Fast, furious, dramatic - the 2024 Olympic Mountain Bike races in Paris delivered on the drama front.

Spindrift host Aoife Glass chats with Tara Nolan, journalist from Canadian Cycling Magazine in this special edition of the Spindrift Podcast. 

They discuss highlights of the women's and men's Olympic XC events, the medal winners, the course, the dramatic moments of both events of which there were plenty, and what it's like to be a journalist at the Paris Olympic Games. 

Does motherhood have to mean the end of cycling adventures? How can you find accessible trails? Is the bike industry doing enough to diversify the representation of cycling? 

Spindrift was invited to host a panel discussion with 5 incredible guests at a live event in Sheffield, with Kelly-Jayne Collinge, Dr Fiona Spotswood, Vicky Balfour, Bron Black & Dr Phoebe Sneddon, discussing these topics and a whole lot more.

From stage management and musical theatre to bringing the atmosphere to the Mountain Bike World Series and the Cycling World Champs, Skye Murphy has fascinating role within the bike world, and an unusual path into it. Cool, calm and professional, she's worked at MTB events across the world over the last year with Great Big Events... and done it as a new mum, with her baby, Gwen, on tour with her. Spindrift spoke to Skye on the last day of the Cycling World Championship events in Glentress, Scotland, while the action took place around us. 

This bonus episode is a crossover with On The Outside, a podcast sharing diverse views on outdoor news in the UK. Specifically, this episode discusses the Cycling World Championships which took place in Scotland in August 2023, looking at a range of subjects around the event, its impact, accessibility, and what it was actually like to be there. Guests include Spindrift Podcast host Aoife Glass, Neil Russell, founder of the Adaptive Riders Collective (ARC) CIC, endurance athlete and adventurer Vedangi Kulkarni, and podcast producer, editor and host Francesca Turauskis.

Why is there still such a marked gender disparity in mountain biking? That’s the question that prompted Dr Fiona Spotswood, associate professor at the University of Bristol, to research gender inequality within and women’s perceptions of mountain biking. After numerous conversations with women across the UK, the results are fascinating - but perhaps not surprising. Women don’t feel represented or included in how MTB is portrayed, but the good news is they aren’t waiting around for the bike industry to catch up. This episode touches on representation, inclusion, grass-roots communities, how events like Red Bull Formation and Rampage play a part, and what needs to change to make mountain biking a more welcoming space for women.

Emily Horridge discovered mountain biking in the 90’s when it was a fresh new sport, and never looked back. She raced as an elite athlete in the downhill world cup for many years, then became a mountain bike guide and now leads adventures in the Alps. This year, she’s decided to return to the Downhill World Cup and settle up some unfinished business.

From the Downhill World Cup circuit to FourCross World Champion to MTB coach, Katy Curd has a wealth of experience (and some brilliant stories) from her action-packed life. There have been lows, with concussion having a major impact on her health, and plenty of highs.

Ever wondered what it’s like to work in the bike biz or write for Pinkbike? Rachelle Boobar shares her unusual career journey from Whistler bike park to Global Marketing Manager of GT Bicycles, plus how the arrival of her baby changed her perspectives on cycling.

Canyon Collective mountain biker Ines Thoma shares the story of how she moved from racing skies to racing bikes, her love of the Enduro World Series and how she’s happily riding through her pregnancy.

Scottish downhill mountain biker Mikayla Parton made the switch from skiing to biking relatively late, but it hasn’t stopped her becoming an elite racer on the World Cup scene.

Scottish downhill mountain biker Mikayla Parton made the switch from skiing to biking relatively late, but it hasn’t stopped her becoming an elite racer on the World Cup scene.

Guide, advocate, mentor, co-founder of the GoWhere MTB holiday company and diversity & inclusion expert, Aneela McKenna is a woman of many, many talents.