The Greatest Bike Videos In The World (#25)
Insane MTB videos as usual, plus some seriously big news this week, excited to share!
Video Of The Week
Some unexpected bangers this week, I think you’re going to like what you see. Even without a major event in the world of mountain biking this week, we have more than enough to work with. Make sure you catch the big news below, I’m making a big change this month.
EDIT: I just realized this newsletter is coming out on April 1st. This is an April Fools-free e-mail, everything in here is legit news. I’m sure there is going to be plenty of other nonsense online today…enjoy!
Jess Blewitt: Sound Of Speed
New Zealand has been delivering the goods all year, and this video is no exception. Jess Blewitt absolutely shreds down a perfectly groomed downhill run in NZ. She rides with such flow, roosting corners the whole way. I will never get tired of this sound of speed format, just raw mountain biking in epic spots.
Gen Z has entered the MTB chat..
I’m so impressed by everything in this video. The production quality is great; the concept and execution is hilarious. Reuben Stewart is off to a great start. It’s fun to see a completely different approach to mountain biking videos through a younger generation’s set of eyes - which was unexpected, to say the least. I chuckled more than a few times; I hope you enjoy this one as much as I did.
Shimmer - Vinny Armstrong
Why does Vinny Armstrong win all the Whip-Off events she enters? No further proof needed. Effortless style on every jump she hits. Perfect vibe in this video, the combination of her riding, the music, the filming and editing. My only feedback is that I needed this video to be twice as long.
Echoes - Celeste Pomerantz
Coming back from an injury is just as much physical as it is a mental. Listening to Celeste’s thought process reminds me a lot of what goes through my head before any big ride. When you add in the context of her big crash last year, it’s easy to understand where those creeping thoughts can come from. So rad to see her back on a bike, and in some epic spots to say the least!
Did You See This?
It is truly incredible to see the next generation of riders progressing so quickly, but this melted my brain a little bit. 9-year-old Weston Lukens is absolutely sending it at the old Red Bull Rampage site. Unreal!
Newsworthy
🙌 Patricia Druwen had more than an illness last week at Crankworx Rotorua. The women’s slopestyle favorite also had a crash that tore an abdominal muscle. Sending healing vibes, we definitely want to see her ride in Cairns next month. If you’re not already familiar, check out her Instagram, you’ll quickly see why she’s the favorite.
🎬 Graham Agassiz has launched his own video series “This Is Living” which chronicles his travels around the world on two wheels. Super excited to see him get this up and running, go check out volume one - his trip to Darkfest.
🔥 Carson Storch gets rowdy on the TORTA trail system in Pacific City, OR. This spot is definitely on my list to check out this season, they’ve been working super hard to dial it in. Get a good look at the trails here: Breakin’ In the Propain.
🏴 The inaugural Women in the Bike Industry Summit kicked off in Scotland last month. Read more about it here - excited to see this develop!
👀 If you’re following the Crankworx Rotorua boycott, Max Fredriksson shared a bit more from the athlete perspective. United for Slopestyle.
✅ Episode Two of Second Nature (our podcast about the business of outdoor) just dropped. Look closely at the comments, Rich Roll is already paying attention! It’s on Spotify and Apple podcasts as well, if that’s your podcast platform of choice.
I Can’t Stop Thinking About
Here’s the big news: I quit my job.
This is my last week of having a corporate job - hopefully forever. It’s not exactly a genius financial move to leave a job to become a content creator in the mountain bike industry. Honestly, I just want to focus all of my energy and see where it goes.
For the past four years, I’ve hopped out of bed at 5 AM to film bike videos in a warehouse, that way I could get my content shot before my kids woke up and my “real” work began. I loved it, but something about filming bikes indoor and then sitting inside all day never sat right with me. We’re supposed to be outside at some point, right?
I know that if I can focus my energy 100% on this (plus get outside and ride), not only will my content will improve, but my mental health will, too. I had set the 100,000 subscriber mark on my YouTube channel as the “sign” I needed that this was a viable path forward. Within the next few days, we should be crossing that milestone.
So…here we go. If you’re reading this, you’re already doing so much to support my dream. Thank you for being here, supporting me, and helping me have the courage to take this next step. Wish me luck!
P.S. I know it’s April 1st today - but I promise this is real. Leave it to me to make such a big announcement on the one day that no one takes anything seriously. 🤦🏻♂️
How To Ride Your Bike Backwards
Have you ever wanted to learn to ride your bike backwards? This might look like a “trick”, but it’s also super useful in a variety of MTB skills. In fact, it’s nearly impossible to trackstand without a basic understanding of the rollback technique. There has been a surprising amount of confusion in the comment section of my other fakie/rollback videos - people somehow think it’s a special wheel or something, but I assure you - this is possible on almost every single bike.
These Ones
At this point, you hopefully have a pair of flat pedals for practicing your riding skills. I recommended the Deity Defgrip pedals for ages, because they were light and affordable. But then I got my hands on a set of T-MAC pedals from Deity, and that’s all I want to ride. I didn’t think there could be much variation in flat pedals, they all seemed pretty basic to me. But after a few months on T-MAC pedals, I now know better. When you’re ready for an upgrade, get these pedals. You’ll understand immediately why when you open the box. These pedals are the real deal.
This is an affiliate link, which is totally free for you and helps me out a ton!
Thank You
This week is going to be a big week. I’m grateful that you’re here and taking the time to read this newsletter. I can’t begin to thank you for the support, as we’re TWENTY FIVE weeks into this newsletter. The time has absolutely flown by, and I can’t even imagine how cool it’s going to be in another twenty-seven weeks when we celebrate the one year anniversary of this newsletter. By the math, you’re still an “early adopter”, and that means the world to me.
If you’re not already subscribed to the YouTube channel, it would mean a lot to have your support over there. Here’s the link.
If you are already subscribed to Super Rider on YouTube and you’re enjoying the weekly newsletter, please consider sending this to a riding buddy who is just as stoked about bikes as you are.
Thank you again for all of your support - I hope that you enjoy all of the content that I’m putting together (both here and on YouTube). I love doing it and I can’t wait for the year ahead!
Let's go!!!
I'm so keen to see where you can take this with even more focus on it mate, you've already given all of us so much already through your content creation and knowledge sharing. I know you'll send it and land well then keep going and going!