Weekend getaway...

Some pics from a covert freeride mission....

The end of 11'

Last year ended with the best weather we could ever ask for. We were on bikes nearly every week of November and December and all those cats that usually nag me about buying a snowmobile were no where to be found. We were rockin T-shirts and sometimes even shorts in the desert til the New year.

I know the word 'progression' gets thrown around a lot, not near as much as it used to, but it is the term that best defines why we do what we do. No matter what your riding style or skill level is, we all want to be faster, smoother, go farther, bigger, steeper and all with more style. 2011 was by far the year in which my riding progressed further than any of the previous 5. You can be sure that it was directly correlated with the fact that it was the year I spent more time in the saddle and traveled more miles than ever before.

That brings me to 2012. Another year of countless hours on any of my bikes, riding anything from Lunch Loops to The Ranch to the torturous rock garden they call a race course in Angel Fire and with any luck some Virgin and Whistler making stops everywhere in between. I just want to RIDE! and I'm looking forward to another great year with the Grassroots crew.

Here is a little video a buddy of mine put together of some December riding in our neighboring state of Utah.

Riding Bikes from Chad Kavander on Vimeo.

Short video of a couple guys riding in Utah. First ride is near Green River, Utah. Second ride is just outside of Moab.
Shot with Canon 5D Mark II and Canon HF S10.
Riders:Andy Klements (first trail)Jesse Ruland (both trails)

Music:'Mountain Man' by Crash Kings

Farmin' a beauty pumptrack in Moab

Que pasa Roots fans, Joel here to report on the latest Flow Farm joint. James, Jeff and I cruised down to Moab a couple weekends ago to put the Flow back in Mark Sevenoff's backyard pumptrack. Mark owns Western Spirit Tours with his wife Ashley. Mark built a track in his backyard a few years back with nothing more than a couple dumper loads of dirt, a wheelbarrow, and a shovel. He decided this fall that it was time for a reworking. He called up James to see what could be done. James fired a few texts off to Jeff and I and we setup a January weekend to get'r done.

We met up at the shop friday morning, loaded up the van, and after a stop at the packie for some Pibbers and Roasted Coffee House for a cuppa joe and some College Delights, we were on our way. James took us on a rad little detour to see some 7000 year old petroglyphs and some cowboy graffitti just behind the all but abandoned town of Thompson off I-70. Definitely worth scoping out on the way to Moab or Green River.

So we roll in to Moab under sunny skies, meet up with Mark at the Western Spirit headquarters, and he takes us to his house to have a look at the job. The four of us toss around some ideas and settle on a plan. His layout was straight out of the Pumptrack Handbook. A simple oval with a direction changer in the middle. We decided we'd keep the general layout in place and add some Roots touches with an extra line on the northwest corner and a revamped direction changer. Time to get to work.

The next morning we went to the Love Muffin for a banger breakfast and the best coffee on the Colorado Plateau. All the while, Mark secured the Bobcat and a couple dumpers of red gold. It should be added that upon first look at the dirt we were skeptical. But after working it, we all agreed that it was some of the best material we'd worked with, not counting the Ranchsauce of course. It packed quickly, and once watered and broomed a bit, hardened to sidewalk cement in no time. We worked until sundown, making some of the finest rollers, berms, and rocket pockets the pumptrack world has ever seen. On-bike testing went really well. There were only a few tweaks made after the track started to break in. And as the sun went behind the cliff walls of town, it just got faster and smoother. Mark's smile was a mile wide as he ripped around his new pumptrack.

As we stood around at dusk admiring our work and getting a feel for Mark's impressions, we collectively decided that his pumptrack had been pimped and that a celebration was in order. We called it a day. We drank beers in Mark's rad garage until the hunger set in. Our hosts had us in for pizza and more beers and the general revelry that ensues when a bunch of diehard riders get together.

The last morning was again spent at the Love Muffin. After which we put the finishing touches on Mark's new track. Then we packed up and hit the road. On the way back to GJ, we took some time to explore some new terrain in the Bookcliffs, north of the highway. James is always on the lookout for the next place to add his touch to the landscape. We talked about new ideas and the dream of building bike parks and trails in the years to come. Grassroots is on the prowl so be on the lookout for the next dirt sculpting masterpiece.

Ya know its gonna be a good one!

Lady Ranch

James and I have been building and riding at the Ranch since Matt bought the property some eight years ago. Back in those early days before we helped Matt build his house, James and I would go camp out at the Ranch and spend the weekends working on trail and trying to ride the new stunts and jumps. Whenever we were there we felt safe like some motherly spirit was watching over us. We decided that it must be Lady Ranch. Not very creative as far as spirit names go, but it fit. We have been through a lot together, Lady Ranch and I. She has excited me with her smooth, flowing lines. And she has terrified me with the unknown, like the mother hawk that pushes her young out of the nest and over the edge. She has taught me to fly like I never thought I could. She will always be Lady Ranch to me and I will always thank her. Never disrespect a lady.-Jeff Erickson

Church of the Holy Huck

Somewhere in Utah...







-Noah

Happy New Year Grassroots & friends!! & Thank you for being friend & riding together! I can"t wait to ride with you guys this year 2012!!

Peace.

By Kazzy Saito