Leonardo da Vinci, the guy who invented the mountain bike, said, “Water is the driving force of all nature.” Leo knew his stuff. Water is a constant draw for mountain bikers. Any ride gets a little better when it takes you along the banks of a lake, or to the shore of an ocean or as you negotiate a stream crossing. This month’s Trail Mix takes a look at good old H2O and its connection with mountain biking.
PARTING THE SEA
My shots of Jesse Ettinger, my son-in-law's brother and my riding partner, parting the water in Malibu, California.
Finding little gems like this clear, spring-water pool, make any ride a little more special.
Santa Rosa, California
BOTTOM BRACKET SERVICE TIME
We are from Singapore and we called ourselves "the rideables" and this ride was in Johor, Malaysia, during the raining season.
Gary & The Rideables
A RIVER RUNS THROUGH IT
My cousin Ernst on a mountain bike trip in Ecuador. For those who don't know, Ecuador is located in South America and contains rain forest, Andes mountains, the coat, and, of course, the Galápagos islands. Mountain biking is quite popular in Ecuador but is still a secret to most of the world. Do yourself a favor a consider Ecuador on your next epic bike trip.
Dave Tharp (right) and Jeff Mason taking a break at Twin Lakes in Colorado, just south of Leadville. This was the servant quarters for the Inter-Laken Resort.
My son Scott and I were riding the Continental Divide Trail at 10,000 feet near Steamboat Springs last summer, when he snapped this photo of me riding through the south fork of Fish Creek. Let me tell you, water is always very cold at that altitude. We both ride Moots, made in Steamboat Springs.
Steamboat Springs, Colorado
Riding the trails at the US National Whitewater Center in Charlotte, North Carolina, on a wet morning. This is a quick crossing of the Catawba River.
Charlotte, North Carolina
THE SECRET IS OUT
The singletrack around Guernsey Lake, Wyoming, is absolutely the most outstanding riding that hardly anyone knows about. As you can tell from the scenery, it is a spectacular two-hour ride and due to a banana belt climate can be ridden 10 months.
MOUNTAIN BIKE ACTION TRAIL MIX SUBMISSIONS
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“Trail Mix” rider of the month: Olympian Georgia Gould.