I sip my first cup of coffee outside the cabana
on a cold and dusty morning in the town of Creel Mexico. My stomach churns
as the black gold displaces last nights tequila and I wonder if my first
movement is gonna be solid. I lean to one side and with a slight grimace
I let out a mean fart and hope to god that air is all that comes out. You
see, down here everything is an adventure.
Tyler Moore, the Enabler. Self portrait.
I am serving as a Big Mountain Bike Adventures guide on the Trek Remedy
launch in the Copper Canyon region of northern Mexico. On this trip I’m
learning much about myself and the tribe I am a part of. The tribe I speak
of is the cult of the mountain biker. Across the world we live for the same
things; good friends, sick bikes, and new trails. This trip has everything
we need.
'
Rolling through dusty downtown Creel. Photo ~ Sterling
Lorence Click image to
see larger, un-cropped original shot.
Creel is just on the rim of the canyon at an elevation of about 7500 feet
and has some of the sweetest singletrack in the world. Over the last thousand
years the indigenous Tarahumara people have been kind enough to lay out the
system of trails that can best be compared to a neural network. Geologic
eccentricities dot the area with fingers of igneous rock reaching toward
the sky, each with a perfect lip and tranny to bust on. The riding here is
like a game with more natural features to jump and pump than anywhere else
I’ve ever laid rubber. This is only the beginning. Farther down in
the canyon the riding gets even more tech and exposed with views that leave
an emotional skid mark on the rider. Standing on the edge of the Copper Canyon
makes you feel alive.
Dropping off a sweet mesa with views of Chihuahua province. Photo
~ Chris
Winter Click image to
see larger, un-cropped original shot.
The guest list consists of numerous pro riders and journalists, so we the
guides decided to put some rides together that would challenge even the likes
of Andrew Shandro and Travis Brown who were both in attendance. Of course
documentation is important so who better than Sterling Lorence to capture
the action. Turns out “SL” is also a pinner even with a full
backpack of camera gear. It’s hard to communicate the epic-ness of
this trip and I don’t use epic lightly. Seriously, when is the last
time you went on a group ride with thirty badasses from the industry where
everyone is on the same sick brand new bike and the trails beg to be ridden
like a cheap hooker.
When the sun went down the dog was let off the leash. Photo ~ Sterling
Lorence Click image to
see larger, un-cropped original shot.
After riding we would start drinking immediately because that’s how
it’s done in Mexico. I had been tasked as the evening event coordinator,
aka the enabler, and I take my job very seriously. I know I do some of my
best riding with a nasty hangover so I was pretty sure everyone else would
too and that’s why I proceeded to do my very best of getting anyone
with half an interest totally throwed every night until we ran out of beer
and tequila. Nothing accompanies a nice buzz in a remote locale like a campfire
which brought out everyone’s primal addiction to pyromania. Notables
include the burning batman piñata and the sid world cup which was
used as the beatstik to smash it. Props also go out to Trek’s suspension
guru Jose Gonzalez for allowing the flames to reach the heavens and to product
manager Michael Browne for doing a tweaked skateboardless method air over
the five foot tall stack of burning wood while managing not to burn hair
off his Fu-Manchu ‘stache. Nothing helps dudes bro down like being
tired from epic riding and drinking around a massive fire. This is mountain
biking.
As for the new Trek Remedy, well what can I say except that Trek have nailed
it with this one.
Tyler Moore AKA The Enabler with three victims. Left
to right Ryan Sullivan, Michael Browne and Jebroy Jebson. Photo ~ Chris
Winter
I was unsure whether the ABP rear pivot and the Full-Floater shock mounts
would live up to the hype but it truly is the new sickness. Under hard braking
on choppy gnar the suspension still felt glued to the ground and under hard
climbing efforts all I could feel was the bike accelerating. It definitely
pedals better than my six-inch bike with the chainstay pivot and descends
just as well if not better. The E2 steerer and Fox Float 36 RC2 provided
all the confidence needed to barrel into the unknown at breakneck speed without
hesitation.
The Copper Canyon - or Barranca Del Cobre to locals. Photo
~ Chris
Winter Click image to
see larger, un-cropped original shot.
The only thing I would change would be a set of wider bars and
perhaps some new tires if I was going to be doing some more DH oriented riding.
The tubeless ready Rhythm Elite wheelset was flawless for everyone throughout
the trip and since I was the moustache contest champion I’ve got a
set on the way thanks to Trek. I recommend going to your local shop today
and reserving your Remedy because when they come out they will not stay on
the shelves for long.
Tyler Moore working the nub. Photo ~ Sterling
Lorence. Click image to see larger
original shot.
I would like to thank everyone who was in attendance for their
company. I would also like to thank Trek Bikes for going out on a limb and
making this happen because I know everyone who came will have these wonderful
memories for the rest of their lives. This type of forward thinking is what
makes our industry grow.
.Media hard at work testing the new Remedy. Photo ~ Chris
Winter Click image to
see larger, un-cropped original shot.
Tyler Moore is a Big Mountain guide/rider/writer living in Austin Texas. He
also won the inaugural Creel moustache contest.
Big Mountain is running this trip from March 1-9, 2008. Click here for more
info or to register.
ridebig.com
