This is a ride for all you mountain bikers out there. Best of all, it incorporates my absolute favorite craft brewery in the Bay Area—Russian River Brewing.
Tag: mountain bike
In Boulder, CO last week, Pearl Izumi gathered a few women’s running, tri, and cycling editors for a first look at the Spring 2015 run and ride lines. We had a great time meeting, riding, and running with the actual developers and brand managers, while getting a behind the scenes look at how the products are made and tested. One thing is for certain—it’s nice to see so many women on the team designing the women’s gear.
I am a big believer in women’s sport camps and clinics. There is something about the supportive nature of women crushing together that, at least for me, really helps to learn, push harder, and feel more confident in trying new stuff. Whether it’s Chicks with Picks, Trek Dirt Series, or KEEN’s new Rippin Chix program, the number of camps and clinics for women to learn and master new sports is on the rise.
As I hopped off to push my rental Corratec X-Vert Motion up yet another hill, I quickly came to realize that mountain biking in Southern Germany is not exactly the same as mountain biking in San Francisco. Located in the heart of the Bavarian Alps, the small metropolis of Garmisch-Partenkirchen sits beneath the Zugspitze Massif, the highest mountain in Germany at 2962 m or 9718 ft above sea level. Most trails rise quickly and steeply out of the valley, and with a less than ideal bike to match the conditions, I needed to veer my expectations towards maximum fun factor not maximum distance or vert.
It’s something all SF mountain bikers dream of—mile after mile of purpose built singletrack not to be shared with horses, hikers, or photo snapping tourists. I went in search of this dirt utopia up along the Lost Coast of California. Around 3 ½ hours north of the city, the Lost Coast is a remote and mostly undeveloped portion of Northern California.
Winter is over, ski resorts have closed for the season, the ice is off the lake—that can mean only one thing. Time to get your mountain bike on. Whatever your style—enduro, XC, downhill, beginner, or seasoned shredder, here are some essentials to keep you riding happy.