Travis is a Singletracks staff writer who's deeply embedded in the mountain bike industry. His articles have appeared in Freehub Magazine, Mountain Bike Action Magazine, and The Loam Wolf, and he's a regular contributor to Singletracks. Travis has been riding since 2003 and currently resides in the mountain bike mecca of Bend, Oregon.
Author snapshot
MTB experience
- Mountain biking since 2003
- Current bike stable: Revel Rail 29
- Favorite place to ride: The Pacific Northwest
Writing experience and education
- Education: Masters in Teaching
- Other Publications: Freehub Magazine, Mountain Bike Action Magazine, The Loam Wolf, Bend Magazine
Dyfi Bike Park in Wales opens new summit trails and plans future e-bike-specific development, moving beyond traditional shuttle-only access as rider preferences evolve toward self-shuttling.
The Mt. Bachelor Redline Rally, held near Bend, Oregon, has evolved from a pro-focused event to a platform where young riders launch freeride careers.
Heavenly Mountain Resort near South Lake Tahoe on the California/Nevada border now offers gondola-accessed mountain biking, with a new connector trail linking riders to existing descents.
Calgary's UNREAL indoor bike park aims to offer 200,000 square feet of progressive jump lines, pump tracks, and slopestyle features when portions of the facility open in spring 2027.
Hattie Harnden claims the first elite World Cup DH win on a belt-driven bike in Les Gets, France, earning the Gates €100,000 prize.
Bluewood ski area in southeastern Washington is adding a high-speed quad chairlift and planning to open lift-served mountain bike trails in fall 2027.
We spotted several US-made hardtails designed for trail riding at the MADE custom bike show, from a steel freeride frame to titanium builds.
Hammond Made debuts affordable handbuilt aluminum hardtails, featuring trail-ready geometry and innovative rack options.
Frame builders showcased handmade full-suspension mountain bikes at MADE in Portland, featuring titanium, steel, and aluminum designs from boutique brands.
Leadville teacher Jeff Spencer started last at the Leadville 100 and passed 1,390 racers to to raise scholarship funds as the Leadville Dream Chaser.
Crankworx announces plans to launch a new global enduro race series in 2027, filling the gap left by the UCI World Cup's cancellation.
The UCI is ending the Enduro World Cup after 2026 due to declining participation, though enduro will continue at World Championships events.
17-year-old Cruz Blue completed the Tour Divide in under 20 days, but prioritizes adventure on his bike over records and titles.
Mosaic Cycles launches Zero Components to manufacture 32-inch gravel forks for their new GT i55 32 titanium gravel bike.
TASU is building a new technical DH trail parallel to the popular Hell Hole shuttle trail, completing the Cliffrose Trail System, and looking at Pine Valley next.
Cypress Mountain, located outside Vancouver, BC, announces the return of its bike park after 20 years, with Gravity Logic building progressive trails opening in summer 2027.
The Lauf eElja is a uniquely lightweight e-bike featuring a single-pivot suspension, TQ HPR60 motor, and unconventional geometry for playful trail riding.
TAMBA is completing five miles of new singletrack to connect Meeks Bay and Lost Lake, completing a 12-mile loop on Tahoe's West Shore. And it's all thanks to a massive donation.
Trooper Lake in Elizabethtown, Kentucky, brings six miles of new-rider-focused singletrack that NICA, IMBA, and PeopleForBikes hope to replicate around the country.
USA Cycling announces 49 riders for the UCI Mountain Bike World Championships in Val di Sole, Italy, competing across XC and DH disciplines.
Mono Pond State Park will feature the first purpose-built mountain bike trails on state land in Connecticut, beginning with 4.4 miles of bike-optimized singletrack.
Cedar Flats Trail System in Columbia Falls, Montana breaks ground on Phase III, adding 13 miles of trail to complete a 25-mile multi-use network.
The 2026 Leadville 100 mountain bike race will run on an altered course next weekend, excluding the iconic Powerline climb and descent to avoid fire-affected areas.
Steamboat Bike Park has made 15 of its 17 downhill trails adaptive-friendly, becoming one of North America's most accessible bike parks.
Big Sky, Montana now offers a beginner-friendly shuttle trail called Hot Dog, complementing the intermediate Mountain to Meadow with free public transportation access.
Santa Cruz's 5th generation Blur moves up to 120mm of travel and slackens more than 2° at the head tube to handle the more aggressive modern XC courses.
Sam Hill's trail building company has constructed what may be the world's longest public dual slalom track at Pine Ridge Bike Park.
Norco just released the new Fluid but have already issued a voluntary recall due to potential seat tube failures "under certain use conditions."
Here is some of my favorite summer mountain bike clothing — including a jacket from 7Mesh — plus new jerseys and pants from Arc'teryx, Fox, and Backcountry.
Odessa Mountain Bike Park in Texas could be demolished to make way for residential and commercial use despite a petition with over 1,500 signatures.
Colorado Springs just opened seven miles of new singletrack at Blodgett Open Space, including three miles of dedicated downhill trails and bike park-like features.
I like dogs, but just not on the trail, and especially not on the group ride.
Ministry Cycles introduces a new high-pivot option, the Zahn, in collaboration with Yueh Sports. Only 20-30 frames will be produced in the first batch.
The Rimpact TMD tuned mass damper installs inside your bike fork steerer tube, using a spring-suspended weight to reduce handlebar vibration and rider fatigue on rough terrain.
A small Alberta town near Banff is building a 50km mountain bike trail network, having already completed 30km in just three years.
Mont-Sainte-Anne is building three new pro-level trails for its first-ever Crankworx, including Quebec's longest lift-served jump line at 2.2 kilometers.
The Kali Kru full-face helmet features a 360° titanium chin bar designed to improve breathability while maintaining safety certifications for DH riding.
The new Fox Transfer Neo E-Optimized dropper post eliminates a battery, drawing power directly from the e-bike. For now, it is only compatible with Specialized Levo bikes.
The first mountain bike specific trails in Olympia, Washington are coming to Marj Yung Park and will feature roughly five miles of singletrack open to bikes.
The new Specialized S-Works Levo R Ultralight weighs just 41.5 pounds and retains full motor power. It's about 5lb lighter than other Levo R builds thanks to premium components and a smaller battery.
The Fasst Flexx handlebar uses elastomer-damped pivot points to reduce trail chatter and hand fatigue, performing comparably to carbon bars. But they are expensive and heavy too.
Squamish, British Columbia is one of the most popular mountain biking destinations in the world, and over half of the trail users are tourists. Now, visitors are being asked to help contribute to trail maintenance.
UK brand Bikestow introduces the Storm-Three, a weatherproof truck-bed rack that holds three bikes and doubles as garage storage or a work stand.
A new bipartisan bill aims to boost domestic bicycle manufacturing by eliminating tariffs on imported components for companies that build or assemble bikes in the U.S.
Forest Ridge Park in Raleigh, NC will more than triple the size of its current mountain bike trail system to over 10 miles by 2028, and will add more challenging terrain in the process.
The aluminum alloy Norco Fluid trail bike just got updated with refined geometry and new builds, and keeps its budget-friendly pricing.
Baker's Park in Silverton, Colorado, adds 10 miles of new singletrack across 11 trails with over $1 million in grants, creating high-elevation flow trails near the tiny mountain town.
A 65-acre unofficial trail system near Raleigh was saved from housing development and transformed into the Old Creedmoor Nature Preserve with four miles of singletrack.
3
