Indonesian Digital News Archive

Virgin, Utah played host to this year's Red Bull Rampage freeride mountain bike competition, in which some of the most talented, and dare I say crazy, riders in the world went head-to-head. The video below features highlights from the event which included some of the biggest drops, flips and jumps that you could ever hope to see. This event is definitely not for the faint of heart, as you'll soon see. I think my stomach dropped a few times just from watching this. Wow!

For many adventure travelers climbing Mt. Kilimanjaro in Tanzania is one of the big items on their bucket list. After all, it isn't every day that you get to trek to the top of the highest peak in Africa. But next year a select group of travelers will not only get the opportunity to do just that, but they'll also get the chance to mountain bike back down the mountain, something that has never been done by commercial travelers before. Best of all, this unique opportunity will be used to raise funds for a very important cause.

In 2013, for the first time ever, adventure travel company Trek Travel will be offering their new WorldServe Kilimanjaro Bike Tour. The 12-day itinerary, which begins February 22, includes a visit to the Serengeti that includes a hot air balloon ride above the plains while the Great Migration plays out below. Travelers will also visit a traditional Maasi village and explore other cultural excursions throughout the area. But of course the real highlight will be a six-day climb of Kili that will culminate with a mountain bike descent. Prior to the climb, each participant will also be sent a brand new Trek mountain bike that they can use to train on before the climb begins. That same bike will then be shipped to Africa for the ride. After the climb is over, the bike is theirs to keep.

This special Kilimanjaro Bike Tour is limited to just 20 people and is designed to be used as a fundraiser to support several projects that will deliver clean drinking water to more than 150,000 people living in Tanzania. As such, the price tag for the trip is quite high, although 90% of the funds are going directly for the cause. Trek Travel is offering three tiered pricing of $25,000, $55,000 and $85,000. The main difference in those levels is simply how much cash goes to the water projects. Of course, the ideal way to go would be for an adventurous traveler to sign up for the tour and raise funds from sponsors to help cover the costs.

This sounds like a fantastic way to visit two of my favorite places on Earth in Kilimanjaro and the Serengeti. Tanzania is a great destination and this would be a way to experience some unique activities while also contributing greatly to improving the life of the people that live there.


KiliClimb Trek Bike Video from WorldServe International on Vimeo.

Here's a video that will surely bring a smile to your face. It features a 4-year old mountain biker who makes his first descent of a trail called Hellion at the Highland Mountain Bike Park located in New Hampshire. Malcolm, our intrepid hero, happens to have a helmet cam attached as he makes his big run, and listening to him get stoked as he rolls along is fantastic.

We've all been here at one time or another. Malcolm is just getting started a bit earlier that most of us and has some cool technology along to record the fun. Enjoy!

Everyone knows that Utah is one of the best destinations for mountain biking in the entire world. That's confirmed in the video below that features more than 14 minutes of riding down a well-known trail called Whole Enchilada. The scenery is spectacular and the riding sublime. If you're looking for a brief distraction from work today, this will definitely provide it. It may also inspire some of you to call it a day early and go get on your own bike. Sadly, I don't have a trail this great near enough to me. It looks fantastic though.

Looking for a little Friday morning inspiration for your next adventure? Then check out the video below from Sacred Rides' recent mountain biking tour of the Inca Trail in Peru. The company organizes some of the best mountain biking tours in the world and this one looks like it's would be an amazing trip. This short film is actually more than 40 minutes in length, so kick back and enjoy.

I have been enjoying the sneak previews we've been getting of the new mountain biking film Where The Trail Ends, which is due to be released later this month. The movie will feature some of the top riders that travel to remote places of the planet to find new challenges to ride. So far the videos have been spectacular and this new one today is no exception.

The clips in the video below were shot while the team was riding near Fraser River, Canada. In order to access the trails, if you can call them that, the riders has to use a boat and helicopter to reach their starting points. But once there, it is some gnarly downhill that has probably never been ridden before. All of it caught on helmet cams courtesy of sponsor Contour.

Feeling a little depressed to be back at the office on a Monday? Would you rather be outside somewhere, riding your mountain bike instead? How about a (virtual) trip to St. Moritz in Switzerland to help brighten your day? The five-and-a-half minute video below follows a couple of riders as they make their way from the summit of Corviglia back down the mountain, dropping about 4000 meters (13,123 ft) in the process. This will either help your office blues or make them worse. The jury is still out.

Downhill Madness from Glen Eaton on Vimeo.

I came across this video late today and thought it was fantastic. It is a short film that follows a man named Ned who happens to be an outdoor enthusiast who is confined to a wheel chair. But Ned lives in and around one of the great outdoor playgrounds in North America, Telluride, Colorado so he doesn't let his disability get in the way of enjoying the outdoors. He fishes and mountain bikes by navigating around the backcountry using a cool looking hand cart. In short, Ned is a great inspiration and a reminder of why we should all pursue our outdoor passions.

Off The Hook from Craig Stein on Vimeo.

We all love those mountain biking videos where we get to watch someone make an improbably climb up a big hill, only to bomb down the other side at breakneck speed, preferably in some amazing wilderness setting. But the video below keeps us mostly rooted in urban environments, allowing rider Chris Akrigg to show off some impressive skills of his own. You'll see Akrigg bounce off, over and around all kinds of obstacles as he navigates his way through a series of challenges that are at the very least fun to watch. I'm not anywhere close to being able to pull of any of these stunts but I can definitely appreciate the skill involved here.

Thanks to The Adventure Journal for the heads up on this great video.

Through the mill from chris akrigg on Vimeo.

A few weeks ago I posted a trailer for a spectacular looking mountain biking film called Where The Trail Ends. The movie follows several top riders as they head out to ride their bikes in some of the most remote destinations on the planet. Today I have a video of highlight clips of the riders taking on some impressive singletrack (if you can even call it that) in the Gobi Desert. Definitely not a ride for beginners.

I was intrigued with this film when I saw the trailer and these clips are even more interesting yet. I'm looking forward to tracking down this one down when it comes out in September.

Cyclists, adventure racer and regular reader of this blog Chuck Vohsen has undertaken an interesting project that will most certainly capture the imagination of other readers as well. He has started building his own "Gravel Bike" that is specifically designed to be ridden on unpaved roads. Chuck hates pavement. Trust me! He has also been documenting his progress through his blog with three detailed "how-to" posts already online. Those posts are very informative and will be of interest to others who would be interested in building a similar bike of their own.

One of the most challenging mountain bike races on the planet took place this past weekend in Colorado, where the Leadville 100 MTB tested riders from around the globe. The event, which is now in its 19th year, features a 100 mile long (160km ), out-and-back, course that includes more than 14,000 feet (4267 meters) of climbing at altitude.

The winner of this year's race was Austrian Alban Lakata who finished with a time of 6 hours, 32 minutes and 24 seconds. That put him two minutes ahead of second place finisher Christoph Sauser of Switzerland. The two men battled back and fourth much of the race, with Lakata taking it in the home stretch. American Jeremiah Bishop finished third approximately nine and a half minutes off the pace.

On the woman's side of leaderboard it was a familiar name taking top honors. Rebecca Rusch, the Queen of Pain herself, won the race for a fourth time. She also set a new course record, finishing in 7 hours, 28 minutes, 6 seconds. U.K. rider Sally Bigham (7:34:33) took second with Pua Mata (7:38:03) claiming third.

The course, which begins in downtown Leadville at an altitude of 10,200 feet (3109 meters), climbs as high as 12,424 feet (3787 meters) over the length of the ride. Apparently there was some confusion this year over the correct route to follow which cost several riders, including Bigham and Mata, extra minutes. Flags that typically denote which direction to go were placed in odd locations that caused some of the competitors to ride in the wrong direction. Hopefully that won't be an issue next year.

Congrats to not only to those that stood on the podium but everyone who rode in the race. Leadville is a tough event to say the least and simply completing it is quite an accomplishment.

Next up, the Leadville 100 Trail Run this coming weekend.

Where The Trail Ends is a mountain biking movie that looks like it'll be very different from what we're use to seeing. It follows a group of riders who decide to leave the familiar confines of Utah behind and head out into the wide world in search of interesting new places to explore. They visit the Gobi Desert of China for instance and are likely the first people to ever ride through the region. The scenery looks spectacular, the mountain biking looks tough and it seems the riders had a great time making the film. The movie looks fantastic and is due out in September.

Thanks to the Goat for sharing this today.

Endurance athletes looking for a new challenge have an interesting new event to add to their calendar. On September 8th the team behind the Untamed New England adventure race will produce the North Country Endurance Challenge, a multi-sport race through the mountains of New Hampshire and Vermont.

The race, which features two different courses to choose from, is essentially an adventure triathlon mixing paddling, mountain biking and trail running into a single day event for relay teams or solo competitors. Racers will kayak the Connecticut River, run narrow back woods trails and take on challenging and technical singletrack as they climb up mountain passes and bomb down the other side.

The Premiere Course is 65 miles in length, and is estimated to take about 10-12 hours to complete. But if you're interesting in something a bit less daunting there is also an option to run the "Sprint" course, which is a mere 31 miles in length with a finish time of approximately 5-6 hours.

As mentioned, the race is open to solo racers who want to tackle the entire course themselves or relay teams consisting of anywhere from 2 to 10 racers. Relay teams are allowed to select which of their athletes do each individual leg of the race which means they can put their best paddlers on the water, runners on the trail sections and mountain bikers on the bike. It also helps to divvy up the work load on what could be a very long day.

Registration for the North Country Endurance Challenge is now open. Solo racers can sign up for the Premiere or Sprint courses for $175 and $100 respectively. Relay teams pay $100/racer for the Premiere course and $60/racer for the Sprint. Looks like it should be a fun day of racing in September. Find out more about the race at the official website.

A company called Pedal Born Pictures is working on a new documentary about the NorCal High School Cycling League which consists of a group of young riders who compete with one another in a series of races each spring while wearing their school colors. It looks like the film, which is set to come out in early 2013, has a lot of promise and it is great to see young people embracing an outdoor activity.

Thanks to the Nat Geo Adventure Blog for the tip! This looks great!


Singletrack High Teaser from Pedal Born Pictures on Vimeo.

The Lost Coast Trail in California is a remote and beautiful trail along the Pacific Ocean. It is a popular one for backpackers who enjoy the quiet solitude of the place. Turns out you can also mountain bike the trail and Sacred Rides, an adventure travel company that specializes in cycling excursions to some of the best places on the planet, offers a seven day Lost Coast Adventure. If you can't join them to do the ride yourself, you can at least enjoy the three minute video they've produced which will certainly get you into the spirit. Looks like some great singletrack.


The Great Lost Coast Adventure from Mark Baeder on Vimeo.

The Lavaredo Trail is a 96km (60 mile) long trail that winds its way through the Italian Dolomites and serves as the route for an ultramarathon put on by the North Face. Recently a team of mountain bikers set out to ride the trail over the course of a single day, which featured a staggering 4800 meters (15,748 ft) of climbing and descending. My legs and lungs hurt just thinking about that, but I have to say, the trail looks stunning. Check it out in the video below.

I came across the video below when one of my friends at Gadling posted it to the site yesterday. It shows a crazy mountain bike race down a snow covered trail near Saas Fee, Switzerland that looks like a lot of fun, at least for those who don't mind taking their lives into their own hands. This will definitely give you a shot of adrenaline to get your day started. Wow!





More Mountain Biking Videos

While we're on the topic of bike rides today, here's a story for those of us who won't be riding the Tour Divide, even if we'd really like to. Bike manufacturer Schwinn has announced its Ride of a Lifetime promotion during which the company is giving away one bike per day through June 25.

To sign up for the contest, simply go to the Schwinn website and fill out the entry form for the Ride of a Lifetime Giveaway. On that form you'll be asked to pick a friend and enter their name and then you'll be asked to select a specific Schwinn bike for your friend to win. Every time you enter one of your friends into the contest, you'll also be entered to win a new bike for yourself as well. This gives you a chance to not only surprise a friend with some new wheels, but score yourself one while you're at it.

The contest runs for several more weeks so give it a go.

The Tour Divide, one of the toughest mountain bike races on the planet, gets underway on Friday when riders set out from Banff, Canada and begin heading south along the Great Divide Mountain Bike Route. Over the next few weeks, they'll cover 4418km (2745 miles) eventually ending in Antelope Wells, New Mexico in the U.S. Along the way they'll face unpredictable weather, remote trails and demanding physical and mental conditions, just to finish the race.

In recent years the Tour Divide has earned itself a reputation for being a very challenging, yet satisfying, event that has stayed true to the roots of mountain biking. The riders are self-supported, must navigate their own route and possess an adventurous spirit that will serve them well as they ride the longest off-pavement cycling route in the world. That route is mostly unmarked and varies from narrow single-track to dirt roads and jeep tracks. It passes through Alberta and British Columbia in Canada, before crossing into the United States where it winds across Montana, Idaho, Wyoming, Colorado and New Mexico.

Some of the faster riders will actually finish the race in under 20 days, although most will take more than that. It is not uncommon to have half the field scratch either, as the race is very demanding on both the rider and the bike. In the past, the weather has also made things tough, as unexpected late-season snows made the route very challenging last year.

Good luck to all the riders as they get underway. Hopefully it will be easier to follow progress as the race unfolds this year, as that hasn't always been the case in the past.