Winter Tour

Tomorrow (Tuesday March 1st) at 4:15pm I'm meeting our Cartographer Brian Williams and Media Director Jed Dennison at Marshall Mountain for a snowshoe. Anyone is welcome to join. We'll be hiking the whole course....bring a headlamp, food and water. Meet at the gate at 4:15pm.

50 GREAT THINGS ABOUT MOUNTAIN BIKING - #26

#26 - Not doing a workout. Once you've reached mid season your fit enough to do all the rides. You can choose any ride and just cruise for the fun of it. I'm talking about the "stop at the creek" rides. Here's a photo of Dave Hartman doing what he does best. Photo by www.tomroberstonphoto.com

50 GREAT THINGS ABOUT MOUNTAIN BIKING - #27

#27 - Tubeless setups. The traction and feel are worth the pain of dealing with the hassle. In the picture below Sam Schultz tries to fix a flat on a big ride. Photo by Adam Jensen.

50 GREAT THINGS ABOUT MOUNTAIN BIKING - #28

#28 - Weekday race leagues. My favorite around Montana is the Whitefish Mountain, Thursday Night Race. There's something about local glory that you just can't replace with bigger events. Below is a picture of the Whitefish races a couple years back. The photo was posted by Levi Hoch (Hammer Nutrition Employee). Shout out to Hammer for sponsoring the Missoula XC.

50 GREAT THINGS ABOUT MOUNTAIN BIKING - #29

#29 - Tire selection. There's a tire for every situation and every rider. It's one of the number one things fellow riders talk about. I like running different tires on the front and back. It's a conversation piece and makes you feel cool. Here's a photo from a summer ride. Schwalbe Racing Ralph on the front and the Specialized Purgatory on the back.

Race Schedule Updated

I have updated the race schedule. The UCI Elite Men and Women have been switched to Saturday July 23rd.

50 GREAT THINGS ABOUT MOUNTAIN BIKING - #30

#30 - The weekend warrior. Lots of dedicated mountain bikers have tons of obligations during the week and can only get out on the weekends. Most folks think of weekend warriors as skiers, but there are lots of hardcore mountain bikers who save it for the weekend. My favorite warrior around here is Garland Thayer. He gets out when he can during the week, but lays it down on the weekend with some major rides. He's also competed in numerous regional endurance events. Below is a photo of him ripping Unravel the Scratchgravel XC in Helena (May 15th, 2011). Photo by Missoulasheepheads.

50 GREAT THINGS ABOUT MOUNTAIN BIKING - #31

#31 - Realizing you've got one more gear. So many times you reach for the last gear and it's not there. Every once in awhile you get a lucky and your rear derailuer slips into the granny. Ben Horan rides Sheep Mountain in Missoula. Photo by Adam Jensen.

50 GREAT THINGS ABOUT MOUNTAIN BIKING - #32

#32 - The mid ride BS session. Almost every ride has it....no matter how hard you go there's a stopping point where you re-group and the BS-ing commences. I think it's from the endorphins, but the conversation topics are all over the map. It starts with weather, ride details, and ends with opening up a business together. Photo by Phil Grove.

50 GREAT THINGS ABOUT MOUNTAIN BIKING - #33

#33 - Mountain Bike Touring. Road bike touring is pretty fun, but getting deep in the woods on your mountain bike and then setting up camp is the best. Ripping trail combined with backpacking??? Best ever.

50 GREAT THINGS ABOUT MOUNTAIN BIKING - #34

#34 - 5 and 5 bikes. The beauty of floating down a descent and the bike doing work for you. The technology now makes it possible to go uphill as well. Only in this past season I started to have the desire for a cushy bike.

50 GREAT THINGS ABOUT MOUNTAIN BIKING - #35

#35 - Fall Riding. The Fall is the best time to mountain bike. The temperature is perfect, the trails are in good shape, and the scenery is beautiful. Below is a photo I took from the top of Wallman Saddle in the Rattlesnake. This was a wonderful ride for me.....especially since I didn't attend the party in the lower photo the night before. Photo by Casey Greene

50 GREAT THINGS ABOUT MOUNTAIN BIKING - #36

#36 - Mountain Bike Racing. The mountain bike race scene is un-like any other. With the exception of Team Ironclad out of Portland there is no post race brew after road races. After a mountain bike race riders sit in lawn chairs, sip cold beverages, and talk shop. Photo by Adam Jensen (photo taken after a road ride).

50 GREAT THINGS ABOUT MOUNTAIN BIKING - #37

#37 - Single Speeds. I love single speeds. No maintenance, just simple machines that make you work. Everyone has gone through a single speed phase and some people are through and through single speeders. Toby Meierbachtol and Adam Jensen on a summer ride through the lens of Tom Robertson (also the official photographer of the Missoula XC).

50 GREAT THINGS ABOUT MOUNTAIN BIKING - #38

#38 - The weekday group ride. Every group of riders has their weekly group ride. In Missoula, Thursday has been the traditional group ride day. Whether it's the Safety Ride, The Thursday Nighter, The Working Man Group, or the Mangy Crew they all have one thing in common. It's all about having fun. What is your group ride day? Below is an excellent photo of four ladies enjoying the Thursday Nighter. Photo by Julie Huck.

50 GREAT THINGS ABOUT MOUNTAIN BIKING - #39

#39 - Finding the zone. Whether it's consistent training or as simple as having a bigger breakfast, everyone has their day in the sun. I remember my single day in the sun from last season very well. It was a hot ride after work. Starting the ride I felt horrible. Thirsty, heavy legs, and bad moral. All I wanted to do was jump in the creek. The first climb of the day found me struggling to keep up. The second climb I decided to lead in attempt to dictate the pace and not have to ride out of my comfort zone. 10 minutes went by and I was going ok, so I shifted into a harder gear. The grade and my legs fell into a symbiosis and I found the "zone." Micheal Jordan talked about the zone frequently. Special athletes do special things, but I believe every rider has their day. Did you find the zone last year? I know my boy Toby did.....