Fuel Your Passion

If you've lived on the same planet as us over the last few years, at some point you've found yourself with a lot of free time. When the world shut down and all we could do was a little exercise and dream, most of us turned to podcasts and YouTube videos to satiate our need to engage in the outside world.

These channels grew and over time became more of a staple in our daily lives, providing motivation and interesting news on our favourite thing, mountain biking. 

Things have changed since then, we're able to get out and ride whenever we like but what that stuck around in our consciousness is the podcast and vlog.

In this article, we're going to spotlight our favourite MTB content creators, hopefully giving you something interesting to listen to and a bit of motivation to get out and ride.

Best MTB Podcasts

The Pinkbike Podcast - Presented by Henry Quinney and the editorial team at everyone's favourite mountain bike news and review website. The presenters are easy to listen and super knowledgeable, Pinkbike specialise in news and reviews.

Find the Pinkbike Podcast on iTunes and Spotify

Downtime - The Mountain Bike Podcast: presented by Chris Hall, one of the longest-running and best podcasts on our list, Chris isn't the most sensationalist presenter but if you're looking for deep dives and interviews with the best riders and personalities this is the one. 

Find the Downtime Podcast on iTunes and Spotify

The Ride Companion: Presented by Davi Birks and Olly Wilkins. The go-to if you want stoke, these guys have been presenting for a few years in one form or another. The chemistry and buzz is still going strong. 

Find the Ride Companion Podcast on iTunes and Spotify

Making Up the Numbers: This one is for all your insider racing content, they cover the Downhill World Cup and Enduro racing throughout the year with in-depth interviews with all your favourite racers. When the racing season is on, listen to them to get detailed analysis and the inside scoop from the people on the ground.

Find the Making Up the Numbers Podcast on iTunes and Spotify

Best Youtube Channels

GMBN - The biggest channel, GMBN cover a wide range but has a huge wealth of content for newer riders wanting to learn skills. They also have sister channels EMBN if you like motorised cycling and GMBN which is like top gear for road bikes. GMBN are a great channel if you're starting out and want to cover as much of the bases as possible in an easy to digest format.

Find the GMBN Channel on YouTube

Pinkbike - The premier news and review website, they had a go at reality TV but  their group tests are always the best. Engaging content and the presenters are awesome. Pairs super well with the website content. Our favourite series is Ben Cathro's How to Bike Series.

Find the Pinkbike Channel on YouTube

Matt Jones - The man who built an entire media career by digging up his garden. He loves a clickbait title but his skills are always mind-blowing to watch and If you love slopestyle you'll love this. Check out some of the Matt Jones signature gear.

Find Matt Jones on YouTube

Ryan Shaw - Kent local legend, Ryan's videos focus on local races and his bike trips. We like his POV videos, they offer a unique perspective on tracks you wouldn't find elsewhere. 

Find Ryan Shaw on YouTube

Brendan Fairclough - Mr Deathgrip, we'd score the channel 76. His YouTube channel brought Rampage to life and is better than the actual event. He's spent a lot of time making Deathgrip 2 but it's a great evening watch. Check out the new Deathgrip 2.

Find Brendan Fairclough on YouTube

The Loam Wolf - A popular Youtube channel for a more honest and well rounded review, we especially like their in depth Ebike reviews.

The The Loam Wolf Channel on YouTube

Freehub Magazine - Based out of Bellingham in the Pacific Northwest of the USA, Freehub magazine specialises in reviews, group tests and some awesome short documentaries. 

Find The Freehub Magazine Channel on YouTube

Tips to Maximize Your Experience

When - We like to listen to podcasts in the car on the way to work. It's a good time to absorb something interesting while doing the daily commute. Youtube is best saved for the train or the toilet, wherever you spend the most time. 

Bookmark - Whatever platform you use, give them a follow, scan through and bookmark the ones that look the most interesting. We find that's the best gateway to get into it then you can binge the ones you like the most.

Engage with the community - Visit a bike park or a local race, go and ride what you see and hear. Check out The Ride Companion's meet-ups and rides.