Weekday Diversions #16: Pants, Bikepacking and Vali Höll

It’s Wednesday, you’ve (almost) made it! The work week is halfway done, and the prospect of big weekend rides is beckoning. Until then, here’s a roundup of the best bike (and non-bike) content that’s caught our eye this week.

Deven McCoy - Staff Writer

Yeah, it’s an old video, but while I am laid up with broken bones, I have been consuming content at an alarming rate and am finding inspiration from all over for a bikepacking trip I am drafting up. I often find myself planning big plans, and likely biting off more than I can chew during these forced pit stops in life. Right now the obsession is epics and finding a way to really push my limits when I inevitably get back on the saddle in 8-10 weeks. Or maybe I’ll just be heading right into ski season…

The new Bronson - Stoked on seeing this updated, and learned a lot about the bikes history when I put together the Retrospective a few weeks back. This got me thinking, and spreadsheeting a build focused around its nimble and snappy younger sibling - the Tallboy. This is directly in line with my mention of the above video. I’m a little obsessed right now, and am definitely going to start the process of getting a shorter travel bike built for long days of not-suffering.

Ariel Kazunas - Staff Writer

Brooklyn Bell - #PANTSGATE

Brooky is an incredible athlete, advocate and curious human with so much creative energy that she shares with the world in generous and beautiful ways. She recently participated in an ad campaign for Patagonia explaining how a simple pair of purple pants helped her to grow into herself and to be more comfortable “taking up space,” which is something I know a lot of us can understand and empathize with: who doesn’t have that metaphorical (or literal) pair of superhero undies that make you feel like the best version of yourself, able to tackle whatever the day or the trail might throw at you?

Of course, because it’s The Internet, some of the comments that came in below the video got ugly, calling the piece - which Brooklyn helped design - things like performative and “trivializing of the barriers WOC face.”

Which is harmful for so many reasons, but I’ll start with two big ones:

One, because Brooklyn absolutely gets to choose what she wants to share of her personal journey, without being told she “owes” anything to the audience. In this case, she was sharing a powerful and lovely message about what it is to feel comfortable in your own self, and how to be bold enough to push yourself to grow in ways that feel initially uncomfortable. If a white athlete were to share the exact same story, I doubt the comment section would have felt they deserved so much control over someone else’s narrative as they clearly think they do on this one.

Two, because Black joy is no trivial thing and should be celebrated, not condemned. Brooklyn chose to share something that makes her happy, and instead of relishing in that joy with her, the comment section asked why she wasn’t talking about the adversity she’s had to overcome. We LOVE to pigeonhole BIPOC folks in their trauma, which leaves little to no space for healing, and certainly gatekeeps access to agency and self-definition. Black women like Brooklyn get to seek and experience happiness just like anyone else; demanding that she deny her joy is what’s racist here, not her choosing to talk about said joy.

So my advice to you as you watch this ad? Let it inspire awe for Brooklyn’s artistic abilities (her print shop is open on her website FYI). Let it get you hyped to go ride your bike in the outfit that makes you feel fast / confident / fearless / capable. Let it guide you into learning about what true allyship is.

And if you feel uncomfortable at any point while watching, because you aren’t sure a Black woman should be expressing herself openly or existing in the outdoor industry the same way as any other (white) mountain biker does, look inward and ask “Why?” rather than reactively claiming ownership over Brooklyn’s story out of ignorance and prejudice.

View the original article to see embedded media.

Dylan Russell - Social Media Manager

Isaac Wallen + Bryn Atkinson- Hookin Mate

Isaac Wallen is not only a stylish rider, but he has also been killing the filming game. Using his riding background, he is able to capture the right moments that shows the true speed and style of the rider in front of the lens. In this case it was the corner slashing, two-wheeled-drifting Ausie, Bryn Atkinson. Bryn comes from a background of racing, but has switched to pleasing our eyes with the edits he drops throughout the year, enjoy.

View the original article to see embedded media.

Cy Whitling - Editor

Symphony - Vali H öll

I really enjoy watching racers smash bike park laps for an edit. It’s always cool to see them in an arena where there’s more opportunity to ride expressively than when they’re just chasing fractions of a second. We all know Vali is fast, but she’s so damn steezy too. Throw in a Miley cover, and I’m fully sold. Bikepark Morgins looks amazing, and I’m stoked to see Vali back between the tape at Worlds!