Jordan Manley

I just went for a great ride on the North Shore's Dark Side trails with the very talented man behind the lens, Jordan Manley. Do you like photography as much as i do? Jordan has talent, and man can he ride a bike too - he's like a sword-wielding ninja attacking the forest with me chasing him down the mountain! Check out this slideshow of his that appeared in the 2009 Pro Photographer Showdown:


And while we're at it, sit back and enjoy this little ski travel doc created by Jordan.

The one?

Could you answer the question "what was your best ride of all time?" Is it possible to accurately respond? Was it the group that you were with? The fresh bike between your legs? The epic location? Or the conditions perhaps? Tough call eh? It must be a combination of all these things and more, the perfect storm of mountain biking good times. It's like skiing, where numerous times over a season you nail a morning, or a perfect powder line in the trees and catch yourself saying to someone..."that was the best day ever!"
A ride that sticks out for me in recent years and has to be one of the best...if not the one...is a ride i did in Peru with Wayo Stein and a group of animals from BC in April 2009. This one was mostly downhill, 56 kms long, with sections of the juiciest singletrack you could imagine. It was a burly approach, a way to long, way to crazy road in the Andes, but of so very worth it. I will go back and ride this trail again. OMG! Trust me on this one. Anyway, here's a photo of some of the crew that day nearing the shores of the Pacific and the end of the ride. Soon after this photo was taken i took a pretty big header too....I was punched!

YT & AK: that's a wrap!

A big thanks to the group who joined us on our first official Midnight Sun trip recently in the Yukon Territory and Alaska. From all reports and looking at the photos...it was a total success despite some fiesty fall weather. And more thanks to guides Ray Warner and Devo, the owner of Icycle Sports in Whitehorse, for leading the group up and down the mountains and across the landscape...cheers!!
Stay tuned for next year's dates and details...

 Top of the world!

Fall colours...

Silver Fern: a New Zealand road trip

11 nights & 12 days. What can be packed into this limited time? In the country of New Zealand as it turns out, a whole lot. This new trip promises to ride a good chunk of NZ, undoubtedly one of the planet's most beautiful places. From the rugged, high snowy peaks of the Southern Alps, to the Canterbury Plains and seaside singletrack near Christchurch, to beautiful Nelson, then over to the capital Wellington and it's rolling green hills, to Lake Taupo's geothermal landscape of volcanos, to Rotorua's vibrant Maori culture and lush old-growth singletrack and finally into Auckland for final night festivities and the flight home. A road trip from one end to the other, are you in? It's XC with a little all-mountain sprinkled in and in the heart of the southern summertime. Silver Fern, come join us next March!

photo: Derek Frankowski

This week on the front lines, Midnight Sun...Yukon Territory & Alaska

Internet has been sporadic at best on our Midnight Sun trip, but guide Ray Warner has squeaked out a few update images from the high north...

 The group approaching the Samuel Glacier.

 Setting sun in Kluane National Park...red sky at night, mountain bikers delight...

What's in the bag?

Yukon and Alaska trip...next week

This year's highly anticipated Midnight Sun trip starts this Sunday in Whitehorse, Yukon Territory. Missed this year's trip? Here are some pics to get you dreaming about joining us next year in the pristine and beautiful high north with great fall colours....

Lifecycles teaser...whoa!

in the driver's seat at crankworx slopestyle

Fresh Swiss vid from Joe

Join Joe this summer mountain biking in the Alps!

Smith Optics

Did you know that Ketchum, Idaho based Smith Optics has a complete line of shades and goggles dedicated to mountain biking? Yes, that's right. Not road biking or moto goggles or urban eyewear but stylee eye protection designed for those who ride mountain bikes. And we're pumped here at Big Mountain because our guides are rolling with Smith. Next time you're in your favorite bike shop grab a pair and slide them on, you'll see why - feather light, super visuals and with the style that you'd expect from Smith.

Above, the Pivlock V90 that comes with three sets of lenses which you can change in a matter of seconds. A great choice for riding bikes.

A few spots left...Yukon & Alaska Sept 5-11!

A quick flight from Vancouver to Whitehorse, Yukon Territory, and one of the planet's premiere adventure capitals. After a hot summer of riding at home, why not join us on this fantastic cross-country adventure in Canada's north? Highlights of our Midnight Sun trip? Sweet Whitehorse singletrack, a mind-blowing Kluane National Park ride, ferry from Haines to Skagway Alaska and great riding in the sleepy hamlet of Carcross...and beautiful views the whole time. Your guide is Yukon legend Ray Warner who will uncover the myths and show you the best trails in the area. Get in touch with us today!

Still not convinced? Watch this slideshow....and this video...

out of the shadows

if you're a skier you can't help but sit up and shift a little when you watch this ripping teaser. i know it's summer, where riding as much as possible and most of the northern hemisphere is in a heat wave but it's nice to get a taste of pointing it down a big snowy mountain. nice work from a group of relatively unknown skiers from BC, impressive skiing and cinematography. can't wait to see the whole flick.

MacAskill and his sticky meat in Chamonix

Always a pleasure to watch MacAskill ride his bike...he sees a landscape with a different set of eyes. I'm not sure that he needs the Alps as a backdrop to spruce up the shoot.

Joe update

Wondering what Joe's up to these days? This just in...

Hello,
I hope everyone's summer is off to a great start! I have been super pinned since I finished school off for the year. My Bike mag feature trip to Burns Lake was really fun, look for the story 
in a future Bike. I've been working with a couple photographers this season so far, and produced some sweet shots with Jordan Manley on the Shore, and Colin Meagher near Mt St Helens. I just wrapped up my sold-out Joe Schwartz Bike Camp in Calgary, where I rode with a bunch of stoked kids for the week. I am up in Whistler for the next three weeks, coaching Summer Gravity 
Camps. I also have a couple planned photo shoots while I am up there. After Whistler I head straight to Switzerland to run two downhill trips for Big Mountain Bike Adventures. I have a few spaces on my first trip (Aug 5-13) if anyone knows someone who has a little extra time and money on 
their hands! I have been posting a bunch of Regular Joe travel stories, photos and 
videos on my Regular Joe blog, so check that out! I have been shooting a lot with my GoPro cam this season, it has been fun to cut some videos. Expect to see a lot more as the summer shifts into an 
even higher gear! Have fun out there!  Joe

Alpenrock DH next month: a few spots left!

Next month we're off to the Swiss Alps to DH the singletrack with BC legends Wade Simmons and Joe Schwartz and we've got a few spots left. Want to join us? When will you ever get the chance to ride with these legends for 9 days in the Alps?

August 5-13: a few spots open, guided by Joe Schwartz and Stephen Matthews
August 13-21: full
August 21-29: a few spots open, guided by Wade Simmons and Stephen Matthews

Check out a photo essay on NSMB.com with unreal photos by Blake Jorgenson. 

A look back: Kranked I

It's amazing to see how far mountain biking has come in such a short time...I wonder where it'll be ten years from now?

Chromag

There's a little company out of Whistler BC that's shaking up the status quo with some really cool technology. They're called Chromag. You might have seen them around. We rock Chromags' bars, stems and saddles and we could not be happier. Add their bars to your ride and you'll be happy you did, it'll change the way you ride.

Top ten reasons to book your next trip with us!

1. Our leaders are former Olympians, professional mountain bikers and consummate, passionate professionals, oh, and they're the kind of people that you'll want to sit beside at dinner.
2. We know mountain biking like the back of our hand and we'll recommend the right trip for you.
3. What's the weather like at Machu Picchu? What tires are best for the Dolomites? We know each destination intimately.
4. We'll pick you up at the airport and drop you off at the end of your trip and in between you can ride as much, or as little as you want.
5. Rest assured, safely is our top priority.
6. Need some riding tips? Our guides are happy to help.
7. Our pre-trip assistance is comprehensive. We'll help you book flights, find the best insurance, book extra hotel nights and make sure that you are well prepared for the adventure ahead.
8. Expect small groups and great results on all our departures. Looking for a custom trip? Let us know.
9. We love to ride but also appreciate the local culture, great food and sights. Expect to come home enriched.
10. We've done the research; we work with the locals and will take you to the best riding that's most often not on any map.

Spring showers brings thoughts of...

So here in Vancouver and Whistler we're having a bit of a wet spring...OK, it's been more than just a bit wet, it's been downright nasty; on and off like a tap...the steam of weather is a straight line from from the Philippines to Vancouver which means at least it's been warm...

 

A few days ago a few of us drove up the highway from Vancouver while a few more drove down from Whistler to meet in Squamish. On the phone that morning we seriously considered pulling the plug on the ride as rain was threatening, as usual. We went anyway and man, what a good call. Squamish, which has always been one of my favorite places to ride anywhere has been investing big dough in new trail development and let me tell you....the new additions are unreal. Crazy-fun berms a la A-Line interspersed with really fun pumping singletrack in a beauty mossy green forest. We rode Ted's new Half Nelson, Psudosuga, Deliverance, Your Mom...it rained a little but we didn't even notice.

The moral of the story is get out and ride. Rain. Shine. Whatever. You'll be happy you did!