Singletracks Mountain Bike Blog

A few weeks ago the opportunity to hit the road and travel to the Jackrabbit Trail System presented itself by way of an invitation to my wife from her cousin.  Whenever my wife asks if I want to travel to a new trail to go riding, I’m sure to jump on it!  In fact, I was very intrigued by what I had heard about the Jackrabbit trails from a lot riders I know.  The trail listing here on Singletracks didn’t seem to have much information and there were no pictures or video to give a definite indicator of what the singletrack was really like. Time for a little adventure!

All About the Trail

If I had to describe the Jackrabbit singletrack in three words, I would call it “fast, flowy hardpack.” Leave the suspension at home folks… this is a hardtail paradise!  Yep, the trails here are fast and flowy, artfully built into the hills on a peninsula in Lake Chatuge, just south of Hayesville, North Carolina. The singletrack climbs and dips, twisting through the trees and around the hillsides, flying up and over small whoop-te-dos at random.  While there are several climbs and descents, it never seems like you’re climbing for very long. This is possible thanks to the uncommonly flat terrain for North Carolina and the fact that the trails are thoughtfully laid out to encourage you to maintain momentum throughout the course of the trail.

The trail system is designed around a 3.1 mile central loop that is very beginner friendly, but still enjoyable by just about anyone.  Situated around the outside of the main loop (and one in the interior), there are several trails of varying style and difficulty. One trail features tons of whoops and jumps, another focuses on fluid turns and flow, one is tighter and limits your speed more, and another features real climbs with some rocks and bridges to keep things interesting.

Trail Signage

I’ve ridden over 138 trails all over the country and I have to honestly say that the trail signage at Jackrabbit is the best I have ever seen!  Every single intersection is marked with one of these signs, which include a giant, red “You Are Here” arrow.  In fact, at one point I reached an intersection where several trails joined up, and I could see four of these signs sitting within a few feet of each other at each prominent corner of the junction.  Even if you are bad with maps and directions, getting lost at Jackrabbit is out of the question!

The Mastermind Behind the Network

As we were casually riding along on a Wednesday evening, we crossed paths with many locals who offered an enthusiastic wave and a “hello.” At one intersection, we met some friendly riders who shared some trail advice and wanted to help point us in the right direction.  Due to their familiarity with the trails and their construction, I asked “Did you guys help build these trails?”  The older man responded by pointing at his riding partner and saying, “She’s the mastermind behind this place!”  Her name is Joanna.  She is a small, unassuming retirement-age woman  who obviously loves to ride her mountain bike.  As she began to talk about why they had designed and built the trails the way they had, I could see in her face a passion for mountain biking and her beloved trail system!

Apparently, Joanna and her partner used to take groups of kids mountain biking as a part of an after school-type program.  As they led these trips, they eventually grew tired of seeing the kids throw their mountain bikes down beside the trail and refuse to go on due to the difficulty.  After all, they live in North Carolina where many of  the trails are anything but beginner-friendly!  That is where the inspiration for Jackrabbit was born.  They wanted to build a trail system that would be fun and easily accessible for beginners such as kids to ride, and yet they wanted to build something that would be entertaining for much more seasoned riders as well.

To hear Joanna tell the story, the trails have been a success! Now when they take kids out to ride mountain bikes, they’re all grins from ear to ear and can’t wait to go riding again! Not to mention all of the other riders who show up these days.  Where else can you find a nearly full parking long on a Wednesday evening?

Goo is your guide to North Georgia singletrack. He’s also a member of the Airborne MTB Flight Crew and blogs at GregRidesTrails.com. He’s even hosting a MTB photo contest this month, pop over to see how you can win $100!

We’re restarting the singletracks weekly email newsletter today. Even if you’ve opted in (this is not automatic), you will only receive the newsletter if:

- You signed up for an account in the last 6 months OR
- You’ve logged into your singletracks account in the last 6 months

As always, you can opt in/out of the email list on your account page OR by clicking the “Unsubscribe” link at the bottom of the newsletter. Starting in August we’ll be giving away one free Pro membership to a random subscriber each week so make sure you’re on the list! More details soon…

The newsletter features a trail spotlight, trending forum threads, featured blog articles, hot deals from our partners, and top rated gear. We hope you find it useful!

Have you ever found yourself hitting a whole bunch of roots or rocks and noticed your hands were going numb? Or have you ever ridden through heavily wooded areas and noticed those trees getting closer, praying you don’t hit one? Well Giro has the “Remedy” for these situations and more. The Giro Remedy gloves ($42 MSRP) feature the Giro Super fit treatment which tailors the entire glove from the palm to the fingers to reduce bunching while boosting grip.

The Remedy also feature a strategically placed d30 heal pad. Your next question, if you haven’t heard about d30 is: WTF is that? D30 is a special material which remains soft under normal conditions but instantly stiffens upon impact. Essentially the d30 molecules are free to move around but become locked together in a web when the material is hit. Amazing.

The Remedy is a heavy duty glove with plenty of finger and palm protection. The outer two fingers have a neoprene-type base material with sonic welded armor points to help absorb impact from the trail. The two inside fingers and remainder of the upper surface of the glove features a moisture-wicking air mesh material. As I mentioned earlier, the palm sports the d30 crash pad plus a durable Pittards leather 3 piece construction. All of this ensures a super long lasting glove.

On the Trail

Much like the Xen glove I tested a while back, I instantly noticed the Remedy’s comfortable feeling and lack of pressure points due to misaligned stitching (which some brands have). The pre-bent fingers also lend a great fatigue free-feel to this glove. I am a full finger kind of rider and even though some may say that a full fingered glove is hot, I can tell you these didn’t roast my mitts. I did sweat but fortunately my hands weren’t swimming in the gloves nor did they lose grip when others might have started to slip.

For the heavier-duty rider who doesn’t want a glove with hard points (ie carbon knuckles ), the Remedy glove should be one of your top considerations. Available in three color combinations (white/lime , white/black/red, and all black) I am sure there is one that will match what you’re wearing and riding. Check out the Giro website for further details.

Thanks to the folks at Giro for providing these gloves for review.

Crankworx Colorado is one of the biggest DH and FR competitions/festivals in the world and once again it’s being hosted at Trestle Bike Park in Winter Park, CO. If you can’t make it out in person, check out the *free* webcast of the events right here on singletracks!

The video above should show a countdown to the next live event stream but if you want to start planning your weekend now, here’s the full schedule. All times are Mountain Daylight Time.

THURSDAY July, 29, 2010
1:15pm-3pm Slopestyle Qualifiers
3:45pm Dual Slalom Finals

FRIDAY July 30, 2010
3:30pm-5pm Best Trick Competition

SATUDAY July 31, 2010
1pm Slopestyle Semi-Finals, immediately followed Slopestyle Super Final

SUNDAY August 1, 2010
3:30pm Pro DH Finals - Top 50 Men and to 15 Woman

Last week I came across a little piece of mountain bike history at my local library, a book simply titled The Complete Mountain Biker. Written in 1989 by Dennis Coello, this book offers a glimpse into the state of the art in mountain biking more than 20 years ago. The chapters on backcountry touring and riding technique offer many tips that today’s riders can use and the chapter titled “The ATB Controversy - Trail Etiquette and Wilderness Prohibition” could have been written just last week. The accessories chapter, however, offers some photo nuggets too good not to share.

Obviously mountain bike stems have changed a lot in the last 20 years and these pics show two interesting early configurations. The top stem features a triangle shape called a “bull-moose style stem.” The second is a single piece stem that appears to offer exactly zero adjustability.

I can remember the days when the Nike Calderas were the heat and I actually owned a pair of Nike mountain bike shoes at one point. The Nike Zealand, however, looks like a cement worker’s safety boot.

In the days before Camelbaks, apparently people were fond of the fanny pack for mountain biking (the caption says the pack shown is by Nike).

Shimano XT shifters may cost a little more but just look at the quality! Knit mesh gloves offer unmatched ventilation and endless design possibilities.

It’s strange to see a derailleur brand that doesn’t start with ‘S’. (oh wait)

I actually learned a thing or two from the section on mountain bike brakes. The one pictured above is a roller cam brake and there was also something called a “U-brake” that was mounted underneath the bike’s chainstays. Mountain bikers quickly realized a brake mounted down low became a dirt and mud magnet so the U-brake went the way of the Dodo bird.

His technique is mostly right but what happened to his helmet and shirt? (Ironically this photo comes just pages after the section on bike helmets that says “Always wear a helmet.”)

I’m no trials rider but to me this technique for hopping a curb doesn’t look right. Perhaps this should be retitled, “How to taco your front wheel.”

It’s amazing to look back and see how far mountain biking has come in the last 20 years. Believe it or not, you can still purchase one of 40+ copies of the 1989 edition of The Complete Mountain Biker on Amazon.com for as little as $0.01 (plus shipping). Such a small price to pay for a piece of mountain biking history!

The NiteRider Pro 1200 LED is virtually alone in the upper echelon of lighting systems for adventure sports. Whether you’re mountain biking, motocrossing, or snowmobiling, this is a powerful light system that rivals the brightness of most automobile headlights. I got a chance to field test the Pro 1200 over the weekend at a 24-hour mountain bike race in upstate NY and I was very pleased with the results.

The Pro 1200 is an 850 gram unit about the size of a large kiwi and is split into two LED clusters, each pumping out 600 lumens into two different reflector patterns. The left reflector puts out a spot beam - an intense cone of light that shoots down the center of the trail, with a nice halo into the surrounding area so you can see where your wheel is going. The right reflector puts out a flood pattern, a wide dish of light that seemed to illuminate about a ninety-degree arc in front of my bike for about fifty yards, depending on where I aimed it.

The small red push button on the top turns the unit off and on, and switches through the various pre-loaded light modes (spot light, flood light, or both). But the real innovation in the NiteRider Pro series is the ability to use NiteRider’s own D.I.Y. software to design custom lighting programs. I didn’t get to use the software this weekend but I was able to talk with NiteRider rep Tommy B. about it for a while. Tommy told me the Pro series of lights can have up to four distinct programs, each with six different levels of lighting power that you can customize. I’ve played around with the software for a bit and it seems like you could spend a ton of time tweaking power levels, run times, lumen counts and strobe effects between both lights. This might not seem like a great advantage for the novice rider but for professionals it could make a huge difference in a long endurance race.

My weekend with the Pro 1200 was wet, dirty, dark and foggy which was great for testing the worst possible conditions a light might endure on the trail. Fortunately the Pro 1200 cut through the night like a rock star. The trail was lit up clear as day. Everyone saw me coming from miles away and no one could look away from the supernova that I was proudly sporting on my handlebars.

This is a pic of the Pro 1200 handlebar mount. The offset mount is super versatile. Not only does it allow you to hook onto any handlebar, but it allows you to adjust the angle of the light from left to right and allows you to adjust the rotation of the light head itself.

Here’s a pic of the NiteRider Pro series battery mount, which sticks to the bike and allows for easy hot swapping during the race.

The Pro 1200 bike light is not for the meek. It’s big, tough and bright like an army of a thousand suns. Of course all of this awesomeness does come at a cost: the Pro series lights are expensive and fairly heavy because they’re built like tanks. The heat sinks and rubber parts are solid and the flanges and bolts are not made cheaply like many of the discount lighting systems that you find on the internet. The price tag alone might dissuade some people from making the investment, but for pro-level lighting systems that will stand the test of time, NiteRider is the smart choice.

NiteRider lighting systems are simple, easy to mount, and rugged enough to withstand the worst Mother Nature can throw at you. Not only is the Pro 1200 bright and incredibly tough but the beam patterns are clear and even, making for a spectacular view of the trail in the middle of the night. If the Pro 1200 is this good, I can’t wait to see what additions have been made with the new Pro 1400 LED which is just coming into the market.

Many thanks to NiteRider and Tommy B. for the hookup with the lights, support, and advice during the race!

As a part of my trip to Northstar Resort in California a couple weeks ago I got a chance to ride a portion of the fabled Tahoe Rim Trail that encircles Lake Tahoe. The Tahoe Rim Trail (TRT) meanders within a mile or so of Northstar and the resort offers connecting trails and maps that make access simple. One popular cross-country loop involves riding the lift up, taking the Northstar Tahoe Mulit-use Trail to the Tahoe Rim Trail and returning down to the resort via forest roads. On a Saturday afternoon I rented a full-suspension cross-country bike (Giant Reign SX) and our group hit the trail!

According to the Tahoe Rim Trail Association, just over 50% of the 165-mile loop is open to mountain bikes which seems a little unfair - until you realize that’s still at least 80 miles of singletrack! On the upper portions of the trail we saw very few hikers and just one small group of riders which gave the trail a backcountry feel despite being close to several resorts. Early on we took a side trail around Watson Lake where a couple groups of mountain bikers had camped overnight.

Unlike the buff singletrack on the Colorado Trail, this section of The Tahoe Rim Trail is littered with medium sized rocks and fine, dry dust that sticks to your smiling teeth if you follow too closely to the rider in front. None of this is to say the singletrack isn’t fast - you just need to pick your lines a little bit to stay in the flow.

Of course the big draw for the Tahoe Rim Trail is the scenery and it’s hard to find a more beautiful mountain bike trail in the US. The alpine flowers were in full bloom at the beginning of July and we passed through meadows of tall yellow flowers that seemed to stretch for hundreds of acres. I’m kicking myself now for not stopping to snap pics of the snow plants along the side of the trail that looked like brilliant fire-red wildflowers (they’re actually non-photosynthesizing fungi).

Views of Lake Tahoe are fleeting on the TRT section we rode but when the trees did open up the scenery was ridiculous. I could have stayed all afternoon staring at the dark blue waters below ringed by snow capped mountains and tall green pine trees. Fortunately the mountain biking part was fun too.

The Tahoe Rim Trail is an IMBA Epic mountain bike trail that you don’t want to miss. If you ever find yourself at Northstar in the summer, tear yourself away from the DH trails for a couple hours and check out the TRT - and don’t forget to bring your camera!

The WTB Valcon mountain bike saddle comes in three flavors (SLT Carbon, Team Carbon, and Pro) and is positioned as an XC race saddle, though I found it to be much more versatile than advertised. The Valcon SLT Carbon ($165 MSRP) is lightweight, high tech, and strong enough to stand up to DH-intensity pounding on the trail.

I had high expectations for this saddle based on the other WTB saddles I’ve ridden and I have to say the good folks at WTB didn’t disappoint. The Valcon is similar to the WTB Silverado but sightly more rounded with the addition of what WTB calls the Luxzone. The Luxzone is basically a cut in the middle of the saddle to relieve pressure in the groin area while improving air flow down there (it doesn’t get more luxe than that).

The SLT is covered in leather with a fresh, over-sized WTB graphic running diagonally across the back. Underneath the cool exterior there’s the familiar DNA padding which is also found on the other high-end WTB models. For those who aren’t familiar, DNA is a dense foam padding that forms over time to your contours and reduces saddle hotspots on the bike.

The carbon composite shell further reduces weight and allows for some give when going over bumps and roots. If you look at the Valcon closely you’ll see this saddle is rather flat (unlike say a Pure or Rocket) which makes for an efficient climbing saddle. The flat shape also allows the rider to get on to the tip more easily and stay there to increase leverage and performance.

As icing on the cake, the Valcon SLT Carbon also spots 7mm titanium rails. Titanium not only reduces weight but helps reduce vibration.

During my tests I ran the Valcon SLT Carbon on both my XC bikes and my DH rig and it was comfortable either way. Of course when it comes to DH I’d probably save the Valcon for competition and leave the wear and tear of everyday riding to another WTB saddle like the Aviator.  Overall the Valcon doesn’t feel super stiff, but firm, so a seasoned rider shouldn’t have any issues with the ride. And while this is a firm saddle, it can still be ridden for hours without feeling numb or uncomfortable.

After logging a ton of time in the saddle across several rides I still enjoy the Valcon and haven’t had any issues with creaking or loose stitching. Feel free to check out WTB to see the entire line-up of saddles to fit your butt and your budget!

I would like to thank the folks at WTB for providing the Valcon SLT Carbon for review.

Much of the Colorado Trail is open to mountain bikes.

Ever since I can remember I’ve always been fascinated with trails (go figure). I got into backpacking as a teenager and I quickly became obsessed with the 2,175 mile long Appalachian Trail. For a kid that’s too young to drive, the idea of a hiking trail stretching from Georgia to Maine is practically mind-blowing. Unfortunately bikes aren’t allowed on the AT (or the Pacific Crest Trail on the west coast) which makes it the slow lane for cross country expeditions.

Fortunately the idea of cross-state and cross-country (as in nation) mountain bike trails is gaining momentum. Just last month the annual Great Divide mountain bike race wrapped up and the winner rode his bike all 2,745 from Canada to the Mexican border in a scorching 17 days, 16 hours. Of course not all of us have the stamina (or the time off work) to ride across the US on our mountain bikes so more accessible cross-state routes are being established.

This year the 750-mile Arizona Trail Race covered the entire state of Arizona from Utah to Mexico for the first time. And here in Georgia, Dave Muse and his crew successfully completed the Trans North Georgia from South Carolina to Alabama in May and will be hosting an unofficial race along the route later this summer. For those who think this might be an easy ride, the mountain bike route is 350 miles long with 56,000 feet of climbing so bring an extra set of legs! There’s also the Colorado Trail that stretches from Denver to Durango and although some sections are closed to bikes, it’s possible to find alternate bike-friendly routes around closed areas.

Outside the US the concept of long distance mountain bike trails is taking off as well. Israel plans to spend $30 million to build 3,100 miles of bike trails in the Negev and around the Sea of Galilee. The first section of the Sea of Galilee trail opened this summer and will eventually circle the entire sea, giving tourists an interesting way to experience the history of the region.

This summer I’ll be taking my first overnight mountain biking trip via the San Juan hut system from Durango, CO to Moab, UT and I’m super stoked. In fact I’m already eying other long distance mountain bike rides like the Tahoe Rim Trail around Lake Tahoe and the BC Bike Race from Vancouver to Whistler.

Epic mountain bike routes seem to be good for regional tourism and for that reason we’ll probably continue to see more cross-state routes being designated. Even technology like the SPOT Satellite Messenger is playing a role in making long distance mountain bike trails safer and more accessible. Does your state have an official (or unofficial) cross-state mountain bike route yet? If not, get out there with a GPS and start exploring!

I’m not sure what’s going on but the news over the past three days has been full of mountain bike related accidents, injuries, and even deaths. Maybe it’s the weather that’s putting more people on their bikes or maybe it’s just coincidence. Either way, hopefully this post serves as a reminder to ride within your limits to avoid ending your season early (or worse, permanently). In case you missed it:

• Local Youth Pastor Breaks Neck Mountain Biking (Missouri)
  
• 12-year-old Dies After Summer Camp Mountain Bike Accident (Colorado)
• Police airlift Bedminster man who broke leg mountain biking (New Jersey)
• Man Dies After Serious Mountain Bike Fall (Australia)
• Injured Mountain Biker Rescued West of Bend (Oregon)
• Lost Mountain Bikers Rescued from Eagan Park (Minnesota)

Again, this is just 3 days worth of headlines. And beyond the headlines there are easily dozens more cases each day of mountain bikers suffering from heat stroke, heat exhaustion, and dehydration on the trail. Ride smart this summer to avoid mountain biking injuries!

One cool thing that has taken the mountain bike world by storm is the use of video cameras on the trail. GoPro, one of the original action sports helmet camera companies, has really stepped up once again with the new GoPro HD Helmet HERO. At $299 MSRP you’re looking at a good value with all the features and accessories you need included in the box. Here’s what you get: the video camera (5 megapixel) with 1100mAh Li-Ion battery, protective case with a fully enclosed waterproof backing and a vented back plate (perfect for MTB), 6 mounts (2 flat adhesive, 2 curved adhesive, one headlamp style and one for a vented helmet), a pivot hinge to angle the Hero just right off your helmet or bike, 1 component cable (HDTV), 1 composite video cable + audio, and a USB cable. Phew!

Before you start filming you’ll need to prep the camera and get a few items in order. First off, get yourself the highest class SDHC card you can find. This is important and isn’t stressed enough in the manual. The memory card class rating will directly affect the performance of your camera. GoPro recommends at least Class 4 media but I have found that Class 8 works the best; the GoPro HD accepts memory cards up to 32GB. After you get a memory card, install the battery and charge the camera fully before using. In my tests a full charge took 4 hours to complete via the USB connection.

It’s a good thing the battery takes 4 hours to charge - that was about how much time I needed to get comfortable with the controls and menus on the GoPro. The GoPro utilizes a two button control system but depending on how long you press them, buttons will either change from one mode to the next or change up a setting. You really need to read the owners manual that is supplied but don’t fret if you lose it - the manual is available online as well.

I recommend playing with the menus and settings to find which of the five video and two exposure settings work best. Remember the higher the resolution or frames per second (FPS), the quicker the GoPro eats up memory. As an example, at maximum resolution and 30 FPS, an 8GB card will give you less than an hour of recording time.

Once you get the hang of using the GoPro you get decent video and nice 5MP photos. In video mode there are 5 format choices: WVGA @ 60FPS (low res, fast action), 720p @ 30FPS (medium res, regular speed), 720p @ 60FPS (medium res, enhanced for slow motion), 960p @ 30FPS (high res, regular speed), and finally the highest resolution of 1080p @ 30FPS (full HD, 127-degree field of vision). I opted to do most of my shooting in standard 960p mode and tried 720p @ 30FPS for longer sessions. In the settings menu (something I didn’t use often) you can also choose how the camera shoots (single shot, triple shot, shot every X seconds, and timer). This is great if you want to snap pics of the trail automatically without having to stop periodically to click the camera.

On the trails I found the best way to avoid Blare Witch style footage is to mount the camera on the helmet. Initially I tried clamping the handlebar mount to the seat post and frame but found the playback a little too jerky.

The two control buttons are easy enough to get use with gloves on, but remembering which button to press is another story when the camera is on top of your head. It also takes some trial and error to set the camera at the correct angle when shooting at 720p but at 960p it’s not a real issue.

When traveling fast through dark brush and into bright clearings I found the GoPro HD takes a second or two to adjust to the lighting conditions so I enabled spot metering and that really helped. I also changed over to the vented backing and found that it improved sound quality tremendously. The GoPro HD recorded what I was saying along with the sounds of the trail without a ton of wind noise. After crashing more than once I’m pleased to say the camera doesn’t show any signs of damage.

Now the GoPro does not come with video editing software so this is where it’s up to you to choose what you want to use. With the proper software you can edit in slow motion, clear up shakiness, change exposure levels, and much more. Basic video software like Windows Live Movie Maker or Final Cut will allow you to clip and arrange the video plus add titles, photos, and music. Do yourself a favor though and only get as much software as you need. You don’t have to spend your hard-earned money on features that you will never use plus expensive programs add to the complexity of video editing.

I would have to say for a go-anywhere adventure video camera that includes everything you need, the GoPro HD is the one to buy. The GoPro website also has additional accessories to make that perfect shot possible!

Specs from GoPro

Camera Optics

* Lens Type: Fixed Focus (2ft/.6m - ?), glass
* Aperture: f/2.8 (high performance in low-light situations)
* Angle of View: 170º ultra wide angle in WVGA, 720p, or 960p mode
* Angle of View: 127º wide angle in 1080p mode

Video

* HD Video Resolution Modes: (subject to change, pending final firmware release)
o 1080p = 1920×1080 pixels (16:9), 30 fps, 15 Mbit/s data rate
o 960p = 1280×960 pixels (4:3), 30 fps, 12 Mbit/s data rate
o 720p = 1280×720 pixels (16:9), 60 fps, 15 Mbit/s data rate
o 720p = 1280×720 pixels (16:9), 30 fps, 8 Mbit/s data rate
o WVGA = 848×480 pixels (16:9), 60 fps, 8 Mbit/s data rate
* Sensor Type: 1/2.5″ HD CMOS, 2.2µm-sized pixels
* Light Sensitivity: Super low-light sensitivity (>1.4 V/lux-sec)
* Video Format: H.264 compression, saved as Windows- & Mac-compatible MPEG4 (.mp4) file
* Exposure Control: Auto with user selectable center weighted average and spot metering settings
* White Balance: Auto

Audio

* Microphone: Built-in, mono with AGC (automatic gain control)
* Audio Format: 48 kHz, AAC audio compression

Photo

* Resolution: 5 megapixel
* Capture Modes: Single shot, photo every 2, 5, 10, 30 or 60 secs.; 3 photo burst; self-timer

Storage

* Memory: SD card, up to 32GB capacity (SDHC)
* Average recording times (using 32GB SD card):
o 1080p (30 fps): 4h 21m
o 960p (30 fps): 5h 26m
o 720p (60 fps): 4h 21
o 720p (30 fps): 8h 09m
o WVGA (60 fps): 8h 09m

Power & Battery

* Battery Type: Rechargeable 1100 mAh lithium-ion
* Battery Life: Approx. 2.5 hrs
* Charging: via USB to computer or optional power adapter
* Charge Time: 80% capacity after 1 hour with optional power adapter; or 2 hours with a computer’s USB port

Waterproof Camera Housing

* Depth Rating: Up to 180 feet / 60 meters
* Construction: Polycarbonate and stainless steel
* Hardware: Stainless steel

Size & Weight

* Dimensions (H x W x D): 1.6″ x 2.4″ x 1.2″ (42mm x 60mm x 30mm)
* Weight: 3.3oz (94g) incl. battery, 5.9oz (167g) incl. housing

I would like to thanks the folks at GoPro for providing the HD Helmet HERO for a review.

Photo courtesy of Trestle Bike Park, Winter Park Resort

Downhill mountain biking can certainly be intimidating. There are bigger and heavier bikes involved, lots of protective equipment to don, speeds you imagine only a motorized vehicle should be going, and getting big air on jumps for the fearless and/or a little bit crazy. The best way to learn how to downhill mountain bike is to ride with an experienced rider or an instructor and there’s actually no need to make a huge investment in a downhill bike or gear if you’re just starting out. At Trestle Bike Park, for example,  you can rent all the equipment you need, including your choice of many high-end downhill bikes, and get expert coaching from instructors who know every square inch of the mountain. So if you’re new to mountain biking or are a veteran cross-country rider, young (10 year olds can do this!) or old, downhill mountain biking can be a safe and exciting sport.

The Trestle Bike Park school offers four levels of classes, from beginner (Trestle 101) to advanced (Trestle 200 & 300) and even pro-style skills training. I’ve ridden over 130 mountain bike trails in the US, including downhill at Keystone and Northstar resorts, and always felt confident enough in my bike handling skills to make it down the mountain, so I opted for the Trestle 200 to learn proper freeride stance and better cornering techniques. Boy, was I in for a surprise! Figuring out the freeride stance was a bit unnatural as my body kept reverting to a comfortable XC riding position, but the stance really is the key to making downhill riding more enjoyable. My instructor, Bob Barnes, Director of Winter Park Ski & Ride School, showed me some important aspects of the freeride stance:

• Since you don’t have to pedal much when riding downhill, you’ll be standing up out of the saddle with your pedals horizontal and your heels pointed down and knees slightly bent.
• In the freeride stance your weight should be shifted forward almost over the center of the top tube, compared to XC riding where your weight is usually over the pedals.  Keep leaning forward so your chin is directly above the headset and fork.
• Most downhill and freeride bikes have wider handlebars for a reason; keep your arms wide and elbows forward and bent.  Your forearms should be positioned at nearly the same angle as the fork.

Photo courtesy of Trestle Bike Park, Winter Park Resort

In Bob’s words, this stance should allow you to “go where you want, when you want and as fast as you want.”  Keeping my elbows in the proper position was the hardest thing to remember. My elbows kept falling in a parallel to the ground position, common for climbing hills in XC mountain biking. This naturally pushes your center of gravity back towards the seat more and what happens is the bike takes the lead and you’re just holding on for the ride. It was also hard to make myself lean forward and stand upright going downhill. Just like downhill skiing, if you lean forward you’ll go faster. My (tense and nervous) instincts were telling me to move back and slow the bike down, but it actually became a much smoother, and yes, faster ride when I remembered to lean forward.  Fortunately you always have the brakes to control your speed. It’s important to remember never to lock up on either the front or rear brake while you’re riding downhill. It’s ok to ride your rear brake going downhill and then give it a firmer squeeze (along with the front brake) when approaching corners or technical sections.

Maintaining the stance is a little tricky when taking corners.  For many turns you can get away with your feet still being horizontal, but ideally you will have your outside foot down.  You should keep an upright stance and lay the bike down towards your knee of the leg on the inside of the turn. We’ve all seen this cornering technique before and watched with amazement at how a rider can lay their bike almost horizontal to the ground while riding a banked turn. The trick is keeping the bike’s momentum going forward and relying on the outer knobs of your tires for grip.

I’m really glad I got the chance to take a class on downhill mountain biking at Trestle Bike Park - I honestly can’t imagine a better place to learn. And with 33 miles of downhill trail, there certainly is plenty of terrain to practice on and advance to when you’re ready. You also won’t find a better value for your money - it’s actually cheaper to take the beginner downhill class at Trestle packaged with a demo bike, protective gear and lift ticket than to just rent a bike and buy a lift ticket for a half-day. Trestle also hosts “Women’s Wednesdays” all summer where ladies can get 2-for-1 lift tickets, rentals, and instruction.

Seriously, anyone can learn how to downhill mountain bike.  If you like riding bikes, its 10 times more fun when you hardly have to pedal, especially uphill!