The NSMB Podcast

NSMB / North Shore Mountain Biking
  • 4.7 (7)
  • WILDERNESS
  • UPDATED SEMIWEEKLY

From the team behind NSMB.com, The NSMB podcast will go behind the scenes with the makers, breakers, and risk-takers of our favourite sport. Interviews, news, and other important topics will all be on the menu. 

  1. From Welder to Toolmaker: How Jason Quade Built Abbey Bike Tools

    SEP 5

    From Welder to Toolmaker: How Jason Quade Built Abbey Bike Tools

    Precision isn't just a goal for Abbey Tools founder Jason Quaid—it's a religion. From humble beginnings as a welder crafting nuclear-grade pressure vessels to becoming the creator of the cycling world's most coveted tools, Jason's journey exemplifies how passion and craftsmanship can transform an industry. The story begins with a simple phone call and a modified lockring tool that would become known as the "Crombie Tool." What started as a favor for a fellow race mechanic quickly evolved into a business when Jason brought his first batch of 100 tools to the Cascade Cycling Classic in Bend, Oregon. Every mechanic with cash in their pocket bought one, and those who didn't returned the next day. That immediate validation launched Abbey Tools into existence. Unlike most manufacturing operations today, Abbey maintains control over nearly every aspect of production at their facility in Bend. The five-person operation machines, weld, and assemble each tool with meticulous attention to detail. "We spend almost as much time inspecting the parts that go into the HAG (Hanger Alignment Gauge) as we do making them," Jason explains. This commitment to quality is evident in products like their titanium hammer—a tool that Jason initially thought was "one of the dumbest things anybody had ever asked me to make," but later realized had elegance and utility. What makes Abbey's approach unique is their unwavering focus on function while still creating tools beautiful enough to be considered functional art. Though initially designed with professional race mechanics in mind, their tools have found an enthusiastic audience among home mechanics who appreciate quality equipment. From bottom bracket sockets to their renowned truing stand, each piece reflects Jason's philosophy that if you're going to invest in the precise engineering and execution, why not make the finished product visually stunning too? Whether you're a professional wrench or a weekend warrior who takes pride in maintaining your own bikes, Abbey Tools represents the pinnacle of quality in an industry where precision increasingly matters. As drivetrains evolve from 8 speeds to 13 in the same hub space, the margin for error shrinks—making tools that deliver exacting results more valuable than ever. Want to see craftsmanship elevated to an art form? Explore what happens when a skilled tradesman brings his expertise to the cycling world and refuses to compromise on quality.

    1h 12m
  2. From Podium to Production: Building We Are One Composites

    MAY 26

    From Podium to Production: Building We Are One Composites

    When Dustin Adams founded We Are One Composites in 2017, the mountain biking industry experts said it couldn't be done. Manufacturing carbon fiber rims in Canada? Economically impossible. Yet Adams, a former World Cup downhill racer with podium finishes and Canadian Championship titles to his name, wasn't deterred by conventional wisdom. Selling everything he owned—including his comfortable Squamish home—Adams moved his family to Kamloops, bought a "rat-infested" house that needed work, and started We Are One with just five people and enough cash to last eight months. The pressure was immense, but the team delivered, pioneering revolutionary manufacturing techniques that allowed them to produce carbon rims with "Class A out of the mold" finishes that eliminated costly post-production work. This behind-the-scenes conversation reveals the stunning reality of building a manufacturing business with minimal investment in an industry dominated by Asian production. Adams speaks candidly about his extraordinary journey from making those first carbon rims to fulfilling his boyhood dream of creating the Arrival—a fully Canadian-made carbon fiber mountain bike that received universal praise for its ride quality and construction. The discussion takes unexpected turns as Adams explains why production of the Arrival was paused despite representing 50% of company revenue, and how We Are One's unique manufacturing approach has positioned them perfectly to navigate recent tariff challenges that are devastating competitors. His insights into the current state of mountain biking—including the rapid shift toward electric mountain bikes and what that means for traditional bike manufacturers—provide a fascinating glimpse into industry trends. Perhaps most moving is Adams' commitment to giving back to the sport that shaped his life. Now coaching young downhill racers through the Kamloops DH Union, he's helping develop the next generation of Canadian talent. As for We Are One's future? Expansion into new product categories, continued manufacturing innovation, and perhaps—when the time is right—a return to frame production are all on the horizon.

    59 min
  3. Wade Simmons

    JAN 7

    Wade Simmons

    The NSMB Podcast

    1h 36m
  4. Steve Vanderhoek

    12/24/2024

    Steve Vanderhoek

    Deniz Merdano sits down with North Shore freerider Steve Vanderhoek to discuss his day-to-day life as a firefighter and how it influences his decisions when pioneering some of the most progressive lines on the North Shore, as well as an exciting new project that Steve is working on, set to release in the spring of 2025.

    1h 10m
  5. Caleb Holonko

    10/31/2024

    Caleb Holonko

    If you don’t know the name Caleb Holonko, you should, and you likely will soon. Caleb is one of the rising stars in the world of freeride, and he’s taken the North Shore by storm, building some incredible moves that are not only massive in scale but also clever, creative and beautiful to look at. And he rides them with heaps of style and incredible precision. Caleb’s also made a habit of putting new twists on moves others built, with the other builder’s permission. Caleb hit the train gap made famous by Kenny Smith, but he built up the lip and backflipped the enormous gap over the tracks. Similarly, Kenny built a huge step down to a suspended platform—the Rutherford Lily-pad—and Caleb gapped right over the lily-pad.  It’s not all about big moves for Caleb, though; he also spends countless hours building trails that all of us can ride. He also won the builders award at Red Bull Rampage in 2023, working for Reed Boggs alongside Alan Mandel.

    59 min
  6. Mark Fitzsimmons

    03/16/2024

    Mark Fitzsimmons

    Unless you’ve met him at a race or listened to him on another podcast, you may not have heard of Mark Fitzsimmons, or Fitzy as he’s known to friends.  He’s one of the unsung heroes of the mountain bike world. Fitzy is famous to a certain sort of person though: World Cup racers. He’s helped riders like Greg Minnaar, Aaron Gwin and Steve Peat go even faster, working for Fox Racing supporting the Santa Cruz syndicate and other race teams. More recently Mark took up motor cycle racing - virtually every kind of motor cycle racing - and he wins on both dirt and pavement. He’s a knee dragging badass and a wicked mountain biker as well.  Please have a listen to my conversation with Mark Fitzsimmons where we talk about working with pro athletes, racing motorcycles, and having mountain lions as neighbours. Cam McRae

    1h 9m
  7. Mike Ferrentino Part 2 - From Bike Mag to Downcountry?

    12/16/2021

    Mike Ferrentino Part 2 - From Bike Mag to Downcountry?

    For our first Podcast with Mike Ferrentino, he was home on the acreage where he lives, inland from the coast up the Carmel Valley. Mike lives in a barn filled with bikes and motorcycles, the latter in various stages of decomposition. He's a decent distance from civilization, and from the internet. Mike's connectivity relies on tethering to his phone's sketchy data signal so while we were talking the first time I would lose his picture, and sometimes his voice, for long stretches. There was also a delay I was unaware of, that caused me to walk over Mike's words quite regularly. This time around Mike had a better solution. He jumped into his Ford Transit,(which he got in trade for the Sprinter he mentions in the podcast) found a spot that was quiet and set up his mic. I lost him a couple of times, and once we got disconnected completely, but overall it was like going from hieroglyphics to Morse Code. We dug a little deeper into Mike's time at bike magazine, particularly the glory days before corporate takeovers, talked about his six years working for Santa Cruz Bikes at the old cannery location, and even discussed mountain biking's newest marketing designation; Downcountry! We also talked about "shaping the destiny of mountain biking," about spectating, working for 'the man,' and being "strapped into a rocket car without a steering wheel." And this made me realize all the things we didn't cover. But those will have to wait until next time. Please enjoy our second podcast with the incomparable Mike Ferrentino.

    1h 15m
  8. Mike Ferrentino - Moving to America

    11/16/2021

    Mike Ferrentino - Moving to America

    Here’s part one of my conversation with Mike, where he talks about growing up barefoot in New Zealand, learning to fix motorcycles and bikes, moving to America, racing bikes and motos, working in shops, beginning to write about mountain biking, and getting his start at Bike Magazine.

    1h 10m
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Ratings & Reviews

4.7
out of 5
7 Ratings

About

From the team behind NSMB.com, The NSMB podcast will go behind the scenes with the makers, breakers, and risk-takers of our favourite sport. Interviews, news, and other important topics will all be on the menu. 

Information

  • Creator
    NSMB / North Shore Mountain Biking
  • Years Active
    2020 - 2025
  • Episodes
    23
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2025 The NSMB Podcast
  • Show Website
    The NSMB Podcast

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