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Available Episodes

5 of 101

101 - The Calirado Kid Speaks: Mountain Biking & Creating Relatable Content
Send us a textThis engaging episode features the Calirado Kid, whose authentic and humorous mountain biking videos have built him a substantial following with videos regularly reaching hundreds of thousands viewers. While he shares interesting glimpses into creating his popular videos, the conversation primarily delivers valuable insights from his extensive riding experiences across Arizona's technical terrain, Colorado's epic mountains, and Northern California's diverse trails. Mountain biking enthusiasts will appreciate his detailed analysis of what makes southwest trails distinctive with their challenging rocky features, technical climbs, and rewarding descents like Bug Springs which he describes as "just the shuttle downhill chunk – an exciting ride for sure."The episode offers practical mountain biking wisdom about gear choices, with the Calirado Kid making a compelling case that dropper posts might actually be more essential than suspension for versatile trail riding. Riders will benefit from specific trail recommendations including the legendary "Graham Cracker" with its impressive 6,300 feet of continuous descent and insights about night riding with quality lighting systems from Outbound Lights. The discussion concludes with valuable perspectives on mountain biking's mental health benefits, with the Calirado Kid explaining how riding helps process negative thoughts and discover creative solutions – providing listeners with both technical trail knowledge and inspiration to use mountain biking as a tool for improving overall wellbeing.Calirado Kid's links... Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@caliradokidInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/caliradokid/Listen to Mountain Cog Apple PodcastsSpotifyOther Podcast Sites [email protected]
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1:18:36
100 - Beyond Marketing: Vittoria’s Approach to Mountain Bike Tire Design & Manufacturing (Guest: Ken Avery, SVP Product Development)
Send us a textIn this in-depth episode of the MTNCOG Podcast, we dive into the science behind mountain bike tire design with Ken Avery, Senior Vice President of Product Development at Vittoria. Ken breaks down the complex process of tire manufacturing, from the initial casing construction using nylon or cotton materials to the vulcanization process where the tread is applied. He explains how Vittoria's innovative use of graphene technology creates tires that both roll faster and grip better than competitors, challenging common misconceptions about tire compounds and performance.The conversation explores Vittoria's progressive sipe technology for improved cornering grip, their very unique approach to TPI (threads per inch) in their award-winning XC race tires, and their comprehensive lineup of Airliner tire inserts. Ken shares insights on how different casings perform in various terrain types, from sharp volcanic rock to loose conditions, and offers his perspective on current industry trends. This episode provides mountain bikers of all disciplines with valuable knowledge about selecting the optimal tire setup for their specific riding style, terrain, and bike type.Web: https://vittoria.com/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/vittoriatires/Listen to Mountain Cog Apple PodcastsSpotifyOther Podcast Sites [email protected]
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1:09:50
099 - Jess The Maker's take on content creation, bikes, trails, & tacos.
Send us a textIn this engaging episode of the MTNCOG Podcast, the hosts welcome Jess the Maker, a prominent mountain biking content creator who blends humor, authenticity, and technical riding expertise. The episode was recorded shortly after Jess was in town working on a project with 'Visit Tucson'. The conversation explores how she's helping showcase Tucson as a "hidden gem" of mountain biking while also discussing her experiences in renowned destinations like Whistler, Vermont, and Bentonville. Jess shares insights about her Specialized bike collection, including her Stumpjumper and newly acquired Levo 4, and her preferences for both technical and flow trails. The second half of the episode offers a masterclass in mountain bike content creation, with Jess revealing how she evolved from using basic phone editing apps to professional equipment, her approach to brand partnerships, and strategies for growing social media presence. She discusses her demographic insights, posting schedule preferences, and the importance of maintaining authentic connections with followers. Young aspiring content creator Matt, Josh's son, asks thoughtful questions about editing, consistency, and growth strategies, with Jess emphasizing that relatability and persistence are key to building an engaged audience. The episode concludes with discussions about growing her YouTube presence beyond her well established Instagram following.Follow JessTheMaker on… YouTube: https://youtube.com/@jessthemaker?si=VcpDi6rZzW--N7mEInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/jessthemaker/Listen to Mountain Cog Apple PodcastsSpotifyOther Podcast Sites [email protected]
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1:05:27
098 - A technical look at Norco's mountain bike design approach. (Guests: Norco R&D Engineers - Colin Ryan & Kirk McDowall)
Send us a textIn this episode of The MCP, hosts Josh and Dane dive deep into the science of mountain bike suspension with Norco development engineers Colin Ryan and Kirk McDowall. The conversation explores Norco's different suspension platforms with detailed explanations of axle path, anti-squat, and anti-rise properties. The engineers reveal how these technical elements directly impact riding performance, particularly in technical terrain with square-edge hits and rock gardens.The discussion also highlights Norco's innovative RideAlign bike setup system, which uses rider metrics to provide personalized suspension, cockpit, and tire pressure recommendations. Kirk and Colin share insights from their development process, including how they balance data acquisition with rider perception, World Cup racing feedback, and mule testing. The episode concludes with teasers about upcoming Norco releases, including continued development of their downhill race bike (note that Kirk is a 2 time Downhill Canadian National Champion and accomplished Downhill World Cup racer) and hints about a new shorter travel bike that will complement their expanding acoustic and pedal assist mountain bike lineup.Norco Bikes: https://www.norco.com/Norco's Ride Align Bike Setup Tool: https://www.ridealigned.com/Listen to Mountain Cog Apple PodcastsSpotifyOther Podcast Sites [email protected]
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097 - Bike Shop Confessions: How MTB Suspension Experts Really Choose Components
Send us a textIn this unfiltered episode of The Mountain Cog Podcast (recorded during the snowy Sedona Mountain Bike Festival) hosts Josh and Dane are joined by special guests Mike "Babyfoot" Jones and Derrick Kampfer for a raw, technical dive into mountain bike suspension. The conversation takes unexpected turns from the hilarious origins of "nipple management" in bike maintenance to detailed comparisons between Fox, DVO, and RockShox fork technologies, with expert insights on how suspension choice impacts ride feel and performance on different trails.The episode explores the technical aspects of mountain biking while highlighting the welcoming nature of the mountain bike community. Listeners will gain valuable insights about suspension tuning, the debate between flat pedals versus clipless systems, and custom frame protection options like Ground Keeper designs. The hosts and guests share personal riding experiences, technical advice, and lighthearted trail stories that showcase why mountain biking attracts riders of all ages and skill levels despite the significant investment required to participate.Sedona MTB Festival - https://sedonamtbfestival.com/Pedaling Innovations - https://pedalinginnovations.com/Listen to Mountain Cog Apple PodcastsSpotifyOther Podcast Sites [email protected]
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1:23:45