Vital Mtb - Speaking Of Mountain Biking

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. Thanks for listening and supporting the podcast this season! 

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!

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 di

Les Gets is now the unofficial Mud Fest of season after back-to-back years of treacherous conditions. It was a spectacle to watch, and delivered a mix of insane bike handling skills and unfortunate mishaps that could have overall point implications as we get to the end of the season. Dakotah Norton breaks down what it was like to go to battle with such an unpredictable track and the bike changes needed to survive. The crew always debates rotor guards, wireless DH drivetrains, and Joe Breeden's 'Get a Grip' bar ends, stand-out rides from the weekend, Dak's #doitforDale Worlds bike, and thoughts on who could take the rainbow stripes in Champery this weekend. Enjoy!Thank you Maxxis and Burgtec for supporting the B Practice Podcast!

Thanks to Maxxis Tires | FOX | Jenson USA for supporting The Inside LineThis Inside Line podcast episode, recorded at the Pro Downhill Series in Solitude, Utah, features Shawn Spomer from Vital MTB interviewing Michael McQueen—better known as “The Mangler”—about his pivotal but often behind-the-scenes role in U.S. downhill racing coverage. McQueen shares the origins of his nickname from his BMX days, his North Carolina roots, and his background in professional broadcasting, including work with NASCAR.He explains how his DIY BMX filming ethos, combined with big-network experience, led him to refine the race replay format that has become a cornerstone of U.S. downhill media. The discussion highlights the enormous logistics behind capturing and editing race footage—from assembling crews and cameras to coordinating with regional series—and contrasts his storytelling style with World Cup broadcasts. McQueen’s story underscores how passion, persistence, and community collaboration have fueled the growth of U.S. dow

Thanks to Maxxis Tires | FOX | Jenson USA for supporting The Inside LineCharlie Sponsel, aka Team Robot, sits down with Dante Silva and John Hall of Intense Racing to discuss the current state of U.S. Downhill MTB racing, advantages and disadvantages of racing domestically compared to World Cup DH, normal drivetrain versus gearbox bikes, chain dampers, tuned mass dampers and more.

Thanks to Maxxis Tires | FOX | Jenson USA for supporting The Inside LineRead the stories discussed in this episode and add your own hereIn this episode of The Inside Line podcast, host Shawn Spomer is joined by Jason Schroeder and Charlie Sponsel—newly dubbed “Hater in Chief”—to share and discuss the most hilariously frustrating "dumb bike problems" posted by the Vital MTB community.Inspired by a forum thread started by Vital member seanfisseli, the episode is a mix of laughs and learning, as the crew reads real stories of forgotten bikes, confusing mystery noises, exploding tires, near-misses with safety goggles and expensive rabbit holes of misdiagnosed mechanical issues. The crew highlights how common and relatable these mishaps are. They reflect on the increasingly complex nature of modern bikes, the pitfalls of assumptions, and the value of hands-on troubleshooting experience. 

Locking down a date and time to record podcasts with Dakotah Norton could be one of the most challenging endeavors Vital has taken on. He's a busy man, and we love him for it. The time crunch between the La Thuile and Andorra World Cups was tough on everyone, so we decided to wait until Dak returned to Tennessee to discuss how his first four World Cups went and what his plans are for the rest of the season. It'd been a few weeks since the crew caught up, so the first 40 minutes of this podcast cover plenty of non-racing topics, like the wall of responsibilities that hit Dak when he returns from Europe, how fun flying with bikes can be, and some insight into a rad bike packing trip Tanner just did up in Canada. We hope you enjoy the banter, and thanks so much for listening to these podcasts!0:00 - The B practice crew is haggard2:00 - The B practice crew hates the dentist 6:30 - Dak's struggles of life on the road9:24 - Airline baggage fee debacles  13:24 - Flying with bikes pro tips16:29 - Hobbi

Vital's Forum Discussion on the FOX PodiumCharlie's FOX Podium ReviewPodium Tech Talk with FOX product developersVital's FOX Podium fork review dropped on Tuesday and our tester, Charlie Sponsel, encouraged you to leave any questions that remained. Sorting through dozens of great inquiries, the highlights have been pulled and Charlie answers them so you can learn more about this expensive, heavy, but incredibly-performing enduro fork. 0:00 - Intro, baggage fee avoidance struggles10:00 - Charlie's Zeb setup (it's not stock)13:46 - Is This basically a prototype for sale?16:40 - Did the CSU Creak?19:06 - Why is it 29er only and does it matter?20:03 - Is the FOX 38 really just the 38SL and Podium is burlier version?21:19 - Won't the stanchions be really easy to damage?27:28 - Podium's crown, weight and why no 180mm33:25 - Would you run 180mm if they offered it?34:07 - Why is it so heavy?36:16 - Could a lighter fork be as stiff?37:48 - Currently compatible 20mm hubs?39:26 - Why n

After plenty of drama and mild discontent surrounding the first three races of the season, it was nice to have a good old-fashioned downhill race in Val di Sole. No one complained about the track being too straight or too easy. There were plenty of fresh sections and line choices. And the racing was as competitive as ever. Our main man Dak was back for his second race of the season, and his weekend was nothing short of a battle. We discuss how Dak’s feeling at this stage of his recovery, as well as Jackson’s ‘bouncy’ riding style, Reece Wilson’s 6D windshield goggles, Team Points, what to do with the Junior categories, Dak’s experience going from Shimano XTR/Saint brakes to SRAM Maven’s, and more. Plus, the usual race recaps. Thanks for tuning in, enjoy!0:05 - Bring back 4X Racing5:48 - Content and Media Landscape10:05 - Where’s the culture??14:53 - After party tales19:56 - B Practice does Whistler22:29 - Dak is filming a Vital RAW24:26 - Dak’s war stories from VDS 31:07 - Dak’s approach after getting two rac

Host, Charlie SponselWatch this interview - https://youtu.be/Z5CN3pD_7YgFOX Podium Review - https://youtu.be/UEW1tMYVM20The Podium isn't FOX's first foray into the upside-down MTB fork market. In 2011, they developed a prototype downhill fork that used an inverted design for 26" wheels. It was heavy and flexy, so they dropped it. Fast-forward 14 years later and their single crown Podium inverted fork has dropped and we wanted to see why. Charlie Sponsel sits down with Ariel Lindsley, Jordi Cortes and Neko Mulally to learn how the FOX Podium inverted MTB fork came to be.0:00 - Ariel Lindsley - 2011 FOX 26" inverted DH fork prototype, Podium development story28:43 - Jordi Cortes - Why he was against an inverted fork and what does he think now?43:29 - Neko Mulally - on trail performance of the FOX Podium

A lot of people who mountain bike also snowboard, and vice versa. Two tools with different jobs but a shared goal—provide an experience that evokes excitement and creativity. With so much time spent with a bike or board between our two feet, we were curious if these vessels of stoke had more in common than meets the eye. At the end of the day, they strive to solve many of the same problems, balancing comfort with performance, specificity with versatility, and durability with weight and price. Not to mention balancing consumer demands and industry trends to create products that riders actually want. To discuss this topic, we tagged in Ryan Burney, engineer and long-time downhill racer; Evan Finses, design engineer at Burton Snowboards; and Austin Smith, Director of Innovations and Marketing at Bogus Basin Ski Resort. Tag along as Vital Tech Editor Jason Schroeder finds out how the engineering behind snowboards and mountain bikes is a lot closer than one might think.  

If there is one thing we can almost guarantee, it's that Leogang will provide some incredibly tight racing. This year was exceptionally snug. Dry conditions and a similar track layout as years before meant little time was spent sorting out line choices or using the brakes. The recipe was simple: rally the main line with confidence and tuck-to-win on the motorway. And what transpired was some of the most competitive racing we've ever seen and a lot of talk about the safety, speeds, and simplicity of tracks. Tag along as we discuss the validity of these concerns, along with how Dak's first race back went, the back-to-back Canadian double victories, 510s athlete summit, Y2K freeride fashion, and more. 0:13 - What is 510's athlete summit all about? 3:50 - How Dak as an athlete benefits from the summit8:42 - Balancing expectations and deliverables with sponsors10:25 - Dak follows Danny Hart in Schladming11:51 - When are the 510 Desert Storm boots coming back??13:11 - Freeride fashion = Y2K14:32

The second round of the 2025 World Cup from Loudenvielle, France, produced some of the fastest racing we've seen in recent memory and was (somehow) filled with more funny drama than the first round in Poland. But it turns out a dry, straight track makes for iconic Hail Mary race runs, and the UCI/Warner Bros/Discovery not knowing how to enforce their own rules makes for good podcasting banter. We had fun this week chatting about the ongoing #polegate disputes, Dak's panic after watching racing from the sideline and rushed last-minute prep before Leogang, the Henry Keifer situation, the Stan Nisbet situation, Ronan showing why we ride with tires on our rims, track safety and the need for more turns, and most importantly, the tightness of riding pants. We have been treated to some iconic racing thus far this season, and Leogang this weekend will surely be exciting. Now let's just hope our co-host-extrodinare can make it past Q2! 0:13 - The Dak Update3:10 - Dak's panic from watching people ri

In this episode, the crew covers all the hot tea from the first World Cup in Poland, but most importantly, gets an update on Dak's highly anticipated return to racing. We hope you enjoy the show, and we will see everyone next week for a post-Loudenvielle podcast! 0:00 - Intro / Crew Updates5:32 - Dak Injury Update13:37 - Dak's return to racing??16:30 - Post-injury fears getting back to racing?19:13 - Transparency while recovering22:14 - Bike setup post-injury 25:34 - Is there too much coverage per race weekend? 30:27 - #polegate #bringbacktape 36:05 - Ryan Gilcrest going around the start wand at Crankworx 40:29 - Course marking inconsistencies 42:40 - Q1 and Q2 thoughts and strategy 47:27 - Pit boards in qualifying50:16 - 3 person podiums: yay or nay?53:54 - Rotor guards: so hot right now55:23 - Fenders vs. mudguards 58:07 - Lit Kit & Worst Kit in Poland1:01:41 - Maxxis Make or Brake Section1:04:01 - Riders looking tired mid-run 1:04:42 - Tire choice for the weekend1:05:45 - Is Poland too one-li

Ahead of the Tennessee National taking place this week, we sat down with Sea 'Griz' McClendon to run through some USDH names to watch on the national circuit this year. Of course, we had to get the Griz update and hear how he ended up spittin' heat on the mic at Downhill Southeast races and in the booth with the Gravity Coop doing post-race shows. We also touched on all the Americans racing World Cups this year, which World Cup racers are coming over to race this weekend at Windrock, and a bunch of other nonsense mostly related to downhill racing. Enjoy!If you want to race downhill, check out these regional series!NW Cup (Washington, Idaho, Montana)Southwest Downhill (SoCal) Southridge USA (SoCal)Downhill Rockies (Colorado, New Mexico)Eastern States Cup (Connecticut, New Jersey, Massachusetts, Vermont, Pennsylvania)Downhill Southeast (North Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia)Monster Energy Pro Downhill (North Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia)

With most team rumors debunked or made public, we wanted to discuss which changes are most exciting and who's posed to go fast in 2025. Of course, like any good B Practice Pod, we floated between topics, mixing in chit-chat about Supercross, racers racing longer nowadays, Gates' $100k belt drive bounty, the cause and effect of setup changes, and why Dak should never read the comments. Enjoy!0:00 Rambling intro9:00 - Supercross bench racing16:22 - Developing a race bike first, then going to production 25:20 - chasing small gains in bike performance mid-season30:45 - cause and effect of testing and changing setup36:08 - comparing setups with other pro DH racers37:48 - final team change news for 202546:08 - what happens to the few names stuck in the middle52:28 - Biggest team change of 2025??1:03:08 - Most excited to see at the races in 2025??1:14:22 - Will we see more racers racing into their 30s in the future?1:20:55 - Dak injury update1:25:02 - Thoughts on Gates $100k belt drive competition1:37:52 -

Thanks to Maxxis Tires | FOX | Jenson USA for supporting The Inside LineMax Beaupre is a ball of energy on and off the bike. Taking a moto heritage to mountain bikes, Max grew into a national enduro powerhouse before making the move to e-enduro. But don't pigenhole him as a single discipline specialist. He rides everything and rides everything well. On top of that, he's a becoming a premier trail builder and is pushing his moto talent by opening up an e-moto future, too.Thanks to Jack Rice for the interview!Interview contents0:00 - Some history10:08 - Hitting Highland, Meeting Kyle Strait,  National Champs16:44 - Always enduro22:00 - Racing with a broken leg24:12 - Dropping out of school33:07 - Getting into a machine for the first time37:18 - Getting on Cannondale, U.S. EWS races51:20 - Sponsors and bike setup57:08 - Racing e-bikes, work ethic, faith in God1:01:18 - Wrist injury, riding for Surron, riding in Monster Jam1:31:30 - Back to Europe for E-EDR and World Champs1:45:54 - 2025 plans, getting

The past few months have flown by. And somehow, we haven't recorded a B Practice Podcast since the last World Cup back in October. We were overdue for a catchup to discuss the many series and team changes and, of course, our main man Dak's gnarly off-season injury. We get into all the details of what happened, his recovery, and why he's in a better place than before to handle such a setback. We then get into all the team rumor gossip, Continental series gossip, career numbers, and finish things off with a debate on what is the ultimate dream sponsor. Enjoy!Show Notes0:00 - Intro3:10 - Dak injury details, update, recovery14:45 - Thoughts on the risk of riding moto during the offseason18:17 - Dak's headspace during his injury21:39 - How Dak's program has changed to avoid fatigue, over-training, and stress26:26 - Where Dak started to find solutions to his health problems31:12 - Finding confidence and happiness in your life41:10 - Dak getting hurt at his house43:19 - Dak's new video

Thanks to Maxxis Tires | FOX | Jenson USA for supporting The Inside Line#USDH ripper, Lucas Dedora, shares his story of going from a diehard XC grom to his first year racing World Cup Downhill. In the middle of the season, Lucas graduated high school and managed to hit 19 different races around the globe. Jack Rice was there all summer with Lucas as photographer for Transition Factory Racing and they talk about the highs and the lows of it all.Podcast contents0:00 - "I wanted to be Nino Schurter"4:44 - School and finding enduro11:54 - Racing his first National Champs with a torn ACL24:32 - Early DH career32:20 - Aiming for the World Cup with Pro Builds Team39:57 - Being friends with and racing against Asa Vermette42:33 - Dealing with injuries and P.T.50:24 - First European World Cup season and the Ft Bill Crash59:15 - Poland and his last physical day of school1:05:56 - Val di Sole struggles and Valentina Roa Sanchez1:11:30 - Graduating high school mid-season1:19:00 - Junior World Cup Les Gets race d