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Lennard Zinn is a bike designer and frame builder based in Louisville, Colorado. His shop, Zinn Cycles, offers "a full line of semi-custom and off the shelf bikes for riders from very small to very tall and everyone in-between." He’s also the author of Zinn and the Art of Mountain Bike Maintenance, one of the world’s best-selling guides to mountain bike repair.
In this first-half of our podcast discussion, Zinn talks about drivetrain maintenance, focusing on chains and lubrication. Later in the show we talk about the benefits of big 32-, 36-inch, and 750d bike wheels and designing bikes for riders both tall and small.
Understanding bike chain wear and elongation 0:00
Chain wear is caused by dirt and oil-based lubricant sticking to the chain, creating a grinding paste that wears down the rollers, bushings, and pins. Zinn describes how the chain's inner links are made. The chain's flexibility increases as the bushings and plates wear, affecting shifting performance. A chain's lateral stiffness is crucial for proper shifting, and a worn chain can cause skipping during shifting.Chain elongation and its effects 6:46
Zinn discusses how a chain's elongation affects its performance, particularly when the distance between rollers exceeds the half-inch standard. He explains that a worn chain can misshape the cassette's teeth, leading to skipping and poor shifting. Chain checkers can be used to ensure the chain's length is within spec to prevent cassette wear.Lubrication and its impact on chain wear 22:35
Zinn explains that a dry chain will wear faster due to friction, while lubrication helps reduce wear but can attract dirt. He discusses the differences between factory lube and other lubricants, noting that factory lube is designed for machinery, not for low friction on the bike. Zinn recommends using a cleaner to remove factory lube before applying chain lube. He introduces the concept of chain waxing, which involves immersing the chain in molten wax to create a low-friction, clean-running chain. Zinn shares the benefits of chain waxing, including reduced noise, lower friction, and longer chain life.Chain waxing process and benefits 35:43
Zinn describes the process of chain waxing, including the need for a clean jar of mineral spirits and denatured alcohol for cleaning the chain. He mentions the cost-effectiveness of chain waxing compared to replacing chains frequently.Wheel sizes and their applications 1:03:20
Zinn discusses the advantages of larger wheels for tall riders like 32-, 36-inch, and 750d wheels, noting that 32-inch wheels can make a bike look proportionally sized. He explains the challenges of using larger wheels, such as increased weight and the lack of suspension forks. Zinn mentions the development of new carbon rims and tires for larger wheels, which could improve their performance and weight. Barber asks about the feasibility of using suspension forks with larger wheels, and Zinn confirms that rigid forks are the only option.Challenges in designing bikes for small riders 1:16:58
Barber asks about the challenges of scaling bikes for smaller riders, and Zinn explains the limitations due to the need for certain components. Zinn highlights the importance of proportional design, where larger wheels can make a bike look more proportionate for tall riders. He discusses the ergonomic issues for small riders, such as wider Q-factors and shorter steerer tubes on forks. Zinn mentions the UCI's weight limit in road racing as an example of how smaller riders are often disadvantaged.Modern trends in bike design and their impact 1:18:46
Zinn highlights the shortening of steerer tubes on forks which can be a problem for taller riders. He discusses the trend of wider rear ends in modern bikes, which can be detrimental to smaller riders due to increased Q-factor.Find out more about the chain waxing service and bikes discussed in this episode at zinncycles.com.
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Craig Calfee is an innovative bike builder and the founder of Calfee Design. Calfee was an early adopter of carbon fiber for bike frames in 1987, and brand's Tetra road bike is said to have been in production longer than any other carbon bike. You might also recognize his work with Bamboo bike frames, which he began in 1995.
How did you get your start building bikes? What did people think about the carbon bike frame you debuted at Interbike in 1989? Were there concerns that carbon frames were untested? Are you still doing carbon frame production in the US? How does carbon frame repair work? Your mountain bike, the Cephal, utilizes a system called Quick Tune Steering. What's the idea behind this feature? The Cephal is a hardtail with "leaf spring chain stays." What are the benefits to having flexible chain stays? Were you surprised about your bamboo bike frame prototype? From a practical standpoint, is bamboo a good material for building bike frames? Why do you offer so many different tandem bikes? What are the challenges associated with building a tandem, particularly a mountain tandem? How does your electric pedal assist retrofit service work? What kind of work have you done on adaptive bikes? What's next on the horizon for Calfee Design?Connect with Calfee Design and learn more at calfeedesign.com.
Visit singletracks.com for a complete transcript of this episode.
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in bike excursions and craft beer tastings, among other activities. The couple has lived on the road in an RV since 2018, sampling trails and beer not just in the US but around the world. They also host a podcast called Craft Beer Travel & Adventure.
Why did you decide to move into your recreational vehicle and hit the road full time? Is RV life different from Van life? Is it difficult to find community while living on the road? How did Camp Carpe Diem get its start? What is Camp Carpe Diem? What is the average age of a Camp Carpe Diem camper? Is there a minimum age? Are kids allowed? How do you choose the locations for your camps? Was it difficult to start mountain biking in your 40s? What are the mountain bike destinations that you keep going back to visit? Where are the best trails with a campground attached? How did you get your reputation as "the beer guys"? What are some non-alcoholic beers you can recommend?Learn more about Camp Carpe Diem or sign up for an event at campcarpediem.com.
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Wes Holland is the owner of Bullmoose Softgoods where he designs and produces one-of-a-kind bags for cycling and adventuring. Bullmoose is based in Summerville, Massachusetts and currently offers handlebar and frame bags plus hip packs and accessories.
What came first for you: bikes or bags? What kind of riding do you like to do? What is the riding scene like in Boston? There are a lot of hip packs and handlebar bags out there, so why make your own? What types of materials are you working with? What's your shop setup like? Your hip packs aren't cheap, with prices starting at $130. What makes bags like this so expensive? What's the trickiest part about making a bag for biking? How long does it take to make a frame bag, for example? Have you had any failures when testing new designs? With accessory mounts becoming more common across all types of bikes, does this make fitting or attaching bags easier for you as a bag maker? What's in your hip pack? Do you have new products or projects on the horizon?Check out Wes's work at bullmoosesoftgoods.com.
An auto-edited summary of our conversation is available at Singletracks.com.
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Greg Mazu is the self-described "Chief Dreamer" behind Backslope Tools, a company that designs and sells tools for trail building and forest maintenance. He's also the founder of Singletrack Trails, a trail building company that recently finished its last project after 20 years in the business.
When did you build your first trail? How did you get into professional trail building? What motivated you to start Tools for Trails, and later Backslope tools? Where are Backslope tools manufactured? If you could only have one tool to use for building a trail, what would it be? Some riders say they prefer natural trails to machine-built ones. Do you have a preference for riding machine- or hand-built trails? Can a machine-built trail be built to feel like a natural or hand-built trail, or vice versa? Singletrack trails was involved in some iconic projects over the years in places like 18 Road and Lunch Loops in Fruita, Black Mountain in North Carolina, Palisade Plunge in Colorado, and Handcut Hollow in Bentonville. Which trail building projects are you most proud of? What are some favorite trails you weren't involved in building? What are some of the challenges the trail building industry is facing in meeting increased demand for trails? Have we reached a peak in terms of trail quality, or is there room for further growth and improvement? What are some of the latest, or upcoming innovations riders can look forward to?See the tools we talked about at backslopetools.com and follow @gregmazu on Instagram.
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Hannah Otto recently became the fastest known woman to ride the 137-mile-long Kokopelli's trail from Moab, Utah to Loma, Colorado, besting the previous fastest known time by over an hour. In addition to racing gravel and mountain bikes, she's also a certified athletic trainer.
How do you feel now that you can finally talk about your accomplishment? Were you worried someone else would make an FKT attempt between then and now? In October you made your first attempt, but it didn't work out. What happened. What did you do differently the second time around? What was your bike setup? What did you eat? How do you pace yourself for a ride like this? Do you think this FKT rules that should be updated or clarified to allow film crews as long as they don't offer any assistance? How much of a role does luck play in mountain bike racing, versus skill and fitness? Do individual time trials also make you a faster racer in more traditional events, or is this a specialized skill set? What's next? Do you have any more FKT attempts on the horizon?View the Kokopelli Strong film on Youtube and follow @hannah_finchamp on Instagram. Photo credit: @mahkus.g.
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Chuck Teixeira is a Senior Advanced Concept Engineer at Specialized where he's been involved in countless projects from mountain to road, and from bikes to components. Prior to joining Specialized in 2011, Chuck spent 28 years at Easton-Bell where he was the director of R&D.
How did you end up in the bike industry? How does the Smartweld tech used on the new Specialized Chisel mountain bike frame work, and what makes it different from traditional aluminum frame welding? Why haven't we seen this on more Specialized mountain bikes? Are mountain bikers still overlooking aluminum in favor of carbon frames? How did you and the Roval team come upon the anti pinch flat bead-wall design? When it comes to mountain bike rims, is there a clear winner when it comes to material choice, carbon vs. aluminum? What are some of your favorite mountain bike products or designs that you've been involved with over the years? How have you recovered from the Santa Cruz wildfire that claimed your house in 2020? As someone who has lived and breathed bicycles since the 1980s, is there anything that surprises you today? What are you working on right now that has you stoked?--Keep up with the latest in mountain biking at Singletracks.com and on Instagram @singletracks
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Colin Ryan is a Senior Development Engineer at Norco and was involved in the design of the latest Norco Optic trail bike which features a high-pivot design. Prior to joining Norco he worked at General Kinetics testing and developing shock absorbers for military and construction equipment.
At a basic level, what problem does a high pivot design solve? Is there a certain type of riding that benefits from having a high pivot? What are the drawbacks to the design? Does a high pivot design improve longevity for certain components? With less chain wrap on the crank, are dropped chains an issue with a high pivot setup? How does the placement of the idler pulley affect performance? What about the number of teeth on the idler cog? Did moving from a traditional setup to high-pivot change the ride feel of the Norco Optic significantly? The decision to use a high pivot on a short, 125mm travel bike is a controversial one. Why do you think that is? The latest Optic is said to be lighter than the previous version. How much weight does the idler hardware add, and how did you manage to make the bike lighter overall? How is the intended use of the Optic different from the Fluid which has a very similar amount of travel (140/130mm)? What's next for high pivot mountain bike designs?Cover photo: Matt Miller.
See the Norco Optic and other high pivot bikes from the brand at norco.com.
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Sara Hunter is a Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselor in the state of North Carolina and a PMBIA Level 1 Mountain Bike Instructor. Her practice includes individual and couples counseling services plus mountain bike therapy and counseling for athletes and outdoor instructors. She's also a Specialized USA Ambassador.
What led you to get into counseling? Does everyone benefit from spending time outdoors, or do you think some of us are just wired that way? What is Adventure Therapy? What is the idea behind it? Is there such a thing as spending too much time outdoors? As someone who works to address conflicts between individuals, do you have any ideas about how people can share the trail? Sometimes I get frustrated on group rides when the rider in front of me gets in my way. Is there a way to re-frame this? Unsolicited advice — about how to ride, or fix a bike — generally comes from a good place of wanting to help, but is there a better approach? What are some ways I can be more supportive of someone who is having a tough or bad ride? How can counseling help riders recover after an injury? Do you have any tips for calming nerves on race day, or even before a challenging ride? Do you have tips for reducing the risk of loneliness for athletes or travelers living the van life? What's the biggest benefit you get from mountain biking personally?Connect with Sara and her practice at sarahuntercounseling.com and find about upcoming workshops at her Instagram account, @mindfulmountainbike.
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Alex Larson is a registered dietitian and multi-sport athlete who helps endurance athletes optimize nutrition and performance. She's written multiple nutrition guides and offers customized nutrition coaching services to athletes around the world.
Do athleticism and nutrition go hand in hand? Are athletes generally healthy eaters by nature? What is a "flexible eating style"? Are restrictive diets sometimes harmful? How does pre-race fueling work? Is nutrition drastically different for training vs. racing? Is it more challenging for athletes to maintain a healthy gut than non-athletes? What types of things can cause gut issues for athletes during a workout? Are there signs that nutrition is holding us back from fitness gains? What have you learned about nutrition from your own training? With summer approaching, should athletes adjust their diet based on the season? Does an individual's nutrition plan look different for different sports? Do you recommend an app for tracking daily nutrition or a food journal? If I eat the wrong thing after a race, is that going to have a big effect on my future performance? What's one simple step mountain bikers can take to improve their nutrition?For additional nutrition resources and to connect with Alex, visit alexlarsonnutrition.com.
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Amanda Carey is the President of NICA, the National Interscholastic Cycling Association, a non-profit that develops mountain biking programs for student athletes across the United States. Prior to joining NICA, Amanda served as the executive director of Mountain Bike the Tetons and as a mountain bike coach.
What drew you to mountain biking initially? What's kept you so engaged over the years? What do you think has kept mountain biking from growing more than it has over the past couple of decades? How is NICA impacting mountain bike participation? How can NICA teams attract new student athletes who don't have a family cycling background? Why choose mountain biking over another sport? How would you characterize the level of competition at NICA races? What is NICA doing to encourage trail building and maintenance? Is there a demand for a more gravity-oriented youth riding program? What advice do you have for parents of NICA athletes? What are the biggest opportunities for NICA over the next five years? How can Singletracks listeners help support your mission?Learn more and find out how you can get involved at nationalmtb.org.
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Sara Bresnick is a former professional mountain biker, cycling coach and founder of Pedal Power Training Solutions which offers customized training plans plus advice on nutrition, race strategy, and technique.
What are some fitness goals your clients have beyond racing? For example, does it make sense for a rider to work with a coach before a big weeklong mountain bike trip? Do older athletes need more time to recover between intense workouts? What happens if you miss a day, or two, in a training schedule? How quickly do fitness gains disappear? How does an "off season" work for bike athletes? Should you still be biking some, or is it possible to do other activities instead? Let's say I wanted to ride the Tour Divide in 2025, and my goal was to finish the ride in 45 days. Given a good level of base fitness, what's a realistic timeframe for training? In general, what would a training plan involve? What's the biggest challenge most people face when it comes to improving their fitness? As a trainer, what can you learn from a client's workout data? How much of your job as a trainer is emotional support versus purely technical? What's one easy step everyone can take to start improving their fitness today?Learn more and connect with Sara at pedalpowercoaching.com.
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Claudio Caluori is a seven-time Swiss National Champion and founder of Velosolutions, "a global network of professionals with profound knowledge in cycling, action sports, tourism and urban development." He's also a popular YouTube personality, delivering entertaining course previews and ride-alongs with top athletes.
In addition to building pump tracks around the world, Velosolutions recently helped with construction of the XC race course for the 2024 Paris Olympics and is working on an ultra accurate timing app for pump track competition.
How did you get into downhill mountain bike racing? How are you able to talk while riding fast in your Red Bull course preview and Bla Bla Run videos? Does talking mess you up sometimes? How is designing and building a race trail different from building a trail for the public? What's so great about pump tracks? Why do adult riders tend to avoid them? Tell us about Pump Tracks for Peace. Some riders seem to be against asphalt tracks. What's your take? Is trail building and funding easier in some parts of the world than in others? Which Velosolutions projects are you most proud of? Tell us about Velosolutions Farm. What's the vision? What are some projects Velosolutions is working on right now?Get more information about Velosolutions at velosolutions.com.
Photo credit: Sternemann
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In this episode of the Singletracks podcast, Matt and Jeff discuss the current trends around mountain bike weights. Are bikes too heavy, or are they where they should be given how durable and capable they are today?
This discussion covers:
Examples of specific bikes and their weights Why bike weights might be increasing The benefits to lightweight -- and heavy -- mountain bikes Areas where mountain bikes might be able to cut weightThis is Matt's last episode with the Singletracks podcast so to start the show we talk about some of his most memorable stories from the past 6 years. We'll miss you Matt!
Where else can you choose from over 300 miles of epic singletrack against a backdrop of soaring mountains and cascading waterfalls? Where else can you explore 100,000 acres of public lands laced with hundreds of miles of backcountry gravel roads? Your best mountain biking adventure ever begins in Brevard, North Carolina, home to Pisgah National Forest and DuPont State Recreational Forest. Four primo bike shops will get you sorted, whether you need a rental, service, or some cool swag. Top it off with an array of craft breweries, cafes, and gathering spots that have earned Brevard the title as one of America’s coolest small towns. It all adds up to one of the premier mountain biking destinations in the U.S. Find out more at ExploreBrevard.com.
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Will Hart is Product Marketing Manager at Cane Creek, a western North Carolina based maker of suspension and bike components.
Besides looking cool, what are some advantages of a coil shock? Are certain styles of riding better suited to a coil shock than others? What makes some FS mountain bikes coil compatible, and others not? How does compression damping work on a coil shock? Is there any air involved? Tell us about the Cane Creek Tigon. What's the idea behind combining a coil with an air spring? How are progressive and linear coil springs different? How do you set sag on a coil shock? What about other settings? Are coil shocks as tunable as air shocks? What does tightening the pre-load on a coil shock do? How does bottom-out work on a coil shock? Is it difficult for lighter riders to find an appropriate spring? How does the weight of a coil shock compare to an air shock? Will a coil feel different over time as the metal fatigues? Are coil shocks lower maintenance than air shocks? What is your advice for mountain bikers who are coil curious?Find out about the Cane Creek Coil Curious program at canecreek.com.
Where else can you choose from over 300 miles of epic singletrack against a backdrop of soaring mountains and cascading waterfalls? Where else can you explore 100,000 acres of public lands laced with hundreds of miles of backcountry gravel roads? Your best mountain biking adventure ever begins in Brevard, North Carolina, home to Pisgah National Forest and DuPont State Recreational Forest. Four primo bike shops will get you sorted, whether you need a rental, service, or some cool swag. Top it off with an array of craft breweries, cafes, and gathering spots that have earned Brevard the title as one of America’s coolest small towns. It all adds up to one of the premier mountain biking destinations in the U.S. Find out more at ExploreBrevard.com.
--Keep up with the latest in mountain biking at Singletracks.com and on Instagram @singletracks
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Sean Leader is the founder of Windrock Bike Park and Southern Gravity, a Tennessee-based company that builds ramps and shuttle vehicles for bike parks. Not only that, Southern Gravity recently released a prototype steel DH mountain bike that's being tested by top elite and junior DH riders.
You've worn many hats in the mountain bike world. When was the moment you realized you could make a living in the sport? How did Windrock Bike Park get started? What were some of the challenges you faced as a bike park operator? Why build your own DH bike? What are the advantages of a steel DH bike frame compared to other materials? Did the expiration of the DW-Link patent figure into your design plans? Tell us about the Southern Gravity Racing team. Who are the athletes on the team, and which races are you targeting? How would you describe the southern DH mountain bike scene today? How has it evolved? What do you say to folks who think the southeast doesn't have quality trails or challenging terrain?See the bike and connect with Sean at SouthernGravity.com.
Where else can you choose from over 300 miles of epic singletrack against a backdrop of soaring mountains and cascading waterfalls? Where else can you explore 100,000 acres of public lands laced with hundreds of miles of backcountry gravel roads? Your best mountain biking adventure ever begins in Brevard, North Carolina, home to Pisgah National Forest and DuPont State Recreational Forest. Four primo bike shops will get you sorted, whether you need a rental, service, or some cool swag. Top it off with an array of craft breweries, cafes, and gathering spots that have earned Brevard the title as one of America’s coolest small towns. It all adds up to one of the premier mountain biking destinations in the U.S. Find out more atExploreBrevard.com.
--Keep up with the latest in mountain biking at Singletracks.com and on Instagram @singletracks
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Joel Smith is the Brand Leader for Reserve, a Santa Cruz, CA brand that designs and markets wheels for everything from downhill to road biking. Steel Wisdom-Wilhelmsson is engineering lab technician responsible for lab-conditions wheel testing.
In this episode we ask:
How are MTB wheels assembled? For high-end wheels, is most of it done by hand? How does rim construction contribute to ride feel? Is a shallower rim better than a deep rim for ride feel? What are the advantages of a high engagement freehub? Is there a number that most riders will find meets their needs or is more always better? Are wheel sizes and standards continuing to evolve? What about rim widths? Are today's carbon rims stronger and more durable than aluminum? How do the weights compare? What other advantages does carbon have over aluminum rims? How much stronger does a DH wheel need to be compared to a lightweight XC wheel? Front vs. rear? What is the most common mode of failure when it comes to mountain bike wheels? What are your thoughts on tire inserts? How have rim profiles changed over the years? What role does spoke lacing and the number of spokes play in a wheel's strength and ride feel? Is a Super Boost wheel a better wheel? What's the deal with mountain bike wheel warranties? Generally speaking, do riders make many claims? What's your advice to mountain bikers when choosing a wheel upgrade?Check out reservewheels.com to learn more about the brand.
This episode of the Singletracks podcast is sponsored by Explore Brevard.
Where else can you choose from over 300 miles of epic singletrack against a backdrop of soaring mountains and cascading waterfalls? Where else can you explore 100,000 acres of public lands laced with hundreds of miles of backcountry gravel roads? Your best mountain biking adventure ever begins in Brevard, North Carolina, home to Pisgah National Forest and DuPont State Recreational Forest. Four primo bike shops will get you sorted, whether you need a rental, service, or some cool swag. Top it off with an array of craft breweries, cafes, and gathering spots that have earned Brevard the title as one of America’s coolest small towns. It all adds up to one of the premier mountain biking destinations in the U.S. Find out more at
ExploreBrevard.com.--Keep up with the latest in mountain biking at Singletracks.com and on Instagram @singletracks
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Carol Baldwin is the founder of Flownetic MTB Skills and is a PMBIA Level 3 certified mountain bike skills instructor. She's also a Singletracks contributor and product tester.
In this podcast we ask Carol:
Have you alway mountain biked with flat pedals? Was it difficult to switch from clipless to flat pedals? Why? What are the advantages of flat pedals compared to clipless? What are the disadvantages of flats compared to clipless pedals? Are bigger and/or wider pedal platforms better? What's the right number of pins per side? What is your favorite shoe, or type of shoe for mountain biking? What is your favorite flat pedal? Are aluminum pedals better than composite? Are there certain types of rides that are better or worse for flat pedals? For people who have only used flats, is it worth giving clipless a try? Is riding on flats more fun?Learn more and connect with Carol at flowneticmtb.com.
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Tom Prochazka is a co-founder and director at Gravity Logic, a bike park design and development company based in Whistler, British Columbia. He served as the manager of the Whistler Bike Park from 2001 to 2007 and designed the iconic Top of the World Trail which opened in 2011. Since then he's worked on bike parks all over the world from the western US to Europe and South America.
In this podcast interview we ask Tom:
How did you get involved in mountain bike trail building? What do you think makes Whistler such a special place? What drove the huge increase in Whistler visits between 2001 and 2007? How did Gravity Logic get its start? Tell us how the Top of the World Trail came together. How is it different from the other trails in the bike park? What's your definition for the term "bike park"? Are for-profit park operators able to get a decent return on investment on a bike-only, ground-up build? How much work is involved in keeping bike trails running during the season? Does a trail ever work exactly as planned on paper? Do builders and designers need to make adjustments once they see how people are riding the trail? Are there many tradeoffs between safety and fun when it comes to mountain bike trail design? It seems like most bike park visitors prefer flowy, jumpy trails to raw, technical lines. Why do you think so many mountain bikers like to complain about flow trails? What are some of the latest trends you're seeing in bike park design today? Do you have a favorite park or trail that you like to ride?More information: Whistlergravitylogic.com
Cover photo provided by Tom Prochazka.
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Rhett Jones is a high school mountain biker living in the Austin, Texas area. He's the founder of Station Bike Park, a new private park he developed on 150 acres of former ranchland northwest of Austin.
Singletracks first shared Jones' story in a November feature article on our website; this interview adds more detail and dives into the economic and operational aspects of running a for-profit, private mountain bike park.
How long have you been riding mountain bikes? Tell us about the free bike, public bike park you built in 2022. How did that get started? Are there many places to mountain bike in and around Austin, TX? What is the mountain bike scene like in the area? In the state? How much money did you raise, and how did you raise it? Were you able to stay on budget? Are bike parks good businesses? Were you able to use any successful bike parks as an example? How do most bike parks actually make money: tickets, rentals, repairs, or sales? Was getting insurance a challenge? Is there a benefit to being close to a more established bike park like Spider Mountain Bike Park? What are the economics of a fixed lift system? Is the cost feasible for the average bike park? What's your favorite part of owning a bike park? What are your plans for the bike park and for yourself in the future?Find out more at stationmountain.com.
Photo provided by Rhett Jones.
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