The new Niner RKT 9 RDO is the flagship XC bike from Niner. It’s also the most fun XC rig we’ve experienced to date, on the race course and the trail.
New School XC Bikes Group Test with Enduro MTB Magazine
Today’s trail and XC bikes are more capable and versatile than ever. Most “XC” bikes rarely see action on the race course though, and are used as trail bikes. To see how they stacked up against the trail and all mountain bikes we usually ride, Enduro Mountain Bike Magazine put together a group test to […]
Review: Giro Privateer XC Mountain Bike Shoes
High end mountain bike shoes can get pretty pricey these days, and you can easily spend upwards of $300-400 on a pair of the latest carbon wonder soles. Spending top dollar for a high-zoot carbon wonder sole is cool if you need the best to compliment your $10k carbon XC Race rig. However, if they […]
You can jump a 29er, but why would you want to?
It’s pretty clear- 29ers are here to stay. Not just a fad, the big wheels of the 29er have evolved from being a side show curiosity to a standard tool for discriminating XC and endurance trail riders for some time now. I was a holdout for some time, but eventually came around as well, with the […]
Skegg’s Point – Woodside, CA
Skegg’s Point, also known as El Corte de Madera, is a popular destination for Bay Area XC riders. Although there is an awful lot of double track and fire roads, there are more than a few choice sections of twisty single track hidden in the woods that make the trek worthwhile. We started the day […]
Oat Hill Mine Trail, Calistoga, California
The Oat Hill Mine Trail is more of a road than a trail. A former stage coach route, this route leads to a former mining camp in Calistoga, California. While it’s a bit of a haul from the heart of the bay area, the views and the rocky tread make it worth checking out at […]
All Mountain or Long Travel Trail, Part II: the lines are blurring
It is an awesome time to be a mountain biker. I wrote a piece just over a year ago that pondered the question, “do I want a long travel trail bike, or an all mountain bike?” A year later, the lines have blurred even further. For a casual rider, it could mean even more confusion […]
Sycamore Rocks – Inner Empire, California
Southern California doesn’t often come up when discussion turns to riding destinations, but with a year long riding season, the sandy lands down south begin to have major appeal when the northwest soil turns to mud. After spending over a month in So-Cal house sitting, hanging out in the area and getting some riding time […]
Surveyor’s Ridge, Mount Hood
Mount Hood is the location of dozens of classic single track routes and epic rides, as well as being the epicenter for some of the best riding in the northwest. Northeast of the mountain lies the town of Hood River, known for being one of the major recreation destinations, which includes the infamous Post Canyon […]
The Dog River Trail All Mountain Shuttle
The Dog River Trail is one of those gems that is way less popular than it really should be. This spring the trail was the course of the Fluid Ride Cup Enduro DH. We didn’t make it out to this event, and I’m still kicking myself for not making the extra effort to do so. […]
The 29er Project: Update
In my effort to embrace the NW cycling culture, I’m breaking down and (partially) returning to my roots. Not the BMX bike roots, (quite yet, but I’m revisiting that too, in a future post) but the next phase I adopted early in my cycling life, the world of spandex- that is right, I’m talking XC. […]
The other St. Helens epic ride: the west side
IMBA just declared the Ape Canyon/ Plains of Abraham trail one of their epics. And while it is a trail everyone should do once, and is certainly a unique experience, it isn’t my favorite trail on the mountain. In fact, the descent back down Ape Canyon goes by so quickly it is sad. For anyone […]