How to Become a Downhill Bike Designer – Dan Roberts

Dan Roberts is the man behind those deliciously technical downhill bike reviews on Pinkbike, as well as being responsible for the RAAW Yalla and helping Neko Mulally with his Frameworks project. We sat down at Fort William World Champs to find out more about him. Dan shares how he created a career for himself in mountain bike design and offers some thoughts on bike design itself. As you’ll find out, it’s not been a straight forward path, but Dan hasn’t lost sight of how awesome his work is. There’s lots to learn from Dan’s story, so, it’s time to sit back, hit play and listen to this episode with Dan Roberts. You can find out more about Dan’s work at garagebikeproject.com . If you’d like a copy of his awesome article in Downtime EP3 then you can get a copy here . You can check out the RAAW Yalla here . Supporting Partners We Are One Composites We Are One are generously offering Downtime listeners 15% off wheelsets, rims and their Da Package bar and stem. That’s on top of their recently reduced retail pricing! So wether you want their new Convergence wheels, their still very awesome Revolution wheels, or their Da Package bar and stem, now is your time. You can get 15% off until the end of August 2023 by using the code ‘ Downtime August2023‘ at weareonecomposites.com (note: this must be entered at the final stage of the checkout process on the ‘confirm order’ page). Podcast Stuff Patreon I would love it if you were able to support the podcast via a regular Patreon donation. Donations start from as little as £3 per month. That’s less than £1 per episode and less than the price of a take away coffee. Every little counts and these donations will really help me keep the podcast going and hopefully take it to the next level. To help out, head here . 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 . Newsletter If you want a bit more Downtime in your life, then you can join my newsletter where I’ll provide you with a bit of behind the scenes info on the podcast, interesting bits and pieces from around the mountain bike world, some mini-reviews of products that I’ve been using and like, partner offers and more. You can do that over at downtimepodcast.com/newsletter . Downtime EP Downtime EP issue 3 is now available here . 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 £25 plus postage or you can purchase EP1, EP2 or EP3 on their own too. 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 . Are you enjoying the podcast? If so, then don’t forget to follow it. Episodes will get delivered to your device as soon as it’s available and it’s totally free. You’ll find all the links you need at downtimepodcast.com/follow . You can find us on Apple Podcast, Spotify, Google and most of the podcast apps out there. Our back catalogue of amazing episodes is available at downtimepodcast.com/episodes Photo – Kifcat Photography