SportsHealth & FitnessExplicit

The Roller Door

Hannah Mirsepassi

The Roller Door is a podcast from Santa Cruz Bicycles, where we talk to the people behind the bikes, the riders who ride them, and hear from our extended family of trail builders, visionaries, and champions for the sport of mountain biking.

Play

Open in

20 episodes
monthly
Avg 57 min
English

Episodes 20

Newest Oldest Longest

All20 Unplayed20 In progress0 Played0

S4 · E6
August 6 · 1 hr 11 min
The New Santa Cruz Blur: For Race Days and Weekends
A vision, a blip, a Blur! The redesigned Santa Cruz Blur is faster and more capable than ever before. Updated to match any World Cup XC race course while also remaining fun enough for your backyard mission. In this episode, we dive into the development of the all-new Blur: the science, approach, and testing, and how Santa Cruz created a bike that's just as comfortable chasing podiums as it is chasing your next personal best. The engineers and designers behind this bike get deep into the weeds, giving you all the technical details you could ask for, and showcase the care and depth of knowledge the Santa Cruz engineering team brings to the table. Questions or comments? Email podcast@santacruzbicycles.com Thanks for listening!
S4 · E5
July 17 · 1 hr 7 min
Suspension Platforms Explained
VPP, Four Bar, Flex Stay... what defines each of these suspension platforms and how does that translate to the ride feel of your bike? What does it all mean! In this episode of the Roller Door, Hannah gets into the suspension weeds with Kiran MacKinnon and Josh Kissner. These two product managers have helped shape every Santa Cruz bike made in the past 10+ years and spend hours upon hours dialing in the suspension kinematics that we all feel but maybe don't fully understand. We attempt to lift the veil into the mysterious world of leverage curves and more, and understand why each platform is utilized. Questions or comments? Email podcast@santacruzbicycles.com Thanks for listening!
S4 · E4
June 11 · 43 min
Talk Vala To Me!
What even is a Vala? How does it differ from the Bullit? Vala Light? Torque? Bosch? What does it all mean! Ebikes are on the rise, and no matter your personal preference, they are evolving at a rapid pase and it's exciting to follow along. In this episode, Hannah sits down with Josh Kissner and Mark Matson, two of our product managers, to dig into Santa Cruz's ebike ecosystem and ask all the questions. Questions or comments? Email podcast@santacruzbicycles.com Thanks for listening!
S4 · E3
May 19 · 1 hr 11 min
The Truly All-New Santa Cruz Tallboy Goes Harder Than You
The long-awaited Santa Cruz Tallboy is here! We know we've kept you waiting, so we thought we'd make a big splash. Truly all new, this Tallboy is the most capable and lightest it's ever been. More capable yet lighter weight?! But how? Dive in with Hannah as she digs into the details with Josh and Amy from the product team. While the silhouette has changed, it's still unmistakably the coveted machine it's always been, with the refined ride quality and details you expect from Santa Cruz Bicycles. Why a four-bar? Why more travel? SRAM brakes? Learn why here—from the experts who shaped this bike themselves. Questions or comments? Email podcast@santacruzbicycles.com Thanks for listening!
S4 · E2
April 22 · 1 hr 11 min
Deep Dive Into The All New Santa Cruz Nomad
The OG crowd favorite is back in its newest form. The Santa Cruz Nomad—the bike that defined the big mountain enduro category—is new and improved. The lightest it's ever been, while still utilizing the tried-and-true VPP platform, this version delivers its best ride yet. In this episode, Hannah sits down with Josh Kissner, Kiran, MacKinnon, and Peter Mueller-Wille—the product, suspension, and engineering minds behind the bike—to dig into the incremental changes that add up to a noticeably superior ride quality. Questions or comments? Email podcast@santacruzbicycles.com Thanks for listening!
S4 · E1
February 27 · 1 hr
The Wide and Growing World of E-bikes
Get into the details of ebikes! Why ride one? Or not? Why did we make the product and design choices we've made in our ebike line? In this episode we sit down with Product Manager Mark Matson and Rider Support's own E-bike specialist, Chris Freeny (maybe he's helped you out!). Between these two experts, we deep dive into the world of E. The fastest growing category in MTB, whether you like it or not. Note: Recorded BEFORE the recent storms... it has since rained. Questions or comments? Email podcast@santacruzbicycles.com Thanks for listening!
S3 · E7
Nov 20, 2025 · 58 min
Mountain Bike Hall of Fame's Own Danny MacAskill Teaches Us How to Wheelie!
We're so excited to have our buddy Danny MacAskill on the pod to congratulate him on being inducted into the Mountain Bike Hall of Fame! He's one guy that your mom might know from Youtube- his reach goes far beyond our nerd circle of mountain bikers. Learn about his life back in Scotland, his trials bike that is made in house at Santa Cruz HQ, his love of ebikes, and a little about being one of the most talented trials rider in the world. He's also one of the most kind and unassuming pro's we know, and always down for a party. Questions or comments? Email podcast@santacruzbicycles.com Thanks for listening!
S3 · E6
Aug 28, 2025 · 1 hr 10 min
Nerd Out With Us: Meet The Fabricators of Santa Cruz Bicycles
We're getting deep under the Roller Door on this episode! In the depths of the Santa Cruz Bicycles Headquarters is the machine shop where Mike Woods and John Heyliger craft the first version of all of our bikes, and much more. Geoff Casey, head of Engineering and Marketing, sits down with Hannah to learn from these two master fabricator/machiners. Between the two of them, they have almost 40 years at Santa Cruz Bicycles. They have had there hands on almost every single Santa Cruz bike ever made, in addition to countless inventions that make the factory tick. This one's for the curious. Questions or comments? Email podcast@santacruzbicycles.com Thanks for listening!
S3 · E5
Jul 22, 2025 · 48 min
The All New Vala AL With Production Boss JT Barse
Vala AL?! That's right, the beloved Vala has now gone metal. The aluminum Vala launches today, and we're stoked on this one. Hannah and co host Sam Randazzo sit down with legendary operations manager, JT Barse (you may know him as the star of the Carbon Chameleon launch video... look it up) to talk about this new bike and how our in house production team plays a crucial part in developing our product. It's the Vala- stripped down and ready to ride. Learn about the stand out features of this new rig and hear other meandering stories along the way. Questions or comments? Email podcast@santacruzbicycles.com Thanks for listening!
S3 · E4
May 29, 2025 · 1 hr 3 min
What Can Happen When You Follow Your Heart and Your Bike: A Cuppa With Aneela McKenna
No matter your life trajectory, you can always choose a different path and you can always choose to use your voice to enact change. On this episode of the Roller Door, North American Brand Manager Katie Zaffke, joins Hannah to talk with long time friend of the brand, Aneela Mckenna. Aneela is a legend in the industry, not only for her vivacious laugh and mischevious glint in her eye (and her scottish whit to boot), but for creating spaces for people to find their voice and confidence both on and off the bike. From Scottish parliament to MTB guide, she has turned her love of bikes into a force for inclusion and belonging. Questions or comments? Email podcast@santacruzbicycles.com/ Thanks for listening!
S3 · E3
May 8, 2025 · 1 hr 3 min
Keegan Swenson As Seen By Tobin Ortenblad: A HTSQD Interview
On this episode, Tobin Ortenblad puts on his co-host hat and joins Hannah in interviewing Keegan Swenson. Pre season, why Cape Epic is so hard, preparing for Unbound, and why Cyclocross should have a comeback. It's always a pleasure to sit down and talk with these two HTSQD athletes and get a look into the world of top tier gravel racing and beyond. If you have any nerdy gravel questions or questions in general, email podcast@santacruzbicycles.com. We thank you for listening!
S3 · E2
Apr 17, 2025 · 44 min
Introducing the all new Santa Cruz Bullit, with the designers Aaron Thielk and Jack Russell
All new? Hasn't the Bullit been around forever? Yes, this OG model has gotten a major revision and is better than ever. Think Vala on steroids. We'll let Aaron and Jack explain the rest. On this episode of the Roller Door, Hannah sits down with Design Engineer Aaron Thielk and Ebike Product Manager Jack Russell, to introduce the all new Bullit. We may be biased, but this thing rips. Hope you enjoy. Remember to write in with questions, suggestions on topics, guests, or whatever-- it's podcast@santacruzbicycles.com Thanks for listening!
S3 · E1
Feb 20, 2025 · 58 min
Meet the Hoff and the Boss; the two women of the Syndicate
On this episode of the Roller Door, Hannah sits down with the two Syndicate women, veteran Nina Hoffman and fresh junior Ellie Hulsebosch, to get an inside look at life on the road, balance, and all things racing. These two are new teammates and their mutual respect and connection is palpable and fun to witness. We hope you enjoy. Remember to write in with questions, suggestions on topics, guests, or whatever-- it's podcast@santacruzbicycles.com Thanks for listening!
S2 · E18
Nov 15, 2024 · 49 min
Rolling Coal, gravel fashion, and singlespeed cyclocross with Tobin Ortenblad
On this episode of the Roller Door, Garen and Hannah chat with HtSQD racer and People's Champ Tobin Ortenblad on training, cyclocross tactics, gravel fashion, and more. Tobin's always full of informational insight, strong opinions and good laughs. We always enjoy talking with Tobin, and we hope you do too. Remember to write in with questions, suggestions on topics, guests, or whatever-- it's podcast@santacruzbicycles.com Thanks for listening!
S2 · E20
Nov 1, 2024 · 58 min
A RedBull Rampage Recap with Vero Sandler
In this episode of the Roller Door, Garen and Hannah chat with legendary freerider Vero Sandler about her experience before, during, and after the Redbull Rampage. There's an awful lot to unpack here. We hope you enjoy, and remember– if you have questions for Vero or anyone at Santa Cruz Bicycles, please email them to podcast@santacruzbicycles.com/ Thanks for listening!
S2 · E17
Oct 17, 2024 · 47 min
Building the Santa Cruz Vala with (nearly) half the SCB Product Team
In this episode of the Roller Door, Garen and Hannah chat with some of the group that brought the Vala, Santa Cruz's new full power e-bike, to market. You'll hear from Kiran MacKinnon, Jesse Carlin, Peter Mueller-Wille, and Mark Matson on choosing a new suspension platform, picking a drive system, and bringing the bike to life. If you're curious about the particulars of the Vala, like power statistics, geometry, and details, be sure to listen to our other episode, titled 'Introducing the Santa Cruz Vala, with Product Manager Jack Russell.' If you have questions for the team here at Santa Cruz Bicycles, please email them to podcast@santacruzbicycles.com. We thank you for listening!
S2 · E19
Oct 8, 2024 · 50 min
Vero Sandler takes on the first women's Red Bull Rampage
At long last, 2024 marks the first ever women's field in the iconic (and somewhat controversial) freeride competition, the Red Bull Rampage. In this episode of the podcast, Garen and Hannah chat with UK freerider Vero Sandler about her path to becoming one of the sport's foremost freeriders, what the Rampage means to her, bike setup, and more. The women are digging in the red, hard Utah desert now: be sure to watch live on RedBull TV: Thursday 10/10 at 6PM PST. Let's Go Vero!
S2 · E16
Oct 3, 2024 · 59 min
Introducing the Santa Cruz Vala, with Product Manager Jack Russell
What's a Vala? How's this new Bosch motor? Wait… a 4-bar bike from Santa Cruz? Is this the end of VPP? Who's Jack Russell, anyways? To hear the answers to these questions, along with many more, press play– there's a lot to know about Santa Cruz Bicycles' new model, the Vala. Questions? Gripes? Please email us at podcast@santacruzbicycles.com. If you enjoy the podcast, you can help others to do the same by subscribing or giving us a 5-star rating. Thanks for listening!
S2 · E15
Sep 20, 2024 · 27 min
All about the new Santa Cruz Hightower
In this episode of the Roller Door Podcast, Garen and Hannah talk through the updates to the Santa Cruz Hightower, along with several off-piste tangents. If you have questions about the new Hightower (or anything Santa Cruz) please email us at podcast@santacruzbicycles.com. We thank you for listening!
S2 · E14
Sep 6, 2024 · 1 hr 13 min
What a trip to the Netherlands taught us about bicycle infrastucture, with Matt Miller
If you're listening to this podcast you surely love riding bikes, but it's not all nose-bonks and power wheelies. In this episode of the Roller Door, Garen and Hannah circle back with Matt Miller on findings from Matt's Paydirt-funded trip to the Netherlands. Matt loves riding bikes so much that he's built his life around building better cycling infrastructure, which is something all of us can be thankful for. If you have questions for Matt or anyone here at Santa Cruz Bicycles, please email them to podcast@santacruzbicycles.com. We thank you for listening!

Showing 1–20 of 20 episodes