The Pinkbike Podcast

No, we're not talking e-bikes today. On the long list of topics that we riders seem to have strong, heartfelt opinions about, electronic components probably sit closer to the top than the bottom. Especially when that new battery-powered thingy costs four times as much as the battery-less thingy you already have that does the job just fine. Hmm, so what's the point?

We're only halfway through our cross-country Field Test series, but this week's podcast is all about exactly that. Sarah and Levy answer a bunch of questions about our nine bikes, including favorites and least favorites, surprises, and whether we've changed our minds about the future of cross-country bikes. Warning: plenty of spoilers in this one.

Is there anyone in the cycling universe that you'd call a hero? What about someone you looked up to and took inspiration from? Kazimer, Brian, James, and Levy talk about who they look up to from the mountain bike world.

Modern bikes are better than ever, but that doesn't mean there's no more room for improvement. In this episode, Brian Park, Christina Chappetta, James Smurthwaite and Kazimer discuss what could be changed to make mountain bikes, and the sport as a whole, even better. Grippy tires that don't go flat, inexpensive bikes with good geometry, investment from larger corporations, and building a more supportive, inclusive riding community were just a few of the suggestion that came up.

In case it wasn't already obvious, mountain bike editors have it very, very good. We at Pinkbike, along with a relatively small group of equally spoiled people around the globe, get to ride and write about the latest and most interesting mountain bikes. A lot of them cost more than anyone in their right mind would ever spend on a bicycle, but a lot of us aren't in our right minds, are we? Halo-level bikes with five-digit price tags are often what brands prefer to send us to be reviewed - they don't want a set of inexpensive, troublesome brakes or low-end wheels dragging their frame down that's been in development for the last two years - but the more sensible out there understand that you usually get diminishing returns after a certain price point. Beginning with the idea of assembling a capable, reasonably priced trail bike for our needs, Episode 14 of the Pinkbike Podcast sees Kazimer, James, and myself talking about what'd we'd purchase with our own limited funds.

Did you see that so-and-so released a brand new bike? It has some pivots, a shock, and even comes with geometry. Wheels, too! You can get it in that low-key color that everyone's sure to be a fan of, and I can pretty much guarantee that it'll easily outperform anything that wasn't made within the last couple of years. Wind back the clock a decade or two and magazines were showing us a future that would surely be full of wild machines; two-shock suspension designs, CVT transmissions, carbon leaf springs, and who knows what else?

Our dozenenth episode is all about hallowed ground: The local bike shop. With over thirty years of shop experience between us, Brian, Kazimer, Jimmy-James, and I look back at what our local shops meant to us during the grom-years, recount some of our most memorable customers and stories, and really embrace that ''back in the good ol' days'' vibe.

With the heavily revised schedule running from late summer through early fall, will 2020 be known as the muddiest World Cup season ever? Will the condensed, all-European calendar throw up any unexpected curveballs?

If there's more than one way to skin a cat then there's more than 1000 ways to set up a bike. Is Levy's rebound too slow? Are Kaz's brake levers too high? The answer is probably.

Last week's show looked at Trek's experiments with both 32" and 36" diameter hoops, a topic that was always going to rustle people's knee pads but also one that, given they're one of the largest bike companies in the world, can't be ignored. That said, how about we don't talk about wheel sizes, and especially new, weird wheel sizes, for a little while? Something else that can't be ignored is the host of all-new cross-country and short-travel shredders debuting for 2020, many spurred on by this being an Olympic year. Well, it was supposed to be an Olympic year...

The idea of a new, larger diameter wheel standard will have many people reaching for their pitchforks and the caps lock key, but what if there's a good argument to be made for a 32" wheel? Or even a 36er?

Whether you're a lifelong shop mechanic, a diehard DIYer, or still looking for that left-handed 5mm hex key, many of us enjoy working on our bikes nearly as much as riding them. That all begins with the basic skills needed to get yourself out of the forest, like fixing a flat tire or repairing a chain. From there, maybe you learned how to adjust your shifting, bolted on a new handlebar, or had a set of ISCG tabs welded onto your frame before you faced the bottom bracket shell back down to accept a modified Hammerschmidt crankset that's controlled by a fork lockout lever that you mounted on the underside of the bike's top tube like a suicide shifter... No?

If you're in the market for a new mountain bike, one of the first things you need to figure out is how much bike you nee... Want. Are you the type who sees no downsides to pedalling a relatively long-travel, heavier machine around all day, even if it's "too much bike" for the terrain? Or are you the opposite, preferring a relatively light-duty machine that might be more exciting to ride, even if you're going slower down the sketchy stuff? It's the old under-biked versus over-biked argument for episode six, with Kazimer and Levy looking at the situation from completely different angles. Of course.

Can you trust bike reviews? The short answer: Yes. But also no. It depends. We look at the different types of reviews out there, talk about how we like to do our reviews, and some of their shortcomings. And we can't do any of that without getting into biases (we've all got 'em), embargos (review tomorrow!), and some tips on making sense of it all.

What defines a trail bike? Travel? Geometry? Acronyms? Levy, Kazimer, Brian, and James get together and try to determine what exactly a trail bike is.

Trade shows are being cancelled left and right so we decided to round up all the latest and greatest product and have our own virtual trade show. New suspension, drivetrains, apparel, and more! Welcome to the Pond Beaver special.

Ever since the release of the Grim Donut you guys have been hounding us for part 2 so we're here to pull back the curtain and explain what's up with the monstrosity we created. We also have James Smurthwaite on air with us to discuss all the big news stories from the week. Trust ceasing operations, a new AXS app, and more.

Normally the spring is a hectic time in the mountain bike media world—endless travel for trade shows and races and press camps. But this year is different, and we're all staying close to home. So, just like every other group of cooped up millennials, we're kicking off a podcast. Hosted by Mike Levy and featuring a rotating cast of the Pinkbike editorial team and other guests, the Pinkbike Podcast is a weekly update on all the latest stories from around the world of mountain biking, as well as some frank discussion about tech, racing, and everything in between. That said, we're all sick of hearing about Coronavirus, so for this first episode we're skipping the news and kicking things off by jumping straight into a discussion about value bikes. What did we learn from our value bike Field Trip? Why are bikes so expensive? Where should product managers be putting their resources? What are the best parts to upgrade?