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Source: https://www.singletracks.com/blog/feed/

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<title>Singletracks Mountain Bike News</title>
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<link>https://www.singletracks.com/</link>
<description>Mountain bike news, bike reviews, trail information, and tips for better riding.</description>
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<item>
<title>These items are rarely discounted, but you can get 20% off thru Monday</title>
<link>https://www.singletracks.com/mtb-gear/these-items-are-rarely-discounted-but-you-can-get-20-off-thru-monday/</link>
<comments>https://www.singletracks.com/mtb-gear/these-items-are-rarely-discounted-but-you-can-get-20-off-thru-monday/#respond</comments>
<dc:creator><![CDATA[Jeff Barber]]></dc:creator>
<pubDate>Mon, 12 May 2025 14:15:00 +0000</pubDate>
<category><![CDATA[Gear]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Competitive Cyclist]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[product picks]]></category>
<guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.singletracks.com/?p=696007</guid>
<description><![CDATA[<p>Competitive Cyclist is offering 20% off full price items, including some of our favorites for mountain biking.</p>
<p>The article <a href="https://www.singletracks.com/mtb-gear/these-items-are-rarely-discounted-but-you-can-get-20-off-thru-monday/">These items are rarely discounted, but you can get 20% off thru Monday</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.singletracks.com">Singletracks Mountain Bike News</a>.</p>
]]></description>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[
<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img fetchpriority="high" decoding="async" width="1170" height="780" src="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/cover-1170x780.png" alt="" class="wp-image-695986" srcset="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/cover-1170x780.png 1170w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/cover-750x500.png 750w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/cover-375x250.png 375w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/cover-768x512.png 768w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/cover-600x400.png 600w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/cover.png 1200w" sizes="(max-width: 1170px) 100vw, 1170px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption"><em>All prices and availability are subject to change.</em></figcaption></figure>
<p>Competitive Cyclist is offering 20% off most items with coupon code ROSA20, but hurry, today is the last day! New and popular items like the OneUp V3 dropper and Smith Forefront 3 helmet are eligible, and are rarely discounted otherwise. All prices shown after 20% off coupon.</p>
<p></p>
<div class="wp-block-image is-resized">
<figure class="aligncenter size-medium"><a href="https://www.singletracks.com/wp-json/click/track/07yYLX/" rel="nofollow"><img decoding="async" width="750" height="500" src="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/oneup-v3-dropper-post-750x500.png" alt="OneUp V3 Dropper Post" class="wp-image-695983" srcset="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/oneup-v3-dropper-post-750x500.png 750w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/oneup-v3-dropper-post-1170x780.png 1170w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/oneup-v3-dropper-post-375x250.png 375w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/oneup-v3-dropper-post-768x512.png 768w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/oneup-v3-dropper-post-600x400.png 600w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/oneup-v3-dropper-post.png 1200w" sizes="(max-width: 750px) 100vw, 750px" /></a></figure></div>
<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-oneup-v3-dropper-post">OneUp V3 Dropper Post</h3>
<p><strong>$269.99</strong> | <span style="color:#a30000" class="has-inline-color">$215.99 sale</span></p>
<p>Mountain bikers love the OneUp dropper post for its reliability and ease of use. The latest V3 version features up to 240mm of travel! </p>
<p>Buy from <a href="https://www.singletracks.com/wp-json/click/track/07yYLX/" rel="nofollow">Competitive Cyclist</a> </p>
<hr class="wp-block-separator has-css-opacity"/>
<div class="wp-block-image is-resized">
<figure class="aligncenter size-medium"><a href="https://www.singletracks.com/wp-json/click/track/kowglK/" rel="nofollow"><img decoding="async" width="750" height="500" src="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/coros-gps-750x500.png" alt="Coros DURA Solar GPS Bike Computer" class="wp-image-695976" srcset="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/coros-gps-750x500.png 750w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/coros-gps-1170x780.png 1170w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/coros-gps-375x250.png 375w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/coros-gps-768x512.png 768w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/coros-gps-600x400.png 600w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/coros-gps.png 1200w" sizes="(max-width: 750px) 100vw, 750px" /></a></figure></div>
<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-coros-dura-solar-gps-bike-computer">Coros DURA Solar GPS Bike Computer</h3>
<p><strong>$250.00</strong> | <span style="color:#a30000" class="has-inline-color">$200.00 sale</span></p>
<p>Incredible battery life plus solar! Get up to 120 hours of tracking time with all the ride navigation and data functions you need on the bike. It’s currently backordered but you’ll save 20% now and get yours once they’re in stock again. </p>
<p>Buy from <a href="https://www.singletracks.com/wp-json/click/track/kowglK/" rel="nofollow">Competitive Cyclist</a> </p>
<hr class="wp-block-separator has-css-opacity"/>
<div class="wp-block-image is-resized">
<figure class="aligncenter size-medium"><a href="https://www.singletracks.com/wp-json/click/track/a4391Y/" rel="nofollow"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="750" height="500" src="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/silca-chain-wax-750x500.png" alt="Silca Chain Waxing System" class="wp-image-695980" srcset="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/silca-chain-wax-750x500.png 750w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/silca-chain-wax-1170x780.png 1170w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/silca-chain-wax-375x250.png 375w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/silca-chain-wax-768x512.png 768w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/silca-chain-wax-600x400.png 600w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/silca-chain-wax.png 1200w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 750px) 100vw, 750px" /></a></figure></div>
<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-silca-chain-waxing-system">Silca Chain Waxing System</h3>
<p><strong>$99</strong> | <span style="color:#a30000" class="has-inline-color">$79.20 sale</span></p>
<p>The Silca Chain Waxing system is a hot item (ha!) that regularly sells out. Pick one up now while it’s in stock AND take 20% off with coupon. </p>
<p>Buy from <a href="https://www.singletracks.com/wp-json/click/track/a4391Y/" rel="nofollow">Competitive Cyclist</a> </p>
<hr class="wp-block-separator has-css-opacity"/>
<hr class="wp-block-separator has-css-opacity"/>
<div class="wp-block-image is-resized">
<figure class="aligncenter size-medium"><a href="https://www.singletracks.com/wp-json/click/track/QDLv8k/" rel="nofollow"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="750" height="500" src="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/spurcycle-bell-750x500.png" alt="Spurcycle Bell" class="wp-image-695985" srcset="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/spurcycle-bell-750x500.png 750w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/spurcycle-bell-1170x780.png 1170w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/spurcycle-bell-375x250.png 375w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/spurcycle-bell-768x512.png 768w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/spurcycle-bell-600x400.png 600w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/spurcycle-bell.png 1200w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 750px) 100vw, 750px" /></a></figure></div>
<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-spurcycle-bell">Spurcycle Bell</h3>
<p><strong>$59</strong> | <span style="color:#a30000" class="has-inline-color">$47.50 sale</span></p>
<p>As far as bells go, the Spurcycle is a splurge. It looks great and sounds even better, especially at 20% off. </p>
<p>Buy from <a href="https://www.singletracks.com/wp-json/click/track/QDLv8k/" rel="nofollow">Competitive Cyclist</a> </p>
<hr class="wp-block-separator has-css-opacity"/>
<div class="wp-block-image is-resized">
<figure class="aligncenter size-medium"><a href="https://www.singletracks.com/wp-json/click/track/DPRk9O/" rel="nofollow"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="750" height="500" src="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/fix-mfg-inflator-750x500.png" alt="Fix MFG Eflator Digital Tire Pump" class="wp-image-695982" srcset="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/fix-mfg-inflator-750x500.png 750w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/fix-mfg-inflator-1170x780.png 1170w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/fix-mfg-inflator-375x250.png 375w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/fix-mfg-inflator-768x512.png 768w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/fix-mfg-inflator-600x400.png 600w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/fix-mfg-inflator.png 1200w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 750px) 100vw, 750px" /></a></figure></div>
<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-fix-mfg-eflator-digital-tire-pump">Fix MFG Eflator Digital Tire Pump</h3>
<p><strong>$99.95</strong> | <span style="color:#a30000" class="has-inline-color">$79.96 sale</span></p>
<p>Some electric pumps are designed to replace your portable mini pump; this one replaces your floor pump! Fix MFG is known for innovative tools, and the Eflator is one of the better looking electric pumps we’ve seen. </p>
<p>Buy from <a href="https://www.singletracks.com/wp-json/click/track/DPRk9O/" rel="nofollow">Competitive Cyclist</a> </p>
<hr class="wp-block-separator has-css-opacity"/>
<div class="wp-block-image is-resized">
<figure class="aligncenter size-medium"><a href="https://www.singletracks.com/wp-json/click/track/eCqsn7/" rel="nofollow"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="750" height="500" src="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/smith-forefront-3-helmet-750x500.png" alt="Smith Forefront 3 MIPS Helmet" class="wp-image-695979" srcset="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/smith-forefront-3-helmet-750x500.png 750w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/smith-forefront-3-helmet-1170x780.png 1170w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/smith-forefront-3-helmet-375x250.png 375w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/smith-forefront-3-helmet-768x512.png 768w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/smith-forefront-3-helmet-600x400.png 600w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/smith-forefront-3-helmet.png 1200w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 750px) 100vw, 750px" /></a></figure></div>
<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-smith-forefront-3-mips-helmet">Smith Forefront 3 MIPS Helmet</h3>
<p><strong>$270</strong> | <span style="color:#a30000" class="has-inline-color">$216 sale</span></p>
<p>The new Smith Forefront 3 is proving popular with mountain bikers just like the previous version, with select sizes and colors already sold out. We don’t expect to see this helmet on sale anytime soon, so take advantage of 20% off with the Competitive Cyclist coupon. <a href="https://www.singletracks.com/mtb-gear/smith-forefront-3-mountain-bike-helmet-review/">Read more.</a></p>
<p>Buy from <a href="https://www.singletracks.com/wp-json/click/track/eCqsn7/" rel="nofollow">Competitive Cyclist</a> </p>
<hr class="wp-block-separator has-css-opacity"/>
<hr class="wp-block-separator has-css-opacity"/>
<div class="wp-block-image is-resized">
<figure class="aligncenter size-medium"><a href="https://www.singletracks.com/wp-json/click/track/3NEPBX/" rel="nofollow"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="750" height="500" src="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/club-ride-flannel-jersey-750x500.png" alt="Club Ride New West Jersey" class="wp-image-695978" srcset="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/club-ride-flannel-jersey-750x500.png 750w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/club-ride-flannel-jersey-1170x780.png 1170w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/club-ride-flannel-jersey-375x250.png 375w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/club-ride-flannel-jersey-768x512.png 768w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/club-ride-flannel-jersey-600x400.png 600w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/club-ride-flannel-jersey.png 1200w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 750px) 100vw, 750px" /></a></figure></div>
<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-club-ride-new-west-jersey">Club Ride New West Jersey</h3>
<p><strong>$89.95</strong> | <span style="color:#a30000" class="has-inline-color">$71.96 sale</span></p>
<p>The Club Ride New West jersey is a classic, with multiple colorways to choose from. Click the link to see additional styles that are on sale at even lower prices. </p>
<p>Buy from <a href="https://www.singletracks.com/wp-json/click/track/3NEPBX/" rel="nofollow">Competitive Cyclist</a> </p>
<hr class="wp-block-separator has-css-opacity"/>
<div class="wp-block-image is-resized">
<figure class="aligncenter size-medium"><a href="https://www.singletracks.com/wp-json/click/track/ZOGPRU/" rel="nofollow"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="750" height="500" src="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/ortlieb-rack-750x500.png" alt="Ortlieb Quick Rack" class="wp-image-695984" srcset="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/ortlieb-rack-750x500.png 750w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/ortlieb-rack-1170x780.png 1170w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/ortlieb-rack-375x250.png 375w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/ortlieb-rack-768x512.png 768w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/ortlieb-rack-600x400.png 600w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/ortlieb-rack.png 1200w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 750px) 100vw, 750px" /></a></figure></div>
<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-ortlieb-quick-rack">Ortlieb Quick Rack</h3>
<p><strong>$120</strong> | <span style="color:#a30000" class="has-inline-color">$96 sale</span></p>
<p>The Ortlieb Quick Rack fits most MTB and gravel bikes, making it a great choice for commuting or even bikepacking. </p>
<p>Buy from <a href="https://www.singletracks.com/wp-json/click/track/ZOGPRU/" rel="nofollow">Competitive Cyclist</a> </p>
<hr class="wp-block-separator has-css-opacity"/>
<div class="wp-block-image is-resized">
<figure class="aligncenter size-medium"><a href="https://www.singletracks.com/wp-json/click/track/vFAs84/" rel="nofollow"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="750" height="500" src="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/maxxis-minion-dhf-750x500.png" alt="Maxxis Minion DHF tire" class="wp-image-695977" srcset="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/maxxis-minion-dhf-750x500.png 750w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/maxxis-minion-dhf-1170x780.png 1170w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/maxxis-minion-dhf-375x250.png 375w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/maxxis-minion-dhf-768x512.png 768w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/maxxis-minion-dhf-600x400.png 600w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/maxxis-minion-dhf.png 1200w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 750px) 100vw, 750px" /></a></figure></div>
<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-maxxis-minion-dhf-tire">Maxxis Minion DHF tire</h3>
<p><strong>$77.00</strong> | <span style="color:#a30000" class="has-inline-color">$54.95 sale</span> </p>
<p>Get the 29×2.3″ EXO Minion DHF for just $54.95, or take 20% off a full price version like the burly triple compound 29×2.5″ tire with Double Down casing. <a href="https://www.singletracks.com/mtb-gear/the-maxxis-minion-dhf-tire-is-still-the-one-to-beat/">Read more.</a></p>
<p>Buy from <a href="https://www.singletracks.com/wp-json/click/track/vFAs84/" rel="nofollow">Competitive Cyclist</a> </p>
<hr class="wp-block-separator has-css-opacity"/>
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<figure class="aligncenter size-medium"><a href="https://www.singletracks.com/wp-json/click/track/4dxkaV/" rel="nofollow"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="750" height="500" src="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/rocky-mounts-rack-750x500.png" alt="Rocky Mounts AfterParty 2-Bike Hitch Rack" class="wp-image-695981" srcset="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/rocky-mounts-rack-750x500.png 750w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/rocky-mounts-rack-1170x780.png 1170w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/rocky-mounts-rack-375x250.png 375w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/rocky-mounts-rack-768x512.png 768w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/rocky-mounts-rack-600x400.png 600w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/rocky-mounts-rack.png 1200w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 750px) 100vw, 750px" /></a></figure></div>
<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-rocky-mounts-afterparty-2-bike-hitch-rack">Rocky Mounts AfterParty 2-Bike Hitch Rack</h3>
<p><strong>$1,179.99</strong> | <span style="color:#a30000" class="has-inline-color">$944 sale</span></p>
<p>The AfterParty is a high-quality, no-frame-touch rack that looks great and holds bikes TIGHT. It features a swing arm attachment for easy trunk and hatch access. Save over $200 with coupon! <a href="https://www.singletracks.com/mtb-gear/bike-rack-designs-are-temporary-rockymounts-is-forever/">Read more.</a></p>
<p>Buy from <a href="https://www.singletracks.com/wp-json/click/track/4dxkaV/" rel="nofollow">Competitive Cyclist</a> </p>
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<p>The article <a href="https://www.singletracks.com/mtb-gear/these-items-are-rarely-discounted-but-you-can-get-20-off-thru-monday/">These items are rarely discounted, but you can get 20% off thru Monday</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.singletracks.com">Singletracks Mountain Bike News</a>.</p>
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<title>The brand-new Cross Texas Trail will take bike riders on a ‘remote, rugged, and romantic’ 1,500-mile adventure</title>
<link>https://www.singletracks.com/mtb-trails/the-brand-new-cross-texas-trail-will-take-bikepackers-on-a-remote-rugged-and-romantic-1500-mile-adventure/</link>
<comments>https://www.singletracks.com/mtb-trails/the-brand-new-cross-texas-trail-will-take-bikepackers-on-a-remote-rugged-and-romantic-1500-mile-adventure/#comments</comments>
<dc:creator><![CDATA[Greg Heil]]></dc:creator>
<pubDate>Mon, 12 May 2025 10:13:00 +0000</pubDate>
<category><![CDATA[Trails]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[bikepacking]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[cross Texas trail]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[trail development]]></category>
<guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.singletracks.com/?p=695364</guid>
<description><![CDATA[<p>Think you're ready to tackle 1,500 miles of mountain biking through the wildest parts of Texas? Then the brand-new Cross Texas Trail bikepacking route is for you.</p>
<p>The article <a href="https://www.singletracks.com/mtb-trails/the-brand-new-cross-texas-trail-will-take-bikepackers-on-a-remote-rugged-and-romantic-1500-mile-adventure/">The brand-new Cross Texas Trail will take bike riders on a ‘remote, rugged, and romantic’ 1,500-mile adventure</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.singletracks.com">Singletracks Mountain Bike News</a>.</p>
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<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><a href="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/IMG_2572-Charlie-Gandy-West-Texas-Self-Portrait-Wide.jpg"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1170" height="878" src="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/IMG_2572-Charlie-Gandy-West-Texas-Self-Portrait-Wide-1170x878.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-695555" srcset="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/IMG_2572-Charlie-Gandy-West-Texas-Self-Portrait-Wide-1170x878.jpg 1170w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/IMG_2572-Charlie-Gandy-West-Texas-Self-Portrait-Wide-750x563.jpg 750w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/IMG_2572-Charlie-Gandy-West-Texas-Self-Portrait-Wide-768x576.jpg 768w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/IMG_2572-Charlie-Gandy-West-Texas-Self-Portrait-Wide-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/IMG_2572-Charlie-Gandy-West-Texas-Self-Portrait-Wide-2048x1536.jpg 2048w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/IMG_2572-Charlie-Gandy-West-Texas-Self-Portrait-Wide-600x450.jpg 600w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1170px) 100vw, 1170px" /></a><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Photo: Charlie Gandy</figcaption></figure>
<p>When the video call loads, I immediately recognize the interior of a Sprinter van. Charlie Gandy is parked on a desolate back road in the depths of Big Bend National Park. Gandy runs his hand through his white hair, bearded stubble standing out on his face from many days spent riding in the wilderness.</p>
<p>“It’s about 100 degrees now and real still,” Gandy shared. He’s currently on a mission to ground proof one of the most remote sections of a brand-new point-to-point bikepacking route stretching 1,500 miles across some of the wildest parts of Texas. Known as the xTexas Trail Project (xTx), the mapping and design of this trail are a true labor of love.</p>
<p>Gandy is a fifth-generation Texan who’s served in the Texas Legislature, traveled all across the state as a businessman, and founded the BikeTexas advocacy organization in 1991. Even though the 66-year-old now resides in Washington state, he was inspired to give back to the home state that has given him so much.</p>
<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><a href="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Which-way-to-Luckenbach-by-Charlie-Gandy.jpg"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1170" height="878" src="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Which-way-to-Luckenbach-by-Charlie-Gandy-1170x878.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-695592" srcset="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Which-way-to-Luckenbach-by-Charlie-Gandy-1170x878.jpg 1170w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Which-way-to-Luckenbach-by-Charlie-Gandy-750x563.jpg 750w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Which-way-to-Luckenbach-by-Charlie-Gandy-768x576.jpg 768w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Which-way-to-Luckenbach-by-Charlie-Gandy-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Which-way-to-Luckenbach-by-Charlie-Gandy-600x450.jpg 600w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Which-way-to-Luckenbach-by-Charlie-Gandy.jpg 1772w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1170px) 100vw, 1170px" /></a><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Photo: Charlie Gandy</figcaption></figure>
<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-inspiration-strikes-for-the-xtx">Inspiration strikes for the xTx</h2>
<p>“I was hiking on the Lake Tahoe trail last June, and wondering what I was going to do next, and the pieces just came together,” said Gandy. “I realized that as a native Texan… I could see the route that basically we have now, and I could imagine that as an Appalachian Trail-type route, or a Pacific Crest Trail-type route, or maybe even more accurate, because of how young it is, the Continental Divide Trail.”</p>
<p>“Basically what I’m doing, is setting out a tour of Texas that is rustic, remote, rugged, and therefore romantic.”</p>
<p>Much of the inspiration for the route’s layout comes from the Cross-Washington Mountain Bike Route (xWA), a 690-mile primarily off-road route that crosses the state from west to east. Gandy has ridden the xWA for the last two years in a row, and said that “it is a physical and emotional challenge.”</p>
<p>“That’s one of the sources of my imagination, is having people suffer on the way to seeing the hidden gems of Texas, so that they will appreciate the route and the finds.”</p>
<iframe src="https://ridewithgps.com/embeds?type=route&id=48203652&sampleGraph=true" style="width: 1px; min-width: 100%; height: 700px; border: none;" scrolling="no"></iframe>
<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-where-does-the-xtx-go">Where does the xTx go?</h2>
<p>To embody that challenging ethos, the 1,500-mile route avoids all major cities and only passes through small towns to allow riders to resupply. “Generally speaking, it’s routed through where we can find dirt roads and or trails,” said Gandy. “There’s ghost roads out there where, when the interstate and highways came in, there was no reason for anybody to be on them, except the ranchers that live on them and the mailman.”</p>
<p>Notable highlights along the route include the deep east Texas region, which is filled with endless sandy ghost roads and some trail riding on the Piney Woods Trails. The route then traverses through the hill country, with plenty of singletrack trails to ride.</p>
<p>Arguably one of the most rugged, remote, and beautiful regions the route traverses is where I found Gandy when I spoke with him: Big Bend and the Chihuahuan Desert. Through Big Bend, the route follows the gravel River Road for about 60 miles, which is where Gandy called in from. After winding through the National Park on endless gravel, the route picks up singletrack at Big Bend State Park near Lajitas, traversing the East Contrabando Trail and then heading deep into the park on rugged singletrack.</p>
<p>“A lot of that is [an] abandoned […] smuggling route. And because there’s water along the route… that’s prime singletrack through the State Park.”</p>
<p>The route then heads north, and hikers will summit the tallest peak in Texas — Guadalupe Peak — before heading for the western border. Unfortunately, mountain bikers will have to skip Guadalupe Peak.</p>
<p>The vast majority of the route follows dirt, gravel, and sandy roads — many of which can get rough and rugged, and are filled with rocks and potholes. The route also has smatterings of singletrack and pavement. In Gandy’s mind, a bike similar to the Salsa Cutthroat — the quintessential Tour Divide bike — would be ideal for the xTx.</p>
<figure class="wp-block-gallery has-nested-images columns-default is-cropped wp-block-gallery-1 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex">
<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><a href="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Utility-corridor-North-of-Woodville-2-by-Charlie-Gandy-IMG_2280-1.jpg"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="878" height="1170" data-id="695609" src="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Utility-corridor-North-of-Woodville-2-by-Charlie-Gandy-IMG_2280-1-878x1170.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-695609" srcset="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Utility-corridor-North-of-Woodville-2-by-Charlie-Gandy-IMG_2280-1-878x1170.jpg 878w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Utility-corridor-North-of-Woodville-2-by-Charlie-Gandy-IMG_2280-1-563x750.jpg 563w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Utility-corridor-North-of-Woodville-2-by-Charlie-Gandy-IMG_2280-1-768x1024.jpg 768w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Utility-corridor-North-of-Woodville-2-by-Charlie-Gandy-IMG_2280-1-1152x1536.jpg 1152w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Utility-corridor-North-of-Woodville-2-by-Charlie-Gandy-IMG_2280-1-1536x2048.jpg 1536w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Utility-corridor-North-of-Woodville-2-by-Charlie-Gandy-IMG_2280-1-600x800.jpg 600w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 878px) 100vw, 878px" /></a></figure>
<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><a href="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/IMG_20241008_153746886-1-1-1-2-1.jpg"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="881" height="1170" data-id="695607" src="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/IMG_20241008_153746886-1-1-1-2-1-881x1170.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-695607" srcset="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/IMG_20241008_153746886-1-1-1-2-1-881x1170.jpg 881w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/IMG_20241008_153746886-1-1-1-2-1-565x750.jpg 565w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/IMG_20241008_153746886-1-1-1-2-1-768x1020.jpg 768w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/IMG_20241008_153746886-1-1-1-2-1-1157x1536.jpg 1157w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/IMG_20241008_153746886-1-1-1-2-1-1542x2048.jpg 1542w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/IMG_20241008_153746886-1-1-1-2-1-600x797.jpg 600w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 881px) 100vw, 881px" /></a></figure>
<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><a href="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Near-Spurger-Texas-2-by-Charlie-Gandy-IMG_2264-1.jpg"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="877" height="1170" data-id="695608" src="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Near-Spurger-Texas-2-by-Charlie-Gandy-IMG_2264-1-877x1170.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-695608" srcset="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Near-Spurger-Texas-2-by-Charlie-Gandy-IMG_2264-1-877x1170.jpg 877w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Near-Spurger-Texas-2-by-Charlie-Gandy-IMG_2264-1-562x750.jpg 562w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Near-Spurger-Texas-2-by-Charlie-Gandy-IMG_2264-1-768x1024.jpg 768w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Near-Spurger-Texas-2-by-Charlie-Gandy-IMG_2264-1-1152x1536.jpg 1152w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Near-Spurger-Texas-2-by-Charlie-Gandy-IMG_2264-1-1536x2048.jpg 1536w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Near-Spurger-Texas-2-by-Charlie-Gandy-IMG_2264-1-600x800.jpg 600w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 877px) 100vw, 877px" /></a></figure>
<figcaption class="blocks-gallery-caption wp-element-caption">Photos by Charlie Gandy</figcaption></figure>
<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-building-the-trail-to-a-horse-standard-has-allowed-it-to-quickly-gain-local-acceptance">Building the trail to a “horse standard” has allowed it to quickly gain local acceptance</h2>
<p>“We’re building this to a horse standard, and we’ll also have hikers and mountain bikers on it,” said Gandy. “If a horse is safe on it, a mountain biker or a hiker is.”</p>
<p>While Gandy is an experienced mountain biker and hiker, having completed all of Colorado’s 14ers and numerous long-distance thru-hikes, he’s been very intentional in including horseback riders in the conversation from the get-go. And this inclusive approach is proving to be massively beneficial.</p>
<p>In many areas of Texas, all of the land is owned by private ranchers. Gandy is working to route the trail through private ranch land in many areas to get it off of paved roads. While this work is time-consuming, he’s having success in large part because of the “horse standard.”</p>
<p>“People in Texas <em>love</em> horses. When I get into rural Texas, all I have to say is, ‘We’re building this to a horse standard, and we’ll also have hikers and mountain bikers on it.’ And they don’t hear that second part,” said Gandy. “They just hear ‘horses,’ and they love the idea, and they’re the ones that are the most enthusiastic of our three groups right now, because they can see an overland route.”</p>
<p>Since 96% of the land in Texas is privately owned, there’s no overland horseback riding route anywhere in the state. Equestrians interested in trail rides are confined to loops in state parks. The xTx is giving horseback riders a vision of what’s possible for epic, long-distance adventures.</p>
<p>In fact, as Gandy has recruited locals to help with ground-truthing, horseback riders have been the most passionate group of volunteers.</p>
<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><a href="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Screenshot-2025-05-01-at-9.07.49%E2%80%AFAM.jpg"><img decoding="async" src="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Screenshot-2025-05-01-at-9.07.49%E2%80%AFAM-1170x780.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-695590"/></a><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Photo: Charlie Gandy</figcaption></figure>
<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-when-will-riders-be-invited-to-pedal-the-xtx">When will riders be invited to pedal the xTx?</h2>
<p>Currently, the xTx is still in a draft form as Gandy works to iron out the kinks — and to identify the best way for travelers to reach water sources. “Our goal is to do water every 15 miles. Because we’re looking at, again, a horse standard; and that’s also good for hikers, and it’s generally speaking, more than cyclists need. But that’s okay. So […] let’s say 15 to 20 miles is our gap between water, maximum.”</p>
<p>However, the current route has some sections where travelers may need to go 60-100 miles without a water resupply, such as in Big Bend National Park. Gandy is trying to find a solution to this problem, but in the meantime, to prove it’s still possible to complete the route, he recruited his friend Rhea Wallace to ride it.</p>
<p>Wallace completed 1,200 of the 1,500 miles of the route in 17 days before he had to leave for a family commitment. Wallace plans to return to pedal the last 300 miles once the weather turns cooler.</p>
<p>Speaking of weather, Gandy was adamant that this is a winter route, with the ideal window for riding the xTx running from November to March. However, even within that window, temperatures can still be blisteringly hot: I have fond memories of camping in Big Bend State Park over Christmas one year, even though the highs reached 99.</p>
<p>Next fall, Gandy will begin inviting riders to experience the trail by publishing recommendations for “the best 100 miles for a horse, the best 100 miles for a bike, the best for the hiker, and the best 200 miles… and then I’ll be showing places where we have found hazards that you — if you’re on a horse, you don’t want to be there, or an alternative route if you’re on a bike or horse.”</p>
<p>“Where the water doesn’t exist, or the campsites don’t exist… I will say this part’s not ready yet, unless you’re able to carry, say, on a bike, more than 50 miles worth of water,” said Gandy.</p>
<p>So perhaps you need to ask yourself if “the trail is ready for you, or [if] you’re ready for the trail,” Gandy quipped.</p>
<p>The article <a href="https://www.singletracks.com/mtb-trails/the-brand-new-cross-texas-trail-will-take-bikepackers-on-a-remote-rugged-and-romantic-1500-mile-adventure/">The brand-new Cross Texas Trail will take bike riders on a ‘remote, rugged, and romantic’ 1,500-mile adventure</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.singletracks.com">Singletracks Mountain Bike News</a>.</p>
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<title>Rocky Mountain bikes are now available on REI.com</title>
<link>https://www.singletracks.com/mtb-gear/rocky-mountain-bikes-are-now-available-on-rei-com/</link>
<comments>https://www.singletracks.com/mtb-gear/rocky-mountain-bikes-are-now-available-on-rei-com/#comments</comments>
<dc:creator><![CDATA[Jeff Barber]]></dc:creator>
<pubDate>Sun, 11 May 2025 22:26:17 +0000</pubDate>
<category><![CDATA[Gear]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[news]]></category>
<guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.singletracks.com/?p=695990</guid>
<description><![CDATA[<p>New Rocky Mountain owners quickly moved to make popular MTB models available for sale online at REI.</p>
<p>The article <a href="https://www.singletracks.com/mtb-gear/rocky-mountain-bikes-are-now-available-on-rei-com/">Rocky Mountain bikes are now available on REI.com</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.singletracks.com">Singletracks Mountain Bike News</a>.</p>
]]></description>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[
<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><a href="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Rocky_Mtn_Instinct_24-3316.jpg"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="5472" height="3648" src="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Rocky_Mtn_Instinct_24-3316.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-667301" srcset="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Rocky_Mtn_Instinct_24-3316.jpg 5472w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Rocky_Mtn_Instinct_24-3316-750x500.jpg 750w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Rocky_Mtn_Instinct_24-3316-1170x780.jpg 1170w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Rocky_Mtn_Instinct_24-3316-375x250.jpg 375w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Rocky_Mtn_Instinct_24-3316-768x512.jpg 768w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Rocky_Mtn_Instinct_24-3316-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Rocky_Mtn_Instinct_24-3316-2048x1365.jpg 2048w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Rocky_Mtn_Instinct_24-3316-600x400.jpg 600w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 5472px) 100vw, 5472px" /></a><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">File photo: Matt Miller.</figcaption></figure>
<p>On Friday, a press release announced that Canadian bike brand Rocky Mountain was under new ownership. Then on Sunday, another development: Rocky Mountain bikes are <a href="https://www.singletracks.com/wp-json/click/track/mlCJrK/">now available for purchase at REI</a>.</p>
<p>In December 2024, <a href="https://www.singletracks.com/mtb-gear/rocky-mountain-restructuring-to-avoid-bankruptcy-and-gt-is-laying-off-staff-before-year-end/">Singletracks reported</a> that Rocky Mountain filed for protection under the Companies’ Creditors Arrangement Act in Canada, a form of business restructuring similar to bankruptcy in the US. The brand wrote in a release at the time, “Despite strong demand for its bikes during the pandemic, the Company struggled to secure supplies due to shortages and rising costs. Once the pandemic was over, the Company had to contend with a sharp drop in selling prices.”</p>
<p>A group of four Canadian investors, operating under the name Chaos Sports Inc., has acquired the brand, which got its start in Vancouver, BC, in 1981. Three of the four investors are involved in another bike brand, Maui Bikes, which is focused on electric bikes.</p>
<p>“In the short term, business operations, customer service, after-sales support, and partner commitments will continue as usual,” according to the new owners. “All warranties offered by Rocky Mountain in recent years will be fully honored. Bike parts and components will remain available.”</p>
<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-now-rocky-mountain-bikes-are-available-for-sale-through-rei">Now, Rocky Mountain bikes are available for sale through REI</h2>
<p>It seems one of the new owners’ first orders of business was to make some of the brand’s most popular mountain bike models available for sale at REI and <a href="https://www.singletracks.com/wp-json/click/track/mlCJrK/">REI.com</a>. The retailer sent an email late Sunday announcing the availability of <a href="https://www.singletracks.com/wp-json/click/track/mlCJrK/">several models</a>, including carbon Element, Instinct, and Altitude builds. REI is also stocking Rocky Mountain Growler Jr. kids’ mountain bikes.</p>
<p>The REI website shows that bikes are available for pickup in store or delivered directly to customers. It’s unknown if Rocky Mountain bikes will be stocked in REI stores or if they will only be available through the REI website.</p>
<p>The Rocky Mountain bikes on offer are priced at full MSRP, though REI is promoting the fact that Co-op members receive 10% in rewards for their Rocky Mountain bike purchases. REI Member rewards can then be used to purchase items in store and online. </p>
<p>Other online retailers, including <a href="https://www.singletracks.com/wp-json/click/track/5v8Py1/">Jenson USA</a> and <a href="https://www.singletracks.com/wp-json/click/track/KtirBe/">Competitive Cyclist</a>, had already been selling Rocky Mountain bikes online, and both are currently showing many models available for sale at a discount.</p>
<p>The article <a href="https://www.singletracks.com/mtb-gear/rocky-mountain-bikes-are-now-available-on-rei-com/">Rocky Mountain bikes are now available on REI.com</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.singletracks.com">Singletracks Mountain Bike News</a>.</p>
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<slash:comments>2</slash:comments>
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<item>
<title>Will you spend more or less on mountain biking this year?</title>
<link>https://www.singletracks.com/mtb-gear/will-you-spend-more-or-less-on-mountain-biking-this-year-survey/</link>
<comments>https://www.singletracks.com/mtb-gear/will-you-spend-more-or-less-on-mountain-biking-this-year-survey/#comments</comments>
<dc:creator><![CDATA[Jeff Barber]]></dc:creator>
<pubDate>Sun, 11 May 2025 12:06:26 +0000</pubDate>
<category><![CDATA[Gear]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[spending]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[survey]]></category>
<guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.singletracks.com/?p=693824</guid>
<description><![CDATA[<p>Whether you're spending more money or less, hopefully you're planning to have as much fun, if not more, on bikes in 2025!</p>
<p>The article <a href="https://www.singletracks.com/mtb-gear/will-you-spend-more-or-less-on-mountain-biking-this-year-survey/">Will you spend more or less on mountain biking this year?</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.singletracks.com">Singletracks Mountain Bike News</a>.</p>
]]></description>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[
<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><a href="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/price-tag-1.jpg"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="2400" height="1600" src="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/price-tag-1.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-695887" srcset="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/price-tag-1.jpg 2400w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/price-tag-1-750x500.jpg 750w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/price-tag-1-1170x780.jpg 1170w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/price-tag-1-375x250.jpg 375w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/price-tag-1-768x512.jpg 768w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/price-tag-1-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/price-tag-1-2048x1365.jpg 2048w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/price-tag-1-600x400.jpg 600w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 2400px) 100vw, 2400px" /></a></figure>
<p>It’s been a roller-coaster ride for mountain bike buyers since at least 2020. Limited supplies later gave way to a glut of inventory, and years of seemingly endless discounts may finally be coming to an end. Given the ups and downs, and the overall economy, we want to know what your MTB spending will look like this year.</p>
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<label class="wpforms-field-label" for="wpforms-695889-field_1" >on plan to</label>
<input type="text" id="wpforms-695889-field_1" class="wpforms-field-medium" name="wpforms[fields][1]" >
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<div id="wpforms-695889-field_2-container" class="wpforms-field wpforms-field-likert_scale" data-field-id="2"><fieldset><legend class="wpforms-field-label">Compared to 2024, how much do you plan to spend in 2025 on the following?</legend>
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<th style="width:20%;"></th><th style="width:16%;">Much less</th><th style="width:16%;">A little less</th><th style="width:16%;">About the same</th><th style="width:16%;">A little more</th><th style="width:16%;">Much more</th> </tr>
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<tr><th>Mountain bikes</th><td><div class="wpforms-likert-scale-mobile-flex"><span class="wpforms-likert-scale-mobile-label">Much less</span><input type="radio" id="wpforms-695889-field_2_1_7" class="wpforms-screen-reader-element wpforms-likert-scale-option" name="wpforms[fields][2][1]" value="7" aria-errormessage="wpforms-695889-field_2_1_7-error" ><label for="wpforms-695889-field_2_1_7"><span class="wpforms-screen-reader-element">Mountain bikes Much less</span></label></div></td><td><div class="wpforms-likert-scale-mobile-flex"><span class="wpforms-likert-scale-mobile-label">A little less</span><input type="radio" id="wpforms-695889-field_2_1_3" class="wpforms-screen-reader-element wpforms-likert-scale-option" name="wpforms[fields][2][1]" value="3" aria-errormessage="wpforms-695889-field_2_1_3-error" ><label for="wpforms-695889-field_2_1_3"><span class="wpforms-screen-reader-element">Mountain bikes A little less</span></label></div></td><td><div class="wpforms-likert-scale-mobile-flex"><span class="wpforms-likert-scale-mobile-label">About the same</span><input type="radio" id="wpforms-695889-field_2_1_2" class="wpforms-screen-reader-element wpforms-likert-scale-option" name="wpforms[fields][2][1]" value="2" aria-errormessage="wpforms-695889-field_2_1_2-error" ><label for="wpforms-695889-field_2_1_2"><span class="wpforms-screen-reader-element">Mountain bikes About the same</span></label></div></td><td><div class="wpforms-likert-scale-mobile-flex"><span class="wpforms-likert-scale-mobile-label">A little more</span><input type="radio" id="wpforms-695889-field_2_1_6" class="wpforms-screen-reader-element wpforms-likert-scale-option" name="wpforms[fields][2][1]" value="6" aria-errormessage="wpforms-695889-field_2_1_6-error" ><label for="wpforms-695889-field_2_1_6"><span class="wpforms-screen-reader-element">Mountain bikes A little more</span></label></div></td><td><div class="wpforms-likert-scale-mobile-flex"><span class="wpforms-likert-scale-mobile-label">Much more</span><input type="radio" id="wpforms-695889-field_2_1_1" class="wpforms-screen-reader-element wpforms-likert-scale-option" name="wpforms[fields][2][1]" value="1" aria-errormessage="wpforms-695889-field_2_1_1-error" ><label for="wpforms-695889-field_2_1_1"><span class="wpforms-screen-reader-element">Mountain bikes Much more</span></label></div></td></tr><tr><th>MTB components</th><td><div class="wpforms-likert-scale-mobile-flex"><span class="wpforms-likert-scale-mobile-label">Much less</span><input type="radio" id="wpforms-695889-field_2_2_7" class="wpforms-screen-reader-element wpforms-likert-scale-option" name="wpforms[fields][2][2]" value="7" aria-errormessage="wpforms-695889-field_2_2_7-error" ><label for="wpforms-695889-field_2_2_7"><span class="wpforms-screen-reader-element">MTB components Much less</span></label></div></td><td><div class="wpforms-likert-scale-mobile-flex"><span class="wpforms-likert-scale-mobile-label">A little less</span><input type="radio" id="wpforms-695889-field_2_2_3" class="wpforms-screen-reader-element wpforms-likert-scale-option" name="wpforms[fields][2][2]" value="3" aria-errormessage="wpforms-695889-field_2_2_3-error" ><label for="wpforms-695889-field_2_2_3"><span class="wpforms-screen-reader-element">MTB components A little less</span></label></div></td><td><div class="wpforms-likert-scale-mobile-flex"><span class="wpforms-likert-scale-mobile-label">About the same</span><input type="radio" id="wpforms-695889-field_2_2_2" class="wpforms-screen-reader-element wpforms-likert-scale-option" name="wpforms[fields][2][2]" value="2" aria-errormessage="wpforms-695889-field_2_2_2-error" ><label for="wpforms-695889-field_2_2_2"><span class="wpforms-screen-reader-element">MTB components About the same</span></label></div></td><td><div class="wpforms-likert-scale-mobile-flex"><span class="wpforms-likert-scale-mobile-label">A little more</span><input type="radio" id="wpforms-695889-field_2_2_6" class="wpforms-screen-reader-element wpforms-likert-scale-option" name="wpforms[fields][2][2]" value="6" aria-errormessage="wpforms-695889-field_2_2_6-error" ><label for="wpforms-695889-field_2_2_6"><span class="wpforms-screen-reader-element">MTB components A little more</span></label></div></td><td><div class="wpforms-likert-scale-mobile-flex"><span class="wpforms-likert-scale-mobile-label">Much more</span><input type="radio" id="wpforms-695889-field_2_2_1" class="wpforms-screen-reader-element wpforms-likert-scale-option" name="wpforms[fields][2][2]" value="1" aria-errormessage="wpforms-695889-field_2_2_1-error" ><label for="wpforms-695889-field_2_2_1"><span class="wpforms-screen-reader-element">MTB components Much more</span></label></div></td></tr><tr><th>MTB accessories</th><td><div class="wpforms-likert-scale-mobile-flex"><span class="wpforms-likert-scale-mobile-label">Much less</span><input type="radio" id="wpforms-695889-field_2_3_7" class="wpforms-screen-reader-element wpforms-likert-scale-option" name="wpforms[fields][2][3]" value="7" aria-errormessage="wpforms-695889-field_2_3_7-error" ><label for="wpforms-695889-field_2_3_7"><span class="wpforms-screen-reader-element">MTB accessories Much less</span></label></div></td><td><div class="wpforms-likert-scale-mobile-flex"><span class="wpforms-likert-scale-mobile-label">A little less</span><input type="radio" id="wpforms-695889-field_2_3_3" class="wpforms-screen-reader-element wpforms-likert-scale-option" name="wpforms[fields][2][3]" value="3" aria-errormessage="wpforms-695889-field_2_3_3-error" ><label for="wpforms-695889-field_2_3_3"><span class="wpforms-screen-reader-element">MTB accessories A little less</span></label></div></td><td><div class="wpforms-likert-scale-mobile-flex"><span class="wpforms-likert-scale-mobile-label">About the same</span><input type="radio" id="wpforms-695889-field_2_3_2" class="wpforms-screen-reader-element wpforms-likert-scale-option" name="wpforms[fields][2][3]" value="2" aria-errormessage="wpforms-695889-field_2_3_2-error" ><label for="wpforms-695889-field_2_3_2"><span class="wpforms-screen-reader-element">MTB accessories About the same</span></label></div></td><td><div class="wpforms-likert-scale-mobile-flex"><span class="wpforms-likert-scale-mobile-label">A little more</span><input type="radio" id="wpforms-695889-field_2_3_6" class="wpforms-screen-reader-element wpforms-likert-scale-option" name="wpforms[fields][2][3]" value="6" aria-errormessage="wpforms-695889-field_2_3_6-error" ><label for="wpforms-695889-field_2_3_6"><span class="wpforms-screen-reader-element">MTB accessories A little more</span></label></div></td><td><div class="wpforms-likert-scale-mobile-flex"><span class="wpforms-likert-scale-mobile-label">Much more</span><input type="radio" id="wpforms-695889-field_2_3_1" class="wpforms-screen-reader-element wpforms-likert-scale-option" name="wpforms[fields][2][3]" value="1" aria-errormessage="wpforms-695889-field_2_3_1-error" ><label for="wpforms-695889-field_2_3_1"><span class="wpforms-screen-reader-element">MTB accessories Much more</span></label></div></td></tr><tr><th>MTB clothing</th><td><div class="wpforms-likert-scale-mobile-flex"><span class="wpforms-likert-scale-mobile-label">Much less</span><input type="radio" id="wpforms-695889-field_2_4_7" class="wpforms-screen-reader-element wpforms-likert-scale-option" name="wpforms[fields][2][4]" value="7" aria-errormessage="wpforms-695889-field_2_4_7-error" ><label for="wpforms-695889-field_2_4_7"><span class="wpforms-screen-reader-element">MTB clothing Much less</span></label></div></td><td><div class="wpforms-likert-scale-mobile-flex"><span class="wpforms-likert-scale-mobile-label">A little less</span><input type="radio" id="wpforms-695889-field_2_4_3" class="wpforms-screen-reader-element wpforms-likert-scale-option" name="wpforms[fields][2][4]" value="3" aria-errormessage="wpforms-695889-field_2_4_3-error" ><label for="wpforms-695889-field_2_4_3"><span class="wpforms-screen-reader-element">MTB clothing A little less</span></label></div></td><td><div class="wpforms-likert-scale-mobile-flex"><span class="wpforms-likert-scale-mobile-label">About the same</span><input type="radio" id="wpforms-695889-field_2_4_2" class="wpforms-screen-reader-element wpforms-likert-scale-option" name="wpforms[fields][2][4]" value="2" aria-errormessage="wpforms-695889-field_2_4_2-error" ><label for="wpforms-695889-field_2_4_2"><span class="wpforms-screen-reader-element">MTB clothing About the same</span></label></div></td><td><div class="wpforms-likert-scale-mobile-flex"><span class="wpforms-likert-scale-mobile-label">A little more</span><input type="radio" id="wpforms-695889-field_2_4_6" class="wpforms-screen-reader-element wpforms-likert-scale-option" name="wpforms[fields][2][4]" value="6" aria-errormessage="wpforms-695889-field_2_4_6-error" ><label for="wpforms-695889-field_2_4_6"><span class="wpforms-screen-reader-element">MTB clothing A little more</span></label></div></td><td><div class="wpforms-likert-scale-mobile-flex"><span class="wpforms-likert-scale-mobile-label">Much more</span><input type="radio" id="wpforms-695889-field_2_4_1" class="wpforms-screen-reader-element wpforms-likert-scale-option" name="wpforms[fields][2][4]" value="1" aria-errormessage="wpforms-695889-field_2_4_1-error" ><label for="wpforms-695889-field_2_4_1"><span class="wpforms-screen-reader-element">MTB clothing Much more</span></label></div></td></tr><tr><th>Bike-related travel</th><td><div class="wpforms-likert-scale-mobile-flex"><span class="wpforms-likert-scale-mobile-label">Much less</span><input type="radio" id="wpforms-695889-field_2_5_7" class="wpforms-screen-reader-element wpforms-likert-scale-option" name="wpforms[fields][2][5]" value="7" aria-errormessage="wpforms-695889-field_2_5_7-error" ><label for="wpforms-695889-field_2_5_7"><span class="wpforms-screen-reader-element">Bike-related travel Much less</span></label></div></td><td><div class="wpforms-likert-scale-mobile-flex"><span class="wpforms-likert-scale-mobile-label">A little less</span><input type="radio" id="wpforms-695889-field_2_5_3" class="wpforms-screen-reader-element wpforms-likert-scale-option" name="wpforms[fields][2][5]" value="3" aria-errormessage="wpforms-695889-field_2_5_3-error" ><label for="wpforms-695889-field_2_5_3"><span class="wpforms-screen-reader-element">Bike-related travel A little less</span></label></div></td><td><div class="wpforms-likert-scale-mobile-flex"><span class="wpforms-likert-scale-mobile-label">About the same</span><input type="radio" id="wpforms-695889-field_2_5_2" class="wpforms-screen-reader-element wpforms-likert-scale-option" name="wpforms[fields][2][5]" value="2" aria-errormessage="wpforms-695889-field_2_5_2-error" ><label for="wpforms-695889-field_2_5_2"><span class="wpforms-screen-reader-element">Bike-related travel About the same</span></label></div></td><td><div class="wpforms-likert-scale-mobile-flex"><span class="wpforms-likert-scale-mobile-label">A little more</span><input type="radio" id="wpforms-695889-field_2_5_6" class="wpforms-screen-reader-element wpforms-likert-scale-option" name="wpforms[fields][2][5]" value="6" aria-errormessage="wpforms-695889-field_2_5_6-error" ><label for="wpforms-695889-field_2_5_6"><span class="wpforms-screen-reader-element">Bike-related travel A little more</span></label></div></td><td><div class="wpforms-likert-scale-mobile-flex"><span class="wpforms-likert-scale-mobile-label">Much more</span><input type="radio" id="wpforms-695889-field_2_5_1" class="wpforms-screen-reader-element wpforms-likert-scale-option" name="wpforms[fields][2][5]" value="1" aria-errormessage="wpforms-695889-field_2_5_1-error" ><label for="wpforms-695889-field_2_5_1"><span class="wpforms-screen-reader-element">Bike-related travel Much more</span></label></div></td></tr> </tbody>
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<p>Tell us what’s influencing your MTB-related purchase decisions this year in the comments below.</p>
<p>Update: here are the results after the first 100 responses.</p>
<figure class="wp-block-table"><table class="has-fixed-layout"><thead><tr><th></th><th>Much less </th><th>A little less </th><th>About the same </th><th>A little more </th><th>Much more </th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td>Mountain bikes</td><td>53%</td><td>13%</td><td>23%</td><td>5%</td><td>6%</td></tr><tr><td>MTB components</td><td>22%</td><td>28%</td><td>32%</td><td>15%</td><td>2%</td></tr><tr><td>MTB accessories</td><td>23%</td><td>32%</td><td>31%</td><td>13%</td><td>1%</td></tr><tr><td>MTB clothing</td><td>32%</td><td>21%</td><td>36%</td><td>11%</td><td>0%</td></tr><tr><td>Bike-related travel</td><td>13%</td><td>11%</td><td>42%</td><td>27%</td><td>7%</td></tr></tbody></table></figure>
<p>The article <a href="https://www.singletracks.com/mtb-gear/will-you-spend-more-or-less-on-mountain-biking-this-year-survey/">Will you spend more or less on mountain biking this year?</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.singletracks.com">Singletracks Mountain Bike News</a>.</p>
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<slash:comments>9</slash:comments>
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<title>REI members reject all 2025 board nominees, including two incumbents</title>
<link>https://www.singletracks.com/mtb-gear/rei-members-reject-all-2025-board-nominees-including-two-incumbents/</link>
<comments>https://www.singletracks.com/mtb-gear/rei-members-reject-all-2025-board-nominees-including-two-incumbents/#comments</comments>
<dc:creator><![CDATA[Jeff Barber]]></dc:creator>
<pubDate>Sat, 10 May 2025 10:08:00 +0000</pubDate>
<category><![CDATA[Gear]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[news]]></category>
<guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.singletracks.com/?p=695850</guid>
<description><![CDATA[<p>In what's being claimed as the largest member turnout for an REI Board of Directors election, all nominees were rejected following a campaign led by unionized workers.</p>
<p>The article <a href="https://www.singletracks.com/mtb-gear/rei-members-reject-all-2025-board-nominees-including-two-incumbents/">REI members reject all 2025 board nominees, including two incumbents</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.singletracks.com">Singletracks Mountain Bike News</a>.</p>
]]></description>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[
<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><a href="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/rei_coop_bike_bags-06-scaled.jpg"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="2560" height="1708" src="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/rei_coop_bike_bags-06-scaled.jpg" alt="A close-up image of a gray bicycle bag mounted on the top tube of a bike, featuring the REI Co-op logo in gold. The background is blurred with greenery, suggesting an outdoor setting. The bag is secured with Velcro straps and has a zipper on top." class="wp-image-650336" srcset="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/rei_coop_bike_bags-06-scaled.jpg 2560w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/rei_coop_bike_bags-06-750x500.jpg 750w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/rei_coop_bike_bags-06-1170x780.jpg 1170w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/rei_coop_bike_bags-06-375x250.jpg 375w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/rei_coop_bike_bags-06-768x512.jpg 768w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/rei_coop_bike_bags-06-1536x1025.jpg 1536w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/rei_coop_bike_bags-06-2048x1366.jpg 2048w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/rei_coop_bike_bags-06-600x400.jpg 600w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px" /></a><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">File photo.</figcaption></figure>
<p>On Thursday, a group of REI workers represented by the United Food and Commercial Workers International Union (UFCW) and the Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union (RWDSU) <a href="https://www.ourrei.com/rei-union-news">took credit for a campaign</a> that successfully blocked efforts to elect a new director and re-elect two incumbents to the REI Board of Directors. According to a release, the group’s “Vote No” campaign resulted in over 115,000 REI members voting against the candidates, which they claim is the largest turnout for an REI Board of Directors election.</p>
<p>In the release, Scott Ekin, a Sales Specialist at REI in Santa Cruz, said, “It is my hope that this vote will stand as the foundation for change and build atop it an REI that supports its workers with fair wages, safe workspaces, and can once again take its place as a haven for the lovers of outdoors and those that would fight for them.”</p>
<p>Prior to the vote, the union, representing REI workers at 11 stores, campaigned to add two candidates, though neither made it onto the official ballot. The union nominees — Tefere Gebre of Greenpeace and the AFL-CIO and Shemona Moreno of 350.org — were selected for their environmental leadership, according to the group.</p>
<p>Singletracks asked a union press representative about the process for getting a board nominee on the member ballot.</p>
<p>“REI’s Nominations and Governance Committee selects candidates for the board of directors,” they said. “In theory, members can self-nominate (as Tefere Gebre and Shemona Moreno did last fall). In practice, the board has absolute control over who is put on the ballot, and the board seats are never contested. REI puts forth as many candidates as there are seats, and those candidates are identified by an executive search consultancy.”</p>
<p>Singletracks has confirmed that nominees may self-nominate for REI Board positions and that this is essentially how the process works.</p>
<p><a href="http://We are disappointed with the outcome, especially because we are losing two incumbent directors who have been valuable contributors to the co-op for a number of years and one promising new director. Therefore, on behalf of the board, I would like to extend my gratitude and appreciation to them. These nominees will not be appointed to the open seats. Per our bylaws, these three seats will remain vacant until filled by the board of directors.">An REI statement</a> following the vote reads in part, “We are disappointed with the outcome, especially because we are losing two incumbent directors who have been valuable contributors to the co-op for a number of years and one promising new director.”</p>
<p>The statement continues, “these nominees will not be appointed to the open seats. Per our bylaws, these three seats will remain vacant until filled by the board of directors. “</p>
<p>Given the board’s control over the ballot, the union group doesn’t seem optimistic that they will be able to get their preferred candidates on the ballot, let alone elected. At the very least, the hope is that the recent member vote against the corporate-backed slate of nominees sends a message to the board.</p>
<p>“Going forward, the union is focused on bargaining a strong first contract for the eleven unionized stores and using the collective voice of workers and members to return REI to its democratic, Co-op roots,” the representative said.</p>
<p>The article <a href="https://www.singletracks.com/mtb-gear/rei-members-reject-all-2025-board-nominees-including-two-incumbents/">REI members reject all 2025 board nominees, including two incumbents</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.singletracks.com">Singletracks Mountain Bike News</a>.</p>
]]></content:encoded>
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<slash:comments>10</slash:comments>
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<title>Huge $259M Fox earnings loss offers a glimpse into bike industry woes</title>
<link>https://www.singletracks.com/mtb-gear/fox-earnings-loss-offers-a-glimpse-into-bike-industry-woes/</link>
<comments>https://www.singletracks.com/mtb-gear/fox-earnings-loss-offers-a-glimpse-into-bike-industry-woes/#comments</comments>
<dc:creator><![CDATA[Jeff Barber]]></dc:creator>
<pubDate>Fri, 09 May 2025 14:43:21 +0000</pubDate>
<category><![CDATA[Gear]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[industry]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[news]]></category>
<guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.singletracks.com/?p=695813</guid>
<description><![CDATA[<p>A look at the most recent Fox Factory Holding Corp. earnings report suggests the industry continues to struggle, though there are glimmers of hope.</p>
<p>The article <a href="https://www.singletracks.com/mtb-gear/fox-earnings-loss-offers-a-glimpse-into-bike-industry-woes/">Huge $259M Fox earnings loss offers a glimpse into bike industry woes</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.singletracks.com">Singletracks Mountain Bike News</a>.</p>
]]></description>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[
<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><a href="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/IMG-5135-scaled.jpg"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1170" height="878" src="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/IMG-5135-1170x878.jpg" alt="Close-up view of a mountain bike's front wheel and suspension fork, featuring a black FOX fork with orange branding, a blue hub, and a silver disc brake rotor. The background includes green grass and a wooden fence, emphasizing the outdoor setting." class="wp-image-645335" srcset="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/IMG-5135-1170x878.jpg 1170w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/IMG-5135-750x563.jpg 750w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/IMG-5135-768x576.jpg 768w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/IMG-5135-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/IMG-5135-2048x1536.jpg 2048w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/IMG-5135-600x450.jpg 600w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1170px) 100vw, 1170px" /></a><figcaption class="wp-element-caption"><a href="https://www.singletracks.com/mtb-gear/fox-34-step-cast-a-svelte-plush-and-sturdy-mtb-fork/">Fox 34 SC fork,</a> photo: Matt Dunn</figcaption></figure>
<p>Fox Factory Holding Corp. <a href="https://investor.ridefox.com/press-releases/news-details/2025/Fox-Factory-Holding-Corp--Reports-First-Quarter-Fiscal-2025-Financial-Results/default.aspx">reported first quarter 2025 earnings</a> today. While the report suggests modest improvements on some fronts, it’s clear the bike industry continues to face headwinds.</p>
<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-bike-related-sales-are-up-but-company-inventories-continue-to-grow">Bike-related sales are up, but company inventories continue to grow</h2>
<p>Overall Q1 sales at Fox increased 6.5% in 2025 compared to 2024. Sports Specialty Group sales, which primarily includes bicycle-related products, increased 6.6% to $121M for the quarter, which a press release says “is related to the growth in bike sales.” Still, the release cautions, “although bike sales improved compared to prior year, the ongoing channel inventory recalibration and, to a lesser extent, consumer demand remain headwinds.” Said another way, bike brands are ordering fewer components due to excess supply and decreased consumer demand for complete bikes.</p>
<p>Similarly, the Aftermarket Applications Group, which includes aftermarket sales, i.e. consumer upgrades, saw an increase from $101.9M to $111.9M. Again, Fox cautions that “high interest rates [are] impacting dealers and consumers, and high inventory levels at dealerships continue to pose challenges.”</p>
<p>Looking at the balance sheet, inventories increased slightly compared to last year to $408.7M, which suggests the company continues to struggle balancing supply and demand.</p>
<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><a href="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/fox-factory-logo.jpg"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="2400" height="1600" src="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/fox-factory-logo.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-695818" srcset="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/fox-factory-logo.jpg 2400w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/fox-factory-logo-750x500.jpg 750w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/fox-factory-logo-1170x780.jpg 1170w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/fox-factory-logo-375x250.jpg 375w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/fox-factory-logo-768x512.jpg 768w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/fox-factory-logo-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/fox-factory-logo-2048x1365.jpg 2048w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/fox-factory-logo-600x400.jpg 600w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 2400px) 100vw, 2400px" /></a><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">File photo.</figcaption></figure>
<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-aftermarket-sales-are-increasing-perhaps-because-buyers-are-upgrading-rather-than-buying-a-new-bike">Aftermarket sales are increasing, perhaps because buyers are upgrading rather than buying a new bike</h2>
<p>Aftermarket sales increases year over year could indicate that buyers are choosing to upgrade their mountain bikes rather than buying new. Brands have been offering <a href="https://www.singletracks.com/mtb-gear/specialized-made-too-many-bikes-save-up-to-2200-thru-monday/">major discounts on bikes since at least 2022</a>, and over the past two years many consumers took advantage of prices that were 50% off or more. With relatively new bikes at home, buyers may not be ready to pull the trigger on another purchase yet, especially now that the discounts on complete bikes are beginning to dry up.</p>
<p>In addition, there are also reports that <a href="https://www.pbs.org/newshour/economy/ahead-of-trumps-tariffs-retail-sales-rise-1-4-in-march-as-shoppers-stock-up-on-big-ticket-items">retail sales increased</a> in March as consumers braced for future tariff-related price increases. </p>
<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-tariffs-are-a-concern">Tariffs are a concern</h2>
<p>Fox notes that the effect of tariffs remains uncertain, though “new and expanded tariffs are expected to continue to pose significant challenges for the industries that the Company serves,” that could increase costs by $50M or more. However, they go on to say they have a plan to offset the impact.</p>
<p>Related to tariffs, the company is writing down a big chunk of Goodwill this quarter. Goodwill generally refers to intangible assets including, but not limited to, intellectual property, brand value, and the long-term value of previous acquisitions. </p>
<p>“After the Company conducted its quantitative assessment triggered by adverse changes in U.S. tariff policies, new and expanded tariffs enacted by the current presidential administration, and resulting sustained decline in its stock price,” Fox is now valuing Goodwill at $377.2M, down from $705.1M.</p>
<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><a href="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/Live-Valve-Neo-Export-06.jpg"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1170" height="780" src="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/Live-Valve-Neo-Export-06-1170x780.jpg" alt="Close-up view of a white mountain bike frame featuring a FOX Float X shock absorber mounted within the rear triangle. The image highlights the intricate design of the bike's suspension system, including visible hardware and cables, set against a blurred forest background." class="wp-image-681205" srcset="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/Live-Valve-Neo-Export-06-1170x780.jpg 1170w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/Live-Valve-Neo-Export-06-750x500.jpg 750w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/Live-Valve-Neo-Export-06-375x250.jpg 375w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/Live-Valve-Neo-Export-06-768x512.jpg 768w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/Live-Valve-Neo-Export-06-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/Live-Valve-Neo-Export-06-600x400.jpg 600w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/Live-Valve-Neo-Export-06.jpg 2000w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1170px) 100vw, 1170px" /></a><figcaption class="wp-element-caption"><a href="https://www.singletracks.com/mtb-gear/fox-live-valve-neo-delivers-ultra-fast-wireless-suspension-switching/">Fox Live Valve Neo wireless suspension</a>, photo: Sam James</figcaption></figure>
<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-already-tight-margins-are-getting-tighter-losses-expand">Already tight margins are getting tighter, losses expand</h2>
<p>Fox reported that adjusted gross margins dropped from 32.3% to 30.9% year over year. However, they note adjusted gross margins are up slightly from the previous quarter, Q4 2025. The brand introduced <a href="https://www.singletracks.com/mtb-gear/the-fox-36-sl-replaces-the-brands-previous-trail-fork-the-34/">an all-new line of forks</a> late in the first quarter of this year, which may be beginning to help lift margins.</p>
<p>Accounting profits are down significantly, due mostly to a decrease in Goodwill. The brand reported a net loss of $259.7M, up from a loss of just $3.4M a year ago. Adjusted earnings before taxes, depreciation, and amortization are down year over year from $40.4M to $39.6M. Ignoring the Goodwill impairment, it appears the company would have turned a modest profit in the first quarter of 2025 thank to an increase in net sales.</p>
<p>The article <a href="https://www.singletracks.com/mtb-gear/fox-earnings-loss-offers-a-glimpse-into-bike-industry-woes/">Huge $259M Fox earnings loss offers a glimpse into bike industry woes</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.singletracks.com">Singletracks Mountain Bike News</a>.</p>
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<slash:comments>4</slash:comments>
</item>
<item>
<title>ENVE M8 29″ carbon enduro mountain bike wheel review</title>
<link>https://www.singletracks.com/mtb-gear/enve-m8-29-carbon-enduro-mountain-bike-wheel-review/</link>
<comments>https://www.singletracks.com/mtb-gear/enve-m8-29-carbon-enduro-mountain-bike-wheel-review/#comments</comments>
<dc:creator><![CDATA[Greg Heil]]></dc:creator>
<pubDate>Fri, 09 May 2025 10:11:00 +0000</pubDate>
<category><![CDATA[Gear]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[ENVE M8 mountain bike wheels]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[review]]></category>
<guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.singletracks.com/?p=693896</guid>
<description><![CDATA[<p>The engineering that's gone into the new ENVE M8 wheels is impressive, but testing has revealed a worrisome weakness.</p>
<p>The article <a href="https://www.singletracks.com/mtb-gear/enve-m8-29-carbon-enduro-mountain-bike-wheel-review/">ENVE M8 29″ carbon enduro mountain bike wheel review</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.singletracks.com">Singletracks Mountain Bike News</a>.</p>
]]></description>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[
<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><a href="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/MTB04292.jpg"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="7952" height="5301" src="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/MTB04292.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-695452" srcset="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/MTB04292.jpg 7952w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/MTB04292-750x500.jpg 750w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/MTB04292-1170x780.jpg 1170w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/MTB04292-375x250.jpg 375w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/MTB04292-768x512.jpg 768w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/MTB04292-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/MTB04292-2048x1365.jpg 2048w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/MTB04292-600x400.jpg 600w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 7952px) 100vw, 7952px" /></a><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Photo: Greg Heil</figcaption></figure>
<p>ENVE is the most famous name in carbon fiber mountain bike wheels, and for good reason. The Utah-based company is constantly pushing the envelope of carbon wheel technology, and the brand’s new M8 enduro wheels are no exception. The new M8 <em>reduces</em> stiffness in order to be more compliant. The change in tuning is accompanied by front and rear-specific rim design, and a whole host of other technical features. </p>
<p>So, how did the M8 stand up to the abuse? Read on to see the punishment I doled out…</p>
<hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity is-style-wide"/>
<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-enve-m8-key-specs">ENVE M8 key specs</h3>
<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li>Carbon rims</li>
<li>Available in 29″ front and rear (tested), and 27.5″ rear</li>
<li>Innerdrive hub with 9°, 6°, 4.5° (stock), or 3.6° of engagement</li>
<li>Weight, with centerlock to 6-bolt brake adapters: 1010g front, 1200g rear</li>
<li>Price: $1,035 front, $1,265 rear</li>
<li>Buy <a href="https://www.singletracks.com/wp-json/click/track/cyrKN0/">from ENVE</a></li>
</ul>
<hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity is-style-wide"/>
<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><a href="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/MTB04297.jpg"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1170" height="780" src="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/MTB04297-1170x780.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-695451" srcset="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/MTB04297-1170x780.jpg 1170w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/MTB04297-750x500.jpg 750w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/MTB04297-375x250.jpg 375w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/MTB04297-768x512.jpg 768w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/MTB04297-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/MTB04297-2048x1365.jpg 2048w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/MTB04297-600x400.jpg 600w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1170px) 100vw, 1170px" /></a><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Photo: Greg Heil</figcaption></figure>
<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-enve-m8-is-less-stiff">The ENVE M8 is <em>less</em> stiff</h3>
<p>It turns out that stiffer isn’t always better. If your wheels are <em>too</em> stiff, they can chatter through the rough and unnecessarily beat you up. ENVE recognized that its previous wheels may have been too stiff, and so, they made the new M8 a bit more flexible, aka “more compliant.” “The M8 is 73% more compliant than the previous generation M730, and 76% more compliant than the M930,” according to the brand.</p>
<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><a href="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/MTB04301.jpg"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1170" height="780" src="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/MTB04301-1170x780.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-695456" srcset="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/MTB04301-1170x780.jpg 1170w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/MTB04301-750x500.jpg 750w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/MTB04301-375x250.jpg 375w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/MTB04301-768x512.jpg 768w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/MTB04301-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/MTB04301-2048x1365.jpg 2048w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/MTB04301-600x400.jpg 600w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1170px) 100vw, 1170px" /></a><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Photo: Greg Heil</figcaption></figure>
<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-front-and-rear-specific-rim-design">Front and rear-specific rim design</h3>
<p>Front and rear wheels take different types of impacts, and ENVE designs its front and rear rims differently to accommodate the unique demands. Many riders run a wider front tire and a narrower rear tire, so the M8’s front rim measures 32mm wide internally, and the rear measures 29mm. I tested the wheels with a 2.6″ tire up front and a 2.4″ tire in the rear.</p>
<div style='padding: 15px; background: #f1f1f1; max-width: 800px; margin: 0 auto 25px auto;'><h3 style='margin: 0; padding: 0 0 5px 0;'>Share your ENVE M8 mountain bike wheels review</h3>
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<p>Riders are also much more likely to flat a rear tire than a front tire, as I can personally attest. Both of the M8 rims are designed with a wide hookless bead, which provides pinch flat protection — a claimed 50% lower likelihood of pinch flats, according to ENVE. To increase the protection in the rear, the rear rim features a wider rim wall than the front.</p>
<p>The front rim features a 28-spoke design, while the rear rim has 32 spokes.</p>
<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><a href="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/MTB04313.jpg"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1170" height="780" src="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/MTB04313-1170x780.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-695455" srcset="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/MTB04313-1170x780.jpg 1170w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/MTB04313-750x500.jpg 750w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/MTB04313-375x250.jpg 375w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/MTB04313-768x512.jpg 768w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/MTB04313-1536x1025.jpg 1536w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/MTB04313-2048x1366.jpg 2048w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/MTB04313-600x400.jpg 600w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1170px) 100vw, 1170px" /></a><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Photo: Greg Heil</figcaption></figure>
<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-innerdrive-hubs-allow-adjustable-engagement">Innerdrive hubs allow adjustable engagement</h3>
<p>Many brands have begun utilizing DT Swiss’s ratchet-style rear hub design since the patent expired, according to a professional mechanic familiar with the matter. ENVE’s Innerdrive hubs are an example of a recent application of this technology.</p>
<p>“Innerdrive refines and improves upon proven ratchet-driven technologies by increasing the diameter of the ratchets, allowing higher engagement without sacrificing durability,” said ENVE. The increased diameter is advantageous for e-bikers, as they can put more motor-assisted torque through the rear hub. The M8 is e-bike-approved, according to ENVE.</p>
<p>The Innerdrive hubs allow riders to choose the level of engagement that they’d like thanks to an interchangeable Innerdrive Hub Ratchet Kit. The hubs are available in these configurations:</p>
<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li>40t (9° engagement)</li>
<li>60t (6° engagement)</li>
<li>80t (4.5° engagement) *Stock</li>
<li>100t (3.6° engagement)</li>
</ul>
<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-weight-notes">Weight notes</h3>
<p>ENVE claims that a Boost 29″ wheelset weighs 2030g with rim tape and valves included. However, it seems speccing a centerlock hub when very few riders run centerlock rotors is a cheap way for wheel brands to post lower weights — and ENVE isn’t the only one to do this. After adding the rotor adaptors, I’ve measured the complete 29″ wheelset with rim tape, valves, Superboost rear hub, and Shimano driver, at 2210g for the full wheelset.</p>
<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><a href="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/rock-kickerMTB04765-2-1.jpg"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1170" height="780" src="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/rock-kickerMTB04765-2-1-1170x780.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-695457" srcset="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/rock-kickerMTB04765-2-1-1170x780.jpg 1170w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/rock-kickerMTB04765-2-1-750x500.jpg 750w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/rock-kickerMTB04765-2-1-375x250.jpg 375w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/rock-kickerMTB04765-2-1-768x512.jpg 768w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/rock-kickerMTB04765-2-1-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/rock-kickerMTB04765-2-1-2048x1365.jpg 2048w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/rock-kickerMTB04765-2-1-600x400.jpg 600w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1170px) 100vw, 1170px" /></a><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Photo: Christine Henry</figcaption></figure>
<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-out-on-the-trail">Out on the trail</h2>
<p>The M8 was developed based on the testing of the M9 downhill wheels, but this lighter model provides a lower weight for riders who are more pedal-inclined. With this gravity-oriented design in mind, I pulled no punches during my test of these burly enduro wheels. I mounted the wheels to a Pivot Switchblade and left the CushCore out of the tires.</p>
<p>During my test, I blasted the M8 down the chunkiest desert trails I could find mid-winter. I ripped down local technical test pieces in Durango like <a href="https://www.singletracks.com/bike-trails/snake-charmer/">Snake Charmer</a> and rock slab-filled romps in Southwest Utah like St. George’s <a href="https://www.singletracks.com/bike-trails/zen-trail/">Zen</a>. Finally, I smashed through endless chunder and sent numerous hucks-to-flat on Moab’s legendary <a href="https://www.singletracks.com/bike-trails/the-whole-enchilada/">Whole Enchilada shuttle</a> (starting at Kokopelli and going down).</p>
<p>Without a back-to-back test, it’s tough to quantify the claims of increased compliance, but suffice it to say that I found the M8 wheels to hold lines superbly well. On the loose and chunder-filled high-speed descents on Porcupine Rim, the wheels tracked true, and I didn’t feel overly fatigued.</p>
<p>I screwed up plenty of shit, too, including one spectacular crash while trying to pass a rider who was walking down the main line. Despite plowing my front wheel into a massive upturned ledge and getting catapulted over the front, the wheels just kept on trucking. (Remarkably, I ran that one out.)</p>
<p>I’m generally careful to run high enough tire pressures that I won’t flat, but even so, I still hit the front a few times (where I run 7psi less than the rear). Despite a few rim hits, I never flatted or damaged the rim bead. Over the past five years of testing, I’ve found that carbon rims are remarkably more durable to impacts of this nature than the vast majority of alloy rims. While some riders are still skeptical about the durability of carbon, the increased durability provided by carbon rims is why I’ve switched to carbon for all my bikes.</p>
<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><a href="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/IMG_7837-2.jpg"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1170" height="878" src="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/IMG_7837-2-1170x878.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-695446" srcset="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/IMG_7837-2-1170x878.jpg 1170w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/IMG_7837-2-750x563.jpg 750w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/IMG_7837-2-768x576.jpg 768w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/IMG_7837-2-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/IMG_7837-2-2048x1536.jpg 2048w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/IMG_7837-2-600x450.jpg 600w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1170px) 100vw, 1170px" /></a><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Photo: Greg Heil</figcaption></figure>
<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-carbon-chips-in-the-rims-are-worrisome">Carbon chips in the rims are worrisome</h3>
<p>While I didn’t damage the rim beads in any way, I discovered that glancing blows from loose rocks have chipped the rim’s carbon in several locations, visibly cutting into the carbon weave. This is worrisome. While none of the chips were deep enough for me to stop riding the wheels, the fact that I’ve had several such chips in just a couple of months of riding doesn’t bode well for long-term use.</p>
<p>As mentioned previously, I’ve spent substantial time in the last few years on carbon enduro wheels, including wheelsets from Reynolds and Industry Nine. I haven’t seen any such chips develop on my other wheelsets over the past three years, and yet within two months, the M8 developed multiple chips in the carbon weave. </p>
<p>The chips are likely due to a lack of protective coating. I chipped the protective clear coat on the Industry Nine wheels in many places, but thanks to that coating, the impacts never penetrated the carbon. The M8 wheels, on the other hand, clearly show damage to the carbon weave.</p>
<p>I checked with ENVE to get their perspective on the damage, and here is what Jake Pantone, VP of Product & Brand, had to say:</p>
<blockquote class="wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow">
<p>Our M-Series rims are designed and tested to deliver unprecedented durability. When you consider the nature of mountain biking, it is a given that at some point trail debris will impact the rim, resulting in these sorts of superficial chips, and scratches. If the rim were to sustain damage that rendered it out of commission, ENVE’s Incidental Damage Protection policy would allow the owner to get the rim replaced at no charge.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>It’s great to know that ENVE’s warranty covers this type of damage.</p>
<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><a href="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/MTB05060.jpg"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1170" height="780" src="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/MTB05060-1170x780.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-695459" srcset="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/MTB05060-1170x780.jpg 1170w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/MTB05060-750x500.jpg 750w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/MTB05060-375x250.jpg 375w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/MTB05060-768x512.jpg 768w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/MTB05060-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/MTB05060-2048x1365.jpg 2048w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/MTB05060-600x400.jpg 600w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1170px) 100vw, 1170px" /></a><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Photo: Christine Henry</figcaption></figure>
<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-rear-hub-engagement">Rear hub engagement</h3>
<p>While some riders claim that high-engagement hubs cause <a href="https://www.singletracks.com/mtb-gear/new-ethirteen-sidekick-hubs-promise-to-nearly-eliminate-pedal-kickback/">pedal kickback</a>, kickback only happens with certain suspension designs in specific situations. I’ve personally found the claims to be overblown, and am 100% on team high engagement. </p>
<p>I found the 4.5° of engagement on the stock Innerdrive hub to be noticeably lower than the Industry Nine Hydra hubs I had been riding previously. Switching from a high-engagement hub to a lower-engagement hub was quite an unpleasant shock to the system. Unfortunately, if other riders share my sentiments, they’ll have to pay an additional $100 to swap the ratchet kit for a higher engaging option.</p>
<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><a href="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/MTB04316.jpg"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1170" height="780" src="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/MTB04316-1170x780.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-695460" srcset="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/MTB04316-1170x780.jpg 1170w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/MTB04316-750x500.jpg 750w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/MTB04316-375x250.jpg 375w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/MTB04316-768x512.jpg 768w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/MTB04316-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/MTB04316-2048x1366.jpg 2048w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/MTB04316-600x400.jpg 600w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1170px) 100vw, 1170px" /></a><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Photo: Greg Heil</figcaption></figure>
<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-pros-and-cons-of-enve-m8-mountain-bike-wheels">Pros and cons of ENVE M8 mountain bike wheels</h2>
<h4 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-pros">Pros</h4>
<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li>Comfortable compliance while tracking true through the gnar</li>
<li>Proven durability from major impacts</li>
<li>Unique front and rear rim designs are ingenious</li>
</ul>
<h4 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-cons">Cons</h4>
<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li>Additional cost to change the hub ratchet kit</li>
<li>Damage to the carbon weave from glancing rock strikes</li>
</ul>
<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-bottom-line">Bottom line</h2>
<p>After blasting the ENVE M8 wheels down some of the gnarliest mountain bike trails in the nation, they’ve proven their comfort, reliable tracking, and durability during massive impacts. However, despite no direct damage to the rim beads or any flat tires, glancing rock strikes have gouged the carbon fiber weave on the wheels. This makes me hesitant to recommend the M8, when similar enduro wheels from other brands offer a more effective layer of protection against glancing strikes.</p>
<p>The article <a href="https://www.singletracks.com/mtb-gear/enve-m8-29-carbon-enduro-mountain-bike-wheel-review/">ENVE M8 29″ carbon enduro mountain bike wheel review</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.singletracks.com">Singletracks Mountain Bike News</a>.</p>
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<title>The first bike-optimized MTB trail in Dawson County, GA, is being built in Styles Park</title>
<link>https://www.singletracks.com/mtb-trails/the-first-bike-optimized-mtb-trail-in-dawson-county-ga-is-being-built-in-styles-park/</link>
<comments>https://www.singletracks.com/mtb-trails/the-first-bike-optimized-mtb-trail-in-dawson-county-ga-is-being-built-in-styles-park/#comments</comments>
<dc:creator><![CDATA[Greg Heil]]></dc:creator>
<pubDate>Thu, 08 May 2025 18:03:00 +0000</pubDate>
<category><![CDATA[Trails]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[dawson county georgia]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[dawsonville georgia]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[news]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[trail development]]></category>
<guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.singletracks.com/?p=694777</guid>
<description><![CDATA[<p>A 120-acre land parcel donated by a local resident will soon be home to a purpose-built beginner-friendly MTB trail in Georgia.</p>
<p>The article <a href="https://www.singletracks.com/mtb-trails/the-first-bike-optimized-mtb-trail-in-dawson-county-ga-is-being-built-in-styles-park/">The first bike-optimized MTB trail in Dawson County, GA, is being built in Styles Park</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.singletracks.com">Singletracks Mountain Bike News</a>.</p>
]]></description>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[
<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><a href="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/20250428_112036.jpg"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1170" height="878" src="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/20250428_112036-1170x878.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-695408" srcset="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/20250428_112036-1170x878.jpg 1170w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/20250428_112036-750x563.jpg 750w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/20250428_112036-768x576.jpg 768w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/20250428_112036-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/20250428_112036-2048x1536.jpg 2048w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/20250428_112036-600x450.jpg 600w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1170px) 100vw, 1170px" /></a><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Photo: Aaron Steele</figcaption></figure>
<p>“There’s kind of a race to make sure we get it done and opened and that they can have a great ribbon cutting ceremony and bring her out to try out [the trail],” said Aaron Steele, President & Senior Project Manager of <a href="https://www.tailoredtrails.net/">Tailored Trails</a>. “I mean, obviously, she’s 97.”</p>
<p>The woman Steele is referring to is Anne L. Styles, who donated a 120-acre parcel of land to Dawson County, Georgia, explicitly for the construction of a natural park with walking and biking trails o it. The parcel, which had been in the Styles family for many decades, was donated to the county in 2022. Dawson County is now following through with the construction of multi-use hiking and biking trails.</p>
<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><a href="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/20250428_114449-1.jpg"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1170" height="878" src="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/20250428_114449-1-1170x878.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-695411" srcset="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/20250428_114449-1-1170x878.jpg 1170w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/20250428_114449-1-750x563.jpg 750w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/20250428_114449-1-768x576.jpg 768w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/20250428_114449-1-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/20250428_114449-1-2048x1536.jpg 2048w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/20250428_114449-1-600x450.jpg 600w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1170px) 100vw, 1170px" /></a><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Photo: Aaron Steele</figcaption></figure>
<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-dawson-county-s-first-bike-optimized-trails-are-being-built-in-styles-park">Dawson County’s first bike-optimized trails are being built in Styles Park</h2>
<p>The land, which is now known as “<a href="https://www.singletracks.com/bike-trails/styles-park/">Styles Park</a>,” will soon be home to the first bike-optimized trails in Dawson County. While nearby Dawson Forest technically has some bike-legal singletrack in it, the historic trails there are disjointed, hard to follow, and often rutted.</p>
<p>In contrast, the trails being built in Styles Park will be flowy, bike-optimized singletrack. While technically, the 4.5-mile singletrack loop is indeed multi-use, it’s being built with mountain bikes in mind.</p>
<p>“The trail is going to be mostly beginner-friendly, but not vanilla — kind of a flowing cross country trail,” said Steele. The trail will include plenty of “rollable features,” such as rollers and berms, but there won’t be any jumps.</p>
<p>In addition to the trail development at the park, Dawson County is constructing a trailhead facility with a gravel parking lot, restrooms, benches, and picnic tables.</p>
<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><a href="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/upscaled-2x-image2-1.jpeg"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1170" height="1024" src="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/upscaled-2x-image2-1-1170x1024.jpeg" alt="" class="wp-image-695356" srcset="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/upscaled-2x-image2-1-1170x1024.jpeg 1170w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/upscaled-2x-image2-1-750x656.jpeg 750w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/upscaled-2x-image2-1-768x672.jpeg 768w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/upscaled-2x-image2-1-1536x1344.jpeg 1536w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/upscaled-2x-image2-1-2048x1792.jpeg 2048w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/upscaled-2x-image2-1-600x525.jpeg 600w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1170px) 100vw, 1170px" /></a><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Dawson County Mountain Bike Team competing. Photo courtesy Holly Legaspi.</figcaption></figure>
<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-styles-park-will-be-a-massive-boon-to-local-youth-mountain-bikers-who-currently-have-to-travel-to-ride">Styles Park will be a massive boon to local youth mountain bikers, who currently have to travel to ride</h2>
<p>Dawson County is home to a <a href="https://www.georgiacycling.org/">Georgia Cycling Association</a> youth mountain biking team, and since the team’s founding in 2020, they’ve had to travel to neighboring counties to train. While many counties surrounding Dawson offer great trails, “we must travel outside of our beautiful county that has significant potential to not only provide our local team, who has been using other county trails since 2020, a trail system, but any other cyclist in our area an opportunity for an outlet for improving quality of life,” said Mark Legaspi, Programs Director for the Georgia Cycling Association and Head Coach of the Dawson County team. Legaspi was also on the original team that proposed the Styles Park trail plan to the county for approval. </p>
<p>Once Styles Park is complete, the local kids will have the perfect trail on which to practice and train. “We’re trying to build it in the same way that we would build other NICA trails, even though this wasn’t designated to be a NICA trail,” said Steele.</p>
<p>“We will have a place to call home and expose our county to the great sport of mountain biking,” Legaspi added.</p>
<p>“We, of course, focus on health and wellness in our development program, and having a trail in our own backyard can lead to more students on bikes,” Legaspi continued. “That has a far-reaching impact as that could result in family members [trying] out a sporting activity that can last a lifetime.”</p>
<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><a href="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/20250428_092448.jpg"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1170" height="878" src="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/20250428_092448-1170x878.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-695413" srcset="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/20250428_092448-1170x878.jpg 1170w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/20250428_092448-750x563.jpg 750w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/20250428_092448-768x576.jpg 768w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/20250428_092448-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/20250428_092448-2048x1536.jpg 2048w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/20250428_092448-600x450.jpg 600w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1170px) 100vw, 1170px" /></a><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Photo: Aaron Steele</figcaption></figure>
<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-a-trail-for-ms-styles">A trail for Ms. Styles</h2>
<p>In addition to the 4.5-mile singletrack loop, Tailored Trails is also building a 0.5-mile paved, ADA-accessible loop near the parking lot inspired by Ms. Styles. The residents of Dawson County want to give Styles a chance to experience the woodlands she donated, creating a lasting legacy for the Styles family and the residents of Dawson County.</p>
<p>Steele expects the trails to be finished by the beginning of June, with a grand opening in mid-June.</p>
<p>And, of course, Ms. Styles’ first “ride” on her trails.</p>
<p>The article <a href="https://www.singletracks.com/mtb-trails/the-first-bike-optimized-mtb-trail-in-dawson-county-ga-is-being-built-in-styles-park/">The first bike-optimized MTB trail in Dawson County, GA, is being built in Styles Park</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.singletracks.com">Singletracks Mountain Bike News</a>.</p>
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<title>Flextail Tiny Tire Pump ACS is a compact electric bike tire inflator with an integrated light</title>
<link>https://www.singletracks.com/mtb-gear/flextail-tiny-tire-pump-acs-review/</link>
<comments>https://www.singletracks.com/mtb-gear/flextail-tiny-tire-pump-acs-review/#respond</comments>
<dc:creator><![CDATA[Jeff Barber]]></dc:creator>
<pubDate>Thu, 08 May 2025 11:48:54 +0000</pubDate>
<category><![CDATA[Gear]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[electric pump]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[review]]></category>
<guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.singletracks.com/?p=695381</guid>
<description><![CDATA[<p>An electric bike tire inflator plus a blinkie light? It's a weird combo, but the Flextail Tiny Tire Pump ACS works.</p>
<p>The article <a href="https://www.singletracks.com/mtb-gear/flextail-tiny-tire-pump-acs-review/">Flextail Tiny Tire Pump ACS is a compact electric bike tire inflator with an integrated light</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.singletracks.com">Singletracks Mountain Bike News</a>.</p>
]]></description>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[
<figure class="wp-block-gallery has-nested-images columns-default is-cropped wp-block-gallery-2 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex">
<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><a href="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/flextail-electric-pump-1.jpeg"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="878" height="1170" data-id="695678" src="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/flextail-electric-pump-1-878x1170.jpeg" alt="A person wearing a white helmet and an orange shirt is crouched near a mountain bike on a dirt trail, inspecting the tire. They are focused on fixing a flat tire, with tools and bike components scattered around. The background features a forested area with leaves and greenery." class="wp-image-695678" srcset="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/flextail-electric-pump-1-878x1170.jpeg 878w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/flextail-electric-pump-1-563x750.jpeg 563w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/flextail-electric-pump-1-768x1024.jpeg 768w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/flextail-electric-pump-1-1152x1536.jpeg 1152w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/flextail-electric-pump-1-600x800.jpeg 600w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/flextail-electric-pump-1.jpeg 1536w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 878px) 100vw, 878px" /></a></figure>
<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><a href="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/flextail-electric-pump-2.jpeg"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="878" height="1170" data-id="695677" src="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/flextail-electric-pump-2-878x1170.jpeg" alt="A close-up view of a person's hand using a Flextail Tiny Tire Pump ACS on a mountain bike tire. The bike is resting on a dirt surface surrounded by small stones and leaves. The focus is on the tire and gauge, showcasing the detailed texture of the bike rim and the gauge's display." class="wp-image-695677" srcset="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/flextail-electric-pump-2-878x1170.jpeg 878w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/flextail-electric-pump-2-563x750.jpeg 563w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/flextail-electric-pump-2-768x1024.jpeg 768w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/flextail-electric-pump-2-1152x1536.jpeg 1152w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/flextail-electric-pump-2-600x800.jpeg 600w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/flextail-electric-pump-2.jpeg 1536w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 878px) 100vw, 878px" /></a></figure>
<figcaption class="blocks-gallery-caption wp-element-caption">Photos: Nick Giometti</figcaption></figure>
<p>While on a large MTB group ride last month, a roofing nail got stuck in my friend Craig’s tire. We pulled off to the side, yanked the nail out, inserted a plug, and topped off the air pressure with the Flextail Tiny Tire Pump ACS. Total stop time: about two minutes. The riders around us were suitably impressed, and I’m similarly impressed with how well the Flextail works, despite some initial reservations.</p>
<hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity is-style-wide"/>
<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-flextail-tiny-tire-pump-acs-key-specs">Flextail Tiny Tire Pump ACS key specs</h3>
<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li>Rechargeable 3.7Wh battery via USB-C</li>
<li>Weight: 163.2g with mount and extension</li>
<li>Price: <s>$99</s> $79.99 sale</li>
<li>Buy <a href="https://www.singletracks.com/wp-json/click/track/PD6f9U/">from Flextail</a> and <a href="https://amzn.to/436PjkG">Amazon</a> </li>
</ul>
<hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity is-style-wide"/>
<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-it-works-fast-and-saves-your-arms">It works fast and saves your arms</h2>
<p>I didn’t think I would use the Flextail electric pump a lot; after all, flat tires are pretty rare for me. However, in just about a month of testing, I used the pump multiple times to top off tubeless tires, inflate replacement tubes, and to (unsuccessfully) mount a brand-new tire. In a group setting, given the option of a mini-pump, CO2 inflator, or an electric inflator, everyone wants to use the electric.</p>
<p>And I don’t blame them. It’s way easier on your arms, and the built-in pressure gauge lets you know exactly how much air you’ve added. </p>
<p>On a full charge, there’s plenty of power to re-inflate a couple of 29er tires, or to pump up a tube from zero. I’ve been recharging the battery after every use just to make sure it’s fully topped off for my next ride. Officially the Flextail Tiny Tire Pump ACS features a 3.7Wh battery, which is the largest battery among Flextail bike tire pump models. </p>
<p>The pump delivers air in small, steady bursts — not a quick shot like an air compressor — so don’t expect to use it to re-seat a burped or completely flat tubeless tire. Desperate to <a href="https://www.singletracks.com/mtb-gear/teravail-drawpoint-downcountry-tire-review/">mount a new tire before a ride in Pisgah</a>, I tried the Flextail Tiny Tire Pump ACS and the results were laughable, though not surprising.</p>
<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><a href="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/flextail-electric-bike-pump-4.jpg"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="2400" height="1601" src="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/flextail-electric-bike-pump-4.jpg" alt="The Flextail Tiny Tire Pump ACS electric inflator" class="wp-image-695690" srcset="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/flextail-electric-bike-pump-4.jpg 2400w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/flextail-electric-bike-pump-4-750x500.jpg 750w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/flextail-electric-bike-pump-4-1170x780.jpg 1170w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/flextail-electric-bike-pump-4-375x250.jpg 375w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/flextail-electric-bike-pump-4-768x512.jpg 768w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/flextail-electric-bike-pump-4-1536x1025.jpg 1536w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/flextail-electric-bike-pump-4-2048x1366.jpg 2048w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/flextail-electric-bike-pump-4-600x400.jpg 600w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 2400px) 100vw, 2400px" /></a></figure>
<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-how-to-operate">How to operate</h3>
<p>The Flextail features a power button that turns the unit on, and is used to select modes. A short single press activates an LED screen that displays the battery life and a max automatic shutoff pressure. Tap the button again, and the pump starts pumping, until it reaches the max pressure setting. It’s loud and buzzy, and can get hot to the touch, especially around the valve connection.</p>
<p>I didn’t use the automatic shutoff function; the display tells you the current pressure as the tire inflates, and I simply turn the pump off when it reaches the amount I need. </p>
<p>The package includes screw-on adapters for presta and schraeder valves, plus a screw-on extension for use with presta valves. It takes a little extra time to install the extension hose, but I found it forms the best connection.</p>
<p>A long press of the power button actives the red light, and a single short tap toggles between solid, pulse, and blink modes.</p>
<p>I found the small, recessed power button difficult to press, especially when wearing gloves. This is probably to ensure the pump isn’t accidentally activated, say inside of your pack.</p>
<p>The included frame mount uses a stretchy strap and a quarter-turn style quick attach system. If you’re only carrying the pump in a bag, you can remove the quarter-turn mount from the pump.</p>
<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><a href="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/flextail-electric-bike-pump-2.jpg"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="2400" height="1600" src="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/flextail-electric-bike-pump-2.jpg" alt="A compact, black air pump with an orange accent, labeled "120 PSI FLEXTAIL," resting on a textured surface. The pump features a control knob and a clear section displaying internal components." class="wp-image-695676" srcset="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/flextail-electric-bike-pump-2.jpg 2400w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/flextail-electric-bike-pump-2-750x500.jpg 750w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/flextail-electric-bike-pump-2-1170x780.jpg 1170w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/flextail-electric-bike-pump-2-375x250.jpg 375w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/flextail-electric-bike-pump-2-768x512.jpg 768w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/flextail-electric-bike-pump-2-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/flextail-electric-bike-pump-2-2048x1365.jpg 2048w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/flextail-electric-bike-pump-2-600x400.jpg 600w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 2400px) 100vw, 2400px" /></a></figure>
<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-form-factor-is-a-big-sell-for-me">The form factor is a big sell for me</h2>
<p>The Flextail electric bike pump is about 3″ wide, 2″ tall, and 1″ thick. It’s basically the size of a GoPro camera. It’s much more compact than a typical mini pump, which can be hard to fit inside a hip pack or flat repair kit mounted to your bike frame. It’s pretty close to the size of a CO2 inflator and two cartridges, so if that’s your go-to, you won’t be saving much if anything in terms of size or weight. But compared to a pump, the Flextail is much more compact and easy to carry, either in a pack or mounted to the frame.</p>
<figure class="wp-block-gallery has-nested-images columns-default is-cropped wp-block-gallery-3 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex">
<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><a href="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/flextail-electric-bike-pump-3.jpg"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1170" height="780" data-id="695675" src="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/flextail-electric-bike-pump-3-1170x780.jpg" alt="Close-up of a bicycle's seat post, featuring a black adjustable clamp with markings for height adjustments, and a camera mounted on top. The background is blurred with green foliage, suggesting an outdoor setting." class="wp-image-695675" srcset="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/flextail-electric-bike-pump-3-1170x780.jpg 1170w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/flextail-electric-bike-pump-3-750x500.jpg 750w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/flextail-electric-bike-pump-3-375x250.jpg 375w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/flextail-electric-bike-pump-3-768x512.jpg 768w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/flextail-electric-bike-pump-3-1536x1025.jpg 1536w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/flextail-electric-bike-pump-3-2048x1366.jpg 2048w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/flextail-electric-bike-pump-3-600x400.jpg 600w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1170px) 100vw, 1170px" /></a></figure>
<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><a href="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/flextail-electric-bike-pump-1.jpg"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1170" height="780" data-id="695674" src="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/flextail-electric-bike-pump-1-1170x780.jpg" alt="A close-up image of a bike's rear light mounted on the seat post, featuring a red illumination. The bike frame is green, and the background shows a blurred outdoor setting, suggesting an environment suitable for cycling." class="wp-image-695674" srcset="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/flextail-electric-bike-pump-1-1170x780.jpg 1170w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/flextail-electric-bike-pump-1-750x500.jpg 750w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/flextail-electric-bike-pump-1-375x250.jpg 375w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/flextail-electric-bike-pump-1-768x512.jpg 768w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/flextail-electric-bike-pump-1-1536x1025.jpg 1536w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/flextail-electric-bike-pump-1-2048x1366.jpg 2048w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/flextail-electric-bike-pump-1-600x400.jpg 600w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1170px) 100vw, 1170px" /></a></figure>
</figure>
<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-a-bike-pump-plus-a-light-seems-like-a-weird-combo-but-actually">A bike pump plus a light seems like a weird combo, but actually…</h2>
<p>… it’s sorta practical, especially if you ride at night or on the road. The Flextail Tiny Tire Pump ACS isn’t the first Flextail to integrate a flashing light for rear visibility, but it is the first to include a way to mount the pump to your frame. You’ve got to carry the inflator <em>somehow</em>, and attaching it to the frame ensures it’s easily accessible.</p>
<p>The mount feels a little flimsy, and so I was worried I would lose the pump on the trail. I gave it about a 40% chance of staying on my bike for a typical, 20-mile Tuesday night ride. With that in mind, I made sure to snap all my photos and make the necessary measurements for my review under the assumption that the Flextail might not survive the night.</p>
<p>Much to my surprise, the pump held on tight over rough trails while mounted to my seat post. At one point, I got knocked off the bike hard enough to twist my seatpost 15° to the side, and the Flextail endured.</p>
<p>For road and gravel riding, mounting the pump to a seatpost or frame seems like the way to go. For mountain biking, I’ll generally throw mine in a pack, unless I’m riding on the road and need a rear blinkie.</p>
<p>One concern I have is that using the light sucks up precious battery juice, leaving little if any for emergency inflation. A quick check, however, shows the 3.7Wh battery capacity is about three times a normal blinkie light, which sounds like a nice buffer. Getting a flat early in a night ride should be no problem; it’s on a flat at the end of the night that slightly concerns me.</p>
<figure class="wp-block-video"><video controls src="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/flextail-electric-pump-1.mov"></video></figure>
<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-how-does-it-compare">How does it compare?</h2>
<p>Singletracks has tested a few electric inflators over the years, including <a href="https://www.singletracks.com/mtb-gear/this-tiny-electric-pump-inflates-two-flat-mtb-tires-on-a-single-charge/">the original Flextail Tiny Bike Pump</a>. That pump has a light, but doesn’t feature an easy way to mount to a frame. It’s smaller and lighter weight, with a battery capacity that’s about 40% lower for fewer inflations. Though it lacks an LED tire pressure gauge, it’s the least expensive Flextail electric pump, <a href="https://www.singletracks.com/wp-json/click/track/tQywb3/">currently priced at $59.99 on sale</a>.</p>
<p>The Flextail Tiny Tire Pump ACS is about the same size as the <a href="https://www.singletracks.com/mtb-gear/battery-powered-bike-pump-cycplus-as2-pro-max-review/">Cycplus AS2 Pro electric pump Sam tested last year</a>. That pump doesn’t have quite as much battery capacity, nor does it include a light or a mount. It also costs a bit more.</p>
<p>If you’re looking for a pump that can inflate several tires on a single charge, Fantik has several models to choose from <a href="https://www.singletracks.com/mtb-gear/fanttik-digital-electric-mtb-tire-pump-review-x8-apex/">like this one</a>, which we’ve found can, given the right circumstances, seat a brand-new gravity tire. Many of the Fantiks are heavy, making them better suited to leaving in a vehicle or for use at home.</p>
<p>As we predicted last year, mainstream bike brands are now introducing their own mini electric inflators. Models with similar form factors to the Flextail from Muc Off, Topeak, and Silca are all priced at about $120 and up.</p>
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<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-pros-and-cons-of-flextail-tiny-tire-pump-acs">Pros and cons of Flextail Tiny Tire Pump ACS</h2>
<h4 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-pros">Pros</h4>
<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li>Compact and lightweight compared to mini pump</li>
<li>Works quickly and easily to inflate a tube, or top off a tubeless tire</li>
<li>Good value </li>
</ul>
<h4 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-cons">Cons</h4>
<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li>The mount is secure enough, but feels a little flimsy for MTB</li>
<li>Single power/mode button is hard to press</li>
</ul>
<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-bottom-line">Bottom line</h2>
<p>I really like the Flextail Tiny Tire Pump ACS electric inflator. Though the integrated light feels a little gimmicky, it’s a nice option for mountain biking, and makes even more sense for road riding. This little electric pump has definitely earned a spot in my flat repair kit.</p>
<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li>Price: <s>$99</s> $79.99 sale </li>
<li>Buy <a href="https://www.singletracks.com/wp-json/click/track/PD6f9U/">from Flextail</a> and <a href="https://amzn.to/436PjkG">Amazon</a> </li>
</ul>
<p>The article <a href="https://www.singletracks.com/mtb-gear/flextail-tiny-tire-pump-acs-review/">Flextail Tiny Tire Pump ACS is a compact electric bike tire inflator with an integrated light</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.singletracks.com">Singletracks Mountain Bike News</a>.</p>
]]></content:encoded>
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<title>Man arrested after being caught on video placing dangerous obstacles on MTB trail</title>
<link>https://www.singletracks.com/mtb-trails/man-arrested-after-being-caught-on-video-placing-dangerous-obstacles-on-mtb-trail/</link>
<comments>https://www.singletracks.com/mtb-trails/man-arrested-after-being-caught-on-video-placing-dangerous-obstacles-on-mtb-trail/#comments</comments>
<dc:creator><![CDATA[Jeff Barber]]></dc:creator>
<pubDate>Wed, 07 May 2025 14:37:42 +0000</pubDate>
<category><![CDATA[Trails]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[news]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[vandalism]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[westchester county new york]]></category>
<guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.singletracks.com/?p=695648</guid>
<description><![CDATA[<p>A 44-year-old New York man is facing misdemeanor charges for trail vandalism at a popular mountain bike trail system.</p>
<p>The article <a href="https://www.singletracks.com/mtb-trails/man-arrested-after-being-caught-on-video-placing-dangerous-obstacles-on-mtb-trail/">Man arrested after being caught on video placing dangerous obstacles on MTB trail</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.singletracks.com">Singletracks Mountain Bike News</a>.</p>
]]></description>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[
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<p></p>
<p>The Westchester County Police Department in New York is reporting that a man has been arrested and charged with “deliberately placing tree limbs and other debris along a trail way used by mountain bikers at <a href="https://www.singletracks.com/bike-trails/blue-mountain-reservation/">Blue Mountain Reservation</a>, potentially exposing those bikers to serious injury.” The 44-year-old was caught thanks in part to three trail cameras installed by members of the <a href="https://www.wmba.org/">Westchester Mountain Biking Association</a> (WMBA). </p>
<p>“I personally installed two cams while another member deployed another, so we had three that we moved around over a period of seven months,” WMBA President Sam Lee told Singletracks over email. </p>
<p>Lee says riders began noticing deliberately placed objects in the trail about two years ago. The group fielded reports from local riders for about eight months before deciding to install the trail cameras in hopes of catching the culprit.</p>
<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-logs-and-limbs-were-placed-at-the-bottom-of-steep-granite-rollers">Logs and limbs were placed at the bottom of steep granite rollers</h2>
<p>Blue Mountain is one of the largest and most popular mountain bike trail systems within an hour of New York City, according to Lee. In fact, Singletracks readers rate it the top trail in the state of New York. The park is popular with many types of mountain bike riders, from XC to enduro thanks in part to the expansive rocky and rooty terrain.</p>
<p>“Blue Mountain has several granite rollers scattered across the park. The descending lines were the most dangerous spots for these hazards to be found,” Lee said. Knowing this, trail cameras were placed in these areas in order to catch the saboteur, dubbed the Blue Mountain Bandit.</p>
<p>Unfortunately, trail vandalism, often designed to harm riders, is not unusual. Singletracks has reported on <a href="https://www.singletracks.com/search/?q=trail+vandalism">many cases over the years</a>. </p>
<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-video-leads-to-arrest">Video leads to arrest </h2>
<p>The county police department worked with park rangers to identify a male suspect, but there was insufficient evidence to charge him. Thanks to the trail cameras installed by members of WMBA, and the footage captured, police were finally able to arrest the Blue Mountain Bandit.</p>
<p>“The 44-year-old man was charged with Criminal Nuisance 2nd Degree, a misdemeanor. He was booked at County Police headquarters in Hawthorne and released pending a May 19 appearance in Peekskill City Court.” According to <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/DJH6pG7xkLh/">an Instagram post from WMBA</a>, the man, who is not being identified here, confessed to the crime.</p>
<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><a href="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/trail-sabotage.jpg"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1170" height="780" src="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/trail-sabotage-1170x780.jpg" alt="A person wearing a blue beanie and gray long-sleeve shirt is seen bending over in a forested area, using a long stick to interact with a rocky surface covered in moss. The ground is covered with fallen leaves, and there are some bare trees in the background." class="wp-image-695655" srcset="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/trail-sabotage-1170x780.jpg 1170w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/trail-sabotage-750x500.jpg 750w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/trail-sabotage-375x250.jpg 375w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/trail-sabotage-768x512.jpg 768w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/trail-sabotage-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/trail-sabotage-2048x1365.jpg 2048w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/trail-sabotage-600x400.jpg 600w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1170px) 100vw, 1170px" /></a></figure>
<p>Luckily, there are no official reports of injuries due to the obstacles placed on the trail. In the video screenshot shown above, one of the steep granite rollers appears to be slippery with moisture and moss, and a large branch is placed at the bottom, making it difficult for riders to avoid without going over the bars.</p>
<p>“No one was reported to have been hurt by these, but after the arrest and publication by the Westchester PD, one person stated they were hurt by tree limbs laid across trails on our Facebook page,” Lee said.</p>
<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-blue-mountain-trails-are-safe-once-again">Blue Mountain trails are safe once again</h2>
<p>Now that a suspect has been charged, local mountain bikers should be able to breathe a sigh of relief after months of uncertainty. Lee is particularly stoked.</p>
<p>“Our annual <a href="https://www.wmba.org/event-details-registration/chainstretcher-2025">ChainStretcher Festival and Race</a> will take place on Sunday, June 8th this year. I’m really glad we caught the Blue Mountain Bandit before the event!”</p>
<p></p>
<p>The article <a href="https://www.singletracks.com/mtb-trails/man-arrested-after-being-caught-on-video-placing-dangerous-obstacles-on-mtb-trail/">Man arrested after being caught on video placing dangerous obstacles on MTB trail</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.singletracks.com">Singletracks Mountain Bike News</a>.</p>
]]></content:encoded>
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<slash:comments>18</slash:comments>
</item>
<item>
<title>The massive 43-mile Cliffrose Trail System is transforming the MTB scene in St. George, UT</title>
<link>https://www.singletracks.com/mtb-trails/the-massive-43-mile-cliffrose-trail-system-is-transforming-the-mtb-scene-in-st-george-ut/</link>
<comments>https://www.singletracks.com/mtb-trails/the-massive-43-mile-cliffrose-trail-system-is-transforming-the-mtb-scene-in-st-george-ut/#comments</comments>
<dc:creator><![CDATA[Greg Heil]]></dc:creator>
<pubDate>Wed, 07 May 2025 10:13:00 +0000</pubDate>
<category><![CDATA[Trails]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[news]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[st. george utah]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[trail development]]></category>
<guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.singletracks.com/?p=691716</guid>
<description><![CDATA[<p>The Cliffrose Trail System adds purpose-built singletrack to the iconic mountain bike destination of St. George, UT.</p>
<p>The article <a href="https://www.singletracks.com/mtb-trails/the-massive-43-mile-cliffrose-trail-system-is-transforming-the-mtb-scene-in-st-george-ut/">The massive 43-mile Cliffrose Trail System is transforming the MTB scene in St. George, UT</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.singletracks.com">Singletracks Mountain Bike News</a>.</p>
]]></description>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[
<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><a href="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/MTB04652.jpg"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1170" height="780" src="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/MTB04652-1170x780.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-695528" srcset="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/MTB04652-1170x780.jpg 1170w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/MTB04652-750x500.jpg 750w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/MTB04652-375x250.jpg 375w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/MTB04652-768x512.jpg 768w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/MTB04652-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/MTB04652-600x400.jpg 600w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/MTB04652.jpg 2048w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1170px) 100vw, 1170px" /></a><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Photo: Christine Henry</figcaption></figure>
<p>“It’s a massive, massive [environmental assessment],” said Shane Wilson, Principal for Trailhaus. “60-plus miles of trails being permitted on Forest Service, that’s — I shouldn’t say unprecedented, but it’s rare. It doesn’t happen often. It’s a very, very big deal.”</p>
<p>The environmental assessment (EA) Wilson referred to has approved the construction of 63 miles of new singletrack mountain bike trails in the Pine Valley District of the Dixie National Forest near St. George, Utah. These 63 miles will be split across two distinct trail systems, and the first (and largest) network is already well underway.</p>
<p>Twenty-one miles of singletrack have already been built in the brand-new <a href="https://www.singletracks.com/bike-trails/cliffrose-trail-system/">Cliffrose Trail System</a> high above the city of St. George, with another roughly 22 miles planned for the Cliffrose System. The final 20 miles of trail in the EA will create another entirely new trail system near the town of Pine Valley.</p>
<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><a href="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/MTB04386-2.jpg"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1170" height="780" src="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/MTB04386-2-1170x780.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-695533" srcset="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/MTB04386-2-1170x780.jpg 1170w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/MTB04386-2-750x500.jpg 750w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/MTB04386-2-375x250.jpg 375w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/MTB04386-2-768x512.jpg 768w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/MTB04386-2-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/MTB04386-2-600x400.jpg 600w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/MTB04386-2.jpg 2048w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1170px) 100vw, 1170px" /></a><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Photo: Greg Heil</figcaption></figure>
<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-cliffrose-trail-system-adds-a-new-type-of-mountain-bike-experience-to-greater-zion-utah">The Cliffrose Trail System adds a new type of mountain bike experience to Greater Zion Utah</h2>
<p>The trails in Greater Zion Utah, anchored by the towns of Hurricane and St. George, have long been popular with mountain bikers. Riders travel from all over the world to pedal the area’s iconic rocky-topped mesas, like <a target="_blank" href="https://www.singletracks.com/bike-trails/gooseberry-mesa/" rel="noreferrer noopener">Gooseberry Mesa</a>. Most of the trails that aren’t on the mesas still contain endless rock slabs and rock gardens, with sandy singletrack in between.</p>
<p>But Cliffrose adds an entirely new type of mountain biking experience to the region.</p>
<p>Gone are the slabs of red rock, and in their place, Cliffrose features professionally built mountain bike trails that are actually true <em>singletrack</em>. The trails are dug into the mountainside, with the best offerings providing superb swoop and flow, with berms, rollers, and plenty of features winding their way through a forest of juniper trees.</p>
<p>The dirt at Cliffrose boasts a higher clay content, thanks to the zone’s elevation. The trails begin at about 4,900 feet above sea level and will eventually climb to about 7,200 feet. These high elevations also effectively extend the comfortable riding season in St. George, since the city sits at 2,861 feet.</p>
<p>“[Cliffrose] typically runs 10 plus degrees cooler than St George,” said Kevin Christopherson, President of the Trail Alliance of Southern Utah (TASU). “So that’s going to extend the bike season here by a month on each hand, right? Instead of a six, seven-month comfortable [season], now you can have more like a 9-10 [month] comfortable season.”</p>
<p>The trails are being built on the side of an extinct volcano, evidenced by large deposits of volcanic basalt strewn across the hillside. “In fact, near the top of phase three, there’s actually a small caldera [with] a lake,” said Christopherson.</p>
<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-1-2-million-in-funding-has-allowed-tasu-and-the-usfs-to-hire-professional-trail-builders">$1.2 million in funding has allowed TASU and the USFS to hire professional trail builders</h2>
<p>It took years of work for TASU to shepherd the project from idea to construction, with the first groundwork laid in 2018. Christopherson and other members of TASU invested countless hours in advocacy, planning, flagging, and more. But to get top-tier trails built, they went beyond volunteer labor to hire some of the best trail builders in the nation.</p>
<p>Over $1.2 million has already been invested at Cliffrose, including $500,000 for a trailhead that will be built soon. Washington County contributed substantial matching funds so TASU could qualify for a state outdoor recreation grant with a 50/50 match. “Washington County deserves a huge credit,” said Christopherson. “They put up all of the match for phase three. We put up all of the match for phase one, and since then, they’ve matched it.”</p>
<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-professional-trail-construction-has-created-several-top-tier-descents-at-cliffrose">Professional trail construction has created several top-tier descents at Cliffrose</h2>
<p>Today, there are two main downhill lines in the network: PJ Party and Rooster Ridge to Juniper on the Rocks. Both of these masterfully sculpted downhill lines were built by Ptarmigan Ptrails.</p>
<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><a href="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/MTB04506.jpg"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="2048" height="1365" src="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/MTB04506.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-695530" srcset="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/MTB04506.jpg 2048w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/MTB04506-750x500.jpg 750w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/MTB04506-1170x780.jpg 1170w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/MTB04506-375x250.jpg 375w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/MTB04506-768x512.jpg 768w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/MTB04506-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/MTB04506-600x400.jpg 600w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 2048px) 100vw, 2048px" /></a><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Fantastic views off of Rooster Ridge. Photo: Greg Heil</figcaption></figure>
<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-rooster-ridge">Rooster Ridge</h3>
<p>Today, Rooster Ridge provides an intermediate-friendly descent with delightful rollers, berms, and optional rock kickers strewn throughout. The trail follows an elevated ridgeline, providing spectacular views of the nearby mountains… that is, if you can pull your eyes off the singletrack.</p>
<p>At the time of this writing, Ptarmigan is finishing construction on an upper section of Rooster Ridge, which will earn a black-diamond rating. “It starts out with a very, very steep, like, eight-foot roll in with a significant amount of exposure,” said Wilson, who designed the phase two trails. “It’s definitely a trail that should make you feel just a little tiny cringe, like, ‘Oh, wow. I think I really need to be committed.’”</p>
<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><a href="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/greg-utah.jpg"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="2400" height="1600" src="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/greg-utah.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-695642" srcset="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/greg-utah.jpg 2400w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/greg-utah-750x500.jpg 750w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/greg-utah-1170x780.jpg 1170w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/greg-utah-375x250.jpg 375w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/greg-utah-768x512.jpg 768w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/greg-utah-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/greg-utah-2048x1365.jpg 2048w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/greg-utah-600x400.jpg 600w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 2400px) 100vw, 2400px" /></a><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Optional rock feature on PJ Party. Photo: Christine Henry</figcaption></figure>
<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-pj-party">PJ Party</h3>
<p>PJ Party (which stands for “pinyon-juniper”) offers a riotous top-to-bottom descent. The trail character changes dramatically throughout the downhill, throwing a little bit of everything at you. The top begins fairly mellow, but quickly funnels into endless rock gardens filled with sharp, volcanic boulders.</p>
<p>The boulders continue cascading down the mountain, with optional drops and advanced line options available, including a few in the double black range. The main line down upper PJ Party gets a light black rating, with some debate about whether the trail should be a blue or a black.</p>
<p>In the middle section, the trail speed picks up, with more berms becoming evident between the rock features. To finish, PJ Party transitions to a flow trail with extended berms, rollers, and jumps thrown in.</p>
<p>“It’s a challenge. It’s basically a descending challenge,” said Eddie Kessler, Owner of Ptarmigan Ptrails.</p>
<p>“It’s interesting that you picked up on the different builders in there as well,” said Kessler when I spoke with him about my ride experience. “So it’s got a really unique flavor to it, I think.”</p>
<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><a href="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/MTB04860-2.jpg"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="2048" height="1365" src="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/MTB04860-2.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-695529" srcset="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/MTB04860-2.jpg 2048w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/MTB04860-2-750x500.jpg 750w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/MTB04860-2-1170x780.jpg 1170w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/MTB04860-2-375x250.jpg 375w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/MTB04860-2-768x512.jpg 768w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/MTB04860-2-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/MTB04860-2-600x400.jpg 600w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 2048px) 100vw, 2048px" /></a><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">No benching to be found on these XC trails. Photo: Greg Heil</figcaption></figure>
<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-while-the-trails-are-now-coming-to-fruition-the-build-out-had-a-rocky-start">While the trails are now coming to fruition, the build-out had a rocky start</h2>
<p>On my second lap through the network, I pedaled several of the traversing cross-country trails, including Fazed Out and High Plains Drifter. As I pedaled along, the difference between a trail like Rooster Ridge and High Plains Drifter couldn’t be more evident. While the westernmost trails were intended to be cross-country singletrack, they aren’t well-built cross-country trails with a carefully constructed bench providing kinesthetic swoop and flow.</p>
<p>“There’s spots where you’re like, ‘Why is this five feet wide?’ They just dropped a blade and went,” said Kessler of these trails, which his crew didn’t construct.</p>
<p>The westernmost XC trails were built during phase one, and it was immediately clear that they didn’t turn out well. So, before phase two was built, Wilson was hired to redesign both the existing trails at Cliffrose and to design all subsequent trails that were still left to be built. Once Wilson completed the designs, Ptarmigan was hired to build phase two.</p>
<p>“We were brought in for a technical expertise and an expectation of quality and productivity in sizable rock and weird terrain dynamics,” said Kessler.</p>
<p>Both Kessler and Wilson were careful not to be overly critical of the builders of the XC trails. Wilson attributed the poor build not so much to the skill of the builder, but to a poor initial design.</p>
<p>“The trails that were built under phase one really didn’t get completed, so to speak,” said Wilson. According to Christopherson, the US Forest Service abruptly stopped construction in the summer due to fire concerns, and the first contractor didn’t get to finish the project.</p>
<p>“Some of the planning, especially on that western side, could have been done in a way that put the trail alignments on parts of the landscape that would really just instantly result in better, higher quality, [and] lower maintenance trail,” Wilson continued.</p>
<p>“The fundamental issue in a number of locations [was that] the planning and design and the communication of that work to the builder […] just didn’t really come together super well. And so the builder ended up in a situation where they ended up building some sections that really kind of had that flow-killer feel.”</p>
<p>Wilson completed the eastern trails, including slight rebuilds on the XC trails to improve the rhythm and flow over what was originally present. Thanks to his complete redesign of the phase two and three plans, we can rest assured that the remainder of the trail system will be built based on designs by one of the best in the industry.</p>
<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><a href="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/MTB04765.jpg"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="2048" height="1365" src="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/MTB04765.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-695532" srcset="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/MTB04765.jpg 2048w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/MTB04765-750x500.jpg 750w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/MTB04765-1170x780.jpg 1170w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/MTB04765-375x250.jpg 375w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/MTB04765-768x512.jpg 768w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/MTB04765-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/MTB04765-600x400.jpg 600w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 2048px) 100vw, 2048px" /></a><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Photo: Christine Henry</figcaption></figure>
<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-phase-three-will-add-another-20-miles-of-singletrack-and-create-downhills-of-epic-proportions">Phase three will add another 20 miles of singletrack and create downhills of epic proportions</h2>
<p>The high-quality design and construction are already evident in the phase two trail builds. Funding is currently being approved for phase three, with construction planned soon.</p>
<p>Not only will the phase three trails add another 20 miles of singletrack, but they’ll add some serious vertical to the trail system as well. The current network boasts about 1,000 feet of vert, running from 4,900-5,900 feet in elevation. Phase three will rise to 7,200 feet on the mountainside, creating a total vertical drop of about 2,300 feet in the network.</p>
<p>“It gets rockier and steeper […] as you move up. So that’s going to be pretty interesting,” said Christopherson. “There’s actually a branch over the top of the hill. There’s a saddle between these volcano hills. So [when] phase three is done, and assuming we get the funding, you could actually shuttle that. You’d have about a 10-mile at least downhill run to here.”</p>
<p>The 2,300 feet of shuttle-able singletrack in Cliffrose can be connected to existing BLM trails like Ice House for a 25-mile shuttle run, ending on the outskirts of St. George at an elevation of 3,200 feet.</p>
<p>Four thousand vertical feet of singletrack descending? Yes, please!</p>
<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-parting-thoughts">Parting thoughts</h2>
<p>The complex approval process, the design (and redesign) of the trails, multiple trail crews, and numerous project stakeholders all show that building a massive mountain bike trail system of this scale is no small undertaking. It takes years of hard work by tireless volunteers like Christopherson and TASU to shepherd projects like this along — especially when Forest Service personnel change over every year or two.</p>
<p>When these tireless advocates <em>finally</em> put tires to dirt and experience the delightful singletrack flow, the challenge of the rocks, and enjoy the views off the rim, they know one thing with certainty: the work was worth it.</p>
<p><em>Updated 10am MDT on Monday, May 12, 2025, with additional information about the impact of wildfire</em> <em>stoppage on the trail completion.</em></p>
<p>The article <a href="https://www.singletracks.com/mtb-trails/the-massive-43-mile-cliffrose-trail-system-is-transforming-the-mtb-scene-in-st-george-ut/">The massive 43-mile Cliffrose Trail System is transforming the MTB scene in St. George, UT</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.singletracks.com">Singletracks Mountain Bike News</a>.</p>
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<slash:comments>3</slash:comments>
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<title>EVOC Trail Builder 35 backpack is designed to carry a chainsaw [Review]</title>
<link>https://www.singletracks.com/mtb-gear/evoc-trail-builder-35-backpack-is-designed-to-carry-a-chainsaw-review/</link>
<comments>https://www.singletracks.com/mtb-gear/evoc-trail-builder-35-backpack-is-designed-to-carry-a-chainsaw-review/#comments</comments>
<dc:creator><![CDATA[Michael Welch]]></dc:creator>
<pubDate>Tue, 06 May 2025 18:12:00 +0000</pubDate>
<category><![CDATA[Gear]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[review]]></category>
<guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.singletracks.com/?p=694966</guid>
<description><![CDATA[<p>The EVOC Trail Builder 35 backpack makes it possible to carry a chainsaw on your bike for trail work deep in the backcountry.</p>
<p>The article <a href="https://www.singletracks.com/mtb-gear/evoc-trail-builder-35-backpack-is-designed-to-carry-a-chainsaw-review/">EVOC Trail Builder 35 backpack is designed to carry a chainsaw [Review]</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.singletracks.com">Singletracks Mountain Bike News</a>.</p>
]]></description>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[
<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><a href="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/DSC0205.jpeg"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="6000" height="4000" src="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/DSC0205.jpeg" alt="A person wearing a helmet and gloves stands on a fallen tree trunk in a forest, looking ahead, wearing an EVOC Trail Builder 35. They carry a backpack and have a chainsaw resting on the ground nearby. The surrounding area is lush with green foliage and trees, indicating a dense woodland environment." class="wp-image-695373" srcset="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/DSC0205.jpeg 6000w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/DSC0205-750x500.jpeg 750w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/DSC0205-1170x780.jpeg 1170w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/DSC0205-375x250.jpeg 375w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/DSC0205-768x512.jpeg 768w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/DSC0205-1536x1024.jpeg 1536w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/DSC0205-2048x1365.jpeg 2048w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/DSC0205-600x400.jpeg 600w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 6000px) 100vw, 6000px" /></a><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Compression or tension? Hmm…</figcaption></figure>
<p>Admittedly, I’m more of a trail rider than a trail builder. While I’ve always intended to strike a better balance between the two, that intent became an imperative last Fall.</p>
<p>As you may have seen on the news, Asheville and the surrounding mountains in Western North Carolina got absolutely shellacked by tropical storm Helene in late September 2024. With some areas receiving upward of 30” of rain in two days, floods and landslides wreaked havoc on the steep topography, and the 40-70 mph winds that followed brought down an unfathomable number of trees.</p>
<p>A blanket interruption in power, water, and internet service pushed recreation far down the priority list. More than a month after the storm, most of the city was still without potable running water, but the stabilized situation meant it was time to assess the damage in Pisgah National Forest and <a href="https://www.singletracks.com/mtb-trails/popular-pisgah-trails-are-ready-to-ride-again-heres-everything-to-know-before-you-go/">start restoring access</a> to my favorite local infrastructure — the trails.</p>
<p>After a few weeks of using a 25-year-old Kelty hiking backpack for trail work, I got curious about a purpose-built solution — big thanks to EVOC for sending over their Trail Builder 35 Pack at a time of urgent need.</p>
<hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity is-style-wide"/>
<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-evoc-trail-builder-35-backpack-specs">Evoc Trail Builder 35 backpack specs</h2>
<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li>Price: $350</li>
<li>Buy from <a href="https://amzn.to/4k6qM6j">Amazon</a> and <a href="https://evocsports.us/products/trail-builder-35">EVOC</a> (currently sold out)</li>
</ul>
<hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity is-style-wide"/>
<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><a href="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/DSC0228.jpeg"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1170" height="780" src="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/DSC0228-1170x780.jpeg" alt="" class="wp-image-695374" srcset="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/DSC0228-1170x780.jpeg 1170w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/DSC0228-750x500.jpeg 750w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/DSC0228-375x250.jpeg 375w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/DSC0228-768x512.jpeg 768w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/DSC0228-1536x1024.jpeg 1536w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/DSC0228-2048x1365.jpeg 2048w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/DSC0228-600x400.jpeg 600w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1170px) 100vw, 1170px" /></a></figure>
<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-features">Features</h2>
<p>With hundreds and hundreds of trees down on my local trail system, the main thing I needed out of a pack was the ability to safely and easily transport a chainsaw. You can use straps and some ingenuity to rig something up, but this pack does a much better job securing my Stihl MS 271 chainsaw with a 20” bar. Accessing and then returning the saw is quick and convenient, meaning you can tackle more downed trees in less time. Besides saw storage, the Trail Builder 35 has a lot more tricks up its sleeve.</p>
<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><a href="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/DSC0218.jpeg"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1170" height="780" src="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/DSC0218-1170x780.jpeg" alt="" class="wp-image-695376" srcset="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/DSC0218-1170x780.jpeg 1170w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/DSC0218-750x500.jpeg 750w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/DSC0218-375x250.jpeg 375w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/DSC0218-768x512.jpeg 768w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/DSC0218-1536x1024.jpeg 1536w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/DSC0218-2048x1365.jpeg 2048w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/DSC0218-600x400.jpeg 600w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1170px) 100vw, 1170px" /></a><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">The MSR can is a perfect fit in a side pocket and my favorite option for transporting gas without leaks.</figcaption></figure>
<p>In addition to the saw, the external attachment system can simultaneously secure long-handled tools like rakes, hoes, or McLeods, and the two tall pockets on either side are perfect for housing your gas and bar oil away from the rest of the pack. Removing the saw gives you access to the outermost compartment, where I usually keep a file, stump vise, and sometimes an extra chain if I’m planning on a long day. There’s also a zipper pocket at the top of this section where I’ll keep foam ear protection and a small multitool.</p>
<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><a href="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/DSC0224.jpeg"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1170" height="780" src="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/DSC0224-1170x780.jpeg" alt="" class="wp-image-695377" srcset="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/DSC0224-1170x780.jpeg 1170w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/DSC0224-750x500.jpeg 750w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/DSC0224-375x250.jpeg 375w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/DSC0224-768x512.jpeg 768w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/DSC0224-1536x1024.jpeg 1536w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/DSC0224-2048x1365.jpeg 2048w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/DSC0224-600x400.jpeg 600w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1170px) 100vw, 1170px" /></a><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Nice of Evoc to include an emergency plan stitched inside. Also, Stihl 2-in-1 files are amazing.</figcaption></figure>
<p>The whole outer compartment folds down when you access the main storage area of the pack, which lets you fill it to the brim without having to take everything out when the thing you’re looking for is on the bottom.</p>
<p>The pack is nice and spacious, and the internal dividers on either side are good for water bottles, handles for a breakdown tool, or in this case, my camera and tripod. I’ll also throw a first aid kit and headlamp in there in case things don’t go as planned. A top zipper pocket holds smaller items like snacks and keys separately so they don’t get crushed.</p>
<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><a href="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/DSC0220.jpeg"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1170" height="780" src="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/DSC0220-1170x780.jpeg" alt="" class="wp-image-695378" srcset="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/DSC0220-1170x780.jpeg 1170w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/DSC0220-750x500.jpeg 750w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/DSC0220-375x250.jpeg 375w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/DSC0220-768x512.jpeg 768w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/DSC0220-1536x1024.jpeg 1536w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/DSC0220-2048x1365.jpeg 2048w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/DSC0220-600x400.jpeg 600w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1170px) 100vw, 1170px" /></a></figure>
<p>A soft pocket on the very top is a great addition to any pack for items you don’t want scratched like sunglasses or eye protection and a phone. It’s also useful if you use a helmet light with an external battery like I do. Down on either side, the spacious hip pockets keep my favorite snacks exactly where I like them.</p>
<p>It’s worth noting that the pack also includes a detachable nail wrap, which some folks might find useful. I’m mostly clearing trees instead of building wooden features, so I typically leave it at home.</p>
<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-in-the-field">In the field</h2>
<p>I’ve gone out to cut with this pack dozens of times, and I’m incredibly impressed by it for a few reasons. Durability is number one — transporting my chainsaw was destroying my old pack with half as much use, but the Trail Builder 35 has shrugged it all off with no visible signs of wear. Details like the metal clasp system on the waist belt (instead of fragile plastic buckles) and Cordura reinforcement all over really highlight how durability is at the forefront of the design ethos.</p>
<p>Organization is equally important to maximize usability. My previous option had one cavernous opening for pretty much everything, but EVOC’s pack does a great job keeping contents separate. No one wants their dirty tools fraternizing with their clean layers, first-aid kit, or essential PPE.</p>
<p>And finally, while a chainsaw will never be a part of my regular mountain biking kit, this pack makes riding with one and all the accompanying tools and gear as painless as possible. It really does handle a heavy load better than I expected. The fact that the saw handle can stick out the bottom of the pack also helps keep the bar lower overall. My 20″ bar can handle 95% of situations here in North Carolina, and it only adds about a foot of clearance overhead — it’s a really important foot though, so proceed with caution. Forcible dismounts are uncomfortable.</p>
<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><a href="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/DSC0216.jpeg"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1170" height="780" src="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/DSC0216-1170x780.jpeg" alt="" class="wp-image-695380" srcset="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/DSC0216-1170x780.jpeg 1170w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/DSC0216-750x500.jpeg 750w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/DSC0216-375x250.jpeg 375w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/DSC0216-768x512.jpeg 768w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/DSC0216-1536x1024.jpeg 1536w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/DSC0216-2048x1365.jpeg 2048w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/DSC0216-600x400.jpeg 600w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1170px) 100vw, 1170px" /></a><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">This pack is regularly approaching 50 lbs, but fortunately it doesn’t carry like it.</figcaption></figure>
<p>In a pinch, any old pack will do for occasional trailwork. Still, after 15 or so days in the woods, my aging Kelty began to succumb to usage it was never designed to endure. I had another option, but the high likelihood of leaking gas or bar oil (or both) when constantly transporting a chainsaw meant I didn’t want to use my dedicated hiking pack for trail building work.</p>
<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-bottom-line">Bottom line</h2>
<p>EVOC’s Trail Builder 35 has been a fantastic option, transporting tools, saws, files, and more with no issues and no signs of early wear that could turn into something problematic in the months to come. If you’re serious about trail work and want a pack you can reach for when you’re riding or hiking your equipment deep into the woods, I have zero reservations about recommending the Trail Builder 35.</p>
<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><a href="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/chainsaw-backpack.jpg"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1170" height="780" src="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/chainsaw-backpack-1170x780.jpg" alt="A person riding a mountain bike on a dirt trail through a lush green forest, carrying an EVOC Trail Builder 35 chainsaw backpack . The scene features dense trees, foliage, and a winding pathway, suggesting an adventurous outdoor atmosphere." class="wp-image-695429" srcset="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/chainsaw-backpack-1170x780.jpg 1170w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/chainsaw-backpack-750x500.jpg 750w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/chainsaw-backpack-375x250.jpg 375w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/chainsaw-backpack-768x512.jpg 768w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/chainsaw-backpack-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/chainsaw-backpack-2048x1365.jpg 2048w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/chainsaw-backpack-600x400.jpg 600w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1170px) 100vw, 1170px" /></a><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">The 20″ bar doesn’t stick up too much, but you’ll quickly learn what you can’t get away with.</figcaption></figure>
<p>The article <a href="https://www.singletracks.com/mtb-gear/evoc-trail-builder-35-backpack-is-designed-to-carry-a-chainsaw-review/">EVOC Trail Builder 35 backpack is designed to carry a chainsaw [Review]</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.singletracks.com">Singletracks Mountain Bike News</a>.</p>
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<slash:comments>3</slash:comments>
</item>
<item>
<title>The first purpose-built downhill MTB trail in the Boise foothills will open in early summer</title>
<link>https://www.singletracks.com/mtb-trails/the-first-purpose-built-downhill-mtb-trail-in-the-boise-foothills-will-open-in-early-summer/</link>
<comments>https://www.singletracks.com/mtb-trails/the-first-purpose-built-downhill-mtb-trail-in-the-boise-foothills-will-open-in-early-summer/#respond</comments>
<dc:creator><![CDATA[Greg Heil]]></dc:creator>
<pubDate>Tue, 06 May 2025 10:13:00 +0000</pubDate>
<category><![CDATA[Trails]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Boise Idaho]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[news]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[trail development]]></category>
<guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.singletracks.com/?p=694947</guid>
<description><![CDATA[<p>The new Sideshow trail will provide a purpose-built downhill MTB experience for Boise residents.</p>
<p>The article <a href="https://www.singletracks.com/mtb-trails/the-first-purpose-built-downhill-mtb-trail-in-the-boise-foothills-will-open-in-early-summer/">The first purpose-built downhill MTB trail in the Boise foothills will open in early summer</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.singletracks.com">Singletracks Mountain Bike News</a>.</p>
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<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><a href="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/upscaled-2x-IMG_1687-1.jpg"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1170" height="878" src="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/upscaled-2x-IMG_1687-1-1170x878.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-695180" srcset="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/upscaled-2x-IMG_1687-1-1170x878.jpg 1170w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/upscaled-2x-IMG_1687-1-750x563.jpg 750w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/upscaled-2x-IMG_1687-1-768x576.jpg 768w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/upscaled-2x-IMG_1687-1-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/upscaled-2x-IMG_1687-1-600x450.jpg 600w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/upscaled-2x-IMG_1687-1.jpg 2048w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1170px) 100vw, 1170px" /></a><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Photo: David Gordon</figcaption></figure>
<p>The expansive Ridge to Rivers trail system in Boise, Idaho, already boasts 220 miles of singletrack trails. “It’s a very popular amenity,” said David Gordon, Ridge to Rivers Division Superintendent for the City of Boise. “It brings a lot of people here to live. It’s increasing [the] number of people here just to spend time on the trails, actually.”</p>
<p>The vast majority of the Ridge to Rivers trails are multi-use, with 60% of the trail traffic on foot and 40% on mountain bikes. The higher up the mountainside you go, the higher the percentage of bike traffic.</p>
<p>Gordon wasn’t joking when he said the trails are popular: Ridge to Rivers receives 3 million visitor days per year. Despite the massive popularity of the trails, a downhill-only mountain bike-specific trail has never been built in the Ridge to Rivers network… until now.</p>
<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-new-directional-bike-only-trail-is-being-applauded-by-bikers-and-hikers-alike">The new directional bike-only trail is being applauded by bikers and hikers alike</h2>
<p>Ridge to Rivers currently offers one trail designated for bike-only downhill traffic, but it wasn’t built or designed with that use in mind. “The trail itself, when it was designed and constructed, was a multi-use trail,” said Gordon. While it’s mostly downhill, it has some uphill in it, too. “We repurposed it about four years ago now and built a parallel trail, and moved all the foot traffic onto that trail — no bikes on that one — and repurposed this with some jumps [and] a lot more banked corners.” </p>
<p>To find true purpose-built downhill trails, Boise residents have had to drive up to <a href="https://www.singletracks.com/mtb-trails/bogus-basin-is-boises-bike-park-literally-they-own-it/">the Bogus Basin Gravity Park</a>.</p>
<p>The new Sideshow trail that’s currently under construction will be entirely different from anything else in the Ridge to Rivers network. Sideshow is being designed and built as a downhill-only bike-only trail. Despite the bike designation, hikers are applauding the new trail construction as well.</p>
<p>“It was well supported by cyclists, obviously, but also by non-cyclists, because they saw the benefit,” said Gordon. “If you’re putting a trail like that in a fairly busy area, you’re going to pull a lot of downhill riders away from the multi-use trails, and they’ll choose the downhill trail by default.”</p>
<p>This traffic diversion naturally makes nearby multi-use trails less busy for hikers, creating a win-win for everybody.</p>
<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-where-will-sideshow-be-located">Where will Sideshow be located?</h2>
<p>Sideshow is currently under construction in the mid-foothills area of the mountain. The new trail will end on the existing Bob’s trail, and can be incorporated into a much longer descent through the trail system. While it can easily be incorporated into a pedal-driven loop, Gordon thinks many riders will choose to shuttle the trail.</p>
<p>“Most folks, I think, will shuttle it where it ends. They’ll take about a quarter-mile, two-track gravel road up to a dirt road, [and] once they hit that, it’s a mile up the dirt road, and then they could start it again if they wanted to lap it.”</p>
<p>Gordon mentioned there’s a good parking area at the top of the trail, but not at the bottom.</p>
<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-features-will-riders-find-on-the-trail">What features will riders find on the trail?</h2>
<p>The new downhill trail will measure 1.7 miles long and will drop roughly 450 feet of vertical.</p>
<p>While the trail is purpose-built for mountain bikers, Gordon doesn’t want to call it a “flow trail,” even if that might be the most accurate description. “It’ll have tabletops, rollers, big bank turns, hopefully a rhythm section. So more stuff that’s constructed into the design of the trail,” said Gordon.</p>
<p>The flow trail-style features will fit well on the wide-open sagebrush-filled hillside where Sideshow is being built. Gordon noted that there isn’t much rock on the hillside, but “if we encounter some rock in the construction, then we’ll incorporate it.”</p>
<p>While the main trail line will be rated intermediate, advanced riders will find optional features to keep them entertained. “We’re hoping to put some more expert-level sides on some of the jumps so that you can hit different parts of the width of the trail and get a different experience.” Gordon also noted that the trail will be wide enough to accommodate adaptive mountain bikes.</p>
<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-when-will-sideshow-be-ready-to-ride">When will Sideshow be ready to ride?</h2>
<p>Integrated Trail LAB out of Bozeman, MT, is already hard at work digging on the mountainside. $150,000 has been budgeted by the City of Boise for Sideshow’s construction.</p>
<p>Gordon said that the trail will be finished and ready to ride by “early summer,” intentionally hedging his bets on the timeline. However, he anticipates construction wrapping up sometime in early June.</p>
<p>The article <a href="https://www.singletracks.com/mtb-trails/the-first-purpose-built-downhill-mtb-trail-in-the-boise-foothills-will-open-in-early-summer/">The first purpose-built downhill MTB trail in the Boise foothills will open in early summer</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.singletracks.com">Singletracks Mountain Bike News</a>.</p>
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<title>14 cheap bike repair supplies from Amazon to help you avoid downtime</title>
<link>https://www.singletracks.com/mtb-gear/14-cheap-bike-repair-supplies-from-amazon-to-help-you-avoid-downtime/</link>
<comments>https://www.singletracks.com/mtb-gear/14-cheap-bike-repair-supplies-from-amazon-to-help-you-avoid-downtime/#respond</comments>
<dc:creator><![CDATA[Jeff Barber]]></dc:creator>
<pubDate>Mon, 05 May 2025 17:06:00 +0000</pubDate>
<category><![CDATA[Gear]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[product picks]]></category>
<guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.singletracks.com/?p=695515</guid>
<description><![CDATA[<p>Nothing is more frustrating than missing a ride because you're missing a small bike part.</p>
<p>The article <a href="https://www.singletracks.com/mtb-gear/14-cheap-bike-repair-supplies-from-amazon-to-help-you-avoid-downtime/">14 cheap bike repair supplies from Amazon to help you avoid downtime</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.singletracks.com">Singletracks Mountain Bike News</a>.</p>
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<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1170" height="780" src="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/cover-4-1170x780.png" alt="" class="wp-image-695498" srcset="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/cover-4-1170x780.png 1170w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/cover-4-750x500.png 750w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/cover-4-375x250.png 375w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/cover-4-768x512.png 768w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/cover-4-600x400.png 600w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/cover-4.png 1200w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1170px) 100vw, 1170px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption"><em>All prices and availability are subject to change.</em></figcaption></figure>
<p>There are plenty of things that keep us from riding when we want to, but none are more frustrating than a broken bike. With these supplies you can avoid waiting around for parts; just fix, and ride! Plus, you’ll save $$ by repairing what you’ve got instead of rushing to buying new.
Before every ride, I remember my ABCs: air, brakes, and chain. Air refers to your tire pressure, but also your suspension. A flat tire can easily end a ride before it begins, so many of the supplies we chose below are tire-related. There are brake and chain-related items you should consider stocking as well.</p>
<p></p>
<div class="wp-block-image is-resized">
<figure class="aligncenter size-medium"><a href="https://www.singletracks.com/wp-json/click/track/ZujvpR/" rel="nofollow"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="750" height="500" src="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/shift-dropper-cable-750x500.png" alt="Shifter/dropper remote cable" class="wp-image-695497" srcset="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/shift-dropper-cable-750x500.png 750w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/shift-dropper-cable-1170x780.png 1170w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/shift-dropper-cable-375x250.png 375w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/shift-dropper-cable-768x512.png 768w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/shift-dropper-cable-600x400.png 600w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/shift-dropper-cable.png 1200w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 750px) 100vw, 750px" /></a></figure></div>
<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-shifter-dropper-remote-cable">Shifter/dropper remote cable</h3>
<p><strong>$8.99</strong> </p>
<p>Shifter and dropper post cables can fray and corrode over time. There’s nothing worse than snapping a cable and not having a replacement at home! I always keep a few in my garage, just in case I need a replacement or I cut one too short the first time. </p>
<p>Buy from <a href="https://www.singletracks.com/wp-json/click/track/ZujvpR/" rel="nofollow">Amazon</a> </p>
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<figure class="aligncenter size-medium"><a href="https://amzn.to/3ENuR0b" rel="nofollow"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="750" height="500" src="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/brake-pads-750x500.png" alt="Backup brake pads" class="wp-image-695489" srcset="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/brake-pads-750x500.png 750w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/brake-pads-1170x780.png 1170w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/brake-pads-375x250.png 375w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/brake-pads-768x512.png 768w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/brake-pads-600x400.png 600w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/brake-pads.png 1200w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 750px) 100vw, 750px" /></a></figure></div>
<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-backup-brake-pads">Backup brake pads</h3>
<p>A couple weeks ago I noticed my rear brake was fading, so I did a fresh bleed and the lever felt great. So I went for a ride and realized the pads were contaminated. Before the NEXT ride, I cleaned them, but I did rush job and it wasn’t good enough. Moral of the story: always have a spare set of pads (or two) to throw on while you sort out what’s wrong with your brakes. Spare pads are also good to have in your pack on long, backcountry rides. </p>
<p>Buy from <a href="https://amzn.to/3ENuR0b" rel="nofollow">Amazon</a></p>
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<figure class="aligncenter size-medium"><a href="https://www.singletracks.com/wp-json/click/track/024uG1/" rel="nofollow"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="750" height="500" src="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/bacon-strips-tire-plug-750x500.png" alt="Tire plug refills" class="wp-image-695486" srcset="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/bacon-strips-tire-plug-750x500.png 750w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/bacon-strips-tire-plug-1170x780.png 1170w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/bacon-strips-tire-plug-375x250.png 375w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/bacon-strips-tire-plug-768x512.png 768w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/bacon-strips-tire-plug-600x400.png 600w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/bacon-strips-tire-plug.png 1200w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 750px) 100vw, 750px" /></a></figure></div>
<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-tire-plug-refills">Tire plug refills</h3>
<p><strong>$7.99</strong> </p>
<p>Most tire plug tools come with 5-10 plugs, and it’s a good idea to pick up a pack of extra plugs for when they run out. I tested several <a href="https://www.singletracks.com/mtb-gear/best-tubeless-tire-plug-tool/">tire plugs and tools</a> in August, and rubber plugs like these are still holding air! </p>
<p>Buy from <a href="https://www.singletracks.com/wp-json/click/track/024uG1/" rel="nofollow">Amazon</a> </p>
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<figure class="aligncenter size-medium"><a href="https://www.singletracks.com/wp-json/click/track/zHEroN/" rel="nofollow"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="750" height="500" src="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/hex-bolts-750x500.png" alt="Hex bolts" class="wp-image-695495" srcset="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/hex-bolts-750x500.png 750w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/hex-bolts-1170x780.png 1170w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/hex-bolts-375x250.png 375w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/hex-bolts-768x512.png 768w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/hex-bolts-600x400.png 600w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/hex-bolts.png 1200w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 750px) 100vw, 750px" /></a></figure></div>
<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-hex-bolts">Hex bolts</h3>
<p><strong>$20.90</strong> </p>
<p>I picked up this bolt kit and have used it for all sorts of bike-related repairs. The bolts may not be an exact fit for every repair, but it’s convenient to have options if you lose a caliper or bottle mount bolt, for example. </p>
<p>Buy from <a href="https://www.singletracks.com/wp-json/click/track/zHEroN/" rel="nofollow">Amazon</a> </p>
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<figure class="aligncenter size-medium"><a href="https://www.singletracks.com/wp-json/click/track/qiB96W/" rel="nofollow"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="750" height="500" src="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/cleats-750x500.png" alt="Spare pedal cleats" class="wp-image-695485" srcset="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/cleats-750x500.png 750w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/cleats-1170x780.png 1170w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/cleats-375x250.png 375w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/cleats-768x512.png 768w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/cleats-600x400.png 600w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/cleats.png 1200w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 750px) 100vw, 750px" /></a></figure></div>
<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-spare-pedal-cleats">Spare pedal cleats</h3>
<p><strong>$10.95</strong> | <span style="color:#a30000" class="has-inline-color">$9.99 sale</span> </p>
<p>There’s nothing worse than losing a cleat bolt (or a cleat!) and not being able to go for a ride. <a href="https://www.singletracks.com/wp-json/click/track/drwZTz/" rel="nofollow">Crankbrothers cleats are here too</a>. </p>
<p>Buy from <a href="https://www.singletracks.com/wp-json/click/track/qiB96W/" rel="nofollow">Amazon</a> </p>
<hr class="wp-block-separator has-css-opacity"/>
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<figure class="aligncenter size-medium"><a href="https://www.singletracks.com/wp-json/click/track/XbQfn6/" rel="nofollow"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="750" height="500" src="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/quick-link-750x500.png" alt="Quick link for chain" class="wp-image-695487" srcset="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/quick-link-750x500.png 750w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/quick-link-1170x780.png 1170w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/quick-link-375x250.png 375w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/quick-link-768x512.png 768w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/quick-link-600x400.png 600w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/quick-link.png 1200w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 750px) 100vw, 750px" /></a></figure></div>
<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-quick-link-for-chain">Quick link for chain</h3>
<p><strong>$13.49</strong> </p>
<p>I’ve had good luck with these generic quick-connect chain links from Amazon, and this 10-pack is a fraction of the price of name-brand options. Note: these won’t work for a T-type chain. </p>
<p>Buy from <a href="https://www.singletracks.com/wp-json/click/track/XbQfn6/" rel="nofollow">Amazon</a> </p>
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<figure class="aligncenter size-medium"><a href="https://www.singletracks.com/wp-json/click/track/fy0jCh/" rel="nofollow"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="750" height="500" src="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/valve-cores-750x500.png" alt="Replacement valve cores" class="wp-image-695488" srcset="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/valve-cores-750x500.png 750w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/valve-cores-1170x780.png 1170w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/valve-cores-375x250.png 375w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/valve-cores-768x512.png 768w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/valve-cores-600x400.png 600w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/valve-cores.png 1200w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 750px) 100vw, 750px" /></a></figure></div>
<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-replacement-valve-cores">Replacement valve cores</h3>
<p><strong>$8.99</strong> | <span style="color:#a30000" class="has-inline-color">$7.99 sale</span> </p>
<p>Over time, tubeless tire valves can get gunked up with dried sealant, and won’t close properly. They can also get sheared off if you’re not careful. Often times you don’t need to replace the whole valve, just the core! I ordered this pack years ago and I’m only halfway through it. </p>
<p>Buy from <a href="https://www.singletracks.com/wp-json/click/track/fy0jCh/" rel="nofollow">Amazon</a> </p>
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<figure class="aligncenter size-medium"><a href="https://www.singletracks.com/wp-json/click/track/UJst1B/" rel="nofollow"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="750" height="500" src="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/spacers-750x500.png" alt="Headset spacers" class="wp-image-695491" srcset="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/spacers-750x500.png 750w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/spacers-1170x780.png 1170w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/spacers-375x250.png 375w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/spacers-768x512.png 768w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/spacers-600x400.png 600w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/spacers.png 1200w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 750px) 100vw, 750px" /></a></figure></div>
<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-headset-spacers">Headset spacers</h3>
<p><strong>$8.99</strong> </p>
<p>OK, so you probably don’t need spacers often. But if you’re swapping forks between bikes, or installing a new one, it’s annoying to get stuck without enough spacers. For that reason, I always keep these on hand. </p>
<p>Buy from <a href="https://www.singletracks.com/wp-json/click/track/UJst1B/" rel="nofollow">Amazon</a> </p>
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<figure class="aligncenter size-medium"><a href="https://www.singletracks.com/wp-json/click/track/iqUMFy/" rel="nofollow"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="750" height="500" src="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/tire-repair-kit-750x500.png" alt="Tire repair kit" class="wp-image-695514" srcset="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/tire-repair-kit-750x500.png 750w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/tire-repair-kit-1170x780.png 1170w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/tire-repair-kit-375x250.png 375w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/tire-repair-kit-768x512.png 768w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/tire-repair-kit-600x400.png 600w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/tire-repair-kit.png 1200w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 750px) 100vw, 750px" /></a></figure></div>
<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-tire-repair-kit">Tire repair kit</h3>
<p><strong>$13.99</strong> </p>
<p>Sourcing exactly the right replacement tire you want can take time, and if you can’t afford to buy a spare tire or two, grab a repair kit like this. Tire patches work better than plugs for large holes or tears, and can have you back on the trail the next day instead of the next week. <a href="https://www.singletracks.com/mtb-gear/mountain-bike-tire-repair-tips-from-emergency-to-semi-permanent/">Read more.</a></p>
<p>Buy from <a href="https://www.singletracks.com/wp-json/click/track/iqUMFy/" rel="nofollow">Amazon</a> </p>
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<figure class="aligncenter size-medium"><a href="https://www.singletracks.com/wp-json/click/track/e2PRUl/" rel="nofollow"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="750" height="500" src="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/tubeless-tape-750x500.png" alt="Tubeless tire tape" class="wp-image-695484" srcset="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/tubeless-tape-750x500.png 750w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/tubeless-tape-1170x780.png 1170w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/tubeless-tape-375x250.png 375w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/tubeless-tape-768x512.png 768w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/tubeless-tape-600x400.png 600w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/tubeless-tape.png 1200w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 750px) 100vw, 750px" /></a></figure></div>
<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-tubeless-tire-tape">Tubeless tire tape</h3>
<p><strong>$20.93</strong> </p>
<p>Have you ever pulled a tubeless tire off the rim, only to find that some of the rim tape came off with it? I have. Keep a roll of rim tape on hand and you’ll be fine. That’s not to say it’ll be a quick fix, but at least you won’t have to wait for tape. </p>
<p>Buy from <a href="https://www.singletracks.com/wp-json/click/track/e2PRUl/" rel="nofollow">Amazon</a> </p>
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<figure class="aligncenter size-medium"><a href="https://www.singletracks.com/wp-json/click/track/pL9qrW/" rel="nofollow"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="750" height="500" src="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/tire-valves-750x500.png" alt="Tubeless valves" class="wp-image-695494" srcset="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/tire-valves-750x500.png 750w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/tire-valves-1170x780.png 1170w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/tire-valves-375x250.png 375w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/tire-valves-768x512.png 768w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/tire-valves-600x400.png 600w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/tire-valves.png 1200w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 750px) 100vw, 750px" /></a></figure></div>
<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-tubeless-valves">Tubeless valves</h3>
<p><strong>$50.00</strong> | <span style="color:#a30000" class="has-inline-color">$42.50 sale</span> </p>
<p>Sometimes a tire valve will fail entirely, and you’ll need a replacement. In a pinch you can cut the valve off an old tube, but you’ll feel a lot better about going for a ride with a proper valve in place. I always keep at least one spare set of valves in my garage. </p>
<p>Buy from <a href="https://www.singletracks.com/wp-json/click/track/pL9qrW/" rel="nofollow">Amazon</a> </p>
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<div class="wp-block-image is-resized">
<figure class="aligncenter size-medium"><a href="https://www.singletracks.com/wp-json/click/track/CaZmp7/" rel="nofollow"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="750" height="500" src="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/tire-sealant-750x500.png" alt="Tire sealant" class="wp-image-695493" srcset="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/tire-sealant-750x500.png 750w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/tire-sealant-1170x780.png 1170w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/tire-sealant-375x250.png 375w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/tire-sealant-768x512.png 768w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/tire-sealant-600x400.png 600w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/tire-sealant.png 1200w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 750px) 100vw, 750px" /></a></figure></div>
<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-tire-sealant">Tire sealant</h3>
<p><strong>$24.98</strong> </p>
<p>It goes without saying that you should always have tire sealant on hand. But if you need a reminder to stock up, this is it. </p>
<p>Buy from <a href="https://www.singletracks.com/wp-json/click/track/CaZmp7/" rel="nofollow">Amazon</a> </p>
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<figure class="aligncenter size-medium"><a href="https://www.singletracks.com/wp-json/click/track/yTKqor/" rel="nofollow"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="750" height="500" src="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/cable-housing-750x500.png" alt="Cable housing" class="wp-image-695496" srcset="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/cable-housing-750x500.png 750w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/cable-housing-1170x780.png 1170w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/cable-housing-375x250.png 375w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/cable-housing-768x512.png 768w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/cable-housing-600x400.png 600w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/cable-housing.png 1200w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 750px) 100vw, 750px" /></a></figure></div>
<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-cable-housing">Cable housing</h3>
<p><strong>$28.99</strong> </p>
<p>I like to buy a long roll of cable housing so I always have plenty in case I need to install a new part or make a repair. </p>
<p>Buy from <a href="https://www.singletracks.com/wp-json/click/track/yTKqor/" rel="nofollow">Amazon</a> </p>
<hr class="wp-block-separator has-css-opacity"/>
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<figure class="aligncenter size-medium"><a href="https://amzn.to/42TC9Ym" rel="nofollow"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="750" height="500" src="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/tubes-750x500.png" alt="Spare tubes" class="wp-image-695490" srcset="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/tubes-750x500.png 750w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/tubes-1170x780.png 1170w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/tubes-375x250.png 375w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/tubes-768x512.png 768w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/tubes-600x400.png 600w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/tubes.png 1200w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 750px) 100vw, 750px" /></a></figure></div>
<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-spare-tubes">Spare tubes</h3>
<p>Sometimes tubeless tire problems can’t be worked out in time to ride, so having spare tubes in your kit is a smart idea. It’s also cheaper to buy more than one at a time. </p>
<p>Buy from <a href="https://amzn.to/42TC9Ym" rel="nofollow">Amazon</a></p>
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<hr class="wp-block-separator has-css-opacity"/>
<p class="has-very-light-gray-background-color has-background"><em>Want to find the best price on your next mountain bike? Try our <a href="https://www.singletracks.com/mountain-bike-deals/">comparison shopping tool</a> and don’t miss our <a href="https://www.singletracks.com/mountain-bike-deals/"><strong>Weekly MTB Deals</strong></a> for the biggest savings on mountain bikes, gear and more.</em></p>
<p>The article <a href="https://www.singletracks.com/mtb-gear/14-cheap-bike-repair-supplies-from-amazon-to-help-you-avoid-downtime/">14 cheap bike repair supplies from Amazon to help you avoid downtime</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.singletracks.com">Singletracks Mountain Bike News</a>.</p>
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<title>If you build it, will they come? A MTB trail arms race is underway. </title>
<link>https://www.singletracks.com/mtb-trails/if-you-build-it-will-they-come-a-mtb-trail-arms-race-is-underway/</link>
<comments>https://www.singletracks.com/mtb-trails/if-you-build-it-will-they-come-a-mtb-trail-arms-race-is-underway/#comments</comments>
<dc:creator><![CDATA[Greg Heil]]></dc:creator>
<pubDate>Mon, 05 May 2025 10:13:00 +0000</pubDate>
<category><![CDATA[Trails]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[caliente nevada]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[essay]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[opinion]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[over a beer]]></category>
<guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.singletracks.com/?p=694952</guid>
<description><![CDATA[<p>Towns across the nation are building MTB trails to attract tourism dollars, but it's no longer a guarantee that a new trail system will generate the desired revenue.</p>
<p>The article <a href="https://www.singletracks.com/mtb-trails/if-you-build-it-will-they-come-a-mtb-trail-arms-race-is-underway/">If you build it, will they come? A MTB trail arms race is underway. </a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.singletracks.com">Singletracks Mountain Bike News</a>.</p>
]]></description>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[
<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><a href="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/IMG_7567-3.jpg"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1170" height="780" src="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/IMG_7567-3-1170x780.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-695176" srcset="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/IMG_7567-3-1170x780.jpg 1170w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/IMG_7567-3-750x500.jpg 750w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/IMG_7567-3-375x250.jpg 375w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/IMG_7567-3-768x512.jpg 768w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/IMG_7567-3-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/IMG_7567-3-2048x1365.jpg 2048w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/IMG_7567-3-600x400.jpg 600w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1170px) 100vw, 1170px" /></a><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Ella Mountain Trail, Caliente, NV. Photo: Greg Heil</figcaption></figure>
<p class="has-very-light-gray-background-color has-background">Any opinions expressed in this article belong to the author alone, and do not necessarily represent the opinions of Singletracks.com.</p>
<p>All across the United States, communities big and small are turning to mountain bike trail development to generate reliable tourism income and boost their local economies. From tiny, poverty-stricken towns in the Mountain West, where mines have closed, to historic Southeastern metropolises, local politicians see mountain bike trails as <a href="https://www.singletracks.com/mtb-trails/from-oil-and-gas-to-biking-and-hiking-how-western-towns-are-changing-their-fortunes/">one solution to declining tax revenue</a>.</p>
<p>Mountain bike advocates have been successful at making this argument, as a recent report on the economic benefits of mountain biking highlights. This meta-analysis examined 50 different economic studies on the impact of mountain biking on local economies, and some of the numbers are staggering. Mountain bikers visiting the Chequamegon area in Wisconsin spent, on average, $1,107 per trip. Washington state generates $435.7 million per year from mountain biking. And Crankworx Whistler — a week-long event — delivers a $38.5 million USD impact to Canada’s economy.</p>
<p>But attracting mountain bikers and generating tourism revenue isn’t quite as easy as some of these success stories make it seem. Not only that, but I argue below that it’s becoming increasingly difficult for communities to stand out from the pack and for new mountain bike trails to generate lasting tourism dollars.</p>
<p>We’re currently in a mountain bike trail arms race, and even a multi-million-dollar trail investment can’t guarantee that your destination will stand out from the rest.</p>
<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-first-a-few-caveats">First, a few caveats</h2>
<p>In this article, I focus solely on communities building mountain bike trails to generate tourism revenue and attract potential new residents. I’m leaving aside all discussions about building mountain bike trails for the current residents of a community. While these two goals can easily coexist, the motivations and what success looks like are very different.</p>
<p>I think <em>every</em> community should provide a singletrack trail system to serve its local residents. <em>Every</em> person should have the opportunity to ride a mountain bike if they so choose. This is the ethos behind IMBA’s “<a href="https://www.singletracks.com/mtb-trails/more-mountain-bike-trails-close-to-home-10-exciting-projects-that-imba-is-working-on-in-2024/">More trails close to home</a>” campaign.</p>
<p>Furthermore, I fully encourage local communities to continue building trails and investing in trail infrastructure. The newest bike offering a minuscule technological advancement doesn’t mean shit for the soul of mountain biking. What <em>does</em> transform the sport is the proliferation of more and better places to ride our bikes, which provides more opportunities for riders to form bonds of friendship and share this beautiful sport with the people around them.</p>
<p>So please, keep building trails. But don’t expect a dozen miles of singletrack to turn your hometown into the next Fruita.</p>
<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><a href="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/IMG_7438.jpg"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1170" height="878" src="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/IMG_7438-1170x878.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-695168" srcset="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/IMG_7438-1170x878.jpg 1170w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/IMG_7438-750x563.jpg 750w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/IMG_7438-768x576.jpg 768w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/IMG_7438-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/IMG_7438-2048x1536.jpg 2048w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/IMG_7438-600x450.jpg 600w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1170px) 100vw, 1170px" /></a><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">View from the top of the Ella Mountain Trail, Caliente, NV. Photo: Greg Heil</figcaption></figure>
<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-some-people-will-always-travel-to-ride-the-next-new-trail">Some people will always travel to ride the next new trail</h2>
<p>Some mountain bikers will always be willing to travel to ride the next new trail — and I’m one of them. I make this argument based on more than 20 years spent traveling the world with my mountain bike. I’ve ridden somewhere north of 9,000 mountain bike trails and have visited 41 US states, 22 countries, and 4 Canadian provinces. My mountain bike travels have taken me to some of the most famous destinations on the planet and plenty of obscure hole-in-the-wall trails that nobody has ever heard of.</p>
<p>Based on this experience, I don’t think that simply building a new trail system is enough to guarantee tourism revenue.</p>
<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><a href="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/IMG_7672.jpg"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1170" height="878" src="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/IMG_7672-1170x878.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-695164" srcset="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/IMG_7672-1170x878.jpg 1170w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/IMG_7672-750x563.jpg 750w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/IMG_7672-768x576.jpg 768w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/IMG_7672-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/IMG_7672-2048x1536.jpg 2048w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/IMG_7672-600x450.jpg 600w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1170px) 100vw, 1170px" /></a><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Rock berm on Wake Up Call. Photo: Greg Heil</figcaption></figure>
<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-are-all-these-new-trails-successfully-generating-tourism-dollars-an-anecdote-from-caliente">Are all these new trails successfully generating tourism dollars? An anecdote from Caliente</h2>
<p>After reading rave reviews from Tim Wild about the new trails in <a href="https://www.singletracks.com/mtb-trails/this-tiny-nevada-town-of-840-people-now-boasts-60-miles-of-raw-desert-singletrack/">Caliente</a> and <a href="https://www.singletracks.com/mtb-trails/first-look-joey-kleins-latest-20-mile-singletrack-masterpiece-in-pioche-nevada/">Pioche</a>, Nevada, my wife Christine, my best friend Marcel, and I planned our spring break trip around these two destinations to see what the fuss was all about. Like I said, it doesn’t take much to convince me to check out a new trail, and it was fairly easy to work these two neighboring towns into a lengthier road trip anchored by St. George, <a href="https://www.singletracks.com/bike-trails/region/utah/?city=Hurricane">Hurricane</a>, and <a href="https://www.singletracks.com/mtb-trails/spin-the-wheel-and-pray-does-las-vegas-pay-out-as-a-mountain-bike-destination/">Las Vegas</a>.</p>
<p>We rolled into Caliente (population 971) and were greeted by boarded-up restaurants and literal tumbleweeds rolling down the deserted streets. We poked our heads into the local liquor store for some NA beer and managed to walk out with the one and only choice. As we strolled through “downtown,” we attempted to visit the historic train station, which looked beautifully renovated from the outside — but neither the train station nor the nearby Box Car Museum were open.</p>
<p>As we took to the trails over the next few days, we were both enthralled by how remote and rugged the trails were, especially the upper reaches of the <a href="https://www.singletracks.com/bike-trails/ella-mountain-trail/">Ella Mountain Trail</a>. But even when we pedaled the close-to-town <a href="https://www.singletracks.com/bike-trails/barnes-canyon/">Barnes Canyon trail system</a> the next day, we again had the entire place to ourselves. While it was a nice change from Colorado trail traffic, it was clear that even some of the town’s most accessible trails receive very few riders.</p>
<p>If desert mountain bike trails don’t receive any traffic over the winter, they exhibit a curious property whereby the trail surface can fluff up and soften into powder. Consistent traffic will keep trails tamped down, but it’s not uncommon to ride in the desert after a seasonal closure lifts and to find yourself slogging through soft dirt, wishing that a few more riders had packed down the trail before you.</p>
<p>Despite riding one of the closest, lowest, and best-constructed trail systems in Caliente (which doesn’t have a seasonal closure), we dropped into several trails — including a spectacular black-diamond descent known as “Wake Up Call”  — that only had a single set of tire tracks running through the soft duff. Wake Up Call is an artistic piece of trail engineering that offers rugged yet rideable features, crafted from massive boulders winched into place to create steep rollers, drops, and berms — all built from locally sourced rock.</p>
<p>Even so, this spectacular masterpiece of a trail only had one set of tire tracks stamped into the surface.</p>
<p>We joked that it must be pretty damn nice to be one of the 20 mountain bikers in Caliente, having all 60 miles of singletrack to themselves. But as the week rolled on, and we noticed the lack of trail use, we revised our estimate down to… 5? Maybe less? It seemed like Barnes Canyon would be <em>the</em> place to ride all winter long, and even there, the trails still needed to be packed down in late March.</p>
<p>While Tim shared exciting quotes from local trail advocates <a href="https://www.singletracks.com/mtb-trails/this-tiny-nevada-town-of-840-people-now-boasts-60-miles-of-raw-desert-singletrack/">in his article</a>, in the conclusion, he noted, “A small rural town like this doesn’t always have enough local riders, builders, or advocates to keep their trails in the spotlight, but that’s a shame.” All too true.</p>
<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><a href="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/IMG_7700.jpg"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1170" height="878" src="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/IMG_7700-1170x878.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-695166" srcset="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/IMG_7700-1170x878.jpg 1170w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/IMG_7700-750x563.jpg 750w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/IMG_7700-768x576.jpg 768w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/IMG_7700-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/IMG_7700-2048x1536.jpg 2048w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/IMG_7700-600x450.jpg 600w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1170px) 100vw, 1170px" /></a><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Historic train station in Caliente. Photo: Greg Heil</figcaption></figure>
<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-having-few-local-riders-is-one-thing-but-what-about-tourists">Having few local riders is one thing, but what about tourists?</h2>
<p>While it’s fair to say that this nearly abandoned town might not have many local riders, it doesn’t seem like it’s successfully attracting much in the way of MTB tourism, either. Sure, we saw a couple of bikes on the back of one other van in the campground at <a href="https://www.singletracks.com/bike-trails/kershaw-ryan-state-park/">Kershaw-Ryan State Park</a>, but compared to the swarms of riders that descend on the nearby trails of St. George, Hurricane, and Las Vegas every spring, Caliente was downright deserted.</p>
<p>Above and beyond mountain bikers, we saw very few other adventure tourists out camping, either. The tiny 16-site campground at Kershaw-Ryan didn’t even fill up on the weekend, and we didn’t see any folks camped in the few dispersed campsites we passed.</p>
<p>While Caliente might have built 60-some miles of high-quality singletrack, including an epic (albeit quite aerobic) backcountry point-to-point shuttle run, I’m not convinced that the trails have yet generated the tourism revenue that the community may have hoped for. </p>
<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><a href="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/IMG_7040-1-1.jpg"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1170" height="780" src="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/IMG_7040-1-1-1170x780.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-695169" srcset="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/IMG_7040-1-1-1170x780.jpg 1170w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/IMG_7040-1-1-750x500.jpg 750w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/IMG_7040-1-1-375x250.jpg 375w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/IMG_7040-1-1-768x512.jpg 768w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/IMG_7040-1-1-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/IMG_7040-1-1-2048x1365.jpg 2048w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/IMG_7040-1-1-600x400.jpg 600w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1170px) 100vw, 1170px" /></a><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Mega Zen Trail, St. George, UT. Photo: Greg Heil</figcaption></figure>
<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-it-will-take-a-lot-more-effort-to-stand-out-from-the-crowd-of-other-mountain-bike-destinations-that-are-also-building-new-trails">It will take a lot more effort to stand out from the crowd of other mountain bike destinations that are also building new trails</h2>
<p>It’s great to see local communities across the nation building trails. I applaud their efforts, and I hope to ride them all someday!</p>
<p>But here’s the crux of my argument: <strong>If seemingly every little town is investing in mountain bike trails in an attempt to generate tourism revenue, the bar for standing out from the crowd has been raised dramatically.</strong></p>
<p>10 to 15 years ago, when many of these trail projects were probably first getting started, being one of the few towns with a mountain bike trail system could set you apart from the other small towns in Utah, Nevada, British Columbia, et al.</p>
<p>But now, if <em>almost</em> <em>every</em> <em>single </em>town has a mountain bike trail, it’s going to take more than a small trail system with ho-hum singletrack to motivate riders to visit your community.</p>
<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><a href="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/2024-03-01_17-47-13_401.jpg"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1170" height="780" src="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/2024-03-01_17-47-13_401-1170x780.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-695171" srcset="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/2024-03-01_17-47-13_401-1170x780.jpg 1170w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/2024-03-01_17-47-13_401-750x500.jpg 750w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/2024-03-01_17-47-13_401-375x250.jpg 375w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/2024-03-01_17-47-13_401-768x512.jpg 768w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/2024-03-01_17-47-13_401-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/2024-03-01_17-47-13_401-2048x1365.jpg 2048w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/2024-03-01_17-47-13_401-600x400.jpg 600w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1170px) 100vw, 1170px" /></a><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">For many mountain bikers, a trip to Moab is a once-in-a-lifetime event — not a weekend jaunt. Photo: Greg Heil</figcaption></figure>
<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-most-mountain-bikers-only-take-2-5-trips-per-year">Most mountain bikers only take 2-5 trips per year</h2>
<p>According to statistics gathered by Singletracks, on average,<a href="https://www.singletracks.com/mtb-trails/mountain-bike-tourism-by-the-numbers/"> <u>mountain bikers take two trips a year</u></a>, and most of the trips are 2-3 nights long. Data collected by the <em>Journal of Vacation Marketing</em> in 2019 is more optimistic: they state that mountain bikers take five trips per year, on average.</p>
<p>Whether two or five trips, it would do professional mountain bike journalists, trail builders, and trail advocates well to remember that the average rider doesn’t get to travel nearly as much as we do. With just a couple of trips per year, riders need to be choosy about where they go. The stakes are high: if you choose to spend your annual week-long mountain bike trip on a destination that most people have never heard of, it could be a flop. The trails might not be all that good.</p>
<p>If you only get one or two chances to have an epic mountain bike trip every year, do you <em>really</em> want to risk it on a “maybe”? Do you really want to go to Caliente instead of Hurricane and <a href="https://www.singletracks.com/mtb-trails/ride-like-a-local-st-george-utah-podcast-292/">St. George</a>, when you <em>know</em> that Hurricane has spectacular trails? Not only that, if you want to scratch the itch to ride new trails, it’s easy to find a destination like St. George where you can pair long-time classics like <a href="https://www.singletracks.com/bike-trails/zen-trail/">Zen</a> with brand-new trail developments like <a href="https://www.singletracks.com/mtb-trails/the-massive-43-mile-cliffrose-trail-system-is-transforming-the-mtb-scene-in-st-george-ut/">Cliffrose</a> and <a href="https://www.singletracks.com/mtb-trails/an-epic-5-mile-downhill-mtb-trail-is-about-to-open-in-southwest-utah/">Revenant</a>.</p>
<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><a href="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/MTB04506.jpg"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1170" height="780" src="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/MTB04506-1170x780.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-695170" srcset="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/MTB04506-1170x780.jpg 1170w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/MTB04506-750x500.jpg 750w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/MTB04506-375x250.jpg 375w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/MTB04506-768x512.jpg 768w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/MTB04506-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/MTB04506-600x400.jpg 600w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/MTB04506.jpg 2048w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1170px) 100vw, 1170px" /></a><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">The new Cliffrose trails in St. George, UT. Photo: Greg Heil</figcaption></figure>
<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-how-many-trails-or-how-high-a-quality-of-trails-are-required-to-attract-mountain-bikers-to-your-town">How many trails — or how high a quality of trails — are required to attract mountain bikers to your town?</h2>
<p>This is the question of the hour: just how many miles of trails do you need to attract mountain bikers to visit your town and spend their hard-earned dollars there? Of course, it’s not a one-to-one formula, where the most miles gets the most riders — trail quality and renown also play a role. Manicured jump trails in a region that doesn’t have any, or steep, technical, visually stunning lines, can easily attract riders despite a relatively small overall trail system mileage.</p>
<p>Still, the question remains: what will it take to stand out from the crowd? In the MTB trails arms race, how many “arms” must you have in order to win the tourism dollars?</p>
<p>If you think the arms race metaphor is overblown, consider that roughly 15 or so years ago, the iconic destinations of Fruita and Moab were engaged in a literal race to see who could build the most miles of singletrack every year. While Moab was the OG mountain bike destination, Fruita came onto the scene with spectacular <em>singletrack</em> at a time when most of Moab’s iconic rides were either slickrock slabs or 4×4 roads. So Moab tried to play catch-up by building more modern singletrack routes and trail systems.</p>
<p>Not willing to be passed up, Fruita and the rest of the Grand Valley engaged in a trail building frenzy as well, with both Moab and Fruita laying down 10-15 miles of singletrack per year for several years in a row, in the days before multi-million dollar budgets and massive professional trail crews.</p>
<p>If it can happen there, I think it can happen anywhere and everywhere. In fact, I think it’s <em>already</em> happening.</p>
<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><a href="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/DSC9614-scaled-1.jpg"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="2560" height="1639" src="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/DSC9614-scaled-1.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-695172" srcset="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/DSC9614-scaled-1.jpg 2560w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/DSC9614-scaled-1-750x480.jpg 750w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/DSC9614-scaled-1-1170x749.jpg 1170w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/DSC9614-scaled-1-768x492.jpg 768w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/DSC9614-scaled-1-1536x983.jpg 1536w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/DSC9614-scaled-1-2048x1311.jpg 2048w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/DSC9614-scaled-1-600x384.jpg 600w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px" /></a><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">The Masterpiece, Bentonville, AR. Photo: Mike Cartier</figcaption></figure>
<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-modern-mountain-bike-trail-arms-race-arkansas-versus-colorado-and-utah">The modern mountain bike trail arms race: Arkansas versus Colorado and Utah</h2>
<p>While the competition between Fruita and Moab has mellowed, the current mountain bike trails arms race in the USA is being pushed by the state of Arkansas. Arkansas began by building trails to take advantage of its incredible natural terrain, with <a href="https://www.singletracks.com/mtb-trails/northwest-arkansas-13-million-can-build/">the Walton Foundation investing millions</a> in Northwest Arkansas to attract and retain talented employees.</p>
<p>But they didn’t stop there.</p>
<p>Bentonville went on to proclaim itself the “<a href="https://www.singletracks.com/uncategorized/bentonville-crowns-itself-mountain-biking-capital-of-the-world/">Mountain Biking Capital of the World</a>,” and ongoing investments, including <a href="https://www.singletracks.com/mtb-trails/more-details-have-been-revealed-about-the-new-lift-served-bike-park-coming-to-northwest-arkansas/">a lift-served bike park</a>, indicate they’re still working to establish that claim beyond any reasonable doubt.</p>
<p>In recent years, the Waltons and Arkansas as a whole have moved their sights up by taking aim at one of the largest outdoor recreation economies in the nation: Colorado. In 2023, <a href="https://www.axios.com/local/nw-arkansas/2023/02/21/arkansas-walton-sanders-colorado-outdoor-recreation">Tom Walton said</a>, “I really think Arkansas has the potential to be the equivalent or better than Colorado [in] 10 years’ time in terms of owning the outdoor rec experience.”</p>
<p>First Gentleman Bryan Sanders, who leads a council to promote outdoor tourism in the state, agreed and has been pushing to make that happen in the years since. At the February 2025 Arkansas Governor’s Conference on Tourism and the Arkansas Outdoor Economy Summit, <a href="https://arkansasoutside.com/from-trails-to-tourism-arkansas-outdoor-industry-leaders-chart-a-path-for-growth-and-sustainability/">Sanders said</a> that “Arkansas has the same opportunity around mountain biking and cycling [as Colorado and Utah.”</p>
<p>“You can ride year-round here, and when you see people from Colorado driving to Arkansas to ride in winter, you know we’re onto something special.”</p>
<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><a href="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/IMG_7627-1.jpg"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1170" height="878" src="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/IMG_7627-1-1170x878.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-695173" srcset="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/IMG_7627-1-1170x878.jpg 1170w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/IMG_7627-1-750x563.jpg 750w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/IMG_7627-1-768x576.jpg 768w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/IMG_7627-1-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/IMG_7627-1-2048x1536.jpg 2048w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/IMG_7627-1-600x450.jpg 600w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1170px) 100vw, 1170px" /></a><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Wake Up Call, Caliente, NV. Photo: Greg Heil</figcaption></figure>
<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-moral-of-the-story-a-million-dollars-and-10-20-miles-of-singletrack-won-t-cut-it-anymore">The moral of the story: A million dollars and 10-20 miles of singletrack won’t cut it anymore</h2>
<p>It’s unclear how many tens of millions (or hundreds of millions?) of dollars have been invested into Arkansas’s mountain bike trail system. But the moral of the story from Arkansas’s ascendant rise is clear: in 2025, it takes more than a million dollars and 10-20 miles of merely average trails to set a town apart from the masses.</p>
<p>There’s never been a better time to be a mountain biker — but if you’re a city councilor or a county board member, you need to be honest with yourself and realize that it’s going to take more than a few miles of singletrack to get mountain bike tourists to visit your town.</p>
<p>If you want to bring millions of tourism dollars into your local community, it’s still possible, but you have to make a splash. Instead of thinking small, like putting 5-10 miles of singletrack in a city park, you have to think <strong>big</strong>. Take your cues from places like <a href="https://www.singletracks.com/mtb-trails/3-days-in-bentonville-mountain-biking-the-best-trails/">Bentonville</a>, or the <a href="https://www.singletracks.com/mtb-trails/the-baileys-trail-system-in-ohio-will-be-one-of-the-largest-mtb-trail-systems-in-the-eastern-usa/">Baileys Trail System</a> in Athens, OH, where they’re building the “longest contiguous MTB-optimized trail system east of the Mississippi River” with 80-some miles of singletrack.</p>
<p>It’s still possible to win the mountain bike tourism game with a grand vision and top-tier trail construction… but it’s harder than ever before.</p>
<p>The article <a href="https://www.singletracks.com/mtb-trails/if-you-build-it-will-they-come-a-mtb-trail-arms-race-is-underway/">If you build it, will they come? A MTB trail arms race is underway. </a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.singletracks.com">Singletracks Mountain Bike News</a>.</p>
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<title>Are you tired of riding your local MTB trails?</title>
<link>https://www.singletracks.com/mtb-trails/are-you-tired-of-riding-your-local-mtb-trails-survey/</link>
<comments>https://www.singletracks.com/mtb-trails/are-you-tired-of-riding-your-local-mtb-trails-survey/#comments</comments>
<dc:creator><![CDATA[Jeff Barber]]></dc:creator>
<pubDate>Sun, 04 May 2025 09:43:00 +0000</pubDate>
<category><![CDATA[Trails]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[survey]]></category>
<guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.singletracks.com/?p=695248</guid>
<description><![CDATA[<p>Riding the same mountain bike trails over and over can start to get old, depending on the trails and the rider.</p>
<p>The article <a href="https://www.singletracks.com/mtb-trails/are-you-tired-of-riding-your-local-mtb-trails-survey/">Are you tired of riding your local MTB trails?</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.singletracks.com">Singletracks Mountain Bike News</a>.</p>
]]></description>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[
<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><a href="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/coldwater-leah-1.jpg"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="2400" height="1601" src="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/coldwater-leah-1.jpg" alt="A mountain biker riding on a dirt trail through a lush, green forest. The cyclist is wearing a red helmet and cycling gear, focused on navigating the winding path. Trees surround the trail, with fresh leaves visible, creating a vibrant spring atmosphere. Mama Bear mountain bike trail." class="wp-image-695283" srcset="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/coldwater-leah-1.jpg 2400w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/coldwater-leah-1-750x500.jpg 750w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/coldwater-leah-1-1170x780.jpg 1170w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/coldwater-leah-1-375x250.jpg 375w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/coldwater-leah-1-768x512.jpg 768w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/coldwater-leah-1-1536x1025.jpg 1536w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/coldwater-leah-1-2048x1366.jpg 2048w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/coldwater-leah-1-600x400.jpg 600w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 2400px) 100vw, 2400px" /></a><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">File photo</figcaption></figure>
<p>Having local mountain bike trails to ride is a blessing. Still, riding the same trails over and over can start to get boring, especially if they’re short, or we’re not intentional about how and when we ride them.</p>
<div class="wpforms-container wpforms-container-full wpforms-block wpforms-block-fa25acef-cf2f-4a5e-a207-6967b7ba9092 wpforms-inline wpforms-render-modern" id="wpforms-695251"><form id="wpforms-form-695251" class="wpforms-validate wpforms-form wpforms-ajax-form" data-formid="695251" method="post" enctype="multipart/form-data" action="/feed/" data-token="089484466336572484ed1b14c9cf36ff" data-token-time="1747116605"><noscript class="wpforms-error-noscript">Please enable JavaScript in your browser to complete this form.</noscript><div class="wpforms-hidden" id="wpforms-error-noscript">Please enable JavaScript in your browser to complete this form.</div><div class="wpforms-field-container"> <div id="wpforms-695251-field_2-container"
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<label class="wpforms-field-label" for="wpforms-695251-field_2" >riding trails? tired</label>
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<div id="wpforms-695251-field_1-container" class="wpforms-field wpforms-field-radio" data-field-id="1"><fieldset><legend class="wpforms-field-label">Are you tired of riding your local trails? <span class="wpforms-required-label" aria-hidden="true">*</span></legend><ul id="wpforms-695251-field_1" class="wpforms-field-required"><li class="choice-1 depth-1"><input type="radio" id="wpforms-695251-field_1_1" name="wpforms[fields][1]" value="Yes, there aren't enough" aria-errormessage="wpforms-695251-field_1_1-error" required ><label class="wpforms-field-label-inline" for="wpforms-695251-field_1_1">Yes, there aren’t enough</label></li><li class="choice-2 depth-1"><input type="radio" id="wpforms-695251-field_1_2" name="wpforms[fields][1]" value="Yes, I've ridden them too many times" aria-errormessage="wpforms-695251-field_1_2-error" required ><label class="wpforms-field-label-inline" for="wpforms-695251-field_1_2">Yes, I’ve ridden them too many times</label></li><li class="choice-3 depth-1"><input type="radio" id="wpforms-695251-field_1_3" name="wpforms[fields][1]" value="Yes, they never change" aria-errormessage="wpforms-695251-field_1_3-error" required ><label class="wpforms-field-label-inline" for="wpforms-695251-field_1_3">Yes, they never change</label></li><li class="choice-4 depth-1"><input type="radio" id="wpforms-695251-field_1_4" name="wpforms[fields][1]" value="Sometimes, so I travel to mix things up" aria-errormessage="wpforms-695251-field_1_4-error" required ><label class="wpforms-field-label-inline" for="wpforms-695251-field_1_4">Sometimes, so I travel to mix things up</label></li><li class="choice-5 depth-1"><input type="radio" id="wpforms-695251-field_1_5" name="wpforms[fields][1]" value="No! I'll never get tired of riding my local trails!" aria-errormessage="wpforms-695251-field_1_5-error" required ><label class="wpforms-field-label-inline" for="wpforms-695251-field_1_5">No! I’ll never get tired of riding my local trails!</label></li><li class="choice-6 depth-1"><input type="radio" id="wpforms-695251-field_1_6" name="wpforms[fields][1]" value="I don't have any local mountain bike trails 😢" aria-errormessage="wpforms-695251-field_1_6-error" required ><label class="wpforms-field-label-inline" for="wpforms-695251-field_1_6">I don’t have any local mountain bike trails 😢</label></li></ul></fieldset></div><script>
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<p>If you’re someone who rides the same trails often, tell us what you do to keep them feeling fresh!</p>
<p>The article <a href="https://www.singletracks.com/mtb-trails/are-you-tired-of-riding-your-local-mtb-trails-survey/">Are you tired of riding your local MTB trails?</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.singletracks.com">Singletracks Mountain Bike News</a>.</p>
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<item>
<title>An action hoe — AKA a loop, scuffle, or Stirrup — makes for quick trail work</title>
<link>https://www.singletracks.com/mtb-trails/an-action-hoe-aka-a-loop-scuffle-or-stirrup-makes-for-quick-trail-work/</link>
<comments>https://www.singletracks.com/mtb-trails/an-action-hoe-aka-a-loop-scuffle-or-stirrup-makes-for-quick-trail-work/#comments</comments>
<dc:creator><![CDATA[Jeff Barber]]></dc:creator>
<pubDate>Sat, 03 May 2025 10:04:00 +0000</pubDate>
<category><![CDATA[Trails]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[trail building]]></category>
<guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.singletracks.com/?p=694996</guid>
<description><![CDATA[<p>The action hoe features a looped blade that's ideal for cutting trail through a grassy area and/or removing the top layer of soil.</p>
<p>The article <a href="https://www.singletracks.com/mtb-trails/an-action-hoe-aka-a-loop-scuffle-or-stirrup-makes-for-quick-trail-work/">An action hoe — AKA a loop, scuffle, or Stirrup — makes for quick trail work</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.singletracks.com">Singletracks Mountain Bike News</a>.</p>
]]></description>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[
<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><a href="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/trail-building-hoe-1.jpg"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="2400" height="1601" src="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/trail-building-hoe-1.jpg" alt="A close-up view of an action hoe, also known as a loop, stirrup, hula, and scuffle hoe, with a wooden handle being used to cut a trail in a grassy area, with green vegetation in the foreground." class="wp-image-695470" srcset="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/trail-building-hoe-1.jpg 2400w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/trail-building-hoe-1-750x500.jpg 750w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/trail-building-hoe-1-1170x780.jpg 1170w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/trail-building-hoe-1-375x250.jpg 375w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/trail-building-hoe-1-768x512.jpg 768w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/trail-building-hoe-1-1536x1025.jpg 1536w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/trail-building-hoe-1-2048x1366.jpg 2048w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/trail-building-hoe-1-600x400.jpg 600w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 2400px) 100vw, 2400px" /></a><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Photos: Leah Barber</figcaption></figure>
<p>A few years ago, my trail building friends were raving about a tool I had never heard of: the action hoe. Also known as a loop, Stirrup, Hula, and scuffle hoe, it’s a specialized gardening tool with a sharp blade for scraping off the top layer of soil and/or vegetation on the ground. It’s particularly useful — and fast! — for carving a trail that traverses a grassy area. </p>
<figure class="wp-block-gallery has-nested-images columns-default is-cropped wp-block-gallery-4 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex">
<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><a href="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/trail-building-hoe-2.jpg"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="2400" height="1601" data-id="695469" src="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/trail-building-hoe-2.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-695469" srcset="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/trail-building-hoe-2.jpg 2400w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/trail-building-hoe-2-750x500.jpg 750w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/trail-building-hoe-2-1170x780.jpg 1170w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/trail-building-hoe-2-375x250.jpg 375w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/trail-building-hoe-2-768x512.jpg 768w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/trail-building-hoe-2-1536x1025.jpg 1536w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/trail-building-hoe-2-2048x1366.jpg 2048w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/trail-building-hoe-2-600x400.jpg 600w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 2400px) 100vw, 2400px" /></a></figure>
<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><a href="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/trail-building-hoe-5.jpg"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="2400" height="1601" data-id="695468" src="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/trail-building-hoe-5.jpg" alt="Close-up of a gardening hoe resting on dark, rich soil, surrounded by small green plants and grass. The hoe features a wooden handle and a metal head with a green attachment." class="wp-image-695468" srcset="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/trail-building-hoe-5.jpg 2400w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/trail-building-hoe-5-750x500.jpg 750w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/trail-building-hoe-5-1170x780.jpg 1170w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/trail-building-hoe-5-375x250.jpg 375w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/trail-building-hoe-5-768x512.jpg 768w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/trail-building-hoe-5-1536x1025.jpg 1536w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/trail-building-hoe-5-2048x1366.jpg 2048w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/trail-building-hoe-5-600x400.jpg 600w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 2400px) 100vw, 2400px" /></a></figure>
</figure>
<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-a-useful-hoe">A useful hoe</h2>
<p>When it comes to trail building tools, there are a few main categories, including saws, snippers, shovels, and hoes. Perhaps the best-known trail building tool, t<a href="https://amzn.to/3EXQDyo">he McLeod</a>, is a specialized hoe with a flat edge on one side and tines for raking on the other side.</p>
<p>An action hoe features a sharp, looped blade that runs parallel to the surface of the ground, unlike a typical hoe that’s designed to be used perpendicular to the ground. To cut trail, you simply put a bit of downward pressure on the tool while dragging it backward toward yourself. Depending on how soft your soil is, you can scrape an inch or two off with each pass. Along with the topsoil, it also cuts through roots and vegetation in your path.</p>
<p>My tool has a double-sided blade, so you can cut in either the forward or backward direction, though I tend to use the blade on the back side mostly.</p>
<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-much-more-effective-than-ride-and-ride">Much more effective than ‘ride and ride’</h3>
<p>There’s a trail-building method known as “rake and ride,” which is exactly what it sounds like: you rake a path, and then ride it. Another method is known as “ride and ride,” and in theory, if you ride a path enough times, a trail will develop. This is a particularly tempting (and lazy) method for creating a trail through a field, though in my experience it rarely works out very well.</p>
<p>For one, the path needs to be ridden a lot to form a trail. It also needs to be ridden regularly; there’s a good chance the trail will disappear if it hasn’t been used in weeks. The other problem is that you (and your friends) need to ride the <em>same</em> path over and over. In the beginning, it’s hard to remember exactly <em>where</em> the path is supposed to be.</p>
<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><a href="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/trail-building-hoe-7.jpg"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1170" height="956" src="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/trail-building-hoe-7-1170x956.jpg" alt="A narrow dirt path winding through lush green grass and foliage, bordered by a clump of tall, green plants, with a blurred background of trees and undergrowth." class="wp-image-695464" srcset="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/trail-building-hoe-7-1170x956.jpg 1170w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/trail-building-hoe-7-750x613.jpg 750w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/trail-building-hoe-7-768x627.jpg 768w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/trail-building-hoe-7-1536x1254.jpg 1536w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/trail-building-hoe-7-2048x1673.jpg 2048w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/trail-building-hoe-7-600x490.jpg 600w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1170px) 100vw, 1170px" /></a></figure>
<p>The action hoe solves this. In grassy areas, you can easily cut ten feet of foot-wide trail every few minutes. Then ride!</p>
<p>Of course, trails through fields generally aren’t that exciting, though they are necessary. For example, a forested trail might dump out into a field and then continue in the woods on the other side. Cutting a defined path with an action hoe makes it easy for riders to find their way. </p>
<p>Because the action hoe is so precise, you can sculpt nice and neat straight lines, or curves. It’s an especially great tool for backyard trail building since you can also use it for weeding and gardening.</p>
<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><a href="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/trail-building-hoe-6.jpg"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1170" height="780" src="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/trail-building-hoe-6-1170x780.jpg" alt="Close-up of a gardening tool handle, featuring the label of an "Action Hoe." The label describes its features, including a looped blade design for cutting weed roots, a double-edge blade for push and pull cutting motion, and a cushion end grip for comfort and control. The background shows dark, tilled soil and some green vegetation." class="wp-image-695465" srcset="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/trail-building-hoe-6-1170x780.jpg 1170w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/trail-building-hoe-6-750x500.jpg 750w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/trail-building-hoe-6-375x250.jpg 375w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/trail-building-hoe-6-768x512.jpg 768w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/trail-building-hoe-6-1536x1025.jpg 1536w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/trail-building-hoe-6-2048x1366.jpg 2048w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/trail-building-hoe-6-600x400.jpg 600w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1170px) 100vw, 1170px" /></a></figure>
<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-where-to-find-an-action-hoe">Where to find an action hoe</h2>
<p>Trail-building tools tend to be fairly specialized, but not the action hoe. You can generally find them at Home Depot, <a href="https://amzn.to/4iVbErB">Amazon</a>, <a href="https://goto.walmart.com/c/1806752/565706/9383?veh=aff&sourceid=imp_000011112222333344&u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.walmart.com%2Fsearch%3Fq%3Daction%2Bhoe">Walmart</a>, Ace Hardware, and similar stores. Just remember, there are several names for the tool, so if you don’t see an action hoe, ask for it by another name, like loop or scuffle hoe.</p>
<p>Expect to pay about $20-35 for a quality action hoe with a full-length handle. Craftsman, Husky, Ames, and True Temper are just a few brands that make these tools. </p>
<p>The tool I own is an Ames action hoe, and it’s worked well for many years. I haven’t had to sharpen the blade yet, though when the time comes, it will be easy to do.</p>
<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><a href="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/trail-building-hoe-3.jpg"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="2400" height="1601" src="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/trail-building-hoe-3.jpg" alt="A person wearing black pants and gloves is using a gardening hoe to till the soil in a lush, green garden area surrounded by plants and trees." class="wp-image-695467" srcset="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/trail-building-hoe-3.jpg 2400w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/trail-building-hoe-3-750x500.jpg 750w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/trail-building-hoe-3-1170x780.jpg 1170w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/trail-building-hoe-3-375x250.jpg 375w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/trail-building-hoe-3-768x512.jpg 768w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/trail-building-hoe-3-1536x1025.jpg 1536w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/trail-building-hoe-3-2048x1366.jpg 2048w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/trail-building-hoe-3-600x400.jpg 600w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 2400px) 100vw, 2400px" /></a></figure>
<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-bottom-line">Bottom line</h2>
<p>Trail building requires a variety of tools, and having the right tool for the job makes all the difference. Consider adding an action hoe to your shed to make cutting new trails quick and easy.</p>
<p><em>Your turn: What’s another trail building tool you always needed, but didn’t know existed?</em></p>
<p>The article <a href="https://www.singletracks.com/mtb-trails/an-action-hoe-aka-a-loop-scuffle-or-stirrup-makes-for-quick-trail-work/">An action hoe — AKA a loop, scuffle, or Stirrup — makes for quick trail work</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.singletracks.com">Singletracks Mountain Bike News</a>.</p>
]]></content:encoded>
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<item>
<title>Insta360 X5 action camera review</title>
<link>https://www.singletracks.com/mtb-gear/insta360-x5-action-camera-review/</link>
<comments>https://www.singletracks.com/mtb-gear/insta360-x5-action-camera-review/#comments</comments>
<dc:creator><![CDATA[Daniel Palma]]></dc:creator>
<pubDate>Fri, 02 May 2025 17:00:00 +0000</pubDate>
<category><![CDATA[Gear]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[camera]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[insta360 x5]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[review]]></category>
<guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.singletracks.com/?p=694979</guid>
<description><![CDATA[<p>The Insta360 X5 is an 8K action camera with a few tricks up its sleeve for creating excellent mountain bike trail videos.</p>
<p>The article <a href="https://www.singletracks.com/mtb-gear/insta360-x5-action-camera-review/">Insta360 X5 action camera review</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.singletracks.com">Singletracks Mountain Bike News</a>.</p>
]]></description>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[
<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><a href="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Snapshot_202504113_080464-2.jpeg"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="3840" height="2160" src="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Snapshot_202504113_080464-2.jpeg" alt="" class="wp-image-695040" srcset="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Snapshot_202504113_080464-2.jpeg 3840w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Snapshot_202504113_080464-2-750x422.jpeg 750w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Snapshot_202504113_080464-2-1170x658.jpeg 1170w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Snapshot_202504113_080464-2-768x432.jpeg 768w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Snapshot_202504113_080464-2-1536x864.jpeg 1536w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Snapshot_202504113_080464-2-2048x1152.jpeg 2048w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Snapshot_202504113_080464-2-600x338.jpeg 600w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 3840px) 100vw, 3840px" /></a></figure>
<p>Insta360 is turning ten years old! It’s hard to believe they have been creating consumer-friendly 360-degree cameras for a decade now, and, well, their brand name is a testament to that. I recently had the opportunity to test the newly released Insta360 X5 camera on my favorite local trails to see how it holds up.</p>
<hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity is-style-wide"/>
<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-insta360-x5-key-specs">Insta360 X5 key specs</h3>
<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li>360° camera with replaceable lens</li>
<li>185 minute battery life (claimed)</li>
<li>Up to 8K video quality</li>
<li>Weight: 201g</li>
<li>Price: $549.99</li>
<li>Buy <a href="https://store.insta360.com/product/x5?insrc=INRRF7S">from Insta360</a></li>
</ul>
<hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity is-style-wide"/>
<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><a href="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/IMG_2018.jpeg"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="6987" height="4865" src="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/IMG_2018.jpeg" alt="" class="wp-image-695058" srcset="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/IMG_2018.jpeg 6987w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/IMG_2018-750x522.jpeg 750w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/IMG_2018-1170x815.jpeg 1170w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/IMG_2018-768x535.jpeg 768w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/IMG_2018-1536x1070.jpeg 1536w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/IMG_2018-2048x1426.jpeg 2048w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/IMG_2018-600x418.jpeg 600w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 6987px) 100vw, 6987px" /></a></figure>
<p>These are My preferred settings for mountain bike videos is 4k-5.7k resolution at 24-30 frames per second, Max or Action wide field-of-view, and Active HDR. Stabilization is so good now on these modern action cameras, that I let the camera take care of it automatically.</p>
<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><a href="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/IMG_2019.jpeg"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="2476" height="3379" src="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/IMG_2019.jpeg" alt="" class="wp-image-695062" srcset="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/IMG_2019.jpeg 2476w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/IMG_2019-550x750.jpeg 550w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/IMG_2019-857x1170.jpeg 857w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/IMG_2019-768x1048.jpeg 768w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/IMG_2019-1126x1536.jpeg 1126w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/IMG_2019-1501x2048.jpeg 1501w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/IMG_2019-600x819.jpeg 600w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 2476px) 100vw, 2476px" /></a></figure>
<p>This is my first time testing the brand’s 360-degree X lineup. I thought there would be a learning curve with the user interface, but to my surprise, it is very similar to the Ace Pro 2 user interface. </p>
<p>The touch-screen UI is buttery smooth. Pairing and viewing files on the app was easy as well. This is surprising as some of these 360° video files can be quite large depending on the settings. Insta360 has really put in the work to make editing and exporting easy for anyone entering the 360° camera world. After all, buggy editing applications can ruin the experience. </p>
<p>The Insta360 phone app and connectivity gets a 9/10 from me as I never dealt with any bugs or crashes, but it does drain the phone battery quickly. I used my iPhone 16 Pro Max and new generation iPad Mini for editing. The wireless connection to the X5 seems to drain the battery more rapidly than a direct USB-C connection.</p>
<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-mounting-the-insta360-x5-camera">Mounting the Insta360 X5 camera</h2>
<p>At the start of my test, I asked myself, “Where should I mount this camera?” I thought about placing it on my chest with the Chest Mount, but I really wanted to capture a different perspective than the typical chest-POV footage I was used to recording. I tried a third-party handlebar mount, but the constant rattling from bumbling down the trails prevented the camera from staying in place, which I blame on the mount. I even thought about mounting the X5 on top of my helmet, but I don’t like my helmet feeling top-heavy. Heck, I don’t even like placing a light up there.</p>
<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><a href="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Snapshot_202504113_130446.jpeg"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="3840" height="2160" src="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Snapshot_202504113_130446.jpeg" alt="" class="wp-image-695067" srcset="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Snapshot_202504113_130446.jpeg 3840w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Snapshot_202504113_130446-750x422.jpeg 750w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Snapshot_202504113_130446-1170x658.jpeg 1170w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Snapshot_202504113_130446-768x432.jpeg 768w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Snapshot_202504113_130446-1536x864.jpeg 1536w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Snapshot_202504113_130446-2048x1152.jpeg 2048w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Snapshot_202504113_130446-600x338.jpeg 600w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 3840px) 100vw, 3840px" /></a></figure>
<p>So, I got creative and wedged the included selfie-stick in my backpack’s water bottle pocket. Luckily, my backpack has a strap there that I was able to wrap around the selfie stick to secure it. It is noteworthy, that the camera magically “deletes” the selfie stick from the recorded footage. Neat! </p>
<p>This setup works surprisingly well. The camera stayed in place and out of the helmet’s way, allowing the lenses to get a good rear and frontal view of the trail. This set-up made me feel like I was in a <a href="https://www.avpcentral.com/predator-shoulder-cannon-plasmacaster-types">Sci-Fi movie</a>. It’s a much better look than the so-called <a href="https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2FTeletubbies-Talking-Plush-Po-Officially%2Fdp%2FB09J1KMDK2&psig=AOvVaw1JrJTPm5F4uDarrOqLxyzC&ust=1745478141074000&source=images&cd=vfe&opi=89978449&ved=0CBcQjhxqFwoTCKjJyfrK7YwDFQAAAAAdAAAAABAJ">Teletubby</a> <a href="https://www.amazon.com/GoPro-Vented-Helmet-Strap-OFFICIAL/dp/B002EF2200/ref=sr_1_30?crid=1FGAXELIZIJXS&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.N1oST49636kIOyCZamaDegkoBthSaKHzXE0tmhXVYG4AGEIjI3ilzULabm4Lo89naRq-fRDq23WZiLVq7mUiPfEq0q8dM7M8iOXGpPU2xQJ93fo2X_1pjenHNqsdMkshuYC_J-pSguaPMHV4l9XK2S2TORUOHYV262XBpa1QuZCnyhP9j6xr1EHmoMQDNwYk.TG5k0wJbsOypClnGlfVyKIMxtVrADGIrWQJ1Y3T5Ris&dib_tag=se&keywords=gopro%2Bbike%2Bhelmet%2Bmount&qid=1745391701&sprefix=goprobikhelmet%2Bmount%2Caps%2C184&sr=8-30&xpid=FujvMhMrcQIua&th=1">look</a> if you ask me. While I enjoy this new setup, due to the X5’s added heft and unfavorable helmet mounting options, I rate it 7/10 in these categories.  </p>
<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><a href="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/IMG_20250421_181040_084_01_13.jpg"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="7506" height="4606" src="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/IMG_20250421_181040_084_01_13.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-694982" srcset="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/IMG_20250421_181040_084_01_13.jpg 7506w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/IMG_20250421_181040_084_01_13-750x460.jpg 750w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/IMG_20250421_181040_084_01_13-1170x718.jpg 1170w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/IMG_20250421_181040_084_01_13-768x471.jpg 768w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/IMG_20250421_181040_084_01_13-1536x943.jpg 1536w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/IMG_20250421_181040_084_01_13-2048x1257.jpg 2048w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/IMG_20250421_181040_084_01_13-600x368.jpg 600w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 7506px) 100vw, 7506px" /></a></figure>
<p>For reference, the X5 weighs 201g on my scale with a battery and micro SD card inside. Once I added the dual-lens covers and alloy L-bracket, it weighed 238g. For comparison, my Ace Pro 2 weighs 178g with a battery and SD card inside, 205g with the plastic L-bracket. The DJI Action 5 Pro, with a battery and micro SD card, weighs just 145g. These Insta360 cameras do carry some weight that may not favor helmet-mounting.  </p>
<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><a href="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/IMG_20250422_133503_497.jpg"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="6039" height="3562" src="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/IMG_20250422_133503_497.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-694983" srcset="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/IMG_20250422_133503_497.jpg 6039w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/IMG_20250422_133503_497-750x442.jpg 750w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/IMG_20250422_133503_497-1170x690.jpg 1170w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/IMG_20250422_133503_497-768x453.jpg 768w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/IMG_20250422_133503_497-1536x906.jpg 1536w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/IMG_20250422_133503_497-2048x1208.jpg 2048w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/IMG_20250422_133503_497-600x354.jpg 600w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 6039px) 100vw, 6039px" /></a><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Selfie stick wedged in my backpack’s water bottle side-pocket. I really like how this set up worked out. </figcaption></figure>
<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-operation-on-the-trail">Operation on the trail</h2>
<p>Pressing the record button produces an audible beep so you know it’s recording. Now I am not a huge fan of shutter buttons, especially when wearing gloves. I wished they were raised more and gave a better tactile feel when pressed. Fortunately, this camera has voice command features. </p>
<p>Easy commands like “start recording” or “stop recording” make for a hands-free operation. The Ace Pro 2 has this same feature, and while great, at times, I had to speak pretty loudly for the X5 to hear me. For that, the camera operation while-on-the-trail category gets an 8.5/10.</p>
<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><a href="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Snapshot_202504113_130441.jpeg"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="3840" height="2160" src="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Snapshot_202504113_130441.jpeg" alt="" class="wp-image-695066" srcset="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Snapshot_202504113_130441.jpeg 3840w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Snapshot_202504113_130441-750x422.jpeg 750w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Snapshot_202504113_130441-1170x658.jpeg 1170w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Snapshot_202504113_130441-768x432.jpeg 768w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Snapshot_202504113_130441-1536x864.jpeg 1536w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Snapshot_202504113_130441-2048x1152.jpeg 2048w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Snapshot_202504113_130441-600x338.jpeg 600w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 3840px) 100vw, 3840px" /></a></figure>
<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-wind-noise-filter">Wind noise filter</h2>
<p>In my Insta360 Ace Pro 2 review, I applauded it for its great microphone system with an integrated mesh windshield. While the X5 does have a new “wind guard,” it’s just not as good as the Ace Pro 2. By no means is it bad. The digital algorithms that process and delete wind noise are great, but it’s better paired with a fabric wind guard like the Ace Pro 2. I guess I can just stick one of <a href="https://store.insta360.com/product/x3-mic-wind-muff?c=2299&from=search-results">these</a> on next time or connect an external <a href="https://store.insta360.com/product/mic-air?c=3945&from=accessory">wireless microphone</a> which the camera allows.</p>
<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><a href="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/IMG_1990.jpeg"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1987" height="1618" src="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/IMG_1990.jpeg" alt="" class="wp-image-695057" srcset="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/IMG_1990.jpeg 1987w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/IMG_1990-750x611.jpeg 750w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/IMG_1990-1170x953.jpeg 1170w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/IMG_1990-768x625.jpeg 768w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/IMG_1990-1536x1251.jpeg 1536w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/IMG_1990-600x489.jpeg 600w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1987px) 100vw, 1987px" /></a></figure>
<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-camera-quality-and-clarity">Camera quality and clarity</h2>
<p>The quality that comes out of this camera is top-notch. I would even argue that it is better than the Ace Pro 2. Video clarity is superb thanks to the upgraded 1/1.28” dual sensors; the colors are vivid without being too saturated, sharpness is well executed, and the Active HDR does an amazing job at balancing low-lit and bright-lit areas. </p>
<figure class="wp-block-gallery has-nested-images columns-default is-cropped wp-block-gallery-5 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex">
<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><a href="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Snapshot_202504113_080429.jpeg"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="3840" height="2160" data-id="695043" src="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Snapshot_202504113_080429.jpeg" alt="" class="wp-image-695043" srcset="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Snapshot_202504113_080429.jpeg 3840w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Snapshot_202504113_080429-750x422.jpeg 750w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Snapshot_202504113_080429-1170x658.jpeg 1170w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Snapshot_202504113_080429-768x432.jpeg 768w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Snapshot_202504113_080429-1536x864.jpeg 1536w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Snapshot_202504113_080429-2048x1152.jpeg 2048w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Snapshot_202504113_080429-600x338.jpeg 600w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 3840px) 100vw, 3840px" /></a></figure>
<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><a href="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/IMG_2029.jpeg"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="2450" height="2674" data-id="695060" src="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/IMG_2029.jpeg" alt="A close-up of an Insta360 camera resting on a bed of gravel, displaying numerical settings on its screen. The surface around the camera consists of various small rocks in shades of brown and gray, with some scattered dried grass visible." class="wp-image-695060" srcset="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/IMG_2029.jpeg 2450w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/IMG_2029-687x750.jpeg 687w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/IMG_2029-1072x1170.jpeg 1072w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/IMG_2029-768x838.jpeg 768w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/IMG_2029-1407x1536.jpeg 1407w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/IMG_2029-1876x2048.jpeg 1876w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/IMG_2029-600x655.jpeg 600w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 2450px) 100vw, 2450px" /></a></figure>
</figure>
<p>The camera lenses are claimed to be more scratch-resistant, which I believe, after hitting a few tree branches. The lenses are also replaceable if you happen to crack them. I’m not a fan of the quality of the optional standard lens guards. They would often get smudged and attract dust. While I mostly recorded in 5.7K resolution, the X5 does allow for 8K resolution recording, but due to the very large file sizes, I would recommend sticking to the mountain biking favorable settings I mentioned above.</p>
<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><a href="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/IMG_2033.jpeg"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="2674" height="2160" src="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/IMG_2033.jpeg" alt="" class="wp-image-695059" srcset="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/IMG_2033.jpeg 2674w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/IMG_2033-750x606.jpeg 750w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/IMG_2033-1170x945.jpeg 1170w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/IMG_2033-768x620.jpeg 768w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/IMG_2033-1536x1241.jpeg 1536w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/IMG_2033-2048x1654.jpeg 2048w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/IMG_2033-600x485.jpeg 600w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 2674px) 100vw, 2674px" /></a></figure>
<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-long-lasting-and-fast-charging-battery">Long lasting and fast charging battery</h2>
<p>High-resolution video recording typically eats up battery, but the Insta360 X5 never let me down with its claimed 185 minutes of recording using a 2400mAh battery. My kit came with two batteries and never needed to swap them while out riding. When charging the camera at home, I noticed how quickly it would charge. Insta360 claims it can charge from zero to eighty percent in 20 minutes. The battery category gets a 10/10 in my book.</p>
<p>The X5 is rated to be waterproof in up to 15 meters of water. While I typically don’t ride my bike in those depths, I can see how that may come in handy for riders in high precipitation environments. </p>
<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><a href="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Snapshot_202504113_080481.jpeg"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="3840" height="2160" src="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Snapshot_202504113_080481.jpeg" alt="" class="wp-image-695035" srcset="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Snapshot_202504113_080481.jpeg 3840w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Snapshot_202504113_080481-750x422.jpeg 750w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Snapshot_202504113_080481-1170x658.jpeg 1170w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Snapshot_202504113_080481-768x432.jpeg 768w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Snapshot_202504113_080481-1536x864.jpeg 1536w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Snapshot_202504113_080481-2048x1152.jpeg 2048w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Snapshot_202504113_080481-600x338.jpeg 600w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 3840px) 100vw, 3840px" /></a></figure>
<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-why-film-in-360-degrees">Why film in 360-degrees?</h2>
<p>So you may be asking “what benefits do I get from a dedicated 360° camera?” </p>
<p>For starters, the dual lenses allow for a mount-and-forget set up. This camera is designed to capture, well, a 360-degrees field of vision when not obstructed. Up, down, left, right, and anything in between. You can capture what’s in front of you with a wide-field-of-view and at the same time record your buddy who is following you a little too close behind. </p>
<p>You can also make mind-twisting effects that only 360-degree cameras allow for. I am by no means a 360-degree camera expert, but I have owned many action cameras to record my mountain bike rides, and I was very pleased with the greater range of perspectives I can now record with the Insta360 X5 compared to say, the Ace Pro 2. I think I will favor it over the Ace Pro 2 for now or pair them up like I did on some of my rides. </p>
<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><a href="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Snapshot_202504113_080471-2.jpeg"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="3840" height="2160" src="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Snapshot_202504113_080471-2.jpeg" alt="" class="wp-image-695042" srcset="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Snapshot_202504113_080471-2.jpeg 3840w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Snapshot_202504113_080471-2-750x422.jpeg 750w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Snapshot_202504113_080471-2-1170x658.jpeg 1170w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Snapshot_202504113_080471-2-768x432.jpeg 768w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Snapshot_202504113_080471-2-1536x864.jpeg 1536w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Snapshot_202504113_080471-2-2048x1152.jpeg 2048w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Snapshot_202504113_080471-2-600x338.jpeg 600w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 3840px) 100vw, 3840px" /></a></figure>
<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-my-first-time-trying-out-the-x5">My first time trying out the X5. </h2>
<p>All camera settings will be under the YouTube video description for those who are curious.</p>
<div class="wp-block-columns is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-9d6595d7 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex">
<div class="wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow">
<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
<iframe loading="lazy" title="Insta360 X5 - Edit MTB Sample #1" width="1170" height="658" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/JRxQ4bpuT0w?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe>
</div></figure>
<p>First test video.</p>
</div>
<div class="wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow">
<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
<iframe loading="lazy" title="Insta360 X5 - Single Lens Mode POV - Edit Sample #2" width="1170" height="658" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/5qZbL7g-j5w?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe>
</div><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">This setting turns the camera into a front facing very wide 170 degree field of view allowing for post-edit re-framing. </figcaption></figure>
<p>The X5 has a Single Lens FreeFrame Video setting that turns it into an up-to 170-degree field of view action camera using the front-facing lens. This amount of versatility makes the X5 a great do-it-all single-camera setup. No need for multiple cameras as the X5 easily adapts to any situation. </p>
</div>
</div>
<p>Scroll down to the bottom of this review to see some comparisons between the Insta360 X5 and the Ace Pro 2 camera. You can get a lot more creative in the app, but I tried to keep it simple for these samples.</p>
<div class="wp-block-group"><div class="wp-block-group__inner-container is-layout-constrained wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained">
<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-how-does-the-form-factor-compare-to-previous-insta360-cameras">How does the form factor compare to previous Insta360 cameras?</h2>
<p>My first venture into the 360-degree camera world was with Insta360’s One R and then <a href="https://www.insta360.com/product/insta360-oners">One RS</a> modular cameras. Both feature a swappable 360 dual lens module along with a flat single wide-field-of-view lens that allows you to have two cameras in one. I really liked the concept, but it lacked great optics and active High Dynamic Range, which are much-needed features in low-light environments when mountain biking. </p>
<p>Insta360 later released their Ace Pro and <a href="https://store.insta360.com/product/ace-pro-2?c=3619&from=nav&_gl=1*qpf44g*_up*MQ..*_ga*MTM3ODYyMjExNS4xNzQ1MjY3MTQw*_ga_46QD011RHK*MTc0NTI2NzIxNi4xLjEuMTc0NTI2NzIyMC4wLjAuMA..*_ga_7TV2BE92TS*MTc0NTI2NzEzOS4xLjEuMTc0NTI2NzIyMC4wLjAuMA..">Ace Pro 2</a> action cameras with a single wide-field-of-view lens. These cameras offered a more traditional style of action camera with improved <a href="https://leica-camera.com/en-US/leica-products?srsltid=AfmBOopz1ZSjpvecN8xe3VhkEA5oeR1PT0RHMczkeirfScCRXvL4c6vZ">Leica</a>-branded optics and active HDR and many great action-favored features. You can read my <a href="https://www.singletracks.com/mtb-gear/insta360-ace-pro-2-new-features-that-mtb-content-creators-will-use/">thoughts on the Ace Pro 2 camera here</a> camera here. </p>
</div></div>
<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-pros">Pros</h3>
<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li>Super versatile, all-in-one camera</li>
<li>Scratch-resistant replaceable lenses</li>
<li>User friendly camera and app user interface</li>
</ul>
<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-cons">Cons</h3>
<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li>Heavier than most action cameras</li>
<li>Price quickly climbs when bundling accessories </li>
</ul>
<p></p>
<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><a href="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/IMG_20250423_133608_808.jpeg"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="2142" height="1428" src="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/IMG_20250423_133608_808.jpeg" alt="" class="wp-image-695064" srcset="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/IMG_20250423_133608_808.jpeg 2142w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/IMG_20250423_133608_808-750x500.jpeg 750w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/IMG_20250423_133608_808-1170x780.jpeg 1170w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/IMG_20250423_133608_808-375x250.jpeg 375w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/IMG_20250423_133608_808-768x512.jpeg 768w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/IMG_20250423_133608_808-1536x1024.jpeg 1536w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/IMG_20250423_133608_808-2048x1365.jpeg 2048w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/IMG_20250423_133608_808-600x400.jpeg 600w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 2142px) 100vw, 2142px" /></a></figure>
<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-bottom-line">Bottom line</h2>
<p>Insta360 did a great job with the X5. They made a very versatile camera with a starting price of $549.99. Many of the new features may intrigue content creators to venture into the 360-degree camera world. Remember, you can take this camera on any trip, not just mountain biking adventures! Whether you are looking to replace your current action camera or compliment it with something that captures more perspectives, the X5 might be worth checking out. </p>
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<p>The article <a href="https://www.singletracks.com/mtb-gear/insta360-x5-action-camera-review/">Insta360 X5 action camera review</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.singletracks.com">Singletracks Mountain Bike News</a>.</p>
]]></content:encoded>
<wfw:commentRss>https://www.singletracks.com/mtb-gear/insta360-x5-action-camera-review/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
<slash:comments>3</slash:comments>
</item>
<item>
<title>Revel’s $8M in debt was was foreclosed on, but it might not be dead just yet</title>
<link>https://www.singletracks.com/community/revels-8m-in-debt-was-was-foreclosed-on-but-it-might-not-be-dead-just-yet/</link>
<comments>https://www.singletracks.com/community/revels-8m-in-debt-was-was-foreclosed-on-but-it-might-not-be-dead-just-yet/#comments</comments>
<dc:creator><![CDATA[Greg Heil]]></dc:creator>
<pubDate>Fri, 02 May 2025 11:20:13 +0000</pubDate>
<category><![CDATA[Community]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Bike Industry]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[news]]></category>
<guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.singletracks.com/?p=695617</guid>
<description><![CDATA[<p>Revel has released an official statement about its... closure? We're on the edge of seats waiting to see what happens.</p>
<p>The article <a href="https://www.singletracks.com/community/revels-8m-in-debt-was-was-foreclosed-on-but-it-might-not-be-dead-just-yet/">Revel’s $8M in debt was was foreclosed on, but it might not be dead just yet</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.singletracks.com">Singletracks Mountain Bike News</a>.</p>
]]></description>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[
<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><a href="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/revelrail-2979.jpg"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1170" height="780" src="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/revelrail-2979-1170x780.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-695619" srcset="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/revelrail-2979-1170x780.jpg 1170w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/revelrail-2979-750x500.jpg 750w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/revelrail-2979-375x250.jpg 375w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/revelrail-2979-768x512.jpg 768w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/revelrail-2979-600x400.jpg 600w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/revelrail-2979.jpg 1200w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1170px) 100vw, 1170px" /></a><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">File photo.</figcaption></figure>
<p><a href="https://www.singletracks.com/mtb-gear/revel-bikes-suffers-final-blow-major-discounts-are-live/">Weeks after Revel emailed dealers</a> to announce that it was winding down operations, the brand has posted <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/DJIBXZVpuyJ/?img_index=5">a public announcement</a> on its social media account about the wind-down. The post included new information, most notably that the brand’s secured debt had been foreclosed on by its bank.</p>
<p>“We had exhausted every option, but with over $8M in secured debt—coupled with industry-wide challenges—we were forced to begin a wind-down process after our bank foreclosed on our senior debt,” <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/DJIBXZVpuyJ/?img_index=1">wrote Revel</a>. “Thirteen staff members were laid off, and just a core group remains to help process liquidation of our remaining inventory.”</p>
<p>However, recent posts and emails by the brand have been exceedingly optimistic. “The outpouring of support we’ve received over the past two weeks has been nothing short of incredible. The effort and energy our customers and supporters have shared has meant the world to us. The messages, the encouragement, and the fact that our website crashed for the first time in six years from so many people trying to buy bikes and keep their existing bikes trail ready… we didn’t see that coming.”</p>
<p>Revel wrote that frames and components are still trickling in, and that the staff is doing their best to keep <a href="https://revelbikes.com/">the website</a> updated with bike availability — bikes which are steeply discounted, as much as 50%. If you want to score a deal, it won’t be easy. Singletracks commentors have had a difficult time finding availability on the website, with one saying, “Is anything actually available in the fire sale? Was it ever? I’ve been checking their site since the day the closure was announced and nothing ever showed in stock.”</p>
<p>In a recent email, Revel shared that the remaining staff are doing their best to fulfill orders. “It’s just taking a little longer than usual because of the unexpected surge in orders. Right now, we’re estimating about 7-10 business days from when you place your order to when it ships. Additionally, please also allow us a little extra time to get back to you via phone calls and emails as we’re a smaller crew at the moment and doing out best to get through all your messages.”</p>
<p>As for future warranty coverage of Revel bikes, no information has yet been released.</p>
<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-is-this-the-end-of-the-road-for-revel">Is this the end of the road for Revel?</h2>
<p>Despite the debt foreclosure, the brand continues to drop hints that this might not be the end of the road. An <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/DI1nT4_Pgya/">April 25 social media post</a> begins by saying, “Revel Bikes Crew here! 👋 Can’t get rid of us that easy…” </p>
<p>The most recent announcement explicitly mentions the possibility that the brand may continue. “That said, through this process, we’ve gained more hope that someone may pick up the pieces, and Revel may live on, somehow. We don’t have any details yet and expect this to take a few weeks to sort out.”</p>
<p>“A few weeks” is a relatively short and optimistic timeline. So if you want to score a Revel at firesale prices, you’d better pull the trigger now! Here at Singletracks, we’re on the edge of our seats to see if Revel will manage to pull through this tough time.</p>
<p>The article <a href="https://www.singletracks.com/community/revels-8m-in-debt-was-was-foreclosed-on-but-it-might-not-be-dead-just-yet/">Revel’s $8M in debt was was foreclosed on, but it might not be dead just yet</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.singletracks.com">Singletracks Mountain Bike News</a>.</p>
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<wfw:commentRss>https://www.singletracks.com/community/revels-8m-in-debt-was-was-foreclosed-on-but-it-might-not-be-dead-just-yet/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
<slash:comments>2</slash:comments>
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<item>
<title>A 21-mile MTB loop now circumnavigates the town of Pine, AZ</title>
<link>https://www.singletracks.com/mtb-trails/a-21-mile-mtb-loop-now-circumnavigates-the-town-of-pine-az/</link>
<comments>https://www.singletracks.com/mtb-trails/a-21-mile-mtb-loop-now-circumnavigates-the-town-of-pine-az/#comments</comments>
<dc:creator><![CDATA[Travis Reill]]></dc:creator>
<pubDate>Fri, 02 May 2025 10:13:00 +0000</pubDate>
<category><![CDATA[Trails]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[news]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[pine arizona]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[trail development]]></category>
<guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.singletracks.com/?p=693323</guid>
<description><![CDATA[<p>The Mogollon Rim region of Arizona is cementing itself as a bonafide bikepacking destination with multiple long-distance trails.</p>
<p>The article <a href="https://www.singletracks.com/mtb-trails/a-21-mile-mtb-loop-now-circumnavigates-the-town-of-pine-az/">A 21-mile MTB loop now circumnavigates the town of Pine, AZ</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.singletracks.com">Singletracks Mountain Bike News</a>.</p>
]]></description>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[
<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><a href="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/IMG_1091-1.jpg"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1170" height="878" src="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/IMG_1091-1-1170x878.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-695014" srcset="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/IMG_1091-1-1170x878.jpg 1170w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/IMG_1091-1-750x563.jpg 750w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/IMG_1091-1-768x576.jpg 768w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/IMG_1091-1-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/IMG_1091-1-600x450.jpg 600w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/IMG_1091-1.jpg 2016w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1170px) 100vw, 1170px" /></a><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Photo courtesy PSFR</figcaption></figure>
<p>It took more than a decade, but the small town of Pine, Arizona, just completed a 21-mile singletrack loop that circumnavigates the community. Located just northwest of Payson, this trail system is more than a recreation asset — it’s a critical part of the region’s wildfire mitigation strategy.</p>
<p>This lengthy trail in Pine joins <a href="https://www.singletracks.com/mtb-trails/the-rebuilt-60-mile-highline-trail-could-turn-this-rural-arizona-town-into-a-bikepacking-destination/">the revitalized Highline Trail</a> in nearby <a href="https://www.singletracks.com/mtb-trails/8-miles-of-social-trails-get-legalized-in-payson-az-plus-6-miles-of-new-singletrack-on-the-way/">Payson</a> (not to be confused with Sedona’s Hiline) and the iconic <a href="https://www.singletracks.com/bike-trails/arizona-trail/">Arizona Trail</a> (AZT), cementing the region as a true bikepacking destination.</p>
<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><a href="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/IMG_1332-1.jpg"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1170" height="878" src="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/IMG_1332-1-1170x878.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-695015" srcset="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/IMG_1332-1-1170x878.jpg 1170w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/IMG_1332-1-750x563.jpg 750w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/IMG_1332-1-768x576.jpg 768w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/IMG_1332-1-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/IMG_1332-1-600x450.jpg 600w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/IMG_1332-1.jpg 2016w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1170px) 100vw, 1170px" /></a><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Photo courtesy PSFR</figcaption></figure>
<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-trails-provide-more-benefits-than-just-recreation"><strong>Trails provide more benefits than just recreation</strong></h2>
<p>The newly completed 21-mile loop is made up of several trails, including a few miles of the Arizona Trail (AZT). The 12-year-long project concluded this year with the completion of the Two Ravens Trail, a two-mile intermediate segment that completed the loop.</p>
<p>While there are some offshoots on different segments, five main trails make up the loop around Pine: <a href="https://www.singletracks.com/bike-trails/two-ravens/">Two Ravens</a>, <a href="https://www.singletracks.com/bike-trails/arizona-trail-whiterock-mesa/">Whiterock Mesa</a> (AZT), <a href="https://www.singletracks.com/bike-trails/pine-canyon/">Pine Canyon</a>, <a href="https://www.singletracks.com/bike-trails/bearfoot-trail/">Bearfoot</a>, and <a href="https://www.singletracks.com/bike-trails/pine-strawberry/">Pine-Strawberry</a>. Each of these trails is rated blue, making the entire loop an intermediate-friendly ride that climbs to an elevation of over 6,000 feet.</p>
<p>But providing another option for outdoor recreation isn’t the only purpose behind the trail construction. The new loop is also meant to protect the town of Pine.</p>
<p>“When I came [to Payson], this group had already started this work,” Angie Abel, Recreational Manager for the Tonto National Forest, told us. “They were also the first group in Arizona that was trying to make this pitch for trails as fuel breaks — trying to protect their community from catastrophic wildfire risk.”</p>
<p>The “group” that Abel is referring to is Pine Strawberry Fuel Reduction (PSFR). Formed in the early 2000s, the group’s mission is to help reduce catastrophic wildfires in the area. The area below the Mogollon Rim, where communities such as Pine, Strawberry, and Payson are located, is among “the top ten areas in the country for the potential of catastrophic wildfire,” according to PSFR.</p>
<p>While many associate Arizona with desert landscapes and cacti, the area below the Mogollon Rim has the largest stand of ponderosa pine trees in the world. The area is rough and rugged, teaming with brush and pine trees. Arizona’s blistering heat and chronic lack of rainfall make it one of the most wildfire-prone places in the country.</p>
<p>And PSFR is fighting the fires with trails.</p>
<p>Not only do the trails provide a natural break in the vegetation, but they also offer a much more accessible path for wildland firefighters to enter backcountry areas.</p>
<p>“Twelve-plus years ago, [PSFR] were working a fuel break around their community, and that’s when the ‘Hey we can also put trails in the fuel breaks’ light bulb went off for them,” Abel explained.</p>
<p>Public education plays a vital role in land management efforts — especially when it comes to gaining support for projects like these. Getting the public educated can be difficult without them experiencing the land in question — walking the trails, seeing the vistas, and taking in the landscape. People rarely think of or visit fuel breaks, and likely never consider their benefit. When a trail overlaps with a fuel break, it can offer a tangible, on-the-ground example of why these fire mitigation tools matter — making their purpose clearer to the public.</p>
<p>PSFR has successfully partnered with both private landowners and public land managers over the past two decades to make this project a reality. The organization also hosts the popular Fire on the Rim mountain bike race, helping to further connect the community with wildfire reduction awareness. </p>
<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><a href="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/IMG_1287-1.jpg"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1170" height="878" src="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/IMG_1287-1-1170x878.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-695017" srcset="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/IMG_1287-1-1170x878.jpg 1170w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/IMG_1287-1-750x563.jpg 750w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/IMG_1287-1-768x576.jpg 768w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/IMG_1287-1-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/IMG_1287-1-600x450.jpg 600w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/IMG_1287-1.jpg 2016w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1170px) 100vw, 1170px" /></a><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Photo courtesy PSFR</figcaption></figure>
<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-new-mountain-bike-loop-around-pine"><strong>The new mountain bike loop around Pine</strong></h2>
<p>Even though the entire 21-mile mountain bike loop around Pine has an intermediate rating, it is important to acknowledge the rough and rugged terrain that makes up the lion’s share of Arizona riding — a blue trail in AZ may be a black trail elsewhere.</p>
<p>Abel explained that the loop is cut in half by Highway 87. “I’m going to say everything on the east side is blue,” she explained. “On the west side, it’s going to be a little more blue-green.”</p>
<p>The eastern portion of the loop is where the trail climbs above the 6,000-foot mark, but the entire loop is located at more than 5,000 feet above sea level.</p>
<p>While the two-mile addition of the Two Ravens Trail completed the 21-mile, 12-year trail project, the work isn’t finished: a few more additions are in the works. </p>
<p>Abel explained that four trailheads were included in the project’s most recent NEPA study and will become a new focus. Currently, access to the new loop trail is available from only one trailhead, which happens to be the AZT trailhead.</p>
<p><em>Correction May 6, 2025</em>: Michael Browning, Director of Grants for Pine Strawberry Fuel Reduction, tells Singletracks there are actually additional ways to access the trails.</p>
<p>“It’s true that Pine has only one fully-fledged trailhead, on the southeast side of town. However, […] there’s a more rudimentary Strawberry TH on the northwest side, plus five more access points through forest gates,” he said. “Access to all sides of the loop is quite good, despite the lack of developed trailhead facilities at the forest gates.”</p>
<p>As more trailheads are built, more beginner-friendly offshoot trails will also be constructed. Abel also shared that a skills park is in the works for one of the trailheads. This will help create trails for mountain bikers of all ability levels, especially families with young kids. Abel hopes the new trailheads can be a place where families choose to spend a Saturday.</p>
<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><a href="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/IMG_0726-1.jpg"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1170" height="878" src="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/IMG_0726-1-1170x878.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-695018" srcset="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/IMG_0726-1-1170x878.jpg 1170w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/IMG_0726-1-750x563.jpg 750w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/IMG_0726-1-768x576.jpg 768w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/IMG_0726-1-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/IMG_0726-1-600x450.jpg 600w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/IMG_0726-1.jpg 1924w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1170px) 100vw, 1170px" /></a><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Photo courtesy PSFR</figcaption></figure>
<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-a-growing-bikepacking-hub-in-arizona"><strong>A growing bikepacking hub in Arizona</strong></h2>
<p>When we last spoke with Abel, Payson’s <a href="https://www.singletracks.com/bike-trails/highline-trail-2/">Highline Trail</a> was nearing completion. While the 60-mile Highline was officially relaunched last year, trail crews were still working on several miles of trail. Now, the entirety of Highline is rideable.</p>
<p>The initial hope was that Highline would draw bikepackers in to experience the trail. Now, the Tonto National Forest is seeing an even greater potential for the area.</p>
<p>“I see Payson and Pine really becoming a hub for bikepacking,” Abel told us. “It’s those long-distance trails that you can get out in nature away from things for however long you choose.</p>
<p>As crews put the finishing touches on Highline, Abel spoke of another trail in the works. What they are currently calling the “Rim Country Connector” will span the distance between Pine and Payson.</p>
<p>When the Rim Country Connector is completed, it will add another 15 miles of trail connected to the 21-mile loop around Pine. And the loop around Pine is connected to the 60-mile Highline trail. All told, the area will boast nearly 100 miles of connected singletrack, providing huge bikepacking potential.</p>
<p>The article <a href="https://www.singletracks.com/mtb-trails/a-21-mile-mtb-loop-now-circumnavigates-the-town-of-pine-az/">A 21-mile MTB loop now circumnavigates the town of Pine, AZ</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.singletracks.com">Singletracks Mountain Bike News</a>.</p>
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<title>5 of the best mountain bike trails in North Carolina</title>
<link>https://www.singletracks.com/mtb-trails/5-of-the-best-mountain-bike-trails-in-north-carolina/</link>
<comments>https://www.singletracks.com/mtb-trails/5-of-the-best-mountain-bike-trails-in-north-carolina/#comments</comments>
<dc:creator><![CDATA[Greg Heil]]></dc:creator>
<pubDate>Thu, 01 May 2025 10:13:00 +0000</pubDate>
<category><![CDATA[Trails]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[asheville north carolina]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[brevard north carolina]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Five2Ride]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[hendersonville north carolina]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[old fort north carolina]]></category>
<guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.singletracks.com/?p=693951</guid>
<description><![CDATA[<p>North Carolina is home to some of the best mountain biking on the East Coast. Here are 5 of the must-ride trails in the state.</p>
<p>The article <a href="https://www.singletracks.com/mtb-trails/5-of-the-best-mountain-bike-trails-in-north-carolina/">5 of the best mountain bike trails in North Carolina</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.singletracks.com">Singletracks Mountain Bike News</a>.</p>
]]></description>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[
<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><a href="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/pilot-rock-5-2.jpg"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="3600" height="2400" src="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/pilot-rock-5-2.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-694827" srcset="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/pilot-rock-5-2.jpg 3600w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/pilot-rock-5-2-750x500.jpg 750w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/pilot-rock-5-2-1170x780.jpg 1170w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/pilot-rock-5-2-375x250.jpg 375w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/pilot-rock-5-2-768x512.jpg 768w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/pilot-rock-5-2-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/pilot-rock-5-2-2048x1365.jpg 2048w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/pilot-rock-5-2-600x400.jpg 600w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 3600px) 100vw, 3600px" /></a><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Photo: Jeff Barber</figcaption></figure>
<p>Among eastern US states, North Carolina is literally tops: Mt. Mitchell, the highest peak east of the Mississippi River, towers 6,684 feet above the Pisgah National Forest. Though only the far western portion of the state is mountainous, hundreds of excellent mountain bike trails can be found throughout North Carolina, from the coastal plains to the Piedmont to the Appalachian Mountains in the west.</p>
<p>It’s been nine years since we last wrote about the best trails in North Carolina, and in that time, new trails have been built all across the state. Historic singletrack routes deep in the Appalachians have been joined by modern feature-filled flow trails and shuttle-served bike parks. With so much trail development and such incredible diversity, it’s tough to limit this list to just 5 of the best trails… but you can’t go wrong with any of these choices:</p>
<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><a href="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/black-mountain-1.jpeg"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="2400" height="1600" src="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/black-mountain-1.jpeg" alt="" class="wp-image-695278" srcset="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/black-mountain-1.jpeg 2400w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/black-mountain-1-750x500.jpeg 750w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/black-mountain-1-1170x780.jpeg 1170w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/black-mountain-1-375x250.jpeg 375w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/black-mountain-1-768x512.jpeg 768w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/black-mountain-1-1536x1024.jpeg 1536w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/black-mountain-1-2048x1365.jpeg 2048w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/black-mountain-1-600x400.jpeg 600w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 2400px) 100vw, 2400px" /></a><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">File photo.</figcaption></figure>
<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-black-mountain-brevard">Black Mountain, Brevard</h2>
<p>I imagine if you asked anyone who lives outside North Carolina to name a must-ride in Pisgah National Forest, many of them would say <a href="https://www.singletracks.com/bike-trails/black-mountain-brevard/">Black Mountain</a> — and with good reason. The Black Mountain trail features an excellent descent set among lush mountainsides covered with ferns and rhododendron. It’s also one of the quickest and easiest trailheads to find in a forest that often feels like navigating a plate of spaghetti.</p>
<p>Rich Dillen, aka “Dicky,” is a <a href="https://teamdicky.blogspot.com/">mountain bike racer</a> and professional bike messenger based out of Charlotte, NC, and on the days when he’s schlepping critical legal documents across town, he tells us he’s dreaming of that Black Mountain descent.</p>
<p>“The Black Mountain Trail in Pisgah is my absolute favorite descent in NC,” said Dicky. “Pedaling through the rhododendron tunnel at the top knowing that the gnar starts right around the corner and keeps on in every way, shape, and form until I reach the bottom gives me much [excitement].  Once I get my wheels on Middle Black, my lizard brain kicks in full brapping throttle. Zen levels of nirvana and stupid bliss. Plus, it doesn’t hurt that when I get to the bottom, it’s a pretty short ride to the Pisgah Tavern.”</p>
<p>Over the years, “heavy trail use, unsustainable grades and heavy precipitation have caused severe erosion to [one] section of the Black Mountain trail,” <a href="https://sorba.org/black-mountain-reroute/">wrote SORBA</a>. So, Pisgah Area SORBA built a 3.6-mile reroute, decommissioning 2.2 miles of trail. The reroute “features a bit more flow, with some chunk embedded in it,” according to Daniel Sapp, President of Pisgah Area SORBA.</p>
<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><a href="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/IMG_0637.jpg"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1170" height="612" src="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/IMG_0637-1170x612.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-694748" srcset="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/IMG_0637-1170x612.jpg 1170w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/IMG_0637-750x393.jpg 750w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/IMG_0637-768x402.jpg 768w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/IMG_0637-1536x804.jpg 1536w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/IMG_0637-2048x1072.jpg 2048w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/IMG_0637-600x314.jpg 600w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1170px) 100vw, 1170px" /></a><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">A view of Heartbreak Ridge (in the foreground) from the Old Toll Road. Photo: Aaron Chamberlain</figcaption></figure>
<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-heartbreak-ridge-old-fort">Heartbreak Ridge, Old Fort</h2>
<p><a href="https://www.singletracks.com/bike-trails/heartbreak-ridge-10921/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Heartbreak Ridge</a> is a longtime classic mountain bike ride in the northern reaches of the Pisgah National Forest near the town of <a href="https://www.singletracks.com/bike-trails/region/north-carolina/?city=Old%20Fort">Old Fort</a>. “Heartbreak Ridge will throw a little bit of everything at you,” <a href="https://www.singletracks.com/mtb-trails/ride-report-old-toll-road-to-heartbreak-ridge-montreat-north-carolina/">wrote Aaron Chamberlain</a>, former Marketing Specialist for Singletracks. “There are steep chutes, big rocks, little rocks, loose rocks, roots, and tight switchbacks. It takes a long, tough descent to make my hands hurt, and this certainly qualified. I stopped a couple times on the way down to shake them out. I haven’t had to do that during a downhill since my last trip to Colorado!”</p>
<p>Heartbreak Ridge was extended in 2024 with a new segment known as “Lower Heartbreak Ridge.” “The new trail is a key component in the plan to connect Mount Mitchell to Old Fort almost entirely on singletrack trail, linking the western end of Jarrett Creek Road to Mill Creek Road in Old Fort at the Fonta Flora Copper Ridge trailhead,” <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/C6gxQgjL-gp/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&img_index=1">wrote the G5 Collective</a>.</p>
<p>Unfortunately, at the time of this writing, the new Lower Heartbreak Ridge has been <a href="https://www.singletracks.com/mtb-trails/mtb-trails-and-public-lands-are-closed-across-much-of-north-carolina-in-the-wake-of-hurricane-helene/">destroyed by Hurricane Helene</a> and remains closed. Hopefully, it will reopen in the future.</p>
<p>Until it reopens, riders can link to Star Gap to complete the ride.</p>
<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><a href="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Final-orig-scaled-1.jpg"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1170" height="781" src="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Final-orig-scaled-1-1170x781.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-694752" srcset="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Final-orig-scaled-1-1170x781.jpg 1170w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Final-orig-scaled-1-750x500.jpg 750w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Final-orig-scaled-1-375x250.jpg 375w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Final-orig-scaled-1-768x512.jpg 768w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Final-orig-scaled-1-1536x1025.jpg 1536w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Final-orig-scaled-1-2048x1366.jpg 2048w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Final-orig-scaled-1-600x400.jpg 600w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1170px) 100vw, 1170px" /></a><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">File photo: HPeterson4</figcaption></figure>
<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-cedar-rock-and-big-rock-dupont-state-recreational-forest-brevard">Cedar Rock and Big Rock, DuPont State Recreational Forest, Brevard</h2>
<p>The adjacent <a href="https://www.singletracks.com/bike-trails/cedar-rock-trail-16/">Cedar Rock</a> and <a href="https://www.singletracks.com/bike-trails/big-rock-trail-3/">Big Rock</a> trails in <a href="https://www.singletracks.com/bike-trails/dupont-state-forest/">DuPont State Recreational Forest</a> are unique among North Carolina mountain bike trails. These two trails traverse a granite dome in the heart of the popular trail system, allowing riders to rip down rippled granite slickrock, with visions of Moab playing through their heads. The trails are best linked by “climbing up the long side of Cedar Rock and then descending down Big Rock,” according to Sapp.</p>
<p>DuPont as a whole is one of the most popular mountain bike trail networks in the entire state, and it’s one of the largest, too, with roughly 80 miles of trails open to mountain bikes. While some riders prefer the smooth flow of trails like Ridgeline, and others will seek out chundery rock gardens, almost everyone can agree that the vaulted rock dome with spectacular views in the middle of the forest is truly special. If you’re planning a ride in DuPont, make sure you take a rip down Big Rock!</p>
<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><a href="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/mtb-greenslick.jpg"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1170" height="780" src="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/mtb-greenslick-1170x780.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-694750" srcset="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/mtb-greenslick-1170x780.jpg 1170w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/mtb-greenslick-750x500.jpg 750w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/mtb-greenslick-375x250.jpg 375w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/mtb-greenslick-768x512.jpg 768w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/mtb-greenslick-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/mtb-greenslick-2048x1365.jpg 2048w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/mtb-greenslick-600x400.jpg 600w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1170px) 100vw, 1170px" /></a><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Photo: Peter Mills, Elevated Trail Design</figcaption></figure>
<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-greenslick-bent-creek-experimental-forest-asheville">Greenslick, Bent Creek Experimental Forest, Asheville</h2>
<p><a href="https://www.singletracks.com/bike-trails/bent-creek/">Bent Creek Experimental Forest</a> is one of the most-ridden trail networks in North Carolina, thanks to its proximity to downtown Asheville. The black diamond-rated <a href="https://www.singletracks.com/bike-trails/greens-lick/">Greenslick</a> has long been one of the most storied trails in the forest. While technically two-way, it’s best ridden in the downhill direction. Riders drop almost 800ft over the nearly two miles of descending through a series of rock features and jumps.</p>
<p>Over the years, Greenslick fell into disrepair. However, the trail is now riding better than ever, thanks to <a href="https://www.singletracks.com/mtb-trails/one-of-ashevilles-most-famous-trails-has-been-re-built-from-top-to-bottom/">a complete rebuild in 2024</a>.</p>
<p>The pressure to get the rebuild just right was very high, since Greenslick was so well-loved by the locals. “We put everything we had in it to try to make the most hardcore, old school, Asheville-bike bro [say], ‘oh, this is actually a rugged trail,’” said Peter Mills, owner and founder of <a href="https://www.elevatedtraildesign.com/">Elevated Trail Design</a>, which completed the rebuild. “It was a challenge. I know some folks didn’t want to bid because of that. But I think we kind of surprised some folks. I mean, I’ve been getting a lot of positive feedback.”</p>
<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><a href="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/ride_kanuga_bike_park-13.jpg"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="2400" height="1601" src="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/ride_kanuga_bike_park-13.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-694751" srcset="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/ride_kanuga_bike_park-13.jpg 2400w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/ride_kanuga_bike_park-13-750x500.jpg 750w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/ride_kanuga_bike_park-13-1170x780.jpg 1170w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/ride_kanuga_bike_park-13-375x250.jpg 375w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/ride_kanuga_bike_park-13-768x512.jpg 768w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/ride_kanuga_bike_park-13-1536x1025.jpg 1536w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/ride_kanuga_bike_park-13-2048x1366.jpg 2048w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/ride_kanuga_bike_park-13-600x400.jpg 600w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 2400px) 100vw, 2400px" /></a><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Photo: Jeff Barber</figcaption></figure>
<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-ride-kanuga-bike-park-hendersonville">Ride Kanuga Bike Park, Hendersonville</h2>
<p>Yes, most of the trails on this list are iconic mountain bike routes that have been around for decades, although three of these classic routes have been rebuilt or extended. But this selection is all-new.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.singletracks.com/bike-trails/kanuga-bike-park/">Ride Kanuga Bike Park</a> epitomizes the trend of <a href="https://www.singletracks.com/mtb-trails/are-shuttle-served-bike-parks-on-private-land-the-future-of-mountain-biking/">shuttle-served bike parks being built on private land</a> popping up all around the nation. And what better place to build a dedicated bike park than in mountainous Western North Carolina, which boasts <a href="https://www.singletracks.com/mtb-trails/ride-kanuga-makes-bike-park-riding-accessible-year-round/">year-round riding</a>?!</p>
<p>Ride Kanuga is located on the west side of Hendersonville and sits on about 200 acres of land leased from the Kanuga camp and conference center. The park offers eight downhill mountain bike trails with about 500 feet of vert separating the trailhead and the top of the mountain. There are two climbing trails and two beginner, two intermediate, and four expert descending trails. The longest descent, the green-rated Evergreen trail, is about a mile and a half long.</p>
<p>Ride Kanuga “fills a unique niche in our mountain bike community,” said Callie Horwath, Brand & Park Manager for Ride Kanuga. “While the area is loaded with tons of great singletrack, we focused on building progressive trails that help riders develop skills in a safe, purpose-built environment. We also have tons of jumps and features, which is also something our area lacks. It’s a family-friendly spot that welcomes everyone from beginners to pros, and we also allow e-bikes—something not permitted on most of the surrounding trail networks. On top of that, we’ve built a strong, tight-knit community among our riders, which keeps the vibe positive and welcoming.”</p>
<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-runners-up">Runners-up:</h2>
<ol class="wp-block-list">
<li><a href="https://www.singletracks.com/bike-trails/laurel-mountain-descent/">Laurel Mountain</a> to <a href="https://www.singletracks.com/bike-trails/pilot-rock/">Pilot Rock</a>, Mills River</li>
<li><a href="https://www.singletracks.com/bike-trails/squirrel-gap.html">Squirrel Gap</a>, Brevard</li>
<li><a href="https://www.singletracks.com/bike-trails/park-rd-backyard-trails/">Backyard Trails</a>, Charlotte</li>
<li><a href="https://www.singletracks.com/bike-trails/chestnut-mountain-park/">Chestnut Mountain Park</a>, Canton</li>
<li><a href="https://www.singletracks.com/bike-trails/spearfinger-kessel-run/">Fire Mountain</a>, Cherokee</li>
</ol>
<p>Your turn: What’s your favorite mountain bike trail in North Carolina?</p>
<p>The article <a href="https://www.singletracks.com/mtb-trails/5-of-the-best-mountain-bike-trails-in-north-carolina/">5 of the best mountain bike trails in North Carolina</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.singletracks.com">Singletracks Mountain Bike News</a>.</p>
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<slash:comments>17</slash:comments>
</item>
<item>
<title>Popular Canyon mountain bike models are now available for purchase on Amazon.com</title>
<link>https://www.singletracks.com/mtb-gear/popular-canyon-mountain-bike-models-are-now-available-for-purchase-on-amazon-com/</link>
<comments>https://www.singletracks.com/mtb-gear/popular-canyon-mountain-bike-models-are-now-available-for-purchase-on-amazon-com/#comments</comments>
<dc:creator><![CDATA[Jeff Barber]]></dc:creator>
<pubDate>Thu, 01 May 2025 01:58:34 +0000</pubDate>
<category><![CDATA[Gear]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[amazon]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[news]]></category>
<guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.singletracks.com/?p=695561</guid>
<description><![CDATA[<p>Direct to consumer bike brand Canyon has long offered bikes for sale via their own website. Now, buyers in the US can purchase many popular Canyon bikes on Amazon.</p>
<p>The article <a href="https://www.singletracks.com/mtb-gear/popular-canyon-mountain-bike-models-are-now-available-for-purchase-on-amazon-com/">Popular Canyon mountain bike models are now available for purchase on Amazon.com</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.singletracks.com">Singletracks Mountain Bike News</a>.</p>
]]></description>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[
<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><a href="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/mtb-gift-guide-fidlock-bottle-twist-system.jpg"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1170" height="780" src="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/mtb-gift-guide-fidlock-bottle-twist-system-1170x780.jpg" alt="A close-up of a bicycle frame with the word "CANYON" prominently displayed, featuring a brown water bottle securely mounted on the frame. The background is blurred, showcasing a natural setting with greenery and soft foliage." class="wp-image-684774" srcset="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/mtb-gift-guide-fidlock-bottle-twist-system-1170x780.jpg 1170w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/mtb-gift-guide-fidlock-bottle-twist-system-750x500.jpg 750w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/mtb-gift-guide-fidlock-bottle-twist-system-375x250.jpg 375w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/mtb-gift-guide-fidlock-bottle-twist-system-768x512.jpg 768w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/mtb-gift-guide-fidlock-bottle-twist-system-1536x1025.jpg 1536w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/mtb-gift-guide-fidlock-bottle-twist-system-2048x1366.jpg 2048w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/mtb-gift-guide-fidlock-bottle-twist-system-600x400.jpg 600w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1170px) 100vw, 1170px" /></a><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">File photo.</figcaption></figure>
<p>German bike brand Canyon is now selling <a href="https://amzn.to/3EzYIt3" rel="nofollow">select bikes to US customers via Amazon</a>. The company, known for selling bicycles directly to consumers all over the world, is now offering many of their popular mountain bike models on the site, including the Spectral and Stoic. </p>
<p>A quick check at Amazon shows the Spectral 125 AL S in stock and available in <a href="https://www.singletracks.com/wp-json/click/track/AClBR8/">four sizes for $2,799</a>, and can be ordered with free Prime Two-Day shipping (One-Day in some locations). <a href="https://www.singletracks.com/wp-json/click/track/ezOD5R/" rel="nofollow">The Stoic 4</a> hardtail is listed for $2,099 while carbon <a href="https://www.singletracks.com/wp-json/click/track/PBTZ7H/">Spectral 8 models</a> are priced at $4,699. Electric mountain bikes, including the Torque:ON are listed on Amazon as well. US pricing appears to be the same at Amazon as it is at Canyon.com.</p>
<p>Customers can add “Expert assembly” to their Canyon bike order for $139.99 which is said to include professional delivery and assembly “in the location of your choice.” Amazon goes on to say the service provider will unpack and assemble the bike and perform a safety check to ensure everything is functioning properly. </p>
<p>In October, Singletracks <a href="https://www.singletracks.com/mtb-gear/rei-is-teaming-up-with-canyon-for-guilt-free-bike-service/">reported that REI was named</a> an Authorized Service Provider for Canyon, an arrangement that made it easier for customers to service and find parts for Canyon bikes.</p>
<p>Canyon is one of the first major bike brands to sell via Amazon in the US. While it’s common to find bikes parts and accessories being sold on Amazon, few quality bikes have been available for purchase up until this point. Given the in-stock numbers currently being shown — between four and 15 bikes per model, depending on the size — it’s unclear if this is simply a small test, or if it’s a potentially long-term sales strategy.</p>
<p>Singletracks will update this article with additional information as it becomes available. </p>
<p>The article <a href="https://www.singletracks.com/mtb-gear/popular-canyon-mountain-bike-models-are-now-available-for-purchase-on-amazon-com/">Popular Canyon mountain bike models are now available for purchase on Amazon.com</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.singletracks.com">Singletracks Mountain Bike News</a>.</p>
]]></content:encoded>
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<slash:comments>2</slash:comments>
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<item>
<title>New trail opening brings Coldwater Mountain in Anniston, Alabama, to about 50 miles of singletrack</title>
<link>https://www.singletracks.com/mtb-trails/new-trail-opening-brings-coldwater-mountain-in-anniston-alabama-to-about-50-miles-of-singletrack/</link>
<comments>https://www.singletracks.com/mtb-trails/new-trail-opening-brings-coldwater-mountain-in-anniston-alabama-to-about-50-miles-of-singletrack/#comments</comments>
<dc:creator><![CDATA[Jeff Barber]]></dc:creator>
<pubDate>Wed, 30 Apr 2025 10:01:00 +0000</pubDate>
<category><![CDATA[Trails]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[anniston alabama]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[new trail]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[news]]></category>
<guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.singletracks.com/?p=693225</guid>
<description><![CDATA[<p>In 2012, Anniston, Alabama, set out to become a "world-class mountain biking destination." This could be the year it becomes official.</p>
<p>The article <a href="https://www.singletracks.com/mtb-trails/new-trail-opening-brings-coldwater-mountain-in-anniston-alabama-to-about-50-miles-of-singletrack/">New trail opening brings Coldwater Mountain in Anniston, Alabama, to about 50 miles of singletrack</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.singletracks.com">Singletracks Mountain Bike News</a>.</p>
]]></description>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[
<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><a href="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/new-coldwater-mountain-bike-trails-02.jpg"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1170" height="775" src="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/new-coldwater-mountain-bike-trails-02-1170x775.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-695145" srcset="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/new-coldwater-mountain-bike-trails-02-1170x775.jpg 1170w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/new-coldwater-mountain-bike-trails-02-750x497.jpg 750w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/new-coldwater-mountain-bike-trails-02-768x509.jpg 768w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/new-coldwater-mountain-bike-trails-02-1536x1018.jpg 1536w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/new-coldwater-mountain-bike-trails-02-2048x1357.jpg 2048w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/new-coldwater-mountain-bike-trails-02-600x398.jpg 600w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1170px) 100vw, 1170px" /></a></figure>
<p>The hopes for <a href="https://www.singletracks.com/bike-trails/coldwater-mt/">Coldwater Mountain</a> in Anniston, Alabama, have been ambitious since the very beginning. In 2012, IMBA Trail Solutions drew up plans for 60 miles of trails at the site, with <a href="https://www.singletracks.com/mtb-trails/flow-country-comes-to-alabama-coldwater-mountain/">a goal of making Coldwater</a> “into a world-class mountain biking destination over the next 3-5 years.”</p>
<p>Thirteen years on, Coldwater Mountain boasts <s>about 50</s> 56.5 miles of singletrack and has just landed the first <a href="https://www.coldwatertrailrace.com/mtb/">Leadville qualifying mountain bike race</a> east of the Mississippi, dubbed the “<a href="https://www.coldwatertrailrace.com/mtb/">Coldwater Trail</a>.” Over a million dollars was invested in trails recently, delivering a mix of new and improved singletrack with an eye toward moving the region from an IMBA Bronze-level Ride Center to Silver.</p>
<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-another-1-1m-for-trails">Another $1.1M for trails</h2>
<p>Since 2012, about $4M has been invested in the trails at Coldwater Mountain, according to the former President of <a href="http://neaba.net/coldwater-mountain.html">Northeast Alabama Bicycle Association</a> (NEABA), Tom Nelson. Last year, Innovate Alabama decided to invest $1.1M at Coldwater, and a Coldwater Expansion committee was formed to decide how the money would be spent. The committee “was comprised of several individuals that represented different groups within the cycling community in the area,” according to Ross H. Martin of nearby Jacksonville State University. “We had a public input meeting and conducted a poll to help us make the best decisions with the money.”</p>
<p>Funds were earmarked to construct new trails and rework some of the more popular, signature trails like <a href="https://www.singletracks.com/bike-trails/bomb-dog/">Bomb Dog</a>. Professional trail builders from <a href="https://rocksolidtrails.com/">Rock Solid Trails</a> and Anniston-based <a href="https://www.instagram.com/flowmotion_trails/">Flow Motion</a> were contracted to complete the majority of the work, with volunteers chipping in to handle the rest.</p>
<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><a href="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/new-coldwater-mountain-bike-trails-09.jpg"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="2400" height="1601" src="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/new-coldwater-mountain-bike-trails-09.jpg" alt="A winding dirt trail surrounded by dense greenery and trees, with rocky edges on one side and fallen leaves scattered on the ground. The path leads through a tranquil forest setting, inviting exploration." class="wp-image-695146" srcset="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/new-coldwater-mountain-bike-trails-09.jpg 2400w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/new-coldwater-mountain-bike-trails-09-750x500.jpg 750w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/new-coldwater-mountain-bike-trails-09-1170x780.jpg 1170w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/new-coldwater-mountain-bike-trails-09-375x250.jpg 375w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/new-coldwater-mountain-bike-trails-09-768x512.jpg 768w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/new-coldwater-mountain-bike-trails-09-1536x1025.jpg 1536w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/new-coldwater-mountain-bike-trails-09-2048x1366.jpg 2048w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/new-coldwater-mountain-bike-trails-09-600x400.jpg 600w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 2400px) 100vw, 2400px" /></a></figure>
<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-southern-traverse-opens-a-whole-new-zone-to-trail-development">Southern Traverse opens a whole new zone to trail development</h3>
<p>The most ambitious upgrade to Coldwater is the newly opened <a href="https://www.singletracks.com/bike-trails/southern-traverse/">Southern Traverse trail</a>, an 8.5-mile-long, intermediate-level singletrack connector that spans from one end of the property to the other. The new bi-directional trail starts near the bottom of Bomb Dog and traverses the south side of Coldwater Mountain until it reaches the Oval Office trail. Hence, the name, Southern Traverse.</p>
<p>But don’t let that fool you; this trail has plenty of ups and downs along the way! If you ride it in the direction I did, the trail gains 985ft of elevation and drops 870ft overall. (Coldwater boasts almost 1,000ft of vertical between the high and low points in the trail system.) Most will ride Southern Traverse to create a loop with existing trails like Chilhowhee, and of course Bomb Dog, for a 20+ mile ride. And that’s not all.</p>
<figure class="wp-block-gallery has-nested-images columns-default is-cropped wp-block-gallery-6 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex">
<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><a href="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/new-coldwater-mountain-bike-trails-03.jpg"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="2400" height="1601" data-id="695153" src="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/new-coldwater-mountain-bike-trails-03.jpg" alt="A winding dirt path splits into two trails, surrounded by lush greenery and tall trees in a forested area, with dry leaves covering the ground and a small stream visible on the left side of the image." class="wp-image-695153" srcset="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/new-coldwater-mountain-bike-trails-03.jpg 2400w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/new-coldwater-mountain-bike-trails-03-750x500.jpg 750w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/new-coldwater-mountain-bike-trails-03-1170x780.jpg 1170w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/new-coldwater-mountain-bike-trails-03-375x250.jpg 375w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/new-coldwater-mountain-bike-trails-03-768x512.jpg 768w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/new-coldwater-mountain-bike-trails-03-1536x1025.jpg 1536w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/new-coldwater-mountain-bike-trails-03-2048x1366.jpg 2048w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/new-coldwater-mountain-bike-trails-03-600x400.jpg 600w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 2400px) 100vw, 2400px" /></a></figure>
<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><a href="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/new-coldwater-mountain-bike-trails-08.jpg"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="780" height="1170" data-id="695152" src="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/new-coldwater-mountain-bike-trails-08-780x1170.jpg" alt="A winding dirt trail surrounded by trees, with fallen leaves covering the ground and rocky terrain on either side. The pathway leads through a forested area on a sunny day." class="wp-image-695152" srcset="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/new-coldwater-mountain-bike-trails-08-780x1170.jpg 780w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/new-coldwater-mountain-bike-trails-08-500x750.jpg 500w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/new-coldwater-mountain-bike-trails-08-768x1151.jpg 768w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/new-coldwater-mountain-bike-trails-08-1025x1536.jpg 1025w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/new-coldwater-mountain-bike-trails-08-1366x2048.jpg 1366w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/new-coldwater-mountain-bike-trails-08-600x899.jpg 600w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/new-coldwater-mountain-bike-trails-08.jpg 1601w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 780px) 100vw, 780px" /></a></figure>
</figure>
<p>Southern Traverse will “allow us to start connecting trails up to the top of the ridge,” Nelson told me. “There’s a lot of property over there.”</p>
<p>Riding all the trails at Coldwater Mountain today would easily clock 50+ miles with very little doubling back. With fresh access to the south side of the property, the original 60-mile trail vision is surely within striking distance.</p>
<p>The Flow Motion build team started at one end of the trail, and Rock Solid at the other. The two teams cut trail until they met in the middle. All told, the 8.5-mile trail was completed in less than nine months.</p>
<figure class="wp-block-gallery has-nested-images columns-2 is-cropped wp-block-gallery-7 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex">
<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><a href="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/new-coldwater-mountain-bike-trails-13.jpg"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="780" height="1170" data-id="695207" src="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/new-coldwater-mountain-bike-trails-13-780x1170.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-695207" srcset="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/new-coldwater-mountain-bike-trails-13-780x1170.jpg 780w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/new-coldwater-mountain-bike-trails-13-500x750.jpg 500w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/new-coldwater-mountain-bike-trails-13-768x1151.jpg 768w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/new-coldwater-mountain-bike-trails-13-1025x1536.jpg 1025w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/new-coldwater-mountain-bike-trails-13-1366x2048.jpg 1366w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/new-coldwater-mountain-bike-trails-13-600x899.jpg 600w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/new-coldwater-mountain-bike-trails-13.jpg 1601w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 780px) 100vw, 780px" /></a></figure>
<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><a href="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/new-coldwater-mountain-bike-trails-10.jpg"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="780" height="1170" data-id="695149" src="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/new-coldwater-mountain-bike-trails-10-780x1170.jpg" alt="A winding hiking trail made of stone steps surrounded by trees and leaf-covered ground, leading through a wooded area." class="wp-image-695149" srcset="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/new-coldwater-mountain-bike-trails-10-780x1170.jpg 780w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/new-coldwater-mountain-bike-trails-10-500x750.jpg 500w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/new-coldwater-mountain-bike-trails-10-768x1152.jpg 768w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/new-coldwater-mountain-bike-trails-10-1024x1536.jpg 1024w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/new-coldwater-mountain-bike-trails-10-1365x2048.jpg 1365w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/new-coldwater-mountain-bike-trails-10-600x900.jpg 600w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/new-coldwater-mountain-bike-trails-10.jpg 1600w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 780px) 100vw, 780px" /></a></figure>
<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><a href="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/new-coldwater-mountain-bike-trails-12.jpg"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1170" height="780" data-id="695150" src="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/new-coldwater-mountain-bike-trails-12-1170x780.jpg" alt="A narrow, unpaved hiking trail winding through a forested area, surrounded by trees and rocky terrain. The ground is covered with a mix of dirt, rocks, and fallen leaves, with a gentle slope on one side leading down to a small ravine. The scene is set in a tranquil, natural environment with scattered greenery." class="wp-image-695150" srcset="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/new-coldwater-mountain-bike-trails-12-1170x780.jpg 1170w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/new-coldwater-mountain-bike-trails-12-750x500.jpg 750w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/new-coldwater-mountain-bike-trails-12-375x250.jpg 375w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/new-coldwater-mountain-bike-trails-12-768x512.jpg 768w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/new-coldwater-mountain-bike-trails-12-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/new-coldwater-mountain-bike-trails-12-2048x1365.jpg 2048w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/new-coldwater-mountain-bike-trails-12-600x400.jpg 600w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1170px) 100vw, 1170px" /></a></figure>
</figure>
<p>There wasn’t any signage when I rode the Southern Traverse trail on April 3, but all major construction, including rock work, appeared to be complete. Massive bench cuts allow the trail to hug the sides of the mountain, and the trail builders used large rocks to create optional features to keep things interesting.</p>
<p>The new trail corridor appears to be cut a bit wider than some of the existing trails at Coldwater, and Nelson tells me that’s by design to make the system more race-friendly for passing, at least in places. Plus, it’s pretty common for a new trail corridor to shrink over time as vegetation returns and riders establish the preferred line.</p>
<p>Like the other trails at Coldwater, the Southern Traverse trail is open to electric mountain bikes.</p>
<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><a href="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/bomb_dog-3.jpg"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1200" height="800" src="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/bomb_dog-3-1200x800.jpg" alt="A person riding a mountain bike along a dirt trail, surrounded by trees with autumn foliage, with a scenic view of hills and valleys in the background." class="wp-image-189474" srcset="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/bomb_dog-3.jpg 1200w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/bomb_dog-3-620x413.jpg 620w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/bomb_dog-3-750x500.jpg 750w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px" /></a><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Greg riding Bomb Dog in 2012. Photo: Jeff Barber</figcaption></figure>
<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-classic-favorites-like-bomb-dog-are-being-re-worked">Classic favorites like Bomb Dog are being re-worked</h3>
<p>Signature trail Bomb Dog was among the first trails to open at Coldwater, and it’s remained a favorite. The blue trail is a must-ride for first-time visitors, and as a result, it sees a lot of wear and tear. A portion of the $1.1M grant is being used to rebuild part of upper Bomb Dog, including the iconic “berm with a view” as seen in the photo above, to make the trail more sustainable.</p>
<p>A new jump line is also being built, as seen above, and should be open soon. “The new jump line intersects Baby Bear but is an independent trail that parallels the Bomb Dog climb back up to Baby Bear,” Nelson said. “This allows people to session the jump line with the parallel climb up the end of Bomb Dog.”</p>
<p>To ensure the Coldwater Trail race runs smoothly, a tunnel is being constructed at a crucial trail intersection. The club plans to tackle this project on their own, using volunteers to get the massive sectional culvert system in place and backfilled with dirt.</p>
<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><a href="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/new-coldwater-mountain-bike-trails-12.jpg"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1170" height="780" src="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/new-coldwater-mountain-bike-trails-12-1170x780.jpg" alt="A narrow, unpaved hiking trail winding through a forested area, surrounded by trees and rocky terrain. The ground is covered with a mix of dirt, rocks, and fallen leaves, with a gentle slope on one side leading down to a small ravine. The scene is set in a tranquil, natural environment with scattered greenery." class="wp-image-695150" srcset="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/new-coldwater-mountain-bike-trails-12-1170x780.jpg 1170w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/new-coldwater-mountain-bike-trails-12-750x500.jpg 750w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/new-coldwater-mountain-bike-trails-12-375x250.jpg 375w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/new-coldwater-mountain-bike-trails-12-768x512.jpg 768w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/new-coldwater-mountain-bike-trails-12-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/new-coldwater-mountain-bike-trails-12-2048x1365.jpg 2048w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/new-coldwater-mountain-bike-trails-12-600x400.jpg 600w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1170px) 100vw, 1170px" /></a></figure>
<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-destination-upgrade">Destination: upgrade</h2>
<p>With these and other investments, Anniston is hoping to earn an IMBA Silver Ride Center designation. Birmingham, about an hour to the west, <a href="http://Like Birmingham, Alabama,">is working toward the same goal</a>.</p>
<p>Local advocates are hoping to attract even more riders, and not just to Coldwater. With the support of the Oxford Cycling Association, a jump track is being built beside a baseball field in nearby Oxford, and the <a href="https://www.singletracks.com/bike-trails/mcclellan-mountain-bike-trail/">trails at McClellan</a> regularly host high school mountain bike races for riders from all over the state.</p>
<p>Once the Coldwater Trail race rolls into town in October, most, if not all, of these upgrades should be complete, making backers’ grand 2012 vision all but official: Anniston is finally a world-class mountain bike destination!</p>
<p>The article <a href="https://www.singletracks.com/mtb-trails/new-trail-opening-brings-coldwater-mountain-in-anniston-alabama-to-about-50-miles-of-singletrack/">New trail opening brings Coldwater Mountain in Anniston, Alabama, to about 50 miles of singletrack</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.singletracks.com">Singletracks Mountain Bike News</a>.</p>
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<title>At age 55, Lee McCormack is still getting faster, and helping other riders do the same</title>
<link>https://www.singletracks.com/mtb-tips/at-age-55-lee-mccormack-is-still-getting-faster-and-helping-other-riders-do-the-same/</link>
<comments>https://www.singletracks.com/mtb-tips/at-age-55-lee-mccormack-is-still-getting-faster-and-helping-other-riders-do-the-same/#comments</comments>
<dc:creator><![CDATA[Jeff Barber]]></dc:creator>
<pubDate>Tue, 29 Apr 2025 17:50:00 +0000</pubDate>
<category><![CDATA[Tips]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[fitness]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[lee mccormack]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[podcast]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[skills]]></category>
<guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.singletracks.com/?p=694972</guid>
<description><![CDATA[<p>"Professor Shred" shares his tips for unlocking next-level mountain bike performance... and bliss.</p>
<p>The article <a href="https://www.singletracks.com/mtb-tips/at-age-55-lee-mccormack-is-still-getting-faster-and-helping-other-riders-do-the-same/">At age 55, Lee McCormack is still getting faster, and helping other riders do the same</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.singletracks.com">Singletracks Mountain Bike News</a>.</p>
]]></description>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[
<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><a href="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/5.13seriesofturnsYANN.jpg"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1170" height="734" src="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/5.13seriesofturnsYANN-1170x734.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-695296" srcset="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/5.13seriesofturnsYANN-1170x734.jpg 1170w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/5.13seriesofturnsYANN-750x471.jpg 750w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/5.13seriesofturnsYANN-768x482.jpg 768w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/5.13seriesofturnsYANN-1536x964.jpg 1536w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/5.13seriesofturnsYANN-600x376.jpg 600w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/5.13seriesofturnsYANN.jpg 1594w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1170px) 100vw, 1170px" /></a></figure>
<iframe style="border-radius:12px" src="https://open.spotify.com/embed/episode/5a7Oonqb81gwbYrH7NkCPn?utm_source=generator" width="100%" height="152" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" allow="autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; fullscreen; picture-in-picture" loading="lazy"></iframe>
<p>Lee McCormack is a mountain bike skills instructor and coach, and he’s the author of nearly a dozen books, including the NICA Skills Training Manual. He’s written extensively on bike fitting and fitness training, and just last year he launched his own bike brand, Mistress Cycles.</p>
<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li>How have mountain biking techniques changed over the years?</li>
<li>What’s the difference between a good mountain bike racer, and a good mountain bike coach? </li>
<li>Is pedal cadence important for mountain biking? How do you know if your cadence is too fast or too slow? How can you improve your cadence?</li>
<li>Why are you such a fan of pump tracks. Why?</li>
<li>How do Moto Cranx work on a pump track?</li>
<li>Do you think mountain bikers tend to be overconfident, or underconfident in their skills?</li>
<li>Do you think it’s possible to be faster in your 40s or 50s than in your 20s by maintaining fitness and progressing your skills? </li>
<li>How did Mistress Cycles come about? What is it about “modern” mountain bike geometry that you find frustrating?</li>
<li>You’ve come out with some innovative products over the years, like the RipRow trainer and Moto Cranx. In addition to the bikes from Mistress Cycles, do you have any other projects in the works?</li>
</ul>
<p>You can keep up with the latest from Lee McCormack on Instagram <a href="https://www.instagram.com/leelikesbikes/">@leelikesbikes</a>, where you’ll find links to all of the projects we talked about today.</p>
<p>An automated transcript of our edited conversation is provided below. <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zu_7PKTvX9U">Click here for an unedited video of our conversation</a>, where Lee illustrates many of the concepts discussed. Or, scroll down to see the video (note: may contain language some readers find offensive.)</p>
<p><em>This podcast episode is sponsored by </em><a href="https://backslopetools.com/"><em>Backslope Tools</em></a><em>.</em></p>
<p>Backslope Tools designs and produces innovative lockable, stackable, and field-repairable tools for trail building, landscaping, and gardening. With 20 years of trailbuilding experience, Backslope is putting the right tools for the job into builders’ hands, from individuals to full-on trail crews. Order online at <a href="https://backslopetools.com/">backslopetools.com</a> and save 15% on your order with code <strong>SingletracksPod</strong>. </p>
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<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
<iframe loading="lazy" title="Lee McCormack on getting older AND faster on the bike" width="1170" height="658" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Zu_7PKTvX9U?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe>
</div></figure>
<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-automated-transcript">Automated transcript</h2>
<p>Jeff Barber 0:00<br>Hey everybody, welcome to the Singletracks podcast. My name is Jeff, and today my guest is Lee McCormack. Lee is a mountain bike skills instructor and coach, and he’s the author of nearly a dozen books, including the nyka skills training manual. He’s written extensively on bike fitting and fitness training, and just last year, he launched his own bike brand, Mistress cycles, thanks for joining me. Lee, </p>
<p>Unknown Speaker 0:24<br>You’re welcome, man, it’s good to see you Jeff.</p>
<p>Jeff Barber 0:28<br>Awesome. So the book that you co-authored with pro racer Brian Lopes is now in its third edition, and I actually have a copy of that book. I have the first edition, which I would love to get you to sign at some point.</p>
<p>Unknown Speaker 0:44<br>I carry Sharpies. I have Sharpies.</p>
<p>Jeff Barber 0:48<br>You’re a celebrity! So how have mountain biking techniques changed over the years since that book was first published?</p>
<p>Lee McCormack 0:55<br>Yeah, so that’s a good question. I want to ask you more detail, like, what you’re looking to know, like, riding style, how people look at technique, like, what’s the question you’re asking?</p>
<p>Jeff Barber 1:06<br>Yeah. I mean, a lot of stuff obviously has changed with bikes and trails, and I’m curious if the way that we ride is different, and therefore we need to learn skills in a different way. </p>
<p>Lee McCormack 1:18<br>That’s the question, right there. Yeah, we ride differently now, exactly. And I started this, I got my first mountain bike, was a 1988 Nishiki Pueblo, 300 bucks on that thing, and my parents said it was a waste of money. I was like, No, I’m going to be a mountain biker. And they’re like, so back then, you know, it was, it was, it was a lot like gravel riding is today. To be honest, a lot of the riding we did was a lot of dirt roads. I came up in Southern California, you know, back then, there were no there weren’t official mountain bike trails that just didn’t exist. So there’s a lot of dirt roads, and there were some hiking trails, right? And and so the dirt roads, I remember those days very well. We would have an avisette, you know, little speedometer computer on our bar, and we would just try to hit 50 miles an hour with with with rim brakes, with S, H, I, T tires. But we were young, and we didn’t get, oh, and 150 millimeter negative stems. And that’s what we were doing, you know. And then, if it was single track, at least it the guys I wrote, well, I wrote with Brian Lopes, so he was pretty good biking back then, yeah, and, but, but, you know, single track, I mean, he was great, but for the most part, it was just like, how can we get down this, like, like the stuff you see in Laguna Canyon, like that gnarly downhill, like we were riding that on rigid bikes, like with 150 millimeter stems and seats up our butts, way back. And as I recall, it was like the overall feel was more like, we’re in the mountains, we’re on bikes. We’re going to do this adventure and and, and hilarity will ensue, right and back. And hilarity ensued often with bike break. Bikes breaking like, you know, you had spokes attached to your like frame. It just was a thing back then. Anyway. So I think that more now more, of course, the bikes have changed. Cultures, change social media has happened and and riding trails are built more around an experience. And I’d say this at their best, at their best, like the pump track stuff I designed, what good trail building does is it invokes flow states. And this is kind of the deepest and best use of that. You know, you can talk about it being extreme and hitting big jumps and that stuff’s great, trust me, no one loves that more than me. But the real I feel like the greatest purpose of that is to achieve flow, to give people the peace that they lack in their lives. That’s what this is really for. So to answer your question, that requires highest high speed cornering, that requires really knowing how to pump, uh, jumping and air time and and dropping are all a much more bigger part of writing. I would say that now I’m getting excited. Here it comes. So like back then in the old days, I’d say riding was probably more two dimensional, back for side to side. Now, rotting is more vertical. And so you know, you see how I’m moving my body. This is my teaching style. It’s, it’s, it’s to learn how to to work with your bike personally, like the person, bike connection is really important now, and bike fit work and mobility work and psychology work, and then that fits to the trail. And so to answer your question, yeah, like, like, if you’re going to be riding faster on bigger shapes, you need different skills than when you were riding less fast on flatter ground. I think that makes sense.</p>
<p>Jeff Barber 4:48<br>Yeah. Makes sense. Yeah. I mean, what you’re saying too. I’m curious. A lot of riders would say bikes are better now, trails are purpose built, and so in a lot of ways, maybe. The biking has gotten easier, but at the same time you’re you’re seeing all these like new skill I mean, more people are taking skills classes than ever before. I would imagine there’s, feels like there’s a lot more to learn, despite the trails and bikes making it easier. Is that fair to say?</p>
<p>Lee McCormack 5:20<br>That’s a great question, dude. Okay, I’m gonna answer this in two ways. Let’s just say, all right. The the things that are effective for person to learn and to really master are very elegant and they’re very simple. They’re simple. They’re a lot simpler than that book you have sitting there. I sitting there, right a lot. And the next technique book will be more like the dow of mountain bike and do the whole thing, the whole right? The one I’m working right now is the new the new fit book, dial two. So it’s all real elegant and simple and it’s and it’s more about being a person and an athlete than a cyclist. So, so, how do I say this shoot, this is, this is where it gets hard to take 40 years of passion and squeeze it through this, you know, this medium, it’s hard. I have a hard time with it, the the the the simple truths are always simple. They’re the same truths that would apply to any sport you do, skiing, any, anything you do, right? And so I would say that there’s more of a hunger now than there used to be, to to to to to gain some sort of skill. And, you know, and when I started, when I started, when I did the first book, that book you know, Ned over and had the popular book at the time, but it wasn’t a technique book. It was a different sort of a book. And I’m the first person, the first person, to ever take my polymath, nerd career, my two previous careers, informational graphics and software design, and apply them to this, right? So my goal, really, back then, was, I’m going to write the book. I’m going to write the definitive book. And that happened. It’s happened, you know, three times without one already. And then after I finished it, I was like, you know, every real sport has a curriculum, like, like, I’ve got kids, you know, and I you know, you could see your kids go through the steps of soccer. So I’m like, well, mountain biking should have this. And I think I’m the guy to put something out there, yeah. And I started that process, and since then, as you said, there’s been enormous proliferation of coaching. So there’s more demand for coaching. It’s in your face more. I would say that I’m making commentary now on the current state of mountain bike coaching. I would say that most of the people who are doing it are hobbyists. They’re hobbyists. It’s very, very, very, very hard to make a living at that. It’s expensive on the body, trust me, yeah, and and so most are hobbyists. Most have no training, or they took, like, a weekend, or like, a little bit of a certification. Okay, they know what they know. That’s all they know. In some ways it’s, it’s, it’s that education is wildly incomplete, and in other ways it’s wildly too detailed and too persnickety. What I see, and I’ve actually had to fall I’ve unfollowed all of everybody. I just I did. I had to for my own sanity, because I couldn’t watch it anymore you know.</p>
<p>Jeff Barber 8:41<br>You’re trying to coach the coaches, it sounds like.</p>
<p>Lee McCormack 8:44<br>Yeah, and I’m completely cool with coaching coaches who want to be coached. I’m completely 100% awesomely. I need I’m going to pass this along. I’m going to be gone at some point here. You know, I’m completely cool with pushing this through to the next generation of people who will take this, these ideas I’ve kind of started and take them further, because it’s a process, like a scientific process, but, but what I’ve seen so far is, for the most part, that’s not what they want, that’s that’s not what they want. They’re not open to feedback from someone who actually, like knows the work, who’s been doing it? Who’s done it over 11,000 times? Dude, 11,000 students. So we’re getting into commentary here, right? So it’s like, I love the fact, I love the fact that mountain bikers care more and more about their skill, because it keeps them safe, it keeps them riding, it keeps them progressing and learning yourself. I mean, I mean honestly, at a deep level, like learning yourself, learning your nervous system, creating coherence in yourself, you know, like dealing with fears and ego and all the stuff that we all deal with, that’s the job. And some people, you do it with a fly rod. Some people, they do it riding coat or. Playing music, we maybe use mountain bikes. So I’m completely support and stoked on anyone who’s who’s on the path. And I’ll suggest that if you’re scrolling the YouTube and the Insta and you’re watching free content, just be careful. I won’t name names, but just be careful with what you’re consuming. I didn’t want to bring any of that up, but it comes in.</p>
<p>Jeff Barber 10:27<br>So yeah, I mean, that that leads into my next question, which was going to be sort of about what makes a good coach. I mean, right? You know, obviously there’s, there’s going to be a difference between someone who’s a good mountain bike racer and someone who is a good coach. Do you need to have both? I mean, there’s plenty of examples of people who are really good at one but not the other. But yeah, do you need to have both of those? I mean, could somebody who’s like, a great you know, let’s say a college professor come in and they don’t know a lot about mountain biking, but, like, could they be a good coach? Or do you need to have both of those pieces?</p>
<p>Lee McCormack 11:03<br>That’s a really gorgeous question. I’ll start with the easy answer, you know, to to be a high level writer. The people who are making the shreddeds, the people who have won races, guys like Brian, right, guys like that, that is, is is a state of no mind. That is pure instinct. That’s that’s how you perform at that level. You by definition, for most people, for 99.9999% people, when you’re in that state, you’re not recording consciously what you’re doing. And so those people make awful teachers. They do because they don’t know what they’re doing. And I’ve seen, dude, I’ve been doing this for a long time. I’ve talked to a lot of I’ve talked to a lot of people about how they do what they do. You know, like, famous world champion people, they don’t know. They have no idea. Yeah, like, this is what I’ve seen. Okay, this is, again, this is direct experience. And if you’re listening to this and you’re like, you’ve been in the sport a few years, welcome, welcome, welcome. But I want you to understand, I’m giving you a favor by sharing my time with you. I’ve been for 40 years. I’ve been doing it for a living for 22 years. There’s a difference I’m going to cry here, between a man who commits his career and personal life body to this thing, and I have my reasons for doing that, happy to share him. There’s a difference between someone with a genius IQ dedicating his life force to figuring out the sport that we love over the course of decades and hobbyists. So I will everything I say I offer it’s hard earned Bros and sisters and bros. Okay, I want you to know the difference between someone with experience and someone with opinions. Okay, yeah, I just want to say that, because it doesn’t get said.</p>
<p>Jeff Barber 13:04<br>It makes sense that that the book that you wrote, you know, the mastering mountain bike skills with Brian Lopes. I mean, you have both sides there, right? You have that professional racer who, you know, is able to access that sort of flow state and can perform, and then you’re able to work together and kind of interpret that and make it so it is, like, useful to other people in sort of a coaching way. </p>
<p>Lee McCormack 13:29<br>Yeah, that would be a really good model, if you could work, if you could find an elite athlete who you can work with, like that. That’s amazing, right? That’s amazing, right? So, but it’s very, very rare. Like, like, I’ve not, I’ve not met one yet. Okay, so the teacher types, okay, let’s see if I can make bring this in. You have your athletes, which is, let’s just say, a body thing. Make it simple. You have your teacher types, right? Your college professors, um, the kind of people, the nerds who you know, right, what’s called us, brain people, your body people, and your brain people, body brain, for the most part, the people who want to teach, from a standpoint of teaching, like they want to teach, and That’s what they do, are generally mostly brain people, mostly brain people. You can get some decent teaching. Okay, here we go. Ready. Jeff, here we are ready. We have teaching, and then we have coaching. Teaching is the conveyance of ideas from my head into yours. Okay, a book used to be the way to do it, and they’re still pretty good. Video is probably better because it has motion me standing in front, like, doing a nica training. I used to, like, train like 80 people at once, and I’d be like, on the stage. That’s a performance. Is coaching, yeah, teaching. So, so the construction, the construction of the curriculum, is brain. That’s the nerd stuff, you know, and, and the conveyance of it is, is, is often an intellectual act. Does this make sense? Yeah, yeah, the teaching part. So, okay, everybody, where should your weight be? On your feet? Great, check, right? Coaching is different. Coaching is a whole other deal. </p>
<p>Coaching, the kind of coaching I do, and that people pay, the money that I deserve to receive, is an energetic, more emotional connection that also feeds through intellect and body and allows you to feel the person. Allows them to feel you, allows you to communicate really effectively, verbally, kinesthetically and energetically. That’s coaching, that’s coaching. And so check this out. You can have an athlete who can show you what to do with your body. There’s plenty of them out there. They’re not that hard to find. And you give an intellect who can tell you what to do with your body and explain it to you. Yeah, right, a coach. A great coach. And these are rare people, freaking rare people, has access to both of those states. Can, can can be teaching you and go, hang on. This took me years to develop disability. So you go, Okay, hang on, Jeff. Click, athlete mode, execute. Click, Coach mode, come back, which is eight. And now for me, it’s seamless. But in the beginning, that transition was so awkward that I had to wear armor when I talked, because I crashed a lot. I had to learn. It’s tough to do both. It took me a, you know, decades. </p>
<p>Okay, so check it out, then a great coach has access to both of those and ties them through this emotional, energetic channel. And that’s the complete coach. And just think about how many human beings you know, who are integrated in all three areas. It’s probably a small number, yeah, not a lot. How many of those people are just way into mountain biking? Smaller number. How many of those people have the time and interest to be a mountain bike coach, right? How many of those people aren’t already busy making a shit ton of money doing something else, right? That they that pays like, a quarter million or more a year. Does that make sense?</p>
<p>Jeff Barber 17:46<br>So, yeah, more than being a mountain bike coach for sure. </p>
<p>Lee McCormack 17:51<br>Yeah, exactly. So, it gets really, really rare. And so when you, when you go, and I think, as I do this more, I I’m trying. You know, I’m a human being, dude, I’m a human being with an ego and part of this whole persona right there. Let’s just be honest, bro, that guy right there, he’s not me anymore. Was like, I’m a broken little boy. I don’t feel like an athlete. I don’t belong I’m a nerd. I’ve never had a group, and I started mountain biking, and I got in shape, and it was fun, and I had instant friends, and I had instant community, and I had an identity, and I had something to do. Yeah, right. Hey, Lee, where are you? I’m a mountain biker, right? Like, those days were great, and so, um, but, but I’m transitioning out of that. I hope this is coming across. I’m going into a flow state. I don’t know, even know what I’m saying. This is how I am when I’m coaching. Seriously, yeah, I tell my students, hey, what I have for you today goes way beyond logic. It just does the logics there. Will whiteboard as much as you want, but I will go out and if I forget what I’m talking about, just bring me back, literally, and I’m going to ask you again, so what answer my what question Am I answering? </p>
<p>Jeff Barber 19:05<br>Yeah. I mean, that was a great, great explanation of the difference between a teacher and a coach and an athlete. I want to shift gears now and talk about some specific skills. You know, I’ve read your book, and obviously you have a lot of different skills to share. One of the ones that I’m curious about is pedal cadence, which actually, you know, as far as I’m concerned, it seems like it’s a thing that road bikers focus on a lot, but as mountain bikers, we don’t talk about it all the time. So I’m curious, is pedal cadence important for mountain biking, and how do you know if your cadence is too fast or too slow? </p>
<p>Lee McCormack 19:47<br>That’s an interesting question. Yeah, you got me thinking about this too. It’s great. So let’s just say this. Okay, let me ask you the question, What is What does important mean? Like, what do you mean? Like, what was the question really?</p>
<p>Jeff Barber 20:02<br>I think important in terms of your endurance and being able to finish a ride strong, I know, for me, if you’re in the wrong gear… I think gears are hard for people, honestly, I mean, to start at the very beginning, like, if you’re brand new to the sport, I know, when I taught my kids to ride, that was the thing that tripped them up big time, right? I mean, that’s why you start a kid on a single speed bike and just knowing, like, what is this sustainable kind of cadence? What kind of cadence should I have for climbing and peddling. Because as I get older, too I feel like my cadence is just too slow. But I don’t know if that’s something I can change, if it’s you know, if it is naturally, you can kind of just figure out the right cadence for yourself or or is there a way to know like you’re too fast, you’re too slow.</p>
<p>Lee McCormack 21:00<br>Thank you for that. Okay, so we’re talking about, I believe Mirroring is so funny. What I heard you ask me, Why won’t I do the dishes? Okay, yeah, so is you asking about, yeah, power and endurance over you know, really, how it relates to cadence. And so this is, this is great stuff. So, so in general, in general, I think this is pretty solid, a higher cadence. So let’s just say the same amount of power is being made. Let’s say you climb it 200 watts, something like that, right? That’s probably about right, when you’re cruising. Um, is that right? </p>
<p>Jeff Barber 21:37<br>I don’t know. I’m a mountain biker. And, you know, I feel like watts and measuring power, that’s like a road biker thing. I know people do it for mountain biking, but I don’t.</p>
<p>Lee McCormack 21:46<br>You know what I’m telling you this, the people who need metrics the most are the people who don’t have any connection to their own freaking joy. And if you enjoy your riding and you have joy, sister, brother, everybody, that’s the metric. Okay? That’s the metric. Yeah. Now, if it’s a Wednesday and you had a day at work and you want to feel good about something, you want to sit on your trainer, like I have right there, and hit some watts, and that makes you feel good. Do it. Do it, because not every day is amazing. Just get a little victory. Okay, okay, end of speech right there. There’s a clip for your Instagram right there, leaving you crazy, but it’s true. Okay, so, all right, this is true. All right. So given the same amount of actual power output and speed and all that garbage, when you spin a a higher cadence, a lighter gear, yeah, faster, the faster that puts less stress on your muscular system and more stress on your cardiovascular system.</p>
<p>Jeff Barber 22:49<br>Okay, okay, you’re trading them off. It’s a trade.</p>
<p>Lee McCormack 22:52<br>And then your nervous system. There’s more going on with your nervous system because it has to maintain just more juice, like, more and more speed. That might be some reason sometimes, like when you’re just been stressed, or you’re tired, and it’s not physical, always it’s emotional, like something’s on you. You tend to be kind of plotting when you ride. Yeah, I don’t know if you’ve ever felt that. That’s your nervous system. It’s been, it’s been been muted so so like, light cadence, easy on the muscles, hard on the heart. Make it simple, okay, for a long, long day, because remember, your cardiovascular system, theoretically, if it’s developed and fed, can go on pretty much forever, right? Okay, pretty much, right. Yeah, your muscles are will fatigue locally, right? So, so like, if you’re going to go to Leadville or something, you’re probably most of the time going to be it pretty light cadence, okay, okay, now you know what I’m going to say. Now the harder gear puts less emphasis on the cardiovascular system and more on your just raw strength. Okay, of course, I’m going to tell you to expand your power band. Yeah, out here. So for you know, I was a motocross guy, so power bands the part of the RPM range where the motorcycle actually makes the power okay, okay, so let’s say you, you’re just a new rider, or you’re not paying attention. You probably settle in, I don’t know, 5060, RPM, something like that. That’s kind of where people tend to go. And if I’m not paying attention and I’m tired, that’s where I go. Okay? And so this is cool, right? Like you definitely it’s a good idea as a cyclist to push that faster, to to maybe so make it so that when you sit down, the default a little quicker, right? And the way you do that, we can, we can talk about that, but there are ways to do that at the same time. You also want to train the other direction and train clean people. Powerful low cadence peddling, and so why is that more important on our mountain bike than on a road bike well there’s more terrain variation.</p>
<p>Jeff Barber 25:07<br>That’s what I’m thinking. I mean you’re going to have more pedal strikes or you know, I mean there’s pedal timing comes into play, that’s not a thing in road biking you know.</p>
<p>Lee McCormack 25:16<br>I’m creating traction there’s a lot going on, we can go on we could do two hours on technical climbing, so there’s more going on. So I’ll just say that you want to ideally, like, maybe, like, nudge your default cadence up a little bit and but expand your power band, because there are moments in mountain biking when you need the really quick flap, like, and I’ve measured on my trainer with flat pedals, 200 rpm that’s pretty quick whoa you know, and then maybe also be able to grind down at 30 expand and that way that gives you more leeway right? Oh, and also I want to say this, I’ll say this we’re all built, differently Right? Like, you appear to be just from from your here up to be more an endurance build that you’re looking at, yep, I’m not an endurance bill you know, and so for example like if you and I were on a ride together you might be hanging out at 89 year pm doing like, this especially like at hour four when we all get tired, right? Yeah, what I will do at that point of the ride is I’ll lean into just my brute strength, and I’ll go to a significantly harder gear, and I have a whole peddling style around that where I’ll well, scooch back on my saddle and pedal that way. So so I know that I can lean into my my physical strength when my cardio is not there.</p>
<p>Jeff Barber 26:43<br>Yeah, that’s that’s good and I’m sure it’s not an easy explanation but it could it be as simple, as if I wanted to increase my cadence to go a little bit faster as just trying to remind myself to do that or, or is it, yeah, is it more involved than that? </p>
<p>Lee McCormack 27:06<br>We can make it. My brother, you’re talking to the king nerd. We can make as involved as you want. Man, I got all peddling techniques that, by the way, have proven time and time and dime again, for civilians 20 to 30% increases at power just from technique, just straight. There you go everybody Lee likes bikes, dot com.</p>
<p>Jeff Barber 27:33<br>I’m probably not near that 80 to 90 RPMs by any means. So, yeah, if I can just do it, get used to it, or what?</p>
<p>Lee McCormack 27:47<br>Yeah, and just do it. And, and if you’re the kind of person, okay, if you’re the kind of person who’s worrying about this sort of thing, right, you’re probably the kind of person who’s rotting with your brain more than your body, that’s okay. We’re all different. We’re all there. By the way. What I didn’t finish was this with coaching. If you want to go bro with a pro and see someone rip crazy, go take a class with a pro racer. Do it. If that’s what you want, it’s amazing. Oh, my God you’ll see. Bring your camera if you want to nerd out and be told stuff and like, Get get some information. Go see some nerd, teacher, guy, woman or them, if you want to be coached. That’s different. Okay, that’s right. So, so I’d say, as your coach I’m just taking the thing on, knowing your personality. I’d say this, I’d read people for a living. I’d say, go out and ride and and set a timer for a minute, and you’re going to count RPM okay, you’re just on some climb when you’d be bored, when you’d be thinking about your stock portfolio don’t think about that. Right now, right? Just, just, just, just go, Okay, I’m going to count to 80 for a minute and that’s my goal and and and go, just do it whatever your technique is is fine, and and you’ll know, you asked how you know it’s too fast if you start bouncing and it gets gets crazy. So so so so go for 80 smooth 90 smooth and just do it for like a minute of time when you have time and and what that’ll do is it’ll wake up your nervous system and and what’s cool about this is like like let’s just say that you love to climb at 60 great I tend to, I tend to, yeah, well, if you get smooth at 90, bro, you’re gonna be really smooth at 60, aren’t? You so that’s why I train like, when I’m training pedaling, I push, I push. I push both ways. I push to strength, hard gears, like I can climb hills out of the saddle in the biggest gear I have on any bike, right? You know, that’s just how I’m built. And of course, I just tore my hamstring off. So yay, you know, yay, Lee. You’re so strong you tore your hamstrings off, good, you know? But then at the same time, you know, sit on the trainer or wherever you’re at and spin fast and expand. It and and in my world, in my world for mountain bike skills, riding like the way I teach these days, like you can only master one or two things, right? You’re not going to get the laundry list that everybody tells you to do, preload this. Forget all that. Get good at pedaling. Get good at pumping. Those are all the mechanical skills you need. That’s it. Peddling it, no anti rope, that’s everything. And then learn how to control your core and your hips and have a good day and feel good about yourself. And that’s it. Yeah, so it’s like the books are going to get shorter and shorter. </p>
<p>Jeff Barber 30:39<br>Well, I’m glad you mentioned pumping as, like, the other big one, because obviously, from what I’ve seen, you’re a big fun fan of pump tracks. Why is that because, because pumping is so important in terms of a skill?</p>
<p>Lee McCormack 30:53<br>In the beginning it was because, like, I was, I was just trying to be this downhill win a national guy, you know, and I wasn’t doing it and, and, and we were in Boulder, and Steve Wentz, a brilliant trail builder today, professional trail builder. He saw a video, it was McCann, and he was on some weird track in a BMX bike. And it was like, weird. And so Steve led the build of what I consider to be the first pump track, known pump track, modern pump Interesting, yeah, at the fixed bike shop in Boulder, Colorado. And okay, we built it and started riding it. And it was clear we didn’t know how to build it. We didn’t even know how to ride it.</p>
<p>Jeff Barber 31:32<br>What year was that? </p>
<p>Lee McCormack 31:35<br>I want to say about 18 years ago or so, something Okay, which is crazy to consider, because, from my perspective, the sport of pump tracking is less than two decades old. It’s already a world champion event, right? Yeah, by the way, I’m racing the World Championships qualifier next weekend. Oh, cool on my motor. You ready, Mike, I’m as ready as a 56 year old man who tore his hands off seven months can be but, oh, I’m ready, you know, I am. So okay, so we started it. It was just like, all about learning how to ride better, you know? And then, and then I just found I loved it, and I found it really challenging and interesting. And so I’m a huge fan of pump tracks. As a matter of fact, yesterday I put in a monstrous pump track workout, huge, oh, cool. And, and, of course, I’m like this crazy guru guy half the time, but the other time, I’m this crazy freaking nerd. And I can tell you that my workout contained 1650 pumps. It’s, it’s, it’s, it’s 33 pumps a lap, and I did five sets of 10, so and so I enjoy it. First of all, it makes me happy. It’s a great work. Gives you a super hot body and all that. But like, from a mountain bike standpoint, Jeff, I’m just imprinting, imprinting the pattern. It’s always the same row, anti row, elliptical pattern. This is why every BMXer you’ve ever met is a better mountain biker than you. We’ve all experienced it. You get some BMX dork. They’re not, you know, and they get on your mountain bike, they’re like, What are these? And they just do stuff you can’t even conceive of. It’s because this is all they do. </p>
<p>Think about this. Jeff, if you grow up learning to pedal as fast and hard as you can, and a solid BMX is worth 1500 2000 watts, then pumping as fast as you can, you’re going to be a good mountain bike, aren’t you?</p>
<p>Jeff Barber 33:36<br>Yeah, absolutely, yeah.</p>
<p>Lee McCormack 33:39<br>So I’m all about the pump tracks. Yes, I love it, the skills, the community, the Democratic nature. We’re out the other day. I was out the other day yesterday, and kids come after school. They got scooters, they got bikes, they got skateboards, they got roller skates. Sometimes, because they’re like, a whole thing with quads are coming back now. And I, dude, I socially. I think pump tracks are amazing.</p>
<p>Jeff Barber 34:02<br>Yeah, they’re cool. And, you know, I wanted to talk about too, you developed a product called Moto Cranx that replaces your pedals with basically two inline pegs, and then you put your pedals on that. What does it feel like to ride with both of your feet centered beside the bottom bracket. It seems like that would be weird, because his bikers were used to having, you know, one foot forward and one foot back.</p>
<p>Lee McCormack 34:26<br>Yeah, it’s weird for I’ve have, I’ve had a few dozen people on it and and it’s weird for a moment you’re like, in most people, it’s usually at a pump track, the first lap there’ll be like, I feel like my other foot’s forward, because you’re so used to being like this, yeah, that being like this feels like that. But then what they that they feel like halfway through the lap is like, you’re just powerful. It’s you the what led to the development of this thing? Right? What? Led to me just even doing this, because, you know, I work with people. I work with people and and, and from, you know, a mountain bike, cranks tend to be way too long for riders. They do, right? Yeah, if your average height, I mean a 170 crank, if you, if you go with like Leonard Zins multipliers, which I use. There’s no reason not to. He and our friends, I respect the guy. I use his multipliers very openly. Um, that if you’re under five, eight or so, they’re all too long for you. So, so there’s a real biomechanical issue with trying to do an athletic pursuit with your feet like this.</p>
<p>Jeff Barber 35:36<br>Yeah, that’s pretty far apart. </p>
<p>Lee McCormack 35:39<br>It’s really, really hard on you. It’s really hard on your hamstrings. It’s really hard on your low back, all you bros out there, you know, on long downhills, how that back quad burns? You know, how that other side, your low back starts to burn. Has your wife noticed, or your partner noticed that the muscles on your lower back are more developed on one side than on the other side, it’s because you’re chronically crooked. It takes an enormous amount of mobility, like, like, hypermobile, freak mobility, like me, Yolanda, Neff, Brian Lopes, all these elite riders, yeah, I put myself on that list that just happened, right? </p>
<p>Jeff Barber 36:21<br>Yeah. Why not?</p>
<p>Lee McCormack 36:23<br>Prove otherwise. Yeah, prove otherwise. Um, you see them riding in this, these beautiful square hips, their knees lined up in the low hinge. Try it. It’s hard, man. You have to be really flexible. So I started noticing right as I came back from the shoulders, and I thought I wasn’t going to be able to mountain bike at all anymore, and I thought it was done with coaching, and I say goodbye to it, but I came back again and I started noticing I’m like, Okay, people just have a hard time balancing. Man. They have a really hard time being here and with your body crooked like that. Your system knows something’s wrong, and the signals get retarded. They get like when you know you can hurt yourself. If you push as hard as you can, your body won’t do it. And I started really noticing and keying into this energy, especially shorter riders, generally women, like a five foot two women. Let me say something quickly, the fact that certain companies sell like bikes that are $10,000 or so, marketed to women who are five foot two and have the same handle bar and same cranks as the extra large marketed to a guy who’s six foot five, I find not maybe Perfect, yeah, it doesn’t make sense. Okay, I’m just going to say that so, so I’m watching everybody struggle anyway. I get excited. I promised I would, and I was realizing, I was like, you know, I can’t teach these people how to ride because they can’t even stand on the bike effectively, right? And I started thinking, you know, what needs to happen here? I used to do motocross, like that was amazing. Like, Motocross is awesome. You’re like, boom. So I started thinking, like, Wait a second. And I started thinking about it. And then when I came back, I raced masters worlds in May as a whole Phoenix, unfurling life journey thing. And for that bike, I was running 155 cranks versus my classic 170s and I noticed I was like, when I ride the 150 fives, my hips feel normal, but whenever I ride a 170 I gotta do a bunch of stretching and weird after I ride. And I started realizing, like, wait a second, it’s obvious that the longer crank is harder for people to ride right, right, and, and now I’m starting to feel some weirdness in my body. So I hired a designer, actually the engineer, who did the really good read bikes, Steve and and we came up with a prototype, and I ordered it, and it’s out, it’s out, and so it’s being built. And then I’m driving to work. I’m going to go coach, right? He’s freaking beautiful day in Boulder. Man, you know, I’m just, and I was, like, being all intuitive that day, you know? Man, in my body, and gonna, because when you come to see me, man, you, you get all of it. Man, like, it’s a, it’s a thing. I care. Yeah, I care. Yeah, you’ll see God if you want to and and then my little voice says, you know, Lee, this has been an amazing few years. You know, like you got out of a bad situation, you found love, you got your shoulders replaced. You got arms again. You did this big race. Your coaching is like at this new level. And I was like, Yeah, time for another test phase. I bet I literally was riding, driving to work, and I had that thought, and I wasn’t afraid. I was like, All right, it’s been cool, and I understand that life is waves, just like dirt jumps. That’s one reason I love palm tracks. It teaches us. What we need to know about living. It’s always heavy, light up, down, right, happy, sad. And a week later, my hamstrings tore off my my hip. A week later, ouch. I was laying there, and I was like, okay, there it is.</p>
<p>Check this out. Jeff, to the Moto cranks. Guess what? Was already in production, zero millimeter cranks, yeah, and I couldn’t walk. I lost dude. I’ve always had legs, even when I didn’t have my shoulders, I had legs. That was like my identity as a cycle, right? But in my legs, that’s how I do everything, right? And I lost it, and that was tough, and that was the hardest one I’ve been through that was hard, if you want to talk about it, but then, you know what’s freaking awesome, the motor cranks arrived. I couldn’t hinge so my hamstring was so jacked up, right? I was able to ride without hinging Jeff. I was able to go to the pump track and start my PT and train, and we’re and not be depressed anymore because I didn’t have any cranks, bro. I mean, it was the most just for me as a guy, as a human being, as a spirit, whatever you call this stuff. I was like, Oh my God. Like, I’m out here and it feels so good, and I’m getting strong. I’m getting my training in. I’m that obsessive part of me still aware of my lactate threshold and all that garbage, and it feels good and and I hand it to people, and everybody’s like, Oh my god, it’s so easy. It’s so fun. And dude, think about being in the gym, like, when your feet are next to each other, you can squat or deadlift 3x which you can do here, yeah. And so, so that’s the story about why it came away, and it came along and and it’s just, there’s a real difference, man, psychologically, okay, okay, in addition to all the strain on your hamstrings, okay, not linear. Lee, why did, why did I tear my hamstrings off my body? How did that happen? It’s not common. Yeah, two reasons. One, I have a soft tissue condition that makes me very mobile and very delicate. It does it also gives me a lot of interoception, and that’s part of how I feel everything and explain it. That’s like my superpower, gift and my curse. So my soft tissues, fundamentally soft. That’s why my shoulders wore out the way they did. And dude, this is the downside I’m looking at my friends out there of being a full time mountain bike coach over a great period of time, spending an enormous amount of time in a deep pinch on cranks that were too long for me biomechanically. Oh, yeah, years and years and years, full time job and so, like, when I was doing other stuff, it would have been heart disease. When I was, like, if I was stayed in the, you know, DotCom, I would have been depressed in and anxiety and heart disease. If you’re going to be a professional mountain bike coach, it might be your body wearing out, right? Yeah, so. But I’m on the motor cranks right now, and I just built the first motor cranks bike specifically for it, and I’m having so much fun, and they’re fast, and I feel like, if you if you’re a pump track racer, get on it before the UCI bans it.</p>
<p>Jeff Barber 43:21<br>Yeah, yeah, it looks really cool, for sure, and yeah, sounds sounds like a really different thing. I’m I’m interested to hear what other folks think about it, as well as they’re able to test that. So general question for you here, do you think mountain bikers tend to be overconfident or underconfident in their skills, or is it a mix? I feel like I have friends you know that are either one. But is there one that you find is more common as a coach and as an instructor? </p>
<p>Lee McCormack 43:50<br>The people who come to me are less confident. The people who are overconfident…</p>
<p>Jeff Barber 43:56<br>They don’t go to skills classes. I guess they already know everything.</p>
<p>Lee McCormack 44:00<br>You know. It’s funny, those guys some I get a few of them. I you know what’s funny, I raised my prices to the point where they don’t show up anymore, but I used to get guys showing up just to, just to show off, just to show me how cool they were.</p>
<p>That’s like me pulling a lightsaber on Yoda. It just don’t, don’t do just, yeah, you know it doesn’t go the way you think it’s gonna go, but, but the people I see are under confident. The people I see are generally overthinking. They’re disconnected from their bodies. They are frustrated because they’re just going on the internet’s not working for them. Of course, it isn’t. None of those systems are thought through. None of them are Yeah, and, and none of them have feedback. Because, look, look at it, man. Like if I tell you, if you take a level one class from me, and I teach you how to hinge and how to be low, and you go home, you think you’re low, you’re not low. You. Not, I mean, I mean me too, like I was actually out. It was so great. I was coaching a bunch of coaches in Park City last, last season. And we’re doing some trail stuff, like heavy duty rock garden type stuff. And I will be honest and tell you, like, I’m still pretty, you know, dealing with this stuff, right? I was shoulder and, you know, and I rode clean. I rode clean. It made the point. But one of the guys like, Hey, you weren’t low. It’s like, he shows me the video, dude. I thought I was like, down here, man. And I was like, See, I mean, so I get excited. Most people are not confident enough and and so they’re hyper in their heads. And this is, this is my bread and butter, okay, like, if you are an intellectual person, and I have this line, you know, in reality, it’s all ideally, everything’s mixy, and you can use the full self, but most of us, or one of the other, most of us, if you have succeeded in life using intellect, grades, career, whatever you know your metrics are, then that just becomes a hammer. And everything’s in now, right? And so and so. You come into the sport with intellect, and when you see coaches out there like talking about step 1-234-567-8910, all the complication. It looks a lot like the way I started 20 years ago as an information architect nerd, but I’m here to tell you that’s not how people learn sports, man, it’s not how you learn a sport. And I know there are a lot of us out there, I’m say us, right? Who, who understand? You’ve seen the videos. You can write an essay. You just can’t do it. And also, when you’re doing it, there’s a lot of judgment and tension, and you’re assessing yourself, and it’s not that fun. And so then, what do you do? You buy a new bike, or you buy some sick, new front tire, right? Yeah. So, so a lot of my students, the best students, come to me at a point in their life when the tools that they’ve been using aren’t working anymore. Okay, as a writer, they’re just like, they’re as fit as they can be. They’re skinny, they’ve spent the money on the bikes. They’re still getting their if you’re a racer, you’re still getting kicked on the downhills by guys who look like me, who literally, when I race cross country, I have sleeves of Oreos on my top tube. And you’re like, you know, they, they don’t like that, so they come to see me, right? And then also it, when you talk to those people, that’s the experience in their whole life. Like at work, they’ve hit a ceiling. At home, they’ve hit a ceiling, and the on the bike, they’ve hit a ceiling. You, if you come to me for biking, you’re going to learn how to ride a bike. It’s the simplest thing in the world. Everybody who doesn’t understand it yet makes it complicated. It’s simple. We can make a change like this, but what’s going to happen, whether you consciously know it or not, is the systems in you that make you a great rider. This the parts of you that enjoy playing around that take pride, go, oh, Jeff, good one, bro, right? You got to talk to yourself. You gotta, you gotta narrate your stuff like you’re freaking Rob Warner, you know, right? How</p>
<p>Jeff Barber 48:37<br>The Rob Warner in your head.</p>
<p>Lee McCormack 48:39<br>You gotta have Rob Warner in your head, right? I think that’s a great way to put it. And often when I’m writing, I will narrate myself, or I’ll narrate a student of mine, right? So it’s like, this is so exciting and hard to get out of my mouth, so I’m going to try it, right? It’s like, enjoying you’ve heard it all, enjoy the process, all that stuff, right? That’s true. And the way you do it is you just look for tiny little wins, man, tiny, microscopic wins. You didn’t hit your brakes, there, good. You didn’t look at the tree, whatever it is, right? And, and, and so that’s those systems in you that that that know how to learn that appreciate the learning, that enjoy the learning, that map that to greater confidence, and then just inherently want to go out in the world and show it. Yeah, those are the systems you need when you’re developing some new crazy product at work, right? Those are the systems you freaking need when you take your family on some crazy vacation, those are the systems I’m sorry to say, you need when you gotta go to Ikea for a full day and buy a bunch.</p>
<p>Jeff Barber 49:51<br>That’s endurance, right? I mean, it sounds like what you’re saying is that the ideal thing is to be honest with yourself and maybe. Add in some humility there. But, you know, tell yourself when you’re doing a good job or when you You did the right thing, but also recognizing, oh, you know, I messed up there. I can do it better next time. Is that kind of, kind of the model, if you can perfect that, yeah, it’s hard. It’s hard to stay in the middle there, not go overconfident or underconfident.</p>
<p>Lee McCormack 50:21<br>Gorgeous. Thank you, Jeff, it’s both, and I don’t believe in middle anymore. I’ve tried Middle. Middle doesn’t work, yeah, and I’ll give you as much detail as you want, but I learned this lesson as I was preparing for Worlds last May. Middle doesn’t work. I would say this, and and, and I try really hard in my classes, if it’s, if it’s a two hour class or like a lifelong engagement, whatever we whatever we get into, we have rules of how we talk to ourselves and how we talk about ourselves, right? And, and we’re honest and, and we, we, we don’t talk good or bad. It’s It’s powerful. It’s been done before, but this is our mountain bike version of this. We don’t say, I do my best to not say bad, good. I do my best to say, Jeff, the way you loaded your big toe. Do you feel that? Feel like to have a bike like connected? That’s what we’re looking for. So I try to, I try to say, all right, like this is my current experience and how I ride, like I’m doing it right now. I got a big race, and I have a fresh hamstring, and I got a brand new style bike, like I’m training right now. Have a week to learn a whole new style of bike and figure out what my hamstring can do, right? So I’m deeply training and I’m paying attention, so the way I do it now is I go, all right, Lee, well, you know, you got endurance and you’re smooth. Like, no one’s going to argue that. Like, I’m like, the king of endurance pump track, but this is one lap time and the and the age group is 17 plus elite. Okay, you’ve seen these freaking young pros, Holy God, like they grew up on punktracks. It’s incredible. So there’s a delta between them and where I perceive myself to be, let’s say just makes sense. Okay? I’m going to do my best to close it in a week. Yeah. So instead of good, bad. I say input, output this time when I’m in the corner, like I was doing this yesterday, I’m gonna come from the middle of the corner and I’m gonna hop out to the exit. That’s the goal. And I’m gonna do that by giving a little more pull at this port part, right? So you run an experiment, and I’m going to map how that feels, and I’ll say that worked. That goes in the system. We’re going to keep doing that. I try something else. No, that didn’t work. That goes away. Or I can notice, man, I’m getting tired, and I wasn’t low enough that time. Does that make sense? So it’s, there’s no judgment here. We, we, we’re just sort of adjusting.</p>
<p>Jeff Barber 53:05<br>Just keep what works and all the other stuff, just ignore it?</p>
<p>Lee McCormack 53:09<br>Or just say, Okay, well, like, or like, I’ve said to people before, I’m like, Listen, man, if you want to wash out in the corner, like, if that’s what you want, like, that’s what you want for some reason, like, like, maybe you’re doing a reel, I don’t know. Just go into the corner and lock your arms and lean back and it’ll happen right now, if you don’t want that, don’t do that, right? And so I want to see if I can get this to one reason people don’t practice skills, a the word practice or drill. I hate the word drill. I invented the freaking mountain bike drill. Sorry, it’s of limited use. Yeah, okay, it is. It’s of limited use. It keeps you stuck here. Games, we play games. We play games. Yeah, more fun, way more fun. And the science is clear on this, brother, the science is clear on this. If you’re here, you don’t learn fast, and you probably will never learn here, so it’s all game. And I’ll tell you, if all you people who really want to like, let’s say you have a goal of getting better at corn, and you’ve been doing the drills. Hey, don’t like, just seriously, like, if it’s free on the internet, it’s worth free. Also watch the person carefully. Do they look stiff? Does the coach look stiff? Most do if they’re demonstrating a technique.</p>
<p>Look at how the person is riding. If that person’s riding the way that you want to ride mimic them.</p>
<p>Jeff Barber 54:54<br>There you go. Well, mountain biking, I think is kind of rare in that it’s a lifelong sport for a lot of people. And one of the questions that that somebody asked me recently, who’s not a mountain biker? They were asking, you know, if, if I’m as fast now as I was in my 30s, and I’m in my 40s now, and I was kind of surprised by my answer. I actually said, I think I’m faster now than I was in my 20s. And, you know, obviously he was shocked, and I kind of was too. I was like, Wait, is that? Is that actually true? So I’m curious about your take. I mean, is it, is it possible for us to be faster in our 40s than our 20s, at least in terms of, like, skills and bike handling. I mean, I probably am not. I don’t have the same level of endurance. Maybe the endurance is the same, but I do feel like I’m faster now through skills like, is that? Is that a normal thing? Do you think it can be?</p>
<p>Lee McCormack 55:55<br>If you keep hammering at the way you used to, pedal, pedal, pedal, then you’re going to get really good at that. And you’re going to get and if you allow yourself to be stiff in corners, you’re going to master stiffness in corners. You’re going to, you know this, you’re going to master whatever it is you do. And you absolutely one of the best things I think about this whole pursuit of internal mastery skills, starting, you know, like, what do you do with your hands and feet when you ride? But more importantly, what do you do with your awareness when you ride? Like, yeah, that’s infinitely scalable, dude. There is no limit to how coherent you can make your system in terms of how you ride your bicycle. I’ve been, I think, as deep as anyone on this, I really do. And I was out yesterday. I mean, how many labs have I done on pump tracks? 100,000 I don’t know. And I found another layer a lot. I found another layer yesterday, another layer. New bike of mine. So it’s like you you can, you can scale that forever. And by the way, that’s where the real fun happens, right? Okay, so, so, so, back to your you. You started with the word faster, but I like how you qualify. Yes, faster can happen. Yes. As we get older, we still have tons of endurance available. We know how to manage ourselves. You can get better with your peddling technique. You can get better with your diet. You can get smarter with not training so much. Yes, not training so much. Most of us do too much. And I’ve got these people. I’ve got these I got this, like new product line, the platinum shredder program, where I do your daily training, and I we text every day, and most of the time I tell you to rest, don’t I?</p>
<p>Jeff Barber 57:43<br>Sweet, another rest day.</p>
<p>Lee McCormack 57:45<br>No, you need them so, so you can absolutely scale, especially in your skills, and, most importantly, in your joy. And I have, I like metrics too. So okay, when I was 35 that was like my year, you know, and I just quit, like the DotCom. And that’s the year I raced the entire national series, and I was Capital One national champion for downhead. Yeah, wow. And I took an eighth and worlds one, one mistake that doesn’t drive me crazy. Pretty funny, right? And I, you know, and I was going pretty good, I’d say. And what’s interesting in hindsight, is I had the physical capacity to be in the lead Pro. I didn’t have a self belief. That’s how I was. So that’s my path. That’s my path. Okay, so, so we have a really rocky, badass trail. They’re like, where everybody rides like, that’s like, the place you ride your enduro bike. And I had the kom on that back then, yay, Lee. Okay, so I started training on that and I got away from riding that trail because my shoulders hurt so much. It was just white hot pain, and I would only I stopped riding it, you know, I just hurt, and it became miserable to me. But I knew right before we went to worlds, I’m like, You got to get out there and ride that trail, bro, it’s just, I took my mistress out there. We did a big cross country ride. It was a Sunday. The top loop, I just ripped. I mean, it was profound. I don’t know what the hell happened. And it was incredible. And then, and then, for the main rocky part, it was a busy Sunday, you know? And I was just like, well, we can’t really hit it. My training buddy was there. He’d been on my wheel the whole process, since I decided to do the race, and I get going, and I just feel good, Jeff, I just, I was like, making these waves. I was, I was a porpoise man, and I was just making waves. A lot of people know me. A lot of people are students. Hey, Jeff, hey man, good job. Get low, bro, you know. And I was like, taking the time and Jeff, I was like, I was ready, like, when I went to worlds, my goals were a, to prepare myself physically the best I could, and B, prepare myself emotionally and spiritually, to release the outcome happy no matter what. And I just felt like that run was perfect. And I was happy, and I felt like I had accomplished everything I’d ever wanted. And I happen to have it on Strava and dude, at 55 with artificial shoulders, less than a year post op, I PR’d it.</p>
<p>Jeff Barber 1:00:15<br>Oh, wow, yeah. See, that doesn’t make any sense. I mean, it’s 20 years later, right? </p>
<p>Lee McCormack 1:00:20<br>Yeah. And a couple of years ago, I would have said, that’s insane. Oh my god. But now I understand, now understand, we try too hard, we worry about the wrong we do. I’m saying we as a collective. I know the bros do because I’m a bro. I can speak to that psyche the best and and we try too hard, US Brainiac nerds, if your GPA was a four, I’m talking to you, right. You’re trying too hard, and your mind is beautiful. And I tell my students, I go, your mind bought you that bike and lets you take Wednesdays off and pay for the most expensive, amazing mountain bike coach in the world. That’s the end of your brain for the day, right? And dude, when you can access the rest of you, and this is not woo, woo. I know it sounds Woo, woo, and I’m wearing a freaking pink Hawaiian shirt.</p>
<p>Jeff Barber 1:01:17<br>It’s not. I don’t think so. I think as bikers, we get that. I mean, we talk about flow state totally. I feel like we understand it as well or better than people who don’t bike. Right? Most of us have experienced it, whether it was like by accident, or we’re able to like, access it regularly. I think we’ve all experienced it a bit, and so we know it’s there. </p>
<p>Lee McCormack 1:01:41<br>We know that that’s why you’re spending the money and the time. I mean, mountain bike is expensive, dangerous and time consuming. I suggest that you get everything you can out of it, including flow. Damn right, bro. And by the way, so So like the body people, the natural athletes, will call them. I hate the term, but that’s the term, okay, these people intuitively know how to go into flow. These people might generally not don’t have a conscious awareness of how mountain biking works. They don’t need it, because they have access to their body system, and they have the ability to go into that state and enjoy it. Okay? It’s taken me decades to learn how to even go there. So, so like and like in like. So if I say I’m like, get good grades and I’m analytical and I have a high IQ, okay, I know there are people in mountain biking who hate me just because I’m smart and they feel judged by that. No, no, no, no, we’re all made the way. We’re made, man, we all have our thing. My thing in mountain biking was clearly to start out as the king nerd and establish ideas about how technically we can ride, how technically we can fit bikes, how technically we can work on our fitness and our mobility and our mindset and ultimately, the spiritual aspect of riding. This is where I am in my riding now, and so when it which end up with is this polymath, weirdo bro, am me who’s been through all of these stages so far, and who, who can help you, wherever, whichever stage you’re in, this makes sense, and now I understand from the first day, From the first level one from the first day we meet, that everything we do, we have to wash it through the joyride philosophy, and which is, I guess we’re gonna run out of time real quick. But this is a good place to like. I want to say what the joyride philosophy is, if I may ready sure one, if you see something good, say something, be specific, that was good. Jeff is cool, but better would be Jeff. The way you loaded your foot, man, I saw your bike hook up. Good one. Okay, they get harder as we go. Yeah. 1b when you do something good, compliment yourself, okay? Like, like you’re Rob Warner on a vendor, right? Two, accept the compliment. You know, accept it.</p>
<p>Jeff Barber 1:04:35<br>Yeah, false humility.</p>
<p>Lee McCormack 1:04:38<br>And then the last one is no self deprecation. Don’t talk yourself, okay? And that goes to just being your own favorite riding person, partner, you know, first, like, you know, if you just imagine some person talking to you the way you talk to yourself, don’t you know you want to be someone you want to ride with. So that’s the so i. To do with it. And we start with that, and then we get into as much technical details we need. But Jeff, there’s not a lot necessary. And, and, and I believe firmly, man, more and more, like absolutely, I love metrics. I’m work. You know, you want to pedal a certain wattage, yeah? Do it? Enjoy it. You want to hit a new jump. Please enjoy it. You want to go win a race. Oh man, whatever it is that you’re doing, go ride with your kids, do whatever it is, be there, be there, be there, be there, be there. And my hope for everybody is to is to connect it with yourself and really enjoy it for what it is. Because these are all phases, and right now you might be hardcore into racing, and I honor that man. I honor that but there will come a time when you’re not, and I don’t want you to come out of that phase with nothing left, right. So, so, so begin the other parts of it, so you can stay in this appreciation.</p>
<p>Jeff Barber 1:05:58<br>Yeah, yeah, that’s great advice, I mean, and it sounds it’s simple on the surface, but for sure, it takes a lot of work, I think, for a lot of us. And yeah, good advice. So I want to ask you briefly about mistress cycles, which is a bike brand that you recently launched in reading about it, I read that part of the the impetus was that you were frustrated with modern mountain bike geometry so briefly, like, what specifically was frustrating you about, about the way bikes are designed. </p>
<p>Lee McCormack 1:06:32<br>The most specific thing is bikes this, this whole longer thing is just out of whack. And, like, two bikes are too long. It’s typically, it’s frame reach and bikes are just too long. And I’ve got some charts on the site. A size small. 2023 Nomad, Santa Cruz Nomad is longer, longer than the size extra large 2013 nomad.</p>
<p>Jeff Barber 1:07:00<br>Wow.</p>
<p>Lee McCormack 1:07:04<br>And in a very practical way, it’s making it really, really difficult for people to ride their bikes safely and with fun and and if you’re anything, you know, I’m statistically exactly the median height. I’m about five foot eight and a half. Okay, there are a lot of brands I can’t ride at all in any size. They’re too long and, and that’s the simplest way to put it, and the same and that,</p>
<p>Jeff Barber 1:07:28<br>What does that do? I mean, when a bike is too long, like, again, briefly, like, what? How do people experience them? What did you feel?</p>
<p>Lee McCormack 1:07:35<br>You feel like you’re on the bike and the bike’s taking you for a ride. Hey, B if you’re trying to make shapes and do the new kind of riding where you’re dropping and jumping and doing stuff, think about it. There’s a lever between your hands and your feet. That’s that’s how you control your bike. That’s my whole riding philosophy. If that lever is too long for your body, you don’t have as much range of motion, right? You just don’t, and you can’t, like, do the steep thing. You can’t lose into a steep landing. You can’t lean for that switchback. It’s just not available. And also that that pushes the work to the smaller muscles, so you’re going to tend to have pain through here, right? Yeah, and so, and so I just, I wrote the first dial book and and it’s a good book. The second one is better. And the main criticism was, Well, dude, like, great, but no one makes the bikes. So I just, and I have other ideas that we can talk about as much as you want, but, like, and I was like, you know, it’s time to stop complaining. I’m just going to make some I just, I just want to solve the problem. And so now it’s awesome, because we can fit anybody to the millimeter perfectly. It feels great. You get any color you want. We make them one at a time. You know, there’s no freaking warehouse full of last year’s bikes in Asia that’s about to get tariffed. None of that’s happened. Okay, yeah, this is just like old school. I love mountain biking. I love mountain bikers. I want you to have a tool that works for you. Jeff, that’s all it is. And you know what? By the way, I don’t care what you put on the down tube. I don’t care it doesn’t you can say Lee is awesome. It. Can say, I love my wife. I don’t care. I’m not here to build a brand. I’m here to, I’m here to, like, lead a movement of using the mountain bike as our way of accessing our joy, man.</p>
<p>Jeff Barber 1:09:24<br>Yeah, power through shred.</p>
<p>Finally, I want to ask you. I mean, obviously, you’ve, you’ve written a number of books, you’ve got these products, like the Moto cranks and the RIP row trainer, which we didn’t even talk about and now your bike brand. What other projects do you have in the works that is after, after you’re done with the the pump track worlds thing, what’s what’s next?</p>
<p>Lee McCormack 1:09:50<br>That’s only 20 seconds of my life, and then I’ll be watching the pros get after the first round. Well, um Yeah, you know, I, I’m experimenting right now with pump bikes. Yeah. I built my first ever bike that’s never going to be pedaled ever. And it’s amazing. The geometry, it’s very motocrossy. So we’re exploring that, supporting that thing I’m writing dialed, to the second version of that. And the first version of dialed was only about downhill handling. That’s all it was. It was just like just but this is more complete. It talks about the entire bike for any kind of rider. It’s both more complete and more simple and more flexible, which I think is good as a designer. And then there’ll be the Dow bike. But then I’m excited to tell you this. This is like the dream of the nerd. Okay, I’m on phone call away. It’s going to happen this week from final confirmation, but it’s going to happen in fall. I am going to serve as professor of mountain biking at Colorado Mountain College. Whoa, that’s our do a pilot. Yes, we are starting a pilot, and you will be able to go to Colorado Mountain College, and as part of your associate’s degree for like out working in the outdoors and doing that, you can learn how to be a mountain bike coach.</p>
<p>Jeff Barber 1:11:15<br>Wow.</p>
<p>Lee McCormack 1:11:18<br>Very official, yeah. And and so next time you see me, it’ll say, Professor shred.</p>
<p>Jeff Barber 1:11:25<br>Professor shred. </p>
<p>Lee McCormack 1:11:26<br>It tickles my funny bone that, you know, mountain biking has come to the point where someone’s considering college classes in it. And I think it’s, yeah, it’s pretty fun that I get to do it, you know, like, like, this is this. Is it like, this is like that, this whole lifetime of devotion and joy and pain and everything, here’s where it leads. </p>
<p>Jeff Barber 1:11:48<br>You know, yeah, that’s awesome. Well, it’s been a pleasure chatting with you. Lee. Your Enthusiasm is just amazing and infectious. And yeah, thanks so much for taking the time to come on the show and chat with us. Very welcome. Well, you can keep up with the latest from Lee McCormack on Instagram at Lee likes bikes, where you’ll find links to all the projects we talked about here today. That’s all we’ve got this time. We’ll talk to you again next time.</p>
<p>The article <a href="https://www.singletracks.com/mtb-tips/at-age-55-lee-mccormack-is-still-getting-faster-and-helping-other-riders-do-the-same/">At age 55, Lee McCormack is still getting faster, and helping other riders do the same</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.singletracks.com">Singletracks Mountain Bike News</a>.</p>
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<slash:comments>6</slash:comments>
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<title>The OneUp Wave mountain bike pedal is convex AND concave</title>
<link>https://www.singletracks.com/mtb-gear/the-oneup-wave-mountain-bike-pedal-is-convex-and-concave/</link>
<comments>https://www.singletracks.com/mtb-gear/the-oneup-wave-mountain-bike-pedal-is-convex-and-concave/#comments</comments>
<dc:creator><![CDATA[Jeff Barber]]></dc:creator>
<pubDate>Tue, 29 Apr 2025 13:00:00 +0000</pubDate>
<category><![CDATA[Gear]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[news]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[oneup wave]]></category>
<guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.singletracks.com/?p=695305</guid>
<description><![CDATA[<p>Mountain bikers are split between concave, convex, and neutral flat pedals. The all-new OneUp Wave doesn't choose sides.</p>
<p>The article <a href="https://www.singletracks.com/mtb-gear/the-oneup-wave-mountain-bike-pedal-is-convex-and-concave/">The OneUp Wave mountain bike pedal is convex AND concave</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.singletracks.com">Singletracks Mountain Bike News</a>.</p>
]]></description>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[
<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><a href="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/oneup-wave-flat-pedal.png"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1170" height="780" src="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/oneup-wave-flat-pedal-1170x780.png" alt="" class="wp-image-695342" srcset="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/oneup-wave-flat-pedal-1170x780.png 1170w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/oneup-wave-flat-pedal-750x500.png 750w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/oneup-wave-flat-pedal-375x250.png 375w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/oneup-wave-flat-pedal-768x512.png 768w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/oneup-wave-flat-pedal-600x400.png 600w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/oneup-wave-flat-pedal.png 1200w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1170px) 100vw, 1170px" /></a><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Provided photos.</figcaption></figure>
<p>In <a href="https://www.singletracks.com/mtb-gear/flat-pedal-preference-concave-convex-or-just-flat-survey/">a survey of flat pedal riders last year</a>, 62% of readers said they prefer pedals with a concave shape, 25% prefer neutral (flat), and 13% prefer convex. Clearly, mountain bikers are divided, and there’s no “right” choice when it comes to pedal shape. That is, unless there’s a middle ground — which is exactly the line the all-new OneUp Wave pedal hopes to ride.</p>
<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><a href="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/OneUp-Components-Wave-Pedals-Side.jpg"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1170" height="780" src="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/OneUp-Components-Wave-Pedals-Side-1170x780.jpg" alt="A close-up view of a mountain bike pedal and shoe. A black sneaker with white laces and a textured sole rests on a blue pedal, surrounded by a blurred natural background of greenery and dirt. The bike frame is partially visible, showcasing its design with the word "FORB" on it." class="wp-image-695346" srcset="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/OneUp-Components-Wave-Pedals-Side-1170x780.jpg 1170w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/OneUp-Components-Wave-Pedals-Side-750x500.jpg 750w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/OneUp-Components-Wave-Pedals-Side-375x250.jpg 375w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/OneUp-Components-Wave-Pedals-Side-768x512.jpg 768w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/OneUp-Components-Wave-Pedals-Side-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/OneUp-Components-Wave-Pedals-Side-600x400.jpg 600w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/OneUp-Components-Wave-Pedals-Side.jpg 2000w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1170px) 100vw, 1170px" /></a></figure>
<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-riding-the-wave">Riding the wave</h2>
<p>According to a press release, the OneUp Wave has been in development since 2022. “Wave is a patented hybrid convex/concave shape that promotes an aggressive heels-dropped riding position and gives you a more natural pedal stroke when seated.”</p>
<p>The front / leading side of the Wave is concave, while the back is convex. This is said to encourage a heel-down posture for descents while providing support and grip at the forefoot. </p>
<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><a href="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/OneUp_WavePedals_WaveAnglesGraphic.gif"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="2000" height="1001" src="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/OneUp_WavePedals_WaveAnglesGraphic.gif" alt="An animated graphic showing a blue bicycle pedal from a top-down perspective, with arrows indicating motion directions and the text "NOT RIDING" displayed below. The pedal features four screws along its edges for attachment." class="wp-image-695345"/></a></figure>
<p>In addition to the wave-like convex/concave pedal shape, <a href="https://www.oneupcomponents.com/">OneUp</a> has angled the pins by up to 10° so that they’re perpendicular to the shoe while riding.</p>
<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><a href="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/OneUp-Wave-Pedals-OnBike.jpg"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1170" height="780" src="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/OneUp-Wave-Pedals-OnBike-1170x780.jpg" alt="A close-up image of a bright blue bicycle pedal resting on a dirt path, surrounded by blurred greenery. The pedal features a textured surface and is marked with the brand name "WAVE ONE."" class="wp-image-695343" srcset="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/OneUp-Wave-Pedals-OnBike-1170x780.jpg 1170w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/OneUp-Wave-Pedals-OnBike-750x500.jpg 750w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/OneUp-Wave-Pedals-OnBike-375x250.jpg 375w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/OneUp-Wave-Pedals-OnBike-768x512.jpg 768w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/OneUp-Wave-Pedals-OnBike-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/OneUp-Wave-Pedals-OnBike-600x400.jpg 600w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/OneUp-Wave-Pedals-OnBike.jpg 2000w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1170px) 100vw, 1170px" /></a></figure>
<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-construction">Construction</h2>
<p>The OneUp Wave pedal features a CNC’d aluminum platform spinning on a chromoly axle with igus bushings. There are three cartridge bearings per pedal, and the Wave is approved for DH and eMTB use.</p>
<p>The 107x110mm platform is at the medium-large end of the flat pedal size spectrum. There are nine pins per side, with an optional tenth hole. The pins are said to feature a “Hollow-Hex” design for improved mud clearance, and extra pins are included.</p>
<p>A pair of OneUp Wave pedals weighs 355g, and they are available in eight colors for $159.99.</p>
<p>The article <a href="https://www.singletracks.com/mtb-gear/the-oneup-wave-mountain-bike-pedal-is-convex-and-concave/">The OneUp Wave mountain bike pedal is convex AND concave</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.singletracks.com">Singletracks Mountain Bike News</a>.</p>
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<slash:comments>1</slash:comments>
</item>
<item>
<title>The first section of the Orogenesis Trail has been revealed: The Loowit Tier in Washington</title>
<link>https://www.singletracks.com/mtb-trails/the-first-section-of-the-orogenesis-trail-has-been-revealed-the-loowit-tier-in-washington/</link>
<comments>https://www.singletracks.com/mtb-trails/the-first-section-of-the-orogenesis-trail-has-been-revealed-the-loowit-tier-in-washington/#respond</comments>
<dc:creator><![CDATA[Greg Heil]]></dc:creator>
<pubDate>Tue, 29 Apr 2025 10:13:00 +0000</pubDate>
<category><![CDATA[Trails]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[news]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Orogenesis Trail]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[packwood washington]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[trail development]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[white salmon washington]]></category>
<guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.singletracks.com/?p=695199</guid>
<description><![CDATA[<p>The beautiful 200-mile Loowit Tier bikepacking route runs along the flanks of Mount Saint Helens and through the wilds of Gifford Pinchot National Forest.</p>
<p>The article <a href="https://www.singletracks.com/mtb-trails/the-first-section-of-the-orogenesis-trail-has-been-revealed-the-loowit-tier-in-washington/">The first section of the Orogenesis Trail has been revealed: The Loowit Tier in Washington</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.singletracks.com">Singletracks Mountain Bike News</a>.</p>
]]></description>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[
<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><a href="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Strawberry-1.jpg"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1170" height="780" src="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Strawberry-1-1170x780.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-695205" srcset="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Strawberry-1-1170x780.jpg 1170w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Strawberry-1-750x500.jpg 750w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Strawberry-1-375x250.jpg 375w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Strawberry-1-768x512.jpg 768w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Strawberry-1-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Strawberry-1-2048x1365.jpg 2048w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Strawberry-1-600x400.jpg 600w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1170px) 100vw, 1170px" /></a><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Strawberry Mountain. Photo: Gabriel Amadeus Tiller</figcaption></figure>
<p><a href="https://www.singletracks.com/mtb-trails/the-orogenesis-trail-will-be-the-worlds-longest-when-complete/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">The Orogenesis Trail</a> promises to be the longest mountain bike trail in the world. Once complete, the long-distance bikepacking route will run roughly 5,000 miles from the Canadian Border to the tip of the Baja Peninsula.</p>
<p>We first reported on the Orogenesis Trail in January of 2023, and on April 23, 2025, the Orogenesis Collective announced the publication of its first trail segment: The Loowit Tier.</p>
<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><a href="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Silver-Siouxon-2.jpg"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1170" height="780" src="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Silver-Siouxon-2-1170x780.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-695206" srcset="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Silver-Siouxon-2-1170x780.jpg 1170w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Silver-Siouxon-2-750x500.jpg 750w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Silver-Siouxon-2-375x250.jpg 375w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Silver-Siouxon-2-768x512.jpg 768w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Silver-Siouxon-2-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Silver-Siouxon-2-2048x1365.jpg 2048w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Silver-Siouxon-2-600x400.jpg 600w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1170px) 100vw, 1170px" /></a><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Photo: Gabriel Amadeus Tiller</figcaption></figure>
<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-missing-sections-of-the-orogenesis-trail">Missing sections of the Orogenesis Trail</h2>
<p>Technically, several large portions of the Orogenesis have already been completed. Gabriel Amadeus Tiller, Executive Director for the Orogenesis Collective, was the mastermind behind the creation of the <a href="https://www.singletracks.com/mtb-trails/oregon-timber-trail-is-a-state-spanning-bikepackers-dream/">Oregon Timber Trail</a>. “When we published the Oregon Timber Trail, another route called the Baja Divide was published the same year,” said Amadeus. “And if you look at the two on the map, you’re like, ‘Well, we’ve got to connect the two through California.’ They’re both these two linear routes. They’re pointing at each other. So it just seemed like the obvious thing to do.”</p>
<p>Aside from the two major routes already completed, Amadeus has had plenty of work to do mapping the missing segments. And there are some sections of singletrack that need to be built, too.</p>
<p>“Along those 5,000 miles there’s about 200 miles of gaps where there isn’t a trail currently,” said Amadeus. There are workarounds and detours, but some of them spit riders onto a highway or a long stretch of road. In one section in the Western Sierra Nevadas, if they were to build one-and-a-half miles of trail, it would eliminate 60 miles of road riding.</p>
<p>While building the missing stretches of singletrack will take years, Amadeus is finally ready to begin publishing the missing route segments for the Orogenesis Trail. The Loowit Tier is the first segment he’s published, but he plans to release five more segments through spring and summer 2025.</p>
<figure class="wp-block-gallery has-nested-images columns-default is-cropped wp-block-gallery-8 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex">
<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><a href="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/StHelens-2.jpg"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1170" height="780" data-id="695211" src="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/StHelens-2-1170x780.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-695211" srcset="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/StHelens-2-1170x780.jpg 1170w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/StHelens-2-750x500.jpg 750w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/StHelens-2-375x250.jpg 375w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/StHelens-2-768x512.jpg 768w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/StHelens-2-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/StHelens-2-2048x1365.jpg 2048w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/StHelens-2-600x400.jpg 600w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1170px) 100vw, 1170px" /></a></figure>
<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><a href="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Dark-Divide-Stewardship-2024-OROGENESIS-43.jpg"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1170" height="780" data-id="695209" src="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Dark-Divide-Stewardship-2024-OROGENESIS-43-1170x780.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-695209" srcset="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Dark-Divide-Stewardship-2024-OROGENESIS-43-1170x780.jpg 1170w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Dark-Divide-Stewardship-2024-OROGENESIS-43-750x500.jpg 750w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Dark-Divide-Stewardship-2024-OROGENESIS-43-375x250.jpg 375w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Dark-Divide-Stewardship-2024-OROGENESIS-43-768x512.jpg 768w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Dark-Divide-Stewardship-2024-OROGENESIS-43-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Dark-Divide-Stewardship-2024-OROGENESIS-43-2048x1365.jpg 2048w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Dark-Divide-Stewardship-2024-OROGENESIS-43-600x400.jpg 600w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1170px) 100vw, 1170px" /></a></figure>
<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><a href="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Gifford-Nap.jpg"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1170" height="780" data-id="695208" src="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Gifford-Nap-1170x780.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-695208" srcset="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Gifford-Nap-1170x780.jpg 1170w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Gifford-Nap-750x500.jpg 750w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Gifford-Nap-375x250.jpg 375w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Gifford-Nap-768x512.jpg 768w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Gifford-Nap-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Gifford-Nap-2048x1365.jpg 2048w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Gifford-Nap-600x400.jpg 600w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1170px) 100vw, 1170px" /></a></figure>
<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><a href="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Orogenesis-Klickitat-2022-29.jpg"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1170" height="780" data-id="695210" src="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Orogenesis-Klickitat-2022-29-1170x780.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-695210" srcset="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Orogenesis-Klickitat-2022-29-1170x780.jpg 1170w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Orogenesis-Klickitat-2022-29-750x500.jpg 750w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Orogenesis-Klickitat-2022-29-375x250.jpg 375w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Orogenesis-Klickitat-2022-29-768x512.jpg 768w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Orogenesis-Klickitat-2022-29-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Orogenesis-Klickitat-2022-29-2048x1365.jpg 2048w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Orogenesis-Klickitat-2022-29-600x400.jpg 600w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1170px) 100vw, 1170px" /></a></figure>
<figcaption class="blocks-gallery-caption wp-element-caption">Photos: Gabriel Amadeus Tiller</figcaption></figure>
<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-introducing-the-loowit-tier">Introducing the Loowit Tier</h2>
<p>The Loowit Tier is “a 200-mile bikepacking route that traverses the majestic landscapes of Washington State,” according to Amadeus. “The Loowit Tier offers riders an immersive experience through diverse terrains, including moss-laden forests, pristine aquamarine swimming holes, and the otherworldly expanse of the Mount St. Helens blast zone. With an elevation gain and loss totaling 32,000 feet, this route promises both challenge and awe-inspiring beauty. “</p>
<p>The Loowit Tier begins in the town of Packwood, WA, and finishes in White Salmon, WA, just across the river from the iconic mountain bike destination of Hood River, OR. Along the way, the route traverses well-known mountain bike trails, such as the <a href="https://www.singletracks.com/bike-trails/ape-canyon234-abraham216d-smith-creek225-trails/">Plains of Abraham</a> on the flanks of Mount Saint Helens. As it winds its way through the Gifford Pinchot National Forest, the route links together many lesser-known singletrack trails — such as Klickitat Sisters, Strawberry Ridge, Tillicum, Buck Creek, and more — with extensive gravel roads. About half of the total route is singletrack.</p>
<p>The trails on the Loowit Tier are not for the faint of heart. “The riding in the Gifford is notoriously steep, remote, and rugged, but the views and descents make it worth your while,” <a target="_blank" href="https://orogenesiscollective.org/loowit" rel="noreferrer noopener">according to the Orogenesis website</a>. “The Klickitat Sisters Trail, in particular, has some very steep sections—don’t overestimate how far you can travel each day. Resupply is very limited along this Tier as well—only two options exist, and the first (Northwoods) is 100 miles into the route from Packwood.”</p>
<iframe src="https://ridewithgps.com/embeds?type=route&id=50090497&sampleGraph=true" style="width: 1px; min-width: 100%; height: 700px; border: none;" scrolling="no"></iframe>
<p>The article <a href="https://www.singletracks.com/mtb-trails/the-first-section-of-the-orogenesis-trail-has-been-revealed-the-loowit-tier-in-washington/">The first section of the Orogenesis Trail has been revealed: The Loowit Tier in Washington</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.singletracks.com">Singletracks Mountain Bike News</a>.</p>
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<title>The new Mount A-Line jump trail will turn Ashland, OR’s worst trail into its best</title>
<link>https://www.singletracks.com/mtb-trails/the-new-mount-a-line-jump-trail-will-turn-ashland-ors-worst-trail-into-its-best/</link>
<comments>https://www.singletracks.com/mtb-trails/the-new-mount-a-line-jump-trail-will-turn-ashland-ors-worst-trail-into-its-best/#comments</comments>
<dc:creator><![CDATA[Greg Heil]]></dc:creator>
<pubDate>Mon, 28 Apr 2025 10:13:00 +0000</pubDate>
<category><![CDATA[Trails]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[ashland oregon]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[news]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[trail development]]></category>
<guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.singletracks.com/?p=694572</guid>
<description><![CDATA[<p>RVMBA is turning the worst trail on Mount Ashland into the best trail by constructing a brand-new, professionally built jump line.</p>
<p>The article <a href="https://www.singletracks.com/mtb-trails/the-new-mount-a-line-jump-trail-will-turn-ashland-ors-worst-trail-into-its-best/">The new Mount A-Line jump trail will turn Ashland, OR’s worst trail into its best</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.singletracks.com">Singletracks Mountain Bike News</a>.</p>
]]></description>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[
<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><a href="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/IMG_2756.jpg"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1170" height="957" src="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/IMG_2756-1170x957.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-694632" srcset="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/IMG_2756-1170x957.jpg 1170w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/IMG_2756-750x613.jpg 750w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/IMG_2756-768x628.jpg 768w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/IMG_2756-1536x1256.jpg 1536w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/IMG_2756-600x491.jpg 600w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/IMG_2756.jpg 1623w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1170px) 100vw, 1170px" /></a><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Riding the Mount Ashland shuttle run. File photo: Greg Heil</figcaption></figure>
<p>For decades, Mount Ashland in Southern Oregon has been home to one of the nation’s longest mountain bike shuttle runs. The top-to-bottom run, which drops almost 6,000 vertical feet with just over 1,000 feet of climbing, is an iconic ride that deserves a spot on every mountain biker’s bucket list. The trails on the mountain have played host to many regional enduro races.</p>
<p>The only problem? The top two miles of the classic descent are a boring fire road.</p>
<p>For years, mountain bikers have simply blasted down the steep Bull Gap Road to reach the singletrack. As you can imagine, this boring downhill has spawned a small network of rogue trails in the area, which riders have used to get off the road and enjoy a more entertaining run.</p>
<p>This network of rogue trails has caused a bit of a problem for both the Forest Service and the <a href="https://www.rvmba.org/">Rogue Valley Mountain Bike Association</a> (RVMBA). Instead of simply closing the rogue trails, RVMBA has proposed an innovative solution to deal with the illegal trail riding: build a top-tier jump trail on the bed of Bull Gap Road. “This [project] looks to take the worst mile and make it the best mile of the watershed system,” said Ryan Hawk, President of RVMBA.</p>
<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><a href="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/mt-a-line-logo-sm.jpg"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1170" height="700" src="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/mt-a-line-logo-sm-1170x700.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-695079" srcset="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/mt-a-line-logo-sm-1170x700.jpg 1170w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/mt-a-line-logo-sm-750x449.jpg 750w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/mt-a-line-logo-sm-768x460.jpg 768w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/mt-a-line-logo-sm-1536x919.jpg 1536w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/mt-a-line-logo-sm-600x359.jpg 600w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/mt-a-line-logo-sm.jpg 1594w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1170px) 100vw, 1170px" /></a><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Logo courtesy RVMBA</figcaption></figure>
<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-mount-a-line-vision">The Mount A-Line Vision</h2>
<p>Mount Ashland is lovingly referred to as “Mount A,” and RVMBA saw the opportunity to pay homage to the most famous jump trail in the world — A-Line. And so, “Mount A-Line” was born. The plans put forth by RVMBA call for turning the lower mile of the nasty fire road descent into the Mount A-Line jump run with an uphill return trail for those who want to rip multiple laps.</p>
<p>The project to revamp Bull Gap Road began way back in 2018, and finally, after seven years of hard work, it has come to fruition. RVMBA has raised $150,000 for the project through an Oregon RTP grant and club contributions, but an additional $25,000 of fundraising will be required to cover the projected $175,000 cost.</p>
<p>Fundraising hurdles aside, Earthworx has been contracted for the project and plans to break ground on June 23, with the build projected to take between a month and a month and a half (fire restrictions dependent). Earthworx, run by Morgan Benbough, has built many projects around the Rogue Valley, “so we’re really excited,” said Hawk.</p>
<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-can-riders-expect-to-find-on-mount-a-line">What can riders expect to find on Mount A-Line?</h2>
<p>The first mile of the descent will still follow the existing Bull Gap Road, but at a big dog leg in the road about halfway down, the road-to-trail conversion will begin.</p>
<p>“We’re going to take that next mile […] and throw a bunch of tricks at it and make a really great downhill jump line,” said Hawk. “It’s ideally a jump line that can be ridden by anybody, so there’s no full gaps or anything like that to stop someone from coming down who’s an advanced beginner.”</p>
<p>The Lizard Trail lower down the mountain is one of the best jump lines currently on Mount Ashland, even if some riders, such as the author, have a difficult time maintaining speed for the hits. In a similar vein to Lizard, Hawk anticipates that the jumps on Mount A-Line will sport two different-sized lips for riders to choose from. Providing both a shorter and flatter lip and a longer and steeper option will allow beginners and advanced riders to have a blast hitting Mount A-Line. They can simply choose their desired level of difficulty and then smash the “Send” button.</p>
<p>Unlike Lizard, maintaining speed down the new Mount A-Line trail won’t be difficult. In fact, the current Bull Gap Road is on a 6% grade, which is much too steep for a jump trail. Unfortunately, due to restrictions in the Mount Ashland Watershed, RVMBA can only build the new jump line on the existing road grade. So, they’re going to have to construct a lot of features to intentionally slow riders down.</p>
<p>“One of the pieces is adding in more hips and berms, adding some diagonals that are going to necessitate [slowing down],” said Hawk. “We’re [going to] reinforce those landings so they’re much more durable and lower maintenance. […] But that’s one of the big techniques I think that we are going to have to employ in there, because otherwise, you’re just going to be going insanely fast down this thing.”</p>
<p>The trail plan calls for an uphill climbing trail for riders who want to lap the jump line. However, the uphill route <em>also</em> needs to be built on the road grade. Exactly how Earthworks will fit the uphill route into the same road grade is still a matter of debate with the USFS.</p>
<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><a href="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/IMG_2748.jpg"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1170" height="878" src="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/IMG_2748-1170x878.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-694732" srcset="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/IMG_2748-1170x878.jpg 1170w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/IMG_2748-750x563.jpg 750w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/IMG_2748-768x576.jpg 768w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/IMG_2748-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/IMG_2748-2048x1536.jpg 2048w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/IMG_2748-600x450.jpg 600w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1170px) 100vw, 1170px" /></a><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Existing (legal) singletrack on Mount Ashland. File photo: Greg Heil.</figcaption></figure>
<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-will-existing-social-trails-be-decommissioned">Will existing social trails be decommissioned?</h2>
<p>The existing social trails that parallel Bull Gap Road were “part of the leverage that we used to get through NEPA,” said Chad Thorson, Vice President for RVMBA. The pitch by RVMBA was that by building a better trail, traffic on the social trails would be reduced.</p>
<p>“I think it’ll reduce the traffic [on the social trails,]” said Thorson. “And I don’t think everybody that’s finding themselves on a skidder trail with dangerous drops and crazy stuff… they probably don’t really want to be on that. And so, if the road’s smooth and fun and cool, I think that they’ll choose that option. So it should reduce the traffic.”</p>
<p>However, RVMBA isn’t on the hook to decommission any social trails due to this new trail construction. If any of the skidder trails are decommissioned, the US Forest Service will be responsible. But it’s anybody’s guess whether or not that work will be prioritized in light of <a target="_blank" href="https://www.singletracks.com/mtb-trails/getting-new-mtb-trails-approved-just-got-a-lot-harder-us-forest-service-and-blm-lay-off-10-of-work-force/" rel="noreferrer noopener">widespread staff shortages across the USFS</a>.</p>
<p>It’s even possible that some of the more sustainable social trails could be adopted into the official network. “There was talk about grandfather-clausing Banditos into the trail system,” said Thorson.</p>
<p>The future of the unofficial trails is currently uncertain, but one thing is clear: the new jump line will dramatically improve this iconic Oregon shuttle run. If it’s been a few years since you’ve ripped down Mount Ashland, it might be time to plan a return trip!</p>
<p>The article <a href="https://www.singletracks.com/mtb-trails/the-new-mount-a-line-jump-trail-will-turn-ashland-ors-worst-trail-into-its-best/">The new Mount A-Line jump trail will turn Ashland, OR’s worst trail into its best</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.singletracks.com">Singletracks Mountain Bike News</a>.</p>
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<slash:comments>1</slash:comments>
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<title>What’s your least-favorite MTB marketing jargon?</title>
<link>https://www.singletracks.com/mtb-gear/whats-your-least-favorite-mtb-marketing-jargon-survey/</link>
<comments>https://www.singletracks.com/mtb-gear/whats-your-least-favorite-mtb-marketing-jargon-survey/#comments</comments>
<dc:creator><![CDATA[Greg Heil]]></dc:creator>
<pubDate>Sun, 27 Apr 2025 10:13:00 +0000</pubDate>
<category><![CDATA[Gear]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[survey]]></category>
<guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.singletracks.com/?p=694765</guid>
<description><![CDATA[<p>There's no way in hell I'm ever going to say I'm riding an "acoustic bike."</p>
<p>The article <a href="https://www.singletracks.com/mtb-gear/whats-your-least-favorite-mtb-marketing-jargon-survey/">What’s your least-favorite MTB marketing jargon?</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.singletracks.com">Singletracks Mountain Bike News</a>.</p>
]]></description>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[
<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><a href="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/vittoria_syerra_downcountry_tire-2.jpg"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1800" height="1201" src="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/vittoria_syerra_downcountry_tire-2.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-605256" srcset="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/vittoria_syerra_downcountry_tire-2.jpg 1800w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/vittoria_syerra_downcountry_tire-2-750x500.jpg 750w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/vittoria_syerra_downcountry_tire-2-1170x781.jpg 1170w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/vittoria_syerra_downcountry_tire-2-375x250.jpg 375w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/vittoria_syerra_downcountry_tire-2-768x512.jpg 768w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/vittoria_syerra_downcountry_tire-2-1536x1025.jpg 1536w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/vittoria_syerra_downcountry_tire-2-600x400.jpg 600w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1800px) 100vw, 1800px" /></a></figure>
<p>Marketers in the mountain bike industry love to make up terms to describe how one bike or product is different from another. The only problem is, these words often have squishy meanings at best. For instance, how is a “downcountry” bike different from a “trail” bike? And why the hell are some brands now calling mountain bikes without a motor attached “acoustic”?</p>
<p>Now’s your chance to sound off!</p>
<div class="wpforms-container wpforms-container-full wpforms-block wpforms-block-9374a407-a2a9-43ed-b404-410da8b5d286 wpforms-inline wpforms-render-modern" id="wpforms-695230"><form id="wpforms-form-695230" class="wpforms-validate wpforms-form wpforms-ajax-form" data-formid="695230" method="post" enctype="multipart/form-data" action="/feed/" data-token="9dc0ab2206552943cc9c2d6d92e1461a" data-token-time="1747116605"><noscript class="wpforms-error-noscript">Please enable JavaScript in your browser to complete this form.</noscript><div class="wpforms-hidden" id="wpforms-error-noscript">Please enable JavaScript in your browser to complete this form.</div><div class="wpforms-field-container"> <div id="wpforms-695230-field_2-container"
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<div id="wpforms-695230-field_1-container" class="wpforms-field wpforms-field-radio wpforms-list-2-columns" data-field-id="1"><fieldset><legend class="wpforms-field-label">What's your least-favorite MTB marketing jargon? <span class="wpforms-required-label" aria-hidden="true">*</span></legend><ul id="wpforms-695230-field_1" class="wpforms-field-required"><li class="choice-11 depth-1"><input type="radio" id="wpforms-695230-field_1_11" name="wpforms[fields][1]" value="Downcountry" aria-errormessage="wpforms-695230-field_1_11-error" required ><label class="wpforms-field-label-inline" for="wpforms-695230-field_1_11">Downcountry</label></li><li class="choice-16 depth-1"><input type="radio" id="wpforms-695230-field_1_16" name="wpforms[fields][1]" value="Progressive" aria-errormessage="wpforms-695230-field_1_16-error" required ><label class="wpforms-field-label-inline" for="wpforms-695230-field_1_16">Progressive</label></li><li class="choice-15 depth-1"><input type="radio" 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</item>
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<title>Five Ten Freerider Pro BOA flat pedal MTB shoe review</title>
<link>https://www.singletracks.com/mtb-gear/fiveten-freerider-pro-boa-flat-pedal-mtb-shoe-review/</link>
<comments>https://www.singletracks.com/mtb-gear/fiveten-freerider-pro-boa-flat-pedal-mtb-shoe-review/#comments</comments>
<dc:creator><![CDATA[Carolyn Baldwin]]></dc:creator>
<pubDate>Sat, 26 Apr 2025 07:11:42 +0000</pubDate>
<category><![CDATA[Gear]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[FiveTen Freerider Pro BOA]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[review]]></category>
<guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.singletracks.com/?p=694785</guid>
<description><![CDATA[<p>The Freerider Pro BOA mountain bike shoe features a stiffer sole and a ratcheting lace system for a secure fit.</p>
<p>The article <a href="https://www.singletracks.com/mtb-gear/fiveten-freerider-pro-boa-flat-pedal-mtb-shoe-review/">Five Ten Freerider Pro BOA flat pedal MTB shoe review</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.singletracks.com">Singletracks Mountain Bike News</a>.</p>
]]></description>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[
<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><a href="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/CB_02544.jpg"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1170" height="780" src="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/CB_02544-1170x780.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-695000" srcset="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/CB_02544-1170x780.jpg 1170w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/CB_02544-750x500.jpg 750w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/CB_02544-375x250.jpg 375w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/CB_02544-768x512.jpg 768w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/CB_02544-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/CB_02544-2048x1366.jpg 2048w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/CB_02544-600x400.jpg 600w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1170px) 100vw, 1170px" /></a></figure>
<p>The newest Five Ten Freerider Pro, with BOA fit system, lives up to the Freerider legacy: insane grip right out of the box. Normally, I expect there to be a little bit of a break in period for flat pedal shoes to “bond” with their spiky counterparts, but from the moment I set these shoes on my pedals, I was quite literally hooked. With the Stealth S1 Phantom rubber soles beneath my feet, I never questioned my grip, even on the chunkiest of trails.</p>
<hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity is-style-wide"/>
<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-five-ten-freerider-pro-boa-key-specs">Five Ten Freerider Pro BOA key specs</h3>
<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li>Clean, minimalist look featuring BOA Li2 dial</li>
<li>Legendary Five Ten Stealth S1 grip and Dotty Sole for maximum grip</li>
<li>Rugged uppers for greater abrasion resistance</li>
<li>Price: $170</li>
<li>Available directly from <a href="https://www.singletracks.com/wp-json/click/track/EvmwyM/" rel="nofollow">adidas</a>, currently $128 for AdiClub members</li>
</ul>
<hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity is-style-wide"/>
<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><a href="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/CB_02063.jpg"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1170" height="780" src="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/CB_02063-1170x780.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-695003" srcset="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/CB_02063-1170x780.jpg 1170w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/CB_02063-750x500.jpg 750w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/CB_02063-375x250.jpg 375w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/CB_02063-768x512.jpg 768w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/CB_02063-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/CB_02063-2048x1365.jpg 2048w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/CB_02063-600x400.jpg 600w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1170px) 100vw, 1170px" /></a></figure>
<p>This was my first time trying the BOA lace system, and I honestly regret not jumping on it sooner. My previous experiences with Five Ten shoes involved ridiculously long laces and frustrating lace management that got in the way of both performance and style. The Freerider Pro BOAs are a whole different story. Their razor-thin laces crisscross the tongue cleanly, creating a sleek, minimal look. Once you’ve got the fit dialed, getting ride-ready is effortless: step in, push the dial, crank it tight, and go.</p>
<p>While I love how quick and easy it is to tighten the BOA system, fine-tuning the midfoot fit takes a little more work.To adjust the pressure across different parts of my foot, I had to use my opposite hand to either pin or lightly pull the laces while turning the dial. Traditional laces give you more control with multiple eyelets to tweak tightness across the top of your foot, so if you’re picky about fit, give yourself some time to get these just right.</p>
<p>One thing I do worry about is the durability of that plastic dial. If I were to hit a rock or snap a lace mid-ride, it wouldn’t be an easy trailside fix. The good news? BOA has replacement kits for all of their products, however getting off the trail with a broken shoe might be a bit of a challenge. Debris jamming up the dial is also a concern, but I didn’t experience any issues during testing in dry conditions. </p>
<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><a href="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/CB_02732.jpg"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1170" height="780" src="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/CB_02732-1170x780.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-695004" srcset="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/CB_02732-1170x780.jpg 1170w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/CB_02732-750x500.jpg 750w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/CB_02732-375x250.jpg 375w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/CB_02732-768x512.jpg 768w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/CB_02732-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/CB_02732-2048x1365.jpg 2048w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/CB_02732-600x400.jpg 600w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1170px) 100vw, 1170px" /></a><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Photo: Nicolas Andrade</figcaption></figure>
<p>When it comes to flex, flat pedal shoes often feel a little too soft, especially compared to clipless options with reinforced midsoles. That isn’t the case here. The Freerider Pro BOAs feel surprisingly stiff and supportive right out of the box. While I haven’t put in months of miles yet, they already feel more durable than earlier Freerider models, which I’ve found quickly break down and become too soft. </p>
<div style='padding: 15px; background: #f1f1f1; max-width: 800px; margin: 0 auto 25px auto;'><h3 style='margin: 0; padding: 0 0 5px 0;'>Share your FiveTen Freerider Pro BOA review</h3>
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<p>The uppers are made from an abrasion-resistant synthetic material that is primed and ready to shed debris and muck and help keep you clean(er) and dry(er). They’re not waterproof according to Five Ten, but they should be just fine to ride in sloppy conditions without leaving your feet totally soaked. </p>
<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><a href="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/CB_02056.jpg"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1170" height="780" src="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/CB_02056-1170x780.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-695002" srcset="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/CB_02056-1170x780.jpg 1170w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/CB_02056-750x500.jpg 750w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/CB_02056-375x250.jpg 375w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/CB_02056-768x512.jpg 768w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/CB_02056-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/CB_02056-2048x1365.jpg 2048w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/CB_02056-600x400.jpg 600w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1170px) 100vw, 1170px" /></a></figure>
<p></p>
<p>I ordered my usual size (women’s 8.5), but the fit felt roomy—particularly in the toe box. I’d recommend trying a half size down if you prefer a snugger feel. If you prefer a more dialed-in, snug fit, I’d recommend trying a half size down. I’ve landed between sizes in Five Tens before, so this isn’t a total surprise. The uppers are spacious, and no matter how much I cranked the dial, I never quite felt like I filled the shoe fully or got the lockdown I wanted.</p>
<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-pros-and-cons-of-five-ten-freerider-pro-boa">Pros and cons of Five Ten Freerider Pro BOA</h2>
<h4 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-pros">Pros</h4>
<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li>Clean, sleek shoe profile</li>
<li>Stiff sole makes for great power transfer</li>
<li>Amazing grip thanks to Five Ten Stealth S1 rubber and Dotty sole</li>
<li>Quick adjustments to fit with the BOA Li2 dial</li>
<li>Abrasion-resistant uppers shed muck and debris, making for a durable shoe</li>
</ul>
<h4 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-cons">Cons</h4>
<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li>Sizing seems to run large</li>
<li>Midfoot fit was hard to fine-tune, and the roomy upper makes it difficult to achieve a truly snug feel</li>
<li>Damaging the BOA dial is not an easy trailside fix, so carry zip ties.</li>
</ul>
<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><a href="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/CB_02787.jpg"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1170" height="780" src="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/CB_02787-1170x780.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-695001" srcset="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/CB_02787-1170x780.jpg 1170w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/CB_02787-750x500.jpg 750w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/CB_02787-375x250.jpg 375w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/CB_02787-768x512.jpg 768w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/CB_02787-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/CB_02787-2048x1365.jpg 2048w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/CB_02787-600x400.jpg 600w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1170px) 100vw, 1170px" /></a><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Photo: Nicolas Andrade</figcaption></figure>
<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-bottom-line">Bottom line</h2>
<p>The Five Ten Freerider Pro BOA is perfect for riders who want a grippy set-it-and-forget-it pair of shoes they can rock on any kind of ride, from XC miles to bike park laps. Buy these if you are looking for a sleek and easy-to-wrangle pair of shoes that will keep you glued to your pedals. </p>
<p></p>
<p>The article <a href="https://www.singletracks.com/mtb-gear/fiveten-freerider-pro-boa-flat-pedal-mtb-shoe-review/">Five Ten Freerider Pro BOA flat pedal MTB shoe review</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.singletracks.com">Singletracks Mountain Bike News</a>.</p>
]]></content:encoded>
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<slash:comments>4</slash:comments>
</item>
<item>
<title>POC Cularis mountain bike helmet review</title>
<link>https://www.singletracks.com/mtb-gear/poc-cularis-mountain-bike-helmet-review/</link>
<comments>https://www.singletracks.com/mtb-gear/poc-cularis-mountain-bike-helmet-review/#respond</comments>
<dc:creator><![CDATA[Greg Heil]]></dc:creator>
<pubDate>Fri, 25 Apr 2025 10:11:00 +0000</pubDate>
<category><![CDATA[Gear]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[poc cularis]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[review]]></category>
<guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.singletracks.com/?p=693900</guid>
<description><![CDATA[<p>The safest mountain bike helmet on the market offers top-tier ventilation, excellent fit adjustment, and a low weight.</p>
<p>The article <a href="https://www.singletracks.com/mtb-gear/poc-cularis-mountain-bike-helmet-review/">POC Cularis mountain bike helmet review</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.singletracks.com">Singletracks Mountain Bike News</a>.</p>
]]></description>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[
<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><a href="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/MTB05097.jpg"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1170" height="780" src="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/MTB05097-1170x780.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-694935" srcset="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/MTB05097-1170x780.jpg 1170w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/MTB05097-750x500.jpg 750w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/MTB05097-375x250.jpg 375w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/MTB05097-768x512.jpg 768w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/MTB05097-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/MTB05097-2048x1365.jpg 2048w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/MTB05097-600x400.jpg 600w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1170px) 100vw, 1170px" /></a><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Photo: Christine Henry</figcaption></figure>
<p>The new Cularis helmet is POC’s lightest trail <a href="https://www.singletracks.com/mtb-gear/how-to-choose-the-best-mountain-bike-helmet/">mountain bike helmet</a> yet, weighing in at 360g in a size medium. This new offering takes ventilation inspiration from road bike helmets while simultaneously offering top-tier protection. In fact, the Cularis has a five-star Virginia Tech safety rating, and is <a href="https://www.helmet.beam.vt.edu/bicycle-helmet-ratings.html#!">currently</a> the top-rated helmet with a score of 7.10. </p>
<hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity is-style-wide"/>
<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-poc-cularis-mountain-bike-helmet-key-specs">POC Cularis mountain bike helmet key specs</h3>
<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li>Features: Large vents, breakaway visor, eyewear garage, MIPS Air Node, Fidlock buckle</li>
<li>Weight: 360g as tested, size medium</li>
<li>Price: $240</li>
<li>Buy <a href="https://www.singletracks.com/wp-json/click/track/1lp4Bq/" rel="nofollow">from Backcountry</a></li>
</ul>
<hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity is-style-wide"/>
<p>The most obvious Cularis feature is also one of its most important: vents. Absolutely massive vents, wherever POC can fit them. POC claims it developed the venting system using “extensive CFD (computational fluid dynamics) modeling <em>[sic]</em> and testing of airflow through and around the helmet,” which is a “development technique normally used on road helmets.” The end result is that the Cularis features massive vent scoops on the front of the helmet, with large exhaust ports in the back. The helmet is designed to channel cool air around the head.</p>
<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><a href="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/MTB05125.jpg"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1170" height="780" src="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/MTB05125-1170x780.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-694936" srcset="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/MTB05125-1170x780.jpg 1170w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/MTB05125-750x500.jpg 750w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/MTB05125-375x250.jpg 375w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/MTB05125-768x512.jpg 768w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/MTB05125-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/MTB05125-2048x1365.jpg 2048w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/MTB05125-600x400.jpg 600w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1170px) 100vw, 1170px" /></a><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Photo: Greg Heil</figcaption></figure>
<p>The construction of the helmet consists of an EPS liner and a polycarbonate shell. MIPS Air Node has been integrated into the helmet liner “with nodes of hook-and-loop fabric fasteners” to protect against rotational impacts, according to MIPS. Thanks to this unique liner integration, “the nodes are designed to release locally, allowing the padding to slide and reduce rotational motion to the head.”</p>
<p>In addition to being the safest helmet that Virginia Tech has tested so far, the Cularis has received numerous safety certifications: CPSC/CE/EN/AS/NZS.</p>
<p>On this model, POC introduced a new breakaway visor that’s designed to detach on impact during a crash, if caught on a tree branch, etc., to reduce potential impacts or twisting motions. The visor is designed to be re-attached and re-used after impact.</p>
<div style='padding: 15px; background: #f1f1f1; max-width: 800px; margin: 0 auto 25px auto;'><h3 style='margin: 0; padding: 0 0 5px 0;'>Share your POC Cularis mountain bike helmet review</h3>
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<p>The fit is highly adjustable, with a vertically-adjustable rear cradle with an easy-to-use dial for tightening and loosening. The straps are also adjustable up, down, and side-to-side, according to POC.</p>
<p>Other goodies include an eyewear garage, a magnetic Fidlock® buckle, and Recco rescue system technology. </p>
<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><a href="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/IMG_7040-1.jpg"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1170" height="780" src="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/IMG_7040-1-1170x780.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-694940" srcset="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/IMG_7040-1-1170x780.jpg 1170w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/IMG_7040-1-750x500.jpg 750w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/IMG_7040-1-375x250.jpg 375w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/IMG_7040-1-768x512.jpg 768w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/IMG_7040-1-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/IMG_7040-1-2048x1365.jpg 2048w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/IMG_7040-1-600x400.jpg 600w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1170px) 100vw, 1170px" /></a><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Photo: Greg Heil</figcaption></figure>
<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-out-on-the-trail">Out on the trail</h2>
<p>When I initially donned the Cularis, I found the helmet sported a much larger, wider profile and feel than helmets I’ve worn in recent years — but that doesn’t mean it’s heavy or hot. In fact, it’s the opposite. Despite the wider profile, with more brow coverage and side protection, the Cularis weighs about 20g less than my go-to helmet — and it has better ventilation to boot.</p>
<p>While the vents are the first thing you notice about the Cularis visually, they aren’t immediately evident while riding on a warm day — and that’s a good thing. The Cularis did its job and succeeded in keeping my head cool thanks to heavy ventilation and air channels. This was especially noticeable on cold spring mornings, causing an ice cream-brain sensation. Thankfully, there’s enough room in the helmet for a low-profile skull cap.</p>
<p>While massive vents are critical for temperature control, tests have shown that black helmets are markedly hotter than white helmets after spending time riding in direct sunlight. So, for ultimate cooling, consider opting for one of the eight other lighter colorways that POC offers, instead of black.</p>
<p>The helmet was easy to fit and adjust, with a quick vertical adjustment of the rear cradle and a tightening dial that’s easy to use with one hand. The rear cradle does an excellent job of dispersing pressure, thereby avoiding any unnecessary head pain.</p>
<p>I’m picky about visors — especially ones that block my vision. In the standard position, the Cularis visor is just barely visible, providing a bit of sun protection without obstructing my view when I’m in an aggressive riding position.</p>
<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><a href="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/MTB05142.jpg"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1170" height="780" src="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/MTB05142-1170x780.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-694938" srcset="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/MTB05142-1170x780.jpg 1170w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/MTB05142-750x500.jpg 750w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/MTB05142-375x250.jpg 375w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/MTB05142-768x512.jpg 768w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/MTB05142-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/MTB05142-2048x1365.jpg 2048w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/MTB05142-600x400.jpg 600w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1170px) 100vw, 1170px" /></a><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Photo: Greg Heil</figcaption></figure>
<p>I was worried that the breakaway visor would begin to rattle over time — another pet peeve of mine. I can report that the visor has not come loose or rattled at all during my test, but after a month and a half of riding, only a longer-term test will tell.</p>
<p>Finally, this is my first time using Fidlock’s magnetic buckle, and I’m an instant fan. The one-handed connection works as advertised, which comes in handy because I often roll away before remembering to buckle my helmet. With the Fidlock, it’s easy to take one hand off the bar and slap the buckle together as you’re rolling out of the parking lot.</p>
<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><a href="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/rock-kickerMTB04765-2.jpg"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1170" height="780" src="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/rock-kickerMTB04765-2-1170x780.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-694941" srcset="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/rock-kickerMTB04765-2-1170x780.jpg 1170w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/rock-kickerMTB04765-2-750x500.jpg 750w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/rock-kickerMTB04765-2-375x250.jpg 375w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/rock-kickerMTB04765-2-768x512.jpg 768w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/rock-kickerMTB04765-2-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/rock-kickerMTB04765-2-2048x1365.jpg 2048w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/rock-kickerMTB04765-2-600x400.jpg 600w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1170px) 100vw, 1170px" /></a><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Photo: Christine Henry</figcaption></figure>
<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-pros-and-cons-of-poc-cularis-mountain-bike-helmet">Pros and cons of POC Cularis mountain bike helmet</h2>
<h4 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-pros">Pros</h4>
<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li>Great ventilation</li>
<li>Adjustable fit system</li>
<li>Fidlock buckle</li>
<li>Solid visor</li>
</ul>
<h4 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-cons">Cons</h4>
<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li>Feels large and bulky despite low weight</li>
</ul>
<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><a href="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/MTB05129.jpg"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1170" height="780" src="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/MTB05129-1170x780.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-694937" srcset="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/MTB05129-1170x780.jpg 1170w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/MTB05129-750x500.jpg 750w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/MTB05129-375x250.jpg 375w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/MTB05129-768x512.jpg 768w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/MTB05129-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/MTB05129-2048x1365.jpg 2048w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/MTB05129-600x400.jpg 600w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1170px) 100vw, 1170px" /></a><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Photo: Greg Heil</figcaption></figure>
<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-bottom-line">Bottom line</h2>
<p>It seems like POC has done the impossible with the Cularis. They’ve not only produced the safest trail helmet on the market, but they’ve incorporated maximal ventilation — all at a respectably light weight. Add in plenty of thoughtful features like an adjustable fit system, breakaway visor, and Fidlock buckle, and the Cularis checks every single box that a mountain biker could possibly want.</p>
<p>The article <a href="https://www.singletracks.com/mtb-gear/poc-cularis-mountain-bike-helmet-review/">POC Cularis mountain bike helmet review</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.singletracks.com">Singletracks Mountain Bike News</a>.</p>
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<item>
<title>A new top-to-bottom shuttle on California’s Mt. Hough will soon be ready to ride</title>
<link>https://www.singletracks.com/mtb-trails/a-new-top-to-bottom-shuttle-on-californias-mt-hough-will-soon-be-ready-to-ride/</link>
<comments>https://www.singletracks.com/mtb-trails/a-new-top-to-bottom-shuttle-on-californias-mt-hough-will-soon-be-ready-to-ride/#comments</comments>
<dc:creator><![CDATA[Greg Heil]]></dc:creator>
<pubDate>Thu, 24 Apr 2025 16:13:00 +0000</pubDate>
<category><![CDATA[Trails]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[news]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[quincy california]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[trail development]]></category>
<guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.singletracks.com/?p=695081</guid>
<description><![CDATA[<p>4,000 feet of descending over 17 miles — the newest shuttle run in the Lost Sierra is poised to become an instant classic!</p>
<p>The article <a href="https://www.singletracks.com/mtb-trails/a-new-top-to-bottom-shuttle-on-californias-mt-hough-will-soon-be-ready-to-ride/">A new top-to-bottom shuttle on California’s Mt. Hough will soon be ready to ride</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.singletracks.com">Singletracks Mountain Bike News</a>.</p>
]]></description>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[
<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><a href="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/upscaled-2x-acorn-grotto-trail-work-4.jpg"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1170" height="614" src="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/upscaled-2x-acorn-grotto-trail-work-4-1170x614.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-695085" srcset="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/upscaled-2x-acorn-grotto-trail-work-4-1170x614.jpg 1170w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/upscaled-2x-acorn-grotto-trail-work-4-750x394.jpg 750w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/upscaled-2x-acorn-grotto-trail-work-4-768x403.jpg 768w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/upscaled-2x-acorn-grotto-trail-work-4-1536x806.jpg 1536w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/upscaled-2x-acorn-grotto-trail-work-4-2048x1075.jpg 2048w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/upscaled-2x-acorn-grotto-trail-work-4-600x315.jpg 600w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1170px) 100vw, 1170px" /></a><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Photo: SBTS</figcaption></figure>
<p>The Sierra Buttes Trail Stewardship (SBTS) Pro Trail Crew has been hard at work on phase two of <a target="_blank" href="https://www.singletracks.com/mtb-trails/mt-hough-is-poised-to-become-californias-next-mtb-mecca-with-a-38-mile-expansion/" rel="noreferrer noopener">the nearly 80-mile Mt. Hough trail system</a> over the past several years. And now, they’ve announced that an all-new top-to-bottom 17-mile shuttle run will soon be ready to ride!</p>
<p>SBTS has just finished construction of the 3.6-mile Acorn Grotto Trail on Mt. Hough. Acorn Grotto “drops 1,100 feet in elevation and serves as a critical singletrack connection from the Indian Falls Ridge route to the Mt. Hough Trail, and ties into the Tollgate Creek Crossing, where Berry Creek and the Mt. Hough Trail intersect,” <a target="_blank" href="https://sierratrails.org/sbts-trail-crew-finishes-the-new-acorn-grotto-trail-on-mount-hough/" rel="noreferrer noopener">according to SBTS</a>.</p>
<p>“The crew is now working to finish Trail <a target="_blank" href="https://www.instagram.com/explore/tags/8/" rel="noreferrer noopener">#8</a>—when that’s opened, it will establish a new top-to-bottom singletrack route from Indian Falls Ridge at the 7,200-foot summit of Mount Hough and a new Yuba Expeditions shuttle option to boot: 17 miles from summit to the swim hole!”</p>
<p>The shuttle run begins at 7,200 feet and drops to just under 3,200 feet, losing over 4,000 feet of vertical along its 17-mile distance. Once complete, Mt. Hough will offer several such shuttle runs to choose from, including several variations of each run due to the massive interconnected 80-mile trail system. It’s no wonder that <a href="http://yubaexpeditions.com/">Yuba Expeditions</a> has moved the base of its shuttle operations from Downieville to Quincy. The scale of this new trail development is massive!</p>
<p>The timeline has been massive, too. SBTS has been building on Mt. Hough for 10 years, and they plan to finally wrap the project up this year. Once finished, Mt. Hough will offer three distinct top-to-bottom shuttle runs, plus all of the variations mentioned.</p>
<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><a href="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/upscaled-2x-acorn-grotto-trail-work-1.jpg"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1170" height="614" src="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/upscaled-2x-acorn-grotto-trail-work-1-1170x614.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-695087" srcset="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/upscaled-2x-acorn-grotto-trail-work-1-1170x614.jpg 1170w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/upscaled-2x-acorn-grotto-trail-work-1-750x394.jpg 750w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/upscaled-2x-acorn-grotto-trail-work-1-768x403.jpg 768w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/upscaled-2x-acorn-grotto-trail-work-1-1536x806.jpg 1536w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/upscaled-2x-acorn-grotto-trail-work-1-2048x1075.jpg 2048w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/upscaled-2x-acorn-grotto-trail-work-1-600x315.jpg 600w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1170px) 100vw, 1170px" /></a><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Photo: SBTS</figcaption></figure>
<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-extensive-trail-variety-all-on-one-mountain">Extensive trail variety, all on one mountain</h2>
<p>SBTS isn’t building mileage just for the sake of mileage. Instead, each trail offers a distinct flavor. “Topography-wise, the Indian Falls Ridge Trail looks really different than the Hough trail. [It’s] rockier over on that side,” said Nicole Formosa, Marketing and Communications Manager for SBTS. However, riders shouldn’t expect dedicated downhill runs or jump trails, as all of these trails are still built to accommodate two-way traffic, including motos.</p>
<p>“Having that variety for people, having two more options to go top to bottom is really cool, and we utilize more of the mountain,” said Formosa.</p>
<p>Since all the trails are moto-legal, that means they’re open to e-bikes, too.</p>
<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><a href="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Mt-Hough-Phase-II-030122-map-2400.jpg"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1170" height="1050" src="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Mt-Hough-Phase-II-030122-map-2400-1170x1050.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-695088" srcset="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Mt-Hough-Phase-II-030122-map-2400-1170x1050.jpg 1170w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Mt-Hough-Phase-II-030122-map-2400-750x673.jpg 750w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Mt-Hough-Phase-II-030122-map-2400-768x689.jpg 768w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Mt-Hough-Phase-II-030122-map-2400-1536x1379.jpg 1536w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Mt-Hough-Phase-II-030122-map-2400-2048x1838.jpg 2048w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Mt-Hough-Phase-II-030122-map-2400-600x539.jpg 600w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1170px) 100vw, 1170px" /></a><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Photo: SBTS</figcaption></figure>
<p>The article <a href="https://www.singletracks.com/mtb-trails/a-new-top-to-bottom-shuttle-on-californias-mt-hough-will-soon-be-ready-to-ride/">A new top-to-bottom shuttle on California’s Mt. Hough will soon be ready to ride</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.singletracks.com">Singletracks Mountain Bike News</a>.</p>
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<slash:comments>1</slash:comments>
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<title>Rene Herse TPU tube sealant is designed to reduce the chance of flat tires</title>
<link>https://www.singletracks.com/mtb-gear/rene-herse-tpu-tube-sealant-is-designed-to-reduce-the-chance-of-flat-tires/</link>
<comments>https://www.singletracks.com/mtb-gear/rene-herse-tpu-tube-sealant-is-designed-to-reduce-the-chance-of-flat-tires/#comments</comments>
<dc:creator><![CDATA[Jeff Barber]]></dc:creator>
<pubDate>Thu, 24 Apr 2025 10:03:00 +0000</pubDate>
<category><![CDATA[Gear]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Tubeless]]></category>
<guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.singletracks.com/?p=693874</guid>
<description><![CDATA[<p>Specially-designed TPU tube sealant lets riders save weight while avoiding flats.</p>
<p>The article <a href="https://www.singletracks.com/mtb-gear/rene-herse-tpu-tube-sealant-is-designed-to-reduce-the-chance-of-flat-tires/">Rene Herse TPU tube sealant is designed to reduce the chance of flat tires</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.singletracks.com">Singletracks Mountain Bike News</a>.</p>
]]></description>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[
<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><a href="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/TPU_sealant_pump_8120-1024x684-1.jpg"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1024" height="684" src="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/TPU_sealant_pump_8120-1024x684-1.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-694602" srcset="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/TPU_sealant_pump_8120-1024x684-1.jpg 1024w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/TPU_sealant_pump_8120-1024x684-1-750x500.jpg 750w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/TPU_sealant_pump_8120-1024x684-1-375x250.jpg 375w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/TPU_sealant_pump_8120-1024x684-1-768x513.jpg 768w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/TPU_sealant_pump_8120-1024x684-1-600x401.jpg 600w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></a></figure>
<p>Bicycle inner tubes made from thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) are lighter and stronger than standard black butyl rubber tubes, but they’re also fragile, according to the team at Rene Herse Cycles. So, in addition to offering their own thicker TPU tubes, they’ve developed TPU Tube Sealant.</p>
<p>Wait, what?</p>
<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-how-tpu-tube-sealant-works">How TPU tube sealant works</h2>
<p>According to the instructions, <a href="https://www.renehersecycles.com/shop/components/tires/700c/rene-herse-tpu-tube-sealant/">Rene Herse TPU tube sealant</a> should be added to a TPU tube before it’s installed in a tire. The team recommends adding a mL volume of sealant equal to the width of your tire in millimeters. For example, for a 2.4″ mountain bike tire (60mm), add 60mL of sealant.</p>
<p>A representative for the brand explained to me via email that the sealant is “specially formulated for TPU tubes, since it doesn’t need to plug gaps between tire and rim, nor the sometimes leaky sidewalls that you get, especially with supple high-performance tires.” For that reason, riders don’t need as much sealant as they would for, say, sealing a tubeless <em>tire</em>, which generally requires 100mL of sealant or more.</p>
<p>The brand rep went on to say they couldn’t tell me what’s in the sealant (does it use latex or ammonia like tire sealant?) but assured me that “it really works in the field, not just in carefully controlled lab tests.”</p>
<p>Riders may already be familiar with Slime Self-Sealing inner tubes, which are sold with sealant already inside the tube. These butyl rubber tubes are said to prevent flats for two years, and they’re commonly available at department stores like Walmart. They’re heavy, too; according to <a href="https://www.singletracks.com/wp-json/click/track/nGtEx1/">this product listing</a>, a single 29er Slime tube weighs about 400g, or almost a pound. A TPU tube, with 60mL of sealant inside, should only weigh about 125g while similarly reducing the chance of a flat tire.</p>
<p>Muc Off is another brand that sells <a href="https://www.singletracks.com/wp-json/click/track/3a7upc/">sealant designed specifically for inner tubes</a>, rather than tires. However, there is no mention of use with TPU tubes.</p>
<figure class="wp-block-gallery aligncenter has-nested-images columns-default is-cropped wp-block-gallery-9 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex">
<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><a href="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/TPU_valves_00287_raw800-600x600-1.jpg"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="600" height="600" data-id="694611" src="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/TPU_valves_00287_raw800-600x600-1.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-694611"/></a></figure>
<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><a href="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/SQ_TPU_sealant_04779.jpg"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1000" height="1021" data-id="694601" src="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/SQ_TPU_sealant_04779.jpg" alt="A bottle of TPU tube sealant, 100 ml (3.4 fl. oz.), with a blue cap and nozzle. The bottle label features instructions for use. In the background, a clear plastic tube is partially visible. The image is set against a light background." class="wp-image-694601" srcset="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/SQ_TPU_sealant_04779.jpg 1000w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/SQ_TPU_sealant_04779-735x750.jpg 735w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/SQ_TPU_sealant_04779-768x784.jpg 768w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/SQ_TPU_sealant_04779-600x613.jpg 600w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" /></a></figure>
</figure>
<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-this-won-t-work-with-most-tpu-tubes">This won’t work with most TPU tubes</h2>
<p>Rene Herse TPU sealant is designed for use <em>inside</em> a tube, so there needs to be a way to get the liquid in there. <a href="https://www.singletracks.com/mtb-gear/6-tpu-inner-tubes-trail-tested/">I tested half a dozen TPU tubes</a> recently, including tubes from Tubolito and WTB, and none of those feature a removable valve core. <a href="https://www.renehersecycles.com/shop/components/tires/700c/700c-tpu-tubes-metal-valves/">Rene Herse TPU tubes</a> <em>do</em> have removable cores, as do <a href="https://tannusamerica.com/products/dubied-road-ultra-endurance-tpu-tube-622-x-25-35mm">Tannus Dubied Endurance Ultra TPU road tubes</a>, so either one of those will be much easier to use with the sealant.</p>
<p>The direct injection bottle is designed to fit a tire valve with the core removed, and the cap works as a valve core removal tool. </p>
<p>“Most TPU tubes use a plastic valve stem, but the valve core is always metal,” the brand rep told me. “When the valve core is tightened in the plastic tube, the tube deforms and can leak air. Tightening the valve core more—which usually cures those leaks—deforms the plastic tube more, making things worse. Rene Herse TPU tubes use a patented all-metal valve that doesn’t suffer from these issues.”</p>
<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-why-not-just-go-tubeless">Why not just go tubeless?</h2>
<p>Following my TPU tube test this month, I was surprised to hear that several readers are running TPU tubes long-term, rather than using them only as a temporary repair. The main reason for doing so seems to be that some wheels and/or tires are not tubeless compatible, and given the choice of tubes, a TPU tube is lighter than a rubber tube.</p>
<p>Does running a TPU tube with sealant save weight over a purely tubeless setup? It seems unlikely, unless you’re currently running an unusually high volume of tire sealant. For example, 6oz of tire sealant weighs about 180g, in which case a 62g Rene Herse TPU tube with 60mL of sealant will weigh at least 50g less. (We calculated the specific gravity of <a href="https://www.singletracks.com/mtb-gear/best-tubeless-tire-sealant/">popular sealants in this test</a>; most are just above 1.0, though note that Slime is the densest at 1.24!)</p>
<p>For those riders who can’t go tubeless, or simply prefer not to, Rene Herse promises their TPU sealant allows buyers to “enjoy the performance and convenience of TPU tubes with the flat-proofness of tubeless—truly the best of both worlds.”</p>
<p>The article <a href="https://www.singletracks.com/mtb-gear/rene-herse-tpu-tube-sealant-is-designed-to-reduce-the-chance-of-flat-tires/">Rene Herse TPU tube sealant is designed to reduce the chance of flat tires</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.singletracks.com">Singletracks Mountain Bike News</a>.</p>
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<slash:comments>5</slash:comments>
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<item>
<title>Hundreds of Ari bikes were stolen in California shipping fraud case</title>
<link>https://www.singletracks.com/mtb-gear/hundreds-of-ari-bikes-were-stolen-in-california-shipping-fraud-case/</link>
<comments>https://www.singletracks.com/mtb-gear/hundreds-of-ari-bikes-were-stolen-in-california-shipping-fraud-case/#comments</comments>
<dc:creator><![CDATA[Jeff Barber]]></dc:creator>
<pubDate>Wed, 23 Apr 2025 19:57:07 +0000</pubDate>
<category><![CDATA[Gear]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[news]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[stolen]]></category>
<guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.singletracks.com/?p=695044</guid>
<description><![CDATA[<p>A shipment containing 337 Ari bikes, including new and unreleased models, was stolen in California.</p>
<p>The article <a href="https://www.singletracks.com/mtb-gear/hundreds-of-ari-bikes-were-stolen-in-california-shipping-fraud-case/">Hundreds of Ari bikes were stolen in California shipping fraud case</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.singletracks.com">Singletracks Mountain Bike News</a>.</p>
]]></description>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[
<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><a href="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/Optimus_Photos_lowres-11.jpg"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1170" height="780" src="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/Optimus_Photos_lowres-11-1170x780.jpg" alt="Close-up of an orange Ari mountain bike frame, featuring the word "ARI" visibly displayed along the side. The image captures the handlebars, front fork, and part of the wheel, set against a background of rocky terrain." class="wp-image-660608" srcset="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/Optimus_Photos_lowres-11-1170x780.jpg 1170w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/Optimus_Photos_lowres-11-750x500.jpg 750w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/Optimus_Photos_lowres-11-375x250.jpg 375w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/Optimus_Photos_lowres-11-768x512.jpg 768w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/Optimus_Photos_lowres-11-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/Optimus_Photos_lowres-11-2048x1366.jpg 2048w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/Optimus_Photos_lowres-11-600x400.jpg 600w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1170px) 100vw, 1170px" /></a><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">File photo, courtesy Ari.</figcaption></figure>
<p>Yesterday, <a href="https://aribikes.com/">the bike brand Ari</a> announced <a href="https://www.instagram.com/reel/DIup0_osghD/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==">on Instagram</a> that hundreds of bikes were stolen from a truck en route from California to the company’s Utah warehouse. The shipment containing 337 bikes, valued at $1.7M, was supposed to arrive in Utah on Friday, but the company was told the shipment was delayed due to a flat tire. On Monday morning, Tyler Cloward, Director of Product Development at Ari Bicycles, learned the shipment never left the Los Angeles area.</p>
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font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:550; line-height:18px;">View this post on Instagram</div></div><div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"><div> <div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"></div> <div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"></div></div><div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"></div> <div style=" width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg)"></div></div><div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style=" width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"></div> <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"></div> <div style=" width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"></div></div></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"></div> <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"></div></div></a><p style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px; margin-bottom:0; margin-top:8px; overflow:hidden; padding:8px 0 7px; text-align:center; text-overflow:ellipsis; white-space:nowrap;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/reel/DIup0_osghD/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none;" target="_blank">A post shared by Ari Bikes (@ari.bikes)</a></p></div></blockquote>
<p></p>
<p>“We know the truck was driven up to Santa Clarita,” he told Singletracks. “We suspect it was unloaded somewhere in the area.” Cloward went on to say the truck was later found, but it already had someone else’s cargo inside. The crime is being characterized as fraud and impersonation.</p>
<p>Various Ari bike models were in the shipment, including the brand’s new <a href="https://aribikes.com/products/timp-peak">Timp Peak eMTB</a>. The shipment also included an unreleased dirt jump bike, <a href="https://aribikes.com/products/801-dirt-jumper">the 801</a>, which is currently only available for pre-order. Cloward says someone brought one of the 801 DJ bikes from the shipment into a local bike shop in the Santa Clarita area, asking for help with assembly.</p>
<p>“At least there’s one in the area,” he said. “We suspect there’s more in the area. […] We’re already five days in, so who knows how far they’ve made it.”</p>
<p>The man who brought the bike into the shop was captured on surveillance video. When questioned, he fled the shop, leaving the bike behind.</p>
<p>There have been occasional reports of bikes being stolen from brands while in transport, though most cases have involved less than a dozen bikes. The Ari shipment, which included parts and supplies as well, filled an entire semi-truck.</p>
<p>Though police have no way of tracking the bikes directly, it may be possible to pinpoint the location of the e-bikes if/when they are connected to a smartphone app. “If anybody ever hooks into any of the apps, it’ll register that it’s been activated,” Cloward said. The company has already put the word out to local bike shops and has a record of the serial numbers for each bike, which should help.</p>
<p>“If we can’t recover these, very worst case scenario, we’re doing our best to make it so they can’t sell them. Nobody will touch them.”</p>
<p>For smaller brands, losing hundreds of bikes would be a major setback, and could represent almost a year’s worth of inventory. Cloward tells me Ari brings in container shipments several times a month.</p>
<p>“From a company standpoint, we will be fine,” he said. “I mean, it hurts, obviously, and it’s a pain, it’s a hassle.”</p>
<p>“Our number one priority is those bikes that were pre-sold. We’re doing our best to reach out to customers, to give an updated timeline, and work with them.”</p>
<p>Priority number two? </p>
<p>“Recover the bikes, if we can.”</p>
<p>The article <a href="https://www.singletracks.com/mtb-gear/hundreds-of-ari-bikes-were-stolen-in-california-shipping-fraud-case/">Hundreds of Ari bikes were stolen in California shipping fraud case</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.singletracks.com">Singletracks Mountain Bike News</a>.</p>
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<slash:comments>8</slash:comments>
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<title>A 70-year-old may have just smashed a pump track world record</title>
<link>https://www.singletracks.com/mtb-tips/a-70-year-old-may-have-just-smashed-a-pump-track-world-record/</link>
<comments>https://www.singletracks.com/mtb-tips/a-70-year-old-may-have-just-smashed-a-pump-track-world-record/#comments</comments>
<dc:creator><![CDATA[Jeff Barber]]></dc:creator>
<pubDate>Wed, 23 Apr 2025 18:17:00 +0000</pubDate>
<category><![CDATA[Tips]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[hans van der voorn]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[inspiration]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[pump track]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[world record]]></category>
<guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.singletracks.com/?p=693919</guid>
<description><![CDATA[<p>Mountain biker Hans van der Voorn proves it's possible to keep shredding into your 70s.</p>
<p>The article <a href="https://www.singletracks.com/mtb-tips/a-70-year-old-may-have-just-smashed-a-pump-track-world-record/">A 70-year-old may have just smashed a pump track world record</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.singletracks.com">Singletracks Mountain Bike News</a>.</p>
]]></description>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[
<figure class="wp-block-gallery has-nested-images columns-default is-cropped wp-block-gallery-10 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex">
<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><a href="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/unnamed-66.jpg"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1170" height="878" data-id="694652" src="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/unnamed-66-1170x878.jpg" alt="A man riding a bicycle on a pump track in an urban park. He is wearing a helmet and a patterned shirt, smiling as he navigates the course. In the background, there is a modern building labeled "URBANZ" and several people engaging with a play area featuring swings. The sky is partly cloudy with a blue backdrop." class="wp-image-694652" srcset="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/unnamed-66-1170x878.jpg 1170w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/unnamed-66-750x563.jpg 750w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/unnamed-66-768x576.jpg 768w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/unnamed-66-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/unnamed-66-2048x1536.jpg 2048w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/unnamed-66-600x450.jpg 600w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1170px) 100vw, 1170px" /></a></figure>
<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><a href="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/unnamed-63.jpg"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="878" height="1170" data-id="694655" src="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/unnamed-63-878x1170.jpg" alt="A close-up of a hand holding a mechanical counter displaying the number 0666, with a blurred background showing a cyclist wearing a helmet and a patterned shirt next to a mountain bike. The setting appears to be an outdoor area with trees and a building in the background." class="wp-image-694655" srcset="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/unnamed-63-878x1170.jpg 878w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/unnamed-63-563x750.jpg 563w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/unnamed-63-768x1024.jpg 768w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/unnamed-63-1152x1536.jpg 1152w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/unnamed-63-1536x2048.jpg 1536w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/unnamed-63-600x800.jpg 600w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 878px) 100vw, 878px" /></a></figure>
</figure>
<p>Pump tracks are just for kids. Mountain biking into your 70s isn’t possible. </p>
<p>These are just two of the myths Hans van der Voorn disproved last month when he attempted to break the Guinness World Record for the longest distance traveled without pedaling on a bicycle pump track. The 70-year-old rode 60km on a New Zealand track without pedaling, though he’s still waiting to hear if the record will be officially certified. Either way, he’s proven that age is just a number when it comes to mountain biking.</p>
<p>“When I read the article about Jason [Connor] <a href="https://www.singletracks.com/community/biking-50km-without-a-chain-likely-sets-a-new-world-record/">doing the chainless record</a>, I’d turned 70 and had a few cycling projects that I wanted to do in that year, with the theme of not capitulating to getting older,” van der Voorn told me.</p>
<p>A mountain biker since 2003, van der Voorn is no stranger to chasing records. “I’ve done a couple of <a href="https://everesting.com/">Everesting</a> [challenges], and for both of those I was the oldest to have done them at the time, but those records didn’t last long.” Though van der Voorn says the four-hour pump track record attempt wasn’t as difficult as Everesting in terms of endurance, it required constant focus.</p>
<p>That focus, developed through years of riding and martial arts training, “counteracts the loss of physical ability that comes with aging,” van der Voorn said. “Older people don’t lose their endurance the way they lose strength, power, and speed. They ought to have more mental resilience, but not everyone will.”</p>
<p>Van der Voorn exudes a bit of a punk-rock vibe. In photos posted from his attempt, he’s wearing an ATTAQUER cycling cap with the words “Fock Yeah” printed on the underside of the bill. He stopped after exactly 666 laps for his record attempt. And he’s ridden the <a href="https://www.singletracks.com/mtb-trails/is-the-old-ghost-road-really-one-of-the-best-mtb-trails-in-the-world-i-flew-to-new-zealand-to-find-out/">Old Ghost Road trail</a> five times, always in a single day. Even among riders half his age, he stands out as a badass.</p>
<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-pump-track-world-record-attempt">Pump track world record attempt</h2>
<p>The process for setting or breaking a Guinness World Record is neither quick nor easy. <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guinness_World_Records#Change_in_business_model">It can also be expensive</a> and requires extensive documentation. When it comes to the pump track world record, first established by Jason Connor in 2021, van der Voorn isn’t even sure what the rules <em>are</em>.</p>
<p>“I haven’t been able to find the previous record on [the Guinness] website,” he said. In fact, <a href="https://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/search?term=pump%20track&page=1&type=all&max=20&partial=_Results&">a search</a> for “pump track” shows just two records, one for the world’s largest pump track park and one for the asphalt pump track with the largest elevation difference. (Both are in China.)</p>
<p>Studying media reports of Connor’s attempts, van der Voorn determined he needed to ride more than 50.2km on a pump track without pedaling. He removed the chain from his mountain bike and used a wheel-based sensor, rather than GPS, to measure the distance. However, unlike Connor, van der Voorn did stop “a few times” to hydrate. He also crashed into a fence at one point.</p>
<p>“One point about stopping is that you have to get started and up to speed again, which takes a lap or two,” he said. “So there’s no real advantage in stopping.”</p>
<p>Will Guinness certify the record, given that van der Voorn wasn’t constantly moving throughout his attempt? That’s to be determined, but van der Voorn doesn’t seem concerned.</p>
<p>“It gets a bit philosophical about whether a world record is a world record if it isn’t formally recognized by [Guinness].”</p>
<p>In spite of the uncertainty, he’s already planning another attempt.</p>
<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-inspiring-multiple-generations">Inspiring multiple generations</h2>
<p>Van der Voorn is using his world record attempt to raise funds in support of youth mountain biking. More than 50 supporters donated funds to help purchase bikes for underprivileged youth, though <a href="https://givealittle.co.nz/cause/chainless-cycling-world-record-sponsorship">the campaign</a> failed to meet its $10,000 goal. </p>
<p>In an update posted to the online fundraiser, van der Voorn wrote, “We are proceeding with the donation of 10 new Trek Marlin bikes plus various accessories to <a href="https://www.tearatai.school.nz/">Te Aratai College</a> in Christchurch. The cost of this will be approximately $8,500. I’ll be paying the difference myself.”</p>
<p>He goes on to say, “The gear would normally have a retail value of $12,000. Thank you to Scotty Brown’s bike shop for facilitating the pricing.”</p>
<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-not-giving-up">Not giving up</h2>
<p>It’s clear that van der Voorn isn’t content to sit around and wait for word from Guinness. He says he’s planning another attempt and will seek to improve based on what he learned the first time around. For starters, he plans to pre-register the attempt well in advance to improve his odds of getting the official record certified.</p>
<p>His three-pronged approach includes mental and physical elements, plus a focus on his equipment. He also hopes to use a larger and faster track so that he can cover even more ground.</p>
<p>“For the next attempt, I’ll go for what I can do in four hours. Hopefully that will be 75-80km,” he said. “I’ll regulate the drink stops, stay focused mentally, and not crash.”</p>
<p>The article <a href="https://www.singletracks.com/mtb-tips/a-70-year-old-may-have-just-smashed-a-pump-track-world-record/">A 70-year-old may have just smashed a pump track world record</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.singletracks.com">Singletracks Mountain Bike News</a>.</p>
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<slash:comments>5</slash:comments>
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<title>The iconic Demo Forest Flow trail near Santa Cruz, CA, is being rebuilt this spring</title>
<link>https://www.singletracks.com/mtb-trails/the-iconic-demo-forest-flow-trail-near-santa-cruz-ca-is-being-rebuilt-this-spring/</link>
<comments>https://www.singletracks.com/mtb-trails/the-iconic-demo-forest-flow-trail-near-santa-cruz-ca-is-being-rebuilt-this-spring/#comments</comments>
<dc:creator><![CDATA[Greg Heil]]></dc:creator>
<pubDate>Wed, 23 Apr 2025 10:16:00 +0000</pubDate>
<category><![CDATA[Trails]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[news]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[santa cruz california]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[trail development]]></category>
<guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.singletracks.com/?p=694095</guid>
<description><![CDATA[<p>The Demo Forest Flow Trail is getting a much-needed reboot, with a complete trail tread resurfacing and feature adjustments to make the trail flow better.</p>
<p>The article <a href="https://www.singletracks.com/mtb-trails/the-iconic-demo-forest-flow-trail-near-santa-cruz-ca-is-being-rebuilt-this-spring/">The iconic Demo Forest Flow trail near Santa Cruz, CA, is being rebuilt this spring</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.singletracks.com">Singletracks Mountain Bike News</a>.</p>
]]></description>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[
<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><a href="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/ol3c4114jpg_27900052339_o.jpg"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1170" height="752" src="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/ol3c4114jpg_27900052339_o-1170x752.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-694794" srcset="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/ol3c4114jpg_27900052339_o-1170x752.jpg 1170w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/ol3c4114jpg_27900052339_o-750x482.jpg 750w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/ol3c4114jpg_27900052339_o-768x494.jpg 768w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/ol3c4114jpg_27900052339_o-1536x988.jpg 1536w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/ol3c4114jpg_27900052339_o-600x386.jpg 600w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/ol3c4114jpg_27900052339_o.jpg 2048w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1170px) 100vw, 1170px" /></a><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Trail builder riding a refreshed berm on the Flow Trail. Photo: SCMTS</figcaption></figure>
<p>The <a href="https://www.singletracks.com/bike-trails/forest-of-nisene-marks-soquel-demonstration-forest/">Soquel Demonstration State Forest</a> (SDSF), located just north of Santa Cruz, CA, is truly one of the OG mountain bike trail systems. The trails in the “Demo Forest” have been ridden for decades, and they still serve as a popular mountain bike destination for mountain bikers in and around the Bay Area. “These are the most mountain bike-oriented trails — legitimate trails — we have in the region,” said Matt De Young, Executive Director of <a href="https://santacruztrails.org/">Santa Cruz Mountains Trail Stewardship</a> (SCMTS).</p>
<p>In 2015, the SDSF got a major upgrade when the “Flow Trail” was built. Ten years ago, flow trails were still a relatively new concept, and the <a href="https://www.singletracks.com/bike-trails/demo-flow-trail/">Demo Forest Flow Trail</a> quickly became known as one of the best flow trails in the state, if not the country. In many ways, the Flow Trail in SDSF helped define the term and provided a model for other trail builders to follow.</p>
<p>“[It’s] hugely popular,” said De Young, adding that it’s by far the most popular trail in the forest. According to trail counter data, the Flow Trail receives roughly 50,000 visits per year. “People travel from all over to ride those trails. I’ve met people from all over the world out there on the Flow Trail. Ten years in, it’s been very popular, and people still love it.”</p>
<p>This spring, SCMTS is rebuilding and revamping the Flow Trail to make it better than ever.</p>
<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><a href="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/CA-SCMTS-SoquelDemo-DigDay-96dpi-04052025-09721.jpg"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1170" height="780" src="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/CA-SCMTS-SoquelDemo-DigDay-96dpi-04052025-09721-1170x780.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-694802" srcset="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/CA-SCMTS-SoquelDemo-DigDay-96dpi-04052025-09721-1170x780.jpg 1170w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/CA-SCMTS-SoquelDemo-DigDay-96dpi-04052025-09721-750x500.jpg 750w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/CA-SCMTS-SoquelDemo-DigDay-96dpi-04052025-09721-375x250.jpg 375w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/CA-SCMTS-SoquelDemo-DigDay-96dpi-04052025-09721-768x512.jpg 768w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/CA-SCMTS-SoquelDemo-DigDay-96dpi-04052025-09721-1536x1025.jpg 1536w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/CA-SCMTS-SoquelDemo-DigDay-96dpi-04052025-09721-2048x1366.jpg 2048w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/CA-SCMTS-SoquelDemo-DigDay-96dpi-04052025-09721-600x400.jpg 600w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1170px) 100vw, 1170px" /></a><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Photo: Christine La, courtesy SCMTS</figcaption></figure>
<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-why-is-the-rebuild-necessary">Why is the rebuild necessary?</h2>
<p>“Summertime here in California, we don’t have any rain from June through October, so soil moisture really depletes,” said De Young. Due to the dry, soft soil, “the trail gets a little bit beat up over the summer.”</p>
<p>Flow trails generally require more maintenance than historic singletrack trails to keep the berms from getting cupped out and to maintain sharp and poppy lips on the jumps. In addition, flow trails with a high trail speed can form braking bumps, especially when the soil is dry. Add the Demo Forest Flow Trail’s 50,000 rides per year to the dry summer soil, and the SCMTS is constantly battling braking bumps.</p>
<p>“We do our best, with the annual maintenance, keeping it going, but it was at a point where we really wanted to give it a refresh — do a big push, not just Band-Aid fixes, but rebuilding some things that weren’t working quite right,” said De Young.”</p>
<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><a href="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/CA-SCMTS-SoquelDemo-DigDay-96dpi-04052025-00108.jpg"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1170" height="780" src="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/CA-SCMTS-SoquelDemo-DigDay-96dpi-04052025-00108-1170x780.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-694799" srcset="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/CA-SCMTS-SoquelDemo-DigDay-96dpi-04052025-00108-1170x780.jpg 1170w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/CA-SCMTS-SoquelDemo-DigDay-96dpi-04052025-00108-750x500.jpg 750w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/CA-SCMTS-SoquelDemo-DigDay-96dpi-04052025-00108-375x250.jpg 375w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/CA-SCMTS-SoquelDemo-DigDay-96dpi-04052025-00108-768x512.jpg 768w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/CA-SCMTS-SoquelDemo-DigDay-96dpi-04052025-00108-1536x1025.jpg 1536w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/CA-SCMTS-SoquelDemo-DigDay-96dpi-04052025-00108-2048x1366.jpg 2048w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/CA-SCMTS-SoquelDemo-DigDay-96dpi-04052025-00108-600x400.jpg 600w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1170px) 100vw, 1170px" /></a><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Photo: Christine La, courtesy SCMTS</figcaption></figure>
<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-fixes-and-upgrades-coming-to-the-demo-forest-flow-trail">Fixes and upgrades coming to the Demo Forest Flow Trail</h2>
<p>The rebuild will address maintenance issues by removing braking bumps and resurfacing features. SCMTS will harvest new dirt, bring it onto the trail, reshape the dirt, and re-compact it. Essentially, the entire trail surface is getting a makeover.</p>
<p>But they’re going beyond just a simple surface refresh.</p>
<p>SCMTS is also addressing “sections that were not working well and causing people to [create] breaking bumps and craters in the berm. So just adjusting the flow of the trail so that we can minimize some of those maintenance issues.”</p>
<p>“We had a lot of 180, kind of tight berms, and people can be intimidated by those. People can grab brakes,” De Young continued. “We want to make sure there’s really good sight lines.”</p>
<p>Moving a berm is no small feat. “We have gotten out there with our crew and rebuilt a number of the berms. […] Some of them are six feet tall — they’re, massive, massive berms.”</p>
<p>The professional trail builders from SCMTS brought their mini excavators out for the heavy lifting and dirt moving, but much of the rebuild has also been done by volunteer labor. In the smaller areas, hand labor was better suited, and volunteers also helped with hand finishing behind the machines. “We let the machines do the heavy, heavy lifting, and then have the volunteers come in and do the cleanup,” said De Young.</p>
<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><a href="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/CA-SCMTS-SoquelDemo-DigDay-96dpi-04052025-00013.jpg"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1170" height="780" src="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/CA-SCMTS-SoquelDemo-DigDay-96dpi-04052025-00013-1170x780.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-694798" srcset="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/CA-SCMTS-SoquelDemo-DigDay-96dpi-04052025-00013-1170x780.jpg 1170w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/CA-SCMTS-SoquelDemo-DigDay-96dpi-04052025-00013-750x500.jpg 750w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/CA-SCMTS-SoquelDemo-DigDay-96dpi-04052025-00013-375x250.jpg 375w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/CA-SCMTS-SoquelDemo-DigDay-96dpi-04052025-00013-768x512.jpg 768w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/CA-SCMTS-SoquelDemo-DigDay-96dpi-04052025-00013-1536x1025.jpg 1536w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/CA-SCMTS-SoquelDemo-DigDay-96dpi-04052025-00013-2048x1366.jpg 2048w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/CA-SCMTS-SoquelDemo-DigDay-96dpi-04052025-00013-600x400.jpg 600w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1170px) 100vw, 1170px" /></a><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Photo: Christine La, courtesy SCMTS</figcaption></figure>
<p>Much of the volunteer labor was conducted or led by what SCMTS calls “Trail Sages.” “They’re our most experienced volunteers. They’re able to lead their own independent trail work out there. So it’s really been a place where we’ve seen that community stewardship model be super effective.”</p>
<p>A coordinated workday on the Flow Trail recently brought out over 60 volunteers, and the Trail Sages are also hosting ongoing drop-in workdays every Friday.</p>
<p>De Young anticipates that the bulk of the rebuild will be complete by the end of April, but that there will be some ongoing drop-in volunteer workdays taking place through the rest of the springtime.</p>
<p>SCMTS has invested over 500 hours of professional labor into the rebuild, which is equal to $35,000 of investment. In addition, volunteers have contributed 369 hours of labor — an estimated $13,653 value, based on California’s estimated rate for volunteer hours.</p>
<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><a href="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/SoquelDemoForest-DigDay-ChristineLa-12192022-72.jpg"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1170" height="780" src="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/SoquelDemoForest-DigDay-ChristineLa-12192022-72-1170x780.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-694800" srcset="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/SoquelDemoForest-DigDay-ChristineLa-12192022-72-1170x780.jpg 1170w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/SoquelDemoForest-DigDay-ChristineLa-12192022-72-750x500.jpg 750w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/SoquelDemoForest-DigDay-ChristineLa-12192022-72-375x250.jpg 375w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/SoquelDemoForest-DigDay-ChristineLa-12192022-72-768x512.jpg 768w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/SoquelDemoForest-DigDay-ChristineLa-12192022-72-1536x1025.jpg 1536w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/SoquelDemoForest-DigDay-ChristineLa-12192022-72-2048x1366.jpg 2048w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/SoquelDemoForest-DigDay-ChristineLa-12192022-72-600x400.jpg 600w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1170px) 100vw, 1170px" /></a><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Photo: SCMTS</figcaption></figure>
<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-are-any-new-trails-planned-in-the-demo-forest">Are any new trails planned in the Demo Forest?</h2>
<p>Mountain bikers are always champing at the bit for new trails, and while SCMTS has been hard at work opening new trail networks, like <a target="_blank" href="https://www.singletracks.com/mtb-trails/the-cotoni-coast-dairies-national-monument-unit-near-santa-cruz-ca-is-home-to-a-brand-new-mtb-trail-system/" rel="noreferrer noopener">the Cotoni-Coast Dairies National Monument</a>, it’s been quite some time since Demo Forest has seen a new trail.</p>
<p>“There’s nothing planned right now,” said De Young of the possibility of new trails. However, “We are in talks with Cal Fire, the land manager, about some concepts and options. There’s interest there.”</p>
<p>One of the concepts they’re discussing concerns the Corral Trail, which begins as singletrack and finishes on a fire road. SCMTS would like to see Corral be a singletrack descent the entire way.</p>
<p>“There’s also desire for a climbing trail out there because right now, people ride fire road and actually have to ride some pavement and other public roads to complete loops out there,” said De Young. “So there’s a great opportunity to have a climbing trail to keep people off the road, mitigate safety issues, and also keep the roads free for emergency response and logging and just reduce impacts on the roads out there as well.”</p>
<p>While “nothing’s on the books,” with tireless advocates like SCMTS rebuilding existing trails and advocating for new ones, the riding in Demo Forest just keeps getting better and better!</p>
<p>The article <a href="https://www.singletracks.com/mtb-trails/the-iconic-demo-forest-flow-trail-near-santa-cruz-ca-is-being-rebuilt-this-spring/">The iconic Demo Forest Flow trail near Santa Cruz, CA, is being rebuilt this spring</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.singletracks.com">Singletracks Mountain Bike News</a>.</p>
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<title>The State 4130 Trail steel hardtail MTB can be whatever you want it to be</title>
<link>https://www.singletracks.com/mtb-gear/the-state-4130-steel-hardtail-mtb-can-be-whatever-you-want-it-to-be/</link>
<comments>https://www.singletracks.com/mtb-gear/the-state-4130-steel-hardtail-mtb-can-be-whatever-you-want-it-to-be/#respond</comments>
<dc:creator><![CDATA[Jeff Barber]]></dc:creator>
<pubDate>Tue, 22 Apr 2025 13:00:00 +0000</pubDate>
<category><![CDATA[Gear]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[news]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[state 4130 trail]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[steel]]></category>
<guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.singletracks.com/?p=693958</guid>
<description><![CDATA[<p>The State 4130 Trail hardtail could be the steel antidote to MTB tech creep.</p>
<p>The article <a href="https://www.singletracks.com/mtb-gear/the-state-4130-steel-hardtail-mtb-can-be-whatever-you-want-it-to-be/">The State 4130 Trail steel hardtail MTB can be whatever you want it to be</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.singletracks.com">Singletracks Mountain Bike News</a>.</p>
]]></description>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[
<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><a href="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/state-4130-hardtail-mountain-bike-01.jpg"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="2400" height="1600" src="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/state-4130-hardtail-mountain-bike-01.jpg" alt="A mountain bike with a sleek gold frame parked on a dirt trail surrounded by greenery and fallen leaves. The bike features a black front fork, thick tires, and a prominent gear setup, highlighting its readiness for outdoor adventures." class="wp-image-694886" srcset="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/state-4130-hardtail-mountain-bike-01.jpg 2400w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/state-4130-hardtail-mountain-bike-01-750x500.jpg 750w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/state-4130-hardtail-mountain-bike-01-1170x780.jpg 1170w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/state-4130-hardtail-mountain-bike-01-375x250.jpg 375w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/state-4130-hardtail-mountain-bike-01-768x512.jpg 768w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/state-4130-hardtail-mountain-bike-01-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/state-4130-hardtail-mountain-bike-01-2048x1365.jpg 2048w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/state-4130-hardtail-mountain-bike-01-600x400.jpg 600w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 2400px) 100vw, 2400px" /></a></figure>
<p>Roughly two months after launching <a href="https://www.singletracks.com/mtb-gear/state-4130-all-road-steel-gravel-bike-test-ride-review/">a new steel gravel bike</a>, State is introducing the 4130 Trail hardtail, a mountain bike the brand hopes “delivers everything you need and none of the fluff.” The State 4130 Trail naturally features a 4130 chromoly steel frame, and the default $1,499 build includes a <a href="https://www.singletracks.com/mtb-gear/the-rockshox-psylo-fork-is-a-more-affordable-lyrik-alternative/">RockShox Psylo fork</a>, which is rare for a mountain bike at this price point.</p>
<hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity is-style-wide"/>
<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-state-4130-trail-hardtail-specs">State 4130 Trail hardtail specs</h2>
<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li>4130 chromoly steel frame with external routing </li>
<li>130mm fork travel</li>
<li>Weight: 33.6lb as tested (size L/XL)</li>
<li>Price: $1,499</li>
<li>Buy <a href="https://www.singletracks.com/wp-json/click/track/7x2UgD/">from State Bicycle Co.</a></li>
</ul>
<hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity is-style-wide"/>
<p>Looking at the geometry, the 4130 Trail cuts modern lines. The 65° head tube angle is properly slack for the 130mm-travel fork. Sub-430mm chainstays promise a playful ride feel while still offering clearance for tires up to 29×2.6″. I’m testing a size large/extra-large, and the 490mm reach feels comfortable — not too long, not too cramped. Even though I’m 6’3″, the 844mm standover height is noticeably high.</p>
<figure class="wp-block-gallery has-nested-images columns-2 is-cropped wp-block-gallery-11 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex">
<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><a href="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/state-4130-hardtail-mountain-bike-03.jpg"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1170" height="780" data-id="694888" src="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/state-4130-hardtail-mountain-bike-03-1170x780.jpg" alt="A close-up view of a bicycle frame featuring a yellow finish, with a visible label that reads "4130 Chromoly Steel." The image captures details of the bike's drivetrain and rear wheel, set against a blurred natural background of leaves and trees." class="wp-image-694888" srcset="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/state-4130-hardtail-mountain-bike-03-1170x780.jpg 1170w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/state-4130-hardtail-mountain-bike-03-750x500.jpg 750w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/state-4130-hardtail-mountain-bike-03-375x250.jpg 375w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/state-4130-hardtail-mountain-bike-03-768x512.jpg 768w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/state-4130-hardtail-mountain-bike-03-1536x1025.jpg 1536w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/state-4130-hardtail-mountain-bike-03-2048x1366.jpg 2048w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/state-4130-hardtail-mountain-bike-03-600x400.jpg 600w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1170px) 100vw, 1170px" /></a></figure>
<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><a href="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/state-4130-hardtail-mountain-bike-05.jpg"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1170" height="780" data-id="694884" src="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/state-4130-hardtail-mountain-bike-05-1170x780.jpg" alt="Close-up view of a mountain bike frame in a greenish-yellow color, highlighting the triangular design element near the rear wheel, with a textured tire visible in the background. The ground is covered in brown leaves, creating an earthy outdoor setting." class="wp-image-694884" srcset="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/state-4130-hardtail-mountain-bike-05-1170x780.jpg 1170w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/state-4130-hardtail-mountain-bike-05-750x500.jpg 750w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/state-4130-hardtail-mountain-bike-05-375x250.jpg 375w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/state-4130-hardtail-mountain-bike-05-768x512.jpg 768w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/state-4130-hardtail-mountain-bike-05-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/state-4130-hardtail-mountain-bike-05-2048x1365.jpg 2048w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/state-4130-hardtail-mountain-bike-05-600x400.jpg 600w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1170px) 100vw, 1170px" /></a></figure>
<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><a href="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/state-4130-hardtail-mountain-bike-09.jpg"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1170" height="780" data-id="694879" src="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/state-4130-hardtail-mountain-bike-09-1170x780.jpg" alt="Close-up of a bike frame in a forest setting, featuring an olive green color with the word "STATE" prominently displayed in white. The image captures the bike's tires and part of the forest trail in the background, surrounded by lush green foliage and tree trunks." class="wp-image-694879" srcset="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/state-4130-hardtail-mountain-bike-09-1170x780.jpg 1170w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/state-4130-hardtail-mountain-bike-09-750x500.jpg 750w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/state-4130-hardtail-mountain-bike-09-375x250.jpg 375w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/state-4130-hardtail-mountain-bike-09-768x512.jpg 768w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/state-4130-hardtail-mountain-bike-09-1536x1025.jpg 1536w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/state-4130-hardtail-mountain-bike-09-2048x1366.jpg 2048w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/state-4130-hardtail-mountain-bike-09-600x400.jpg 600w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1170px) 100vw, 1170px" /></a></figure>
</figure>
<figure class="wp-block-table is-style-stripes"><table class="has-fixed-layout"><thead><tr><th></th><th>XS/S</th><th>S/M</th><th>M/L</th><th>L/XL</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td><strong>Seat Tube Length(mm)</strong></td><td>380</td><td>405</td><td>430</td><td>460</td></tr><tr><td><strong>Top Tube Length(mm)</strong></td><td>594.7</td><td>622.6</td><td>645.5</td><td>673.3</td></tr><tr><td><strong>Head Tube Angle(Degree)</strong></td><td>65</td><td>65</td><td>65</td><td>65</td></tr><tr><td><strong>Seat Tube Angle(Degree)</strong></td><td>74.5</td><td>74.4</td><td>74.4</td><td>74.4</td></tr><tr><td><strong>Head Tube Length(mm)</strong></td><td>100</td><td>110</td><td>120</td><td>130</td></tr><tr><td><strong>Front Center(mm)</strong></td><td>737.6</td><td>766.7</td><td>790.9</td><td>820</td></tr><tr><td><strong>Rear Center(mm)</strong></td><td>426.5</td><td>426.5</td><td>426.5</td><td>426.5</td></tr><tr><td><strong>Wheelbase(mm)</strong></td><td>1158.2</td><td>1187.5</td><td>1211.7</td><td>1240.9</td></tr><tr><td><strong>BB Height（27.5*3.0 Tire）(mm)</strong></td><td>312</td><td>312</td><td>312</td><td>312</td></tr><tr><td><strong>BB Height（29*2.6 Tire）(mm)</strong></td><td>321</td><td>321</td><td>321</td><td>321</td></tr><tr><td><strong>BB Drop(mm)</strong></td><td>56</td><td>56</td><td>56</td><td>56</td></tr><tr><td><strong>Reach(mm)</strong></td><td>420</td><td>445</td><td>465</td><td>490</td></tr><tr><td><strong>Stack(mm)</strong></td><td>628.3</td><td>637.4</td><td>646.5</td><td>655.5</td></tr><tr><td><strong>Standover Height（27.5*3.0 Tire）(mm)</strong></td><td>784</td><td>800</td><td>817</td><td>835</td></tr><tr><td><strong>Standover Height（29*2.6 Tire）(mm)</strong></td><td>793</td><td>809</td><td>826</td><td>844</td></tr></tbody></table><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">State 4130 Trail geometry.</figcaption></figure>
<p>External cable and hose routing — with the exception of the dropper cable — makes for easy repairs and upgrades down the line. There are mounts for two water bottles inside the front triangle, and the rear dropout is UDH-compatible.</p>
<figure class="wp-block-gallery has-nested-images columns-default is-cropped wp-block-gallery-12 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex">
<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><a href="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/state-4130-hardtail-mountain-bike-04.jpg"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1170" height="780" data-id="694887" src="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/state-4130-hardtail-mountain-bike-04-1170x780.jpg" alt="Close-up of a bicycle's rear derailleur and cassette, showing the metallic gears and chain against a blurred background of dirt and foliage." class="wp-image-694887" srcset="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/state-4130-hardtail-mountain-bike-04-1170x780.jpg 1170w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/state-4130-hardtail-mountain-bike-04-750x500.jpg 750w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/state-4130-hardtail-mountain-bike-04-375x250.jpg 375w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/state-4130-hardtail-mountain-bike-04-768x512.jpg 768w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/state-4130-hardtail-mountain-bike-04-1536x1025.jpg 1536w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/state-4130-hardtail-mountain-bike-04-2048x1366.jpg 2048w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/state-4130-hardtail-mountain-bike-04-600x400.jpg 600w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1170px) 100vw, 1170px" /></a></figure>
<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><a href="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/state-4130-hardtail-mountain-bike-13.jpg"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1170" height="780" data-id="694880" src="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/state-4130-hardtail-mountain-bike-13-1170x780.jpg" alt="Close-up of a bicycle's rear wheel featuring a yellow bike frame with a disc brake system. The image shows the brake rotor, caliper, and a portion of the chain, set against a blurred background of autumn leaves." class="wp-image-694880" srcset="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/state-4130-hardtail-mountain-bike-13-1170x780.jpg 1170w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/state-4130-hardtail-mountain-bike-13-750x500.jpg 750w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/state-4130-hardtail-mountain-bike-13-375x250.jpg 375w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/state-4130-hardtail-mountain-bike-13-768x512.jpg 768w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/state-4130-hardtail-mountain-bike-13-1536x1025.jpg 1536w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/state-4130-hardtail-mountain-bike-13-2048x1366.jpg 2048w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/state-4130-hardtail-mountain-bike-13-600x400.jpg 600w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1170px) 100vw, 1170px" /></a></figure>
</figure>
<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-stock-build">Stock build</h2>
<p>The stock build for the State 4130 Trail hardtail offers a great start, though one of the first add-ons pretty much everyone will want is a dropper post. Fortunately, State makes it easy to add a PNW Range dropper post and lever to your build for an extra $199. I’ve only ridden a couple of miles on the 4130 so far, and rest assured, I’ll be adding a dropper post before my first real test ride.</p>
<p>The RockShox Psylo is the real star at this price point: it’s essentially a budget Lyrik. The fork, with 35mm stanchions, features a SoloAir air spring offering both rebound and low-speed compression adjustments.</p>
<p>State skimps on the drivetrain, offering an 11-speed Microshift XLE derailleur paired with an 11-42t cassette. So far, my test bike shifts just fine, but this might not be a wide enough gear range for some riders. For $499, buyers can upgrade to a 12-speed, SRAM AXS wireless drivetrain.</p>
<p>The XLE derailleur is clutched, keeping chain slaps to a minimum, though you’ll want to add your own chainstay protection to the 4130 Trail frame. Not coincidentally, buyers can add a $12.99 LizardSkins chainstay protector to their build.</p>
<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><a href="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/state-4130-hardtail-mountain-bike-06.jpg"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1170" height="780" src="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/state-4130-hardtail-mountain-bike-06-1170x780.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-694889" srcset="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/state-4130-hardtail-mountain-bike-06-1170x780.jpg 1170w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/state-4130-hardtail-mountain-bike-06-750x500.jpg 750w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/state-4130-hardtail-mountain-bike-06-375x250.jpg 375w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/state-4130-hardtail-mountain-bike-06-768x512.jpg 768w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/state-4130-hardtail-mountain-bike-06-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/state-4130-hardtail-mountain-bike-06-2048x1365.jpg 2048w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/state-4130-hardtail-mountain-bike-06-600x400.jpg 600w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1170px) 100vw, 1170px" /></a></figure>
<p>The cockpit, saddle, crankset, and even the wheels are State-branded. Everything is pretty entry-level, which isn’t a surprise at this price point. It’s clear that most buyers will have an eye toward making key upgrades to the 4130 sooner rather than later. The bike ships with tubes, but the wheels and tires are tubeless-ready, and State helpfully includes tubeless valves, so all you need is sealant to go tube-free. This is another change I plan to make before any serious test rides.</p>
<p>Stock WTB Trail Boss tires are a nice addition, and the Tektro 2-piston hydraulic brakes feel surprisingly good, at least so far. </p>
<p>Priced at $1,499, the State 4130 Trail is less expensive than a steel hardtail build from a boutique brand and even some of the larger brands that still offer steel-frame builds. Frame-only pricing starts at $495, and clearly, the price goes up quickly even for the complete bike once you add a dropper post and consider upgrades to the drivetrain and cockpit.</p>
<p>Singletracks received a test bike just days before the launch, and will update this article with complete ride impressions at a later date.</p>
<p>The article <a href="https://www.singletracks.com/mtb-gear/the-state-4130-steel-hardtail-mtb-can-be-whatever-you-want-it-to-be/">The State 4130 Trail steel hardtail MTB can be whatever you want it to be</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.singletracks.com">Singletracks Mountain Bike News</a>.</p>
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<title>Pine Mountain Resort in Michigan is doubling down on summer MTB trails</title>
<link>https://www.singletracks.com/mtb-trails/pine-mountain-resort-in-michigan-is-doubling-down-on-summer-mtb-trails/</link>
<comments>https://www.singletracks.com/mtb-trails/pine-mountain-resort-in-michigan-is-doubling-down-on-summer-mtb-trails/#comments</comments>
<dc:creator><![CDATA[Richard Shoop]]></dc:creator>
<pubDate>Tue, 22 Apr 2025 10:13:00 +0000</pubDate>
<category><![CDATA[Trails]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[iron mountain michigan]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[pine mountain michigan]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[trail development]]></category>
<guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.singletracks.com/?p=693321</guid>
<description><![CDATA[<p>Pine Mountain Resort thinks its mountain bike trails can compete with the likes of Copper Harbor and Marquette.</p>
<p>The article <a href="https://www.singletracks.com/mtb-trails/pine-mountain-resort-in-michigan-is-doubling-down-on-summer-mtb-trails/">Pine Mountain Resort in Michigan is doubling down on summer MTB trails</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.singletracks.com">Singletracks Mountain Bike News</a>.</p>
]]></description>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[
<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><a href="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Veihl-PXL_20230808_2159117202.jpg"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1170" height="780" src="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Veihl-PXL_20230808_2159117202-1170x780.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-694718" srcset="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Veihl-PXL_20230808_2159117202-1170x780.jpg 1170w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Veihl-PXL_20230808_2159117202-750x500.jpg 750w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Veihl-PXL_20230808_2159117202-375x250.jpg 375w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Veihl-PXL_20230808_2159117202-768x512.jpg 768w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Veihl-PXL_20230808_2159117202-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Veihl-PXL_20230808_2159117202-2048x1365.jpg 2048w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Veihl-PXL_20230808_2159117202-600x400.jpg 600w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1170px) 100vw, 1170px" /></a><figcaption class="wp-element-caption"><em>Pine Mountain is hoping to become Michigan’s next great bike park</em>. Photo: <em>Steve Veihl.</em></figcaption></figure>
<p>Mention Michigan’s Upper Peninsula to mountain bikers, and they immediately think of Copper Harbor or Marquette. But there’s a ski resort south of those two destinations that wants to become the area’s newest summer riding destination.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.singletracks.com/bike-trails/pine-mountain-resort/">Pine Mountain Resort</a> has long been known as a ski and golf resort. However, it has recently added mountain biking to its list of summer activities and is hopeful that riders from both inside and outside the state will start flocking to its newly built trails.</p>
<p>Singletracks recently spoke with those involved in creating the trails at Pine Mountain to get the story of how the new trails came to be.</p>
<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><a href="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/DTN-20221008_103001.jpg"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1170" height="527" src="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/DTN-20221008_103001-1170x527.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-694721" srcset="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/DTN-20221008_103001-1170x527.jpg 1170w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/DTN-20221008_103001-750x338.jpg 750w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/DTN-20221008_103001-768x346.jpg 768w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/DTN-20221008_103001-1536x691.jpg 1536w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/DTN-20221008_103001-2048x922.jpg 2048w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/DTN-20221008_103001-600x270.jpg 600w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1170px) 100vw, 1170px" /></a><figcaption class="wp-element-caption"><em>Until recently, the resort was not interested in having mountain biking as a summer activity. Photo courtesy of Dickinson Trail Network.</em></figcaption></figure>
<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-for-most-of-its-history-pine-mountain-has-focused-on-winter-sports"><strong>For most of its history, Pine Mountain has focused on winter sports</strong></h2>
<p> According to its website, Pine Mountain was opened in December of 1939 by Fred Pabst of the Pabst Brewing family. He had created a ski lift and wanted a place to promote it.</p>
<p>After World War II, two veterans purchased the resort. They added snow-making capabilities, along with grooming and aerial lifts. It also became the only ski-in/ski-out resort in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula.</p>
<p>The resort added golfing to its list of outdoor activities in 1996 with the completion of a $12 million course, which is ranked as one of the top golf courses in Michigan. However, as mountain biking grew in popularity in other parts of the state, the resort’s owners showed no interest in including it as a resort activity.</p>
<p>Chad Susott, the current president of the <a href="https://www.dtntrails.org/">Dickinson Trail Network</a> (DTN), grew up close to the resort and spent a lot of time there. “It has always been a dream of mine to see trails built there, but the resort ownership at the time wasn’t amenable to the idea,” said Susott.</p>
<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><a href="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/DTN-Pine-Mountain-Riders-Walking.jpg"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1170" height="574" src="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/DTN-Pine-Mountain-Riders-Walking-1170x574.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-694722" srcset="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/DTN-Pine-Mountain-Riders-Walking-1170x574.jpg 1170w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/DTN-Pine-Mountain-Riders-Walking-750x368.jpg 750w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/DTN-Pine-Mountain-Riders-Walking-768x377.jpg 768w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/DTN-Pine-Mountain-Riders-Walking-1536x754.jpg 1536w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/DTN-Pine-Mountain-Riders-Walking-2048x1005.jpg 2048w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/DTN-Pine-Mountain-Riders-Walking-600x295.jpg 600w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1170px) 100vw, 1170px" /></a><figcaption class="wp-element-caption"><em>When the resort changed ownership in 2022, the new owners were open to building trails on the resort’s property. Photo courtesy of Dickinson Trail Network.</em></figcaption></figure>
<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-a-change-of-ownership-brought-a-change-of-heart"><strong>A change of ownership brought a change of heart</strong></h2>
<p>In 2022, ownership of Pine Mountain changed hands again when StorieCo, a real estate investment company, purchased the resort. Shortly thereafter, it began discussing the possibility of building trails on the resort’s property with DTN.</p>
<p>Susott told Singletracks that the area’s economy is dependent on tourism, and local ski resorts had been struggling with a lack of snow and shorter winters in recent years. DTN, which was founded in 2019, has already built 20 miles of singletrack in the area, which are generating excitement among local riders.</p>
<p>Fergus Washington-Smith, a senior analyst with StorieCo, said that the resort and DTN had productive discussions in 2023 that led to the resort’s decision to build a little over four miles of trail on its property, along with DTN building an additional two miles of trail on adjacent county property.   </p>
<p>Interestingly, these discussions took place while the <a href="https://www.singletracks.com/mtb-trails/behind-the-lawsuit-that-forced-oregons-mt-hood-skibowl-bike-park-to-close/">Ski Bowl lawsuit</a> was being settled. Susott was worried that news of the case would kill their plans, but his fears did not become a reality. “We got ahead of it and showed [the resort] what we could do with design, maintenance, and signage to prevent a similar incident. They were positive about it and very collaborative.”</p>
<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><a href="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Veihl-PXL_20230818_230214053.jpg"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1170" height="780" src="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Veihl-PXL_20230818_230214053-1170x780.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-694723" srcset="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Veihl-PXL_20230818_230214053-1170x780.jpg 1170w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Veihl-PXL_20230818_230214053-750x500.jpg 750w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Veihl-PXL_20230818_230214053-375x250.jpg 375w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Veihl-PXL_20230818_230214053-768x512.jpg 768w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Veihl-PXL_20230818_230214053-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Veihl-PXL_20230818_230214053-2048x1365.jpg 2048w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Veihl-PXL_20230818_230214053-600x400.jpg 600w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1170px) 100vw, 1170px" /></a><figcaption class="wp-element-caption"><em>Good soil and exposed rock made for great trails. Photo Steve Veihl.</em></figcaption></figure>
<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-a-dtn-volunteer-became-the-chief-trail-builder-for-the-project"><strong>A DTN Volunteer became the chief trail builder for the project</strong></h2>
<p>Even though DTN was instrumental in helping the resort decide to build trails on its property, its status as a non-profit organization prevented it from actually building the trails at the resort. Instead, the resort contracted with Steve Veihl of Iron Goat Trail Construction, who is a volunteer trail coordinator with DTN, to build the new trails.</p>
<p>Veihl had created a master plan for the resort on behalf of DTN. He was familiar with other Midwest resorts that had trails and formulated a design based on the resort’s desire for a family-friendly bike park that would cater to every type of rider.</p>
<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><a href="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Veihl-PXL_20230629_144634545.jpg"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1170" height="658" src="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Veihl-PXL_20230629_144634545-1170x658.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-694724" srcset="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Veihl-PXL_20230629_144634545-1170x658.jpg 1170w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Veihl-PXL_20230629_144634545-750x422.jpg 750w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Veihl-PXL_20230629_144634545-768x432.jpg 768w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Veihl-PXL_20230629_144634545-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Veihl-PXL_20230629_144634545-2048x1152.jpg 2048w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Veihl-PXL_20230629_144634545-600x338.jpg 600w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1170px) 100vw, 1170px" /></a><figcaption class="wp-element-caption"><em>Viehl built trails that are fun for all riders. Photo: Steve Veihl.</em></figcaption></figure>
<p>He began building in April 2023 and finished the four miles of fresh singletrack in November that year. “There’s a lot of hills here, but not a lot of exposed bedrock,” said Veihl. “We have a plentiful amount of rocks. The soil has a high clay content for holding berms, but still drains well.”</p>
<p>Veihl was able to blend the machine-built trails he created on the resort’s property with the hand-built technical trails DTN constructed on the adjacent county property to create a trail system full of variety. “I think we ended up with a fairly progressive trail system that has totally transformed what our local community is comfortable with when it comes to riding,” said Veihl. By providing features like blue trails with optional black diamond features, Veihl said local riders are pushing beyond their comfort zones and improving their skills.</p>
<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><a href="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/DTN-20221011_174920.jpg"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1170" height="780" src="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/DTN-20221011_174920-1170x780.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-694725" srcset="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/DTN-20221011_174920-1170x780.jpg 1170w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/DTN-20221011_174920-750x500.jpg 750w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/DTN-20221011_174920-375x250.jpg 375w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/DTN-20221011_174920-768x512.jpg 768w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/DTN-20221011_174920-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/DTN-20221011_174920-2048x1365.jpg 2048w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/DTN-20221011_174920-600x400.jpg 600w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1170px) 100vw, 1170px" /></a><figcaption class="wp-element-caption"><em>The new trails opened in 2024 and were a hit with visitors to the resort. Photo courtesy of Dickinson Trail Network.</em></figcaption></figure>
<h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>2024 provided a glimpse of how popular Pine Mountain’s new trails could become</strong></h2>
<p>2024 was the first time Pine Mountain ever offered mountain biking as a summer activity. To help make it a success, DTN purchased and fabricated a shuttle trailer and donated it to the resort because its ski lift was not equipped to handle bikes. Additionally, the resort leased a small hut located at the top of the mountain to a local bike shop, which used it to rent out bikes and offer repair services.</p>
<p>Janet Novak, the resort manager, thinks the 2024 season was a success. “When talking to guests who stayed here last year, they all loved the trails,” she said. </p>
<p>Washington-Smith heard similar comments. “The feedback has been positive. People are looking at it as a destination instead of a stopping place on the way to other biking destinations.”</p>
<p>Veihl was happy with the results as well. Plus, he enjoyed getting feedback from riders who used the trails during that first season. “At the end of the summer, I applied the feedback to make adjustments to the trails and gave the resort plans for future trails.”</p>
<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><a href="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/DTN-Pine-Mountain-Excavator.jpg"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1170" height="780" src="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/DTN-Pine-Mountain-Excavator-1170x780.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-694726" srcset="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/DTN-Pine-Mountain-Excavator-1170x780.jpg 1170w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/DTN-Pine-Mountain-Excavator-750x500.jpg 750w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/DTN-Pine-Mountain-Excavator-375x250.jpg 375w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/DTN-Pine-Mountain-Excavator-768x512.jpg 768w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/DTN-Pine-Mountain-Excavator-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/DTN-Pine-Mountain-Excavator-2048x1365.jpg 2048w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/DTN-Pine-Mountain-Excavator-600x400.jpg 600w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1170px) 100vw, 1170px" /></a><figcaption class="wp-element-caption"><em>If the 2025 summer riding season is successful, Pine Mountain might add even more trails to its property. Photo courtesy of Dickinson Trail Network.</em></figcaption></figure>
<h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>2025 will be a critical year for Pine Mountain as the resort looks to the future</strong></h2>
<p>The resort is hopeful that the 2025 summer riding season will be a resounding success. In addition to being added to the <a href="https://www.loampass.com/">Loam Pass</a>, Pine Mountain has invested in adapting its chair lift to accommodate bikes so even more riders can be shuttled to the top of the mountain. It will also host the Pine Mountain 500, a new endurance event, in August of 2025.</p>
<p>Susott hopes all these things will generate enthusiasm and excitement for the trails. “We have a geographic advantage when it comes to visiting riders. They have to travel through our area to get to more well-known destinations like Copper Harbor and Marquette.”</p>
<p>Depending on the success of the 2025 season, the resort might expand its MTB offerings in the future. “We would love to explore more options, and are working to host more events,” said Washington-Smith.</p>
<p>Veihl has already given the resort plans for future trails. He is sitting on the edge of his seat to see how successful the 2025 season will be. “I’m pretty happy with the trails and think they’ll do well.”</p>
<p><em>Shuttle ticket prices for the 2025 season have not been announced as of press time. Be sure to check </em><a href="https://www.pinemountainresort.com/mountain-biking/"><em>Pine Mountain’s website</em></a><em> for updates.</em></p>
<p>The article <a href="https://www.singletracks.com/mtb-trails/pine-mountain-resort-in-michigan-is-doubling-down-on-summer-mtb-trails/">Pine Mountain Resort in Michigan is doubling down on summer MTB trails</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.singletracks.com">Singletracks Mountain Bike News</a>.</p>
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<title>Edmonton, Alberta, is building its first dedicated MTB park for $1.2 million</title>
<link>https://www.singletracks.com/mtb-trails/edmonton-alberta-is-building-its-first-dedicated-mtb-park-for-1-2-million/</link>
<comments>https://www.singletracks.com/mtb-trails/edmonton-alberta-is-building-its-first-dedicated-mtb-park-for-1-2-million/#comments</comments>
<dc:creator><![CDATA[Travis Reill]]></dc:creator>
<pubDate>Mon, 21 Apr 2025 10:32:00 +0000</pubDate>
<category><![CDATA[Trails]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[edmonton alberta]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[news]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[trail development]]></category>
<guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.singletracks.com/?p=692797</guid>
<description><![CDATA[<p>New dirt jump lines, flow trails, a skills park, and a pump track are coming to Edmonton, Alberta later this year.</p>
<p>The article <a href="https://www.singletracks.com/mtb-trails/edmonton-alberta-is-building-its-first-dedicated-mtb-park-for-1-2-million/">Edmonton, Alberta, is building its first dedicated MTB park for $1.2 million</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.singletracks.com">Singletracks Mountain Bike News</a>.</p>
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<content:encoded><![CDATA[
<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><a href="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/emba-featured-3.jpg"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1170" height="878" src="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/emba-featured-3-1170x878.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-694647" srcset="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/emba-featured-3-1170x878.jpg 1170w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/emba-featured-3-750x563.jpg 750w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/emba-featured-3-768x576.jpg 768w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/emba-featured-3-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/emba-featured-3-2048x1536.jpg 2048w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/emba-featured-3-600x450.jpg 600w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1170px) 100vw, 1170px" /></a><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Riding in Edmonton. Photo courtesy EMBA.</figcaption></figure>
<p>The North Saskatchewan River Valley cuts through Edmonton, Alberta, from the southwest to the northeast, providing a natural retreat for the area’s one million-plus residents. Edmonton is now adding even more trails in that urban forest. Over $1 million CAD has been invested in a new bike park — a first for Edmonton— and shovels are expected to hit the dirt very soon.</p>
<p>The news has sparked a wave of excitement in Edmonton’s mountain biking community.</p>
<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-how-the-north-saskatchewan-river-valley-became-a-mountain-biking-hot-spot">How the North Saskatchewan River Valley became a mountain biking hot spot</h2>
<p>For those unfamiliar with Edmonton, it can be easy to envision a snow-capped Rocky Mountain Range running along the outskirts of town. Alberta is associated with places like Banff, and the assumption is that places like Edmonton must be nearby.</p>
<p>“A lot of people are under the impression that we are right near the Rocky Mountains,” Jess Hiebert, <a href="https://www.edmmtnbike.ca/">Edmonton Mountain Bike Alliance</a> (EMBA) board member, told us. Hiebert pointed at a framed picture over her shoulder. “You can see Lake Louise, one of Banff’s most famous lakes. We’re a four and a half hour drive from that.”</p>
<p>The Alberta Rockies are on the province’s western edge, near Alberta’s border with British Columbia. As the Rocky Mountains leave the United States and enter Alberta, they take a hard left, heading northwest. While cities further south, such as Calgary, aren’t far from the Rockies’ foothills, Edmonton is squarely in prairie land.</p>
<p>This is where Edmonton’s saving grace comes in — the North Saskatchewan River Valley. The river valley provides roughly 200 feet of elevation drop in otherwise flat terrain. It is also where the majority of the 150–200km of trails EMBA is responsible for are located.</p>
<p>“We are lucky to have this heavily vegetated forested valley with a bit of elevation,” Hiebert shared. “And our trail builders have done an incredible job with what we have to work with.”</p>
<p>Individual trails and trail systems are spread out from community to community along the North Saskatchewan River Valley in the greater Edmonton area. Even though Edmonton is a major metropolitan city, many residents enjoy the rare privilege of biking directly from their homes to nearby trailheads. Hiebert said she is roughly a 10-minute pedal from some of her favorite trails in the area.</p>
<p>Trails in the river valley range from green to double-black, offering options for all ability levels. While many of the trails cater to beginner and intermediate riders, there is also a good mix of advanced trails.</p>
<p>“But there’s a lot of technical riding,” Hiebert said. “There’s certainly elements of what we offer that, [when I was] a beginner rider, were too intimidating for me.”</p>
<p>As the North Saskatchewan River Valley grew into an outdoor paradise for Edmonton, the mountain biking culture and its connection to the city have also grown. While typical mountain biking issues, such as illegal trail building, are often a roadblock with any local or federal agencies, EMBA has seen past issues become history.</p>
<p>The organization has seen more connections established between itself and the city of Edmonton over the years. Where EMBA used to go through a process of submitting photos and getting approval for things like trail maintenance, they now have the green light to do that work in the moment.</p>
<p>EMBA hopes the new bike park will continue to play a significant role in bridging some of those gaps between the city and mountain bikers.</p>
<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><a href="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/480705991_1586530155572987_5451318534031965045_n.jpg"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1170" height="613" src="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/480705991_1586530155572987_5451318534031965045_n-1170x613.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-694623" srcset="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/480705991_1586530155572987_5451318534031965045_n-1170x613.jpg 1170w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/480705991_1586530155572987_5451318534031965045_n-750x393.jpg 750w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/480705991_1586530155572987_5451318534031965045_n-768x402.jpg 768w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/480705991_1586530155572987_5451318534031965045_n-600x314.jpg 600w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/480705991_1586530155572987_5451318534031965045_n.jpg 1226w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1170px) 100vw, 1170px" /></a><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Map courtesy EMBA</figcaption></figure>
<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-edmonton-is-building-its-first-official-bike-park-marking-a-major-step-forward-for-the-city-s-mountain-biking-scene">Edmonton is building its first official bike park, marking a major step forward for the city’s mountain biking scene</h2>
<p>The new bike park will be located in Queen Elizabeth Park, part of Edmonton’s North Saskatchewan River Valley. Some riders will be able to ride to the new bike park from their back door, while others, like Hiebert, will have to drive about 15-20 minutes.</p>
<p>Conversations and proposals for the bike park were first sparked with the city of Edmonton in 2018. Like many trail projects at the time, COVID caused delays. However, one factor that helped move the project forward is that the park will be built on former wastewater treatment land.</p>
<p>The river valley has its fair share of wildlife and wild areas that need protection, which can make building new trails difficult. However, building on disturbed land, such as a former wastewater treatment area, allowed the project to move forward and allows for the use and restoration of the land. We’ve seen this clever use of land that would otherwise go undeveloped and wasted in places like <a href="https://www.singletracks.com/mtb-trails/one-citys-trash-is-now-a-mountain-bikers-treasure/">Cedar Rapids, Iowa</a>, and <a href="https://www.singletracks.com/mtb-trails/turning-a-landfill-into-singletrack-treasure-in-virginia-is-no-easy-task/">Waynesboro, Virginia</a>.</p>
<p>As the bike park plans progressed, funding followed. A provincial grant covered $613,000 CAD of the budget, while a grant from the city of Edmonton added another $407,000. EMBA will also put another $177,000 from private donations and fundraising toward the project.</p>
<p>The bike park will consist of a skills area with small drops and skinnies. There will also be an asphalt pump track and a dirt jump area. EMBA plans on having green, blue, and black dirt jump lines, allowing all riders a clear path of progression with their jumping skills.</p>
<p>For the pump track and dirt jumps, EMBA plans to hire two contractors, one specializing in each, for the build. They are still processing bids and aren’t sharing who the trail builders are at the time of this writing.</p>
<p>There will also be some new flow trails at the bike park. Since EMBA regularly tackles the building and maintenance of such trails, EMBA will build the new trails.</p>
<p>“We’re building two blues and a black,” Hiebert explained. “And updating an existing blue to be a green.”</p>
<p>EMBA will use all the space the old wastewater treatment land will allow. While many of the specifics of each trail are still up in the air, the plan is to have each trail be between 200 and 500 meters long and have an elevation change of around 25 meters. EMBA emphasized that these are purely estimates at this point.</p>
<p>What <em>is</em> known is that the current blue trail will be converted to green. Currently, the trail is 270 meters in length, dropping roughly 15 meters.</p>
<p>In creating a bike park, EMBA wanted to develop a place accessible to all levels of riders. “This is absolutely a family place,” Hiebert said. “A place for people who are interested in shredding some gnarly mountain trails to find their wheels and their balance a little bit.”</p>
<p>EMBA plans to open the new bike park by the 2026 riding season. That said, they have their fingers crossed for a completion date in the fall.</p>
<p>The article <a href="https://www.singletracks.com/mtb-trails/edmonton-alberta-is-building-its-first-dedicated-mtb-park-for-1-2-million/">Edmonton, Alberta, is building its first dedicated MTB park for $1.2 million</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.singletracks.com">Singletracks Mountain Bike News</a>.</p>
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<slash:comments>2</slash:comments>
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<item>
<title>Revel Bikes may have suffered “final blow,” major discounts are live</title>
<link>https://www.singletracks.com/mtb-gear/revel-bikes-suffers-final-blow-major-discounts-are-live/</link>
<comments>https://www.singletracks.com/mtb-gear/revel-bikes-suffers-final-blow-major-discounts-are-live/#comments</comments>
<dc:creator><![CDATA[Jeff Barber]]></dc:creator>
<pubDate>Sun, 20 Apr 2025 13:44:15 +0000</pubDate>
<category><![CDATA[Gear]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[bankruptcy]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[news]]></category>
<guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.singletracks.com/?p=694854</guid>
<description><![CDATA[<p>Colorado-based Revel Bikes appears to be winding down operations just a week after new mountain bike models are announced. </p>
<p>The article <a href="https://www.singletracks.com/mtb-gear/revel-bikes-suffers-final-blow-major-discounts-are-live/">Revel Bikes may have suffered “final blow,” major discounts are live</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.singletracks.com">Singletracks Mountain Bike News</a>.</p>
]]></description>
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<figure class="wp-block-gallery has-nested-images columns-default is-cropped wp-block-gallery-13 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex">
<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><a href="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/revel_rascal_v2-10.jpg"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1170" height="780" data-id="660173" src="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/revel_rascal_v2-10-1170x780.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-660173" srcset="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/revel_rascal_v2-10-1170x780.jpg 1170w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/revel_rascal_v2-10-750x500.jpg 750w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/revel_rascal_v2-10-375x250.jpg 375w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/revel_rascal_v2-10-768x512.jpg 768w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/revel_rascal_v2-10-1536x1025.jpg 1536w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/revel_rascal_v2-10-2048x1366.jpg 2048w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/revel_rascal_v2-10-600x400.jpg 600w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1170px) 100vw, 1170px" /></a></figure>
<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><a href="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/revel_rascal_v2-05.jpg"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="780" height="1170" data-id="660176" src="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/revel_rascal_v2-05-780x1170.jpg" alt="Close-up view of a mountain bike's frame featuring the "REVEL" logo, with the tire and part of the pedal visible in the foreground. The background shows a brown, dirt surface, suggesting an outdoor setting." class="wp-image-660176" srcset="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/revel_rascal_v2-05-780x1170.jpg 780w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/revel_rascal_v2-05-500x750.jpg 500w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/revel_rascal_v2-05-768x1151.jpg 768w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/revel_rascal_v2-05-1025x1536.jpg 1025w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/revel_rascal_v2-05-1366x2048.jpg 1366w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/revel_rascal_v2-05-600x899.jpg 600w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/revel_rascal_v2-05.jpg 1601w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 780px) 100vw, 780px" /></a></figure>
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<p>Late last week, <a href="https://bikerumor.com/revel-bikes-is-apparently-closing-just-after-launching-three-new-bikes/">rumors began circulating</a> that Colorado-based <a href="https://revelbikes.com/">Revel Bikes</a> was shutting down. Social media posts from individuals working at the company suggest the brand is coming to a close, and an email to dealers <a href="https://www.bicycleretailer.com/industry-news/2025/04/17/revel-bikes-tells-dealers-it-closing">reported by BRAIN</a> says, in part, “Revel Bikes as it currently stands is closing its doors.” Ova Verploegh, Director of Finance at Revel, said in a Facebook post that “the Revel name may be taking its final blow,” though the brand’s spirit of innovation will live on.</p>
<p>However, the company has yet to acknowledge the news directly to consumers, either through the Revel website or on social media.</p>
<p>The BRAIN article went on to note that the dealer message indicated bikes would be discounted 40-50% beginning Friday, which apparently caused a surge of visits to the brand’s website. On Friday, the site was only available intermittently, though no discounted prices were shown. By Saturday, a message at the top of the site read, “<strong>Due to unprecedented traffic and demand we cannot accurately reflect our inventory and pricing.</strong> We are working diligently to get it updated.  Please check back at a later date.” An Instagram post yesterday added, “WOW! We can’t even believe the support for Revel over the last 24 hours! We’re feeling the love.”</p>
<blockquote class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/DIm4VdPJEHW/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14" style=" background:#FFF; border:0; border-radius:3px; box-shadow:0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width:540px; min-width:326px; padding:0; width:99.375%; width:-webkit-calc(100% - 2px); width:calc(100% - 2px);"><div style="padding:16px;"> <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/DIm4VdPJEHW/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" style=" background:#FFFFFF; line-height:0; padding:0 0; text-align:center; text-decoration:none; width:100%;" target="_blank"> <div style=" display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; 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font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:550; line-height:18px;">View this post on Instagram</div></div><div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"><div> <div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"></div> <div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"></div></div><div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"></div> <div style=" width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg)"></div></div><div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style=" width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"></div> <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"></div> <div style=" width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"></div></div></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"></div> <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"></div></div></a><p style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px; margin-bottom:0; margin-top:8px; overflow:hidden; padding:8px 0 7px; text-align:center; text-overflow:ellipsis; white-space:nowrap;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/DIm4VdPJEHW/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none;" target="_blank">A post shared by Revel Bikes (@revelbikes)</a></p></div></blockquote>
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<p>Today it appears <a href="https://revelbikes.com/">the site</a> is operating normally, and we’re starting to see discounted pricing for in-stock bikes. The largest, 50% discounts apply to the <a href="https://revelbikes.com/product/rail29/">Revel Rail all-mountain bike</a>. Two new Revel Rascal SL builds are priced 40% off, though framesets and V2 bikes are still showing full retail pricing. A few retailers, including <a href="https://www.singletracks.com/wp-json/click/track/vjL2tn/" rel="nofollow">Jenson USA</a> and <a href="https://www.singletracks.com/wp-json/click/track/GBUwiu/" rel="nofollow">Worldwide Cyclery</a>, have select Revel bikes on sale for 40% off or more. </p>
<p><em>Monday update</em>: Today the Revel website says, “all sales are FINAL!,” which suggests the company may not be planning to offer full support in the future. We’ll update this article as we’re able to confirm more details.</p>
<p>Just last week Revel announced a slew of new and updated models, including the brand’s first electric mountain bike, the Rerun. The brand added another new model to the line-up, the Ritual enduro bike. That model, along with the updated Ranger, is showing May and June availability, respectively, with no discounts available at this time.</p>
<p>Singletracks <a href="https://www.singletracks.com/mtb-gear/revel-rascal-nails-sophomore-release-review/">tested the Revel Rascal V2</a> last year and proclaimed, the “Rascal nails sophomore release.” Making use of the Canfield Balance Formula (CBF) suspension design, reviewers and riders alike have praised the performance and quality of Revel bikes.</p>
<p>Barely one year later, this statement from our review is all the more bittersweet: “If and when Revel decides to go to V3, they’ll have a hard time matching this one.”</p>
<p><em><strong>Update: </strong><a href="https://www.singletracks.com/community/revels-8m-in-debt-was-was-foreclosed-on-but-it-might-not-be-dead-just-yet/">Revel’s $8M in debt was foreclosed on, and the brand has laid off 13 employees. But all hope is not lost…</a></em></p>
<p>The article <a href="https://www.singletracks.com/mtb-gear/revel-bikes-suffers-final-blow-major-discounts-are-live/">Revel Bikes may have suffered “final blow,” major discounts are live</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.singletracks.com">Singletracks Mountain Bike News</a>.</p>
]]></content:encoded>
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<slash:comments>12</slash:comments>
</item>
<item>
<title>How do you feel about trails that require hike-a-bike?</title>
<link>https://www.singletracks.com/mtb-trails/how-do-you-feel-about-trails-that-require-hike-a-bike-survey/</link>
<comments>https://www.singletracks.com/mtb-trails/how-do-you-feel-about-trails-that-require-hike-a-bike-survey/#comments</comments>
<dc:creator><![CDATA[Jeff Barber]]></dc:creator>
<pubDate>Sun, 20 Apr 2025 09:59:00 +0000</pubDate>
<category><![CDATA[Trails]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Hike a bike]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[survey]]></category>
<guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.singletracks.com/?p=694033</guid>
<description><![CDATA[<p>Some mountain bike trails aren't entirely rideable, so riders need to decide if they're willing to hike a bit.</p>
<p>The article <a href="https://www.singletracks.com/mtb-trails/how-do-you-feel-about-trails-that-require-hike-a-bike-survey/">How do you feel about trails that require hike-a-bike?</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.singletracks.com">Singletracks Mountain Bike News</a>.</p>
]]></description>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[
<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><a href="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/teamwork-bike-lift-hike-a-bike.jpg"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1170" height="780" src="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/teamwork-bike-lift-hike-a-bike-1170x780.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-694690" srcset="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/teamwork-bike-lift-hike-a-bike-1170x780.jpg 1170w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/teamwork-bike-lift-hike-a-bike-750x500.jpg 750w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/teamwork-bike-lift-hike-a-bike-375x250.jpg 375w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/teamwork-bike-lift-hike-a-bike-768x512.jpg 768w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/teamwork-bike-lift-hike-a-bike-1536x1025.jpg 1536w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/teamwork-bike-lift-hike-a-bike-2048x1366.jpg 2048w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/teamwork-bike-lift-hike-a-bike-600x400.jpg 600w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1170px) 100vw, 1170px" /></a><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">File photo.</figcaption></figure>
<p>I doubt many of us would say we enjoy hike-a-bike. After all, mountain biking and hiking are two different things, and combining the two makes each one worse, not better.</p>
<div class="wpforms-container wpforms-container-full wpforms-block wpforms-block-d77669cb-42c2-40f1-bae6-d8186a809680 wpforms-inline wpforms-render-modern" id="wpforms-694034"><form id="wpforms-form-694034" class="wpforms-validate wpforms-form wpforms-ajax-form" data-formid="694034" method="post" enctype="multipart/form-data" action="/feed/" data-token="093f2e829d21c2083774a2181659ed07" data-token-time="1747116605"><noscript class="wpforms-error-noscript">Please enable JavaScript in your browser to complete this form.</noscript><div class="wpforms-hidden" id="wpforms-error-noscript">Please enable JavaScript in your browser to complete this form.</div><div class="wpforms-field-container"> <div id="wpforms-694034-field_2-container"
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<label class="wpforms-field-label" for="wpforms-694034-field_2" >trails do you</label>
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<div id="wpforms-694034-field_1-container" class="wpforms-field wpforms-field-radio" data-field-id="1"><fieldset><legend class="wpforms-field-label">How do you feel about trails that require hike-a-bike? <span class="wpforms-required-label" aria-hidden="true">*</span></legend><ul id="wpforms-694034-field_1" class="wpforms-field-required"><li class="choice-1 depth-1"><input type="radio" id="wpforms-694034-field_1_1" name="wpforms[fields][1]" value="Love it. Some of the best descents require hiking up." aria-errormessage="wpforms-694034-field_1_1-error" required ><label class="wpforms-field-label-inline" for="wpforms-694034-field_1_1">Love it. Some of the best descents require hiking up.</label></li><li class="choice-2 depth-1"><input type="radio" id="wpforms-694034-field_1_2" name="wpforms[fields][1]" value="I don't mind a little hike-a-bike if it means epic views and descents." aria-errormessage="wpforms-694034-field_1_2-error" required ><label class="wpforms-field-label-inline" for="wpforms-694034-field_1_2">I don’t mind a little hike-a-bike if it means epic views and descents.</label></li><li class="choice-3 depth-1"><input type="radio" id="wpforms-694034-field_1_3" name="wpforms[fields][1]" value="I avoid trails with hike-a-bike. I'd rather pedal the entire ride." aria-errormessage="wpforms-694034-field_1_3-error" required ><label class="wpforms-field-label-inline" for="wpforms-694034-field_1_3">I avoid trails with hike-a-bike. I’d rather pedal the entire ride.</label></li></ul></fieldset></div><script>
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<p>A few years ago, I would have answered that I avoid trails with hike-a-bike. Now, I would say I don’t mind a little bit of hiking if the effort is worth the reward.</p>
<p>Tell us about the trails you’ve ridden where the hike-a-bike is worth the effort in the comments below! 👇</p>
<p>The article <a href="https://www.singletracks.com/mtb-trails/how-do-you-feel-about-trails-that-require-hike-a-bike-survey/">How do you feel about trails that require hike-a-bike?</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.singletracks.com">Singletracks Mountain Bike News</a>.</p>
]]></content:encoded>
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<slash:comments>14</slash:comments>
</item>
<item>
<title>Dakine Seeker 10L MTB hydration backpack review</title>
<link>https://www.singletracks.com/mtb-gear/dakine-seeker-10l-mtb-hydration-backpack-review/</link>
<comments>https://www.singletracks.com/mtb-gear/dakine-seeker-10l-mtb-hydration-backpack-review/#respond</comments>
<dc:creator><![CDATA[Greg Heil]]></dc:creator>
<pubDate>Sat, 19 Apr 2025 10:11:00 +0000</pubDate>
<category><![CDATA[Gear]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Dakine Seeker 10L Bike Hydration Backpack]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[review]]></category>
<guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.singletracks.com/?p=693661</guid>
<description><![CDATA[<p>For a do-it-all everyday carry mountain bike hydration pack, it's tough to beat the Dakine Seeker 10L.</p>
<p>The article <a href="https://www.singletracks.com/mtb-gear/dakine-seeker-10l-mtb-hydration-backpack-review/">Dakine Seeker 10L MTB hydration backpack review</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.singletracks.com">Singletracks Mountain Bike News</a>.</p>
]]></description>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[
<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><a href="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/MTB05083-1.jpg"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1170" height="780" src="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/MTB05083-1-1170x780.jpg" alt="Dakine Seeker hydration pack" class="wp-image-693945" srcset="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/MTB05083-1-1170x780.jpg 1170w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/MTB05083-1-750x500.jpg 750w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/MTB05083-1-375x250.jpg 375w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/MTB05083-1-768x512.jpg 768w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/MTB05083-1-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/MTB05083-1-2048x1365.jpg 2048w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/MTB05083-1-600x400.jpg 600w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1170px) 100vw, 1170px" /></a><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Photo: Christine Henry</figcaption></figure>
<p>The Dakine Seeker has long been a staple in the brand’s hydration pack lineup. The latest 10-liter Seeker looks to capitalize on this vaunted legacy with a modern design and a suite of just the right number of useful features.</p>
<hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity is-style-wide"/>
<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-dakine-seeker-10l-hydration-backpack-key-specs">Dakine Seeker 10L hydration backpack key specs</h3>
<div style='font-size: 12px; padding-left: 40px; max-width: 800px; margin: 0 auto 15px auto;'><i class="fa fa-star fa-sharp" style="font-size:24px; color: #066"></i> <i class="fa fa-star fa-sharp" style="font-size:24px; color: #066"></i> <i class="fa fa-star fa-sharp" style="font-size:24px; color: #066"></i> <i class="fa fa-star fa-sharp" style="font-size:24px; color: #066"></i> <i class="fa fa-star-o fa-sharp" style="font-size:24px; color: #066"></i>   reader rating (1 votes)</div><script type="application/ld+json">{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"Product","name":"Dakine Seeker 10L Bike Hydration Backpack","description":"","aggregateRating":{"@type":"AggregateRating","ratingValue":4,"reviewCount":1,"bestRating":5}}</script>
<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li>10-liter storage capacity</li>
<li>3-liter lumbar hydration reservoir</li>
<li>Weather-tight ripstop nylon construction</li>
<li>External carry straps and deployable helmet carry strap</li>
<li>Zippered hip pockets</li>
<li>Weight: 770g</li>
<li>Price: $185, on sale for $99 – $111 at time of publication</li>
<li>Buy from <a href="https://www.singletracks.com/wp-json/click/track/ChPaWF/">evo</a> and <a href="https://www.singletracks.com/wp-json/click/track/MEA13J/">Backcountry</a></li>
</ul>
<hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity is-style-wide"/>
<p>The Seeker is offered in two sizes: 18 liters and 10 liters. I had previously used an 18-liter Seeker, so I decided to give the 10-liter pack a shot to see if it might be just large enough for long rides, without being too bulky. </p>
<p>Regardless of the size of the pack, all Seeker backpacks come with a 3-liter lumbar hydration reservoir that rests at the bottom of the pack along the lumbar spine. The lumbar reservoir distributes the bulk of the pack’s weight, which is the water, to the hips instead of the shoulders. Consequently, the main internal storage rests above the reservoir.</p>
<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><a href="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/MTB05147.jpg"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1170" height="780" src="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/MTB05147-1170x780.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-693947" srcset="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/MTB05147-1170x780.jpg 1170w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/MTB05147-750x500.jpg 750w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/MTB05147-375x250.jpg 375w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/MTB05147-768x512.jpg 768w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/MTB05147-1536x1025.jpg 1536w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/MTB05147-2048x1366.jpg 2048w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/MTB05147-600x400.jpg 600w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1170px) 100vw, 1170px" /></a><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Photo: Greg Heil</figcaption></figure>
<p>The pack also sports an external zippered pocket with roll-down tool access, which allows for quick access to tools and parts if you need to make a hurried trailside repair. On top of the pack, there’s a zippered fleece-lined pocket that’s perfect for carrying a phone or other sensitive electronics. For easy on-the-go access, both of the hip belts offer zippered pockets — one mesh and one enclosed.</p>
<p>The back of the pack features Dakine’s “AirLite Suspension backpanel,” which is essentially their version of a breathable back that keeps the bulk of the pack from contacting your body. To help the pack retain that shape, a wire frame runs around the entire rectangular profile.</p>
<p>The pack is made of a lightweight, weather-tight 420D nylon ripstop with PU coating, with some portions made from a 210D nylon plain weave with PU coating and DWR. All the closures feature sealed water-resistant zippers. The net-net is that the Seeker should repel rain and snow, even without a pack cover.</p>
<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><a href="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/IMG_3556.jpg"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1170" height="780" src="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/IMG_3556-1170x780.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-693946" srcset="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/IMG_3556-1170x780.jpg 1170w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/IMG_3556-750x500.jpg 750w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/IMG_3556-375x250.jpg 375w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/IMG_3556-768x512.jpg 768w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/IMG_3556-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/IMG_3556-2048x1365.jpg 2048w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/IMG_3556-600x400.jpg 600w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1170px) 100vw, 1170px" /></a><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Photo: Greg Heil</figcaption></figure>
<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-out-on-the-trail-with-the-dakine-seeker">Out on the trail with the Dakine Seeker</h2>
<p>I’ve spent six months shredding trails with the Dakine Seeker on my back. It’s traveled with me to both New Zealand islands and to all of the Four Corners states. I’ve tested it on wet rainforest trails and in the parched desert of the Southwest on rides ranging from quick one-hour jaunts to eight hours (or more) in the saddle.</p>
<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><a href="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/MTB05150.jpg"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1170" height="780" src="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/MTB05150-1170x780.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-693948" srcset="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/MTB05150-1170x780.jpg 1170w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/MTB05150-750x500.jpg 750w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/MTB05150-375x250.jpg 375w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/MTB05150-768x512.jpg 768w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/MTB05150-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/MTB05150-2048x1365.jpg 2048w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/MTB05150-600x400.jpg 600w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1170px) 100vw, 1170px" /></a><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Photo: Greg Heil</figcaption></figure>
<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-storage-capacity">Storage capacity</h3>
<p>When it comes to evaluating this pack, I do have to admit something: I hand-picked the Seeker from Dakine’s line because I thought it would fit my needs the best. Specifically, I can’t stand backpacks that don’t have pockets on the hip belts. For some reason, Dakine has removed hip belt pockets on all their hydration packs, except for the Seeker line. In my opinion, having easy access to snacks, ChapStick, and other necessities without taking your pack off is absolutely mandatory. Compared with some other packs I’ve used that only have one hip belt pocket, getting two on the Seeker feels like a luxury.</p>
<div style='padding: 15px; background: #f1f1f1; max-width: 800px; margin: 0 auto 25px auto;'><h3 style='margin: 0; padding: 0 0 5px 0;'>Share your Dakine Seeker 10L Bike Hydration Backpack review</h3>
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<p>At first, I was worried that the 10-liter size wouldn’t be big enough for epic adventures, but I’ve used the Seeker on all-day epics spanning eight hours or more. I found that I couldn’t fit an entire lunch and multiple extra layers in the main pocket. Instead, I could only carry an emergency rain jacket, hat, warm gloves, and compact lunch in the main pocket. All tools and repair supplies stayed safely stored in the roll-down area.</p>
<p>Instead, if I wanted to carry a pair of pads (to put on at the top of the climb) or a heavier layer that I discarded, I turned to the external straps on the bottom of the pack. I found these to work remarkably well for both knee pads and even a jacket. With a little ingenuity, even a 10-liter pack can haul a heck of a lot of mountain bike gear!</p>
<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><a href="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/MTB05090.jpg"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1170" height="780" src="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/MTB05090-1170x780.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-693944" srcset="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/MTB05090-1170x780.jpg 1170w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/MTB05090-750x500.jpg 750w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/MTB05090-375x250.jpg 375w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/MTB05090-768x512.jpg 768w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/MTB05090-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/MTB05090-2048x1365.jpg 2048w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/MTB05090-600x400.jpg 600w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1170px) 100vw, 1170px" /></a><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">The AirLite Suspension backpanel holds the pack off your body. Photo: Christine Henry</figcaption></figure>
<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-fit-and-ride-performance">Fit and ride performance</h3>
<p>The suspension back panel works supremely well at venting your back and suspending the load in a secure fashion. I found the pack to ride well even in rough terrain. The most adjustment it would ever need was a quick tightening of the straps to adjust the load.</p>
<p>Since this version of the Seeker only offers 10 liters of storage, it has much less heft, sway, or bounce than a larger pack. This is truly the sweet spot for most mountain bikers: not bulky, but just big enough.</p>
<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-durability">Durability</h3>
<p>Over many hundreds of miles of riding, I had only one issue with the pack: the main reservoir sprang a slow leak. Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to identify exactly where the leak was coming from, so I swapped the reservoir with an older one from a different pack.</p>
<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-pros-and-cons-of-the-dakine-seeker-10l-bike-hydration-backpack">Pros and cons of the Dakine Seeker 10L Bike Hydration Backpack</h2>
<h4 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-pros">Pros</h4>
<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li>Hip belt pockets</li>
<li>Suspension back panel is cool and supports the load well</li>
<li>External straps expand carrying capacity</li>
</ul>
<h4 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-cons">Cons</h4>
<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li>Not large enough for the most epic backcountry trips — buy the 18L instead</li>
<li>Reservoir sprang a leak</li>
</ul>
<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-bottom-line">Bottom line</h2>
<p>For an everyday mountain bike hydration pack, you can’t go wrong with the Dakine Seeker 10L. The hip belt pockets provide easy access to snacks on the go. The main pack provides plenty of storage space for most rides — just not the truly epic backcountry adventures. If you need to carry several spare layers, a first aid kit, and more, consider getting the Seeker 18L instead.</p>
<p>The article <a href="https://www.singletracks.com/mtb-gear/dakine-seeker-10l-mtb-hydration-backpack-review/">Dakine Seeker 10L MTB hydration backpack review</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.singletracks.com">Singletracks Mountain Bike News</a>.</p>
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<title>How tariff threats and related costs are already affecting the bike industry</title>
<link>https://www.singletracks.com/mtb-gear/how-tariff-threats-and-related-costs-are-already-affecting-the-bike-industry/</link>
<comments>https://www.singletracks.com/mtb-gear/how-tariff-threats-and-related-costs-are-already-affecting-the-bike-industry/#comments</comments>
<dc:creator><![CDATA[Jeff Barber]]></dc:creator>
<pubDate>Fri, 18 Apr 2025 16:04:00 +0000</pubDate>
<category><![CDATA[Gear]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[industry]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[news]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[tariff]]></category>
<guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.singletracks.com/?p=694711</guid>
<description><![CDATA[<p>Bike brands have plans to increase prices or add surcharges due to newly announced tariffs. They're also pausing orders and seeing shipping delays, again.</p>
<p>The article <a href="https://www.singletracks.com/mtb-gear/how-tariff-threats-and-related-costs-are-already-affecting-the-bike-industry/">How tariff threats and related costs are already affecting the bike industry</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.singletracks.com">Singletracks Mountain Bike News</a>.</p>
]]></description>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[
<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><a href="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/bike-shop-1-1.jpeg"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="2400" height="1600" src="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/bike-shop-1-1.jpeg" alt="A colorful bicycle shop interior featuring a variety of bicycles on display, including road and mountain bikes. The walls are adorned with bicycle-themed posters, and shelves showcase bike accessories such as tires and grips. The ambiance is vibrant, with a mix of urban art and organized merchandise." class="wp-image-694759" srcset="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/bike-shop-1-1.jpeg 2400w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/bike-shop-1-1-750x500.jpeg 750w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/bike-shop-1-1-1170x780.jpeg 1170w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/bike-shop-1-1-375x250.jpeg 375w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/bike-shop-1-1-768x512.jpeg 768w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/bike-shop-1-1-1536x1024.jpeg 1536w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/bike-shop-1-1-2048x1365.jpeg 2048w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/bike-shop-1-1-600x400.jpeg 600w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 2400px) 100vw, 2400px" /></a><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">File photo.</figcaption></figure>
<p>With tariff talks dominating news around the world, mountain bikers may be wondering if this will affect bike prices, and if so, by how much. It’s a difficult story to cover given how quickly things are changing, but now, it seems, we’re starting to get some signs of how the bike industry is handling the situation. </p>
<p>Rather than asking industry reps to speculate on what might happen, or how they might react, I’ll focus on the actions that several brands have already taken in response to tariff announcements and related costs.</p>
<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-they-re-increasing-prices">They’re increasing prices</h2>
<p>This week, Bell Helmets sent an email to customers announcing price increases. “Due to increased costs, we’ve made the tough decision to implement a price increase, effective in May.” The message goes on to say they’ll share new pricing information shortly.</p>
<p>Another company, family-owned Allen Sports, recently announced <a href="https://allen.bike/products/smart-suction-bike-rack">a new, high-tech bike rack</a>, which was set to be priced at $499. But just days before the launch, the brand increased the price to $699, blaming recently announced tariffs. The price of the Smart Suction bike rack is now even higher — $1,000 — though a rep for the brand notes that if tariffs are decreased, the price of the rack will follow.</p>
<p>Customers are reporting that Trek has quietly increased prices on most models. For example, the <a href="https://www.singletracks.com/mtb-gear/the-trek-top-fuel-relies-heavily-on-its-climb-switch-for-a-ride-thats-more-xc-than-dc-review/">Trek Top Fuel 9 Singletracks reviewed last year</a> is now listed at $5,249.99 on the Trek website, up from $4,799 at the time of our review, which is an increase of roughly 9.4%. Trek calls this price the “Comp Value,” which it describes as the “price at which Trek has offered the item for sale, and also the MSRP we provide to third-party resellers based on the prices of competing items in the market.”</p>
<p>Buyers across the board, and not just mountain bikers, appear to be <a href="https://apnews.com/article/retail-tariffs-economy-inflation-e62663e79129f5b2e6bc1e4f99c4e95a">speeding up purchases in anticipation of higher prices</a> in the future. Bell, for their part, is encouraging customers to buy now before prices go up.</p>
<p>“If you’ve been considering upgrading your lid with a new Bell helmet or getting one for the little ripper, now’s the time to grab it at the current price!”</p>
<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><a href="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/unnamed-59.jpg"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="2048" height="1365" src="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/unnamed-59.jpg" alt="Close-up of a red mountain bike frame, featuring detailed parts such as the crankset, chain, and rear suspension. The bike is positioned on a gravel surface with dry grass in the background. The frame is branded with "Esker" and "Orion," showcasing its design and components." class="wp-image-692325" srcset="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/unnamed-59.jpg 2048w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/unnamed-59-750x500.jpg 750w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/unnamed-59-1170x780.jpg 1170w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/unnamed-59-375x250.jpg 375w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/unnamed-59-768x512.jpg 768w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/unnamed-59-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/unnamed-59-600x400.jpg 600w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 2048px) 100vw, 2048px" /></a></figure>
<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-all-those-extra-purchases-are-slowing-shipping-again">All those extra purchases are slowing shipping (again)</h2>
<p>A few years ago, when buyers were flush with cash and spending on bikes and items for the home, <a href="https://www.singletracks.com/mtb-gear/wheres-my-new-mountain-bike-an-in-depth-look-at-ongoing-supply-chain-challenges/">shipping became a challenge for bicycle importers</a>. Not only did this mean longer lead times, it also added to the cost as freight companies raised their rates substantially given increased demand. Now, with purchases of vehicles and electronics surging, it appears a similar dynamic is playing out in shipping once again.</p>
<p>Minnesota-based Esker Cycles says that though “some new tariffs have already gone into effect—tripling costs on certain components and materials,” the small company plans to absorb most of those costs and their prices will remain the same. However, new bikes have been delayed due to shipping bottlenecks.</p>
<p>“With shipping congestion at an all-time high (wait…AGAIN!?), things are moving slower than expected. We now expect our shipments to land in May,” they wrote in an email to customers. </p>
<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-fewer-bike-orders">Fewer bike orders</h2>
<p>Another bike brand, Borealis, <a href="https://www.bicycleretailer.com/industry-news/2025/04/03/borealis-fat-bikes-paused-purchases-due-tariffs">told Bicycle Retailer</a> that it isn’t planning to place <em>any</em> orders with suppliers for the 2025-26 season. Instead, the company says it will focus on selling through its current inventory.</p>
<p>After years of <a href="https://www.singletracks.com/mtb-gear/the-bike-boom-is-over-but-shops-are-learning-to-ride-a-new-wave/">whipsaw changes in supply and demand for bikes</a>, it’s likely we’ll continue to see mismatches going into the 2026 season at least.</p>
<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-tariff-surcharges-could-be-coming">Tariff surcharges could be coming</h2>
<p>Like Bell, Specialized is encouraging customers to make their purchases before May 1. After that date, the brand plans to add a <a href="https://www.bicycleretailer.com/industry-news/2025/04/16/specialized-announces-pricing-strategy-account-increased-tariffs">tariff surcharge</a> to all bike purchases, <a href="https://www.bicycleretailer.com/industry-news/2025/04/16/specialized-announces-pricing-strategy-account-increased-tariffs">according to Bicycle Retailer</a>. Retail pricing for bicycles will remain the same, with an additional, separate line item added for tariffs. This allows Specialized to adjust the amount based on what the actual tariffs end up costing, rather than having to change prices in real time.</p>
<p>Though customers hate extra fees — think surcharges for take-out orders and hotel resort fees — we could see other bike brands adopting a similar tack. Specialized promises to make the fee as transparent as possible, so customers know exactly how much is being added due to tariffs.</p>
<p><em>Your turn: Are you stocking up on bike gear in anticipation of tariff increases? </em></p>
<p>The article <a href="https://www.singletracks.com/mtb-gear/how-tariff-threats-and-related-costs-are-already-affecting-the-bike-industry/">How tariff threats and related costs are already affecting the bike industry</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.singletracks.com">Singletracks Mountain Bike News</a>.</p>
]]></content:encoded>
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<slash:comments>4</slash:comments>
</item>
<item>
<title>Save 25% off Five Ten Freeriders including the new Freerider Pro BOA</title>
<link>https://www.singletracks.com/mtb-gear/save-25-off-the-new-five-ten-freerider-boa/</link>
<comments>https://www.singletracks.com/mtb-gear/save-25-off-the-new-five-ten-freerider-boa/#respond</comments>
<dc:creator><![CDATA[Jeff Barber]]></dc:creator>
<pubDate>Thu, 17 Apr 2025 21:01:15 +0000</pubDate>
<category><![CDATA[Gear]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[deals]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Five Ten Freerider Pro]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[sale]]></category>
<guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.singletracks.com/?p=694660</guid>
<description><![CDATA[<p>Save on a new pair of Five Ten Freerider mountain bike shoes now thru April 30.</p>
<p>The article <a href="https://www.singletracks.com/mtb-gear/save-25-off-the-new-five-ten-freerider-boa/">Save 25% off Five Ten Freeriders including the new Freerider Pro BOA</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.singletracks.com">Singletracks Mountain Bike News</a>.</p>
]]></description>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[
<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><a href="https://www.singletracks.com/wp-json/click/track/dPj3E6/"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1170" height="780" src="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Five_Ten_Freerider_Pro_BOAr_Mountain_Bike_Shoes_Black_IH3050_01_00_standard-1170x780.jpg" alt="Men's FiveTen Freerider Pro BOA mountain bike shoe" class="wp-image-694783" srcset="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Five_Ten_Freerider_Pro_BOAr_Mountain_Bike_Shoes_Black_IH3050_01_00_standard-1170x780.jpg 1170w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Five_Ten_Freerider_Pro_BOAr_Mountain_Bike_Shoes_Black_IH3050_01_00_standard-750x500.jpg 750w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Five_Ten_Freerider_Pro_BOAr_Mountain_Bike_Shoes_Black_IH3050_01_00_standard-375x250.jpg 375w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Five_Ten_Freerider_Pro_BOAr_Mountain_Bike_Shoes_Black_IH3050_01_00_standard-768x512.jpg 768w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Five_Ten_Freerider_Pro_BOAr_Mountain_Bike_Shoes_Black_IH3050_01_00_standard-1536x1025.jpg 1536w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Five_Ten_Freerider_Pro_BOAr_Mountain_Bike_Shoes_Black_IH3050_01_00_standard-600x400.jpg 600w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Five_Ten_Freerider_Pro_BOAr_Mountain_Bike_Shoes_Black_IH3050_01_00_standard.jpg 2000w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1170px) 100vw, 1170px" /></a></figure>
<p>For flat pedal riding, it’s hard to beat the <a href="https://adidas.njih.net/c/1806752/264102/4270?c=affiliate_2021&af_reengagement_window=30d&af_channel=affiliates&pid=impactradius_int&is_retargeting=true&af_siteid=1806752&u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.adidas.com%2Fus%2Ffive-ten-freerider-pro-canvas-mountain-bike-shoes%2FGZ4653.html">Five Ten Freeriders</a>. The original Freerider men’s and women’s styles retail for $110 and if you’re an adiClub member — It’s free to sign up for adiClub, which also unlocks free shipping — the price is just <strong>$83</strong>. And the <a href="https://www.singletracks.com/mtb-gear/five-ten-freerider-vs-freerider-pro-mtb-shoe-review/">Five Ten Freerider Pro</a> is <strong>$120</strong> for adiClub members (regular price $160).</p>
<p>Earlier this year, the brand released a <a href="https://www.singletracks.com/wp-json/click/track/dPj3E6/">BOA-equipped Pro version</a> made with recycled materials, with the same beloved Stealth S1 rubber outsole with Dotty tread. Men’s and women’s styles are available. </p>
<p>Normally priced at $170, the top-of-the-line Freerider is <a href="https://www.singletracks.com/wp-json/click/track/dPj3E6/">just $128 for adiClub members</a> through April 30. </p>
<p><strong><a href="https://adidas.njih.net/c/1806752/264102/4270?c=affiliate_2021&af_reengagement_window=30d&af_channel=affiliates&pid=impactradius_int&is_retargeting=true&af_siteid=1806752&u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.adidas.com%2Fus%2Ffive-ten-freerider-pro-canvas-mountain-bike-shoes%2FGZ4653.html">Shop all the Five Ten Freeriders at Adidas here.</a></strong></p>
<p>Singletracks has been testing a pair of the new Five Ten Freerider Pro BOA <a href="https://www.singletracks.com/mtb-gear/the-best-mountain-bike-shoes/">mountain bike shoes</a>, so look for a review soon!</p>
<p></p>
<p>The article <a href="https://www.singletracks.com/mtb-gear/save-25-off-the-new-five-ten-freerider-boa/">Save 25% off Five Ten Freeriders including the new Freerider Pro BOA</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.singletracks.com">Singletracks Mountain Bike News</a>.</p>
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<title>Thanks to 50km of new trails, Narooma, Australia, attracted 63,000 mountain bikers last year</title>
<link>https://www.singletracks.com/mtb-trails/thanks-to-50km-of-new-trails-narooma-australia-attracted-63000-mountain-bikers-last-year/</link>
<comments>https://www.singletracks.com/mtb-trails/thanks-to-50km-of-new-trails-narooma-australia-attracted-63000-mountain-bikers-last-year/#respond</comments>
<dc:creator><![CDATA[Greg Heil]]></dc:creator>
<pubDate>Thu, 17 Apr 2025 18:15:00 +0000</pubDate>
<category><![CDATA[Trails]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[economic benefit]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[economic impact]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[narooma australia]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[narooma new south wales]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[trail development]]></category>
<guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.singletracks.com/?p=694589</guid>
<description><![CDATA[<p>The town of Narooma, Australia, built 50km of new MTB trails in 2024. In the first year, they've already had a massive impact on the local economy.</p>
<p>The article <a href="https://www.singletracks.com/mtb-trails/thanks-to-50km-of-new-trails-narooma-australia-attracted-63000-mountain-bikers-last-year/">Thanks to 50km of new trails, Narooma, Australia, attracted 63,000 mountain bikers last year</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.singletracks.com">Singletracks Mountain Bike News</a>.</p>
]]></description>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[
<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><a href="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/narooma.jpeg"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1170" height="780" src="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/narooma-1170x780.jpeg" alt="" class="wp-image-694593" srcset="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/narooma-1170x780.jpeg 1170w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/narooma-750x500.jpeg 750w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/narooma-375x250.jpeg 375w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/narooma-768x512.jpeg 768w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/narooma-1536x1024.jpeg 1536w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/narooma-600x400.jpeg 600w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/narooma.jpeg 1800w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1170px) 100vw, 1170px" /></a><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Photo courtesy VisitNSW</figcaption></figure>
<p><a target="_blank" href="https://www.singletracks.com/mtb-trails/new-report-finds-mountain-bikers-spend-over-1000-per-trip-in-some-destinations/" rel="noreferrer noopener">Economic studies about the benefits of mountain bike trails</a> are getting better every year, but it’s rare to see a local community measure the before and after of a new trail development. The town of Narooma, Australia, has just released some intriguing numbers showing the impact of a new mountain bike trail development.</p>
<p>In 2024, $4.1 million AUD was invested by the Australian and NSW Government’s Bushfire Local Economic Recovery Fund to build an additional 58km of mountain bike trails in Bodalla State Forest. This trail expansion brings the total kilometers in the forest up to about 85. Across the region, which includes the communities of Narooma, Eden, and Mogo (<a target="_blank" href="https://www.singletracks.com/mtb-trails/this-130km-trail-system-is-the-biggest-mountain-bike-construction-project-in-australia-to-date/" rel="noreferrer noopener">previously featured on Singletracks</a>), 250km of mountain bike trails have been built.</p>
<p>In the <a href="https://www.singletracks.com/bike-trails/narooma-trails/">Narooma Trails</a>, “you’ll find flowing trails that hug rainforest gullies and explore burrawang and spotted gum ridges. The scenery changes along each trail and caters for all skill levels,” <a href="https://www.visitnsw.com/destinations/south-coast/batemans-bay-and-eurobodalla/bodalla/attractions/narooma-trails" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">according to VisitNSW.com</a>. “Get ready for a wilderness zone, skills zone and gravity zone with insane berms and jumps that’ll connect to longer flowing trails and the main trailhead.”</p>
<p>The $4.1 million investment also funded the construction of a new trailhead for Bodalla State Forest, which also opened in 2024.</p>
<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-economic-impacts-of-narooma-s-new-trails">Economic impacts of Narooma’s new trails</h2>
<p>Just one year after the construction of Narooma’s new trails, the local community has already seen a massive economic impact. According to <a target="_blank" href="https://www.nsw.gov.au/ministerial-releases/new-mountain-bike-trail-brings-63000-riders-to-far-south-coast-and-major-economic-boost" rel="noreferrer noopener">data released by the Government of New South Wales</a> (NSW), 63,000 riders visited the Narooma Mountain Bike Trails in the first year since the new development opened, marking an 89% increase in visitation compared to 2023.</p>
<p>According to the report from NSW, visitors to the region spent $69.5 million in 2024. Unfortunately, the study did not provide precise figures detailing the impact of mountain bikers specifically. Still, by looking at certain businesses, we can get an idea of the incredible impacts that riders are having.</p>
<p>“Southbound Escapes, a tour operator that offers mountain bike shuttles on the trails, went from employing two part-time workers in 2023 to three full-time workers and eight casuals,” according to NSW.</p>
<p>“Since the opening of the park, mountain bikers are coming all year around and especially in off-peak times, and they are staying for longer, with most riding Mogo, Eden, Tathra, and even Thredbo in the same trip,” said Sally Bouckley, Southbound Escapes Director. </p>
<p>“We’ve seen an increased demand for our accommodation as a direct result of the mountain bike trails, and our bookings are up by almost one-third since the trails opened,” said John Murray, Whale Coast Realty Principal. “We can see the benefits and have made changes in our business so we can offer visitors more bike-friendly options because of that.”</p>
<p>Thanks to this proven link between mountain bike trail development and positive economic outcomes, the government will likely continue investing in trail projects. “The NSW Government is committed to backing community projects, like this one, that not only have flow-on benefits for local accommodation providers, cafes, and tour companies, but also create new local jobs,” said Tara Moriarty, Minister for Agriculture and Regional NSW.</p>
<p>The article <a href="https://www.singletracks.com/mtb-trails/thanks-to-50km-of-new-trails-narooma-australia-attracted-63000-mountain-bikers-last-year/">Thanks to 50km of new trails, Narooma, Australia, attracted 63,000 mountain bikers last year</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.singletracks.com">Singletracks Mountain Bike News</a>.</p>
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<title>Big Bear Mountain Resort is opening its Snow Valley Bike Park a month early</title>
<link>https://www.singletracks.com/mtb-trails/big-bear-mountain-resort-is-opening-its-snow-valley-bike-park-a-month-early/</link>
<comments>https://www.singletracks.com/mtb-trails/big-bear-mountain-resort-is-opening-its-snow-valley-bike-park-a-month-early/#respond</comments>
<dc:creator><![CDATA[Greg Heil]]></dc:creator>
<pubDate>Thu, 17 Apr 2025 10:13:00 +0000</pubDate>
<category><![CDATA[Trails]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[big bear california]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[big bear lake california]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[news]]></category>
<guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.singletracks.com/?p=694643</guid>
<description><![CDATA[<p>Skiers and mountain bikers will both be hitting the trails at Big Bear Mountain Resort in California this weekend.</p>
<p>The article <a href="https://www.singletracks.com/mtb-trails/big-bear-mountain-resort-is-opening-its-snow-valley-bike-park-a-month-early/">Big Bear Mountain Resort is opening its Snow Valley Bike Park a month early</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.singletracks.com">Singletracks Mountain Bike News</a>.</p>
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<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><a href="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/2025-4-8_BBMR_SV_DH_BIKEPARK_oPENING_-20.jpg"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1170" height="1024" src="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/2025-4-8_BBMR_SV_DH_BIKEPARK_oPENING_-20-1170x1024.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-694679" srcset="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/2025-4-8_BBMR_SV_DH_BIKEPARK_oPENING_-20-1170x1024.jpg 1170w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/2025-4-8_BBMR_SV_DH_BIKEPARK_oPENING_-20-750x656.jpg 750w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/2025-4-8_BBMR_SV_DH_BIKEPARK_oPENING_-20-768x672.jpg 768w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/2025-4-8_BBMR_SV_DH_BIKEPARK_oPENING_-20-1536x1344.jpg 1536w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/2025-4-8_BBMR_SV_DH_BIKEPARK_oPENING_-20-2048x1792.jpg 2048w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/2025-4-8_BBMR_SV_DH_BIKEPARK_oPENING_-20-600x525.jpg 600w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1170px) 100vw, 1170px" /></a><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Photo: BBMR</figcaption></figure>
<p>For the first time ever, <a href="https://www.singletracks.com/bike-trails/snow-summit-mountain-resort/">Big Bear Mountain Resort</a> (BBMR) will spin its lifts for skiers and mountain bikers at the same time. Big Bear just dropped a surprise announcement that its Snow Valley Bike Park will open on Saturday, April 19, for the 2025 season — more than a month early.</p>
<p>There’s still plenty of snow up on the mountain, so trail crews are hard at work to get as many of the mountain bike trails as possible open for this weekend. While work is still in progress, the resort expects to open with all mountain bike trails <em>except </em>for Quick Draw and Bandit.</p>
<p>Big Bear can run for both skiing and biking because it boasts three different base areas: Bear Mountain, Snow Summit, and Snow Valley. Skiing and snowboarding will take place at the Bear Mountain base area, with several lifts spinning, including chairs 4, 5, and 9. Mountain biking, on the other hand, will take place at the Snow Valley base area.</p>
<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><a href="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/2025-4-15_BBMR_SV_DH_TRAIL_WORK_WINCHESTER-03.jpg"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1170" height="780" src="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/2025-4-15_BBMR_SV_DH_TRAIL_WORK_WINCHESTER-03-1170x780.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-694680" srcset="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/2025-4-15_BBMR_SV_DH_TRAIL_WORK_WINCHESTER-03-1170x780.jpg 1170w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/2025-4-15_BBMR_SV_DH_TRAIL_WORK_WINCHESTER-03-750x500.jpg 750w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/2025-4-15_BBMR_SV_DH_TRAIL_WORK_WINCHESTER-03-375x250.jpg 375w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/2025-4-15_BBMR_SV_DH_TRAIL_WORK_WINCHESTER-03-768x512.jpg 768w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/2025-4-15_BBMR_SV_DH_TRAIL_WORK_WINCHESTER-03-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/2025-4-15_BBMR_SV_DH_TRAIL_WORK_WINCHESTER-03-2048x1365.jpg 2048w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/2025-4-15_BBMR_SV_DH_TRAIL_WORK_WINCHESTER-03-600x400.jpg 600w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1170px) 100vw, 1170px" /></a><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Photo: BBMR</figcaption></figure>
<p>“Several factors [are] at play” in the early bike park opening, said Justin Kanton, BBMR Advertising and PR Director. “With warmer temps, the snow at Valley was melting out fast enough that an early opening was made possible. The trail crew is putting in some serious work to make it happen and the result is added value to our season pass holders. Weather permitting, we’re looking at a 7-month-long season.”</p>
<p>The mountain is still holding several pockets of melting snow, and the moisture “is making for some primo trail conditions,” according to Kanton.</p>
<p>Snow Valley Bike Park will be open only on the weekends through the first weekend of June, after which it will resume week-long operations. BBMR also announced that the Summit Bike Park is tentatively scheduled to open on June 6, conditions permitting.</p>
<p>The article <a href="https://www.singletracks.com/mtb-trails/big-bear-mountain-resort-is-opening-its-snow-valley-bike-park-a-month-early/">Big Bear Mountain Resort is opening its Snow Valley Bike Park a month early</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.singletracks.com">Singletracks Mountain Bike News</a>.</p>
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<title>Go behind the scenes with the builders of Sedona’s Hardline trail</title>
<link>https://www.singletracks.com/mtb-trails/the-hard-line-video/</link>
<comments>https://www.singletracks.com/mtb-trails/the-hard-line-video/#respond</comments>
<dc:creator><![CDATA[Singletracks Staff]]></dc:creator>
<pubDate>Wed, 16 Apr 2025 18:08:00 +0000</pubDate>
<category><![CDATA[Trails]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[sedona arizona]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[trail development]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[video]]></category>
<guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.singletracks.com/?p=694581</guid>
<description><![CDATA[<p>Sedona's new Hardline trail is quickly becoming known as one of the most technical MTB trails in the USA. In this new film, you can find out exactly how the builders made the magic happen.</p>
<p>The article <a href="https://www.singletracks.com/mtb-trails/the-hard-line-video/">Go behind the scenes with the builders of Sedona’s Hardline trail</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.singletracks.com">Singletracks Mountain Bike News</a>.</p>
]]></description>
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<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
<iframe loading="lazy" title="The Hard Line" width="1170" height="658" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/tJ06FMsIoy8?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe>
</div></figure>
<p></p>
<p>“We’ve built other blacks out there, but nothing like this,” said Lars Romig, Board Member for the <a href="https://www.vvcc.us/">Verde Valley Cyclists Coalition</a> (VVCC) and the driving force behind the Hardline project. “If you’ve ridden Hangover — the steep, slickrock stuff towards the end of Hangover — this is like that, but take it to another level. It’s just more interesting, more beautiful.”</p>
<p><a href="https://www.singletracks.com/mtb-trails/sedonas-new-hardline-is-their-most-brutally-technical-mtb-trail-yet/">Sedona’s new Hardline trail</a> is quickly becoming renowned as one of the most technical mountain bike trails in the USA. The trail begins with a steep filter feature to keep unsuspecting riders out… and it only gets harder from there. The trail is filled with steep rock rollers, chunder, and vertigo-inducing exposure.</p>
<p>The work required to build this technical masterpiece was monumental. In this film, you can go behind the scenes with the Verde Valley Cycling Coalition and the Red Rock Trail Fund to see just how they made the magic happen.</p>
<figure class="wp-block-image"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tJ06FMsIoy8"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1170" height="658" src="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/yt-tJ06FMsIoy8-thumb-1170x658.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-694582" srcset="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/yt-tJ06FMsIoy8-thumb-1170x658.jpg 1170w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/yt-tJ06FMsIoy8-thumb-750x422.jpg 750w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/yt-tJ06FMsIoy8-thumb-768x432.jpg 768w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/yt-tJ06FMsIoy8-thumb-600x338.jpg 600w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/yt-tJ06FMsIoy8-thumb.jpg 1200w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1170px) 100vw, 1170px" /></a></figure>
<p>The article <a href="https://www.singletracks.com/mtb-trails/the-hard-line-video/">Go behind the scenes with the builders of Sedona’s Hardline trail</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.singletracks.com">Singletracks Mountain Bike News</a>.</p>
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<title>The new Dollar Mountain trail system is bringing 25 miles of singletrack to Grants Pass, OR</title>
<link>https://www.singletracks.com/mtb-trails/the-new-dollar-mountain-trail-system-is-bringing-25-miles-of-singletrack-to-grants-pass-or/</link>
<comments>https://www.singletracks.com/mtb-trails/the-new-dollar-mountain-trail-system-is-bringing-25-miles-of-singletrack-to-grants-pass-or/#comments</comments>
<dc:creator><![CDATA[Greg Heil]]></dc:creator>
<pubDate>Wed, 16 Apr 2025 10:12:00 +0000</pubDate>
<category><![CDATA[Trails]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[grants pass oregon]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[news]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[trail development]]></category>
<guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.singletracks.com/?p=692393</guid>
<description><![CDATA[<p>The small town of Grants Pass, OR, bought 450 acres of land, which unlocked access to an additional 750 acres of previously land-locked public property. Now, they're building a 25-mile MTB trail system.</p>
<p>The article <a href="https://www.singletracks.com/mtb-trails/the-new-dollar-mountain-trail-system-is-bringing-25-miles-of-singletrack-to-grants-pass-or/">The new Dollar Mountain trail system is bringing 25 miles of singletrack to Grants Pass, OR</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.singletracks.com">Singletracks Mountain Bike News</a>.</p>
]]></description>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[
<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><a href="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/IMG_0642.jpg"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1093" height="812" src="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/IMG_0642.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-694008" srcset="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/IMG_0642.jpg 1093w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/IMG_0642-750x557.jpg 750w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/IMG_0642-768x571.jpg 768w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/IMG_0642-600x446.jpg 600w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1093px) 100vw, 1093px" /></a><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Photo courtesy Chad Thorson</figcaption></figure>
<p>What started as a rough, rutted, unofficial hiking trail to a cell tower is now being transformed into a visionary mountain bike project. The Dollar Mountain trail system will eventually boast 25 miles of purpose-built singletrack, with the new trails set to reshape recreation and tourism in the small town of Grants Pass, Oregon.</p>
<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-grants-pass-purchased-a-450-acre-parcel-opening-up-access-to-750-acres-of-public-land">Grants Pass purchased a 450-acre parcel, opening up access to 750 acres of public land</h2>
<p>The vision for the Dollar Mountain trail system began in 2017, when a mountain biker serving on the Grants Pass city council saw potential in a 450-acre parcel of land on the city’s north side, featuring 1,000 feet of vertical relief. Previously, the only access to the land was the aforementioned social trail.</p>
<p>The process of purchasing the land took several years. Eventually, the city was able to sell a different parcel of land and then purchase the desirable Dollar Mountain parcel, which has a market value of $3 million, for just $1 million. Through a series of grants, the city was able to raise roughly $1 million more for the construction of 12 miles of trails on their land.</p>
<p>But the vision is much bigger than just 12 miles of trail.</p>
<p>Local mountain biker Chad Thorson was tapped to help determine the viability of building mountain bike trails on the Dollar Mountain parcel, and he gave the location a big thumbs up. However, while researching the land, Thorson discovered that the parcel directly abuts tracts of both BLM and county land that “had never been developed because it was landlocked by private property all around.”</p>
<p>“It was exciting to bring that to the committee’s attention. It’s like, this is not a 450-acre project,” said Thorson. “With all of the different county [land] and all that, it’s just under 1,200 acres with multiple peaks — shocking.”</p>
<p>While Thorson was brought into the Dollar Mountain project simply because he was an interested local mountain biker, to help facilitate his work on the project over the last seven years, he joined the board of the <a href="https://www.rvmba.org/">Rogue Valley Mountain Bike Association</a> (RVMBA) and now serves as the Vice President of the board. Thorson also got involved in city government to help shepherd the project, and he’s now the Chair of the Parks Advisory Committee for Grants Pass.</p>
<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-blm-land-is-already-designated-for-recreation">The BLM land is already designated for recreation</h2>
<p>The BLM land totals roughly 400 acres, and during his research, Thorson discovered that the land was already designated for recreational use, which made it easy for the city to begin discussions with the BLM to build trails on that land.</p>
<p>The first phase of trail development that’s currently underway is taking place solely on city land. Phase two is planned for the BLM land and will total about 13 miles of trails, bringing the total trail system up to 25 miles of purpose-built singletrack.</p>
<figure class="wp-block-gallery has-nested-images columns-default is-cropped wp-block-gallery-14 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex">
<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><a href="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/IMG_0644-1.jpg"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="882" height="1170" data-id="694013" src="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/IMG_0644-1-882x1170.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-694013" srcset="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/IMG_0644-1-882x1170.jpg 882w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/IMG_0644-1-566x750.jpg 566w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/IMG_0644-1-768x1018.jpg 768w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/IMG_0644-1-1158x1536.jpg 1158w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/IMG_0644-1-600x796.jpg 600w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/IMG_0644-1.jpg 1206w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 882px) 100vw, 882px" /></a></figure>
<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><a href="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/IMG_0645-1.jpg"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="882" height="1170" data-id="694014" src="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/IMG_0645-1-882x1170.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-694014" srcset="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/IMG_0645-1-882x1170.jpg 882w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/IMG_0645-1-566x750.jpg 566w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/IMG_0645-1-768x1018.jpg 768w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/IMG_0645-1-1158x1536.jpg 1158w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/IMG_0645-1-600x796.jpg 600w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/IMG_0645-1.jpg 1206w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 882px) 100vw, 882px" /></a></figure>
<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><a href="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/IMG_0643-1.jpg"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="886" height="1170" data-id="694012" src="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/IMG_0643-1-886x1170.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-694012" srcset="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/IMG_0643-1-886x1170.jpg 886w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/IMG_0643-1-568x750.jpg 568w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/IMG_0643-1-768x1014.jpg 768w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/IMG_0643-1-1163x1536.jpg 1163w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/IMG_0643-1-600x793.jpg 600w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/IMG_0643-1.jpg 1206w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 886px) 100vw, 886px" /></a></figure>
<figcaption class="blocks-gallery-caption wp-element-caption">Photos courtesy Chad Thorson</figcaption></figure>
<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-trails-are-currently-under-construction-on-dollar-mountain">What trails are currently under construction on Dollar Mountain?</h2>
<p>The City of Grants Pass has contracted Ptarmigan Trails to build phase one. The first four miles of the 12 under construction were completed in December 2024, with another four completed as of publication date. The final four miles, plus a 20-car parking lot, are projected to be complete by the first of June. Thorson anticipates holding a ribbon-cutting ceremony in mid-to-late June.</p>
<p>In this current construction phase, “80% is fun, flowy singletrack that can be ridden both directions, and a majority of those are hiking and biking both directions,” said Thorson. Ptarmigan is also reworking parts of the social hiking trail to add “more switchbacks on the steep, eroded parts.” That trail will be uphill only for mountain bikes.</p>
<p>“Once the bikes get to the top, they’ll have a couple options for downhill-only mountain biking,” said Thorson. The trails will offer a wide range of difficulties from advanced beginner all the way up to black diamond.</p>
<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-ptarmigan-is-building-pnw-naturalized-flow">Ptarmigan is building “PNW naturalized flow”</h2>
<p>Ptarmigan has just completed one of the first black-diamond descents on the mountain, and it offers what Eddie Kessler, Owner of Ptarmigan Ptrails, characterizes as “PNW naturalized flow.”</p>
<p>This first descent, denoted on the trail plans as “G1” with the working name “Fistful of Dollars,” is “kind of a hybridized traditional trail,” according to Kessler. “It evolves from the top, from this pretty narrow contour into a cascading nose run that has […] some stacked S-turn berms. There’s a little bit of roots in between, [and] we’ve left some steepness. There’s [also] a little bit of a rut line. You kind of have to wiggle in between some trees to make this flowing descent that also has that naturalized Rogue Valley feel.</p>
<p>“And then as you get further down to the bottom, there’s naturalized air options. Whether you land in the back slope or skip the corner on a contour, you kind of air in and out of berms. And then it ends with these little floater airs that are not mandatory. You could roll over them, but if you have the skills and the speed, you’re going to send it over these sections of trails into the next little piece.”</p>
<p>The blue descents that Ptarmigan plans to build soon will boast the same trail character, just with smaller obstacles, less steepness, and less exposure.</p>
<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><a href="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/IMG_1123.jpg"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1170" height="780" src="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/IMG_1123-1170x780.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-694461" srcset="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/IMG_1123-1170x780.jpg 1170w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/IMG_1123-750x500.jpg 750w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/IMG_1123-375x250.jpg 375w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/IMG_1123-768x512.jpg 768w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/IMG_1123-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/IMG_1123-2048x1365.jpg 2048w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/IMG_1123-600x400.jpg 600w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1170px) 100vw, 1170px" /></a><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">View from Dollar Mountain. Photo courtesy Chad Thorson</figcaption></figure>
<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-grants-pass-sees-dollar-mountain-as-a-much-needed-tourism-driver">Grants Pass sees Dollar Mountain as a much-needed tourism driver</h2>
<p>When tourists visit the Rogue Valley, Grants Pass is often overlooked. <a href="https://www.singletracks.com/bike-trails/region/oregon/?city=Ashland">Ashland</a> is the region’s hip outdoor mecca located at the south end of the valley, and it boasts the best mountain biking by far. Medford is one of the largest cities in Oregon, and has the economy that comes with it. Jacksonville is quaint, historic, and artsy. But Grants Pass? Most people just drive on through</p>
<p><a href="https://www.singletracks.com/mtb-trails/new-report-finds-mountain-bikers-spend-over-1000-per-trip-in-some-destinations/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">The data is in</a>: mountain biking delivers a proven economic boost for communities across the USA, and “the City finally figured out that this is a big tourism driver,” said Thorson. He cited stats from a project of a similar scale under construction in McMinnville, where “they’re estimating $7.5 million annually in direct spending from their trail project. That’s just like Dollar Mountain, so I think that’s a safe number to put out there.”</p>
<p>To drive tourism, Thorson highlighted that these trails are truly located in the city of Grants Pass. While some popular trails are already spread through the public lands in the area, such as <a href="https://www.singletracks.com/bike-trails/motr-mountain-of-the-rogue/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Mountain of the Rogue</a> and historic trails like <a href="https://www.singletracks.com/bike-trails/jedi-trail/">Jedi</a>, Dollar Mountain will provide the crucial from-downtown trail connectivity that so many mountain bikers are looking for.</p>
<p>“I think that people will come — there’s multiple hotels that they can just ride to the trail system from their hotel,” said Thorson. “There’s a couple breweries that are really close. I think people will park at a brewery, go ride the trails, and come back and eat, and shop at the local businesses.”</p>
<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-potential-impact-on-the-local-community">Potential impact on the local community</h2>
<p>Above and beyond tourism, Thorson sees the easy access these trails will provide as a massive benefit for the local riders as well. “I think we’re going to see a NICA […] race team here, because it’s close to the schools, and there’s bike paths that go from the school to the mountain,” he continued.</p>
<p>Thorson also called out additional local connectivity between Dollar Mountain and other mountain bike projects in Grants Pass. Dollar Mountain is close to an area called “B Street Jumps” that has different jump lines and skills features. The city plans to invest an additional $50,000 into this small bike park. “Mountain Bike Hill” is also nearby, which is “a special use mountain bike park that is also part of the Dollar Mountain complex” totaling an additional 18 acres.</p>
<p>Grants Pass is all-in on mountain bikes. From top-tier purpose-built trails to in-town skills parks, in a few years, the local mountain bike scene will be downright unrecognizable.</p>
<p>The article <a href="https://www.singletracks.com/mtb-trails/the-new-dollar-mountain-trail-system-is-bringing-25-miles-of-singletrack-to-grants-pass-or/">The new Dollar Mountain trail system is bringing 25 miles of singletrack to Grants Pass, OR</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.singletracks.com">Singletracks Mountain Bike News</a>.</p>
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<title>ICYMI: The most surprising and exciting Sea Otter finds of 2025</title>
<link>https://www.singletracks.com/mtb-gear/icymi-the-most-surprising-and-exciting-sea-otter-finds-of-2025/</link>
<comments>https://www.singletracks.com/mtb-gear/icymi-the-most-surprising-and-exciting-sea-otter-finds-of-2025/#respond</comments>
<dc:creator><![CDATA[Jeff Barber]]></dc:creator>
<pubDate>Tue, 15 Apr 2025 15:24:43 +0000</pubDate>
<category><![CDATA[Gear]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[news]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[sea otter]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[weird]]></category>
<guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.singletracks.com/?p=694546</guid>
<description><![CDATA[<p>The Singletracks team discovered over a dozen weird and wonderful MTBs and components at Sea Otter 2025.</p>
<p>The article <a href="https://www.singletracks.com/mtb-gear/icymi-the-most-surprising-and-exciting-sea-otter-finds-of-2025/">ICYMI: The most surprising and exciting Sea Otter finds of 2025</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.singletracks.com">Singletracks Mountain Bike News</a>.</p>
]]></description>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[
<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><a href="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/0O8A4443.jpg"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1170" height="780" src="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/0O8A4443-1170x780.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-694172" srcset="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/0O8A4443-1170x780.jpg 1170w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/0O8A4443-750x500.jpg 750w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/0O8A4443-375x250.jpg 375w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/0O8A4443-768x512.jpg 768w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/0O8A4443-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/0O8A4443-2048x1365.jpg 2048w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/0O8A4443-600x400.jpg 600w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1170px) 100vw, 1170px" /></a></figure>
<p>You never know what you’ll find at the Sea Otter Classic. By the time the festival rolls around in April, many of the biggest brands have already announced their latest bikes and components for the year. So, in order to stand out, brands both big and small need to go big, or weird, or some combination of the two. And this year, all of the above was on display.</p>
<p>Here are some of the most interesting and surprising products we saw at Sea Otter 2025.</p>
<figure class="wp-block-gallery has-nested-images columns-2 is-cropped wp-block-gallery-15 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex">
<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><a href="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/0O8A4969.jpg"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1170" height="911" data-id="694395" src="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/0O8A4969-1170x911.jpg" alt="Close-up view of a mountain bike's rear derailleur and cassette, featuring a blue derailleur and a gold cassette with a cyclist's tire in the background." class="wp-image-694395" srcset="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/0O8A4969-1170x911.jpg 1170w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/0O8A4969-750x584.jpg 750w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/0O8A4969-768x598.jpg 768w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/0O8A4969-1536x1196.jpg 1536w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/0O8A4969-2048x1594.jpg 2048w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/0O8A4969-600x467.jpg 600w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1170px) 100vw, 1170px" /></a></figure>
<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><a href="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/0O8A4956.jpg"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1170" height="780" data-id="694398" src="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/0O8A4956-1170x780.jpg" alt="Close-up view of a bicycle's rear derailleur and cassette, featuring a blue derailleur component and a gold and black cassette. The image highlights the mechanical details and design of bicycle gears, with visible dirt indicating use." class="wp-image-694398" srcset="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/0O8A4956-1170x780.jpg 1170w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/0O8A4956-750x500.jpg 750w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/0O8A4956-375x250.jpg 375w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/0O8A4956-768x512.jpg 768w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/0O8A4956-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/0O8A4956-2048x1365.jpg 2048w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/0O8A4956-600x400.jpg 600w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1170px) 100vw, 1170px" /></a></figure>
<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><a href="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/0O8A4975.jpg"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1170" height="675" data-id="694393" src="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/0O8A4975-1170x675.jpg" alt="A display of various bicycle derailleur components on a wooden table, including a blue long cage design and two black derailleur options labeled as "short cage" and "long cage." Also visible are several small black and blue accessory pieces, alongside a decorative plant and a blurred photo of a group of people in the background." class="wp-image-694393" srcset="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/0O8A4975-1170x675.jpg 1170w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/0O8A4975-750x433.jpg 750w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/0O8A4975-768x443.jpg 768w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/0O8A4975-1536x886.jpg 1536w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/0O8A4975-2048x1182.jpg 2048w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/0O8A4975-600x346.jpg 600w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1170px) 100vw, 1170px" /></a></figure>
</figure>
<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-madrone-jab-rebuildable-derailleur">Madrone Jab rebuildable derailleur</h2>
<p>It’s always exciting to see a company whose name doesn’t start with “S” offering drivetrain bits, especially when it comes to derailleurs. Madrone has been previewing and refining their mechanical derailleur for a while now, and it’s still listed as “coming soon” <a href="https://madronecycles.com/products/jab-derailleur">on their website</a>.</p>
<p>The Madrone Jab derailleur is said to work with 11- and 12-speed systems, and is designed to be both highly serviceable and durable. Pricing will start at $295 with a claimed weight of 310g for the long-cage version.</p>
<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><a href="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/0O8A4687.jpg"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1170" height="806" src="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/0O8A4687-1170x806.jpg" alt="A sleek, modern mountain bike showcased on a wooden display. The bike features a gray frame with gold accents and thick, knobby tires. Behind the bike are wooden panels displaying photographs of mountain biking scenes, adding to the outdoor theme of the exhibit." class="wp-image-694319" srcset="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/0O8A4687-1170x806.jpg 1170w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/0O8A4687-750x516.jpg 750w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/0O8A4687-768x529.jpg 768w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/0O8A4687-1536x1058.jpg 1536w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/0O8A4687-2048x1410.jpg 2048w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/0O8A4687-600x413.jpg 600w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1170px) 100vw, 1170px" /></a></figure>
<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-gt-fury-carbon-pro">GT Fury Carbon Pro</h2>
<p>Late last year, <a href="https://www.singletracks.com/mtb-gear/rocky-mountain-restructuring-to-avoid-bankruptcy-and-gt-is-laying-off-staff-before-year-end/">it was reported</a> that GT was “pausing new product releases.” However, we were pleasantly surprised to see this high-end, high-pivot GT Fury Carbon Pro downhill bike on display. So is GT already planning to press play on new releases? We’ll have to wait and see.</p>
<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><a href="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/0O8A4754.jpg"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1170" height="865" src="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/0O8A4754-1170x865.jpg" alt="Close-up of the front wheel and suspension fork of a mountain bike, featuring a rubber tire with deep treads for traction, gold-colored suspension components, and a measurement tool attached to the fork. Out-of-focus crowds and tents are visible in the background." class="wp-image-694355" srcset="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/0O8A4754-1170x865.jpg 1170w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/0O8A4754-750x554.jpg 750w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/0O8A4754-768x568.jpg 768w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/0O8A4754-1536x1135.jpg 1536w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/0O8A4754-2048x1514.jpg 2048w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/0O8A4754-600x443.jpg 600w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1170px) 100vw, 1170px" /></a></figure>
<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-fox-inverted-fork">Fox inverted fork</h2>
<p>This <a href="https://www.singletracks.com/mtb-gear/we-can-only-speculate-about-this-inverted-fox-fork-spotted-at-sea-otter/">upside-down Fox fork</a> turned a lot of heads at Sea Otter, and the tease is all the more surprising given the <a href="https://www.singletracks.com/mtb-gear/the-fox-36-sl-replaces-the-brands-previous-trail-fork-the-34/">complete revamp of the brand’s fork lineup</a> that rolled out just a few weeks ago.</p>
<figure class="wp-block-gallery has-nested-images columns-default is-cropped wp-block-gallery-16 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex">
<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><a href="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/0O8A5050.jpg"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1170" height="982" data-id="694499" src="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/0O8A5050-1170x982.jpg" alt="A bicycle front fork rests on the ground, surrounded by grass and gravel. The fork features two black tubes with silver fittings and a small lever, positioned next to the edge of a tire." class="wp-image-694499" srcset="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/0O8A5050-1170x982.jpg 1170w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/0O8A5050-750x629.jpg 750w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/0O8A5050-768x644.jpg 768w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/0O8A5050-1536x1289.jpg 1536w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/0O8A5050-2048x1718.jpg 2048w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/0O8A5050-600x503.jpg 600w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1170px) 100vw, 1170px" /></a></figure>
<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><a href="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/0O8A5045.jpg"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1170" height="975" data-id="694498" src="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/0O8A5045-1170x975.jpg" alt="Close-up view of a vehicle's rear tire and suspension components, featuring a robust tread pattern on the tire and visible shock absorbers connected to the chassis, set against a grassy background." class="wp-image-694498" srcset="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/0O8A5045-1170x975.jpg 1170w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/0O8A5045-750x625.jpg 750w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/0O8A5045-768x640.jpg 768w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/0O8A5045-1536x1280.jpg 1536w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/0O8A5045-2048x1706.jpg 2048w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/0O8A5045-600x500.jpg 600w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1170px) 100vw, 1170px" /></a></figure>
</figure>
<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-cane-creek-inverted-mtb-fork">Cane Creek inverted MTB fork</h2>
<p>Fox wasn’t the only brand with an inverted fork at Sea Otter. Just last year, Cane Creek released an <a href="https://www.singletracks.com/mtb-gear/cane-creek-inverted-gravel-suspension-fork-weighs-just-990g/">upside-down gravel fork</a>, and it appears they’re now prototyping a mountain bike version.</p>
<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><a href="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/0O8A5683.jpg"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1170" height="780" src="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/0O8A5683-1170x780.jpg" alt="Close-up of a Topeak TurboFlow device featuring a digital display reading "300% EFFORTLESS." The device has distinct labels for a Presta valve, Twinhead, and TurboFlow valve adapter, all mounted on a black base. The background is softly blurred, highlighting the product." class="wp-image-694513" srcset="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/0O8A5683-1170x780.jpg 1170w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/0O8A5683-750x500.jpg 750w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/0O8A5683-375x250.jpg 375w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/0O8A5683-768x512.jpg 768w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/0O8A5683-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/0O8A5683-2048x1365.jpg 2048w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/0O8A5683-600x400.jpg 600w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1170px) 100vw, 1170px" /></a></figure>
<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-topeak-turboflow-high-flow-tubeless-valve">Topeak Turboflow high-flow tubeless valve</h2>
<p>Last year we reported on a trio of “<a href="https://www.singletracks.com/mtb-gear/the-presta-killers-are-coming-for-your-tubeless-tires/">Presta killers</a>” coming to market, and since that time, even more tubeless tire valve options have come to market. Topeak is set to enter the fray with claims that the Turboflow valve and Rapidhead deliver 300% more airflow.</p>
<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><a href="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/0O8A4772.jpg"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1170" height="804" src="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/0O8A4772-1170x804.jpg" alt="A pair of sleek sport sunglasses with a black frame and reflective, multi-colored lenses, displayed on a dark surface. The background features a blurred greenish area, creating a contrast with the glasses. The sunglasses include a small camera on the front, suggesting functionality beyond standard eyewear." class="wp-image-694360" srcset="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/0O8A4772-1170x804.jpg 1170w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/0O8A4772-750x516.jpg 750w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/0O8A4772-768x528.jpg 768w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/0O8A4772-1536x1056.jpg 1536w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/0O8A4772-2048x1408.jpg 2048w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/0O8A4772-600x412.jpg 600w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1170px) 100vw, 1170px" /></a></figure>
<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-bleequp-ai-cycling-glasses">Bleequp AI cycling glasses</h2>
<p>If the Meta Ray Ban sunglasses just don’t cut it for your rides, the Beequp AI cycling glasses might do the trick. Built-in open-ear micro-speakers allow riders to listen to music or take a phone call. The glasses are IPX water-resistant rated and are also prescription-compatible.</p>
<p>In 2019, we tested a set of <a href="https://www.singletracks.com/mtb-gear/tested-everysight-raptor-is-a-heads-up-display-for-mountain-biking-with-gps-brow-cam/">cycling eyewear that included a heads-up display</a>, which was a cool concept but pretty mid overall. Perhaps ditching the display and focusing on audio cues will prove to be a more viable option.</p>
<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><a href="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/0O8A4707-1.jpg"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1170" height="780" src="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/0O8A4707-1-1170x780.jpg" alt="A close-up view of a mountain bike's drivetrain, featuring a green frame, a rear cassette with multiple gears, and a derailleur. The bike is positioned on a stand, and a black background with the text "Cascade Components" is partially visible. The tire has "Eliminator Grid Trail" embossed on it." class="wp-image-694341" srcset="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/0O8A4707-1-1170x780.jpg 1170w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/0O8A4707-1-750x500.jpg 750w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/0O8A4707-1-375x250.jpg 375w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/0O8A4707-1-768x512.jpg 768w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/0O8A4707-1-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/0O8A4707-1-2048x1365.jpg 2048w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/0O8A4707-1-600x400.jpg 600w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1170px) 100vw, 1170px" /></a></figure>
<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-cascade-high-pivot-kit-for-the-specialized-stumpjumper-15">Cascade high-pivot kit for the Specialized Stumpjumper 15</h2>
<p>The <a href="https://www.singletracks.com/mtb-gear/the-specialized-stumpjumper-15-is-the-best-mtb-ive-tested/">Stumpjumper 15 is already a great mountain bike</a>, so we were surprised to see <a href="https://www.singletracks.com/mtb-gear/wish-the-stumpjumper-was-a-high-pivot-bike-with-this-kit-you-can-make-it-one/">this high-pivot conversion kit</a> from Cascade Components. Clearly, a lot of thought and care went into this design, and it’s cool to see the brand experimenting and pushing the envelope.</p>
<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><a href="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/0O8A4761.jpg"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1170" height="780" src="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/0O8A4761-1170x780.jpg" alt="A bicycle technician adjusts the handlebars of a blue mountain bike using a cordless drill. The bike is mounted on a repair stand, and the technician is smiling while wearing sunglasses and a patterned shirt. In the background, tools and equipment are organized on stands." class="wp-image-694356" srcset="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/0O8A4761-1170x780.jpg 1170w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/0O8A4761-750x500.jpg 750w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/0O8A4761-375x250.jpg 375w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/0O8A4761-768x512.jpg 768w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/0O8A4761-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/0O8A4761-2048x1365.jpg 2048w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/0O8A4761-600x400.jpg 600w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1170px) 100vw, 1170px" /></a></figure>
<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-park-tool-prs-30-bike-repair-stand">Park Tool PRS-30 bike repair stand</h2>
<p>E-bikes are heavy, and some of the professional mechanics we’ve spoken with are getting tired of lifting them into the stand day in and day out. The new Park Tool PRS-30 repair stand bike has a lift built in that can be raised manually with a crank or by using an electric drill as seen here. It’s designed to hold up to 120lbs of weight.</p>
<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><a href="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/0O8A4855.jpg"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1170" height="780" src="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/0O8A4855-1170x780.jpg" alt="Close-up of an orange bicycle frame featuring a black water bottle mounted on the frame and a black bottle cage. The bicycle has thick, textured tires suggesting it's designed for off-road use. A metal railing in the background indicates the bike is stationary." class="wp-image-694373" srcset="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/0O8A4855-1170x780.jpg 1170w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/0O8A4855-750x500.jpg 750w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/0O8A4855-375x250.jpg 375w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/0O8A4855-768x512.jpg 768w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/0O8A4855-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/0O8A4855-2048x1365.jpg 2048w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/0O8A4855-600x400.jpg 600w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1170px) 100vw, 1170px" /></a></figure>
<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-allied-places-downtube-storage-down-low">Allied places downtube storage down low</h2>
<p>Allied has designed their internal downtube storage hatch to sit below the bottle cage. Moving away from the more traditional water bottle cage storage door placement reduces stress points when riding with a full water bottle. The door is lightweight, attaches magnetically, and should help reduce rattling.</p>
<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><a href="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/0O8A4805.jpg"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1170" height="799" src="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/0O8A4805-1170x799.jpg" alt="A white mountain bike with a suspension system on display against a backdrop featuring a close-up of a shoe in the snow. The bike has a detailed design with prominent components visible, including the wheels, chain, and frame. There are branding elements and logos in the background, adding to the promotional nature of the image." class="wp-image-694364" srcset="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/0O8A4805-1170x799.jpg 1170w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/0O8A4805-750x512.jpg 750w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/0O8A4805-768x525.jpg 768w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/0O8A4805-1536x1050.jpg 1536w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/0O8A4805-2048x1399.jpg 2048w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/0O8A4805-600x410.jpg 600w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1170px) 100vw, 1170px" /></a></figure>
<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-cachet-gnoli-funduro-high-pivot-bike">Cachet Gnoli ‘funduro’ high-pivot bike</h2>
<p>Ontario, Canada-based <a href="https://www.cachetbikes.com/product-page/gnoli">Cachet</a> is known for its hardtail dirt jump and street/park bikes. At Sea Otter, the 2025 Cachet Gnoli four-bar 29er with 180/172mm of suspension front/rear was on display.</p>
<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><a href="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/0O8A4907.jpg"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1170" height="780" src="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/0O8A4907-1170x780.jpg" alt="Image of a mountain bike frame displayed on a table, featuring a mix of polished metallic and black components. The frame showcases intricate welding details and an integrated shock absorber, with a blurred background of trees and a promotional banner." class="wp-image-694379" srcset="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/0O8A4907-1170x780.jpg 1170w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/0O8A4907-750x500.jpg 750w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/0O8A4907-375x250.jpg 375w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/0O8A4907-768x512.jpg 768w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/0O8A4907-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/0O8A4907-2048x1365.jpg 2048w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/0O8A4907-600x400.jpg 600w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1170px) 100vw, 1170px" /></a></figure>
<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-williams-racing-high-pivot-frame-spotted">Williams Racing high-pivot frame spotted</h2>
<p>Speaking of high-pivot bikes, we spotted this high-pivot frame at the <a href="https://www.williamsracingproducts.com/">Williams Racing Products</a> booth. No details were available.</p>
<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><a href="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/0O8A4984.jpg"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1170" height="780" src="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/0O8A4984-1170x780.jpg" alt="A black bicycle pedal displayed against a vibrant red backdrop, featuring the text "NEW XYSTO." The pedal showcases a modern design with visible branding and a clear shadow on the wall behind it." class="wp-image-694471" srcset="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/0O8A4984-1170x780.jpg 1170w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/0O8A4984-750x500.jpg 750w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/0O8A4984-375x250.jpg 375w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/0O8A4984-768x512.jpg 768w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/0O8A4984-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/0O8A4984-2048x1365.jpg 2048w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/0O8A4984-600x400.jpg 600w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1170px) 100vw, 1170px" /></a></figure>
<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-time-xysto-pedals">Time XYSTO Pedals</h2>
<p>SRAM and RockShox have had a busy year already, launching the new <a href="https://www.singletracks.com/mtb-gear/sram-eagle-90-transmission-mtb-drivetrain-review/">Eagle 90 mechanical drivetrain</a>, <a href="https://www.singletracks.com/mtb-gear/sram-motive-ultimate-mtb-brake-review/">Motive brakes</a>, and an updated <a href="https://www.singletracks.com/mtb-gear/rockshox-reverb-axs-wireless-dropper-post-review/">Reverb AXS dropper post</a>. With all that going on, we nearly missed the Time XYSTO (pronounced “She-stoh”) clipless mountain bike pedals, which feature a massive platform with five pins per side.</p>
<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><a href="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/0O8A5127.jpg"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1170" height="858" src="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/0O8A5127-1170x858.jpg" alt="A black mountain bike displayed on a red platform with the text "RIDE WRAP." The bike features prominent suspension components, thick tires, and a sleek frame design. In the background, other bicycles are visible, along with a tent structure and informational graphics about bike protection and maintenance. The setting appears to be at a bike show or event, with a grassy area underneath." class="wp-image-694509" srcset="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/0O8A5127-1170x858.jpg 1170w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/0O8A5127-750x550.jpg 750w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/0O8A5127-768x563.jpg 768w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/0O8A5127-1536x1126.jpg 1536w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/0O8A5127-2048x1501.jpg 2048w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/0O8A5127-600x440.jpg 600w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1170px) 100vw, 1170px" /></a></figure>
<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-uno-myth-e-bike-with-dji-avinox-system">UNO <a href="https://www.unno.com/en-us/mith">Myth</a> e-bike with DJI Avinox system</h2>
<p>The UNO Myth, which was announced just before Sea Otter, is set to be one of the first to utilize the powerful and responsive DJI Avinox motor.</p>
<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><a href="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/0O8A4534.jpg"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1170" height="780" src="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/0O8A4534-1170x780.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-694193" srcset="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/0O8A4534-1170x780.jpg 1170w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/0O8A4534-750x500.jpg 750w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/0O8A4534-375x250.jpg 375w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/0O8A4534-768x512.jpg 768w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/0O8A4534-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/0O8A4534-2048x1365.jpg 2048w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/0O8A4534-600x400.jpg 600w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1170px) 100vw, 1170px" /></a><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Photo: Daniel Palma</figcaption></figure>
<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-praxis-gearbox-prototype">Praxis gearbox prototype</h2>
<p>Gearboxes are all the rage lately, and Praxis unveiled their prototype Hinged Transmission (HiT) system at Sea Otter. You can find more details in <a href="https://www.singletracks.com/mtb-gear/prototype-gearbox-promises-a-compact-package-constant-chainline/">this article that we published last week</a>.</p>
<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><a href="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Screenshot-2025-04-15-at-11.30.10%E2%80%AFAM.png"><img decoding="async" src="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Screenshot-2025-04-15-at-11.30.10%E2%80%AFAM-1170x696.png" alt="" class="wp-image-694578"/></a></figure>
<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-you-can-buy-sram-brakes-directly-from-the-brand-now">You can buy SRAM brakes directly from the brand now</h2>
<p>SRAM quietly added Motive and Maven Expert brake kits to <a href="https://shop.sram.com/">their e-commerce site</a>, which also sells select Time pedals, AXS drivetrain parts and accessories, and apparel. Could we see more direct sales from the component brand in the future? At the very least, it appears they are testing the waters.</p>
<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-weird-slash-rad-mountain-bikes">Weird-slash-rad mountain bikes</h2>
<p>Finally, here are a few noteworthy bikes we spotted at Sea Otter this year.</p>
<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><a href="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/0O8A5093.jpg"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1170" height="820" src="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/0O8A5093-1170x820.jpg" alt="A modern mountain bike displayed against a bright yellow backdrop featuring promotional graphics and logos. The bike has a sleek silver frame, thick tires, and a suspension system, showcasing its suitability for off-road riding." class="wp-image-694506" srcset="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/0O8A5093-1170x820.jpg 1170w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/0O8A5093-750x525.jpg 750w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/0O8A5093-768x538.jpg 768w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/0O8A5093-1536x1076.jpg 1536w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/0O8A5093-2048x1435.jpg 2048w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/0O8A5093-600x420.jpg 600w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1170px) 100vw, 1170px" /></a></figure>
<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-ogle-ti-3d-printed-and-welded-frame">Ogle Ti 3D-printed and welded frame</h2>
<p>This is a “one-of-one” bike from Josh at Ogle Component Design.</p>
<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><a href="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/0O8A5692.jpg"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1170" height="839" src="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/0O8A5692-1170x839.jpg" alt="A colorful bicycle frame displayed against an abstract, vibrant background of swirls and shapes in various hues of red, yellow, and blue. The frame features intricate designs and a visible suspension system, highlighting its artistic integration into the art." class="wp-image-694518" srcset="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/0O8A5692-1170x839.jpg 1170w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/0O8A5692-750x538.jpg 750w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/0O8A5692-768x551.jpg 768w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/0O8A5692-1536x1102.jpg 1536w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/0O8A5692-2048x1469.jpg 2048w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/0O8A5692-600x430.jpg 600w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1170px) 100vw, 1170px" /></a></figure>
<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-zinkbikes-vacay-frame">Zinkbikes Vacay frame</h2>
<p>Available May 2025.</p>
<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><a href="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/0O8A5700.jpg"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1170" height="760" src="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/0O8A5700-1170x760.jpg" alt="Image of a mountain bike frame and suspension system displayed against a geometric patterned background. The frame is primarily black with orange accents on the fork and shock absorber. The design showcases detailed components, including suspension links and shock mounts." class="wp-image-694519" srcset="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/0O8A5700-1170x760.jpg 1170w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/0O8A5700-750x487.jpg 750w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/0O8A5700-768x499.jpg 768w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/0O8A5700-1536x997.jpg 1536w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/0O8A5700-2048x1330.jpg 2048w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/0O8A5700-600x390.jpg 600w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1170px) 100vw, 1170px" /></a></figure>
<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-unknown">Unknown</h2>
<p>Spotted at the Ohlins booth. Can anyone identify this Finn Iles frame?</p>
<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><a href="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/0O8A5705.jpg"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1170" height="780" src="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/0O8A5705-1170x780.jpg" alt="A unique bicycle featuring a combination of metallic and wooden frame elements, standing on a pavement with a person’s hand touching the seat. In the background, blurred figures of people and a dark tent are visible, suggesting an event atmosphere." class="wp-image-694520" srcset="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/0O8A5705-1170x780.jpg 1170w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/0O8A5705-750x500.jpg 750w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/0O8A5705-375x250.jpg 375w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/0O8A5705-768x512.jpg 768w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/0O8A5705-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/0O8A5705-2048x1365.jpg 2048w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/0O8A5705-600x400.jpg 600w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1170px) 100vw, 1170px" /></a></figure>
<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-bamboo-and-we-think-stainless-steel-mountain-bike">Bamboo and (we think) stainless steel mountain bike</h2>
<p>No details provided.</p>
<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><a href="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/0O8A5718.jpg"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1170" height="833" src="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/0O8A5718-1170x833.jpg" alt="A pathway lined with various national flags, including the American flag, leading to a large tent structure. People are walking or biking along the path, enjoying a sunny day. The setting suggests a festive or outdoor event atmosphere." class="wp-image-694522" srcset="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/0O8A5718-1170x833.jpg 1170w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/0O8A5718-750x534.jpg 750w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/0O8A5718-768x547.jpg 768w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/0O8A5718-1536x1094.jpg 1536w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/0O8A5718-2048x1458.jpg 2048w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/0O8A5718-600x427.jpg 600w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1170px) 100vw, 1170px" /></a></figure>
<p>Your turn: What was the most interesting MTB release so far this year?</p>
<p>The article <a href="https://www.singletracks.com/mtb-gear/icymi-the-most-surprising-and-exciting-sea-otter-finds-of-2025/">ICYMI: The most surprising and exciting Sea Otter finds of 2025</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.singletracks.com">Singletracks Mountain Bike News</a>.</p>
]]></content:encoded>
<wfw:commentRss>https://www.singletracks.com/mtb-gear/icymi-the-most-surprising-and-exciting-sea-otter-finds-of-2025/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
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<item>
<title>Wish the Stumpjumper was a high-pivot bike? With this kit, you can make it one.</title>
<link>https://www.singletracks.com/mtb-gear/wish-the-stumpjumper-was-a-high-pivot-bike-with-this-kit-you-can-make-it-one/</link>
<comments>https://www.singletracks.com/mtb-gear/wish-the-stumpjumper-was-a-high-pivot-bike-with-this-kit-you-can-make-it-one/#comments</comments>
<dc:creator><![CDATA[Jeff Barber]]></dc:creator>
<pubDate>Tue, 15 Apr 2025 14:34:51 +0000</pubDate>
<category><![CDATA[Gear]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[high pivot]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[news]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Specialized Stumpjumper 15]]></category>
<guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.singletracks.com/?p=694169</guid>
<description><![CDATA[<p>A conversion kit from Cascade Components will transform your Stumpjumper 15 into a high-pivot mountain bike for $1,995.</p>
<p>The article <a href="https://www.singletracks.com/mtb-gear/wish-the-stumpjumper-was-a-high-pivot-bike-with-this-kit-you-can-make-it-one/">Wish the Stumpjumper was a high-pivot bike? With this kit, you can make it one.</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.singletracks.com">Singletracks Mountain Bike News</a>.</p>
]]></description>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[
<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><a href="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/0O8A4694.jpg"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1170" height="848" src="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/0O8A4694-1170x848.jpg" alt="Mountain bike displayed under a tent with the text "Cascade Components". The bike features a sleek green frame and is positioned on a wooden stand. In the background, various other bikes and event banners can be seen, indicating an outdoor cycling event." class="wp-image-694320" srcset="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/0O8A4694-1170x848.jpg 1170w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/0O8A4694-750x544.jpg 750w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/0O8A4694-768x557.jpg 768w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/0O8A4694-1536x1114.jpg 1536w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/0O8A4694-2048x1485.jpg 2048w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/0O8A4694-600x435.jpg 600w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1170px) 100vw, 1170px" /></a><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Photos: Dan and Jamieelee Palma</figcaption></figure>
<p>The folks at Washington-based Cascade Components are known for producing aftermarket linkages for popular mountain bikes to adjust the kinematics and, in some cases, even add a bit more rear travel. Now, the company is taking things to another level with their $1,995 <a href="https://cascadecomponents.bike/products/specialized-stumpjumper-hp-2025">Stumpjumper High Pivot Conversion kit</a>.</p>
<p>“Our engineer wanted to change the axle path of the bike, and then it just cascaded into more and more. No pun intended,” Max Piltz told us at Sea Otter last week. “Why don’t we make it a high pivot, see what that does? And that’s what came to this.”</p>
<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><a href="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/0O8A4703-1.jpg"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1170" height="678" src="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/0O8A4703-1-1170x678.jpg" alt="A close-up view of a green mountain bike's rear drivetrain, showcasing the chain, derailleur, and crankset. In the foreground, several silver bike components are displayed on a wooden surface, with a backdrop featuring the text "Cascade Components." The image captures a bright outdoor setting, emphasizing the bike's mechanical details." class="wp-image-694336" srcset="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/0O8A4703-1-1170x678.jpg 1170w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/0O8A4703-1-750x435.jpg 750w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/0O8A4703-1-768x445.jpg 768w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/0O8A4703-1-1536x891.jpg 1536w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/0O8A4703-1-2048x1188.jpg 2048w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/0O8A4703-1-600x348.jpg 600w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1170px) 100vw, 1170px" /></a></figure>
<p>The conversion kit requires many custom pieces to function, hence the high price. We’re told everything is CNC-machined in-house, and Cascade even does its own anodizing. “If you’re mechanically inclined, [installation is] definitely super doable in the garage,” Piltz says.</p>
<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-why-high-pivot">Why high pivot?</h2>
<p>The <a href="https://www.singletracks.com/mtb-gear/the-specialized-stumpjumper-15-is-the-best-mtb-ive-tested/">Specialized Stumpjumper 15 is already an excellent mountain bike</a>, so why make it a high-pivot bike? “By creating a [rearward] axle path, it helps the wheel sail over square-edged impacts effortlessly, sending less shock through to you,” the brand writes on their website.</p>
<p>Cascade notes that in its stock configuration, the Stumpjumper axle path shifts rearward at sag, then shifts forward as it moves through its travel. With the conversion, the axle path is transformed so that it’s completely rearward, which improves control when it comes to square-edge hits. That rearward axle path isn’t ideal for pedaling, hence the addition of an idler pulley to the system.</p>
<p>In addition to increasing progression overall, the kit adds 10mm of rear suspension travel to the Stumpjumper. The kit also unlocks the possibility of running a coil shock.</p>
<p>“If you want to run a coil over [on] the stock bike, our link is pretty necessary, just because the stock bike is very linear,” Piltz said.</p>
<figure class="wp-block-gallery has-nested-images columns-default is-cropped wp-block-gallery-17 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex">
<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><a href="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/0O8A4702.jpeg"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1170" height="780" data-id="694295" src="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/0O8A4702-1170x780.jpeg" alt="A close-up image of a silver bicycle component, possibly a derailleur, featuring a black gear at the top. The component is positioned on a wooden surface, with a bike tire partially visible in the background. The setting appears to be outdoors, likely at a bike-related event or display." class="wp-image-694295" srcset="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/0O8A4702-1170x780.jpeg 1170w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/0O8A4702-750x500.jpeg 750w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/0O8A4702-375x250.jpeg 375w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/0O8A4702-768x512.jpeg 768w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/0O8A4702-1536x1024.jpeg 1536w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/0O8A4702-2048x1365.jpeg 2048w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/0O8A4702-600x400.jpeg 600w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1170px) 100vw, 1170px" /></a></figure>
<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><a href="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/0O8A4735-1.jpg"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1170" height="780" data-id="694348" src="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/0O8A4735-1-1170x780.jpg" alt="A close-up view of a bicycle's drivetrain area, showcasing a hand holding a silver pedal arm next to a green bike frame. The background includes a bicycle wheel and a wooden platform with additional shiny metal parts lying on it." class="wp-image-694348" srcset="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/0O8A4735-1-1170x780.jpg 1170w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/0O8A4735-1-750x500.jpg 750w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/0O8A4735-1-375x250.jpg 375w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/0O8A4735-1-768x512.jpg 768w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/0O8A4735-1-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/0O8A4735-1-2048x1365.jpg 2048w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/0O8A4735-1-600x400.jpg 600w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1170px) 100vw, 1170px" /></a></figure>
</figure>
<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-limited-release">Limited release</h2>
<p>So how many riders out there actually want to convert their Stumpjumper 15 into a high pivot bike? After all, there were dozens of dedicated high-pivot bikes on display at Sea Otter this year. </p>
<p>It seems Cascade is betting there are at least 20 such mountain bikers out there, based on the number of kits they’ve made available. “Once they are gone, they are gone,” the brand says.</p>
<p>The article <a href="https://www.singletracks.com/mtb-gear/wish-the-stumpjumper-was-a-high-pivot-bike-with-this-kit-you-can-make-it-one/">Wish the Stumpjumper was a high-pivot bike? With this kit, you can make it one.</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.singletracks.com">Singletracks Mountain Bike News</a>.</p>
]]></content:encoded>
<wfw:commentRss>https://www.singletracks.com/mtb-gear/wish-the-stumpjumper-was-a-high-pivot-bike-with-this-kit-you-can-make-it-one/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
<slash:comments>1</slash:comments>
</item>
<item>
<title>Mountain bike trail building and development are going platinum</title>
<link>https://www.singletracks.com/mtb-trails/mountain-bike-trail-building-and-development-are-going-platinum/</link>
<comments>https://www.singletracks.com/mtb-trails/mountain-bike-trail-building-and-development-are-going-platinum/#respond</comments>
<dc:creator><![CDATA[Jeff Barber]]></dc:creator>
<pubDate>Tue, 15 Apr 2025 12:21:56 +0000</pubDate>
<category><![CDATA[Trails]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[podcast]]></category>
<guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.singletracks.com/?p=694434</guid>
<description><![CDATA[<p>We've been living in the "golden age of trailbuilding" for some time now, and we discuss the latest developments.</p>
<p>The article <a href="https://www.singletracks.com/mtb-trails/mountain-bike-trail-building-and-development-are-going-platinum/">Mountain bike trail building and development are going platinum</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.singletracks.com">Singletracks Mountain Bike News</a>.</p>
]]></description>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[
<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><a href="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/coldwater.jpg"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="2400" height="1601" src="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/coldwater.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-694457" srcset="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/coldwater.jpg 2400w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/coldwater-750x500.jpg 750w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/coldwater-1170x780.jpg 1170w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/coldwater-375x250.jpg 375w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/coldwater-768x512.jpg 768w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/coldwater-1536x1025.jpg 1536w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/coldwater-2048x1366.jpg 2048w, https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/coldwater-600x400.jpg 600w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 2400px) 100vw, 2400px" /></a><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">File photo.</figcaption></figure>
<iframe style="border-radius:12px" src="https://open.spotify.com/embed/episode/7G3D8Iovd2eqJVE8tmXQtA?utm_source=generator" width="100%" height="152" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" allow="autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; fullscreen; picture-in-picture" loading="lazy"></iframe>
<p>In this episode of the Singletracks podcast we’re going to be discussing some of the latest news and trends from the world of mountain bike trail development. A complete transcript is available below.</p>
<p>We discuss:</p>
<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li>A recent meta-analysis of mountain bike tourism by IMBA and the Trust for Public Land</li>
<li>The use of private land for trail development</li>
<li>Threats to existing trail systems</li>
<li>What’s happening in Arkansas</li>
<li>What to expect in 2025 and beyond</li>
</ul>
<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Never Miss an Episode</h3>
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<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-automated-transcript">Automated transcript</h2>
<p>Jeff Barber 0:00<br>Hey everybody, welcome to the Singletracks podcast. My name is Jeff, and today Greg and I are going to be discussing some of the latest news and trends from the world of mountain bike trail development. For those who don’t know him, Greg is the managing editor for Singletracks, and he focuses primarily on trail news and coverage from around the world. He also used to be a regular on the Singletracks podcast back when we got started in 2015 I believe. Welcome back, Greg.</p>
<p>Greg Heil 0:30<br>Good to be back on the pod. Yeah, I can’t believe we started that back in 2015 that sounds like a long time ago now. </p>
<p>Jeff Barber 0:37<br>I wonder how many people listening remember you from the podcast, because I think also I was looking back. I think the last episode you were on was like 2018 maybe. So yeah, it’s been like seven years, I think. </p>
<p>Greg Heil<br>Well, thanks for having me back.</p>
<p>Jeff Barber<br>Yes, yeah, super stoked for you to be here as well. So mountain bike tourism these days can be a pretty significant economic driver, and you recently <a href="https://www.singletracks.com/mtb-trails/new-report-finds-mountain-bikers-spend-over-1000-per-trip-in-some-destinations/">shared a meta analysis by IMBA and the Trust for Public Land</a> that looked at just how significant that impact is. Did anything in the report stand out to you or surprise you? </p>
<p>Greg Heil 1:15<br>There were a ton of numbers in that report, which I realize numbers could be tough on a podcast, but the high level from some of the economic impact the destinations profiled were really interesting. So couple examples. One was big examples, at least one was the GMUG area in Colorado, which is a combination of a bunch of national forests and includes iconic destinations such as Crested Butte. And they calculated that across the GMUG mountain biking had about a $30 million a year annual impact. Wow. And there’s also, like a bigger level study from the state of Washington that estimated that mountain biking had a $435 million annual impact in the state. So, of course, some of those big numbers, like, you know, jump out at you for each destination.</p>
<p>Jeff Barber 2:09<br>And what kind of stuff does that include? I mean, I guess it’s not standardized, right? Like some of them look at spending, direct spending on, like lodging and gas and stuff like that. But then also maybe, do they like project that out and say, like, oh, well, this supports a job, and then that person spends money. And is there any way to, like, compare destinations using that data? </p>
<p>Greg Heil 2:34<br>So there’s definitely, if you want to get into the weeds, there’s a lot of that info in this, in the analysis, and they did spend some time, even in the summary, discussing like, what is direct economic impact and what is indirect economic impact, and how those two things differ. Most of these numbers are direct economic impact. So examples of indirect impact are things like mountain bikers being healthier and costing, like the healthcare system, less or things of that nature. So direct economic impact is generally includes direct spending lodging, but also this job support that you talk about. So in some of the studies, they also pull out direct spending versus total economic impact, direct economic impact, and break it out further. So a couple of those studies I thought were really interesting, actually concerned standalone events. So I’ve debated this with my friends before. Like, how much does a single race actually benefit a local community, if only happens, say, on one weekend per year, because we hear from these race directors and these organizers, like, oh, this has a great impact on the local community. And from my perspective, I’m like, you’re only there for a weekend. But there’s some really interesting studies in here that actually gave some numbers. So two that jumped out at me were the one was the Iceman Cometh, which is the largest point to point mountain bike race in the USA. Apparently, I didn’t realize how big it was. I haven’t been there to do it myself yet, but that study broke out direct spending versus total economic impact, and it found that the Iceman Cometh, which is basically a weekend as far as I’m aware, like type thing, it generates $5 million of direct spending in that county, with a total impact of $7.2 million per year. So that total impact number, the additional 2.2 million includes things like the jobs created by this directly.</p>
<p>Jeff Barber 4:41<br>Yeah, I thought it was really interesting, getting back to what you’re saying about the indirect there was that northwest Arkansas study where they included, like you’re saying, the health care benefits, like people being more fit and active helps reduce medical costs. US, which, I mean, it’s probably true, and that’s interesting, that someone you know was able to, like quantify that. And I guess as mountain bikers, that’s great. That’s like, a great idea for us to kind of like, really quantify how much impact we have, and hopefully get more trails built.</p>
<p>Greg Heil 5:18<br>Having hard numbers to point to, I think will really help different communities get these trails built. We hear these things all the time, like, when I’m interviewing different local advocates who are working on trails, even if they can’t necessarily fund an economic study in their area, they’ll often point to an economic study that somebody else has done, like, say, like, a couple hours away, and draw equivalencies and say things like, well, we’re roughly the same size town. We’re planning to build roughly the same amount of trails. So they said they’re going to generate 7 million. So, you know, we can expect 7 million too. So people are already doing this, but imba and TPL rounding up 50 different studies into the Yeah, different studies into this one big meta analysis is really like fantastic data that can be used by these advocates. </p>
<p>Jeff Barber 6:09<br>Yeah. Another example I recently came across, and I’m working on a story that’ll probably be published sometime after this podcast. But you know, <a href="https://www.singletracks.com/bike-trails/coldwater-mt/">Coldwater Mountain</a> in Anniston recently announced that they’re going to have a lifetime Leadville qualifying race there. And I forget how many people they expect. I think, I think they’re hoping for close to a thousand people. It’s like a trail running and mountain biking thing, but they’re using that event, you know, not only did it promote the town, but they’re using the event to get new trails built, they’re actually building extra trails to make that event work. And so yeah, it seems like this virtuous cycle where, like investment in events can help tourism, which helps the trails, and if you have more trails, you’re going to attract more tourism. And so, yeah, it’s all super interrelated, which I think is interesting. Speaking of money and big numbers, you know, we’ve, we’ve covered a few million dollar plus trail projects over the past year. I guess so many that they’re not all that in common anymore. One of the ones I’m thinking of is <a href="https://www.singletracks.com/mtb-trails/this-small-nevada-town-is-upping-the-ante-by-investing-12-million-in-50-miles-of-new-singletrack/">$12 million for 50 miles in Ely, Nevada</a>, over a million dollars for a project in Washington State, and again, the one at cold water in Alabama. They’re also investing over a million dollars. There’s even here in Atlanta, we covered <a href="https://www.singletracks.com/mtb-trails/15m-atlanta-bike-park-planned-thanks-to-massive-gift/">a bike park that is going to cost $15 million</a> which is like an eye popping amount, especially for just a few miles of trails. Obviously, that’s going to include other stuff too, infrastructure and Trailhead stuff, but that’s a lot of money. Why are these projects so expensive? You have any insight into that?</p>
<p>Greg Heil 7:59<br>Definitely, so compared to the way some trails were built, say, 20 years ago, the amount of planning that goes into these projects is exceptional. So a lot of these projects might have, you know, $100,000 in plans done. 100,000 might be on the high end, but we’re talking like 10s of 1000s of dollars just in planning, trail design, conceptual design, architectural things before you know, some of these trails are even approved, right? And once they’re approved, you know, we’ve got, I’ll spare you all the details. But of course, there’s the different ologist work and approvals, but then we get into professional construction, and very often, like, who does the design and who does the construction are not the same people. So we’ve got those going on, right? But then another thing we should really talk about is the additional infrastructure that goes into it. So for a lot of the trail systems you’re talking about here, these are brand new networks or developments being built from the ground up, right? And when you’re building from the ground up, you have to think about a lot more than just putting trails in the dirt. You have to think about how people are getting there, where they’re putting their cars, and unsexy things like toilet facilities, parking lots, access roads, all these things. And for a lot of people I’ve been talking to, it’s amazing how much of a part of the budget those Trailhead facilities can make up. I mean, it’s not uncommon, like, if we’re, say, talking like a million dollar project, which is almost like just table stakes at this point, like for half of that to be, you know, Trailhead infrastructure, yeah, and on some of the projects we’ve talked to, it’s even higher. One example that is, I will say this is exceptional, but the Baileys trail system in Ohio, the total investment in that project is roughly about, I might there’s a few different grants and numbers being thrown around, but, you know, it’s 16 to $17 million Wow. But I. Based on some of the numbers that, like gave me one of the major trailheads, just one of the trailheads is going to be a $9 million facility. Wow, just for one of the trailheads, that’s the most I ever heard for a trailhead facility. But that just kind of Yeah, puts the point home that these aren’t just trails. <a href="https://www.singletracks.com/mtb-trails/mtb-trail-quality-is-about-to-ramp-up-on-the-hockey-stick/">Greg Mazu mentioned on his podcast interview</a> with you that we need to think about trails as public infrastructure the same way that we think about roads and bike paths. These things public infrastructure, trails are the same thing, and the access to the trails is a critical part of that. So when you’re considering that into the overall cost, yeah, it definitely, inflates cost.</p>
<p>Jeff Barber 10:41<br>Yeah. I was thinking about that conversation with Greg, and also the recent one with <a href="https://www.singletracks.com/mtb-trails/riders-want-more-technical-trails-and-hes-happy-to-build-them/">Tom Schoen out in British Columbia</a>, saying the same thing, that Trailhead facilities are super important. And I mean, I think what you’re getting at too is like mountain bikers, we have higher expectations. Now, I don’t want to say we’re like, high maintenance and we’re like, I won’t ride there unless the trailhead is nice and, you know, the trail is like first class. But I mean, there are a lot of choices now, and so when these projects do get, you know, proposed, people are thinking about like, we want our trail to stand out. We want our trail to be quality, because there’s all these other places that people can visit, and so it’s not going to work as a tourism draw if your trail is just so, so, right? So it’s interesting, you know, it looks to me like a lot of these projects too, they’re spending money on things that we didn’t used to spend money on, you know, like, rock work and, like, cool, you know, like, like, you’re saying architectural kind of stuff that’s memorable, and that’s going to, like, make the trail stand out from another place. And so, yeah, that stuff adds up. I was looking back at some interviews I’ve done with with other trail builders over the years. And I think this is probably just a few years ago, some of the trail builders were saying the cost to build a trail is like three to $5 per foot, and so that works out to like 15,000 to 25,000 per mile. But like, we’re way past that right now, wouldn’t you say?</p>
<p>Speaker 1 12:19<br>Oh, we’re way past that. That’s not even even in the in the ballpark anymore.</p>
<p>Jeff Barber 12:24<br>Yeah. $100,000 a mile is, like, seems pretty common these days, from what I’ve seen.</p>
<p>Greg Heil 12:31<br>I think the tough part now is, like, it’s hard to get anybody to even give you a per mile, like, average, because it varies so much depending on what type of trail you’re building, ultimately. So if you’re building, you know, a top tier, manicured flow trail with massive tabletop jumps and huge berms and rock work and these sorts of things that adds up really quickly. If you’re building machine built XC trail, and there’s not like big obstacles you have to overcome that’s going to be cheaper, but Right? You know when people I should specify, when trail builders bid these projects. You know, they’re very much getting all this information beforehand. And like, understanding, okay, this you want this trail to be this way, okay, this is going to cost this much, right? So, like, different sections of the network can have different costs associated with them, depending on how you know, kind of intense that they are to build, right?</p>
<p>Jeff Barber 13:22<br>Yeah, well, so, I mean, it kind of sounds like we’re past the days of, of like volunteers going out and building trails by hand on the weekend, right? I mean, like, pretty much every new trail project that we’re seeing is built by professionals, right? And so that adds to the cost.</p>
<p>Greg Heil 13:40<br>We’re a bit past, yeah, the the building trails by hand. One thing I think we’re seeing in some areas is still a bit of a hybrid. So what some people don’t realize with machine belt Trails is that there’s still a lot of hand work to be done, right? So, you know, the machine will do the initial cut, will dig the big features, but there is hand finishing that needs to be done to make these trails really rideable. This point was really driven home as I was out sampling with permission some under construction trails in posh Nevada. We’re riding up a trail, and it was just extremely obvious where the line of the hand finishing ended, and we ended up on, like the rough cut, like the machine cut, which was still see the trail, but it’s not the finished product you’re expecting. So literally, right before this call, I was talking with SC MTS out of Santa Cruz, and they were doing a new rebuild on the iconic <a href="https://www.singletracks.com/mtb-trails/the-iconic-demo-forest-flow-trail-near-santa-cruz-ca-is-being-rebuilt-this-spring/">demo forest flow trail</a>. And for a lot of the rebuild their, you know, their pro crew is, you know, say, completely deconstructing and rebuilding berms. But then they’re organizing volunteer effort to come in and do the hand work. So we’re seeing people kind of do, like a both hand approach.</p>
<p>Jeff Barber 14:54<br>Yeah. That’s funny. You mentioned that, for a lot of people, when you hear brand new trail, you’re like, oh, that must be so cool to be like, the first person to ride a trail. And I actually wrote about this in our <a href="https://www.singletracks.com/create/">email newsletter exclusive</a> a few weeks back. But like, trails are pretty rough when they’re brand new, and especially if that finishing work hasn’t been done. So, yeah, one, get permission, like you said, and two, volunteer, because, you know, once the machines move out, they still need a ton of work. And it’s like every inch of the trail somebody’s going to go over it by hand, in most cases, and cut out the little roots and smooth out the bumps and all that stuff. So, yeah, good point. So we mentioned some destinations that are investing a lot of money recently. Are there any others that are notable that we’ve covered on Singletracks in the last few months? </p>
<p>Greg Heil 15:53<br>Some of the big ones that really stand out are the aforementioned <a href="https://www.singletracks.com/mtb-trails/the-baileys-trail-system-in-ohio-will-be-one-of-the-largest-mtb-trail-systems-in-the-eastern-usa/">Baileys in Ohio</a>. They’re building what they’re calling the largest contiguous mountain bike optimized trail system east of the Mississippi River. It’s a lot of qualifiers, but the net, net is big, like 80 plus miles of trail, close to $17 million investment. It’s a big trail system, and it thinks it’s almost done like they’re on the final stages, so they’ve already been building there for years. Pretty, pretty exciting project. Yeah, Tulsa, Oklahoma is also on our radar, with around a $10.6 million investment into was already in a trail system. But like redoing trails, building new ones, building bike park specific features, it’s dramatic. <a href="https://www.singletracks.com/mtb-trails/a-45-mile-bike-optimized-singletrack-loop-has-been-built-around-a-lake-in-michigan/">The Dragon in Michigan</a> was just finished. It’s a big, 40 plus mile loop around a lake in Michigan. And that was, like, close to a $3 million project. And the list just keeps going on. I mean, everywhere in Arkansas, we’ll get to Arkansas, maybe a bit more, just huge amounts of money. Some projects, like, don’t always, aren’t always willing to share, like, a big, high level dollar amounts, but you still know that the amount being invested is substantial. So previously, Jeff, you said, like, Oh, lots of projects, like, over a million dollars. And at this point it’s almost like any project can get to a million so quickly, like even so, an article I was just working on about a new trail in Oregon. They put about a million dollars into land acquisition the city did, and then about another million just into the first half of the network. So about a million dollars to build roughly 12 miles of trail there. Wow. So yeah, and again, already a million in land. So that’s already $2 million project, and they’re halfway through. So yeah, you know it’s, yeah, it adds up fast, right?</p>
<p>Jeff Barber 17:49<br>All over the country. Another one I just remembered was <a href="https://www.singletracks.com/mtb-trails/2-2m-in-funding-for-redhead-mountain-trails-new-pisgah-singletrack/">Redhead Mountain in Minnesota</a>, which I think at this point is a multi million dollar project. And we covered kind of the start of that, but they’ve been working like ever since for years, and so hopefully we’ll get up there and be able to check that out and cover it in the next year or so. But yeah, no shortage of big projects. So another trend that we’re seeing is the use of private land for trail development projects. One of the recent ones that was super popular story on the site was about a multi million dollar project in Western Massachusetts that is in this area where there’s not a lot of public land or public trails, and so the folks behind that project were able to find private land to get the project done and are starting in on that. And then we also heard about a group in Utah that’s offering up their <a href="https://www.singletracks.com/mtb-trails/utah-mountain-bikers-are-taking-matters-into-their-own-hands-by-connecting-the-bonneville-shoreline-trail-on-private-property/">private land to help connect the Bonneville shoreline Trail</a>, which is going to be eventually this massive trail that goes all the way around the Bonneville Lake area in Utah. So what’s behind this, and what are some other projects maybe that I missed that are taking this path? </p>
<p>Greg Heil 19:09<br>So, it’s definitely a trend. A few other projects that jump to mind are the platen peaks, trails that we covered in Missouri, which is really a truly visionary private development that’s going to go beyond just trails in my backyard here, the <a href="https://www.singletracks.com/mtb-trails/durango-mesa-park-will-enhance-the-citys-trail-opportunities-for-beginners-and-pros-alike/">Durango Mesa Park</a> project promises to be largest municipal bike park in the nation, along with building a ton of non bike park trails on a 1800 acres that a private donor acquired. And then, of course, lots going on in Arkansas and private land. The Waltons in the runway group are constantly acquiring land, which we might talk a bit more about later in the episode. But yeah, this is definitely like a nationwide trend. So the reasons vary from place to place, but I think it boils down to two main challenges. Either, there’s actually. A lack of public land in the some area, in these areas, or there’s too much red tape to building mountain bike trails on public land. But honestly, looking at this list, I think the trend that keeps coming up is there’s not actually public land available in some areas. Arkansas is a great example. The Durango Mesa Park is another great example, where, I guess there’s, there’s public land all around Durango, but this 1800 acre parcel is like directly adjacent to two of the existing trail systems, directly adjacent to downtown. It’s like this incredible piece of land that the only way you’re going to get it is if you out and spend several million dollars and buy it, right? So I think we’re seeing that in a lot of areas. Yeah,</p>
<p>Jeff Barber 20:47<br>Another one that I just thought of when you’re talking about that too, is the <a href="https://www.singletracks.com/mtb-trails/a-high-schoolers-class-project-becomes-texass-newest-bike-park/">Station Mountain bike park in Texas</a>. Texas is a place where there’s not a lot of public land, and so, yeah, there’s definitely, like a need and a demand for trails in a lot of these areas. And like you said, you know, either there’s no land or there it’s just going to take too long, or is going to be too difficult to build trails. What are some of the other advantages, though, of building trails on public land, aside from from those two?</p>
<p>Greg Heil 21:21<br>So other advantages to building on privately acquired land include things like fewer ologist studies. The builders like to just lump all the ologists together, but when you build on public land, there’s generally a series of scientific overviews. These include different types of ecologists and botanists and hydrologists, different things like that, but also includes archeologists and to check to see like there’s no like historic sites or archeological sites that will be impacted by these studies. And honestly, most mountain bike trail builders will tell you, these all just studies are super, super important. I was just talking with Eddie Kessler, the owner of tarnian trails, a couple days ago, and he emphasized this, and he’s like, we’re not saying the all just studies are bad by any means, like they need to be done. You know, we need to avoid archeological sites, but it makes it really difficult to to actually get trails built. Another big benefit is the freedom to build more aggressive features, like big jumps, wooden stunts. This is why we did article some months ago about the rise of the private bike parks being built on private land, and often like served by a shuttle system of some sort. And that’s very often, because even if you do get the permission to build trails on on public land, getting permission to build really big jumps and really aggressive features is is another step beyond that, right? Sometimes doesn’t happen and sometimes might never happen. So there’s, there’s often a difference between, can you get a trail belt, or can you get a black diamond jump line the size of a line built? And those are two very different things, right?</p>
<p>Jeff Barber 23:09<br>And even, I mean that that part is even a challenge on private land, and we saw like in the Arkansas development, that stuff that they’re doing with bike parks and chair lifts, I mean, they had to get, like, the state laws changed to make it easier and to, like, reduce liability in those cases. And so, yeah, even going the private route is, is not always easy for some of these projects. Another thing that I noticed, you know, living here in the southeast, we get a lot of rain, and so, like a lot of public trails end up getting closed due to rain, and the private bike places, bike parks, they don’t have that same requirement, and so they’re able to offer trail riding, like kind of all year round, whereas you can’t necessarily get that on public land And so, but I guess we should also distinguish between trails that are on private land and that you need to pay a fee to access, versus some of these projects where, you know the land is is privately acquired, but then then the trails are just open for public access. And so I guess we’re seeing a mix of both for sure out there, and so it is just going to depend on what exactly the situation is.</p>
<p>Greg Heil 24:27<br>One thing to piggyback off of what you’re saying, Jeff about, you know, paying a fee private land, privately acquired. Another thing we should acknowledge is in a lot of places we’re seeing like wealthy donors acquiring private land. Like they go and purchase it, they then, there’s a few different ways this happens, but lots of times they’ll then build the trails, and they don’t need to overview and then turn around and gift that land to the public. So they will literally give that land to. City, the county, some sort of public agency, and then that land moves into public ownership. So we’ve seen that happen in Arkansas, and that’s currently what’s happening here in Durango with this 1800 acre parcel is like, it’s not going to remain private, it’s going to be donated to the public, and then and then owned by the city and run by the city. So it’s pretty cool to see that happen. To see land literally being changed from private in the public in the east, we see this happen with lots of land conservancies. So there’s some big ones we’ve talked about in North Carolina and in Maine, where these nonprofit orgs go out and buy land in order to conserve it and then also use it for recreation. So yeah, there’s a lot of different dynamics at play, depending on where you’re at. </p>
<p>Jeff Barber 25:52<br>For sure, I want to say in Durango too, that when I talked to <a href="https://www.singletracks.com/community/ned-overend-shares-tips-for-endurance-why-durango-mtb-culture-is-so-strong/">Ned Overend on the podcast</a>, he said that the trails there that are named for him. That was his land. <a href="https://www.singletracks.com/uncategorized/durango-looks-to-rename-park-after-mtb-legend-ned-overend/">I think he donated it</a> and they built the trail. And his buddy, yeah, and his buddy was like, we want to name it after you. And he was like, oh, no, no, it’s all right, but they did anyway. And, yeah, super cool. So what about disadvantages? I mean, this seems like the perfect way to get a trail bill. I mean, assuming you have the money, or, you know, some donor willing to pay for it. But are there? Are there disadvantages to building trails on private land? </p>
<p>Greg Heil 26:29<br>I think we’ve maybe touched on them briefly already, but you said, assuming you have the money. I mean, could be a fairly big assumption to say you’ve got, like, you know, $5 million sitting around to buy this piece of land, depending on what it is. So that’s, that’s a big barrier. And you also mentioned liability. So liability is, is also a substantial barrier, but that varies greatly depending on which state you’re in and where you are. So like, for instance, one of the, I think one of the reasons we see this model working in Texas is that they’re not as liable for certain things as you might be in some other states. Yeah. But then one of the final ones I have, I’m curious to hear, if you have any others that come to mind, is you’re still not entirely free of government oversight, even if you’re building on private land, as we spoke or wrote about, I guess, with the platin peaks trails in Missouri, they had to go through an extensive process to get the land rezoned in order to do what they wanted to do. A lot of it was because they wanted to put some commercial interests out there. But we’ve even seen this with the bike park in Jefferson County, Colorado that has run into they’ve been actually been shut down by by zoning right? County Zoning boards, so just because you have private land doesn’t mean you can do whatever you want on it, right?</p>
<p>Jeff Barber 27:55<br>Yeah. I mean, there’s all kinds of rules. I mean, especially the closer you are to like a city or some, like developed area, and then, I mean, there’s always been these, like soil and water conservation rules and laws that, you know. I mean, you can’t just go in and clear cut acres of land somewhere and let all the runoff, you know, go into streams. I mean, you still do have have those rules. It’s, let’s be clear that it’s not like a free for all in terms of, like, what you can do on private land. And then, I mean, for me, you know, I’m an old school mountain biker. I mean, you’ve been mountain biking probably just as long as me, but like, you know, starting out, like 20 years ago, everything was free. I mean, there were probably a few, like bike parks at ski resorts, like popping up around that time. But like, you know, there is something about just, you know, and especially, again, we’re talking just about the like, private owned land, where people charge a fee for access to the trails. In a way, it’s a bit like going to play around a golf like at your private local club. And so, yeah, I mean, it’s it’s different, for sure, and I think it’s good to have a miss mix and a good of to have options in terms of, like, public trails to ride that are free to access for everyone. And then if you want to do something different, or you’re in an area where that just doesn’t exist, then I do think private trails are a good option. </p>
<p>So though we are living in this golden age of trail development, which I think maybe you coined that phrase a while ago, so this age has been going on for a bit, but we’re still in it. I feel for sure, maybe we’re in the platinum age now, I don’t know, but there’s still these development threats to popular trail systems and even trail systems that have been established for very long time, since the late 90s, early 2000s one of the stories that we cover. One was about some <a href="https://www.singletracks.com/mtb-trails/land-sale-by-the-utah-state-trust-could-destroy-two-of-southern-utahs-most-famous-mtb-trails/">land outside of the Zion National Park in Utah</a>, the St George area, and then another at <a href="https://www.singletracks.com/mtb-trails/beloved-north-carolina-trail-system-established-in-the-90s-could-be-destroyed-by-developers/">a county park in North Carolina</a>. In both cases, where this was, I think in both cases, it was like government public land that was being sold off to developers, or was being like, traded and so I’m curious. Like, I mean, this has been going on forever. Mountain bikers building trails places and then losing access to the land. A lot of times it was because we were building on land that that wasn’t ours, or that we didn’t have permission to but Have things changed. Like, do you think mountain bikers are better positioned to resist these types of threats? What what seems to be working when this kind of thing happens? </p>
<p>Greg Heil 30:50<br> I’d like to think we’re better positioned than ever before. I mean, thanks in part, to data collected in, like the studies we talked about from embedded in the TPL that like mountain bikers can point to, like, hard data that’s been rigorously collected to indicate like, hey, these trails make a big difference for our local community, as I discussed with Ashley kornblatt from public land solutions while back now, but we did an Article featuring her input, these cities and counties need a source of future tax income, especially a lot of the small ones we’re talking about, and mountain bike trails can provide it, and we now have the data to show that another thing that’s really working and has potential working even better is a new trend of mountain bikers banded together with other user groups, instead of just going on our own, like, we’re so much stronger when we’re working together. So a lot of these trails are multi use, like for hiking, biking, trail running, and when mountain bikers get together with all these other groups, we’re so much more powerful. There’s so many more people, and you’re not appealing to just like kind of one, what some people might view as like one niche interest, and there’s there. There are groups actively coordinating this too. Now, which is really cool, a new group on the scene is the outdoor Alliance, and they’re proving really successful in helping disparate outdoors groups get together and unite. And as an example, the mountain bike side embass Partnering really closely with them, but the outdoor Alliance, you know, partners with all types of human powered groups. A really key example is in the St George development, that development is going to knock out some iconic mountain bike trails, but it’s also going to impact some of the best rock climbing in the region. So mountain bikers and rock climbers are really united on this opposition, because it’s going to affect both groups. So I think whenever we can do that, like getting together with other people, man, we’re so much stronger. </p>
<p>Jeff Barber 32:53<br>Yeah. And getting back to what we’ve started talking about, the economic studies. I mean, a lot of these are economic decisions, right? It’s like, oh, we have this land, like, what’s the best use for it? And then, years past, it would have been like anything but mountain biking. But now we have these studies like you’re saying to point to and say, no, no. Like, this is, this is a really important asset that contributes to the economy, and people like it. I mean, we band together with everyone who uses these parks and trails, and yeah, I agree with you. Like you said, I think we are in a better position than ever before to resist these types of threats. And I think in both of those cases, we’re still waiting to hear what’s going to happen, right? Neither of those have been resolved as of yet?</p>
<p>Greg Heil 33:41<br>As far as I’m aware, neither have been resolved, and that’s it. I think that’s one of the frustrating things, though, with a lot of these threats, is very rarely are they resolved, right? Like the the one in St George has sort of simmered for a lot of years, and it only is in recent months that it kind of came back to the forefront. And the possibility of land getting sold, it’s kind of like was reintroduced. And unfortunately, if we take a more macro look like, right now, we’re facing the threats of the sales of lots of public lands, and that that’s not it is right now a really big problem, and there’s legislation being trying to be passed in the Senate that could open up the sale of more public lands. But this problem of public land sales is not new, right? Like the controversy around Bears Ears has been going on for we had decades, I think decades. I mean, yeah, really long time. Yeah. So the problem is, I think some of these things never really go away, right?</p>
<p>Jeff Barber 34:46<br>Yeah. Well, either way, I mean, we’ll continue to cover it, and if there are updates, we’ll definitely be be posting about that. </p>
<p>So we mentioned some of the stuff that’s going on in Arkansas. And I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again if, if you want to see the future of mountain bike trail development, just look at what’s happening in Arkansas, because it’s going to come to other areas of the country and the world eventually. Obviously, they have way more money and and willpower, frankly, to do a lot of these projects. And so there what’s going on there is really the forefront of of what we’re seeing everywhere else. So let’s talk about what’s happening in Arkansas right now. One of the I guess, we’ll start with some land acquisition in Bella Vista. So Bella Vista, for those who haven’t visited Bentonville or northwest Arkansas, is a smaller town, city, town, sort of not too far north of Bentonville. And there was, there was a big land acquisition there that’s potentially related to mountain biking, right?</p>
<p>Greg Heil 36:00<br>Yeah. Early in 2024 the runway group, which Tom Walton is the CEO of, purchased about 2700 acres of land in Bella Vista. And I talked to some of the runway group leadership about a month ago about a different project. Touch on a second but what I found super interesting. I asked about this land acquisition, and they they said, Look, we bought this and we with no plans. We still have no plans for this land. And they’re very adamant. </p>
<p>Jeff Barber 36:29<br>Like, so not even mountain bike really, necessarily? I mean, I thought that’s what initially some people reported. But it sounds like maybe not.</p>
<p>Greg Heil 36:38<br>They claim to have no plans. Okay, I don’t know how true that is, but I mean, connecting it to mountain biking is fairly easy to do, because it was a subsidiary of the runway group that acquired it, and the runway group, you know, headed by Tom Walton, with, uh Stewart, his brother also, like, heavily involved, like, is one of the groups has done the most for mountain biking northwest Arkansas. It’s not a big leap, but yeah, we don’t have any concrete plans out of them yet for that parcel of land, but it’s pretty incredible for, you know, group to like, go up and just buy almost 3000 acres, which you know, of potentially prime real estate. No plans just to be like, we have this just in case for the next thing.</p>
<p>Jeff Barber 37:25<br>Well, and so the other thing that came out more recently in that, yeah, a lot of people thought was connected. But to be clear is is not after your conversation with the runway group, is this idea of and these plans for building a bike park with chair lifts. Is that right in in Bella Vista or the Bentonville area?</p>
<p>Greg Heil 37:49<br>Yeah, the Oz Trails Bike Park. And be clear, it’s more than just plans. They’re already, they’re already at work. Yeah? Wow. Australia’s bike park also by the Runway Group. So you can see some of the confusion. But it’s not, it’s on a different parcel of land, okay, also in Bella Vista. But, yeah, they are building a high speed quad to serve this bike park. Wow. And they’ve hired some of the best downhill mountain bike trail builders in the world to construct 20 miles of downhill lines. So they hired, yeah, gravity logic to do the design I am. It is a bit unclear how many actual trails gravity logic will be building, versus rock solid trails, which is, you know, an iconic trail built company also has one of their headquarters in Bentonville area, but is very common for gravity logic to work with and subcontract their work in different areas of the world. So, but we’ve got some of the best in the world like working on this project. So, you know, runway was, you know, very much adamant like these are going to be high quality, top tier downhill trails. The catch is, there is only 330 vertical feet.</p>
<p>Jeff Barber 39:01<br>Not a lot and, but still, more than a lot of places have. And there are examples of shuttle served bike parks that have roughly the same amount of vertical I mean, I think, yeah, you did a good job asking those questions of the folks involved. And, I mean, they had pretty good argument that for most people, that’s long enough for a run. You know, if you go to, like, a big bike park out west, there’s kind of these, you know, you’ll go, you’ll descend for 300 feet or so, and then there’s usually, like, you know, a little, what do you call it, a liaison zone, or whatever, where you can kind of like rest and get your breath before you do another one. And so they’re kind of arguing that it’s, it’s pretty similar to that, but it’s just, you just jump back on the lift after your 300-foot run.</p>
<p>Greg Heil 39:52<br>Yeah, they say, with high speed detachable lift, that’s a three minute ride to the top. So that’s pretty darn quick, you know? Just, you’d be running lap after lap on that stuff.</p>
<p>Jeff Barber 40:02<br>And hopefully, if the lines are short too, yeah, it’s just a constant downhill. That’s awesome. So there’s actually has have been plans or proposals for an even bigger lift served bike park or trail network in another part of the state, at Mena, Arkansas, and that one, actually, when we heard the rumors of this, the shuttle or chair lift serve bike park, we’re thinking it was <a href="https://www.singletracks.com/mtb-trails/the-ambitious-trails-at-mena-project-is-underway-with-newly-built-singletrack-in-the-ward-lake-zone/">the one at Mena</a>, which we’ve heard about for a little over a year, maybe two years now. But Mena has been proposed for a while. I think it’s on forest service land. And over there, there’s like over a thousand feet of vertical, is that right?</p>
<p>Greg Heil 40:46<br>Yeah, the trails around Mena, or the mountains around MENA are some of the biggest mountains in in the state. So there’s about 1300 feet of Vert from the top to the bottom of that parcel land. So we’re talking a whole different scope. And the scope of the proposal is, is giant. So there could be as much as 100 new miles of single track and five different chair lifts in that area. Wow, most likely not all of that will be built or developed. But you know, even if you get like, 60% of that, like three lifts, 60 miles of trail. Like, that’s, I don’t know of another, like, lift trail infrastructure proposal of that scale, yeah? Like, it’s, it’s insane. Like, it’s hard to wrap your head around.</p>
<p>Jeff Barber 41:32<br>Yeah, there’s no snow potential there. I mean, this isn’t like, for any kind of winter use. This is bike only. </p>
<p>Greg Heil 41:39<br>Yes exactly. And they were talking like, this could be for professional downhill riders. This could be like a winter training mecca for professional downhillers in North America, yeah. Like, this is so some of the first trails are currently under development in the ward Lake zone, and that’s just kind of a feeder area to, like, access the major trail network. It’s kind of like the trails close to the town of Mina, but they’re just the very first trails. So this project is, again, we’re talking about the the difference between private and public. This project’s taking place on public land. They need to raise funds. Versus oz Trails is like under construction, and the bike parks probably gonna be over the next year, you know. So there’s two very different like, probably timelines and development here.</p>
<p>Jeff Barber 42:30<br>Yeah, for sure. And to give folks an idea of like, where this site is in relation to Bentonville, it looks like it’s about 160 miles south of Bentonville, and like, a three hour drive. So this isn’t, you know, when people, I think a lot of us, were just like, Oh, I’ve heard Arkansas has good trails, and usually we’re talking about, like that northwest corner where Bentonville is, and so this is in a different area. It’s kind of close. It’s closer to Mount Ida, where there’s already the good bit of riding there. But as usual, there, there’s a lot of trail construction going on all over the state, in fact. And I want to talk about some of the projects that are going on. And just for full transparency, we are actually working with the state of Arkansas on some sponsored content. They’re an advertiser. And one of the stories that we’re going to be working on is these new trail systems going out and visiting some of the newer ones and seeing what they’re about, sharing photos and details about them. But yeah, can you give us a little bit of a preview, Greg, of some of these, like noteworthy trail systems that are being developed.</p>
<p>Greg Heil 43:44<br>I think, swing all the way back to your comment that what happens in Arkansas we’re gonna see happening everywhere else. This is a trend I think we’re seeing in Arkansas and other places, where the major hubs like Bentonville are doing something big, and then the smaller towns nearby are saying, hey, we want to get in on that too. Yeah. So we’re seeing that happen all across Arkansas, where now these smaller communities mean as a example of a huge potential, but other smaller communities are they might not be able to build as much as Bentonville, but they’re getting in on the action. Yeah. So a community right on the border with Oklahoma. Siloam Springs is, or has built a bunch of trails at the whitewater park there, okay, which we’ve covered on the site and is turning into quite the cool little trail system. An area called horseshoe Canyon Ranch is been building a substantial amount of trails near the community of Jasper. And that is, I did get confirmation is a subsidy area runway group as well. But it’s several hours from from Bentonville. Then even in other parts of the state entirely, we’re seeing some new trails go in. So Jonesboro in Northeast Arkansas. We’re talking not even anywhere. Close to Bentonville has been building a bunch of trails, and has a network of over 20 miles trails. So seeing a lot of these small towns say, hey, well, Bentonville is doing it. Maybe we can’t build hundreds of miles, but we can do 20, you know, 15 and, you know, and good quality trail that.</p>
<p>Jeff Barber 45:19<br>Yeah, awesome. Well, yeah, as we said. I mean, looking at Arkansas kind of gives us a preview of what might be happening in the larger world of trail development. But what else is on the horizon? Are we going to see more of the same kind of these trends we’re talking about, or are we going to see changes maybe in the years to come?</p>
<p>Greg Heil 45:39<br>Right now, mountain bike trail development federal lands is facing some serious headwinds, which we have also covered on the site a bit from the federal government. So grant funding for a lot of trail development is threatened and or has dried up. Every day you check the news and something new has happened, IEC tariffs and everything therein. So grant funding is severely threatened, and a lot of trail projects happening this year have already had their money allocated. So when I’ve been taught this is a question I’ve been asking people. A lot of those projects already have their money allocated. They’re good to go. Okay? So I think we might, we’re really curious about is what’s happening next year? Because most of these projects take, you can take a decade, take it, you know, to, you know, boots or shovels in the ground, right five to 10 years. So there’s a lot of stuff that’s happening right now. It’s still happening, but next year it’s like, okay, is that going to happen? Another thing we are we were talking about the slowness of getting the ologists to get their work done. Well, lots of employees in the US Forest Service have been laid off or have quit and taken the fork in the road, and I just actually spoke with Eddie Kessler for timergan trails about a project he’s been working on in Oregon for several years. They’ve already invested $60,000 into trail planning for this project, but they are now bogged down and installed out because they can’t get the NEPA studies done, because there’s no staff to do them or do the oversight on these projects, and it’s a big problem. And these projects, it’s like, you know that sound amazing. They already have a lot of money invested into them. It’s like, nobody actually, really knows what’s going to happen in that department, specifically like that for service district 11 of 38 people had been, had been let go, and now some of them are back because that layoff was halted, but it was only for a certain amount of time, so nobody really knows. Again, the outdoor alliance is trying to advocate for, you know, these people to keep their jobs, but it’s uncertain.</p>
<p>Jeff Barber 48:11<br>Yeah. And, I mean, this is new, but it’s also like, not new, in that, you know, I remember we had <a href="https://www.singletracks.com/tag/todd-branham/">Todd Branham</a> on the podcast, he’s a trail builder, maybe it was a year or two ago. It was like, just maybe during COVID, or as we were coming out of COVID, and he was saying the same thing, that, like the Forest Service, even then, was having a hard time retaining employees. You know, the job doesn’t pay great, and so a lot of people are choosing to retire early, or, you know, it’s just, it’s always been hard to get a number of employees there to just to keep things moving along. And yeah, it sounds like this potentially could make it even harder. And I wonder, too, like a lot of these studies, it seems like, you know, we talked about the using private land to get projects going. I mean, I wonder about private studies, and like, you know, are we going to get into this mode where maybe we’re able to pay for like, some third party to do NEPA studies or whatever? Because, yeah, it does seem like the the government is, like, getting out of that business. And so we’re gonna have to find other ways to get projects done.</p>
<p>Greg Heil 49:24<br>That’s what Kester said is, is what they’re pursuing for this. This wild horse trails project in Oregon is in funding the studies. So we talked about federal funding and grant funding, and it gets complicated because some projects are funded by the federal government. Others are not so on this wild horse, one like the $60,000 invest into planning now that single dollars come from the feds, right, and now they’re faced with maybe having to raise money to get the ologist studies done. And that’s even before we even get to you’re raising money to build all these trails that they’re proposing. Yeah. So you wonder how we get into the millions of dollars. This is how it happens, right? Yeah, but I think you know, it’s possible that these challenges, these headwinds, are going to accelerate some of the other trends we’ve already been talking about, such as acquire people, acquiring private property and building trails on private land. You know, if, if the headwinds and the red tape public land get that bad, like, we’re only going to see more of these private land acquisitions, in my opinion, yeah, so, you know, if you’re we’re trying to, like, look at our crystal ball, like, that seems like a way to get things done, even in the face of all these challenges. I think if there’s one thing we can count on, it’s a resourcefulness of mountain bikers, right? Like building trails since the dawn of mountain biking not going to stop anytime soon. </p>
<p>Jeff Barber 50:50<br>Yeah. And we’re always looking for new places to ride. I mean, I think that’s what maybe surprises people who aren’t mountain bikers, that Yeah. I mean, we’re always we want new trails, we want better trails, we want more trails, and and we’re willing to travel to visit them. And so, yeah, that it’s great that we’re finally able to, like, point to economic studies that kind of explain that, and these great projects that are happening and the success of those. And yeah, I agree with you that we’ll continue to build on that, and we’re resourceful bunch. We’ll find a way to keep going. Well, it’s been awesome talking about all these projects. Hard to believe that. I mean, most of this stuff is within the last year, maybe the last six months so, and we’ll continue to cover these types of projects and the latest developments on Singletracks, and hopefully on the podcast as well. So drop us a note if you enjoy this kind of content on the podcast, let us know. </p>
<p>You can keep up with the latest mountain bike trail news at Singletracks DotCom and also on our Instagram page. That’s all we’ve got this time. We’ll talk to you again next time.</p>
<p>The article <a href="https://www.singletracks.com/mtb-trails/mountain-bike-trail-building-and-development-are-going-platinum/">Mountain bike trail building and development are going platinum</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.singletracks.com">Singletracks Mountain Bike News</a>.</p>
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