Singletracks Mountain Bike Podcast

Rick Vosper has been in the bike industry since the 1980s, serving in marketing and communications roles for some of the biggest brands in the business. His company, RVMS, provides creative services to consumer products and outdoor companies, and he's a regular contributor to Bicycle Retailer and Industry News. 
What was your first job in the bike industry? How did you land that job?
Is cycling now, or has it ever been, a growth industry? What are the main participation drivers?
For bike brands, how realistic is it to grow overall participation vs. market share?
Why are mountain bikes so expensive? Is anyone getting rich by selling bikes?
What do you make of Chinese brands like Avinox and X-LAB entering the US market? Is vertical integration a threat to existing bike brands?
Is the local bike shop doomed? What is working for the more successful bike shops?
Between brands, retailers, and consumers, who wields the most power in the bike industry?
Is it that some US bike brands are seeing 50% or more of their sales going to e-bikes?
It seems like the US e-bike classification system was meant to avoid confusion, but now we're seeing problems around the country involving the sale and use of e-motos. What went wrong?
Now that a lot of the volatility in the supply chain has settled down, what opportunities do you see for bike and component brands going forward?
What advice would you offer a young professional considering a job in the outdoor industry?
Keep up with the latest bike industry analysis from Rick at Bicycle Retailer.
This episode of the podcast is brought to you by Feedback Sports.
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An automated transcript will be available at Singletracks.com later today.

Cy Turner is the founder and owner of UK-based Cotic Cycles. The Cotic brand got its start in 2003 and is known for high-quality, handcrafted steel bikes, ranging from hardtails to full-suspension bikes to gravel bikes. 
What were you looking for in a hardtail in 2001 that you couldn't find back then?
Where does the Cotic name come from?
Why build mountain bikes from steel? Why did you stop using titanium?
Why does it seem like so many British bikes made from steel? Are most of your buyers located in the UK, or do you see a decent amount of demand internationally? 
Why move away from matched 29" wheels for the recently updated Cotic Jeht trail bike?
Do you see mountain bike geometry continuing to evolve, or is it pretty well optimized at this point?
Have you ridden a bike with 32-inch wheels? What's your perspective on the bigger wheel size?
The Cotic Rocket is one of the few high-end electric bikes with a steel frame. What made you want to design an e-bike? 
What's next for Cotic?
Learn more about Cotic at cotic.co.uk.
An automated transcript will be available at Singletracks.com later today.

This episode is sponsored by Greater Sandpoint Chamber of Commerce.
If you’re looking for your next mountain bike destination that offers just about everything, put Sandpoint, Idaho at the top of your list! The Lower Basin trail system serves up world-class riding through towering timber and across massive granite rock slabs, with trails for every rider — from technical black diamond descents to fast, flowy cross-country loops.
For excellent park-style riding, head up to Schweitzer Mountain Resort with dedicated downhill trails and e-bike access to more than two dozen trails. Or pedal from town to the Pine Street Woods trail system where the trails range from flowy to technical.
When you’re ready to take a break from the trails, Lake Pend Oreille is right there for camping, boating, swimming, or even standup paddleboarding. And after a big day outdoors, head into the town of Sandpoint where you'll find a great selection of bars and restaurants to relax and refuel. 
Get all the details to plan your perfect getaway at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠visitsandpoint.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. The trails and the good times are waiting for you when you Visit Idaho!

Sam Garrett is a teenage mountain biker and inventor living in Rapid City, South Dakota. He was recently awarded a design patent for a tubeless tire plug tool that fits inside a standard mountain bike thru axle.
How did you get into mountain biking?
When did you start wrenching on your own bike?
Why did you decide to create your own tubeless tire plug tool? What did you think you could improve about existing tire plug tools?
Walk us through the process from idea to finished product. What were the biggest challenges along the way?
Why did you decide to call it Every Rider's Must (ERM)?
What have you learned about patents? Why go for a design patent instead of a utility patent?
What did you think when you saw the Robert Axle Project tire plug tool that also fits inside a front axle? What makes the ERM different?
Do you have any tips or tricks for making fast and effective puncture repairs on the trail?
As a young rider, what's your outlook on the sport of mountain biking? Which aspects of mountain biking get you and your friends stoked?
What's next for Garrett Dynamics? Are you looking at creating new products?
Learn more about the ERM at garrettdynamics.com.

An automated transcript will be available at Singletracks.com later today.

This episode is sponsored by Greater Sandpoint Chamber of Commerce.
If you’re looking for your next mountain bike destination that offers just about everything, put Sandpoint, Idaho at the top of your list! The Lower Basin trail system serves up world-class riding through towering timber and across massive granite rock slabs, with trails for every rider — from technical black diamond descents to fast, flowy cross-country loops.
For excellent park-style riding, head up to Schweitzer Mountain Resort with dedicated downhill trails and e-bike access to more than two dozen trails. Or pedal from town to the Pine Street Woods trail system where the trails range from flowy to technical.
When you’re ready to take a break from the trails, Lake Pend Oreille is right there for camping, boating, swimming, or even standup paddleboarding. And after a big day outdoors, head into the town of Sandpoint where you'll find a great selection of bars and restaurants to relax and refuel. 
Get all the details to plan your perfect getaway at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠visitsandpoint.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. The trails and the good times are waiting for you when you Visit Idaho!

Yuri Hauswald is a former 24 Hour Solo mountain bike racer who won the Unbound Gravel 200 in 2015 at age 45. In 2023, he was inducted into the Gravel Cycling Hall of Fame, and this year, he's hoping to raise $50K to support cycling in Emporia, Kansas through a unique fundraiser.
You didn't turn pro until you were 36 years old. How did you get into cycling?
What attracted you to gravel racing after all those years of mountain bike racing?
Tell us about your Unbound 200 win in 2015. How did that unfold?
How did the Bantam Classic gravel race in Petaluma, CA get started? How does the event compare to Unbound or, say a UCI gravel race? 
Do you think gravel racing has changed over the years, particularly since 2022 when the UCI added gravel events?
Do you think there's an opportunity to young riders into gravel riding in the same way NICA has introduced them to mountain biking?
How have gravel bikes changed since you started riding? Is the line between gravel bikes and drop bar road bikes becoming blurred? What do you think about 32" gravel wheels?
Tell us about the Life Time Foundation’s “Chase the Race” initiative. How many riders do you hope to pass? What will the funds support?
Outside of racing, what does a fun ride look like for you? 
What are some places you've visited that are worth going back and riding again?
Can you ever really retire from bike racing?
You've reinvented yourself several times over your career. What's next?
Fundraiser link: https://app.99pledges.com/fund/yurichasetherace/yuri-hauswald

An automated transcript will be available at Singletracks.com later today.

This episode is sponsored by Greater Sandpoint Chamber of Commerce.
If you’re looking for your next mountain bike destination that offers just about everything, put Sandpoint, Idaho at the top of your list! The Lower Basin trail system serves up world-class riding through towering timber and across massive granite rock slabs, with trails for every rider — from technical black diamond descents to fast, flowy cross-country loops.
For excellent park-style riding, head up to Schweitzer Mountain Resort with dedicated downhill trails and e-bike access to more than two dozen trails. Or pedal from town to the Pine Street Woods trail system where the trails range from flowy to technical.
When you’re ready to take a break from the trails, Lake Pend Oreille is right there for camping, boating, swimming, or even standup paddleboarding. And after a big day outdoors, head into the town of Sandpoint where you'll find a great selection of bars and restaurants to relax and refuel. 
Get all the details to plan your perfect getaway at ⁠⁠⁠⁠visitsandpoint.com⁠⁠⁠⁠. The trails and the good times are waiting for you when you Visit Idaho!

Jeff Cayley started Worldwide Cyclery in 2011 when he was just 21 years old, and today he's also the founder and CEO of two more brands, KETL Mountain Apparel and Trail One Components. Jeff is based in Nevada, where he also co-hosts a podcast known as the MTB Podcast.

In this episode, we ask:
What was happening in the bike industry when you started Worldwide Cyclery that made you think it was the right moment to launch an online retailer?

What made you focus specifically on the high-end, enthusiast market?

Is content creation and media an important part of selling bikes?

What Covid-era effects are retailers like Worldwide Cyclery still seeing today?

As someone who loves bikes, how do you square the convenience and price advantage of ordering online with wanting to support your local bike shop?

In 2019, you acquired KETL Mountain Apparel when it was still in its infancy. What was the vision behind growing that brand?

In 2021, you co-founded Trail One Components with a giving component attached to every sale. How does that model work?

What's the value proposition for Trail One products compared to other component brands?

Why is owning your own brands, like KETL and Trail One, important to you?

You're known for building really dialed, unique custom bikes. What are you riding at the moment?

You've mountain biked all over the US and even internationally. What are some of your favorite places to ride?

An automated transcript will be available at Singletracks.com later today.

This episode is sponsored by Greater Sandpoint Chamber of Commerce.
If you’re looking for your next mountain bike destination that offers just about everything, put Sandpoint, Idaho at the top of your list! The Lower Basin trail system serves up world-class riding through towering timber and across massive granite rock slabs, with trails for every rider — from technical black diamond descents to fast, flowy cross-country loops.
For excellent park-style riding, head up to Schweitzer Mountain Resort with dedicated downhill trails and e-bike access to more than two dozen trails. Or pedal from town to the Pine Street Woods trail system where the trails range from flowy to technical.
When you’re ready to take a break from the trails, Lake Pend Oreille is right there for camping, boating, swimming, or even standup paddleboarding. And after a big day outdoors, head into the town of Sandpoint where you'll find a great selection of bars and restaurants to relax and refuel. 
Get all the details to plan your perfect getaway at ⁠⁠⁠visitsandpoint.com⁠⁠⁠. The trails and the good times are waiting for you when you Visit Idaho!