Bike Parts and Beer: What the Updated NAFTA Means for Mountain Bikers
With all of the COVID-19 talk on the news and elsewhere, it’s easy to overlook the fact that Canada recently ratified the new updated North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). It was the last of the three countries (Mexico, Canada, USA) to do so and it paves the way for implementation in all three countries. And among other things, it will affect online shopping for mountain bikers. We all win when we can easily get our bike parts, beer, and even the odd souvenir across the border as quickly and easily as possible. There is a large and ever-growing amount of goods crossing the border through online shopping. On top…
Building the Stoke: Structure Cycleworks Has Big Plans for 2020
It isn’t often that I get to have coffee with a mountain bike. But when I met up with Loni Hull, CEO of Structure Cycleworks, that’s exactly what happened. We met, just prior to the COVID-19 social distancing measures, to discuss how 2019 had gone for the startup mountain bike manufacturer and to get some idea of his plans for the future. Like a proud father, Loni brought along the Janis edition of their linkage front suspension mountain bike, the SCW-1, and displayed it prominently beside our table. In a nearly empty coffee shop, the odd-looking bike grabbed the attention of two mountain bikers sitting nearby. Of course, the bike…
The Rocky Mountain Freeride Awards: Preserving the Spirit of Canadian Freeride
Canadian Freeride? The term lacks a solid definition. Maybe it’s more of an idea or way of life than something that can be defined in a sentence or two and it can mean something different to everyone who rides a mountain bike. Canada is known as the birthplace of freeride mountain biking and the movement has made British Columbia a mecca for riders from all over the globe. But to some, the spirit of Canadian Freeride is fading, being sidelined by new styles of riding and trail building. None feel this more than the Calgary-based freeride group called The Flannel Crew. In fact, they feel so strongly that they’re launching…
From Transrockies to Singletrack 6: A Tale of Two Mountain Bike Races
The Transrockies Challenge. If you’ve been mountain biking for any length of time, there’s a good chance you’ve heard that name before. The name is synonymous with stage racing in North America, and for good reason. It was one of the first, and most iconic, mountain bike races on the continent. It blazed a trail for other stage races that would come along as the sport grew in popularity. Today, the Transrockies Challenge, created by Transrockies Inc., is no more. It has been replaced by another stage race — Singletrack 6. Singletrack 6 keeps the multi-day mountain bike stage race format of the original Transrockies Challenge, but many other aspects…
Adventure and Self-Discovery Take Centre Stage in “Chasing the Yeti”
What’s the most exotic location on earth to shoot a mountain bike film? This question has a lot of answers and can mean many different things to different people. But if you were to put this question to a group, it’s unlikely you would hear anyone utter the name Bhutan. Not because Bhutan isn’t exotic — it certainly is. But it is because the country is relatively unknown to most people. It has only recently, in 1974, opened its borders to tourists. More and more people visit the country every year. But in Bhutan’s mountain ranges, there are still places where no outsider has ever set foot. The country is…
AdventureMom Insurance: Doing Things Differently
It’s become pretty commonplace for people to groan or roll their eyes when they hear the word insurance. But like it or not, it’s part of almost everyone’s lives. We all pay for it, but wish we didn’t need it. Just the mention of it conjures up thoughts of dense, monotonous stacks of paperwork that no one can understand. And then there’s the perception that when you really need to make a claim, it’ll take a team of lawyers on your side to collect any money. As mountain bikers, we lead a high-risk life and that makes having the right insurance coverage important. But that can be hard to find.…
Red Bull Freezride: A Look Back In Time!
Back in 2002 I was in journalism school. Even then, I was obsessed with mountain biking. I tried to make it to as many events as I could. One of those events was the Red Bull Freezride, and at the time it was so new and exciting I decided I wanted to write an article about it for one of my classes. It was being held at the Whitefish Mountain Resort in Montana. As luck would have it, Red Bull was accommodating and gave me a media pass to the to 2002 edition of the event. I wrote the article and it ended up in my school or class paper…
Climbduro: Bringing Cyclists of All Disciplines Together
Climbduro creator hopes to expand its offerings to riding hubs across North America and beyond They’re popping up on trees, at the beginning of climbs, along mountain bike trails around southern Alberta—small orange signs that say START. Do they indicate the start of your suffering? The start of a challenge? The start of something special? In a way, they’re an indication of all three. These signs mark the beginning of a Climbduro segment—a stretch of trail, asphalt, or gravel that tilts upward and where, depending on your climbing prowess, you may find suffering. You will definitely find a challenge, whether you are challenging yourself or someone else. And best of all,…
