Welcome to Issue 16.4

Is there a quicker, more efficient way to access adventure than simply hopping aboard a bicycle? We don’t think so. This issue of Freehub is dedicated to uncovering the depths of adventure, fun, experience—whatever you want to call it—that mountain bikers seek when they pedal out for a ride, whether it’s around the block for some fresh air or on a multi-day expedition across trails rarely visited by anyone at all. With deep reports from the Balkans, Philadelphia, and Powell River, as well as personal explorations of the psyche behind the pursuit of meaning on two wheels, this collection of stories scratches at the persistent mystery that lies under the surface of our sport’s most ambitious endeavors. We howl with laughter, struggle up horrendous climbs, launch from stomach-wrenching heights, and grind out miles. We have no idea what will happen next.