Singletracks Mountain Bike News

In this episode, Aaron and I discuss mountain bike cockpit setup, starting from the top! We’ll touch on handlebars, stems, grips, controls (shifters, brake levers, remotes, and accessories), saddles, seatposts, and finally pedals. Strap in and join us for the ride!

With radical changes taking place within IMBA, many people are wondering: where does IMBA go from here? What’s IMBA’s current stance on controversial topics like ebikes and Wilderness? What will IMBA do to remain relevant? We decided to get some answers so we went to the source: Dave Wiens, IMBA’s new Executive Director. Scroll to the bottom of this page to listen to the full podcast, or if you prefer to read, check out the transcription right here: Greg Heil: Hey everybody, welcome to a very special edition of the Singletracks podcast! My name is Greg, and today we’re taking the Singletracks podcast on the road to Gunnison, Colorado. Here in Gunnison, I met up with Dave Wiens, who was just hired as the executive director of IMBA in February, 2017. We met up a few hours ago for a quick ride at Hartman Rocks, and I had the dubious pleasure of chasing the wheel of one of the fastest racers in the world, and I was going to say failing miserably, but Dave definitely throttled back to let me keep up so thanks for that, Dave. Appreciate that. In case you aren’t familiar, let me catch you up on who Dave Wiens is. For one, he’s in the Mountain Bike Hall of Fame, having been inducted in the year 2000. Dave was the US National Cross Country champion in 1993, and the US National Marathon champion in ’04. In the advocacy realm, Dave founded Gunnison Trails in ’06, which has had a major impact on mountain bike access and trail building in the Gunnison Valley. However, Dave might be best known for winning the Leadville 100 every year from 2003 to 2008, six times in a row, including beating Floyd Landis in ’07 and Lance Armstrong in ’08, and in 2009, he finished in second place to Lance Armstrong. So Dave, this is the question I’ve actually been wanting to ask you for awhile now. Does that mean that you actually won Leadville seven years in a row and not six? Dave Wiens: No, just six. You can check the Leadville record book. Greg Heil: What else are you known for that I haven’t touched on already? You’ve had a very storied career. Dave Wiens: I guess that’s what I’m known for around here. I’m known, I guess as dad and husband. I’ve lived in Gunnison for a long time, but certainly the mountain biking thing follows me around, and I was just very fortunate to be in the right place at the right time and have ridden bikes all my life. I grew up riding bikes around the suburban Denver area. It was my freedom. It was my way to get out and explore, and when the mountain biking thing came along, I happened to be going to school up here in Gunnison, where certainly a lot of mountain biking was happening early on. I jumped aboard and never really looked back. I feel really fortunate to have been involved in the sport from a pretty early time. Greg Heil: I mean, Dave has been riding mountain bikes longer than I’ve been alive, so a lot to learn right here. Maybe that’s pegging my age, I don’t know. But the main reason we’re chatting today is to catch up about Dave’s most recent role as the new executive director of IMBA. Dave joins IMBA at what’s possibly a tumultuous time, with IMBA having lost their Subaru Sponsorship in 2016. Mike Van Abel resigned as the executive director [in August, 2016], and several staff positions having been eliminated at the regional and nation levels. However, that’s accompanied a big change in the organization and a big transition. Dave, this might be a loaded question, but how have the first few months in your new job gone? Dave Wiens: There’s no doubt they’ve challenging, and it isn’t as if I pondered being the executive director of IMBA for a long time, and it suddenly it happened for me, and I was able to have thought about it. It was very quick.

In this episode of the Singletracks podcast, we talk about our favorite rides in Utah, from iconic rides like Slickrock to the best bike parks and trails with the most epic scenery. We’ll also share our favorite towns for setting up a basecamp and rides for those who are just passing through.

Aaron and I talk about the highlights from this year’s Sea Otter Classic. We’ll also discuss the trends, surprises, and new product announcements we learned about at the show.

In this episode of the Singletracks podcast, Greg and I talk about the things mountain biking can teach all of us about life. For most of us, mountain biking may not be life, but it is great training for it.

For many, the mountain biking in Colorado represents the pinnacle of trail perfection. But it’s a big state with a lot for mountain bikers to choose from, so here are our recommendations for various types of rides, including bike parks, backcountry epics, easily accessible trails, and desert rides. We’ll also share our favorite basecamp locations in Colorado. For more information about mountain biking in Colorado, check out these resources. * Riding Colorado Springs, Part 1 * A 4-Day Tour of Crested Butte Singletrack * Mountain Biking Salida * Fat Biking Durango * Is Eagle, CO the Next Fruita? * The Perfect Colorado Singletrack Road Trip * Bikepacking the Colorado Trail

Gear up, because we’re about to cover a lot of ground. In this episode, we talk about 1X vs. 2X configurations, gearing, and performance. Not only that, we talk about electronic shifting, oval chainrings, belt-driven drivetrains, and internally geared setups.

In this special episode of the Singletracks podcast, Aaron and Greg share their experiences at Outerbike in Moab last week.

In this episode we talk about how mountain bike tourism works and discuss the reasons why many communities are rolling out the red carpet for riders. For further information and data, be sure to look over our mountain bike tourism infographic. Mountain Bike Tourism: By the Numbers

Aaron and I discuss mountain bike shoes and share tips for finding the best shoe. We also give a few specific shoe recommendations.

Aaron talks about his 340-mile Florida bikepacking adventure, also known as the Huracan 300. For photos and more details from Aaron’s trip, be sure to check out the following articles: * One Hell of a Ride: Bikepacking the Huracan 300 * How Do You Pack for an Epic 340-mile Bikepacking Route?

Today we talk about mountain bike helmets: the history of helmets in cycling, how helmets are constructed, and what mountain bikers should look for when purchasing a new helmet. For additional information, be sure to check out these resources: * How to choose the best mountain bike helmet * Mountain bike helmet reviews

This is part two of a two-part podcast about my 29 Trails in 29 Days challenge. Episode one is here. Be sure to check out photos from the 29 Trails in 29 Days challenge too.

I challenged myself to ride 29 different mountain bike trails in 29 days, and this is how it all went down. In this episode I recap the first half of the challenge so stay tuned for the conclusion of my adventure next week.

It’s been said that mountain biking is currently in a “golden age.” In this episode of the Singletracks podcast, we debate whether that’s really true and speculate about what might be coming next.