Bend Overend!

By Ned

I spent the last week riding some world class single track in Bend, Oregon. The Specialized Mountain Bike product team brought in a handful of journalists from around the globe to ride some of our 2013 trail bikes. I've been to Bend for CX racing and a winter triathlon at Mt Bachelor, but this is the first time I have had a chance to really explore their trail system. The guys at Cog Wild Tours guided us to some great single track - Lev, Russ, Seth and Ryan (who's wife gave birth last Saturday – congrats Ryan!). We rode Smith Rock, Horse Ridge, Mrazek and Whoops. It was a great mix of terrain for previewing the new bikes and the redesigned Purgatory tire.


We took a tour of the Deschutes Brewery and learned about the raw ingredients that go into making my favorite beverage.

Hop flowers that give India Pale Ale’s their flavor

At a downtown coffee shop I ran into my old (and I do mean old!) teammate Paul Thomasberg. Paul was with another member of the Central Oregon Trail Alliance and they were meeting with staff from the State Representatives office to discuss their latest trail project. The kind of quality trails Bend has does not come without a dedicated, well supported trail group and thousands of hours of trail work.