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Missed this thread last year when I had a crash in the Chilcotins in late July that put me out for most of the next two months. As with many, it should have been trivial - coming into a steeper downhill corner with two decent line options, hesitated, ended up going right through the middle on the poorest line choice of all with no speed, tried to crank the pedals around quickly to get over the rocks, clipped one of them and tipped over. If I'd tipped left I would have ended up on my ass in the dirt with a lightly bruised dignity. Unfortunately I tipped right, nose-dived about four feet over the bank, and landed square on two small tree stumps. One got my left quad, one the top of my ribs on the right side. Adrenaline and denial got me through the next 25km to our pickup spot, but once reality bit I discovered I had a broken rib and a quad contusion so large I couldn't walk for the next two days. 

Cut to last weekend and an exhausted pedal out on Danimal Middle after riding Into the Mystic and Lord of the Squirrels for the first time. I literally repeated the same crash exactly in an uphill version, landing square on two big rocks when I fell off the side of the trail. Delighted to only have bruises this time.

We rode it tonight. The bigger features are still well above my pay grade, but the trail itself was running really well and a lot of fun. Sad I won't get to go back to the lower section and work on some of that crazy woodwork, but very glad we got to see it before it's gone.

I had to do some hunting to get my Spitfire (purchased about a year ago) and eventually found the frame I was after at Krusty's in Richmond. They did the build for me but I get all servicing done at my local bike shop, as Krusty's isn't that close. Definitely worth the digging to find a dealer with bikes in stock; the Spitfire is an amazing ride and punches way above its specs. Lynn Valley also had bikes in at the time, but no small frames. I feel like I see other Banshees fairly regularly (mostly Runes) but it might be like buying a new car and then all you see is that model of car.

Of all of the bikes I've owned, the Spitfire is the one I can't ride without a giant grin on my face. It does everything well and is a riot on the downhill. One of those bikes that makes you appear a better rider than you really are (at least in my case).

My Stylus gets a vote, too. Little steel hardtails are the bomb and no-one makes 'em as well as Chromag.

I did this recently and even though I declared the bike on the way back (so should have been sent to pay the tax) they just waved me through. I do know of folk who have not declared but for the relatively low purchase price of that bike, I didn't think it was worth risking.

I did buy a brand-new bike in the States once and ride it back over the border. It was raining hard and by the time I made it to Blaine I was covered in road grime and the bike didn't look very new any more. The border guard didn't even ask me if I'd bought anything while I was in the States (probably because I wasn't carrying a pack) - he just commented that it was a terrible day for a ride and sent me on my way!

without the challenge or danger there is NO SKILL BUILDING, and like school, if you don't learn the periodic table or basic algebra there will be no further development, to say nothing of evolution or growth.

I'm generally a lurker on these threads, and have no interest in getting into an internet flamewar. But this claim - that trails have to be exponentially difficult for any kind of learning to occur - is so wrong that I wanted to respond to it.

I started mountain biking consistently around three years ago. It's been a steep learning curve and I'm a classic weekend warrior, but I'm out on the trails every chance I get and working to progress my skills on every ride and I love it all, even when I end up walking my bike down something my courage wasn't quite ready for.

I also turn 40 in a couple of months. I've been through the experience of having a major injury and surgery and spending a year away from the things I loved while I rehabbed. I'm not interested in doing that again.

I'm finally getting pretty capable on blacks. I'm starting to try double blacks. I can't ride everything on them, but the fact I can ride some of it is hugely encouraging and motivates me to keep coming back to things that are beyond my paygrade right now. Each time I ride a feature that I walked the time before it's a huge achievement that encourages me to try something else that I originally thought was beyond me. One day soon I'll be able to link it all together and ride the trail clean. And then I'll ride it faster, and then I'll ride something harder and start all over again.

This is how we progress. This is how people learn to love the sport and become capable of riding the old school gnar. I can't ride much of it yet, but I'm getting there and that makes me so incredibly stoked. Having progressive trails means I can keep working toward that goal.

This Fromme you talk about, where it's all groomed and gravelled and suitable for baby trailers? I don't recognize that Fromme at all. Sure, there are a handful of easier trails as you work your way up to the tough stuff, but I remember riding Seventh for the first time and it sure as hell didn't feel easy then. Now it feels easier but Executioner? Bookwus? They don't feel easy. Maybe one day they will. The important thing is that they're there, I can ride them (and walk the parts I can't yet ride), and be very grateful to the people who built and maintain these amazing trails that have given me so much over the past three years.

I work a regular full-time job and still manage lots of riding. Weekends in Squamish, Whistler and the Valley, after work on the North Shore and at SFU, and sometimes even quick evenings in Squamish during the longer days of summer. When you love riding, it's not so hard to fit it into the work week.

So grateful for all the work that goes into building this amazing playground we have. Thanks Martin, Penny and all the other trail fairies!

Hah, I admired your outfit on Saturday! Such a great day, so glad I got the chance to be part of it before it was done.

Having heard the sound my helmet made when my head hit the road after a crash that was 100% not my fault (hit from behind by a truck that cut onto the shoulder to try and pass a slow car; driver admitted in court that he didn't see me because he was watching the car, and lost his license for a substantial period of time) I would never, ever ride without one. I came out of that with a very bad concussion; without a helmet, I would not be here typing this. I haven't hit my head mountain biking yet but it's not about the relative likelihood, regardless of whether you're on the trails or on the road. It's about having the helmet on that one day when things go badly and it turns out you need it.