Duncan Ferris on The Psychology of Trail Building, 4X Racing and More

Trail boss Duncan Ferris is on the podcast! Duncan Ferris has lived two MTB lives: from 4X racer and World Cup track builder to shaping the UK's most ridden bike park trails at BikePark Wales. In this episode, Duncan takes us from the Bristol BSX scene, to building World Cup 4X tracks like Schladming, Vigo and Villingen and finally chasing down the National Champs jersey after 20 years. We dive deep into trail building psychology, why braking bumps form where they shouldn't, why variety in a crew is essential and how riders unlock creativity on a trail. Plus Duncan shares the BikePark Wales origin story, the dream project that became Vanta with Red Bull and Laurie Greenland, wild tales of dynamite on trail builds and digging up grenades. We hope you enjoy this episode with one of the true legends of UK mountain biking.  The Ride Companion Christmas Ride at BikePark Wales! Episode Sponsors:-  - Hiplok → Head on over to hiplok.com/trc to claim your exclusive offer and keep YOUR bikes YOURS. - Ride more for less with BPWs weekday uplift bundles. You can treat yourself to a bundle of 2,4,6 or 10 uplifts. Valid for use 12 months from the date of purchase so you can rest assured you can rip the UK's biggest bike park as much as you want! bikeparkwales.com/uplift-bundles Please note: Bundles cannot be used to make multiple bookings on the same date. - WORX Tools → 15% off the full range with code THERIDECOMPANION: uk.worx.com - Looking for a new car or van and don't want to deal with dodgy dealers? Check out cargurus.co.uk Get early access & ad-free episodes → https://www.patreon.com/theridecompanion You can also support our long term partners: - Marin Bikes: marinbikes.com/gb - Focus Bikes: focus-bikes.com - HUEL: Get 15% OFF with code 'RIDE' at huel.com/ - Hiplok: https://hiplok.com/the-ride-companion  - Play Fantasy Downhill at The Race Companion: theracecompanion.com instagram.com/theracecompanion - Get 10% off Troy Lee Designs with code 'theridecompanion' at saddleback.avln.me/c/OzduCWvjtcOr - Athletic Greens: Get a FREE 1-year supply of Vitamin D AND 5 FREE travel packs at athleticgreens.com/RIDECOMPANION - Compex: Get 20% off with code 'THERIDECOMPANION' at compex.com/uk/ - Worx: Get 15% off with code 'THERIDECOMPANION' at worx.com - LAKA: Get 30 days of FREE insurance with code 'RIDECOMPANION30' at laka.co - HKT Products: Use code 'PODCAST' for 10% off the entire site. Follow Olly Wilkins Instagram @odub_23 YouTube @owilkins23 The Ride Companion Instagram @theridecompanion YouTube @TheRideCompanion YouTube clips and BTS channel @moreridecompanion Get official Ride Companion merch, find old episodes and more theridecompanion.co.uk 📝 Contact Us & Business: https://theridecompanion.co.uk/pages/contact Edited By: Doug Tucker, onlyflightdispatch.com & TRC Media House #TheRideCompanion #mountainbiking #mtbpodcast