John has been mountain biking since the year 2000. He's traveled extensively across the USA, sampling the best mountain bike trails along the way. As a result, John topped the Singletracks leaderboard for "most trails ridden" for many years. He spent several years writing for Singletracks as a freelancer and currently serves on the Board of Directors for the Sustainable Trails Coalition.
For such a small state, Maryland offers a good deal of geographic diversity. Housing the major metropolis of Baltimore and sitting adjacent to Washington D.C., there's lots of population and all…
photo: Mark Larson. In billing itself as the "Land of 10,000 Lakes," Minnesota is actually selling itself short. It turns out this very watery north country…
photo: Bob Allen (BobAllenImages.com) Montana has a bit of an identity crisis. Most people know it by its unofficial nickname, "Big Sky Country." However, its official…
photo: Bob Ward Although I don't actually live in New Mexico, I spend a great deal of time there and it has become like a second home. Thanks to a…
Hitting some singletrack as part of the daily commute Time. It is the ultimate non-renewable resource. If we break something, we can buy a replacement. If…
Wilderness areas don't allow bikes, but they do allow spouses, so they give a good nudge to leave the bike in the garage once in a while.…
Aaaahhh, the endless prairie of North Dakota. How could anyone possibly get hurt while biking here? (photo: stumpyfsr) We’ve all heard it before: “It’s okay to…
A gorgeous rimrock ride awaits those who venture into remote NW New Mexico to ride the Alien Run trail (photo: Fatbike1) Early in my career as an…
Just as you get into the groove of dancing over the challenging lava, Oregon's McKenzie River trail gets... paved? (photo: Skoofer) In the many thousands of…
It's impossible to start the workday cranky when you got to work by cranking on this. I consider myself lucky, having been able to bike commute…
No matter how devoted we are to our sport of mountain biking, there are times when the enthusiasm wanes. I'm not just talking about the odd "I really don't feel like…
Not wanting to put a lot of money into an old bike that wasn't my primary singletrack slayer, I chose to put on an entry level fork…
Hawaii! Surfing, sun, snorkeling, luaus, pineapple, volcanoes, and... mountain biking? Yep. Despite being small in area and isolated from pretty much anywhere else on the planet, sitting smack dab in the middle…
If new legislation finds its way to law, Mountain Bikers may once again be able to enjoy amazing vistas like this one in the Idaho's Boulder White…
Among the 200+ miles of mountain biking access that stand to be lost in the proposed Crater Lake Wilderness is a 15.6-mile stretch of the IMBA Epic…
The falls that give Great Falls National Park its name (photo: novaoutdoors.com) Just as relocating from Wyoming to North Dakota proved to be a real challenge…
Sometimes a climb is worth it just for the climb, like the Ape Canyon to Plains of Abraham route on Mt. St. Helens (photo: JWanamaker) We…
Medicine Bow National Forest. Photo: djvass via Flickr Creative Commons: https://www.flickr.com/photos/djvass While the area between Cheyenne and Laramie is an island of terrain in the midst…
Some of Curt Gowdy's trails are not for the faint of heart (photo: RoadWarrior) Between Cheyenne and Laramie, Wyoming, there is a mountain bikers playground of land that…
As the child of a lifetime airline employee, my eventual wife had the benefit of free travel, and her family made regular trips to Hawaii. Then she grew up, married…
Miniskibum begins the 7,600 vertical ft descent from the 14,115 ft summit of Pikes Peak. Right away, you can tell some dismounts will be necessary. Whoever…
Raleigh Bikes and the Tokul 4130 Founded way back in 1885 and having survived countless changes in the market, boom and bust cycles, and shifts in consumer preferences, Raleigh is one of…
Lands within what is now the Bears Ears National Monument in Southeast Utah may be up for sale if House Bill 621 passes. Photo: Bureau of Land…
A day of skiing actually includes a lot of time just sitting Those who have followed my articles know I originally published under the pseudonym “Skibum.”…
Chuckwagon Trail, Sedona, Arizona. Photo: Michael Paul Usually the most famous trails deserve their renown and respect, as they provide those features most mountain bikers seek for maximum entertainment value. However, for a…
Just one small part of what stands to be lost to cyclists (photo: Bitterroot Backcountry Cyclists) Editor’s Note: John Fisch is an avid backcountry enthusiast who hikes, bikes…
An early shot of skibum’s ol’ 26er, here at home in the high country above Butte, Montana Author's Note: From Interbike and Outerbike through the holidays, we…
The North Fork Trail offers classic central Colorado riding without the usual front range crowds After a big, geographically-diverse year in 2015 with tons of new…
I remain an avid hiker and backpacker to this day, and that ethos still colors my cycling advocacy efforts, although staunch Wilderness advocated would never see it…
photo: Jay Buthman In the beginning, the night was feared and forsaken... Most people have a favorite day of the year. For many, especially the young,…
Hike-a-biking in the snow in Scotland, before turning around due to blizzard conditions. Photo: Ross Bell. One bright and beautiful September afternoon roughly a decade ago,…
Without being willing to go it alone, I would have missed out on literally hundreds of great scenes, like this one in Montana's rarely-visited Tobacco Root Mountains.…
Editor’s Note: John Fisch is an avid backcountry enthusiast who hikes, bikes and backpacks at every opportunity. The trails in this editorial are part of his big backyard. While John is a regular…
When I took my freshman physics course in college, my favorite block was optics. I could get really geeked out studying light wavelengths and how they could be bent, filtered,…
The eastern trailhead for the Lost Lake trail; not easy to find. For day two of my aspen weekend in Vail, the goal was to get…
A Vail Haiku:Bright shimmering goldI am infinitely blessedby the autumn leaves Rediscovering Gold in my Homeland I spent almost the entirety of my adult life moving…
Not all Moab mountain bike rides required legs of steel to ascend steep grades, beginner mountain bikers can enjoy the scenery and variety that Moab has to offer.
Quintessential Colorado on the Colorado Trail. At nearly 500 miles, few will ride it all, but all should ride at least some of it. (photo: Bob Ward)…
Ants Basin in Idaho, one of many great cycling losses due to recent Wilderness designation (photo: Dauw) Editor’s Note: John Fisch is an avid backcountry enthusiast who hikes,…
The view from the high point on the Buckhorn/Captain Jack's Route. Part of Gold Camp Road (closed to motor vehicles at this point) which connects to multiple trails,…
Cresting the new ridge trail at Ute Valley Park with Cheyenne Mountain in the background. Photo: Lisa Fisch While the riding in Colorado Springs justifiably revolves around Palmer Park,…
With 14,115-foot Pikes Peak always either in your face or over your shoulder, you can't get truly lost at Palmer Park. Photo: Lisa Fisch. Why Colorado Springs? In…
The Volt is an entire line of thinline saddles from WTB designed to combine all day rideability and applicability to diverse riding styles, with low weight.
Some riders, especially those drawn to small or boutique brands, put a lot of stock in where their mountain bike originated. This is no more true than in fat bike land, where…
Pearl Izumi’s Journey Mountain Bike Short is versatile in the sense that it is up to the task of hardcore riding, but is also fine as a walkabout short. If you’re looking…
Pearl Izumi describes their new Summit Jersey as a "functional but not flashy top." In an age of marketing hyperbole and one-upsmanship, I believe PI is actually underselling this particular offering. The…
With the Divide mountain bike short, Pearl Izumi set out to bridge the gap between the relentless gnar chaser and the heartrate-obsessed hammerhead. These mountain bike shorts have a lightweight feel and…
A review of the Race Face Chester flat pedals for mountain biking.
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