Friday Features: Lines on a Map, Fixies on parade, and the most Creative BMX tricks Ever?

We’ll start off the Friday Features on a different note this week. Instead of the latest video game tricks played out in real life by two wheeled dare devils, Mavic brings us a clip of a ride. An incredible ride. One that defines us as cyclists and what we love to do. Go farther, push harder, discover ourselves. Deciding to take on a 230 mile epic across the state of Colorado, Mavic’s Zack Vestal brings us along on his journey. One things for sure, if Zack ever gives up riding and working for Mavic we think he could find a job as a narrator.

Details and more films, next.

3 years ago, my friend Luke Miller reached out and said he had this idea for a huge 230-mile ride. Luke and I and another friend, Ben Blaugrund, had made a habit of doing a big ride each year. Ben in particular was the instigator for most of our mega rides, and he and I had done some 190-ish loops in the past. So Luke wanted in on the action and had this great plan.

 

Anyway, Luke’s trick on this particular route was that we would spend the night in Crested Butte, to make the distance more manageable. He had a ski buddy with a place there. So we pulled it off, and it was awesome.

 

But that “what if you tried to roll it in one day?” question never really died down, and when Mavic proposed more content production to illustrate the nature of our company and its people, this was my suggestion. And I would live to regret my cheap talk, as they held me to it and we set a date. For the entire spring and early summer of 2013, I lost sleep thinking about it.

 

The same thing happened roughly 20 years ago. I grew up in Boise, Idaho, and the thing back then was to ride from Boise to Stanley, Idaho. About 125 miles, good elevation up into the mountains, etc. I joined a group ride when I was about 18 years old. It was a watershed experience. I’d never gone so far, and so far from home, in my life. But after that, so many things in life seemed easier. This time around, pushing 2x the distance at 2x the years old seemed somehow appropriate.

 

Fortunately, the day was perfect in every way. Full moon, clear skies, not much wind. We started early (4:30am) and stayed ahead of schedule along the entire route. It was painful. I really nearly fell apart on Kebler pass, and the rest of the ride (another 5 hrs or so) acquired a death-march pallor. But I had a genuine fear of nightfall on Cottonwood Pass, so we kept it moving and rolled home around 7:30pm.

 

It’s on Strava, here: http://www.strava.com/activities/69604523

you’ll note how little I’ve done since then …

We go from riding across the Rockies to riding across the Alps on fixed gears with 8bar Bikes.

8bar-bikes.com
facebook.com/8barBIKES

4 guys, 4 days, 400 km and 4.000m in height. These are the milestones for the 8bar FIXED ALPCROSS.
In summer 2012 the 8bar team needed a new challenge. That’s how the idea came up to cross the alps with their Fixed Gear bikes.

The team started in Mittenwald/ Germany cycled all the way through Austria and then heated down south to Lake Garda in Italy.

You find a full diary about their trip here:
8bar-bikes.com/fixed-alpcross

Cinematographer: Joni Zaza // jonizaza.de

Animation: Christoph Stahl

Concept/Producer: Stefan Schott, 8bar bikes

Sounddesign: Max Jonas Baginski

You know we couldn’t leave it all as road bikes and fixed gears. Tate Roskelley is a creative guy which shows on his BMX bike. Working with The Comeup, Tate put together this clip with some of the most creative lines and tricks we’ve ever seen. Definitely worth a watch. Or three.

Tales from the Crypt? No, Tales from the Soil.

MTB Legend Nico Vink Goes Bonkers in Belgium | Tales From The Soil, Ep. 1

Nico Vink is proving that the best adventures often start close to home as he kicks off his worldwide tour by going bananas on his home turf of Belgium. It’s wet and cold but the weather doesn’t affect the downhill trails, pump tracks, and dirt jumps that Nico loves the most. Take a moment to appreciate the beauty of these forests and then take another to imagine yourself flying through them at speeds that should be illegal. The only thing missing here is a helmet cam for the full vicarious experience. MTB Legend Nico Vink Goes Bonkers in Belgium | Tales From The Soil, Ep. 1

Finally, if learning how to barrel roll is on your to do list, check this out. You can learn how to roll with the best of them in 10 minutes with this 6 minute clip.