E L E V A T I O N
A CANNONDALE PRODUCTION
Illustrations Amelia Strong, @amelia.strong
A good adventure always reaches a point of uncertainty — the moment when doubt creeps in. This was a bad idea. No way this works out. What was I thinking? It starts in the recesses of the mind, then drops down the spine. Every adventure in this book had those moments. The elevation in the Andes got the best of the lungs — and the legs. The forests of Michigan came with rain drenched roads. The blockade in the Olympic Peninsula actually did signal the wrong way. And the 192.9 mile ride from the lowest point in North America to the top of a fourteener was a nearly insurmountable task. At times, each mission’s purpose became blurry. Resolve was questioned. Doubt crept in. Forthright adventurers always forge on — trusting preparation, gear, stamina and inner resolve. In the hierarchy of endorphin rushes an adventurer cherishes, none is as sweet as when that inner doubt is quelled; when the drop in the belly is replaced with the low, sustained feeling of hope. Our riders found, near each adventure’s end, the highest of satisfactions: the knowledge that despite the difficulty, the journey is worth it. These exotic plans, these wild trips, all end with success.
COLOMBIA
A group of intrepid explorers head out of the congestion of Bogotรก, Colombia, to the high altitude dirt roads of the Andes.
MICHIGAN
Allan Thom rips his Porsche Safari 911 through the woods of Michigan, finding adventure on four wheels and two.
SEAT TLE
Across the water from Seattle, the Olympic Mountains offer a quick escape out of urbanity for a faithful rider and father.
INYO FOREST
Anything can happen in the vast expanse of Death Valley and the White Mountains. Three friends ride unsupported into the void.
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We climbed into the clouds, into the mist; in Colombia, it’s easy to find the mountains. These pathways are seldom used by the people of Bogotá, and that adds to the mystery and appeal. It’s raw and gritty and beautiful. Untouched. If y o u w a n t t o cl i m b, i t ’ s e n d l e s s .
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Riders Mauricio Ordóñez, @cheset Camilo Jaramillo, @cjarah Ana Bonilla Paez, @anabonillap Special Thanks Fuga Café, @fugacafe.cc 7mesh Clothing, @7meshinc Jorge Franco and Bikexperts Bogotá, @bikexperts_colombia Giro, @girocycling Photographer Matthew Clark, @stirlandraephoto
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the high-altitude mountains northeast of Bogotá, there is a small lake, and around the shores of this lake, there are ancient villages, and in one of those villages, there is something new, brought by a foreigner from the north. He’s brought several two-wheeled machines, made not for asphalt roads, where the men of the city ride, and not for the treacherous trails, where the men of the deep mountains ride, but for the dirt roads, where the villagers ride by horse. The foreigner joins with three locals — two men and one woman — and they ready themselves for a trip over a cloud-enshrined high mountain. The rains come. The paths grow slick. Puddles swell. The four riders saddle the new machines and venture on, undeterred by the weather. They climb toward the top of the mountain, into the rain and wind and cold. They ride until they can be seen no more. In the evening, they return from the other side of the mountain, weathered and weary, but very alive. They have seen this country in ways most two-wheeled adventurers never have. The machines have revealed a different face of Colombia; they have made its old roads new.
By Matthew Ankeny
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In the long, acclaimed literary career of Gabriel García
former is the predominant form. It is said that for every
Márquez, there is a small but significant footnote: he spent
single road bike sold in Colombia, nine mountain bikes are
part of his writing life as a journalist for El Espectador, cov-
sold. Yet, in the sprawling metropolis of Bogotá, road cy-
ering cycling among other things. And though Márquez’s
clists are most common, rolling out from the city in the ear-
writing about the sport has since been overshadowed
ly mornings, heading to the mountains to stretch their lungs
by his rich stories of the people and history of Colombia,
and legs.
cycling remains core to the country’s national identity. “We say fútbol is our national sport,” said Mauricio
Ordóñez, along with friend and fellow Fuga investor,
Ordóñez, co-owner of the Bogotá café and bike studio, Fuga.
Camilo Jaramillo, guided a cycling adventure with “the for-
“But I think cycling has always been the national sport
eigner,” James LaLonde of Cannondale, and local athlete Ana
of Colombia.”
Bonilla Paez. LaLonde brought with him Cannondale’s SuperX SE and CAADX SE bikes, equipped with 700x37c
Out in the mountains, the landscape’s tangible beauty and
WTB Riddler tires. This style of bike — “gravel,” “all-road,”
the locals’ love of cycling is readily available to encounter in
“cyclocross,” call it what you will — is unfamiliar to many
real life — no magic realism needed. Up at 9,800 to 11,500
Colombians, despite the surplus of ideal territory for gravel
feet, the Andes are all too tactile, you can feel the altitude
exploration. “I believe people in Colombia are content
in your head, heart and lungs. And the favored Colombian
enough to ride the same trails over and over,” Ordóñez said.
way to conquer these mountains is by bicycle.
“The percentage of the population that likes to explore, doing trips like this, is still growing.” Ordóñez is setting the
Cycling culture in Colombia is cleanly split between moun-
pace for change. With his cyclocross bike and his dual-sport
tain bikers and road cyclists. With the Andes mountain
motorcycle, he explores the backroads of his country and
range dominating most of the country’s geography, the
beyond. “I’m a curious person, and I get bored of things
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“ The S uperX i s a ro a d b ike t h a t wa nt s t o be a m o u n t a in b ike .
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riders took on the rough-hewn roads. “You always find a piece of road that’s not good enough for your road bike,” Jaramillo added. “But if you have this kind of bike, you can
It ’ s a l i ttl e m ore a g g re s s iv e . A l i t t l e m ore a gil e — it re s ponds fa s t er. ”
go anywhere.” They headed into the high altitudes, leaving behind the paved roads that restrict the riders from the city. The Colombians took the off-piste riding in stride. “The Colombians didn’t flinch,” LaLonde said. “Nothing affected them.” Both Ordóñez and Jaramillo have spent extensive time on the paved roads of this area, but unencumbered by the
very quickly,” he said. “That has urged me to go out and
need to remain on asphalt, they were now able to see the
explore; I’m the sort of person that likes new adventures.”
region as an entirely new landscape. At the end of the ride,
In describing the SuperX, Ordóñez drew comparisons from
refueling on Club Colombia and Cerveza Poker, the crew
the familiar frame categories. “The SuperX is a road bike
recounted highlights from the route. “We were like, ‘Man,
that wants to be a mountain bike. It’s a little more aggres-
we were in the middle of the nowhere.’” Jaramillo said. “But
sive. A little more agile — it responds faster.”
when we looked at a map, we were right next to where we’ve been going all year.”
The dirt roads around Guatavita, seldom used by anyone other than the farmers and rural residents, are pristine
This is the freedom of the all-road machine, and while the
proving grounds for the SE line. “With this bike, you don’t
trend may only be beginning to catch on in Colombia, the
have to go to the middle of nowhere to have fun,” Jaramillo
locals were an easy sell. “I’m going to get one,” Jaramillo
noted. “Just go to the place that you always go, but take
noted. “And I am going to make sure a friend of mine gets
a small detour.” Splitting from the path well trodden, the
one, too.”
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OutFront Steering Geometry pairs a slack head angle and a longer than normal fork rake to create handling that is super stable at high speed, yet still lively and precise – perfect for high altitude mountain descents.
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Dramatically shaped and flattened seat stays and chainstays absorb shock for better control, traction and comfort on rocky roads.
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Ai Offset rear triangle offers up ultra-short chainstays for killer traction and agility when you light up the afterburners, along with a stiffer, stronger rear wheel and room for big ol’ meaty tires.
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Ultra capable wide range 40t x 11-42 gearing.
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Room for up to 40mm (measured) tires for every adventurous variety of road surface.
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I N T E R V I E W How are people in Bogotá drinking coffee?
We want to teach people to try different methods and then realize
It’s been changing. Even though we are one of the biggest pro-
what they like best. We want to teach them that Colombian coffee
ducers of coffee in the world, we were not as big of consumers as
is better served using the pour-over methods. Drip coffee actually
you would expect. This has to do with the fact that the best beans
brings out the best characteristics of the Colombian coffee.
would always be exported. We only got the pasilla — the grains that don’t meet international standards to be exported — and so
What are traditional characteristics of Colombian beans?
we kept beans that were not that good. So the coffee that my
One of the distinct properties is acidity. It’s not bad acidity, but it’s
parents were used to drinking was coffee that was very bitter. It
like tangerine or a lemon or green tea — that kind of good acidity.
had to be served very hot, and you had to put a lot of sugar in it. And that isn’t ideal for espresso? It’s been really tough to change the mentality of the people
Espresso with Colombian coffee is tough. The espresso machine,
here, but it has been changing. We now have ten to twelve spe-
with high pressure and high temperatures, makes a very acidic
cialty coffee shops in Bogotá. We’ve been joining forces to teach
drink, so it’s very complicated to make a good espresso shot with
people to drink better coffee.
Colombian coffee. If you’re not careful with the espresso machine, you actually bring out more of the acidity. So it’s tough to prepare
And how are these shops making better coffee?
that. We use a blend from two regions; one is very sweet, and one
We are taking better care of the beans. We’re selecting the good
is a more traditional-tasting Colombian coffee.
coffee, and it is staying here in Colombia. As producers of some of How does coffee complement cycling?
the best coffee in the world, we deserve to drink it as well.
Coffee and bicycles have always been tied together. At Fuga, we How do you prepare your coffee?
have three different business: we have the boutique retail shop,
I really like pour-over coffee. Even at my house, I have a few
we have the coffee and we also have a workshop — a place to
different methods that I use. Obviously, I enjoy an espresso; be-
repair your bike. It’s a place to share your experiences on the bike,
ing a cyclist, there’s nothing I want more in the morning than an
have a good cup of coffee and enjoy your day. We wanted this for
espresso. Normally, I go directly to the ride when I go out, but I
ourselves. We wanted a good cup of coffee and a place where we
finish at Fuga and have a coffee here. V60 is one of my favorite
can play with our bicycles.
pour-over methods and the one that I use the most. Mauricio Ordóñez is co-owner of Fuga Café + Bike Studio in Bogotá, Colombia, which began serving Colombian-grown, sustainably-sourced specialty coffee in August 2016.
What do most customers drink? Our most popular drinks are cappuccinos and macchiatos, but
Fuga Café + Bike Studio Calle 81 # 11-55 L1, Bogotá, Colombia @fugacafe.cc
this year, we’re seeing a progression of people moving to the drip coffee more and more. That is part of our objective as a business.
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I throw my bike on the roof of my car, drive some enjoyable roads to get somewhere, put in a solid effort on the bike and then drive some good roads on the way back and get home, sit down, cra ck o p e n a c o l d o n e a n d g o, “ N ow t h a t was a good use of my time.�
Rider Allan Thom, @a.thom Special Thanks Alger Bikes, @algerbikes Leh Keen, @lehmank #TheKeenProject Giro, @girocycling 7mesh Clothing, @7meshinc Photographer Chris Milliman, @millimans
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t’s quiet. Calm. Still. Bird song carries through the leaves. A tree falls in the forest. The Michigan gravel roads sit empty under overcast skies. An engine, off in the distance, cuts through the tranquility. The crunch of gravel under all-terrain tires. The throaty roar of an air-cooled flatsix echos, purrs. The car drifts round the bend, slightly askew, then rights itself and rips down the lane. Allan Thom passes by at the wheel, his aluminum spectacles shining. Window down. Doppler of sound. A dust cloud in his wake. The birds grow quiet. Reverent. The leaves quiver. The forest is still. Calm. Quiet. Nearly a half-century ago, Allan Thom sat in the passenger seat. Ten years old. His father at the wheel, driving the North Dakota backroads Dad knew like the weathered back of his hand. The dust. The sound. The speed. It all quickened young Allan’s heart, then settled into his bones. The call of the gravel. The thrill of the dirt.
By Matthew Ankeny
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Thom the elder was a mechanic. Thom the younger became
decades in between, Thom helped WeatherTech expand
a mechanic. Allan Thom dreamed of being a rally driver,
their product line, move manufacturing to America, and
lusting after those Group B rally cars like every other
grow from 30 employees to 1,200. Given his competitive
red-blooded car nut in the ‘80s. He went to a rally school
spirit, he liked market competition as well. He worked his
and he raced an ice-racing series in Minnesota, but he didn’t
way up and became president of the company seven years
end up pursuing rally all the way to the main stage. He ran
ago; in that role he met a WeatherTech driver named Leh
his shop, worked on race cars and raced as an amateur with
Keen — a Porsche fanboy from Georgia. Keen and Thom
the Sports Car Club of America (SCCA). A decade later, he
got to talking German cars, rallying, dirt. Keen mentioned
settled down a bit. He married, had his first son and left his
a project he’d started — modifying ‘80s Porsche 911s to be
shop to work for a small — at the time — car-mat operation
off-road ready. He was creating the Safari 911. “When the
named WeatherTech. “The racing thing was not easy to do
concept of the Safari 911 came out, I was like, ‘That’s exactly
anymore,” he said, referencing the growing demands on his
the thing I want,’” Thom said. “I enjoy that style of driving.
free time. “But riding a bike was.”
I enjoy those kinds of roads. And, I can throw my bike on the Safari and now I have an excuse to go somewhere like
Mountain, gravel and cyclocross racing are spirit sisters to
Michigan and ride.”
rallying, and Thom gravitated toward them. He could get up early, knock out a race and be home with the family for
Thom signed up for Keen’s next car. “He’s the perfect Safari
the day. “I’m competitive. I like to compete,” he said. To get
owner,” Keen said. “He uses his car a lot. He goes out and
the fix, in the late ‘90s and on into the 2000s, he raced
gets it muddy. And he enjoys it.” Keen kept Safari number
bicycles, not race cars.
one for himself. Thom owns Safari number two.
“I kind of got away from cars, and now, in the last five or
“I drive it everywhere, even in the winter,” Thom, who lives in
six years I got back into cars,” Thom said. During the two
the Chicago suburbs, said. “I don’t care. I’ll drive it to
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the city, because if someone bumps into it, backs into it;
It’s hard to tell what Thom loves more: car or bike. They’re
I’m not going to lose any sleep.” More frequently, though,
equal and complementary passions. Riding unlocks his
Thom finds himself on the gravel backroads he loves.
competitive side. Driving unlocks his love of air-cooled,
He drives that raised, big-tire 911 out to ride his big-tire bicycle.
rear-engine machines. Both fuel his appetite for adventure.
“The car and the bike are metaphors for each other,” Thom offered. And they are — they are both expertly modified
“The Safari 911 is a perfectly suited, road-legal car, yet when
machines that come alive when the pavement ends.
you get it in its right element, you can be — to a certain degree — a race car driver,” Thom said. He waxed eloquent
“When the concept of the S afari 911 came out, I was like, ‘That’s exactly the thing I want,’” Thom said. “I enjoy that style of driving. I enjoy those kinds of roads. And, I can throw my bike on t he S afari and now I have an excuse t o go somewhere like Michigan and ride.”
on the unique characteristics of a Porsche drive — even more pronounced in the Safari 911. “How does it drive? Well, those common Porsche attributes of understeer at the entrance of the corner and oversteer at the exit of the corner are still there. They’re just comically exaggerated. You’re laughing as you’re doing it.” He’s also laughing once he hops on the bike and takes off on the rolling undulations near the Yankee Springs Recreation Area. Past the birds. Past the leaves. Past the rippling water on the ponds and lakes, stirred up by his zephyr of fast-moving air. He reaches the trailhead. He rounds a low dirt barrier and forges on, down the narrow path, racing away.
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The Lefty Oliver fork is the most capable road-going suspension fork ever created, delivering 30mm of bobfree travel and pinpoint handling on tarmac, trail and everything in between.
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Massive 42c tires on 650b wheels let you ride at road speeds while enjoying exceptional cornering grip and traction.
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Short chainstays give the Slate snap and agility, while the dramatically shaped seatstays and chainstays flex to absorb shock and vibration.
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A slack head angle and long front-center keep things stable and confident when heading off road.
S AFA R I 9 11 SPE C S 1
The 3.2 liter, aircooled engine is mostly stock, from a 1989 Porsche 911. Light modifications include a K&N Air Filter, Steve Wong ECU Chip and Dansk RS Type Exhaust.
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The interior tartan fabric is original Porsche factory material from the 70’s, imported from Germany.
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The light pod features two Spot (for long range view) and two Fog (for close, ground view) lenses paired to individual switches in the cabin.
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Big BFG K02 Baja tires rip the road toward Adiprene mud flaps, imported from Italy.
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The lightweight ducktail adds high speed stability. And it looks the business!
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I N T E R V I E W Leh Keen raced sports cars professionally for over a decade. In 2012,
What modifications go into the car?
he started driving for WeatherTech, where he met Allan Thom. In
The concept is simple — kinda simple-stupid. Long-travel shocks.
2013, he started The Keen Project, and, after building one 911 Safari
Upgraded torsion bars. Polymer bushings all around the car.
for himself, he sold his second — pictured in this magazine — to Thom.
We modify the front strut. Little bit of strengthening here or there. We keep the engine pretty simple. We’ll go through and do all the maintenance stuff. We do a full exhaust. Make sure the timing’s
How did this project begin?
good and there are no mechanical issues with it.
It all started a long time ago. Basically, all my life I’ve been surrounded by Porsches — starting when I was three years old.
The exterior gets the bumper bars — bolted through the bumper
I went to races as a kid with my dad, then I got into racing and
straight to the chassis. The light pod, so you can see at night.
started driving and I worked my way up and became a true,
The mud flaps. We shave the mirrors. The ducktail. I like the ducktail.
professional driver — mostly in Porsches.
Not all cars have the ducktail. But all the cars have the crazy, really cool interiors. That’s important to me, also.
I loved the 911, and I’ve always loved rallying. So, I started The Keen Project in 2013. It’s a design company and a management
And how does the 911 fare on gravel roads?
company that builds complete, turnkey Porsches.
Nobody ever thinks, “Let’s take a 911 out in the dirt, get it muddy and slide it around.” But it actually is one of the best cars for
What inspired the 911 Safari design?
that. The first race a Porsche 911 did was the Monte Carlo Rally
The Safari idea was a 911 that was a carefree drive. You could just
in 1965. Then Porsche rally’d and safari’d them through the late
enjoy, have fun and not have to worry about it so much. It’s an
‘60s, through the ‘70s and into the early ‘80s. With the engine
‘80s 911; super simple, super reliable. And the whole concept is
in the rear, it has a lot of weight back there, so it has the grip to
inspired by the East African Safari and Paris-Dakar Rally cars.
get out of a slippery situation. The car is a dual-purpose vehicle. I’ve daily-driven my car for Then there’s the feel of the car; how well balanced a 911 is.
months. I can take it to downtown Atlanta and squeeze through
It talks to you and you know exactly what it’s doing. And the
traffic and jump up on a curb if I want to, and then I can drive up to
reliability — you can be out in the woods and not worry about it
the mountains and hit the national forest roads — one-lane gravel
and know it’s going to keep going. And it’s small. It all adds up
roads ripping through the mountains.
to the perfect car. Why a 911?
It also looks good.
I wanted the enjoyment of an old, air-cooled 911, but I also want-
If I’m sticking big tires on a 911, might as well make it look cool.
ed to be able to drive the car and not worry about it. So I built it tough and raised it up, so it could go anywhere. You can pretend to be a rally driver, or you can daily-drive it. There’s just so many uses. And the whole time you’re in an air-cooled 911.
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I roll my bike out the front door and head off toward the hills. I am alone, with zero responsibility outside of c o m i n g h o m e t h e f o l l o w i n g d a y. I r i d e away from the city, snaking my way through traffic, dodging under a freeway and onto quieter roads. I charge up broken pavement. I pedal my bike to the brink of no return.
Rider Ben Popper, @gravelcruiser Special Thanks Best Made Co., @bestmadeco Apidura, @apidura Gregg’s Greenlake Cycles, @greggscycle Photographer Chris Milliman, @millimans
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hate turning around. I shout a string of obscenities and direct my bike back the way I came. I was trying to ride through a series of forest roads I had never seen, on the backside of Green Mountain on the Olympic Peninsula outside of Seattle. My goal was to summit before sunset. My intentions were good. I wanted to get there without trespassing on county watershed land, again. Now I find myself stuck. I am on a rutted-out game trail. What had started as a promising paved road behind a closed gate, slowly disintegrated into a gravel road, then steep 4WD track, followed by a jeep trail and then single track. My path whittled its way down to the deeply rutted, overgrown, unrideable trail I am now on. The day’s light is starting to fade.
By Ben Popper
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While my intent for these weeknight jaunts is simplicity, that
where the dad part takes top priority. Most days I start
rarely pans out. Most often, I am doing this same thing: rid-
work early so I can finish in time for school pickup, after
ing roads I’ve never seen and hoping for the best. So while
which a whole host of after-school activities and vari-
I am always trying to convince my buddies, and myself, that
ous needs await to be met. Violin lessons, t-ball practice,
the line will go, I seem to be route-finding more often than
Scouts, grocery shopping, laundry, dog walks, trips to the
I’d like to admit. Yet, I keep doing it all the same. It adds a
park, play dates. The after-work part of my day is often
bit of big adventure to a micro-adventure. I’ve done a fair
more difficult and tiring than the paycheck-earning part,
amount of riding that takes a lot of planning to pull off, but
but far more rewarding.
for these overnighters, I just scan Google Maps for a nearby forested landmark, hand draw a basic map, and make
Bikes and bike racing have ebbed and flowed throughout
it up and modify as I go. These escapes into the wild un-
my life in different ways for as long as I can remember. My
lock when my partner says nine magic words: “I have the kid
younger brother and I would race around the block. Those
tonight, you should get out.”
races transformed from sidewalk sprints to laps around the BMX track, where my brother eventually became fast-
This casual, last-minute nature suits my style just fine. I
er than me. Tired of the racing structure, I left the track
leave for less than sixteen hours and between start and
and became a park rat, spending every available minute in
finish there isn’t much I need. I pack bare essentials: some-
the woods building dirt jumps, or riding in the skate park.
thing to sleep on, the makings of a meager cup of coffee for
Eventually, work and school took hold and I had less time
the next morning, a single can of beer, a paperback pocket
for maintaining trails and started alley cat racing, immers-
Western, a headlamp and knife. That’s it; fast and light. I
ing myself in the fixed-gear culture. A chance encounter
grab dinner and breakfast enroute, and the brevity of the
with cyclocross was a cupid’s arrow. I fell in love. I started
trip means I am not spending much time awake — or asleep
training, got faster, rocketed up in category and spent a
— at camp.
few seasons racing at the elite level, traveling all over the country for four months a year. That was until I burned out
I am an outdoor-adventure loving, work-from-home dad,
and we moved to Seattle from Chicago.
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We moved west for proximity to nature. Once here, I
and fatigue are battling for priority and it is hard to stay
started skipping cross races to ride around in the moun-
positive. I was out for a good time, and at this moment, a
tains. I found a different, more fulfilling reward racing to a
good time sounds like diving into the burrito I’ve packed,
mountaintop to beat the setting sun. I put the fattest tires
drinking my one beer and settling into my tent. I ride a few
possible on my cross frame and tried not to melt the pads
miles up the road. On a spur — a small dirt road off the
on my canti brakes during mountain descents; I spent days
main gravel road — there’s a grassy knoll with a westward
riding deep into the woods in search of abandoned mines
facing view of the last sunlight setting over the Olympic
and railroads.
Mountains. I set up camp.
My six-year-old son is just about big enough to start riding
It is a simple affair for a quick night. I pitch my tent out of
the mountain bike trails with me. He can almost outpace his
view from the road and lay out my sleeping pad and bag
mom and me on the hiking trail, and I am pretty confident
inside. With camp set, I roll over a big rock for a seat and
he will be skiing harder terrain this winter than I can. But
unwrap my now cold burrito. I raise the shaken and warm
for now, these little weeknight retreats are something I do
beer to the sky, salute the day and devour my supper, filling
alone. If I get slightly lost in the process, no big deal.
my belly for a warm night under the stars.
Back on the trail, a new goal is set: I need a flat piece of
Settled in my sleeping bag, the disappointment of not
ground big enough to pitch a tent. Ideally, that spot isn’t in
achieving my goal flitters away into the stars. I enjoy this
the middle of a dirt road, or on the side of a dirt road, and it
lack of competitiveness. I am never going to win when
comes with some kind of view.
the mountain is my opponent. The climbs will never get shorter, the grade will never lessen, the gravel will never
I tuck tail and make the best of my deteriorating situation. I
become firmer. Nature always wins, and I am okay with that.
sway, slide and skid down the dirt. The sun descends along-
I focus only on what I need, which isn’t much — to ride until
side me. I reach the gate. I lift my rig over it and mentally
I am tired, go to sleep when I feel like it and wake up early
abandon the summit attempt. At this point, disappointment
enough to get home in time to see my son off to school.
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kid. When I’m not around him, it’s weird for me. But it also feels
Mostly backpacking. He is six years old. We started backpack-
so good to move at my own pace.
ing with him when he was four, so now he can walk quite a bit. In the last year or so, it’s become really rewarding with him — we
Can slowing down be a perk?
can go seven miles into the wilderness, up into the mountains
Definitely. When going from a car to a bike, you get to see so
and pitch a tent and be out in the middle of nowhere and then
much more. You see stuff that you would have never seen in a
wake up the next day and keep going.
car. When you get out with your kid, and every puddle is something to play in and stop for, you get to see even more of the mi-
What does the packing list include?
nutiae of what’s around you, because you have way more time
It’s all normal stuff. Sleeping bags, a tent, food, a poop shovel
to look. When I get out on my own, I move at a significantly
and some toilet paper. He carries his sleeping bag and sleeping
faster pace and I don’t look at every little waterfall. When we’re
pad now, but he’ll always bring a stuffed animal or two and a few
with the kiddo, we look at every waterfall. And that’s awesome.
books to read. And snacks. Snack stops are imperative with a kid. Any advice for someone taking their kid(s) into the woods? What’s the pace?
Lots of snacks. And stop when they ask for them. We didn’t do
We don’t go fast. He hikes between a mile and two miles an
that at first. We wanted to go our pace. We wanted to go our dis-
hour. So it’s all day. But it’s just like going out on a long bike
tance. We had this idea of what needed to get done. And then we
ride, it’s what you’re out to do. It’s what you’re doing. It doesn’t
realized that regardless of what our goal was, we were not setting
matter how fast you go, because you’re out to do it.
the pace, ever. And once you realize that you have to stop every mile or every half mile to have a rest and a break — when you ac-
Why is it important for you to get him in the outdoors?
cept that that’s the pace — everything is a hundred times easier.
I think it’s good to give him a broader understanding of how things work. To have appreciation for things we can’t control. To not be
So we had to practice slowing down. Because once you slow
comfortable all the time. To earn something. He’s proud of himself
down you get there. But if you’re just trying to push through
when he gets to places. Mostly, though, it’s just to do it. To get out.
and rush it, he’s not going to make it. And then he’s not going to like it. You have to make sure it’s fun. If it’s not fun they’re not
It’s also the type of family we are. We don’t go to church, we
going to like it and they’re not going to want to go back. So lots
go camping.
of snacks. It’s all about snacks.
How is it to go out on your own versus camping with the family? On my own it’s fast and light, but I miss the family almost from the first pedal stroke. I work from home and I take care of my
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8 5 . 5 133°
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High elevations — no matter what culture or what part of the world — have always been spiritual places. It’s where temples h a v e b e e n . I t ’ s w h e r e p e o p l e g o t o p r a y. It’s where people go to die. It clearly affects us. Our senses are different at high elevation. It’s very easy to understand that you’re experiencing a different world. - Brian Vernor
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Riders Eric Brunt, @bearthebrunt Jonathan Neve, @jkneve Brian Vernor, @vernor Special Thanks Smith Optics, @smithoptics Search and State, @searchandstate Izzy Cohan, @izzy_cohan Kenny Sule, @kennysule Photographers Brian Vernor, @vernor Jonathan Neve, @jkneve
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R I D E R S Brian Vernor Height: 5’10” Weight: 160 lbs Hair Color: Brown Eye Color: Blue Birthplace: Santa Cruz, CA Currently Resides: Los Angeles, CA Bike: Cannondale Slate, Medium
Eric Brunt Height: 5’10” Weight: 165 lbs Hair Color: Natural Blonde Eye Color: Brown Birthplace: Twentynine Palms, CA Currently Resides: Los Angeles, CA Bike: Cannondale Slate, Medium
Jonathan Neve Height: 6’1” Weight: 152 lbs Hair Color: Brown Eye Color: Blue Birthplace: Plano, TX Currently Resides: Austin, TX Bike: Cannondale SuperX SE, 58cm
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BADWATER BASIN TO WHITE MOUNTAIN PEAK
1 92 .9 MILES
24, 613 F T EL EVATI O N GAI N 102
White Mountain Peak Elev. 14,252’ (FINISH)
Bishop
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Big Pine
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Kings Canyon National Park Teakettle Junction Stovepipe Wells
Lone Pine Sequoia National Park
Death Valley National Park
Badwater Basin Elev. -278.9’ (START)
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he boys take off, late afternoon, in the land of the godforsaken: BADWATER BASIN.
Quotes are from interviews conducted post-ride. Individual conversations have been condensed and reordered for storytelling purposes.
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There’s no other ride that incorporates so many
there was finally some relief from being in the burn of
different feelings, because there’s so many different
the sunlight.
zones — desert basin to a high-altitude peak. Eric Brian
We all had our lights off and we all rode together.
The distance, when you’re totally off the leash, is so
There was a blue hue in the sky. The moon was
surreal.
bouncing off white sand gravel. It was pretty special. We rode the entire time with no lights.
Jonathan
There is a lot of time to feel a lot of different things.
Brian
How do we do the ride? That’s the bottom line. Making
through cool desert night air; shapes around you;
it beautiful is secondary to making it real.
enough moonlight to throw our shadows. That was
Brian
It was such a unique physical experience, cruising
amazing.
Brian
They ride through a valley of death, out and over a long dusty road.
Temperature drops.
When we were on the washboard sandy area it was
Brian
Because we were going to 14,000 feet, we were
very real to us how far we were from any type of help.
thinking, “At 7,000 feet, it won’t be that bad.” But
We only saw one car on a seventy-five mile stretch
actually, it was twenty-nine degrees.
that we were on for nine hours. Eric Eric
Brian
who’s boss. You get humbled a bit by the weather.
these guys, they were feeling it pretty good.
You just have to learn from it. Jonathan
Mentally, you’re just like, “Fuck, I just have to get through this.”
Eric
The weather smacks you around and teaches you
That road is terrible; it’s tough to pick a line. And
It was freezing cold but we kept going through these warm pockets of air.
Eric
It’s pure suffering. You’re shelled. You’re constantly expending energy.
We would check in with each other; it’s always good to hear someone talking to make sure they’re doing good, they’re staying awake.
Brian
Most of the time, there was active denial. If I allowed Jonathan
my mind to figure out something to do in that case,
I’ve dozed off while driving a car, but I’ve never been
then I’d probably accept it. If you don’t see anything
so fatigued that I’ve fallen asleep on a bike. You’re
other than making it, you just keep going.
just staring down the road and getting tripped out by the moving lines. It’s hard to keep your eyes open.
The mountains appear as daylight fades. They enter into the
We were descending and there was no engagement;
shadows. The cool of night; moonlight.
it was just, “Hold onto the handlebars and turn the bike through the twisty stuff.” At one point, I realized
Jonathan
In the afternoon we hit a wall of shadows behind the
I closed my eyes for more than five seconds. I think I
mountain. That was huge for me, because I knew
was swerving pretty far across the road.
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Jonathan Once, when we saw the gate [near the summit], I
It’s very vivid. Our memories of nighttime, especially.
cried a little. Like, “Oh my god, I’m so happy to use the Jonathan
We stopped at the bottom. That was about 2:00 a.m.?
bathroom, to drink some Coke, to sit down for a few
3:00 a.m.? Something like that. We set a timer for
seconds and then just have that final six-mile push up
an hour. We all slept on the gravel, under the space
to the peak.”
blankets. After that we were in a much better place. Eric
Three grown men huddling like little piglets.
Brian
We had hit the wall and needed sleep. We got a
The mountaintop reveals itself in the distance. Bald rock. Burnt black. The destination. The summit.
Eric
Those are like no miles you’ve ever seen.
Brian
You are very aware of how far you have to go. And
decent amount of sleep. And we felt a lot sharper after that and more capable. Pedaling again, I was much stronger than I had been at that end of the
how slow you’re going. At that point, after 160 miles,
last climb. That only lasted so long, but it lasted long
I was walking most of the uphills. You’re up over
enough to get us past.
10,000 feet and your legs are done and the going is quite slow.
They ride on, dreaming of a rising sun. They ride up, up, up. Eric
Eric
Everything was super rough, super rocky. It was slow
That climb is difficult. There are so many grade
going. Temperature was good. It was clear. Probably
changes. It’s hard to get into a rhythm.
forty-five degrees. Just warm enough.
Jonathan Once you start sowing seeds of doubt or pointing
Jonathan
I think maybe we were facing a bit of sleep deprivation.
out certain things about the situation that are facts —
Because we would stop and I would find myself
like the details of whatever difficulty we were facing
closing my eyes and almost forgetting I was on the
— you enter into unwise territory, because we were
ride. I was going someplace else entirely.
hanging on by a thread. Brian Eric
We were pushing our bikes up the peak. It was just
You’re stripped of everything to your core. And the
walking. And I was actually falling asleep on my feet as
simplest things — warmth, food, shelter — those
we were walking. I needed to stop and close my eyes
essentials mean so much more.
for a minute, but I didn’t want to fall asleep for an hour — until my body got cold enough to wake up; I wasn’t
Then, from the dark of night comes the light of day.
Eric
There was a banger of a sunrise. Pretty powerful. It was
close my eyes, because I don’t want to not make it. Or
good for the head. You’ve just come from the evening.
fall asleep for too long. But I can’t keep walking right
You feel like an animal of the night. And then the sun
now.” I don’t know how long we were there for, but
rises and you’re like, “Okay, vampire season is over.” It’s
he finally tapped me and was like, “We should keep
wild, man. The sun comes over a set of mountains and
going,” and we did. I had never been in that position
you get a renewed effort. It’s a new beginning.
before. I had never had that while being physically
even sure if I would wake up. So I tapped Jonathan and was like, “I just need you to sit with me while I
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active. It’s so weird to be mechanically putting one
Your brain is constantly sending you these fucked-
foot in front of the other but also falling asleep.
up messages, telling you to stop doing what you’re doing. And you get these bouts of self doubt and fear
Eric
Then you get your first real glimpse of White, and it
and you’re like, “I should quit. This isn’t happening.
looks so far away. You’re just like, “Oh. Fuck.” But you
This isn’t good for me.”
can see it and it looks out of this world. Brian
Brian
It was a tough one. I had a few cries along the way.
Eric
When you come down from a thing like that, you
The top is in sight, but the effort to get there is still unreal. You’re thinking, “How is it so hard to go that distance?”
Jonathan
Brian
don’t realize how shelled you are. Brian
One pedal stroke at a time. One footstep at a time.
own body to transport yourself; the way that the light
over. That was the physical threshold that we were
and landscape changes, it extends everything. As a
trying to push into. Or push through.
personal experience out there, it was very beautiful.
I wanted to take it in as much as possible, while also needing to just get off my bike and sleep.
Eric
It’s definitely a day like no other.
A sunset on the mountaintop. The end of the journey.
Brian
There was a sunset-type light for 360 degrees. Everywhere was pink in the clouds. From the east side of White Mountain there were sun rays filtering through the clouds from below. I didn’t know what was happening. It was so alien. I thought we were on an off-planet moon with two suns. It actually seemed like sunrise and sunset were happening at the same time.
Jonathan
When you’re exposed to the elements and using your
Eventually enough time will pass that this day will be
It was eye opening seeing how many times you go through psychological highs and lows. Your brain is telling you that you can’t do it anymore and you have to quit. And your body is like, “No, it’s fine.” Then your body says, “You have to quit.” And your brain is convincing you that it’s time to keep going. That’s something I’ve come to expect on hard rides.
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