The sweetest trails and riding spots

Public skills clinics at Valmont Bike park in August

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I’m offering six public clinics at Valmont Bike Park in August. This is an awesome, cost effective way to dial in your skills.

Classes are limited to six riders each. Cost is $90 and includes the opportunity to purchase the book Mastering Mountain Bike Skills or Pro BMX Skills for a discounted $20.

We will cover the core skills, then we’ll focus on whatever the group wants (and is ready for). Expect to dial in position, braking, cornering and pumping. If all goes well, we’ll do some dropping and jumping too.

Valmont is an amazing place to ride and learn. Come on out. Let’s rip it!

ALL CLASSES ARE SOLD OUT.

I’ll post when September dates are set. Email me to get on the mailing list.

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Building Kidtopia

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Mom calls it Kidtopia, Dad calls it Dadtopia. We are building a trampoline and pump track at a house in Longmont, CO. This track is the real deal: long and turny with lots of options.

Day 5 and the track is done. I say this every time, but this is the best track ever. Fast, flow and tricky, with lots of options.

More photos on Lee Likes Bikes @ Facebook (See Facebook box at upper left of this page.)


I am beat, but I couldn’t sleep last night — obsessing about riding (and improving on) this track.

Pre-Olympic rippage

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I’m showing this singletrack.competitor.com photo from last week’s test race on the Olympic XC course because it is so rad.

Let’s discuss:

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Help, there’s gravel on my pump track

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Lee,

The local pump track here was built with bad dirt and it has a lot of gravel in it. As the dirt erodes away the track fills up with gravel and it becomes tough to ride. Do you have any advice on how to help this situation? I have thought about taking a push broom and trying to sweep the gravel off. Please let me know.

Thanks,
Travis

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Building the pump track in Saginaw, MI

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Day 1: Today was long, hot and awesome at Haithco Recreation Area. Dirt is placed and ready for Friday and Saturday’s volunteer dig days. We’ll be working all day both days. Can’t wait to ride this track — and swim in the lake afterward.

I’m posting photos and updates on Lee Likes Bikes @ Facebook (See Facebook box at upper left of this page.)

Day 2: The track is running thanks to county staff, helpful families and the jail work crew. Tomorrow we chase details and turn laps. Community Braaap!

Day 3: Thanks to the kids from a local group home and a surprise appearance by NorCal DH legend Allie Rau, the track is massaged, packed and ready to rip. Riding sesh in the morning, then head to the Detroit airport. I have a dozen blisters on my hands and feet, and I am beat.

Pump track build in Saginaw, MI this weekend

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Hi all, I’m heading to Saginaw, MI to build a pump track this weekend. We sure could use some help!

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Custom pump track madness in Lethrbridge, Alberta

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More than two years ago, Aaron Simms from Trail Crew Design Corp. hired me to design two pump tracks for a bike park he planned to build in Lethrbridge, Alberta, Canada.

He told me to create one pump track for beginners and one for experts, and to go nuts — no limitations. I threw down some madness. Two years later, and the park is coming together. Yesterday Aaron placed dirt for the tracks. Check out this action:

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Valmont Bike Park trail descriptions

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I will update this post as I explore the incredible Valmont Bike Park in Boulder, CO. Expect photos and videos.

June 14, 2011: Today, my first day at Valmont, I rode the park for six (6!) glorious hours. Features reviewed: Medium Slopestyle Line, Dual Slalom, Mesa Top Pump Park, Mesa Flow, Corkscrew, Rivet, The 5280′ Run-Up, Creekside Pump Park, Small Dirt Jumps, Dirt 101

June 15, 2011: Update on the big pump track. Added bike suggestions.

June 16, 2011: Added video of Jerad Fischer rolling the Large Slopestyle line. This man is ripping with one leg. Medium dirt jump line.

June 19, 2011: Updated pump track descriptions, added Large dirt jump line.

June 30: Updated Large dirt jump line.

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Hardtail on Tunnel Trail?

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Lee,

Dunno who else to ask this question, if you’ve got a second, that’d be awesome.

I’m in Santa Barbara, CA on a family trip for the next week. I searched for the Tunnel Trail, since it’s the only one I’ve heard of and your site came up, like, 3rd on the search. Only got a 29er hard tail here (it lives at my parent’s house in Newport Beach). Was thinking of riding up Gibraltar road (since I guess that’s a pretty well known climb) and then down the trail. Will I die if I do this? I figure I can just be slow on the down. For comparison’s sake, I wouldn’t ride, say Keystone or Sol Vista with anything less than 6″ of travel (and DH tires for that matter), but I can’t think of anything on the Front Range that I couldn’t ride with a hardtail (including Left Hand OHV area — at least last time I rode it like 7 or 8 years ago)

Thanks,

Scott

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Yes you can: a video must-see

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Jerad Fischer, who recently had his lower leg amputated and is still getting used to his bionics, rolls the Large Slopestyle line at Valmont Bike Park.

This is one solid, skilled, passionate dude.

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2011 Lyons Outdoor Games pump track worlds

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Yesterday we rocked the World Pump Track Championships at the Lyons Outdoor Games in Lyons, CO.

The event was smaller than hoped, but we had a gool ol’ grassrootsy time.

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Hope for aging, busy people

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Last week, before we re-built the Lyons pump track, I rolled a new 100-lap record. This is despite more work and family time — and way less time on dirt. It gives me hope.

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