The Mountain Flyer Podcast

Cycling, in all its forms, has a way of transcending geography and culture. Prime Ability, a bike-based nonprofit in Washington, D.C., is dedicated to empowering BIPOC youth through the transformative power of cycling. Prime Ability Founder Alex Clark is a passionate cyclist and a health and physical education teacher at Dunbar high school, in Washington, DC. Through Prime Ability, Clark establish...

As the executive director of Vermont's Kingdom Trail Association, Abby Long carries on a legacy that began 30 years ago. The Kingdom Trails encompass more than 100 miles of trails and pump tracks in Vermont's Northeast Kingdom. The region is known for its remote location, rural character and mountainous landscape that lends itself to skiing and mountain biking alike.  In this episode, Long reflect...

During the early aughts of mountain biking, men dominated the scene and took most of the credit for the birth and progression of the sport. It's a fact that early rider and photographer Wende Cragg reflects on with a good-natured laugh, before shrugging off the egos that like to take credit for what has become a global phenomenon. Cragg played a pivotal role as one of the first female mountain bik...

Silverton is a remote outpost in Colorado's San Juan Mountains. The former mining town is known for the steep skiing at Silverton Mountain, and the narrow gauge railroad train that brings throngs of tourists from Durango. Most of the area's established trails ascend steep, rugged terrain that's best suited for expert mountain bikers, if they are rideable at all.  More recently, the Silverton Singl...

Filmmaker T.C. Johnstone has been making documentaries for more than 25 years. So far his career in film has taken him to over  60 countries, including a trip to Rwanda with cycling legend Tom Ritchey. Most recently, he filmed In The Dirt, a moving documentary about the Native American cyclists who are growing the sport of mountain biking on the Navajo Nation, where no bike shops exist. It's a mov...

For this special edition of the Mountain Flyer podcast, host Trina Ortega welcomes Seattle-area broadcast journalist Paul Andrews in co-hosting a panel discussion about e-MTBs and their place in today's mountain bike landscape. Industry leaders Ace Bollinger, Leslie Kehmeier, Nat Ross and Yvonne Kraus dive deeper into the impacts e-mountain bikes are having on trail development and access, land ma...

Richmond Cycling Corps uses cycling to create positive change in the lives of youth who live in Richmond, Virginia's public housing projects. It is not like a typical after-school or drop-in program, where kids might attend once and never return. Services include casual and long-distance cycling outings; mountain bike racing in middle school and high school; a bike rental service completely run by...

Bikepacking Roots is the only nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting and advancing bikepacking, growing a diverse bikepacking community, advocating for the conservation of the landscapes and public lands through which we ride and creating professional routes. At the heart of the organization are professional endurance mountain bikers, land stewards and cofounders Kait Boyle and Kurt Refsni...

From pump tracks to career inroads, Grow Cycling Foundation aims to build pathways into cycling for marginalized demographics. At the heart of this new nonprofit is former World Cup downhill racer Eliot Jackson, who admits he's always had a "bias for action." A longtime motocross racer who grew up in Oklahoma and California, Jackson first got into racing mountain bikes at age 18 and immediately se...

Given that Hannah Finchamp has been competing in triathlons since she was 9, she already has amassed a lifetime of racing experience at age 26. The two-time overall amateur Xterra world champion and five-time collegiate cycling national champion now rides for the Orange Seal Off Road Team and has made the 2020 Olympic Long Team, vying for a spot to compete in the Tokyo Games. Among the topics cove...

On the Myers-Briggs personality test, Lea Davison charts on the extreme extrovert end. In elite mountain bike racing, where many athletes are reserved and restrained, Davison's spontaneity and playfulness aren't the norm. But that's exactly what we love so much about her…along with her commitment to empowering girls and young women through her nonprofit Little Bellas. In this episode, Davison talk...

In the premiere episode of Mountain Flyer 's "Tale Spin," we get to hear stories straight from our riding friends. Outside magazine editor Gloria Liu reflects on the soulful connection a rider has with the bike. Klunking enthusiast and bike collector Jon Rizzo speaks to the calming power of the Pennsylvania woods. In his essay "The Murder, the Yeti and I," Mountain Flyer contributor Ed Ortega chan...

From the industry's first bonafide mountain bikes to today's fast-growing e-bike segment, Gary Fisher has long been in love with cycling, which he believes is much more than just a sport. For Fisher, it's a way of life—the source to take in what he calls "Vitamin N" (Nature) and simultaneously "soothe the beast." Described as a dreamer who loves bikes, people and big ideas, Fisher is steadfast in...

Growing up, enduro athlete Kyle Warner faced family and personal challenges that would've broken the average human. But he found escape on the bike, and with support from the Northern California cycling community and the greater bike industry, Warner started racing and landing consistently on the podium. As he heads into 2020, Warner aims to get more people on bikes, especially kids facing tough t...

What kind of person does it take to develop the industry's smartest suspension? 18-year Fox employee and suspension designer Everet Ericksen breaks down some of the tech of his team's latest innovation — Fox Live Valve — while also talking about how he got into shock absorber development, its challenges and its highlights. This episode is possible thanks to the support of Niner Bikes .

2019 Mountain Bike Hall of Fame inductee and World Champion cross country and gravel racer Rebecca Rusch turned 50 last year. The four-time Leadville 100 MTB champ, six-time Dirty Kanza winner, public lands advocate, motivational speaker and fire fighter has every reason to down shift. Yet in September, she launched Rusch Ventures ( rebeccarusch.com ) to integrate her existing and new programs, in...

A calculated investment in singletrack in the mid-2000s solidified Moab, Utah, as a singletrack destination at a time when the town's recreation planners could either respond to neighboring communities' MTB-specific development or fade into the desert sunset with its 4x4 and double-track routes. Thanks in part to his skillful rock work on the iconic Captain Ahab, trailbuilder and Moab native Tyson...

High school adventurers Whitton Feer and Ian Catto set out for the Arizona Trail in the spring of their senior year to gain a better understanding of the U.S. West's water crisis. In this episode, Feer and Catto talk about their 13-day adventure in hot, dry Arizona and consider the question: Is there hope for humans living in the Desert Southwest?