Five2Ride: 5 of the Best Bike Trails in Alberta
These are five of the best mountain bike trails in Alberta, Canada. From Jasper to Canmore and from Kananaskis to Bragg Creek, these are five must-ride Rocky Mountain singletrack trails.
Trail Variety Is the Spice of Biking Life: This Time, Let’s Play With Topography
Last month, we explored the variety offered by different trail surfaces and configurations, but there remains much more variety offered for us knobby-tired enthusiasts. Each of these trail surfaces and configurations can exist in entirely different environments and geographies, exponentially increasing the total possible varieties available to the two-wheeled adventurer. Each type of topography has its own …
The Perfect Pedal? Time ATAC MX8 Pedal Review
Over the last couple decades, I have used a variety of pedals from many manufacturers, both widely known and obscure. The one big name that has escaped my cranks until now was venerable French component manufacturer Time. When the opportunity came up to review Time’s current offerings, I was jazzed to be able to round …
Everything You Need to Know About Mountain Biking and Visiting Santa Fe National Forest
The Santa Fe National forest is unique in the United States national forest system. It has all the things usually associated with a national forest, but it is also home to one of the world’s great centers of art and culture, the city of Santa Fe, New Mexico. There are a few marquee rides and …
“Recreation Not Red Tape Act” Seeks to Streamline Recreational Activities in Our Public Lands
Recent years have seen a dramatic increase in the recognition of the part outdoor recreation plays in our economy, especially in areas now depressed due to the loss of high impact public land usages like mining and logging. The loss of these traditional industries weighs especially heavy in states with a strong environmental ethos, but …
In Praise of Our State Parks
Where do you ride? I don’t mean which trails, but on what land do you ride? Who owns the land and maintains the trails? Unless you live in a state blessed with large tracts of open land, national forests, or BLM land, chances are you spend a good chunk of your riding time in a …
Five2Ride: 5 of the Best MTB Trails in British Columbia
British Columbia: home of the famed and fabled North Shore, freeride epicenter of the mountain biking universe. But BC is far more than just freeride heaven. The ‘B’ in BC may as well stand for “BIG.” BC is more than just big, it’s huge, and laced throughout with range upon range of rugged, dramatic, and …
Five2Ride: 5 of the Best Mountain Bike Trails in Missouri
Once upon a time, way back in my trail snob days, I thought of Missouri as part of a massive mountain biking void comprising the core of our continent. But while on a road trip, desperate to ride, I tossed aside my prejudice and looked for the best ride I could hit within a few …
The Kask Rex Helmet Provides Maximum Cooling – A Review
Play It Cool, Man Some people put a lot more thought into helmet selection than others. For others, as long as there’s some kind of barrier between the ol’ noggin and that which may impact it, it’s all good. The first sort of people include all sorts of criteria into their helmet selection, from safety features …
Five2Ride: 5 of the Best MTB Trails in North Dakota
Not long after discovering mountain biking and becoming obsessed with the sport, I learned I was to be transferred to… North Dakota! Really? Did the powers that be not realize they were ending my life as I knew it? I couldn’t help but think of the line from the Jim Croce classic, “Time in a …
Five2Ride: 5 of the Best Mountain Bike Trails in Kansas
I have had the good fortune of needing to travel across Kansas from time to time. I say “good fortune” because I always travel with my bike and incorporate rides into my travels, and contrary to popular belief, there’s quite a bit of quality singletrack here in America’s breadbasket. What’s more, it’s not just rolling …
Trail Variety Is the Spice of Biking Life: Why All Trail Types and Configurations Have Their Place
“Variety is the spice of life” goes the old cliché. It is not just the spice of life in an overall sense, but also the spice of various elements of life, mountain biking being one of them. Variety in trail types is a sure-fire route to keeping your ride spicy. When I chose to settle …
