Gnar Couch Podcast 203: Jason Moeschler, Evil Bikes, Bike Industry Survival, Premium Idiocy

Welcome back to the Gnar Couch Podshow, where mountain bike conversation, industry insight, and complete adult supervision failure all collide like a guy casing a jump he definitely told everyone he had. This week, we’ve got Jason Moeschler on the couch. Jason is the CEO of Evil Bikes, a former pro rider, and one of those rare bike-industry people who actually knows what he’s talking about, which immediately makes him suspicious around here. We get into Evil Bikes, what it’s like running a small but legendary mountain bike brand, the weird state of the bike industry, racing, product development, Bellingham bike culture, and how a real brand survives when the market is acting like a drunk guy trying to explain suspension kinematics at 1:00 a.m. Of course, because this is Gnar Couch, we also wander through several completely unnecessary side quests, laugh at things responsible adults probably shouldn’t laugh at, and prove once again that “bike podcast” is a very loose term. Jason manages to bring actual experience, knowledge, and perspective, while the rest of us do our best to drag the show back into the gutter where it belongs. Topics include: Evil Bikes and what makes the brand different Jason’s racing and bike-industry background The business side of mountain biking Product development, bike design, and what riders actually care about The current state of the bike industry Bellingham, bike culture, and building a real mountain bike company Gnar Couch derailments, dumb questions, and enough laughing to damage an office chair If you came here for a clean, professional mountain bike interview, that was adorable. If you came here for real bike talk mixed with bad decisions, low standards, and a guest who somehow survived the whole thing, welcome home. Subscribe, like, leave a comment, and tell us which Evil bike would make you a better rider even though we both know the bike isn’t the problem. Timestamps: 00:00 Intro chaos, show setup, and early Gnar Couch nonsense 04:00 The show gets rolling and immediately starts going sideways 06:50 Jason Moeschler joins the couch 09:25 Jason’s background, racing, and life in the bike industry 17:15 Racing stories, mountain bike culture, and the long road to becoming an industry lifer 26:45 Evil Bikes, product development, and what makes a bike actually matter 29:45 Geometry, bike setup, industry opinions, and rider preferences 37:15 The bike industry, tough markets, small-brand survival, and keeping Evil alive 43:45 Bellingham, trail culture, company identity, and the realities behind the brand 48:05 Gnar Couch tangent zone, because obviously 56:35 Listener-style questions, big laughs, and the wheels coming off 58:40 More bike talk, more bad ideas, and more questionable analysis 01:04:00 Late-show chaos and industry rabbit holes 01:06:15 Jason keeps bringing actual insight while everyone else tries to ruin it 01:10:30 The boys continue pretending this is a structured interview 01:14:40 Final-hour laughs, side quests, and classic couch behavior 01:17:30 Wrap-up derailments, plugs, and the end of what we’re legally calling a podcast Guest: Jason Moeschler Instagram: @evil.bikes.smooth.operator Evil Bikes: @evilbicycles Gnar Couch: www.gnarcouch.com @gnarcouch Go to our Patreon and give us money. We've added old episodes, downloadable songs, and give you early access to raw, uncut shows for only $4.20/month. We all ride TRP brakes. They're the best. Buy some. Thanks to crankbrothers and Hyland Cyclery and EXT Suspension and Tannus for always keeping the bikes running. Get 30% off BLIZ sunglasses and more with the code "sponchesmom".