First, how did the Van Michael Loop get it’s name? One of the local businesses in the area, Van Michael Salon, donated $10,000 towards the construction of this new loop for Blankets Creek. Personally, I have absolutely zero problem with naming the trail after them. One, they are supposedly avid mountain bikers, so they are supporting the sport they love.

3 videos from the Windrock DH playground outside of Nashville, TN. Windrock is the closest pure dh shuttle run in our area. Some say it is a harder ride than Whistler and a lot of pro’s come from all around to tackle the rock.

The time periods vary depending on the rider, but in generally the first 30 days on the bike are the most critical. During this time period, you are going to notice the fastest improvements in endurance and bike handling. I have talked with riders on this subject before, and most of us agree that new riders are much like the graph shown above, you see great improvements at the beginning.

This month, our Lifetime Fitness finally opened around the corner. One of the biggest draws to this gym, for me, was the incredible spinning room. Now, I hate spinning. Riding a bike in a room for fitness is not high on my list of fun activities, but spinning does have one very real benefit…it makes you a stronger rider.

I wrote a post recently on what cycling was to me. This week, I am once again reminded what happens when I miss out on my weekly ride routine that gives me all of the benifits that I mentioned in that post. The job that pays the bills had me out on the road from Monday until today.

Be on the lookout for my Pro Reviews on MTBR. I have been talking with MTBR over the course of this week and we are both really excited about adding my reviews to their site. The first review posted is the Maxxis Ardent 29er post that some of you may have already seen. From now on, I will be posting product reviews to the MTBR site at the same time as MTB by 198.

Summer time brings the excitement of planning evening or weekend rides. I know that I try to plan a few rides a week, and most of the time, my husband and I ride together. There are times when he isn’t able to go, and I still want to use my time to hit the trails. Some women don’t think about it and just go ride, but I always have a bit of reservation in the back of my head because not everyone that is out on the forest trails are there for the sheer enjoyment of the forest.

This is part of a weekly series where I will be posting mountain biking videos that I have found over the week. They will be posted every Tuesday. The first video for this Tuesday is a personal favorite of mine. Sam Hill (World Cup DH Champ) takes on Alex Stone (World Champ Rally Driver) in a downhill race.

Balance can be one of the most important skills to improve on your bike. Have you ever seen a rider on the road or trail come to a complete stop without getting off the bike? While this may look like a cool trick, it is actually a very useful tool on the trail, and it is a great way to hone your balancing skills on the bike.