycles), Board Member of MissAdventures (a collective formed to increase participation of young girls into mountain biking), she runs Mountain Lassies Women’s Camps (women’s MTB trips by women for women), founder of the Mòr Diversity widening participation in cycling programme, Board Member of Tweed Valley Trails Associationand Co-Chair of British Cycling’s new Diversity and Inclusion Advisory Group. You probably need to pause for a breath now, and perhaps you’d like Aneela to take a moment and enjoy a moment of recognition for a life filled with giving people from all walks of life a chance to enjoy mountain biking.
Lachlan Morton
The cool as a cucumber Australian has taken an interesting approach to professional cycling of late and mixing up his World Tour calendar with ‘alternative’ events. If you haven’t seen any of his somewhat inspirational achievements on the internet we urge you to take a look. From the Unbound 200 gravel race to GBDuro’s alternative Land End to John o’ Groats route with the Three Peaks Cyclocross in between; you’ll soon find yourself inspired to get out there and take up a challenge. Earlier this year Lachlan pedalled the entire Tour De France route, including all the transitions, to raise more than £500,000 for World Bicycle Relief – and due to a knee injury, he did a fair chunk of it in flip flops.
Rosie Holdsworth
Hope Ambassador, Trash Free Trails Ambassador, and National Trust employee, Rosie spends much of her life outdoors. A keen fell runner, she’s not exclusively to be found on two wheels, but she is exclusively effusive in her love of all things wildlife. Piles of poo, animal remains and indistinct small brown birds all take on hues of wonder and delight under her gaze and enthusiastic explanation. Her passion for protecting the countryside we ride in leads her to womble her way around every ride picking up discarded rubbish, and even saw her on the ground fighting moorland fires, trying to save the restoration work she’s been working so hard to deliver. Physical toil and intellectual passion drive her on, and it’s impossible not to get caught up and follow this bog trotter as she delights in something you thought was just mud. An encounter with Rosie is certain to set you off seeing the world around you from a new perspective.
To help you learn more about these three great finalists, we’ve got this podcast for you.
It’s all down to you, the public, to decide who wins each category – there’s no funny business or back room cheques. So enjoy our coverage of the finalists, and be sure to vote for your favourites. Voting will open on 18th October,
We’re revealing the Finalists in each of the Singletrack Reader Awards 2021 categories. Thanks to all of you for your nominations, and to our awards sponsors, Kona Bicycles. Here’s who made the cut for the Best Use of Lockdown.
Who made the most of the quiet hills and downtime? Did someone add new trails to a trail centre? Did someone set up a cargo bike delivery service, or a bike rebuilding service? Was there some enormous bit of cycling street art, or a video series that made you smile? Tell us which lockdown project gets your vote.
Rob Belsom – The STW Zwift guy
What happens if you shut a bunch of mountain bikers indoors? Do they tidy their garages? Replace their drivetrains? Service their forks? Apparently, they ride Zwift. Much to everyone’s surprise, Rob’s organisation of the Singletrack Zwift racing league became a highlight of many a rider’s week. It was a little off-brand for Singletrack, in that it was very professionally run, complete with carefully calculated handicaps, prizes, and race series results. On brand however, was the atmosphere of friendliness and fun. As the discussion on the thread shows, people found that their fitness improved, and they came back week after week to keep those improvements coming. What Rob thought might be 15 people at the most has become a regular turn out of 50 riders, and there’s a regular debrief/excuses session on the Forum afterwards. It’s not a mountain bike ride with the pub afterwards, but it does a great job of replicating that social feel. Thanks Rob.
Silverstrange Sessions
Aoife Glass started the Silverstrange Sessions during the first lockdown. They were a series of daily interviews, held using Instagram Live, around lunch time. As well as choosing a broad array of interesting guests, Aoife made the interviews a bit different to the usual format, making them feel like intimate and free form discussions or chats between friends, rather than a structured interview. The platform also allowed viewers to join in, asking questions or giving feedback on the discussions. The result was three months of daily interactive content on a wide variety of topics. Aoife is now working to build on this with her new Spindrift podcast, so tune in there if you enjoyed her style.
TiRED
More properly called Daren Austin, OBE, TiRED brought sense, science and clear explanations to the Singletrack Forum in the form of his contributions to the Coronavirus Discussion Thread (Originally started with the title ‘Where’s the Coronavirus We’re All Going to Die Conspiracy Thread?). He batted back conspiracy theories with data, qualled panic with analysis and reassurance of more data, and was open about the unknowns that we faced. Without Daren’s input, the thread would have been a much more argumentative place, but his input encouraged measured and reasoned thinking, thoughtful questions, and insightful answers. He’s already got an award from the Queen for his work on Covid – perhaps she is a secret Forum lurker who found reassurance and comfort in his posts?
To help you learn more about these three great finalists, we’ve got this podcast for you.
We’re revealing the Finalists in each of the Singletrack Reader Awards 2021 categories. Thanks to all of you for your nominations, and to our awards sponsors, Kona Bicycles. Here’s who made the cut for the Best UK Community Initiative.
This award is about people. Who is getting bums on bikes and creating the opportunity for new people to discover riding off-road? Which campaign has brought together the bike community in the quest to improve the sport? Is it a fundraising campaign to build new trails, or provide bikes? Is it an awareness campaign promoting better trail stewardship or access? Whose hashtag is an instantly recognisable message to be a better sort of rider, or to become a rider in the first place? We want to hear about the project, campaign or other initiative that’s helping build our community.
School of Rocks
School of Rocks is a whole curriculum of rides aimed at introducing people to riding off road and giving them the confidence to venture outside. Suitable for keen cyclists who usually only ride tarmac right through to new and novice riders, each ride builds on the skills found on the last. Climbs, descents, roots and mud are encountered gradually rather than in an overwhelming overload. The emphasis is on showing up, getting out there and having fun.
TotalMTB
Ryan Oldfield started TotalMTB because he felt that the images he saw online were always the pros and the shredders, rather than more relatable riders on their doorstep trails. He wanted to encourage people to get out and ride for their mental and physical health, regardless of ability, and hoped that a fresh approach to imagery and inspiration would help do that. Since then it’s grown from the original #TotalMTB hashtag, adding a series of campaigns to their profile. #MentalHealthMatters focuses on their original aim of raising awareness about mental health, and improving it through mountain biking. You Are You And You Are Awesome #YAYAYAA seeks to promote riding without judgement or putting others down. #ProtectOurPlanet seeks to raise environmental awareness among riders, #LetsAllRide and #TotalSocial aim to help people to get out to ride together, including pairing up buddy rides between experienced and newer riders. As you can see, it’s building a community based on shared experiences and joy, rather than competition or performance. Maybe you want to join in?
Ride Sheffield
Be Nice Say Hi is not a new initiative, but it’s one that’s spread nationwide and deserves recognition. Ride Sheffield is one of the most successful and well established trails advocacy groups in the UK, and its Be Nice Say Hi campaign has become an integral part of UK MTB culture, almost universally recognised as the first step towards shared trail harmony.
To help you learn more about these three great finalists, we’ve got this podcast for you, featuring and interview with a representative from each of them.
It’s all down to you, the public, to decide who wins each category – there’s no funny business or back room cheques. So enjoy our coverage of the finalists, and be sure to vote for your favourites. Voting will open on 18th October, and close on 1st November.
We’re revealing the Finalists in each of the Singletrack Reader Awards 2021 categories. Thanks to all of you for your nominations, and to our awards sponsors, Kona Bicycles. Here’s who made the cut for the Best UK Environmental Initiative.
This is about the ground beyond our trails. Whether it’s care for the wildlife, awareness of our impact on the environment, keeping bikes out of the bin, or encouraging less impactful access to trails, we want to hear about who is making it happen.
Cargodale
At the start of the first lockdown, there was a scramble by many to access online food deliveries. Seeing that local businesses were left out, that many couldn’t get delivery slots, and that all these deliveries were going to create a lot of traffic, Beate Kubitz hired a cargo bike and set about seeing how many local deliveries she could manage. That first step has grown into a fleet of cargo bikes that has covered over 5000 miles and made over 2,500 deliveries, keeping vans off the road and generating interest in cargo bikes as a viable form of transport in the area.
Lakes Litter Tribe
Inspired by the work of Trash Free Trails, and motivated by seeing litter out and about during lockdown, the Lakes Litter Tribe started as a group of friends and has grown to be a virtual social media army of litter pickers who share their finds and efforts on Instagram. Boosted by each others’ presence, they’ve ventured far and wide into the Lake District to clean up paths and streams – and along the way they’ve even discovered the joy of mountain biking.
Trash Free Trails
Trash Free Trails is on a mission to get us to clean up our environment at source. As well as encouraging us to do clean ups, they track the waste that’s found, and then do their best to encourage companies and brands to tackle it at source. They’ve already persuaded Red Bull to collaborate inimproving consumer awareness of litter, since they found that Red Bull cans were one of the top three items found, along with Lucozade and Coca-Cola. Supported by a network of ambassadors and many volunteers, they’re clearing our trails of trash, encouraging purposeful adventure, and raising awareness of the environment that we’re all out there exploring. With clear goals to see demonstrable results and evidence based targeting of efforts, they’re hoping to eventually see such a change in behaviour and awareness that it won’t need them at the centre to coordinate it all. But for now, they’re there, fighting the corner for our countryside against our tide of rubbish.
To help you learn more about these three great finalists, we’ve got this podcast for you, featuring an interview with a representative from each of them.
It’s all down to you, the public, to decide who wins each category – there’s no funny business or back room cheques. So enjoy our coverage of the finalists, and be sure to vote for your favourites. Voting will open on 18th October, and close on 1st November.
We’re revealing the Finalists in each of the Singletrack Reader Awards 2021 categories. Thanks to all of you for your nominations, and to our awards sponsors, Kona Bicycles. Here’s who made the cut for the Best UK Trail Stewardship Initiative.
This award is about the trails we ride. Which initiative has got people out to maintain trails, learn building skills, and help create sustainable and legitimate trails? Is it a dig crew, a community project, or even a trail centre that’s got people picking up a shovel in the name of future fun?
Dean Trail Volunteers
Dean Trail Volunteers keep the trails running at the Forest of Dean, an incredibly busy trail network. With huge pressures on demand for trails, the Dean Trail Volunteers have helped harness the enthusiasm of new trail builders by bringing them together with experienced trail builders to learn about appropriate construction methods and sustainable trail building. They’ve also successfully fundraised using a variety of innovative methods, and have used the funds to rebuild the Launchpad trail – a popular downhill trail that is especially significant due to being one of a very few that is accessible by adaptive bikes.
Tame Valley Mountain Bike Association
Tame Valley Mountain Bike Association have had such an impact that even their local MP took the time to write in and nominate them. Working with the Council and local community groups, they’ve helped broaden the Council’s traditional focus on utility cycling to take in mountain bike trails. As well as trail development, they’ve also helped new riders explore the area, offering bike maintenance sessions and guided rides, as well as creating a Stalybridge Cycle Hub where riders can access a range of useful information to help them on their way.
Tweed Valley Trails Association
Tweed Valley Trails Association has helped take the Tweed Valley from being a great riding spot to an internationally recognised destination. As well as getting people out to repair trails, they’ve gone big on policy and admin – all the boring stuff that’s extra hard to do – to develop methods of working with local land owners and trail builders that are forming the basis for good practice working methods for the mountain bike community across the UK and beyond. All that admin hasn’t stopped them getting out on the trails however – their trail adoption program has seen key Golfie trails being revamped, plus they’re building a much improved access route up to the top, to replace the notorious root infested bog that previously marked the way.
To help you learn more about these three great finalists, we’ve got this podcast for you, featuring and interview with a representative from each of them. Thanks go to all those who have worked with these trail groups – and others – for keeping the trails we enjoy in tip top shape.
It’s all down to you, the public, to decide who wins each category – there’s no funny business or back room cheques. So enjoy our coverage of the finalists, and be sure to vote for your favourites. Voting will open on 18th October, and close on 1st November.
We’re excited about this year’s format for the Reader Awards and it seems you are too. Your nominations are in, so we sat down with Scott Belshaw from our Awards Sponsor, Kona Bikes, to have a chat about some of the names that have been thrown into the hat. Next week we’ll be revealing the finalists that you can vote for, but we thought we’d hype up the suspense with a few name drops and a bit of discussion about who you had been putting forward for the different awards.
Thanks to everyone who took the time to get in touch and nominate, and thanks to all of you out there working to make the bike community and our world a better place.
They’re the two young guns taking the DH World Cup by storm, but their 2021 seasons were diametrically opposed! Thibaut Dapréla started the season strong, podiuming at each of the first four rounds but crashed out in Snowshoe and lost his grip on the overall. Vali Höll crashed at the first two World Cups but won the final two races to take the Women’s title. Those are the headlines, dive into this episode as we dig out the detail…
Vali Höll Gallery
UCI DH World Cup in Snowshoe. Credit: Red Bull Content Pool
Thibaut Dapréla Gallery
UCI DH World Cup in Les Gets UCI DH World Cup in MariborUCI DH World Cup in LenzerheideUCI DH World Cup in LenzerheideCredit: Red Bull Content Pool
Social stuff if you’d like to follow:
- @valihoell * @thibautdaprela @makingupthenumbersracing @jackreading_mtb
Listen to the podcast here:
The Making Up The Numbers podcast is sponsored by:
- Hope Technology www.hopetech.com @hopetech J-Tech Suspension www.j-techsuspension.co.uk @jtechsuspension Revolution Bike Park www.revolutionbikepark.co.uk @revolutionbp Ride Southern Spain www.ridesouthernspain.com @ridesouthernspain Schwalbe www.schwalbe.com @schwalbetyresuk* Singletrack www.singletrackworld.com @singletrackmag
Previously on Making Up The Numbers Podcast
Season 3
- Episode 8 | Loris Vergier Epidsode 7 | Greg Minnaar and Myriam Nicole Episode 6 | National DH Champs Special Episode 5 | Les Gets Special Episode 4 | EWS Special Episode 3 | Reece Wilson, Nina Hoffmann and Jamie Edmondson Episode 2 | MTB Training with Richie Rude and Todd Schumlick* Episode 1 | Team Rumours Podcast! With Angel Suárez Alonso and Dakotah Norton.
Season 2
*
Nominations close on Monday 27th September! Make sure you’ve told us who you think should get our attention this year, in a range of new awards.
This year has been a bit different, again. Rather than grumble about the shortage of this and that, this year’s Singletrack Reader Awards celebrate those who have just got on and done stuff. We’re looking for your nominations for the individuals, groups and organisations that have made a difference to our mountain biking community this year. Creating a more sustainable future for our environment, building new riding opportunities, or bringing new people the opportunity to ride – these are the things we want to celebrate. Here’s your chance to nominate them in the following categories.
Best UK Trail Stewardship Initiative
This award is about the trails we ride. Which initiative has got people out to maintain trails, learn building skills, and help create sustainable and legitimate trails? Is it a dig crew, a community project, or even a trail centre that’s got people picking up a shovel in the name of future fun?
Best UK Environmental Initiative
This is about the ground beyond our trails. Whether it’s care for the wildlife, awareness of our impact on the environment, keeping bikes out of the bin, or encouraging less impactful access to trails, we want to hear about who is making it happen.
Best UK Community Initiative
This award is about people. Who is getting bums on bikes and creating the opportunity for new people to discover riding off-road? Which campaign has brought together the bike community in the quest to improve the sport? Is it a fundraising campaign to build new trails, or provide bikes? Is it an awareness campaign promoting better trail stewardship or access? Whose hashtag is an instantly recognisable message to be a better sort of rider, or to become a rider in the first place? We want to hear about the project, campaign or other initiative that’s helping build our community.
Best Brand Initiative
Which brand has championed a cause for the benefit of the bike community?
Best Use of Lockdown
Who made the most of the quiet hills and downtime? Did someone add new trails to a trail centre? Did someone set up a cargo bike delivery service, or a bike rebuilding service? Was there some enormous bit of cycling street art, or a video series that made you smile? Tell us which lockdown project gets your vote.
Best Singletrack World Image
Some things don’t change, and Singletrack World Magazine and Singletrackworld.com have still been filled with great images. Which one stands out for you?
Best Singletrack World Article
He might not consider himself the man to beat at World Cup level but we certainly think he is and this is his first solo podcast! We’re delighted to welcome ‘The King Of Maribor’ Trek Factory Racing DH’s Loris Vergier to the show.
Social stuff if you’d like to follow:
- @lorisvergier * @trekfactoryracingdh @makingupthenumbersracing @jackreading_mtb
Credit: Ross Bell
Watch the podcast here:
Listen to the podcast here:
The Making Up The Numbers podcast is sponsored by:
- Hope Technology www.hopetech.com @hopetech J-Tech Suspension www.j-techsuspension.co.uk @jtechsuspension Revolution Bike Park www.revolutionbikepark.co.uk @revolutionbp Ride Southern Spain www.ridesouthernspain.com @ridesouthernspain Schwalbe www.schwalbe.com @schwalbetyresuk* Singletrack www.singletrackworld.com @singletrackmag
Previously on Making Up The Numbers Podcast
Season 3
- Epidsode 7 | Greg Minnaar and Myriam Nicole Episode 6 | National DH Champs Special Episode 5 | Les Gets Special Episode 4 | EWS Special Episode 3 | Reece Wilson, Nina Hoffmann and Jamie Edmondson Episode 2 | MTB Training with Richie Rude and Todd Schumlick Episode 1 | Team Rumours Podcast! With Angel Suárez Alonso and Dakotah Norton.
Season 2
- Episode 13 | Emilie Siegenthaler, Becky Cook & Martha Gill Episode 12 | Tracey Hannah and Matt Walker Episode 11 | World Champsionship Review with Camille Balanche, David Trummer and Dan Slack*
We’re calling this one ‘The Royalty Episode’ because our guests are the GOAT, Santa Cruz Syndicate’s Greg Minnaar & 2017 World Cup Overall Winner & 2019 and 2021 World Champion, Commencal Muc-Off’s Myriam Nicole! From Greg’s advice for younger riders to how Myriam conquered her fear of jumping, this episode has it all. Recorded just before the World Championships, we may branch out into a fortune telling podcast…
Watch the podcast here:
Or listen with your ears here:
Social stuff if you’d like to follow:
- @gregminnaar * @scsyndicate * @myriam_nicole * @commencal_mucoff* @makingupthenumbersracing * @jackreading_mtb
Countdown to membership cut off for the next print issue of Singletrack World Magazine
Check out your options
The Making Up The Numbers podcast is sponsored by:
- Hope Technology www.hopetech.com @hopetech J-Tech Suspension www.j-techsuspension.co.uk @jtechsuspension Revolution Bike Park www.revolutionbikepark.co.uk @revolutionbp Ride Southern Spain www.ridesouthernspain.com @ridesouthernspain Schwalbe www.schwalbe.com @schwalbetyresuk* Singletrack www.singletrackworld.com @singletrackmag
Previously on Making Up The Numbers Podcast
Season 3
- Episode 6 | National DH Champs Special Episode 5 | Les Gets Special Episode 4 | EWS Special Episode 3 | Reece Wilson, Nina Hoffmann and Jamie Edmondson Episode 2 | MTB Training with Richie Rude and Todd Schumlick* Episode 1 | Team Rumours Podcast! With Angel Suárez Alonso and Dakotah Norton.
Season 2
- Epi...
Will we ever see Formula One tyre technology make its way into mountain biking? This is just one of the topics Andi touches on as he chats to Pirelli following the launch of the new Scorpion range of mountain bike tyres.
Pirelli is a household name, they produce tyres that might actually be on your car, and now they want to be on your mountain bike too. Andi discusses the new range of Pirelli Scorpion tyres, their technology and uncovers that the same engineers working on F1 tyres also work on our mountain bike tyres.
Grab a cool drink, sit back and enjoy this Bank Holiday edition Singletrack Podcast.
Countdown to membership cut off for the next print issue of Singletrack World Magazine
Check out your options
If you’ve ever wondered what happened to Animal, that brand from that 90’s that made trendy watch straps and steel watches for the outdoorsy types, then this podcast will provide the answer.
Chipps talks to Animal founder Ian Elliot about those Animal beginnings and how that all lead him to found the new outdoorsy watch brand, Elliot Brown. As you will hear, there’s quite a few parallels to be noted between making watches and creating a mountain bike magazine.
If you’ve ever wondered what would happen to a watch if you attach it to the outside of a submersible and then dive over a mile below the surface of the ocean then settle back and hit that play button.
Elliot Brown Singletrack Anniversary Watch
You have until midday on the 8th October 2021 to order one of these very special watches.
Learn more
Buy Now
Time is running out for you to put your name down for one of our most carefully produced and historic items of Singletrack merchandise. Hit that ‘learn more’ button and find out the story behind our 20th Anniversary watch.
Here’s something a little bit different! As well as racing the GB National DH Championships this weekend, George took a mic along & chatted to some of the riders. Starring, in chronological order:
Dan Slack, Connor Smith, George Gannicott, Danny Hart, Adam Brayton, Ian Warby, Katherine Sharp, Luke Williamson, Roger Vieira, Taylor Vernon, Andrew Titley, Becci Skelton, Kris Lord, Pete Walton, Justin Barratt, Charlie Hatton, Joe Breeden, Rebecca Darwin, Jordan Williams, Matt Walker, Ben Cathro, Laurie Greenland, Neil White, Meg Whyte, Kade Edwards, Phoebe Gale & Will Longden
Men’s and women’s podium, credit: British Cycling
The Making Up The Numbers podcast is sponsored by:
- Hope Technology www.hopetech.com @hopetech J-Tech Suspension www.j-techsuspension.co.uk @jtechsuspension Revolution Bike Park www.revolutionbikepark.co.uk @revolutionbp Ride Southern Spain www.ridesouthernspain.com @ridesouthernspain Schwalbe www.schwalbe.com @schwalbetyresuk* Singletrack www.singletrackworld.com @singletrackmag
Previously on Making Up The Numbers Podcast
Season 3
- Episode 5 | Les Gets Special Episode 4 | EWS Special Episode 3 | Reece Wilson, Nina Hoffmann and Jamie Edmondson Episode 2 | MTB Training with Richie Rude and Todd Schumlick Episode 1 | Team Rumours Podcast! With Angel Suárez Alonso and Dakotah Norton.
Season 2
- Episode 13 | Emilie Siegenthaler, Becky Cook & Martha Gill Episode 12 | Tracey Hannah and Matt Walker Episode 11 | World Champsionship Review with Camille Balanche, David Trummer and Dan Slack Episode 10 | World Cup Preview with Greg Williamson, Vali Höll and Dan Slack Episode 9 | Greg Minnaar, Jordi Cortes and Rob Przykucki* Episode 8 | Gee Athe...
Race season is in full swing & joining us for this episode of the pod are 5 x Elite Men’s World Cup Champion Intense Factory Racing’s Aaron Gwin, 2020 Elite Women’s World Champion Dorval AM Commencal’s Camille Balanche, 2019 British Champion NS Bikes UR’s Joe Breeden & Sports Physiotherapist Aaron Dobie gives us an update on Jack’s shoulder.
Watch The Podcast
You can watch the podcast here:
Listen to the Podcast
Or you can listen to the podcast here:
Aaron Gwin
Credit: Nathan Hughes
Camille Balanche
Credit: Jey Crunch
Joe Breeden
Credit: Dave Trumpore
Social stuff if you’d like to follow:
- @aarongwin1 * @cam.bal * @joe_breeden17 * @dobiept @makingupthenumbersracing @jackreading_mtb
The Making Up The Numbers podcast is sponsored by:
- Hope Technology www.hopetech.com @hopetech J-Tech Suspension www.j-techsuspension.co.uk @jtechsuspension Revolution Bike Park www.revolutionbikepark.co.uk @revolutionbp Ride Southern Spain www.ridesouthernspain.com @ridesouthernspain Schwalbe www.schwalbe.com
This episode of the pod has everything! Florian Nicolai is the most consistent finisher in the EWS in recent times, having finished in the Top 3 in each of the last 3 seasons. Isabeau Courdurier is the 2019 EWS Champion having won every round delivering ‘the perfect season’. Then, we close out the show with some ‘EWS Real Talk’ with Matt Stuttard & Dan Wolfe. If that wasn’t enough, it even has George forgetting to turn his mic on for 2 of the interviews which is why it’s taken the best part of a day & a half to edit…
Isabeau Courdurier
Matt Stuttard
Social stuff if you’d like to follow:
- @floriannicolai21 * @isabeau_c * @mattstuttard46 * @thebigbad_wolfe @makingupthenumbersracing @jackreading_mtb
The Making Up The Numbers podcast is sponsored by:
- Hope Technology www.hopetech.com @hopetech J-Tech Suspension www.j-techsuspension.co.uk @jtechsuspension Revolution Bike Park www.revolutionbikepark.co.uk @revolutionbp Ride Southern Spain www.ridesouthernspain.com @ridesouthernspain Schwalbe www.schwalbe.com @schwalbetyresuk* Singletrack www.singletrackworld.com @singletrackmag
Previously on Making Up The Numbers Podcast
Season 3
- Episode 3 | Reece Wilson, Nina Hoffmann and Jamie Edmondson Episode 2 | MTB Training with Richie Rude and Todd Schumlick Episode 1 | Team Rumours Podcast! With Angel Suárez Alonso and Dakotah Norton.
Season 2
- Episode 13 | Emilie Siegenthaler, Becky Cook & Martha Gill Episode 12 | Tracey Hannah and Matt Walker Episode 11 | World Cham...
The Duke, The Bike Ban and The Taxman is neither an episode of Poirot nor a jazz band. It is in fact a tale of access – or lack thereof – that highlights some wider issues around the rights of the public in England to access land for recreation. With 2020 bringing many more people to the realisation that the outdoors is important to their wellbeing, demand for access to outdoor spaces has grown. No longer is the campaign for greater access rights solely the preserve of a few special interest groups – it affects everyone.
And now it seems that potentially there’s not just a land or environmental policy aspect to the campaign either. Financial implications in the form of tax breaks to land owners raise questions over whether HMRC might just have a role to play. We sat down with Duncan Dollimore, Head of Campaigns at Cycling UK, to see what all the fuss is about.
The signs that started it.
Let’s go racing! The 2021 Downhill World Cup is about to get underway and in this season preview episode of the pod George and Jack catch up with Reece Wilson, Nina Hoffmann and Jamie Edmondson.
Reece Wilson
Image credit: Ross Bell
Nina Hoffmann
Image credit: Sebastian Gruber @gruber_seb
Jamie Edmondson
Credit: @8__pangie__8
Credit: @maddogboris
Social stuff if you’d like to follow:
- @reecowilson @nina.hfm96 @jamie_edmondson @makingupthenumbersracing @jackreading_mtb
The Making Up The Numbers podcast is sponsored by:
- Hope Technology www.hopetech.com @hopetech * J-Tech Suspension www.j-techsuspension.co.uk @jtechsuspension Revolution Bike Park www.revolutionbikepark.co.uk @revolutionbp Ride Southern Spain www.ridesouthernspain.com @ridesouthernspain * Schwalbe www.schwalbe.com @schwalbetyresuk* Singletrack www.singletrackworld.com @singletrackmag
Previously on Making Up The Numbers Podcast
Season 3
- Episode 2 | MTB Training with Richie Rude and Todd Schumlick* Episode 1 | Tea...
In this week’s podcast we have Andi talking about the Orange Phase that he reviewed recently. This EP8 powered enduro beast isn’t going to win any prizes at the ‘lightest eMTB’ contest, but that’s not really the point, is it?
Orange Phase Factory Review – UK made EP8 powered power hour smasher
We also chat to Lauren Jenkins, our latest recruit who is bringing you all the news on the website. She’s the rarest of breeds: someone who is working in the job they studied for a university. But more important than that, what is Danny DeVito doing in her house?
Not Lauren’s house
This week’s podcast sees Hannah reveal her trail dog anxieties while Chipps and Charlie try to persuade her that she should be more welcoming of trail friends who lick you. The team tries to think of when you might want a smart inner tube, and put their captain sensible hats on (only briefly) to talk about moorland fire risks. Welcome to this week’s Singletrackworld podcast – tune in for listener perks and discounts.
Repack Race Poster T-Shirt
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Pennine Bridleway From Derbyshire through the Yorkshire Dales to Cumbria
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Singletrack Slicy Enduro-DH Ultimate Mudguard 20th Birthday
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Singletrack Club Ride W’s Bandara Womens Riding Shirt – Vintage Rose
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If you’ve been riding mountain bikes for a decade or more then you will probably at least have some part of the back of your brain ringing that bell of familiarity at the mention of the Rockshox Domain.
It was a burly fork for its time, with its dual crown options and beefy 35mm stanchions. Well, now it’s back. And it’s been to the gym.
Well ok, it’s essentially a budget version of the Zeb. It looks like the new Zeb and that’s because it is a Zeb but without the fancier materials and trimmings, but that isn’t a bad thing. And you will appreciate the efforts that Rockshox have gone to to create this frankly, monster of a fork when you see the price.
This huge (up to 180mm) 38mm stanchioned rocker eater of a fork will cost £530 and comes in 27.5 & 29 sizing. Can you imagine a 180mm version on a 29r?
In the grand scheme of things a fork that just a decade ago would have been classed as a monster of a DH fork coming in at £250 less than the most basic Zeb option is pretty impressive. It’s worth noting that while we can often be carried away with outrage at some of the stratospheric prices for some bikes and parts at the highest end of the market that those same brands are also devoting a lot of time and development at the more affordable end of the market too. And if this fork is the result of the trickle down effect from the Zeb then I for one am perfectly happy for those with a lot more money than the rest of us to keep driving development of those super expensive bikes and parts.
The Rockshox Domain in detail
“SEND IT. DON’T SPEND IT.”That’s what the Domain promo material from SRAM begins with.
Press release highlights follow
Big value and a badass look come together under one roof in the all-new Domain. Featuring legitimate enduro capability, strength, and legacy, this robust fork is packed with value to meet the demanding needs of both MTBs and E-MTBs alike.
DOMAIN RC
With bigger bikes come bigger demands. The new Domain takes cues from ZEB, our enduro specialist fork with serious credentials. Domain offers a new burly 38mm chassis, short fender compatibility, and a confidence-inspiring DebonAir air spring matched with a reliable Motion Control RC damper. We even brought the performance of Maxima Plush damping fluid along for the ride. Nothing goes as big as Domain does in value and performance.
SPECIFICATIONS
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Wheel size: 27.5″, 29″ Travel: 150mm, 160mm, 170mm, 180mm Damper: Motion Control RC offset: 44mm (27.5″, 29″) Upper tube: 38mm aluminum
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NEW 38mm chassis for increased stiffness and rider confidence * Motion Control RC damper featuring low speed compression adjust with externally adjustable dual flow rebound * Highly tunable DebonAir air spring offers a consistent feel throughout the travel* Maxima Plush damping fluid reduces friction and quiets damper noise * Shor...
As he quickly approaches 40, Andi decides to take a few more risks, little did he know that it would lead to joining the Sunn French Connexion EWS Team!
I’m sure you will all have your stories of those missed opportunities. Those big dreams, new job offers, or once in a lifetime chances that you had wished you had taken up. Being a bit of a globe trotter and having spent much of his adult life as an ex-pat, Andi has a fair few ‘lost opportunities’ but he plans to change all that.
Andi works on Theo Galy’s bike during team camp. Photo Credit Valentin Popineau
With the Pandemic shaking things up and as he approaches 40, Andi made the leap and has joined the Sunn French Connexion Racing Enduro World Series team. In this episode of the Singletrack Podcast, we get to hear what it’s like joining the team, managing the riders and wrenching for the EWS elite.
Follow the Sunn French Connexion by Alpe d’Huez Team on Instagram.
Sunn French Connexion Team Camp Gallery
Photo Credit Valentin Popineau
On April 1st, 2001 (no, really…) Singletrack Magazine and its website singletrackworld.com were launched. The website evolved off the back of the original GoFar-MTB mountain bike website, but it was relaunched as Singletrackworld.com on the first of April to coincide with the launch of the new magazine ‘Singletrack’ which was launched on the first day of the Cycle Show at the NEC in Birmingham.
They’re not even his pants…
There are many stories, as you might imagine, from those first 20 years of Singletrack and to try to touch on a few of them, Hannah’s been chatting to co-founders, Mark and Chipps on our podcast to listen to a few.
They ARE his sheep though…
If you want to hear about the stolen pants, the ‘naked men wrestling in oil’ World Cup moment’ or the worst hangover in the world, then tune in to the Singletrack Podcast via your favoured podcast-listening app and device.
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Last week Troy Lee Designs launched its new open face trail helmet complete with impressive list of features. Andi has had one on his head for a few weeks now and you can get his first impression thoughts right here..
First Look: Feature-Packed Troy Lee A3 Helmet
This week Chipps caught up with the man behind the design, Craig Glaspell AKA Stikman. There’s certainly more going on with helmet technology these days than at least we realised as you will come to learn in this fascinating podcast episode.
Stikman in action!
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Heading to the Mill, YT Mill that is
We can promise you that in the next 30 minutes you will learn a great deal about helmet design, production delays, global distribution and Troy Lee himself.
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Sorry, we drank all the Black IPA, but we now have the amazing Flowey Trail Ale. Click here.
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ENVE AM30 Wheelset | An indepth look
ENVE’s Foundation Series of carbon mountain bike wheels, launched earlier this year, is something entirely new for the Utah based company, who design and manufacture all their own carbon fibre…
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Dalby Bike Barn
We are based on the A170/Whitby Gate junction right in the centre of the village Thornton Le Dale offering high expertise on all things bike- stocking the best brands with bike…
A life changing spinal injury is one of those things that we really hope never happens to us – but as mountain bikers we know it’s a risk. When it happens, as well as all the obvious and potentially major health, work and accessibility implications, it can also mean we lose the ability to socialise with our friends like we used to. What happens when you can’t ride with your ride buddies?
For Christian Bagg, the life changing injury came from snowboarding, not mountain biking. Thankfully, due to some incredible ingenuity, he’s managed to regain the ability to get out and ride his bike with friends. The tool that makes this possible is the Bowhead, and having realised that it wasn’t just him who could benefit from it, he’s turned this creation into a business. The bike might not look much like a normal mountain bike, but the reasons for riding and some of the technological challenges are just the same.
Sit down and listen to Christian talking about the bike’s development, its features, and the benefits it can bring, in this podcast.
We’ve a huge selection of images of the bike, so let’s take a closer look at the bike and some of the points we discuss in the podcast.
There are a lot of parts! The frame is made and assembled in Calgary, but wherever possible Christian uses readily available standard parts, so that there’s less chance of local maintenance difficulties or obsolescence. It also means there’s room to upgrade your shock etc, if you’ve still got the upgrade itch! And like many dream bikes, you can opt for a titanium frame too, for a lighter option.
The key piece of technology in this bike is the front parallelogram, which allows the bike to stay stable on off camber or rough trails – the wheels move independently of seat, so that the wheel goes over a rock without tipping a rider out. You can also lean into turns. If you check out other adaptive trikes and cycles, this tends not to be the case – and limits the options of where you can go.
Something else which helps make this bike go further is the width. It’s no wider than your own mountain bike’s bars, meaning you can ride singletrack trails rather than needing wide and groomed bike park paths or doubletrack. Christian designed it not just to let him get out mountain biking, but also let him get out with his family on hikes – where trails tend to be narrow.
The upright ride position means you can look around and chat to your friends as you ride – whereas the forward position favoured by many trikes makes this more difficult. Christian also thinks that with the bike’s ability to lean, upright is actually the best position.
Riders sit in a seat, held in by a harness.
For this episode, it was a question from a reader that sparked the conversation: they wanted to know ‘why don’t we test bikes to see which is the fastest?’. Hannah, Mark and Chipps navigate their way through this question, plus a whole pile of tangental bits of science, conjecture and anecdote. Could we figure out which bike is fastest? Is fastest bestest? What is the point of a bike test, or any product review, and is it all just marketing anyway?
Give this episode a listen, and if you’ve got things you’d like us to discuss, drop them in the comments. We can’t promise definitive answers, but we’ll likely have some interesting perspectives to debate!
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Having reached peak lockdown beans on toast capacity (seemingly every night on the bounce does not constitute a balanced diet!), Sanny goes in search of a gastronomic treat. Like pretty…
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We are based on the A170/Whitby Gate junction right in the centre of the village Thornton Le Dale offering high expertise on all things bike- stocking the best brands with bike…
Cairn Cycles – part of The Rider Firm that also makes Hunt Wheels and Privateer Bikes – produced one of the first e-gravel bikes we experienced, the Adventure 1.0. We’ve followed it from prototype through to production and testing, and as Cairn opens up the books for pre-orders on the second generation model we sat down with Matt Barnard and Mike Sanderson to find out what developments there have been since our test. Spoiler: they’ve done a lot to answer our post-test wish list!
The new Cairn Adventure 1.0 in 700C format
As well as the technical changes that have been made to the bike, we also stray into the state of the bicycle market and supply chain. With Mike – formerly of Calibre Bikes – now at the Rider Firm, he was ideally placed to give us some insight into the ordering and manufacture process. Why is the Cairn Adventure 1.0 staying the same price as last year when other brands are putting up their costs? Should you pre-order a bike or risk bagging one when they’re actually here? And what might be coming next from Cairn? Tune in to find out.
The 650B model of the Cairn Adventure 1.0
Cairn Adventure 1.0 | E-adventure, E-gravel, E-commute?
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Scotland Mountain Biking – Wild Trails Vol.2 features 24 new and classic mountain bike rides across Scotland. Like the original Wild Trails guidebook, this book includes challenging mountain passes, endless…
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Todd Schumlick has trained some of the world’s leading bike sports athletes from Aaron Gwin to Stevie Smith, Sam Blenkinsop to Emmeline Ragot. Richie Rude is the 2 x EWS Champion, 2013 Junior DH World Champion & has worked with Todd for the last 8 years. What started out as a discussion about training for DH vs enduro actually became more about training in general but there’s so much wisdom in here that it doesn’t really matter.
Todd Schumlick Gallery
Richie Rude Gallery
Image Credit: Ed Witwicki
Image Credit: David Trumpore
Watch the Podcast
Social stuff if you’d like to follow:
- @richie_rude1 @performx_training @makingupthenumbersracing* @jackreading_mtb
The Making Up The Numbers podcast is sponsored by:
- Hope Technology www.hopetech.com @hopetech Revolution Bike Park www.revolutionbikepark.co.uk @revolutionbp Schwalbe www.schwalbe.com @schwalbetyresuk* Singletrack www.singletrackworld.com @singletrackmag
Previously on Making Up The Numbers Podcast
Season 3
- Episode 1 | Team Rumours Podcast! With Angel Suárez Alonso and Dakotah Norton.
Season 2
- Episode 13 | Emilie Siegenthaler, Becky Cook & Martha Gill*
It’s that time of year when the #teamrumours are in full effect! Join George & Jack for some wild speculation, uncorroborated insight & the odd confirmed fact. Joining them are a couple of riders who’ve recently confirmed new rides: Commencal 21’s Angel Suárez Alonso & The YT Mob’s Dakotah Norton.
Video
Watch the video of the podcast here, or listen below.
Angel Suárez Alonso Gallery
Image Credit: JB Liautard
Dakotah Norton Gallery
Image Credit: Logan Mulally
Social stuff if you’d like to follow:
- @commencal21 * @angelsuarezdh * @the_yt_mob * @daknorton @makingupthenumbersracing @jackreading_mtb
The Making Up The Numbers podcast is sponsored by:
- Hope Technology www.hopetech.com @hopetech Revolution Bike Park www.revolutionbikepark.co.uk @revolutionbp Schwalbe www.schwalbe.com @schwalbetyresuk* Singletrack www.singletrackworld.com @singletrackmag
Previously on Making Up The Numbers Podcast
Season 2
- Episode 13 | Emilie Siegenthaler, Becky Cook & Martha Gill Episode 12 | Tracey Hannah and Matt Walker Episode 11 | World Champsionship Review with Camille Balanche, David Trummer and Dan Slack Episode 10 | World Cup Preview with Greg Williamson, Vali Höll and Dan Slack
So Brexit is here now for real. It’s all come down to this. We are on the other side and following a hurried through set of Christmas free trade rules. What does Brexit mean for mountain bikers?
There are businesses announcing their changes on a daily basis from British bike companies halting sales to the EU to EU brands upping their prices or refusing to deliver to the UK.
These are the sunny uplands and we are determined to get to the bottom of the new normal. So, Charlie, Hannah and Mark sat down to record this episode to try and explain what has just happened and how it affects us, as mountain bike riders and buyers, on a day to day basis.
Can we still buy bikes for the EU? What about small parts? Can I take my bike on holiday and get it or me fixed if I break something? What is a tariff? Who pays VAT now? Can I still buy cheap wine in Calais?
These questions and more we try and unscramble.
But wait! Did we find some benefits of Brexit? You bet we did. Listen and find out what it was all really for…
Finding Motivation: Bingley Bike Ride Bingo
First Ride Review of the new Pirelli Scorpion Enduro S, Trail S and Enduro R tyres
The RockShox Domain Fork Is Back! First Look & Podcast
We don’t generally eat the fish we catch in our waters and we can’t sell them easily to the EU because of the barriers faced by exporters, but it’s fine – they are now happy fish and that’s what really matters.
Still waiting for the benefits. Drop us a comment or email if you have any positive Brexit stories to share.
Whether you believe that mountain biking started on the slopes of Mount Tam, or the forests of the Pacific Northwest, or some muddy fields in the UK, the term ‘Mountain Bike’ was first recorded when Gary Fisher and Charlie Kelly registered the name of their company as ‘Mountain Bikes’. Along with business partner Tom Ritchey, these three little pigs of the mountain bike world chose their paths. Tom Ritchey built his house of hand built and brazed steel, eventually growing into the Ritchey company still popular today. Gary Fisher built his house from mass production, aiming to bring mountain bikes to the many – and as part of Trek he can claim to have achieved that. The third little piggy, Charlie Kelly, after starting the first mountain bike company with Gary Fisher, and then organising the first races (the legendary Repack), he chose the path of print media, starting ‘Fat Tire Flyer’, the first ever mountain bike magazine.
It’s this that earns Charlie Kelly the award of Singletrack Legend for 2020. In a year when two further printed mountain bike magazines were lost, and as we eye up our 20th anniversary year, it seems appropriate to celebrate the creator of the first ever written celebration of mountain bike culture. Charlie describes his time working on Fat Tire Flyer as the most creative endeavour he ever did. As his own boss, he was free to cover the things that he was interested in, and did little to court advertisers. His antipathy towards reviewing bikes or attracting advertisers can be seen in his ‘Universal Bike Review’. It’s perhaps little surprise then that of the three little pigs of mountain biking, Charlie has not made his fortune in the bike industry. Indeed, he didn’t even make a living in it, eventually turning his hand to professional piano moving – which is perhaps not so different to bike racing ‘You get to travel across the country in a truck with your friends, and then you do something that takes just a few minutes and people think is amazing’.
Pianos might have been his profession, but Charlie never left bikes behind, riding much as the rest of us do – with friends, in the hills, from home. Of course, his old time friends, including Joe Breeze, are often happy to send him a bike or a frame to play out on, so it’s perhaps no surprise that there’s no room in Charlie’s garage for the huge collection of MTB memorabilia that he collected over the years. That archive of magazines, adverts, catalogues, fliers and much more resides in a storage unit, and after retiring from the piano business Charlie set about turning some of that historical record into a book – Fat Tire Flyer: ‘Repack and the birth of mountain biking’.
Fat Tire Flyer: Repack and the Birth of Mountain Biking by Charlie Kelly
£24.99
Once again, under lockdown, we’ve been remotely recording ourselves doing the things that have kept us entertained and sane for another week. This week Hannah has resorted to recording the sounds of birds in her garden with the occasional interruption from the neighbours’s jet wash. Andy has been resorted to lusting over a brand new YT XC bike and Chipps and Nick Craig discuss how to disguise a new garden workshop as a sauna.
In this week’s episode Hannah is outed as a cheat in our colouring competition, Charlie tells us a story about the time he met the late Lord Bath and Andi goes forking mad.
This week Hannah hosts and chats remotely to the editorial team to discuss everything from the lockdown to virtual online birthday parties. We also have bikes with built in GPS tracking, industry leaks and gossip and Chipps explains how you can still support your neighbours and local businesses while ploughing through the entire Netflix inventory.
This week Chipps beams his editorial and comment from isolation and Andy starts to sniffle. Amanda boils down the entire issue 130 contents to just 30 seconds and Mark explains why we now need you all more than ever.
In this week’s episode Hannah takes control as she guides you through submissions from the editorial staff who have been mostly working from home.
We’ve got the latest news roundup from Andi, issue 130 magazine update from Amanda and Chipps tells us surprisingly little about why he was in Baja last week but a lot about Cacti. Oh and he gives us a flavour of this week’s editorial email newsletter by reading this week’s opening editorial.
This week Mark and Hannah kick things off but are joined by Charlie and then Amanda as she beams in her report from the confines of her own flat. But don’t worry about her, she’s got plenty of dried food courtesy of our Classic ride sponsor, Komoot.
Andi gets pulled off in the woods, Chipps can’t tell us anything and Charlie reinvents the mug.
We talk about the latest developments in eMTB technology including how Specialized have used real rider data from their Mission Control app to guide the development of their latest bike launch.