Truckee to Bellingham by Mountain Bike | Jake Mann | E28
We first interviewed @notjakemann in Episode 11 right before he embarked on a two-month bikepacking journey from Truckee to Bellingham, Washington. In Episode 28, the boys catch up with Jake and hear all the good times, scary times, wet times and confusing times he had, including harrowing encounters with skunks and toothless rednecks, abundant cats, and friendly folks happy to accommodate a stinky mountain biker who raised nearly $8,000 for World Bicycle Relief, funding nearly 50 bikes for people in third world countries. The boys also give some listener shout outs, reflect on the first season of Mind the Track, chat about more bear encounters in Sierra County, Reno’s shrinking homeless population, Truckee’s increasing cost of living woes, more Hunga Tonga theories and Snoop Dogg’s Snow Sizzle My Dizzle Powderrific Snow Report.
25 Years of the Downieville Classic | Greg Williams | E14
After a four year hiatus, the granddaddy of all mountain bike events, the Downieville Classic, returns in grand fashion on July 14-16, 2023, celebrating its 25th anniversary, and there’s no better person to interview than the man who started it all, Greg Williams. Not only is Greg the founder of the Downieville Classic, as well as the founder of Yuba Expeditions bike shop, but he’s also a co-founder and executive director of the Sierra Buttes Trail Stewardship. In this episode all about Downieville and the history of the Classic, Greg shares his roots growing up as a kid spending summers along the North Yuba River, discovering old mining trails on his mountain bike that he showed friends, eventually turning into a guiding and shuttle business that shared the magic of Downieville with thousands of people around the world. Greg is full of wisdom and hilarious stories, but he’s also a heartfelt human who cares deeply about his friends, family and the event that’s transformed Downieville from a place that hated mountain bikes to a place would be nothing without them.