Issue 59 of Mountain Flyer is jam-packed with stories that lead readers on an introspective journey of what it means to be a mountain biker traveling through landscapes filled with dynamic people, endangered places and ever-changing natural energy. Learn about four bikepackers who harvest their own food while on a wild stretch of coastline in British Columbia, get a taste of the Western U.S. water crisis via two teenagers riding the Arizona Trail, read why Pearl Pass became the perfect rendezvous point for the sport’s pioneers, and meet an artist who is using her talents to help riders from all walks of life feel comfortable on the dirt.   

FEATURES

Back in Time on the 42nd Annual Pearl Pass Klunker Tour
At its peak, the annual Pearl Pass Klunker Tour from Crested Butte to Aspen, Colo., would attract up to 400 riders. It served as both a social gathering of Marin County, Calif., mountain bike pioneers and adventurous Crested Butte cyclists. As writer Cjell Mone and photographer Corbin Brady discover, riding old heavy Schwinns in places they were never meant to be has as much appeal today as it did back then.

The Foodless Odyssey
During an eight-day bikepack on British Columbia’s Haida Gawaii, writer and photographer Nicolas Teichrob reflects on the food consumption habits of the developed world and how those habits affect the welfare of other people, animals and the environment. He and three friends survive on the definitive hyper-local diet—harvesting their food as they go—while pedaling the island.

Life Lessons Along the Arizona Trail  
In the story “Riding With the Damned,” Whitton Feer and Ian Catto embark on an adventure along the Arizona Trail during their senior year in high school to better understand the Western U.S. water crisis and public lands management. Ultra-endurance athlete Kurt Refsnider tackles the 750-mile-long AZT in a different manner by setting out to make record time in the annual self-supported Arizona Trail Race and reveals why his backyard jaunt across the state is so much more.

Framebuilder Profile: Ted Wojcik and the Soul of a Bike
Plaistow, New Hampshire, framebuilder Ted Wojcik cut his teeth working on the railroad, repairing jet engines and brazing motorcycles before he found his calling building bike frames.

DEPARTMENTS

Profile: Brooklyn Bell
Writer Trina Ortega talks to Kona ambassador and graphic illustrator Brooklyn Bell, who is turning her feelings of being marginalized in the outdoor industry into positive groundwork to help others in under-represented demographics feel included.

In Memory: Kyle Ebbett
Berne Broudy’s heartfelt retrospective about Vermont freeride athlete and trailbuilder Kyle Ebbett reveals that aside from being an exceptional athlete, Ebbett was a role model and mentor for countless kids, including some of today’s most well-respected trailbuilders.

Trail Anatomy
Between a Rock and a Steep Place

Chain of Fools
KOMed

Of Bikes and Beer
Bitches Brew from Dogfish Head

Santa Cruz Bronson X01 Carbon CC
A pedal-worthy sibling of the company’s long-travel shredders.

Specialized Stumpjumper Expert 29
An asymmetric frame design and geometry updates give this bike razor-sharp handling.

Tested
Crankbrothers 27.5 Synthesis E 11 tuned carbon wheel system and Cushcore Inner-tire Suspension system

Tailwind
The Parting Gift