The Inside Line Podcast - Vital MTB

Thanks to Maxxis Tires, FOX and Jenson USA for supporting The Inside Line MTB podcast! Jorge Gomes is a man dedicated to mountain bike racing. He is team manager for Transition Factory Racing, and the man behind Pro Builds mobile bike shop and Pro Builds Racing team, too. He tells us the story of how he became hooked on MTB which includes riding a dirt jump hardtail at Mountain Creek, how he became a bike assembler for Walmarts in his region and how he took his passion straight to the top by helping his rider, Valentia Roa Sanchez, earn the 2023 UCI Mountain Bike World Cup overall title in the Junior Women's class. As the first round of 2024 approaches, enjoy the stories of overcoming adversity and learn what it takes to become a World Cup mountain bike race team manager. 0:00 - Intro and His first mountain bike 9:23 - Getting into DH Racing and Teams 17:09 - From Machine Operator to Bike Shop Employee 19:18 - The Reality of Assembling Bikes for Walmart 25:52 - Pro Builds Racing Grows 28:42 - Introduction to Valentina Roa Sanchez 33:26 - Meeting Valentina In-Person for the First Time 49:07 - Investing in Junior Women's Racing 55:54 - Transition Factory Racing's First Year 1:08:37 - 2023 Race Season Highs and Lows 1:16:02 - Loudenvielle Junior Race Cancellation 1:30:05 - Valentina Roa Sanchez Winning the World Cup Overall 1:43:00 - The Future of Non-Elite Teams at World Cups

Win Prizes from RockShox, SRAM, Troy Lee Designs, FSA & Maxxis! https://www.vitalmtb.com/fantasy Ellie Hulsebosch of The Union is a first-year Junior on the World Cup Downhill circuit. She's been stacking up wins this off-season and is ready to slay Fort William this weekend. #MTB #DH #bike

This year, we are bringing you pre-World Cup discussions as part of Vital MTB Downhill Fantasy. Each round we will break down which racers you should keep an eye on going into the weekend, who's gone fast in years past, and try to give you some extra insight to help make the best Fantasy picks. In this episode, join Vital's own Jason Schroeder, ex-World Cup mechanic John Hall, and podcast co-host and contributing editor Tanner Stephens as they discuss off-season team changes, pre-season races, and who to watch at round one in Fort William, Scotland. For all the details on how to play Vital's Downhill Fantasy, including what prizes are up for grabs EACH round - https://www.vitalmtb.com/fantasy :26 - How to Play Vital Fantasy 12:00 - Off-Season Team Changes 31:43 - Off-Season Racing Results 40:01 - Who’s Injured and Out of Round #1 51:44 - Fort William Track Analysis 56:10 - Junior Women Insights and Predictions 1:00:53 - Junior Men Insights and Predictions 1:09:02 - Elite Women Insights and Predictions 1:14:47 - Elite Men Insights and Predictions

WIN A ROCKSHOX BOXXER - Vital MTB Downhill Fantasy Watch this interview - Ronan Dunne's 2022 season was going so poorly that his parents secretly signed him up for the army. Thankfully for us and Ronan, his results improved, he continued to race World Cup Downhill and now he's a podium finisher.

On today's podcast, Tech Editor Jason Schroeder brings you a pulse check on the state of our beloved mountain bike industry. Last week, during the Sea Otter Classic, he chatted with some industry folks from Santa Cruz Bicycles, Maxxis Tires, Feedback Sports, Transition Bicycles, Industry Nine, Orbea, FSA Components, Trek Bicycles, Hunt Wheels, and Privateer Bikes. And asked one simple question: now that we are a few years past the COVID bike boom, what is the state of the industry? Are things good? Are they bad? And where do you see things going in the next 12-24 months? Here is what people had to say. :43 - Maxxis Tires 5:57 - Santa Cruz Bicycles 8:21 - Trek Bicycles 9:52 - Hunt Wheels 17:00 Transition Bikes 21:27 - Feedback Sports 24:32 - FSA 26:52 - Industry Nine 32:11 - Orbea Bikes More Sea Otter content: https://www.vitalmtb.com/tags/sea_otter_classic_event More MTB news: https://www.vitalmtb.com/

Join Vital Tech Editor Jason Schroeder as he wanders the sea of vendor tents at the 2024 Sea Otter Classic. From new products to athlete check-ins to Pro dual slalom practice, get a taste of what it's like to have boots on the ground at the event. 1:28 - Checking in with Brandon Turman 5:15 - Crankbrothers SOS Tools 8:32 - B Zone loamers and Fort William predictions with George Browne 14:14 - Mondraker on moving to the U.S. 21:18 - Dillon Lemarr chats working at TLD and Fort William predictions 34:31 - Kiran MacKinnon from Santa Cruz Bicycles chats suspension tuning and bike development

Join Vital Tech Editor Jason Schroeder as he wanders the sea of vendor tents at the 2024 Sea Otter Classic. From new products to athlete check-ins to Pro dual slalom practice, get a taste of what it's like to have boots on the ground at the event. :35 - Derek Teel of Dialed Health 4:03 - Nik Nestoroff chats slalom finals prep and Maven brakes 6:11 - 2024 news with Industry Nine 8:43 - New forks from SR Suntour 14:43 - John Hall from Intense Cycles 28:39 - Intense’s gearbox downhill bike 40:33 - Transition Bikes 49:06 - Checking in with Marco Osborne 52:47 - Norco Sight and Optic link + 60-Year Anniversary 55:54 - Dual Slalom Finals

Join Vital Tech Editor Jason Schroeder as he wanders the sea of vendor tents at the 2024 Sea Otter Classic. From new products to athlete check-ins to Pro dual slalom practice, get a taste of what it's like to have boots on the ground at the event. :53 - Tannus Inserts new Fusion 3:08 - Ride Wrap 5:41 - DEITY Components - new grip and two new pedals (coming in June) 12:45 - Dakotah Norton - Slalom update 14:40 - Ari Bikes - custom slalom bike for Kyle Strait; updates on the new DH bike 17:45 - New Hunt Wheels coming this summer… 21:09 - Privateer Bikes now being sold in the US 23:48 - Interview with Braydon Bringhurst More Sea Otter content: Day 2 Photo Gallery #1 - https://www.vitalmtb.com/pit-bits-sea-otter-2024-day-2 Day 2 You Tube Video - https://www.vitalmtb.com/videos/features/sea-otter-classic-2024-crazy-and-cool-day-2-slalom-practice-raw vitalmtb.com

Join Vital Tech Editor, Jason Schroeder, as he wanders the sea of vendor tents at the 2024 Sea Otter Classic. From new products to athlete check-ins to Pro dual slalom practice, get a taste of what it's like to have boots on the ground at the event. Day 1 Photo Gallery #1 - https://www.vitalmtb.com/photos/features/pit-bits-sea-otter-2024-day-1/pit-bits-sea-otter-2024-day-1 Day 1 Photo Gallery #2 - https://www.vitalmtb.com/photos/features/pit-bits-sea-otter-2024-day-1-part-2/pit-bits-sea-otter-2024-day-1-part-2 Day 1 You Tube Video - https://www.vitalmtb.com/videos/features/sea-otter-classic-2024-crazy-and-cool-day-1

To learn more and hear our thoughts on the new Grip X2 damper, check out our First Ride review. After years of mostly positive reviews intertwined with some shortcomings, FOX has ditched its Grip2 and FIT4 dampers for model year 2025 forks. In their place are three new dampers that seek to offer a heightened level of discipline-focused performance and features. Grip SL - XC, short track, marathon Grip X - all mountain, trail Grip X2 - all-mountain, enduro, gravity We joined FOX for a few days at their HQ in Scotts Valley, California, to get the run down from their engineering and development team on the new damper line and the goals surrounding each product. 0:00 - Overview of Grip dampers with Bill Brown, Head of Engineering 14:35 - Grip X2 details and development goals with Sergio Avanto, Manager of Product Performance SUPERCROSS TALK WITH SERGIO 27:19 - Who was most difficult to work with (hint: the world's fastest German SX racer) Epic insight into James Stewart during his prime 45:49 - Jett Lawrence vs. James Stewart 50:13 - Similarities between supercross suspension and mountain bike suspension 55:48 - Remi Gauvin of the Rocky Mountain Gravity Team talks about the differences in performance and setup between Grip 2 and Grip X2

Thanks to Maxxis Tires, FOX and Jenson USA for supporting The Inside Line MTB podcast! The first-ever Monster Energy Pro Downhill Series race took place at Ride Rock Creek in North Carolina this weekend. Clay Harper, founder of the series, has a vision to bring back national-level downhill mountain bike race events and round 1 has proven to be a strong start. Jack Rice was at the event and caught up with Clay and others to get their thoughts on the weekend. Our show concludes with the Pro Women's and Men's press conference audio which can also be watched on our site. Contents 0:00 - Clay Harper, Race Director 9:39 - Sean Griz McClendon 13:26 - Callie Howrath 15:27 - Neko Mulally and Sean Leader 17:51 - Cory Rimmer 23:14 - John Hall 27:23 - Pro Women's Press Conference 37:51 - Pro Men's Press Conference

The Redcar Rocket, Danny Hart, handles the dreaded 17 without a flinch. Watch the video of this interview Watch Danny's Vital RAWWatch Danny's Bike Check video

Thanks to Maxxis Tires, FOX and Jenson USA for supporting The Inside Line MTB podcast! The 2024 Tennessee National Downhill mountain bike race at Windrock Bike Park is in the books with Dakotah Norton and Frida Ronning taking Elite wins. This was the first downhill event at Windrock since Aaron Gwin took over ownership of the park and racers and fans alike seemed stoked with the track and the way the event was run. Jack Rice checks in with racers and the people who make #USDH so great. Asa Vermette was on pace to challenge the time of Dakotah but washed out in a corner injuring his hip and resulting in a DNF. In the Junior classes, Dane Jewett posted a time that would have been 2nd in Elite Men and Aletha Oostgard's time would have been 2nd in Elite Women. Dig into the results, G-Out Project Photos and more on VitalMTB.com Interviews 0:00 - Dakotah Norton 4:44 - Don Rogers 6:11 - Asa Vermette (pre-race run) 8:39 - Clay Harper 13:56 - Luca Shaw 15:51 - Angel Suarez 17:46 - Neko Mulally 21:31 - Ryan Griffith 22:42 - Frida's Mechanic, Josh Thwaite 24:42 - Jack Pederson 26:08 - Kale Cushman 28:21 - Lucas Dedora

Thanks to Maxxis Tires, FOX and Jenson USA for supporting The Inside Line MTB podcast! The first major race of the 2024 #USDH season is here with the Tennessee National at Windrock Bike Park. Jack Rice hits the ground and meets up with racers, managers and the great people who make the event happen in this weekend's Inside Line. 0:00 - Aaron Gwin 5:41 - Luca Shaw 8:05 - Frida Ronning 10:38 - Sean Leader 14:52 - Alvaro Castillo 19:28 - Rachel Kelleher 26:51 - Seth Sherlock 29:28 - Rachel Pageau 33:34 - Jorge Gomes 35:44 - Joey Palmer 38:48 - Evan Warner 45:21 - Doug Sharp

Thanks to Maxxis Tires, FOX and Jenson USA for supporting The Inside Line MTB podcast! With the 2024 UCI Mountain Bike World Cup Downhill season fast approaching, we talk with Aaron Gwin about his move to Crestline Bikes, how his 2023 injury is healing, why he has like 497 different jobs, including being the owner of Windrock Bike Park , and how he thinks he'll handle racing this year. Interview Topics 0:00 - Intro, Move to Crestline Bikes 3:05 - Did Aaron Spend Personal Money for the New Team? 4:27 - Why Did the News Take So Long? 5:57 - How'd He Keep the Team Rumor Secret? 9:10 - From Vee Tires to e.13 Tires - Is There Really a Difference? 11:42 - The Day He Realized He We Would Be Off Intense 16:17 - Did Aaron Try to Be a Part of Big Brand? 21:36 - Does the Frame's Suspension Platform Matter Any More? 24:55 - Gwin's Crestline DH Bike Weight 26:56 - Does He Still Run Firm Suspension? 32:32 - Dakotah Norton 35:51 - Are There Enough Crestline Frames for the 2024 Season? 41:39 - Windrock for World Cup DH Training and Making Trails Harder 45:32 - What Goes on at a Red Bull Athlete Camp? 53:39 - World Cup Snow DH, Cool or Lame? 54:18 - Aaron Gwin's 2023 Injury in Detail 1:07:02 - World Champs is Gwin's 2024 Goal and He Thinks He Can Win 1:09:35 - Does a Winning DH Run Have to Be Out of Control? 1:12:27 - Jackson Goldstone and How to Compete Against Him? 1:17:43 - Gwin Racing at the World Cups 1:20:17 - Why Aaron Gwin has Like 53 Different Jobs 1:26:55 - The Future of Windrock Bike Park - Host a World Cup? Get a Chairlift? 1:32:31 - Favorite Bike He's Ridden in the Past? YouTube Habits and Life Outside of California

Watch our video and see photos of the fork on Vital MTB and our YouTube channel. Thank you Maxxis Tires, FOX Suspension and Jenson USA for making The Inside Line possible. Vital first rode a prototype PUSH Nine.One inverted mountain bike fork a year ago in February of 2023. The same day, we recorded an interview with PUSH owner, Darren Murphy, getting all the details about the fork before its release. At the time, the scheduled release for the Nine.One was only a couple months away and PUSH eventually showed the fork at the Sea Otter Classic. A couple months turned into 4, then 7 then 8. Fast-forward 12 months later, and the fork is now available to the public. Discussion Topics At $2,600 USD, the coil-sprung Nine.One is made in the USA at the PUSH factory in Colorado. It features 140-170mm of user-adjustable travel in 10mm increments and uses modular axle lugs that can run 27.5 or 29-inch wheels with built-in brake mounts for 180mm or 200mm rotors. The damping technology is that of the PUSH Elevensix shock and oil can be changed and serviced through bleed ports at the top of the fork. While most riders can't comprehend spending that much money on a fork, Darren and PUSH set out to make a highly refined piece of suspension that can last and be updated for years to come. We dive into why PUSH would make a fork, their philosophy on what makes good suspension, misconceptions of upside-down fork design, what took so long to finish production, and why someone may want such an expensive MTB fork.

Thank you Maxxis Tires, FOX Suspension and Jenson USA for making The Inside Line possible. Watch this interview on YouTube Joe Bowman of The Union and Steel City Media gets on the mic to discuss sponsor and rider changes for the team in 2024. 2023 was an extremely successful year for the not-for-profit program with Chris Hauser grabbing a Junior World Cup DH win and team riders graduating to bigger factory teams. As a development team, The Union's goal is to help young and up-and-coming riders get experience at the World Cup level with hopes of building their future in the sport. Follow @join.the.union on Instagram

The #frecklegate conspiracy comes to fruition as Dakotah Norton officially joins the newly formed Mondraker Factory Racing Team. After two years of upward trajectory under Intense Factory Racing, Dak hopes to continue edging closer to that elusive first World Cup win while helping develop Mondraker's new DH bike alongside Ryan Pinkerton and Ronan Dunne. Dak is a staple of our B Practice Podcast, so we had to hop on last week to discuss how the switch to Mondraker came about, what he was looking for in a new team, and how he feels heading into the season. Enjoy! These awesome brands make The B Practice Podcast possible! Maxxis | Burgtec | Industry Nine Interview Contents 0:00 - Intro, Crew Catch Up 6:29 - Norton Compound Update 10:48 - Dak Joins Mondraker Factory Racing! 11:30 - Why He Left Intense Factory Racing 14:53 - How Riding For Mondraker Came Together 16:49 - What Was Dak Looking For in a New Team 18:43 - Getting Paid Fairly 23:48 - Difficulty Finding a Ride as a Top 10 Racer 31:28 - Aaron Gwin's Impact on Dak's Program 36:33 - Things Learned from DH Racing 39:39 - The Draw of Riding for Mondraker 42:45 - New Team, New Bike to Develop 45:17 - Intense M1 vs. Prototype Mondraker 49:46 - Offseason Plans to Prep for WC #1 53:02 - Having Ryan Pinkerton and Ronan Dunne as Teammates 57:46 - Thoughts on Frame Stiffness vs. Compliance 59:55 - How Much Stack We Rockin' on the Mondy?! 1:04:42 - Team Sponsors 1:08:25 - New Mechanic 1:14:20 - Would Dak Wear A Onesie? 1:16:08 - Will Dak Race in Shorts Next Year? 1:20:27 - Team Rumors Talk 1:25:42 - Dak Doing Hardline??

Thank you Maxxis Tires, FOX Suspension and Jenson USA for making The Inside Line possible. Watch this interview and see riding clips on YouTube In a sea of slashed budgets, folding teams and riders struggling to find a way to race downhill mountain bikes in 2024, Neko Mulally has expanded his Frameworks team with the addition of Spanish rider, Angel Suarez for 2024. In this Inside Line MTB podcast, we ask Neko how he was able to expand his team, increase budget and roll into the season with two podium contenders - Angel in Elites and first-year Junior, Asa Vermette. Neko candidly talks budget, bike development, the future of Frameworks and what the UCI Downhill Mountain Bike World Cup may look like. Interview Contents

Downhill mountain bike racing legend, Greg Minnaar, announced that he joined Norco Bicycles after 16 years with the Santa Cruz Syndicate. Minnaar has more Mountain Bike World Cup Downhill victories than any other Elite male racer. While 2023 was supposed to be his farewell season after two-and-a-half decades of racing, a flat tire at World Championships in Fort William left Greg with a poor result and a hunger to end his competitive career on a high note. When Santa Cruz decided to let Greg go, he found a new home at Norco. In this interview we talk with Greg about that change, the possible challenges of working with a new bike and team, as well as his expectations for the 2024 UCI Mountain Bike World Cup DH race season. Video Contents 0:00 - Intro / Is He on FOX or RockShox? 3:31 - Any Other Sponsor Changes? 4:21 - Why Didn't He Retire in 2023? 7:55 - Did He Try to Stay with Santa Cruz Syndicate? 10:50 - Norco's Race Engineering Program 13:09 - How Will He Adapt to the Norco Prototype DH Bike? 16:17 - From VPP to High-Pivot to DH Bike 20:20 - Does Suspension Platform Really Matter? 22:30 - The Source - Norco Junior Development Team 25:29 - What If He Doesn't Get Results or Gets an Injury? 30:44 - 2024 Race Goals 32:48 - Insight into 2024 World Cup DH Format 36:06 - Would He Wear the Fox One-piece Suit like Christian Craig? 36:58 - What Will He Miss Most about The Syndicate? Thanks to Maxxis Tires, FOX and Jenson USA for supporting Vital MTB's The Inside Line podcast. #MTB #mountainbike #downhill