Rider Threads Needle Between Treacherously Tight Trees
Generally, trail builders making steep features want to make as wide a run out as possible. This way, if riders get knocked off course on steeps where they can’t control their speed, they won’t crash catastrophically.
British Columbia builders don’t always abide by those concerns. Watch Corben Cossitt thread the needle between two trees at the bottom of a wet rock slab.
This video is truly white-knuckling. Cossitt drops into a wet rock slab that ends with goalpost trees that are not too much wider than modern handlebars. It is an utterly tiny passage to aim for!
Corben Cossitt
Thankfully Corben knows his way around a rock slab and flawlessly rides the feature, though he joked in his caption that his pinkies were sore.
This move is technical because there is no stopping on that rock. Riders have to be sure that they are aimed correctly or they could uncontrollably slide into the trees.
He is certainly brave to ride rock in the winter. When wet, even the granite slabs in Squamish are not easy to grip on. To make matters worse, the passage through the trees is covered by a bridge. Wood is notoriously the most slippery surface to ride. If you plan on braking or turning on that wet wood you are gonna have a bad time.
Many trails with trees demonstrate how bike technology has changed in recent years. Up until a decade ago, stock handlebars were 680 mm, and the trails reflected that. As companies have discovered the benefits of wider bars, some relic trails keep their tight nature.
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