Freeride

Freeride is a branch of mountain biking. A relatively new sport combining different aspects of mountain biking, such as downhill and dirtjumping, freeriding has progressed quickly in recent years, and is now recognised as one of the most popular disciplines within mountain biking.

The term came from the concept of freeriding, which is used in a multitude of sports, including skiing, snowboarding, and windsurfing. The general concept was that there was no set course, goals or rules to abide by.

Freeride bikes are similar to downhill bikes though they are slightly lighter which enables them to be ridden not just downhill but through more technical sections, such as North Shore obstacles.

Ski areas have started to embrace the sport, adding bike racks to chairlifts to create "lift accessed mountain biking". This helps keep ski areas profitable year round, and gives the bikers the ability to ride more runs in less time.

The North Shore

The sport has spread across the planet, but the widely recognized starting point for the addition of man-made obstacles for downhill trails is Vancouver, British Columbia's "North Shore". This refers to three mountains across the Burrard Inlet from downtown Vancouver, Mount Seymour, Mt. Fromme, and Mount Cypress. The mountains weren't the first places to have downhill trails with natural obstacles, but they were one of the first places to have man-made obstacles such as skinny bridges and teeter totters. The trail builders also embraced many natural features too, using fallen logs to ride on and rocks faces to jump or ride down. They didn't take out that much nature to make their trails, they left some of the tree roots exposed to give the rider a bumpy but fun ride.

Trails on the North Shore are mostly described as "technical". This means that the trails corners are tight and the tread strewn of natural obstacles such as rocks and roots. These sections require quick-thinking to navigate, because roots often get slippery in the wintertime.

The "shore" has seen some controversy. Most of the trails are built on private property or parkland. In a highly publicised "War of the Woods" BC Parks cracked down on the trails and started to fine mountain bikers and one trailbuilder was caught in the act and prosecuted. A major voice in the conflict in North Vancouver District councillor Ernie Crist, who recently has been lobbying for the closing of all the trails on Mt. Fromme. Housing developments at the base of the mountains complain of bikers going across their lawns etc. The expansion of the residential areas called for the destruction of some trails on Mount Cypress, and also there were cases of "sabotage" to the trails (such as the removal of bridge supports etc.).

North Shore Mountain Biking Association (NSMBA)

To help promote biking and keep the trails open there is an advocacy group, the North Shore Mountain Biking Association (NSMBA). They negotiate with landowners, organize volunteers to maintain the trails and hold races.

Via: WIkipedia
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