The Art of Mountain Biking

We've been doing these shorter recaps on Substack, which is where we'll remain active through the winter. Head to https://www.theartofmountainbiking.com/ to subscribe.  - Danielle

We're back... but it's going to look a bit different. Make sure you subscribe to our Substack at https://www.theartofmountainbiking.com/.  

Using your mind to break boundaries requires skills, and Braydon has so many of them. Braydon Bringhurst joins the podcast to share his journey from competing in sports like BMX and pole vaulting in college to discovering mountain biking and, ultimately, climbing the Whole Enchilada. He discusses overcoming challenges with self-confidence and academics to graduate college, and how working with a sports psychologist helped develop important mental skills that supported his success in sport and life. Braydon is a husband, father to 3 little girls, and a professional mountain bike rider. His goal is to share his passion for riding and pushing himself to hopefully inspire people to go after their goals. CONTENT NOTICE: This conversation includes mentions of suicide. If you or someone you know is struggling, you can find help at the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline. Visit their website or call/text 988. Please keep going. Like this episode? Share it with someone who needs it! Share Like the podcast and want to do your part? Send us a tip here or consider a recurring paid subscription. Your support helps us cover the time and resources it takes to create free long-form content. Shoutout to Cary Judd for helping arrange this episode! Thanks for being such a supporter, Cary. Themes and topics: Braydon's journey from competing in various sports as a youth to discovering mountain biking later in life. How working with a sports psychologist helped Braydon develop important mental skills to overcome challenges with self-confidence and academics. Braydon's climb of the iconic Whole Enchilada trail in Moab, Utah, which was documented in his film 8600'. The mental process and support system he relied on to complete the challenging climb and not give up. Using one's talents and skills to help and inspire others, which was Braydon's motivation for undertaking and filming his climb. Resources mentioned in this episode: 8600FT Film 4 intelligences—mental, physical, emotional, spiritual Dr. Craig Manning at BYU Corner Canyon trails Whole Enchilada trail in Moab, UT The writer Kim Cross The Law of Occupied Space Hick's Law Danielle mentioned a bunch of different types of research in this one, and paid subscribers will get a deeper dive into this research soon. Let's connect! Please don't forget to rate, subscribe, and share this if it resonates, and you can DM Danielle now directly on Substack! If you've found value in the podcast, consider sending us a tip, here.

Unpacking the transformative insights of adventure psychology.  Adventure Psychologist Dr. Eric Brymer shares insights from his research on the impact of adventure and the human-nature relationship on health and well-being, as well as effective interventions to promote personal growth and development. As a leading expert on the subject, Dr. Brymer unpacks the transformative effects of adventure psychology and discusses how thrilling pursuits can help individuals find meaning in their lives. Dr. Eric Brymer is an endorsed sport and exercise psychologist at Southern Cross University in Australia and a chartered psychologist with the British Psychological Society. Eric is interested in the psychology of performance, wellbeing and learning in adventure and nature-based contexts. His research is particularly focused on the impact of adventure and the human-nature relationship on health and wellbeing and the design of effective interventions. Themes and topics: The impact of adventure and the human-nature relationship on health and well-being. Understanding how thrilling pursuits can lead to personal growth, development, and transformation. The connection between human nature, meaning, and the desire for adventure. Strategies and interventions that harness the benefits of adventure. The profound connections between individuals and the natural world. Insights on the process of conducting research in the field of adventure psychology. How. the findings from adventure psychology research can be applied to improve individuals' well-being and quality of life. Like this episode? Share it with someone who needs it! Share Like the podcast and want to do your part? Send us a tip here or consider a recurring paid subscription. Your support helps us cover the time and resources it takes to create free long-form content. Resources mentioned in this episode: Ecological psychology, which is a school of psychology that rejects cognitive psychology's mainstream explanations of perception Listener Scott's beautiful message about the moment that was meant for him Parkour Why Do You Ride? A Characterization of Mountain Bikers, Their Engagement Methods, and Perceived Links to Mental Health and Well-Being research paper (I've also summarized a few of the findings of that one here.) Hämeenlinna, Finland Phenomenology  Phenomenology and the Extreme Sport Experience by Dr. Eric Brymer and Robert Schweitzer David Abram's The Spell of the Sensuous: Perception and Language in a More-Than-Human World Max van Manen Phenomenology and Nursing Research by Michael Crotty  Let's connect! Please don't forget to rate, subscribe, and share this if it resonates, and you can DM Danielle now directly on Substack! If you've found value in the podcast, consider sending us a tip, here.

The edge marks the boundary of a limitation. How can we push past it? This episode dives into the topic of limits—both physical and mental. We discuss our personal experiences of hitting edges while mountain biking, how it manifests differently for everyone, and how to recognize and work with your edge. Themes and topics: Identifying physical and mental limits through breath loss and other physiological indicators Backing off from the edge to recruit skills, breathwork, and other resources Playing at the edge mindfully to stretch limits and enter a flow state for enhanced learning Recognizing edges manifest differently for everyone based on personality and situation Supporting others who are at their limit without being overbearing Managing emotions like fear, anger, and vulnerability when hitting a limit Finding edges in various areas of life like work, relationships, health and wellness Expanding the "window of tolerance" through challenging comfort zones in a safe way Like this episode? Share it with someone who needs it! Share Like the podcast and want to do your part? Send us a tip here or consider a recurring paid subscription. Your support helps us cover the time and resources it takes to create free long-form content. Resources mentioned in this episode: SkiErg Ellie Herman's Pilates Reformer Episode 47 with Melissa Gill Let's connect! Please don't forget to rate, subscribe, and share this if it resonates, and you can DM Danielle now directly on Substack! If you've found value in the podcast, consider sending us a tip, here.

A listener's beautiful take on the changing nature of flow.  Happy Friday, y'all! The weather is finally cooperating this weekend in Utah. So I hope you all are going to get out and ride, I know I am. I completed an interview yesterday with Dr. Eric Brymer. This interview will air on Tuesday, May 21st, but we got to talking about the existential or mystical facet—the spiritual facet—of adventure, and adventure in nature, in particular. And it was interesting that I conducted this interview right after I had received the most beautiful message from one of our listeners, Scott (Scott, if you're here, say hi in the comments so people can respond to you directly!), who lives in Utah. He responded to the form I put out this week asking for feedback about the podcast, (thank you to everybody who filled out that form, btw. I really appreciate it.), and he suggested we talk about some of the differences in how flow feels between cross country and downhill. So I reached out to him saying that I loved his point about cross country flow vs. downhill flow, and I asked him which one he tended to prefer. And Scott had the most beautiful response that spoke directly to what Dr. Eric Brymer was speaking of in that interview. It was so beautiful that I asked him if I could share his message with you all. I get these messages from time to time from riders that just blow me away at who is listening to the show. If you see yourself in Scotts message, just know that there are so many of us out in nature, on a bike, finding these deep, meaningful, impactful life changing experiences out there. And I wanted to share this one.   If you have a message you'd like to share with the AOMTB audience, message me directly on Substack or send it to theartofmountainbikingpodcast@gmail.com.

Rebroadcasting our intimate conversation with backcountry skier Melissa Gill about loss, grief, nature, and the beauty of life. May marks Mental Health Awareness Month, a time that calls for reflecting, learning, and engaging in meaningful dialogues about the complex world of mental health. To honor this month, we're reaching into our podcast archives to bring back a conversation that beautifully intertwines grief, mental wellbeing, and the healing power of outdoor pursuits. This is an older conversation that's worth a re-listen. Since we last published this episode last May, the Patagonia film The Meaningless Pursuit of Snow, which Mel references in this conversation, is now available. And it's really beautiful, y'all. Worth a watch. Content notice: This episode contains real and honest depictions of grief and death. If you are reading this and you're grieving, know that your pain is valid, irrespective of what prompted it—be it the death of a loved one, a relationship at its end, or the loss of employment. It's a journey without a map, and what works for one person may prove futile for another. Einstein once said, "Look deep into nature, and then you will understand everything better." That certainly has been the case for us. Melissa Gill is a woodworker, meditation teacher, Head of Operations for SimplyMTB and a lover of anything outdoors. She sees backcountry skiing as a playground for adventure and self development and in the summer months, can be found trail running or sleeping in a hammock in the middle of a forest. Of all things in life, she is most is passionate about mental health and creating safe spaces for healing for both her and her community. As a mindfulness meditation teacher, she believes most things in life can be solved, healed and made more beautiful with a heavy dose of self compassion.  Like this episode? Share it with someone who needs it! Share Like the podcast and want to do your part? Send us a tip here or consider a recurring paid subscription. Your support helps us cover the time and resources it takes to create free long-form content. Resources mentioned in this episode: Meditation teachers Jack Kornfield and Tara Brach. Danielle has written about the loss she describes in this episode for the Medium publication Age of Empathy. Let's connect! Please don't forget to rate, subscribe, and share this if it resonates, and you can DM Danielle now directly on Substack! If you've found value in the podcast, consider sending us a tip, here.  

MTB Fitness' Matt Mooney joins to discuss how fitness, nutrition, and mindset combine to create a positive upward spiral of health and performance.  A singular focus on peak bike performance makes sense for the pros—but most riders must fit their biking practice into demanding lives. Matt Mooney of MTB Fitness provides advice on incorporating training into daily routines and harnessing the transformative power of discipline. This guidance is beneficial for riders seeking to enhance their experience on the bike as well as their mental and physical health. Matt Mooney is a personal trainer and founder of MTB Fitness. MTB Fitness social accounts have hundreds of thousands of followers, and the MTB Fit app helps riders in over 60 countries climb easier, descend stronger, and ride further. Like this episode? Share it with someone who needs it! Share Like the podcast and want to do your part? Send us a tip here or consider a recurring paid subscription. Your support helps us cover the time and resources it takes to create free long-form content. Referenced in this episode: MTB Fitness EMDR Therapy (the one where you move your eyes a certain way) The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*CK: A Counterintuitive Approach to Living a Good Life by Mark Manson Let's connect! Please don't forget to rate, subscribe, and share this if it resonates, and you can DM Danielle now directly on Substack! If you've found value in the podcast, consider sending us a tip, here.

Episode 2 on positioning was our most popular of all time. In this episode, we're digging deeper into all the nitty gritty details of proper body positioning on the bike, as well as some philosophical musings on positioning for success both on the trails and off. Like this episode? Share it with someone who needs it! Share Like the podcast and want to do your part? Send us a tip here or consider a recurring paid subscription. Your support helps us cover the time and resources it takes to create free long-form content. Referenced in this episode: Episode 2 on Positioning Episode 4 on Holding Center Episode 44 with Lennard Zinn The Psychology of Money by Morgan Housel Let's connect! Please don't forget to rate, subscribe, and share this if it resonates, and you can DM Danielle now directly on Substack! If you've found value in the podcast, consider sending us a tip, here.

Because how many of us are truly industry standard, you know?  Six-foot-six former national team cyclist Lennard Zinn joins the podcast to discuss how different bodies interact differently with different bikes and give some recommendations for those looking to start customizing their bikes to their own bodies, styles, and experiences.  LENNARD ZINN is a bike racer, frame builder, and technical writer. After receiving his physics degree from Colorado College, he became a member of the U.S. Olympic Development (road) Cycling Team.He has been producing Zinn custom road, gravel, mountain, cyclocross triathlon, and e-bike frames and complete bicycles, as well as custom forks, cranks and stems, at Zinn Cycles since 1982. Books by Zinn include: Zinn & the Art of Road Bike Maintenance, Zinn & the Art of Mountain Bike Maintenance, The Haywire Heart, Zinn & the Art of Triathlon Bikes, Zinn's Cycling Primer, Mountain Bike Performance Handbook, and Mountain Bike Owner's Manual.  Like this episode? Share it with someone who needs it! Share Like the podcast and want to do your part? Send us a tip here or consider a recurring paid subscription. Your support helps us cover the time and resources it takes to create free long-form content. Referenced in this episode: Chasing Venus: The Race to Measure the Heavens by Andrea Wulf Kokopelli Trail Leadville 100 race The Haywire Heart: How Too Much Exercise Can Kill You, and What You Can Do to Protect Your Heart by Lennard Zinn Fraser Island Let's connect! Please don't forget to rate, subscribe, and share this if it resonates, and you can DM Danielle now directly on Substack! If you've found value in the podcast, consider sending us a tip, here.  

Don't let your defaults go unexamined—the affects of our holding patterns compound over time. Holding patterns, the unconscious positions in the body (and the mind) can develop from stress, injury, or repetitive actions over time. They can also surface as a default response to our own individual structure. Identifying and addressing these holding patterns through mindfulness, play, and feedback can help improve alignment, stability, flexibility, and performance. Like this episode? Share it with someone who needs it! Like the podcast and want to do your part? Send us a tip here or consider a recurring paid subscription. Your support helps us cover the time and resources it takes to create free long-form content. Referenced in this episode: Our Fall Better episode Antelope Island (which emerges out of the Great Salt Lake) Holding pattern definition in aviation Kyphotic curve, which is an exaggerated, forward rounding of the upper back (so when you slouch, your spine is in this position) Knees over toes guy Rocksteady Bodyworks (whom we love and recommend to everyone—tell them we sent you!) If you're wondering what Jamie's “ums” look like in my editing software, they look like this:   You're welcome. Let's connect! Please don't forget to rate, subscribe, and share this if it resonates, and you can DM Danielle now directly on Substack! If you've found value in the podcast, consider sending us a tip, here.

How we approach the trail matters, especially when climbing and turning. Sometimes, you gotta come in sideways, you know?  Considering the angle of approach is important in technical climbing. It can also be applied to communication and relationships. Danielle and Jamie talk about how considering different angles of approach, both physically and verbally, can make difficult situations and obstacles easier to navigate. Like the podcast? Send us a tip here or consider a recurring paid subscription. Your support helps us cover the time and resources it takes to create free long-form content. Also, if you're in the market for a new bike, consider an Ari (formerly Fezzari) bike, and tell them we sent you. Referenced in this episode: Moab's Klonzo network. Supercommunicators: How to Unlock the Secret Language of Connection by Charles Duhigg “No” energy, as discussed in our Fall Better episode A note on happiness research: These weren't mentioned explicitly in the episode, but when Danielle talks about approaching happiness at an angle, she's drawing on research about some indirect things that bring about wellbeing, like nurturing good relationships and experiencing other people's joy, and other research that is leery of what they (yes, the royal “they') call toxic positivity—when people take the goal of happiness a little too far. Let's connect! Please don't forget to rate, subscribe, and share this if it resonates, and you can DM Danielle now directly on Substack! If you've found value in the podcast, consider sending us a tip, here.

Many of us know that feedback is good for us (if you don't, it is). Here we break down the mechanics of how it works and what often gets in the way. Feedback, flow, performance, growth… they all go hand in hand. Also, hiiii! We're back, and we missed you all! Like the podcast? Send us a tip, here or consider a recurring paid subscription. Your support helps us cover the time and resources it takes to create free long-form content. Also, if you're in the market for a new bike, consider an Ari (formerly Fezzari) bike, and tell them we sent you. Referenced in this episode: Moab trail Bull Run and Navajo Rocks and Klondike Bluffs areas. Let's connect! Please don't forget to rate, subscribe, and share this if it resonates, and you can DM Danielle now directly on Substack! If you've found value in the podcast, consider sending us a tip, here.

If you would like to lend your support and help us navigate this next chapter as this amazing year comes to a close, we'd love it if you'd consider a: One-time Donation: This would go a long way in sustaining our podcast and allowing us to continue producing valuable content. Name your price. You can send a direct donation via Paypal. Paid Subscription: By signing up for a paid membership, not only will you be supporting us in a more sustainable manner, but you'll also gain access to ad-free listening. Additionally, if you're in it with your year-end holiday shopping, we've got a few ways you can support us indirectly: Check out Xero Shoes: If you're in the market for new footwear, consider using our link when purchasing Xero Shoes. I wear almost only these. Your purchase through this link will help us earn a commission, without costing you anything extra. Get a Fezzari Bike: If you're considering a new bike for yourself or someone special, check out Utah's own Fezzari Bikes. Jamie rides them exclusively, and has for years. They're awesome. Let them know that The Art of Mountain Biking Podcast sent you. Once again, our deepest gratitude goes out to you for your continued support throughout the year. With your assistance, we can ensure the longevity of The Art of Mountain Biking Podcast and its ability to positively impact the lives of fellow (and future) enthusiasts. Wishing you a joyful holiday season and a fantastic year ahead!

Go deeper in the winter to go wider in the summer. Like the podcast? Send us a tip, here! Paid subscribers enjoy ad-free listening! Subscribe to our Substack here.  Want some awesome shoes? Try Xero Shoes—they're rad and Danielle's new favorites are the Denvers (she still loves the Taris tho), and they have several cold-weather options too. Plus, they're having a mega sale right now, so… If you're considering a new bike for yourself or someone special (maybe as a holiday gift?), check out Fezzari Bikes. Jamie rides them exclusively, and has for years. They're awesome. They offer financing options. Let them know that The Art of Mountain Biking Podcast sent you. Referenced in this episode: Liam Johnston, who did our cover art and is also doing the art for Danielle's forthcoming newsletter, It's Nuanced. He's great. The King's Peak, Fezzari's fat bike Seasonality of human sleep: Polysomnographic data of a neuropsychiatric sleep clinic, published in the journal Frontiers of Neuroscience “The Year of No Grudges” by poet Andrea Gibson AOMTB Episode 38: Adventure and Mental Health with Cary Judd The Gaia yoga app, which Jamie uses. Danielle uses Alo Moves. Also, if you live in Salt Lake County, our in-person studios are Rocksteady Bodyworks and Mountain Yoga Sandy. None of these businesses pay us—we just genuinely like them. If you see us there, say hi. Sender Ramps Lastly, Jamie recently had a birthday. Let's send her some love! Let's connect! Please don't forget to rate, subscribe, and share this if it resonates! If you've found value in the podcast, consider sending us a donation or becoming a paid subscriber to help keep the lights on!  

Traction is an underlying factor to many experiences on the mountain bike. Understanding this concept will help keep you safe and make you fast.  Like the podcast? Send us a tip, here! Want some awesome shoes? Try Xero Shoes—they're rad and Danielle wears the Taris every day of her life. Also, Fezzari Bicycles is offering special financing during their huge Black Friday sale, happening now! You can get the Delano Peak for up to $1100 off and the La Sal Peak for up to $1500 off, and there's deals on others as well. Make sure to tell them we sent you! Paid subscribers enjoy ad-free listening! Subscribe at theartofmountainbiking.com.    Referenced in this episode: Lake Blanche hiking trail Canyon Hollow - Rush - Limelight route in Corner Canyon, UT 9k trail Our Fast is Fun episode with Rhianon Gelsomino   Let's connect! Please don't forget to rate, subscribe, and share this if it resonates! If you've found value in the podcast, consider sending us a tip, here!  

Sometimes, the risk of NOT going is higher than the risk of going. CONTENT NOTICE: This conversation includes depictions of suicide and suicidal ideation. If you or someone you know is struggling, you can find help at the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline. Visit their website or call/text 988. Please keep going. Cary Judd is a documentarian, photographer, and adventurist. The film 828, directed by Drew Garcia, follows Cary as he attempts to ride the Iceland Ring Road on an e-skateboard. Like the podcast? Send us a tip, here! Want some awesome shoes? Try Xero Shoes—they're rad and Danielle wears the Taris every day of her life. Paid subscribers enjoy ad-free listening! Subscribe at https://www.theartofmountainbiking.com/. Referenced in this episode: The film 828. You can find it on Instagram (@828documentary), Facebook, and Amazon Prime. Dr. Gabor Mate Let's connect! Book a lesson with SimplyMTB or work with Danielle's project-based growth model at You Need a Thing. Please don't forget to rate, subscribe, and share this if it resonates! If you've found value in the podcast, consider sending us a tip, here!

If you've ever been on a mountain bike in nature, you get it. Like the podcast? Send us a tip, here! Want some awesome shoes? Try Xero Shoes—they're rad and Danielle wears the Taris every day of her life. Ad-free listening available to paid Substack subscribers.  Referenced in this episode: Danielle's essay “On Hummingbirds” (which is NOT the title that made it to press) The Science of Awe white paper Transcend: The New Science of Self-Actualization by Scott Barry Kaufman The poet Andrea Gibson (this one is a fav) Danielle's forthcoming newsletter It's Nuanced Let's connect! Book a lesson with SimplyMTB or work with Danielle's project-based growth model at You Need a Thing. Please don't forget to rate, subscribe, and share this if it resonates! If you've found value in the podcast, consider sending us a tip, here!

Speed isn't found, it's built.  Rhianon Gelsomino is a professional Rally Co-Driver who has co-driven full time with Travis Pastrana and currently co-drives for Lia Block. Simply put, she knows a thing or two about speed and talks all about it in this episode. Referenced in this episode: Rhianon's documentary on YouTube Check out Rhianon's instagram and Facebook Brandon Semenuk Red Bull Rampage Travis Pastrana Ken and Lia Block Let's connect! Book a lesson with SimplyMTB or work with Danielle's project-based growth model at You Need a Thing. Please don't forget to rate, subscribe, and share this if it resonates! If you've found value in the podcast, consider sending us a tip, here!

Jamie's working title was "What If It Were Easy?" Tomayto tomahto.  In case you missed it, we've moved to Tuesdays! Like the podcast? Send us a tip, here! Want some awesome shoes? Try Xero Shoes—they're rad and Danielle wears the Taris every day of her life. Referenced in this episode: The National Parks Service's instagram account (it's a good follow) The trails Mormon Pioneer, Green Pond, and Brim Trail The book Outlive: The Science and Art of Longevity by Peter Attia talks about Zone 2 cardio. Our Fall Better and Active and Passive Pressure episodes Harvard SHINE research on caring work environments Research from Harvard's Human Flourishing Program on religious communities Study linking life expectancy and marriage The Harvard Study of Adult Development - this one wasn't referenced directly, but it informed some of what Danielle mentioned. It's fascinating and has been running since 1938! Let's connect! Book a lesson with SimplyMTB or work with Danielle's project-based growth model at You Need a Thing. Please don't forget to rate, subscribe, and share this if it resonates! If you've found value in the podcast, consider sending us a tip, here!

We're naturally inclined to search for clues with our vision while riding through dynamic environments. Some clues need less of your attention.  Also, we're on Tuesdays now, folks! Mondays were (are) a whole thing. Like the podcast? Send us a tip, here! Want some awesome shoes? Try Xero Shoes—they're rad and Danielle wears the Taris every day of her life. We're still calling for calling for questions for our first AMA (Ask Me Anything) from paid subscribers, so make sure you get those in by today, October 10th! Referenced in this episode: Our Vision episode. Jacob's Ladder and Rush, Corner Canyon, UT Let's connect! Book a lesson with SimplyMTB or work with Danielle at You Need a Thing. Please don't forget to rate, subscribe, and share this if it resonates! If you've found value in the podcast, consider sending us a tip, here!

Any project, hobby, or avocation carries the opportunity for growth and transformation... if you let it. We chat about what that looks like and how to engage with this process in 33. Like the podcast? Send us a tip, here! Want some awesome shoes? Try Xero Shoes—they're rad and Danielle wears the Taris every day of her life. We're still calling for calling for questions for our first AMA (Ask Me Anything) from paid subscribers, so make sure you get those in by October 10th! Referenced in this episode: You Need a Thing, Danielle's project-based personal growth model Being Well podcast with Rick and Forrest Hanson We Can Do Hard Things podcast with Glennon Doyle Our transfer episode When Danielle mentions Albert at the end of the episode, she's referring to Albert Flynn DeSilver from episode 24 Let's connect! Book a lesson with SimplyMTB or work with Danielle's project-based growth model at You Need a Thing. Please don't forget to rate, subscribe, and share this if it resonates! If you've found value in the podcast, consider sending us a tip, here!

Your core, your center, holds your power. Learning how to generate movement and action from this place keeps you grounded and unlocks your freedom.  Like the podcast? Send us a tip, here!  This episode is a repost. If you listened back then, listen again to focus on or notice something new. If you haven't listened yet, this one will really help you elevate your experience on the bike. In the meantime, we're taking a little fall break from recording and are going to be working on some new perks for paid subscribers, calling for questions for our first AMA (Ask Me Anything), and reaching out to the community more. We want to know you, so watch out for more correspondence! Let's connect! Book a lesson with SimplyMTB or work with Danielle's project-based growth model at You Need a Thing. Please don't forget to rate, subscribe, and share this if it resonates! If you've found value in the podcast, consider sending us a tip, here!   P.S. Sorry for the delay on this one, folks.  

So many skills on the bike are built on a foundation of knowing how to stop well. Braking skills buy you stability, safety, and speed.  Like the podcast? Send us a tip, here!  This episode is a repost. If you listened back then, listen again to refocus and take away something new. If you haven't listened yet, this one will really help you elevate your experience on the bike. In the meantime, we're taking a little fall break from recording and are going to be working on some new perks for paid subscribers, calling for questions for our first AMA, and reaching out to the community more. We want to know you, so watch out for more correspondence these next two weeks! Let's connect! Book a lesson with SimplyMTB or work with Danielle's project-based growth model at You Need a Thing. Please don't forget to rate, subscribe, and share this if it resonates! If you've found value in the podcast, consider sending us a tip, here!  

Good bike/body separation is key to leveling up as a beginner or even an intermediate rider. When each element of your body, the bike, and the trail work in concert, you achieve dexterity on the bike. Like the podcast? Send us a tip, here!  Referenced in this episode: Our Braking and Ride Beautifully episodes Pepe Romero talks about finger independence at about 5:22 of this video. It's just beautiful. 2023 UCI Mountain Bike World Cup Rider Brandon Semenuk (check this out) Centrifugal force is an outward force that pushes away from an axis of rotation on a revolving object. This is why it would be the force that pushes you into a berm, for example, because your force is moving outward away from the direction you're turning. Barrel roll trail in St. George, Utah Paid subscribers will receive a copy of Jamie's Bike Anatomy doc! Let's connect! Book a lesson with SimplyMTB or work with Danielle's project-based growth model at You Need a Thing. Please don't forget to rate, subscribe, and share this if it resonates! If you've found value in the podcast, consider sending us a tip, here!

In mountain biking, the reasons you start are often different than the reasons you stay. This episode helps unpack the motivation and deeper 'why' underpinning our mountain biking practice. Like the podcast? Send us a tip, here! Maybe you could even make it a Labor Day present… Note: We spent an exorbitant amount of time talking about the Soldier Hollow Classic International Sheepdog competition. Alas, there is no event this year… and it may be moving away from Labor Day weekend in the future. Danielle will recover, eventually. Referenced in this episode: Quit: The Power of Knowing When to Walk Away by Annie Duke Dedicated: The Case for Commitment in an Age of Infinite Browsing by Pete Davis The Art of Loving by Erich Fromm The Year of No Grudges by Andrea Gibson Our Active and Passive Pressure episode Let's connect! Book a lesson with SimplyMTB or work with Danielle's project-based growth model at You Need a Thing. Please don't forget to rate, subscribe, and share this if it resonates! If you've found value in the podcast, consider sending us a tip, here!

Enhancing how our bodies move through space and time is a major step toward health and longevity. This episode gives a lot on proprioception, touches on racheting, and gets quite anthropological.  Like the podcast? Send us a tip, here! Maybe you could even make it a Labor Day present… We talk about: Labor Day and sheep [1:49] Knowing how our bodies move through space [8:03] Proprioception as critical to meaningfully interact with the environment [12:40] Different starting lines for body awareness [17:11] We have way more than 5 senses [20:00] Racheting [22:32] How space and place inform the human experience [34:12] The human body as central to understanding space [39:19] Referenced in this episode: A reel about postural sway Exactly how many senses do we really have? Industry Nine hubs Our jumps episode and concepts that relate to our Fall Better episode. Aymara people from the Andes see the future as behind them. Let's connect! Book a lesson with SimplyMTB or work with Danielle's project-based growth model at You Need a Thing. Please don't forget to rate, subscribe, and share this if it resonates! If you've found value in the podcast, consider sending us a tip, here!

Rest is an often underemphasized skill that supports, well, everything... including mountain biking. And, as with any skill, we need a systematized way of approaching it.  About Scott Moore Scott has spent the past 20 years studying, practicing, and teaching yoga, Yoga Nidra, and meditation. He's taught everyone from rock stars to recovering addicts, from young to old, ultra-athletes to the ultra-stressed out. He's the author of Practical Yoga Nidra: A 10-Step Method to Reduce Stress, Improve Sleep, and Restore Your Spirit and several courses and trainings on yoga nidra and more. We talk about: What is yoga nidra? [5:10] ‘Samadhi' moments in mtb [12:30] Systematized relaxation [19:28] Yoga nidra and meditation to access the subconscious [27:47] Extremity as a doorway to clarity [35:18] How to start incorporating rest practices [48:44] The science of rest [53:17] Referenced in this episode: Yoga nidra Recovery in the flow cycle (Steven Kotler has a lot out there about this, but this is a good basic writeup) Scott's Sanctuary Meditation Practice and Yoga Nidra For Grief on Insight Timer. The Bannister Effect Psychologist Jospeh Wolpe We referenced this episode with Melissa Gill as well as our Transfer episode and our Wayfinding episode. Let's connect! Book a lesson with SimplyMTB or work with Danielle's project-based growth model at You Need a Thing. Please don't forget to rate, subscribe, and share this if it resonates! Tips For Tips? It takes a lot of time and effort to put together this content and offer it, for free, to hopefully enhance your experience on and off the bike. If you appreciate and value the work we do on the podcast, consider sending us a tip here!

There are many technologies and methods to help us navigate the trails, but moving around on a bike is about so much more than getting from point A to point B.   “Maybe wayfinding is an activity that confronts us with the marvelous fact of being in the world, requiring us to look up and take notice, to cognitively and emotionally interact with our surroundings whether we are in the wilderness or a city, even calling us to renew our species' love affair with freedom, exploration, and place.” - M.R. O'Connor   We talk about: Planning routes in advance [12:18] Navigation and a sense of control [15:35] “Artifacts” and how we use them to navigate [18:32] What is “wayfinding” [21:57] Skillfully self regulating through uncharted territory [24:43] Obstacles to accessing your skills when uncertain [29:38] Being mutual with your environment [37:31] Navigation and memory (and London cab drivers) [45:58] Reading the trail [51:15] Referenced in this episode: Wayfinding: The Science and Mystery of How Humans Navigate the World by M.R. O'Connor The trails Wasatch Crest (including “puke hill”) and The Whole Enchilada The tools Trailforks and MTB Project Transfer: Managing Uncertainty with this Learning Technique The Comfort Crisis by Michael Easter Dopamine Nation by Anna Lembke Totemic geography London cab drivers and their hippocampi Let's connect! Book a lesson with SimplyMTB or work with Danielle's project-based growth model at You Need a Thing. Please don't forget to rate, subscribe, and share this if it resonates! Tips For Tips? It takes a lot of time and effort to put together this content and offer it, for free, to hopefully enhance your experience on and off the bike. If you appreciate and value the work we do on the podcast, consider sending us a tip here!

There are some basic things that often aren't explicitly addressed. Whether you're a new rider or a self-taught veteran on the bike, here are some things you might not know. We talk about: Taking basic things for granted [1:50] Braking with one finger [12:07] Setting up your bike [15:28] Necessary equipment [18:22] Standing up [34:50] Trail etiquette [36:21] Using bells [42:09] Starting on a hill [44:46] Moving your bike around [48:29] If you're teaching someone how to ride [51:38] Beginner's mind [53:40] Referenced in this episode: Positioning Braking Clips & Flats Get Up, Stand Up Let's connect! Book a lesson with SimplyMTB or work with Danielle's project-based growth model at You Need a Thing. Please don't forget to rate, subscribe, and share this if it resonates! Tips For Tips? It takes a lot of time and effort to put together this content and offer it, for free, to hopefully enhance your experience on and off the bike. If you appreciate and value the work we do on the podcast, consider sending us a tip here!

It's easy to speak about mountain biking on the surface level. But speaking to its potential for transcendence, ecstasy, and yes, art, is another thing entirely--thus, we called in a poet to help.  Albert Flynn DeSilver has been an obsessive mountain biker for over 30 years. He is a trail advocate and wilderness explorer. Albert is also an internationally published writer, speaker and teacher who has worked with thousands of kids as a California Poet in the Schools, served as a county Poet Laureate, and taught writing workshops throughout North America at places like the Esalen Institute, the Omega Institute, and the British Institute in Paris. He has given a TEDx talk and bombed spectacularly, and then dusted himself off to go on to host and share the stage with writer-luminaries like Elizabeth Gilbert, Cheryl Strayed, Maxine Hong Kingston and many others. Albert writes, rides and resides in Northern California. We talk about: Reaching a transcendent state on a bike [6:03] The taboo of ecstasy [9:33] Moving meditation [12:45] How family history/upbringing can inform our practice [14:27] Using mtb to check in or check out [20:12] The art of mountain biking [24:36] The demand of mtb to pay attention [28:20] The social component of the sport [32:30] Grief on the trail [37:42] Dancing and doodling [44:09] Referenced in this episode: Singletrack Mind by Albert Flynn DeSilver Writing as a Path to Awakening, also by Albert “Miracles” by Walt Whitman Delores LaChapelle We also referenced this episode with Melissa Gill Let's connect! Book a lesson with SimplyMTB or work with Danielle's project-based growth model at You Need a Thing. Please don't forget to rate, subscribe, and share this if it resonates! Tips For Tips? It takes a lot of time and effort to put together this content and offer it, for free, to hopefully enhance your experience on and off the bike. If you appreciate and value the work we do on the podcast, consider sending us a tip here!

There are many tips out there for how to get air, but tips are different than understanding the theory and physics at play with your bike, body, and the terrain when you leave the ground. Sam Buckmiller, co-owner and Head Coach of SimplyMTB, rejoins the podcast to help flesh out the relationship between the many components at play when jumping or dropping on the bike. We talk about: Jumping can be safe [7:45] Learning to jump as a kid vs. as an adult [8:55] How a jump works [11:30] Pedal choice for jumping [12:12] Front wheel lift [13:30] Building a relationship with the jump (aww) [15:08] The physics of a drop [23:39] The role of fear [26:00] Understanding the ‘why' after a fall [30:57] Angulation and body position for air [39:59] Let's connect! Book a lesson with SimplyMTB or work with Danielle's project-based growth model at You Need a Thing. Please don't forget to rate, subscribe, and share this if it resonates! Tips For Tips? It takes a lot of time and effort to put together this content and offer it, for free, to hopefully enhance your experience on and off the bike. If you appreciate and value the work we do on the podcast, consider sending us a tip here!

Sam Buckmiller, co-owner and Head Coach of Simply MTB, joins the podcast to discuss the age-old debate of clips vs flats. Note: In this episode we use the terms clips/clipless interchangeably and flats/platforms interchangeably. Let's connect! Book a lesson with SimplyMTB or work with Danielle's project-based growth model at You Need a Thing. Please don't forget to rate, subscribe, and share this if it resonates!

When you choose a line, you're making a commitment—to a direction and to an experience. Viewing line choice as a commitment frees us from myopia and opens us up to creativity and flow.  We talk about: Three ways to approach line choice [3:30] The fast line [4:20] What is actually fast? [5:48] Things to push against to go fast [9:15] Going over braking bumps [13:52] The safe line [16:15] Line choice when riding behind others [22:24] The fun line [27:27] Ways to ride the same lines, differently [31:40] What to do on a bad line [36:53] Line choice and trail etiquette [38:39] Let's connect! Book a lesson with SimplyMTB or work with Danielle's project-based growth model at You Need a Thing. Please don't forget to rate, subscribe, and share this if it resonates!

Extreme sports enthusiast and Nitro Circus alumnus Colton Brockbank joins the podcast to discuss healing from injury—as an athlete, and also in a deeper way.  Colton is an extreme sports athlete, director, marketer, and coach who rode a snowboard on wheels and “did some trash can things” for Nitro Circus. We talk about: Things that come up in the face of injury [9:50] How we forget skills after injury [10:42] Risk and window of tolerance [14:22] Performative self worth and deeper causes of injury [17:48] The “no” energy of injuries [28:25] Finding replacement outlets [29:28] Sports-as-coping vs sports-as-expression [35:55] Stress inoculation and post-traumatic growth [40:23] Is how you do one thing how you do everything? [45:28] Referenced in this episode: We referenced a couple other episodes again, including our Fall Better episode and our conversation with Antonio Garcia. Stress inoculation (here's a cool Nature article about it) and post-traumatic growth. When Jamie mentions “crest,” she's talking about the Wasatch Crest trail. Let's connect! Book a lesson with SimplyMTB or work with Danielle's project-based growth model at You Need a Thing. Please don't forget to rate, subscribe, and share this if it resonates!

Standing on your bike is a useful tool for both climbing and descending if you understand how it works and when it's called for.  We talk about: When/why you should stand up [7:33] Standing while climbing [9:51] Weighting your back wheel while standing and climbing [16:12] Standing while descending [24ish] Standing up for yourself [33:59] Balance between individual and collective re: standing up [39:47] Reading the situation/trail [48:36] Air Bud [51:29] Referenced in this episode: We nudged new listeners to please please listen to the positioning episode and the braking episode. And if you're a bit further along as a rider, check out our chat about cornering. HIIT: High Intensity Interval Training Study: Association between muscle mass, leg strength, and fat mass with physical function in older adults: influence of age and sex, published in the Journal of Aging Health Leg strength is a better predictor of brain health than any other lifestyle factor examined in a decade-long study on cognitive function in twins, according to this article. Danielle did not, in fact, look up Air Bud, so the question about whether the dog flies or plays basketball remains. Work with us! Book a lesson with SimplyMTB or work with Danielle's project-based growth model at You Need a Thing.

You have to go slow to go fast. And sometimes, you have to stop completely to create choice and freedom. So take pause, mkay? We talk about: Coming to a stop on a mountain bike [12:47] Getting perspective [15:12] The challenge of slowing down [15:32] Finding alignment so you can pause [17:01] Body position [22:10] Choice vs. decision [31:23] Purchasing freedom on the bike [36:15] Jamie's bike journey [43:03] The pleasure in learning [48:08] Going slow is countercultural [49:57] Referenced in this episode: Basically just a bunch of our other episodes, namely the one with Antonio Garcia (one of our favs, btw) and the one about transfer. Work with us! Book a lesson with SimplyMTB or work directly with Danielle at You Need a Thing.

There are two ways to get better at a physical movement: either generate more energy or maximize your energy toward forward movement. This episode is about the latter.  We talk about: The cost of unnecessary movement [7:46] Pump tracks [13:18] Cognitive chatter as tension [20:55] Compensating when tired [26:57] Future visioning [37:17] Checking in with your body in the face of old patterns [45:59] Referenced in this episode: The Happiness Lab with Dr. Laurie Santos, Why We're Mean to Our Future Selves The Stanford Marshmallow Studies about willpower and impulse control Work with us! Book a lesson with SimplyMTB or work with Danielle's project-based growth model at You Need a Thing.

When you form a relationship with your breath, you open up a world of possibilities for your ride.  We talk about: What is breath? What is it for? [1:15] How breathing patterns can be set in childhood [7:56] Working with the rhythm of breath for movement [16:20] Holding your breath, grunting, and yelling [19:19] How to become aware of your breath [25:27] Breath is the problem AND the solution [31:14] Self coaching with breath [41:20] The nature of the exhale [44:03] Central channel breathing and visualization [50:28] Referenced in this episode: Breath: The New Science of a Lost Art by James Nestor Andrew Huberman of Huberman Lab Study: Effect of yelling on maximal aerobic power during an incremental test of cycling performance, published in the Journal of Sport and Health Science Paper: The Laughter Prescription, published in the American Journal of Lifestyle Medicine Work with us! Book a lesson with SimplyMTB or work with Danielle's project-based growth model at You Need a Thing.

Backcountry skier Melissa Gill joins us to talk about her journey using outdoor sports and meditation to heal through grief. Mel's story will be featured in an upcoming documentary by Patagonia. Content notice: This episode contains real and honest depictions of grief and death. Melissa Gill is a woodworker, meditation teacher, Head of Operations for SimplyMTB and a lover of anything outdoors. She sees backcountry skiing as a playground for adventure and self development and in the summer months, can be found trail running or sleeping in a hammock in the middle of a forest. Of all things in life, she is most is passionate about mental health and creating safe spaces for healing for both her and her community. As a mindfulness meditation teacher, she believes most things in life can be solved, healed and made more beautiful with a heavy dose of self compassion.  Resources mentioned in this episode: Meditation teachers Jack Kornfield and Tara Brach. Danielle has written about the loss she describes in this episode for the Medium publication Age of Empathy. Work with us! Book a lesson with SimplyMTB or work with Danielle's project-based growth model at You Need a Thing.  

If you're on a mountain bike, twists and turns are both inevitable and plentiful. Cornering is complex and dynamic skill that everyone can improve, and we break it down (a lot) in this episode. We may also bring up rollerblading a time or two (or twelve). Work with us! Book a lesson with SimplyMTB or work with Danielle at You Need a Thing.

You want to feel strong. You want to go fast. You want to climb features. But have you ever thought of riding... beautifully? Renowned Spanish guitarist Antonio Garcia joins the podcast to discuss the crossover between music and mountain biking and how practicing "beautifully" can take your riding to a new level. Antonio Garcia (Jared Antonio Garcia Lyons) is a Spanish guitar performer/instructor from Santiago de Queretaro, Mexico. Antonio has performed in many prestigious venues as a solo artist as well as an accompanying guitarist for flamenco dancers and bands. Work with us! Book a lesson with SimplyMTB or work with Danielle at You Need a Thing.

The people who can navigate uncertainty often are the most resilient. But how, exactly, do we do this? The ability to transfer knowledge from the past to the present is one tool--both on and off the trail. We'll show you. Work with us! Book a lesson with SimplyMTB or work with Danielle at You Need a Thing.

People know that they should practice, but we don't often enough talk about how to practice. That's why we invited Griff Wigley from MTB Practice Lab to jam about what makes for good practice.  Work with us! Book a lesson with SimplyMTB or work with Danielle at You Need a Thing.

Fall prevention is primary. Yet having skills to help you work with a fall, not resist a fall, can help you not only mitigate injury (when possible), but also widen your ability to tackle things that might intimidate and stop you otherwise.  Work with us! Book a lesson with SimplyMTB or work with Danielle at You Need a Thing.

Habits of thinking are just as important as physical habits, and it's important to train both. In nine, we dig into some tools for managing our thoughts. Oh, and there's some language in this one. Turns out, we could only restrain ourselves for so long... Work with us! Book a lesson with SimplyMTB or work with Danielle at You Need a Thing.

Flow states have a vital role in both fun and mental health. In episode 8, we preach to the choir about mtb's capacity for flow and talk about how to design your life to hit flow states more often.  Work with us! Book a lesson with SimplyMTB or work with Danielle at You Need a Thing.

Want to feel more stable and achieve more flow and stability through corners? Mastering rotation will help. Disclaimer... we get a little weird about feet in this one.  Work with us! Book a lesson with SimplyMTB or work with Danielle at You Need a Thing.

There's a time to push against, and there's a time to give way. Knowing how to strategically invest our energy opens up a level of consciousness and playfulness that can take you to the next level. Work with us! Book a lesson with SimplyMTB or work with Danielle at You Need a Thing.

Now... and next. It's not an either/or, it's a both/and. Your "now" sets the stage for where you're going, and your "next" can create the energy you need to move forward. Heed both. It's a dance.  Work with us! Book a lesson with SimplyMTB or work with Danielle at You Need a Thing.

Holding center is a practice; a way of finding ourselves, integrating what we know, and keeping ourselves stable and present. On the bike and—you guessed it—in life. This was a fun one. Work with us! Book a lesson with SimplyMTB or work with Danielle at You Need a Thing.