goaliekat22

Seriously agree! I thought their cross bike looked cool, and looked into it realizing I wasn't even close to fitting their "largest" size. I used to think the liv mountain bike offerings had cool designs, until like you said, looked at the sizing and what they actually were offering and was astounded. That's really the best they can offer to female riders? I'll keep my men's frame! Same on the clothing... or much of women's mountain bike clothing. TLD's re-designed skyline short is the only comfortable, functional pair of mountain shorts I've found...

Or Giant Anthem, much more affordable then either SC or specialized and rides really well (depending on your model option). I changed the rear deraullier because I hate chain slap, and someday I'll get a better fork but its a quality bike for the price in that category.

I think that you need to look around you. Within 15 min of my house there are four awesome places to ride, and one half an hour away. All created by a regional park system and often times people have the freedom to to build on hillsides and be creative, while also getting to ride single track. Even in the Santa Cruz mountains it never ceases to amaze me how many trails and spots are hidden in there if you look. You say that all the mountains are parks you can't ride, but what about parts of Tahoe, including a bike park, mammoth mountain, Pacifica, most state parks and places like downieville? I feel lucky to live here and be able to ride such diverse terrain one day to the next and I can mountain bike as well as snowboard in the same week! :) any place is what you make it, and California is one of the most ecologically diverse places on the planet so go out and enjoy it! :)

The problem is while 99% of people here are well intended, it takes that 1% that does things to make having that freedom difficult. Think of how many fires, including the rim and now big sur started by having an "honest campfire". I think the state needs to work with people on both national, state and regional land to make sustainable single track and make everyone happy. But doing so takes money we don't have but there is progress, even at the local level in the Bay Area. It's not just about not cutting down trees it's working with hillsides and mountains sides to create trails that work with water run off (if we ever get rain...) and last over time.

I love living in CA. Bike all year plus snowboard in the winter!

What kind of a career would you want post-professional biking? P.S. Awesome seeing your run in person, so inspired!! My boyfriend and I left rampage early during all the wind pause stuff to go ride some more before leaving Utah. We were so pumped just to go ride after seeing you all blow our minds every run! I hope the event stays on the west coast.