Vital MTB

Spomer and Schroeder were on the ground at the inaugural Whistler World Cup, and the post-race stoke was too high not to talk about it. So we got Lars Sternberg on the line, and had a good ol bench race banter session. 

The Whistler crowd was legendary, the track was quintessential Whistler, the weather was typical for a race weekend, and Americans topped two podiums. The only thing that could have made it better was if Lachie ...

La Thuile and Andorra came and went, and the same names topped the podiums in each category except junior men, which is impressive considering how different the tracks were. The rest of the results sheet, especially in elites, has continued to be a mix up every round. And it shows in the overall standings—points gaps are tight when you get below the top three. It’s going to be an exciting back half to the season after t...

In this episode, Jeff Brines and Charlie Sponsel explore the fascinating history and rapid rise of DJI, the Chinese tech giant known for drones and now e-bikes under the Avinox name. They analyze the cultural, geopolitical, and industrial factors that have shaped DJI's success and its implications for the cycling industry. Jeff and Charlie explore the rapid advancements in e-bike technology, the strategic moves of industry giants l...

Four rounds into the 2026 World Cup season, and three B Practice podcasts have been recorded. What’s new? This episode, we get into what Dak’s been messing with, the struggles he had in Leogang, and the strides he made in Lenzerheide. We also spent way too long disputing what should change to make World Cups more engaging and growing. How many times can we talk about the same things? We also cover the usual talking poin...

Specialized’s new Demo 11 downhill bike is a certified rocket ship. You don’t need us to tell you that. Jordan Williams, Loic Bruni, and Finn Iles have proven the platform's abilities over the past three years of development and this year two World Cup DH wins have been nabbed aboard the production version. The problem may be that it's complex, heavy and priced much higher than other DH bikes. 

Specialized g...

Loudenvielle came and went, and unfortunately our dude Dak didn't make it in the night show. That's racing. The good news is his setup is trending towards the bullseye. After a week off lapping in Schladming, it's time to get back on the horse and head to Leogang. We figured most people already got their fix of post-race highlights from Loudenvielle, so we focused most on Dak's thoughts on the track, the race to make finals, Luca's...

This week, we had the pleasure of chatting with Ethan Eggert, the founder of Arid Cycles, to discuss how he’s managed to create his own mountain bike in only a few years without any financial help or a traditional background in bike development. It’s a really cool story that shows how no idea is too big with some ingenuity and persistence. What has transpired is the Spade model, a very intriguing enduro bike that’...

Days late, dollars short. That’s how the B Practice Podcast rolls. After a rough first race of the year, followed by some horrendous travel, it took us an extra week to nail down our guy Dak to podcast. We chatted a good bit about his race weekend in South Korea and how he’s feeling about his program going into the next big block of racing. We also discussed how he rushed to race the Monster Pro Downhill at Mountain Cre...

Dr. Jason Richardson joins the podcast to chat about his work as a sports psychologist in cycling and how the same tools that benefit professional athletes can benefit every rider, regardless of ability, on and off the bike. We loved this conversation and learned a lot ourselves. We hope you get something out of it, too!  

Summary

Professional BMX rider and sports psychologist Dr. Jason Richardson shares insights on mental resil...

Schroeder, Spomer and Lars get back together to discuss big wheels and weird bikes taking over.

00:00 Reflections on Sea Otter 2026
09:59 The Future of Wheel Sizes
13:09 What's In and What's Out
34:52 Innovations in Mountain Bike Technology
42:09 Health Scares and Personal Stories
44:00 - Neko Mulally and his Sea Otter Winner 32"
59:15 Exploring the 32-Inch Wheel Debate
01:19:56 World Cup Predictions and...

I's been a busy few months since the last podcast—Jason went to New Zealand and Italy, Tanner has been to nearly all 50 states working different shoots and projects, and Dakotah has bounced between Europe and Tennessee as he feverishly tests every setup under the sun. 

We covered a lot of this show, including Dak's crash at the Tennessee National, getting outside of the box with setup, Reece Wilson's crazy stem/bar combo,...