As a mtb tour outfitter winter in New England provides many opportunities for alternate activities. I mean different sorts of jobs to pass the time.
Of course there's always re-tweaking the online storefront(website) bring it into the new year, then deceiding where to spend those advertising dollars which you know only half of which will be worthwhile, and restocking supplies and repairing bikes.

As a mountain biker and a business person that runs almost all aspects of this business I try to read trends and stay ahead or on top of the changes going on in my particular nitch industry. And let me tell you it is a nitch industry but it is growing and recently ,past few years, is beginning to go somewhat mainstream. For many years we have maintained prominence almost always leading the way with new innovation and since 1991 when we first thought it feasible to operate as a cross country mountain biking facility have seen amazing growth and new populations getting into it. I've had some young people teens that I have had the pleasure to spend a week every summer with since they were 13 now some of them are off to college and I think back that when I started this, they were just born.

The freeride caze is one of those trends that we saw coming and were fortunate to be way ahead of the curve before it became a mainstream activity. We can actually suggest that our management and support of this trend led directly to it's success as a popular and acceptable mountain biking activity. Long before IMBA OR NEMBA OR any of the mtb clubs & organizations we were managing, building and maintaining stunt and freeride terrain with GREAT success. IMBA OR NEMBA did not write the book on freeriding in the US. They're just some of the newest supporting organizations.

So What is next??? My contention is that the next trend in mountain biking will be
customized trail designs. What is a customized trail? Most folks riding on mountain biking trails are not riding on trails that have been built specifically for mountain bikers. Much of the existing trails or singletract that most riders use have been built by and for other uses either multiple use or for use other then mountain biking.

A true custom trail is hand built, lets say that again....HAND BUILT! Built for the sole experience of mountain biking. Now the NEXT Real Trend...
will be to specifically design a trails that give the rider a very particular feeling and experience while riding on it.

Hot Mountain Biking July and August

Wednesday, August 02, 2006

Hello all

It's been a while since I last posted. If you're following along you may be wondering what I've been up to. April was very dry and we got just about all our trails tuned up for this great season. Then we quickly got ready for a video shooting of the popular Maine outdoor show called Bill Green's Maine. Bill's a great host and an even greater sport. He did a great job putting mountain and all its pieces together on one great video. To be continued You can check out his video on our site too.

Life OF A Mountain Biker Professional

Sunday, March 19, 2006

We certainly had a blast riding in Ecuador and then onto Oaxaca, Mexico
Ecuador, especially Quito, has quite the mountain biking culture if your heading down those parts you might want to contact Jose Jaramello- jjaramillo@aekia.com.ec
it is called
"PARQUE METROPOLITANO", it has around 800 Hecters and has an altitude of around
3000(9000') meters high. There are a lot of natural single tracks and built
trails. And the most important, it is at only 10 minutes of the city, Quito. I
fact it is inside of the city. Jose is a great rider and good friend and he can guide you on the trails for a small fee.And there are lots of trails to see!

Well my vacation is over and now back to the work of running a mountain biking center.
For some of you being self employed is a foreign idea. More like self-motivated
that's the key to being self employed and most mountain bikers I know never lack self motivation so its sort of a natural being a mountain biker and owner of a mountain biking operation. So as owner /operator there are many tasks well beyond the scope of actual riding and if you like feel free to follow along with me in the coming days to see what I will be doing to get our 2006 season off and riding.

Below the Equator

Saturday, February 18, 2006

Cliff's has packed up his bike and helmet and headed south. Way south...I must have been thinking of last seasons trip. We totally passed over Costa Rica and came directly to Ecuador. Actually, in the Heart of the Andes.. Quito. What a surprise these mountain bikers have their act together . The handbuilt miles of singletract in the local park here have something for everyone they even have a freeride area loaded with natural goodies. One spot they call Disneyland has a vertical drop on one trail that is totally freaky but they were all riding it so...When in Ecuador Do what the Ecuadoreans do. Immagine a vertical freefall for the first 10 feet!!!!

So my plan is to experience some amazing riding where it is warm and get stoked for the 2006 season of awesome mountain biking in Maine.