The World's Best Bike Videos #78
Race season is finally here! Let's ride!
Let’s Ride
With the first UCI World Cup in the books, race season is officially underway. That also means that one of these days, the sun will finally come out here in Oregon, and I’ll be able to ride, too. I hope wherever you are, the sun is shining, the dirt is perfect, and you’re getting some rides in!
The Story Of Asa Vermette
I’ve seen plenty of Asa Vermette race footage, but this video gives you so much more context into his story (and his life off the bike). It is truly staggering to think about how much he’s accomplished at such a young age. This video is the perfect primer for the race season, I can’t wait to see how this next year of racing unfolds.
Dark Fest Is Almost Here
This course has turned into a serious piece of art. Incredible to see this spot continue to develop and evolve into something bigger and better every season.
Lael Rides Around The World
Lael Wilcox absolutely crushed the “around the world” record last summer - and now there’s a film coming out about it. Here’s the trailer - the full film comes out at the end of May.
Did You See This?
I feel like there aren’t as many “firsts” these days in the world of mountain biking, so to see one, it seems extra special. Paul Couderc coming in hot with a downhill takeoff front flip - serious commitment to this one:
Newsworthy
🎥 Sleeper Collective, my favorite downhill race film crew, captured the Red Bull Tennessee National in true Sleeper fashion. I can’t wait for another season of absolute banger videos from this crew.
🎮 Matt Jones created a mountain bike video game! I remember growing up and wanting there to be a bike video game, and now with today’s technology, you can just make it happen. Super curious to see how this one stacks up - but from the first look, it seems like it’ll be incredible!
🎙️ Payson McElveen rebranded his Adventure Stache podcast to With Pace and introduced a new video series where they interview riders on the bike. This is going to be rad to follow!
👀 Christopher Blevins made big waves last season - and he’s sharing his process in video form. I like hearing his mental approach to riding - and it’s fun to watch some extra footage of him absolutely shredding!
👖 Remy Morton joined Ripton and kicked off the partnership with maybe one of the most epic announcement videos I’ve seen in a while? Here’s a link to the Ripton site if you want to check out their offering of rad denim for riding.
I Can’t Stop Thinking About
That went fast.
One year ago this week, I quit my full-time job to become a content creator. It was a big leap, which admittedly, I made a little earlier than I should have, but I’m glad that I did. Not because it was a huge financial gain (basically the opposite), but because over the past year, I’ve had the chance to finally put together some projects that I’ve always wanted to do.
My favorite analogy comes from Jesse Itzler - he talks about the “first pancake”. Whenever you make pancakes, the first one is always a little messed up. Maybe it sticks to the pan or gets overcooked. But then, the next batch of pancakes is WAY better.
That’s how I think about the past year. Some stuff got a little messed up, but now I know what needs to happen to improve. One year in, it’s not totally clear what the future holds, but at least I got the first pancake out of the way.
Here’s a look back in time - the video I made when I first quit my job:
How To Ride Tough MTB Trails
There’s one skill that would be the most useful to use anytime you got stuck on a trail. The difference between stepping off the bike and continuing to ride could be completely changed by picking up this technique, and the best part is - you can learn it on flat ground.
The Evolution Of Kate Courtney
With the UCI race season officially underway, Kate Courtney is now racing for her own team: She Sends. We had her on the podcast recently to talk about her evolution (on and off the bike) ahead of this big development.
Thank You
This week is the Sea Otter Classic - a huge homecoming for everyone in the bike industry. I’ll be there, and I hope to see you there, too! If you run into me, please let me know that you’re reading this newsletter, it would mean the world to meet in person and talk to you about bikes!