2020 Brave Endeavors Gift Guide

‘Tis the season of giving! Below is my Top 10 2020 MTB Gift Guide. It’s a great starting place for that tough to shop for adventurer in your life.

While I have relationships with some of the products I mention, others are simply items I use all the time and make my life better. I tried to span my 3 primary areas: MTB, Nutrition, and Strength Training.

#10) MSR Pocket Rocket

I’m not sure it gets better than hot coffee mid ride. The pocket rocket makes this dream a reality with tech so small it can literally fit in the palm of your hand. Pair it with a small pot and instant coffee and you are set for an early departure with a mid-ride coffee break! It’s also an excellent companion to any bike packing adventures you may wish to undertake! $44.95 via MSR’s Website

#9) MUD WTR

MUD has become my new obsession, craving, and best way to start my day (after chugging 8 oz of water with apple cider vinegar). MUD is a powdered coffee alternative loaded with beneficial mushrooms such as lion’s mane, cordycepts, reishi and others. It has a chai like taste, but is thick due to the presence of cacao. To be perfectly honest, I have in no way ditched coffee, I simply mix in the MUD with my coffee and create a dirty chai-esque drink. I love it. The mushrooms have been shown to help improve focus, energy, and mood. As a bonus it comes with a fancy schmancy whisk to help you blend your beverage, but of course I use my Vitamix. If you’re reading this your IG feed will now be fully populated with MUD WTR ads. This is one worth clicking on!

$40 for the starter kit. Check them out HERE!

#8) Gift Card to Local Bike Shop!

I always try to spend my dollars locally before turning to the internet or large “big box” stores. While the deals outside your home area may feel enticing, and the prices often are cheaper, you pay a cost for not supporting local businesses. Local bike shops provide far more than simply product, they provide service (who’s going to fix that bent derailleur?), local knowledge, and community. They give you the opportunity to try on the shoes, knee pads, or helmet that you were thinking about ordering on-line. They often have a recommendation for a product you didn’t know existed, and it could be just the ticket to your head, knees, or feet going from feeling uncomfortable to incredibly happy. If you are in the Hood River area I highly recommend supporting Mt. View Cycles! Gift cards can be purchased over the phone or in person.

#7) Vitamix

My Vitamix is my kitchen workhorse. It routinely amazes me how I can toss a bunch of chunky fruits, veggies, and nuts into a pitcher along with some liquid and 33 seconds later pour out a smooth, frothy, and delightful beverage. I use my Vitamix at least once a day, sometimes twice, occasionally 3 times in a day when I can’t get enough hot beverages. I make everything from recovery shakes, to matcha lattes and Spicy Fireside Cocoa, to Carrot Cake Pancakes. Starting at a 2 Horse Power motor these machines are strong and last forever! I’ve had mine for over 10 years and I bought it used! I highly recommend getting one with the “variable speed” setting. As a forever purchase, they are worth every cent. Starting at $349.00 on the Vitamix Website.

#6) AMP PR Lotion

I’m not one for market gimmicks claiming to triple your performance and shed body fat like a duck sheds water. My top 3 suggestions for improved performance are: 1) quality nutrition, 2) quality sleep, 3) a consistent workout plan. There are few products on the market that I think actually provide a performance boost. AMP PR is one of those products. Rub PR lotion into your muscles prior to a ride and you will feel like a champion from the first pedal stroke up that giant hill until you top out after just PRing the climb!

PR Lotion employs the electrolyte sodium bicarbonate in a lotion that is absorbed through your skin. There are two main benefits of PR lotion: 1) go longer and harder, and 2) recover faster. The absorption of bicarb reduces build up of lactic acid while you exercise, which allows you to dig deeper and push harder! PR lotion also reduces delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS) thus allowing for a faster and more complete recovery after those big efforts! Get 20% off with discount code BRAVE20. This would make a great stocking stuffer! $55 for the starter kit.

#5) One Up EDC Tool

Photo courtesey of pinkbike.com — Photo courtesy of pinkbike.com

Here’s the scene: You carved out 1.5 hrs to ride. Kids are covered, work is done, you scooted out the house loaded the bike, rushed to the trail head and…crap! You forgot…! Helmet, shoes, water, a pump, tool…or any other piece of equipment so many of us deem vital for a ride. At one point or another I’ve forgotten all of these items. As products get smaller, and on-bike storage increases in capacity forgetting items happens less and less. The more we can integrate our movable gear onto the bike, the more headspace it frees up for thinking about more important tasks, like what kind of tacos you’re going to have after your ride! The One Up EVD (every day carry) tool flawlessly fits into your headtube. The tool is always on your bike and you have super easy access. This means you don’t even need to take your pack off to access your tool! $59.00 via oneupcomponents.com

#4) Patagonia Black Hole Hip Pack

Things I love about hip packs: They let your back breathe, the limited carrying capacity forces you to only take the essentials, and it’s fun to see them return to fashion! The Patagonia Black Hole 5L pack checks all my boxes for hip pack essentials:

it’s just the right size - you can fit copious snacks, necessary bike maintenance items, a jacket, plus an extra water bottle or bear canister!
it hugs you like an old friend - and who couldn’t use a few more hugs right now?
the material is 100% recycled while still keeping your stuff clean and dry!
there are fun colors to choose from

$59 Patagonia.com

#3) Ergon Saddle

I used to think saddle sores were just a part of mountain biking the way an adolescent assumes pimples are part of puberty. They suck, but you just have to deal with them and at some point they’ll go away. I have permanent damage from saddle sores and I know I’m not alone because every time I bring up the topic 18 other people agree with me. But it shouldn’t be that way. We should not be in pain on our most sensitive bits! The Ergon SM Sport Gel saddle has truly been a game changer for me. Not only have my saddle sores all but disappeared, but I’ve ditched the chamois! That’s right, good-bye sweaty diaper trying to claw your wet paws to me. I now have extra time to practice my wheelies while my friends change at the trailhead! NOTE: We all have different anatomy and what works well for me may not work for you at all! Women, we are all shaped differently from the width of our sit bones to the shape and size of our cervix - yes that matters when it comes to saddle selection. Dudes - I have no idea what you’ve got going on between your legs, but I paid enough attention during 6th grade sex ed to know that you too, come in different shapes and sizes. I highly recommend visiting a local bike shop and sitting on different saddles. Often shops will have a test saddle that you can take for a spin. It’s also important to get your sit bones sized, as saddles, like shoes, are not one size fits all! The SM MTB Series Saddles range from $69.95 - $109.95 and are available for both men and women. Check your local bike store for inventory!

#2) MTB Strength Training Program

“Mountain biking with a core is like a whole new sport!” - Exclaimed Amy Black, mtb enthusiast several months after starting my MTB Strength Training Program.

“I felt like I was on an ebike!” - BeckyJo Steel said 3 months into the Brave Endeavors Strength Program.

Other than actually buying an ebike, or adding hours upon hours of on bike training to your weeks, strength training is the absolute best way to help you feel stronger, go faster, and ride longer on the bike! With gyms closed, a strength plan is the next best thing to having an actual coach or personal trainer at your side. The plan helps to keep you accountable and you are able to measure progress to stay motivated. Strength training also comes with added benefits such as burning more calories at rest as your lean muscle mass increases, improved mobility, less prone to injury, and for many folks their tight hamstrings and ouchy low back goes away as their overall muscle tone and strength increases! There are lots of mtb specific plans to choose from, but of course, I think you should get one of mine!

All of my strength plans are full body workouts, designed to help you feel stronger and have more confidence on the bike without leaving you beat up and depleted. 3 plans I highly recommend, based on your equipment and time situation:

Fall 3 Month Strength Plan (currently 50%off) - dumbbells, pull-up bar, and exercise ball required
Snack Pack Workout - body weight + resistance bands
Zoom build class - in person class that meets M/W from 6-7am (dumbbells required). If you can’t make that early time slot, recordings are sent out after class so you can plan your workouts on your schedule!

Keep your eye out for my Winter Strength Plan coming Jan 1st 2021!

#1) A Private MTB Lesson

The ultimate gift is to help your friend, loved one, family member, or yourself improve! Don’t let your significant other take the lead on teaching you to corner, wheel lift, and ride over roots. YouTube videos can only take you so far until you need the eyes of a trained professional on your riding. Let 2021 be your year on the bike! Gone are the days of feeling like you’re just surviving through the rock garden or down the berms. Get the skills, knowledge, and confidence to keep up with your kids, enjoy the company of your SO, or head out on your own! Depending on where you are based, I can recommend coaches around the country. If you are in the Hood River area, I have a deal for you through Jan 1st! Save $50 on all private lessons with discount code RIDEBRAVE2021. Discount applies through Jan 1st 2021.

“Both my daughter and I have had the amazing opportunity to work with Bekah. She is kind, patient and incredibly skilled at coaching. What impresses me most is her laser-focused ability to say what you need to hear in order to progress. She isn’t just a yell at you type coach. She has you tap into your inner desire to improve, which is super powerful and sticks with you long after the session is over. Plus, it applies on and off the bike!” - Tracy Bech

If you don’t find something inspiring here, feel free to reach out as I have several other ideas for 2020 gifts! I hope you find the guide helpful, and you find some stoke this holiday season, safely and from a distance:)