Everyone is talking about Bentonville, Arkansas鈥攁nd for good reasons. It’s the outdoorsy town that has it all:

Artwork
Culture
Food
And world-class mountain biking

See what you can discover where adventure never ends.

The Arkansas Department of Parks, Heritage, and Tourism protects and promotes the state鈥檚 natural, cultural, and historic assets, contributing to a thriving economy and high quality of life. The Division of Arkansas Tourism strives to expand the economic impact of travel and tourism in the state and enhance the quality of life for all Arkansans. The division manages 14 Arkansas Welcome Centers and employs more than 60 staff members across the Natural State. Learn more at听.

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The Friday morning after Kevin Underhill crashed, I returned to the Driveway auto racetrack around 7 A.M. The track鈥檚 owner, Bill Dollahite, greeted me. How was I doing, he asked.

I had already told Bill that we鈥檇 had to transport Underhill to the hospital the previous night. It was important for the venue owner to know that there had been a serious crash, because he might need to speak with local media outlets about the incident. But Bill had already seen the blood on the race course. A car club would be using the track at 9 A.M., Bill reminded me. We needed to have the venue cleaned up and prepared for their arrival.

It was August 14, 2009, near the end of my first full eight-month season as the promoter and race director of the Driveway Series, a Thursday night road bike race at the far end of east Austin. I dumped PA cables, extension cords, and other equipment out of five-gallon buckets I’d been using as storage. I found a scrub brush and some Dawn dish soap, and went down to the tree-lined section of the track. I carried one bucket of clean water, one of soapy water.

I scrubbed the track for the next hour and a half, trying to get the blood stain out. I understood that the group of people Bill was hosting were paying for a premium experience. One of the members in the car club was a doctor from Austin鈥檚 Brackenridge Hospital, where we鈥檇 transported Underhill the previous evening. The doctor had finished a long overnight shift. We began to talk.

鈥淚s Kevin going to be okay?鈥� I asked. Because of medical privacy rules, the doctor couldn鈥檛 say much. He just told me, 鈥淚 know you probably want to go home, but you should really go back to the hospital.鈥�

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It was last fall when I realized that everything had changed. First there were the back-to-back high-country rides where my friends and I were the only ones on mountain bikes without motors. Then there was the eleven-mile climb where a hiker squinted at my crankset, exclaimed, 鈥淣o battery!鈥� and began to clap. There was the exchange later that day with the only other cyclists we saw riding traditional pedal bikes, who shouted as they passed, 鈥淲e鈥檙e a dyin鈥� breed!鈥� Finally, there was the encounter at the top of an obscure peak in the Sierras, when an older man looked at my bike and said, 鈥淚 remember riding this trail on my analog bike.鈥�

Depending on who you ask, we are approaching, at, or past a tipping point for eMTBs. This year, Santa Cruz Bicycles could sell more eMTBs than pedal bikes, the company鈥檚 product director Josh Kissner tells me. Specialized鈥檚 model has been its top-selling mountain bike for years. And Cannondale currently has more eMTBs in development than analog. Professional mountain biker Paul Basagoitia, who鈥檚 ridden e-bikes since a 2015 crash at Red Bull Rampage left him paralyzed, laughed when I asked whether eMTBs were the future of the sport. 鈥淭he future?鈥� he said. 鈥淲hat do you mean? It鈥檚 here, it鈥檚 now.鈥�

Industrywide, bike shops still sell more pedal bikes than eMTBs. But product managers from the brands above believe e-bikes will soon represent more than half the bikes on the trail. How much more? Specialized was the most bullish, with Turbo product director Marco Sonderegger and eMTB product manager Joe Buckley guessing they could become 75 to 80 percent of the bikes sold. Kissner of Santa Cruz thinks it could be up to two-thirds. Cannondale senior global marketing manager Mike Marro believes that in the future, 鈥渁nalog will have its place,鈥� but it will dominate only for 鈥渟pecific use cases,鈥� like cross-country race and downhill categories.

鈥淗ow many people are cross-country skiing compared to alpine skiing?鈥� asked Buckley, rhetorically. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 where it鈥檚 going to go.鈥�

The inflection point that once seemed impossible, then unlikely, then far off, is suddenly here. European eMTB models emerged in the early 2010s, but they had kooky bolted-on batteries and carried their weight about as well as a JanSport backpack stuffed with Encyclopedia Britannicas. Specialized is credited for launching the North American eMTB revolution in 2015, when it debuted the sub-fifty-pound Turbo Levo 6Fattie, with its integrated battery and refined handling. But eMTBs still had a long road to social acceptance. In 2018, an 国产吃瓜黑料 columnist wondered if they were 鈥�Dorkmobiles or Saviors of the Universe.鈥� By 2019, however, bike reviewer Aaron Gulley allowed that they鈥檇 鈥渃ome far enough that they鈥檙e well worth buying.鈥� Around 2020 or 2021, Sonderegger says, the Levo began to lead Specialized鈥檚 mountain bike business. Today, he tells me, 鈥淚 don鈥檛 see a way back.鈥�

How you feel about this change depends, unsurprisingly, on whether or not you ride an eMTB. Most eMTBers I spoke to said they鈥檇 welcome a future in which they鈥檙e the majority (duh). Most industry professionals expressed optimism as well (at least outwardly) for a scenario in which e-bikes grow ridership, stoke trail building, and get more Americans exercising. One industry professional admitted that he would feel 鈥渁 little bit sad鈥� if eMTBs one day outnumbered pedal bikes. Then he asked if he could stay anonymous.

A lot of longtime riders can probably relate to this sentiment鈥攁s well as the reluctance to voice it. It鈥檚 not really OK to be anti-e-bike anymore. Most of us know or love people who ride them, many of whom couldn鈥檛 (or wouldn鈥檛) ride otherwise. If you love the sport, it鈥檚 tough to criticize gray-haired dads riding with their kids, injured cyclists returning to the trail, or, really, any rider more readily accessing the joy of mountain biking.

It鈥檚 not really OK to be anti-e-bike anymore. Most of us know or love people who ride them, many of whom couldn鈥檛 (or wouldn鈥檛) ride otherwise.

But also, if you love the sport, you might not want it to change. Many die-hard pedal bikers thus find themselves in an awkward position. Just because you support eMTBs doesn鈥檛 preclude you from dreading their ubiquity, or worrying about a future in which they completely take over. It鈥檚 either naive or disingenuous for people to reduce the debate to 鈥渞ide whatever makes you happy,鈥� as if pedal bikers have no stake in whether they鈥檙e eventually outnumbered.

No one wants to be constantly buzzed on singletrack by much faster riders; and despite the industry鈥檚 claims that eMTBs don鈥檛 damage trails mile-for-mile more than pedal bikes, concerns about overuse by virtue of an eMTB鈥檚 ability to cover more mileage are legitimate. Marro also tells me that one reason people buy e-bikes is to keep up with their friends. In his view, riders like me could soon have to make a decision: Do I buy another analog bike? Or do I get an e-bike so I can keep riding with the group? (The product managers I spoke to also agreed that most companies will pare down their pedal offerings if growth continues to lag.)

Not everyone believes our electric future is a foregone conclusion. Kyle Young, founder of Transition Cycles, for example, doesn鈥檛 think it鈥檒l happen (although even the decidedly core Washington brand sells one eMTB out of every four mountain bikes sold).

But wherever the long-term ratio shakes out, we鈥檝e already hit some undeniable tipping point鈥攖he alienating experiences I鈥檝e had recently would have been hard to imagine even a year ago. If there was any moment where the eMTB revolution could have stalled, Cannondale mountain bike product director Scott Vogelman believes it would have been five to eight years ago, when battles over trail access for eMTBs were most hotly contested. Since then, eMTB riders have won access to many trails.

鈥淎t this point the ball is rolling down the hill,鈥� he says. 鈥淚 don鈥檛 think it鈥檚 stopping.鈥�

The Turbo Levo turns ten this year. As with other technological changes over the past decade, eMTBs show that we鈥檙e living in a time when a lot is changing very fast. Now, buoyed by their success, the outdoor industry is experimenting with what else it can motorize. Companies have recently released electronic touring skis, hiking pants with a powered exoskeleton, and an electronic tow rope for backcountry skiing. On a Reddit thread about the electronic skis, commenters dismissed them as 鈥渁bominations鈥� and said they would never be allowed on public lands where most backcountry skiers go. They could be right. But I remember similar conversations when we saw the first eMTBs too.

This piece first appeared in the summer 2025 print issue of 国产吃瓜黑料 Magazine. Subscribe now for early access to our most captivating storytelling, stunning photography, and deeply reported features on the biggest issues facing the outdoor world.听听

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If you鈥檝e been daydreaming about all the trips you鈥檒l take come summer, it鈥檚 time to turn dreams into reality. But with so many options鈥攆rom hiking and biking to rock climbing and outdoor yoga鈥攊t can be hard to prioritize. Fortunately, there鈥檚 one place you can go to tick off your entire summer bucket list: the . Located in Denver, this two-day event blends adventure, fitness, and community with soul-soothing music from big names like Khruangbin, Sylvan Esso, and Lord Huron.

It gets better: REI just launched a sweepstakes giving away a trip for two to the 2025 国产吃瓜黑料 Festival. , then start planning your summer of adventure. To give you a head start, we鈥檝e put together this list of ten travel must-haves.

Travel Duffel

REI Co-op Big Haul 34-Inch Rolling Duffel

Finally: a duffel that comes in all-wheel drive. REI Co-op鈥檚 burly Big Haul roller bag sports oversized wheels and a sturdy chassis designed to handle cobblestones, gravel, and anything in between. Add to that a TPU-coated 400-denier shell and a set of sturdy grab handles, and you鈥檝e got a bag that鈥檚 expedition (or festival) ready.

Backpack

Cotopaxi Allpa 35 L Travel Pack

A do-it-all daypack belongs at the top of your packing list, and the Allpa 35 L really does do it all. A burly TPU-coated 840-denier nylon outer shell defies scrapes and scuffs, and the interior is fully sectioned off with zippered mesh panels. The network of pockets keeps gear impeccably organized, and a plush hipbelt makes for effortless carry.

Toiletries Bag

Peak Design Wash Pouch

Yes, your quart-size plastic bag will work as a ditty bag. But if you鈥檙e serious about travel, it鈥檚 time for this upgrade. Made of waterproof fabric, the Peak Design Wash Pouch sits upright on a counter or hangs from a towel bar via a hidden hook. Its four-liter capacity is big enough for a long trip, and the TPU-coated nylon is a breeze to clean.

Headphones

Shokz OpenRun Pro2 Headphones

These techy headphones combine bone-conduction technology with more traditional air conduction, lifting the high notes and dropping the low notes for a more immersive audio experience. The OpenRun Pro2鈥檚 noise-reduction feature filters out transit chatter, and the open-ear design keeps you alert to your surroundings whether you鈥檙e crossing busy streets in Barcelona or sneaking in a run around your Denver hotel.

Insulated Bottle

Owala FreeSip 24-Ounce Vacuum Water Bottle

Staying hydrated is tough in any time zone, but it鈥檚 even tougher when you鈥檙e switching between them. The genius of the Owala FreeSip is its push-button top, which keeps the built-in straw germ-free, all while enabling effortless sipping. That makes it much easier to keep drinking, whether you鈥檙e on buses and trains or exploring high-elevation trails. Now add vacuum insulation and a carry loop, and you鈥檝e got the perfect summer bottle.

Versatile Footwear

HOKA Transport Shoes

Travel often involves pounding concrete and standing in long lines, both of which can be hard on the joints. Fortunately, well-cushioned footwear鈥攍ike the HOKA Transport鈥攃an defend against fatigue. The Transport鈥檚 5mm heel-to-toe drop helps roll your foot forward into the next step, and its soft EVA foam absorbs impact. Another nice touch: eco-conscious materials like recycled polyester and sugarcane-based foam.

Travel-Ready Pants

REI Co-op Trailmade Pants

Breathable enough for hiking, stylish enough for sightseeing, and soft enough to wear as pajamas, the Trailmade Pants are the perfect all-in-one travel trouser. Its four pockets are each big enough for a passport, and the adjustable elastic waistband defies slippage whether you鈥檙e crushing a steep trail or dancing to a music festival encore.

Lightweight Fleece

Patagonia R1 Air Full-Zip Hoody

It can be hard to find a hoodie that鈥檚 both packable enough for travel and insulated enough for chilly airplanes and cool evenings above treeline. Enter the R1 Air Full-Zip. This 100 percent recycled fleece is warm, quick-drying, and equipped with three zippered pockets. Pull it out for a cozy night around the campfire or stuff it in a pack pocket for an emergency layer on long hikes.

Packing Cubes

REI Co-op Expandable Packing Cube Set, Small/Medium/Large

Whether you鈥檙e living out of a duffel or just trying to keep your favorite socks from wandering off in your tent, packing cubes are the secret to staying organized on the go. REI鈥檚 set is better than most because each durable nylon cube features an extendable zipper, so you can add or subtract volume as needed, and a mesh panel lets sweaty gear breathe.

Smartwatch

Garmin fenix 8 AMOLED Sapphire

How鈥檚 this for a magic trick: The fenix 8 makes the worst part of traveling鈥攖he logistics鈥攖he best part. With an intuitive display, precision mapping, turn-by-turn directions, on-the-go texting and calling, and up to 29 days of battery life, this smartwatch is designed to keep you seamlessly on track, no matter where your adventures take you.

is the nation’s largest consumer co-op, with a growing community of 24 million members who expect and love the best quality gear, inspiring expert classes and trips, and outstanding customer service. More than a retailer, REI is a purpose-driven and values-led company dedicated to enabling life outside for all.

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Back when , I prepared myself to answer the same question whenever I encountered a fellow American bike nerd.

What’s your favorite bike race?

Most people assumed that I’d say the Tour de France. But my answer was always the same: the .

That’s right, Belgium’s Tour of Flanders, which will commence this Sunday, April 6, is cycling’s best race. It’s my favorite race to watch on TV and to attend in person.

Unlike the three-week Tour de France, the Tour of Flanders is just one day. It is one of the sport’s five so-called Monument races, which is a title reserved for road cycling’s oldest and hardest one-day events. These events鈥擬ilano-Sanremo, Tour of Flanders, Paris-Roubaix, Liege-Bastogne-Liege, and Il Lombardia鈥攁ll boast courses that are 150 miles or longer.

The racing at the Tour of Flanders is breakneck and aggressive for 167 miles. The route is laden with razor-sharp cobblestones and steep, punishing climbs. And almost every year, the race produces drama all the way to the finish line. Once the Tour of Flanders starts, you don’t want to look away from the livestream.

As awesome as the Tour of Flanders is to watch on TV, it’s even cooler to check out in person. And anyone who loves traveling to bike races should put the Tour of Flanders atop your bucket list. Here’s why:

In Flanders, Belgium’s northern Flemish-speaking region, the race is equal parts patriotic celebration, day-long party, and professional sporting event. It’s like combining the Super Bowl with a Fourth of July parade, and adding gallons of heavy Trappist ale. Millions of Flemish people leave their homes to stand alongside the roads and party. People wave the yellow Lion of Flanders flag and generally goes bananas whenever the cyclists ride by. The whole scene absolutely slaps.

My affection for the Tour of Flanders starts with the racecourse. The route zigzags its way across the Flemish countryside before completing two laps on a hilly circuit outside the town of Oudenaarde. The circuitous route is way more spectator-friendly than the Tour de France course. While fans at the Tour de France wait by the roadside for hours to see the peloton buzz by in a flash, at Flanders, you can see the riders speed by multiple times on race day.

There’s a men’s and a women’s pro races both tackle the same approximate route on the same day. Fans who attend get to see cyclists whizz by all day long.

I also love the race’s topography. Make no mistake: there are no soaring Alpine or Pyrenean ascents in Flanders. Instead, the pastoral countryside is dotted with short but punchy hills. The roads up these mounds are steep, no wider than a sidewalk, and are made of cobblestones. Riding a stiff carbon听bicycle over a European cobblestone street is extremely painful and jarring.

When the pro peloton hits these narrow and uncomfortably bumpy lanes, chaos ensues, and cyclists jostle for position while generating eye-popping amounts of power. When it rains, the cobblestones become extremely slippery, and riders must sometimes dismount and walk.

Il existe un Koppenberg 脿 Zurich ?

鈥� ntoine VAYER (@festinaboy)

I cannot stress how important these tiny hillsides are to the Flemish, who revere them much like Americans love Mount Rainier or Denali. Seemingly innocuous hillsides like the Koppenberg, Paterberg, or Oude Kwaremont are steeped in the race’s 112-year history, and have been the site of legendary battles for generations.

The third reason I love the Tour of Flanders is the way these climbs fuel the action.听The race’s ebb-and-flow is must-watch TV for any fan of bike racing. Since it’s a one-day race, and not a stage race like the Tour de France, the cyclists are racing for that day’s victory only. Each hill breaks the peloton into smaller groups, but the gaps between these groups are small, which creates a constant cat-and-mouse dynamic as the action unfolds.

The very best racers wait until the final 40 miles or so to attack, and drama always ensues when the top riders square off on the Oude Kwaremont and Paterberg. Oftentimes, the crux of the race occurs when one cyclist can generate just a few more watts than his or her foe on one of these short climbs. He or she who wins Flanders is equal parts brains and brawn.

脡 amanh茫! Tour de Flandres!

鈥� BikeBlz (@BikeBlz)

And the cyclists who excel at the Tour of Flanders are鈥攂y and large鈥攂uilt differently from those who win the Tour. Grand Tours cater to spindly, ultralight cyclists who can ascend 3,000-foot mountain passes for days on end. At Flanders, the peloton’s big and brawny racers like Flemish hero Wout van Aert or Dutch racer Mathieu van der Poel get to shine.

But here’s perhaps the best reason to check out Flanders in person: you get to ride your own bike on the course. On the day before the professional race, organizers stage a mass-participant cyclosportive called We Ride Flanders on the same route. You can choose your own distance ride. Organizers position feed zones along the route where you can chow down on waffles and local chocolate.

Every year, approximately 16,000 cyclists head onto the narrow lanes crisscrossing Flanders and race each other up the Koppenberg, Paterberg, and other climbs. I’ve done We Ride Flanders on four separate occasions times, I can attest that it is chaotic and bonkers and unquestionably fun. You get to experience just how steep and painful the climbs are, which gives you an added appreciation when you see the peloton rumble up them a day later. You don’t get to do that at the Tour de France.

Plus, when you’re done with the amateur event, you can check out the in downtown Oudenaarde. You can also drink plenty of local beer and eat chocolate and cheese until you pass out.

I always tell cyclists to make the Tour of Flanders the focal point of a week-long or ten-day trip to Belgium. The weekend prior to Flanders is another major cobblestone race, called Gent-Wevelgem, which has its own amateur event. There’s a smaller race on the Wednesday between the two events, called Dwars Door Vlaanderen, which is always a compelling event to watch as well. And if you have oodles of vacation time to burn, you can then stick around another week and view in nearby France.

I obviously understand the appeal of the experiencing the Tour de France, with its soaring Alps, picturesque towns, and summer sunshine. But take my word for it: the Tour of Flanders is better.

The post The Tour of Flanders Is Better than the Tour de France. Here鈥檚 Why. appeared first on 国产吃瓜黑料 Online.

Dear Sundog: My buddies and I have been mountain biking together for more than 20 years. We鈥檙e not racers, but we ride hard and push each other. A few years back, one of the guys had a hip replacement and could no longer keep up, so he got an e-mountain bike. It was the right call to keep the gang together, even though it limited our access to trails that allow e-bikes. So we started poaching some trails that were off-limits to e-bikes: no one really noticed one electric bicycle in the middle of our pack, and besides, there鈥檚 not much enforcement.

Then, as Mr. Hip began to recover, he started leaving us in the dust. This prompted two of the fully healthy guys to switch over to e-bikes so they could stay out front with him. Now these rides are no longer fun for me, partly because I can鈥檛 keep up, and partly because I feel bad about taking e-bike riders on trails where they鈥檙e not allowed. I鈥檓 not sure how to change it without either being a dick and telling my friends how to act, or being a poor sport and dropping out. 鈥擲lippery Slope

Dear SLOPE,

There are two separate ethical questions here. The first is whether it鈥檚 okay to poach trails that are closed to e-bikes. Of course it鈥檚 illegal, but Sundog doesn鈥檛 always consider an act unethical merely because the state forbids it. You indeed make a good point that Mr. Hip, with his partial disability, is doing no real harm, and I accept that the good of allowing him to regain his health with his friends is of real value. It would be more ethical, of course, if your group chose to ride only on trails open to e-bikes; especially as e-bikes get bigger, heavier, faster鈥攁nd begin to resemble what they literally are, which is motorcycles鈥攖hey should not go on a non-motorized biking trail. But the occasional poach is perhaps no great sin, more akin to driving over the speed limit than, say, starting a forest fire. If Sundog chanced upon a middle-aged dude recovering from surgery riding his e-bike in the wrong place, I might be more inclined to applaud him than scorn him.

But as your name implies, it鈥檚 a slippery slope! Mr. Hip鈥檚 decision has enabled your friends to also break the rules. They of course are weenies, for whom there will be no sympathy from Sundog鈥攎uch less the community of riders who are likely to bite their heads off.

The second and deeper question, which applies to Mr. Hip and your other friends鈥攁nd to all mountain bikers鈥攊s this sense of entitlement, which comes across like this: I should be free to do what I want to do on public lands. Naturally this freedom has been enabled by the lack of law enforcement that you mention. Mr. Hip might say that he used to be able to ride this trail when he was younger and healthier, so isn鈥檛 it fine to use a small assist to stay in shape? Fair enough. But then the other friends might say that they used to be the fastest in their group, and if Mr. Hip has a motor, then why not them, too?

It echoes the debate that upended sport climbing a generation ago. Some bold and brilliant climber established a route on lead in pure style with minimal protection. Now nobody else could repeat the route because it was too dangerous. Well, reasoned the sport climbers, if we rappelled down and placed a few solid bolts, then a lot more people could enjoy this climb! Now those trad climbers who value pure form feel a bit like the Amish, clip-clopping around town in their horse-drawn buggies, the rest of the world scratching their heads at their ethical decisions from another century.

It’s true that, on some trails鈥攕pecifically those that get wet and muddy鈥攅-bikes can cause more erosion than a regular bike, particularly heavier e-bikes with a throttle. But in other places, that鈥檚 not a major concern, and I think those who oppose e-bikes on trails should admit that our chief complaint isn鈥檛 that the bikes are bad for the land, it鈥檚 just that they are annoying to those of us who choose to ride in 鈥減ure鈥� form.

In the future, non-motorized mountain bikes may seem quaint and obsolete. But for now, Slippery Slope, I think you need to tell your healthy friends to stop riding e-bikes where they don鈥檛 belong. If they agree, then your rides will once again be fun for you. If they refuse, and this breaks up the old gang, then at least you鈥檒l know it wasn鈥檛 because of your being too afraid to state your beliefs.

厂耻苍诲辞驳鈥檚 about people who leave dog poops in plastic bags on the trail elicited all sorts of passionate opinions. Sundog suggested that once you get a quarter of a mile from the trailhead, you could just kick the poop or nudge it off the trail with a stick. One reader disagreed strongly:

Let me relate to you why all dog poop needs to be removed, not just kicked off the trail. I was riding my bike on a recreation/bike trail. I got nailed by a hornet. Thinking there might be a nest near the spot I got stung, I returned with a can of spray, to take care of the nest. There was no nest, it was a pile of dog poop with hornets on it. The next day I had to take off work and go to the doctor’s office. My leg around the sting was an angry red color. It was very infected, from the dog-pooped hornet sting. Cost me a round of antibiotics, missed work, expense of doctor and prescription, all because of dog poop a few feet from the trail. I say all dog poop needs to be removed.

Others suggested practical alternatives:

I live in Summit County, Colorado, where dog shit bags are an epic problem. When I first moved here, I was one of those kick-it-off-the trail-in-the-leaves guys. I鈥檝e spent most of my life in Arkansas and Missouri, where poop in the leaves degrades pretty quickly. That’s not the case at high altitude in dry Colorado. So I started bringing along bags, and I’d leave them by the trail, then pick them up on my way out. Well, most of the time I did鈥擨 might have forgotten one. Then reading social media here, I became aware of how seeing and smelling a fresh poop bag ruined the hiking experience for others. And then it ruined it for me, where at times within the first 400 yards of a trailhead, you’ll come across dozens of bags. So then I read a handy 国产吃瓜黑料 magazine gear blurb about the Turdle Bag, which was supposed to hold in the smell so you could pack out your poop. Only it didn’t quite work. My point is: me and my Labrador retrievers Copper and Elbert wrestled with this issue for months, if not years.

Finally, I figured it out: an empty plastic jar will hold the poop smell in 100 percent until you get home. I mean, after you bag it and jar it, you can put your nose right up to the lid and smell…nothing. The small Talenti gelato jar (473ml) will hold about two Labrador or human poops. The large jar will hold more like five. Bonus: it comes filled with gelato you get to eat before your first use! Another option is the Skippy peanut butter jar鈥攂ut it takes a lot longer to empty!

My family even went so far as to take five jars with us on a two-night, three-day camping trip to Rocky Mountain National Park. You should have seen how delighted the ranger was when I told her we were going to 鈥淧oop it out, Pack it out.鈥�

Mark Sundeen teaches environmental writing at the University of Montana. He does not own an e-bike, but he might consider one in a few years. Got a question of your own? Send it to sundogsalmanac@hotmail.com

The post My Cycling Buddies Bought E-Bikes. Now I Can鈥檛 Keep Up. appeared first on 国产吃瓜黑料 Online.

Standup comedian didn’t set out to make fun of mountain biking, snowboarding, and other recreational activities on his Instagram feed. Like many professional comics, Losse, 44, spent several years recording videos of his observational humor to see what resonated with his audience.

He mused on the banalities of middle-aged life, weather in Seattle, and shopping at Costco. But then, about year ago, Losse posted a from his local mountain biking park, Duthie Hill. In the video, Losse showed viewers the park’s gnarly jumps and massive drop offs, and then pointed out the easy trails that he uses to circumnavigate the hard stuff. “The fire road is running really good鈥攕uper loamy,” Losse says in his trademark sardonic, dry tone.

A few months later, Losse published another video about the absurdity of snowboarding. “Do you enjoy nature but wish it was more stressful? Try snowboarding at a resort on the weekend,” Losse said into camera.

Both videos generated tens of thousands of likes, as the Instagram algorithm distributed them throughout the outdoor community. After that, Losse began in his standup routine, and also in his videos on Instagram. His angle: joke about the very specific and very absurd elements of cycling, snowboarding, and getting outdoors.

We caught up with Losse to understand why cyclists, snowboarders, and other lovers of outdoor activities enjoy his jokes.

OUTSIDE: How did you decide to start making fun of outdoor recreation culture?
Losse: I’d been doing standup for 12 years and had posted videos of my comedy shows forever without getting much traction. A few years ago I started posting videos of me just talking into the camera鈥攐bservational stuff. I posted one about the absurdity of Microsoft Excel, and how if you want to get ahead in corporate America you just need to know a few excel formulas. That one was a hit,听and for a while I thought I was going to be the office comedy guy. But it never took off.

Then last spring I got back into mountain biking after a few years off, and I realized that the actual media around mountain biking鈥攖rail reviews, especially鈥攍eaned so heavily into the gnarliest and most extreme terrain. It’s all just rock rolls and huge gaps and features that felt so unattainable. I thought it would be funny to make fun of those. It’s like, I don’t want to ride the trail named “Predator” at Tiger Mountain, I want to know how to ride around that trail without hurting myself.

I made the video about going around the gnarly trails. Honestly, I just thought it was stupid and only funny to me. I didn’t think anybody else would like it. But it turns out a lot of people who love mountain biking aren’t trying to attain mastery. My video struck a chord within the community and got distributed by the algorithm, and it got huge pickup. My buddy joked that I picked up a mountain bike and became an influencer within 60 days.

What elements of outdoor recreation are inherently funny?
There’s a super-obsessive part of biking culture that people don’t really talk about. There’s gear obsession, Strava obsession, and a fixation on parts upgrades and how they will make you better. It’s ridiculous, and all of know it is, but nobody acknowledges it. If anything, I’m shedding light on this collective mental illness we all share. You don’t find that in snow sports quite as much, but in cycling it is very apparent. You buy a new bike and the first thing you do is upgrade the parts. I need new handlebars and new grips. There’s an entire industry built around people being insecure about what they are riding.

Your humor is very much focused at the core audience of these sports, and not at casual followers of outdoor rec. What’s the challenge in reaching hardcore groups?
I feel like it would be easy to make videos where I make jokes about mountain biking in such broad terms that anybody could like it. But that would be boring to me. I just don’t think it’s as funny as being super specific to the things that people obsess about in these sports. Because those are things that I am guilty of. I don’t want to talk shit about activities that I’m not also doing. For instance, I made a video where I joked about gravel biking. I did it because at the time I was building up a gravel bike.

I do think it’s what makes my comedy different. It’s reverential. I am making fun of hyper-specific actions done by people in a group that appeals to people in that sport. And I’m trying not to be corny.

How do you straddle the line between joking and being mean?
My comedic sensibility is that I won’t make fun of something that isn’t part of myself. I don’t seek out communities to make fun of that I’m not part of. That helps. I think that when you make fun of a community you’re not part of, it’s easier to be mean. It’s less reverential, and people can tell.

But not everyone knows that I’m making fun of activities I love. I made a joke about gravel biking鈥�do you like mountain biking but wish it were less fun? Try gravel cycling!鈥攁nd people were pretty fired up. A lot of folks didn’t appreciate that one. There are very specific communities within cycling, and some of them take themselves way more seriously than others. Most people who get upset don’t see that it’s satire, or they aren’t familiar with me and don’t know that I also do it. So I try to always nod my cap that I love the sport I’m making fun of. I want the community to be clear that they’re not being attacked by an outsider.

What’s the difference between telling jokes in front of a live audience and telling them on Instagram?
My stand-up humor is more autobiographical and observational. It’s a lot about stories growing up in Washington State, being married, and other normal topics. I tell stories about riding my mountain bike, but they are longer, and tend to take weird twists.

Making jokes online that connect with people is hard. I explain that it’s like trying to get struck by听lightning. It’s pure luck. Luck and repetition. I’ve found that, since getting a bigger audience, you find your lane and stick with it. And mountain biking and snowboarding became my lane in a very unexpected turn of events.

This interview was edited for space and clarity.听

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When a Reddit thread surfaced about a man who went on a solo cross-country e-bike tour, two questions demanded answers: Who was this adventurer, and what kind of bike did they use? After all, while reliable e-bikes have proliferated on urban commutes and mountain bike trails, only the best can successfully endure a grueling 5,500-mile journey from coast to coast.

The cyclist was 55-year-old Ed Ditto from Tennessee, and he was riding an .

Cruising across the country on an e-bike wasn鈥檛 Ditto鈥檚 first encounter with long-distance routes. He grew up backpacking with his father and even completed a thru-hike of the Appalachian Trail in 2023, and for years has been passionate about immersive travel. And he鈥檚 done a lot of it. Ditto retired early鈥攁t age 36鈥攆reeing up time to pursue his love of whitewater kayaking, ultrarunning, and exploring new places without the pressure of time.

Ditto鈥檚 Aventon-powered journey began at the Yorktown Victory Monument in Virginia and concluded at the Astoria Column in Oregon. Along the way, he connected the dots between urban centers like Chattanooga and St. Louis and scenic highlights like Yellowstone National Park and Breckenridge. The route offered sweeping views of the Mississippi River, climbs over Rocky Mountain passes, and a front-row seat to the diverse landscapes of the American heartland.

Choosing a bike for the journey was just as important as choosing the route. Ditto says the decision was influenced by positive feedback from the community. 鈥淚t was good review after good review鈥攂oth in the trade press and from individual owners across various forums,鈥� he recalls. 鈥淚 found a local dealer, took the Aventon Level 2 for a test ride, and it just felt right. I鈥檇 tried other bikes, but this one stood out as the best option. Plus, it seemed versatile enough to handle more than just urban commuting.鈥�

He upgraded the e-bike with essentials to help meet the challenges of a continent-spanning ride. The kit enhancements included:

• Swapping the stock 12-32T 8-speed cassette for an 11-46T 9-speed for better climbing gears. This also meant upgrading the shifter and rear derailleur and lengthening the chain.
• Purchasing two extra batteries and a spare charger.
• Installing a custom Old Man Mountain front through-axle with an integrated attachment point for a front rack.
• Switching to Schwalbe Marathon E Plus 2.00 tires for added durability.

The package successfully got Ditto across the country, collecting memories, views, and interactions he鈥檒l carry with him for a lifetime. He recalls the final moments of his trip:

鈥淥n the last day of my trip, after five months riding westward, I crested the ridge above Cape Lookout, Oregon, pulled off at an overlook, and saw the Pacific breaking against the beach. I realized I鈥檇 made it. I stood there straddling my bike, balancing its weight, and trying to feel anything like triumph. But I only remember feeling exhausted.

鈥淭here were other people there, all watching the ocean, except for one guy. He came over and asked how far I鈥檇 ridden, and when I told him I鈥檇 crossed the country, he did what you鈥檇 expect: He gasped, said 鈥榃ow,鈥� congratulated me, asked a bunch of questions, etc.

鈥淭his had happened to me dozens and dozens of times as I made my way across the U.S.鈥攁ll these people who were flabbergasted that you could walk out of your house, get on your bike, and just start riding. A hundred, 500, 5,000 miles鈥攁mazing, they鈥檇 say.

鈥淎nd then another guy approached and reacted like the first, and then a family walked up. I suddenly found myself surrounded by people praising me, telling me what an extraordinary guy I was for doing such a thing.

鈥淚t freaked me out a little. I鈥檇 been alone way too long by then, maybe gotten a touch agoraphobic. So I disentangled myself in the nicest way possible, rode down the ridge to the beach, leaned my bike against a fir tree, and walked out into the ocean with all my clothes on. That was it. Virginia to Oregon. Coast to coast. Done.

鈥淎 few days later, after recuperating at a beachside AirBnB near Astoria, I rented a van, loaded my bike, and headed back east. Eventually, I stopped for gas and caffeine. Unhooking the nozzle from the pump, it hit me: Back to the world of the mundane, man.

鈥淢aybe I should鈥檝e ridden home.鈥�

is here to inspire adventures, both big and small, in all terrains of life. No matter what we look like now, a year from now, or a decade from now, this is what keeps us moving forward. Redefine adventure and learn more at .

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From the top of California鈥檚 2,579-foot Mount Tamalpais, one can gaze out at a commanding view of San Francisco, the Pacific Ocean, and the Golden Gate Bridge. But it wasn鈥檛 the overlook that lured 200 mountain bikers to the mountain on the crisp morning of Saturday, November 2.

The cyclists had ridden to the summit on paved and dirt roads in an organized protest. They wanted to show local authorities that mountain bikers deserve to ride on the local trail system鈥攖he same dirt paths where mountain biking was born nearly 50 years ago.

鈥淚鈥檓 here to free Mount Tam,鈥� Andy Scott, a 59-year-old cyclist from nearby San Anselmo, told 国产吃瓜黑料. 鈥淚t was once inhabited by all users, and now only by a limited few.鈥�

Mountain biking has been prohibited on the trails since the mid-eighties, but recent efforts to open the trails back up to cyclists have been gathering steam.

The protest, which was labeled “Liberate Mount Tam” by its organizers, came on the heels of a controversial lawsuit and subsequent court order that had stymied their access to the trails. In April, the Marin Municipal Water District, the government agency that manages much of the public land on the mountain, approved two pilot programs to allow cyclists access to 6.6 miles of trails on the peak.

The approval came after six years of planning, community outreach, studies, and lobbying by local cycling advocacy groups. The trails were set to open to mountain bikers Friday, October 4.

But the afternoon before the opening, a judge issued a temporary restraining order that halted progress. Three local environmental groups鈥擬arin Conservation League, California Native Plant Society, and Marin Audubon鈥攆iled a lawsuit to block the plan. They argued that the Water District failed to comply with the California Environmental Quality Act, which requires public land managers to investigate and then publish the impact of a wide range of projects, from trail building to forest thinning.

The lawsuit did not sit well with the mountain bikers or the cycling advocacy groups.

鈥淭he Marin County Bicycle Coalition has gone out of its way to collaborate with Marin Conservation League and others over the years in an earnest desire to hear and understand their concerns,鈥� said Krista Hoff, the off-road director of the local advocacy group Marin County Bicycle Coalition (MCBC). 鈥淭hey are not interested in equitable access.鈥�

But officials from environmental groups disagree, and say they are simply doing what鈥檚 right to protect Mount Tamalpais鈥檚 ecology from damage. 鈥淭he Marin Conservation League’s interest is in moderating growth in intensity of recreation so that it does not cause further impacts,鈥� says Nona Dennis, president of the Marin Conservation League. 鈥淎ll recreation has an impact on the environment.鈥�

The development is just the latest skirmish in a decades-long war that cyclists have waged to legally ride the trails in mountain biking鈥檚 birthplace.

How Mountain Bikes Were Chased Off Mount Tamalpais

In the seventies, a rag-tag group of local cyclists including Gary Fisher, Joe Breeze, Wende Cragg, Charlie Kelly, and Otis Guy modified beach cruisers and rode them down the trails and fire roads on Mount Tam. The group 鈥� and their adventurous rides helped launch modern mountain biking.

But many Marin County locals didn鈥檛 like cyclists riding the trails. Citing environmental and safety concerns, well-organized groups attended town meetings and wrote to their elected officials, asking to ban the new form of recreation. By 1984, local authorities officially shut down Mount Tam鈥檚 trails to cyclists.

鈥淲e really couldn鈥檛 understand the hostility from the land managers,鈥� Otis Guy, who is now 71 years old and was at the recent November protest, told 国产吃瓜黑料. 鈥淲e care about these lands. We should be considered an asset, not a threat.鈥�

Similar rules spread across California and the country in the eighties and nineties. Disputes over trail usage often pitted mountain bikers against hikers and equestrians, with the latter user groups regularly gaining the upper hand. In Marin and nearby Alameda County, rules restricted bicycles to dirt maintenance roads, which are 12-to 15-feet wide, and usually steep. The single-track trails, meanwhile, were off-limits.

The loss of trail access prompted in 1988. Called the International Mountain Biking Association, or IMBA, it advocated for cyclists鈥� access to trails, and showed local mountain biking communities how to build and manage trail systems.

Local cycling advocacy groups like Access 4 Bikes and MCBC also pressured Marin officials to allow cyclists onto the trails. These groups helped mountain bikers gain access to other trail systems in Marin County in the early 2000s. But the dirt trails on Mount Tam remained off-limits.

鈥淲e鈥檙e still fighting the same stupid battles today,鈥� Guy said. 鈥淚MBA showed the world years ago how to build trails, and it鈥檚 been done with no [negative] impact across the country. But Marin County is a different place.”

A Process That Took Years to Complete

The pilot program to allow mountain bikes on Mount Tam took six years to come together.

Biking advocacy groups also worked to nominate cycling-friendly managers onto the Marin Water District鈥檚 board of directors. Since 2020, Bill Keene, a board member for the cycling advocacy group Access 4 Bikes has knocked on approximately 2,000 doors in Marin County to stump for bike-friendly candidates for the water board.

Both Access 4 Bikes and the Marin County Bicycle Coalition persuaded their members to attend local hearings, board meetings, and community hikes, and to write letters on behalf of cyclists. The advocacy work paid off. In April, the board voted unanimously to approve the two pilot programs for the 6.6-miles of trail: one for regular mountain bikes and another for e-mountain bikes.

Officials from bike advocacy groups told 国产吃瓜黑料 that the local environmental groups were part of the planning process and had years to raise concerns. 鈥淭hey were at the meetings, they had a seat at the table,鈥� Guy said. 鈥淭his is how cooperative people and processes work.鈥�

But representatives from environmental groups told 国产吃瓜黑料 that the Marin Water District failed to provide detailed reports on how mountain biking would impact the flora and fauna on Mount Tamalpais during this process.

Dennis told 国产吃瓜黑料 that the Marin Water District also failed to disclose which trails or roads would be open to cyclists until 2024.

“The first two to three years were mostly talk, with no reference to any specific roads or trails on the watershed, nor even tentative improvement proposals” Dennis said.

The lawsuit claims that the water district鈥檚 land 鈥渃ontains critical biological resources, including dozens of rare plant species and plant communities,鈥� and that 鈥渢he addition of mountain bikes and e-bikes to these trails and roads has the potential to harm these resources.鈥�

Dennis said that the Marin Water District failed to acknowledge that some e-bikes motors emit a high-frequency noise that can disrupt bat colonies. And the plan didn鈥檛 explain how the increased use would impact the northern spotted owl, a threatened species.

鈥淎 CEQA review would have included such analyses, and furthermore, would allow for public comment,鈥� she said.

The Marin Water District declined a request for an interview. But in a press release, a spokesperson for the water district said it took the requisite steps asked for prior to approving the mountain biking pilot program. 鈥淭he District worked hard to assess watershed trail conditions, monitor trail use data and engage with a range of user groups in order to design trial programs that allow for expanded recreational interests without compromising our number one priority鈥攑rotection of our community鈥檚 drinking water and the biological diversity that exists within this incredible natural resource,鈥� the release said.

Keene, who oversees advocacy for Access 4 Bikes, said the lawsuit caught the cycling groups by surprise. 鈥淢arin Conservation League indicated they would not sue,鈥� he said. 鈥淧ilot trails were selected to avoid environmentally sensitive areas and the litigants know this.鈥�

But Dennis said her group made no such promise. Instead, she says her group sent a letter to the Marin Water District prior to a hearing in early September warning of a potential legal challenge. When the Water District approved the pilot program, Dennis said her group felt like it had no other option.

鈥淭he MCL Board determined we had only one recourse: that is, to join the other two non-profits as a co-plaintiff,鈥� she said. 鈥淚n our view the district鈥檚 failure to conduct adequate CEQA review before opening the trails to bikes, was an abuse of CEQA.鈥�

The Pilot Programs Are Stalled but Not Dead

国产吃瓜黑料 attended the November 2 rally on Mount Tamalpais and spoke to more than a dozen cyclists in attendance. At the November 2 rally, many of the cyclists expressed their dismay.

鈥淭here are dams on Mount Tam, there are miles upon miles of roads, there was a train to the top,鈥� said Vernon Huffman, president of Access 4 Bikes. 鈥淵ou can鈥檛 tell me that this place is free of human impact and that bikes are an environmental harm.鈥�

But for the time being, the status quo remains on Mount Tamalpais. No e-bikes are allowed anywhere in the watershed鈥攅ven on fire roads鈥攁nd bicycles are forbidden on the singletrack trails. The pilot programs are on hold indefinitely. In December, a Marin County judge strengthened the environmental groups’ position by issuing preliminary injunctions on both the e-bike and singletrack pilot programs.

The injunction doesn鈥檛 entirely kill the program, but it will prevent it from happening in early 2025.

Whether or not this setback deters the mountain bikers听on Mount Tamalpais is yet to be seen. Hoff wrote a letter to the Marin Independent Journal saying she was hopeful that 鈥渢he case will be decided in favor of more equitable recreational opportunities for people who ride.鈥�

Atop Mount Tam on November 2, Keene and Huffman stood in the bed of a pickup truck and addressed the cyclists from a bullhorn.

鈥淭his is the way to take back Tam!鈥� they yelled.

The crowd responded with a chant that pinged across the parking lot 鈥淟iberate Tam! Liberate Tam!鈥�

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As athletes look to eat healthy while saving money, Costco has become the place for scoring mammoth deals on groceries. After all, who doesn鈥檛 love affordable groceries?

And yes, Costco has plenty of affordable healthy groceries. It might seem like they鈥檙e hard to find amid the colossal tubs of M&Ms and lifetime-supply jugs of ranch dressing, but nutritious options at lower price points are plentiful. You only need to be strategic about what you buy.

I worked my way through the Costco product lineup to round up the healthiest Costco foods for athletes. Add these to your shopping list the next time you are ready to push around that oversized shopping cart.

The best healthy Costco foods for athletes

Kirkland Signature Organic Peanut Butter听听

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