A wild-eyed daredevil all his life, professional mountain biker Mark Weir had to be yanked away from a death-defying challenge on Dec. 27.Â
His house was burning down.
“At first I’m thinking, ‘I can control this. I’ve seen fires before,'” said Weir, 36. “I’m standing there with a garden hose, but the fire is totally refusing the water.”
The Novato home in which he grew up contained all his mountain biking medals and trophies from his storied 17-year career. Weir is one of the sport’s icons, known not only for his seven championships at the famed Downieville Classic in the Sierra (17 miles, 5,000 feet of elevation drop, less than 45 minutes) but also for pioneering various cycling equipment as cross country racing and downhilling merged into an all-mountain sport unto its own … Details & Pictures
What is your job or other main activity that involves cycling?
I race Downhill Mountain bikes.
How long have you done that?
For 17 years now.
Where do you live?
Sheffield, just next to Wharncliffe Forest for good riding.
What most encourages you about cycling where you live?
The trails in the wood are always great.
What most discourages you about … Details
Scots stunt cyclist Danny MacAskill is pedalling his way to Hollywood fame and fortune after being offered the chance to work on a major new film.
MacAskill, 24, became a YouTube phenomenon after a video was posted of him performing daredevil stunts around Edinburgh.
He has now been offered a lucrative deal by … Details
Even after a two-month West Coast bike tour from Mexico to Canada, Ben Donnelly was bug-eyed when he got a look at Seattle’s I-5 Colonnade, billed as the world’s first urban mountain bike park of its type.
“This is nothing but awesome, really cool,” said the 24-year-old rider from Asheville, N.C., the mountain playground of the southern Appalachians. “The Pacific Northwest knows how to build mountain bike trails. And I thought Asheville was a mountain bike mecca.”
After making his observation, he dropped into a …Â Details & Pictures