An e-bike certainly means more laps, more jumps, more drops and more trails, but what are the downsides for us traditional mountain bikers? Can an e-bike be used as a tool for progression on your mountain bike?

Dan & Sage are excited to demo Specialized Turbo Levo e-bikes for 3 days of riding! The guys use these modern marvels to session jumps and unlock MTB skills! Day 1 we went to the Trexler Nature Preserve and sessioned the Return of Brian's trail and Jack O Diamonds. Day 2 and 3 we headed to Mt Penn to hit the Skyline jumps. The progression we experienced over those 3 days was incredible!!! But we also noticed some downsides concerning the weight of the bike and power modulation.

So the question is, will Dan & Sage want to buy e-bikes now?! Listen and find out! Join the conversation about the benefits and drawbacks. Join the conversation about the benefits and drawbacks of e-bikes at https://www.youtube.com/@RideLaughPodcast or rideandlaugh1@gmail.com

TrailSage video on Specialized Levo 1st Impressions: https://youtu.be/kojuHvACxDM

MTB Gratitude of the Week

Sage: Dirtsculpt is an east coast company specializing in designing and building mountain bike trails, pump tracks and bike parks. Sage talks about his appreciation for the awesome job Dirtsculpt did building the amazing "Skyline" jump trail on Mt. Penn. Sage has gratitude to have such well-built jumps to ride, session and enjoy! Thank you Dirtsculpt!! https://dirtsculpt.com/

Dan: Keswick Cycles in Paoli & Specialized Bikes! Huge thank you to Gary, Corey, Will and the rest of the staff at Keswick Cycles in Paoli. Keswick Cycles provided the Specialized Turbo Levo e-bikes that Dan & Sage rode and talk about in this episode. Keswick Cycles is a great shop for all gear and repairs. They went above and beyond providing these e-bikes for The Ride & Laugh Podcast team! We also want to thank Specialized Bikes for their demo program. Thank you Keswick Cycles Paoli & Specialized Bikes!! https://www.instagram.com/keswickcycle.paoli/

MTB Tip of the Week

Spray your bug repellent on your clothing/gear, not on your skin! By spraying your helmet, shoulders and hydration pack, the bug spray won't sweat off your skin. Keep the gnats away with a clean bug spray (essential oils, cedar, etc) and keep the bug spray on you longer by spraying gear & clothing instead of skin! https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000F5NEF8

Skyline Jump Trail at Mt. Penn: https://www.trailforks.com/trails/skyline-53365/

Specialized Turbo Levo: https://www.specialized.com/us/en/c/eturbolevo

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

The Ride and Laugh 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.

#eMTB #MountainBike #eBike #MTBtips #MTBPodcast

Risk, reward and progression on our mountain bikes resonates with our souls! Join us for the 2nd part of our discussion about overcoming fear, unlocking your MTB skills and going for it!

Join the conversation and get stoked about unlocking your skills, focusing and overcoming obstacles! Riskier features and trails seem to be more rewarding to conquer on our mountain bikes. What are the reasons that push mountain bikers to attempt dangerous trails, jumps, drops and features? Would you (or have you already!) attempt the "White Line" in Sedona or "Portal Trail" in Moab? Flow on the bike, flow in life!

Bamba (Berks Area Mountain Biking Association): https://berksmountainbiking.org/

Phoenixville Bike Park: https://www.trailforks.com/skillpark/phoenixville-bike-park

TrailSage video on Phoenixville Bike Park: https://youtu.be/f4FQOHRWmUM

MTB Gratitude of the Week

Sage: Danny & Main Line Cycles - After cracking the carbon on his trusty Ibis Mojo full suspension bike, Sage has enormous gratitude to Dan & his family for paying for the carbon repair. Limitless gratitude to Sage's shop, Main Line Cycles, for arranging the carbon repair at an incredibly reasonable price. A great shop you can check out at: https://www.mainlinecycles.com/

Dan: Phoenixville Bike Park! - Gratitude to this progressive bike park built in the small town of Phoenixville! Dan is so impressed with how much benefit the bike park contributes to the community. Kids and adults were outside riding bikes on a nice summer day. Gratitude to the Phoenixville bike park and community bike parks everywhere! https://www.morekidsonbikespa.org/donate

MTB Tip of the Week

How to visualize conquering or completing a new feature or jump on your mountain bike. Sage advises seeing yourself from a 3rd person perspective. Like you're the star in a movie or video! You are unlimited! You got this!!

The video version of this episode is also available on YouTube here: https://youtu.be/tmP2WDX-ZOo

The Ride and Laugh 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 #MTBtips #MTBPodcast

Trusting our bike skills and fully committing to a feature on the trail feels good! Why do some mountain bikers thrive on high consequence challenges like jumps, drops, features and tech?

Entering the flow state on our mountain bikes is achieved with skill, enthusiasm and confidence! When we're flowing, we know that anything is possible! We seek out challenges on the trail that may seem risky or silly to non-riders. But as mountain bikers, achieving competence or mastery of these challenges raises our 'stoke-meters' through the roof!

The guys reference two previous episodes which you can find here: Strava: The App We Love and Love to Hate: https://youtu.be/kkpVMH3fZek Look Ma, No Gels! MTB Nutrition like you've never heard before: https://youtu.be/jOqFp9L8qo0

Dan discusses his ride at Hawes trail system in Arizona. See his route here: https://www.trailforks.com/ridelog/view/71975457/

MTB Gratitude of the Week

Sage: Health - Sage is grateful to wake up each day feeling good. Each day we wake up feeling strong, fit and healthy is a good day! Sage appreciates his healthy and resilient body. Thanks to our bodies we get to enjoy the amazing sport of mountain biking (and so much more!). Extra gratitude for avoiding injury on a dangerous fall recently!

Dan: Metabolic Flexibility! - Dan appreciates his body's ability to burn fat as fuel. This amazing adaptation that all humans have unlocks metabolic flexibility. Dan can easily fast (skip meals) for long periods. This ability has been really useful this week with Dan travelling and working long hours at work. No need to eat! It's a super-power that is really useful on the trails as well! The human body is amazing! Thank you universe!

MTB Tip of the Week

How to properly shift into an easier gear while putting down intense power on a mountain bike climb. Find the spot in your pedal stroke where you can let up a little bit... that's your opportunity to shift into an easier gear 'under load.'

The video version of this episode is also available on YouTube here: https://youtu.be/1iBB6t9-uSc

The Ride and Laugh 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 #MTBtips #MTBPodcast