Perspectives: from shop mechanic to professional guide

From some of the highest zones in the Alps, to the prairie foothills of Calgary, the last few years of my mountain bike career has been an incredible journey. I’ve gone from wrenching on bikes and dreaming of travel, to living in some of the most spectacular riding zones in the world, and taking on the head guide position for the industry’s leader in adventure travel. To stay active and relevant in Calgary’s cycling community, I’ve involved myself with organizing movie premiere’s and events, but organizing Anthill Films’ latest flick, Strength in Numbers was easily the most rewarding.

Calgary premiere. I think i'll stick around for Miss Bala at 9pm, sounds like a great show.

 

A full section of Strength in Numbers was filmed with Big Mountain Bike Adventures, in the Valais region of Switzerland. The trails and people captured are experiences and familiar faces i’m proud to call some of my own. From the Pellissier family of the Hotel la Vallee in Lourtier, to co-workers Chris Winter and Wade Simmons. The epic trails and memories of Switzerland were captured beautifully by the Anthill crew, and I was lucky enough to be around to see these boys hard at work.

Mountain biker crowd: 1 girl, 34 guys.

 

During my time with the 2011 Alpenrock DH trips, Matt Hunter, Wade Simmons, and the Anthill crew landed in Switzerland to film this section of their movie, and share a our beautiful hotel with the guests. They met up with Verbier local Ludovic May, and between heli-time and sunrise/sunset shoots, were pinned what seemed like 24 hours a day. Watching these professionals go after their shared vision was nothing short of inspirational. To be able to personally know these trails, see the Anthill team working on them, and then third see the area captured in the greatest film of the year, was an incredible viewpoint

Stephen Matthews on the mic!

 

BigMountain Bike Adventures was a fantastic and perfect sponsor for a nearly sold out show. We packed in the seats and flooded the crowd with prizes. The movie was special to me because it showed a process that i’ve personally seen work. First thing is to get out there, become involved in the scene you love, and then seize the opportunities presented. In the future, it may give you a completely unique perspectives that no one else will ever have.

Words Stephen Matthews.

Preparing for your dream trip.

Our friends at VeloNews magazine recently published a special issue called Ultimate Ride Guide. Are you going on a mountain bike trip this year or planning one for 2013? Here are some handy tips on prepping for your big mountain bike adventure.

Pre-trip Training.

One of the biggest mistakes riders make it to approach a cycling trip like a final exam. You can’t pile on the training workload at the last minute like you're cramming for a test, it won’t work; you’ll just end up exhausted and slower than you were two weeks easlier. Instead, plan for your final high-volume and / or high-intensity training week to end 10-14 days before you leave for your trip. Whatever fitness you have at that last point is what youre going to have for your trip, and nothing you do in thsose final 10 days is going to give you more power or endurance. While you could say “the hay is in the barn” about 10 days out from departure, there are still plenty of ways you can burn the barn to the ground. Your actions and habits over those final 10 days can absolutely impact how rested and fresh you are for your mountain bike holiday, and that can have a significant influence on how much of your power you’re able to apply on the trail when it counts. You have to back off the number of hours you spend on the bike, but continue incorporating high-intensity efforts in those shorter and less frequent rides.

Your travel day.

Get a good nights sleep: don’t wait until the night before your trip to pack. You don’t want to be up until 1am packing and then have to wake up at 4:30 to get to the airport. The more rested you are for your travel day, the less stress you’ll place on your body as you endure the progression of planes, trains and automobiles the next day.

Eat clean.

There’s a lot of crappy food between your house and your final destination. You’ll feel better by avoiding heavy, high-fat options. To keep it simple, focus on consuming primarily water, raw fruits and vegetables and nuts during your travel day.

Stay clean.

You’ve been preparing for this trip for a long time so why risk it by picking up an illness in transit? Wash your hands frequently and keep them away from your face as much as possibly.

Pack for the worse-case scenario.

If the entire purpose of your trip is to be able to ride your bike at the other end, carry your helmet, shoes and pedals and one cycling kit in your carry-on. If your bike gets lost you can rent/borrow one. If your lugguage gets lost, at least you’ve got on complete kit and clothes on your back.

Getting the most out of your bike trip.

One of the best traval habits you can get into is to build your bike and go out for a 30-45 minute easy spin as soon as you arrive at your destination. You’re accomplishing a few things at once: you’re making sure that bike survived the baggage handlers’ best effofrts to destroy it, youre working out the stiffness and fluid retention issues associated with airline travel, and light exersive hels minimuze the impart of jet lag if you’ve crossed time zones. Don’t be the person who drives the pace or goes pounding up ever climb on Day 1 of a week-long trip, becsue no one wants to have to wait up for you on Day 5. If you have the opportunity to plan ahead, make Day 3 the big day of your trip, you’ve got a few days under your belt so you’ll feel smooth on the bike, but not so many miles in your legs that you’re suffering from excessive fatigue.

Above all, try and keep your trip in perspective. Most likely, you only get one big mountain bike vacation in a year, so do your best to let go of all the multitasking you normally do. Be a cyclist for a week, immerse yourself in the sport you love and soak in the sunshine, the scenery and the company of great friends. Ride as hard or as easy as you want, but do your best to disconnect from the numbers on your handlebars and connect with the human experience that only riding a mountain bike can provide.

Find a treasure in Iceland.

The Skógafoss is one of the biggest waterfalls in the country with a width of 25 metres (82 feet) and a drop of 60 m (200 ft). Due to the amount of spray the waterfall consistently produces, a single or double rainbow is normally visible on sunny days. According to legend, the first Viking settler in the area, Þrasi Þórólfsson, buried a treasure in a cave behind the waterfall. A local boy found the chest years later, but was only able to grasp the ring on the side of the chest before it disappeared again. We may not find this treasure, but while mountain biking Iceland we'll surely find our own treasures. Want to join us in Iceland 2012? We're excited about this trip. Click here for all the details.

The Skogafoss waterfall, just one of the many amazing sights in Iceland.

Olleros, Peru: the best trail on the planet?

The brief stats: 56 km, starting at 12, 500 feet and ending on the Pacific shore. This trail is absolutely unreal...natural berms, pump track features, buttery corners, perfect jumps and amazing views...that go on for hours! Want to mountain bike Peru? Click HERE for our Unforgettable Andes all-mountain trip and HERE for our DH departures. Trust us, Peru is shangri-la for mountain bikers.

weather forecast: san jose, costa rica

Hmmm. Are you craving some dirt beneath your tires and warm sunshine on your face in the next few weeks or months? If you love mountain biking, and can appreciate quality singletrack and want to head south for a week or downhill mountain biking or cross-country mountain biking, then let us know. Here's the weather forecast for San Jose Costa Rica in the next few days...pura vida eh!

Happy New Year mountain bikers!

Wishing you, your family and friends a fantastic year ahead...filled with perfect singletrack, howl out loud descents and amazing experiences while mountain biking. Cheers!

Another day, another potentially great ride.

Winter Fun!