Finn Iles & Kev Joly – The Work Required to Put a Prototype Bike on the Podium

Finn Iles and Kev Joly are a rider/mechanic combo that are doing big things in World Cup downhill racing right now. With two 2nd places already this season, despite Finn suffering a pretty serious concussion earlier in the season. We sat down to chat about how they work together and get some insight into the processes that they use which enabled them to take a brand new prototype bike and race it to second place on its first-ever race outing. That result shows how well these two work together and how well they understand the challenges of setting up a fast race bike. We also chat about Finn’s concussion and how he approached his return to riding and racing. This was a super interesting conversation for me, with some incredible insight into just how good the top teams are. So sit back, hit play and listen to this episode with Finn Iles and Kev Joly. You can find Finn Iles on Instagram @finniles and Kev @kevjoly and the team @specializedgravity. Supporting Partners Magura I’ve been using the Magura MT7 Pro brakes since late last year, and I recently posted that they were the best brakes I’ve ever used. A couple of people got in touch to as if that was really the case and my honest answer is yes they are. The power is insane, but it’s totally controllable, and they are the only brakes that I’ve been able to keep working just as well as when I first fitted them. What’s more, Magura have their #customizeyourbrake programme which allows you to get the brake set up perfectly for you, as you can change the brake lever, the pads, the discs and make some aesthetic changes too. You can check out the entire range of Magura brakes, and the #customizeyourbrake programme over at magura.com. Leatt I’ve been using some of Leatt’s most recent collection of clothing and I’ve been really impressed. For me there have been a few stand out items. The Trail 1.0 Jacket is super small and lightweight and is the perfect jacket to get you out of trouble. Stick it in your pack and forget about it. The Trail 1.0 Jersey is ultra-lightweight and has panels of Ice Yarn which is made of recycled coffee and has a cooling touch effect. The Trail 3.0 Shorts are cut slim, stretchy and super comfortable to wear. They also come with a top quality Italian made chamois liner. If you want to check out what L...