Travis Tomczak is the Global Marketing Director at Forge + Bond. The company manufactures bike wheels and accessories using a lightweight material known as FusionFiber. How does carbon fiber rim manufacturing generally work?  What are some of the challenges associated with carbon fiber manufacturing? Are there limitations in terms of how the material can be used, or how it performs? How is FusionFiber different from carbon fiber in terms of the materials used and the manufacturing process? How are sheets of FusionFiber manufactured? How is a sheet of FusionFiber shaped into a product at ..read more

Chris Mandell is the North American Public Relations Manager for SRAM where he's worked for the past 8 years. He currently lives and rides in Bellingham, Washington.  Is mountain biking suspension harder to design than say suspension for cars or motorcycles? What's different? How much of RockShox testing is real world vs. lab based? Is shock heat management important for the average rider? What is the advantage of larger diameter fork stanchions? What's the idea behind the electronic suspension controls in SRAM Flight Attendant? Why aren't there more inverted fork designs? What are some ..read more

Ernie Rodriguez is the president of MORE, the Mid Atlantic Off-Road Enthusiasts. MORE has been around since 1992 and the group maintains and advocates for trails in Maryland, Virginia, and the Washington, DC area. Why and how did MORE get its start? Did it start as more of a social club, or were there advocacy concerns in the early 1990s? How is MORE organized? How did you become the president of MORE?  How is MORE funded?  What is the relationship between MORE and IMBA? What are some of the more popular trails your group supports? Which trail projects are you the most proud to have ..read more

We're re-sharing one of our favorite episodes from 2022, so be sure to listen in case you missed it! Check back soon for more fresh episodes. Seth Gebel is a mountain biker and trail builder living in Missouri. His popular YouTube channel, Backyard Trail Builds, shows how he builds beautiful trail features like ramps, skinnies, and bridges using natural materials. We ask Seth: Tell us how you got into mountain biking, and trail building. You’ve been building at Howler Bike Park this year. What were you working on there? How much of your time do you spend building on your own land versus paid ..read more

Sam Anderson is the Brand Manager for Cane Creek Cycling Components based in Fletcher, NC just outside Pisgah National Forest. Cane Creek designs and markets their own line of shocks and suspension forks and assembles many items by hand at their factory in Western North Carolina. What is suspension compression? What is rebound? What do you see people typically getting wrong when it comes to suspension setup? What is meant by a linear or progressive suspension curve as it relates to full suspension mountain bikes? What are the differences between a coil and air shock? Is it possible to perfect ..read more

The Downcountry category has been around for a few years now, and by this point most mountain bike brands have a bike in their lineup that fits the description. Not only that, there are downcountry tires and shoes available now. But what does downcountry even mean? In this episode, Matt and Jeff take a stab at defining downcountry, taking into account geometry, suspension travel, weight, and components. Other questions addressed include: How do downcountry bikes differ from cross-country and trail bikes? What were some of the earliest downcountry bikes? Which popular mountain bikes today can ..read more

ddie O'Dea is an ultra endurance athlete and member of the board at the Georgia Cycling Association. Last summer he became the first person to complete the 5,900-mile Eastern Divide bikepacking route over the course of 78 days and 10 hours. Why did you decide to attempt ride the full Eastern Divide Route? Tell us about the start of the ride. It seems like you ran into some snags even before you go rolling. Which sections were your favorites? Did you get to hang out in any interesting towns along the way? Are there any changes you would make to the Eastern Divide Route? As a member of the Geor ..read more

Nick Bennette is the Executive Director of the Vermont Mountain Bike Association, a position he's held for a little over two years. The group recently put together a 5-year Strategic Plan to "ensure the sustainability of mountain biking in Vermont and thoughtfully promote exceptional riding experiences for all through advocacy, education, and community-driven stewardship." How did your experience as a consultant help you craft the VMBA 5-year Strategic Plan?   Vermont was an early adopter of a state advocacy model apart from IMBA. How has the VMBA Chapter model evolved since it was ..read more

Ryan Gaul is the Trek Factory Racing DH team manager and technical director. He’s been at Trek for about 10 years and is based in Madison, WI. How close to stock do DH and enduro riders run their bikes? Which aspects of a bike are modified to suit track conditions, and what stays the same for every race? Do World Cup racers take many risks when it comes to equipment, or are they pretty conservative? Is it common to run test parts, or prototypes in races? Is it difficult to convince athletes to try new components on their bikes? What type of race information is useful for product designers at ..read more

Matt Shriver is the General Manager and technical director for the Trek Factory Racing cross country team and is based in Durango Colorado. He’s a former pro rider himself and previously served as the technical director for the Trek WorldTour road team for seven years. How did you make the transition from professional racing to managing race teams? What are the responsibilities of a pro team liaison? Does Trek Factory Racing provide coaching resources to athletes, or do athletes tend to bring their own training team? Some pro teams are organized as collectives, while others like Trek Factory ..read more