Inca Trail trip featured in Bike Magazine

Our Inca Trail trip was once again featured in a major mountain bike mag, this time Bike Magazine. This amazing trip features what writer Dan Barham calls "quite possibly, the best mountain bike trail in the world," the incredible Olleros Trail. Sacred Rides in Bike Magazine: Peru

Want to join us in Peru this year? Visit http://sacredrides.com/tours/peru and sign up today to start counting down the days until you ride the most amazing trails on Earth!

The Commandments of Mountain Biking

From our friends over at bike198.com, a list of the Top 25 Mountain Biking 'Commandments.'  Do you have your own rules of the trail? Post them in the comments below!

1. Pay It Forward – Tubes, quick-links, a helping hand. You’ll need it one day too.
2. You brought it out…you bring it home – No one likes a litterbug. Keep the trail clean.
3. Know your role – Fast climber? Get up front. Slow descender? Get in the back.
4. Bike worth does not equal biking ability – Everyone loves the latest and greatest…but it doesn’t increase skill.
5. Be Self Sufficient – Always bring what you need…and sometimes more.
6. Know Basic Bike Maintenance – Be able to fix your own flat…
7. Treat Other Riders Like You Would Want To Be Treated – No one likes a jackass.
8. It’s Only A Race If The Other Participants Know They Are Participating – You didn’t beat your friend on the climb if you are the only one that knew it was a race.
9. If A Rider Catches You…It Doesn’t Mean They Want You To Ride Faster – Move to the side and let the rider by. Also see #3.
10. Music While Riding Is Great…Unless You Are Oblivious – If you are going to wear earphones while riding, check around you constantly for other riders.
11. Know Your Abilities – Don’t get too far over your head.
12. Just Because You Can’t Ride It…Doesn’t Mean Others Can’t – Mountain biking should be a progression. Not all trails can be wide and groomed.
13. You Have Zero Room To Bitch If You Didn’t Work On The Trail – Try not to be a backseat driver to trail work.
14. There Is No Cure For UGI – Upgradeitius is a serious disease for which there is no cure.
15. Beware Of Rider Recommendations – The best bike for a friend may not be the best bike for you. Everyone thinks they are on the best mountain bike on the market.
16. Don’t Be “That Guy” – You know the one…the guy that brags about his time on local loops and doesn’t ride anywhere else. Enjoy your ride…it isn’t a contest.
17. In Shape Does Not Equal Technical Ability – You are in shape…awesome…but that does not make you a better rider. It just makes you able to ride longer.
18. Riding Keeps You Young – Yes…that guy that is twice your age will still drop you.
19. No One Looks Good In Lycra…Especially Mountain Bikers – Bring a change of clothes…lycra is not “going out” wear.
20. Mexican Food Is The Perfect After Ride Meal – Don’t know why…it just is.
21. Diversity Is A Good Thing – Different bikes, different styles, different personalities. It would be dreadfully boring if we were all the same.
22. Any Holiday Is An Excuse To Ride – Why are we riding today? Because today ends in a y.
23. Support Those That Support You – Support your local IMBA and local advocacy chapters. They do more than just work on trails.
24. Online Superstars Type More Than Ride – Time worrying about online arguments is time you could spend on the bike.
25. Riding Is The Best Therapy – Self explanatory…

Olleros Mountain Bike Trail (Peru) with Sacred Rides

Mountain Bike Repair Tools for the Home Mechanic

[guest post from Sam Walker, www.gearreviewsonline.com]

Mountain bikes are designed to take a heavier beating in the trails than the average urban cycle. However given enough usage and time, the wear and tear does take its toll. It is not hard to learn how to fix and maintain a bike with only a few tools. The internet has built up a vast library of mountain bike repair info and of course bicycle maintenance books are available and very useful.

The most common type of mountain bike maintenance is changing tires, chain, cassette and cables. Learning how to check and replace these four components will go a long way in providing your bike a long and healthy life.

For anyone new to bicycle repair and interested in knowing which tools to use, I have listed some of the basic tools that are useful to have:

Bicycle Repair Stand

This is one of the most helpful tools you can have. A bicycle repair stand to bicycle repairs is the equivalent of a couch in your home. You can technically do without both, but once you have a good couch in your house, it is hard to go back to not having one. Likewise, once you use a quality home mechanic repair stand, there really is no going back.

A good stand will hold your bike rock solid while you work on it, elevate it to any level, and rotate it 360 degrees so you can even work on your bike upside down or sideways without putting pressure on your bike's components. Park Tool is known to be one of the better brands and I did a comprehensive review of their PCS-10 bike stand for my own website recently. They really build quality and functional stands.

Hand Pump, Floor Pump or CO2 Cartridge
These are used to pump air into your tire when you have a flat and need to replace the tire tube. Sooner or later we all need one of these. A hand pump is the bare minimum, and works fine though it takes more effort to put the last bit of air in the tires.

A floor pump or a CO2 cartridge (that uses compressed air) makes things a lot easier, although the CO2 cartridge will eventually exhaust itself. Some people like to carry a small hand pump or CO2 cartridge with them in a pack while they ride in case they get a flat and need to pump in enough air to get back home.

Tire Levers
Tire levers are used when you have a flat and need to remove the tire. You insert them between the tire and the rim of the wheel to break the seal, and pull it along the rim. Some people prefer to use two at once to achieve this and some don't use them at all, but I would recommend using them. They are not expensive and are easy to carry with you in your tire replacement kit.

If you also carry with you a new tire tube and C02 cartridge or hand pump, you will be all ready to replace a tire on the road should you get a flat. A tire patch kit (patches, sandpaper, and glue or self adhesive patches) will allow you to fix small punctures in your tire tube at home without replacing the whole tube.

Allen Keys (or Hex Wrench Set)
For anyone doing mountain bike maintenance, these will be your best friend. They allow you to tighten and loosen your:

• gearing and breaking stem
• handlebar
• seat
• pump mounts
• other bicycle accessories you may have such as bottle holder, etc.

Chain Tool
A chain tool is a handy device that some clever person invented which allows you to remove faulty links and replace your broken chain. Changing your chain before it gets completely worn out might save you from having to replace your drivetrain too, because a worn out chain tends to cause damage to parts of the drivetrain. You can learn to check your chain with a chain checker, but a ruler will also work.

Cable Cutter
This allows you to easily change your brake and gear cables. Make sure you use a proper one, as using any other device to cut will likely squash your cables and make fitting a problem. Taking the cables off is easy, replacing them can be tricky, so it is important to learn this technique properly before you try it.

To remove a cassette (which in turn allows you to clean, change or replace it), you also need a couple of specialty tools. A cassette lock ring tool goes into the top of the cassette, and a chain whip is a necessary tool that holds the cassette in place while you remove it. Use an adjustable wrench to grasp the lock ring and work the wrench against the chain whip to remove the cassette.

Other useful tools that are good to have are your basic flat and Philips screwdrivers, pliers and long nose pliers.

You may want to look into getting a bicycle maintenance/repair book if you are serious about learning. Park Tool also puts out a great book called the Park Tool Big Blue Book of Bicycle Repair which has a lot of good information, diagrams and tips for just about all bicycle repairs.

There are of course other handy tools but hopefully this list is a good help to anyone looking into a beginner set. Maintaining and repairing your own bike can be a rewarding, useful and even money saving experience in the long run.

For more gear reviews, visit www.gearreviewsonline.com

Patagonia trip wins Top Ten Trips of the Year

We were pretty excited to find out that our new Pedal and Paddle trip in Patagonia was just selected as one of the Top Ten Trips of 2011 by Outside Magazine.



With one of the most spectacular regions on Earth as a backdrop, a gorgeous eco-lodge as our base, handbuilt singletrack to ride on, and whitewater rafting and/or kayaking on three world-class rivers, there's plenty to be excited about, so we're not surprised Outside selected this trip!

Want to give your adventure glands a big boost this year? Come join us in Patagonia!

Bending Time

There’s a trail just outside of Fernie, British Columbia that defies the laws of physics, specifically those dealing with time.

We’re used to – in the modern world, at least – thinking of time as a linear thing. Today follows yesterday, tomorrow follows today, 3:02 follows 3:01 pm.  But on this trail, the normal rules just don’t seem to apply.  I’ll tell you why.

Sacred Rides runs mountain bike trips all over the world, but the heart of our company beats in Fernie, British Columbia; it’s where the company was founded and it’s where our most popular trips take place.  I’ve ridden all over the world with my mountain bike, but nowhere does this strange time-bending phenomenon seem to be more powerful than on this particular trail.

the spectacular Lizard Range

It starts with a fairly steep 1-hour climb from town, through pine and cedar forest, every now and then a spectacular view of the Lizard Range poking out through the canopy.  It takes about an hour of clock time (I’ve timed it), but by the time you get to the top it you’ll swear you’ve been climbing for a week.  Even the air seems thinner even though you’ve only climbed about 1,200 vertical feet.

Then the magic happens. 

You wipe the sweat from your brow, take a deep breath, and point your front wheel down the trail.  And then time soon ceases to exist entirely. Your bike picks up speed and time gradually peels away, first becoming a fleeting memory, then disappearing altogether.  And it’s just you, the hushed silence of the forest, the mountains, and the 50 feet of trail ahead. 

It happens to me every time on this trail, more so than any other trail in the world: the rest of life just drops off like a layer of dead skin – no worries, no anxieties, no bills to pay, no deadlines, no stress. 

Just pure, timeless freedom.

Want to stop the clock?  Join us in British Columbia this summer...

Mike Brcic,
Rider Happiness Manager,
Sacred Rides

Why Mountain Biking is Just Like Sex, Part II

We got a lot of responses to our 'Why Mountain Biking is Just Like Sex' post last week, so here's another round, this time from readers' comments on our Facebook page:

• if you ride too hard or too long, you're sore for a week
• Some say the dirtier the ride the better..
• the first time generally hurts
• The more you pay, the better the ride.
• If it's squeaky, you need to lube it.
• not all videos are good, but every once in a while a lil pearl comes along that goes down in history.  
• as much as we might drool over our mates' rides, we all know that ours is the one.
• we all remember our first ride
• treat your ride with respect and she'll stay true to you forever.
• NEVER EVER pee when you are riding!!!
• an extra three inches really helps
• some freaks like to wear skin tight lycra and funny shoes
• make sure you're pumped up hard first
• everyone thinks what's between their legs is the best  
• It can be more enjoyable with two or three friends.
• It's ok to eat a sandwich half way through.
• Sometimes you get some scrapes and bumps.
• the ride always gets better, more exciting, more thrills
• no two rides are ever the same
• just when you think you are exhausted and have had enough, you always find one more burst of energy to complete the ride to your satisfaction
•  what goes up must come down
• it's definitely slippier in the wet
• it's safer if you wear protection
• you can have more fun with the right rubber
• if you do it in the forest, bring bugspray
• it takes more skill to go slower
• you can increase your endurance with practice
• you can fit in a quickie during lunchtime
• the best bits are really hard

and finally...

• try not to leave skidmarks

Why Mountain Biking is Just Like Sex

9.  You don't need a partner to have fun...
8.  ...But it's better with someone else, and even better in a group.
7.  Accessories make the ride more fun.
6.  Frequent hydration leads to better endurance.
5.  It's all about body position.
4.  Sometimes you're just hanging on for dear life.
3.  Although you sometimes have to pay admission, it's better when it's free.
2.  You should try to stay away from the wet spots.
1. You can get multiple orgasms from one ride.

Top 10 Reasons to Flip Winter the Bird

(why winter sucks for mountain bikers)


 Try as you might, you won't convince me that winter mountain biking is sane or fun. Sure, it's fun for the first couple of times, but after the novelty wears off, you're left with frostbitten fingers or - if you're unlucky - broken bones. Which is why we made a list of Top 10 Reasons to Flip Winter The Bird.

©bike198.com

10. Water-pack hoses freeze.
9.  You can't feel your brake levers.
8. You can't stash a post-ride can of beer in your water pack.
7.  Riding skinnies in the winter is a recipe for a broken neck.
6.  Your power goo turns rock solid.
5.  You don't get that satisfying feeling of peeling off a sweat-drenched jersey at the end of the ride.
4.  Where the f@#! did the trail go?
3.  SPD shoes give you frostbite.
2.  It gets dark at 5pm.
1.  Frozen nipples.

Do you love winter mountain biking and think we're a bunch of whiners? Leave your comments below.

And if you're fed up with winter and want some real dirt under your tires, enter our Flip Winter the Bird contest to win a trip for two to one of our hot-weather winter destinations: Patagonia, Mexico, Guatemala and Chile!