Singletracks Mountain Bike News

Seth Gebel is a mountain biker and trail builder living in Missouri. His popular YouTube channel, Backyard Trail Builds, shows how he builds beautiful trail features like ramps, skinnies, and bridges using natural materials. In this episode we ask: Tell us how you got into mountain biking, and trail building. You’ve been building at Howler Bike Park this year. What were you working on there? How much of your time do you spend building on your own land versus paid projects for others? Where did you learn your carpentry skills? Is there a science to building features that are fun to ride, or is it guess-and-check? Have you had to progress your bike skills to keep up with your builds? You use a lot of natural wood as opposed to cut lumber, which seems to be pretty time consuming. Why make the effort? Is longevity a concern when building features out of wood? Are there things you can do to ensure features remain safe and durable for many seasons? Do you enjoy riding skinnies? What makes a good moun