Jun 17, 2026
Crashing is part of mountain biking but, how much do we really
understand about what happens to the brain when we hit our
head?
On this episode of The Ride Companion, Davi and Olly are joined by
HIT Recognition founder Euan Bowen and Sam Reynolds for an eye
opening conversation about concussions, head impacts, brain health
and the future of safety in MTB.
Euan explains how HIT Recognition started as a university project
inspired by concussion in rugby, before developing into a head
impact monitoring platform now being used across mountain biking,
rugby, motocross, ice hockey and more.
Sam Reynolds also shares his personal experience with serious
concussion, including the crash that left him unable to finish
sentences, struggling with noise, forgetting words and wondering
whether he would fully recover. He explains why having real data
could have helped him make better decisions around competing and
recovery.
This conversation covers everything from MTB crash culture, to
World Cup downhill practice loads, kids in bike parks, helmets,
rotational forces, CTE, concussion symptoms, recovery, and why
brain health might become as important as training load in action
sports.
HIT Recognition has offered the TRC family a discount should you
wish to get yourself a HIT device. Simply use THERIDECOMPANION
discount code online at https://hitrecognition.com
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