NSMB.com

It was an exciting weekend of racing in La Thuile! Racers conquered the LThell DH track while Sleeper captured the action. Madeleine Pollock Madeleine Pollock is a multi-discipline racer and rider hailing from North Vancouver, British Columbia. She currently lives in Brevard, North Carolina for most of the year while she is pursuing a Bachelor's degree in English and Communication from Brevard College and racing on their varsity cycling team.

It's been delightfully damp so far this summer, and the slugs have been out in force. So here's a comic about one that I almost hit last week. I have long been fascinated by slugs, and while I was researching them for this comic, I learned so many wonderful facts about these freaky little guys. I've got a whole series of slug comics lined up, that will trickle out occasionally over the next few months. Here's hoping your next ride doesn't end with too many slugs stuck between your tire lugs.

My fascination with the old and storied trails of the North Shore begins at The Flying Circus. I first learned about the trail from Steve, who owned a gear shop where I used to work. He told us about it on a slow summer afternoon, after I asked him what the riding was like during those early days on the Shore. The picture Steve painted was one of dizzying skinnies, cantilever brakes, and suffocating layers of hockey pads.

There are, inevitably, going to be people who click this open out of some form of morbid curiosity, knowing it isn’t a bike they’re interested in. Some of these folks might even leave comments, “What is this North Shore Gravel Biking? I want mountain bikes!” Let’s spare us all some time; if you’re not interested in slick tires and tube-shapes designed in a wind tunnel, just close this and check out Mike's article instead.

During a recent long, illuminating, tangent filled conversation with Antoine Abou-Diwan for his yaftaprojects.com podcast, we veered into the realm of how we value our labor and what we do to derive satisfaction from our work.

The UCI Mountain Bike World Cup returns to La Thuile, Italy, this weekend with Enduro, Downhill, and Cross-country on the menu, as opposed to only gravity events in 2025. Taking place in the breathtaking Italian Alps, the courses are sure to challenge riders (and spectators) with a mix of natural alpine technicality, flowy bike park terrain, and steep slopes.

The Very XC focused Ibis Exie is no more. Meet the new Ripley SL. Almost as light. A little slacker, a touch longer, a skosh more travel. Still hecho en Pajaro. Still very, very fast. When Ibis released the “made almost in town” Exie a few years ago, the brand tilted at some formidable windmills.

Comic Eleven Trail Builders For a multitude of reasons, trail building is on my mind right now. And as I was moving rock after stinking rock this weekend, my thoughts wandered to all the stereotypes builders fall under. So here are eleven of my favorites. I know summer isn't traditionally dig season, but if you're out there moving dirt, I hope your projects are convenient, don't have too many nettles, and are devoid of ground hornet nests!

The opening round of the 2026 B.C. Cup downhill series kicked off in Whistler a couple of weeks ago, and if previous summers have been anything to go by, this opener was a telling preview of what lies ahead for the rest of the series. Dry, rough, blown-out conditions on a heavily deteriorating track come race day, with racers having to walk the tightrope between pushing enough for a winning time and edging too far, only to come unstuck in a plume of dust.

OneUp is a small team of mountain bikers based in Squamish, BC.* What started out as three engineers wanting to ride, live and work in Squamish has grown into an innovative mountain biking brand. They manufacture dropper posts, cockpit components, tools, pumps, pedals, chain guides, and, more recently, hubs. Now they've taken that a step further and are releasing their first wheelset.