This week we're joined by Greg Heil, Managing Editor at Singletracks. Over the years, Greg has shared stories from trails all over North America—and for two of those years, he was doing it all while living full-time on the road in a van.

We’re going to talk about what that experience was like: the incredible places he rode, the highs and lows of vanlife, and what ultimately led him to settle down again. Whether you’ve been dreaming of hitting the road yourself or you’re just curious about what it takes to live that lifestyle, there’s a lot to learn here.

• What inspired you to hit the road and live out of a van full-time in the first place?
• Tell us about your van setup—what kind of vehicle were you working with, and how did you configure it for full-time living, working, and mountain biking?
• Were there any must-have upgrades or clever hacks that made life easier?
• How did you manage your work as a writer and editor while constantly on the move?
• Were there any unexpected gems—places that surprised you or exceeded your expectations? What about well-known spots you ended up leaving early?
• What were some of the biggest challenges you faced?
• Are there any common mistakes people make when they're just starting out?
• After a couple of years on the road, you decided to settle in one place again. What led to that decision?
• What’s one thing you packed in the van that you never ended up using?
• What’s one item you couldn’t live without on the road?

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This episode is sponsored by Greater Sandpoint Chamber of Commerce.

If you’re looking for your next mountain bike destination that offers just about everything, put Sandpoint, Idaho at the top of your list! The Lower Basin trail system serves up world-class riding through towering timber and across massive granite rock slabs, with trails for every rider — from technical black diamond descents to fast, flowy cross-country loops.

For excellent park-style riding, head up to Schweitzer Mountain Resort with dedicated downhill trails and e-bike access to more than two dozen trails. Or pedal from town to the Pine Street Woods trail system where the trails range from flowy to technical.

When you’re ready to take a break from the trails, Lake Pend Oreille is right there for camping, boating, swimming, or even standup paddleboarding. And after a big day outdoors, head into the town of Sandpoint where you'll find a great selection of bars and restaurants to relax and refuel.

Get all the details to plan your perfect getaway at visitsandpoint.com. The trails and the good times are waiting for you when you Visit Idaho!

If you’ve ever watched a World Cup downhill or cross-country race at Mont Sainte Anne, you’ve seen Mountain Bike Hall of Famer Pat Drouin's work. And if you’ve ever wondered how a venue like that gets selected—or what it takes to actually host one of these massive events—we’re going to dig into that today.

We’ll also talk about the riding in and around Quebec City, which you might be surprised to learn is one of North America's most vibrant mountain bike destinations.

• How would you describe the mountain biking scene in and around Quebec City?
• Are there any lesser-known trails in the region that visitors might want to check out?
• What does it actually take to host a UCI World Cup or World Championship event?
• Beyond the race course itself, what factors does the UCI look for in a venue?
• In your experience, what are the key ingredients for a successful race weekend?
• Is there a particular year or moment that stands out as especially memorable in your career?
• Looking back on your 30+ years in the sport, what are you most proud of?
• Are there any innovations in the sport—like e-MTB racing—that you think are especially important for the future?
• What’s one lesson you’ve learned from organizing bike races that might surprise people?
• What advice would you give to someone who wants to organize their own local mountain bike event?

If you're heading to Quebec, check out the Auberge & Campagne tavern and inn, which is owned and operated by Pat and his family.

Photo: Drouin pictured with his GESTEV business partner, Chantal Lachance.

An automatically generated transcript will be available at Singletracks.com later today.

This episode is sponsored by Trailbot. Trailbot is the smarter way for trail managers to communicate updates without relying on social media. Don’t let The Algorithm bury your posts—easily share conditions and closures to your web site, social media and the app all at once. Best of all, it’s free.

Trailbot is used by over 260 trail systems in 17 states and growing fast. Over 50,000 riders have installed the free iOS and Android apps to get official updates with optional push notifications, without having to see what their weird relative posted on social media.

Learn more at ⁠⁠⁠trailbot.com⁠⁠⁠.

If you follow the bike industry, you probably saw the news earlier this year that Revel was shutting down. It caught a lot of people off guard, including customers, fans, and even some insiders. But just a few months later, found Adam Miller announced he was buying the brand back and relaunching Revel with a new vision. So today, we’re going to talk about that journey—why Revel is going direct-to-consumer, what Adam learned during his time away from the company, and why he believes now is the right time to double down on building bikes again.

• Why bring Revel back now, especially given the challenges facing the bike industry?
• What were you doing between stepping away from Revel and deciding to buy the brand back?
• Why move to a direct-to-consumer model with the relaunch?
• What’s wrong with the traditional dealer/distributor model for selling bikes?
• What financing options are available for building and growing a bike company today?
• How do you see smaller brands like Revel competing with the big players in the industry?
• What makes Revel different from other bike brands, especially in such a competitive market
• What’s one thing you’re doing differently this time around based on your past experience?

An automatically generated transcript will be available at Singletracks.com later today. More info about Revel at revelbikes.com.

This episode is sponsored by Trailbot. Trailbot is the smarter way for trail managers to communicate updates without relying on social media. Don’t let The Algorithm bury your posts—easily share conditions and closures to your web site, social media and the app all at once. Best of all, it’s free.

Trailbot is used by over 260 trail systems in 17 states and growing fast. Over 50,000 riders have installed the free iOS and Android apps to get official updates with optional push notifications, without having to see what their weird relative posted on social media.

Learn more at ⁠⁠⁠⁠trailbot.com⁠⁠⁠⁠.