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

I have a brilliant chat with young up-and-coming racer Ben Coppola. Ben has many talents and has actually decided to step away from mountain biking to focus on racing on the road, we discuss what drove this decision as well and get some great insights into his career so far.

This episode is a must listen for any young aspiring racers and their parents/guardians. Other listeners and fans will also find it really interesting as well, as Ben gives some great insights into his training and racing that everyone can learn from to get the most from themselves.

Don't forget XC MTB Academy tickets are live for April so get signed up if you haven't already.

Links

• Ben Coppola
• Fundacion Ciclismo Benicadell
• Giorgio Coppola
• XC MTB Academy
• Alterra Performance
• The A Line Podcast
• Buy Me A Coffee

Anyone who has been to one of the UK Nationals will recognise Hannah as a very familiar voice, since she does the live commentary at each of the rounds. Others may know Hannah as an author of many outdoor books, the latest being the Dirt Directory so go grab a copy of that if you haven't already.We have a great chat about everything from how Hannah found bikes, why she still loves it and how we can get more people riding bikes/racing. It was great to get perspectives from someone the otherside of the tape at some of the UK's biggest races and how we can help the sport grow as a whole.Links Hannah CollingridgeSchwalbe TyresVertebrate Publishing Grity KitHope WomenThe FNY CollectiveNorna ScottLee EatonThe A Line PodcastXC MTB Academy

Al Griffin doesn't do things by half measures, not only having double ACL surgery but also doing two XCO National Championship races in one day.

It was great to chat with Al, hearing his backstory coming from Moto Enduro before progressing onto Gravity Enduro and finally into cross country. His path hasn't been straight forward though, with lots of hurdles in the way this is a great listen for anyone facing challenges. Al shares some great insight on how to overcome low points, stay focused, and keep striving to reach your goal.

Links;

• Al Griffin
• Tofoo
• Athletica
• Moorland Cycles
• The A Line Podcast
• Buy Me A Coffee
• Alterra Performance
• Motion MTB Coach

I sit down with our first podcast couple in this episode, chatting to Grace and Joe about their training and racing. Both are really fun to chat with and absolute weapons on the bike, we get each persons unique perspective on training and racing for their perspective goals.

I really enjoyed seeing how despite their different skill and fitness, they still have a lot of fun with training and racing at the elite level. So listeners can learn a lot from their different approaches to help improve their own training and racing.

Be sure to follow Grace and Joe on Instagram to keep up to date with all their adventures.

Links