The Downtime Podcast

Amaury Pierron is easily one of the most exciting mountain bike riders on the planet. Amaury has an insane desire to win, which on occasion has taken him to some dark places. We chat about his progression from the junior ranks as a privateer, into the elite field and ultimately joining a factory team. Find out what went on behind the scenes to help that 2018 overall win. Hear about Amaury’s battles on the track and away from it, dealing with some serious injuries. From the highest highs to the lowest lows, Amaury has always had incredible determination and drive. Add to that a professionalism and some serious attention to detail and you have a rider that is hard to beat. So sit back, hit play and listen to this episode with Amaury Pierron. You can follow Amaury on Instagram @amaurypierron4, on TikTok @amaurypierron and on YouTube here. Supporting Partners 7mesh Do you want some incredible quality riding kit from the awesome 7mesh? Well, they are offering Downtime listeners a 20% discount using the

Join me for a chat with Santa Cruz CEO, Joe Graney. Joe talks about his background and how he’s worked his way up from joining Santa Cruz as a contract engineer to now being CEO of the entire business. Hear Joe talk about the importance of the Syndicate to their marketing efforts and how they made carbon a legitimate option for gravity mountain biking. How does Joe feel engineering translates to running a business? We also chat about Santa Cruz’s insane drive to develop bikes and how even Covid didn’t slow that down, why they build their bikes in-house and plenty more. So sit back, hit play and listen to this episode with Joe Graney. You can check out all that Santa Cruz have to offer over at santacruzbicycles.com. Supporting Partners 7mesh Do you want some incredible quality riding kit from the awesome 7mesh? Well, they are offering Downtime listeners a 20% discount using the code 'DOWNTIME7MESH20' over at 7mesh.com. Head over now and check them out and what’s even better is that the ship globall

Today I’m joined by mountain bike tester, Paul Aston. Paul is going about things a little differently to most with a completely independent bike review channel. We sat down to catch up on progress over the last year. Hear about his experiences of designing his own bike, riding the Starling Spur and hear how the industry has been responding to his approach. Paul and I chat about his incredible Sunn Radical Plus restoration project, the technology on the World Cup downhill circuit, Sur-Ron electric motorbikes and plenty more. So sit back, hit play and listen to this episode with Paul Aston. You can check follow Paul on Instagram @astonmtb, watch his YouTube videos here and find his website at astonmtb.com. Supporting Partners Earshots Earshots were designed with mountain biking in mind. So, if you want headphones that are the perfect fit for riding, running or training, or just for listening to your favourite podcasts, then look no further than Earshots.  As a Downtime listener, Earshots are offe

Jess Blewitt is a rapidly rising star in both the downhill and freeride scenes. Jess isn't far into her mountain bike career, but has already stood on World Cup podiums and ridden the infamous Red Bull Hardline. We hear how Jess discovered downhill and why she shifted her focus from skiing to mountain biking. Jess shares her thoughts on her two World Cup seasons so far and takes us through the huge injury she suffered in Snowshoe and how she approached recovery. Jess is an incredible talent and definitely one to watch for the future. So sit back, hit play and listen to this episode with Jess Blewitt. You can check follow Jess on Instagram @jessblewitt_. Jess' DnB playlist is here. Supporting Partners Earshots Earshots were designed with mountain biking in mind. So, if you want headphones that are the perfect fit for riding, running or training, or just for listening to your favourite podcasts, then look no further than Earshots.  As a Downtime listener, Earshots are offering you 10% off. All yo

I recently had a great opportunity to sit down for a chat with YT Industries Founder and Chief Visionary Officer, Markus Flossmann and CEO, Sam Nicols. Markus shares the story of how YT began and how he grew it over the 12 years that he was in charge. We chat about the origin of some of the product names and those incredible launch videos. Markus also shares the reasons that he decided to step down as CEO and how they found Sam to come onboard. Sam tells us about his time at YT so far and how his experience at Amazon is helping make YT a better company for everyone. It was a pleasure to get the chance to have such an open and honest conversation with two of the industries big players. So sit back, hit play and listen to this episode with Markus Flossmann and Sam Nicols. You can check out all that YT have to offer over at yt-industries.com, you'll find them on Instagram @yt-industries on on YouTube here. Supporting Partners YT Industries YT's bikes already represent great value for money, but a

Today, I'm joined by Tom Place from Outbound Lighting to chat all things night riding. Hear what attracted Tom to night riding and what he feels the benefits are. Tom shares some insight into how to choose the perfect night riding setup for you and how to optimise the setup once you have it. I learned a lot here that's definitely going to help me get the most out of the lights I have and I hope it helps you too. So sit back, hit play and listen to this episode with Tom Place. You can see everything that Outbound Lighting have to offer over at outboundlighting.com and you can follow them on Instagram @outboundlighting. Tom is also giving away two sets of their awesome EVO downhill package of lights. You can enter by heading to the competition post on my Instagram @downtimepodcast. Supporting Partners YT Industries YT's bikes already represent great value for money, but as a downtime listener, you can get an extra £100 or dollars or euros, depending on where you are, off of their entire range. 

Today, I'm joined by Ben Plenge from the Strength Factory to help you create your perfect winter training plan. In this episode we look at three different types of rider, based on their goals, health, available time and energy, and current fitness level. For each of those three riders, we discuss how you should approach putting together your winter training. Hopefully you’ll be able to identify with one of the three riders in some way or interpolate a bit between two of them, to help you approach your offseason in the best possible way. We’ll be talking about strength work, aerobic base rides, metrics, fuelling and plenty more. So sit back, hit play and listen to this episode with Ben Plenge. You can check out all of Ben's programmes over at thestrengthfactory.uk, find him on Instagram @strengthfactory_coach and on YouTube here. You can get 20% off the Complete MTB Programme using the code DOWNTIMEPODCAST and 20% off the Over 40's MTB Programme using the code DOWNTIMEPODCAST40 until the 6th November 202

Today I'm joined by Cotic Bikes head honcho and design guru, Cy Turner. In this episode, we chat about the development of the new Gen4 Cotic RocketMAX, their insanely fast enduro bike. Hear how Cy goes about developing a bike, from customer demands, through kinematic design, geometry choices and prototype testing. We get Cy’s thoughts on seat angle, size specific chain stays, coil shocks and plenty more. We also discuss how Cy has got faster by improving his suspension and bike setup over time. So sit back, hit play and listen to this episode with Cy Turner discussing the Cotic RocketMAX. You can find everything Cotic at cotic.co.uk and give them a follow on Instagram @coticbikes and Facebook @CoticLtd. Their YouTube channel is here. Supporting Partners Sprung Suspension If you’re looking to improve the way your bike rides and to give your suspension some love after a long summer of riding, look no further than Sprung Suspension. With knowledge from working at suspension companies, bike companies

Walker Shaw has a long background of riding and racing across multiple cycling disciplines and today is the team manager for the Union. We sat down during the Les Gets World Champs to find out all about him. Hear about growing up and racing with his brother Luca. We chat about his transition into team management, get his thoughts on the Discovery takeover, the impact that has on team managers, the future of the sport and plenty more. So sit back, hit play and listen to this episode with Walker Shaw. You can follow Walker on Instagram @walkershaw and follow the Union @join.the.union. Supporting Partners Sprung Suspension If you’re looking to improve the way your bike rides and to give your suspension some love after a long summer of riding, look no further than Sprung Suspension. With knowledge from working at suspension companies, bike companies and world cup race teams, Sprung will be able to sort you out and have your suspension feeling better than it’s ever felt before. As a Downtime listen

Today I’m joined by SRAM’s VP of product development, Sander Rigney, to take us behind the scenes at RockShox. We’ll be chatting about RockShox’s history and finding out how the products have progressed over the last 25 years. Hear about their approach to R&D and the development of cutting edge technologies like Flight Attendant. Sander shares some insight into their BlackBox programme, the future of suspension and plenty more. So sit back, hit play and listen to this episode with Sander Rigney. You can checkout the entire RockShox range over at sram.com and find their YouTube channel here. Supporting Partners Sprung Suspension If you’re looking to improve the way your bike rides and to give your suspension some love after a long summer of riding, look no further than Sprung Suspension. With knowledge from working at suspension companies, bike companies and world cup race teams, Sprung will be able to sort you out and have your suspension feeling better than it’s ever felt before. As a Downtim

Today I’m joined by Canadian mountain bike rider, Magnus Manson. Magnus has had an incredible riding career so far, taking a silver medal at Junior World Champs in Val di Sole, the Canadian national title in 2018 and a top 20 in elite World Champs in Lenzerheide. The last few years have been rough for Magnus. He suffered a huge injury in 2020 which took a huge amount of drive and focus to recover from. Not long after getting back on the bike, Magnus was diagnosed with Stage 3 Hodgkin Lymphoma, a type of blood cancer. Magnus recently found out that he was in remission and we sat down to hear his incredible story. I was blown away by Magnus’ resilience and determination and I hope everyone finds some inspiration in this episode. So sit back, hit play and listen to this episode with Magnus Manson. You can follow Magnus on Instagram @magnusmanson. The book Magnus mentioned is 'Can't Hurt Me' by David Goggins which you can find here. Supporting Partners We Are One Composites I’ve been using WeAreO

The US Open is a huge part of the American mountain bike scene. Join me and Neko Mulally as we chat with the man behind the US Open, Clay Harper. Hear about his background and what drew him into race organisation. We chat about the concept behind the US Open and how the team have built it up over the years. Find out how they attract some of the biggest names in the sport and hear the specifics of the 2022 event from Neko himself. So sit back, hit play and listen to this episode with Clay and Neko. You can follow the US Open on Instagram @usopenmtb and find out more here. Supporting Partners We Are One Composites I’ve been using WeAreOne wheels for over 4 years now and I’m a massive fan. I’m currently running a Faction 29er up front and a Union 27.5 in the rear and I love them. I feel like they strike a lovely balance of being precise but not so stiff that they punish you for being a millimetre offline. The quality and finish of the product is also second to none. As a downtime listener, you can

Today I’m joined by all of the Santa Cruz Syndicate race team mechanics, Lyle Hyslop, Ben Wood, Lee Huskinson and Ethan Jones. We sat down during World Champs week in Les Gets to learn a bit about each of them and how they got their jobs on the Syndicate. Hear about how they get to know their riders, how team camp went, who’s got the fussiest rider, pre-race warm up routines and plenty more. So sit back, hit play and listen to this episode with the Santa Cruz Syndicate crew. You can follow the Syndicate on Instagram @scsyndicate. Supporting Partners We Are One Composites I’ve been using WeAreOne wheels for over 4 years now and I’m a massive fan. I’m currently running a Faction 29er up front and a Union 27.5 in the rear and I love them. I feel like they strike a lovely balance of being precise but not so stiff that they punish you for being a millimetre offline. The quality and finish of the product is also second to none. As a downtime listener, you can get 10% off any Revolution wheelsets and

Today I’m joined by an old friend, Rich Simpson. Rich has joined the World Cup circuit this year as the GT Factory Racing mechanic for Jess Blewitt and Ethan Craik. We sat down to chat about Rich’s background in BMX racing and his career in engineering. Find out how Rich made the move from a lifelong job in engineering, to following his passion in the bike industry. We hear about Rich’s approach to suspension setup, his experiences of his first year at World Cups and plenty more. So sit back, hit play and listen to this episode with Rich Simpson. You can check out Rich's coaching, suspension setup and servicing business here. Follow it on Instagram @rsrbikeworks and find Rich there @_rich_simpson. You can follow the team @gtfactoryracing. Supporting Partners We Are One Composites I’ve been using WeAreOne wheels for over 4 years now and I’m a massive fan. I’m currently running a Faction 29er up front and a Union 27.5 in the rear and I love them. I feel like they strike a lovely balance of being pre

Today I’m joined by mountain bike racer and fellow podcaster, Dean Lucas. Dean has been on the World Cup scene for 10 years now and we sat down to chat about his experiences. We talk about Dean’s route into world cup racing and his quick rise to the top spots. Hear about some of his podium results and what he feels drove those. We also chat about concussion, mental health and plenty more. Dean is a thoughtful guy who offers some interesting insight into himself and the sport. So sit back, hit play and listen to this episode with Dean Lucas. You can follow Dean on Instagram @deanos_mykonos and The Offtrack Experience @the.offtrack.experience. Supporting Partners We Are One Composites I’ve been using WeAreOne wheels for over 4 years now and I’m a massive fan. I’m currently running a Faction 29er up front and a Union 27.5 in the rear and I love them. I feel like they strike a lovely balance of being precise but not so stiff that they punish you for being a millimetre offline. The quality and finish o

The 2022 Mountain Bike Downhill World Cup final took place in Val di Sole this weekend and it didn't disappoint. Join me, Eliot and Neko to chat all about what went on. We cover the insanely challenging track, the ever-evolving weather, the wild race runs and plenty more. So sit back, hit play and listen to this Val di Sole post-race show with Eliot Jackson and Neko Mulally. Supported By Maxxis Tyres Maxxis is synonymous with performance and racing and is the winningest brand in the history of World Cup and EWS racing. No matter where or how you ride, Maxxis has the tyres for you with a wide range of tread patterns, casing and compound options. You can check out the entire range of Maxxis tyres over at Maxxis.com, and find the tyres at your local Maxxis dealer. You can also give them a follow on instagram where they are @maxxisbike. Podcast Stuff Downtime EP Downtime EP issue 2 is now available at downtimepodcast.com/ep. EP takes inspiration from the guests and topics of the podcast, expands

Ethan Craik has had an incredible first elite season taking an incredible 7th place in Mont Sainte Anne. We sat down to find out more about this upcoming talent. Hear about Ethan’s background in high-level BMX racing. Find out how he ended up riding for GT Factory Racing and what that support has meant for him. We dig into Ethan’s process, his warm-up routine, how he finds his race pace and plenty more. So sit back, hit play and listen to this episode with Ethan Craik. You can follow Ethan on Instagram @ethancraik. Supporting Partners Wahoo A market leader in Road cycling, Wahoo are relatively new to the mountain bike world, but are serious about getting involved. They are already supporting top athletes like Tahnee Seagrave, Danny Hart, Wyn Masters, Brendan Fairclough, and Loic Bruni, along with many others too. Wahoo were kind enough to support my training for the EWS100 and since November last year I’ve been using Wahoo’s products and found them intuitive, robust and a great addition to my t

The 2022 Mountain Bike Downhill World Cup comes to a close in Val di Sole this weekend. So we’re kicking off the race week by chatting with coach to the stars, Chris Kilmurray aka PointOne Athletic. We have a quick recap on World Champs and then talk about the track, the horrific weather forecast, the overall battles and plenty more. So sit back, hit play and listen to this Val di Sole pre-race episode with Chris Kilmurray. Supported By Maxxis Tyres Maxxis is synonymous with performance and racing and is the winningest brand in the history of World Cup and EWS racing. No matter where or how you ride, Maxxis has the tyres for you with a wide range of tread patterns, casing and compound options. You can check out the entire range of Maxxis tyres over at Maxxis.com, and find the tyres at your local Maxxis dealer. You can also give them a follow on instagram where they are @maxxisbike. Podcast Stuff Downtime EP Downtime EP issue 2 is now available at downtimepodcast.com/ep. EP takes inspiration

The 2022 Mountain Bike Downhill World Championships took place in Les Gets this weekend and it didn't disappoint. Join me, Eliot and Neko to chat all about what went on. We cover the track, the conditions, the insane racing and plenty more. So sit back, hit play and listen to this Les Gets World Champs post-race show with Eliot Jackson and Neko Mulally. Supported By Maxxis Tyres Maxxis is synonymous with performance and racing and is the winningest brand in the history of World Cup and EWS racing. No matter where or how you ride, Maxxis has the tyres for you with a wide range of tread patterns, casing and compound options. You can check out the entire range of Maxxis tyres over at Maxxis.com, and find the tyres at your local Maxxis dealer. You can also give them a follow on instagram where they are @maxxisbike. Podcast Stuff Downtime EP Downtime EP issue 2 is now available at downtimepodcast.com/ep. EP takes inspiration from the guests and topics of the podcast, expands on them, and takes th

Ahead of tomorrow's post-race show, we’ve got chats with your Junior Women’s champ, Jenna Hastings, Jackson Goldstone, your junior men’s champ Jordan Williams, the comeback queen, Cami Balanche, your elite women’s champ Vali Hoell, stand out 6th place guys Oli Zwar and the always impressive Troy Brosnan. I couldn’t find any of the French riders as they were still being mobbed by the incredible crowds that have been here today. Supported By Maxxis Tyres Maxxis is synonymous with performance and racing and is the winningest brand in the history of World Cup and EWS racing. No matter where or how you ride, Maxxis has the tyres for you with a wide range of tread patterns, casing and compound options. You can check out the entire range of Maxxis tyres over at Maxxis.com, and find the tyres at your local Maxxis dealer. You can also give them a follow on instagram where they are @maxxisbike. Podcast Stuff Downtime EP Downtime EP issue 2 is now available at downtimepodcast.com/ep. EP takes inspirati