How to find mountain biking trails near me / MTB Project

For awhile now, I have been traveling with my mountain bike for work. While it can be an awesome experience that forces me to try out new trails, it is a little stressful trying to find where those trails are and which routes I should take. So how do I find mountain biking trails near me? Ironically enough, Google Trends even ranks “how to find mountain bike trails near me” as one of the most searched for terms in mountain biking. We aren’t alone in the search and there is an actual solution that is easy to use.

How to find mountain biking trails near me / MTB Project

I hit up MTB Project. MTB Project (part of the REI Co-Op) has a web and mobile app that will show you the trails near you, the trail map, suggested routes by other members and photos that will make it so that your first visit is like you have ridden there for years. One of the additional benefits is that it is updated constantly.
When I was in Tupelo, MS a couple of weeks ago, there was a trail that I was looking at trying and after hitting up MTB Project…I found out it was ruined by a tornado last year through the user reviews and there were even pictures included that verified the results.
How many times have you asked yourself this exact question? How do I find a mountain biking trail near me?
If you are anything like I am…it is a lot and we need resources like this to allow us to ride more trails and enjoy this sport. Download the app…check out your favorite mountain biking trails…leave a review or pictures…add to the cause. You never know when another mountain biker is going to need whatever content you share.

Every Mountain Bike Should Have a Dropper Post. Period.

One of the best tech advances in mountain biking is the dropper seat post and every bike should have one. Yes…even your rigid single speed or crazy light XC race bike. I am going to tell you why.
Before we get into the straight up details…let’s play a little game. Let’s say you saw this downhill bike setup. What would you tell the rider?

How about this BMX bike at  your local park or jump track?

Or how about a really fun one…this dirt bike setup…

You would think they were all crazy right? Why the hell do they have the seat so high? It is just going to get in the way and it is not natural.
However, that is how mountain bikes have been treated for years. So let’s look at why that is the case and how the dropper post has changed mountain biking forever.

Why is our seat so high up to begin with?

The simple answer…we don’t have a motor. We are possibly the only offroad sport that has to use our legs to get where we are going. A lot of times this equals a lot of time in the saddle climbing and pedaling to get to our favorite sections of trail. To fully optimize this setup, our legs have to be slightly bent at full extension with our knee slightly over the balls of our foot. You know all of the bike fitment rules. It gives us the most efficient pedal stroke — while seated — so we can get the most power to the ground as efficiently as we can. It allows us to ride longer and climb faster.
Much of mountain biking over the years has also been a road bike up push rather than a downhill bike down on how technology and fitment effects the ride. Beginning mountain bikes were no more than taking road geometry with fatter tires. I can still remember the rigid bike on 1.8 tires days with flat bars and steep geometry. Luckily over time…mountain bikes have really segmented into a real offroad vehicle with travel, slacker geometry and bigger tires to better accommodate trail riding. They still require the same motor though…our legs.
If we did not have that one factor that set us apart from the other offroad disciplines of 2 wheel transportation…our saddle height would default to the same position as the rest of them…low.

Why your saddle should be low and out of the way

There are fundamental reasons why your saddle should be low and out of the way of your body while you ride when you are not climbing. And guess what…it doesn’t all have to do with being able to get your weight back in steep sections which some assume is the only purpose of a dropper post.

Proper Turning on Trails

I am sure you have heard the riders that don’t like dropper posts say it is because they need the saddle to balance/turn the bike. If it is out of the way…they can’t do it correctly. Well guess what? They are doing it wrong. Proper turning on a mountain bike requires the bike to be able to move independently of your body. You need to be able to lean the bike in certain circumstances to corner correctly and smoothly. Whether it be to lean the bike over farther for more grip or get your weight back to rail a berm…you can not do this with your seat up in the optimal climbing position. Just because you are used to riding with it up…that doesn’t make it the correct way to do it.

Weighting and Unweighting the Bike While Riding

Riding smooth and fast on trails is greatly dependent upon how you ride the bike. While you are riding downhill and through flatter fast sections, you should be weighting and unweighting the bike on the trail to smoothen it out, skip small obstacles and keep momentum. To do this, you have to be able to bend your knees and get low on the bike to compress the suspension and then unweight the bike from that sequence. You can not do this correctly if you can not move your body enough to make it happen. This skill is one that I consider probably the most important in riding and it is made much easier/possible with the addition of a dropper post. BMX and motorcross use this technique a lot also.

Ideal Climbing Height Every Time

There are some riders that will just say “I can just put my seat post down for long decents and then raise it at the bottom”. The issue with doing this is that you most likely will not get your saddle to your correct height for optimal climbing. You’ll either get it a little too tall or short and that will effect your efficiency and could cause knee issues. A dropper post will go to the exact height you need with a push of a button and it will be right every time.

It Allows you to get your weight back

The fun one that is everyone’s default answer. Yes…it greatly increases your ability to get your weight back on steep trails for more controlled riding.

Better control on the trail

We do not ride road bikes. We have rocks, roots, down trees…you name it…to contend with. This means that the bike can unexpectantly try to slide out from under us or bounce without notice at speed. With your saddle out of the way, you do not run the risk of an unexpected maneuver of your bike to throw you on the trail or buck you over the handle bars because the saddle will not be giving you a nice push. You need the mountain bike to be nimble enough to overcome unexpected changes in the trail and that is not possible if your movement is restricted.

Common Complaints about Dropper Posts

There are probably even more reasons to come up with on why dropper posts on mountain bikes are a necessity…but now let’s look at the common complaints.

Increased Weight

This is probably the number one complaint I hear from riders that aren’t wanting to put a dropper post on. First, dropper posts have come down in weight tremendously over time. With better materials and advancements in their technology, they can be almost 1/2 the weight they used to be back in the day when our options were really limited. 9point8 actually has one now that only weighs 385 grams including the remote!
The weight is also centered on the bike which makes it less noticeable. XC racers are adopting dropper posts for their benefits so recreational riders really can’t use the complaint excuse anymore. Bike tech has come such a long way.

Reliability of Dropper Posts

I will admit…back in my magnet style Gravity Dropper days…there were some reliability issues. All of the dropper posts I have used in the past couple of years have been trouble free through hard riding. Manufacturers have really figured out how to make the posts a lot more reliable than in the past. It still is a moving part so things can happen but they don’t nearly fail as much as some would like to believe.

Increased Clutter on the Bars

I remember the days of trying to figure out exactly where to put the switch and how it would interact with the other components on the bars. It was really hard to figure out on bikes that had the old school Shimano windows on the shifters. As shifters got to be more low profile, fitment became much easier. Now that the front derailleur has finally died off…it is stupid simple. The switch just took it’s place. No more clutter issues.

I’m just as fast as my friends that have one

First…this is a pretty lame excuse that is filled with an ego trip. We aren’t pro riders where tenths of a second can be measured with a simple component change and not everything is a race. We ride with our friends and our friends have a wide range of abilities and styles. That comment alone makes you sound like an asshole.
That aside…you would be faster with one once you got used to it. Having your seat all the way up your ass the entire ride makes you compensate with inproper technique to overcome the fact that you are not as mobile on the bike as you should be.

The Single Best Advancement in Mountain Bike tech

The dropper seat post is the single best advancement in mountain bike technology. Finally…we have a way to get the seat where it needs to be for all situations outside of climbing and flat pedaling sections. We were the last of the offroad 2 wheeled riders to finally get a way to do this and it has helped the riding of a lot of riders since it has gone mainstream.
There is a reason that almost every bike released right now comes with one.

Stretching a College Budget Across a Ski Season

Walking through resort towns, skiers and riders are constantly surrounded by dollar signs. The ski shop in the strip mall, the ticketing office, a slice of over-priced yet delicious deep-dish pizza. Skiing can be an expensive hobby, but there are ways to mitigate some of the financial hazards and quell some of the all-too-common sticker shock. College budgets are notorious for being especially tight, yet young twenty-somethings continually fill the slopes every weekend. How can they possibly swing it?
My first piece of advice is to channel your talents, whatever they might be, into an internship or job that pays you in discounts, ski passes or other industry perks. If you have skills and experience in journalism, gear testing, photography or videography, try to leverage these talents for an organization that will help reduce the cost of skiing.
Another option is to work at a ski resort on the weekends or over breaks from school. Most schools have long enough breaks that ski areas find it worth their while to hire you for their busiest times of year - The week between Christmas and New Years, long holiday weekends, and Spring Break. You might find work in the rental shop or ticketing office, or in the ski area's food and beverage operations. These positions have great on-mountain benefits, and a little extra cash flow can’t hurt in these trying times of $150 lift tickets and $14 hamburgers.
Often, ski resorts will offer discounts on their season passes for full-time college students, so it's always a good idea to ask about a college discount before you buy. If you're not springing for a season pass, keep an eye out for lift ticket deals and specials offered by ski areas, which can help keep costs down. Many schools’ outdoor education departments or clubs host outings at discounted rates.
Hiking for your turns is another way to keep costs low. If you have the training and the gear, backcountry skiing keeps crowds low and stoke high with great snow and gorgeous views. However, if this is not an option, some resorts allow skiers and snowboarders to hike up and ski down for free. Colorado ski resorts each have an uphilling policy to follow while earning your turns.
As far as gear is concerned, there are some great discounted equipment options. Many shops have end-of-season sales where the cost of a brand-new pair of skis or snowboard is cut in half, and some shops will even make deals with you at this time of year. Ski swaps happen in many mountain towns and can be absolute gold mines if you attend early enough. Keep your ears to the ground at your school or university, too, for deals on gear that people are getting rid of or selling for cheap.
If you’ve recently decided that skiing or snowboarding is the newest adrenaline-laden adventure for you, or if you just want to see what everyone’s been raving about, borrow a friend’s gear. This will give you the opportunity to try it out without springing for rentals, and usually borrowing a friend's gear for the day comes at the very reasonable price of a six pack.
Transportation can be another challenge on a college budget, but there are many options to cut down on costs. Many schools close to the mountains have free or cheap shuttles to and from the hill that can save heaps of dough in gas. If you do drive yourself, make sure to carpool to halve the money and double the fun.
Resort food is notoriously pricey, and though I do not detract from their delicious offerings, I will offer that packing your own food is well worth having to carry a backpack all day. Some resort cafes also offer discounted day-old pastries that still taste about 98.7% as delicious as they did twelve hours before.
Hopefully some of these tips and pointers can help college students ski and snowboard without breaking the bank. See you out there!

5 Pro MTB Skills You Can Learn Right Now

If you’ve just gotten into the world of mountain biking, you’re very likely impatient to start developing some of the MTB skills that make the pros the great riders they are. And while it takes anyone a great deal of time to become a great rider, the good news is that you, as a beginner, can start working on some of the skills the pros use daily. Here, we’ll look at some of the skills you can start working on today.

Skill 1: Balance on Uphills, Steep Downhills, and Challenging Trails

You might be surprised that “balance” is on a list of pro skills, because you’ve probably been able to balance on a bike since you took off your training wheels. However, you’ve probably seen pros navigate bumpy, challenging trails like they’re easy. While MTB pros make it look like second nature, maintaining your balance and the balance of the bike is a difficult art to master.
Cecilia Potts, a professional cyclist and former junior mountain biking world champion, explains that riding a mountain bike involves a constant effort to stay upright. She notes that, when riding uphill, you will need to move your body weight somewhat backwards on the bike. This is because too much weight on the front wheel makes it more likely you’ll come off the bike if you hit a bump. In going uphill, you need stop shift forward, or even stand up.
As a beginner, you may need to think about these shifts, but as you practice, you will get to the point where it becomes second nature and you won’t have to think about it anymore.

Skill 2: Stoppies

Stoppies, otherwise known as rolling endos, can make you stand out on a trail, and a well-executed stoppie can impress your friends. Practicing this skill can also help you to become more familiar with your bike. The goal with a stoppie is to pop up the back wheel while the front wheel is still rolling slowly.
To execute a stoppie, crouch down in the pedals and pop up quickly, pressing down on your front brake. Getting the timing and the degree of braking down can take some practice, so be patient with yourself. It’s a good idea to practice on a slight downhill on a trail with good traction.

Skill 3: Manuals

A manual is essentially the reverse of a stoppie: instead of rolling slowly on the front wheel, you want to balance on the back wheel. In order to practice getting the front wheel off the ground, it can be a good idea to first practice a front wheel lift,  Practicing getting your front wheel up can help you ride over curbs and other objects.
As will all MTB skills, you probably want to challenge yourself once you’ve mastered one skill. Once you’ve got the front wheel lift, you can move on to a manual. To do this, you’ll need to sink down into the pedals and then pop up with your arms straight out. The goal is to continue rolling on the back wheel. The key is to balance your weight over the back wheel, although this can be very challenging to master.

Skill 4: Switchbacks

If you are planning on riding difficult trails, you’ll probably run into some switchbacks, which are very tight turns that may have you turning almost 180 degrees. Riding switchbacks takes practice, as each rider may find a slightly different flow through them.
One thing that is good to keep in mind on a switchback is keeping your weight low over the bike. Additionally, when going into the turn, it helps to swing your front wheel somewhat wide if possible. As you go around the turn, think about keeping your weight to the bike’s outside. This can help the bike to grip the trail on the turn. Once you become more experienced, you will be able to navigate switchbacks quickly, and even use skills like the stoppie to maneuver through especially tight turns.

Skill 5: Bunnyhop

Knowing how to bunnyhop can help you get over obstacles and to quickly reposition yourself on the trail. There are two types of bunnyhops: the English and the American.
In the English bunnyhop, you get both wheels off the ground simultaneously. To do so, you need to bend knees and elbows to get lower on the bike, then spring upward to get both wheels in the air.
In the American bunnyhop, the beginning is essentially a manual. Then, to get the back wheel off the ground, you think about “scooping” the rear wheel up by bending your knees and bringing the back of the bike up so you land back in the saddle.

Final thoughts

While some of these MTB skills take some work to master, each will help you navigate trails as you advance as a rider. Working on them as a beginner will help you get in enough practice that you’ll be bunnyhopping obstacles and speeding through switchbacks soon.

Should Descending or Climbing Mountain Bikers Yield to Oncoming Trail Traffic?

 

Nobody wants to startle a horse in stride, and we all yield to hikers and runners as they peruse the mountainside flower selection, but what about other mountain bikers? What do you do when you see another rider coming your way on the same piece of bi-directional singletrack?

IMBA has upheld an edict since the 1970’s that has been rewritten a few times, and now looks like this: “Most of the trails we ride are multi-use. Mountain bikers yield to horses and foot traffic, and descending riders yield to climbing riders. This yield triangle has been formally adopted by land managers since the late 1970s and is a significant reason why we have the access we do.” One of the ideas behind why downhill riders should yield is that it takes them less effort to get going again.
On the flip side, this policy doesn’t make sense to everyone. Some riders feel that folks who are descending should have the right of way, as it is far easier for the slower moving climbing rider to simply put a foot down and lean to one side than it is for the faster descending rider to come to a complete stop. Additionally, the climbing rider can hear the noises emanating from the descending rider’s bike long before they see each other, and has more time to safely move aside and stop. The rider on the descent side of the equation cannot hear the other rider, and if they meet on a sharp corner the downhill rider will not know that the climbing rider is there until they can see one another — which is sometimes too late.
Still, another group of riders would argue that no one should have to stop, and instead prefer to have both riders turn to the right just before they pass, letting their tires remain on the trail (or not) while their handlebars snake around one another. This way no one has to spend the energy to stop and restart, though it does require some amount of trust in your fellow shredders’ ability to slant their bike sideways and continue riding in a mostly straight line. Some ecosystems are home to very fragile plants and soil types, and any mistake in this passing maneuver can lead to the widening of trails and sad plant life.

How does this all work out when you encounter someone on flat ground? Nobody knows.
Based on these arguments, and those you have shared over beers with your crew, who do you think should yield the trail?

Grip it and Rip it: Michelin Wild Enduro Mountain Bike Tires

Tires are my favorite piece of mountain bike gear to test. They can make the largest difference in the way a bike rides, for the least cash. They affect grip, bump damping, braking, energy output, puncture protection, cornering agility and stability, roostability, and a host of other critical fun-factors.
While I recognize that grip is a positive personal affair, I work hard to objectively evaluate tires. One element of that attempted objectivity is to share my bias. For reference, I like my front tire to be as grippy as tree sap, not overly square but far from road-tire round, measure 2.35-2.5″ wide, with a burly enough casing to stand up in high-speed corners, and confidence bolstering breaking tread for any emergency scrubs.
Out back I prefer a much harder and faster-rolling tread compound, a good transition between the shoulder and center knobs so that the tire breaks loose predictably when I need a rudder, a super tough casing that can withstand some rim-strikes and sidewall slaps, and enough braking traction that my bike’s tail doesn’t slide all over the place. I look for tires that are good for all weather conditions, but I will err on the side of mud and dust lugs when they are available.

Michelin Wild Enduro, front & rear specific tread

Tubeless setup with the Wild Enduro tires is a snap in terms of the time and effort it takes to mount them. Mine leaked a fair bit of sealant and air through the sidewalls for the first few days after mounting them up, which I haven’t seen a tire do in a long while. I used Stan’s Race sealant, which has not reacted this way with other tires. You may want to add a little extra latex to the tire when you first mount it to make up for the initial sidewall weeping.

Handling

The rumors about these tires are no joke. They grip hard. I was able to ride them in deep mud, dust, damp rocks, and on hardpacked clay, and was generally impressed with the grip throughout. Their massive shoulder knobs give the tires a bit more of a square shape than I am used to, which required some adjustment time. I didn’t love them on the first ride, but they quickly grew on me. Fortunately, the castle-wall-like shoulder tread doesn’t feel squirmy with the bike leaned into the turns. It stands up tall and has more of a bite feel than a classic grip feel, somewhat akin to a motocross tire.
The tires did slide about on the wet rocks of Piatra Ligure, as nearly any tread will. For wetter rides and races I might opt for Michelin’s “Mud Enduro” rubber to guide the steering end of the bike.
The sidewalls on the Wild Enduro tires are reinforced from bead to bead, and alongside a pair of anti-snake-bite strips that line the beads, the sidewalls feel plenty sturdy. Despite this sturdiness, I was inclined to run a bit higher pressure in the tires than I do with others. The need for higher pressure is partially due to the fact that I have been cornering faster on these tires, thanks to their ample grip.

Spec

• $64.00 – 69.99 (compare prices)
• Size 29×2.4″ front and rear
• Actual weight: 1151g rear, 1036g front
• Tread Compound: Grip+ GumX rear, Extra Grip+ MagiX2 front
• Protection: Bead to bead Gravity Shield and Pinch Protection at the bead
• Front and rear specific tread patterns
• Made in Thailand

Durability

For a rather grippy tire, the Wild Enduro tread looks fairly good after a couple months of almost daily riding and a few enduro races. The center knobs are starting to get what I call an “elephant’s foot” wrinkle pattern around them, and the inner edge of the shoulder knobs is showing a fair bit of wear from hard riding on off-camber rocks. I would happily ride these tires for another two to three months before relegating them to the “dry hardpack tracks only” pile that all of my file-treads end up on.
Both the front and rear sidewalls have a few small cuts and gouges to tell the tales of where they have been, but none of them are leaking air or sealant. The tires have retained most of the sealant I originally dumped into them, and I would have no problem continuing to ride with these smaller rubber slices.

Conclusion

I would buy the Michelin Wild Enduro tires again, with the same compound front and rear. They made it through an awkward suspension setup I was recently running, a few races, and countless adventures, with aplomb. They roll fast, grip as advertised, and the compound sounds like callused dog paws slapping the trail.