The Pinkbike Podcast: Episode 27 - The World Champs Special

Oct 15, 2020
by Mike Levy  
photo
Art by Taj Mihelich


With everything delayed or outright canceled due to the pandemic, it's been a lean year for race fans. But when it rains, it... snows? The World Championships saw racers face some of the muddiest, trickiest conditions in years, with rain and snow turning the usual Leogang hardpack into a wild event for everyone. Episode 27 is all about the stripes, with us unpacking the weather, the gear, and the unexpected results.

Available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Play, or wherever else you get your podcasts.




THE PINKBIKE PODCAST // EPISODE 27 - THE WORLD CHAMPS SPECIAL
Oct 15th, 2020

It's all about those stripes.

Hosted by Mike Levy (usually) and featuring a rotating cast of the 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.

Previous Pinkbike Podcasts
Episode 1 - Why Are Bikes So Expensive?
Episode 2 - Where the Hell is the Grim Donut?
Episode 3 - Pond Beaver Tech
Episode 4 - Why is Every Bike a Trail Bike?
Episode 5 - Can You Trust Bike Reviews?
Episode 6 - Over Biked Or Under Biked?
Episode 7 - Wild Project Bikes
Episode 8 - Do We Need an Even Larger Wheel Size?
Episode 9 - Why Are We Doing a Cross-Country Field Test?
Episode 10 - Getting Nerdy About Bike Setup
Episode 11 - Are We Going Racing This Year?
Episode 12 - What's the Future of Bike Shops?
Episode 13 - Are Bikes Too Regular Now?
Episode 14 - What Bikes Would Pinkbike Editors Buy?
Episode 15 - What's Holding Mountain Biking Back?
Episode 16 - Who's Your Mountain Biking Hero?
Episode 17 - XC Field Test Insider
Episode 18 - Electronics on your Mountain Bike: Good or Bad?
Episode 19 - The Hardtail Episode
Episode 20 - MTB Conspiracy Theories
Episode 21 - Stuff We Were Wrong About
Episode 22 - Does Your Riding Style Match Your Personality?
Episode 23 - Grim Donut 2 is Live!
Episode 24 - Why Even Buy a DH Bike?
Episode 25 - Fall Field Test Preview
Episode 26 - The Three Most Important Mountain Bikes

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61 Comments
  • 17 1
 Idea for future podcasts: You did the three most important bikes. How about the three worst bikes in history or components or inventions. Or a round up of the most absurd inventions like those zip on tires for example.
  • 4 0
 Absolutely needs to be done. Great call.
  • 5 0
 We need a field test of absurd inventions.
  • 2 1
 @cedrico: I would recommend absurd inventions that made it to mainstream companies. Not just something weird that barely made it to production in someone's garage.
Ideas....Any U.R.T., Shimano AirLines, Kona Magic Link, Elastomers, Thudbusters, and so on.....
  • 1 0
 @JDFF: Oi, my gary fisher joshua was badass. The rear shocks were permablown direct from the box, so the way it stiffened up when standing sort of helped, also the chain didn't fall off as much and generally URTs were quite strong. Yes they were shit, but in the grand scheme of things, their shitness wasn't that bad in comparison to all the other parts that made up the bike.
  • 1 0
 @kcy4130 - Killer idea.
  • 13 0
 Shout out to Mike Levy for sneaking in "pinkers" right at the end. Can't wait for his ad read next week.
  • 11 0
 Nice one fella's. This podcast is quickly becoming my go to as soon as it is released!
  • 4 0
 and Lady!! i love Sarah on the podcast
  • 8 0
 Proposal for the field tests of the larger bikes. The impossible descent. A ridiculous timed descent. Grim donut is the special feature as the pace setter.
  • 8 0
 We should really have done that for the XC test.
  • 2 0
 An impossible traverse, i.e. tricky off camber section could be less... bone breaky. And would actually show a lot about traction and chassis.
  • 3 0
 @brianpark: I think it might have turned into a snuff film. Or is that part of the Levy replacement plan?
  • 2 0
 Sounds like we'll all need stunt doubles!
  • 6 0
 @schlockinz: depends on how many times he keeps trying to sneak "pinkers" into the podcast.
  • 4 0
 Could you get some interviewees from like "traditional" sports media to talk little a bit about how mountain biking and downhill's (lack of) popularity compares to some other sports? After the world champs, I was curious to see what kind of coverage they got and from what I've seen, the answer is pretty much zero all around. Only mention I found was a short blurb from BBC. Seems like even scottish newspapers didn't cover Reece's win from what googled. I mean it's not a surprise to anyone that mtb (and downhill especially) is a pretty niche sport, but I was still kinda surprised.

Would be interested to hear perspectives from "normal" sports media on how the mtb scene is viewed (or rather isn't at all atm). I'm sure there'd be some voices who'd be familiar enough with both sides to offer some insight.
  • 3 0
 To be honest, I find most of the cycling media (certainly in the UK) are most definitely 'old school' roadies, and anything 'off road' is just not cycling.......I maybe wrong but there is a snobbish element to it.

The UK has just had a pretty successful World Champs - but very little was covered; and the bits that were covered were because one rider is going to Ineos to ride on the road.
  • 4 0
 I think @vapidoscar should call himself Vapido Scar instead of vapid Oscar. Vapido Scar sounds like a bad ass hero in a cheesy action movie.
"My name is Vapido Scar. My family was kidnapped by the derailleur cabal, and the only way to save them is to jump the Pemberton train gap."

Coming soon to a theater near you. Starring Rémy Métailler as Vapido Scar and Yoann Barelli as Fabio, the derailleur cabal's laughing assassin.
  • 4 0
 Trust me. Vapid Oscar is much more fitting.
  • 5 0
 @vapidoscar: Fair enough. But can pinkbike use the name Vapido Scar when the make that movie? They made a ridiculous reality tv show, it's only a matter of time before they start making fast and the furious type movies, but with mountain bikes instead of cars. hehe
  • 2 0
 "Yoann Barelli as Fabio, the derailleur cabal's laughing assassin." So good haha
  • 3 0
 I love that @mikekazimer calls out the Pinkbike Academy as being like the great british bakeoff. I was telling my wife about the academy and referred to it as "bike bake off". I think its time to change the name of the academy.......
  • 2 0
 I live in wisconsin and the winters get really harsh so I store my and my families bikes indoors during the winter months. What should I do about the sealant in the tires, will it dry out? Do I have to worrie about the oil in the forks and shocks? What else do I need to do to winterize my bike for a long winter in a dry basement?
  • 2 0
 question.
as a person in a country thats not Canada/usa us outsiders look at Canada as the holy grail of mountain biking
what do canadians think of other countries other than Canada/usa for mountain biking?

also what wold you say your top 5 countries for mtb are?

(and levy did say my name right the first person online to say it correct CONGRATS!)
  • 2 0
 QUESTION FOR THE PODCAST (I posted this last week, but super late! Sorry!): We're starting to see more brands have bikes that have proportional dimensions that scale with bike size (Norco's 'Gravity Tune' being an example). What do you guys think about scaling TRAVEL with bike size? For example, someone who is 6'4" tall (76") is ~27% taller than someone who is 5' (60"). Should this person be looking for a bike with ~27% more travel? All other angles being the same, should the 5' person be on a 130 bike, while the 6'4" person is on a 160mm bike? The travel on these bikes is proportionally the same when compared to their height.
  • 3 1
 Nah because short people should be allowed to ride long-travel bikes and tall people should be allowed to ride short-travel bikes if they want.
  • 2 1
 should be the reverse. Tall people already have more travel in their arms and legs. To equal the playing field, they should use shorter travel bikes..
  • 1 0
 @d-conners: They're still allowed to! My point is simply that if the 5' tall person's 130mm bike is a 'trail' bike, shouldn't the 6'4" person's trail bike come with 160mm of travel to give the same relative experience? If the 5' person wants a bike with 160mm, maybe that bike is no longer considered a trail bike and instead has to be considered all-mountain or something. Who knows, categories are whack
  • 1 0
 @zid: Interesting point, I hadn't thought of it that way before.
  • 2 0
 About Bike Magazine: way back in the 90's they ran an article where Bob Roll called the current (then) crop of pro mtb riders as pussies- Bob's words, not mine. He compared the dirt riders to road riders in Belgium who rode kermesses for a handfull of dollars, and how Greg LeMond (le Monster) cut a hole in his bibs so he could finish the Tour de France while his sickened large intestine rained digested food on his rear wheel while motoring at 50km per hour in a peloton of 180 riders. Bike Mag had the balls to print the article as a way of calling-out the current pros, who at the time had sponsors flying them from venue to venue. I admired the editors of the time for their brio and bravery (considering advert and readership pushback).

I hope you all have the capacity to keep parts or all of their staff employed: we as a community will benefit from your largess.
  • 2 0
 @mikelevy @mikekazimer -- question: given all the advancements that we've had recently, with geo, wheel size (pick one and be a dick about it?), etc. what if you could have ALL the advancements, except you can only have 26" wheels? So think Grim Donut on 26" wheels, basically everything on the bike has changed except the wheel diameter.
  • 1 0
 Looking back through the older photos of my riding areas from the pre-Facebook days, Pinkbike was an original social network. I think Sarah, Mike(s), and Brian might be in that age group that was active on Pinkbike as teenagers during this time. Any funny/embarrassing comments, forum posts, photos, squad rivalries, or usernames?
  • 5 0
 I laughed way to hard at scrutineering ships. So funny!
  • 1 0
 Not connected to this podcast but I'm wondering if we will see reach measurements get so long that it will an option to mount the stem behind the steerer tube or you could think of it as a minus stem length. Thoughts Pinkers???
  • 1 0
 Remember the Rotecs with the 0mm stems and White Bros. inverted forks? Those were neato. I think other numbers would need to change a lot to make a 0mm or negative-length stem be okay.
  • 1 0
 Thought I saw a geometry article once that explained why that couldn't be done. Something to do with the amount of trail on your fork.
  • 5 0
 I also do not have an interest in Friday Fails.
  • 2 0
 I agree about not watching fail video's. Not sure why people like them but each to their own. As part of a video crashes are fine to show that no one is perfect but when crashing is the topic I'm not keen.
  • 3 0
 @mikelevy I came here to defend your correct usage of scrutineering but then you used the word Pinkers again so you're on your own.
  • 5 0
 Guys. Where is this week's podcast?
  • 4 0
 Does anyone have a link to vlad application video?
  • 5 0
 It's not public, but I think we've gotta work on publishing it. It's so ridiculous.
  • 1 1
 @brianpark: where s Vlad s video ? Got a link ? Thx
  • 1 0
 @brianpark: Any news with making this video public? I'd love to see it! Thanks
  • 1 0
 @earache: nah just some rants and raves on the podcast on something only the hosts saw
  • 1 0
 Question on the StumpJumper Evo, is the 2021 version more progressive than the previous model? Which version is more coil friendly?
  • 2 0
 Yes, the 2021 model is more progressive than the previous version, making it the more coil-friendly option.
  • 3 0
 Can someone copyright “pinkers” so Levy can’t say it anymore?
  • 1 0
 He appears to be impervious to ad read punishment.
  • 2 0
 LEVY, expect a full ad read for your sign off to "all you Pinkers" at the end of the POD cast....do it
  • 1 0
 Mike Levy I need relationship advice, if the girl I like doesn't like Mountain Biking is she worth it?
  • 1 0
 The great pink-bike off. I literally watched episode one between episodes of #GBBO
  • 1 0
 question for next podcast @mikekazimer @mikelevy What happened to Dan Roberts behind the number series?
  • 1 0
 It's still going - the next batch of bikes is going to be scanned in the next few weeks.
  • 1 0
 question.
Tim Hortens dunken donughts or crispy cream what is better?
  • 2 0
 The GBBO is awesome!
  • 3 5
 I like this podcast a lot, but I would like it even more if there was less talk about the nity gritty details about races.
  • 1 1
 oh, just realized that the title is "world champs special" oops nevermind... lol
  • 1 2
 What World Champs?
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