Nate Hills
  • Home
  • BIKES
  • Blog
  • Camera Gear
  • Media
  • Sponsors
  • Schedule / Results
  • Home
  • BIKES
  • Blog
  • Camera Gear
  • Media
  • Sponsors
  • Schedule / Results

Is blogging still a thing?

So there I was, drinking beer and looking at the internet. What ever happened to my blog..... I don't think people even realize that I race mountain bikes for a living. I think people know me as that guy who posts weekly POV videos on YouTube about riding on the edge of some scary cliff in the desert. I am a Vlogger now, do I really need a blog? Well, after a two-year hiatus, I just turned it back on because it made me smile. Let me know what you guys think. Times were simpler then. More projects, more problems. Wouldn't trade it for anything. ​

Testing ZEB on Pikes Peak

7/10/2020

0 Comments

 
What better place to break in my new bike than on Pikes Peak with Jon Cancellier and Sarah Rawley. #followcamfriday 14er social distancing tour continues. 
Zebulon Pike was the first explorer to attempt to summit Pikes Peak in Colorado Springs. I say "attempt" because he failed, but at least he went for it. Like most things in life, if you never try, you can never succeed. So, get out there and give 'er. Jon, Sarah and I did not clean the top of Barr Trail, but we tried. I am not sure that it has ever been ridden in its entirety, but at least we tried. Janktown. 
Picture
The top of the "Plunge" is basically a pile of large rocks, sprinkled with kitty litter, just to keep you honest. If there is a harder surface to feel confident on, I haven't encountered one. Add in the fact that the rock has the texture of a cheese grater, and you have a recipe for broken everything. Perfect. 
Picture
New bike day comes more frequently than it should for me. I am definitely spoiled by the companies that I work with and it is my job to keep the people hyped on the latest and greatest product offerings. I build a few new bikes each year and I can say, without a doubt, that this rig has impressed me the most. ZEB is absolutely the reason for my initial enthusiasm. This fork will go down as the best suspension product of the last 10 years, mark my words. I was blown away honestly, nothing even comes close. Confidence. 
Picture
I am running out of backgrounds for my Tetris, garage jenga, ground shots. There is just something satisfying about seeing the parts laid out before the build process. Organization situation. People often comment that this is a waste of time, but I prefer to think of it as art. 

Spec list HERE
Picture
"The Plunge" basically starts at the top of the peak on Barr Trail, at 14,115ft and descends 7,700ft into Manitou Springs. This is one of the longer runs in Colorado and rivals The Whole Enchilada from an "epic" perspective. Interestingly enough, the popular hiking trail "The Incline" is currently closed for Covid, so the bottom is devoid of hikers. Anyone who has ridden Barr before knows that Barr is normally a conga train of hikers and not actually that fun to ride because of that fact. If you can find any silver lining to the pandemic, the lack of people on the trail is a nice change I suppose. 
Picture
Sarah and Jon both had a heavy hand in bringing ZEB to market. It's basically Jon's baby, with Sarah being responsible for getting the word out effectively. After riding with Jon a fair amount over the years,  it really goes to show that the people designing the best suspension products actually shred and love to ride bikes. Makes perfect sense. Sushi from a classically trained Japanese chef tastes better than the sushi you may get from some white dude at the tex-mex joint down the road.  
Picture
So definitely give this one a rip if you find yourself in the area. Maybe bring a spare derailleur and some snacks. You could always do it as an out and back of you are in the mood to suffer. Maybe more snacks are in order. 
0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    The Vlog Blog. Stay up to date with the constant adventure that is my life! 

    CLICK HERE TO SUBSCRIBE TO MY YOUTUBE CHANNEL
    Just can't get enough?!?!​
    Become a Patron!


    Archives

    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    September 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    October 2013

    RSS Feed

©2012-2017 Nate Hills. All Rights Reserved