This year saw the return of snow to the local mountains between Vancouver and Whistler. Riders from the sea to sky corridor searched the north shore to satisfy their addiction for bikes. The shore is iconic for its slick woodwork and low-speed technical riding, this year there was a serious change in the air. With trail bikes now becoming even slacker, lower and longer they cried to be ridden faster.
It's not hard to see the changes in trail building in the last five years, faster corners, bigger jumps and higher speeds. Not to mention the amount of new riders out there, which is such an awesome thing. It's always bothered me that people call it "dumbing" down, I say, "go faster, you will find that tipping point soon enough." The trail building is seriously outstanding and the NSMBA needs support to keep building bigger hits and faster corners. So buy your memberships, then you won't feel so bad when you're slamming turns.
www.nsmba.ca
MENTIONS: @Gauze
I love all kinds of trails. I've been riding for 21 years and I can always have fun on a large variety of trails, even the "dumbed down" ones as you may put it. I love to ride new trails, and I can ride the same trail 500 times and still finish with a big huge grin. Every trail no matter its challenge or familiarity is always going to have little nuances to discover and its those nuances that make riding a ton of fun, it's endless progression, even if you ride Bobsled with your friends who are getting into the sport. It's all about perspective and I think most people can agree that old school is awesome, fast and flow is awesome, riding bikes is awesome.
@kathwill, I think you have two options at this point: somehow find a way to go back in time 15 years or start building your Ewok village somewhere secret (or your backyard).
7th Secret
Digger
Executioner
Lower Dreamweaver (past Skid Row)
Digger
Crippler
Upper and Lower Oil Can
Grannies
Boundary
Pipeline
Skull
Pangor
C-Buster
Boogieman
Lower Dales
CBC
Ned's
Anything on Cypress
If you go ride all those and then say that there's no gnar on the Shore, I hope I see you on the World Cup circuit this year.
Sorry, but watching someone ride berms and hits on this video was boring to watch imo. Not what the Shore is really all about
I'm not saying these trails are awful, but I guess I am a little bit nostalgic for the old school shore. Yes I know those trails are still out there, but there's less every day.
www.nsmba.ca/content/2015-10_heritage-fund
Upper Dales - yes, an old school line was "paved." Most will agree that this section is fun to ride but out of place. The land manager (not the NSMBA) put that line in without talking to mountain bikers.
Pingu - same as it has always been, but some erosion has been fixed, and lots of new airs have been built.
Boogie Nights - brand new line with jumps and berms. You can still ride the old Boogieman rock ending if you'd like.
Still lots of gnar on the Shore, but variety is the spice of life, and erosion is erosion and generally falls under maintenance work, even on gnar.
(And those are just from the one mountain I've been riding lately.)
Upper Oil Can to Pipeline to Lower Crippler is a masterful combination of roots, jankity old baby heads, awkward climbs & weird off cambers.
They will make you work for every bit of speed & smoothness you can find.
Also, they are nice and greasy right now too.
And if you really are comfortable riding trails like GMG, that's great for you, really... But just because you are comfortable riding Triple Black/Pro trails doesn't mean you get to alter the scale of all other trails just to suit your argument or belittle others.
Announcing that Black & Double Black trails "are actually Blue" is just the same as saying "your argument is wrong, because I say so".
Anyway, have fun with your grumpy old man attitude.