Please welcome to the show Will Gell, it is great to have Will on as not only is he a strong XC MTB racer but he is also works as a mechanic at BRINK on races bikes from recreational to those competing at the WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series .

Making him the perfect person to talk to about race bikes, giving insight to the technical side of mountain biking but in simple and practical terms that listeners can use to optimise their MTB bike set up.

We discuss hot topics such what is a good weight for an XC MTB? Are hardtail MTB dead? Is Flight Attendant worth the money and much more. Making this a brilliant episode for racers of all levels to get the most from their bike.

You can follow Will and his supporters, BRINK, Maxxis and Plush in these links.

As race season is well and truly here so head over to XCO-MTB.com to stay up to date with all the latest race news.

Tickets for the June Alterra Performance XC MTB Academy session go live on the 26th May, so be sure to sign up fast.

Be sure to follow The A Line Podcast and Ashley de Lotz on Instagram to stay in touch and chat. Finally if the show has bought you some value and you would like to support it, please Buy Me A Coffee.

Today we sit down with friend of the show Amy Henchoz, to catch up on her training and racing. She is a phenomenal rider but unfortunately had a few issues and injuries over the past year, so we have a great chat about how she has overcome these and adapted her racing schedule.

Making it a great listen for riders who may have experienced similar, or having their racing plans derailed and having to adapt their season.

Despite these setbacks Amy has still had some mega results and is flying in 2025.

Links to socials;

• Amy Henchoz
• The A Line Podcast
• Schwalbe
• TORQ
• Alterra Performance
• Ashley de Lotz

Today I chat with James Dilks, a Jersey-based athlete that has smashed his way up through the ranks and is now racing Elite in the UK and Europe. We discuss the challenges he's had to overcome due to living on a small island, as well as opening up about issues in his personal life.

This combination of experiences and James great reflection makes for an interesting episode that listeners can use to help them over come barriers they may also be facing in both life and racing.

In other news race season is well and truly here, so get yourself booked into the XC MTB Academy if you want help in levelling up your fun and performance on the bike.

Links;

• James Dilks
• Big Maggys Race Team
• Pine Sport Coaching
• The Cycle Centre Jersey
• The A Line Podcast
• Alterra Performance
• XC MTB Academy
• Buy Me A Coffee