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2024 Underexposed featuring Brice Shirbach

Underexposed is back for 2024!

Underexposed is a self-filmed and produced series by Pivot Cycles athlete Brice Shirbach dedicated to showcasing trail advocacy and stewardship while exploring a variety of trails in places that may be unfamiliar to many. We spend a lot of time praising professional mountain bike athletes and trail builders for what they do, and for the record I’m all for it. While advocacy and volunteerism might lack the sex appeal of other dynamics in mountain biking, the reality is that our sport’s unsung heroes are the ones attending board meetings, and filling out 501c3 forms, and are often the ones answering to the questions and demands of various other trail user groups. Join Brice as he explores the personal motivations behind the effort that goes into mountain bike advocacy while sampling the trails they work so hard for. 

Fernie, BC

This Underexposed is dedicated to the memory of Abi Moore, to her family, and to everyone building their legacies through trails, community, and inclusivity.

Fernie and its surrounding area is home to around 7,000 people and is the only city in Canada that is fully encircled by the Rockies. The timber and mining industries still play a significant role for the region’s economy, but outdoor recreation is on equal footing here. It’s home to Fernie Alpine Resort, which is well known for its world class ski slopes as well as its access to backcountry ski terrain, and the area in general is loaded with a bevy of ways to enjoy time outside that include fly fishing, hiking, climbing, paddling, and yes-obviously mountain biking. Being outside is an integral part of the fabric of Fernie’s culture, and despite the modest numbers as far as residents go, a sizable portion of those who call this place home devote much of their time to strengthening their bonds to one another through outdoor recreation, specifically on the trails. Abi Moore was very much a big part of that contingent.

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Marquette, MI

Located almost squarely in the middle of Michigan’s Lake Superior shoreline is the Upper Peninsula’s largest town: Marquette. Home to Northern Michigan University, the town of 20,000 combines artsy college-town vibes with a functional industrial aesthetic. The third largest town on the shores of Superior has quite a lot going on despite its relative isolation geographically speaking, and among the flurry of opportunities are hundreds of miles of multi-use trails.

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Mount Graham, AZ

Safford lies 165 miles to the southeast of the state’s capital city of Phoenix, and 130 miles northeast of its second largest city, Tucson. Mining and agriculture are two of the larger industries in the town of just over 10,000, with Freeport-McMoRan Copper and Gold serving as the largest employer for the community. Main Street is lined with small businesses ranging from retail to restaurants, and there’s even an historic theater that is currently being renovated with hopes of reopening later this year. It’s a categorically quiet town, but there’s no shortage of energy being put into it. And then, of course, there’s the massive wall of granite overlooking Safford and the rest of Graham County: the sky island of Mount Graham.

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Sunshine Coast, BC

The trails throughout the Sunshine Coast are indeed piling up, from as far north at Powell River and the incredible work being done on Mount Mahony, to the world class freeride bike park that is Coast Gravity, to the miles upon miles of variety available throughout the southern coast, the region as a whole has more than enough trails available to satisfy riders of all stripes.

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Costa Rica

Costa Rica is a country that is half the size of the State of Vermont, but it can take hours to cover even short distances, which speaks to the challenges facing the infrastructure in this otherwise stunning country. Getting trails built here will require time and patience as well. In a country famous for its biodiversity—6% of the planet’s wildlife and flora call Costa Rica home—access to public lands for recreating on two wheels requires plenty of patience, time, and diligence. Costa Rica might be small, but it already boasts some legitimately world class trails with more undoubtedly on the way as mountain biking continues to raise eyebrows and gain momentum in this Central American paradise.

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