Marginal Gains TV

🚴‍♂️ Dive deep into the intricate world of downhill bike setup and data analysis with the latest episode of the Marginal Gains Podcast! Join us behind-the-scenes in the making of the podcast, as Josh and Hottie chat with Nick Lester, a true maestro in the dirt descent driven realms of cycling, in Episode #106.
🏞️ Background: Not your typical football fan, Nick's journey into the cycling world began when his dad nudged him towards golf. However, it was in a cycle club during his pre-teen years that Nick found his true calling. From getting thrashed in XC races to trying his hand at TT and Velodrome racing, Nick's passion for cycling was undeniable.
🏭 Fast forward to spending 15 years at a paper mill, where he worked with bankroll currency machinery. The exposure to a monitoring system for the machinery sparked Nick's interest in data acquisition. Transitioning into downhill (DH) racing a decade ago, Nick delved into the nuances of bike setup, relying mostly on intuition. That changed when he discovered Dave Garland's Stendec system, a dynamic suspension analysis tool. After Dave's passing in 2020, Nick became one of the few experts globally to master the system.
🚵‍♂️ Founding his own venture, Downamics, in 2020, Nick aimed to assist fellow riders with optimal bike setup. His expertise caught the attention of Commencal in Andorra, where he joined the R&D team and ran team camps for DH teams. Nick's role expanded in 2021 with the Commencal 100 Percent team, focusing on product testing and development, and collaborating closely with athletes like Greg Williamson and Mille Johnset.
🚀 From understanding hysteresis and Hopf bifurcation to delving into F1, remote islands, and the placebo effect, Nick Lester's journey is nothing short of fascinating. Join us as he takes us through the intricacies of G-Force to G-Out to Gyroscopic Data and shares his wisdom: "Bikes are complicated, and riders are more complicated, which means the whole lot needs to be viewed holistically in order to optimize the performance from both."
👨‍💻 Meet Nick Lester:
• Data Acquisition and Telemetry Specialist at Downamics (www.downamics.com)
• Mechanic and Data for Commencal 100 Percent Team
• Muc-Off Young Guns Team Manager
🎧 Tune in for a captivating conversation that unveils the secrets behind the science of bike setup and data analysis. Don't miss out on the wealth of knowledge Nick Lester brings to Episode #106! 🚵‍♀️💡
#MarginalGainsPodcast #MarginalGainsTV #CyclingTech #DataAcquisition #BehindTheScenes #NickLester #Downamics #datadrivendescents #silcapursuitofperfection

[@shafiqjan1474]

MTBer here too, thanks for the deep dive. Rebound damping is overused and keeps some guys slow. I ride the NE states and know all too well. My tire pressures are low and suspension settings are only a few clicks in at most. Just switched to waxing chains and now have the System... 👍🏼Thanks for such a simple tool to use

[@jono_church]

This was a great listen! Stoked to see some mountain bike content on here, and if you’re looking for suggestions I would say Matt Miller aka Mtbphd from BrakeAce as a great one

[@moonmuscle3332]

downhill bike racing is the biggest 'marginal gains' nerd out. But typically comes down to upgrading the rider and especially so the bikes kinematic and frame compliance--lesser so weight