What I love about this kind of trail and the video captures it perfectly is the difference in style and reads different riders have of a section of trail. Definition of choose your own adventure.
Natural trails like this are the essence of MTBing and what really defines it imo. Jumps or man made trails are fun, but they are just an addition and evolution of the sport.
One of your better recent videos in my opinion. I love me some bike park fast flowy manicured trails but I also love jank!! I didn't spend thousands on my suspension to ride on sidewalks
This is like one of those low-key unofficial trails that you stumble upon by accident, get your kicked by the Jane and then come back for more ;) There’s a special place in my heart for such trails. Great video!
You and Steve seem to have a pretty good handle on the old school Jank, I used to ride with Steve back in the day. Steel hard tails and V brakes! Then the VPS years. Good times!
I like trails with a bit of both styles. I rode full pull on eagle recently and the tight jank broken up by fast sections where you can let loose makes for a super sick ride! Fast jank FTW!
I've been thinking about moving from my Sight up to the Range. Watching a technician like Dale choosing to ride a long slack bike is very interesting and entertaining!
Not exactly the same switch (there’s much less tech in AK), but I recently moved from riding 1200mm WB 475 reach 130mm short chainstay bikes of various flavors to a S5 Stumpjumper evo (~1290 WB, 498 reach, 450mm chainstay) and I’ve personally found that the increased reach and chainstay length increase my ability in the tech, but the long wheelbase is challenging on occasion.
Excellent video. I thought the begin oart looked familiar. I believe it's a little higher up than i have done. I rode some of the lower part. Note the "some" part as I also walked some too, more than I would have liked. I wish I could link it together the way you guys did. Props on the crazy bike skills.
I only ride trails like this. But starting MTB at 45, I am shocked I haven't had a massive accident yet. They get really hairy at times for a duffer like me. I would like to have a go at a manicured trail one day.
@@DaleStone My fall 3 weeks ago on the sharkfin on the Sainte-Anne WC track agrees. Never got hurt riding stupid steep tech, meanwhile that jump fractured me a collarbone, scapula, ribs aswell as a punctured lung 😅 Meanwhile that morning I did 2x top to bottom runs for the first time on the hardest official trail on the mountain (steep tech) with little issues, speed hurts !
@@WilliamLevesqueineX That's rough. Hope you recover fully. There are no official trails here. We have some pretty fast gravel sections between the tech trails. They are so much fun, but yeah. Not safe. The tech stuff still worries me most coz I don't honestly know what I'm doing and sometimes lose control. Wishing you a speedy recovery (and an understanding partner).
These are the best trails in the world! Love the puzzle-solving and finesse required for jank. Flow trails just don’t do it for me, at all. There’s that pressure to keep going faster (with resulting risk of injury) and it’s harder for the pup to keep up too!
This is all I ride. I usually have trails like this to myself and a few hikers. Hopping 2 foot logs is a more difficult skill than railing a bermed turn or hitting a double in imo.
@@DaleStone Gotta have trials skills like DD and YOU. I don't have those chops, but I cut my teeth on rigid bikes on hiking trails. Speed and air are fun, and I have adapted to the modern bikes and their capabilities, but this old school stuff is really challenging. My goal is to slay trail and get as far into nature as possible w a few good buds who push me and can save me if I crash.
Forgive my ignorance, but I'm not really sure by what the differences are between what people are calling old school and new school style tracks. Here I'm seeing pretty rugged, naturalistic styled tracks with minimum obviously man-made features - so there's a difference between that and "new school"..? I'm not into the scene, I've never ridden or owned a full-suspension bike (can't afford one) and hence never done off-road riding like this - but I love this style of riding and the sense of adventure these videos give on such amazing trails. If someone could explain the differences in trail styles I'd appreciate it.
For the most part, people think of new-school as being machine built, berm after berm blue flow trails, and old school being this. This is a gross oversimplification for many reasons (and I can think of a few stellar tech trails build with an old school flavour in the past few years), but in general I believe the trend is pretty accurate. Trails like this aren't going anywhere, and the less they get ridden the better they become! 🙂
Within my own comfort zone of riding, I too prefer janky challenges to berm fueled speed. But something like this will forever be beyond my pay grade. Though I haven’t ridden it yet, Bean on Burke is probably a more achievable goal for pushing my jank abilities.
curious about the origins of this trail. was this build for biking or for hiking? felt a lot like the euro hiking trails that get their difficulty by not oiginally be made for biking. what‘s the story here? @dale?
Not cool ? These are the coolest ! I'm so glad my local bike park double blacks are mostly natural steep tech trails (old secret trails put on the map, nevermind the current secret stuff *wink*), gimme those any day before any machine-groomed flow trails or jumps !
Nothing against flow riders, because that is mountain biking but this....THIS is mountain biking. I'm not interested in jumping, I want to ride down the side of a mountain.
@@DaleStone the flat bladed side of a Pulaski tool is an adze, though a modified McLeod tool would also be good. The top of the trail just looked too cluttered
Yu, definitely not "cool" anymore because it requires actual bike handling skills and cannot be "passengered" on a bike with more travel than you need and slacker geo than you need. Props for riding as much of that as you did Dale, definitely must be the most jank trail I've seen so far.
I disagree; riders aren't getting lazier, they're just going faster on the same trails! And I think this is the second most jank behind the episode with Steve a few weeks back haha, close.
Agree to disagree, put any of those "not lazier" riders on a good rigid with decent geo and ask them to tackle the same trails and see the outcome. People these days don't want to have to put in the time and effort to learn anything, they just want it the easiest, hence why most are riding 150mm> travel bikes with
Yes, but Dale didn't start on this sort of bike, he built his skills on XC oriented bikes, it's because of this that he can get this bike around such a tight trail with minimal braiding/different lines.
Yeah, I really don't like it when gnarly trails are dumbed down. I get it that trail associations want to have more trails accessible to a wider range of skillsets, but can't they leave the old school gnar alone and build NEW easier trails instead?
![Installing flush cupboard doors! [Life in New Zealand #833]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/IXhhzg2HbU8/mqdefault.jpg)
What I love about this kind of trail and the video captures it perfectly is the difference in style and reads different riders have of a section of trail. Definition of choose your own adventure.
I love both types, but old school raw type trails are still my absolute favorite!
Exactly! (Almost) all trails are great. 🙂
These are amazing. When Dales toes are scared, you know that means something
Natural trails like this are the essence of MTBing and what really defines it imo. Jumps or man made trails are fun, but they are just an addition and evolution of the sport.
100% more enjoyable than any jump line! 🤩
That's the fun stuff I love. While I enjoy some flow, but this is the stuff that feels so great when you conquer it.
One of your better recent videos in my opinion. I love me some bike park fast flowy manicured trails but I also love jank!! I didn't spend thousands on my suspension to ride on sidewalks
Haha, well phrased. We always say "I paid for 180 so I'm going to use 180"!
This is like one of those low-key unofficial trails that you stumble upon by accident, get your kicked by the Jane and then come back for more ;) There’s a special place in my heart for such trails. Great video!
I have now realized how important it is to master the track stand! It can get you out of some sticky situations
It is one of the most useful moves without a doubt, buys you time!
@@DaleStone totally!
At 58 years old. I still love to ride the(old school trails). But totally enjoy the new school fast and flowing trails as well.
Totally agree!
You and Steve seem to have a pretty good handle on the old school Jank, I used to ride with Steve back in the day. Steel hard tails and V brakes! Then the VPS years. Good times!
I guess I never grew out of the steel hard tail thing :D
I like trails with a bit of both styles. I rode full pull on eagle recently and the tight jank broken up by fast sections where you can let loose makes for a super sick ride! Fast jank FTW!
Thanks, that means a lot to me. I built the trail with my friend Chris, we love this kind of riding too (that's me in the vid with Dale)
@@biggles6o4well done! Most impressive riding!
@@biggles6o4 sweet as brother! Those trails are super cool to me still, but not everyone was raised on slow tech and skinnies like some of us 😂
that was fun..🚴🚴🚴 thanks for the ride ✌️✌️✌️
There were some very satisfying endo turns in that. Enjoyed it very mcuh!
What a spicy mutant of a trail! I love it. Impressive riding Dale!
Love that stuff! Great riding!
I've been thinking about moving from my Sight up to the Range. Watching a technician like Dale choosing to ride a long slack bike is very interesting and entertaining!
It certainly adds a unique additional challenge to the already existing challenge. 😆
Not exactly the same switch (there’s much less tech in AK), but I recently moved from riding 1200mm WB 475 reach 130mm short chainstay bikes of various flavors to a S5 Stumpjumper evo (~1290 WB, 498 reach, 450mm chainstay) and I’ve personally found that the increased reach and chainstay length increase my ability in the tech, but the long wheelbase is challenging on occasion.
Wow, that is epic, I love that stuff and it just went on forever. It's like Grannies, but never ending.
Exactly! 🔥
Excellent video. I thought the begin oart looked familiar. I believe it's a little higher up than i have done. I rode some of the lower part.
Note the "some" part as I also walked some too, more than I would have liked. I wish I could link it together the way you guys did. Props on the crazy bike skills.
Oh man, I love trails like that!
Awesome video. Awesome riding
I Looooove TRAILS like this
A graduate level class in chute riding.
Love from Bangladesh 🇧🇩
So good I had to watch it thrice
Ooh ya!
Man i love ur videos keep up the good content
May I know what tyres you are using? size is 2.6? It seems like the traction is super good!
Delium Rugged Reinforced 🔥🔥
i love these!
Awesome trail..Awesome riding..love your videos..where is this trail?
🇨🇦
Steve was also the hardtail rider on that adventurey ride from a few weeks ago, right? I love these videos.
He was indeed, and will be again soon!
I like me some jank
I christen thee The Goat Hoppers🤘🏻😎
Now *THIS* is real mountain biking (this and Cross Country style LOL).
I only ride trails like this. But starting MTB at 45, I am shocked I haven't had a massive accident yet. They get really hairy at times for a duffer like me. I would like to have a go at a manicured trail one day.
An accident on trails like these is almost guaranteed to end up better than an accident on a flow trail, purely due to kinetic energy! 🤓
@@DaleStone My fall 3 weeks ago on the sharkfin on the Sainte-Anne WC track agrees. Never got hurt riding stupid steep tech, meanwhile that jump fractured me a collarbone, scapula, ribs aswell as a punctured lung 😅
Meanwhile that morning I did 2x top to bottom runs for the first time on the hardest official trail on the mountain (steep tech) with little issues, speed hurts !
@@WilliamLevesqueineX That's rough. Hope you recover fully.
There are no official trails here. We have some pretty fast gravel sections between the tech trails. They are so much fun, but yeah. Not safe. The tech stuff still worries me most coz I don't honestly know what I'm doing and sometimes lose control.
Wishing you a speedy recovery (and an understanding partner).
@@japanunfound Yeah its all good ! Just time :)
First video I've seen from you and I loved it! Do you use a GoPro to film and if you do which GoPro is it?
Seriously though, we need a Jank Hunter theme song.
Somebody will come up with one...
Do you guys use special tires for these trails? Do you have carbon fiber frames? Just curious
We run the grippiest tires available and just so happen to have carbon frames (but you absolutely do not need one).
@@DaleStone thanks
Both are awesome
Correct!
These are the best trails in the world! Love the puzzle-solving and finesse required for jank. Flow trails just don’t do it for me, at all. There’s that pressure to keep going faster (with resulting risk of injury) and it’s harder for the pup to keep up too!
Was that trail built for riding or is it just a hiking trail?
This is all I ride. I usually have trails like this to myself and a few hikers. Hopping 2 foot logs is a more difficult skill than railing a bermed turn or hitting a double in imo.
Agreed!
@@DaleStone Gotta have trials skills like DD and YOU. I don't have those chops, but I cut my teeth on rigid bikes on hiking trails. Speed and air are fun, and I have adapted to the modern bikes and their capabilities, but this old school stuff is really challenging. My goal is to slay trail and get as far into nature as possible w a few good buds who push me and can save me if I crash.
Old school trails > new school trails.
How long would you last without your rear suspension? All those squats and impacts must have murdered your quads after a while
Haha, not long if I was on a hardtail! The big bike eats impacts for breakfast in between smashing the linkarm on stuff.
Forgive my ignorance, but I'm not really sure by what the differences are between what people are calling old school and new school style tracks. Here I'm seeing pretty rugged, naturalistic styled tracks with minimum obviously man-made features - so there's a difference between that and "new school"..? I'm not into the scene, I've never ridden or owned a full-suspension bike (can't afford one) and hence never done off-road riding like this - but I love this style of riding and the sense of adventure these videos give on such amazing trails. If someone could explain the differences in trail styles I'd appreciate it.
For the most part, people think of new-school as being machine built, berm after berm blue flow trails, and old school being this. This is a gross oversimplification for many reasons (and I can think of a few stellar tech trails build with an old school flavour in the past few years), but in general I believe the trend is pretty accurate. Trails like this aren't going anywhere, and the less they get ridden the better they become! 🙂
Within my own comfort zone of riding, I too prefer janky challenges to berm fueled speed. But something like this will forever be beyond my pay grade. Though I haven’t ridden it yet, Bean on Burke is probably a more achievable goal for pushing my jank abilities.
Bean is a great version of this!
And Nescafe steps up the jank another level. Both are so good.
curious about the origins of this trail. was this build for biking or for hiking? felt a lot like the euro hiking trails that get their difficulty by not oiginally be made for biking. what‘s the story here? @dale?
also, why the many pink markings on the side of the trail? similar to euro red/white markings in the alpes?
@@Sethimus82 for hikers so they don't get lost....
Is part of that the Halvor Lunden trail?
Not cool ? These are the coolest ! I'm so glad my local bike park double blacks are mostly natural steep tech trails (old secret trails put on the map, nevermind the current secret stuff *wink*), gimme those any day before any machine-groomed flow trails or jumps !
I’m not sure how Mom would feel about your commitment to “no dabs” at 16:44. Tough to tell, but it looked pretty exposed to the right!
Mom does not like it one little bit ;)
:D
Where is this? I didn't see any mention of this trail
🇨🇦🙂
@@DaleStone oh, good. That narrows it down!
What is your tire choice for this kind of trail?
Delium Rugged, link in description!
Whatever happened to the green bike? You never seem to ride it on the channel.
Prepping for sale as I write this response. 🙂
3:32 Is how it starts. The next thing you know, you're married.
I only ride natural!!
Nothing against flow riders, because that is mountain biking but this....THIS is mountain biking. I'm not interested in jumping, I want to ride down the side of a mountain.
There are parts of this trail that look like they could use some clean up…..like with and adze 😅
adze?
@@DaleStone the flat bladed side of a Pulaski tool is an adze, though a modified McLeod tool would also be good. The top of the trail just looked too cluttered
Ah! Never knew that thing had a name. Thanks for responding, and I agree haha.
I have never heard someone say they like flow more than tech
I can only assume you live in a flat place, and are possibly deaf!
Live trails.
The flow trail has by far been the growth of the mountain bike. But the death of the mountain biker…..
They serve a very important purpose, but yeah not for my tastes!
Yeah agreed. Great the encourage people into our sport. But sad they don’t teach good habits. 😅
just another fire road....
No old roads here!
@@DaleStone So flat like a kids bike path😁😁😁
Yu, definitely not "cool" anymore because it requires actual bike handling skills and cannot be "passengered" on a bike with more travel than you need and slacker geo than you need. Props for riding as much of that as you did Dale, definitely must be the most jank trail I've seen so far.
I disagree; riders aren't getting lazier, they're just going faster on the same trails! And I think this is the second most jank behind the episode with Steve a few weeks back haha, close.
Agree to disagree, put any of those "not lazier" riders on a good rigid with decent geo and ask them to tackle the same trails and see the outcome.
People these days don't want to have to put in the time and effort to learn anything, they just want it the easiest, hence why most are riding 150mm> travel bikes with
You do realize this is a 170/180 bike with a 63 degree head tube angle and 1250mm wheelbase, right?
Yes, but Dale didn't start on this sort of bike, he built his skills on XC oriented bikes, it's because of this that he can get this bike around such a tight trail with minimal braiding/different lines.
@@lynxg4641 people build their skills on bikes of all shapes and sizes, and sometimes not even on bikes at all! And that's totally okay.
Meanwile remy metailler, steve vanderhoek and yoann barelli reach tons of views by riding natural tech trails.
I wouldn't say those are tech trails... but rather one off moves, haha. Also they don't see anyone else there! 😉
Yeah, I really don't like it when gnarly trails are dumbed down. I get it that trail associations want to have more trails accessible to a wider range of skillsets, but can't they leave the old school gnar alone and build NEW easier trails instead?
Depends on the land manager's wishes really, but often the accessible trails are new.
sometimes trails are "dumbed down" for water mitigation... long, steep trails have a tendency not to do well.
@@hummer694life good point, and often the perceived "dumbing down" is just restoring to the original intended condition.
@@DaleStone all trails "back in the day" were loam... even Neds
@@hummer694life that makes sense, but it's also very hard to imagine haha 🤯
I wish my area had more of these trails. Gravity logic has taken over here and it’s all flow and jump trails, it’s annoying.