O, Canada!

Another picture-less update. Sorry y'all. Just getting it out there that the first two courses, wheel building and suspension tuning, are finished! No final word on whether or not I am truly certified but I am pretty confident in saying that I am. My wheels passed and the guys there said I did great work on suspension and understood frame design really well. I did get a nice new wheel set out of the course which turned out to be awesome! Brand new DT Swiss 240s hubs on EX500 hoops. Really good combo! But now that the work is done and tests are finished (for now at least), I am packing up and heading to Canada to put in some time at Whistler Bike Park and surrounding riding areas! Super excited to finally get to ride the mecca of downhill. So many trails there that I need to ride!!! I plan to update with pictures and hopefully videos shortly after riding there!

"Welcome to Ashland man. Want to ride?"

Sorry y'all, but no photos for this quick update! Just wanted to get it out there that after way too much driving through bare nothingness, I have found myself in Ashland, Oregon! My first day here I managed to ride around town, introduce myself to some cool new people, and meet some good guys from good shops. First thing one guy did was invite me to a "Super Moon ride" where a bunch of people shuttle up to the top of a nearby mountain and end up going about 15 miles downhill with no lights! Just ridding under the moon! Bring a bike, bring a helmet, and have a good time cruising (or hauling ass!) with a bunch of guys. So sure enough I went out and what a good first ride experience! It wasn't on dirt, but still probably 25 people all out just to enjoy being on a bike. The whole way down was two lane, curvy mountain road. Tons of fun. A few guys had Garmins and computers and most hit somewhere around the 45mph range and most of us were on some sort of dirt jump or mountain bike. Have to say I showed up just in time to join in for the fun ride, and am stoked to be here for the next few weeks! Starting classes in the morning!

Captain We Have An Enchilada

Moab. There's a reason it's famous for riding. It has a ton of great trails. And the conditions are pretty unique as well, with I think Fruita being the only place I've ridden even close to the same dirt conditions. But the thing I found, the "famous" trails aren't the fun ones! Yes I rode SlickRock. THE trail that Moab is known for. And I am not going to say anymore than it was a waste of 10 miles of riding. I'm glad I rode it because it is famous and I can say that I have, but I wouldn't ride it again. But all of the local favorites were freaking incredible. Amasa Back, Pot Hole Arch, Captain Ahab, and the Whole Enchilada. Some of the best riding I have ever done. Big thanks to Wendy over at the Chile Pepper shop on Main Street. They really helped me out over there and all the recommendations they gave me were spot on.

The Amasa Back trail system was awesome. Amasa Back out to Pot Hole, then link in Captain Ahab on the way back. Fantastic riding. Most of Amasa Back is actually a Jeep trail, so there is a chance you will get to watch some awesome trucks do some crawling. I watched a fleet of 5 Jeeps and 2 Polaris RZRs tackle a pretty serious downhill rock garden. Then they got to watch me climb it! It isn't a very fast trail, with a lot of these parts being pretty technical climbs, but it is still really fun. Pot Hole is an out and back add on to Amasa Back. It was fun, but I am not a big out and back fan, so there isn't much for me to say about that... But the Captain Ahab loop , that has a lot to be talked about. Not only was the scenery incredible, but the riding was even better. It has a decent climb starting off from the main trail, but then has just over 1000 feet of descending with an average grade of 12%. There were lots of both slow, technical drops, and high speed sections. A few of the spots were slow roll ins just out of a sharp turn. Usually around 5-8 feet vertical and so steep I was on the back tire! Other spots were 5 feet drops that you hit wide open. It was a sweet trail to say the least. I definitely recommend it!

But you know what is even better than climbing for miles to have a good descent? Getting shuttled to the top of a 25 mile descent. And not some half decent, go out on your cheap hardtail descent. I'm talking 25 miles of fast, technical, keep you on your toes descending. This my friends, is the Whole Enchilada. Hazard County, UPS, LPS, and Porcupine Rim. Yes there were a few spots you had to pedal or do a quick uphill climb. But these were microscopic bumps in the big scheme of things. This has been hands down one of my favorite trails. Ever. The scenery is absolutely magnificent. You get everything from big mountains to desert, then end alongside the Colorado River deep in a canyon. And this trail has almost every style of riding you can imagine. Some spots were 30mph double track with water bars you could hit and literally float for 20 feet, no more than a foot or so off the ground, just to hit the ground again and throw yourself into a hard, banked turn. Others were seat dropped, trials style turns where failure to stay upright was not an option! 5 to 6 foot high speed drops, to 10 foot vertical roll ins that left a black mark on your pants (from sitting on the tire, not crapping yourself. Although I am pretty sure one guy did!). I have never ridden a trail with such a diverse style of riding. You have to be a very well rounded rider to handle this trail and not walk. And make sure to take lots of water, and at least one tube and a patch kit! Even the self proclaimed great riders were flatting regularly on this trail (although I have to say some of their line choices were not good ones). Its pretty easy to say, I really really liked this trail! If you are serious about exploring the country and riding awesome trails, this HAS to be one of your stops.

If you see the line through this picture (hard to do), then you are awesome.

But for now, I have to say goodbye to Moab. Time to pack up yet again, and hit the road for a nice 16hr drive to Ashland, Oregon. Time to go learn me a thing or two! Updates when I'm there!

MILF

Man, I love Fruita. What did you think the title meant? But really. I love it here in Fruita, Colorado. Good people, good shops, good beer, and incredible riding. In only two days I have had the pleasure of ridding three different trail heads and put in over 50 miles of dirt to rubber. Well, more like 35 miles of dirt and 15 of rock. But what a place to ride. The trails are good, better, and Oh My Gosh I'm in Heaven. 18 Road, Kokopelli, and finally Lunch Loop trail heads. Each one consisting of well over 100 miles of unique trails, and each one worth every second I have spent in the car so far. Now I know why people speak so highly of this place!

18 Roads was the easiest of the trail systems, but that didn't make it boring. There are more than enough trails there to make anyone happy. I managed to put about 15 miles in here and every last inch of dirt was well groomed and extremely fast rolling. I was most excited to ride PBR, not only because of the immense amount of hype everyone I have run into has given me about it, but because it's named after one of my favorite drinks! Pumps, bumps, and rollers. 2.5 miles of it. And almost no pedaling! There were multiple sections where you could easily double or triple through a section and there were no issues manualing through long straights. If you are in the area and not looking for a technical trail system, 18 Roads is the place to be for sure.

First turn onto PBR

The fury little friend Dalen and I made on the trail!

Now, the Kokopelli area is a good step above 18 Roads. There is plenty of smooth single track, but there are some awesome rock drops, views, and plenty of rough spots. As far as riding here, Horsethief had to be my favorite trail. The starting roll in was a good sign of how the trail was going to be; 75 yards of steep, loose, and technical  rock garden and rock drops. Now I was a little misinformed about the "small rock drops" at the start of this trail, so I came into it a little fast and honestly, thought my day was going to end before I got to ride. Luckily for me, Shimano makes a damn strong brake so I was able to stop myself before flying off the trail. After catching my breath and taking a look, I found a good line, reset myself, and made it through clean. And everything from that point on was great. Lots of technical sections like the first roll in but enough single track to separate things and let me enjoy the views of the Colorado River. Great riding and gorgeous views. What more could a guy ask for? For all around riding for someone who doesn't want to go over the top, but doesn't want to ride basic stuff, this is definitely the trail head for you! Easy to get to, fun to ride, and some of the most incredible views I've seen in Colorado!

The awesome roll in to Horsethief!

Pretty awesome views of the Colorado River!

Just riding along

And the real riding, THAT is at the Lunch Loops trail head. about 10 miles here put me through more work than the 40 miles at both other trail heads combined. The signs they have at the start of black and double black trails saying "Extremely technical terrain. For advanced riders only" is no joke. There were spots so off camber and steep that I was sitting on my back tire and leaning against a rock wall just to stay on path. The blue trails weren't too bad. most well rounded riders should be able to do that no problem. But Holy Cross and Pucker Up were the real deal. Some spots were so tight my handlebars wouldn't fit through, and some parts were so steep I don't see it being possible to ride on a XC bike. I definitely didn't clean every line the first time. My hands, feet, and knees hit the ground many, many times! But the trail and views were completely worth getting covered in dirt! If you are 100% confident on your bike and don't mind getting dirty, make a point to ride this trail head. It is incredible. Oh yeah, there is a dirt jump and pump track park right at the start too! I managed to hit a few jumps before and after my ride! Even clipped in the Stumpy jumps well!

View from the back end of Holy Cross

Hard to see in this picture, but on the top of the back hill was one of the riding lines

Now it's time to visit some more shops, swing by the DT Swiss headquarters, and pack up for Moab! Slick Rock here I come!

Every Downhill has its Uphill

Two days of riding in the Colorado Rockies have had their ups and downs for sure! Long ups and long downs, both of which were freaking fun. Winter Park's Trestle Bike Park and Keystone Resort Bike Park were the two stops on the map. Both of which are pretty well known, and both of which had opening day this weekend!

First stop was Trestle. Which I did not stay around for opening day. Instead, I took the Stumpjumper, full of new life, and had a nice 9 mile climb (including a slight detour that led to an unridable trail) to the summit of the mountain. All 1600 feet from base to summit was covered, and then a little more with that detour... The only letdown was when I reached the top, a random worker informed me that ALL of the downhill trails were closed. Which did not line up with what someone at the bottom told me, which was that as long as it didn't say closed at the trail head I could ride it. Well I just climbed 9 miles and didn't pass a single trail worker, so I went ahead and listened to the first person and rode the trails! What a blast. The Stumpjumper was great. It climbed like a mountain goat and descended like a bat outa hell. It even managed to clear every jump on Rainmaker, a black jump trail. And can whip so easily you can unclip mid air! I've never ridden such a versatile bike!

Next was Keystone, which I did manage to ride opening day! I was on one of the first chairs of the season! Also was one of the last chairs of opening day! Unfortunately, the upper half of the mountain was closed due to snow... I did however see more snow riding up the lift than I have in 21 years living in South Carolina... But despite the long dirt road ride to the open trails, the riding was great. Money, Jam Rock, Sanitarium, and Helter where all open. These are in my opinion some of the best trails here. And you can get a good taste of everything riding them. From the steep and gnarly rock gardens of Helter to the smooth and flowy jump line of Money. I am pretty sure I even ended up in a few pictures for the resort! I unfortunately did not get any pictures from the park, so sorry about that... However, I will leave you with great advice from the Chinese! Only it should be the other way around.

Road tripping music is playing, time to head west to Fruita for some awesome enduro style single track!

Good News, Great News

So I haven't ridden for what seems like forever, something like 4 days I think... But just because no tires have touched dirt doesn't mean it hasn't been a great time!

For starters, I got to go hangout at the Yeti factory for a while. Awesome guys over there in Golden! And after that I got to go meet the guys from Reeb Bikes. They have the perfect job. They work for a brewery AND run a handmade bike company. Their bikes are super sweet. If you haven't seen them, look at them. Now. 

Then after driving for a while, I finally stumbled across Winter Park, Colorado. Haven't done much here other than eat and drink, but good times lay in my future tomorrow!

And after said drinking and eating was done and my mind started to race, I decided to build some shade for my adventure van. A whole $14 and a few beers brought this beauty together. No it's not the nicest and yes it looks slightly cheap, but it does it's job and was in fact cheap! I'm sure I'll appreciate it in Utah!

And the best news, I got my shock back from Fox and the Stumpjumper is ready to rock again. What makes it even better is that I get to test it out at Winter Park tomorrow! Lifts are closed so it looks like it's gonna be a long climb! Hopefully lockout will really work now...

Angels, Fire, and a Pro GRT!

So before today it's been a week since my last update on here. Why? Because Angel Fire, New Mexico was way too much fun and had way too much going on to get on here! Oh yeah and I didn't have internet access (minor details right?). But after five amazing days in the small mountain town, I finally ended up parting ways with the place and arrived here in Denver, Colorado. So far I have liked it, at least for a city. Which is a good thing because I am spending a few days here while I wait on my rear shock to get back to me from Fox Racing. I do have to say I was impressed with their turn around time, as I have NEVER had them flip a shock in only three days from the time I shipped it off to them! Now just to see if it actually works right now!

Anyway, on to the Angel Fire write up! This has to be one of my favorite places not only to ride but just to be around. The tiny mountain town sits at a comfortable 8,600 feet above sea level, which did kick my butt the first few days there, but every second was completely worth it. The actual park is freaking amazing. There is an abundance of trails that cater to all skill levels, and all of them are fun. Even the easiest trails out there have sections to keep the more experienced riders having fun. From the gnarly Double-Black rock gardens on World Cup DH to the high speed jump trail of Boulder Dash, every last trail is amazing. And anyone can have fun there! Like super steep, technical trails? They got it! Like full sized motocross berms and jumps at 30 mph? They have that too. And I don't think it matters what bike you are on. I rode with multiple people with every range of bike style. Some guys were on full built downhill race bikes going mach 1 the whole time, while others were on their 29" all mountain bikes. It didn't matter what they rode, everyone there was friendly (except the one bike patrol guy who said I probably wasn't going to be able to ride the trails well. I proved him wrong when I rode with and left him), and everyone had a smile on their face the whole time (again, except for when I outran the bike patrol guy).

I have to say, Supreme was probably my favorite trail there. Double-Black jump trail? Yes please! No brakes, wide open, full sized moto berms and 30 feet long tables, one after another, for something like a mile down the mountain. And to finish it off, a ski jump that you can send as far as you want (literally had a 75 feet long lander!). And after meeting up with a local guy who showed me a less ridden extension of the trail, I ended up sessioning the trail probably 4 times in a row! I have to say World Cup DH was probably my favorite technical trail. Endless rock gardens, kind of like Farlow Gap in Pisgah Forest only you don't get covered in mud. The dust from here in New Mexico is a lot easier to get off than that Pisgah mud! I have to give mad props to Mongoose. I don't care if they sell more Wal-Mart bikes than anything else, their big bikes are sweet. My 2010 Boot'r with the fork swapped to a Marzocchi Bomber 66 (single crown = full crossed x-ups!). Its the perfect combo of a freeride and a race bike. Plenty fast enough to compete with most of the guys out there racing but still throws around and pops like a park bike. Gotta love it.

And amazingly enough, the good rides didn't end when you got to the bottom of the slopes! I managed to hook up with a guy named J.P. who managed Trailhead, a local shop right there on the mountain. He was a great guy who really helped me out in my dire time of lack of a trail bike, hooking me up with a Giant Anthem. This gave me a chance to explore some of the many many miles of XC/AM single track that weaved its way through the surrounding mountains. I even had the pleasure of being shown some of the trails not on the map! J.P. really knows his way around that place, as he should being a mountain bike guide. If you're ever there, look him up and tell him Matt sent you, he will help you out for sure!

At the end of my three days of riding I was so beat it was hard to walk up the mountain. Which proved to be slightly problematic considering I was trying to photograph the Pro GRT race that was going on Saturday and Sunday! Lots of fast guys out this weekend. No huge names since it was the first World Cup race in Fort Williams, Scotland, but still a good turn out and lots of awesome people out! Every class was pretty stacked and really competitive! All the racers If anyone who raced was there, let me know your race number! I probably have some pictures of you!

I don't have any pictures of me riding, however will try to upload some videos later! In the mean time, here are some of the good shots from the racers!

Taste of Dirt and Shop on Wheels

Quick photo update about the Van! A week ago in Arkansas she got her first taste of dirt and first experience being the shop on wheels it was set up to be! So although overall Arkansas was not the most successful weekend on my trip, it did end up being a good thing for getting some more experiences in the van. Started out with over 20 total miles of dirt road travel and one small creek crossing. And the big ole thing did really well with dirt on the tires. Heck it rode almost as smooth on a dirt road as it does on the pavement, and the roof lights were nice on those dark roads in the late afternoon!

But one good thing the bike issues brought along was the chance to set the mobile bike shop up. Table, tools, stand. They all set up easily and were plenty convenient to have when cleaning and wrenching on a bike in the middle of nowhere!

Series of Unfortunate Events

My short time in Arkansas has proven to be rather unlucky. The drive from Alabama that was supposed to take around 6 and a half hours took just over 8. Accidents. Work zones. And pretty bad rain slowed traffic to a near standstill for miles. Even the GPS was getting bored. But a quick nights rest at a truck stop just outside of Little Rock found me waking up to gorgeous weather in a nice city just around the corner from Ouachita. Grabbed some breakfast and coffee and thought to myself, "It's a good day to ride a bike!" And after driving for miles through the country side, my smile continued to grow as houses disappeared and paved roads turned to beaten dirt.

Eventually I took the last turn that was supposed to put me right at the start of the Womble Trail. 37 miles of what the IMBA* calls an epic ride. But due to rough weather the last few weeks, Lake Ouachita is overflowing, leaving the trailhead inaccessible. No worries though. It crosses the main road just 2 miles from here, I'll just park up there and ride. What's 2 miles out of 37 anyway? And I have to admit. I liked the trail. 

But after a few miles I stopped to take a few pictures, heck I have to have a way to keep y'all reading right? Well I looked down to see the rear shock leaking oil and the lockout completely useless. Enough to dampen my spirits, but not stop my ride. Unfortunately the loose crank WAS enough to make me turn around. Note to self, carry every needed tool on my rides...

So not that my time in Arkansas has been cut short, it's time to que the road tripping music and head out for New Mexico!

Pit Stop

Woke up this morning, stepped out the van to a gorgeous day. Perfect day to ride. But first I'm taking a quick pit stop for some food and coffee while I wait for some bike shops to open up. So far though, Little Rock is turning out to be a pretty sweet place! Can't wait to meet some riders and learn some new trails!

Line Hopping

Today was drive day. Leaving from Alabama this morning I drove through Mississippi, Tennessee, and Arkansas today.  With all the traffic, road work, and accidents it ended up being about an 8hr day. Car camping in Little Rock, Arkansas tonight instead of Ouachita National Forest like I had planned. Oh well. Get to check out the local shops here in the morning! Assuming they are actually open ha. If not then I'll be riding some hopefully awesome trails bright and early! But then again, with the recent horrible weather in the area, might just drive on through to Angel Fire, New Mexico. 

And finally over the Mississippi River into Arkansas!

Sweet Ride, Alabama

So I spent all day yesterday in Oak Mountain State Park just outside of Birmingham, Alabama. I have to say I was pleasantly surprised by the amount of elevation and technicality of some of these trails. When I first showed up I saw nothing but green and blue trail markers. As in "easy" and "slightly difficult". But after a mile or two (or seventeen...) I finally came across the bottom of Jekyll and Hyde. Moderate climb. A few slow technical rock sections but nothing major. But the trail this climb put me on was a blast. Blood Rock was hands down my favorite trail out there. Steep in a few sections. A couple rock gardens that were enough to challenge full seat height on the All Mountain rig and a couple floaters over what looked like rock piles to slow down the downhill traffic (sorry BUMP* but they didn't slow me down). I then decided I wanted to defend Jekyll and Hyde as well so I climbed back to the top for a descent on the nice flowy sections and the slow rocky sections of the climb were nice little spots for the Stumpjumper's suspension to get a little workout on the otherwise smooth trail. All in all I would call it a great trail system. Would recommend it if passing through to put in some quick easy miles or if you're staying to do some nice distance. I put in a total of just over 35 miles and thoroughly enjoyed it! Not to mention I got to meet up with a few guys from Specialized Racing who were there for the Bump and Grind race happening Saturday and Sunday. Great guys for sure!

Oh yeah! Then followed it all up camping on site. There were even hot showers available!

The welcoming crew near the start if the north trailhead. 

The Stumpjumper posing at the top of Jekyll and Hyde. 

Main rock garden on Blood Rock. 

And a fun little section on a trail I didn't see the name of. 

*BUMP is the organization that maintains this trail system. Good work guys. I approve of everything y'all did!