Not all podcasts: We are being a bit more specific with this poll and we want to know about MTB, cycling, outdoor specific podcasts. We may follow up with some more polls about general podcasts, formats and the like. But first, the question is..
How often do you listen to podcasts about mountain biking, cycling or outdoor sports?
And if you have recommendations for shows that you love then feel free to tell us all about them.
Check out or previous forum polls here
Listen to podcasts 4 or 5 times a week on average but very rarely cycling specific ones. If I do it’ll be around the GC times of year, and road focussed even though I’m almost exclusively a MTBer.
Listened to the Downtime podcast but it was a little slow paced. Anything over an hour in length is too much.
I find the whole concept of listening to a conversation I can't take any part in very peculiar. And it seems by the early voting I'm not the only one!
Yeah, any spare time for my ears is dedicated to music.
I listen to:
Ask a cycling coach (TrainerRoad)
Never strays far (Ned Boulting, David Millar, Pete Kennaugh)
Fit file podcast (DC Rainmaker and DesFit)
I often listen to them but only whilst driving.
I listen to every episode of The Pinkbike Podcast, they appear to have the same enthusiasm for MTB as I do. If I have a long drive or if they have a subject/guest that particularly interests me I will also listen to Downtime MTB, Vital MTB or The FIT File. Maybe occasionally The Ride Companion but that one rarely holds my attention.
Most of my podcasts are motoring related (S&S/Chris harris ect) But listen the MTB ones if there's a guest on that I like. The recent Downtime one with Josh Bryceland was a good listen.
I enjoy the Never Strays Far and Pinkbike podcasts, that’s probably 95% of the bike podcasts I listen to. Will give any bike podcast a go if it has an interesting guest.
NSF and Spin Cycle whenever they are released.
I also listen to Matt Stevens Grand Tour on-the-road podcasts plus, occasional episodes (if the subject matter is interesting) of Watts Occuring, Velo and the Gravel Podcast and stuff related to Active Transportation
This is in addition to various Formula One and Radio 4 Comedy podcasts and the Rest is Classified.
So, yeah, an avid podcast listener as I do a lot of dog walking!
Listen to Pinkbike and Never Strays Far pretty routinely, occasionally Downtime, if they've a decent guest.
I fall asleep to podcasts every night but quite often it's football ones. I do regularly listen to the podcasts below at work or when driving.
Pinkbike podcast I'll listen to every week, I've even started listening to Levy's gravel podcast even though I've no interest in gravel biking.
I like the Quarter HP stuff when Henry and Remi talk about their bike tests.
The old Vital MTB podcasts with Spoomer were so good but still listen to the racing ones with Dak as they can be quite interesting
I enjoy the Downtime pre and post race podcasts and the guest ones, but don't bother when it is a paid promotion one, I have absolutely no problem with Chris doing those episodes but IMO they just aren't as interesting as the other ones.
I used to really enjoy the making up the numbers podcast but that has vanished!
I listen to podcasts 3 - 4 times a week on average but very rarely cycling/mtb specific ones. This may be because I have almost no interest in racing.
Rarely for me. Prefer to listen to music.
Only bike-related one I enjoyed and listened to every episode of was MUTN, but no podcast since Dec 2024 AFAIK. Was great to stick it on while fixing bikes.
Listen to podcasts every night, but never bike-related. Honestly, anything I'm really interested in, I want to read; everything else is just background noise
Rarely bike or sport related, and if i do, pinkbike.
Podcasts in general, i have a 1h commute each way, so until recently, Pirate History Podcast but I've caught up.
Podessey was good and S2 should be starting soon, and also The Rest Is History and Behind The Bastards
TrainerRoad podcast, (though it's getting a bit samey fanboi talking to different athletes about Wow 6w/kg for How long?)
Never... but they aren't on my radar. Maybe I should explore some?
"outdoor sports" covers a lot of different things.
I listen to a lot of podcasts, and listen every day. I listen to pretty much every episode of a running podcast and a cricket podcast, so have voted "several times per week". If it were cycling specific, or mountain bike specific it'd be "rarely".
Similar for me. Cycling Podcast (and still miss Buffalo). Downtime is very listenable but often guest dependent, don't follow all the pre and post race shows since the racing went all TNT and unobtainable. Ride companion if there is a guest I'm interested in, the 2 hosts are a bit irritating. Bit of never strays and watts occurring, but both can be a bit smug.
It depends who's on the podcast.....
I used to listen to MUTN regularly but that doesn't appear to be running anymore - liked the insight in to the WC DH etc.
Have listened to some of the Ride Companion - but depending on who was on, same with the Inside Line.
Missed MUTN this year, it was the best of the WC DH pods IMO - guess George must have been too busy with other things?
As we obviously have a few WC DH fans here, I'll just recommend the OTB podcast as well. Some entertaining Kiwis who are a bit looser lipped than the other pods (and have a decent level of inside gossip).
You're going to have a meltdown when you discover radio.
Yeah, but you have phone-ins - and aren't they just fantastic... all those fascinating opinions.
I like podcasts, good for going to sleep to, listening to which spannering etc The Cycling Podcast has a lost a chunk of its mojo since the sad demise of Richard Moore, but I still listen to it, though not with the same sense of anticipation. NSF in moderation, Breakfast With Boz if there's an interesting guest, I kind of like Pink Bike's laidback vibe, though I think it used to be better when they themed every episode, Downtime I find a bit plodding, the main host just seems flat, ymmv. The Escape Collective stuff isn't as funny or clever as they think it is and Caley Fretz is a grade one smug pillock.
For more general outdoors pods, The Dirtbag Diaries is a bit of an institution and can be fantastic. The Outside Podcast - from Outside Magazine - has some great stuff, but their penchant for horrible 'atmospheric' background music can be intrusive, just loud enough to be annoying, but mostly below threshold. Both are quite North American in feel, but I've never found a British outdoors podcast that's anywhere near as good.
I've listened to this one a lot.... especially when recording and editing it 😉
https://open.spotify.com/show/426M6T854SlUoyCRMtBu2f?si=vEb3hNSrSSOUeUGD3N2xzA
Tried but I don’t have the patience. This also applies to radio and a lot of television
The Escape Collective stuff isn't as funny or clever as they think it is and Caley Fretz is a grade one smug pillock.
I have refrained from naming annoying bike podcast hosts here, because it feels like kicking puppies - but I feel he deserves it. And I think we have bonded about this before 😆
Should also mention the Velo podcast hosted by Mike Levy is a more engaging alternative that I still sometimes listen to, despite having given up road and gravel.
Bike podcasts? Nah. If I'm spending time I'd rather watch some bike reviews or a bit of GMBN or similar. I'd want to see the bikes / parts they're talking about not just hear. A bike podcast does not interest moi.
I find the whole concept of listening to a conversation I can't take any part in very peculiar. And it seems by the early voting I'm not the only one!
What an odd way to look at podcasts, isn't it just listening to other people, without interrupting (because you can't), considering their points and then moving on?
I listen to podcasts most days, sometimes bicycle related, I don't always agree with some (or even all) of the points made, but at least I've heard someone else's ideas on a topic I am interested in and that helps broaden my understanding and perspectives...
Are there people who refuse all 'media' they can't directly interact with?
What an odd way to look at podcasts, isn't it just listening to other people, without interrupting
Maybe, but...
I don't always agree with some (or even all) of the points made...
And then you can't interject and counter their points with your own opinion.
Doesn't really matter though, given their massive popularity at the moment I'm sure podcasters aren't crying into their beer because I'm not listening.
I always ride with headphones on, Podcasts while climbing and on the flat, music on the downhill runs.
In order of preference.
PulpMX show
The Steve Matthes Show(s)/LVK
The Oxley Bom MotoGP Podcast
Pinkbike Podcast
Lateral
Stuff you should know.
And then you can't interject and counter their points with your own opinion.
I guess you can only go to the theatre when it's panto time? 😀
Somewhere between never and rarely for bike or anything outdoor related. And both of those were specific episodes of something that piqued my interest.
Several per week most weeks for everything else, on specific topics of interest.
In both cases that's counting youtube vids where the video part is optional and can simply be listened to with it in a different tab. If there was something entertaining that interested me then I might subscribe to it on the youchoobs.
And then you can't interject and counter their points with your own opinion.
It would be really ironic to respond on here countering your point with my own opinion, so instead I'm just going to absorb your wisdom, note that it's subtly different to my own take, muse on it a little internally, then move on 🙂
Cycling related? None, I used to listen to trainerroad fairly reliably but not anymore, just sort of gradually lost interest. Also the Zwiftcast before it ended, even though it was basically just corporate schilling.
I've tried listening to several other cycling podcasts but basically it all just seems to be enduro-bros, gravel hipsters or roadies trying to prove their encyclopedic knowledge of the pre-1980s race scene. I'm sure there are some good ones out there but so far I've found them smug and insufferable.
Outdoor sports related - Trail Runner Nation. Trail (surprisingly enough) and ultra-marathon running based US podcast. They lean a bit too far into their "we're so stupid but here's our guests to put us right" schtick for me really but it just about stays on the playlist.
General sports related - none. I used to listen to Barbell Medicine about 4 or 5 years ago when it was actually about powerlifting etc but it started to veer sharply into US republican politics and I've no idea what it most be like now.
Sports unrelated - horror anthologies, can't get enough of them, no idea why. Especially at this time of the year when it's dark and horrible basically all the time. Commute in the dark, some utter bullshit over-acted massively derivative horror story - love it.
Podcasts related to sport & cycling that I subscribe to:
Ask a Cycling Coach
The FIT File
The High Performance Podcast (not just sport)
Singletrack Magazine
However, I very rarely listen to any of them.
I find them all very in-depth & dry. You need to really sit-down and listen rather than have them on as background noise.
The one that I find myself most inclined to listen to, is the Singletrack Magazine podcast. It is light-hearted and enjoyable to listen to, but the thing that puts me off is the sound is quite often muffled so it can be hard to listen to. It often gets quiet in places & loud in others. It is very hard to listen to in the car, or when moving around the house unless listening on headphones.
I've listened to this one a lot.... especially when recording and editing it
And now I've listened to it too 😀 Very enjoyable on my drive to Peaslake and back, Guy does seem a nice guy. Took dedication on my part as I don't currently use Spotify, couldn't find you on Apple Podcasts but did track you down on YouTube Music
Over the last year or so I find podcast's have pretty much replaced radio for me and are listened to on my commute, dog walk or treadmill.
The only cycling one I subscribe to is Singletrack although I haven't noticed a new one for a while? I'll be checking out some more after reading this thread though. I assume football is classed as outside sport? The Square Ball, Guardian Football Weekly and The Price of Football are my go too. After that it's The Rest is Politics before I run out of time but have The News Agents, Totally Football Show and a few others on back up.
Music wise I just listen to my own huge Spotify playlists of stuff I like.
I'll listen to Pinkbike, Vital and the odd thing that Spotify points out. I always listen to the Escape Collective stuff, especially Geek Warning.
I wanted to listen more to the STW pod but it always felt like it was begging for someone to manage keeping the conversation on track.
I love cycling, MTBing in particular, but I have no desire to listen to other people talk about it. I'd far rather be spending that time doing it.
I spend much if my time when doing mundane household stuff or running/walking the dog listening to podcasts but they are more likely to be history based stuff, such as We Have Ways, The Rest Is History.
I must listen to a minimum of 2 podcasts a day. But very rarely or ever about cycling.
I think it's probably because I have zero interest in hearing about racing, hardly any more about biking kit and my idea of riding a bike and stuff around bikes just doesn't stand up to the podcast format so I'm not convinced many people try to do it.
I listen to podcasts daily, never listen to cycling ones - football (The Second Tier, Keep Right On, The Rest Is Football, the late lamented Fat Lads Go In Goal), motor racing (Oxley Bom and the awkwardly-titled And Colossally That's History) and history (the ever-excellent Empire pod) but not cycling.
Disappointed that those mentioning listening to football related podcasts haven't listed Football Cliches.
Listening to podcasts for me is what I do to fall asleep or when I'm driving longer distances or I'm at work. It's not something I'm doing instead of riding bikes etc.
Message to STW, please do what you can to bring back MUTN. Missing out on the best bit as it's team rumours time
Interesting looking at the written responses and the data.
It feels like the question missed a trick - the data mashes up people that don't listen to any podcasts with those that listen to lots of podcasts but few to do with cycling. Clearly I'm not alone in being in this subset.
If (I maybe making an assumption here) the purpose of the poll was to see what the market out there would be for an enhanced STW offering, this feels like a missed trick. Those people that like and actively listen to podcasts and are in the habit of doing so already - that's the subgroup to mine and find out what as a cyclist (cos they are here filling in a survey) and prolific podcast listener would float their boat and why the current offerings don't.
Niall Grimes Jam Crack mostly. Especially on long drives. Some people are more interesting than others, but that's life
No. More media/tech that passed me by. Maybe I should try it? But I can't even get my phone to stay connected to the car so the commute listening opportunity isn't there yet.
I listen to multiple podcasts a day. It's pretty much replaced TV, radio and reading for me. Mixture of news and politics, sport and comedy. I think the quality of MTB podcasts is pretty poor and there's none I'm particularly invested in. There's other sports that I'm less interested in but with podcasts of which I'd never miss an episode and support via patreon.
I really enjoyed Making up the numbers and could tell lots of research went into them. I like George's delivery and Emily was a complimentary addition with her insights and personality.
Moving the Needle is great for World Cup insights and stories and I love that they don't sit on the fence with opinions, but I find Needles a bit full on and often unprepared. Him and Sven talking over each other is infuriating. With a good producer this could be amazing.
I loved Pinkbike but feel it's lacking since Henry left. He's finding his feet with Quarter HP so hopefully that will take off.
Vital is regularly 2+ hours which puts me off. Ride Companion has improved over the years, but it still comes across as old guys trying to stay young and rad so I only tune in if I'm particularly interested in the guest.
Downime feels like a fan meeting his hero rather than an interview. I used to listen to every episode but it got very samey.
Cycling is what I do to get away from everything else, I enjoy the not thinking about anything other than what is in front of my wheel aspect.
Podcasts for me are mostly history related stuff, with the odd bit of car related guff as well.
I've been listening to the Slow Ride Pod for over 5 years. Road-oriented, but not exclusively. Always funny despite - don't judge the USA accents they have a kind of self-deprecating British sense of humour. removed link "Cycling advice from three idiots"
And now I've listened to it too 😀 Very enjoyable on my drive to Peaslake and back, Guy does seem a nice guy. Took dedication on my part as I don't currently use Spotify, couldn't find you on Apple Podcasts but did track you down on YouTube Music
Yay! Cheers. I'd love to do more but I got let down by people who promised to be on and never turned up or answered messages, just completely blanked me and it takes time to set up and edit and frankly I don't have time to fit it all in.
I guess that's what you get for getting involved with ",influencers"
My dream would be to do video/audio pod with another regular presenter to bounce ideas and banter off with lots of interesting guests. Maybe I should advertise?
NSF & Watts Occurring for cycling, Americast and Newscast and most (some is crap tho) R4 comedy. Most of the MtB/Gravel stuff is a bit rambling and tbh
I know that all postcasts and videos are glorified adverts.
But I do like videos from GMBM, EMBN, GCN (bit more actual road, even commute type content is good) EMTBForums (@mark STW copy this forum :_)).
Trick ponie videos from various MTB stars, I have drifted from these long ago.
Cycling Pods I tend to Keep up with
Pinkbike
The Wild Ones
Just Riding Along
Dip in on
The path bikeshop
Singletrack
more dirt
downtime
cycling industry news
GCN/GMBN
Other stuff that I find excellent,
no such thing as a fish
BBC4 Friday Night comedy
Infinate Monkey cage
A Problem squared
You're Dead to Me
Curious Cases