Halloween is my favorite holiday. Not just for it’s invitation to be inventive and put on a persona that embodies your wild, evil or funny side, but for it’s invitation to throw out the ordinary and dawn the different. Miles and I put together a couple videos that embody this craziness. We got help from Lisa Myklak and Emily Johnston while shooting with them for Women Of Dirt. We also got help from Andy Voight and Scotty Warner from DWB Racing. Have fun!!!!
There is a UFO research facility called Area 53. It was formed by a team of researchers with backgrounds in astrophysics, geology, aerospace, and investigative reporting. Area 53 is NOT a government facility. It is used strictly for research purposes (interviews, photo analysis, data collecting, etc.). I’ll have more info later…
The riders from the Santian Bike Shop and BRMBA have put on their first race at the Blackrock, OR. freeride area. Putting all the first time issues out of mind, and they were not too many or too problematic, I was just blown away by the creativity of the course and the good nature of this grassroots racing event. These promoters deserve our thanks.
The course had it all. Right out of the start gate you had 50 yards of a rock garden. No one rode it the same each time. The majority of this five minute course was fast berms with natural jumps and rollers. There however was a road gap, two sets of whoops, numerous other small rock garden moments, a very long ladder bridge that you jumped onto and off of, a twenty foot double, a peddally section, a really high speed section, and two different blown out fall-line descents. Top to bottom this course asked a lot of the rider. And everyone had a grin when they got to the bottom. The general feeling of how great this track was reinforced the notion that it’s not about the racing, but the riding.
Kevin Walsh of Evil Bikes broke his leg in a freak accident on the high speed section. I want to send him healing vibes. It was really good to see him out there and to have this happen is just not right.
Kyle Tomas took the top time of 4:25. He was followed closely by Phil Wiering and Charlie Sponsel. In all about 80 riders showed.
Our event gallery has more photos from this event:
Lately my ride life has been tainted with what I want to call life’s little momentum vampires. These little soul suckers come in all varieties. And they are unique to each individual. And contagious for sure…
Mine are too many to list, but have something to do with Unemployment and a site that seems to be popular, but no known EFFECTIVE way to monitize it. So, in search for a solution to these mental parasites, I called up Miles ‘Shovelpick’ Sullivan in Hood River and told him that Kim Sturts and I are coming down. You’ll know Miles from his work on Bones Over Metal (see video on this post.)
We showed up late morning and meet Miles who’d already been riding with some of the Transition Bike community down from Bellingham, WA. Miles is always good for a ride in and around Hood River. After a quick rip around the yard on Miles’ 50, we joined Anna from IMBA and headed up to the top of Post Canyon. By the time we were bouncing our way up the shuttle road my malaise was already drifting away. As long as the wheels are going round, it’s difficult for me to have a frown.
Post Canyon has it all. When you start well above Two Chairs you even get a fair amount of Downhilling. So, you’re nice and warm by the time you hit the jump lines. This works great for me, since I am just getting instinctive with jumping. That being said, Post Canyon is one place besides Whistler where you can learn to get your jump on. It’s all there. It was late afternoon, by the time we had sessioned all the way down to the bottom of Post Canyon. That’s more than 12 linking trails. Enough to call it a day? No.
This video is from a similar trip two weeks earlier.
For the evening romp, we meet up with Mike Estes, Steve Pinner and more for a couple shuttle runs down from Nestor’s Peak. This run is on the Washington side of the Columbia. It’s like Syncline, but better. By this time, my problems only existed deep inside me and all I wanted was vertical. Their was no limit.
This last run dropped 3,000 feet over six miles and is fast. FAST, I tell you. Old school singletrack that can be ripped as fast as your nerves will allow. The kind of fast that has you yelping and hollering to the guy up in front. We even got Carl Warren to put his camera down and join us. (This is why you see very few action shots in the following photos.) It was good to see Carl have fun.
By the time, we sat down for beer and pizza in Hood River it was dark. My soul was put back together. I felt that inner glow that we all know as our relationship with the bike and the dirt. The perfect threesome. But, just to make sure that it would stay that way for awhile, we did it all again the next day. Yeah!!!!
Check out Carl Warren’s Main Gallery for more from around Hood River. Carl lives on the Washington side of the river.
I came down to central California early to get some sun and ride and shoot local trails. In this first video I met up with Evan Turpen a few days before Sea Otter 2009. We road his training trails. He explains the importance of training trails versus downhill trails. We then go and hit up some dirt jumps.
They say this weekend’s weather will be in the 70s or 80s. Can you say Sunblock? Eat your heart out PNW. Love you all!
Another Pre Otter Video Coming Tuesday Night. Then stay tuned for our daily videos from Sea Otter. Follow immediate results from my phone via Twitter.
Lars Sternberg ties with Curtis Keene.
They make a new rule that gives Curtis the win.
His qualifier was faster. Tiebreaker.
Bart McDaniel gets a top ten
With a full head against the tree OTB.
Chris Boice tells me he’s “humbled” by our scene.
He gets fifth in Pro. I’m humbled by Chris Boice.
He’s a true competitor.
There were 410 registered racers.
47 Pro men. 10 Pro women. Over 50 19-29 Cat 1
and most surprising 23 Cat 1 40+
I haven’t seen so many old guys on a list that wasn’t at a funeral.
Grass roots racing? I don’t think so.
The Fluidride Cup is legit
The course was tacky
It withstood the pounding of a three-day event.
Coming down the start ramp
Sprinting for 100 yards.
Turn and dive down White Knuckle
Toward the booter that floats you all the way to the breaking bumps.
Dive right, then left taking the inside line to the inside line.
Setting up after the 2nd floater
Diving into the roots setting up for the woods.
Mash, Mash. Mash the pedals.
Tight turns, taking the high line to get the speed for the exit.
Step down, sweeping right through the shale and steep down again.
Mash those pedals again for the jump into the woops.
Don’t over cook the step-down into the rocks.
Got to get the shoulder tight to the tree on the right
To get over the rock and turn left. Needle tight chicane.
Step-not to Camel’s Hump, got it clean,
Carry the speed through the chunder
To assist with the short climb.
Home free now baby. Stay off the breaks
And own those berms.
Coming out now. Double to the bridge and sprint
Sprint for the final berm and the
Finish line.
Shout out to NDub Productions, Hurricane Racing,
Simon Lawton, Fluidride, Dirt Corps, Recycled Cycles, ODI
Mike Estes, Carl Warren, Miles “Shovelpick” Sullivan, Mutoli Racing,
Erin Landry, My Team, go DWB!
Dan Kim at Port Angeles Super 8.
My lovely wife for understanding why I ride.
And my bike for putting up with my mistakes.
All the young riders for their passion and speed.
The other old riders for their drive,
The Pros for showing the way,
And all the lady racers for taking up the bike
And “schralping” their way down the mountain.
And Leanna Gerrard for the Word Of The Day.
And if I forgot you, you’re not forgotten,
I thank you too.
See you at Port Angeles May 1
for the 1st stop of the ProGRT Tour.
So I got a text from Pip saying, “Wade Simmons is shredding the Colonnade.”
Wade was at the Colonnade doing a shoot for his helmet sponsor- Bell. It’s always cool when a top rider visits your local ride spot. By the time I got down there the shoot was winding down. But I got to shoot Pip leading Wade down the line he’d taken the lead on developing. It was great to see Pip beam from the positive comments Wade directed toward the trail work of Pip and his friends. For video: Continue reading ‘Wade Simmons @ Colonnade - Quick Shot’
Mike, you’ve been freeriding for several years. How old are you now?
I am 24 now. Still young, but I have been riding mountain bikes enough to see it progress from lycra and water bottles, to full face helmets and flip whips.
What was the first video you starred in? What year was that?
The first video that I had a starring roll in was called “Nine to Five” and I was around 17. My buddy Grant and I made our first trip to Whistler and met the owners of Gamma Light Productions. Grant kind of has a big mouth, so they said that he should walk the walk. They took us to some pretty major sized stunts and we filmed on all of them that day. It was a break though trip for both Grant and myself. Continue reading ‘Interview With Mike Metzger’
One thing I do love about living in Seattle, is that we can ride year around. The conditions might not always be optimal, but we usually can get on the trail at anytime during the winter. This last weekend I went with Bret and Kim to ride the trails off of I-90. It was near 30 degrees it had snowed. We arrived at the trailhead not at all confident that we could ride the trail. But, we were definitely willing. Continue reading ‘Winter Riding In The Pacific Northwest’
The ‘Oly International’ was the second of two friendly DH races put on by the GHY Bike Shop. This is probably the last such event held at South Seatac’s Flowpark. It seems evident that this quasi legal ride area will disappear to development on a jail and a road bypass. When you watch this video think of the ton of time spent by happy riders at this flowpark.
The season is over. We have come to the end. The master clock has stopped ticking… blah, blah
I don’t know about you, but I can’t get racing out of my head. The competition was getting better. The courses were dialed. The fun was not done! Alas, the final Fluidride Cup race had been run. The series’s final rankings were known. The best riders had won.
Bart McDaniel set a standard for us all. He won again and broke the virtual tie he had with Lars Sternberg in the overall placement. Lars took third in this sixth race. Luke Strobel off the World Cup circuit took third. Eric Loney and Charlie Sponsel laid down some sick times to take fourth and fifth overall. I look forward to seeing these two as Pros next year.
Bart McDaniel did it again! He narrowly beat Lars Sternberg by 2 seconds in a combined time for two runs. That’s cutting it close. Nathan Riddle and Simon Lawton were back a small step in 3rd and 4th respectively. Another honorable mention is Jared Hobbes, a semi-pro rider, who took 4th overall. It was a great weekend of racing. With so many riders tightly together in the overall points, many duals are set for the last weekend. Bart McDaniel and Lars Sternberg are virtually tied a top the pro ranks. This scenario is replicated through out the classes. See you all on the 26th and 27th of September. For video and more story Continue reading ‘Fluidride Cup #5′
At the last Mt Hood race, I met Nils “Gus” Gustafson the founder of Arrow Racing. He and his wife always travel up there from Grants Pass, Or. They bring along their pit trailer full of tires, wheels and other items from Arrow Racing’s stock. Gus eagerly talks about racing, bikes, and tire technology. We had a quick conversation about his racing past. Gus has been involved in everything from nitro burning go-karts to bombers, but his passion as he spoke to me, was about bikes and tires. He was proud that his US based and manufactured tires gave young people the chance to go fast in all sorts of conditions. For video and more story Continue reading ‘Taking Out The Savage’
Nathan Riddle won the Open Men at Sunday’s Super D in the Capitol Forest outside Olympia, Washington. He also won the season overall for the Super Ds held there by the Friends Of Capitol Forest. This was my first Super D and it came with a ton of lessons. First of which is the respect I have for the XC riders who can climb hard and still rail the downhill portions of the track. I was humbled by how I need to be more fit. This brings me back to Nathan Riddle. This year he has placed in the top ten in Pro Downhill, top four in a Pro DS, third at Downieville, and now the overall at the FOCF. He’s truly All Mountain. For pictures and more story Continue reading ‘Capitol Forest Super D’
Thanks to years of hard work, over 12,000 volunteer hours, and the welcoming spirit of the neighbors, Colonnade is almost done. And now it’s time to party! Please join the Evergreen Mountain Bike Alliance (formerly BBTC) for the Grand Opening of I-5 Colonnade, Saturday, September 13th from 10am to 2pm. Continue reading ‘Colonnade Grand Opening’
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