Huck N Ride Podcast

Nathan Kitchen shares with us how he got into racing, became one of the top Juniors in the US, and what his plans for 2024 are as he heads into the elite class.

Gavin Thomlinson has been establishing himself on the National Downhill scene, and is quickly making his name known among the world rankings as well. We talk with Gavin about how 2023 racing went for him, and what his plans are for 2024.

Aaron Gwin takes time to chat with us out at the US Open in Killington, VT. Regular dude, fierce competitor, devoted husband. Aaron has shown us over the years what a class act he really is, showing the next genertation how to conduct yourself as a professional.

“Don't take anything for granted.” These are the words from our very good friend Mike Browns, who's life was changed in an instant while riding his mountain bike at his local trail. Listen in as he shares his story with us, and consider giving to help with his rehab, please donate specifically for Mike Browns.https://beperfectfoundation.org/donate

He's back! Swalto sat down with us to basically just sharing life experiences and shenanigans.

WOW!! Rachel Strait is a true badass on and off the bike. Wife, mom and a athlete she has made a life following her passion. She is gunna ride till she she dies those are her words. Kyle and her has figured out how to navigate life together with Strait Acres, being parents and their cycling careers. Listening and learning to her about her upbringing and more, she is so REAL. Hope you enjoy!

Round 2 with Derek Drake! We visit Derek at his home and catch up with how his life has been going since our first visit over a year ago. Getting engaged, being a member on a rad team, racing overseas, and the downside of being a professional motocross rider........injuries. We are definitely fans of Derek, we expect you will be too after listening, if you're not already!

John takes us on his personal journey of following his passion and love of two wheels in the dirt. He spent many years at White Brothers, learning the ropes of not just the moto industry, but much of the bicycle industry as well. We loved touring the DUBYA facility, and it was truly a pleasure being able to sit down and chat with John. Enjoy!

Leigh Donovan has solidified herself as a MTB legend. Multiple championships, Hall of Fame member for multiple disciplines, wife, mom, entrepreneur........basically living a life full of radness! Listen in to find out what drives Leigh and have some laughs along the way.

So you think you know Heather? YouTube, influencer, van life. Maybe you even know her as a downhill racer. But there's so much more! We love sitting down with our guests and getting to know them, we hope you do too.

Rich Houseman has literally spent his entire life on two wheels. From the early days of racing as a factory BMX'er at 6 years old, to racing downhill for the legend John Tomac, Rocket Rich has more than a lifetime's worth of stories and knowledge. These days Big House spends his days working for Hookit and enjoying being on the sidelines for his two daughters soccer games. He still manages to sneak out for some rips down the trail, and good luck keeping him in sight!

Watching Dave Mirra bust some insanely huge air in BMX vert in the X Games is what initially hooked Johnny Alfaro. Through many different bike related jobs, Johnny still loves to ride and work on bikes. These days you can find him under the Shimano Tech tent, spinning wrenches, drinking coffee, and certainly having a lot of laughs.

Affectionately known as "Grandpa Joe" in the T3 MTB Race Program pits, older brother Joe is not just "Pa" to 9 grandkids, he's still a shredder on the trails as well. We share stories from spending a lifetime together on two wheels. The first 14 minutes of video was corrupt, so this is what we ended up with, enjoy!

Iconic places and legendary people is what the Fasthouse Brand is built on. Kenny Alexander and Jason "Fonzy" Fontes share how the brand came to fruition, as well as some great two wheeled history.

More of a "behind the scenes guy"; Chris Nelson has been a part of the bike industry for many years. From extraordinary highs to life altering lows, Chris shares his unique journey with us.

John "Juan" Hall is well known for his wrenching skills with Aaron Gwin for the last several years, as well as his meticulously put together tool boxes, featured on many posts by Toolbox Wars. However, many are not familiar with his previous background of growing up in the midwest, dreaming about the rodeo, as well as serving in the military. John is a class act that always brings his "A Game".

ODI grips is an iconic brand that can be found on handlebars around the world in a variety of sports. Whether it's BMX, mountain bike, moto or even jet skis, the ODI logo can be found gracing beginners to pros handlebars. Colby Young has been a part of the ODI brand for 20+ years, and is kind enough to take the time to sit down and share with us his journey with the brand and even some extra credit stories!

Huck N Ride's motto of "Homegrown on two wheels" couldn't ring any truer with our guest on this episode. Roger Hernandez has become the face of Kenda bicycle tires in So Cal and beyond. What started out as helping out the Kenda crew at local races, turned into a full time position with the brand. Roger's genuine love for the sport and what he does shines through as he sits down with us.

Tyler Minor has many titles.....husband, father, son, business owner, sticker guy....he takes time out of his busy schedule to share with us about how he finds balance in doing it all.

Although it's a fairly typical sounding journey: MOTO > BMX > MTB, Steven Cisar has had anything but a typical journey. It's been awesome for the Huck N Ride crew to be able to come alongside Steven for the last few years. Listen in for some real talk.

We catch up with Swap and discuss things like: producing podcasts, officiating weddings, and racing moto in an all white kit.

Donny Jackson has been hosting races at the Southridge venue in Fontana for 31 years! We sit down with him and his grandson, Tanner, and learn all about the family legacy that keeps MTB racing alive through every winter.

Maxine Irving shares with us her journey from daydreaming in the UK to moving to California to chase those dreams. She has been a part of the SoCal bike scene for the last 25 years, and her journey now takes her down a whole new path, while still keeping the fire for riding burning.

We are a dozen episodes in, so we figured the two of us would do a recap of the first 11 episodes, as well as share some of our own personal thoughts about the podcast, the bike industry, and a little bit of what our vision is.

Cole and Claire Fiene are what you might call a "staple" in the So Cal MTB scene. Older brother Chappy has been a big part of the Intense family for several years now, however; these two definitely have made their own way in the sport, and bring their own personalities to the Huck N Ride podcast.

When we brainstormed about what the Huck N Ride podcast would be about, words like “homegrown”, “local” and “grassroots” were a big part of our conversations. Trevor Mejia absolutely embodies all of those things, and is just an all around awesome person to have in your corner. Listen in on his journey from local downhill racer to becoming a pro enduro racer traveling the world.

Most of us know Spencer for his mountain bike related projects.........racing, epic rides, videos and amazing social media content! Spencer shares his journey on two wheels with us, from the early days of racing moto with his dad, to dirt jumps, lycra, and his adventures these days. Listen in as he shares what makes him tick, including his latest partnership with Outride, a program designed to help pormote mental health wellness through exercise and enjoying the outdoors.

Craig Kundig's history in cycling extends far beyond being the owner of Cyclery USA. From building custom frames in the early days of BMX to being the head UCI official at World Cup races, he shares some of his experiences over the last 53 years in the bike industry.

Backflips, Supercross championships, racing World Cups and being dad. Randy Lawrence shares some of his history in both mountain bikes and motocross, and how he's passing on the love of two wheels to a new generation…….including his son Ryder.

DVO's owner and founder, Bryson Martin Sr., gives us the lowdown on the road that has led to where he is today and is accompanied by long time employee, Ronnie Dilan. Early on, the brand adopted the term "for riders, by riders", and they certainly have backed that up for the last 10 years!

We spend some time with Pro Motocross racers Derek Drake and Brandon Hartranft. They let us know how cycling ties into their daily routines, as well as some of the finer points of racing like how to properly rip tear offs away and how to sign autographs.

We take the time to talk to 6 of the team members (and a dad) from the T3 MTB Race Program while they were at the Sea Otter Classic. They discuss team dynamics, finding that "chase", and the joys of travelling.

Steve Spencer and Joey Foresta from GT Bicycles join us in the Huck N Ride mobile studio at Sea Otter. Steve and Joey can be found together at many US mountain bike events, join us as we discover what keeps it fun for them!

In this episode, we are joined by Steven Walton and Jarod Hanson. These two have been, and continue to be intrigual players in the ultra competitive Southern California downhill race scene. This is just the first of many appearances by these authentic and true characters, who thrive on everyone enjoying the ride! Shout out to Milo (Steven's 4 legged sidekick) for joining us.

Presented by Kenda Tires Welcome to the premiere show of the Huck N Ride podcast. Lala and Jason are joined by Swap Moto Live's Donn Maeda and Roy's Cyclery owner Mike Nittel. The show was recorded at Roy's Cyclery in Upland, CA. The four of us discuss bicycles, moto, how we all met, and even mini trucks!