The Inside Line Podcast - Vital MTB – Details, episodes & analysis

The news of Aaron Gwin making a new home on Frameworks TRP yesterday left a lot of unanswered questions. Thankfully the man himself was down for a candid chat to discuss his new future.

Cover photo by Callie Horwath

Topics

0:00 - Intro and What About Crestline?

9:34 - History with Neko

12:26 - How Can Frameworks Afford Gwin?

15:38 - Does Gwin Have to Race Now?

19:14 - Dealing with So Many Product Changes

32:31 - Does the Frameworks Accomodate Gwin's Riding Style?

43:00 - Being on a Team with Asa Vermette, Battling the Kids

49:50 - Game Plan for 2026 Races

53:55 - Gwin's Training Regimen

1:00:35 - Involvement with Lake Placid World Cup and TN National in 2026?

1:06:30 - Racing Hardline Tasmania

1:11:32 - Aaron Gwin 2011 vs. Aaron Gwin 2026?

0:00 - Aaron Gwin

8:16 - James McAllister

16:05 - Neko Mulally

As the 2026 downhill mountain bike season dawns, Frameworks TRP Racing announces that #USDH superstar, Aaron Gwin will join the team. Aaron, multi-time World Cup-winning downhiller, ran his own team, Gwin Racing, aboard Crestline bikes in 2024 and 2025. The change to Frameworks means a focus on racing, rather than team management, as Gwin seeks to wrap up his competitive career giving it all he can. With a new team comes new equipment. Besides the Frameworks frame, Aaron returns to FOX suspension after Ohlins with Gwin Racing. He'll be on Burgtec bars, a departure from his long-time Renthal setup. Wheels change to ENVE from e.thirteen, and he'll be aboard Continental tires.

Vital contributor, Jack Rice, catches up with Aaron, Neko and James McAllister, Aaron's mechanic during a testing session at Windrock Bike Park in December to discuss the changes and challenges.

This Inside Line podcast explores how mountain biking's newest competitive event, Hard MTB League, has the potential to change the sport. Vital Content Director, Shawn Spomer, met up with Braydon Bringhurst and Adam Pishl, the two visionaries behind the League, two weeks after its inaugural invitational near Boise, Idaho. 

Topics include explaining what Hard MTB League is, reflecting on how the first event went, the challenges that were faced, the excitement of tight racing, how athletes are selected, what the future looks like, and most importantly, how community is being fostered through the series.

If there are any questions or feedback about the Hard MTB League, Adam can be reached at hardmtb@icloud.com

Thank you to FOX | Maxxis Tires | Jenson USA for supporting The Inside Line

These awesome brands make The B Practice Podcast possible!
Maxxis | Industry Nine | Burgtec

​The B Practice Podcast is back! After some unfortunate technical difficulties last week that saw our post-Lenzerheide show evaporate from existence, the powers that be allowed our post-Leogang show to happen. Only two rounds into the UCI Downhill World Cup season, and we’ve been treated to tons of epic racing. We don’t know if there has ever been a season with as close of racing and so many potential winners. 

As always, Dakotah Norton brings you between the tape with his trackside insights and breaks down the excitement from Lenzerheide and Leogang with Tanner Stephens and Jason Schroeder. In this episode, the crew discusses initial impressions of the new race format, thoughts on the new broadcasting, the impressive crop of talent spread across each category, first-time category winners, Rachel Atherton’s legend status, and Loic Bruni’s futuristic gear. Thank you so much for listening, and we will see everybody after Val di Sole in a few weeks! Enjoy!

These great companies make The Inside Line possible
Maxxis Tires | Jenson USA | FOX 

Love him or hate him, Taylor Sage, or TSage as many call him, has been a breath of fresh air in the mountain bike scene for nearly 20 years. He's raced XC and downhill, he was a main builder at the infamous Hidden Valley trails, he's filmed for multiple New World Disorder movies, dug at Rampage for Kyle Strait and Cam Zink, helped keep MTB real with the 2Six Stallions, films and builds with Brandon Semenuk and so much more. Oh, and he's not on Instagram.

Enjoy the show with a living legend who's all grown up now...sort of. 

#MTB #podcast #mountainbike 

Show Contents
0:00 - Strava, Lopes and Racing XC
5:43 - MTB history
9:18 - Meeting Kyle Strait
14:40 - Building Trails and MTB vs BMX
27:54: - Mike Hucker Clark
30:36 - Zink, Strait, 2Six Stallions, Filming for NWD
39:51 - Robbie Bourdon's Broken Neck
47:23 - Film, Digital and Battling The Collective with NWD
50:47 - 2Six Stallions vs The Bicycle Rockers
52:53 - Sage is Unmarketable and Being Blind in One Eye
1:04:36 - TSage and Cam McCaul Saw a UFO
1:12:50 - Losing His Index Finger
1:28:15 - No Social Media
1:41:29 - Camera Gear, Semenuk, Editing Process
1:48:42 - The Future and Reflecting on the past

The B Practice Podcast is back after a small hiatus! Since our last recording a few months back, the crew has been busier than ever. Austin moved from Colorado to California to start a new role with Specialized, Dakotah has been in the thick of developing the latest Intense DH bike while continuing to build his house, Tanner’s been busy jump-starting his career as a producer, and I’ve just been doing what I can to keep pumping out cool content for the site. 

With the 2023 World Cup downhill season less than a month out, the good news is that we will soon be back to our normally scheduled post-race podcasting. This offseason has been longer and more action-packed than usual, and a lot of pre-season racing has ensued. We sat down to discuss how the current crop of elite racers are looking after these warm-up events, who will be contending for the win at Lenzerheide, find out how Dak is feeling heading into summer, highlight some fast up-and-coming #USDH racers, and speculate on what type of course tape will be used at the first round. 

As always, a huge shoutout to Maxxis, Industry Nine, and Burgtec for supporting the B Practice Podcast! Enjoy this episode, and we will see everyone the week after Lenzerheide for our post-race show. 

These awesome brands make The B Practice Podcast possible!

• ​MAXXIS TIRES
• INDUSTRY NINE
• BURGTEC

Welcome mountain bikers, I’m excited to have Ben Plenge on the show today. He’s a rider, racer, but he’s also the founder and coach at The Strength Factory in the UK. We discuss how Ben found mountain biking and being a fitness coach as well as specific philosophies and techniques to become a stronger, fitter rider.

Episode Topics

0:00 - Intro
 2:34 - Getting into MTB and Joining the Army
 9:21 - Becoming a Fitness Coach and Founding the Strength Factory
 15:36 - Fitness for MTBers over 40 years old
 21:32 - Mental Health, Training and Empathy
 27:01 - Do You Need Weights or Tech Gadgets to Train Well?
 34:13 - Importance of Posture for MTB
 39:33 - Different Body Types and Training Based on Forward Riding Foot
 44:37 - Nasal Breathing for MTB
 50:26 - Being Successful with a Fitness Plan - Realistic Time Management
 59:28 - Benefits of Low-Intensity Aerobic Training
 1:10:48 - Does an E-Bike Make You Weak?
 1:14:36 - Racers Ben Admires
 1:16:56 - MTB Strength Programs

Strength Factory Promotions for Vital MTBers

• Use the code VITALMTB for 20% off the Complete MTB Programme
• Use the code VITALDH for 20% off the Complete DH Programme
• Use the code VITAL40 for 20% off the Over 40s MTB Programme

All discount codes expire on 31st May.

Instagram: @strengthfactory_coach
YouTube: @thestrengthfactory.

These great companies make The Inside Line possible
MAXXIS TIRES - JENSON USA - FOX

Breathing Information

• The Oxygen Advantage by Patrick McKeown
• Breath by James Nestor
• Follow @_brianmackenzie or his website: Shift Adapt

Luca Cometti is a professional mountain biker and filmmaker from Southern California. He moved from BMX to MTB at an early age, hitting local races and making videos of his friends. As the years progressed, he turned that passion into becoming a Dual Slalom specialist, landing a ride on a factory team to race World Cup downhills, competing in Crankworx festivals all over the globe and creating film projects with some of mountain biking's most talented riders. Enjoy the show with one of the nicest riders in the game.

The Inside Line is supported by these great sponsors
Jenson USA
Maxxis Tires
FOX Racing Shox

See Luca on YouTube - @luca_cometti 
Follow Luca on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/luca_cometti

Show Contents
0:00 - The Coffee Setup
8:12 - Bonus for Beating Strait & Slalom Bike Setup
21:11 - Finding Bikes and Grom Video-making in San Diego
30:36 - DH Racing Progression & BetterRide Camps
36:46 - Pursing a DH Racing Career
43:43 - From Factory Racer to Privateer
52:56 - Pursing Crankworx Instead of World Cup
57:07 - Marketing as a Rider and Filmmaking
1:06:19 - Importance of Social Media Influence
1:11:04 - Quality of Content
1:22:44 - Brands Measuring Athletes with Promo Codes
1:27:37 - Video Project with Greg Minnaar
1:31:22 - Filming Kyle Strait's Back-breaking Rampage Crash
1:38:05 - Crankworx Hustle and Bernard Kerr's Success
1:44:21 - SURON Riders Wrecking Trails?
1:54:13 - Racing Big Mountain Enduro in 2023
2:00:30 - Why Isn't Dual Slalom a UCI Event?

#MTB #mountainbike #bike

U.S. downhill mountain bike racer, Charlie Harrison, joins us on The Inside Line to discuss his race career, injury and why he's decided to retire. Charlie has seen success with multiple World Cup DH podium results over the years. We talk about how he went from motocross racing to finding downhill MTB, career highlights, riding for Intense Factory Racing and Trek Factory Racing. As injury plagued the end of his time on the track, Charlie decided it was time to hang up the number plate and set his sights on a career in firefighting. He continues to ride regularly and does bike test work for Santa Cruz on occasion. #MTB #mountainbike #usdh 

Video contents
0:00 - Using PVC Pipe as Fake Roots on a DH Track
3:03 - What is SoCal Speed Team
6:37 - From Moto to MTB
13:06 - Will We Ever See Skatepark Chuck Again?
16:05 - DH Race Progression / Fontana
24:54 - World Cup Visions
28:14 - First World Cup DH Success
36:45 - Getting Comfortable at World Cups
39:06 - Riding for Intense Factory
46:08 - Breaking into Top 10 at the World Cup
49:57 - Moving to Trek Factory Racing
56:00 - Reece Wilson Story
1:00:45 - Plagued with Injuries
1:13:59 - Retiring from DH Racing
1:20:56 - DH Training Program
1:24:23 - Outside Hobbies and Overlanding
1:28:32 - Helping with Santa Cruz
1:32:52 - Embarrassing Crash

Watch the episode - https://youtu.be/WYbuPIpYCkI

Rich Houseman forged a successful career as an American mountain bike racer in the late nineties and early 2000s. Taking wins in downhill, dual slalom, 4x and dual, Rich has seen all the different trends and changes that mountain bike racing has taken over the last two-and-a-half decades. As his race career wound down, he found himself at a company called Sponsorhouse, which managed athlete and brand sponsor partnerships. Sponsorhouse changed its name to Hookit and Rich has remained an integral part of the business for 19 years. He continues to oversee athlete and sponsor relations and discusses how Hookit uses data-driven information to help companies and riders succeed in their marketing efforts.

Thanks  to JENSON USA  and MAXXIS TIRES  for supporting The Inside Line MTB podcast.

Watch this podcast on YouTube

Discussion Topics
0:00 - Introduction and Fontana
7:10 - BMX to Basketball to Downhill
16:50 - World Champs DH in Cairns
19:57 - First Sponsors, Racing for Tomac
24:54 - Slalom, Dual & 4X
30:59 - Bike Setup Back in the Day
34:28 - Why Did 4X Die?
35:56 - Proudest Racing Moment
38:08 - Making a Living Racing MTB
42:48 - Discovering Aaron Gwin
54:05 - Sponsorhouse to Hookit
1:00:17 - From MTB Racer to Desk Job
1:06:26 - Social Media's Impact on MTB Sponsorship
1:19:53 - What Makes a Successful Social Media Pt?
1:32:52 - Difficulties Female Athletes Face on Social Media
1:35:27 - Athletes Succeeding on Social Media
1:40:14 - Leticia Bufoni using Hookit
1:47:32 - Lew Buchanan Riding for OnlyFans
1:51:22 - Wyn Masters' Sponsor Value
1:56:11 - Dad Life

#MTB #Mountainbike #bike