Thank you Jenson USA | Maxxis Tires  | FOX Shox We're honored to have Jack Rice on The Inside Line. You probably know Jack as a mountain bike race photographer with his work from the World Cups and #USDH races featured on Vital. He was also the team photographer for Transition Factory Racing this season. However, just a few years ago, Jack had no significant photography experience and very little time on a mountain bike. So how did he become a successful photographer in our scene in such a...

These awesome brands make The B Practice Podcast possible! Maxxis | Burgtec | Industry Nine The leaves are falling, debates surrounding Rampage results are smoldering, and speculation about who is riding for what team fills the forums; it must be the off-season! Between Tanner shooting feature films, Dakotah building furniture, and myself making editorial plans for 2024, we found some time to record a fresh podcast riffing about bikes and racing. With the 2024 UCI Schedule just released, we...

Thank you Jenson USA | Maxxis Tires  | FOX Shox Today we speak with Christopher Arruda, Brand Manager at NOBL Wheels. They've been producing carbon rims and wheelsets for mountain bikes since 2012 and continue to refine and develop their lineup. We wanted to hear about their journey and learn why they think a rider might choose carbon rims over aluminum. Recently released is NOBL's G2 carbon rim range. The new hoops are more impact-resistant and durable while remaining lightweight and we...

These awesome brands make The B Practice Podcast possible! Maxxis | Burgtec | Industry Nine The 2023 season is over! What a season. Eight races, seven winners, five first-time winners, and 22 points-paying races (if you include qualifying, semi-finals, and finals). Rachel Atherton made her return to DH and won another World Cup; Vali Holl became the first female to win Worlds and the World Cup Overall since Rachel in 2018; Loic Bruni took his third World Cup overall title; Ryan Pinkerton won...

Thank you Jenson USA | Maxxis Tires  | FOX Shox We have another great Inside Line with passionate interviews from the ground at the last World Cup Mountain Bike Downhill of 2023 in Mont-Sainte-Anne. Jack Rice talks to Elite riders, mechanics and team managers and asks if they think downhill is in a better place now than it was a year ago after the change from Red Bull's involvement to Warner Bros/Discovery. Bernard Kerr, Loic Bruni, Abigail Hogie has a lot of insight, Jordi from FOX and more....

These awesome brands make The B Practice Podcast possible! Maxxis | Burgtec | Industry Nine The World Cup circus arrived in the U.S. two weeks ago and has provided some legendary racing! Big checks have been signed, more first-time winners have won, and World Cup overall titles have been handed out. But most importantly, our boy Dakotah Norton, aka Kubota, aka Stack Attack Dak, has been racking up the dough with a win at the Open and 3rd in Snowshoe. There was a lot to talk about, so get...

Thank you Jenson USA | Maxxis Tires  | FOX Shox Welcome mountain bikers! Thanks for tuning into Vital MTB's The Inside Line podcast. We're going mobile today with Jack Rice in the pits at the Snowshoe World Cup Downhill. It's funny, Jack and I basically jinxed each other when we were texting, as we both wanted to cover the privateers at Snowshoe. The same old Elite Pit Bits galleries get a little old after so many back-to-back races. I figured we'd do a privateer Pit Bits, but Jack did what...

These awesome brands make The B Practice Podcast possible! Maxxis | Burgtec | Industry Nine ​With no racing to talk about this week, we called #USDH racer Dylan Maples to chat about his epic 2023 season! Dylan might have only started racing downhill a few years ago, but the Team NorCal rider has quickly become one of the most exciting American racers on the World Cup Circuit.  We discussed his quick progression within the sport, what it's like being a DH racer from Sacramento, how his...

It's hard to believe the first U.S. Open of MTB was held 20 years ago in 2023. The event has come a long way since then with a prize purse totaling $80,000 this year, all thanks to the hard work of Clayton Harper and his crew. Vital talks with Clayton and #USDH shredder, Neko Mulally, to discuss the event's history and what we can expect in 2023. The 2023 U.S. Open of MTB takes place September 21-24 with Downhill, Enduro, Dual Slalom and Whip-off events at Killington Resort in Vermont....

These awesome brands make The B Practice Podcast possible! Maxxis | Burgtec | Industry Nine In case you have any doubts, Les Gets, France, still produces the best World Cup downhill races. The intensity of the track, the passion of the French crowd, and the ability of French racers to rise to the occasion make Les Gets a picture-perfect stage for iconic racing. Last weekend was no exception, as a dry and loose track delivered a race with less drama, more first-time winners, and a...

These awesome brands make The B Practice Podcast possible! Maxxis | Burgtec | Industry Nine For the first time, the World Cup circus stopped in Loudenvielle, France, for round #5 of the 2023 World Cup season. The week kicked off with last-minute schedule changes due to the weather and only got weirder from there. Luckily, an insane track and constantly changing conditions delivered some of the most exciting racing of the year. And to top it off, our boy Dak Norton finished second—his best...

Today the Junior World Cup Downhill race in Loudenvielle, France, was canceled. The race organizers claimed the track conditions were unsafe for competition due to overnight rain and the steep layout of the course.  Early in the morning, Junior riders struggled during practice, but as the day progressed, some riders were able to make safe top-to-bottom runs. Ultimately the race was canceled and qualifying results from the day before stood as final results. Jack Rice speaks with riders and...

These awesome brands make The B Practice Podcast possible! Maxxis | Burgtec | Industry Nine After a seven-week break (interrupted by World Champs), the World Cup Downhill season resumed last weekend from Pal Arinsal, Andorra. The weekend was filled with ups and downs that saw some riders' seasons, unfortunately, cut short while others checked off career-first wins. The weather again played a huge factor all weekend and ultimately decided the Elite Men's race. The racing was as tight as ever,...

These great companies make The Inside Line possible Maxxis Tires | Jenson USA | FOX Is it really possible to make carbon mountain bike frames, wheels and components cheaper in Canada than overseas? Dustin Adams, former World Cup downhill racer and owner of We Are One Composites says it is, and he is proving it. On this episode of The Inside Line podcast, we talk with Dustin, Nate Schumacher and Vlad Yordanov to hear about the journey of We Are One and how they're successfully making...

These awesome brands make The B Practice Podcast possible! Maxxis | Industry Nine | Burgtec World Champs, baby! This year, the chase for the elusive rainbow jersey went down on the legendary Fort Bill track, creating the perfect storm for some historical racing. Charlie Hatton (finally) took his first elite-level victory (becoming the 4th first-time winner in four races this season); Henri Kiefer secured his first Junior Men's victory after multiple podium finishes this year; Vali Höll...

These awesome brands make The B Practice Podcast possible! Maxxis | Industry Nine | Burgtec After the first stint of World Cup racing this year, we were overdue for a little #USDH coverage! Last weekend, the 2023 Gravity National Championships took place from Ride Rock Creek, North Carolina. Another bike park built by Neko Mulally and crew, the first time Nat Champs venue delivered quality tracks for downhill, slalom, and enduro racing.  As always, Dakotah Norton brings you between the tape...

These great companies make The Inside Line possible Maxxis Tires | Jenson USA | FOX  Brian Cahal sits down with Dan and Steve from Vorsprung Suspension to discuss the trajectory of their business as they've grown from mountain bike suspension servicing and upgrades to creating their new MTB shock. 0:00 - From suspension service to making upgrade parts 10:46 - Making The Vorsprung MTB shock 17:04:- Vorsprung Suspension Problem Solving 24:53 - Future of MTB Suspension / Electronic...

These awesome brands make The B Practice Podcast possible! Maxxis | Industry Nine | Burgtec Holy cow, what a weekend of racing from Val di Sole! Arguably the gnarliest track on the circuit, this year provided spectacular racing thanks to some methodical course adjustments and bucketloads of new dirt. Racers were treated to periodic rain that really mixed things up as the track was ever-evolving, and bikes and bodies were put to the test, surviving the infamous Black Snake track.  As always,...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...