Explore every episode of the podcast Vital MTB
| Title | Pub. Date | Duration | |
|---|---|---|---|
| World Cup Content Is Boring and the 2027 World Cup Schedule Is Cooked - Vital’s B Practice Podcast | 10 Nov 2026 | 01:19:32 | |
Tanner Stephens, Dakotah Norton, and Jason Schroeder bring you an off-season podcast to discuss the 2027 World Cup downhill schedule, thoughts on media coverage around races and what could be better, and a bunch of hot-take style questions. Enjoy. Thank you Maxxis Tires, Burgtec Components, and JensonUSA.com for supporting the B Practice Podcast! 00:00 Dirt Bike vs. Downhill: Who Makes More Prize Money? | |||
| Does handlebar compliance really matter? Discussing our Handlebar Compliance Shootout | 04 Nov 2026 | 01:14:14 | |
This week, Jason Schroeder, Lars Sternberg, and Shawn Spomer are joined by another Vital contributor, Mike Page, to discuss the handlebar compliance shootout that Mike took on this year. They go over what even is compliance, how different amounts did (or didn’t) affect comfort and steering, and what the results were across the 9 bars tested. Enjoy. Mike's handlebar compliance article - Does Handlebar Compliance Actually Improve Comfort? | MTB Handlebar Shootout Join the podcast discussion - Bikes: Unaffiliated Forum Discussion | |||
| MTB Is HARD, and the Bike vs. Ability Debate | Vital’s Bikes: Unaffiliated Ep. 15 | 26 Oct 2026 | 01:11:36 | |
This week, Jason Schroeder, Lars Sternberg, and Shawn Spomer discuss two super serious topics:
Join the podcast discussion - Bikes: Unaffiliated Forum Discussion | |||
| A Consistently Inconsistent Season - 2026 World Cup Recap - Vital’s B Practice Podcast | 14 Oct 2026 | 01:00:16 | |
A few things were consistently inconsistent this year: Dak’s results and how many podcasts we recorded. But recognizing the problem is the first step to progress. With the dust from the 2026 World Cup DH season settled, we hopped on the mics to chat about Dak’s first year riding for Scott and his ambitions for the off-season and next year. We also reflected on who had a good year, who had a bad year, who needs to turn it around next season, and who we think will come out swinging in 2027. As always, thanks for tuning in, and a huge shoutout to Maxxis, Burgtec, and Jenson USA for supporting the podcast this year! Stay tuned for more off-season pods soon. | |||
| Whizzla World Cup Recap - Best Race of the Century?? Also, F* Poles | Vital’s Bikes: Unaffiliated EP.14 | 01 Oct 2026 | 01:05:12 | |
Spomer and Schroeder were on the ground at the inaugural Whistler World Cup, and the post-race stoke was too high not to talk about it. So we got Lars Sternberg on the line, and had a good ol bench race banter session. The Whistler crowd was legendary, the track was quintessential Whistler, the weather was typical for a race weekend, and Americans topped two podiums. The only thing that could have made it better was if Lachie Stevens-Mcnab wasn’t DQ’d for dodging a pole. Enjoy the chat! | |||
| Vital's B Practice Podcast - The Whistler Update | 25 Sep 2026 | 00:23:01 | |
The crew has been slacking on podcasting. No one likes excuses, so we won't give you any. Good news is the World Cup circus has arrived in North America, and we are on site in Whistler to document potentially the most anticipated DH race of the century. With Jason and Dak both in the same time zone and town, they caught up for a quick catch up before the weekend chaos begins. | |||
| R.I.P. Enduro World Cups - Vital’s Bikes: Unaffiliated Podcast - EP. 13 | 24 Aug 2026 | 01:13:26 | |
This week, Jason Schroeder, Lars Sternberg and Shawn Spomer discuss the end of enduro World Cup racing in 2027 - the why, the how, and the what’s next. Join the podcast discussion - Bikes: Unaffiliated Forum Discussion Digest more of our content - Instagram, YouTube, Facebook (Thumb photo cred: the great Sven Martin) | |||
| Are you a ‘core’ mountain biker?? - Vital’s Bikes: Unaffiliated Podcast - EP. 12 | 11 Aug 2026 | 01:12:47 | |
This week, Jason Schroeder, Lars Sternberg, and Shawn Spomer discuss two super serious topics:
Join the podcast discussion - Bikes: Unaffiliated Forum Discussion | |||
| A Sore Ankle, High Security & Inflatable Body Armor - La Thuile & Andorra Recap - B Practice Podcast | 15 Jul 2026 | 01:31:30 | |
La Thuile and Andorra came and went, and the same names topped the podiums in each category except junior men, which is impressive considering how different the tracks were. The rest of the results sheet, especially in elites, has continued to be a mix up every round. And it shows in the overall standings—points gaps are tight when you get below the top three. It’s going to be an exciting back half to the season after the summer vacation. We get into who finished where the past two weeks, and chat about Dak’s current gear setup, his ankle injury from Andorra, Specialized team dynamics without Loic, the tight security after Andorra finals, if Jonty Williams has already won the overall, Vali going on a Rachel Atherton-esque streak, the rise of Bode Burke, the pressure of Max Commencal in the finishing corral at Andorra, and the need for everyone to be wearing the inflatable chest protector after witnessing Amaury’s crash. Enjoy! | |||
| The Rise of DJI: From Drones to E-Bikes - B.S. Podcast | 10 Jul 2026 | 02:45:46 | |
In this episode, Jeff Brines and Charlie Sponsel explore the fascinating history and rapid rise of DJI, the Chinese tech giant known for drones and now e-bikes under the Avinox name. They analyze the cultural, geopolitical, and industrial factors that have shaped DJI's success and its implications for the cycling industry. Jeff and Charlie explore the rapid advancements in e-bike technology, the strategic moves of industry giants like DJI, and the evolving regulatory landscape. They analyze how these changes could reshape the future of the bike industry over the next five years. Chapters | |||
| Bar Width, Mountain of Hell, Gearbox Motors - Vital’s Bikes: Unaffiliated Podcast | 25 Jun 2026 | 01:23:57 | |
Tag along for another decompression conversation, where we chat about the Mountain of Hell mass-start race, Cannondale’s Bad Habit that Jason’s been reviewing, how heavy is too heavy for a trail bike, the subjectiveness of bike setup and what components are ‘good,’ bar width, bar ends, and auto-shifting e-bike gearbox motors. Enjoy! | |||
| 2-Clicks of Rebound The Wrong Way!! - Lenzerheide Recap - B Practice Podcast | 24 Jun 2026 | 01:42:43 | |
Four rounds into the 2026 World Cup season, and three B Practice podcasts have been recorded. What’s new? This episode, we get into what Dak’s been messing with, the struggles he had in Leogang, and the strides he made in Lenzerheide. We also spent way too long disputing what should change to make World Cups more engaging and growing. How many times can we talk about the same things? We also cover the usual talking points from the past two weeks of racing. Enjoy! | |||
| You Asked. They Answered - Specialized Demo 11 Q&A | 23 Jun 2026 | 00:16:40 | |
Specialized’s new Demo 11 downhill bike is a certified rocket ship. You don’t need us to tell you that. Jordan Williams, Loic Bruni, and Finn Iles have proven the platform's abilities over the past three years of development and this year two World Cup DH wins have been nabbed aboard the production version. The problem may be that it's complex, heavy and priced much higher than other DH bikes. Watch the full 'First Ride' video - https://youtu.be/D6dVxVffoPA | |||
| From Loudenvielle to Leogang - B Practice Podcast Analysis | 08 Jun 2026 | 01:26:00 | |
Loudenvielle came and went, and unfortunately our dude Dak didn't make it in the night show. That's racing. The good news is his setup is trending towards the bullseye. After a week off lapping in Schladming, it's time to get back on the horse and head to Leogang. We figured most people already got their fix of post-race highlights from Loudenvielle, so we focused most on Dak's thoughts on the track, the race to make finals, Luca's first victory and what it represents, why he's going stiffer and stiffer and what that means for his bar height, poles vs. course tape, and thoughts on Leogang this weekend. Enjoy! | |||
| Your Mid-Week MTB Decompression - Vital’s ‘bikes: unaffiliated’ Podcast | 03 Jun 2026 | 01:21:01 | |
Join us on an unscripted, unaffiliated podcast journey where we discuss various hot takes from the Loudenvielle DH World Cup, risk vs. reward in DH racing, the Hot Laps event in Washington, how to hit berms better, why Enduro World Cups are dying a slow death and why that doesn’t actually matter for the sport of enduro, and a bunch of other MTB-related nonsense. Enjoy! | |||
| JORDI CORTES - 17 Questions | 29 May 2026 | 00:06:22 | |
See more 17 Questions videos - https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLLiDwPfY-lhwLORXY7C8mhKi-BtWbmxXO | |||
| Developing A Mountain Bike at 19 - Arid Cycles Founder Ethan Eggert | Vital's Bikes: Unaffiliated Podcast | 26 May 2026 | 01:07:40 | |
This week, we had the pleasure of chatting with Ethan Eggert, the founder of Arid Cycles, to discuss how he’s managed to create his own mountain bike in only a few years without any financial help or a traditional background in bike development. It’s a really cool story that shows how no idea is too big with some ingenuity and persistence. What has transpired is the Spade model, a very intriguing enduro bike that’s highly modular, progressive, and features some first-of-its-kind design elements. Arid is currently producing its first batch of 50 frames with delivery slated for this Fall. To learn more about the Spade, check out aridcycles.com, or @aridcycles on Instagram and YouTube. | |||
| “Every Run Is a Race Run” | Vital's B Practice Podcast - South Korea | 12 May 2026 | 01:58:27 | |
Days late, dollars short. That’s how the B Practice Podcast rolls. After a rough first race of the year, followed by some horrendous travel, it took us an extra week to nail down our guy Dak to podcast. We chatted a good bit about his race weekend in South Korea and how he’s feeling about his program going into the next big block of racing. We also discussed how he rushed to race the Monster Pro Downhill at Mountain Creek last weekend, and how he’s heading to Andorra next week to make his bike stiffer. Plus, all the usual race weekend coverage, including Asa winning his first try in Elites, Aletha having the fastest time of the day, track notes from a wild first-time venue, gripes with the broadcast, Amaury’s what could have been winning run, big names off the pace, new names in juniors, and a bunch of other nonsense. We hope you enjoy. Thanks for listening! | |||
| Let's Get Mental - Bikes: Unaffiliated Ft. Dr. Jason Richardson | 27 Apr 2026 | 01:41:22 | |
Dr. Jason Richardson joins the podcast to chat about his work as a sports psychologist in cycling and how the same tools that benefit professional athletes can benefit every rider, regardless of ability, on and off the bike. We loved this conversation and learned a lot ourselves. We hope you get something out of it, too! Summary Professional BMX rider and sports psychologist Dr. Jason Richardson shares insights on mental resilience, goal setting, and the psychology of winning. Discover practical strategies to overcome negative thoughts, embrace ownership of your performance, and unlock your full potential in sports and life. In this engaging interview, Jason Richardson shares insights on racing psychology, social media's impact on athletes, mental strategies for success, and the parallels between mountain biking and life. Discover practical tips for mental resilience, social media management, and achieving peak performance. | |||
| World Cup DH Press Conference - Bruni, Goldstone, Shaw, Holl, Hemstreet, Seagrave | 23 Apr 2026 | 00:29:14 | |
Virtual press conference recorded on April 21 to discuss the upcoming World Cup Downhill season with Loic Bruni, Jackson Goldstone, Luca Shaw, Vali Holl, Gracey Hemstreet and Tahnee Seagrave. | |||
| Freak Bikes Taking Over - Bikes Unaffiliated | 22 Apr 2026 | 01:30:58 | |
Schroeder, Spomer and Lars get back together to discuss big wheels and weird bikes taking over. | |||
| TEAM ROBOT - Hot Takes from Sea Otter | 21 Apr 2026 | 00:06:09 | |
Sponsel loses so you can win. | |||
| Dak's Setup Is Getting Out There - Vital's B Practice Podcast | 10 Apr 2026 | 01:40:39 | |
I's been a busy few months since the last podcast—Jason went to New Zealand and Italy, Tanner has been to nearly all 50 states working different shoots and projects, and Dakotah has bounced between Europe and Tennessee as he feverishly tests every setup under the sun. We covered a lot of this show, including Dak's crash at the Tennessee National, getting outside of the box with setup, Reece Wilson's crazy stem/bar combo, gym training vs. on-bike training, and goals at the first World Cup. But mostly, we caught up on life because we don't see each other enough these days, and the podcast is the perfect excuse to banter and hang out. We hope you enjoy! | |||
| Masters World Championships - Matt Thompson and Steve Wentz | 09 Apr 2026 | 01:10:34 | |
Today we talk with Matt Thompson and Steve Wentz who just returned from Masters World Champs downhill in Chile. Matt took the rainbow stripes in the 50-55 Master C2 class and Steve landed a Top 10 in a stacked field of “younger” talent, most importantly beating Ben Deakin in the process. | |||
| More Linear? More Comfortable?? Tech Breakdown & Impressions of RockShox New Zeb Fork | 08 Apr 2026 | 00:11:49 | |
RockShox Zeb fork is all-new for model year 2027. They’ve taken what they learned developing the latest Boxxer, and have applied many of the same technologies and tuning ideologies to their single-crown, gravity fork. More info - https://www.vitalmtb.com/forums/hub/2027-rockshox-zeb-fork-tech-info-impressions-discussion 0:00 - Intro | |||
| POST-RACE Pro Downhill Series Rock Creek Interviews - Unc Chats with Luca Cometti | 29 Mar 2026 | 00:18:32 | |
Elite race day at the first event of the 2026 @prodownhillseries was a heater at Ride Rock Creek bike park in North Carolina as downhill mountain bikers put it all on the line for victory. Listen to the post-race interviews with Luca Cometti. | |||
| Pro Downhill Series Rock Creek Track Walk Interviews - Unc Chats with Luca Cometti | 26 Mar 2026 | 00:21:09 | |
Luca Cometti heads to round 1 of the 2026 Pro Downhill Series at Ride Rock Creek, North Carolina. Track walk took place today, and Luca grabbed the pros to find out how they'll approach the weekend following the Tennessee National. | |||
| POST-RACE Pro Interviews - Tennessee National - Unc Chats with Luca Cometti | 23 Mar 2026 | 00:28:10 | |
What a crazy day of #USDH action at the 2026 Tennessee National at Windrock Bike Park. Austin Dooley took the Pro Men's win by just .004 seconds over Cole Suetos. If they crossed the line at 20mph, that's just 1.4 inches! Aletha Ostgaard stomped on the women with a win by over 6 seconds. Gwin slid out, Ronan Dunne and Luca Shaw flatted, Dak was coughing up blood after a seeding crash. It was hectic! Luca Cometti gets the scoop from all the pros to see how their race days went. | |||
| Grilling the Pros - TN National Unc Chats with Luca Cometti | 20 Mar 2026 | 00:26:28 | |
You can watch these interviews on YouTube The first major U.S. downhill mountain bike race of 2026 is underway at Windrock Bike Park. #USDH shredder, Luca Cometti, grills the pros during track walk to see what they're up to and how their feeling for this weekend's race. Riders like Ronan Dunne, Dakotah Norton, Aaron Gwin, Dante Silva, Kailey Skelton, Frida Ronning and more DH pros speak up. 0:22 - Frida Ronning | |||
| We're Keeping the Name. Bikes Unaffiliated Ep 6 | 10 Mar 2026 | 01:20:08 | |
You chimed in and the name of our podcast, Bikes: Unaffiliated will remain. In this episode, Jason Schroeder, Shawn Spomer and Lars Sternberg tackle an assortment of random bike and non-bike subjects like why was our tech forum picking on Dario from Pinkbike, why didn't Spomer answer Lopes' phone call, should we test a 32-inch-wheeled hardtail, what is Epicly Later'd, the DHR II sucks as a front tire, why don't Lars or Jason like radials and plenty more. | |||
| Vital Staffers in Heaven (Queenstown) and Hell (The ER) | 20 Feb 2026 | 01:29:59 | |
Would you rather be riding epic bike parks in Queenstown, downhill trails in Laguna or sitting in the ER because you can't pee? Jason Schroeder, Lars Sternberg and Shawn Spomer reflect on their last couple of weeks in this episode of Bikes Unaff....... The 9th Street Documentary on YouTube 0:00 - Intro | |||
| 17 Questions - Loic Bruni | 17 Feb 2026 | 00:18:31 | |
One of downhilling's finest, Loic Bruni, ain't scared of the dreaded 17! You can watch this interview on Vital MTB
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| 17 Questions - Aaron Gwin | 29 Jan 2026 | 00:09:07 | |
Downhill destroyer, Aaron Gwin, takes another stab at the dreaded 17 during a Frameworks test camp in Southern California. Hard to believe the first 17 Qs we did with Aaron was 15 years ago! Question asked 2. How do you pass time on long flights? Movies, reading, sleeping, catching up on emails?? 3. What was your best trick during your bmx days? 4. What was the most money you made at a single race from bonuses? (you can leave out the team, year, or brands if you’d like) 5. If you had it all to do over again, would you rather have been a professional supercross/outdoor rider than a professional mountain biker? 6. Who has the best style at World Cups these days? 7. Favorite and least favorite World Cup track? 8. How many riders come to Windrock and ask for free shuttles? 9. Best place to eat out if you’re at Windrock? 10. Of the titles you hold, rank these from least to most favorite: bike park owner, race promoter, professional mountain biker, airbnb host, sports commentator. 11. What do you miss most about living in SoCal? 12. What’s your game plan going into Red Bull Hardline? 13. You’re considered one of the greatest downhill racers of all time. Who do you consider to be the best downhill racer? 14. We know you’ve always been a bit of a gym rat. Give us a few of your favorite exercises that translate well to on the bike performance? 15. How many elite men and elite women should there be in finals at a World Cup? 16. We’ve always admired your ability to capitalize on the success you’ve had as a racer with the many financial endeavors you’ve taken on. Do you have any money/business advice for other athletes? 17. Wouldn’t you rather be building trails at Windrock than answering these stupid questions? | |||
| 17 Questions - Neko Mulally | 22 Jan 2026 | 00:15:48 | |
Can Neko handled the dreaded 17? Watch on YouTube, too. | |||
| 32" Wheels—You're Kidding, Right? Bikes: Unaffiliated EP.5 | 22 Jan 2026 | 01:13:56 | |
We’ve been minimally interested in the 32-inch wheel topic. It was more fun to hypothesize what they’d ride like when it was a distant rumor. Now that Maxxis has 32-inch tires you can buy, and many brands are currently developing literal wagon wheel models, we don’t know how to feel. Luckily, we tagged in Maxxis Brand Manager, Aaron Chamberlain, to fill us in on the impetus of the 32-inch revolution and the main arguments around their implementation. Chapters | |||
| What Vital Users Liked in 2025 | bikes: unaffiliated podcast EP. 4 | 13 Jan 2026 | 01:55:28 | |
Happy New Year errybody! In this episode, we go through the components, places to ride, and habits Vital users listed as their favorites in 2025. We then touch on what we enjoyed in 2025 and what we are looking forward to in the year ahead. Chapters 00:00 New Year Reflections and Family Time 11:08 Retirement in Action Sports: A Bittersweet Transition 13:38 Women in Racing: Breaking Taboos 16:49 Health Reflections: The Impact of Illness 19:46 Excitement for Upcoming Events 24:03 Dak's New Journey with Dream Team 36:05 Community Engagement and User Feedback 53:25 Trends in Mountain Biking: E-bikes and Upgrades 01:13:50 Product Discussions and Industry Insights 01:26:23 Wheels and Brakes: Performance Insights 01:38:13 Starting a Business: Flowcraft and Community Engagement 01:47:32 Reflections on Racing and Industry Changes 01:52:30 Engaging the Community: The Podcast Forum | |||
| AARON GWIN Interview 2026 | 09 Jan 2026 | 01:15:09 | |
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? | |||
| Aaron Gwin Joins Frameworks - Exclusive Test Camp Interviews | 08 Jan 2026 | 00:31:25 | |
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. | |||
| Why Dakotah Norton Joined Scott DH Factory - B Practice Podcast | 07 Jan 2026 | 01:03:14 | |
After an exciting two years with Mondraker Factory Racing, our guy Dak has moved to Scott DH Factory and signed a three-year deal. So naturally, we had to podcast about it. We wanted all the details on what prompted his departure from Mondraker, what attracted him to Scott, his goals and expectations for the upcoming season now that he's mostly recovered from his injury, and most importantly: will he still be running 75mm rise bars on his new Gambler? Per usual, Dak was transparent about what he’s seeking from a team at this point in his career, the reality of having to prove he’s still a podium contender post-injury, and his newfound appreciation for the opportunity he has to keep racing his bike. We hope you enjoy the conversation! | |||
| 7 Years Later - Colin Meagher, ALS and the Lifelong Friends He Brought Together | 23 Dec 2025 | 01:19:23 | |
We have a very special, and probably tear-and-laugh filled episode of The Inside Line as we catch back up with Colin Meagher, all-around nice guy, incredible, storied mountain bike photographer and man dealing with the late stages of ALS or Lou Gehrig’s disease. Since Colin’s symptoms have progressed so strongly, he’s not really able to speak, so we have a gaggle of his best buds in Seattle to help do the talking for him. You can watch this interview on our YouTube Channel Everyone at Vital hopes you get inspired by listening to the stories of how Colin impacted so many lives. Colin, we love you! Contents 0:00 - Intro and Colin's crew on how they met colin 8:26 - Colin answers questions about his ALS 35:35 - Colin gets roasted by his crew | |||
| The Future We Can't Escape and Other E-Bike Discussions - bikes unaffiliated Ep. 3 | 19 Dec 2025 | 02:23:54 | |
Electric mountain bikes. Either you love ‘em, or think they’re wack. Granted, the latter opinion has been losing steam as more brands release good e-bikes, and more riders toss a leg over one. They’re the talk of our industry and are one of the few, if not the only, segments of bikes experiencing significant change year after year. In this show, Vital’s own Jason Schroeder and Shawn Spomer, along with industry veteran Lars Sternberg, and Founder/Operator of Crestline Bikes, Troydon Murison, sift through the current landscape of e-bikes and discuss what the future might hold. The conversation also kicks off with a rad (almost hour-long) dive into how Crestline Bikes became a thing and the challenges posed by making bikes overseas. Contents 00:00 "My Watch Said I Was Dead" - Lars Sternberg | |||
| "We Were Living Month to Month" - YT CEO, Sam Nicols | 16 Dec 2025 | 01:40:23 | |
In this special edition of the Inside Line podcast, Jeff Brines interviews Sam Nicols, the former CEO of YT Industries from 2021 to 2024, exploring his journey from a career at Amazon to leading a prominent bike company during tumultuous times. He reflects on his experiences as CEO of YT Industries, discussing the challenges faced in the bike industry, particularly around demand fluctuations, inventory management, and the impact of cash flow on business decisions. 00:00 Introduction to Sam Nicols and YT Industries | |||
| How Long Should Bikes Last? - Bikes: Unaffiliated Ep 2 | 11 Dec 2025 | 01:38:06 | |
In episode 2 of Bikes: Unaffiliated, Jason Schroeder, Lars Sternberg and Shawn Spomer discuss the evolution of mountain bike technology, focusing on the durability of bikes and components. They explore the expectations riders have for bike longevity, and the importance of community feedback in shaping technology. The conversation also touches on maintenance practices and the balance between cost, weight, and durability in bike design. They delve into the evolution of mountain biking, focusing on suspension setups, the impact of e-bikes on component durability, and the importance of understanding rider skill levels. The crew discusses the challenges of navigating suspension adjustments, the significance of bearing technology, and the lifecycle of bike components. They also dissect where to spend money when building a durable bike. | |||
| What's It Like to Release a New Bike Product? - Bikes: Unaffiliated Ep 1 | 05 Dec 2025 | 01:24:43 | |
Join Vital's own Jason Schroeder and Shawn Spomer, along with industry veteran Lars Sternberg, as they discuss the gripping topic of launching new bikes and their embargoes. Why do we have embargoes? What goes on behind the scenes of a new product launch? Are embargoed launches still impactful? How do brands and media make a splash on embargo day to give riders something to get excited about? | |||
| Follow-Up - Post-Downtime Markus Flossmann Interview | 24 Nov 2025 | 00:09:18 | |
Jeff Brines follows up our "We Discuss YT" podcast with his thoughts after listening to the Markus Flossmann interview on the Downtime podcast. Jeff also notes corrections made in our original show after learning information shared in the Downtime pod. | |||
| We Discuss YT | 20 Nov 2025 | 01:45:38 | |
Discuss this with our community on Vital MTB We’re back with The Inside Line, BS edition where we talk about the business and economic side of the mountain bike industry with Jeff Brines and Charlie Sponsel. Today is a discussion about YT Industries and the company’s recent turmoil of going through administration, shutting down and then re-opening just the other day. Because they went through the administration process, Jeff was able to pull out company information to analyze that we don’t usually get to see from bike brands. Please understand we’re not providing any financial advice, and as we’ve noted in the past, these topics may be a discussion of curiosity and interest to us, but real people have been impacted by everything we’re talking about. They may have lost jobs, they may be out thousands of dollars. At no point are we trying to make light of any of these situations. Additonally, we have no way of actually knowing the hearts or motivations of anyone involved in the topics we discuss, so we do our best to look at the data and report on stories we’ve heard regarding the situation. Topics Discussed
Thank you to FOX | Maxxis Tires | Jenson USA for supporting The Inside Line | |||
| Will Hard MTB League Change Things? | 19 Nov 2025 | 01:09:11 | |
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 | |||
| Dak Needs A Sealant Sponsor (And a Bike Sponsor) - B Practice Podcast - MSA Recap | 16 Oct 2025 | 01:37:44 | |
MSA, what a way to end the season. Grueling and daunting, it's a track that other venues will forever be compared against. It feels wrong that this could be the last World Cup at Mont Sainte Anne for a long time (if not ever). At least the final send-off race was one to remember. For our crew, it was memorable because our guy Dak, against a lot of odds, slotted himself into 4th place less than a year after a life-altering injury. We couldn't be prouder. In this episode, we chat about Dak's program (or lack thereof) going into the off-season, Jackson doing Jackson things to take the overall title, the current rider pool being so deep, tire sealant tips, Rampage thoughts, and what type of content is even engaging these days. | |||
| You Can't Beat Racing At Home - Lake Placid World Cup Recap with Dak Norton and Dante Silva | 08 Oct 2025 | 02:03:32 | |
The B Practice podcast returns! There was a lot of racing the past six weeks or so. Our main man Dak was busy globetrotting and facilitating one hell of a comeback. So we can't be too upset about his lack of availability. Thankfully, we sat down this week to chat about some DH racing and were joined by special guest Dante Silva. We kept the conversation laid-back per usual, breaking down the unpredictable track from Lake Placid, how Dante and Dak's weekends went, what winning the U.S. Open for the third time meant to Dak, Dante's switch from racing World Cups to being a US-only racer this season, and plenty of other topics. We hope you enjoy this episode, and thanks as always for tuning in! | |||
| Why Have So Many Bike Companies Closed in the Last Two Years? | 03 Oct 2025 | 02:03:26 | |
Two years ago to the day, Vital member, contributor and finance specialist, Jeff Brines, posted a question in our forum, "Will more companies be shutting down in the next 12-24 months?" A small, but exciting mountain bike brand, Guerrilla Gravity, surprisingly announced it was closing, and the rest of the industry was in the wake of the Covid boom. It was a dynamic time with plenty of uncertainty ahead, so the question Jeff asked was very relevant and our community was engaged. Fast-forward to today and that forum thread has 414,000 views and over 3,100 replies as the Vital community has followed the topic every day for the last two years. At the request of the thread's participants, we honor the anniversary of the topic as Shawn Spomer, Vital Content Director and Charlie Sponsel, Vital contributor, catch up with Jeff to look back and reflect on the health of the bike industry today and to speculate what may happen going forward. THANK YOU to all Vital MTB members who have participated in this discussion. We're honored to have such a fantastic community of bike riders on our platform. The one-year anniversary podcast with Jeff can be found here Thank you to FOX | Maxxis Tires | Jenson USA for supporting The Inside Line | |||