#Montana

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Introducing Curious Creatures: A Fresh Approach to Mountain Bike Apparel That Celebrates Individuality and Adventure

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Introducing Curious Creatures: A Fresh Approach to Mountain Bike Apparel That Celebrates Individuality and Adventure

Curious Creatures is a mountain bike apparel brand born out of Bozeman, Montana, and is founded on the principles of empowerment, exploration, and self-expression. Firmly committed to elevating industry benchmarks, the brand resonates through its emphasis on quality, sustainability, and unadulterated individual expression. And, they have just launched their first product line—take a closer look below and read on to learn more about the brand’s commitment to inclusion in cycling.

Garbage on the Gallatin: A Trash-Packing and Bikefishing River Trip

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Garbage on the Gallatin: A Trash-Packing and Bikefishing River Trip

Bike touring gives you a closer look at the land you’re traversing, but that’s not always an inspiring aspect to this way of travel. We’ve all seen the trash-choked road shoulders and littered stream banks as we pass. After learning to fly fish on the Gallatin River and enjoying its waters in southwestern Montana for some 23 years, Sean Jansen decided this time would be different. With a trailer, a few trash bags, and plenty of patience in tow, he sets out on a bikefishing, trash-packing trip in an effort to give back to this river. 

Dignity and Truth, Part Two: Bicycle Nomad Concludes His Journey Retracing the Historic Buffalo Soldiers Route

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Dignity and Truth, Part Two: Bicycle Nomad Concludes His Journey Retracing the Historic Buffalo Soldiers Route

Back in July, Josh Caffrey wrote an initial article about Erick Cedeño’s (aka Bicycle Nomad) journey from Missoula, MT to St. Louis, MO. That article covered Josh’s time with Erick in Montana, at just the beginning of his epic 1,900-mile bicycle expedition, a project where Erick had set out to retrace the historic route the 25th Infantry Buffalo Soldiers took in 1897. The continuation of that story is below and picks up in Missouri about a month after Josh leaves Erick in Montana…

Stop and Smell the Wildflowers: An 800-mile Bikepacking Journey of Self-Discovery Across the Pacific Northwest

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Stop and Smell the Wildflowers: An 800-mile Bikepacking Journey of Self-Discovery Across the Pacific Northwest

For almost an entire calendar year, I watched as the business I worked for tracked record profits, month after month, while I toiled away at the kitchen table of my studio apartment amidst the onset of a global pandemic.

Outlook pings governed my daily life; recurring meetings and phone calls structured my weekdays ‘to-the-hour.’ Most interactions were conducted in real-time Brady Bunch video cubes. With a cell phone and 13-inch computer screen acting as bridges to all of humanity, I was overwhelmingly connected, yet incredibly distant at the same time.

I questioned my own existence and sense of purpose. I felt both disposable and in-demand; exhausted, but left with a permeating fear of upsetting an operational chain. My manager had quit without replacement and I floated along an aimless trajectory, making up additional job responsibilities as I went. With so much unpredictability, I struggled to do real, meaningful “work.” Feeling a constant pressure to compose emails and tap away at computer keys, home life seamlessly meshed into work life. I grew tired and weary and craving fulfillment. So I quit.

Two Legs Too Easy: Why Movement Is Medicine with World Champion Cyclist and Para-Cycling Pioneer Dr. Meg Fisher

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Two Legs Too Easy: Why Movement Is Medicine with World Champion Cyclist and Para-Cycling Pioneer Dr. Meg Fisher

The dawn has barely broken and early rays of summer sunshine splatter golden light across the yard while Meg Fisher throws a ball for her pup Pax. She knows she’ll be leaving him for a good chunk of the day while she gets out for a training ride and wants to make sure he gets some of his puppy energy out before she goes. Her laughter echoes under the trees and her stoke is palpable.  With the great state of Montana as a backyard, the number of trails and gravel roads at Meg’s disposal are enough to make anyone want to pack up and move west.

The Radavist 2022 Calendar: August

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The Radavist 2022 Calendar: August

“Double Track” is the seventh layout of the Radavist 2022 Calendar. It was shot with a Sony A9 and the Tamron 28-200 lens outside of White Sulphur Springs, Montana.

“Our Little Belt Mountains tour was a real treat, and this last little yet scenic hill on the route solidified the mood for the trip.”

For a high-res JPG, suitable for print and desktop wallpaper*, right-click and save link as – The Radavist 2022 – August. Please, this photo is for personal use only!
(*set background to white and center for optimal coverage)

The mobile background this month is a vertical crop from this photo. Click here to download August’s Mobile Wallpaper.

Dignity and Truth, Part One: Bicycle Nomad Retraces the Historic Buffalo Soldiers Route from Missoula to St. Louis

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Dignity and Truth, Part One: Bicycle Nomad Retraces the Historic Buffalo Soldiers Route from Missoula to St. Louis

When I first met Erick Cedeño (aka Bicycle Nomad) I had no inkling that a day we spent together shooting lifestyle photos as part of his new role as an ambassador for the outdoor apparel company swrve would blossom into a deep friendship. Nor did I realize at the time that our friendship would take me halfway across the country to help document his ride to honor the 125th anniversary of the monumental expedition of the volunteer Bicycle Corps of the Buffalo Soldiers who rode from Missoula, MT to St. Louis, MO.

Atavism and Drudgery: Exploring the Contrasts in Glacier National Park

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Atavism and Drudgery: Exploring the Contrasts in Glacier National Park

​​As much as I think I’ve changed through the years, my objectives are barely different from when I was 18. I nearly dropped out of my senior year of high school to play hardcore punk across North America, shoplifting and dirtbagging mostly through the West, sleeping wherever, and existing willfully at the boundaries of society (or in defiance of them). Reflecting, I sought an antidote to modernity. An alternative to working in the shipyard until my back gave out like the young men in my town were expected to do. I wanted to forfeit that life for something uncomplicated. Set up, play, tear down, eat, sleep, drive, repeat.

Grizzly Bear Kills Bikepacker in Western Montana Town of Helena

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Grizzly Bear Kills Bikepacker in Western Montana Town of Helena

ABC News has the full report but our thoughts go out to the victim’s family.

“A grizzly bear attacked and killed a bicyclist who was camping in a small western Montana town early Tuesday, triggering an intensive search for the bruin by wildlife officials and law enforcement officers who planned to kill the animal, authorities said.

The pre-dawn attack happened in Ovando, a town of fewer than 100 people about 60 miles (97 kilometers) northwest of Helena, said Greg Lemon, a spokesperson with Montana Fish Wildlife and Parks.”

Read the full report at ABC News. Be safe out there!

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Means to Ascend

SAGE Titanium is happy to share a little film made in collaboration with Volkl skis — Means to Ascend follows pro cyclist Maxx Chance and pro skier Johnny Egan as they strap touring skis to their SAGE Titanium gravel bikes and attempt to summit Mount Blackmore on a 100% human-powered mission.

Blackmore is a peak whose northside can be viewed from just about anywhere in the city limits of Bozeman, MT, and is a renowned mountain for backcountry enthusiasts. During the mud season in April to May the canyon road that leads to the trailhead is closed to motor vehicles. So, the only way to access the area is by bike and the Made in the USA SAGE Storm King makes for a fast and fun option!

Wild Ice

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Wild Ice

Bob Allen is a longlong adventurer, photographer, and storyteller. In recent years, he’s experimented with a new interactive 360º environmental mapping technology. We’re stoked to present his latest project, dubbed ‘Wild Ice’, so read on for Bob’s words and a 360º map by clicking through below.

Tick. Tick. Tick…

It turns out 60 seconds was a long time to ride no-handed – with my eyes shut. The rotation of my cranks was the only feedback that I had any forward motion. Arms outstretched, I just had to trust my balance and resist the temptation to visually confirm that eating shit wasn’t imminent. Relax. Breath. Just keep pedaling…

Dramatic Seasons on the Paradise Loop in Bozeman

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Dramatic Seasons on the Paradise Loop in Bozeman

The seasons are dramatic in Montana. Long dark days of winter stand in stark contrast to the euphoric long and pleasant days of summer. As I near a decade of living in this place that once felt so quiet and remote, I sometimes wonder how life would be different if I lived in a more moderate place. Would I get used to it and only ride on the most perfect days? Or would I get out every day like I do when the weather finally turns in Montana, working myself to a point where snowed-in trails are almost welcome after five months of manic riding? Whatever the answer, it is hard to explain the motivation that comes after a 6-month long winter. The dreaming, planning, and longing for those special Montana Summer days just might be worth the wait.

Shooting the Sklar Sweet Spot 29er Hardtail in the Mountains of Bozeman

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Shooting the Sklar Sweet Spot 29er Hardtail in the Mountains of Bozeman

Bozeman, Montana is a magical place to mountain bike in the summertime. Last year’s trip was epic, so this year we wanted to re-visit this quaint little mountain town. While we were there last month, I was able to shoot Adam Sklar’s latest project, the Sweet Spot 29er MTB. While Adam usually takes on custom bikes, the Sweet Spot will be the brand’s first production model. The Sweet Spot is made in Bozeman, Montana, just like all Sklar Bikes. The aim here is to lower wait times, while not sacrificing quality. It also enables Adam to sell a model that is in-line with his philosophy on mountain bikes.

You Don’t Need Suspension to Ride Bozeman’s Main Street to the Mountains Trails!

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You Don’t Need Suspension to Ride Bozeman’s Main Street to the Mountains Trails!

Last year, a group of framebuilders converged on the bustlin’ little Montana town of Bozeman for what we called Home Grown Builders Camp. Each day, we’d take to the mountains around Bozeman to ride alpine trails. While driving to these trails is just something you expect, riding straight from town is always a treat and that’s why I really loved riding the local Townie Trails, aka the Gallatin Valley Land Trust‘s Main Street to the Mountains trail network.