#followcamfriday giving you those mellow singletrack cruisin' feels all up in your snot box with all of the #lightbro and side portion of back wheel love, courtesy of Mr. James Weingarten

This episode marks the end of Followcamfriday, Season 4. My what a journey it has been. 206 episodes in total. I have missed two Friday's in 4 years. This was due to the fact that I was in the Bolivian Andes with Joey Schusler on a bikepacking trip. Internet was not an option. How refreshing.

I am very thankful to be able to travel the world with my bicycle, riding some of the best bits of trail, but more importantly, experiencing different cultures and areas that are seldom seen, and meeting passionate people along the way. If I am being honest, all of the friends that I hang with and keep in touch with are from mountain biking. I owe my friends everything. Without skilled riders to film, FCF wouldn't be FCF. If I can give anyone a piece of advice, it's to always surround yourself with good people. I am very fortunate there. My community of friends is amazing. 

When I began this project 4 years ago, I never intended to make much of it. Basically, I would go ride with Kyle in Moab and just film the ride. Nothing was ever set up or rehearsed or thought out, it was just what we would normally be doing when we go out for a ride. After Kyle and I completed our ride, we would watch the footage while drinking beer and laugh for an hour at the ridiculousness of our lines and how the day unfolded. As it turns out, this formula somehow resonated with people. I started making edits and the rest is history. I sincerely hope I have stayed true to that original model and not changed things up too much. It's still all about the riding. 

I hate being called a "YouTuber" I don't even know what that means. I am a professional mountain biker. I reach an audience through YouTube, Instagram and the like. At the end of the day, I ride bikes, first. These are just platforms to share my adventures and motivate people. There are many people that have jumped on the Youtube MTB scene, since I began 4 years ago, being recreational cyclists and thinking that they can make a quick buck on the platform. That approach is very different. Those people are "YouTubers". More power to anyone making content, that gets people motivated, but our philosophies are very different. I tend to question the motivation there. Sorry to burst your bubble, but Youtube doesn't actually pay very well unless you are Casey Neistat. End rant. 

So, where do we go from here? If I am being honest, I haven't had a day off for 4 years. Filming, producing, and launching a weekly video is more time consuming than you could ever imagine. People frequently tell me how lucky I am to "just ride my bike everyday", I just smile. I've never worked mor,  or harder in my life. I am certainly not complaining, I could never work a 9-5 job and be happy, but don't think for a second that this is "easy" . Nothing worth doing is easy. What motivates me to keep this rolling is when people tell me that my videos motivated them to start riding, or just simply go out for a ride. That is the end goal. That is what feels good. If I can inspire a hand-full of people to spend some more time outside with their friends, and lead a healthy lifestyle, than I can sleep at night. Job done. 

I struggle slightly with the irony of my circumstances. My goal is to get people on bikes, away from their phones and away from this digital world that is becoming increasingly prevalent. People consume my content on these devices, without them, I wouldn't be able to reach these people. As humans, we desperately need to find that connection to nature to live fulfilling lives. I spend as much time on Instagram as anyone but, I hope that after reading this sentence, you go out to the garage, put some air and your tires, and go ride your bike! 
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A sincere thank-you everyone who reads my ramblings, my friends, and my wonderful partners in the mountain bike industry. None of this would be possible without you. 

#followcamfriday Laps on Laps on Laps with the Kiwi contingent, Megan Rose and Nelly the dog. 

Take me to the top, magical shuttle truck. I don't have an eBike, so I need to get up there somehow... haha. Sometimes you just need to bang some laps.  I was digging through the hard drives this week and somehow overlooked this gem of a day from July. My Canadian tour was a complete whirlwind that I am finally catching up with and absorbing. 

Fortunately, Megan Rose was kind enough to let us rally in her truck. Owner\ lady-boss of the TransBC, and absolute shredder, lives in town and gave us a proper tour of the local DH trails. Boondock Mountain has some of the finest steep riding in the area. 

Tom Kiwi Bradshaw is an absolute legend. Looser than a prom date with a shot and a beer. Like throwing a hot dog down a hallway, loose. Fortunately, loose is fast and Tom gets lucky more often than not. Legend. When I follow Tom, I can't help but yell and swear from top to bottom. Tom brings out the best in me. Top Bloke. 

Commitment is a scary thing for most people. Weather in relationships or on the bike. Most will avoid it like the plague. Not Tom. Death grip till you hit the deck, love at first Tinder date. Be like Bradshaw.  

Nigel McDowell was in town to race TransBC and was all about ripping some loam filled, party laps with the crew. I mean, it would be rude not to. This Kiwi legend is pinned on the bike and has been known to ride in sweet as jandals bru. Kiwi's have sticky feet. 

Nelly the dog, affectionately named after the famous rapper, is a hot mess. I am not certain how she is still alive after witnessing several near-death close calls, on trail.  If you listen ever so closely in the video, you can hear her panting at my heels, at full pace, just inches from my rear wheel. Nelly is a ninja. Pete the dog would not have lasted 3 turns. Canadian dogs are just a little bit more hardy. A diet consisting of mostly bacon and maple syrup seems to be working out. 

I hope you have enjoyed flashbackfriday as much as we have. Sometimes things slip through the cracks, but eventually, must see the light of day. I just bought a new hard drive to try and make order from the chaos. Shooting 4K video for the last four years has placed a reasonable demand on my storage situation. As I type these works, my Macbook is burning my legs, about to catch fire, fans running full speed. Apple recently sent me a recall notice, as my battery is apparently known to catch fire. I am "supposed" to send it back for a free replacement. Ain't nobody got time for that. I also don't have time to do "basic" maintenance on my bike. Just run everything till it explodes.  I only have so many fucks to give. They need to be appropriated properly. Someone needs to type this shit. Go ride your bike this weekend!

#followcamfriday riding on the edge of a cliff and chasing daylight with Tito Tomasi at Gooseberry Mesa in Hurricane, UT

How is it that I have never ridden here before.... I was amazed how much fun we had, despite coming as close as possible to getting darked on. Plus those down-canyon views of Zion at sunset..... Mind melted. 

The blue hour is real. Just after the sun sets, the sky emits the most wonderful blue hue, that compliments the soft lasting glow, so very well. I'm not trying to be all douchy-cinematic here but, would you just look at it!! Maybe it was the rock out here, but I have never seen the blue light so pronounced. What a wonderful afternoon to ride till dark. Couldn't have timed it better. 

Gooseberry is basically one giant skate park, made out of sandstone. This is the Bartlett Wash of southern Utah. We definitely need to come back out here and line up some proper hucks to flat when we are not being chased by darkness. Bowls and lines for days! You could spend a lifetime out here, riding new lines and pumping around. Neat. 

Tito is quite the artist. When we first met, he was traveling the world with his bike and drawing sketches along the way to fund some of the expense. His MTB inspired art is something to behold. Thanks for the sketch my friend, you are a legend. 
Keep up to date with Tito's adventures HERE

The trip out to the point of the Mesa is mandatory! If you are afraid of heights, have someone blindfold you and drag you out there. The perspective from the point is unreal. You are basically looking into the valley where Rampage takes place and then into Zion. We sat there and soaked it all in before sprinting back to my van. Truly maximizing the day and our experience. This is the sort of thing that sticks out in my mind. Times to be remembered. 

Stay tuned right here for more adventures from the road. Colorado is snowy and cold currently as I arrive home from this trip. I have a new bike to build. Oh the suspense. Where will FCF turn up next? Thanks for the good times Tito! Aloha. 

The Tito tour continues. #followcamfriday getting my fill of desert riding in Southern Utah on Grafton Mesa. 

After watching some of the legends of mountain biking risk life and limb at Rampage last week, this was a welcome decompression from the stress of the event. Just watching was stressful. I couldn't imaging riding some of those lines. I will say that my perspective of what is possible has definitely changed. And the cycle continues. Thank you for pushing and progressing the sport, heroes of Rampage. 

"More Money" and "Dig It" on Grafton Mesa are "double blacks". If I am being honest, after witnessing Rmapage, this feels like a green run to me... My perspective has changed. What some would consider dangerous, is actually child's play now.... After watching people huck 70ft step-downs, hucking 6 or 8 feet to flat seems pretty insignificant somehow. JRA. NBD. 

Those down-valley views tho. More Money has some highly entertaining rock-work. Basically, the "skinnies" of Utah. You have to work with the terrain you have and the builders did an amazing job of highlighting the local landscape and building some unique rock features. Kudos. Less flow trail, more rock jank please. When I hear my rims hitting the rocks, I know I am doing it right. My happy place. 

Skinnies for days. 
Keep up with the constant adventure that has become Tito's life of travel, by subscribing to his Youtube channel HERE
You will not be dissapointed. Tito is returning to France in a couple of months and having a baby so he is making the most of his stay in the US. Congrats friend. 

It was brought to my attention that the best part of this area lies in the descent back to Rockville. Fortunately, I will be back to Southern Utah soon and need to tick the "Grafton Mesa" end bit, off of my list. Apparently there is a road gap that needs to be hit. Child's play after Rampage.... Right? 
Desert season is just getting started. Stay tuned for shenanigans. You might just see me send some shit.