Top 10 Pinkbike Podcast Episodes of 2023

10. Randomonium - Paragliding, Chairlift Riding, DH Bikes, & AI

Enjoy a wide ranging conversation with Alicia Leggett, Mike Kazimer, Dario DiGiulio, and Henry Quinney. The topics of this podcast include everything from paragliding lessons, downhill bikes, bike testing, and Henry's fear that AI will take our jobs and end the world as we know it.

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9. A Deep Dive on Pivot's Wild Prototype DH Bike with Bernard Kerr

After months of speculation, Pivot's prototype downhill bike broke cover in Lenzerheide. Bernard Kerr tested several versions of this bike through the off season—due in part to the aluminum-lugged carbon construction methods that Pivot says reduces the time required to make a rideable prototype. It also makes it easier to adjust the frame design, or as was the case here, evaluate two different suspension systems over 100+ of laps of testing.

Henry Quinney and Brian Park sat down with Pivot's Head of Engineering and Design Kevin Tisue, and Pivot Factory Racing's Bernard Kerr to talk about the new bike, DH racing, and more.

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8. TRP's Race Engineer on Developing a New Drivetrain & Testing with World Cup Racers

With electronics on the rise, is it time for a new high-end mechanical option?

It was a busy week of new gear at the Taipei Cycle show, including TRP's first complete drivetrains. Yes, they've done a shifter and derailleur previously, but the EVO12 and EVO7 systems use completely new components, including their first cassette, both carbon and aluminum cranks, chainrings, and a clever dual-mode shifter that's come straight from the race track. Mike Levy sat down with TRP's Research and Development Test Engineer, Colin Esquibel, to talk about what it takes to deliver a brand new drivetrain, testing with World Cup racers, embargos, why they're using KMC chains, and a whole bunch more.

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7. Getting to Know Mike Kazimer

You may have seen our "Getting to Know" series of interviews, where we talk with the great and good of racing and mountain biking to understand them better or maybe just familiarise ourselves with their career. Henry Quinney brings that to a long-form interview format with some Pinkbike staff and contributors, including this episode with Mike Kazimer. Henry chats to Kaz about what brought him to Pinkbike and just how close we got to losing him to skiing.

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6. What Should Bike Warranties Look Like?

Does a generous warranty just drive the cost of your bike up? What does "limited lifetime" actually mean? Henry Quinney and Brian Park discuss some of the factors behind the warranties that different brands provide.

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5. Jason Chamberlain on Developing Demo DH Bikes, Testing with Sam Hill, and 6-Bar Suspension

Jason Chamberlain worked as both a suspension engineer and senior design engineer at Specialized for over twenty years, with that time including Horst Link bikes that range from short-travel rigs to pretty much every Demo downhill bike they've ever made. This episode sees Jason and Mike Levy dig into what makes the Horst Link layout (AKA four-bar), so versatile, the pros and cons of gearboxes, and if the extra complication of a six-bar design is worth it. They also talk about data acquisition, testing with Sam Hill, who has the longest rocker arm, and the development of Intense's new downhill bike.

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4. MTB Fashion Failures & Tedious Trends

Fashion might not be something you're personally concerned about, but on some level it does affect us as an industry and sport, no matter how immune we think we are. To get to the root of it, Kaz and Henry sit down with the most fashionable mountain biker in the PNW, Dario DiGiulio, and ask him why nothing beats riding in a Talking Heads t-shirt.

Of course, it's not just our clothing but trendy riding spots, the latest Instagram trends and a whole litany of other faux pas and blunders to fall foul of, knowingly or not.

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3. Alicia Leggett on Her Big Crash, Head Injury, & Recovery

Pinkbike editor Alicia Leggett was in Bellingham last September when she went down hard on the Blue Steel jump line, suffering such a severe traumatic brain injury that a priest was called to perform last rites which, thankfully, weren't needed. Check out 'I Crashed Hard - A Post-Injury Update from Alicia' to read her own account of the accident and recovery.

This show sees Alicia and Mike Levy chat about her crash and subsequent coma, recovering from a TBI, and looking forward.

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2. Why We Suck At Mountain Biking

The internet is full of articles, videos and even podcasts telling you how to get better at mountain biking, but in this episode Dario, Kaz and Henry reflect on their own shortcomings as mountain bikers, as well as touching upon their love of Dehd.

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1. Mike Levy's Last Podcast

Mike Levy has officially left the Pinkbike team. Kazimer and Brian Park sat down with Levy in Brian's cold, cramped garage to reflect on his time at Pinkbike and read a bunch of Levy stories from coworkers and industry friends—including a chat with the venerable Richard Cunningham. There's a short detour about aliens, Bigfoot, and sim racing, before talking about Levy's plans for the future and end the podcast to avoid getting emotional and weird.

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What was your favourite Pinkbike podcast episode of 2023? What topics would you like to see us cover in 2024?