New Film by The Collective! "Seasons"

We've all been looking forward to the new film by The Collective: Seasons. This is the follow up flick to The Collective and Roam. Its currently playing this month in theaters in cool towns across America! The DVD will be in bike shops in May.

Check out the trailer:

Here's the Collective's website.

From the website:
"Seasons is a film that follows seven of the world’s top mountain bikers through the course of four seasons of one year. The film explores what it means to be a full time rider as told through the lives of downhill racers, slopestyle competitors, and big mountain freeriders."

The seven riders featured in the film are: Darren Berrecloth, Matt Hunter, Cam McCaul, Steve Peat, Andrew Shandro, Steve Smith, and Thomas Vanderham.

IMBA to Design New Trails in Mammoth

Good news for Mammoth!
This is from the IMBA website:

"Trails Solutions Selected to Design Trails at Mammoth Resort"
IMBA's Trail Solutions has been selected as the consultant for natural-surface trails at Mammoth resort. Professionals on the Trail Solutions team will work closely with ALTA Planning and Design, who is providing planning services for paved pathways and road systems. According to IMBA's Cimarron Chacon, Mammoth has plans to become a "premier year-round resort community." The planning includes a multi-jurisdictional partnership with the town of Mammoth Lakes and the US Forest Service. Additional partners include Mammoth Mountain resort and the MLTPA, a local non-profit."

IMBA Trail Solutions Services

MLTPA Action Plan They want to "establish a vision for a comprehensive system of trails and public
access for Mammoth Lakes and the surrounding region."

Survey Here's a Trail-Use survey for the Town of Mammoth Lakes. You can tell them that you like to mountain bike and want more singletrack opened up!


The photos above are from the Mammoth Mountain Bike Park website here.

Build Your Own Pump Track!

Pump tracks are the new rage in mountain biking, as they can be built right in your back yard. Everyone is talking about building them, so here's how to do it! LeeLikesBikes is a website that has great information and sells an e-book called Pump Track Nation.

Check out what Lee says:

"Pump track mania is sweeping the globe. Mountain bikers everywhere are building endless loops of rollers and berms, and the riders are getting smoother, fitter and faster.

These mini tracks teach you to maintain speed — no, gain speed — over bumps and through tight corners. Almost anyone can ride a pump track. Beginners fumble, jumble and stumble, while experts manual, jump and rip. On pump tracks the speed, fear and risk are low, but the effort, fun and improvement are high.

Legend has it that Mick Hannah trained extensively on a pump track before he demolished the 2004 Sea Otter Classic. Knowing the fastest Aussies pump on a regular basis, pro downhiller Steve Wentz built a track at The Fix in Boulder, Colo. last fall. At first, his L-shaped loop was barely rideable, but within a week the lines were grooved and the riders were grooving.

When I posted a story and videos on this site, pump track reports poured in. The kids in Whistler, BC started building them. The guys at Riding High in Taichung, Taiwan built one. And Ray Petro of Ray’s MTB, the indoor bike park in Cincinnatti, made an awesome one out of wood. Pump tracks are superfun, and they’re good for you, so you might as well build one of your own.

Pick a spot. You can have plenty of fun in as little as 40 x 20 feet. Yes, that’s the size of your basement. More space means wider turns, bigger rollers and greater speeds. Flat land is best, but you can always rail some downhill berms then pump back uphill on a roller staircase. Oof.

Lay it out. Start with the turns. Make them tight enough to pump but not so tight you struggle to make them. A radius of about 75 inches works well. The 38-inch turn at The Fix creates champions but robs speed. Make sure your berms have constant arcs, and build them gradually from flat to vertical. When you get the hang of your track, you’ll be pulling almost three Gs and leaning 70 degrees.

Fill in the spaces. Build rollers or doubles between your turns. Avoid flat spots. Every square inch on your track should tilt upward, downward or sideways. No time for coasting!"

You can get more info and support Lee Likes Bikes here!

Top pic is Nathan Rennie on Mountainzone.com. Next 2 pics are on Leelikesbikes.com.

New Fresno Freeride Mountain Bike Park!

The FresnoBee reports that Woodward Park in Fresno, CA is developing into a world class mountain bike park. The article states that the 57 acre bike jump park, bmx track, and mountain bike park will certainly be the most progressive in the state of california. The BMX track is nearly complete, and the freeride jump park is on its way!

One excerpt from the article says, "Highlights of the L-shaped park, which overlooks Highway 41 and the San Joaquin River, include a downhill jumping course, multiple cross-country trails and an elevated section where riders will have to balance themselves while riding over logs and narrow lumber."

Sweeeeeeet!

Spandex vs Baggies

Guest writer, posted by mtndjd;
This post is purely Satirical and not intended to offend fans of Spandex. Its still ok for women.

If no one else is going to speak out, then the MudBlog is here to set some things straight;

There seems to be a grey area when it comes to the appropriateness of biking attire. Somewhere in our rough, gun slinging, cowboy, western cultural history; an embarrassing rift has occurred. The rift is sometimes as jolting and horrifying as scenes from a bad European beach movie where male stars run around in speedos, thongs, and G-strings (aka. marble bags). A naive observer might be inclined to ask, 'whats in your pocket?' the obvious problem being, there is no pocket. John Wayne will continue to turn in his grave until men in Spandex are outlawed in public.





The fashion trends among bikers have undoubtedly become commonplace due to road riding heroes such as Lance Armstrong, and Greg LeMond. These guys did it for the money, not because they liked publicly exhibiting their packs. Repetitious motion to the extent experienced during the Tour De France and the likes, gives some credence to the uniform. Unfortunately for early mountain bikers, like a Canadian without a mullet, if you weren't sporting tight spandex and shaved legs, you just weren't a serious biker. Luckily, the times have changed....but unfortunately, confusion still exists.

A shift to the more rugged, traditional American 'manly' style of attire has influenced mountain bikers of late. Durable 'baggie' shorts with crash padding and less revealing styling have brought the much needed coolness factor back to biking. The baggies incorporate spandex, or other non-chafing technologies, all without compromising the manliness factor. Since this change in styling has occurred mountain biking has exploded in America. One can only speculate that this is not a coincidence. Men everywhere are now proudly riding their bikes without having to leave their masculinity in the garage.



We would love to get some comments from all of you out there that still wear spandex in public.
1. How often do you wear Spandex in public?
2. Do you ever wear Spandex when not biking?
3. Do you ever notice people staring at you/yours when in public?
4. If you are a man, do you shave your legs?
5. Would you be comfortable wearing a speedo on the beach in America?
6. Do you realize that 'show-through' is accentuated when viewed from the side?

Post contributed by mtndjd.

Dreamin' of Whistler

For all the other dreamers out there, here's some eye candy!



These videos are on Pink Bike.com. The video above is from summer 2007 at the Whistler Bike Park, and below is a helmet cam's view of A-Line.

Gooseberry Mesa & Little Creek

While imagery of Moab pops into mind when talking about Utah bike trails, Gooseberry Mesa is another amazing gem in the Utah mountain biking world. The surrounding area, near St. George in southwestern Utah, is filled with singletrack and slickrock trails. With Zion National Park as the backdrop, high quality trails weave along the mesa cliffs of both Gooseberry Mesa or Little Creek Mesa at about 5,000 feet above sea level.

Much of the riding is technical and challenging - more so on Gooseberry - but, there are several different loop options for all levels of riding. From 20+ mile loops to short slickrock practice loops, most riders will find something they love. Also, the nearby JEM Trail, which starts below Gooseberry and drops down to the town of Hurricane, can be shuttled or ridden as an out and back.



In the above picture, Gooseberry Mesa is on the left, Little Creek in the rear right, and the top of JEM trail in the lower right.

For GPS users, here's a GPX File (right click to save) that includes Gooseberry Mesa Trails, a shorter 10 mile version of Little Creek, and the beggining of JEM Trail. For more information and guided tours, check out Rim Tours.

Colonnade Bike Park Grand Opening!

Last month a great new asset for mountain bikers was opened to the public!! Hopefully this park sets a precedent for the rest of the country.

This is from the BBTC website:

I-5 Colonnade is the first ever urban mountain bike skills park. It's part of a City of Seattle park, but was funded and constructed by the BBTC (Backcountry Bicycle Trails Club).

The Novice Area (Phase 1) is complete and offers a 1/2-mile tight'n'twisty Cross Country loop trail with several intermediate to advanced options.

It's a great place to work on key skills be sessioning:

• Ladder bridges, log rides and skinnies
• Tight switchbacks
• Steep rock chutes and technical rock rolls
• Teeter totters
• Rock step-ups
• A long ladder bridge roller coaster ride (be careful to keep your speed waaaay down... she bucks!)

Phase 2 is under construction and scheduled to be completed by Oct'08. Phase 2 will focus on more flowy advanced trails and offer features like jumps, berms, wall rides, progressive drops, rock chutes, skinnies, pump track, trials area, etc. and a couple of sessionable practice areas.

More info: Colonnade Project Page and Colonnade Phase 2 Page.

Mountain Bike Guide Books at less than 1/2 price!

Extremeline Productions is now selling "damaged" books for less than half of the cover price. These books might have blemishes, dents, dings, folds, marks, and/or be tweaked in some way. Nothing major! Just some surface damage - which happens the second you toss the book into your dirty camelbak anyway.

These slightly damaged copies of Mountain Biking Santa Cruz are $6.95; and Mountain Biking Mammoth are $7.65. Happy Trails!

Freeridin' Black Rock Trails in Falls City

Awhile ago, we wrote about the IMBA article on the legally sanctioned Black Rock Trails. Sooo, we decided to go up and check it out for ourselves! This is what we found:



This place rocks! Trails like Ganny's Kitchen are almost unbelievable in terms of flow and air time. Being from California (where rides with stunts are quite limited), it just seemed like it couldn't actually be an "open" trail. Throughout the 1200 feet of vertical drop, the amount of high-quality stunts, jumps, gaps, drops, and skinnies was amazing. The park also included a 'practice/skills area' with an excellent variety of features for every level of rider.



The weather was great in July, cool enough to self-shuttle/climb a few laps on the smooth low-dust trails. Black Rock bike park is a 'must hit' destination on the freeride route north. (Just a couple hours north is Post Canyon, on the way to Whistler!) Sept 15-16 2007 is the first annual Black Rock Bike Fest, which includes shuttles and camping.

Download the GPX file of our rides here.

Logistics:
Falls City is in northern Oregon west of Salem. The only bummer about the area is the lack of accessible public land and camping. Luckily, we ended up finding private land to camp on. If interested call Dawn or Bruce, 503-787-1010, for reservations for tent camping and RV parking. They are super nice people with a great chunk of property only minutes from the riding area.
Another place to stay is the newly opened Black Rock Inn with 3 units.

Mammoth Opens 2 New Freeride Trails!

2 of the long awaited freeride trails are now open at Mammoth Mountain Bike Park! Techno Rock and Richter add to the 90 miles of singletrack on the mountain. Here's what the MammothMountain.com has to say:

"Our long anticipated two new trails now open! Techno Rock has a setup similar to popular dual slalom and mountain cross courses, and it starts out with four intense drops that range from four to 15 feet. The trail then plunges in and out of a dirt ditch that is Mammoth's Olympic Size halfpipe in the winter. Richter is for intermediate riders and it rides like a rollercoaster through a tunnel of trees. Wooden features and natural berms round out the trail's assortment of obstacles."

Also, the mountain will be running Chair 2/Stump Alley Express on weekends through labor day.

Santa Cruz and Mammoth in New Bike DVD

Top Soil 2 is a new mountain bike dvd with footage from Santa Cruz, Mammoth, and other great locations in the West.

This is what people are saying:

Top Soil 2 is the sequel to the Aptos Productions’ Top Soil online video diary, which has been viewed by nearly one million visitors. Top Soil 2 is a recipe of local talent, progression and humour. Watch the young riders of Aptos, California Cameron Mccaul, Evan Turpen, Jamie Goldman, Greg Watts, and many more as they ride their best for the cameras pushing themselves and the sport to a higher level. Top Soil 2 is shot in various parts of North America and places across the globe following the world’s top riders as they compete in contests and races.

Top Soil 2 will only be available on DVD and includes the full length original Top Soil in the bonus features as well as crash section, Red Bull Reezride 03 and more…

Scenes shot in Aptos, Crankworx, Mammoth US Open, Cowan's back yard and many more.

Sick riding from the likes of the McCaul Brothers, Jamie Goldman, the Watts brothers, Ryan Howard and SO MANY MORE!

Sick riding from the likes of the McCaul Brothers, Jamie Goldman, the Watts brothers, Ryan Howard and SO MANY MORE!

Here's a preview:

New Trails at Mammoth Mountain

So, Techno Rock, Richter, and the Twilight Zone are finally approved and set to open this July! The Mammoth Mountain Website says this about the new trails:

"Opening July 2007 - Techno Rock: a fast, technical expert-only trail from McCoy Station to the Main Lodge. With BIG rock drops and banked turns in the Super Pipe Techno Rock is a dirt-jumping run to the bottom.

Opening July 2007 - Richter: a fast, upper-intermediate to advanced, tree-lined roller coaster ride off Kamikaze and Trail Home. Ladders, wooden bridges and plenty of berms. This trail completes the freeride path from the top of the mountain to the bottom.

Opening July 2007 - Twilight Zone: this urban-inspired trail will become our "signature." Hang a quick right halfway down Chain Smoke and get ready to accelerate through a series of linked wooden berms, through the Snake, and end in the heart-pounding "deep-end": a 32-foot wide, 10-foot tall, 180 degree banked turn.

Kamikaze Park is a place to have fun and test your skills on man-made features. Located near the lower Panorama Gondola Station. Find urban-inspired features including dirt jumps, wall ride, teeter totter, features from the Unbound ski and snowboard Terrain Parks and larger features - look for the 90-foot Dragon and the Volcano!"

For more detailed info on the trails in Mammoth, click here!

New Santa Cruz Bike Park

Hey BMXers & freeriders, Santa Cruz Parks and Recreation now has a new Bike Park! Thanks also to the Bicycle Trip for funding the park. Some features include a bowed 8' high wall ride and 2' and 4' jumps.

Its right across the street from the Santa Cruz Municipal Wharf (35 Pacific Avenue). Its open from 9 a.m. to sunset daily and all bike riders must wear a helmet and safety pads. Skateboarders, in-line skaters and scooters are not allowed in the Bike Park. The Bike Park will be closed during rainy or wet conditions.

Eventually a Marine Sanctuary Visitor Center will be built on this site, and the bike park may be moved to a permanent location. The descision depends on the city parks department.

Photos from the Parks & Rec website, courtesy of Susan Harris.

Black Rock is Sicter Gnar!

Im seeing a lot of press on the Black Rock Trails in Oregon, and thought I'd blog some excerpts from the article on IMBA.com. Check it out:

"Just outside Salem, Oregon, in the rural logging town of Falls City, lies the Black Rock trail system. This killer freeride area, located on a 1,000-acre tract of State Forest Land, is maintained by volunteers from the Black Rock Mountain Bike Association (BRMBA)....

Kowalski started what would become the BRMBA, and created two important documents with land managers: a partnership agreement and trail management plan. The partnership agreement spells out how the partnership works and who performs what services at the facility. The trail management plan is more technical in nature, and includes trail construction, maintenance and management guidelines adapted from the Whistler Trail Standards and IMBA's trailbuilding resources. (Download the Black Rock Management Plan.)

Trail construction and maintenance at Black Rock is an all-volunteer effort. In just a few years, these diehards have built a vast catalogue of skinnies, drop offs, dirt jumps and inspired singletrack. Black Rock trailwork parties attract as many as 40 volunteers from as far away as Portland and Eugene. "When it comes right down to it, it's the riders who organized and built these trails. Individuals have got to step it up and engage their passion for the sport. That's the only way stuff like this happens," says Rich Bontrager, current BRMBA President."



Still photos from the IMBA Website thanks to Joe Rykowski (In the Zone Photography.)

Whistler Bike Park Updates for 2007

The following is from the Whistler Bike Park website: "Now, before you get too exited and start bouncing up and down on your bike, there is still a lot of snow at the top of Fitz chair. We have set the opening date for May 19 and I know that we will have a lot of work to do before then. The rusty cogs in our heads are starting to turn as we are beginning to plan out the year. One part of me is stoked and the other part is cold with fear.
I'm stoked for everything that we have already - A-Line, DM, Crank It Up, Schleyer, Joyride - you name it! I'm stoked for all of the new ideas that I can't tell you anything about - yet. You know that we are not just going to dish up the same old goulash. I'm stoked about the trail crew, patrol, guides, lifties and everyone who makes up the Bike Park that are coming back for another year. I'm stoked for having that first GLC pitcher of beer with the crew. And I'm stoked for the first lap down A-Line.

So what is there to be fearful about? Let's not beat around the bush - there will be more VANOC construction and the Whistler Gondola is getting a major refit and will be out of commission until July 1. This is something that has to be done, or the old work horse will fall apart. We have now resigned ourselves to the fact that our beloved "No Joke" is out for another year, but it's the lack of the gondola on busy days that will take some careful planning - on your part.

Anyway, we aim to keep you informed on the status of the trails so that you can make the most of your riding in the Bike Park. We do not anticipate any loss of trails except for the occasional closure due to construction. Last year was very busy, but all in all, I believe that we still dished up a good stew of trails. As always, we appreciate feedback so don't hesitate to contact us should you have a suggestion or a solution. We are all eyes and ears!
I'm such a lousy typist and it has been a week since I started this report. A lot has hanged since then - the mountain has turned from a giant ice cube into a great slurpee and it literally melting from "Original Sin" to the "Heart Of Darkness". And you know what lies in between - "A-Line"! See you on May 19, 10am, at the bottom of the Bike Park."

Legal Freeride Stunts in California?

It seems like almost every freeride trail in California is either illegal (hidden) or in a paid bike park, such as Mammoth. Thank goodness, there actually is a jewell hidden in the redwoods. A trail network packed with epic singletrack, jibs, a plethora of log rides, jumps, and relatively steep terrain. Its called Soquel Demonstration Forest, which borders the Forest of Nisene Marks in the Santa Cruz area. If you are anywhere near this area of central California, you'll want to spend some time on these trails.

Here's a youtube video depicting a portion of the trails and some of the log rides, etc. Its a bit cheesy and poor quality, but gives an idea of the area:



Find plenty of trail maps and descriptions of the rides in the "Demo Forest" here!

The first pic (up above) is girl hucking a tree stump on the Braille Trail...she's riding a Santa Cruz Bullit. And a glimpse of someone riding a skinny: