Gnar Couch Podcast 172: Ryan McElmon, Back of the Head Concussions, Sappy Gnar Couch Stories

This could easily be the most dangerously mediocre mountain bike podshow you’ve ever subjected yourself to—if only because there isn’t another one like it. But let’s not call it a “podcast.” It’s the Gnar Couch Podshow, a half-shaved circus animal of a program that fuses mountain biking banter, pre-school-level humor, and the sort of camaraderie you only find in places where head injuries outnumber IQ points. We’re back again, same as ever (possibly worse), welcoming Ryan McElmon, whose only real flaw is being good at every sport—while the rest of us are just good at lying about our skills.

Settle in as Cheef, Jimmy Sniper, Boston Rob, JP/Uncle Touchy, and Ryan ping-pong between three of our favorite recurring disasters: relentless self-roasting for our questionable riding prowess, dissecting why Utah’s mountain bike scene is built on equal parts skill and sheer obliviousness, and an ungodly amount of time spent discussing “firsts”—band shirts, head trauma, and the sort of sponsor deals that make you miss your dignity. It’s all sandwiched between tales of kids who look up to us (bad choice), pro-level athletes who out-drink and out-ski us, and the utter confusion of surviving a town where Dairy Keen is apparently a cultural touchstone.

So grab a non-alcoholic beer (thanks, Ryan), dust off your New Kids on the Block tee, and prepare for a tour through the rarely-admired underbelly of mountain bike podcasting—where the only thing deeper than our self-deprecation is our collective concussion history. Welcome to the Gnar Couch Podshow: the stoke is questionable, the jokes are suspect, but at least you’ll feel better about your own life decisions.

Guest profile: Ryan McElmon

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