Yafta Projects

Robbie Kane is a trail builder, sailboat racer and musician. You may have seen him in “The Hardtail Holdout,” a beautiful mountain bike video filmed on a trail he built as he was helping his partner fight cancer. Robbie spoke candidly about that dark chapter and the brighter days that followed.

Jason Fitzgibbon is an ecologist, photographer and mountain biker. This means that the areas he works in and rides in are oftentimes one and the same. Jason spoke at length about conservation efforts, mountain bike racing and burnout, and what makes him pessimistic and optimistic about the future.

Mike Ferrentino is a mountain biker, writer, mechanic and philosopher. He has chronicled the joys and absurdities of life and mountain biking for over 30 years. Mike spoke about the way things were, where they’re going and what he’s up to these days with the Grimy Handshake Substack.

Research scientist. Pro DH racer. Singlespeed world champion. Mountain Bike Hall of Fame inductee. Bike cafe owner. Tour operator in Costa Rica. Marla Streb has done it all, and she is not done. This is her interview.

Casey Clark is the founder of Camp and Go Slow, which offers bar tape, bike bags, clothing, and a light-hearted take on the bike industry. He also runs Great Basin Pottery. We spoke at length about his creative approach and bikes, pots and rural life.

Kyle B. Kelley may be cycling’s biggest hype man in Los Angeles. Kyle is co-owner of Allez LA, an incredible bike shop overflowing with cool products and love. Kyle spoke at length about the challenges of running a small shop and raising a family in an expensive city.

You’ve probably seen Bronson Moore and his unusual Raised Reversed stem if you follow mountain bike content online. But how did he develop it and what does it do? Bronson discussed all this and much more.

Travis Engel’s Commonground Bikes project combined the best aspects of BMX and mountain bikes. Things didn’t go according to plan, but his concepts have since been picked up by some BMX legends. This and other stories were the focus of the second half of Travis’ interview.

Travis Engel followed his bliss from his hometown in Illinois to California, and great things happened. He got a sweet bike shop gig, which led to a career as a mountain bike journalist with Bike Mag and The Radavist. This is part 1 of his interview.

Hernan Montenegro does it all. He shredded a BMX and fixed-gear in “To Live & Ride in LA.” Nowadays he operates Montenegro Manufacturing, a custom carbon frame operation. But he had to work as a bike messenger for three years to keep the lights on. This is his story.