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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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

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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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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�

The post Inside the Battle to Ride Mountain Bikes on Mount Tamalpais appeared first on 国产吃瓜黑料 Online.

础听听of this article originally appeared on听Pinkbike.听

It’s easy to become part of an echo chamber. Pinkbike often gets lost in the finer points of mountain bike technology, from suspension platforms to frame flex. But what kind of questions are people asking about mountain biking outside the platform? For one, what are the best mountain bikes for beginners? Below, Pinkbike’s editors offer concise answers to the ten most common mountain bike-related questions on search engines, social media, and online forums.

1. What Is the Best Mountain Bike for Beginners?

One you can afford. Don’t let the average mountain biker’s obsession with technology make you think you need all the latest features to have fun.

If you’re new to the sport, getting advice and after-sales support from a local shop can be invaluable. On the other hand, if you’re happy to take more risk and willing to do your own research, second-hand or direct sales bikes offer less daunting prices.

You may hear that you simply have to start mountain biking on a hardtail because it teaches you better skills. The truth is it teaches different skills. Hardtails are the way to go for those on a tight budget (under around $1,500 if buying new) as the cheapest full-suspension bikes are usually too compromised to be worth recommending.

If you’ve got a bigger budget, a solid trail bike with 130-160 millimeters of suspension travel and modern geometry should help build confidence (and with it, skill) faster and more painlessly than the sketchy hardtails many of us learned to ride on. Get a bike that’s appropriate for the trails you want to ride most often, but has the potential to tackle more challenging terrain as your skills improve.

2. How Much Does a Good Mountain Bike Cost?

You certainly don’t need to splash out for a top-end bike to get something that performs just as well. For a bare-bones entry-level hardtail, budget around $1,500 for one that will allow you to get stuck into some serious riding. But if you want a full-suspension bike that’s going to satisfy a keen mountain biker, the best bang-for-buck is usually around $3,000 if buying new. The more you can afford up to that amount, the better the bike you can get, but above that, the benefits soon start to plateau.

The good news is that it’s a buyer’s market right now so there are lots of good deals if you shop around.

3. How Do I Maintain my Mountain Bike?

1. Wash it when it’s dirty.
2. Clean and lubricate the chain after every ride. After washing the bike, run it through a rag to wipe off dirt and water, then lubricate it with mountain-bike-specific chain lube.
3. Check the tire pressures before every ride (see question eight).
4. Regularly do an “M-check,” inspecting for loose bolts, play, or worn parts. Starting at the rear wheel, check the brake, tire, axle and derailleur, then move on to the saddle and seatpost, then the cranks, bottom bracket and pedals, then the cockpit and headset, and finally the front wheel and brake. These five locations make a capital “M” shape, which makes it easy to remember.
5. Have the suspension serviced and brakes bled at least once per year.

4. What Are the Benefits of Full Suspension Versus a Hardtail?

The obvious benefit to a full suspension bike is that it cushions the impacts on rough terrain, making it easier to ride fast without getting bounced off-line or having your teeth rattled loose. They also offer more grip because the wheels are more consistently pressed into the ground. Most serious riders and racers use full-suspension bikes for every discipline these days, from downhill to cross country. Even gravel bikes sometimes have suspension now.

On the other hand, hardtails are usually much less expensive鈥攐r offer better parts and frame quality for the same price鈥攎aking them the go-to option for those on a tight budget. There’s less to go wrong and no pivots or rear shock to service, too. Apples-to-apples, hardtails are usually lighter and transmit slightly more of your pedal power to the ground, making them fractionally faster on smooth climbs (this is why hardtails still get used occasionally for smoother cross-country courses). Also, some (strange) people just prefer the challenge of riding without rear suspension.

5. How Do You Choose the Right Frame Size?

These days, most manufacturers provide a size guide on the geometry tab of their website; this is a reliable indicator for most people. There’s often a range of rider heights that overlap between two sizes. In this case, size down if you want more agile handling or size up if you want more stability for fast terrain.

For more on this, see our guide to modern bike sizing. If possible, try and arrange a test ride or talk to the manufacturer for a personalised recommendation.

6. What Are the Best Upgrades for My Mountain Bike?

It depends on what components your bike has, but common upgrades that make a big difference without costing the earth include comfy grips and a saddle that fit your body better; tubeless tires that are appropriate to the riding you usually do, and a dropper post if you don’t already have one. Better brakes can massively improve confidence too, but you don’t always have to spring for a whole set – bigger rotors (larger diameter or thicker) and fresh brake pads (sintered for wet weather) can boost power and consistency.

7. What鈥檚 the Difference Between Cross-Country, Trail, Enduro, and Downhill Bikes?

Cross country (XC) races are usually won or lost on the climbs, so XC bikes are designed to excel when going uphill, with minimum weight and efficient suspension. Modern examples have 100-120 millimeters of suspension travel and can weigh as little as 24 pounds. Descending is still important, especially in modern cross country, so XC bikes often have dropper posts and slack head angles, but the geometry is still less confidence-inspiring than trail bikes. Also, the handlebars are typically much lower. Almost all modern XC bikes have 29-inch wheels.

“Trail” isn’t a racing discipline, so trail bikes are designed to be fun. They should be light enough to enjoy rather than endure climbs but usually with a stronger emphasis on descending capability. They typically have 130-150 millimeters of suspension travel which makes them pretty capable when the trail gets hectic but not so much that they feel lethargic in flowy terrain. Most have 29-inch wheels, though recently many have a 27.5-inch wheel at the back or the option to run either.

Enduro bikes may look like trail bikes, but they’re designed with much more bias towards descending. In enduro racing, it’s only the descents that are timed, so climbing performance takes a back seat (although some enduro bikes climb surprisingly well). They have 160-180 millimeters of travel, tough tires, big brakes and burly components. Many enduro bikes weigh well over of 35 pounds. Some have 29-inch wheels front and rear and some have a 27.5-inch wheel at the back. Many can accept either rear wheel size.

Downhill bikes are not designed to be pedaled uphill at all. They have 200 millimeters of suspension travel or more, stiff dual-crown forks, and close-ratio gearing. Because they do not need a dropper post or wide-range cassette, they are often no heavier than enduro bikes. In recent years, most have moved to mixed wheels (29-inch front, 27.5-inch rear) though some can still accept 29-inch wheels at both ends.

Mountain bike disciplines are more of a spectrum than distinct categories; it’s perfectly possible to take your trail bike on a cross-country ride and visa-versa. There are also tongue-in-cheek sub-categories that seek to split the difference even further, such as “downcountry” (a compromise between trail and XC) or “all-mountain,” which fits in between trail and enduro.

8. What Tire Pressure Should I Run on My Mountain Bike?

This varies depending on rider weight, tire construction, terrain, and riding style. But a good place to start is to ignore the pressures printed on the tire sidewall鈥攖hey’re usually a maximum rather than a recommendation. Most riders should start at pressures between 20 psi and 30 psi. Go towards the lower end of that range if you’re lighter, less confident, or riding slippy terrain. Go higher if you’re heavier, riding hard, or the trails are rocky. It’s usually a good idea to run about 3 psi more pressure in the back tire than the front, as it takes more weight.

Use a pressure gauge to measure tire pressures before each ride and experiment to find what works for you. It doesn’t have to be a fancy gauge, but ideally, it should be the same one every time. Usually, you’re looking for the lowest pressure you can get away with before the tire starts to collapse in corners or when you start to feel the tire hitting the rim when riding over rocks.

Tubeless repair plugs can be surprisingly effective. (Photo: Richard Cunningham)

9. How Do I Repair a Puncture on a Trail?

Option 1: If it’s a tubeless tire, find the hole and push a puncture repair plug into it. Afterwards, trim the excess. When you get home, you may want to stick a puncture repair patch to the inside of the tire. This will help long term, but just be sure to do so after cleaning the tire.

Option 2: If option 1 fails or the tire isn’t tubeless, insert an inner tube to get you home. When you get home you can patch the tire or the tube with a puncture repair kit.

Option 3: If you haven’t got a spare tube, remove the tube and locate the puncture. You can do this by inflating the tube with a pump. Fix the puncture with a patch kit.

Option 4: Borrow an inner tube from a friend in exchange for future beers.

Option 5: Give up. Cry. Walk home. Get back late. Cry more.

10. How Do I Improve My Technical Mountain-Biking Skills?

• Ride more.
• Book a coaching course.
• Regularly practice a short section of trail several times.
• Get your friends to film your riding so you can see where to improve.
• Watch Pinkbike’s .
• Ride more.

The post The Internet鈥檚 Most Common Mountain-Bike Tech Questions Answered appeared first on 国产吃瓜黑料 Online.

In traveling, I鈥檝e always chosen to go it alone rather than not go at all. Over the years, friends have called me fearless. Don鈥檛 you get scared? they ask. Very rarely. Lonely? Honestly, never, even before the days of social media. And isn鈥檛 it more expensive to travel by yourself than with others? Traditionally, yes. Solo travelers often got slapped with single-supplement, or premium, hotel and tour fees, but since the pandemic, companies have started courting solo travelers. Priceline even held its first-ever .

, safety, loneliness, and expense are the three biggest reasons people hate to travel solo. But I鈥檝e been adventuring on my own for more than two decades, and I find it freeing. I can travel at my own pace and on my own budget. I can easily score a table for one鈥攅ven at top restaurants that often require bookings weeks in advance. And I connect more with locals.

More people are catching on to the appeal of solo travel, however, especially Gen Zers and Millennials. Google searches for solo travel have increased 223 percent over the past decade, and according to a , 50 percent of Americans planned to travel alone in 2024. And while women have led the indie trip trend in recent years, men are joining the ranks. A from the travel booking site Omio found that 30 percent of men, compared to 23 percent of women, have solo journeys planned for 2025.

If you鈥檝e hesitated to give solo travel a go, let me alleviate your concerns and suggest some of my favorite places for awesome adventuring on your own.

Always Consider Safety First

Certain destinations lend themselves to solo travel more than others. Certainly, safety is top of mind.

I scan the U.S. State Department鈥檚 and avoid countries of conflict. I also browse the (GPI), an annual ranking of nations based on factors like the absence of violence or fear of violence, a nation鈥檚 level of harmony or discord, and its degree of militarization. Coming into 2025, Iceland, Ireland, and Austria are the safest three countries in the world, according to the overall GPI score.

, which also researches and ranks the safest places to visit each year, is another great resource. Rankings are based on an average of 鈥渁ll measures from [BHTP鈥檚] State of Travel Insurance research,鈥� and factor in other indices including the Global Peace Index and information from sources like , a destination database that scores living conditions. Berkshire Hathaway puts Iceland, Australia, and Canada as top three for safety, with Ireland close behind.

In addition to its list, Berkshire Hathaway provides write-ups that touch on smart considerations to take into account in each of the high-ranking nations, from dangerous wildlife like box jellyfish in Australia to driving on the left-hand side of the road in Ireland to expensive emergency-evacuation costs in remote destinations of northern Norway.

My 6 Favorite Solo-Travel Destinations

Some of my picks are at the top of the Berkshire Hathaway and Global Peace Index lists, but I cast a wider lens to explore off-the-beaten-path destinations. In particular, such places have satisfied my craving for big doses of nature and adventure.

Portugal

The GPI ranked Portugal the seventh-safest country in the world in 2024. It鈥檚 also a bargain compared to most Western European countries (a draft of craft beer cost me $3 in Lisbon compared to $8 in Paris), and the effortlessly connects the northern and southern regions.

I鈥檝e visited this country solo four times and have always found the locals extremely hospitable. On my first trip, I checked out the beach town of Sagres in the southern region of Algarve and met two couples from Lisbon who offered to drive me back to the city. One of the women took off work the next day to be my tour guide, and that evening she and her husband threw a dinner party for me at their home.

I love making solo surf trips up and down Portugal鈥檚 coast. Hotels like (from $200) in Santa Cruz and (from $73), just north in the town of Peniche, have a clubhouse vibe and offer activities and events鈥攍ike rooftop music sessions鈥攖hat make it easy to meet new friends. Both places can arrange board rentals, lessons, and English-speaking guides.

If you, too, fall hard for the country, Portugal鈥檚 recently introduced makes it easy to pursue residency while working remotely.

Costa Rica

Pura vida vibes have always made me feel welcome in Costa Rica. The State Department鈥檚 Level 2 advisory recommends that trip-goers use increased caution here, due to petty crime risks and natural hazards like earthquakes (which are common-ish here, with events of magnitude 7 about every decade). For 2025, Berkshire Hathaway Costa Rica the sixth-safest place in the world for female, BIPOC, and LGBTQIA+ travelers.

Surf towns such as Nosara and Santa Teresa along the Pacific Coast attract a lot of Americans and have small expat communities. , a hotel brand catering to digital nomads with coworking spaces as well as rooms, has eight outposts in Costa Rica, including in Nosara, Santa Teresa, and Monteverde (shared dorms from $24). These properties host music events and arrange local experiences for guests.

On the Caribbean Coast, I鈥檓 a big fan of the boutique hotel (from $365), which is part of the sustainability-focused Cayuga Collection. The hotel works with local guides and outfitters to arrange snorkeling excursions and hiking day trips in Cahuita National Park, including for solo guests. The place also offers free bike use, which I love for exploring the nearby town on my own.

Canada听

Canadians have a reputation for being incredibly friendly, and that as well as proximity to the U.S. and our shared language are bonuses. highlighted the country鈥檚 low crime rate and noted that wildlife like bears and moose posed some of the biggest dangers to visitors.

Vancouver and Montreal, great jumping-off points for the wilderness, ranked two and three, respectively, on a that see the most solo-travel searches on the travel site Kayak and the most solo-dining reservations on OpenTable.

Canada has 37 national parks and 11 national park reserves, as well as two beautiful coasts. I鈥檝e made friends while soaking in the swimming-pool-sized hot tub at (from $250) in Alberta鈥檚 Banff National Park. I鈥檝e also plotted solo snowboard trips to , British Columbia, to coincide with the Natural Selection Tour freestyle competition, knowing I鈥檇 meet like-minded travelers.

If you鈥檙e wary of wandering the wilderness alone, sign up for a guided trek with a local outfitter. I like the .

Another low-stress option is crisscrossing the country via rail. The Rocky Mountaineer鈥檚 from Vancouver to Banff takes just two days and is staffed with storytellers who can shed light on indigenous sites and wildlife. It offers single-berth accommodations from $1,752.

Australia

Australia has long been a magnet for backpackers. I spent nearly a year in my twenties backpacking mostly solo around the country鈥檚 east coast, and the biggest dangers were crocodiles, snakes, and jellyfish. Despite its resident poisonous critters, Berkshire Hathaway Travel Protection scored Australia听 the second-safest place in the world to travel for 2025.

Affordable and clean hostels, like (from $140) in Queensland鈥檚 Daintree Rainforest, abound and are filled with other solo travelers. is a beach-club-vibe hostel brand with Queensland locations in Noosa, Cairns, and Airlie Beach (from $32 for a spot in a mixed dorm).

Australia is a fantastic destination for hiking. is a collection of 13 treks that you can do yourself or with a guide. I spent four days traversing the wildlife-filled in Tasmania, opting for a guide via the local outfitter the because I wanted to learn more about the flora, fauna, and culture on the island (from $1,900, all-inclusive). The first two nights we stayed in secluded, simple bush camps near the beach ($7), and the final night we were pampered in the recently renovated historic-home-turned-hotel, Bernacchi House.

If you鈥檙e sticking to the mainland, the in the state of Victoria is a very doable 27 miles over four days along the Great Ocean Road, with campsites en route. The walk is suitable for hikers of any experience and takes in the shipwreck-dotted coastline, wild beaches, and Great Otway and Port Campbell National Parks.

Austria

Austria is a fantastic option for solo alpine adventures. The country is ranked third on the Global Peace Index and fifth worldwide in terms of safety by the . Most locals speak English, and a great public transportation network makes it easy to travel car-free. If you鈥檙e deciding between alpine destinations, consider that the cost of living in Switzerland is higher than in Austria, and that affects tourism; in general, expect lodging and meals in Austria to cost half of what you鈥檇 pay in Switzerland.

The runs a network of more than 170 huts, where it鈥檚 easy to engage with other hikers. Most mountain resorts, such as or or have guided hiking, biking, and paddling tours that allow you to mingle with others. And many villages offer special . I met some friends on a solo trip to the , held each September.

Bhutan

Solo travel, for me, has been the perfect way to do some soul searching when I鈥檓 making big decisions or going through a transition. And one of the most soulful places I鈥檝e ever visited is the Kingdom of Bhutan. It is a place of beauty and spirituality, and travelers here are required to have a guide, which is an exceptional way to become familiar with the culture.

Six years ago, I went on assignment on a solo ten-day guided trip of this Southeast Asia nation and learned so much, including the proper way to throw a dart (this is a traditional sport in Bhutan) and about dating habits here (yes, there鈥檚 Tinder in Bhutan). I still keep in touch with my guide, who was a woman, on WhatsApp.

Bhutan is ranked 21 on the Global Peace Index, and it鈥檚 a mecca for hiking and mountain biking鈥攖he king is an avid mountain biker, and my guide and I spotted him one day on the trail. While getting there from the U.S. isn鈥檛 cheap, nor are costs within the country, visits are slightly more affordable since the kingdom halved its daily tourist fee from $200 to $100 last year.

Phil Bowen of should be your go-to logistician to find a guide, driver, and accommodations, which can range from homestays to splurge-worthy hotels. (from $550, half-board, meaning room, breakfast, and one other meal) is one of the most memorable places I鈥檝e stayed in throughout my global travels.

5 Tips for Solo Travelers, From a Pro

Here are some tips and tricks for making the most of a solo trip.听

Share Your Plans

I always email my mom my rough itinerary. It includes the contact information for any hotels I鈥檝e already booked or the names of campsites where I plan to stay. I also regularly check in with her or a good friend via What鈥檚 App or email to let them know I鈥檝e reached a destination safely and when I鈥檓 moving on to my next stop.

Eat at the Restaurant’s Bar

I absolutely love dining alone at the bar. It鈥檚 usually easy to score a single seat, and before long I鈥檓 chatting with some fascinating local characters. Bartenders are often fantastic sources of local intel and can direct you to good restaurants and the best hiking and mountain-biking trails. Finally, happy-hour specials are a great way to save a few bucks.

Watch and Post on Message Boards

If you鈥檙e craving companionship, you might post on social-media channels like Facebook and Instagram鈥攜ou never know who in your circles, or your friends鈥� circles, is headed to the same place as you鈥攐r use the Friends setting on apps like Bumble. Many hotels and hostels, and often the local grocery store, still have bulletin boards with postings for local activities, like free yoga sessions or group hikes.

Pack Meds

Being alone isn鈥檛 so great when you fall ill in a far-flung place. In many countries it鈥檚 manageable: you can walk into a pharmacy, explain your symptoms, and get what you need. But I recently suffered through a debilitating urinary-tract infection in Morocco, and now I never travel without the broad-spectrum antibiotic I needed. I convinced my doctor to prescribe one in case I get that sick on the road again.

Don鈥檛 Second-Guess Yourself

Trust your gut. If something feels unsafe, it probably is. The very few times I鈥檝e gotten food poisoning have been when actions went against my instinct. Don鈥檛 be afraid to be impolite. Once, in Varanasi, India, an elderly woman offered me a glass of sketchy looking lassi. I felt rude saying no, and all it took was one sip to give me Delhi Belly. I knew better.

You should also follow your intuition. When I meet strangers and feel genuine good vibes, I will accept an invitation to share a ride or join for a meal in someone鈥檚 home. These chance encounters have rewarded me with some wonderful friends and experiences over the years.

Jen Murphy is 翱耻迟蝉颈诲别鈥檚 online travel-advice columnist. She has had some of her most memorable adventures while traveling solo, from dancing with a local tribe in the Omo Valley of Ethiopia to joining members of the Indian army on a run in Delhi. Her journal and a good book have always served as great companions. She has also recently written an ultimate guide to winter fun in a choice selection of mountain towns in Colorado, a guide for anyone new to adventure travel in Costa Rica, and the funniest things travelers ask their adventure guides. There are doozies.

The post I鈥檝e Been Traveling Solo for Decades. Here Are My Pro Tips and Favorite Countries to Visit. appeared first on 国产吃瓜黑料 Online.

There isn鈥檛 much to Davis, West Virginia (population 581). Its downtown is only a few blocks long. There鈥檚 no movie theater, no Starbucks. The entire county has one stoplight. You could feasibly drive through Davis and miss it entirely if you were engrossed in a good podcast.

Davis sits on the northern rim of Canaan Valley, a broad, high-elevation basin roughly 2.5 hours west of Washington, D.C. It鈥檚 surrounded by 4,000-foot peaks, most managed as public land, and hubs for hiking, biking, and skiing. But Davis鈥檚 best attribute? It鈥檚 full of people stoked to be here.

Why I Love Visiting Davis, West Virginia, Year-Round

Some might be deterred by Davis鈥檚 lack of sushi or nightlife or community theater or even a Target. But I鈥檝e been going there for 20 years, and every time I visit I鈥檓 mesmerized by the town鈥檚 bounty. The few restaurants are great for such a small town, there鈥檚 a proud beer scene, and access to outdoor adventure is off the charts.

Just ask Ian Beckner, a Davis native who moved away for college, then bounced around to other mountain towns before settling back in Davis to open a ski shop.

鈥淭here鈥檚 just so much here鈥攕o many trails, such good skiing,鈥� he says. 鈥淧eople usually have to work two jobs to make ends meet鈥濃�攖here are no large employers or industries in the area鈥斺�渂ut they don鈥檛 care too much about money. They just want to be here. Once you鈥檙e here, you don鈥檛 leave. I can鈥檛 tell you the last time I drove more than an hour away.鈥�

The adventure portfolio is exceptionally diverse, considering Davis鈥檚 location in the southern Appalachians, a region not renowned for robust winter-sports opportunities. But this particular nook of West Virginia has four distinct seasons. Mountain biking rules the warm months and skiing takes center stage in the winter, thanks to a hefty average snowfall and a trio of ski resorts. And West Virginia gets powder: Lake Effect snow from the Great Lakes on one side, and storms from the Northeast coast on the other. On average, it enjoys more than 150 inches of snow annually. Compare that to the 30 to 40 inches of snow that typically fall on ski resorts in neighboring Virginia.

I can鈥檛 decide if I like Davis more when it鈥檚 warm or has powder on the ground. I鈥檝e logged countless miles on the valley鈥檚 notoriously rocky and rooty singletrack and celebrated epic rides with friends by passing around jars of moonshine. I鈥檝e also floated through knee-deep powder in both lift-served and backcountry glades. Ditto with sharing the moonshine then, too.

The Great Mountain-Biking-Versus-Skiing Debate

So which is better? The mountain biking or the skiing? This is something debated by locals.

On the one hand, hundreds of miles of singletrack wind through adjacent state-park, national-forest, and national-wildlife-refuge land. Remember the hardcore 24-hour mountain-bike races that were so popular in the 鈥�90s and early 2000s? They began here, with the 24 Hours of Canaan.

On the other hand, you can be at either of the downhill ski resorts, the 95-acre Canaan Valley and 100-acre Timberline, in about 10 minutes. Each offers more than 1,000 vertical feet of skiing, as well as a touring center that pulls in hundreds of cross-country junkies daily when there鈥檚 fresh snow.

鈥淭he skiing is what attracted me first,鈥� says Todd Romero, who moved to Davis in 2011, switching jobs from the tech industry to the public-school system and taking a huge pay cut in the process. 鈥淲hen there鈥檚 a solid base of snow, and you can ski the trees. It鈥檚 amazing. But the mountain biking is like nowhere else. I鈥檝e been to other bike towns, but you have to drive to the trailhead. Here in town you鈥檙e at the trailhead.鈥�

The More Some Things Change…

As a Davis outsider, I鈥檇 say the town hasn鈥檛 changed much in two decades. The mountains surrounding town keep it relatively isolated, as do the serpentine roads between it and larger burgs. Locals say housing prices have skyrocketed and those in the service industry say they have a hard time making rent. It鈥檚 tough to find rental data on a town of this size, but in general have climbed almost 4 percent each year since the pandemic. And it鈥檚 only getting pricier; according to , home prices in Davis jumped 10 percent in the last year alone, with the average home value sitting at just under $330K. Davis is suffering from the second-home crunch that has impacted just about every mountain town I know of in the past decade. The same thing is happening in my hometown of Asheville, North Carolina.

Beckner says there are now more restaurants to accommodate increasing numbers of visitors (the amount of money the county collects via hotel tax has almost doubled in the last decade, according to the ), and the downhill resorts are more crowded on weekends. But the Davis of today still feels like the Davis from his childhood, he says.

鈥淲e鈥檙e still a small town. It鈥檚 not commercialized,鈥� Beckner says. 鈥淲e have all these miles of trail, but still only one bike shop. We might have more of an influx of people trying to enjoy the vibe that we all live with, that鈥檚 true, but the core value is still what it was when I was a kid. People are here to get outdoors.鈥�

Beckner tells me that his favorite weekly event is the weekly mountain-bike group ride, the epicenter of Davis鈥檚 social scene.

鈥淚f it鈥檚 Thursday night, you know where everyone will be. It feels like the whole town rides together, and then we all go get burritos together, and then we all go to the brewery together,鈥� he says. 鈥淵ou鈥檙e mingling with your doctor and your accountant and your kid鈥檚 teacher. It鈥檚 loud, and it鈥檚 always a party. It doesn鈥檛 matter what you wear, what bike you鈥檙e on, everyone is out enjoying what we have.鈥�

Without further ado, here鈥檚 the best of Davis and the surrounding Canaan Valley.

What鈥檚 Cool About the Winter in Davis, West Virginia

Skiing and Snowboarding

Two downhill resorts are minutes apart from each other. , part of Canaan Valley State Park, has loads of blue and green terrain, perfect for families and beginners. More advanced skiers can head for the fun, mellow glades off the black-diamond Dark Side of the Moon, from the top.

has steeper terrain and better tree skiing. It also has a high-speed six chair that gets you to the summit in under five minutes, so you can knock out laps until your quads quake. Pearly Glades, closer to the base area, offers steep pitches with comfortable space between trees, but mainly you鈥檒l find tight tree runs all over this mountain, so you鈥檒l need to focus. , downtown, has all the gear you need.

As great as the downhill skiing is, to me, the is what makes winter in Davis truly special. It offers more than 25 kilometers of groomed cross-country trails and more than 60 kilometers of ungroomed trails that climb and descend some 1,200 vertical feet. This isn鈥檛 flat-road skiing but backcountry fun). A dozen warming huts are scattered throughout the system, most stocked with pieces of chocolate. The Whitegrass 肠补蹿茅 and gear shop welcomes skiers with a warm apr猫s scene that includes multiple firepits, and Chip Chase, the center鈥檚 owner and a local legend, often mills around, sharing stories and his personal stash of whiskey.

Biking

Cyclists don鈥檛 have to give up riding just because it鈥檚 winter. A local trail builder, , has started grooming more than eight miles of fat-bike trails at Canaan Valley State Park. The place is even a stop on an annual that hits the valley and a few other spots in West Virginia and Maryland.

Ultimate Sledding

If you have kids, hit up the sled run at , which has a magic carpet and a hot-chocolate hut.

How to Maximize the Warm Months in Davis听

Hike, Fish, and (Much) More

Dolly Sods Wilderness, a small but spectacular 17,000-acre roadless area known for its high-elevation bogs and rocky outcroppings, is the destination for hiking and backpacking. Hit for fly-fishing, creek stomping (wading and exploring), and hiking on paths that range from easy three-mile out-and-backs to multiday 20-mile loops.

I have never yet played the golf course at Canaan Valley State Park, but I would love to.

Biking

But if you鈥檙e coming to Davis, you鈥檙e bringing mountain bikes. The singletrack is notoriously difficult and, at least in my opinion, all uphill. That鈥檚 part of the charm.

If you agree that rocks are fun, start with , which forms the backbone of the singletrack within Canaan Valley. Many offshoots and well-worn social trails branch off this eight-mile point-to-point route, and I guarantee you鈥檒l get off your bike at least once during particularly spicy sections, so give it twice as much time as you think you鈥檒l need.

Don鈥檛 fret if that sounds like more torture than fun; some new, machine-groomed flow trails have been built for us mere mortals. Hit , a six-mile swoopy loop in Canaan Valley State Park. has beta, rentals, and gear.

Where to Eat and Drink in Davis, West Virginia

Davis and the Canaan Valley only have a few restaurants, but those have everything I crave when I鈥檓 there.

and , serving pizza, are staples. But my favorite place to eat is at Whitegrass, whose caters to a more elevated palate; its great vegetarian chili hits just right on a cold afternoon. Sometimes there鈥檚 live music, and the specials change daily, but there鈥檚 always a crowd of rosy-nosed cross-country skiers, fresh off the trails and hungry, clustered in a handful of tables in the middle of the gear and rental shop. The place is cozy, loud on a busy afternoon, and really fun. When it鈥檚 time for a beer, head to , the locals鈥� favorite drinking hole.

Where to Stay in Davis

You鈥檒l find Airbnbs throughout the valley, including a option attached to the bike shop. The lovely has lodge rooms and cabins fresh off a renovation (from $178.50), as well as campsites with electricity. I鈥檝e camped in my 4Runner here in the winter, running a space heater from the outlet. Searching for something a bit more sophisticated? Book a night at the ten-room , and enjoy its mid-century vibe (from $100).

Graham Averill of Asheville, North Carolina, is 国产吃瓜黑料 Online鈥檚 national-parks columnist. He鈥檚 hoping to bring his wife and kids to Davis this winter to ski at White Grass and sled on the hill in Blackwater Falls State Park. He recently wrote about the听most beautiful towns in the Southeast听and the听best ways to get outside in West Virginia, as well as an on-the-ground account of听what it was like to survive Hurricane Helene in Asheville, and why he rues not visiting Capitol Reef National Park听sooner.

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Learning to ride a bike can be your first taste of freedom. Suddenly, the world beyond your front door opens up, ready to be explored on two wheels.

But for Marley Blonsky it wasn鈥檛 that simple. Back when she was eight years old, trying to ride with her older sister and her friends, she was told she was too slow. 鈥淚 always wanted to be part of the club,鈥� she says. 鈥淚t felt like something I was constantly striving for and not really accomplishing.鈥�

As an adult, Blonsky, 38, faced similar barriers鈥攁nd some new ones she hadn鈥檛 anticipated. She found that the weight limits on most road bikes were too low for her; her rides were hampered by broken spokes and cracked saddle rails. Most cycling-apparel brands had limited sizing, so she struggled to find comfortable jerseys and bibs. On group rides, she felt that familiar sensation of being left behind.

So she did something about it. In 2021, along with Kailey Kornhauser, Blonsky founded , a club that welcomes riders regardless of their size, gender, race, or ability. Over the past three years, the group has expanded to ten chapters, with plans to add nearly 30 more by 2027. Each chapter is encouraged to organize rides, collaborate with other bike-advocacy organizations in its area, and host events like gear swaps and fix-a-flat clinics. 鈥淲e don鈥檛 care why you鈥檙e riding a bike,鈥� she says. 鈥淲e just want to empower you to do it joyfully.鈥�

In 2024, All Bodies on Bikes led several bike-camping trips (the one hosted by the Kansas City chapter had 50 riders) and cohosted the biggest finish-line party in gravel cycling: the DFL party (for Dead Fucking Last) at MidSouth Gravel. Looking forward, the organization鈥檚 strategic plan includes establishing industry standards for weight limits on bikes and components, pushing brands to represent a greater range of sizes in their advertising, and creating a retail certification for bike shops to let would-be clients know that 鈥渢his shop is knowledgeable in working with customers of size and will treat you with dignity and respect,鈥� Blonsky says.

By creating a cycling community that embraces people of all shapes and sizes, Blonsky has made what can be an intimidating sport more approachable for new riders. She regularly receives messages from people about how meaningful it is to see a diversity of bodies represented in cycling. After years of feeling excluded, the self-identified fat cyclist has found power in throwing open the gates.

鈥淚t doesn鈥檛 feel like what we鈥檙e doing is that radical,鈥� she says. 鈥淭o slow down a little bit, to see folks and meet them where they鈥檙e at, it shouldn鈥檛 be that incredible of a thing. But it is.鈥�

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