On this week’s episode, I’m chatting mountain bike design with Aaron Kerson and Adam Hammerman from PNW Components. These guys have got a lot of experience in the industry, working for brands like Specialized and Marin before getting together at PNW. We sat down to find out what goes on behind the scenes to bring us the amazing products that we get to ride. We chat about the difference between engineering and design, the stages that products go through before they get to us, what happens when it goes wrong, and how something as simple as product finish can affect how it performs. This is an area that doesn’t get spoken about that much, and I hope you enjoy finding out more. Hit play and give this episode a listen.

Check out PNW’s April fool’s video here. You can join their mailing list at the bottom of their homepage here. You can listen to my previous episode with Aaron here.

This episode of the podcast is supported by PNW Components. I’ve been using a PNW dropper post and their fabulous Loam Lever remote for a year and they have been absolutely faultless, which makes them the only dropper set up I’ve ever had that hasn’t caused me any issues at all in that time period! They have recently launched their new Rainier dropper which has lots of adjustability and a shorter overall length, allowing you to maximise your drop. Check out what they have to offer at www.pnwcomponents.com and for you lucky Downtime listeners you get 15% off during May using the code ‘pnwdowntime‘ at the checkout.

We are going LIVE again on Wednesday 20th May with coach to the stars, Chris Kilmurray from Point1Athletic. You can watch the chat and ask your own questions by heading to youtube.com/downtimemountainbikepodcast at 8pm BST. You can catch up on previous LIVE episodes there too, so make sure you get subscribed to our YouTube channel to keep up to date.

Merchandise sales are currently closed, but If you want to help support the show, then you can ‘share the love’ and make a financial contribution to help me keep this thing going and improving by clicking here. You can do this as a one-off, a regular thing, or whenever you fancy.

If you are enjoying the podcast, then don’t forget to subscribe. It’s free, and it means you’ll get every episode delivered to your device as soon as it’s available. All the links you need are at downtimepodcast.com/subscribe. You can also find us on Apple Podcast, Google Podcast, Spotify, Stitcher, TuneIn Radio and most of the podcast apps out there. While you’re there, you can also join our newsletter, which means you’ll get our Weekend Warm-Up email every Friday.

If you want to share tips and advice with other podcast listeners on anything mountain bike related, you can join our Facebook group, head to www.facebook.com/groups/mtbperformance/ request permission to join the group and get involved!

Our back catalogue of amazing episodes is available at downtimepodcast.com/episodes

Photo – Trevor Lyden

Fancy a bit of tech talk with one of the most tech-savvy mountain bike racers of all time? Well it’s finally here, the part 2 of my conversation with Fabien Barel. Last time we spoke (listen to part 1 here) we covered the more emotional and psychological side of mountain biking, so this time I thought we should get technical. Fabien has always been a rider who likes to get into the detail of things, and so when you ask his opinion on something, you know that it’s been well researched and thought out. We talk about how far ahead of the game they were with the Sunn team in the 90s, and why that level of technological progression wasn’t seen for a good while during the 2000s. We get Fabien’s thoughts on longer geometry, mixed wheel size bikes, and tyre insert too. So if you want some technical insight then you need to hit play and give this episode a listen.

You can follow Fabien on Instagram @fabienbarel

This episode of the podcast is supported by PNW Components. I’ve been using a PNW dropper post and their fabulous Loam Lever remote for a year and they have been absolutely faultless, which makes them the only dropper set up I’ve ever had that hasn’t caused me any issues at all in that time period! They have recently launched their new Rainier dropper which has lots of adjustability and a shorter overall length, allowing you to maximise your drop. Check out what they have to offer at www.pnwcomponents.com and for you lucky Downtime listeners you get 15% off during May using the code ‘pnwdowntime‘ at the checkout.

This episode is also supported by Misspent Summers. This awesome crew are producing the amazing Hurly Burly and World Stage books, documenting the racing that we all love. They also sell some lovely merch, are adding a photography and print store to their website, and have some great free zines that you can print out and read for free. Check out all they have to offer over at misspentsummers.com and as a Downtime listener, you get 15% off everything in their store until 20th May. All you need to do is enter the code ‘downtime15‘ at the checkout.

We are going LIVE again on Wednesday 6th May with Cy Turner from Cotic Bikes. You can watch the chat and ask your own questions by heading to youtube.com/downtimemountainbikepodcast at 8pm BST. You can catch up on previous LIVE episodes there too, so make sure you get subscribed to our YouTube channel to keep up to date.

If you want to help support the show, then you can ‘share the love’ and make a financial contribution to help me keep this thing going and improving by clicking here. You can do this as a one-off, a regular thing, or whenever you fancy.

If you are enjoying the podcast, then don’t forget to subscribe. It’s free, and it means you’ll get every episode delivered to your device as soon as it’s available. All the links you need are at downtimepodcast.com/subscribe. You can also find us on Apple Podcast, Google Podcast, Spotify, Stitcher, TuneIn Radio and most of the podcast apps out there. While you’re there, you can also join our newsletter, which means you’ll get our Weekend Warm-Up email every Friday.

If you want to share tips and advice with other podcast listeners on anything mountain bike related, you can join our Facebook group, head to www.facebook.com/groups/mtbperformance/ request permission to join the group and get involved!

Our back catalogue of amazing episodes is available at downtimepodcast.com/episodes

Photo – Boris Beyer

Ever wanted to work in the mountain bike industry? Aaron Abrams is the Director of Product for Marin Bikes, and his background in mountain bikes started when he was working in his Dad’s bike shop as a kid. We find out how he went from rolling tubes in the shop, to looking after the product range for a company like Marin. We chat about Marin’s history, how it lost its way, and how the current crew has approached bringing it back to being a popular and desirable brand. Aaron also gives some thoughts on how you could get into the bike industry too! So scroll down and hit play to listen to this episode with Aaron Abrams.

You can check out Marin over at www.marinbikes.com or on Instagram @marinbikes

This month the podcast is supported by CushCore. I’ve been riding CushCore for over a year now and I love the changes it makes to the way my bike rides. It’s more damped, carries momentum better through the rough stuff, and has more support in the turns. CushCore really does help you go bigger, corner harder and ride faster with total confidence! Check out their products, including the awesome new Bead Dropper tyre lever at cushcore.com. You can find our previous episode with CushCore founder and inventor Adam Krefting here.

If you want to watch our latest Downtime LIVE, or catch up on previous episodes, then you can find those over on our YouTube channel at youtube.com/downtimemountainbikepodcast

If you want to help support the show, then you can ‘share the love’ and make a financial contribution to help me keep this thing going and improving by clicking here. You can do this as a one-off, a regular thing, or whenever you fancy.

If you are enjoying the podcast, then don’t forget to subscribe. It’s free, and it means you’ll get every episode delivered to your device as soon as it’s available. All the links you need are at downtimepodcast.com/subscribe. You can also find us on Apple Podcast, Google Podcast, Spotify, Stitcher, TuneIn Radio and most of the podcast apps out there. While you’re there, you can also join our newsletter, which means you’ll get our Weekend Warm-Up email every Friday.

If you want to share tips and advice with other podcast listeners on anything mountain bike related, you can join our Facebook group, head to www.facebook.com/groups/mtbperformance/ request permission to join the group and get involved!

Our back catalogue of amazing episodes is available at downtimepodcast.com/episodes

Photo – John Oldale

Laurie Greenland might surprise you. He has always been one of the most exciting riders to watch, and the 2019 season saw him take his first world cup elite win at Val Di Sole, but behind his laid-back persona is a super focussed, driven and hard-working athlete. Recently we sat down to chat about his childhood, and his racing career so far. We find out more about the big changes that Laurie made to his riding style and setup in 2019, along with what else he’s been working on heading into the 2020 season. We also compare that winning Val Di Sole run to his 2016 world champs silver medal run at the same venue. Laurie is a rider who always looks like he’s having a lot of fun, but as you’ll find out, he’s not shy of putting in the hard work to get to where he wants to be. So scroll down and hit play to listen to this episode with Laurie Greenland.

You can follow Laurie on Instagram @lauriegreenland_

To find the old Dirt videos that we talked about in the episode, head here for Fabien and here for Josh.

This month the podcast is supported by CushCore. I’ve been riding CushCore for over a year now and I love the changes it makes to the way my bike rides. It’s more damped, carries momentum better through the rough stuff, and has more support in the turns. CushCore really does help you go bigger, corner harder and ride faster with total confidence! Check out their products, including the awesome new Bead Dropper tyre lever at cushcore.com. You can find our previous episode with CushCore founder and inventor Adam Krefting here.

To be in with the chance of winning a set of CushCore of your choice, all you need to do is help me out by filling out the 2020 listener survey at downtimepodcast.com/survey before the end of April.

If you want to watch our latest Downtime LIVE, or catch up on previous episodes, then you can find those over on our YouTube channel at youtube.com/downtimemountainbikepodcast

If you want to help support the show, then you can ‘share the love’ and make a financial contribution to help me keep this thing going and improving by clicking here. You can do this as a one-off, a regular thing, or whenever you fancy.

If you are enjoying the podcast, then don’t forget to subscribe. It’s free, and it means you’ll get every episode delivered to your device as soon as it’s available. All the links you need are at downtimepodcast.com/subscribe. You can also find us on Apple Podcast, Google Podcast, Spotify, Stitcher, TuneIn Radio and most of the podcast apps out there. While you’re there, you can also join our newsletter, which means you’ll get our Weekend Warm-Up email every Friday.

If you want to share tips and advice with other podcast listeners on anything mountain bike related, you can join our Facebook group, head to www.facebook.com/groups/mtbperformance/ request permission to join the group and get involved!

Our back catalogue of amazing episodes is available at downtimepodcast.com/episodes

Photo – Trail Creatives

Yoann Barelli knows what is important to him, and he’s working on the best ways to let his values shape his career and his place in the world. We sat down to chat about what’s going on in Yoann’s life right now. We cover the COVID-19 pandemic and its effects on him and the bike industry, his views on the environment and why the bike industry needs to do more, and we talk about some of the things that Yoann has used to help him through a really tough year. Maybe they will be helpful to you too. This conversation is a little different from our regular episodes, so I hope that you enjoy listening and get something out of it.

You can follow Yoann on Instagram @yoannbarelli. You can find out more about Wim Hof’s breathing techniques here.

This month the podcast is supported by CushCore. I’ve been riding CushCore for over a year now and I love the changes it makes to the way my bike rides. It’s more damped, carries momentum better through the rough stuff, and has more support in the turns. CushCore really does help you go bigger, corner harder and ride faster with total confidence! Check out their products, including the awesome new Bead Dropper tyre lever at cushcore.com. You can find our previous episode with CushCore founder and inventor Adam Krefting here.

To be in with the chance of winning a set of CushCore of your choice, all you need to do is help me out by filling out the 2020 listener survey at downtimepodcast.com/survey before the end of April.

If you want to watch our latest Downtime LIVE, or catch up on previous episodes, then you can find those over on our YouTube channel at youtube.com/downtimemountainbikepodcast

If you want to help support the show, then you can ‘share the love’ and make a financial contribution to help me keep this thing going and improving by clicking here. You can do this as a one-off, a regular thing, or whenever you fancy.

If you are enjoying the podcast, then don’t forget to subscribe. It’s free, and it means you’ll get every episode delivered to your device as soon as it’s available. All the links you need are at downtimepodcast.com/subscribe. You can also find us on Apple Podcast, Google Podcast, Spotify, Stitcher, TuneIn Radio and most of the podcast apps out there. While you’re there, you can also join our newsletter, which means you’ll get our Weekend Warm-Up email every Friday.

If you want to share tips and advice with other podcast listeners on anything mountain bike related, you can join our Facebook group, head to www.facebook.com/groups/mtbperformance/ request permission to join the group and get involved!

Our back catalogue of amazing episodes is available at downtimepodcast.com/episodes

Photo – Raymond Norte

Ever wondered what mountain biking was like at the start? Well this week I’m joined by Richard Cunningham, who has been at the forefront of mountain biking in one way or another since it started. We follow his journey from cyclist, to mountain biker, to bike designer and builder, through journalism in print media and ultimately online with Pinkbike. Richard is a natural storyteller, and it was great to hear about him being a self-taught pilot, how he’s seen mountain biking progress, his approach to making big career moves, and plenty more, so hit play below and give it a listen.

This month the podcast is supported by CushCore. I’ve been riding CushCore for over a year now and I love the changes it makes to the way my bike rides. It’s more damped, carries momentum better through the rough stuff, and has more support in the turns. CushCore really does help you go bigger, corner harder and ride faster with total confidence! Check out their products at cushcore.com. You can find our previous episode with CushCore founder and inventor Adam Krefting here.

To be in with the chance of winning a set of CushCore of your choice, all you need to do is help me out by filling out the 2020 listener survey at downtimepodcast.com/survey before the end of April.

If you want to help support the show, then you can ‘share the love’ and make a financial contribution to help me keep this thing going and improving by clicking here. You can do this as a one-off, a regular thing, or whenever you fancy.

If you are enjoying the podcast, then don’t forget to subscribe. It’s free, and it means you’ll get every episode delivered to your device as soon as it’s available. All the links you need are at downtimepodcast.com/subscribe. You can also find us on Apple Podcast, Google Podcast, Spotify, Stitcher, TuneIn Radio and most of the podcast apps out there. While you’re there, you can also join our newsletter, which means you’ll get our Weekend Warm-Up email every Friday.

If you want to share tips and advice with other podcast listeners on anything mountain bike related, you can join our Facebook group, head to www.facebook.com/groups/mtbperformance/ request permission to join the group and get involved!

Our back catalogue of amazing episodes is available at downtimepodcast.com/episodes

Photo – Colin Meagher

How can you survive lockdown, or even thrive and make some improvements and gains? Well Jonny Thompson from Fit4Racing is here to help. We sat down to chat about ways to approach the lockdown period and cover things like the importance of scheduling, strength and conditioning, nutrition, cardio, mobility, mental health, meditation and plenty more. Jonny has made a short video on mobility too, which you can find here ‘How to Improve Mobility’. Also, as a super special lockdown offer, they are offering you 2 weeks free on any of their programmes, which are currently adapted to enable you to do them at home. So if you’ve always wanted to try the Fit4Racing training, or if you just want something to work on right now, then head to fit4racing.com and check it out. Scroll down, hit play, and hopefully this gives you some things to help you through these crazy times!

This month the podcast is supported by CushCore. I’ve been riding CushCore for over a year now and I love the changes it makes to the way my bike rides. It’s more damped, carries momentum better through the rough stuff, and has more support in the turns. CushCore really does help you go bigger, corner harder and ride faster with total confidence! Check out their products at cushcore.com. You can find our previous episode with CushCore founder and inventor Adam Krefting here.

To be in with the chance of winning a set of CushCore of your choice, all you need to do is help me out by filling out the 2020 listener survey at downtimepodcast.com/survey before the end of April.

If you want to help support the show, then you can ‘share the love’ and make a financial contribution to help me keep this thing going and improving by clicking here. You can do this as a one-off, a regular thing, or whenever you fancy.

If you are enjoying the podcast, then don’t forget to subscribe. It’s free, and it means you’ll get every episode delivered to your device as soon as it’s available. All the links you need are at downtimepodcast.com/subscribe. You can also find us on Apple Podcast, Google Podcast, Spotify, Stitcher, TuneIn Radio and most of the podcast apps out there. While you’re there, you can also join our newsletter, which means you’ll get our Weekend Warm-Up email every Friday.

If you want to share tips and advice with other podcast listeners on anything mountain bike related, you can join our Facebook group, head to www.facebook.com/groups/mtbperformance/ request permission to join the group and get involved!

Our back catalogue of amazing episodes is available at downtimepodcast.com/episodes

Photo – Jonny Thompson

Want to find out more about one of the fastest enduro riders on the planet? Then our latest episode with Jesse Melamed is the one for you. Jesse has shown incredible pace on the world stage, but hasn’t yet been able to put it all together for a full season to show just what he’s capable of. We sat down ahead of the (now delayed) 2020 season for a catch up on the last couple of seasons of racing, his offseason testing, injury, bike set up, mullet bikes and plenty more. Hit play below and give it a listen.

You can follow Jesse on Instagram @jessemelamed, and check out his YouTube channel here.

This month the podcast is supported by CushCore. I’ve been riding CushCore for over a year now and I love the changes it makes to the way my bike rides. It’s more damped, carries momentum better through the rough stuff, and has more support in the turns. CushCore really does help you go bigger, corner harder and ride faster with total confidence! Check out their products at cushcore.com. You can find our previous episode with CushCore founder and inventor Adam Krefting here.

To be in with the chance of winning a set of CushCore of your choice, all you need to do is help me out by filling out the 2020 listener survey at downtimepodcast.com/survey before the end of April.

Don’t forget that Downtime is going LIVE with Eliot Jackson and Neko Mulally on Wednesday 1st April at 8pm GMT. You’ll find that over on our Facebook page at facebook.com/downtimepodcast Come and join us and you’ll be able to ask Eliot Neko whatever you like!

If you want to help support the show, then you can ‘share the love’ and make a financial contribution to help me keep this thing going and improving by clicking here. You can do this as a one-off, a regular thing, or whenever you fancy.

If you are enjoying the podcast, then don’t forget to subscribe. It’s free, and it means you’ll get every episode delivered to your device as soon as it’s available. All the links you need are at downtimepodcast.com/subscribe. You can also find us on Apple Podcast, Google Podcast, Spotify, Stitcher, TuneIn Radio and most of the podcast apps out there. While you’re there, you can also join our newsletter, which means you’ll get our Weekend Warm-Up email every Friday.

If you want to share tips and advice with other podcast listeners on anything mountain bike related, you can join our Facebook group, head to www.facebook.com/groups/mtbperformance/ request permission to join the group and get involved!

Our back catalogue of amazing episodes is available at downtimepodcast.com/episodes

Photo – Margus Riga

What does it take to go from a late start in the sport to a World Cup podium? Well Dakotah Norton knows. We sat down to find out more about him and his journey to the top. We cover his background in Motocross and BMX, how he found mountain biking, and his no compromise approach to becoming one of the best. Chatting to Dakotah really makes you realise what you can achieve if you’re focussed, and willing to put in the effort and make the sacrifices. From living in his van, to rolling burritos, he’s done whatever it takes, and it looks like it’s paying off. Hit play below and give it a listen.

You can follow Dakotah on Instagram @daknorton or check out his YouTube channel by clicking here.

This month, We Are One Composites are back to support the podcast. We Are One have been big supporters of what I’m doing from the start, and for that I’m really grateful. They also make amazing carbon fibre wheels which are hand made in Canada, and have recently added their DaPackage bar and stem to their line up. They hooked me up with a set of Agent 29er wheels which I’ve had on my bike for nearly 2 years now, and I literally haven’t had to touch them. They have remained tight and true through 2 years of use, and are an absolute joy to ride. They track and hold a line amazingly well, but aren’t punishingly stiff like some carbon wheels I’ve tried. They’ve got a whole line up of wheels, so there is always something to suit your needs. Head to weareonecomposites.com and check out what they have to offer. If you’re tempted, then as a Downtime listener they have kindly offered you 15% off until 30th April. All you need to do is enter the code ‘handlaid2020‘ at the checkout.

If you want to help support the show, then you can ‘share the love’ and make a financial contribution to help me keep this thing going and improving by clicking here. You can do this as a one off, a regular thing, or whenever you fancy. Or, you can get yourself a t-shirt, hoodie, sweatshirt or mug by heading to downtime podcast.com/shop. Shipping is FREE worldwide on orders over £30! As all the merch is top quality, we don’t make much profit on these items, but it is great to see people out and about in their Downtime gear.

If you are enjoying the podcast, then don’t forget to subscribe. It’s free, and it means you’ll get every episode delivered to your device as soon as it’s available. All the links you need are at downtimepodcast.com/subscribe. You can also find us on Apple Podcast, Google Podcast, Spotify, Stitcher, TuneIn Radio and most of the podcast apps out there. While you’re there, you can also join our newsletter, which means you’ll get our Weekend Warm-Up email every Friday.

If you want to share tips and advice with other podcast listeners on anything mountain bike related, you can join our Facebook group, head to www.facebook.com/groups/mtbperformance/ request permission to join the group and get involved!

Our back catalogue of amazing episodes is available at downtimepodcast.com/episodes

Photo – Klemen Humar

Coronavirus has already taken out the first World Cup round of the year, and it looks like rounds 2 and 3 are going to follow. I was scheduled to record a pre-season show with Eliot Jackson and Neko Mulally, and we decided that even though there was no racing taking place in the near future, it would be great to have some race focussed content for you lot to listen to. So we hopped on a call this Saturday, had a good catch up, and chatted 2020 World Cup racing. Who know’s when the racing will start, but that doesn’t mean we can’t talk about and be excited by it! I hope you enjoy listening.

This month, We Are One Composites are back to support the podcast. We Are One have been big supporters of what I’m doing from the start, and for that I’m really grateful. They also make amazing carbon fibre wheels which are hand made in Canada, and have recently added their DaPackage bar and stem to their line up. They hooked me up with a set of Agent 29er wheels which I’ve had on my bike for nearly 2 years now, and I literally haven’t had to touch them. They have remained tight and true through 2 years of use, and are an absolute joy to ride. They track and hold a line amazingly well, but aren’t punishingly stiff like some carbon wheels I’ve tried. They’ve got a whole line up of wheels, so there is always something to suit your needs. Head to weareonecomposites.com and check out what they have to offer. If you’re tempted, then as a Downtime listener they have kindly offered you 15% off until 30th April. All you need to do is enter the code ‘handlaid2020‘ at the checkout.

If you want to help support the show, then you can ‘share the love’ and make a financial contribution to help me keep this thing going and improving by clicking here. You can do this as a one off, a regular thing, or whenever you fancy. Or, you can get yourself a t-shirt, hoodie, sweatshirt or mug by heading to downtime podcast.com/shop. Shipping is FREE worldwide on orders over £30! As all the merch is top quality, we don’t make much profit on these items, but it is great to see people out and about in their Downtime gear.

If you are enjoying the podcast, then don’t forget to subscribe. It’s free, and it means you’ll get every episode delivered to your device as soon as it’s available. All the links you need are at downtimepodcast.com/subscribe. You can also find us on Apple Podcast, Google Podcast, Spotify, Stitcher, TuneIn Radio and most of the podcast apps out there. While you’re there, you can also join our newsletter, which means you’ll get our Weekend Warm-Up email every Friday.

If you want to share tips and advice with other podcast listeners on anything mountain bike related, you can join our Facebook group, head to www.facebook.com/groups/mtbperformance/ request permission to join the group and get involved!

Our back catalogue of amazing episodes is available at downtimepodcast.com/episodes

Photo – @rdubcreative