Welcome to Issue 15.3

We’re all on our own path, be that in pursuit of a first successful run down the local bunny trail or a first successful backflip. As mountain biking evolves, so too do the ways in which riders connect with what it means to ride a bike. In this issue of Freehub, we share stories of those who have a wholly unique take on progression. One rider questions why anyone would ever want to climb the equivalent of the highest point on Earth in a single day when they could instead descend to its lowest. In reports from the race circuit, Anne Keller profiles the only two professional female mechanics working the North American scene, while Brett Rothmeyer documents Keegan Swenson’s meteoric rise to multidisciplinary stardom. When viewed as a single set of pieces, these stories—our stories as mountain bikers—both stand-alone and share deep common bonds.