Start up media company, Stilspoke, released their first film called "The Long Traverse", on Friday, November 26th. The film follows America's next great hope in XC mountain biking, Christopher Blevins, as he introduces the cycling community to a new FKT route in the Los Padres National Forest of Central California. The film centers upon how one can build connection to a landscape through mountain biking, and how one can turn that connection into a reciprocal relationship of stewardship for the land. "The Long Traverse" focuses specifically on the issues facing the area surrounding the FKT route, namely the dangers posed by extractive industry in the Cuyama Valley. The film features interviews from competitive mountain biker, POW athlete, and founder of the Sage Trail Alliance, Dillon Osleger, and interviews with POW athlete, outdoor athlete extraordinaire, and member of the Blackfeet Tribe, Micheli Oliver, as well as interviews with locals directly involved in the protection of the area.
Through this film, Stilspoke hopes to present the cycling community with an incredibly beautiful new FKT route in an otherwise highly underrated part of Central California, while also hoping to help the communities around the Los Padres shift away from harmful extractive economies and towards tourism based outdoor recreation economies. Stilspoke really wants you to come shred in the Los Padres!! It is truly rad. Stilspoke hopes that this film will also inspire MTBers worldwide to think a little more deeply about the lands on which they recreate, and begin to repay the land for all that it provides. This could come in the form of simply being nicer to your neighbors, or through volunteering your time to improve and protect special places.
It can be viewed on Specialized's Youtube Channel, or through visiting Stilspoke.com. Stilspoke Long Traverse Merch is also available on our website. A percentage of proceeds from this merch will be donated to trail maintenance non-profits, so you can feel good about your purchase.
Visit our website at
https://stilspoke.com/
Isn't a FKT more meaningful on a route that's already known than making up an entirely new route? I mean sure if nobody's documented riding the same route before of course you'll have the FKT.
Love thé custom bike feature! Look forward to chatting with you and Manon again soon.
Cheers!
Thanks for your work on trails in SB!
Call me cynic but I would prefer the truth...
@matty-hatty as someone who lives 20 minutes from the start of the route, they did an excellent job in portraying what's happening here. Not sure what part of it counts as greenwashing. Or why you'd put greenwashing in quotation marks. Or what truth you're so convinced is being omitted in this video.
Everyone go to 4:32 into the video above
I can't believe YT let this be in the video.
Every house in the neighborhood burned to the ground to ashes, nothing left, yet the trees 3 feet away, ALL OF THEM, are untouched still with their leaves on the branches. No trees burned. What magic is this from space?
Wake up people!!!! !!!!
The video of the town was relevant to discussion which reviewed wildfires in light of climate change.
No idea what “magic” means in the context of a wildfire, it’s quite common that a fire will burn a structure and the trees surrounding the structure resin.
Totally appropriate.
I think (hope) it was a joke.......
On the other hand, Mal*Wart is practically giving away tinfoil hats these days.