Rip Van Winkle took a 20 year nap, and when he woke up, everything had changed. Well I sort of feel like the same thing has happened in the year since I moved away from Boise.
When I first started mountain biking in Boise, we all rode XC bikes on trails as smooth as a dirt sidewalk. Which is pretty much the same thing I do in Utah save the couple times a year I go ride more technical stuff down South.
The last couple years I was in Boise, we started to hit some of the small natural features on the trails--little drops and gap jumps, typically in the 4-5 foot range. Nothing too big, just enough to add a little excitement to the ride.
One of the guys I rode with, Brad, initially told us all we were crazy. He wouldn't even ride down a fairly easy natural rock staircase, insisting that he'd stack it up and break a collarbone.
My how things have changed. Over the last few years, Brad has been the driving force behind a community bike park near his home in Eagle, ID. The park features dirt jumps, as well as race courses for XC, short track, 'cross, DH, dual slalom, and 4X.
Brad is the lead rider in this video. He's also a school teacher and a 40-year-old father of two and embodies Warren Miller's old adage "if you don't do it this year, you'll just be one year older when you do."
Brad’s done a nice writeup including more photos, video, and info on the bike park here.
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I feel like a total wuss. Knowing the rider in the video is a 40-something like me gives me no excuse.
ReplyDeleteVery cool bike park - way to go, Idaho!
watching that leap from the platform makes my stomach flip. Looks fun as hell though.
ReplyDeleteWe need more of that here.
ReplyDeleteLong-travel suspension is a beautiful thing and makes you into a hero pretty quickly. Oh wait, you wouldn't know about suspension.
ReplyDeleteLooks like fun stuff.
Daren: I used to ride a six inch travel trail bike. And I maintain that the only way to ride the whole enchilada down in Moab is on a freeride bike. Suspension does turn you into a hero. And some of us end up doing stupid things when we think we're heroes.
ReplyDeleteVery nice. I don't mind drops, but dirt jumps with air time mess with my mind.
ReplyDeleteI have been hitting the skate park lately on the MTB, and it is eye opening and skill increasing.