"One of the most astounding mountain bike adventures of our lives."

Senior Bike Magazine corespondent Mitchel Scott recounts one of our first mountain bike trips to Switzerland's Valais region and the legendary story that followed. Click on over to pinkbike.com, sit back and enjoy Mitch's words and Sterling Lorence's amazing imagery.

Shandro & Simmons at first light just up from Panchard's chalet in Haute Nendaz.

Pura Vida DH: new dates & details.

Are you looking to get away this winter for some gravity mountain biking? How about a place where you can wear a t-shirt in February, where descents are on private trails and can take an hour (or more), where beers cost around $1, where your guide is a legendary rider and trail builder and ultimate host...and post trip...you can leave your bike behind, grab your surf shorts, sunscreen and not much else and hit one of the world's finest beaches for some deserved R&R, or surfing, or dancing, or yoga, or...whatever? This place is Costa Rica. We're excited, our legendary eight-day Pura Vida DH trip will be offered five times this winter for groups of two to four (yes, that right! SMALL groups!!) for $1895 USD. Click here for all the details. Or drop us an email to see what availability is on your preferred date.

Sombrio's Dave Watson getting away from the Canadian winter.

Costa Rica's coast is BEAUTIFUL. Deserve some beach time after a mtb holiday!

What has mountain biking taught you?

Check this short film out. Great shots. Now let's get out and ride!

6 things to remember when going on a destination trip.

Ride lots leading up to your trip, you can never be in good enough shape. Typically on a destination trip the fitness required for a single day is not a problem for most. Where you'll shine however is when the days accumulate, and then throw in some altitude, some climbing and a big day (or two) in the saddle and you'll be happy that you arrived fit.

Talk to your tour operator about the technical ability required on the trip and the specifics of the riding. Is the riding in the desert of Morocco and generally dry and loose and midly technical singletrack and doubletrack? Or is the trip all-mountain in BC with an emphasis on going downhill where the trails are rocky and rooty? This information will ensure that you are able to handle the riding, or if you'll need to spruce up on your riding skills with a local riding coach.

Is your bike ready? Make sure that your bike is ready and know what tweaks to make. This goes along with the above point. A good tour operator should know the best tires to bring, if a shorter stem might be a good idea, or bars with a substantial rise. And definitely don't get your bike serviced just before leaving, have at least a few rides on it before putting in the box.

Get travel and medical insurance. If you break your pinky three days before flying to Peru and have to cancel travel insurance will reimburse you for your flight and land cost. If you go down on the trip and need to get home, medical insurance will cover expenses. It's best to kick down and get the most comprehensive packages that include heli-evac and more. Afterall, we're mountain bikers and what we do is risky.

Packing your bike is easy. Well, it's not as hard as you think. There are more options than ever for bike boxes: Crateworks, EVOC and Dakine are good considerations. Or, you could swing down to your local bike shop and get a large cardboard box which works fine (they'll even pack your bike too if you want). Unfortunately expect to pay an additional fee to the airline to take your bike, usually between $50-$200 each way. Or you can have Bike Flights ship your bike for you.

Just below the Italian/Swiss border.

One of the best parts of going on an overseas trip with your mountain bike is the dreaming and planning. Take the time to do some research on your destination and read up on the history, culture and sights. And, of course spend lots of time dreaming about the great singletrack and adventures that lays ahead.

Endless Summer.

It's that time of the year when leaves start falling, days become noticeably shorter and cooler. Soon, it'll be wintertime and our bikes will lay dormant for months. What better way to keep the mountain bike stoke going that to book an amazing Costa Rica mountain bike trip this winter. Our new Peaks & Beaches all-mountain trip which is designed for intermediate-level riders and above departs from San Jose on February 25, cost $1795 USD. For downhill riders, our amazing Pura Vida DH trips run Dec 10, Jan 8, Feb 18, Mar 10 & April 14 which cost $1895 USD. Get inspired and see what's it's all about with this video shot by Ride Guide. Your host is Paulo Valle, there's no one better to show you the trails and a great time in Costa Rica! Pura Vida.

Three things we love about Italy.

If you've been to Italy, then you know the Piaggio Ape. Bad ass. Piaggio need to bring the bad boy back into production. I got my first ride just this past spring on our new Bella Riviera DH trip and let me tell you it was memorable. Typically driven by an old guy, these little three wheelers can carry everything from peaches and even grapefruits. Big, juicy pay load. Look closely, this little nug has mano-a-mano hand painted on the front and door, one yielding a blade. Ape.

Guys in white pants and guys white shorts talking by a fountain. Guy white in shorts: "The climb," he said, "it was insane. You wouldn't believe how steep it was." Guy in white pants: "No shit eh? I love your shorts man." No disrespect at all boys, full props to let'ner fly.

 

Like architecture and history? Italy has amazing buildings that we'd only dream of back home. Check this out, the Duomo in Catania Sicily that was originally built in 1078 but destroyed many times by earthquakes and volcanic eruptions. 1078? A little reminder that we're all here for just a short time, best enjoy it and take care of your surroundings so that the next generation can enjoy it...