Sara Bresnick is a former professional mountain biker, cycling coach and founder of Pedal Power Training Solutions which offers customized training plans plus advice on nutrition, race strategy, and technique.

• What are some fitness goals your clients have beyond racing? For example, does it make sense for a rider to work with a coach before a big weeklong mountain bike trip?
• Do older athletes need more time to recover between intense workouts?
• What happens if you miss a day, or two, in a training schedule? How quickly do fitness gains disappear?
• How does an "off season" work for bike athletes? Should you still be biking some, or is it possible to do other activities instead?
• Let's say I wanted to ride the Tour Divide in 2025, and my goal was to finish the ride in 45 days. Given a good level of base fitness, what's a realistic timeframe for training? In general, what would a training plan involve?
• What's the biggest challenge most people face when it comes to improving their fitness?
• As a trainer, what can you learn from a client's workout data?
• How much of your job as a trainer is emotional support versus purely technical?
• What's one easy step everyone can take to start improving their fitness today?

Learn more and connect with Sara at pedalpowercoaching.com.

--Keep up with the latest in mountain biking at Singletracks.com and on Instagram @singletracks

Claudio Caluori is a seven-time Swiss National Champion and founder of Velosolutions, "a global network of professionals with profound knowledge in cycling, action sports, tourism and urban development." He's also a popular YouTube personality, delivering entertaining course previews and ride-alongs with top athletes.

In addition to building pump tracks around the world, Velosolutions recently helped with construction of the XC race course for the 2024 Paris Olympics and is working on an ultra accurate timing app for pump track competition.

• How did you get into downhill mountain bike racing?
• How are you able to talk while riding fast in your Red Bull course preview and Bla Bla Run videos? Does talking mess you up sometimes?
• How is designing and building a race trail different from building a trail for the public?
• What's so great about pump tracks? Why do adult riders tend to avoid them?
• Tell us about Pump Tracks for Peace.
• Some riders seem to be against asphalt tracks. What's your take?
• Is trail building and funding easier in some parts of the world than in others?
• Which Velosolutions projects are you most proud of?
• Tell us about Velosolutions Farm. What's the vision?
• What are some projects Velosolutions is working on right now?

Get more information about Velosolutions at velosolutions.com.

Photo credit: Sternemann

--Keep up with the latest in mountain biking at Singletracks.com and on Instagram @singletracks

In this episode of the Singletracks podcast, Matt and Jeff discuss the current trends around mountain bike weights. Are bikes too heavy, or are they where they should be given how durable and capable they are today?

This discussion covers:

• Examples of specific bikes and their weights
• Why bike weights might be increasing
• The benefits to lightweight -- and heavy -- mountain bikes
• Areas where mountain bikes might be able to cut weight

This is Matt's last episode with the Singletracks podcast so to start the show we talk about some of his most memorable stories from the past 6 years. We'll miss you Matt!

Where else can you choose from over 300 miles of epic singletrack against a backdrop of soaring mountains and cascading waterfalls? Where else can you explore 100,000 acres of public lands laced with hundreds of miles of backcountry gravel roads? Your best mountain biking adventure ever begins in Brevard, North Carolina, home to Pisgah National Forest and DuPont State Recreational Forest. Four primo bike shops will get you sorted, whether you need a rental, service, or some cool swag. Top it off with an array of craft breweries, cafes, and gathering spots that have earned Brevard the title as one of America’s coolest small towns. It all adds up to one of the premier mountain biking destinations in the U.S. Find out more at⁠⁠⁠ ExploreBrevard.com⁠⁠⁠.

--Keep up with the latest in mountain biking at Singletracks.com and on Instagram @singletracks