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Send us Fan Mail How do mountain bikers actually wipe out? Josh went digging and found a study that looked at 534 mountain bike crash videos. Just over half were over-the-bars crashes, about half happened on moderate descents, 64% came from poor jump landings, and three quarters were at speeds of 18.6 mph or faster. Josh, who admits he rides cautiously and never jumps, takes that as a green light to keep doing exactly what he's doing. Dane has a few opinions, and a parking lot crash story that doesn't help the "just go slower" theory. Episode 136, "Crash, Heal, Repeat: Mountain Biking After an Injury," goes from the numbers to the hard part, which is recovery. Dane and Josh talk about the difference between crashing and getting hurt, learning how to fall, pads and protective gear, and why the mental side of coming back from a crash can take longer than the physical side. Expect plenty of stories from Angel Fire, Whistler, and Tucson, plus a few ways to ride smarter without giving up the fun. Injury Mechanisms in MTN Biking: A Systematic Video Analysis of 534 Cases Link: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12177224/ Listen to Mountain Cog Apple Podcasts Spotify Other Podcast Sites Socials Instagram Facebook Email [email protected]

Send us Fan Mail Can you buy speed? It's the question every mountain biker asks themselves while staring at a $10k build in the shop window, and it's the one Josh and Dane finally sit down to debate. They break the argument into pieces — weight, suspension, drivetrain efficiency, tires, frame stiffness, brakes — and figure out which of those upgrades are real and which ones are just good marketing. Turns out, the honest answer is somewhere in the middle, and it depends a lot less on the price tag than you'd think. Dane brings shop-floor stories about what actually gets people faster (hint: it's usually not what they think), and Josh lays out the numbers on price-per-pound and where the smart money stops making sense. They also cover depreciation, the emotional cost of crashing an expensive bike, and why your tires deserve way more attention than they're probably getting. And because it's MTNCOG, there's a detour into Josh's worst ride of the year that has nothing to do with bike specs and everything to do with bad timing. Listen to Mountain Cog Apple Podcasts Spotify Other Podcast Sites Socials Instagram Facebook Email [email protected]

Send us Fan Mail Dane and Josh dig into nine grease-under-the-fingernails topics this week, kicking things off with a question that's been bugging Josh for weeks: why can two identical forks feel completely different? Turns out it's a mix of manufacturing tolerances, bushing wear, and oil that's gone stale — and the guys walk through how altitude changes your air spring feel too (plus the weird lawsuit history behind why some forks have bleeder buttons and others don't). From there it's straight into hub end caps falling off, why your spokes might be pinging after a truing, and the right way to torque your pedals without stripping a crank. The back half gets into chain wax gone wrong — including a lube-mixing mistake that turned Josh's chain into a gunky mess — plus a real debate over which shop tools are actually worth the money versus the ones collecting dust on the wall. They close out with a cautionary tale about e-bike internal cable routing that'll make you think twice before DIY-ing a dropper post install. If you wrench on your own bike even occasionally, this is one to bookmark. Listen to Mountain Cog Apple Podcasts Spotify Other Podcast Sites Socials Instagram Facebook Email [email protected]

Send us Fan Mail Josh and Dane spend this episode digging through the mountain bike industry to find out which brands are actually building their stuff in the USA — and the answer isn't always what you'd expect. From titanium frame builders like Moots, Lightspeed, Sage, Chumba, Sklar, and Bingham to newer players like Stinner and Neuhaus, they break down who's hand-welding frames stateside and who's just slapping an American flag on the marketing. They also dig into legacy brands like Foes, Ventana, and Intense, arguing over which ones still deserve the "Made in USA" label. From there, the guys move through suspension (Push, MRP, Risse), wheels and hubs (Enve, Industry Nine, Chris King, White Industries, Onyx), and drivetrain and cockpit components (Thompson, Wolf Tooth, RevGrips, Paul, 5Dev) to map out a full picture of what's really built in America versus overseas. Along the way they talk tariffs, why domestic manufacturing doesn't automatically mean better quality, and a few surprises — including some companies you'd swear were American that aren't. If you care about where your bike parts actually come from, this one's for you. Here are the websites to all of the brands discussed in this episode. Bikes/Frames https://moots.com/ https://litespeed.com/ https://sagetitanium.com/ https://chumbausa.com/ https://sklarbikes.com/ https://binghambuiltbikes.com/ https://www.stinnerframeworks.com/ https://neuhausmetalworks.com/ https://www.foesracing.com/ https://ventanausa.com/ https://intensecycles.com/ https://reebcycles.com/ Suspension https://www.pushindustries.com/ https://mrpbike.com/ https://www.risseracing.com/ Wheels/Hubs/Rims https://enve.com/ https://industrynine.com/ https://chrisking.com/ https://www.whiteind.com/ https://onyxrp.com/ Components https://bikethomson.com/ https://www.wolftoothcomponents.com/ https://www.paulcomp.com/ https://ride5dev.com/ https://revgrips.com/ Also… in this episode we refer to this past MCP episode with local frame builder / frame building school run by Bohemian Bicycles... https://www.buzzsprout.com/2052531/episodes/12986027-043-design-fabricate-your-own-frame-dave-bohm-bohemian-bikes-framebuildingschool-com https://www.bohemianbicycles.com/ Listen to Mountain Cog Apple Podcasts Spotify Other Podcast Sites Socials Instagram Facebook Email [email protected]

Send us Fan Mail "Mythical" is the word Josh uses for Whistler before Dane even opens his mouth — and by the end of this episode, you'll understand why every mountain biker treats this place like a pilgrimage.   Dane, fresh off his latest Whistler trip, breaks down exactly what it takes to get there and what it costs once you do. Direct flights, the shuttle from Vancouver, lift tickets, lodging, food — the guys go category by category so you know what to actually budget for your own trip. But the real value here is everything past the spreadsheet: how Whistler's 100 trails split between flow and technical terrain, why the double blacks are a different animal than what most U.S. riders are used to.  Add in trail ratings, lift line strategy, and the amenities/adventures available for non-riding family members, and this is the closest thing to a full Whistler Bike Park guide you'll find anywhere. Listen to Mountain Cog Apple Podcasts Spotify Other Podcast Sites Socials Instagram Facebook Email [email protected]

Send us Fan Mail There's a ton of talk right now about motor gear units (MGUs) coming out of Eurobike, but we haven't found content with enough depth to satisfy our questions. So in this episode, Dane and Josh go deep on MGUs, comparing five major players — Gobao, Avinox, Pinion, Owuru, and IntraDrive — and explaining how the different types of MGUs (stepped gearbox, CVT, and eCVT) actually work. The guys cover both sides of the MGU topic in detail, and argue over a few points along the way. On the positive side, they may: be way easier to maintain, facilitate better battery range, offer wider gear ranges than cassettes, allow shifting anytime, and move weight toward the center of the bike (lowering the center of gravity and moving mass from unsprung to sprung - which could mean better suspension performance). On the negative side, they may have: extra pedal drag, a wider Q factor (think pedal strikes), and real uncertainty about repair/replacement when the whole drivetrain is one sealed unit.  If you want the real detailed MGU breakdown behind the Eurobike headlines, not just another "derailleur is dead" hot take, this episode delivers it. Listen to Mountain Cog Apple Podcasts Spotify Other Podcast Sites Socials Instagram Facebook Email [email protected]

Send us Fan Mail Fifteen skills. One episode. Zero excuses for getting stuck with a long walk out when your bike breaks down. Dane and Josh take on the basic mountain bike maintenance every rider should know... the stuff that turns "I have no idea what's wrong" into a "quick fix in your own garage". From dialing in tire pressure to spotting the bent derailleur hanger that causes half the shifting problems they see in Dane's shop, this one's built for anyone tired of feeling helpless when their bike starts acting up. You don't need to be a pro mechanic, you just need to know the basics, and the guys make a strong case that a little maintenance knowledge saves you money, time, and a long walk home. Real-world advice from two guys who've been riding and wrenching in the Tucson desert for decades. Listen to Mountain Cog Apple Podcasts Spotify Other Podcast Sites Socials Instagram Facebook Email [email protected]

Send us Fan Mail Two old friends, one hot morning ride, and a whole lot of opinions. On this Shop Talk episode, Dane and Josh get into SRAM's eyebrow-raising $2,000 XX DH Transmission and whether a downhill bike even needs that kind of drivetrain. Dane brings the downhiller's perspective — years on the XO DH group, ditching chain guides, and why those Whistler kids running chainless might be onto something. Josh brings the questions the rest of us are thinking. The conversation rolls into the price chaos hitting the industry, from Specialized markdowns to Ozark Trail bikes earning a spot in Pink Bike's value test, plus an honest look at how some brands cut prices on the backs of local shops. Then the guys settle into rider-friendly territory: why Josh put 50mm riser bars on every bike he owns, what a decade of stack height data actually shows, and a no-nonsense budget fork rundown covering the RockShox Domain, Psylo, and Marzocchi. Plenty of laughs, a dad joke or two, and the kind of gear talk that only comes from decades of wrenching. Listen to Mountain Cog Apple Podcasts Spotify Other Podcast Sites Socials Instagram Facebook Email [email protected]

Send us Fan Mail If you've been paying attention to the mountain bike market lately, you've probably noticed some unfamiliar brand names popping up — and some surprisingly low price tags attached to them. Episode 128 is Josh and Dane's deep dive into the growing wave of Chinese brands entering the US market not as behind-the-scenes manufacturers, but as direct competitors to the brands you already know and ride. From complete enduro bikes priced well below comparable US brands to electronic drivetrains at half the cost of Shimano and SRAM, something is clearly shifting in the industry. What makes this episode worth your time is that Josh and Dane don't just point at the price tags — they explain the machinery behind them. Vertical integration, fee-on-fee cost removal, reverse engineering, government subsidies, and the post-COVID/tariff driven factory crisis in China all played a role in getting us here. They also call out the stuff you should actually be worried about — inconsistent quality control, after-sale support that's still figuring itself out, and software ecosystems that need work. Brands like Amflow/Avinox, XDS/X-LAB, Elite Wheels, Seekrun, L-TWOO, and others get specific attention, and Josh makes a bold prediction about DJI and the future of the AMFLOW brand that's worth hearing. Listen to Mountain Cog Apple Podcasts Spotify Other Podcast Sites Socials Instagram Facebook Email [email protected]

Send us Fan Mail Upgrading your mountain bike fork is one of the highest-impact changes you can make to your ride — but it's also one of the easiest ways to waste money if you don't know what you're doing. In this episode, Dane draws on years of suspension work in the shop to walk through when a fork swap actually makes sense, what to watch out for when buying used, and why the current fork sitting on your bike right now might be leaving performance on the table. Josh and Dane also cover the full compatibility checklist riders need to work through before pulling the trigger — steer tube diameter, boost spacing, axle standards, travel limits, fork offset, and brake adapter sizing. Dane then walks through the step-by-step installation process, the specialty tools worth owning, and a few post-install checks that most home mechanics skip. If you're shopping for a mountain bike fork upgrade, this episode will save you time, money, and at least one frustrating trip back to the bike shop. Listen to Mountain Cog Apple Podcasts Spotify Other Podcast Sites Socials Instagram Facebook Email [email protected]

Send us Fan Mail Shop Talk is back on the Mountain Cog Podcast, and Episode 126 is loaded. Josh and Dane open with the Avinox M2 motor conversation that's dividing the e-bike world right now — too much power, not enough regulation, or just the next evolution of trail riding? Then they get into something that didn't get nearly the attention it deserved: SRAM overhauling their entire non-T-type Eagle lineup and simplifying it down to three groups. If terms like NX, GX, XO, and XX1 are part of your vocabulary, you'll want to hear what's replacing them and what it means for anyone still riding a non-T-type AXS setup. The second half of the episode tackles Brembo's entrance into mountain biking with their GR Pro brake, which brings some legitimate motorsport engineering to the trail — including a three-position lever ratio system that lets you tune the brake feel from progressive to immediate. Josh and Dane give you the honest take without the hype. Dane also breaks down why he sees reach being misused constantly in his shop, and why a customer almost spent $350 on an unnecessary stem because an AI told him his reach was wrong. Spoiler: the bike fit perfectly once it was actually built and measured. Rounding out the episode are bang-for-the-buck picks for Reynolds aluminum wheels, WTB Volt saddles, and a quick fix for tubeless tires that aren't holding air. Listen to Mountain Cog Apple Podcasts Spotify Other Podcast Sites Socials Instagram Facebook Email [email protected]

Send us Fan Mail Ever wonder how much money bike companies actually make? In this episode, Josh breaks down the real financials behind the mountain bike industry — and the numbers might surprise you. Using publicly available data from Giant, Merida, and Shimano, plus a detailed cost breakdown of a $5,000 acoustic mountain bike and a $15,000 e-MTB, we dig into what bike brands actually pocket after all the bills are paid. Spoiler: it's a lot less than you think. We also go deep on Shimano — why they financially outperform the other public bike companies, and what four Japanese business philosophies (Kaizen, Monozukuri, Keiretsu, and Genchi Genbutsu) have to do with their margins. Dane and Josh debate whether the bike industry needs to slow its product release cycle, and whether a more Shimano-style approach could actually make bikes more affordable in the long run. If you've ever complained about bike prices — or defended them — this one's required listening. **EPISODE CORRECTION**: Merida reportedly acquired somewhere between 19%-49% stake in Specialized in 2001 (not in 2022 which we suggested in this episode).  Also, it's been reported that the their stake is ~35% today and that Merida agreed not to sell Merida bikes in the U.S. as a term of the deal. Listen to Mountain Cog Apple Podcasts Spotify Other Podcast Sites Socials Instagram Facebook Email [email protected]

Send us Fan Mail Episode 124 marks the debut of Shop Talk — Mountain Cog's new recurring episode format built around four segments that cut through the marketing noise and get to what actually matters on the trail and in the industry. The guys kick things off with what everyone's talking about: Nolly Bikes has entered receivership, and Josh breaks down what that actually means, how it compares to what Rocky Mountain and YT went through, and whether Nolly's decision to skip carbon and e-bikes entirely may have sealed their fate. The Surron backlash, e-bike legislation, and the quiet aluminum comeback round out a packed opening segment. From there, Shop Talk rolls into what grinds their gears — trail gatekeeping, gravity bros, and the online parts-buying culture that's making life harder for local shops. Then Josh gives his honest take on the Avinox motor after riding an Amflow in Bentonville, and the guys debate whether the DJI hype is actually earned. They wrap it up with Bang for the Buck — a real-world budget drivetrain breakdown and fierce debate covering Shimano Deore & Cues, SRAM NX & Eagle 70, and Microshift Advent MX, priced out component by component so you know exactly what you're getting for your money. Listen to Mountain Cog Apple Podcasts Spotify Other Podcast Sites Socials Instagram Facebook Email [email protected]

Send us Fan Mail Brakes are one of those things most riders don't think about until something goes wrong — and then it's all they can think about. This episode of Mountain Cog changes that. Josh and Dane dig into the Hayes versus Shimano debate with the kind of depth and honesty that's hard to find when every other review online is either sponsored content or a five-minute YouTube video that barely scratches the surface. The conversation starts with a simple real-world observation from the trail and quickly evolves into something genuinely eye-opening about how these two systems are fundamentally built to feel different — not better or worse, just different. Dane has spent decades behind a bike shop bench working on both systems, and that experience comes through in every minute of this episode. He explains why Shimano's brakes have earned their legendary reputation for easy maintenance, why Hayes has quietly built a cult following among riders who prioritize feel and control on technical terrain, and what the actual tradeoffs are when you choose one over the other. DOT fluid versus mineral oil, modulation versus raw bite, easy bleeding versus superior feel — it's all covered here without an agenda. By the end you'll have a clear picture of which system fits your riding and your lifestyle. Shimano: https://bike.shimano.com/stories/article/the-easy-to-understand-guide-to-brakes.html Hayes: https://hayes.hayesbicycle.com/en-us/ Listen to Mountain Cog Apple Podcasts Spotify Other Podcast Sites Socials Instagram Facebook Email [email protected]

Send us Fan Mail Sunglasses might be the most under-thought of piece of gear in mountain biking. Most riders either skip them entirely or default to whatever they already own, without knowing that the wrong tint, frame, or fit can actually make riding harder and riskier. Rob Tavakoli, CEO of SportRX and a guy who's been obsessed with eyewear since he was nine years old, joined the Mountain Cog crew in Tucson for a follow-up to his Episode 71 appearance — and this time he brought a bag full of frames to show and tell. Rob and the guys cover the full landscape of mountain bike sunglasses: how shields differ from dual-lens frames and when each makes sense, why some frame designs work better for prescriptions, and how to tell at a glance whether a frame is actually going to fit your face. The lens conversation is equally thorough — rose and amber tints for contrast, photochromatic options for variable light, the case against polarization on the trail, and Oakley's Prism technology explained in a way that actually makes sense. Rob also addresses why no mountain bike frame should be made of metal or have glass lenses, shares the care habit that's kept his personal collection pristine over the years, and talks through how SportRX's in-house line makes prescription sport eyewear accessible starting at $99 with a full money-back guarantee. Link: https://www.sportrx.com/ Listen to Mountain Cog Apple Podcasts Spotify Other Podcast Sites Socials Instagram Facebook Email [email protected]