Our final ride in Iceland featured our most radical riding. Bergur & Asta (from Icebike Adventures) saved the location, Tectonic Trail, as “your last tough ride.” With knowing grins, they noted that precious few of their customers had the technical ability to ride Tectonic. But, after riding with us for a week, they knew we’d not only like it, we’d enjoy it’s brutality. Berger noted that locals rarely shared the location of this trail with out-of-towners because it was a “private playground & race location.” They finished by telling those of our group who use Strava to turn it off. Oh, also, Icebike’s pro photographer, Antione Daures, would be riding with us to take some promotional shots. Wow. This sounded ominous.
As with our other rides, Tectonic trail was deeply rutted, rubble-covered & technical, technical, technical! When they dropped us off for the first leg of our ride it was obvious, immediately, that this trail was rugged . . . even by Icelandic standards. We weren’t 100yds into the ride before we encountered a near wall. The “trail” went straight up & over, dropping us into a secret verdant valley. A couple of river crossings on the valley floor. Then, a rutted & winding trail up a ridge. Lots of exposure! Dang, if you screw this up you’ll land in the hospital. We joked: “I went to Iceland & all I got was this broken arm.”
Eventually we arrived near the top of the mountain, where Asta awaited. After guzzling water & some Skratch chews, we cranked to the mountain’s flattened pinnacle. This was the starting point for the location’s many descending runs. Asta would be waiting at the bottom with the van, to shuttle us back up. Then, more descending!
Over the next hours, we pounded down some of the most brutal trails that I’ve ever experienced. We blasted over rolling rocks, rubble, ruts that dragged both of our pedals, jumps, & the steepest descent that I’ve ever done outside of Moab. The runs took their toll. Brad went over the bars so hard that he cracked a few of his headset spacers. This forced me to do some “custom” trail fixes so he could finish the day. Bergur went over his bars. I went over my bars. Dana fell into a muddy holler, causing me to fall in behind him. I believe that Randy was the only guy in the group who didn’t crash.
Don’t let the toughness of the trail trick you into thinking that the environment wasn’t beautiful. This ride featured extended vistas, down through misty skies that shrouded the landscape below. Craggy, statuesque pylons created a small valley. They reminded me of the monolithic heads on Easter Island. Sheep grazed in green valleys. Cold streams wound their way through the landscape, like snakes. For our final ride, Iceland served-up its best! Tough ridinging & unmatchable beauty. Our ride back was a quiet one. We were tired. What a day!
Featured Riders: Brad, Dana, Dave, Randy & Bergur (From IceBike Adventures)
In Association With: IceBike Adventures, Zoic Clothing, Deity Components, Ride Concepts, Troy Lee Designs, Scratch Labs & Kali Protectives
Music: “Penta Grandma” performed by Supervirus, written by Cory Clark & Adam Watts, A Soundstripe Production
Edited By: Mal Sebeck
2 Comments
That was an AWESOME day of riding!!!
Great action shots! The biking looks like a ton of fun!