The Mud Blog

A bike club's success story

2012-01-26T10:44:00.000-08:00

Mountain Biking is Exploding!

2012-01-12T19:06:00.000-08:00

Here's an example from the UK:

Firms urged to act over growth in mountain biking

"Scottish companies are being urged to take advantage of a predicted 30% growth in mountain biking in Scotland over the next five years.

The call was made by Tourism Intelligence Scotland (TIS), a joint venture by Scottish Enterprise, Highlands and Islands Enterprise and VisitScotland.

TIS said the activity already generated £119m a year for the Scottish economy.

Market share is predicted to increase to £155m in the next five years..."

Rest of this article is here.

Human Power

2012-01-07T10:31:00.000-08:00

Support New Singletrack in Santa Cruz

2011-12-18T17:34:00.000-08:00

http://www.mbosc.org/local-parks/pogonip/petition/

From the MBOSC blog:

PETITION TO SUPPORT THE POGONIP MULTI-USE TRAIL

In July 2010, the Santa Cruz City Council approved in concept the creation of a new multi-use trail in Pogonip. The proposed trail would parallel the eastern boundary of the open space.

The 1.5 mile long trail would connect Golf Club Drive with the U-Con Trail and the Rincon Trail and will be family and beginner friendly. It will offer a spectacular scenic single track trail experience through redwood trees and bay tree groves. This will be a much more pleasant way to get to Upper Campus than riding along Hwy 9, the train tracks or parking at the Rincon Parking lot.

This trail was proposed as a long term mitigation to thetransient camping and herion dealing that had taken root in the area. The SCPD, Park Rangers, MBOSC and Take Back Santa Cruz has had clean up events and removed tonnes of trash but without a long term solution those problems will come back. Bringing positive use into that area will displace the negative use. This has been a proven local strategy because the 1999 implementation of the U-Conn trail displaced the transients in that area.

The benefits of the 1.5 mile multi-use trail (MUT) goes far beyond the scope of the reducing negative use. Some other long term benefits include:

Provides a safe (but off road) eastern bike route into UCSC for commuters.
Provides additional recreational facilities for families, residents and visitors.
Provides more economic opportunities for downtown businesses.

The approval of the multi-use trail is not a done deal. The review and plan will probably go before the Santa Cruz City Council in early 2012.

We need your help in getting this trail approved.

The trail plan and environmental review comment period has ended but you can read though those documents and submit comments to the Santa Cruz City Council at: citycouncil@cityofsantacruz.com.

Please consider signing the petition below in support of the multi-use trail. MBOSC will submit this petition to the City Council when the Pogonip multi-use trail plan is presented for public comment – sometime in January of February of the new year.

Consider printing and distributing this poster in support of the Pogonip Multi-Us Trail.

Don't Miss This Flick

2011-12-12T10:00:00.000-08:00

The Kern River Sierra Adventure Map

2011-08-25T19:42:00.000-07:00

UPDATE!
The Kern River Sierra Outdoor Recreation Topo Map is available locally in the Kern River Valley! Get it at:

Sierra South, Ride KRV Bike Shop, Kern River Brewing Company, Kern River Fly Fishing, Mountain River Adventures, Pizza Barn, Kernville Chamber of Commerce, Riverside One-Stop, James Store, Charlies Market, Sierra Mtn Market/Chevron, Wofford Liquor/Fast Trip, Lightener's Firearms, Isabella Super Market, Golden State Surplus.

Also available at Action Sports, Finish Line Bikes, and Snider's Cyclery in Bakersfield.

And online at Amazon.com.

Check out clips of the map here.

For Trail, River, Climbing descriptions and updates, the KernRiverSierra.com online recreation mega-guide is coming soon!

See Twitter and Facebook updates on local recreation and conditions.

The Kern River Valley and surrounding Southern Sierra, the epicenter of outdoor adventure, have been mapped! "The Kern River Sierra Outdoor Recreation Topo Map" is currently at press and will be publically available within a couple weeks.

The map features the hiking and mountain biking trails, rock climbing spots, whitewater launches, named rapids with ratings, giant sequoia groves, winter trailheads, water sports, fishing and hunting access, and other recreational opportunities in the Kern River and Southern Sierra region.

Ranging from 10,000 feet to 2,000 feet in elevation, the rugged and diverse land of the Kern River Sierra ecompasses the Giant Sequoia National Monument, Camp Nelson, Black Rock Station and the Kern Plateau, Kernville, Lake Isabella, Keyesville, Greenhorn Mountains, Piute Mountains and the Domeland and Golden Trout Wilderness.

Map Features:

Map: Printed on 2 sides
Size: 32"X28" Map, 7"x4.5" Folded
Topo Lines: 100 Foot Contours
Scale: 1:62,500 (1 Inch on map = 1 Mile on land)
GPS: Includes 7.5' Lat/Long Grid
Paper: State of the art waterproof and tear resistant plastic hybrid paper
Land: Distinguishes between the various types of Public Lands and private property
Trails: Depicts different type of trails such as motorized, non-motorized, wilderness, and low-use singletrack
Suggestions: Includes numerous hikes and featured bike routes, such as several variations of the popular Just Outstanding ride and the epic Cannell Trail.
Publisher: Extremeline Productions LLC.

Enough of the small talk, get outside and play!

Additional Map info here.

What is Freeriding?

2011-01-14T10:00:00.000-08:00

From the "Oregon Field Guide" show on Oregon Public Broadcasting TV .

Redbull Rampage 2010

2010-12-13T16:23:00.000-08:00

Just in case you missed this; freeriding is at a whole new level!

2010 Bike Park Season Openers

2010-05-05T20:08:00.000-07:00

Whistler Mountain Bike Park opens May 15.
Get amped with this section from the movie Seasons:

Mammoth Mountain Bike Park opens June 19.
Footage from 2009 Mammoth Mountain Bike DH Championships.

Northstar Bike Park opens June 11.
Here's the LiveWire Trail:

Follow Me - the movie you've been waiting for

2010-05-05T19:52:00.000-07:00

Finally, the highly anticipated high definition mountain bike movie "Follow Me" is here!

The movie just premeired at the Sea Otter Classic, and will be available on DVD and iTunes May 2010.

Here's what they say:

The filmmakers who brought you the Collective, Roam and Seasons present a new mountain bike film, Follow Me. Shot in high definition, Follow Me takes the viewer inside the action, capturing the unique perspectives and imagery the Anthill Films crew is famous for.

Follow Me gets back to basics and reminds us why we all love to ride bikes. Breaking from the traditional format of single rider segments, the film documents what happens when the worlds best downhillers, freeriders and slopestylers ride together on some of the best trails on the planet. Follow Me is a portrait of modern mountain bike lifestyle and culture think back-yard sessions, ripping local trails, training bike parks, epic road trips and heli drops its all about having fun your bike.

Follow Me will change the way you see mountain bike films and get you stoked to get off the couch and ride!

Riders: Sam Hill, Gee Atherton, Darren Berreclough, Ben Boyko, Brendan Fairclough, Geoff Gulevich, Matt Hunter, Cam McCaul, Brandon Semenuk, Steve Smith, Kurt Sorge, Thomas Vanderham
Locations: Queenstown NZ, Baja (Punta San Carlos), Whistler, Sun Peaks, Silver Star, Mt. Washington, the North Shore, Sunshine Coast, Kamloops, Mt. Hood
Music: Emika, "Double Edge"

Pros at the Aptos Jumps after Sea Otter

2010-05-05T19:11:00.000-07:00

Following tradition on the day after the Sea Otter Classic, many of the top pros in mountain biking met at the Aptos Post Office Jumps in the Santa Cruz area to show their stuff. (Photo from the PinkBike story by Margus Rega - check it out here).

All the big names like Jamie Goldman, Aaron Chase, Cam McCaul, Jordie Lunn, Dan Atherton, Greg Watts, and Brandon Semenuk were on location at the Jump Jam, near the foot of The Forest of Nisene Marks State Park.

Here's a cool video of the event shot with the new Go Pro HD Cam:

More info on Aptos Post Office Jumps from extremeline here.

Kern River Valley & Keyesville Classic Update

2010-03-17T11:10:00.001-07:00

Its Spring-time in the southern sierras, and wildflowers & green grass are reemerging along the tackier-than-usual trails in the Kern River Valley!

If you are planning to spend the Vernal Equinox (this weekend) on a trail, here's whats going on in the KRV area:

22nd Annual Keyesville Classic Mountain Bike Stage Race. (March 19-21)

By the looks of it, the Keyesville Classic is going to ROCK this year. There's an impressive list of sponsors (lots of swag!), a poker and night ride, girl's bike-apparel fashion show, bike movie screenings (including the Southern California premier of Awesomeland), a kid's race and raffle, BBQ's, and always a party at the Kern River Brewery.

The race attracts every level of rider, from novice to pro, and offers Short Track, Cross-Country, and 2 Downhill Courses. In the All-Mountain Stage Race, riders tackle all the courses on one bike. There are also a Trials competition and a Vintage Class bike race.

GPS Race Tracks: Here is a GPX file with the Short Track Course, Keyesville Classic XC Race, Dutch Flat DH, and Snake Pit DH tracks.

Another view looking down the valley/the lower Kern River towards the XC loop:

More Rides: Nearby, the popular Kern Canyon Trail continues past the Keyesville Classic loop. Dutch Flat area trails are all being ridden, but if you want to ride Just Outstanding you'll have to bring your tele-skis. A few feet of shreddable corn snow is covering much of the Greenhorns and Kern Plateau. Near Kernville, Whisky Flat and Bull Run Trails are in great condition, and the poppy-laden hills of the lower the Cannell Trail network is getting more colorful by the minute.

Riders descending Dutch Flat Trail

Local Bike Scene: In Kernville, Bionicon Backcountry Mountainbikes is settling into their new USA headquarters and offering free demos on their assortment of bikes.

The same building will also house Ride KRV, a full service bike shop.

Extremeline Productions (ya, thats us!) is developing a multi-sport topo adventure map for the Kern River Valley region. If you have any ideas, comments, suggestions let us know.

A new BMX Track, Pump Track, and Mountain Bike skills park are approved and being developed in Kernville near the rodeo grounds.

Bionicon and local riders are working with the BLM to add more singletrack to the local trail network.

Mammoth Mountain Update

2009-11-24T12:50:00.000-08:00

Its the season for multi-sport shredding in Mammoth! We've been hearing reports that riding around Mammoth is great right now - especially on trails like Lower Rock Creek. The mountain has snow and is open for snowboarding/skiing. Check out this Hi-def pump video of Mammoth:

Mammoth Anbringen Episode 1 Javi Silva from CHili DoHNut Productions on Vimeo.

New Santa Cruz Trail Book and Extremeline News

2009-11-16T15:44:00.000-08:00

The new and improved Mountain Biking Santa Cruz, 2nd Edition is out in local bike shops, book stores, and Amazon.com.

Better photos, maps, descriptions, etc... check it out!

Extremeline has new Facebook and Twitter pages.

We'll try to remember to put trail updates & relevant news on The Mud Blog, Facebook, and Twitter.

We'll also be giving away some books - we'll keep you posted.

In the mean time, we're busy working on an adventure topo map for the Kern River Valley area. No more getting lost on Cannell Trail!

Railing Velocity at Mammoth Mountain

2009-05-30T15:01:00.000-07:00

Mammoth Mountain Bike Park opens June 20th!
Here's a teaser from Bike Magazine to get you pumped up. Brian Enciso flying down the Velocity Trail:

Freedom Riders

2009-04-06T21:11:00.000-07:00

Looks like good flick.

Freedomridersthemovie.com
"Freedom Riders, a core group of riders who evolved to creating a precedent setting relationship with the Forest Service and in doing so created the first freeride specific trails on public lands in the lower 48. Freedom Riders a look at the evolution of the sport, the progression of trail users, and an inside story of a group of riders that would never see their passion die. They are the Freedom Riders..."

Banff Mountain Film Festival Highlights

2009-03-16T21:25:00.000-07:00

If you love the outdoors and extreme sports, this will get you amped!

Get more info on the Banff Mountain Film Festival World Tour here.

The Soul Ride

2008-10-11T12:18:00.000-07:00

There are elements to riding a bike on a trail through unspoiled nature that cannot escape notice or possibly, at a deeper level, a feeling. Could it be the realization of accomplishment when the trail becomes a little bit easier, a little faster, a bit smoother and more effortless than ever before? Could it be the stress relieving effect of being immersed in nature that our genes cry out for when too much time is spent in a human clad world? Could it be the satisfaction of knowing that muscle, organs, joints, and blood are growing more resilient with every pedal stroke, every great breath that we take propelling ourselves through the pristine environment?

Of course it is a combination of all these and more. The bike lets us transcend and elevate our outdoor experience in ways far beyond a simple walk, hike or run. It merges skills learned in the past with the incentive to push beyond what has been done before. It extends the range far past the bounds of our natural body allowing us to escape further into the wild. It elevates us into a higher dimension where fluid movement forces space and time to be connected. A rider can find that place where focus on the trail and body awareness combine to create the highest state of clarity. Words cannot describe the sense that is felt deep inside when riding a bike down a trail with perfect surface, pitch, and flow. The soul yearns to laugh out loud, causing that unceasing - unmistakable grin at the end of the trail.

Interbike 2008 & Bootleg Canyon

2008-09-27T17:11:00.000-07:00

Just got back from the Interbike show... The OutDoor Demo at Bootleg Canyon was a highlight for us, as we were able to test and compare bikes on both downhill and cross country trails.

Cam McCaul enjoying the Italian Gelatto that Fi’zi:k Saddles generously dished out:

The indoor show was a bit overwhelming: with everyone, and everything related to biking, everywhere. One of our favorite booths was PowerBar, who celebrated with kegs of Fat Tire Ale.

Lance Armstrong made a suprise appearance at the cyclocross race (Katie Compton and Ryan Trebon win)!

Brian Lopes, along with a few others, were inducted into the Mountain Bike Hall of Fame on day 3. USA Today has called Brian Lopes "undisputedly the best all around world class cycling athlete".

Doing some soul riding at Bootleg Canyon after the show:

Bootleg Canyon was an impressive example of how fun trails can be - when they are created by mountain bikers.

Photos from the Interbike Blog, Photo John (John Shafer), Pink Bike , Extremeline.com, BootlegCanyon.org.

Twilight Zone goes off The Deep End

2008-09-02T15:12:00.000-07:00

Mammoth Mountain Bike Park has opened its newest freeride trail, Twilight Zone. The highlight of this newest trail is “The Deep End”, a nine-foot tall, 50-foot wide, elevated, banked wooden bowl structure.

The Mammoth website says: "To get there, take a right off Chain Smoke and fly through a series of dirt jumps and turns leading into "The Deep End"... The Mammoth Mountain Bike Park is 100% open with over 100 miles of trails and 3,100 feet of vertical descent."

LA TIMES discusses the making of this trail:
"Perhaps the most unique aspect of Twilight Zone is the extensive use of recycled and reclaimed materials to build multiple aspects of the trail. Wood from old snow fences was used to create a series of retaining walls etched into the steep hillside, allowing riders to traverse otherwise unrideable terrain. Wooden support beams for around 100 feet of bridging were reclaimed from old Mammoth Mountain properties. “The Deep End” uses several large, steel beams reclaimed from local businesses to help support and frame the massive structure and is covered in a decking material made from reclaimed wood and recycled plastic. This undoubtedly will be a welcome addition among park regulars — especially those who make the 350-mile drive from the Los Angeles area. As for the new wooden bowl, it looks like a real gas." (From LA TIMES by Pete Thomas)

Photo courtesy of Mammoth Mountain Ski AreaCaption: "The Deep End" is an elevated, banked wooden bowl sure to enhance the expansive trail system at Mammoth Mountain Bike Park.

The Essence of Trails

2008-08-07T17:27:00.000-07:00

Trails represent the essence of mountain biking. The trail is our sacred pathway through nature. Double tracks and dusty dirt roads are ok for some, but the singletrack trail is where the essence of mountain biking is truly found. Every well designed trail that weaves through the forests and meadows of our land holds unquantifiable value to our biking community. These are assets, gems, and there aren’t enough of them.

They are the way to escape the motorized craziness of our society. It gives us the ability to get out and actively participate with nature in a way that hiking or jogging never could. A biker engaged on a singletrack trail is harnessing skills and gaining more with every revolution of the wheel. A bike extends the capabilities of the body, allowing fluid movement in every respect. The heart pounds as the blood pumps fast through every muscle of the body. The mind is focused and acutely aware of every movement, as the trail curves and dips to the shape of the land. The right to bike in nature becomes more precious with every passing year.

There is a bill being presented to congress called HR 6156 “Wilderness Heritage Act”. On the surface, it seems like a great idea to “preserve” public lands for “future generations”, until you dig a little deeper and figure out the implications of designating current multi-use lands “Wilderness”. Essentially, it closes all trails on current multi-use public lands to “mechanized” use. This includes many trails that are now enjoyed by mountain bikers everywhere. The wilderness advocates are trying to ban mountain bikers and other mechanized users from an ever decreasing area of public lands (see wilderness acts over the last 30 years).

The latest bill is being pitched as “Bipartisan” since it has Congressman Buck McKeon on board with Barbara Boxer. Unfortunately, their plan affects some trails in “Mountain Biking Mammoth”. We are sad to see Mr McKeon supporting a bill that will limit our use of public land. He says that he is looking out for the interests of the user groups who use these lands, but seems to only think that some dirt roads are important while ignoring multi-use trails. I wonder if he has ever ridden a mountain bike?

Maps of the proposed Wilderness areas can be found at; http://mckeon.house.gov/eastern_sierra_maps.aspx

Congressman McKeon can be contacted at:
Congressman Buck McKeon
26650 The Old Rd., Suite #203
Santa Clarita, CA 91381

Click here for further discussion on Wilderness and mountain bikes. The above pictures of Yost Meadow Trail and Coyote Flat Rides will both be affected by Wilderness closures.

New Film by The Collective! "Seasons"

2008-04-16T17:09:00.001-07:00

We've all been looking forward to the new film by The Collective: Seasons. This is the follow up flick to The Collective and Roam. Its currently playing this month in theaters in cool towns across America! The DVD will be in bike shops in May.

Check out the trailer:

Here's the Collective's website.

From the website:
"Seasons is a film that follows seven of the world’s top mountain bikers through the course of four seasons of one year. The film explores what it means to be a full time rider as told through the lives of downhill racers, slopestyle competitors, and big mountain freeriders."

The seven riders featured in the film are: Darren Berrecloth, Matt Hunter, Cam McCaul, Steve Peat, Andrew Shandro, Steve Smith, and Thomas Vanderham.

San Diego's Mt Laguna: New Singletrack

2008-03-01T18:50:00.000-08:00

There's some great biking east of San Diego, in the Alpine and Laguna Mountains. Noble Canyon is an IMBA Epic and the Big Laguna Trail is another favorite.

The exciting news is this:

The San Diego Mountain Biking Association is teaming up with IMBA to open up 10 miles of singletrack that were previously closed to mountain bikes! Last weekend members of these groups practiced state of the art trailbuilding techniques in the Chico Ravine/Big Laguna Trail System at Mt. Laguna. Information about the event is here.

Soon, thanks to volunteers, there will be world class biking options just outside of San Diego.

Photo from IMBA website here.

IMBA to Design New Trails in Mammoth

2008-02-03T18:06:00.000-08:00

Good news for Mammoth!
This is from the IMBA website:

"Trails Solutions Selected to Design Trails at Mammoth Resort"
IMBA's Trail Solutions has been selected as the consultant for natural-surface trails at Mammoth resort. Professionals on the Trail Solutions team will work closely with ALTA Planning and Design, who is providing planning services for paved pathways and road systems. According to IMBA's Cimarron Chacon, Mammoth has plans to become a "premier year-round resort community." The planning includes a multi-jurisdictional partnership with the town of Mammoth Lakes and the US Forest Service. Additional partners include Mammoth Mountain resort and the MLTPA, a local non-profit."

IMBA Trail Solutions Services

MLTPA Action Plan They want to "establish a vision for a comprehensive system of trails and public
access for Mammoth Lakes and the surrounding region."

Survey Here's a Trail-Use survey for the Town of Mammoth Lakes. You can tell them that you like to mountain bike and want more singletrack opened up!

The photos above are from the Mammoth Mountain Bike Park website here.

Build Your Own Pump Track!

2008-01-15T12:02:00.000-08:00

Pump tracks are the new rage in mountain biking, as they can be built right in your back yard. Everyone is talking about building them, so here's how to do it! LeeLikesBikes is a website that has great information and sells an e-book called Pump Track Nation.

Check out what Lee says:

"Pump track mania is sweeping the globe. Mountain bikers everywhere are building endless loops of rollers and berms, and the riders are getting smoother, fitter and faster.

These mini tracks teach you to maintain speed â€” no, gain speed â€” over bumps and through tight corners. Almost anyone can ride a pump track. Beginners fumble, jumble and stumble, while experts manual, jump and rip. On pump tracks the speed, fear and risk are low, but the effort, fun and improvement are high.

Legend has it that Mick Hannah trained extensively on a pump track before he demolished the 2004 Sea Otter Classic. Knowing the fastest Aussies pump on a regular basis, pro downhiller Steve Wentz built a track at The Fix in Boulder, Colo. last fall. At first, his L-shaped loop was barely rideable, but within a week the lines were grooved and the riders were grooving.

When I posted a story and videos on this site, pump track reports poured in. The kids in Whistler, BC started building them. The guys at Riding High in Taichung, Taiwan built one. And Ray Petro of Rayâ€™s MTB, the indoor bike park in Cincinnatti, made an awesome one out of wood. Pump tracks are superfun, and theyâ€™re good for you, so you might as well build one of your own.

Pick a spot. You can have plenty of fun in as little as 40 x 20 feet. Yes, thatâ€™s the size of your basement. More space means wider turns, bigger rollers and greater speeds. Flat land is best, but you can always rail some downhill berms then pump back uphill on a roller staircase. Oof.

Lay it out. Start with the turns. Make them tight enough to pump but not so tight you struggle to make them. A radius of about 75 inches works well. The 38-inch turn at The Fix creates champions but robs speed. Make sure your berms have constant arcs, and build them gradually from flat to vertical. When you get the hang of your track, youâ€™ll be pulling almost three Gs and leaning 70 degrees.

Fill in the spaces. Build rollers or doubles between your turns. Avoid flat spots. Every square inch on your track should tilt upward, downward or sideways. No time for coasting!"

You can get more info and support Lee Likes Bikes here!

Top pic is Nathan Rennie on Mountainzone.com. Next 2 pics are on Leelikesbikes.com.