# What is North Shore biking?



## dtyoshih (Sep 19, 2006)

I'm just getting back into mountain biking and I've read references to North Shore type of riding in various mountain bike magazines. Being a surfer, I always equate North Shore to Hawaii and the Pipeline. What does North Shore refer to in mountain biking terms??? Thanks.

David Y.


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## Demonsmasher (Aug 1, 2006)

I think it mainly refers to the north cali and canada trails. They have alot of trails that have big drops and trails made with wooden tracks. But I maybe wrong on this.


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## ferday (Jan 15, 2004)

the real "north shore" is in vancouver, canada. however the term has now come to mean riding involving wooden stunts and big jumps


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## fred3 (Jan 12, 2004)

The everyday emphasis is on the stunts vice the jumps/drops. Think large cedar forests (I think it's cedar) and damp. Now add the fact that they didn't want to just erode all the topsoil and with plenty of downed cedar trees that take centuries to rot you have the makings of a variety of ways to go over/skirt/fly over these wet areas with wood that will last. Now add a few artists who build these wonderfully innovative bridges/loops/whoops & scoops making sure they're safe (they won't fall apart, but you may with one wrong mispedal) and well made...you have the makings of a mostly downhill abundance of singletrack that has wicked trail names and the riders to make the area famous.

Want more just google mtb north shore pics.


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## StoicScot (Nov 7, 2006)

I do believe this is north shore mountain biking on the north shore.










North shore mountain biking is, I think, essentially another term for freeriding. That's as much a question as it is a statement.


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## 9.8m/s/s (Sep 26, 2005)

Literally, North Shore refers to a riding style started in British Columbia, around Vancouver. In the beginning, people in that region realized that much of the area they had to ridewas swampy and otherwise poorly set up for making typical trails. A few enterprising trailbuilders decided that it would be easiest on the enviornment to build trails into the air over those spots rather than try to change the entire enviornment. Those trails turned out to be successes, and -seeing as how this is mountian biking- sooner than later people decided they wanted more challenging trails. Basically, bridges got higher and narrower. You can imagine the rest from there. 

The other factor that helped the North Shore movement become what it is today were the bike manufactures. Kona comes to mind as the biggie, but there were countless other companies pushing bikes to become what they are today. To meet the needs of this new breed of riders suspension got longer, geometry got slackened, etc. Basically these companies had to figure out how to make a downhill bike with trials bike characteristics that could still be pedaled back up the hill- a nearly impossible task that really changed the biking landscape. 

Things continue to evolve on the North Shore, primarly because of the local talent and the influence of Whistler. The Shore has taken on a life of its own and is now attracting the best talent and trailbuilders in our sport. While North Shore stunts have moved to just about everywhere you can ride a bike, it's still easier to call them North Shore than "man-made stunts using natural materials to make you local forest feel like an ewok village". 

-9.8


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