LOTS of new articles on MTB
Here are some links to some things I have written or spoke about lately. A lot of those didn't make it onto this site, but since you're here, I know you'll love them. Here's a list and the gist:
GROWTH MINDSET IN MTB
XC riders and roadies often have a growth mindset - gravity riders, not as often in my experience. When I work with a top XC racer, we can easily have great discussions about how we can improve. But sometimes it seems like gravity riders feel like it's a diss. I think this has something to do with the tools available (e.g. power meters), and the traditions of these segments of the support. For sure, endurance riders almost always work with coaches, but gravity riders often don't work with skills coaches. I do think skills coaches can help even the most skilled riders, but this hasn't become fully adopted. Obviously this is what we're trying to change.
WHY YOUR BRAKES SUCK
Ok, so basically nobody beds in their brakes properly - even the pros. But proper pad bedding WILL ABSOLUTELY make your brakes work better and for longer. We have an article of all the data related to pad bedding, so watch for that soon. In the meantime, listen below on Demystifying MTB.
DO YOU NEED BIGGER ROTORS ON MTB?
OK, the answer is YES. Bigger rotors feel easier to squeeze and deal with heat better. This saves your hands and lets you get your braking done where and when you need it without wasting speed. We wrote about the science HERE, and we recently did a podcast on the why you need bigger rotors.
THE DOPING CRISIS
There is a complex doping crisis in Kenyan runners. Big money is at stake, and there are lots of great athletes following their dream. It's easy to get caught up and go down the wrong rabbit hole of making gains. We talked about the issue, some of the fines, and some of the reasons why this is happening. There is no easy solution. But this also reminded me of a doping article I wrote about a few years ago. Listen to the doping crisis episode of the Performance Advantage Podcast.
BRAKEACE HQ TOUR
The European Bike Project came to visit BrakeAce HQ - it's where all the magic happens. Pinkbike covered the article, and we had riders around the world reach out afterwards. It was awesome!
YOUR BRAKING QUESTIONS ANSWERED
I got to do this awesome interview with Singletracks on all things related to braking in MTB. We talked about pad bedding, how the pros brake, how you brake, and what we can all do to be better riders.