The OTB Podcast

This week we are joined by Matt Whitaker, the founder of Wide Open Distributors here in New Zealand. A low key legend of the scene who not only wrenched for John Kirkcaldie and Nathan Rankin back in the Foes Racing days, but has also supported so many of New Zealand's top racers over the years, names like Brook MacDonald, Sam Blenkinson, Wyn Masters, Connor MacFarlane, Robin Goomes and so many more...Matt shares some awesome stories from his days on the road wrenching and how Wideopen started and grew to where it is today.Brought to you by:Maxxis Tyres - New Zealand's tyre of choice!To see the full line up from Maxxis, check out www.marleen.co.nz/brands/maxxis.htmlSquirt CyclingYour bike care sorted! Top quality chain lubes, wax, bike cleaner and tyre sealant!https://squirtcycling.nz/Fox Suspensionhttps://ridefox.com/pages/bikeIf you enjoy the OTB Podcast and would like to support, please consider joining us on Patreon and help keep the podcast alive. This isn't even close to a job for us and is done for your enjoyment! https://www.patreon.com/TheOTBPodcast

The Whaka100 is done and dusted and boy is that a brutal race. Join us to relive the pain and suffering we went through just to provide you more entertaining content!Spoiler alert, no DNF's this year though.Brought to you by:Maxxis Tyres - New Zealand's tyre of choice!To see the full line up from Maxxis, check out www.marleen.co.nz/brands/maxxis.htmlSquirt CyclingYour bike care sorted! Top quality chain lubes, wax, bike cleaner and tyre sealant!https://squirtcycling.nz/Fox Suspensionhttps://ridefox.com/pages/bikeIf you enjoy the OTB Podcast and would like to support, please consider joining us on Patreon and help keep the podcast alive. This isn't even close to a job for us and is done for your enjoyment! https://www.patreon.com/TheOTBPodcast

If you've been a listener for a while, you'll know its time for the boys annual pilgrimage to the Whaka 100!100km of premium Rotorua forest, but also 100km of suffering is on the cards, join us as we preview what we think we might (but will likely be wildly wrong).Brought to you by:Maxxis Tyres - New Zealand's tyre of choice!To see the full line up from Maxxis, check out www.marleen.co.nz/brands/maxxis.htmlSquirt CyclingYour bike care sorted! Top quality chain lubes, wax, bike cleaner and tyre sealant!https://squirtcycling.nz/Fox Suspensionhttps://ridefox.com/pages/bikeIf you enjoy the OTB Podcast and would like to support, please consider joining us on Patreon and help keep the podcast alive. This isn't even close to a job for us and is done for your enjoyment! https://www.patreon.com/TheOTBPodcast

Bruni, where are you!?Maybe the most anticipated battle in World Cup history that never eventuated, the stars had aligned but Loic was no where to be found! Well, it made for good podcast content at least.The boys are back to wrap up what was still an epic finale to the World Cup Downhill Series in Mt Sainte Anne!Brought to you by:Maxxis Tyres - New Zealand's tyre of choice!To see the full line up from Maxxis, check out www.marleen.co.nz/brands/maxxis.htmlSquirt CyclingYour bike care sorted! Top quality chain lubes, wax, bike cleaner and tyre sealant!https://squirtcycling.nz/Fox Suspensionhttps://ridefox.com/pages/bikeIf you enjoy the OTB Podcast and would like to support, please consider joining us on Patreon and help keep the podcast alive. This isn't even close to a job for us and is done for your enjoyment! https://www.patreon.com/TheOTBPodcast

World Cup racing makes it return to the USA and The OTB Podcast makes it return to the airwaves, join Kieran Bennett, James Rennie and Chris Vanderkolk as we discuss all that went down at Whiteface along with a series of side quests into off piste topics that you know and love.Brought to you by:Maxxis Tyres - New Zealand's tyre of choice!To see the full line up from Maxxis, check out www.marleen.co.nz/brands/maxxis.htmlSquirt CyclingYour bike care sorted! Top quality chain lubes, wax, bike cleaner and tyre sealant!https://squirtcycling.nz/Fox Suspensionhttps://ridefox.com/pages/bikeIf you enjoy the OTB Podcast and would like to support, please consider joining us on Patreon and help keep the podcast alive. This isn't even close to a job for us and is done for your enjoyment! https://www.patreon.com/TheOTBPodcast

Flat tyres, start gate crashes, back flips, big wins, massive whips, multiple Kiwis on the podium, Lenzerheide brought the drama and it was a good one!This week we have Jake Hood join us who was in the thick of the action, Jake is Dak Nortons mechanic and brings some super interesting topics to the pod this week!Brought to you by:Maxxis Tyres - New Zealand's tyre of choice!To see the full line up from Maxxis, check out www.marleen.co.nz/brands/maxxis.htmlFox Suspensionhttps://ridefox.com/pages/bikeIf you enjoy the OTB Podcast and would like to support, please consider joining us on Patreon and help keep the podcast alive. This isn't even close to a job for us and is done for your enjoyment! https://www.patreon.com/TheOTBPodcast

Champery delivered another wild race and we go behind enemy lines with man on the ground Ed Masters!Eddie spent the weekend track side with his Pivot team helping them with line scouting and delivers some great insights on lines we didn't see on TV, the track changing and under the radar riders. If you haven't watched, make sure you check out his Edbull TV footage on YouTube.Brought to you by:Maxxis Tyres - New Zealand's tyre of choice!To see the full line up from Maxxis, check out www.marleen.co.nz/brands/maxxis.htmlFox Suspensionhttps://ridefox.com/pages/bikeIf you enjoy the OTB Podcast and would like to support, please consider joining us on Patreon and help keep the podcast alive. This isn't even close to a job for us and is done for your enjoyment! https://www.patreon.com/TheOTBPodcast

We're back!! Its been a while but the regular crew is back to recap everything Les Gets, EDR World Champs and more with special guest Wyn Masters.

This week we are joined by John Hall, a man with a ton of World Cup victories to his name during his time working on the wrenches for Aaron Gwin. We talk about the current rejuvenation of US downhill racing, his time in the marines and how he went from working in a bike shop to wrenching for one of the best to ever do it on the World Cup circuit. Stick around for his story about being stranded in South Africa too!Brought to you by:Maxxis Tyres - New Zealand's tyre of choice!To see the full line up from Maxxis, check out www.marleen.co.nz/brands/maxxis.htmlFox Suspensionhttps://ridefox.com/pages/bikeIf you enjoy the OTB Podcast and would like to support, please consider joining us on Patreon and help keep the podcast alive. This isn't even close to a job for us and is done for your enjoyment! https://www.patreon.com/TheOTBPodcast

We catch up with Ellie Hulsebosch during her mid season break back home in NZ, just a few hours before jumping on a plane back to the Northern Hemisphere to continue on her World Cup Downhill season!Ellie has had a rough start to 2025, from injuries to illnesses plus navigating her way through joining one of the biggest teams of the World Cup Circuit and this is a very honest conversation about how all of that has been a factor but her positivity and learning shines through.Brought to you by:Maxxis Tyres - New Zealand's tyre of choice!To see the full line up from Maxxis, check out www.marleen.co.nz/brands/maxxis.htmlFox Suspensionhttps://ridefox.com/pages/bikeIf you enjoy the OTB Podcast and would like to support, please consider joining us on Patreon and help keep the podcast alive. This isn't even close to a job for us and is done for your enjoyment! https://www.patreon.com/TheOTBPodcast