Send us a text In this engaging episode of the MTNCOG Podcast, the hosts welcome Jess the Maker, a prominent mountain biking content creator who blends humor, authenticity, and technical riding expertise. The episode was recorded shortly after Jess was in town working on a project with 'Visit Tucson'. The conversation explores how she's helping sho…

Send us a text In this episode of The MCP, hosts Josh and Dane dive deep into the science of mountain bike suspension with Norco development engineers Colin Ryan and Kirk McDowall. The conversation explores Norco's different suspension platforms with detailed explanations of axle path, anti-squat, and anti-rise properties. The engineers reveal how …

Send us a text In this unfiltered episode of The Mountain Cog Podcast (recorded during the snowy Sedona Mountain Bike Festival) hosts Josh and Dane are joined by special guests Mike "Babyfoot" Jones and Derrick Kampfer for a raw, technical dive into mountain bike suspension. The conversation takes unexpected turns from the hilarious origins of "nip…

Send us a text The Mountain Cog Podcast welcomes Julian Richardson, Lead Industrial Designer at Faction Bike Studio, for an in-depth exploration of bicycle design. Julian explains how Faction operates as design consultants for bike manufacturers, handling everything from initial sketches to final production support. The discussion clarifies the oft…

Send us a text In this information-packed episode of Mountain Cog, hosts Josh and Dane dive into essential mountain bike maintenance tips that every rider should know. They share their expertise on cutting carbon handlebars safely using abrasive blades, explaining how to prevent fraying and properly finish the cut edges. The conversation then shift…

Send us a text The latest episode of The Mountain Cog Podcast features an in-depth discussion with Ruth Cañamar from the Sonoran Desert Mountain Bicyclists (SDMB) about transforming Tucson's mountain biking landscape through community-driven initiatives. The conversation highlights the successful recent Poker Ride event, which brought together vari…

Send us a text This episode delivers an expert comparison of leading electronic suspension systems, featuring Mountain Cog host and suspension specialist Dane Higgins' detailed analysis of SRAM Rockshox Flight Attendant, Fox Live Valve, and Fox Live Valve Neo. The discussion examines how each system approaches terrain detection and suspension adjus…

Send us a text In this episode, we sit down with Jimmy Nordloh, SRAM Field Guide for the Southwest region, to explore the evolution and innovation behind one of mountain biking's leading component manufacturers. Jimmy shares insights into SRAM's brand portfolio including RockShox, Zipp, Truvativ, Quark, Time Pedals, and Hammerhead, explaining how S…

Send us a text In this captivating episode, we sit down with Tim March, the ghost writer behind Steve Peat's autobiography "Forged by Speed: The Making of a Mountain Bike World Champion." March reveals the three-year journey of bringing mountain biking legend Steve Peat's story to life, drawing from over 20 years of detailed personal diaries and 10…

Send us a text Josh and Dane from The Mountain Cog podcast dive deep with Adam Robbins from Faction Bike Studio, uncovering how this secretive Quebec-based engineering firm shapes the mountain bike industry. Since 2010, Faction has operated as the only bike-specific design and engineering studio globally, helping brands of all sizes create innovati…

Send us a text In this episode, we sit down with Tom "Danger" Place, co-owner of Outbound Lighting, a Chicago-based manufacturer revolutionizing bike lights through innovative engineering. Tom shares the company's origin story, how he partnered with founder Matt, and explains their unique approach to bike light design that prioritizes beam pattern …

Send us a text Episode 88 celebrates Dane's 25th episode and features an in-depth discussion between shop owner Dane and rider Josh about the pros and cons of electronic bike components versus traditional mechanical systems. The hosts examine the substantial price difference between electronic and mechanical groupsets – with electronic options typi…

Send us a text Chris Johnson of Tonto Gravity Riders (TGR) joins us to discuss how this grassroots organization evolved from building unauthorized jump lines to becoming a trusted Forest Service partner maintaining and developing trail systems across Arizona. The episode traces TGR's origins around 2010 and their work legitimizing the legendary NRA…

Send us a text Episode 086 takes listeners inside Tucson Hop Shop, a craft beer destination that's become synonymous with cycling culture in Southern Arizona. Owner Jessie Jean Mance and Sarita Mendez join hosts Josh and Dane to discuss how their business evolved into a cyclist sanctuary, complete with bike racks, a welcoming outdoor courtyard, and…

Send us a text Discover the remarkable story behind Mt. Lemmon's mountain biking trail network as Josh and Dane interview TORCA's leadership team. President Nick Giovannucci and Vice President Matt Hrabko provide an insider's look at the specialized techniques and challenges involved in building sustainable mountain bike trails across Southern Ariz…

Send us a text The Mountain Cog podcast features an in-depth conversation with bike industry veteran Carlos Quintero in episode 084. Currently working as Southwest Market Manager for Enso Sales Group, Carlos reveals the economic fundamentals of bike shops, explaining why accessories provide significantly higher profit margins compared to actual bik…

Send us a text In this action-packed episode, we talk with Colby Landin, trail and track builder at Sunrise Park Resort, Arizona's only lift-assisted bike park. Colby shares his journey from building BMX tracks in his neighborhood at age 8 to designing professional-grade mountain bike features at Sunrise. Learn about the unique challenges of buildi…

Send us a text This episode features Dr. Jody Bartz, founder of GROW Girl GROW, discussing how mountain biking serves as a powerful tool for female empowerment and confidence building among adolescent girls. With her PhD in special education and extensive coaching certifications, Dr. Bartz brings a unique perspective to addressing a critical issue:…

Send us a text In this episode Josh & Dane chat with DVO Suspension’s Master Tuner Ronnie Dillon. Ronnie has been working on the design, test, manufacture, and tuning of mountain bike suspension products for over 25 years. DVO is a high-end suspension brand offering innovative trail, enduro, and downhill mountain bike shocks and forks. Their produc…

Send us a text In episode #080 of Mountain Cog Podcast, hosts Josh and Dane welcome Dave Slagle, the founder of Our MTB Rides and a pillar of Tucson's mountain biking community. Dave shares his journey from riding a Schwinn High Sierra as his first real mountain bike to becoming a Specialized brand ambassador. As a Tucson native, he offers unique i…

Send us a text In this lively episode of the mountain biking podcast, hosts Josh and Dane dive into the evolving world of mountain bike technology, debating whether certain innovations are lasting trends or passing fads. The conversation explores controversial topics like belt drives, gearbox systems, and the hosts make bold predictions about the f…

Send us a text In this episode Josh & Dane are joined by Justin Dietrich (General Badass, Downhill Wizard, & O.G. Hydrofoil Pro) to chat about a few of the “destination worthy” trails they’ve ridden recently while on travel in Utah, California, and Northern Arizona. While many trails are discussed throughout the episode this Trail Talk icenters aro…

Send us a text The MCP team put out a request on our socials and multiple forums requesting stories about crazy wildlife encounters on the trail. We got a great response (thanks to all that contributed)! So, we grouped the inputs into 8 categories and recorded this episode where Josh & Dane discuss the “best” (unscientifically chosen) responses. Th…

Send us a text We live in “America’s Bike Town” (Tucson, Arizona). Our weather allows us to ride 365 days a year and the cycling options here are unmatched. We have 100’s of miles of single-track that range from cross country to big mountain. The road cycling attracts pros and amateurs from all over the world to ride our vast network of paved roads…

Send us a text Josh and Dane sit down with Steve Morganstern (Bicycle Ranch) to discuss why mountain bikers might be giving up more than they save when buying from a consumer direct brand. This episode essentially covers the consumer value proposition of buying from your local bike shop versus buying a bike online. The local shop value proposition …

Send us a text Josh & Dane took a field trip up to Tempe, Arizona to spend a day with Pivot Cycles’ President (Bryan Mason) and Factory Field Rep (Bill Larson). The day included a fun ride on Pivot eMTBs at the amazing Hawes Trail System, grabbing lunch at Someburros, touring the Pivot factory, meeting many of the Pivot team in various departments,…

Send us a text This episode features the MCP hosts Josh and Dane and is pretty MTB-techy. It starts out with a couple shoutouts from Josh to bike industry brands 1up and PNW for excellent customer service. It transitions to cover some of our listeners perspectives on “stupid stuff in the bike industry”. And finally, it concludes with an epic and ag…

Send us a text In this episode, Dane sits down again with Sam Elmes from Rocky Mountain to discuss Rocky's significantly redesigned enduro bike... the Altitude. Feedback from Rocky's professional enduro race team were essential in shaping the Altitude's redesign. This episode features less rabbit holes and more bike specs. Enjoy. Learn more about t…

Send us a text In this episode Josh & Dane chat with "Sunglass Rob" the CEO of San Diego's based SportRX. SportRX is an online company focused on prescription eyewear for multiple sports with biking being one of their biggest markets). Sunglass Rob is an avid mountain biker and an absolute savant as it relates to eyewear. In addition to learning a …

Send us a text Dane had a chance to sit down with Sam Elmes from Rocky Mountain Bikes during the Sedona Mountain Bike Festival to chat about the new Instinct, Rocky’s line-up and a bit about the mountain bike festival. Rocky Mountain Instinct https://bikes.com/collections/instinct Sedona Mountain Bike Festival https://sedonamtbfestival.com Listen t…

Send us a text In this episode Josh and Dane discuss and debate (argue even) about annoying mountain bike stuff. Some of the topics we debate on include… Presta valves + chunky sealant. Dunlop valves. British brake lever setup (rear brake on left / front brake right). MOAB closing its lift (yes, they had one). Spoke holes inside rims (requires rim …

Send us a text Old Pueblo MTB is a mountain bike group based in Tucson, AZ. that hosts multiple group rides every week. The group communicates primarily through their Facebook page which has 4,000+ members. The episode features ‘The Travis Williams’ (aka Captain Enthusiasm) who is one of the key administrators of Old Pueblo MTB. In addition to lear…

Send us a text Recorded onsite at the brewery, the boys chat with Brian (owner of Catalina Brewing Company) about beer, the brewery, and content spanning a ton of mountain bike topics (including: bikes, epic adventures, bike art, and more) . Some interesting nuggets include how a 125cc moto smashed the rear window of Josh’s truck, an epic mountain …

Send us a text What is the 24 Hours in the Old Pueblo? Think “Burning Man” + “Mountain Bike Race”. Dane & Josh recorded this episode LIVE this morning, just before the race start in the Old Pueblo MTB booth. In this episode we laugh, rap about the event, interact with participants and spectators, and as always go down random mountain bike related r…

Send us a text If you listen to this podcast at all... you probably know that we are presently obsessed with bike fits. It all started when Wolfman (aka Andrew Wolf, a prior exercise physiologist) berated Josh for never having a bike fit in Episode #57. That catalyzed an awesome bike fit experience with Frank Kaiser (Ben's Bikes) who we interviewed…

Send us a text Join us in wishing a warm welcome to Dane Higgins (Guru Bikes & Guru Suspension) who is joining Josh as the new co-host of the Mountain Cog Podcast. In this episode, we welcome and learn more about Dane (his shop & suspension business, his bikes and riding style). In addition, the episode spends a good chunk of time on the state of t…

Send us a text Bittersweet. It’s an interesting word. It’s used to refer to something that has both happy and sad aspects. It’s the perfect word to describe this episode. The sad part is that this is Mike’s last episode as a co-host of the MCP. He’s retiring. The happy part is that we have awesome plans for the future. Those plans include a new co-…

Send us a text In Episode 57, Wolfman convinced us to get a bike fit. So, we tracked down a local (and amazing) professional bike fitter, got a bike fit from him, and convinced him to come on the podcast. In this episode we chat with Frank Kaiser (aka our favorite German). Frank is a professional bike fitter, a certified IRONMAN Coach, a business o…

Send us a text In this episode Josh, Mike, & Roundabout Sam have an interesting conversation on the vast challenges and success stories related to managing transportation & mobility in Tucson, Arizona. While centered around Tucson… these topics directly translate to any major city. The subjects covered include: increasing bicycle, pedestrian, and m…

Send us a text In this episode, we engage in a compelling conversation with Susie Murphy, the Executive Director of the San Diego Mountain Biking Association (SDMBA.com), a non-profit organization committed to preserving and enhancing sustainable trail access for mountain biking in San Diego County. Established in 1994, SDMBA boasts a volunteer-dri…

Send us a text This is the 1st of our 2 part series with O.G. BMX pro Dusty Horton. The episode starts off with Dusty telling about his BMX roots in Milwaukee, his time riding for DK, his discovery of 22" BMX bikes and his current gig riding for Ditto BMX. The episode is full of laughs and fun stories including riding brakeless, how Turf Skatepark …

Send us a text Warning: this episode includes conversation about suicide. This episode may not be appropriate for anyone sensitive to the topic of suicide. If you are having suicidal thoughts, please know, SUICIDE IS NOT THE ANSWER, help is available. A super easy way to get help in the United States is the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, Just TEXT or C…

Send us a text Ever wondered about the intricate science behind cardiovascular fitness and the mysterious VO2 max readings on your smart devices? Or pondered about the impact of bike crank lengths on your cadence? Well, your curiosity is about to be satiated as we explore these fascinating topics with our guest, Wolfman. An exercise physiologist tu…

Send us a text This week's guest is 15 year old road cyclist Brady Hogue (joined by his mom Sarah). Throughout the episode Brady walks us through his cycling journey starting with the Vail Composite Mountain Bike team thru his transition to road cycling, including racing in nationals and participating in USA Cycling's European Training and Race Cam…

Send us a text In this episode we chat with Sirena Rana, owner of Trails Inspire. The episode covers many cool outdoor topics including Amerind Museum's grand opening (Oct 7th, 2023) of a new hiking trail system in Texas Canyon, AZ (in the Dragoons) and The Sun Corridor Trail project which aims to establish a bike touring route from Douglas, AZ to …

Send us a text Have you ever met a person whose spirit leaves an indelible mark on your soul? A man with a self-actualized nature, humbleness, and kindness that garners respect from all that meet him? Craig Randall, fondly remembered as the Bike Monk, was that person for Tucson's mountain biking community. One of the original trailblazers, he pedal…

Send us a text Today's guest, Tucson Police Department Chief Chad Kasmar, is a passionate cyclist with a fascinating career in public safety. Kasmar shares his journey from a tricycle-riding child to an avid mountain biking adult. We delve into his adventurous Leadville race experiences, discuss his transition from dirt bikes to mountain biking, an…

Send us a text Ever wondered what it takes to reconstitute and epic big mountain trail system with sick vertical drop? Today, we're fortunate to have Nat Gordon, a board member of the volunteer-run Sonoran Desert Mountain Bikers (SDMB) organization on the show, to shed some light on their organization and their efforts to revive the trails on Mount…

Send us a text Join us as we pedal our way through the world of cycling with our guest, Jesus Frías, a seasoned cyclist and owner of Ride Tucson, a new shop that focuses on building community. With over two decades of riding experience tucked under his helmet, Jesus opens up about his inventive business model that blends his love for cycling with a…

Send us a text Turns out, growing up in a skatepark lays the foundation for unbelievable talent on gravity fed trails. This week’s guests (Skander Anderson & Grayson Festerling) are both 14 years old. They grew up spending countless hours riding and competing on freestyle scooters at skateparks throughout the country. Today, they are “retired” from…