What type of mountain bike do experienced riders recommend for new MTB trail riders? Join a "Ride & Laugh" mountain bike debate about hardtails, full-suspension, e-bikes, skills, fun, budget, weight, passion and much more!

How important is the right bike to a new mountain bike rider's joy of our amazing sport? Do most riders start on hardtails, or can we go right to a full-suspension trail bike? How much do we spend on a 1st bike before we know if mountain biking is for us? We may waver but eventually, Dan & Sage come to a definitive conclusion! Do you agree with the guys on this one? We want your feedback?

Also in this episode, Sage is stoked to eventually ride his new Specialized Stumpjumper 15! The guys discuss handlebar length, bike fit, South Mountain vs. UCI Downhill, underbiking and much more!

MTB Gratitude of the Week

Dan: Hawesfest Mountain Bike Festival! Thank you to Hawesaholics, Hawes Trail Alliance and all the other organizations and volunteers who made Hawesfest 2025 possible! So many cool people who love bikes and the Hawes trails! The festival was well attended, the vendors were awesome and the vibe was super high! Mountain biking is awesome & Mtb’ers are the best! Gratitude Hawesfest!

Sage: Sage appreciates the positive feedback R&L is receiving for the YouTube version of the podcast. Sage and Dan put an enormous amount of time and energy into adding MTB video; which makes the R&L podcast on YouTube really unique and special. Thank you to all our viewers and we appreciate the positive response and feedback!

MTB Tip of the Week:

Get a professional bike fit! We spend a lot of money on our bikes and gear. Let’s make certain we’re fit for optimum performance on all of our current and future bikes! Avoid injuries, add comfort, and maybe get faster at the same time! A good bike fit can be invaluable.

Additional Links:

Specialized Stumpjumper 15 - https://www.specialized.com/us/en/shop/bikes/mountain-bikes/trail-bikes/stumpjumper TrailSage - Mt. Lemon https://youtu.be/MZzloNVev-o Hawes Trail Alliance https://hawestrailalliance.com/ TrailSage - Stumpjumper 15 Review - https://youtu.be/DA2WWv2s8JI Keswick Cycles Paoli https://www.instagram.com/keswickcycle.paoli/ AJ Steeber - R&L Realtor! https://www.instagram.com/aj_steeber/ Ride Reactive - https://www.ridereactive.com

The video version of this episode is also available on YouTube here: https://youtu.be/dcccggrqAGM

The Ride and Laugh MTB podcast is hosted by Dan @the_ride_abides and Sage @TrailSage. Join us as we discuss all things mountain biking! Riding technique, MTB gear, bikes, nutrition, fitness, mindset and more! Feel the gratitude. Flow on the trails, Flow in life! Please enjoy the content then like and subscribe. Join the Ride & Laugh community in the comments and/or rideandlaugh1@gmail.com.

#MTB #MountainBike #MTBPodcast #MTBtips

Maximize the fun and excitement of mountain biking on a new trail for the 1st time, aka “Riding Blind!” Learn the top tips to boost your confidence, speed and flow on new and old MTB trails!!

Is it still riding blind if you’re following another rider? Dan rides partially blind (Pirate style!?) on the double black "Old Man Trail" at South Mountain in Phoenix, Arizona. Does a ‘big’ bike with more suspension travel, such as the Pivot Firebird or Yeti SB160 add confidence when riding blind on new trails? Sage discusses how he utilizes multi-day fasting to optimize health for mountain biking. Dan is surprised by what he learns riding his hardtail MTB on the famed National Trail at SoMo. Also discussed are clipped-in pedals vs. exposure, gap jumps at Hawes Trails in Mesa, AZ, pumptrack fitness, ideal tire PSI, anxiety vs. intuition and much more!

MTB Gratitude of the Week

Sage: DennyJenettyMTB “Rider Spotlight” series - Dennis interviewed TrailSage as part of his new “Rider Spotlight” series. Dennis is interviewing MTB YouTubers and riders with his unique perspective and sense of humor. Sage had a blast talking to Dennis and has gratitude for their friendship! Check out Dennis’s interview with Sage and support his Rider Spotlight series! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jGD6BNe6Tgw

Dan: Meeting Kyle Anderson and Rob Drew! - Dan and “SoMo Jeff” met Kyle on a recent ride climbing up the gnarly National Trail at South Mountain. Kyle was as friendly as he was talented! This guy loves mtbing and was stoked to share some crazy lines and options we had never even considered! We then met Kyle’s good friend, the legendary Rob Drew himself! Rob was super cool and showed us how he climbs up the massive waterfall feature on National Trail. Awesome people, awesome riders, awesome day on the bike!

MTB Tip of the Week:

When riding a trail for the 1st time and following someone, JUST FOLLOW. Ask only about trail features that are above your comfort level. Don’t ask for too much detail, your job is to stay present and ride. The ride leader’s job is to shout-out any features you may not be comfortable with. Use the techniques discussed in this pod to slay new and old trails alike! You got this!!

Featured Riders:

Jeff W - https://www.instagram.com/jwinsor20/ A.J. - https://www.instagram.com/aj_steeber/ Jordan - https://www.instagram.com/jbowersrealestate Kyle - https://www.instagram.com/mr_anderson480 Rob Drew - https://www.instagram.com/therobdrew/

Additional Links:

Sean at Sticks & Stones: https://www.instagram.com/sticksandstonestrailco/ Denny Jannetty MTB: https://www.youtube.com/@DennyJannettyMTB

The video version of this episode is also available on YouTube here: https://youtu.be/aUqafNj9oB4

The Ride and Laugh MTB podcast is hosted by Dan @the_ride_abides and Sage @TrailSage. Join us as we discuss all things mountain biking! Riding technique, MTB gear, bikes, nutrition, fitness, mindset and more! Feel the gratitude. Flow on the trails, Flow in life! Please enjoy the content then like and subscribe. Join the Ride & Laugh community in the comments and/or rideandlaugh1@gmail.com.

#MTB #MountainBike #MTBPodcast #MTBtips

Do we need to 're' unlock mountain bike skills we have already learned but not used on the trails in a long time? Episode 50 is a classic as we discuss the "Ride and Laugh Cabin/Museum," breakaway pants, hardtails on hard-trails, hip packs and much more!

Dan and Sage learn the best way to land your mountain bike while discussing how much water we need on a ride, hip-pack vs. hydration packs, more winter ride tips, and demos of Pivot Cycles at South Mountain. Can a modern XC bike possibly replace a trail or enduro bike on gnarly trails? What happens on the trail, stays on the trail!? Join us for all the laughs, jokes, stoke, tips, encouragement and mountain bike joy!

MTB Gratitude of the Week

Sage: Shimano MW 501 - Sage appreciates these high performance winter shoes. The Shimanos are great on all but the coldest of rides. The shoes are light-weight, waterproof and comfortable. A good pair of fall/winter shoes is a worthy investment that should last many seasons! Check out Sage’s review here: https://youtu.be/1rX7cOGaTuk

Dan: Hector's portable, mini, electric air compressor! - This tiny air compressor saved Dan a ton of time on the trail as it not only re-inflated his flat tire, but seated a tubeless tire to the rim! This powerful little compressor was super impressive, so Dan immediately bought one! Mini-Air Compressor: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0D8JGD9X8

MTB Tip of the Week:

When climbing on your mountain bike, shift your weight to the front of the saddle. This weight shift will keep you balanced and keep your rear wheel glued to the trail! You are crushing your next climb!

Featured Riders:

Brian on The Bike - https://www.instagram.com/brian_on_a_bike/ Sean - https://www.instagram.com/saguarosingletrack/ Stick - https://www.instagram.com/stephenstoccardo/ Arturo - https://www.instagram.com/byclas_mtb/ Hector - https://www.instagram.com/pa.ncho6744/ Jaime – https://www.instagram.com/jaime_rued/

Additional Links:

Pivot Demo - https://global.pivotcycles.com/collections/demo-bikes USWE Pack - https://uswe.com/en-us/bike Desert Trails Bike Park - https://www.visitmesa.com/directory/desert-trails-park-parks/

The video version of this episode is also available on YouTube here: https://youtu.be/i1VtXSJ7hZY

The Ride and Laugh MTB podcast is hosted by Dan @the_ride_abides and Sage @TrailSage. Join us as we discuss all things mountain biking! Riding technique, MTB gear, bikes, nutrition, fitness, mindset and more! Feel the gratitude. Flow on the trails, Flow in life! Please enjoy the content then like and subscribe. Join the Ride & Laugh community in the comments and/or rideandlaugh1@gmail.com.

#MTB #MountainBike #MTBPodcast #MTBtips