Ep 15: Ashley Korenblat is a mountain biking pioneer, advocate, innovator, CEO, and all-round inspiration

10/22/21 • 54 min

Mountain-biking pioneer, Ashley Korenblat, has one of the coolest stories in cycling. After graduating from Dartmouth Business School in the ‘80s, the Arkansas native did a stint on Wall Street, but found that bond trading got in the way of her passions for cycling and skiing. She made her way back to New England where she joined the startup bike company, Merlin Metalworks, as CEO. She helped fellow Arkansan, Bill Clinton, get elected president before bailing on the East Coast altogether and relocating to Moab, Utah, where she has resided ever since. Ashley and her husband acquired Western Spirit Cycling, and she has led the company as CEO for the past 23 years and counting. In today’s episode, Ashley shares how she has seen mountain biking explode in popularity since she first got involved in the early ‘90s and how we can advocate for the value that mountain bikers provide when it comes to public land management in the pivot from resource extraction to recreation. We also touch on the ride she did with Bill Clinton, what her transition from Merlin Metalworks to Western Spirit taught her about problem-solving and leadership, and how she hopes to make the mountain bike industry more welcoming and accessible. All this and more in today’s episode. Make sure not to miss it!

Previous Episode

Ep 14: Dissecting the Park City Point-to-Point mountain bike race with founder and organizer Jay Burke

The Park City Point 2 Point is one of the best mountain biking events out there. Indisputably a true mountain biker's course, packed with both fun and difficulty, with magic and beauty at almost every turn, the event is hard to ignore. Today we are very lucky to be joined by the founder and organizer of the event, Jay Burke! In our conversation, we get to go in-depth with Jay, talking about the inspiration behind the beginnings of the race, and then going through the course, play-by-play, trail-by-trail, and how you can approach the event if you are lucky enough to take part. This insider information is invaluable, and can really give your preparations a big boost, along with your excitement levels! Jay talks about the highly technical descents, stretches for recovery, refueling requirements, and the array of climates that the race traverses. Our guest also speaks about the focus of creating a primarily experiential event on some of the best single-tracks in the world! So for all this and much more from a great friend and mountain biker, be sure to listen in today!

Next Episode

Ep 16: Formula One Superstar Valtteri Bottas Gets Into the Gravel Racing Business

In this extra special episode of the show, we are very excited to sit down with Formula One driver, Valtteri Bottas! As an enthusiastic cyclist, and budding gravel racer, Valtteri has a really interesting perspective on the sport and why it appeals to him in parallel and in contrast with his main occupation. Valtteri's partner is Tiffany Cromwell from the Canyon-SRAM team, and Valtteri talks about how much this relationship has influenced his passion for cycling. We talk about how he sees his cycling benefitting his driving, and also the main differences between the two sports. Along the way, our guest shares some very interesting insights into what goes into a Formula One race, and some of the biggest misconceptions about the sport too. With the massive cultural impact of the Drive to Survive series, Formula One has seen a steep increase in the number of fans of the sport and Valtteri talks a little about what it has been like to be filmed for the show. Towards the end of our chat, our guest also opens up about his hopes for his retirement and some of the other passions and ventures he has, including a gin distillery and a coffee roastery! Join us to hear it all!