Soo fun!
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| Steeeep! |
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| Ubikes!!! |
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| Epic descent! |
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| View from the top. |
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| Loose off-camber bits! |
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| Steep and loose ahead! |
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| Need I say more? |
Tuesday, December 6, 2011
Biking in Antarctica
Who would have thought?! Believe it, and it is quite good! Granted, there isn't much trail to choose from, but it was pretty darn surprising to me. The recreation department has bike available for us to use down here, they even received new Specialized 29er hardtails last year. So I have been able to get out a couple times to shred some single-track! I can't tell you how excited I am to be biking at the bottom of the world! I brought my camera along in hopes to capture a bit of what the trails are like here!
Soo fun!
Soo fun!
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Nice & thanks for the memories! I was the guy who originally pitched that NSF fund bicycles for utility use and trail riding on the ice. Folks had MTB's on the ice since the late 80's (and random bikes have been there since the exploration age) but MTB's really jelled there during the fuel shortage in '92/93.
ReplyDeleteWe used to MTB all over the place down there on trails from Danger Falls, Arrival Heights, T-Site, the CR Loop, Scott Base, Willy Field, Ob Hill (the old Nuke plant road used to have trails that went completely around Ob Hill to Scott Base) etc. I took Erik Chiang who at that time was the director of OPP on his first MTB ride down there. He was a dedicated roadie and we thrashed him but he loved it and gave us "formal" approval to continue to ride the existing trails around McM. After that ride he gave us the funds to buy a dozen MTB's (they were XT Diamondbacks and this was around '93 or '94) and had them shipped down. There was still a few of them around the last time I was there in '98. In the winter when the snow was ice hard, you could ride the complete Castle Rock loop. Good times! Here's a pic of the Antarctic Cycling & Drinking Club from '94: http://www.flickr.com/photos/anvilbikes/3472996763/
Wow, Anvil. That is so awesome! Thank you so much for helping create such an amazing part of this community. It is great to hear about where you guys were riding. The picture is classic! I think there might be a couple of those bikes still floating around here! I hope you are still out there taring it up on two wheels!
ReplyDeleteYES! So awesome! I'm heading down this winter (Austral summer) and have been scheming on riding a bike on the ice (or dirt!). Do they have bikes available for short people? Woo hoo!!!
ReplyDeleteSweet! I am heading down to McMurdo again this season, you should look me up. And yes, there are bikes to use down there!
ReplyDeleteI may be coming down this season and would love to ride. How does a visitor find a bike to use?
ReplyDelete