On my pedal up to the trails today, I listened to a fantastic interview with Dr. Tommy Wood, a neuroscientist, and as per usual, this spurred all kinds of interesting thoughts about how this relates to mountain biking, mental performance, and what I have observed while mentoring with hundreds (if not thousands 🤔) of riders over the years. Here are a few of my key takeaways: How we use our brains is the primary determinant of how they function. Just like the way we move and train our bodies...

There are days on the bike where everything just works. These are the ones we LIVE for. You roll into features with confidence, your timing feels natural, decisions are clean, and you’re riding just above your usual level without forcing anything. You're in that beautiful space of doing the skills, rather than thinking them. Then there are other days where none of that shows up. You might even be riding terrain you’ve done before, stuff well within your ability, maybe even easier than what...

Scotland, hits different. Not in the polished, bike park, hero-dirt kind of way. Not in the “perfect conditions, perfect trail, perfect day” kind of way either. Scotland is raw. It’s unpredictable. And if you let it, it will change the way you ride. But here’s the thing… most riders only scratch the surface. They show up, ride a few trails, tick the box, and leave. Tired, sure. Maybe even stoked. But not really changed. Because Scotland isn’t somewhere you just ride. It’s somewhere you have...