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Downtime - The Mountain Bike Podcast

Finn Iles & Kev Joly – The Work Required to Put a Prototype Bike on the Podium

Downtime - The Mountain Bike Podcast

Downtime MTB

Leisure, Health & Fitness, Hobbies, Sports, Wilderness, Fitness

4.9628 Ratings

🗓️ 12 July 2022

⏱️ 60 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

Finn Iles and Kev Joly are a rider/mechanic combo that are doing big things in World Cup downhill racing right now. With two 2nd places already this season, despite Finn suffering a pretty serious concussion earlier in the season. We sat down to chat about how they work together and get some insight into the processes that they use which enabled them to take a brand new prototype bike and race it to second place on its first-ever race outing. That result shows how well these two work together and how well they understand the challenges of setting up a fast race bike. We also chat about Finn’s concussion and how he approached his return to riding and racing. This was a super interesting conversation for me, with some incredible insight into just how good the top teams are. So sit back, hit play and listen to this episode with Finn Iles and Kev Joly. You can find Finn Iles on Instagram @finniles and Kev @kevjoly and the team @specializedgravity. Supporting Partners Magura I’ve been using the Magura MT7 Pro brakes since late last year, and I recently posted that they were the best brakes I’ve ever used. A couple of people got in touch to as if that was really the case and my honest answer is yes they are. The power is insane, but it’s totally controllable, and they are the only brakes that I’ve been able to keep working just as well as when I first fitted them. What’s more, Magura have their #customizeyourbrake programme which allows you to get the brake set up perfectly for you, as you can change the brake lever, the pads, the discs and make some aesthetic changes too. You can check out the entire range of Magura brakes, and the #customizeyourbrake programme over at magura.com. Leatt I’ve been using some of Leatt’s most recent collection of clothing and I’ve been really impressed. For me there have been a few stand out items. The Trail 1.0 Jacket is super small and lightweight and is the perfect jacket to get you out of trouble. Stick it in your pack and forget about it. The Trail 1.0 Jersey is ultra-lightweight and has panels of Ice Yarn which is made of recycled coffee and has a cooling touch effect. The Trail 3.0 Shorts are cut slim, stretchy and super comfortable to wear. They also come with a top quality Italian made chamois liner. If you want to check out what Leatt have to offer, then you can see the entire range at leatt.com and get hold of them at your local bike shop or online. CushCore Want to go bigger, corner harder and ride faster with total confidence then CushCore have got you covered. The first choice of a huge amount of the top EWS and DH racers, CushCore is way more than just an insert to reduce your chance of punctures. CushCore really does change the way your bike rides for the better. Head over to cushcore.com and check it out. Podcast Stuff Downtime EP Downtime EP issue 2 is now available at downtimepodcast.com/ep. EP takes inspiration from the guests and topics of the podcast. It expands on them, and takes them into a stunning print-only format. EP is the perfect companion for some quiet time away from the distractions of modern life. Beautiful to have and hold, and a timeless piece of mountain bike history. Just head over to downtimepodcast.com/ep to save yourself £5 off of the cover price with an annual subscription for just £20 plus postage or you can purchase EP1, or EP2 on their own too. Merch If you want to support the podcast, and represent, then my webstore is the place to head. All products are 100% organic, shipped without plastics, and made with a supply chain that's using renewable energy. So check it out now over at downtimepodcast.com/shop. Follow Us Give us a follow on Instagram @downtimepodcast or Facebook @downtimepodcast to keep up to date and chat in the comments. For everything video, including riding videos, bike checks and more, subscribe over at youtube.com/downtimemountainbikepodcast.

Transcript

Click on a timestamp to play from that location

0:00.0

Hey everyone, I'm Chris Hall and you're listening to the downtime podcast where we delve deep into the gravity-based side of mountain biking.

0:10.4

First up, I want to thank our supporting partners who make this podcast possible and today that's Magura, Leia and Kushkore.

0:17.0

As you probably know, I've been running the Megura MT7 Pro brakes all year and I've been really impressed by them. For me, they're the best breaks I've ever used. The power is incredible, but it's completely controllable and they're the only breaks that I've been able to keep working just as well as when I first fitted them. I use the performance pads and the pad life has been excellent and I've found them super easy to bleed as well. Since fitting them,

0:41.3

I've never had to worry about being able to slow down. In addition to all of that,

0:44.9

Magura have their customised your brake programme, which means you can get the brake set up perfectly for you. There are multiple options for lever shape, pad compound, disc and some

0:49.7

aesthetic changes to perfectly match it up with your ride. I found that the perfect set up for me is the

0:54.7

standard performance pads and the HC wide-reach lever, which was designed for Loweck, but I find works

0:59.3

really well for me. You can check out the entire range of Magira brakes and the customise

1:03.8

your brake program over at Magura.com. I've been trying some of layout's most recent collection of

1:09.4

clothing and I've been really impressed. For me, there's been a few standout items. Last week I told you about the awesome

1:14.6

Trail 1.0 jacket, which has become a permanent fixture in my riding pack and today I want

1:19.2

to tell you about the Trail 3.0 shorts. The Trail 3.0 shorts are a light trail riding

1:24.5

short that for me with a perfect cut. They're quite slim fit without

1:28.4

being tight anywhere and they aren't super long but work really well with knee pads. The material

1:32.7

is stretching and quiet and also comes with a coating that protects it from mud, water and

1:36.8

staining. The waist is easily adjustable for the perfect fit and they come with a super

1:41.0

comfortable Italian-made chamois liner. They tick all the boxes for me and were my choice for race day at the EWS 100. If you want to check out what layout have to offer, then you can see the entire range over at layat.com, and you can get hold of them at your local bike shop or online. While you're here, don't forget to subscribe or follow the podcast so you never miss an episode. There's buttons to help you get that done over at downtimepodcast.com for slash subscribe.

2:05.4

Merch is available if you want to support the show. That's over at downtimepodcast.com

2:09.2

for slash shop. The second issue of our print project, Downtown EP, is now available too.

2:14.1

Pack full of great writing and amazing photography for mountain biking's best. It takes some of the topics and guests from the podcast and brings them into something beautiful

2:21.1

to read and cherish. You can get your copy or an annual subscription over at downtimepodcast.com

2:26.2

and a massive thank you to everyone who's been sharing it and for all the lovely feedback

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