Decompression

FIELD TEST : SUMMER, 2014

Decompression

Photography By John Watson

For the past seven years, Scott and Dickon from Santa Cruz Bicycles had made it their ritual to ride the trails near Freiburg Germany after the Eurobike tradeshow. Joining them this year was John Watson from The Radavist and Lyle Barton from Mission Workshop. What resulted was an 8-hour fun fest through the legendary Black Forest trails surrounding Freiburg. The trails could almost be considered a cliche of epic mountain biking; sweeping flow trails through dense forest, rutted rocky descents, and a whole lot of roots.

Freiburg is a sunny University town full of cafe-rimmed plazas. With a horizon full of vineyards and rolling green hills, it's a hard place to leave, but the next day John and Lyle bid farewell to Scott and Dickon and headed south towards Switzerland. The following days were spent traversing the high mountain passes above Davos and Glarus. The vast open expanses of the Swiss Alps never fail to impress and provide the perfect compliment to the dense green canopy of the black forest. While most of the riding took place in the exposed regions above tree line, the occasional farmhouse or summer cabin made lunch breaks a most civilized affair. After all, this is Switzerland.

Following are some impressions as recorded by John during their ride into the Black Forest and the following days in Switzerland.