Downtime is 4 years old today, and I wanted to mark that in some way. My most popular episode ever, with the one and only Josh Bryceland, was about to drop off the end of the podcast’s RSS feed. That means that the only place you’d be able to find it is on my website, and it’s still so popular that I wanted to make sure people can access it easily. So I’ve remastered it, and re-released it for everyone to continue to enjoy. So if you’ve listened before, hopefully you’ll enjoy listening again, and if you’ve never heard this episode, then you’re in for a good hour and a half.

If you were hoping for a new interview with Josh then I’m sorry to disappoint. If you’re keen to hear from Josh again, then maybe comment on my instagram post for this episode and tag him in and we’ll see if we can make it happen!

Here's what I said before last time around...

There’s something special about Josh Bryceland. Ever since he arrived on the mountain bike scene he has brought something unique to the party. His laid-back attitude, incredible style, huge grin and unmistakable looks have proved infectious, and as a result, he’s earned a place in the heart of many of us.

In the off-season of 2016, Josh announced that he would be leaving the downhill world cup behind, much to the shock and dismay of his fans. However, Josh wasn’t going away, in fact, anything but! 2017 saw a more enlightened Josh making forays into the Enduro World Series, Crankworx, and Fest Series, as well as being involved in multiple filming projects, and creating more fresh content with the 50to01crew. All this meant we got to see more of that infectious grin than ever before.

But how did we get here? Where did it all start? What really drove the decision to leave downhill, what’s next, and what does Josh think about the state of mountain biking today? These questions have been on my mind for some time, so when I got the opportunity to visit Josh on his houseboat, moored in a quiet marina on the outskirts of Manchester, I jumped at the chance.

Josh popped on the kettle and we sat down with a cup of tea (with hemp milk, of course) for a good old-fashioned chinwag. In a wide-ranging conversation and the most in-depth interview with Josh so far, we cover his childhood, riding with Peaty, sports psychology, winning the world cup overall title, why he decided to quit downhill and plenty more. So grab a drink, sit back, relax and listen to the story of Ratboy’s journey so far.

You can also find Gamble over on RedBullTV here.

Podcast Stuff

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. The new t-shirts are super soft and a lovely fit, so treat yourself and help the podcast at the same time. We've got sweatshirts and hoodies too!

For everything video, including riding videos, bike checks and more, subscribe over at youtube.com/downtimemountainbikepodcast.

Are you enjoying the podcast? If so, then don’t forget to subscribe. It’s free and means you’ll get every episode delivered to your device as soon as it’s available. You'll find all the links you need at downtimepodcast.com/subscribe. You can find us on Apple Podcast, Spotify, Google and most of the podcast apps out there. While you're there, why not join our newsletter, to get our Weekend Warm-Up email on a Friday, full of interesting bike-related stuff, competitions, product recommendations and more.

Our back catalogue of amazing episodes is available at downtimepodcast.com/episodes

Photo - Sven Martin