From early spring to autumn, start gate to finish line, the world of enduro racing is intense. Around every corner, through every pedal section and down every drop, there’s reward for those prepared to push and risk for those who push too hard. In winter, however, things slow down. Nature regenerates, and so do we. It’s a time to relax, re-evaluate and rebuild. A time to switch off, before switching on again. After several race seasons on the EWS circuit, Ella Conolly knows this well, and on her home trails in Scotland she’s focused on one thing: the section straight ahead of her.
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Scarlet Zeigler: Erie Canal Individual Time Trial
In 2020, 11 year old Scarlet Zeigler set a personal goal for herself to ride 100 miles on her bike in one day. She accomplished that goal in the early spring and then set out riding several tours that year. One of those was on the Erie Canal where she decided to see how fast she could ride it. That year, she rode it in 2 days, 22 hours.
For 2021, Scarlet decided to see if she could beat that time and went back, fully self-supported, and rode from Buffalo to Albany NY on the Erie Canal trail. In November. She was responsible for buying all of her own food, finding water along the route and had to figure out the many detours completely on her own. I (her dad) simply recorded everything with a dated iPhone…
Here is the story….
Radar
Bikes Or Death Interviews Ally Johnson, Bikepacking Roots’ New Executive Director
Earlier this year, Ally Johnson was announced as Bikepacking Roots‘ new Executive Director and in the latest episode of Bikes or Death, Patrick sits down with Ally to get to know her a bit better and to go over her plans with BPR.
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Hannah From Queer Cyclist Showcases Her Crust Bombora!
The Crust Bombora is such a great platform upon which you can build out your perfect adventure or touring bike. Hannah from Queer Cyclist walks us through her new build in her latest video…
Reportage
Hope is a Function of Struggle: Sarah Swallow, AWRR, and the Swift Industries Holiday ’21 Dovetail Collection
Riding 100 miles in the rain with a fully loaded bike from the San Juan Islands to Seattle, pushing a 50-pound touring rig up a mountain in Montana for 6 hours and 6,000 ft, getting stuck in Dallas after the last leg of my flight was canceled at midnight (more on that later)… as a cyclist, I’m no stranger to struggle. And according to Brene Brown, hope is a function of struggle.
When we encounter struggle, we face the moment when we don’t think we can make it and sometimes finding resolve within to not only survive but to triumph. The next time life offers a seemingly uncrossable water crossing, muscle memory kicks in, and we think, I’ve been here before, I can do this! That, Brown says, is how one becomes a person of hope.
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7Mesh: The Crunchy People – A 7mesh Women’s Mountain Bike Series
7Mesh is taking its women’s MTB series to new heights in the Chilcotins:
“In the parlance of our times, the Chilcotins, if you are to believe social media, have been done. Ridden, rated, reviewed and photographed to no end. They’re an awesome place to ride bikes, but some would say documented to death. But don’t believe all you read – there’s still a lot more to discover.
So in the spirit of adventure, we made some calls to local 7mesh ambassadors Laura Battista, Megan O’Brien and Angie McKirdy, mapped out a route and headed up to the often overlooked Shulaps Range for one last adventure before the alpine shut down.”
Reportage
Wild Shirts and Red Dirt: The 2021 Sedona Mountain Bike Festival
The mountain biking in Sedona is exceptional. Full stop. Seemingly endless trail systems spiderweb right out from the center of town, winding in, out, and around the uniquely hematite-hued geologic formations at the base of the massive Mogollon Rim escarpment. Like other mountain bike destinations along the Colorado Plateau, Sedona trails take advantage of slickrock sandstone slabs and porous dirt that becomes tacky with precipitation long before it gets muddy.
You might remember John’s musings on Sedona’s legendary Red Velcro. Sedona also benefits from ideal riding temperatures in late fall and early spring, when many other locales remain unridable during shoulder seasons. It’s close to Phoenix and Flagstaff (which makes travel fairly easy), features a picturesque perennially flowing stream, and some stellar dining options. If you can get past the limits on dispersed camping and ever-increasing cost of resort town lodging, Sedona is tough to beat.
Radar
A Space For All
The outdoor industry has historically lacked diversity. Brooke Goudy is working to change that. A Space For All is a short film about representation, community, and the work that Brooke is doing to get more people of color to experience the joy of bikes.
Reportage
The 5th Annual 2021 Nutmeg Nor’Easter: A Personal Account
Arya and Ronnie, the two cuties that are at the front of our bike bag sponsor Ron’s Bikes, invited my partner Karla and me to come over to their event, the Nutmeg Nor’Easter. Described as “the non-competitive alt cycling world championship” and running its fifth edition, this would be the first Nor’Easter after a time where reunions were discouraged, but the organizers still took care of delivering an event 100% outdoors and only for vaccinated people, although no vaccination cards were verified. Because you see, this is the type of gathering where you are trusted to care for yourself and those around you, but in a non-coercive way. For Karla and me this would be our first time not only in Connecticut, but also east of the Rocky Mountains; the first impressions, provided by our Uber trip from the airport at 1 am, made us think we were in a good scenario for which stories, and local tales revealed we weren’t wrong.
Radar
Rapha Performance Trailwear’s Fall/Winter Lookbook Video
“Keep Riding” is Rapha’s video lookbook featuring its Fall/Winter Trailwear lineup. Check the whole drop out for yourself at Rapha.
Radar
Rapha Gone Racing Lael on the Tour Divide
This one from Rapha and Lael is not to be missed!
“Crisscrossing the Continental Divide for 2,450 miles between Banff in the Canadian Rockies and Antelope Wells on the Mexican border, the Great Divide is one the world’s most iconic long distance mountain biking routes. On this sky high trail, there’s no such thing as a regular ride. But even by ultra cycling standards, Lael Wilcox’s history on the route is a colourful one.
In 2015, Lael raced the Tour Divide – an event that follows the route – and set a new women’s course record despite having to ride herself to an emergency room en route to deal with a persistent breathing issue. But rather than celebrating her achievement, Lael set out to better it. Just two weeks later, she rode to the start from her home in Alaska, took on the trail for a second time and lowered her own record by another day and a half.
Today, the outright course record is held by the late long-distance legend Mike Hall, whose time of 13 days 22 hours and 51 minutes has stood since 2016. Inspired by Mike’s methodical approach to managing the mileage but convinced she can beat the record, Lael is returning to the Rockies with unfinished business. In the latest episode of Rapha Gone Racing, we document her latest record attempt and follow her as she runs into issues much bigger than any bike ride.”
Radar
Paint the Town
Kona Ambassador Gretchen Leggitt has created a niche for herself as a muralist of grandiose proportions. Her impeccable line work can be seen on buildings and walls in major cities across the west. She has transformed a plethora of blank walls in her hometown of Bellingham, Washington with paintings of landscapes, flora, portraits, and our personal favorite, the Kona Astrowhip. In her most recent project, Gretchen teamed up with Coast Salish artist Jason LaClair to create a gorgeous 720’ long piece paying homage to cultural roots of the region and the significance of the annual salmon run.
Check out more from this project at Kona.
Reportage
Komoot Women’s Torino Nice Rally: Lael and Rue’s Kit Breakdown
With a group of fifty women, we’ll begin the Komoot Women’s Torino-Nice Rally at 8 am on September 24th. It’s not a race, but a challenge to finish the route in a week with a finishers’ party at the Service Course in Nice on October 1st. While the ride is self-supported, women are encouraged to ride together, help each other, share stories and positivity and build a rolling community. It’ll definitely be hard, but it’s meant to be fun. Adventure arrives when we push our limits into the unknown with the confidence to see how it’ll unfold. I’m deeply encouraged to see fifty women take on this ride, make it personal and do their best.
Designed by James Olsen, the Torino Nice Rally is a 700km mixed surface route traversing the Alps between Turin, Italy, and Nice, France. With ten significant mountain passes, it climbs famous cols and old gravel military roads, passing small towns and refuges along the way. The highest point is over 2,700 meters with 17,500 meters of climbing. James has been hosting an event on the route for years— it’s not a race, but a challenge to finish in a week. Riders begin together and leapfrog along the way, sharing kilometers and stories. At different junctions, there are options for routing— to take the smoother longer course or the rougher more direct track. There’s always a debate about equipment choice— whether to ride a gravel bike or a hardtail, both have their benefits. Camping and staying in shelters along the way are recommended.
Reportage
The Leaders of Gravel: Dominique Powers’ Medium Format Portraits
This series is a look at the women pushing gravel cycling to be better than it already is. I photograph them to share their stories, their outlooks, their experiences.
With my hatchback stuffed with cameras and stands, camping gear, more cycling kit than I could wear, and my bike on the back I created this project. I put 3000 miles on my car over a month traveling around the country, connecting with these women in parking lots and trailheads, trekking through woods and up mountains. When I pulled up at the start line of SBT GRVL for my first bike race it was with many of them toeing the line as well.
Through every conversation, I learned more about them and the world of gravel that I’m falling so deeply into. I shot against a backdrop to single out, raise up, and celebrate these icons of the sport. Our time shared in this space I created sacred because of its intention.
What is more special than to create a moment, and then capture it?
Radar
Queens of Gnar
They came, they saw, they slayed. Queens of Gnar takes place at the Audi Nines 2021 that welcomed a new group of riders into the family and witness these women pushing mountain biking to new heights. From teenagers to veterans, the moment they rolled into the course, it was clear that Audi Nines is exactly where they belong. Riders: Veronique Sandler, Joey Gough, Kathi Kuypers, Caroline Buchanan, Casey Brown, Robin Goomes, Patricia Druwen, Alma Wiggberg, Gemma Corbera.
Radar
Alexandera Houchin Reflects on Her Cover Photo in Freehub Magazine
Our friend Alexandera Houchin sent us over an exciting email yesterday, celebrating her making the cover of Freehub Magazine’s latest issue. Here’s Freehub’s description of this issue:
“An unprecedented number of people are riding mountain bikes as an outlet for exercise and exploration and, as a result, discovering a truth we all eventually come to know: Every ride is an adventure. Freehub’s 12.4 edition is a celebration of this truth and a meditation on how adventure leads to discovery, both of the outside world and within oneself. In our cover story, ultra-endurance racer Alexandera Houchin writes about how her relationship with the bike has instilled a deeper understanding of her identity as a Native woman—and how she’s come to realize the act of racing is a ceremonial expression of her Ojibwe spirit. Transformative adventure pervades this book, with feature stories on a life-changing family bikepacking journey in the Alaskan wilderness and the existential reckonings of a rider attempting to clear a long-neglected trail in central Nevada’s remote Toiyabe Range. Welcome to Issue 12.4—a tribute to self-discovery and embracing the unknown.”
Read on below for Alexandera’s thoughts on this experience…
Radar
Topo Designs and Specialized: Beyond Familiar with Sarah Sturm, L, and Sarah Wakeen in Moab
Our friends at Topo Designs have a new video series called Beyond Familiar. In this episode, Sarah Sturm takes L. and Sarah Wakeen into the Moab backcountry on a bikepacking trip. Check out photos and more at the Topo Designs Blog and tune in tomorrow, Friday at 12pm MT on the Topo Instagram for a live event.
Radar
Riding Fixed Up Mountains With Pros: Rowena Crest with Lael Wilcox
In Episode 15, State Bicycle Co heads to Hood River, Oregon with State Bicycle Team rider Céline Oberholzer for a double-summit ultra-endurance episode with Lael Wilcox…