Specialized 2022 Flat Pedal Shoes with Footwear Product Manager, Stephen Quay

03/18/21 • 49 min

For flat pedal riders after the most grip possible, FiveTen has really been the only option. Year after year, new shoe releases have left us to question, why is it so hard for others to achieve similar grip?

With the release of their new 2FO DH shoes and now the Rime, A.J. Barlas wanted to know more about Specialized’s shoe development process. Did they want all the grip, and if so, why did it take so long? How did they test the sole for grip? And what about their choice of materials?
Specialized Footwear Product Manager, Stephen Quay was happy to dive into the new shoes, answering A.J's questions and more. They discussed the development process behind SlipNot ST, the materials used in the uppers, and Specialized’s Body Geometry. It turns out heaps goes into making shoes and the type of rubber needed for grip is tricky to develop.

Previous Episode

Yoann Barelli

For many of us, riding bikes begins as a childhood activity, belting around the local neighbourhood, learning to wheelie and launching off gutters. But in some parts of the world, it goes beyond an after school activity. Neighbourhoods riddled with kids outdoing each other on the bike can build into pushing for national titles. These hotbeds of talented young riders develop more as the years go by, leaving a legacy behind.

It turns out Yoann Barelli grew up in such a hotbed in the south of France. He started riding with his 'brother' and future world champion, Fabien Barel but the town is also home to legendary downhill racer, Nico Vouilloz. There’s much racing history in the streets there but for Yoann, a slightly different path was taken.

Most listeners will know Yoann for his exuberant personality and, as it turns out, it played a large role in securing his first professional contract. But as he’s matured, his outlook on life and racing has too. Yoann shared how he got started in the sport, how the more recent events in his life and the world have shaped his career, and his thoughts on the environment.
Topics discussed:

Starting riding and racing in the South of France
Taking time to travel and learn English
How to be a Pro Rider video and how it actually worked
The Enduro World Series giving riders a chance at a career that wasn't there before
French lines and how the EWS has evolved
Cutting back the amount of racing
Starting the Into the Gnar coaching business
Racing for the thrill
Finding ways to progress as a pro-level rider
Injuries and their impact on racing
Cleaning up the environment
Becoming carbon neutral

Links mentioned in this episode:

The NSMB Podcast: Obsessed with Mountain Biking is available on all of your favourite podcast apps:

Next Episode

Steep Seat Tube Angles & Their Effect on Riders w/ Coach, Joel Harwood

For every rider frothing about their new bike with a steeper seat tube angle, there are plenty who feel things are going too far. Claims of poor power and efficiency accompany complaints of sore hands, knees and backside but what if the seat angle alone isn’t the cause?

With many happy to see steeper seat tube angles on modern mountain bikes, the complaints from those unimpressed by the changes got A.J. Barlas thinking; Is the steeper seat tube angle going too far for the majority, and how does it affect our biomechanics on the bike?

After a year of on and off research on the topic, A.J. reached out to a performance coach with education in exercise physiology. Joel Harwood is the founder of Blueprint Athlete Development and works with a range of World Cup and EWS calibre athletes. Joel simplified the science while also raising points that all riders, whether comfortable with steep seat angles or not, could consider when on their bike.