The Ride Companion

Davi and Olly are back in studio for a proper catch-up episode covering everything from Vanta Jam to Olly's dream trip to Japan, Luca Shaw's first Downhill World Cup win, the Enhanced Games controversy, Japanese snacks, sumo wrestling, live commentary nerves and the future of MTB. Davi breaks down what really happened at Vanta Jam at BikePark Wales, including Rob Warner's last-minute car trouble,...

Olly Wilkins is in Minakami, Japan for a special bonus episode of The Ride Companion with MTBJapan founder Nathan Bennett. Nathan moved from New Zealand to Japan 30 years ago and has spent decades building, clearing and guiding mountain bike trails in one of the most unique riding destinations in the world. In this episode, Olly and Nathan talk about the hidden MTB scene in Japan, why the dirt and...

This week on The Ride Companion, Davi and Olly are finally back in the studio for a proper catch-up after a wild few weeks of travel and big life moments. Davi breaks down the full California trip, from cruising the Pacific Coast Highway and visiting Sea Otter, to heading to Marin Bikes HQ and reflecting on a full-circle moment that started with a teenage dream of living in America. Olly shares th...

On this episode of The Ride Companion, we're joined by Matt "Cippy" Cipes from Marin Bikes. Cippy is Marin's Category Manager for performance mountain bikes, which means he plays a huge role in shaping the brand's full suspension bikes, e-bikes, spec choices, geometry, suspension feel, pricing, development timelines and overall ride quality. Recorded at Marin Bikes HQ in California, this episode d...

Wyn Masters is back on The Ride Companion after a brutal crash at the opening round of the 2026 UCI Downhill World Cup in South Korea. Fresh from the Mona YongPyong World Cup, Wyn joins Davi and Olly to explain exactly what happened in the crash that left him with a fractured wrist and a serious AC joint injury. Wyn breaks down the controversial B-line, the lack of visibility, rider traffic, marsh...

Martha Gill and Janelle Soukup join The Ride Companion for a powerful conversation about the progression of women's mountain biking, freeride, racing, mentorship and what it takes to build a career in the sport. During this episode Martha Gill, the 2024 Queen of Crankworx and long time Marin Bikes athlete, shares her journey from cross-country racing and Olympic hopeful to enduro, Crankworx, Lucid...

Davi visited Marin Bikes HQ in California to sit down with CEO Matt VanEnkevort to learn the real story behind how one of mountain biking's most iconic brands rebuilt itself around one simple idea, MADE FOR FUN. On this episode of The Ride Companion Matt shares the story of joining Marin in 2012, when the brand was in serious trouble and how the team rebuilt the company, the product range and the...

Davi and Olly sit down for a proper catch-up episode! On this episode of The Ride Companion Davi talks about getting back on the regular bike, crashing on his own and setting a retro bike challenge. Olly shares what the first month of being a Dad has been like and his tips for trying to ride more. The lads also chat about looksmaxxing, noise cancelling tech, the new Bosch ebike Update, META being...

Dan and Gee Atherton have HUGE Red Bull Hardline updates! On this episode of The Ride Companion Dan and Gee, Atherton reveal the debut of Red Bull Hardline British Columbia, coming to Cypress Mountain near Vancouver on October 17th 2026. Designed by Dan and Gee Atherton, the course will bring the gnarliest downhill race in the world to one of the most iconic mountain bike regions on the planet. Th...

Danny Hart joins The Ride Companion for a BANGER episode! In this episode, Danny takes us deep inside the world of World Cup downhill racing. He talks openly about pressure, qualifying formats and how the sport has evolved since his legendary 2011 Champery World Champs run which cemented his name in mountain biking history. Danny shares what it was like winning world championships at such a young...

Andrew Dodd aka Doddy is the podcast! Doddy is a man who has lived through every era of mountain bike media, from the golden age of print magazines at MBUK to YouTube with Global Mountain Bike Network and now working inside the industry with Mondraker. We dive deep into the evolution of mountain biking, how bike media really works behind the scenes, and why the modern bike industry might be overco...

Listen or watch the full episode with Sam Reynolds Spotify Apple Podcasts YouTube Ad Free on Patreon  Episode Sponsors:- - Stashed are offering TRC listeners and exclsuive 10% discount with code TRC10 at https://www.stashedproducts.com/trc - Mudhugger → Get 10% off with code ridecompanion10 at themudhugger.co.uk - invisiframe → 15% off kits, decals & more with code REFRESHANDRIDE: https://www.invi...

Dom Ferris, founder of Trash Free Trails joins The Ride Companion to talk about one of the biggest issues affecting every rider, runner and outdoor space user: single-use pollution on our trails. Dom explains how Trash Free Trails started, why trail litter is about far more than 'bad behaviour' and how mountain bikers can take real ownership of the places they ride. The conversation goes deep into...

Listen or watch the full episode with Brendan Fairclough Spotify Apple Podcasts YouTube Ad Free on Patreon  Episode Sponsors:- - SRAM: https://www.sram.com/en/sram - Want an easy way to tick your daily nutritional needs? Support the show and get 15% OFF HUEL products with code 'RIDE' at https://huel.com/ . Unlock a healthier, easier way to eat with Huel — nutritionally complete meals in minutes, s...

In this episode of The Ride Companion, Olly opens up about becoming a Dad, the intense reality of birth, life in and out of hospital, sleep deprivation, and what the first days with baby Wilf have been like. During the episode the lads also talk about Davi's up-coming trip to Sea Otter, MTB's identity crisis, eat some weird snacks and share watching and listening recommendations. Episode Sponsors:...

Sam Reynolds is back in The Ride Companion studio and this one's packed! On this episode we're talking DarkFest 10 and, why it MIGHT be the final event, the new Rocket 2 concept for even more airtime and Sam's full circle return to Polygon bikes after first signing with them back in 2012. Sam breaks down the behind the scenes story of landing his first 'proper' sponsor, how Polygon helped shape hi...

Brendog's back in studio and this episode is stacked! On this episode of The Ride Companion Brendan Fairclough pulls back the curtain on his new SRAM deal and why it really happened, the new parts he's running (Boxxer / Maven / XX DH) and what it's like bolting fresh parts on… then riding a brand new custom downhill track in South Africa. Brendog also reveals details of his new travel series and t...

It's just Davi and Olly in the studio this week and.. it goes exactly how you'd expect. Davi has a new bike day and brings his new Marin Alcatraz dirt jump bike to work (nothing hits like a fresh hardtail), which turns into a bigger conversation about why you don't actually need the best bike to have the most fun. The lads talk about Hardline Tasmania being cancelled, the Super Bowl let down and e...

In this episode of The Ride Companion, mountain bike legend Martyn Ashton joins us for one of our most honest, funny and important conversations yet. We talk about Martyn's latest project, Rideable Now and why he believes mountain bikers need to show up for mountain biking. During the episode Martyn gives the usual dose of self deprecation to powerful reflections on injury, identity and access. Ri...

Red Bull Hardline Tasmania is just days away. Let's go bench racing and make some fun predictions! Olly and Davi break down the full rider list including Jackson Goldstone, Asa Vermette, Bernard Kerr, Troy Brosnan, Sam Hill, Aaron Gwin, Roger Vieira, Gracey Hemstreet and more plus, who's missing, who's under the most pressure and, why Hardline might be changing. The lads also make Hardline Tasmani...

The first Ride Companion catch up of 2026… and we're straight back into it! We kick things off talking winter illnesses, whether 'man flu' is actually a thing, and why the placebo effect might be more powerful than people think, along with a few honest Christmas confessions (including why we're both useless at gifts). Lunch & Learn is back and we look at motorway lane rules what the rules actually...

Matt Jones and Jono Jones join The Ride Companion to break down MAVRIX ahead of console release on January 22nd. During this episode Matt and Jono give Davi and Olly a tour of the virtual world they've help create, the boys explain how it was built, what makes it feel so real and why it could bring a whole new wave of riders into mountain biking. Matt and Jono also share the future plans for the g...

Blake Samson (aka Zimblake) is back on The Ride Companion to talk about what happens after you take the leap. In this episode, Blake breaks down launching his new YouTube channel, building his first major project from scratch, why he's choosing the slow, proper route, and how trust, planning, and passion are shaping what comes next. We also dive into burnout, long-form content, attention spans, bu...

Jono Jones is back for the first Ride Companion episode of 2026 and, Matt Jones joins the chat too! On this episode Jono talks about his return to Saracen Bikes, his early World Cup years, racing as a junior, learning to manage pressure and why stepping away from results chasing has changed how he rides. Jono also shares insights on his role at MAVRIX, what he actually does, why he left banking to...

Companionship, THANK YOU you for an incredible year!  Join Olly and Davi as they look back at their personal favorite moments from The Ride Companion in 2025 plus, all the top moments as voted for by you.  Episode Sponsors:- - For a limited time, our listeners get 60% off FOR LIFE AND 2 Free Gifts at Mars Men when you use RIDE at https://mengotomars.com/ Get early access & ad-free episodes → https...