In 2020 we relaunched our podcast. Relaunched, because according to the Singletrack Magazine Wikipedia entry we were the first mountain bike media to have a podcast way back when podcasts were first a thing in the early noughties. Back then our podcasts were simply recordings of our random chats in the tiny little ‘staff room’ of the Singletrack house (It literally was a one bedrooom house next to the canal here in Todmorden). Things have moved on since then and the technology has improved a great deal. Arguably, the standards of our podcasts have not. There’s still a lot of random chats but we have upped our game and brought in guests to talk to.
So here, are the most popular episodes of the Singletrack Podcast for 2020. Happy listening.
In reverse order then…
#10 – The one where Hannah is really grumpy
Hannah’s love life has been a hot topic this year. Maintaining a cross Atlantic relationship has not been easy and despite the personal and private nature of the issue that’s not stopped us exploiting it for entertainment purposes. Is that a bit mean?
#9 – The one about how shit it is to be an event organiser
It’s been Annus Horibilis for events in 2020 and especially so if you tried to run any kind of event. In this episode we chat to the power behind the Tweedlove event about the unprecedented challenges they faced.
#8 – The one with Chris Ball and the future of the EWS
The EWS has been a casualty of the pandemic. We caught up with the man behind the global series to talk about what the hell he is going to do next.
#7 – The one with Olly Wilkins talking about pedals
DMR launched the multicoloured V11 pedal this year and we chatted to someone who claims to have had a big part in the design. Mark asked him just how big was his role?
#6 – The one where we get a bit political
We are not shy of the occasional political position here at Singletrack and sometimes it leads to inevitable comments about whether or not, as a MTB media outlet, we should be taking a stance on one side or another. Should we remain impartial and just stick to content about bikes and all the fun stuff? Here’s why we don’t do that.
#5 – The one where Hannah reads out Youtube comments
Hannah and the love of her life, Fahzure, went on a rare, pandemic permitting road trip around the UK this year – yeah we know! Remember when that was a thing? They managed to catch up with Alan Millyard for a chat, but that’s not what this episode is about. Some viewers of that interview didn’t think Fahzure did a respectable job of that interview and they made their feelings felt on our Youtube channel. So in this episode Hannah and Fahzure read out some of the ‘best’ comments.
#4 – The rapid weight loss episode
How important are lightweight components to performance? Wouldn’t a strategy of laying off the pies a bit be a better, healthier and cheaper option?
#3 – The one with Chris Porter ranting again
Chris is always a good listen. They guy cannot help but express his often strong opinions about the bike industry and, as we hear in this episode, his thoughts on US politics.
#2 – The why won’t the rear mech just die episode
There are parts of modern bikes that are actually antique technology that, when you really think about it, should be consigned to history. Surely we have the power to come up with better ways to make bikes work by now?
#1 – The one with really bad recorder music
About as random as it gets. In this top episode of 2020 we get a dangerous and pretty frightening insight into what goes in an our art director’s brain when she rides a bike. Prepare for a journey down the rabbit hole of Amanda’s mind – Warning! Includes clips of the recorder.
