What's on Your 2023 Bucket List?

[rudy]

This is pretty much how I feel about used bikes in Canada right now. Shit is ridiculous.

Saw a 2018 SC Blur 3 for $5500 the other day. Come the FUCK on.

There's ALWAYS people who think their shit is worth more than it actually is but if you spend any time looking around there are plenty of great bikes at reasonable prices these days.

[Abies]

If all goes to plan I'll be moving to NorCal by the fall, maybe much sooner, so while I'm still in Oregon I am just trying to hit as many good PNW riding areas as possible before they are much longer drives. Bellingham and Oakridge are in the cards this month and next, then hopefully some high elevation cascades stuff like Dark Divide.

A little bit of mixed feelings about the move from a riding perspective since it seems like outside of Santa Cruz 2+ hours away riding in California isn't going to hold a candle to the Northwest, but I am certain the weather and lifestyle changes will more than make up for it.

[MagnificentUnicorn]

If all goes to plan I'll be moving to NorCal by the fall, maybe much sooner, so while I'm still in Oregon I am just trying to hit as many good PNW riding areas as possible before they are much longer drives. Bellingham and Oakridge are in the cards this month and next, then hopefully some high elevation cascades stuff like Dark Divide.

A little bit of mixed feelings about the move from a riding perspective since it seems like outside of Santa Cruz 2+ hours away riding in California isn't going to hold a candle to the Northwest, but I am certain the weather and lifestyle changes will more than make up for it.

Moving to the Bay Area?


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[Abies]

Moving to the Bay Area?


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Nope, rural Mendocino county. Our friends bought 150 acres with two houses and we are going to live in one of them. My partner is already there, I'm just figuring out my work situation.

[MagnificentUnicorn]

Nope, rural Mendocino county. Our friends bought 150 acres with two houses and we are going to live in one of them. My partner is already there, I'm just figuring out my work situation.

Sweet. You’ll find great riding up there. It’s been 20 years since I’ve been up there but you can find a lot of rides with fire road climbs and single track descents. It’s not like the purpose built trails in WA and OR more adventure/xc/dirt roads.


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[Abies]

Sweet. You’ll find great riding up there. It’s been 20 years since I’ve been up there but you can find a lot of rides with fire road climbs and single track descents. It’s not like the purpose built trails in WA and OR more adventure/xc/dirt roads.


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Yeah, I think the gravel bike is going to get a lot of use and I'll just mountain bike when I can make trips, although there is a small riding area in a nearby town. Lots of low traffic dirt roads for cool loops out to the coast.

[jm2e]

Nope, rural Mendocino county. Our friends bought 150 acres with two houses and we are going to live in one of them. My partner is already there, I'm just figuring out my work situation.

Can build a lot of new trail on 150 acres!


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[jackstraw]

Other than that, I want to go back to Nisene (Santa Cruz) with a guy who knows the area to ride some of the sweet illegal trails back there. That's just a day trip though.

I'm looking forward to exploring all around SC as I'm moving there. Demonstration is currently closed. Apparently, the amount of blowdowns is a disaster. A crew from SC Trail Stewardship barely got a few hundred yards clean after a full day. The number of leaners/hung up is sketchy. Some good new-ish going in to the north of campus also. It's all illegal. The legal shit is so regulated with slope angles and stuff it's kind of annoying.

[evdog]

I'm looking forward to exploring all around SC as I'm moving there. Demonstration is currently closed. Apparently, the amount of blowdowns is a disaster. A crew from SC Trail Stewardship barely got a few hundred yards clean after a full day. The number of leaners/hung up is sketchy. Some good new-ish going in to the north of campus also. It's all illegal. The legal shit is so regulated with slope angles and stuff it's kind of annoying.

You can show them how to make skinnies out of all those downed logs. Flow trail gets old by the time you're half way down. They need to resurrect sawpit to its original state with skinny ramps, and make Braille great again!

[Roxtar]

Over the last 10 years, all of our riding has been in the four corner states; New Mexico, Colorado, Utah, & Arizona. This year wife and I are hoping to finally hit Arkansas.
Got to see if the hype is real.
Was hoping for a trip to Oaxaca this year but son's wedding in Hawaii will be moving that a little down the road.

[Abies]

Can build a lot of new trail on 150 acres!

That's probably in the cards for sure! It's steep and rocky and could make for some rowdy terrain. There's also a group building a nice little trail system in Willits, and Jackson Demo State Forest on the coast which is pretty XC but many miles of trails. Hoping to connect with the groups maintaining those systems once I'm settled.

I'm looking forward to exploring all around SC as I'm moving there. Demonstration is currently closed. Apparently, the amount of blowdowns is a disaster. A crew from SC Trail Stewardship barely got a few hundred yards clean after a full day. The number of leaners/hung up is sketchy. Some good new-ish going in to the north of campus also. It's all illegal. The legal shit is so regulated with slope angles and stuff it's kind of annoying.

Ah yeah the legal situation there and the bay is legendary. I'll hit you up for beta when I make it down that way. My girlfriend's parents are in Los Gatos over the hill but I haven't been able to ride when we visit yet.

[jackstraw]

You can show them how to make skinnies out of all those downed logs. Flow trail gets old by the time you're half way down. They need to resurrect sawpit to its original state with skinny ramps, and make Braille great again!

Yeah, it's going to be interesting learning the scene. I'm 95% illegal builds, but nobody is looking around here. SC appears much more aware with consequences, so I'll work into builds slowly. Thankfully my kid knows a bunch of the pro builders who stealth build the illegal stuff also.

[climberevan]

Arkansas.
Got to see if the hype is real.
.

I was just in Fayetteville/Bentonville for a week on my way from FL to NV. I have a good friend who lives there.

The infrastructure that has gone in in the last few years is very impressive. That part of the hype is def real. There's traffic now, though.

The riding was fun in a theme-park kind of way. I think one could go there and really focus on skill building and progression and really benefit. There are many trails that offer small steps in difficulty. Their version on a double black is like a single at Sedona or Bellingham, but having such small increments of jump or drop size is handy for pushing one's limits.

What it lacks is the long backcountry style riding that I love the most. For example, I rode every trail at Hobbs (one of the farther out, more rural spots) and it was only 45 miles and like 6000' of climbing. Fun and fast, but one could certainly complain of monotony.

The hot ticket there seems to be the gravel riding, which I can believe. I'd like to return with a focus on progression on the MTB and pleasant long gravel rides.

[MarcusBrody]

1. I'm traveling in NZ this June. It will be winter and mountain biking isn't the focus of the trip, but I plan to rent a bike and ride for a day in Rotorua and Nelson.

2. I want to get down and ride the trails that RaisingAZ built in Kingman. I've meant to multiple times now, but things keep preventing me.

3. Keep checking off the DH trails in my home network. I have about five left I think (with two being fairly short more challenging bonus sections), and a few more that I've ridden but never cleaned. One is probably above my paygrade to clean and maybe always will be, but I should be able to do the others at some point. I'm just not going to until after that NZ trip...

4. Ride more trails in other networks in my metro area. I've got great trails pedalable from my house, so it means I haven't explored some of the options across the city which are supposed to be great too. I'd like to get to them.

5. Ride Brian Head's bike park. I bought a pass that comes with three bike park days there so I want to get up and use them.

If i can do all those things and get out regularly for my shorter morning loops, I'll be satisfied.

[smmokan]

Got to see if the hype is real.
Was hoping for a trip to Oaxaca this year but son's wedding in Hawaii will be moving that a little down the road.

It depends on how you define "real". Sure, Bentonville is doing a great job building a super cool town with lots of fun trails- that's what Walmart money and a ton of useless land gets you. Like climberevan said though, it's fun in Bentonville (and the surrounding areas) in a way similar to a theme park. Machine-built flow trails and jumps everywhere. I tell all my customers: if you go with a fun group, you'll have a good time. If you're looking for something that compares to anything out west, Bentonville ain't it.

And whenever you end up going to Oaxaca, do NOT go with Oaxaca Bike Expeditions... book a trip with Trans Sierra Norte if you're spending the money.

[grskier]

It depends on how you define "real". Sure, Bentonville is doing a great job building a super cool town with lots of fun trails- that's what Walmart money and a ton of useless land gets you. Like climberevan said though, it's fun in Bentonville (and the surrounding areas) in a way similar to a theme park. Machine-built flow trails and jumps everywhere. I tell all my customers: if you go with a fun group, you'll have a good time. If you're looking for something that compares to anything out west, Bentonville ain't it.

And whenever you end up going to Oaxaca, do NOT go with Oaxaca Bike Expeditions... book a trip with Trans Sierra Norte if you're spending the money.

I heard it was good to get a family into the idea of a mtb type trip as THE theme as opposed to what a dad may want to do while everyone else is busy doing something else.

[Danno]

For a riding bucket list, figured linking this old thread would be good. Maybe it will give y'all some ideas, or maybe the thread needs some updating: https://www.tetongravity.com/forums/...worldwide-list

[zion zig zag]

And whenever you end up going to Oaxaca, do NOT go with Oaxaca Bike Expeditions... book a trip with Trans Sierra Norte if you're spending the money.

I’m booked with TSN for November, so that’s good to hear. But I’m just curious why?

[smmokan]

I’m booked with TSN for November, so that’s good to hear. But I’m just curious why?

The riding was spectacular (I'm sure TSN rides the same areas), but there wasn't nearly enough of it with OBE. The days were poorly coordinated: we didn't get on the trails until almost noon each day after leaving late, stopping multiple times, and generally taking way too much time fucking around. Then for some reason, the owner was more concerned with having lunch around 3:00 each day than actually riding bikes. So we'd do 3-4 shuttle laps and stop to eat at 3:00... but then we were done for the day, so we went and hung out at the hotel until dinner later at night. We asked him after the first day if we could ride more, and he proceeded to tell us that he knew better and we needed to take it easy. There wasn't a single day that I was even close to being worked. There were a lot of other pieces that were handled poorly, but those were smaller nit-picks.

I may be a little over-analytical since I'm in the business, but all I know is that if I ran a trip like that with Chasing Epic, my customers would revolt. I was hoping to learn some things I could integrate into our trips, but instead I learned what not to do.

[Roxtar]

The riding was spectacular (I'm sure TSN rides the same areas), but there wasn't nearly enough of it with OBE. The days were poorly coordinated: we didn't get on the trails until almost noon each day after leaving late, stopping multiple times, and generally taking way too much time fucking around. Then for some reason, the owner was more concerned with having lunch around 3:00 each day than actually riding bikes. So we'd do 3-4 shuttle laps and stop to eat at 3:00... but then we were done for the day, so we went and hung out at the hotel until dinner later at night. We asked him after the first day if we could ride more, and he proceeded to tell us that he knew better and we needed to take it easy. There wasn't a single day that I was even close to being worked. There were a lot of other pieces that were handled poorly, but those were smaller nit-picks.

I may be a little over-analytical since I'm in the business, but all I know is that if I ran a trip like that with Chasing Epic, my customers would revolt. I was hoping to learn some things I could integrate into our trips, but instead I learned what not to do.

Good to know

[GoSlowGoFar]

Late-July/Early August trip up to Kamloops from SLC. A couple Sun Peaks and SilverStar park days but mostly trail rides. Need to start making a list of rides for the way up.

Potentially a Oaxaca trip in November. Been on the list for a few seasons now. Hoping that it happens.

[zion zig zag]

The riding was spectacular (I'm sure TSN rides the same areas), but there wasn't nearly enough of it with OBE. The days were poorly coordinated: we didn't get on the trails until almost noon each day after leaving late, stopping multiple times, and generally taking way too much time fucking around. Then for some reason, the owner was more concerned with having lunch around 3:00 each day than actually riding bikes. So we'd do 3-4 shuttle laps and stop to eat at 3:00... but then we were done for the day, so we went and hung out at the hotel until dinner later at night. We asked him after the first day if we could ride more, and he proceeded to tell us that he knew better and we needed to take it easy. There wasn't a single day that I was even close to being worked. There were a lot of other pieces that were handled poorly, but those were smaller nit-picks.

I may be a little over-analytical since I'm in the business, but all I know is that if I ran a trip like that with Chasing Epic, my customers would revolt. I was hoping to learn some things I could integrate into our trips, but instead I learned what not to do.

Thanks for the details. Rideit knows the TSN crew, and I know Rideit, so I’m glad he put me in touch.

[Hott Butt Mud]

Rideit is the godfather of mountain biking. Some say he drew the concept of wireless bluetooth shifting on a napkin while in a bar in Eden, UT way back in 2006. Legend.

[jackstraw]

Do you think some guide services cater to a lower level rider? It looks like some fun stuff, but it is Bentonville...who goes there on purpose? [emoji848] I don't know anyone that has gone on a guided mtn bike trip. Not saying it wouldn't be great, but most of us are too cheap and/or are capable of making a decent plan. Guided could and probably would be better, but would the cost difference justify it?

[Hott Butt Mud]

Do you think some guide services cater to a lower level rider? It looks like some fun stuff, but it is Bentonville...who goes there on purpose? [emoji848] I don't know anyone that has gone on a guided mtn bike trip. Not saying it wouldn't be great, but most of us are too cheap and/or are capable of making a decent plan. Guided could and probably would be better, but would the cost difference justify it?

"Guided mountain biking" has made mountain biking even more elitist. It's why we have wireless shifters and derailleurs. It's why trail ratings get a negative rating because it was 'too windy' that day and 'it rained'.