Western Spirit Cycling

Check out this video from a recent Telluride to Moab mountain bike trip.

Thanks Brad!

Reporting in from the 2009 BC BIKE RACE.

Did the first edition of this back in 07 with my teamate Kip Mikler from BIKE magazine. Our only goals then we’re to finish and still be friends after the seven days. This time around I’m racing solo, so in theory, it should be a little easier for me - right? We’ll, not so sure about that.

So I’ve made it through five stages and finally rolled into beautiful Squamish this afternoon where we’ll be for the next two nights. The 08 S-works Stumpy is running well, except for a blown rear shock on yesterdays stage. I milked it through today w/ mostly smooth steady seated climbing, but after checking in w/ bike tech this afternoon, I learned that for $30 I could get a brand spankin new one! Schwing! That’s easier than if I was back home in Moab. Hope it’s as easy as it sounds. Hmmm…

Today’s stage was 65K w/ let’s just say, thousands of feet of climbing. The singletrack today, and all week for that matter was truly world class. While the mileage may not be what LaRuta or TransRockies is, riding very technical singletrack for 4 hrs at race pace can certainly make you a little blury eyed. Currently I’ve managed to climb into 3rd place in the G.C. for my group (over 40 solo male). Some blistering fast guy name Roger from NorCal Bike Shop in Santa Rosa is kicking our arses. (Thanks Glen -he’s probably your shop ringer!). Everyone here is super casual though. No attitudes and just a great vibe around the camp and in the pits. The staff that Deane Payne has put together is unbelievable in every way and it really shows what a great promoter he is. Thanks Deane and thanks BCBR staff! Just one more big stage left here in Squamish tomorrow, then our finale in Whister on the 4th of July, then, well, you know what Americans do on the 4th - right?

heh heh heh

Just got back from the FOX Shox 2010 Media Launch. While not one of the “official media” I was in charge of catering, shuttles, 1st aid and many other logistics. The darling Miss Elayna Caldwell (FOX Marketing Queen) organized the rest of the event at the beautiful Chamberlain Ranch in Los Olivos, CA from March 31st-April 2nd. In years past Western Spirit has supported the FOX press launch, but only for their mountain bike offerings. This year they stepped it up and brought in all their products from the moto cross world, quads, side X cars and even the awesome new Ford F150 Raptor complete with the coolest FOX shocks I’ve ever seen.

Western Spirit guides have been sponsored by FOX for years now and we can’t imagine riding anything else. Their suspension is just light years ahead of the competition. I’ve said this before, but I’ll say it again, with such reliable product, it takes my mind off the hassles of maintenance and helps me concentrate on my # 1 priority - my guests. The suspension just does what it designed and helps me concentrate on just having fun.

While I did have my top secret belt buckle spy cam, you’ll have to wait a little while longer to see any spy photos. I can assure you though, that if you thought 09 stuff was hot, 2010 will really take it to the next level. Having FOX involved in so many motor sports from snowmobiles & moto cross, all the way up to Trophey truck racing at Baja gives them the upper hand on R & D and consequently what trickles down to the mountain bike lineup. Meeting some of their engineers and hearing how time and energy they put into these designs truly gives you a new appreciation of the product. One of the coolest parts of the week was actually meeting Bob Fox - the man that started it all, and hearing his story of the beginning. Little by little he just kept going and has built the company into the suspension powerhouse that it is today. the other coolest part was the rides in the Raptor with a professional driver behind the wheel - but I leave that story for another time.

The Nike photographers and talent were hanging in Moab UT with Western Spirit Cycling these past 2 weeks shooting various athletes in various athletic Nike garb.  Really amazing athletes!  Not only were they European, which is always fun to listen to their funny voices- but the incredible feats these folks pulled off would make your chin drop to your chest.  Two of these guys are base jumpers, crazy I know, but the places they have been and the jumps they have done were amazing.  They have both used those bat suit wing suit suits which basically means they honestly fly thru the air.  A couple of climbers, a mountain biker and that pretty well rounded up the talent portion of their show.

They got the shots they wanted and you’ll probably start seeing them in magazines soon.  I just hope they come back and just chat me up a bit…..love the accents.

As the name indicates this trip is a ‘hot springs’ trip and it does deliver. The natural hot springs are spectacular. . .especially first thing in the morning or after dark when you can witness the steam rise with the mountains and sky in the background.

What the name doesn’t advertise are the ‘cold springs.’ The Backcountry Hot Springs trip has some of the coolest and coldest springs I’ve ever immersed myself in. The exhilaration of jumping off a rock into crystal clear waters with large trout swimming deep below is an experience that I can’t get enough of.

Some of the guests indicated feeling cleaner at the end of the trip then at the start of the trip.  I’m not sure I agree with that statement but it is really nice to soak the dirt away at the end of a big ride. . .not to mention the muscles.

Grab your suit & chamois and reserve your space on one of our Backcountry Hot Springs Mountain Bike Adventures next summer!

You won’t believe it can be this good. I still can’t. If you love riding your mountain bike on singletrack this is one of the most amazing trails you will ever ride! The flow of the Umpqua River Trail is something that can’t be described with words.  It is simply a feeling that must be felt.

The Umpqua River Trail is located in southwestern Oregon.  It is convenient to fly into Medford, Oregon.  If you would like to extend your stay in the area there are many wineries and whitewater rafting options.

In case you haven’t heard, Oregon is the new California of wine.  Oregon has ideal growing temperatures for a traditional French Pinot Noir - earthy.  California tends to produce a Pinot Noir that is a bit more sweet and fruity.

The artsy town of Ashland is a short drive from Medford.  Ashland is home to a large Shakespeare Festival and many delicious restaurants.

The Umpqua River Trail reminds you that dreams really do come true!

That’s Right, WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS! is what the promoters advertise, and sure enough that’s what they delivered. A festival of World Class proportions with bikes, beer and good times being the underlying theme. After hearing about this place for over ten years we finally had to check it out. Was it all it was hyped up to be? To find out we loaded up the truck w/ four bikes, four pretty fast dudes our camp gear and our beer coolers. 14 hours later we pulled into town and promptly scored the sweetest campsite to town - right on the river & a mere stones throw from the singletrack. Since we we’re racing we didn’t want to throttle ourselves yet after the long drive we we’re jonsin to check out the legendary trails. A couple hour spin on the 2nd Divide trail right out of camp proved to be just the ticket. Back to camp for the 1st installment of brauts & beers kicked off the week long mancation.

The next day brought us slightly clearer skies and our 1st shuttle runs up to the start of the downhill course.  Since most of us brought the XC bikes we ride here in the Rocky Mtns. we felt slightly undersprung while eying all the 6″ bikes w/ drop posts & big tires, but soon realized we nailed it with bike choice. Rider’s must choose their weapon wisely; a bike that climbs efficiently, descends with precision, and can handle a high speed beat down without sudden failure. Bikes are weighed each morning before the race and they must weigh the same each day or you’re DQ’d. I chose my 08 S-works Stumpy w/ 120mm travel front & back, 2.35″ tubeless tires w/ 29psi and a standard triple chain ring. Tipping the scales @ 25.75 lbs (for an XL) it was certainly one of the lighter rigs in the All Mtn. class.

So after a few more days of riding, swimming & partying, we woke up early Sat. AM to head up to Sierra City for the XC start. Having never ridden the 3,000′ climb I wasn’t quite sure how hard to push it, but I had the right bike for it and gained a solid lead over the other guys in my class. By the finish, 2 hrs later I had come out on top w/ a 7 minute margin over 2nd place. Wahoo! Now I could relax & ride @85% for the DH the next day in hopes of preserving my lead, but not blowing it. Not having to race until 11am the next day was pretty sweet too, so the victory beers kept coming all afternoon. After a fat BBQ -courtesy of our dear friends @ FOX Racing Shox, we made our way back to camp - but not before passing a momma & baby black bear  - not more than a 1/2 mile from camp! Slept like a baby and woke up to cooler temps and the final day of racing. After a couple big cups of steaming FMC coffee (thanks Bob!) we we’re ready to head back up to Packer Saddle for the DH start. With 1 minute interval starts the trail was mostly clear, but certainly a bit torn up from all the previous racers. I had a pretty good run and only came off the bike once, but managed to hold my lead. Most of all it was a damn fun course and great to finish in one piece. Having a solid bike certainly helped too.

To top off the racing was a well-represented bicycle expo and street fair, the spectacular river jump at the confluence of the Downie & Yuba rivers, trail shuttles to remote trail heads and live music downtown. What’s NOT to like about that?! I can wholeheartedly recommend this festival to anyone. Their crew really rises to the occasion to make it a 1st class event and their enthusiasm really shines through.

A huge thanks go out to Greg & Wayne from Yuba Expeditions, everyone that works with the Sierra Buttes Trail Stewardship and the whole town of Downiville. We can’t wait to come back  - if not next year than soon!

We all want to do our part to have less of an impact on the environment.
One way in which we can do that is to travel with respect for the
environment and choose a green vacation.

Western Spirit Cycling trips are supported by one vehicle that carries all
of the food and equipment to support thirteen guests and two guides. We
practice Leave No Trace principles when traveling in the backcountry and
educate our guests on how to do the same.

The principles of Leave No Trace are Plan Ahead and Prepare, Travel and Camp
on Durable Surfaces, Dispose of Waste Properly, Leave What You Find,
Minimize Campfire Impacts, Respect Wildlife, Be Considerate of Other
Visitors. To learn more about Leave No Trace visit their website .

After spending a week sleeping outside under the stars and pedaling your
bicycle thru aspens or canyons you can’t help but have a greater
appreciation for the wilderness.

You may assume that it would be too warm to do a mountain bike trip around
Bryce Canyon and Zion National Parks this summer. The neat thing about the
way that we’ve structured our Bryce to Zion trip is that we camp in the
aspens for the majority of the trip. Aspen trees typically grow around 7000
feet and that is what accounts for the cooler temperatures.

Our Bryce to Zion trip includes singletrack riding on the Virgin River Rim
Trail, dirt road riding, and hiking in both of the national parks. The trip
Traverses between the high desert and mountain ecosystems, which provides an
amazing variety of plant life. There are also cool bodies of water to swim
in at two of our camps.

If you’re looking for a diverse multi-sport vacation that includes mountain
biking, hiking, and swimming our Bryce to Zion trip would be an excellent
choice!

Check out this video!

I spent the last week in California guiding a Redwoods National Park family mountain bike trip . In my mind, this is the perfect family summer vacation. It
allows the family to play together without worrying about the logistics.
Your bike guides are also excellent chefs. They prepare food for even the
pickiest of kids (or adults). The bike trip is structured so the family
bikes together in the morning and the parents do a more challenging ride in
the afternoon. There are also fun hikes and time spent at the beach. Our
family trips include an extra guide so there is more flexibility in
entertaining both the adults and the kids.

The Redwoods is a magical area of the country. The temperatures were cool
and pleasant and the memories of both kids and adults playing hopscotch,
Frisbee, and Uno makes it difficult to be back in the office this week.

Stay tuned for a picture of one of the waterfalls.

-Angela