13 september, 2023
Salt of the Earth
A story that goes beyond the surface of building trails, a tale of how a community that has been holding onto a singular identity as a mining town turned gambling destination has bet on preserving and sharing its natural resources in the form of outdoor recreation.
Build it and they will come
This film showcases one town’s journey to create sustainable trails for generations to come.
Black Hawk has a historical beauty about it and its newfound love of mountain biking highlights the juxtaposition of its past, present, and future colliding.
The mining boom in the late 1800s left its scars in the form of trails, roads, and mines to help tell the story of this area and its people. Cycling kept this town alive and gave new hope to the locals.
This town has an interesting and complicated history when it comes to their burgeoning cycling community.
Having once banned cycling within its small town streets, the community has embraced a kind of makeover where the area is now becoming known as a destination for cyclists of all abilities.
The Rallon is the bike of choice for a trail as steep and unrelenting as “Ore Chute”, with grades as steep as 20% littered with rocks and technical features. The Rallons 160mm of travel instill the confidence needed to conquer the terrain.
It was no secret that the area around Black Hawk was ripe for world class trails – it just took a group of driven and hard-working people to hatch a plan and get the larger community behind them to give this area some much-deserved love.
In the video the female rider preferred the reactive coil shock on her Rallon, while the male rider opted for a lighter air-shock.
The planning, support, building and opening of the ‘Ore Chute’ trail has brought Black Hawk into the modern mainstream as a destination for sustainable and world class trials – and it means more to the community than anyone would have thought.
Rallon
The pedaling prowess of the Rallon tackled the 1000ft (300m) climb with ease, and floated down the techy and rocky trail with a calm demeanor.
Orbea, COMBA, and Jagged Axe weave together a heartfelt tale that goes beyond the surface of building trails, and tell a story of how a community that has been holding onto a singular identity as a mining town turned gambling destination, has bet on preserving and sharing its natural resources in the form of outdoor recreation.
To maintain relevance in this fast-paced world, change is inevitable, the trails at Black Hawk are here to stay and will bring joy to mountain bikers near and far.
TRAILHEADS
Suzy Williams
Freerider and Digital Marketing Specialist at ORBEA
When Suzy isn’t behind a computer screen dreaming about her next big drop, she is out in the mountains sniffing out thrilling new trails. From big jumps to steep and rocky technical descents, her prowess on a bike is unmatched.
Zachary Heath
Trail rider, Professor and content creator
A thirst for adventure and always on the move. Zach is a supreme athlete based in California with a highly contagious, exuberant personality. He brings the stoke and keeps spirits high on the trails at all times.