Giro and Crankskins are sponsoring a February contest to help “Pump up the Forums” here on singletracks. Since this contest involves posting to the forum, we won’t give you the details here – head to the forums to get the deets. Talk to ya soon.

Scouting, locating, riding, and logging 29 mountain bike trails in 29 days has meant spending a lot of time on singletracks.com for me (even more than usual – shocking!). Before I talk about trail #29 (spoiler alert: I rode it yesterday) I want to highlight some of the tools I used to plan my 29 trail adventure.

Singletracks Trailhead Map

Before the 29 day challenge began, I started with the trailhead map on singletracks and centered my search on Atlanta (as shown in the screenshot above). I tried to pick a good mix of new and old trails, close and far trails, and short and long trails. After viewing photos and reading ratings and descriptions, I narrowed my list down to about 40 potential trails. I also checked my trail wishlist to see which ones I could add to the list.

Singletracks Mobile Website

Since I was on the road a good bit during the challenge, I found myself using singletracks mobile A TON. The “nearby trails” function helped me navigate quickly to the trail pages I needed where I could then check-in at the trailhead and update trail conditions. In the past I’ve been bad about updating trail statuses on the main website because I’d usually forget by the time I got home, but having the ability to do it at the trailhead was super convenient. At this time of year, current trail statuses are super helpful to everyone worried about rain/snow on the trail – so be sure to update whenever you can!

I also used the mobile website to get driving directions to many of the trailheads along the way. Although I printed out directions before leaving home most days, I found it much easier to navigate using my phone. Normally I’d use the GPS in my car but many trailheads don’t have a proper street address to input. On my iPhone I just clicked the “map” link on the trail listing, then selected “Current Location” for my starting point and Google Maps did the rest.

Singletracks Ride Log

I used the singletracks ride log to document each of my rides and input as much data as I could (temperature, climbing, etc.) about each one. The ride log gave me a good picture of my progress and even calculated summary stats for the challenge (almost 32 hours in the saddle, 8.05 miles per trail, and 7.4mph average speed). Unfortunately I wasn’t able to space out my workouts as I would have liked so I’m not sure how beneficial my “training” really was – guess I’ll see at tomorrow’s Snake Creek Gap Time Trial…

One added benefit to using the ride log is that everyone’s times and distances for each trail are averaged to give others an idea of the trail difficulty. You can find the average speed and time for each trail in the “Trail Stats” box on the main website.

Other Stuff

Of course I also reviewed each trail I rode and added photos and maps where appropriate. For those who are new to the site, we put together a tutorial on all the trail functions available on singletracks so you can get the most out of the website.

I suppose I could have gotten most of the trail info I needed for the challenge using other sites on the web but I’m pretty sure it wouldn’t have gone as smoothly and would have involved multiple searches. At the end of the day, that’s why we built singletracks – to make it easy for you to find the best mountain bike trails!

We’re stoked to announce four new additions to the singletracks blog team for 2011!

dgaddis (Dustin) – North Augusta, SC

Dustin has been active on singletracks for a while now and we love the single speed perspective he brings to the team. Living in the Augusta area, Dustin has access to hundreds of miles of singletrack and the IMBA Epic FATS trail system which sorta makes us jealous. In addition to competing in races like the Snake Creek Gap Time Trial and the Fools Gold 50, Dustin is active in SORBA and helps organize local MTB races. Check out his recent article titled “My Arch Nemesis: The Ellusive Thurmond Epic.”

Luke_E (Luke) – Waterloo, WI

Luke is new to singletracks (he just signed up for an account after joining the team!) but he brings a wealth of MTB experience to his writing. We’ll let him explain:

Luke is a reformed engineer who realized the bike industry offered everything he wanted in life: lower paychecks, longer hours and plenty of time to immerse himself in anything and everything having to do with human-powered fun. He worked at Advanced Sports Inc. for over two years as a product manager for transportation and utility bikes, and had the unique opportunity to collaborate with Joe Breeze in bringing back Breezer mountain bikes for the first time since the 90s. Much of this involved trips to Europe and Asia allowing for rides in exotic locales like the hills of Taipei, the mountains outside of Zurich or the indescribable trails around Park City.

Last week we shared Luke’s article, Nothing but Time to Ride.

maddslacker (Corey) – Denver, CO

Corey is another top contributor here on singletracks and living in the Denver area allows him to stay connected to the Colorado MTB scene. Just five years ago Corey bought his first real mountain bike – a used Specialized Rockhopper – for $150 and has been hooked on riding ever since. These days he spends “as much time as (his) wife will allow” on the trail, riding all over Colorado and Moab, UT.

Goo (Greg) – Dahlonega, GA

Greg has been a singletracks member since 2008 and he was the first (and still only) member to receive “World Champ” designation with more than 5,000 contribution points. Living in North Georgia, Greg has access to some of the most challenging and scenic trails in the southeast and regularly scouts new MTB trails to share on singletracks. Greg is a member of the Airborne Bikes Flight Crew and also has his own blog at GregRidesTrails.com. Check out Greg’s 2010 guest posts about the Jackrabbit Trails in western NC.

Guest Contributors

In addition to our regular contributors, we’re also gearing up to share more guest posts from mountain bikers across the country. We’re stoked to share these new MTB perspectives with you in 2011 so please help us welcome our newest team members!

Thanks to everyone who participated in the Diamondback Gear Review contest on singletracks this month. With nearly 1,000 new reviews and 4,000+ products added this has been our biggest contest by far and frankly we were a bit overwhelmed by the response. After combing through all the submissions over the past few days we’re ready to announce our winners.

1st place: joetutt (1,911 points) got an early lead and despite a serious threat during the third week of the contest, he was able to hold on to clinch the grand prize – a 2010 Diamondback Sortie Black mountain bike frame. We all expect un-boxing pics and in-depth reviews of this sweet ride!

2nd place: jbelmont earned himself 1,313 points to take home a set of ITS System 4 mountain bike tires. In recognition of his big effort we’re also throwing in a 5-year singletracks membership PLUS a singletracks t-shirt. Well done!

3rd place: Goo’s 269 points earned him a gnarly set of platform pedals from Xpedo which should making shredding the north Georgia DH runs even more exciting.

Wild card: Drum roll please… stevethousand added the ITS 909 mountain bike tire to his gear wishlist and Santa got the message loud and clear. A brand new set of 909s is on its way to Nebraska!

And for everyone who earned at least 1 point in the contest we’ll be sending out singletracks stickers in the mail. We’ll send everyone an email asking for shipping info (including our 4 big prize winners) later this week so watch your inbox.

Thanks again to our sponsors and to all who participated. Happy New Year!

As we close out another year of mountain biking we thought we’d look back on some of your (and our) favorite posts from 2010. Here are five articles we think are worth going back and reading again or reading for the first time in case you missed them!

Durango to Moab

Over the summer I got a chance to ride a 220-mile hut-to-hut trip from Durango to Moab with some friends and it was epic to say the least. We rode singletrack above treeline, forest roads shaded by Aspen trees, and descended legendary Moab trails including Hazard County, Kokopelli’s Trail, and Porcupine Rim. Read the daily ride reports here: Day 1, Days 2 & 3, Days 4 & 5, and Days 6 & 7.

In 2011 I’ll be starting the year off with a new “29 trails in 29 days” adventure.

Banshee Legend II Build

This article got everyone drooling, including XC-weenies like me. Element22 recently built up a sick DH machine based on the Banshee Legend II frame and he’s already started giving us some preliminary component reviews. Once the snow melts in 2011 we’re looking forward to seeing and hearing more about this monster bike!

Trestle and Northstar Bike Park Reviews

We got a chance to sample DH trails at Trestle Bike Park (Winter Park, CO) and Northstar (Tahoe, CA) this summer and as you can imagine we had a blast. Admittedly mudhunny and I aren’t the most experienced DH riders so we got a little professional instruction that paid off a ton. Now we can’t wait to get back on the slopes again!

IMBA World Summit

In May we attended the IMBA World Summit and learned about the practical side of mountain bike trail advocacy. One of the articles that came out of the trip, about Illegal Mountain Bike Trails, spurred some interesting discussions about the topic.

Singletracks iPhone App

We got a lot of comments on an article announcing the free singletracks iPhone app, though admittedly many folks were asking when we were coming out with an Android app! Have no fear, we’re increasing our mobile efforts this year and hope to have more similar news in 2011.

Of course there was a lot of news from 2010 we weren’t able to mention here (Interbike, product reviews, trail reports, etc.) but these highlights should give an idea of where we’re heading in 2011. Happy New Year!

I have a feeling this article is going to be a lot more interesting (or perhaps comical) when you read it five years from now. When I sat down to make a list of mountain bike trends from the past year none of it seemed revolutionary: carbon frames & components, endurance racing, 29ers, wide bars, and purpose-built trails are all pretty mainstream at this point. But if you had asked someone about any of these topics just 5 years ago you might have gotten a blank stare. Only time will tell if you’ll get the same reaction 5 years from now…

Carbon Components

Mountain bike frames made from carbon fiber were unthinkable several years ago and even now some riders scoff at the notion but the fact is carbon fiber is a material that’s here to stay. These days carbon is also showing up in mountain bike components like handlebars, crank arms, seatposts, and even water bottle cages. Thanks to advances in manufacturing and design, carbon mountain bikes are not only getting lighter, they’re also getting stronger and more affordable.

Endurance Racing

Ultra endurance mountain bike races like the Leadville 100 have gained national attention in recent years while older endurance racing formats like the 24-hour race are starting to fade. Stage races and multi-day epics like the Arizona Trail 300/750 and Trans North Georgia will only get bigger as individuals seek new ways to challenge themselves and their gear.

29ers

To say 2010 is the year of the 29er isn’t really fair but big-wheel bikes have never been more popular. We predict the platform will only grow in popularity over the next 2-3 years and over the long term 29er bikes should definitely stick around.

Wide Handlebars

This one sorta took us by surprise and as a trend it seems a little faddish (though we could be wrong). This year virtually everyone – from pro-riders to schmo-riders – was gushing about how great wide bars are for mountain biking. Yes, you can get more leverage and control out of wider bars but if you ride narrow, tree-lined singletrack there will be a trade-off. It does seem a little odd that no one thought of riding wider bars before…

Purpose-Built Mountain Bike Trails

In the early days of mountain biking, riders only had access to trails that were built for hiking. Today, groups like IMBA have established best practices for trailbuilding which results in more sustainable trails but also trails that are even more fun to ride. The private sector is also stepping up its game with new sculpted summer DH runs opening at most major ski-resorts and indoor ramps designed for MTB. In some ways mountain bike technology is adding to the push for more progressive trail features and today’s trailbuilders are happy to oblige.

We’re stoked to see how these trends play out in 2011 and to see what new mountain bike trends pop up in the coming year!

With just a week to go in the Diamondback Gear Review contest we thought we’d give everyone a little update. At this point a clear front-runner has emerged but there’s still plenty of time to catch up. Remember, anyone who earns points in the contest will receive free singletracks stickers PLUS we’re still waiting for someone to add the wildcard prize to their gear wishlist. Whoever adds the secret item to their wishlist first takes the gear home!

As you can tell from the leaderboard, some folks realized early on that there’s a limit to the number of legitimate reviews any single person can write. Instead, the leaders have been busy adding new products to the singletracks gear review catalog (more than 1,000 in December alone). We know of several MTB companies out there with loads of products that still aren’t listed on singletracks yet – all you gotta do is find them!

The other way to earn a lot of points quickly is to find product videos on YouTube. For example, this search for “Specialized Stumpjumper” results in almost 700 videos alone! Just be sure to link up the video to the correct product on singletracks and check the forum thread for tips on the types of videos we’re looking for (hint: just because someone is riding a particular bike in a helmet cam vid doesn’t make it helpful as a gear video).

We’re stoked to see who ends up with these great prizes at the end of the contest and can’t wait to read the winners’ reviews!

One of the gripes we have with online forums and message boards is that it can be hard to search for relevant topics. Even with great moderators (like the ones here on singletracks!) topics can go unanswered or get buried as new discussions are posted. That’s one of the reasons we separate singletracks trail and gear reviews from the forums but the downside is that can limit the conversation. So we decided to combine the best of both worlds and link reviews with the forums!

Here’s how it works: Click the “Ask a question” link in the gear dashboard on any gear review page and post your forum topic. Once your topic has been posted to the forums, a link will appear on the gear review page. We’ve already gone through some recent posts and linked them up with gear review pages (like this one and the screen shot above) so you can get a idea of how this will work.

The new forum links aren’t just for questions either. You can use the “Ask a question” link to post gear news (recalls, etc.), product comparisons, and more. We’re also working on a way to submit “for sale” and “wanted” posts that are linked to product pages.

Over the winter we’ll roll forum links out to trail pages as well so folks can organize group rides, discuss trail maintenance/access issues, and more. We’re stoked to see where the conversation leads!

The mountain bike gear review pages on singletracks.com are crammed with great information but for newbs it can seem overwhelming at first. This article will explain how to get the most out of the mountain bike review pages on singletracks.

Gear Review Info Tab

On each gear review page you’ll see a series of tabs near the top of the page. The first “info” tab shows the product description, photo, reviews, average rating, MSRP (if available) and other summary data about the item.

Product recommendations below the product description are based on an algorithm that basically answers the question: What other items do members like if they like this item? Category recommendations are other items in the same category as the product (for example, other tires) while the “more” recommendations can include products from any category.

Members may update their own reviews using the “update” link next to the star rating. A note will appear after the update showing the date the changes were made.

Other Review Tabs

The Pro Reviews tab links to any articles about the item that have been posted to singletracks.com. Most articles include additional photos and more in-depth information about the product. The number in parenthesis in the tab title indicates the number of pro reviews available.

The Photos tab links to pics submitted by singletracks members. Photos could show the product in action, modifications, vintage models, etc. – you never know what you’ll find here!

Like the Photos tab, the Videos tab showcases member-submitted product videos from around the web.

The How-To tab showcases applicable how-to articles from the blog while the Customs tab links to dream bikes designed by singletracks members that include the product (more on that later).

Gear Review Dashboard

Singletracks is a user-generated website and the gear review dashboard gives everyone a chance to contribute!

Add a Review: Let us know what you like and dislike about the product and give it an overall rating. You don’t have to be a member to contribute a review but we do moderate anonymous posts.

Buy this item: For certain products we’ve placed links to our retail partners who sell the item and in most cases singletracks benefits financially from your purchase at no additional cost to you.

Add a Photo: Yep, this is where you can upload an unlimited number of photos of the item. Just make sure you have permission from the photographer!

Add a Video: Found a good video review of this item on YouTube? Send us the link! How-to videos and action vids are fun too. Video links are moderated before they are posted.

Ask a Question: Use this link to start a forum thread relating to the item. For more info about this feature, read this.

Tag this Gear: Help others find gear by tagging items using descriptive words. Tagging also allows us to break gear categories like pumps into useful sub-categories like floor pumps, mini pumps, and CO2 inflators. Good tags also include things like colors, sizes, capacities, and MTB disciplines (XC, AM, DH, etc.).

Correct/Update: See an error in the product information or have a beef with a review? Tell us about it using this link and we’ll take a look.

I own this item: Click this link to add the item to your “My Gear” list. Click the small ‘x’ icon to remove the item.

I want this item: Add the item to your wishlist and remove it by clicking the ‘x’ icon.

Watch this item: Want to be notified whenever this item gets a new review? Click the link. You can un-watch an item by clicking the ‘x’ icon.

Share This: Send a gear page link to your friends via email, Facebook, Twitter, or via one of dozens of other social media outlets.

Customize bike: Use this tool to create a spec sheet for your dream bike. Start with a bike/frame, then add the components of your choice. We’ll estimate the price of your build and let others comment on your work!

The more data we collect on each item (reviews, wishlist adds, recommendations, etc.), the more useful each gear page will become. This data is also used to compile our annual “best of” list.

photo: Jake Schmidt

The singletracks blog team is expanding and we’re looking for mountain bikers who are able to contribute an average of one article per week starting in early 2011. The application process is pretty straightforward: write a great mountain biking article for us to post on singletracks and include a short rider bio about yourself. Shoot us an email for the deets – apps are due December 31, 2010.

In honor of Cyber Monday we’re offering 50% off all 1-year Trail, Training, and PRO memberships here at singletracks. For those with a GPS on their wishlist this Christmas, now is the time to lock-in access to GPS data covering 1,100+ mountain bike trails all around the world. Wanna get a jump on your New Years resolutions? Sign up for a training membership for access to our online mountain bike training app and tools. Better yet, get a PRO subscription and enjoy access to trail maps AND our online training tools for a year – just $14.98. Today only!

A few weeks ago we introduced the trail check-in feature on singletracks and hinted at more social features coming soon. Today we’re stoked to preview an updated news feed to help you keep track of what people are doing on the site.

The new feed takes dozens of action items – new members, forum posts, blog comments, trail reviews, check-ins, wishlist adds, event RSVPs, and more – and organizes the items by date. You can even filter the news by location to see, for example, what’s happening in your state. After we refine things a bit more you’ll see this filtered new information available in more places on the site (for now it’s available on the singletracks news page).

And for those who have started taking advantage of the trail check-in feature, we’re adding more ways to view who is riding where. On trail pages where members have checked in there will be a link to “check-ins” inside the MTB Trail Stats area. Click it and you can view who has checked in recently and who has checked in the most often. Obviously the more folks use it, the more useful the information becomes – so start using singletracks mobile on your phone this weekend!