The Best Singletracks Mountain Bike Reads of 2020

The Singletracks staff and our contributors spend a lot of time every day, week, and month drafting up gear and bike reviews, and informing readers with breaking news and press releases. All of us try and devote an equal amount of time diving into the culture of mountain biking, digging into news and trends on a deeper level, and connecting with the mountain bike organizations and advocates who make our riding happen.

This year started off like any other; fitness content, optimism, and planning out bike trips for the summer with our friends. As the coverage reflects, it quickly turned. Instead, we stuck near home, reflecting on the greater world of mountain biking through a TV, or short rides near home by ourselves. That evolved over the year, and then the world grappled with inequality.

Parts of this year felt like they crawled by achingly slow, but looking back at some of these articles, it feels like it flew by, just like any other year. Here are our favorite reads of the year. Read them over while you’re nursing a New Years Day headache, or after setting the bike down for the first ride of the season.

How to Convince Someone You Need a New Mountain Bike: 10 Arguments to Try

BY MATT MILLER | JANUARY 7, 2020

Having a tough time convincing someone you need a new mountain bike? Here are 10 arguments to try. Read More.

How I Found Community and Self Confidence in Mountain Biking

BY SAM JAMES | JANUARY 15, 2020

Sam shares how much cycling and mountain biking in particular have improved his life. Read More.

As the Rumor Mill Turns, Mountain Bikers Still Have Plenty of Questions about the Kingdom Trails

BY MATT MILLER | JANUARY 23, 2020

Some of the best trails in the Kingdom Trails network were closed to mountain bikes in December, and there are still questions floating around as to why it happened. Read More.

Whether Building or Riding, There are no Easily Earned Miles in Southwest Utah

BY MATT MILLER | JANUARY 28, 2020

Southwest Utah has blown up in popularity as a mountain bike destination over the past decade, but that brings a new set of problems that trails builders must deal with. Read More.

Former Mountain Biker Uses Mountain Bike Technology To Break Down Barriers To The Outdoors For Himself and Others

BY RICHARD SHOOP | FEBRUARY 3, 2020

Ben Huntzinger designs and builds custom wheelchairs made to handle natural terrain, drawing his inspiration from the sport of mountain biking. Read More.

Listen to the Aspens Quake: A Mountain Biker’s Guide to Nature

BY BRIAN GEROW | FEBRUARY 13, 2020

Many popular mountain bike trails weave in and out of aspen groves. We investigate to learn more about this unique tree species. Read More | from the Mountain Biker’s Guide to Nature Series

Inside the YT Mob With Team Manager Martin Whiteley

BY BRIAN GEROW | FEBRUARY 12, 2020

Martin Whiteley shares his story of becoming a mountain bike World Cup team manager, and explains how athletes get paid. Read More.

The Mind Behind the Lens: An Interview With Legendary MTB Photographer Sven Martin

BY BRIAN GEROW | FEBRUARY 25, 2020

Sven Martin is at the top of the photo-narrative heap, creatively capturing images that share the real emotional qualities of mountain biking. Read to learn what goes on behind the lens. Read More.

Mountain Biking During the Covid-19 Quarantine in Italy

BY BRIAN GEROW | MARCH 11, 2020

Here’s what it looks like to mountain bike in Italy today, under a nationwide quarantine. Read More.

Mountain Biking: Chicken Soup for the Soul

BY MAUREEN GAFFNEY | APRIL 15, 2020

When they said “work remotely for the next three weeks,” I packed my California bags for Sedona that night and was on the road 12 hours later. Read More.

Quarantine Remains as Shredding Resumes: Updates From an Italian Trailhead

BY BRIAN GEROW | MAY 8, 2020

After sheltering in place for two months under some of the most restrictive measures in the world, Gerow finally goes for a mountain bike ride. Read More.

With Little to Do Staying at Home, More People are Picking up a Bike

BY MATT MILLER | MAY 18, 2020

Coronavirus has had a surprising impact on the bike industry, but it seems like it’s mostly a positive one. Read More.

Learning How to Build a Bike Was the Best Thing I did all Quarantine

BY MATT MILLER | MAY 14, 2020

Stay at home orders make for the perfect time to learn how to put a bike together from scratch. Read More.

Pump Tracks for Everyone! The Gateway Drug to Mountain Biking

BY JEFF BARBER | MAY 27, 2020

Now, perhaps more than ever, our communities need more pump tracks. Read More.

Opportunity Vs. Chance: How John Hall Became Aaron Gwin’s Mechanic

BY MATT MILLER | JUNE 17, 2020

A little bit of chance and a lot of hard work led to John Hall landing his dream job as a World Cup mountain bike mechanic for Aaron Gwin. Read More.

Bias and Discrimination in Cycling and What to do Differently: The Miles Crumley Interview

BY BRIAN GEROW | JULY 10, 2020

Former Northwest Collegiate Cycling Conference director Miles Crumley shares his experience as a gay, Black cyclist. Read More.

Family Mountain Bike Bonding: “Do you Want Stitches or a Scar?”

BY BRIAN GEROW | AUGUST 4, 2020

If scars make something more memorable, then mountain biking must be sinking in. Read More.

With Closures, and Limited Build Days This Year, MTB Organizations See More Rogue Trails

BY MATT MILLER | AUGUST 13, 2020

Illegal trail building is seeing an upswing during the pandemic, so MTB advocates are trying to recruit rogue diggers. Read More.

How Can You Truly Feel Like You Belong When No One Out There Looks Like You?

BY ANNE-MARIJE ROOK | AUGUST 18, 2020

Brooke Goudy, a Black, Denver-based mountain biker explains what it is to really feel welcomed in the mountain bike community. Read More.

Ampt Biking Helps Amputees and Adaptive Mountain Bikers Find Happiness on the Trail

BY MATT MILLER | SEPTEMBER 1, 2020

Ampt Biking wants to help amputees and adaptive athletes get on mountain bikes. We joined the group at their first-ever event in August. Read More.

Eliot Jackson, an Advocate through Circumstance

BY ANNE-MARIJE ROOK | SEPTEMBER 10, 2020

Jackson sat down with Singletracks to talk about his foundation and stepping into an advocacy role he never sought out. Read More.

On the Trail, Everything Is Actually Happening, Right Here — Right Now

BY BRIAN GEROW | OCTOBER 30, 2020

It’s a brilliant time to be a young mountain biker. It can also be tough to pull away from screens and get outdoors. Read More.

Don’t get Wound Up: Mountain Bike Suspension Experts get to the Bottom of Coil (Mis)information

BY SINGLETRACKS STAFF | NOVEMBER 10, 2020

Coil-sprung mountain bike suspension comes with both advantages and disadvantages. We talk to the experts to help you decide which one is best. Read More.