We have a very special, and probably tear-and-laugh filled episode of The Inside Line as we catch back up with Colin Meagher, all-around nice guy, incredible, storied mountain bike photographer and man dealing with the late stages of ALS or Lou Gehrig’s disease. Since Colin’s symptoms have progressed so strongly, he’s not really able to speak, so we have a gaggle of his best buds in Seattle to help do the talking for him.

You can watch this interview on our YouTube Channel

It was almost 7 years to the day that I first met with Colin in Hood River, Oregon, for an interview (found here). We talked about his career highlights and his diagnosis with ALS and what the future looked like for him. Well, we’re back to celebrate him and his life through some memories and some roasting by a group of friends that only know each other because of Colin.

Since Colin can't speak, we go through a Q&A with Patrik Zuest reading the answers that Colin wrote and provided via email.

Everyone at Vital hopes you get inspired by listening to the stories of how Colin impacted so many lives. Colin, we love you!

Contents

0:00 - Intro and Colin's crew on how they met colin

8:26 - Colin answers questions about his ALS

35:35 - Colin gets roasted by his crew

Electric mountain bikes. Either you love ‘em, or think they’re wack. Granted, the latter opinion has been losing steam as more brands release good e-bikes, and more riders toss a leg over one. They’re the talk of our industry and are one of the few, if not the only, segments of bikes experiencing significant change year after year.

In this show, Vital’s own Jason Schroeder and Shawn Spomer, along with industry veteran Lars Sternberg, and Founder/Operator of Crestline Bikes, Troydon Murison, sift through the current landscape of e-bikes and discuss what the future might hold. The conversation also kicks off with a rad (almost hour-long) dive into how Crestline Bikes became a thing and the challenges posed by making bikes overseas.

Contents

00:00 "My Watch Said I Was Dead" - Lars Sternberg
08:54 What's In and What's Out: Weekly Highlights
21:17 The Founding of Crestline Bikes and how they were made
59:02 Transitioning to DJI Motors
01:35:08 Consumer Behavior and E-Bike Sales
01:53:20 Understanding Power and Performance in E-Bikes
02:10:13 The Balance Between Analog and E-Bikes
02:20:43 Regulations and Safety Concerns in E-Biking

In this special edition of the Inside Line podcast, Jeff Brines interviews Sam Nicols, the former CEO of YT Industries from 2021 to 2024, exploring his journey from a career at Amazon to leading a prominent bike company during tumultuous times.

He reflects on his experiences as CEO of YT Industries, discussing the challenges faced in the bike industry, particularly around demand fluctuations, inventory management, and the impact of cash flow on business decisions.

00:00 Introduction to Sam Nicols and YT Industries
01:49 Sam's Background and Career Path
09:28 Challenges of Stepping into YT During the Pandemic
11:35 Navigating Supply Chain Issues and Customer Care
16:01 The Private Equity Interest and Acquisition Process
23:45 Aligning Goals with Private Equity
30:15 Understanding the Risks of Private Equity
34:11 The Impact of Market Conditions on YT's Valuation
37:05 Transitioning to In-House Assembly
49:43 Demand Fluctuations and Market Realities
50:21 Navigating Demand Fluctuations
54:08 Strategic Decisions Amidst Overstocks
01:00:05 The Impact of Cash Flow on Business Decisions
01:03:43 Cost Management Challenges in the Bike Industry
01:10:08 Marketing Strategies: Balancing Brand and Performance
01:17:48 The Role of Data in Business Operations
01:25:12 Leadership Dynamics and Company Culture
01:30:12 Reflections on Competition and Industry Evolution

In episode 2 of Bikes: Unaffiliated, Jason Schroeder, Lars Sternberg and Shawn Spomer discuss the evolution of mountain bike technology, focusing on the durability of bikes and components. They explore the expectations riders have for bike longevity, and the importance of community feedback in shaping technology. The conversation also touches on maintenance practices and the balance between cost, weight, and durability in bike design. They delve into the evolution of mountain biking, focusing on suspension setups, the impact of e-bikes on component durability, and the importance of understanding rider skill levels. The crew discusses the challenges of navigating suspension adjustments, the significance of bearing technology, and the lifecycle of bike components. They also dissect where to spend money when building a durable bike.

Chapters

00:00 Introduction, What's In/What's Out
14:10 The Evolution of Mountain Biking Gear
18:28 Tires and Tubeless Technology: A Game Changer
23:43 The Balance of Durability and Performance
29:00 Expectations on Bike Longevity
34:05 The Future of Mountain Bike Technology
45:20 Dynamic Forks and Rider Preferences
48:23 Sensitivity to Suspension Setup
51:27 Skill Levels and Equipment Accessibility
52:16 Understanding Compression and Adjustments
54:29 E-Bikes and Durability Challenges
58:17 Headset Issues and Innovations
01:03:36 Durability in High-End Bikes
01:12:14 E-Bike Technology and Future Considerations
01:17:38 Understanding Bike Longevity and Maintenance
01:19:41 Investing in Bike Parts for Durability
01:22:51 Building a Bike: Prioritizing Components
01:26:01 Injury and Its Impact on Riding
01:26:10 Choosing the Right Bike and Brand
01:29:40 The Lifecycle of Bike Parts and Consumer Expectations
01:36:49 Engaging with the Cycling Community

Join Vital's own Jason Schroeder and Shawn Spomer, along with industry veteran Lars Sternberg, as they discuss the gripping topic of launching new bikes and their embargoes. Why do we have embargoes? What goes on behind the scenes of a new product launch? Are embargoed launches still impactful? How do brands and media make a splash on embargo day to give riders something to get excited about?

Vital MTB's new podcast show— bikes ≠ unaffiliated, is our spot to chat about bike-related topics that aren't necessarily focused on current events, racing, or covering the latest-greatest tech. It's not a space for interviews, but rather for having a conversation about things we find interesting.

Jeff Brines follows up our "We Discuss YT" podcast with his thoughts after listening to the Markus Flossmann interview on the Downtime podcast.

Jeff also notes corrections made in our original show after learning information shared in the Downtime pod.

Discuss more with the Vital community

Discuss this with our community on Vital MTB

We’re back with The Inside Line, BS edition where we talk about the business and economic side of the mountain bike industry with Jeff Brines and Charlie Sponsel.

Today is a discussion about YT Industries and the company’s recent turmoil of going through administration, shutting down and then re-opening just the other day. Because they went through the administration process, Jeff was able to pull out company information to analyze that we don’t usually get to see from bike brands.

Please understand we’re not providing any financial advice, and as we’ve noted in the past, these topics may be a discussion of curiosity and interest to us, but real people have been impacted by everything we’re talking about. They may have lost jobs, they may be out thousands of dollars. At no point are we trying to make light of any of these situations. Additonally, we have no way of actually knowing the hearts or motivations of anyone involved in the topics we discuss, so we do our best to look at the data and report on stories we’ve heard regarding the situation.

Topics Discussed

• 0:00 - Intro
• 1:22 - History of YT (note: Bentonville Mill was opened in 2024, not 2019)
• 16:38 - Disclaimers
• 19:27 - Restructuring/Bankruptcy Timeline
• 26:55 - Markus Flossmann’s Instagram Q&A Replies
• 30:44 - Is Markus a Sole Proprietor Now?
• 32:46 - Difference Between Debt and Equity
• 38:16 - YT’s Interesting Debt
• 41:48 - Did Big Spending Catch Up with YT?
• 47:09 - What About YT USA?
• 53:39 - Did the Change to In-House Bike Assembly Crush YT?
• 1:00:27 - How Will YT Have to Operate Now?
• 1:06:11 - YT and Marketing - Turning Negative into Positive?
• 1:09:39 - Will Markus Make Everyone Owed Money Whole?
• 1:13:25 - Markus Flossmann and His Public Persona
• 1:23:11 - Will Future Customers Actually Care About Any of This?
• 1:25:42 - YT Future Hurdles
• 1:33:07 - The Christopher Walken Jeffsy Video
• 1:41:27 - Bike Culture vs. Tech Bro Culture

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

This Inside Line podcast explores how mountain biking's newest competitive event, Hard MTB League, has the potential to change the sport. Vital Content Director, Shawn Spomer, met up with Braydon Bringhurst and Adam Pishl, the two visionaries behind the League, two weeks after its inaugural invitational near Boise, Idaho.

Topics include explaining what Hard MTB League is, reflecting on how the first event went, the challenges that were faced, the excitement of tight racing, how athletes are selected, what the future looks like, and most importantly, how community is being fostered through the series.

If there are any questions or feedback about the Hard MTB League, Adam can be reached at hardmtb@icloud.com

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