Always with the Massive Gaps, Braydon Bringhurst in SOLACE 4

“Having cycling through these hard days has helped me find solace,” says Braydon Bringhurst. “The feeling of getting through an incredibly tough climb followed by the thrill and stoke of the descent gives me hope.”

Watch Braydon’s newest edit SOLACE and read below to learn how one of the most talented trail riders on a mountain bike today is helping to pay it forward—by inspiring riders to ride through his videos and contributing to the growth of mountain biking, firsthand.

Vital MTB: What was your motivation to create SOLACE?

Braydon Bringhurst: I wanted to create something that resonates with other riders to showcase just how fortunate we are to have mountain bikes to get out and be free. I can only speak for myself, but having cycling through these hard days has helped me find solace. I think any form of cycling is far more unifying than dividing. I think there is a unifying element for people who use two wheels to find comfort these days. For me, ever since I was a little kid, I would go ride my bike to deal with life—for good or for bad.

How would you describe the terrain in SOLACE?

The terrain in this film was very much motorcycle trails. This is just outside Boise, Idaho, in the Boise mountains. Fifteen years ago, as a kid, I would go ride my CRF 250 there and I remembered how beautiful it was. Taking my mountain bike up there made me appreciate the beauty that much more. I imagine shooting this project out on moto trails will draw some people to go explore moto trails in their area. I’m not sure whether it’s a good thing or bad thing, but I do know that it got me away from the thousands of local trail users right outside the Boise area. And I would be lying if I said I didn’t immensely enjoy it.

From the outside looking in, it appears you work hard to better yourself as a rider, as well as to develop your local trail scene—what’s your focus for 2020?

Focusing on personal skill development to enjoy my daily ride and then getting involved with my community is what gets me stoked. So that is where my passion and energy go. I also love making films and showcasing mountain biking the way I enjoy it: Climbs, descents, jibs—I love it all. It’s not a typical approach, but it works for me. I would go as far as to say that I don’t consider myself a mountain bike athlete. I would more consider myself a mountain bike enthusiast and ambassador. I feel way more passion and excitement in that area. I just love riding mountain bikes and getting people involved and into the sport.

How did you get into trail advocacy around Boise?

I got a message from Canyon Bikes in 2018 that said: “We love what you’re doing. How can we support you?” I was doing local clinics to help beginners, doing group rides, and posting some clips that got some good stoke. I knew I wanted to continue doing community stuff, but I also knew I wanted to make MTB films. I figured the more support I could get for making films and riding, the more I could do for my community and make a real difference right around my home. I proposed to get a couple of film budgets to make some films. I would have never asked to get paid for just riding, but getting some film budgets was something I felt appropriate. After the first film TRANSCEND in Moab, I really felt the support and encouragement come. It was then that I started setting time aside to really develop more and more skills to become the best rider that I could be. I think the thing that excites me the most is that the possibilities seem endless—both in my community and my skills on the bike. My buddy Kirk Cheney, myself, and pretty much everyone else in Boise started the Boise Mountain Bike Festival. Boise is an incredibly tight-knit cycling community and I am so fortunate to be a part of it. And as far as riding, I feel I have a ton of work to grow and develop in becoming the best overall mountain bike rider that I can become—the sky is truly the limit for both of those aspects.

Can you tell us more about the trail advocacy programs you’re involved with, in Idaho?

I really try to do my best to help riders ride. I’m always trying to do better, but last year—with the help of my sponsor—I was able to put together a raffle that raised around $14K for my local trail organization, SWIMBA. Mountain biking is only going to continue to grow if support is given to those that advocate and get their hands dirty building and maintaining the trails—without it, the sport will plateau or fade. I have a major passion for helping this sport grow, so sharing my resources to help that cause really isn’t that much of a sacrifice. I feel fortunate to be part of the mountain bike community and finding ways to give back is an expression of that gratitude.

What other groups and trail advocacy efforts are you contributing to this year?

This year has been obviously full of challenges, but I want to organize something to not only help and support our local trail organization but help with some other inspiring non-profits, as well. There are two more non-profits that I want to be able to help get some funds to and the first of the two is Dirt Dolls—a women’s organization that has 300-400 participants each year coming out for group rides, get-togethers, clinics and it’s all for women to have that comradery with. They are truly doing incredible things and they are one of the many reasons why Boise has such a wonderful cycling community. The second is a non-profit called the Boise Bicycle Project. They are determined to get bikes in the hands of the underprivileged and those that can’t afford a newer bike. The funds that would go to them would go specifically to a program that supports mechanics in training to help get bikes rolling again. So between SWIMBA, Dirt Dolls, and The Boise Bicycle Project, there is a major need of help in my area. During this time of distress and difficulty, many of us are turning to our bikes. I hope we don’t forget to support those that have helped build the sport and are out there trying to fight for more trails. If you can give, please give. If times are tough and you’re unable to give, no worries.

Where do you find inspiration to continue pursuing your cycling dreams?

I want to continue developing all the aspects of riding that I am working on for my current and upcoming film projects—I have some pretty high expectations on riding that I want to accomplish. I also recently started a non-profit called “Build. Support. Ride.” that is going to have a raffle go live here soon to raise funds for local non-profit organizations to continue doing rad things for the Boise community.

If the pandemic ends tomorrow, who are you riding with and where?

Oh man, probably going riding with some of my good buddies right at home. I just love the approach we have of getting out early for a nice adrenaline-pumping ride before the day begins.

BRAYDON BRINGHURST—@bikerbrayd

Height: 5-foot 9-inches Weight: 160 lbs Frame: Canyon Spectral CFR 9.0
Fork: RockShox Pike Ultimate, 150mm, Pressure: 95 psi Rear Shock: RockShox Super Deluxe Ultimate, Pressure: 200 psi Bottom Bracket: Pressfit DUB Cranks: SRAM XX1, 175mm Chainring: SRAM, 34T Cassette: SRAM Eagle XX1, 10-50T Chain: SRAM Eagle XX1 Wheels: ZIPP 3Zero Moto Tires: Maxxis DHF EXO, 27.5x2.5-inch Front Tire Pressure: 29 psi, Rear Tire Pressure: 31 psi Handlebar: Deity Brendog, 760mm Stem: Deity Copperhead 35mm Grips: Deity Waypoint Seatpost: RockShox Reverb AXS, 170mm Saddle: Deity Speedtrap