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🚵‍♂️ Mountain biking is about more than bikes and trails. Sometimes, it’s about finding your people, getting through the hard stuff, and discovering that the community you build can carry you when life gets heavy. In this bonus episode, Mark joins Steph and Julia to share his journey through depression, a midlife reset, and a heart attack that led to triple bypass surgery. He opens up about how mountain biking and the community surrounding it have helped him navigate life’s challenges, why he created Nova MTB and Ride the Heavy, and how simply showing up can make a difference in someone’s life. Mark also shares all the details about Cranksgiving, Nova MTB’s annual food drive happening November 21! Learn how you can donate food, water, hygiene products, and pet supplies to support people in need while connecting with the local riding community. 🎙️ In This Episode🚵‍♂️ Mark’s MTB Origin Story — How he discovered mountain biking in the ’90s and where his riding journey has taken him.🤝 Building Community Through Nova MTB — How a small group of riders grew into a welcoming community and why showing up matters.❤️ Finding Connection Through Riding — Why people of all ages and backgrounds are looking for friendship, belonging, and a place to fit in.🖤 Ride the Heavy — Mark’s personal project exploring the heavier side of life and how riding can help us work through difficult emotions.🫀 A Heart Attack That Changed Everything — Mark shares his experience with a heart attack, triple bypass surgery, recovery, and the importance of having people in your corner.💪 The Power of Showing Up — How the community Mark helped create became a source of support when he needed it most.🦃 Cranksgiving Is Back! — Get the details on Nova MTB’s annual food drive, how to participate, and how you can help reach this year’s goal of 2,500 pounds of donations.🦃 Cranksgiving: How to Get Involved📅 When: Saturday, November 21, approximately 8:30 AM–1:00 PM 📍 Where: Paloma Park, Peoria, AZ — Ramada 11 🎁 What to Bring: 🥫 Nonperishable food💧 Water🧼 Personal hygiene items, including toothbrushes, soap, and shampoo🐾 Pet food RSVP FOR CRANKSGIVING Mark's Socials Ride The Heavy NOVA MTB *Just a quick note: the views shared in this episode are our own and don’t necessarily reflect the views of our sponsors. Instagram: TGTM Steph Julia Sound Design: Loui Strum Our website: tgtmpod.com Our email: [email protected]

💀 Crashes, injuries, and those inevitable “oh shit” moments—we’re diving into the scary side of mountain biking for this Halloween edition of Talk Gnarly To Me! Steph and Julia talk about how crashing changes as you gain experience, the wrecks that stick with you, protective gear, crash videos, and whether mountain biking is really as dangerous as we make it out to be. From hilarious tip-overs to injuries that lead to surgery, this episode gets into the reality of taking risks on two wheels. 💥 Crashing Is a Skill — Crashing might never be fun, but experience can change how you respond when things go sideways. We talk about learning from falls, reacting with less panic, and becoming more aware of how you and your bike respond when you lose control.😬 Fear Changes With Experience — Your first few crashes can leave you questioning everything, but surviving those moments can also build confidence. We discuss how experience changes the way we think about falling, assess risk, and decide when to push ourselves versus when to back off.🧿 Don’t Say “One More Run!” — Every mountain biker knows there are certain things you just don't say out loud. We get into MTB superstitions, why riders hesitate to call a run their last, and the funny ways we try to avoid tempting fate before a ride goes completely off the rails.🧠 The Crashes You Never Forget — Sometimes the most memorable crashes aren't even your own. We talk about witnessing serious injuries, how those moments can stick with you, and how seeing someone else get hurt can change your confidence and the way you approach certain trails.🤦‍♀️ Funny Falls vs. Serious Wrecks — Not every crash is a dramatic trip to the emergency room. From slow-motion tip-overs and clipless pedal mishaps to falls that could have ended much worse, we compare the ridiculous moments with the genuinely scary ones—and why knowing the difference matters.📹 Crash Videos: Helpful or Horrifying? — Watching crash footage can be a useful way to learn about line choice, technique, and what went wrong. But it can also make you overthink a trail you were perfectly happy riding before the internet showed you someone else's worst day. We discuss when crash videos help and when they just feed the fear.🚵‍♀️ How Risky Is Mountain Biking, Really? — A gnarly crash video doesn't tell the whole story of mountain biking. We talk about how trail difficulty, speed, experience, and decision-making all play a role in risk, and why it's important to separate the reality of riding from the most dramatic wipeouts online.🧊 Is Biking More Dangerous Than Walking on Ice? — We put mountain biking risks into perspective by comparing them with everyday accidents, winter ice, and other sports like dodgeball. It's a reminder that risk exists in plenty of places, even when we're not doing something that looks extreme—and a teaser for a deeper conversation about injuries and recovery. *Just a quick note: the views shared in this episode are our own and don’t necessarily reflect the views of our sponsors. Instagram: TGTM Steph Julia Sound Design: Loui Strum Our website: tgtmpod.com Our email: [email protected]

🚵‍♀️ Don’t Be Scared: Taking Up Space on the Trail 😬 It’s Not Always the Trail That Scares You — Sometimes the real fear is slowing everyone down, getting left behind, or feeling like you don’t belong. Turns out, the mental game off the bike can be just as gnarly as the one on it. 🧠 Imposter Syndrome Is Real — Julia gets into feeling out of place around stronger riders and at bike parks. Just because someone else makes it look easy doesn't mean you haven't earned your spot. 🐢 Nobody Wants to Be the Slow One — Steph shares how worrying about holding up the group kept her from joining rides early on. Spoiler: you don't have to be the fastest rider to deserve a spot in the pack. 🗣️ Ask for What You Need — More water, a snack, a breather, a slower pace, or another attempt at a feature. You’re allowed to speak up. Your riding buddies aren't mind readers. 😂 🗺️ Getting Lost Is Not Our Love Language — Julia talks about her need to know where the group is going at every turn. Because a fun ride hits differently when you're secretly wondering if you're ever getting home. 🚩 No-Drop Means NO DROP — If you advertise a no-drop ride and then ditch the slower riders, congratulations: you played yourself. Good group-ride etiquette means looking out for the whole crew. 🚲 You Don't Have to Earn Your Place — Not through speed, skill, expensive gear, or pretending you're more confident than you are. The trail isn't an exclusive club, and nobody appointed you the gatekeeper. 📱 Imposter Syndrome Is Everywhere — Bike shops, group rides, events, bike parks, and social media can all make you feel like you don't belong. We're calling BS on the idea that you have to look or ride a certain way to be part of the community. 🙄 Stop Apologizing for Existing — Sorry for being slow. Sorry for needing a break. Sorry for asking a question. What if we tried “thanks for waiting” or simply “I need a minute” instead? Revolutionary, we know. 🔥 Stop Performing. Start Riding. — You don't have to prove yourself to everyone on the trail. Ride your ride, speak up, take up space, and stop letting other people's opinions dictate how much fun you're allowed to have. The takeaway: You don't have to be the fastest, bravest, or most experienced rider in the group to belong. Get out there, take up space, and don't be scurred. 🤘

EP16: Racing Can Be Scary | Sunrise Enduro, 1st Place & a Gnarly Crash | MTB Race Recap 🚵‍♀️ Pre-Riding Sunrise Enduro — We break down the Sunrise Enduro course, scope out the technical stages, and try to figure out what we're getting ourselves into before race day. 🧠 Confidence vs. Saving Energy — How do you push yourself on technical features without blowing all your energy before the race even starts? Turns out, sometimes not sending it is the smarter move. 🪨 Line Choice Matters — We talk through choosing lines on East Ridge, Technical, Project, and the eternal question: Which line looks fast… and which line is actually going to keep us upright? 😬 Race-Day Nerves — Managing the nerves, finding a rhythm, and getting your brain to stop screaming long enough to actually ride your bike. 🥇 A First-Place Finish… — Julia takes first in her category in a tight race where every second mattered. Pretty great, right? 💥 …And Then Things Got Gnarly — Stage two had other plans. Steph went down hard and walked away with a grade 5 AC separation. 🏥 The Aftermath Nobody Plans For — We talk about the immediate aftermath: medical care, pain, the drive home, and the moment it became clear that surgery was going to be part of the story. 🤝 Still Part of the Crew — An injury might keep you off the bike, but it doesn't have to kick you out of the mountain-bike community. We talk about staying connected while recovering. 🚦 Race Etiquette Matters — Holding your line, passing respectfully, and remembering that we're all out there trying to have a good time—not an audition for the Tour de France. 🧠 Getting Out of Your Own Head — We wrap up with encouragement for injured riders and a listener story about overcoming mental blocks. Sometimes the biggest obstacle on the trail isn't the rock—it's the six inches between your ears. *Just a quick note: the views shared in this episode are our own and don’t necessarily reflect the views of our sponsors. Instagram: TGTM Steph Julia Sound Design: Loui Strum Our website: tgtmpod.com Our email: [email protected]

🚵‍♀️ TOP TAKEAWAYS 🚲 E-Bikes Aren’t Cheating — They’re an Access Layer E-bikes can remove the fitness bottleneck so you can spend more time riding, learning, and progressing. More laps = more practice = more skills. Math we can get behind. 😂 💪 More Laps = More Progress When you're not completely cooked after one climb, you can session features, follow faster riders, and get more repetitions. Sometimes getting better really is just about doing the thing more. 🧠 Confidence Comes From Proof Confidence isn't built by pep talks alone. It's built by actually doing the thing and giving your brain proof that you can handle it. Once you've survived a feature, it suddenly looks a whole lot less terrifying. 🌉 E-Bikes Can Be a Confidence Bridge Jen found that conquering features on an e-bike helped her visualize doing them on her analog bike. It wasn't about taking the easy way out—it was about creating a bridge between “absolutely not” and “wait… maybe I can.” 👯‍♀️ Ride With People Better Than You Sometimes you don't need another YouTube tutorial. You need a faster rider to hit the line first and make you think, “Well… if she just did it…” 😂 The right riding crew can make terrain feel possible before you believe it's possible. 👀 Borrow Someone Else's Vision Following a stronger rider lets you see lines, pacing, body position, and commitment in real time. Sometimes you don't need more skill—you just need someone to show your brain what the move is supposed to look like. 😬 Sometimes It's the Consequences You're Afraid Of The feature itself isn't always the problem. Sometimes it's the margin for error. A jump with a terrible landing can trigger a completely different kind of fear than a steep technical section. 🏋️‍♀️ A Heavier Bike Will Expose Your B******t E-bikes change more than how much you pedal. The extra weight changes how you move the bike and can expose sloppy body mechanics. Turns out you can't always yank the bike around with your arms and hope for the best. 😂 🚧 Maybe the Problem Isn't the E-Bike A lot of the e-bike debate focuses on the bike itself, but plenty of trail issues come down to rider behavior—skidding, cutting trails, rude passing, and ignoring trail etiquette. The bike doesn't automatically make someone an a*****e. The rider is still responsible for that part. 🔁 Repetition Makes Fear Smaller Sometimes you just have to expose yourself to the thing you're avoiding. Look at it. Roll up to it. Stare at it for an unreasonable amount of time. Then try it. 😂 Repetition turns the unknown into something familiar—and that's where confidence starts to grow. Just a quick note: the views shared in this episode are our own and don’t necessarily reflect the views of our sponsors. Instagram: TGTM Steph Julia Sound Design: Loui Strum Our website: tgtmpod.com Our email: [email protected]

*BUY A JERSEY HERE* 🚵‍♀️ TOP TAKEAWAYS🌵 We escaped the Arizona desert for a weekend of new trails. We swapped our usual terrain for unfamiliar trails, a change of scenery, and a much-needed reminder that sometimes the best thing you can do for your riding is go somewhere new. 🌲 Three stops, three very different flavors of gnarly. We’re recapping our rides at Military Sinkhole on the Mogollon Rim, Sunrise Bike Park, and The Dells in Payson—from chunky technical terrain to bike-park laps and everything in between. 🚵‍♀️ New trails, new challenges, and plenty of chaos. We're recapping the highs, lows, questionable line choices, and unexpected lessons from our trip—and why getting out of our usual riding routine brought the fun back. 😬 Fear vs. anxiety matters. Instead of asking, “Am I scared of this feature?” ask, “Am I imagining consequences that haven’t actually happened?” 👀 Stop borrowing other people’s fear. Watching someone else hesitate, dab, or choose a sketchy line can make you second-guess yourself before you even ride the feature. 🥇 Sometimes going first builds confidence. Riding first can help you make your own decisions instead of reacting to the rider in front of you. 🪨 Sometimes the answer isn’t “send it”—it’s “get closer.” Stopping too far back can actually make it harder to read a feature. Creeping forward can give you a better view and more options. 🌧️ Hard conditions are easier to tolerate than hard starts. Once you’re already riding, rain, mud, cold, and general misery become part of the adventure. Getting yourself out the door is often the hardest part. 🌵 New terrain can cure a riding slump. Sometimes you don't need more motivation—you need a different trail. New terrain breaks the mental autopilot and brings the fun back. 👯‍♀️ Your riding crew can change what feels possible. A group that matches your pace and riding style can reduce pressure and give you the freedom to actually focus on the trail. 🤝 The right group makes progression feel easier. When nobody is constantly waiting, racing ahead, or feeling embarrassed, everyone gets to stay present and ride their own ride. 🎢 Sometimes technical riding is just a rodeo. Not every section needs to be clean or pretty. Sometimes the goal is simply to stay on, keep moving, and embrace the chaos. 🔥 Messy still counts as successful. Technical riding isn't always about perfection. Sometimes surviving the section while laughing your ass off is the win. Just a quick note: the views shared in this episode are our own and don’t necessarily reflect the views of our sponsors. Instagram: TGTM Steph Julia Sound Design: Loui Strum Our website: tgtmpod.com Our email: [email protected]

*BUY A TGTM JERSEY HERE* When Your Ride Is Trash… But Maybe It’s Not Your BikeSome rides are epic. Some rides are humbling. And some rides have you sitting in the parking lot afterward wondering if you have ever actually known how to ride a bike. 😂 In This Episode We Talk About: 🚲 Failing doesn’t mean you’re getting worse. Because apparently mountain biking requires us to repeatedly throw ourselves at rocks before our brains decide to learn the lesson. 🧠 Sometimes the bad ride starts before you even get to the trailhead. The stress you’re carrying off the bike doesn’t magically disappear just because you put on a helmet. 👩‍👧‍👦 Motherhood, exhaustion, and real life absolutely affect how we ride. Turns out you can't always expect peak performance when you're running on coffee, three hours of sleep, and someone else's unfinished laundry. 🎮 That weird feeling of being a passenger instead of the pilot. When you're riding but don't actually feel present—and why that's worth paying attention to. 🫁 Getting out of your head and back into your body. Sometimes “just focus harder” is terrible advice. Breathing, moving, shaking it out, and even talking to yourself can help bring you back to the moment. 👯‍♀️ Why riding with the right people can completely change your day. Sometimes you don't need motivation. You need your friend to show up and drag your ass onto a bike. 🫶 Helping newer riders can actually help YOU. There’s something about watching someone else experience the joy of riding that reminds you why you started in the first place. 🌵 The emotional-support trail vs. the “let’s go get humbled” trail. Sometimes you need an easy, familiar ride where your biggest challenge is remembering where you parked. Other times, you need to go find some spicy tech and remind yourself what you're capable of. 🔄 Resetting is part of progressing. Recovery doesn't mean you're losing ground. Sometimes the most productive thing you can do is step back, breathe, laugh about it, and try again another day. 💥 Keep showing up. Because progress in mountain biking isn't always sending bigger features or riding faster. Sometimes it's simply learning how to have a bad day, recover from it, and get back on the bike. Just a quick note: the views shared in this episode are our own and don’t necessarily reflect the views of our sponsors. Instagram: TGTM Steph Julia Sound Design: Loui Strum Our website: tgtmpod.com Our email: [email protected]

Would You Rather: Mountain Biking Edition Julia and Steph keep things light in this playful mountain biking conversation, trading trail updates, crash recovery context, and a long run of ridiculous "would you rather" scenarios. It is a casual, funny episode built more for laughs than instruction, with both hosts clearly leaning into the absurdity. In this episode, Julia and Steph also recap recent rides around PMP, Flagstaff, Meteoride, Brookbank, and Full Sail, including a trail closure and helicopter rescue on the trail. They then spend most of the episode debating mountain bike-specific hypotheticals, from braking problems and wet gear to exposure, bike setups, and awkward trailhead situations. Key topics Julia and Steph recap their recent rides, including a beginner ride at PMP and a Flagstaff day that ended up on Meteoride and Brookbank instead of Full Sail. They discuss the trail closure and helicopter rescue on Full Sail, including how unpredictable search and rescue costs can be. Steph shares that Meteoride felt exposed but went well, while Julia says she was still mentally affected by her earlier crash. They talk about gatekeeper features and how one hard move can shape the rest of a rider's confidence on a trail. The episode shifts into a mountain biking "would you rather" game with increasingly ridiculous scenarios. They compare awful choices like being cold and wet for hours versus climbing forever, or riding downhill with only a front brake versus climbing with only the hardest gear. They debate whether they'd rather shuttle friends for six months with no riding or only climb for a month. They weigh exposure-heavy options like White Line in Sedona versus a Whistler trip with a free dream bike. They get into absurd equipment problems, including farting suspension, a bell that plays John Cena’s theme, wet socks versus wet gloves, and a mystery headset rattle. The episode ends with more style-based hypotheticals, like riding in roadie spandex, thong bikini bottoms, or with ridiculous eyelashes and fake nails. Just a quick note: the views shared in this episode are our own and don’t necessarily reflect the views of our sponsors. Instagram: TGTM Steph Julia Sound Design: Loui Strum Our website: tgtmpod.com Our email: [email protected]

Fear, intuition, and how to tell the difference on the trail Steph and Julia break down how fear shows up in mountain biking, why it changes as your skills grow, and how intuition can feel a lot like fear in the moment. They get specific about the kinds of features that trigger each feeling, from exposure and steep slabs to drops, OTB risk, and night riding. This episode is especially useful for newer riders who assume advanced riders are fearless. Steph and Julia show that fear is normal, useful, and something you can learn to read instead of ignore. In this episode we chat about: How fear in mountain biking evolves rather than disappears, even for experienced riders. Why OTB risk is one of Julia’s biggest fears, especially on steep, slabby, awkward entries. How exposure affects Steph and why trails with serious consequences feel different. The difference between fearing a feature and fearing a situation that feels out of your control. Steph’s scary drop and how fear changes as your skills improve. Why certain steep trails can feel scarier than bigger, more obvious features. How to distinguish fear, intuition, and impulse in the moment. Personal cues that help riders decide whether to push through or back off. How self-talk, visualization, and reframing fear as excitement can reduce panic. Why fear is a normal part of mountain biking—and how to use it for better risk assessment. Just a quick note: the views shared in this episode are our own and don’t necessarily reflect the views of our sponsors. Instagram: TGTM Steph Julia Sound Design: Loui Strum Our website: tgtmpod.com Our email: [email protected]

Motivation, mountain biking, and staying consistent Steph and Julia sit down with archaeologist and postdoc researcher Jayde Hirniak for their first interview episode, and the conversation turns into a real talk on motivation, confidence, and what keeps riders showing up. Jayde shares how mountain biking became the outlet that carried her through graduate school, and how the same mindset that helped her earn a PhD also shows up on the trail. In this episode, we hear from Steph, Julia, and Jayde as they swap origin stories, compare ride notes, and unpack how community, structure, and a little bit of ambition can keep you moving even when you are not feeling it. Key topics Jayde shares how she went from a casual bike rider to mountain biker, starting with a Walmart bike, then a $400 hardtail, and eventually falling in love with the sport.In this episode, Jayde explains that mountain biking became her sanity outlet during her PhD, especially through the fatigue and transition of finishing graduate school and starting postdoc life.We discuss how motivation is not constant, and how low periods are often where growth happens if you keep showing up in some form.Jayde breaks down her personal motivation system into three tiers: dreaming, remembering your why, and setting different scales of goals.Steph and Jayde talk about how tiny wins matter, from just getting on the bike to walking the dogs, doing dishes, or crossing one task off a list.Julia shares that fun is her biggest motivator, especially because biking gives her a physical challenge and a mental reset away from everyday adult responsibilities.The group talks about accountability, especially riding with friends, making plans, and being willing to invite people even when the answer is probably no.Jade explains how her biggest mountain biking accomplishment was conquering the Snotch on  the Whole Enchilada in Moab UT, including the psychological side of committing to a feature that looks far harder than it is.We discuss the value of mentors and role models, from academic guidance to mountain biking inspiration, and how seeing someone skilled and down to earth can change what feels possible.The conversation closes on the idea that ego can block progress, while community, structure, and a playful mindset can keep riding fun and sustainable. Just a quick note: the views shared in this episode are our own and don’t necessarily reflect the views of our sponsors. Instagram: TGTM Steph Julia Sound Design: Loui Strum Our website: tgtmpod.com Our email: [email protected]

Talk Gnarly to Me: What’s in our mountain biking bags Steph and Julia do a full bag dump of their mountain biking gear, comparing what actually lives in their ride bags, what’s purely emergency backup, and what they keep carrying even though they barely use it. The conversation turns into a practical, funny inventory of trail essentials, desert-specific gear, and the real-world mistakes that shape what goes in a pack. It’s part gear check, part trail-safety chat, and part coaching talk, with a surprise fan-mail unboxing at the end. If you ride in hot, dusty conditions or just want to know what experienced riders actually carry, there’s a lot to steal from this one. Key topics Steph breaks down her three-bag system: a car duffel, a hip pack, and a coaching bag, each with a different job Julia compares her simpler setup and explains why she keeps a hand pump, spoons, and cactus tools instead of trusting her tire gadget Both hosts talk through hydration habits, including extra water bottles, bladder cleaning, and why water bottles often beat bladders They cover desert ride essentials like sunblock, lip balm, eye drops, cooling towels, and backup layers for Arizona’s surprise cold mornings Emergency gear gets a lot of attention: first aid kits, hemostats, gauze, saline, bandages, gloves, and nosebleed supplies The hosts share real stories of flats, failed CO2 cartridges, a tire explosion scare, and why hand pumps are a must-have backup Steph explains her coaching kit, including cones, two-by-fours, and how she uses them to build rider confidence on obstacles There’s a long detour into trail-specific tools, like tire plugs, chain tools, multi-tools, and the mystery items neither host fully understands They talk about what to carry on group rides versus solo rides, especially when riding with newer or unknown riders The episode ends with fan mail from Erik Lantz, who sent them Arizona mountain biking guidebooks and sparked ideas for a future history-focused episode Link to Fat Tire Tales and Trails https://www.amazon.com/dp/0966476905?lv=shuf&channelId=500&plpRedirect=mhFallback Just a quick note: the views shared in this episode are our own and don’t necessarily reflect the views of our sponsors. Instagram: TGTM Steph Julia Sound Design: Loui Strum Our website: tgtmpod.com Our email: [email protected]

Showdown Bikes for Kids with Shawn Stenmark This mini episode of Talk Gnarly to Me introduces Shawn Stenmark and the upcoming Showdown Bikes 4 Kids race at Usery Park in Mesa AZ. Shawn explains how the event supports FE Racing and Bikes 4 Kids, with funds going directly toward getting local kids quality bikes, helmets, and safety gear. We also cover what makes this year different: the “I wanna rock” theme, a live band, costume contests, youth involvement, and the community-first spirit that keeps the event grassroots and fun. Key topics In this episode: Shawn Stenmark shares the story behind Showdown Bikes for Kids and how the event evolved from its original roots into a fundraiser run by FE Racing and Bikes 4 Kids.The organization’s mission is to help put kids on bikes in the East Valley, with most of the fun funds going to bike purchases, helmets, locks, and support gear.Local schools help identify kids in need, and those students submit essays about what a bike would mean to them before receiving a bike.The giveaway bikes are not cheap entry-level toys - Shawn emphasizes they’re quality mountain bikes meant to last.The Showdown takes place at Usery Park and is built around a full eight-hour race with solo, duo, quad, youth, and shorter one- and two-lap options.This year’s theme is “I wanna rock”, with costumes, a live band, and additional event energy meant to make it more than just a race.Shawn highlights the fun side of the event, including mystery obstacles, random skill games, dance-offs, a kids race, a bacon station, and a costume contest with cash prizes. We hope you’ll come out to the event and have some fun with us! Just a quick note: the views shared in this episode are our own and don’t necessarily reflect the views of our sponsors. Bikes 4 kids https://bikes4kids.net/ Instagram: TGTM Steph Julia Sound Design: Loui Strum Our website: tgtmpod.com Our email: [email protected]

Mountain Biking Trip Favorites, Bucket List Destinations, and a Few Geography Detours Julia Biddle and Steph compare favorite mountain biking trips, the kinds of terrain they love most, and the destinations they still want to ride. They also swap stories from van life, bike parks, and a few memorable crashes that made certain trips unforgettable. In this episode, they talk through the logistics and reality of bike travel, from lift service parks to day trips closer to home. If you like mountain bike destination talk mixed with honest trail ratings, this one covers a lot of ground. Key topics Julia shares that her favorite trip was a Flagstaff ride with her best friend from Colorado, riding Full Sail and a bike park with their kids nearby.Steph says her favorite all around trip was the summer van life bike tour, even though it came with major logistics, dogs, a cat, and plenty of breakdown moments.They compare the difference between dreamy van life social media and the actual work of living and riding out of a van for months.Steph breaks down favorite bike park stops from the trip, including Trestle, Purgatory, Duluth, and the surprisingly good riding in the Midwest.They revisit the now infamous "you peaked in Colorado" moment, which came after Steph felt like she had been riding stronger in Colorado and Utah than later in Ohio.Both agree that their ideal long term riding home would still be Arizona, because it offers desert tech plus access to trees and more varied terrain nearby.They talk bucket list destinations like Whistler, Switzerland, North Carolina, New Zealand, Tasmania, Oman, and Nepal.The conversation turns into a map check and geography corrections, including Nepal, Tasmania, and a few other places neither speaker was fully confident about.They name favorite closer to home riding spots like Valmont Bike Park, Virginia Canyon, Prescott, Flagstaff, and Salt Lake City area trails.The episode closes with a reminder that bike progress usually comes with some crashes, scars, and a few very weird stories. Just a quick note: the views shared in this episode are our own and don’t necessarily reflect the views of our sponsors. Instagram: TGTM Steph Julia Sound Design: Loui Strum Our website: tgtmpod.com Our email: [email protected]

Things We Wish We Knew When We Started Mountain Biking Julia and Steph look back on their first rides, early crashes, and the hard lessons that shaped how they ride now. This episode is equal parts beginner advice and real talk about mindset, coaching, fueling, gear, and trail etiquette, with plenty of stories from the messy early days that every new rider can learn from this episode: Julia and Steph share their first biking memories, from grassy hills and neighborhood rides to taking an old bike into the woods and getting instantly hooked. Steph talks about her very first mountain bike ride on Josh’s oversized Giant and the immediate crash that launched her over the bike onto a rock. They both reflect on how crashes shaped their early years, with Steph saying the first two to three years counted as a good ride if she did not crash. The conversation breaks down foundational skills that help new riders progress, including level pedals, heavy feet, light hands, eyes up, and using one finger on the brake. They explain why riding your own ride matters more than matching faster riders, especially when ego or peer pressure pushes beginners beyond their skill level. Nutrition gets a big focus, including why proper fueling before, during, and after rides can prevent bonking, improve performance, and keep rides fun. They discuss why trail mix is not always the best ride fuel, and why carbs usually work better during hard efforts. Protective gear comes up as a confidence tool, not a badge of legitimacy, with a strong recommendation to buy a proper mountain bike helmet and wear pads if they help you ride better. They get into trail etiquette and social etiquette, including why unsolicited advice can be frustrating and why asking if someone wants help should come first. Steph shares why coaching can still be valuable even if you ride with better friends, and why learning from coaches with similar body proportions can sometimes make a big difference. Just a quick note: the views shared in this episode are our own and don’t necessarily reflect the views of our sponsors. Link to our group ride on 8/8/26 https://facebook.com/events/s/tgtm-intermediateadvanced-begi/1027489750035383/ Instagram: TGTM Steph Julia Sound Design: Loui Strum Our website: tgtmpod.com Our email: [email protected]

Starting NEXT WEEK, all of our episodes will be recorded with our brand new, super fancy (and kind of hard to figure out how to use) microphones!! 🎙️ Thank you for being patient with us as we learn how to make sound work! Your continues support means more to us than you know. Balancing Mountain Biking and Real Life: Tips for Juggling a Busy Schedule In this episode, we explore practical strategies for fitting mountain biking into a hectic lifestyle. From managing multiple jobs and family commitments to staying organized and prioritizing self-care, we share insights that can help you make room for riding without feeling overwhelmed. Key topics - 5-10 bullets The importance of structured planning and calendar management for fitting rides into busy weeks How living close to trails can save time and increase riding frequency The role of meal prep and organization in freeing up time for mountain biking Strategies for involving family and communicating your riding schedule to reduce guilt The physical and mental benefits of strength training for mountain bikers Balancing workout routines with riding days to maximize performance and recovery Seasonal and life changes that impact riding frequency, with tips for adaptation The value of community support and celebrating small riding wins Tips for managing mental health and emotional well-being when life gets stressful The importance of rest days and listening to your body's needs Just a quick note: the views shared in this episode are our own and don’t necessarily reflect the views of our sponsors. Instagram: TGTM Steph Julia Sound Design: Loui Strum Our website: tgtmpod.com Our email: [email protected]