Inside Saracen and The Madison Saracen Factory Race Team

Downtime - The Mountain Bike Podcast

This week I’m joined by Saracen Brand Manager Andy Ayers, and the Madison Saracen Factory Race Team Manager Will Longden to chat all things Saracen. We find out a bit about the history of the brand and how Madison came to acquire the name. Andy tells us about how downhill racing quickly became a big part of the brand and Will takes us behind the scenes of their successes and future plans. From Manon taking the overall and world champs in the same season, through Danny’s incredible win in Snowshoe, to Matt Walker taking the overall in 2020. It’s been an impressive journey and they aren’t stopping yet. So hit play and have a listen to this episode with Will and Andy. You can find out more about Saracen, and see their current range of bikes at saracen.co.uk. Follow them on Instagram @saracenbikes and Facebook @SaracenBikes. You can keep up to date with the Madison Saracen Factory Race team on Instagram @madisonsaracen and on Facebook @MadisonSaracen. Supporting Partners We Are One Composites This episode is supported by We Are One Composites. We Are One have been big supporters of what I’m doing from the start, and for that I’m really grateful. They also make amazing carbon fibre wheels which are hand made in Canada. I’m running their Faction 29er rims on my bike, and they look and feel amazing. They’ve managed to find the sweet spot between stiffness and compliance, making a wheel that tracks, but doesn’t feel harsh to ride. They’ve got a whole line up of products, so there is always something to suit your needs. Head to weareonecomposites.com and check out what they have to offer. If you’re tempted, then as a Downtime listener, they are offering you 15% off rim-only products during April. All you need to do is enter the code ‘wesupply2021‘ at the checkout. Freewheel.co.uk Freewheel.co.uk is a new cycling website that brings loads of your favourite cycling brands together but all the sales are supported by your chosen local bike shop, so small businesses get a percentage kick-back from every single sale. In an age where large e-retailers dominate the market, Freewheel is here to support over 400 local bike shops that make up the Freewheel Union. It essentially brings together the convenience of ordering online while at the same time supporting local bike shops across the country. Head to Freewheel.co.uk right now and sign-up to their mailing list (signup is at the bottom of their homepage) to get 15% off your first order. Saracen You can find out more about Saracen and see their current range of bikes by heading to saracen.co.uk. Podcast Stuff 2021 Spring/Summer merch is here, including our first ever recycled t-shirts. If you want to support the podcast, and represent, then my webstore is the place to head. All products are 100% organic, shipped without plastics, and made with a supply chain that's using renewable energy. So check it out now over at downtimepodcast.com/shop. Give us a follow on Instagram @downtimepodcast or Facebook @downtimepodcast to keep up to date and chat in the comments. For everything video, including riding videos, bike checks and more, subscribe over at youtube.com/downtimemountainbikepodcast. Are you enjoying the podcast? If so, then don’t forget to subscribe. It’s free and means you’ll get every episode delivered to your device as soon as it’s available. You'll find all the links you need at downtimepodcast.com/subscribe. You can find us on Apple Podcast, Spotify, Google and most of the podcast apps out there. While you're there, why not join our newsletter, to get our Weekend Warm-Up email every Friday, full of interesting bike-related stuff, competitions, product recommendations and more. Our back catalogue of amazing episodes is available at downtimepodcast.com/episodes