Singletracks Mountain Bike News

No matter your skill level, there is always room for improvement when it comes to descending skills. We share our tips for getting faster at mountain biking downhill.

Whether you’re a woman buying a bike for yourself, or a man who is having a hard time finding smaller mountain bikes that fit, this is the podcast for you! We talk about the mountain bikes that are available to women today, and hear directly from some of the brands designing bikes for smaller riders. Thanks to Stio for sponsoring this episode. Go to stio.com/singletracks to check out their entire Pedal Collection of mountain bike shorts and jerseys.

It would take two lifetimes to learn everything there is to know about mountain biking, and along the path we’re all bound to make mistakes. We talk about some of the most common pitfalls and offer hard-won advice that’s useful for everyone from newbs to pros.

Charlie Kelly is a man who can rightfully claim many firsts in the sport of mountain biking: promoting the first mountain bike race, co-founding the first company to sell complete mountain bikes, and starting the first mountain bike magazine, Fat Tire Flyer. He’s known as one of the founding fathers of mountain biking, and is a member of the Mountain Bike Hall of Fame. I talk with Charlie about the early days of mountain biking, and how he and others helped shape the mountain bike culture of today. Check out Charlie’s website for more about MTB history, including photos. There is also a Go Fund Me campaign to digitize Charlie’s massive collection of mountain bike media collected from the 1970s through 1992. Watch the video below to get more info and donate here. Thanks to Stio for sponsoring this episode. Go to stio.com/singletracks to check out their entire Pedal Collection of shorts and jerseys, and take up to 70% off through June 25, 2018.

We share our tips for becoming a better mountain bike climber including equipment selection, technique, and mental hacks for getting to the top of the hill faster.

Leah and Jeff talk with Singletracks’ new staff writer, Matt Miller. Matt is a journalism graduate and enduro mountain biker based in Golden, CO. We also talk about our summer travel plans and preview upcoming coverage.

Mountain bike guidebook author Stephen Hlawaty was documenting the best mountain bike trails in Colorado nearly two decades before the #vanlife started trending. Now he’s back at it with an updated edition of his book, Mountain Biking Colorado: An Atlas of Colorado’s Greatest Off-Road Bicycle Rides. I spoke with Stephen about his favorite trails, what it takes to document and publish mountain bike trail information, and why he’s still a fan of paper books in the digital age. Stephen’s book can be purchased at local bookstores and also Amazon.com. (Singletracks receives a small commission for purchases made through this link.)

Today we talk with cycling coach Ben Turits about common mountain bike injuries and how to prevent them. Ben shares his tips for dealing with knee, back, neck, and arm pain through exercise, stretching, bike fit, and recovery.

Sure, a lot of mountain bike production happens outside North America, but a surprising amount of work is being done by American companies at home. We talk about what it takes to design, engineer, prototype, and test mountain bikes, components and gear.

In this episode of the Singletracks podcast, we talk with professional mountain bike instructor Richard La China about the number one skill mountain bikers need help with, plus the biggest mistakes mountain bikers make when it comes to building technical skills. We also get the low down on how riders are able to progress from small jumps to nailing huge gaps. For more information, check out ridelikeaninja.com.

In this episode of the Singletracks podcast, I talk with Daniel Jessee about an exciting project to create an long-distance, East Coast bikepacking route called the Eastern Divide Project. Daniel is an experienced bikepacker who has travelled all around the world, and he shares his expert tips for getting started.

In this episode, we talk about the new mountain bike products on display at Sea Otter this year. From new and updated enduro, trail, and XC bikes to components and accessories, there is a lot to cover! Listen in as we speak with representatives from many of the companies at Sea Otter 2018.

In this episode of the Singletracks podcast, Greg and Jeff highlight some of the best mountain bike trails in the mountain states of Colorado, New Mexico, Wyoming, Montana, Idaho, Utah, Arizona, and Nevada. We’ll share our favorite destinations, lift-served resorts, all-around trail systems, backcountry rides, frontcountry/suburban rides, and long distance trails.

For some of us, endurance training means gearing up for a 6 or 12 hour race or a multi-day stage race. For others, it simply means hanging on at the back of the pack for a 2-hour ride. For everyone, mountain bike endurance looks different, but for anyone who has a goal to get fit, our guest has some great advice for success. Ben Turits runs a coaching business and sports therapy practice called The Endurance Collective. He coaches the Duke University Cycling team as well as a number of mountain bike athletes including Travis Livermon. Ben is helping Travis prepare for the 2020 Olympics to compete in cross-country mountain biking. In this episode, Ben shares his tips for endurance training, talks about the tools of the trade, and shares his philosophy for coaching elite mountain bike athletes. To connect with Ben and to learn more about the Endurance Collective, go to theendurancecollective.com.

Neil Beltchenko holds the record for both the Colorado Trail Race and the Arizona Trail 750, and is a contributor at Bikepacking.com. Neil recently won the Iditarod 350 bikepacking race in Alaska, and is hosting the second annual Bikepacking Summit in Gunnison, Colorado this September. In this episode of the Singletracks podcast, I talk with Neil about bikepacking in Alaska, and the fundamental skills necessary to be a successful bikepack racer. Don’t miss this great interview!