WRP is building upon our online community of knowledgeable trail guides by expanding the FEATURED RIDES page on our website. We want to create a rider-generated, online resource for residents and visitors to find out about all the great trails the Gallatin Valley has to offer.  If you haven’t explored the page on our website yet take a minute to do so here: http://gallatinwrp.org/wp/trails/featured-rides/. We have a few rides up now but we need more and we want you to help!

Watch as Chris Akrigg slays it on just about every kind of bicycle there is out there!

Wed 6/13/12

Sam H, Kirk Ahlberg and myself set out earlier this afternoon from Bozeman to the Butte area to see if we couldn't catch up with some CDT Mountain Bike Racers. Using the smart phones of my bike geek friends along with the spot tracking system ( http://trackleaders.com/tourdivide ) we were able to catch a few riders just west of route 15 south of Butte.

We caught up with a dude named Kevin who started a time trial along the route 2 days before the race began. I wish I could remember his last name, but without the tracking list of riders it is lost on me.We were talking about the riding and the bear bell his daughter gave him for his ride. I hope that his family will find this post and enjoy seeing him in the field getting it done.

Behind Kevin was the fabled Babe the Blue Tandem ridden by last years winner Kurt Refsnider and Caroline Soong who also raced last year. 

I had wondered about Babe and if he was steel or a ti frame. Kurt told me that they always prototype in steel.

 Here is a close up of the Rohlhoff they're running.

 And the grip sifter that Kurt said is giving him some pain while riding.

Ryan Correy riding in close on the tail of the tandem.

Ryan making a move.

The tandem wasn't gonna let him get too far ahead.

Kirk, Sam and myself rode North of the trail to try and catch more riders.  

Dylan Taylor rolling into the top of the pass.

Dylan said he was feeling good and that his new pink bar tape on his bar ends helped.

Katherine Wallace rolling in.

A close up of her fork. I think she said it was a whiskey.

Representing the Kiwis.

Apparently, for you bike geeks out there, Ollie Whalley is running a Rohlhoff with a belt drive.

We were stoked to talk to some of the riders in this years race. They are keeping us stoked and inspired as we follow their beacons from the comfort of our office chairs. 

Ride the Divide!

Interested in following the Tour Divide? Here are some good resources:

• follow the participants visually on the SPOT Tracker leaderboard.
• rss or check in to daily audio updates at http://mtbcast.com/site2/ 
• or, for the same reports, subscribe to MTBCast on iTunes
• messageboard discussions at bikepacking.net

And if you haven't seen "Ride The Divide" you can stream it on Netflix.

Sourdough Canyon Trailhead to Close for Improvements

Pending final approvals, the Sourdough Canyon Trailhead will be closed October 11 - 21 while Gallatin Valley Land Trust (GVLT) completes a series of vital enhancements that will improve public safety, recreational uses, and wildlife habitat. This work includes expanding the available parking, installing a turn-around for emergency and larger vehicles, straightening the access road, and restoring a section of Sourdough Creek.

Since the property was donated to the Gallatin Valley Land Trust by Michael Delaney and Ileana Indreland in 2007, GVLT has been working with a diverse group of stakeholders and partners to design improvements to one of Bozeman’s most popular year-round trailheads. Last fall, GVLT installed a permanent vault toilet and approximately 15 new parking spaces. The work scheduled for next week will further expand the parking, improve the safety of the road, and help reduce sedimentation into Sourdough Creek by moving the road away from the creek corridor.

This project is funded by generous contributions from the Gallatin Resource Advisory Committee, Montana Import Group, Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks, National Forest Foundation, Patagonia, REI, and dozens of individuals. The work is being completed in partnership with Gallatin County, the City of Bozeman, the Gallatin National Forest, and several private landowners.

Please obey all posted closures during this time. For updates, please visit http://www.gvlt.org or contact us at info@gvlt.org or 587-8404.

Kelly Pohl
Program Director
Gallatin Valley Land Trust25 N Willson Ave, Suite E
Bozeman, MT 59715

This post is for Greg and Casey (and John if he still checks his old blog :) And for anyone else who loves old school stuff.

1990 Specialized Epic 

I'm hoping to get to this place this summer. Maybe take a tour to this sweet historical collection.  
Museum of Mountain Bike Art & Technology:

http://mombat.org/MOMBAT/

Paul Thomasberg at Mt. Snow in 1989

Thomasberg is still bad ass!

 

You're welcome.

Video by @JohnFriedrich for Stumpjumber Trail Crew.

http://www.vimeo.com/7871995


I got a fever! And the only prescription... is an indoor skate park :(

Ray's indoor mountain/bmx bike park in Cleveland, Ohio is a cutting edge park because it’s not set up like a skate park. It’s all about flow and creativity there. Smooth lines and no grind ledges.
This video shows how sweet the park really is. And the two dudes riding in it have great trail style and pretty much kill the place.

Excuse the cussing of the Notorious BIG. I didn’t choose the soundtrack.

http://www.raysmtb.com/

That's all I have to say.
Finally, we have a chance at getting some real technical trails in the mountains surrounding Bozeman. The Forest Service lets us go and design and build a trail that is intended to be not only an introduction to some DH specific trails, but a means of seeing the level of commitment the local mountain bike community possesses.

And what happens? within weeks of the trail's completion, some morons go and build jumps. Not even well thought out jumps with nice transitions, nice flow- shitty jumps with flat landings. Sweet. Why go through the trouble to do that work up in Leverich when there's perfectly good loading docks to huck off of in town? Check out John P's post on the Bozeman Trail Report for the details.

Between this and the Critical Mass silliness, I feel like I'm surrounded by assholes!


-DNA

This was actually the first one submitted, but I checked my email at work one day and totally forgot about it. Sorry.

-DNA

I had some fun, so what?
Also no voting on this one.


-DNA

Kickin it back old-skool!

I'll be up front about this. It's mine, so I'll not be included in the voting. But I didn't want to excuse myself from all the fun.


edit: In case you're wondering who the guy on the right is.


-DNA

The included instructions said to include this statement:

"Greetings fair weather protesters. Bring us something substantive and we'll respond in kind. Until then, you get what you give. So, while we're ready to share, you will continue to feel put upon. Tough.

Casey"

Staring a computer screen all day does two things. What things you ask? Well, it makes me fat(ter), and it makes me stir crazy. How fat you ask? Real fat.

Update: By 'Staring a' I of course meant 'Staring at a'. Now you see how effing nuts staring at a computer makes me. I loose all skill with grammar and/or spelling.

Here's a link to sEtOH's pics of the Clunker Downhill. I didn't even ride and I had a good time. Imagine what you missed...

C

...with a Haiku:

The Protest
a Haiku by John Parker

It was saddening
to see the signs held out
rolling by, said "hi"

Here's the details. We'll meet at Spectator's at 2pm (so you've all got plenty of time to get over your hangover) and we'll pack up and head on up to Moser. Greg knows that area well, so we can ride a few different trails and the road if we wanted an all-out drifting extravaganza. Casey can't ride yet, so he graciously offered to run the shuttle.
You can pretty much ride whatever bike you want, as long as it's not a mountain bike from 1990 - present. Cruisers, 80's era mtbs, whatevah.
Shoot me an email if you have any questions.

-DNA

Yes, he did it with MS Paint. Great jorb!

-DNA