The Downtime Podcast

Welcome to Downtime Goes Downhill, a podcast mini-series that’s been taking you with us as we have a go at racing downhill at both a regional and national level. Downtime Goes Downhill wouldn’t be happening without the support of some incredible brands. So a massive thanks to Canyon bikes, Fox suspension, Wahoo Fitness, Fox clothing and protection, Maxxis tyres, Magura brakes and We Are One Composites wheels. This is episode eight, where we’ll be sharing what we’ve learned from a year of downhill racing and discussing the hits and misses from the products that we’ve been using. So sit back, hit play and listen to episode seven of Downtime Goes Downhill with me, Ben and Jonny. Podcast Stuff Patreon I would love it if you were able to support the podcast via a regular Patreon donation. Donations start from as little as £3 per month. That's less than £1 per episode and less than the price of a take away coffee. Every little counts and these donations will really help me keep the podcast going and

Today, I'm excited to have Noga Korem with us. Now, you're likely aware of the unexpected turn of events earlier this year when Noga was released from her contract with GT Factory Racing. In the spirit of transparency, I want to address that this episode initially included a few more details from Noga's perspective regarding the contract termination. However, due to the legal sensitivity of the matter and the challenge of reconciling differing accounts between both parties, I've made some slight edits. This was done to ensure that only factual information is presented, respecting the complexities of the situation. In this episode we delve into Noga's 2023 season and navigate through the challenges of losing her ride mid-season. Noga shares the inside scoop on crafting her own race program, aptly named 'Team Improvise.' Hear about the incredible moment when Commencal stepped in with a bike, right between practice and race at Pietra Ligure. We also explore the friendship between Noga and the downhill sensat

In a week where we heard that the GOAT, Greg Minnaar, will be leaving the Santa Cruz Syndicate after an incredible 16-year tenure, it feels fitting to revisit the conversation I had with Greg back in 2019. Given the influx of new subscribers since then and the the fact that this episode was no longer available on the podcast RSS feed, I felt it was the perfect opportunity to re-share our insightful discussion. Picture the scene: in 2019, Greg and I gathered in a cozy pub in Leeds, delving into the rich tapestry of his sporting journey. We navigated through his pivotal moments with Animal Orange, Global Racing, G-Cross Honda, and a substantial portion of his illustrious tenure with the Syndicate. Discover why Greg deemed the Syndicate as the ideal fit for him, explore the evolution of his role within the team over time, and unravel many more fascinating aspects of his extraordinary career. So, it’s time to sit back, hit play and listen to this episode with Greg Minnaar. Supporting Partners Misspent Summe

Today I’m joined by Vero Sandler. Vero has had an interesting five years since she last appeared on the podcast, moving from downhill racing into the freeride mountain bike world. We chat about her move to Santa Cruz, competing in the X-Games Real MTB series and find out what it’s like to ride at Darkfest. Hear how Vero’s unusual childhood helped shape the creativity that she has today and why some of the best freeriders on the planet will be visiting her backyard next year. Vero also shares details of her recent concussion and how meditation was a key part of her recovery. So, it’s time to sit back, hit play and listen to this episode with Vero Sandler. You can follow Vero on Instagram @veroniquesandler. If you'd like to watch Vero's latest edit 'Maes Movements' it's here. The book that Vero mentioned in the episode is 'The Power of Now' by Eckhart Toll, which is available here. Supporting Partners Misspent Summers - THE YEARBOOKS Misspent Summers awesome yearbooks for DH and Enduro are now

Today I’m joined by Tahnée Seagrave. Tahnée has been through a lot over the last few years and we chat about some of those highs and lows. Hear how Tahnée got on at Red Bull Hardline and how she feels about taking part in the new Hardline in Tasmania. We discuss her concussion and recovery as well as her return from racing. Find out how Missy Giove helped Tahnée’s recovery and what it was like being called Nina Hoffmann on live TV. So, it’s time to sit back, hit play and listen to this episode with Tahnée Seagrave. You can follow Tahnée on Instagram @tahneeseagrave. You can find the 'How We Roll' series, following the team, over on the Canyon YouTube channel here. Supporting Partners Misspent Summers - THE YEARBOOKS Misspent Summers awesome yearbooks for DH and Enduro are now available. Downtime listeners can get 10% off those and everything else Misspent Summers until the end of 2023 using the code 'downtime' at the checkout. The perfect Christmas present for you or those special riders in your

Today I'm joined by Dakotah Norton. Dakotah had his best season ever in 2023 and had the pace to take wins at multiple venues. Hear Dakotah’s thoughts on this season and his time with Intense. We chat about bike setup, the challenge of training at world cup speeds without taking unnecessary risks, how he’s found a way to enjoy racing and much more. So, it’s time to sit back, hit play and listen to this episode with Dakotah Norton. You can follow Dakotah on Instagram @daknorton and on YouTube here. Supporting Partners Misspent Summers - THE YEARBOOKS Misspent Summers awesome yearbooks for DH and Enduro are now available. Downtime listeners can get 10% off those and everything else Misspent Summers until the end of 2023 using the code 'downtime' at the checkout. The perfect Christmas present for you or those special riders in your life. Podcast Stuff Patreon I would love it if you were able to support the podcast via a regular Patreon donation. Donations start from as little as £3 per month

Alright, today I’m joined by Aaron Gwin to catch up on what he’s been up to. Hear about his experience in the commentary booth, why he bought Windrock Bike Park, if he’ll be racing next season and plenty more. There’s some great insight in this episode and I really hope you enjoy listening. So, it’s time to sit back, hit play and listen to this episode with Aaron Gwin. You can follow Aaron on Instagram @aarongwin1 and find Windrock Bike Park @windrockbikepark. Supporting Partners We Are One Composites Downtime listeners get an extra special 20% off of WeAreOne Composites' awesome Convergence wheelsets and rims for the month of November 2023 by using the code DowntimeNovember2023 at the checkout over on weareonecomposites.com. Podcast Stuff Patreon I would love it if you were able to support the podcast via a regular Patreon donation. Donations start from as little as £3 per month. That’s less than £1 per episode and less than the price of a take away coffee. Every little counts and these

Today I’m joined by Neko Mulally to talk all things Frameworks. With a limited batch of 100 of the bikes going on sale tomorrow, Neko and I sat down for an in-depth chat about the project. You’ll hear how Neko has taken his experience from racing and translated that into designing and developing the Frameworks downhill bike. Hear who was involved to make this dream a reality. How much will the bikes cost, what specs will be available, how do you get hold of one and heaps of listener questions too. This is a great chance to immerse yourself in two hours of one of the most exciting projects in mountain biking right now. So, it’s time to sit back, hit play and listen to this episode with Neko Mulally. You can get your hands on one of the first 100 frames and join the newsletter over at rideframeworks.com. You can follow the team @frameworksracing and watch their videos here. Supporting Partners We Are One Composites Downtime listeners get an extra special 20% off of WeAreOne Composites' awesome Co

Today we are going behind the scenes of the development of the new YT Jeffsy mk3 with founder and chief visionary officer, Markus Flossmann and product development manager, Frank Dörr. We chat about what the Jeffsy aims to be and what the challenges were to bring that to life. Hear about the crazy launch videos, how much goes into some of the smaller details of the bike that you’ll probably not notice, why they have carbon and aluminium options and which one you might prefer. We also talk about how the choose the specs, why looks are important and much more. Oh and they turn the tables on me and ask me the final four questions. So, it’s time to sit back, hit play and listen to this episode with Frank Dörr and Markus Flossmann. You can checkout the new Jeffsy over at yt-industries.com. You'll find the launch video here. Also, don't forget that if you want to see and demo the bike, you can either head to your nearest YT Mill or book in to the Rolling Circus demo tour. If you'd rather watch today's episode

Welcome to Downtime Goes Downhill, a podcast mini-series that’s taking you with us as we have a go at racing downhill at both a regional and national level as well as chatting to some of the world’s best to help us and you ride bikes down hills faster. Downtime Goes Downhill wouldn’t be happening without the support of some incredible brands. So a massive thanks to Canyon bikes, Fox suspension, Wahoo Fitness, Fox clothing and protection, Maxxis tyres, Magura brakes and We Are One Composites wheels. This is episode seven, which covers our last race of the season at the final round of the Pearce series in Hopton. Hear about our less than great preparation, find out why I’ve not been riding bikes very much lately and hear about the progress that Ben and Jonny have made over the season. So sit back, hit play and listen to episode seven of Downtime Goes Downhill with me, Ben and Jonny. Podcast Stuff Patreon I would love it if you were able to support the podcast via a regular Patreon donation. Donat

Today, I’m joined by Strength Factory head coach, Ben Plenge. Ben firmly believes that being a better human will lead to you being a better bike rider. We discuss how taking a simple approach of being 1% better each day can lead to building positive habits that when done consistently will help you improve both physically and mentally and ultimately lead to you being a better rider and having more fun on your bike. Ben offers thoughts on what sort of things you should be trying to do, how you might find the time to do them and provides some top tips to help you embed these positive behaviours into your life. So, it’s time to sit back, hit play and listen to this episode with Ben Plenge. You can find Ben on Instagram @strengthfactory_coach and watch his helpful videos over on his YouTube channel here. You can join Ben's newsletter here and calculate your zone 2 heart rate here. For all the information on Ben's programmes, head over to his website thestrengthfactory.uk. To get 30% off his super popular

Welcome to Downtime Goes Downhill, a podcast mini-series that’s taking you with us as we have a go at racing downhill at both a regional and national level and in this episode, bringing you advice from some of the best in the world to help us and you, to perform better. This time by perfecting your process. Downtime Goes Downhill wouldn’t be happening without the support of some incredible brands. So a massive thanks to Canyon bikes, Fox suspension, Wahoo Fitness, Fox clothing and protection, Maxxis tyres, Magura brakes and We Are One Composites wheels. This is episode six, the first of our episodes where we’re chatting to the world’s best to find out how we can perform better. Today we’re joined by owner of True Performance and coach to the MS Mondraker team, Olly Morris. Olly is going to help us to optimise our race week process. What should we be doing in the week running up to the race? How should we be approaching track walk and practice? What does it take to lay down your best possible race run an

Today I’m chatting to Darcy Wittenburg, owner, director and producer at the awesome Anthill Films. We hear how Darcy got into film making and how things have progressed from the Collective, through to Anthill Films being born. Hear how some of their incredible scenes were made and what it was like to be responsible for telling Stevie Smith’s story. We also get some insight on their incredible new film, The Engine Inside, talk about the current state of mountain bike film making and plenty more. So, it’s time to sit back, hit play and listen to this episode with Darcy Wittenburg. You can watch this episode on YouTube here. You can find out more by heading to anthillfilms.com. You'll find more about their new film, The Engine Inside at engineinsidefilm.com. You can also follow them on Instagram @anthillfilms. Supporting Partners 7Mesh 7Mesh have recently launched their brand new Airmap range. Airmap uses a unique approach of different mapped layers that uses incoming air, to expel warm moi

it’s time to check-in with Neko Mulally and Olly Morris to chat all things World Cup finals. What an insane race on an amazing track in Mont-Sainte-Anne, with heaps for us to talk about. The riders that performed, the pressure for those chasing titles, track invasions and plenty more. So sit back, hit play and listen to this Mont-Sainte-Anne World Cup post-race show with Neko Mulally and Olly Morris. 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 Patreon I would love it if you were able to support the podcast via a regular Patreon donation. Donations start from as l

We're heading to Mont-Sainte-Anne this weekend for the final round of the 2023 World Cup. Join me and Chris Kilmurray to find out about the demands of the Mont Sainte Anne track, if the cold is going to impact the riders, if it's going to snow and plenty more. So sit back, hit play and listen to this Mont-Sainte-Anne World Cup pre-race show 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 Patreon I would love it if you were able to support the podcast via a regular Patreon donation. Donations start from as little as £3 per month. That’s less than

Today I’m having a catch up with We Are One Composites’ main man, Dustin Adams. We Are One are at the forefront of carbon fibre technology in the mountain bike world. We chat about their downhill bike project and some of the technology that’s coming from that work. Hear Dustin’s thoughts on how the bike industry dealt with the COVID bike boom. You’ll also hear about some of We Are One’s upcoming products and plenty more. So, it’s time to sit back, hit play and listen to this episode with Dustin Adams. You can watch this episode on YouTube here. You can find out more by heading to weareonecomposites.com or checking our their Instagram @weareonecomposites. Here are some links to the books mentioned in this conversation. Dare to Lead by Brené Brown here. Traction by Gino Wickman here. Eleven Rings by Phil Jackson here. Supporting Partners 7Mesh 7Mesh have recently launched their brand new Airmap range. Airmap uses a unique approach of different mapped layers that uses incoming air, to

Snowshoe delivered some exiting racing and it’s time to check-in with Neko and Olly to chat about what went on. Find out just how hard that track was to ride, how much the track conditions improved on race day, who crashed where you really don't want to and plenty more. So sit back, hit play and listen to this Snowshoe World Cup post-race show with Neko Mulally and Olly Morris. 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 Patreon I would love it if you were able to support the podcast via a regular Patreon donation. Donations start from as little as £3 per month.

We're heading to Snowshoe this weekend for the penultimate round of the 2023 World Cup. Join me and Chris Kilmurray to find out what we should expect from Snowshoe’s unique track, who’s on form, what the weather has in store for us and plenty more. So sit back, hit play and listen to this Snowshoe World Cup pre-race show 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 Patreon I would love it if you were able to support the podcast via a regular Patreon donation. Donations start from as little as £3 per month. That’s less than £1 per episode and

Today I’m joined by Ian Martin, one of the founders of cycle clothing company 7Mesh. Find out how Ian’s passion for the outdoors led him to learn how to make garments and ultimately into working for Arc’teryx. We chat about how an old friendship eventually led to Ian, Calum and Tyler founding their own company with 7Mesh. Hear what goes into designing quality clothing for mountain biking, how 7Mesh approach design, the challenge of removing forever chemicals from your range and plenty more. I learned heaps in this chat with Ian and I hope you do too. So, it’s time to sit back, hit play and listen to this episode with Ian Martin. You can watch this episode on YouTube here. You can find all things 7Mesh over at 7mesh.com or on Instagram @7meshinc. Supporting Partners 7Mesh 7Mesh have recently launched their brand new Airmap range. Airmap uses a unique approach of different mapped layers that uses incoming air, to expel warm moist air out of the garment, while blocking air and water in places wher

With race teams getting closed down and huge sales on at many brands, it’s left many people wondering what’s happening to the bike industry. Today I’m joined by the founder of PNW Components, Aaron Kerson and Sandy Plenty from the Trailhead and PNW UK to chat about what’s going on. We discuss how the bike industry ended up in this situation, what it’s going to take to get us out of it, if we are going to lose some brands along the way and plenty more. So, it’s time to sit back, hit play and listen to this episode with Aaron Kerson and Sandy Plenty. You can watch this episode on YouTube here. You can find PNW over at pnwcomponents.com or pnwcomponents.co.uk if you're based in the UK. They are @pnwcomponents on Instagram. You'll find the Trailhead at www.thetrailhead.co.uk and on Instagram @the_trailhead_bicycle_co. Supporting Partners 7Mesh 7Mesh have recently launched their brand new Airmap range. Airmap uses a unique approach of different mapped layers that uses incoming air, to expel warm