MSA, what a way to end the season. Grueling and daunting, it's a track that other venues will forever be compared against. It feels wrong that this could be the last World Cup at Mont Sainte Anne for a long time (if not ever). At least the final send-off race was one to remember. For our crew, it was memorable because our guy Dak, against a lot of odds, slotted himself into 4th place less than a year after a life-altering injury. We couldn't be prouder. In this episode, we chat about Dak's program (or lack thereof) going into the off-season, Jackson doing Jackson things to take the overall title, the current rider pool being so deep, tire sealant tips, Rampage thoughts, and what type of content is even engaging these days.

Thanks for listening and supporting the podcast this season!

The B Practice podcast returns! There was a lot of racing the past six weeks or so. Our main man Dak was busy globetrotting and facilitating one hell of a comeback. So we can't be too upset about his lack of availability. Thankfully, we sat down this week to chat about some DH racing and were joined by special guest Dante Silva. We kept the conversation laid-back per usual, breaking down the unpredictable track from Lake Placid, how Dante and Dak's weekends went, what winning the U.S. Open for the third time meant to Dak, Dante's switch from racing World Cups to being a US-only racer this season, and plenty of other topics. We hope you enjoy this episode, and thanks as always for tuning in!

Two years ago to the day, Vital member, contributor and finance specialist, Jeff Brines, posted a question in our forum, "Will more companies be shutting down in the next 12-24 months?" A small, but exciting mountain bike brand, Guerrilla Gravity, surprisingly announced it was closing, and the rest of the industry was in the wake of the Covid boom. It was a dynamic time with plenty of uncertainty ahead, so the question Jeff asked was very relevant and our community was engaged.

Fast-forward to today and that forum thread has 414,000 views and over 3,100 replies as the Vital community has followed the topic every day for the last two years. At the request of the thread's participants, we honor the anniversary of the topic as Shawn Spomer, Vital Content Director and Charlie Sponsel, Vital contributor, catch up with Jeff to look back and reflect on the health of the bike industry today and to speculate what may happen going forward.

THANK YOU to all Vital MTB members who have participated in this discussion. We're honored to have such a fantastic community of bike riders on our platform.

The one-year anniversary podcast with Jeff can be found here

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