Mountain bike news, trails, travels, and dirt.
Don't have the scratch for a new rig this year? We don't either. Luckily there are at least half a dozen MTB upgrades that can be done for under a hundred bucks each to make your bike ride like new.
Don't have time for a listen? Read Greg's article on this topic published in 2014.
The post Listen: MTB Upgrades for Under a Hundo appeared first on Singletracks Mountain Bike News.
In this episode of the Singletracks podcast, Aaron, Greg, and I discuss some common mountain bike mistakes we've made or seen others make, and how to avoid those mistakes.
Buying the absolute cheapest bike or components
Spending too much on a bike
Spending money in the wrong places
Improper bike setup
Ignoring maintenance intervals
Washing bikes with high-pressure hoses
Using the wrong tool for the job
Being unprepared
Treating every ride like a race
Overestimating skills or fitness
Riding wet trails
Not getting involved in local trail work
If you've learned from a mountain bike mistake we didn't cover, we'd love to hear about it here.
The post Listen: Common Mountain Bike Mistakes, And How to Fix Them appeared first on Singletracks Mountain Bike News.
In this episode I talk with Leah, my Singletracks co-founder (and wife,) about her mountain biking experiences over the last 15 years and some of the challenges women face in our sport. Plus, Leah shares her simple idea for getting even more women involved in mountain biking in the future.
The post Podcast: A Simple Idea to Get More Women Involved in Mountain Biking appeared first on Singletracks Mountain Bike News.
In this episode of the Singletracks podcast, we share our tips for improving your mountain bike climbs. Learn about bike setup, component choices, and suspension settings to make your uphill climbs more efficient. We'll also talk about training techniques, body positioning, and mental tricks that will melt climbs away in no time.
This episode is sponsored by Outerbike.
The post Listen: Hacks To Improve Your Bike Climbs appeared first on Singletracks Mountain Bike News.
In this episode, we share our money-saving tips for mountain bikers. Starting with bikes, we'll talk about how buying a tool can save you money, bike warranties and insurance, and how to shop for new or used bikes. On the travel side, we'll discuss ways to save money on transportation, lodging, food, and race when you're on a budget. You can't afford NOT to listen to this episode.
The post Listen: Money-Saving Tips for Mountain Bikers on a Budget appeared first on Singletracks Mountain Bike News.
In this episode of the Singletracks podcast, Aaron, Greg, and I discuss the ways we use our smartphones to make mountain biking easier. We'll start off discussing apps we use for planning our trips, then talk about the apps we (sometimes) use on the trail. We'll wrap up the discussion by covering the apps we use after the ride to find places to eat and drink.
The post Podcast: How We Use Smartphone Apps for Mountain Biking appeared first on Singletracks Mountain Bike News.
In this episode of the Singletracks podcast, Greg and I discuss the best places to mountain bike in California. We'll share our picks for the best bike parks, backcountry rides, and urban trail systems that are begging to be explored by bike. Whether you're a native Californian or you're planning a trip, tune in for our recommendations.
The post Listen: Must-ride Trails in California appeared first on 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!
The post Podcast: Tips for Optimizing Your Mountain Bike Cockpit appeared first on Singletracks Mountain Bike News.
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. I [first] joined the board of the directors which is my initial foray into the IMBA world.
The IMBA board invited four people to participate in strategic planning in June of 2015,
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.
The post Podcast: Our Favorite Places to Mountain Bike in Utah appeared first on Singletracks Mountain Bike News.
