Kathy Sessler is the team manager for one of the most popular mountain bike teams in the world, the Santa Cruz Syndicate. She’s been into bikes since way before mountain biking began, and has a rich history with the sport and some great stories to tell. We talk about her early days as a 13yr old bicycle motocross race promotor. We chat about her race career, her time working as a stunt woman, and what it’s been like to run the Syndicate over the years, working with riders like Nathan Rennie, Steve Peat, Josh Bryceland, Greg Minnaar, and more recently Loris and Luca. We even find out about the Syndicate’s new no drinking rule! It’s always inspiring to chat to someone who’s dedicated their whole life to the sport, and Kathy was no exception, so hit play below and give it a listen.

Check out Kathy’s lesson in history video here, it’s pretty short and a really great watch!

This month, We Are One Composites are back to support the podcast. We Are One have been big supporters of what I’m doing from the start, and for that I’m really grateful. They also make amazing carbon fibre wheels which are hand made in Canada, and have recently added their DaPackage bar and stem to their line up. I’m running their Faction 29er rims on my new bike, and they look and feel amazing. They’ve managed to find the sweet spot between stiffness and compliance, making a wheel that tracks, but doesn’t feel harsh to ride. They’ve got a whole line up of wheels, so there is always something to suit your needs. Head to weareonecomposites.com and check out what they have to offer. If you’re tempted, then as a Downtime listener they have kindly offered you 15% off until 30th June. All you need to do is enter the code ‘handlaid2020‘ at the checkout.

This episode of the podcast is also supported by PNW Components. I’ve been using a PNW dropper post and their fabulous Loam Lever remote for a year and they have been absolutely faultless, which makes them the only dropper set up I’ve ever had that hasn’t caused me any issues at all in that time period! They have recently launched their new Rainier dropper which has lots of adjustability and a shorter overall length, allowing you to maximise your drop. Check out what they have to offer at www.pnwcomponents.com and for you lucky Downtime listeners you get 15% off using the code ‘pnwdowntime‘ at the checkout. You can also checkout PNW’s new recycling program here.

My webstore is BACK! It’s all brand new, with new designs, lower prices and faster shipping. All the products are 100% organic, shipped without plastics, and made with a supply chain that’s using renewable energy. Check it out now over at downtimepodcast.com/shop.

I’ve got another live episode coming up on 10th June at 8pm BST. You can head over to my YouTube channel now to set a re...