Mountain Cog

130 - 15 Bike Maintenance Skills All Riders Should Know 30.06.2026 1h 3min

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 thei...

129 - Shop Talk: Budget Forks, Riser Bars, SRAMs $2k DH Group, & more. 16.06.2026 1h 12min

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...

128 - Are Chinese Brands Disrupting the Mountain Bike Industry? 02.06.2026 1h 6min

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 d...

127 - Bike Shop Secrets: Upgrading Your Mountain Bike Fork - Which One, When, and How 19.05.2026 1h 24min

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 ...

126 - Shop Talk: SRAM's Quiet Overhaul, Brembo Brakes, & Why Reach Is Misleading 05.05.2026 1h 15min

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 y...

125 - How Much Do Bike Companies Make? More shocking economics. 21.04.2026 1h 15min

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 — wh...

124 - Shop Talk: Another Bike Brand Fails, Motor Wars & Value Drivetrain Debate 07.04.2026 1h 20min

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 ...

123 - Hayes vs. Shimano Brakes: Which One is Better for You? 24.03.2026 1h 19min

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 tr...

122 - Mountain Biker's Guide to Sunglasses: Fit, Lenses, and Top Brands (Rob Tavakoli, SportRX) 10.03.2026 48min

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...

121 - Stability, Breathability, & Heat Release - Orange Mud’s Unique Take on Hydration Packs & Business (Josh Sprague, Orange Mud & Seven Clay) 24.02.2026 1h 4min

Send us Fan Mail When Josh Sprague couldn't find a hydration pack that stayed put, ran cool, and didn't feel like dead weight on his back, he built one himself. Fourteen years later, Orange Mud offers unique solutions to the endurance and mountain bike markets. Sprague joins Josh & Dane this week to explain what makes Orange Mud's Endurance Pack different from everything else on the market. The conversation covers pack geometry, upper-back placement, heat release through open side constru...

120 - How Much Do Bike Shops Actually Make? The Shocking Economics of Your LBS. 10.02.2026 1h 2min

Send us Fan Mail Ever wonder why bike shops seem to come and go? The answer's in the math, and it's not pretty. Josh dives deep into industry data from the National Bicycle Dealer Association, trade publications, and financial modeling sites to paint a realistic picture of bike shop profitability. Spoiler alert: the average bike shop owner in America takes home less than $50k a year and works 50-60 hours a week. With 1,000's of bike shops operating nationwide and razor-thin margins on everyth...

119 - How to Set Up Mountain Bike Suspension: Complete & Simple to Understand Guide from a Suspension Expert 27.01.2026 1h 24min

Send us Fan Mail Does your mountain bike fork feel harsh over bumps? Is your suspension bottoming out on drops or packing down in rock gardens? In this comprehensive suspension setup guide, professional bike shop owner and suspension expert Dane Higgins and co-host Josh walks you through the exact process to dial in your MTB suspension settings. Starting with proper sag measurement (the foundation of all suspension tuning), you’ll learn how to use a shock pump, set the correct air pressure fo...

118 - How to Start Mountain Biking: Bikes, Gear, Trails & Essential Tips 13.01.2026 1h 10min

Send us Fan Mail New to mountain biking in 2026? This beginner-focused episode delivers expert guidance on every aspect of starting your mountain bike journey. Learn the key differences between entry-level hardtail bikes (under $1,000) and full suspension options (around $2,000), plus how to determine the right frame size based on your height. Discover why bike shop quality brands like Trek, Giant, Specialized, Norco, and Rocky Mountain offer better long-term value than department store alter...

117 - Bike Shop Secrets: Norco Optic & Outbound reviews plus info on tires, shocks, seat posts, and bells. 30.12.2025 1h 18min

Send us Fan Mail Mountain bike enthusiasts get real-world product testing results in this Bike Shop Secrets episode featuring comprehensive reviews of the Norco Optic and Outbound bike lights. Dane provides an 8-month review of his Norco Optic, a unique 125mm travel bike with high pivot suspension design featuring a rearward axle path and idler pulley system. He explains how this unconventional setup delivers exceptional smoothness on technical, rocky terrain while maintaining pedaling effici...

116 - Bike Shop Secrets: Grip Reviews (SQ Labs & Rev Grips) + Fox Podium Fork and More 16.12.2025 1h 14min

Send us Fan Mail Looking to upgrade your mountain bike's contact points without breaking the bank? This episode of the Mountain Cog Podcast explores two of the best grip solutions for combating arm pump and hand numbness: SQ Labs 70x 2.0 Pro Grips and Rev Grips. SQ Labs brings German precision engineering with ergonomic design focused on reducing peak loads and delaying forearm fatigue through advanced TPE compound technology. Josh details his experience running these $40 grips across multipl...

115 - Bare Innovation's Ryan Burney on Bikes, Business, and Rim Protection 02.12.2025 1h 17min

Send us Fan Mail Starting a product company in the cycling industry isn't for the faint of heart—just ask Ryan Burney. After years of designing bikes at Cannondale and GT, Ryan quit his job with no safety net to launch Rim Saver and eventually Bare Innovation, his engineering consulting firm. In this episode, Ryan gets real about the economics of running a small cycling business, why he realized product companies need to "go big" to survive, and how he pivoted to consulting while still growin...

114 - Why Direct-to-Consumer Bike Companies Are Failing (And What's Next) 18.11.2025 1h 5min

Send us Fan Mail What killed the direct-to-consumer bike boom? This episode combines financial data, industry research, and insider knowledge to explain the DTC mountain bike industry's spectacular rise and dramatic fall. Josh presents findings indicating that many of the DTC bike brands are financially struggling or insolvent. The podcast reveals how customer acquisition costs skyrocketed 200%+ over ~10 years as Meta and Google replaced traditional retailers as profit-extracting middlemen, w...

113 - 500 Miles of Sedona Singletrack: An Advocacy Blueprint That Actually Works (Verde Valley Cyclists Coalition - VVCC) 04.11.2025 56min

Send us Fan Mail Discover how the Verde Valley Cyclists Coalition built one of Arizona's most successful mountain bike trail networks in this episode featuring VVCC President Tracy Randall and board member Lars Romig. From Sedona's iconic red rock terrain to the emerging systems at Dead Horse and Blowout, learn how this advocacy group transformed contentious Forest Service relationships into productive partnerships that have created over 500 miles of mountain bike trails. Tracy and Lars share...

112 - Bike Shop Secrets: Chasing Creaks - A Mechanic's Nightmare and How You Can Fix It 21.10.2025 1h 8min

Send us Fan Mail Are you struggling with a mysterious bike creak that's driving you insane? In this episode of Mountain Cog Podcast, hosts Josh and Dane dive deep into the most frustrating problem in bike maintenance: diagnosing and fixing bike creaks. Learn the systematic approach mechanics use to troubleshoot creaking sounds, from checking your headset and wheel axles to inspecting bottom brackets, pedals, and suspension pivots. Dane shares insider knowledge on the most common culprits behi...

111 - Bike Shop Secrets: Will My Parts Fit if I Swap Mountain Bike Frames? 07.10.2025 1h 5min

Send us Fan Mail Thinking about swapping your mountain bike frame but wondering if your existing components will transfer over? This comprehensive bike shop secrets episode dives deep into frame compatibility with industry expert Dane Higgins. Learn about critical measurements including rear hub spacing (boost vs. super boost), headset configurations, fork steerer tube length, and bottom bracket standards. The hosts cover everything from dropper post insertion depth and seat collar sizing to ...