Comprehensive, all-new guide to the best, most scenic single track adventures in the state. Great maps, photos and just the information we've all been waiting for. For beginners to advanced riders.
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Book Description
Editorial Reviews
From the Author
Missouri is blessed with some amazingly diverse geography, which leads to several lifetime's worth of singletrack adventure. Within Missouri, we have more than 60 trails to chose from, from Ozark highland trails to technically challenging steep creek drainages and even the longest rails-to-trails project in the U.S.
So gearheads and outdoor-types rejoice. Forget those midnight drives across Kansas to get to Colorado's Rockies. Forget about the Appalachian Trail and the Smokies. Flip some pages and find some adventure close to home, without losing valuable playtime or tankloads of gas. Missouri is blessed with some incredible single track and this book will show you where.
In this book, Missouri mountain biking is divided into different regions, based upon geography and the population centers around the state: St. Louis, Columbia, Kansas City, Springfield, Rolla and the southeast region which encompasses most of the Ozark Trail.
Quite simply, most of the good stuff is close to or south of the Missouri River. That's because when the glaciers retreated 10,000 to 2 million years ago, they flattened northern Missouri, and began to recede near where the Missouri River now flows. That left our central and southern hills and Ozarks full of all of those bumps, drops, zigs and zags we love to call home. No matter where you are, there is surely a gorgeous setting and a great workout nearby.
This book includes 60 MTB trails from around the state. I have exhaustively researched trails, interviewed trail gypsies, scrounged for maps and old documents and hounded Conservation and Department of Natural Resource officials hoping to get the definitive word on trails open to mountain bikers.
It has been a true education. In my quest, I worked with many administrative-types who thought mountain biking had something to do with motocross. Oftentimes, I would have to request information on equestrian trails instead of mountain biking trails, since an alarming number of people at area visitors centers and such don't understand exactly what mountain biking is. In fact, many of the trails that are open to MTB'ers are called Equestrian Trails. A few signs did include us, but we are by and large just beginning to work our way into mainstream society.
We are on the mere cusp of being understood by civilization at large. So much education remains to be done, as my questions invariably got some response confusing mountain biking to motocross or some other form of motorized endeavor. We have a long way to go.
The result of numerous smiles and spills culminates itself in this book, where I have highlighted what feels like a record of 60 MTB rides. This surpasses the scope of trails outlined in Steve Henry's 1993 edition of The Mountain Biker's Guide to the Ozarks, which offers 36 Missouri trails, and Brian Mais and Gary Barnett's 1995 guidebook entitled The Fatheads Guide to Mountain Biking Missouri, which highlights 35 trails.
This book has taken me to the best natural areas Missouri offers-and, oh my, there are quite a few. Basically, there are some prime off-road biking within easy reach of every metropolitan area in the state, as well as many choice daytrip and weekend getaways hidden deep within the Ozarks.
In addition to up-to-date information, great maps and reliable directions, there are a couple of articles included in this book for those rainy day armchair odysseys. If you only have time to read one, I recommend the article on page 20 about what to do when you meet up with an equestrian.
Take care out there and don't forget-always invite a friend-it's the best way to increase stewardship of our beautiful outdoors and besides, they'll probably buy you lunch!
See you out there!
From the Back Cover
This all-new, comprehensive guide highlights the best mountain biking in Missouri-from gorgeous bike paths in utter seclusion, to teeth-rattling Ozark rollercoasters for weekends full of adventure. This book details more than 50 of the best, 100% legal MTB trails in Missouri, from classics like the Berryman and the Chubb to virtually undiscovered gems. Use this book to plan short afternoon rides or weeklong adventures. Wherever you are in Missouri, there is a trail waiting for you. With detailed maps and exhaustive research, this book will show you where to go. Some books take you away... our books take you there.
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