Les Gets is now the unofficial Mud Fest of season after back-to-back years of treacherous conditions. It was a spectacle to watch, and delivered a mix of insane bike handling skills and unfortunate mishaps that could have overall point implications as we get to the end of the season.

Dakotah Norton breaks down what it was like to go to battle with such an unpredictable track and the bike changes needed to survive. The crew always debates rotor guards, wireless DH drivetrains, and Joe Breeden's 'Get a Grip' bar ends, stand-out rides from the weekend, Dak's #doitforDale Worlds bike, and thoughts on who could take the rainbow stripes in Champery this weekend. Enjoy!

Thank you Maxxis and Burgtec for supporting the B Practice Podcast!

Thanks to Maxxis Tires | FOX | Jenson USA for supporting The Inside Line

This Inside Line podcast episode, recorded at the Pro Downhill Series in Solitude, Utah, features Shawn Spomer from Vital MTB interviewing Michael McQueen—better known as “The Mangler”—about his pivotal but often behind-the-scenes role in U.S. downhill racing coverage. McQueen shares the origins of his nickname from his BMX days, his North Carolina roots, and his background in professional broadcasting, including work with NASCAR.

He explains how his DIY BMX filming ethos, combined with big-network experience, led him to refine the race replay format that has become a cornerstone of U.S. downhill media. The discussion highlights the enormous logistics behind capturing and editing race footage—from assembling crews and cameras to coordinating with regional series—and contrasts his storytelling style with World Cup broadcasts. McQueen’s story underscores how passion, persistence, and community collaboration have fueled the growth of U.S. downhill coverage.

Thanks to Maxxis Tires | FOX | Jenson USA for supporting The Inside Line

Charlie Sponsel, aka Team Robot, sits down with Dante Silva and John Hall of Intense Racing to discuss the current state of U.S. Downhill MTB racing, advantages and disadvantages of racing domestically compared to World Cup DH, normal drivetrain versus gearbox bikes, chain dampers, tuned mass dampers and more.

Thanks to Maxxis Tires | FOX | Jenson USA for supporting The Inside Line

Read the stories discussed in this episode and add your own here

In this episode of The Inside Line podcast, host Shawn Spomer is joined by Jason Schroeder and Charlie Sponsel—newly dubbed “Hater in Chief”—to share and discuss the most hilariously frustrating "dumb bike problems" posted by the Vital MTB community.

Inspired by a forum thread started by Vital member seanfisseli, the episode is a mix of laughs and learning, as the crew reads real stories of forgotten bikes, confusing mystery noises, exploding tires, near-misses with safety goggles and expensive rabbit holes of misdiagnosed mechanical issues. The crew highlights how common and relatable these mishaps are. They reflect on the increasingly complex nature of modern bikes, the pitfalls of assumptions, and the value of hands-on troubleshooting experience.

Locking down a date and time to record podcasts with Dakotah Norton could be one of the most challenging endeavors Vital has taken on. He's a busy man, and we love him for it. The time crunch between the La Thuile and Andorra World Cups was tough on everyone, so we decided to wait until Dak returned to Tennessee to discuss how his first four World Cups went and what his plans are for the rest of the season.

It'd been a few weeks since the crew caught up, so the first 40 minutes of this podcast cover plenty of non-racing topics, like the wall of responsibilities that hit Dak when he returns from Europe, how fun flying with bikes can be, and some insight into a rad bike packing trip Tanner just did up in Canada. We hope you enjoy the banter, and thanks so much for listening to these podcasts!

0:00 - The B practice crew is haggard
2:00 - The B practice crew hates the dentist
6:30 - Dak's struggles of life on the road
9:24 - Airline baggage fee debacles
13:24 - Flying with bikes pro tips
16:29 - Hobbies are too expensive now
23:20 - Tanner's hut-to-hut bike packing trip in Canada
28:12 - E-biking adventures
30:54 - Dak's not going to Crankworx, stop asking
31:45 - Dak's house prep before leaving for two months
36:00 - The fear of not having a ride next year
37:34 - Dak's self-evaluation of his first four World Cups back
46:31 - Last corner issues in Andorra
47:35 - The pace this year is so high
50:59 - Andorra vs. La Thuile track comparison
57:41 - Loic's shift in focus at Andorra - gotta win
1:00:00 - Jackson vs. Loic riding style
1:05:04 - We got a V10 to add weights to
1:09:52 - New Mondraker DH Bike
1:16:38 - Frida gets into back-to-back finals!
1:19:41 - Tanner still hates Juniors
1:23:48 - The struggle of getting UCI points at World Cups
1:24:38 - Aaron Gwin's elbow injury
1:27:52 - Reece + flats = finals
1:28:53 - Schedule changes in Andorra
1:36:00 - Gracey is hooking this year.
1:38:16 - Davide Palazzari - what could have been
1:42:42 - Valentina Roa Sanchez first final of the year
1:43:22 - Martin Maes is going crazy fast
1:44:19 - First team overall victory for FMD (Orbea)
1:46:41 - Juanfer on fire
1:47:48 - Junior Women Overall Standings
1:48:50 - Junior Men Overall Standings
1:50:03 - Elite Women Overall Standings
1:51:49 - Elite Men Overall Standings
1:53:53 - Burgtec Labour of Love Awards
1:55:43 - What's on the horizon race-wise?
1:58:09 - Dak's new mechanic this year

Vital's Forum Discussion on the FOX Podium

Charlie's FOX Podium Review

Podium Tech Talk with FOX product developers

Vital's FOX Podium fork review dropped on Tuesday and our tester, Charlie Sponsel, encouraged you to leave any questions that remained. Sorting through dozens of great inquiries, the highlights have been pulled and Charlie answers them so you can learn more about this expensive, heavy, but incredibly-performing enduro fork.

0:00 - Intro, baggage fee avoidance struggles

10:00 - Charlie's Zeb setup (it's not stock)

13:46 - Is This basically a prototype for sale?

16:40 - Did the CSU Creak?

19:06 - Why is it 29er only and does it matter?

20:03 - Is the FOX 38 really just the 38SL and Podium is burlier version?

21:19 - Won't the stanchions be really easy to damage?

27:28 - Podium's crown, weight and why no 180mm

33:25 - Would you run 180mm if they offered it?

34:07 - Why is it so heavy?

36:16 - Could a lighter fork be as stiff?

37:48 - Currently compatible 20mm hubs?

39:26 - Why not have swappable axle size options like EXT?

42:50 - Do you think axle size was a reason for your positive experience?

46:23 - Why not put the airspring on the opposite side to avoid brake rotor contamination?

51:06 - How does Podium differ from an Intend or a Push fork?

52:37 - Would you buy one?

57:23 - Would the Podium work on a TrailDuro setup?

1:03:57 - Burly Freeride build, Podium or a 190mm dual crown?

1:05:23 - Why would Podium be better for ebikes?

1:07:56 - Is Vital's testing method flawed?

1:13:49 - Why Charlie really enjoyed the Podium

1:17:05 - Berm performance, less compromise on setup because of less binding

After plenty of drama and mild discontent surrounding the first three races of the season, it was nice to have a good old-fashioned downhill race in Val di Sole. No one complained about the track being too straight or too easy. There were plenty of fresh sections and line choices. And the racing was as competitive as ever. Our main man Dak was back for his second race of the season, and his weekend was nothing short of a battle. We discuss how Dak’s feeling at this stage of his recovery, as well as Jackson’s ‘bouncy’ riding style, Reece Wilson’s 6D windshield goggles, Team Points, what to do with the Junior categories, Dak’s experience going from Shimano XTR/Saint brakes to SRAM Maven’s, and more. Plus, the usual race recaps. Thanks for tuning in, enjoy!

0:05 - Bring back 4X Racing
5:48 - Content and Media Landscape
10:05 - Where’s the culture??
14:53 - After party tales
19:56 - B Practice does Whistler
22:29 - Dak is filming a Vital RAW
24:26 - Dak’s war stories from VDS
31:07 - Dak’s approach after getting two races under his belt
38:33 - Balancing recovery with giving 100%
43:02 - Dak’s pre-ride warm-up routine
51:43 - Dak’s experience going from XTR/Saint to Maven brakes
1:02:32 - VDS Track Talk
1:03:48 - Jackson’s ‘bouncy’ style = speed
1:10:20 - Dak compares his style and setup to Jackson’s
1:13:27 - USD forks: so hot right now
1:15:13 - Track changes, but similar times?
1:17:33 - No more complaining about straight, easy tracks after VDS
1:19:42 - Reece Wilson’s 6D windshield goggles
1:22:22 - Sam Gale’s bloody crash
1:24:21 - DH is dangerous, period
1:26:25 - Team Points discussion
1:31:34 - How Team Points will affect junior selection in the future
1:33:30 - No juniors 2026 discussion
1:48:28 - Maxxis Make or Brake Section
1:51:40 - No chains 2026 - chainless racing only
1:54:03 - Junior Women’s Race Recap
1:55:43 - Junior Men’s Race Recap
1:58:16 - Elite Women’s Race Recap
2:09:26 - Elite Men’s Race Recap
2:18:07 - Burgtec Labour of Love Award
2:19:44 - La Thuile next week - thoughts?
2:22:58 - Vital Fantasy tips

Host, Charlie Sponsel

Watch this interview - https://youtu.be/Z5CN3pD_7Yg

FOX Podium Review - https://youtu.be/UEW1tMYVM20

The Podium isn't FOX's first foray into the upside-down MTB fork market. In 2011, they developed a prototype downhill fork that used an inverted design for 26" wheels. It was heavy and flexy, so they dropped it. Fast-forward 14 years later and their single crown Podium inverted fork has dropped and we wanted to see why. Charlie Sponsel sits down with Ariel Lindsley, Jordi Cortes and Neko Mulally to learn how the FOX Podium inverted MTB fork came to be.

0:00 - Ariel Lindsley - 2011 FOX 26" inverted DH fork prototype, Podium development story

28:43 - Jordi Cortes - Why he was against an inverted fork and what does he think now?

43:29 - Neko Mulally - on trail performance of the FOX Podium