For Episode 191 we have Lars Romig of Sedona, AZ. Lars has been a long-time member of the Verde Valley Cyclists Coalition, along with being a Trail Builder and Mountain Bike Trail Access Advocate. Most Recently Lars led the charge on building the Hardline Trail. This conversation is one that I’ve wanted to have with a Sedona Local for a handful of years now as there is a ton of riding content that comes out of Sedona, but not a lot of content around how the Trails and Trail Access for mountain biking came to be in Sedona.

Topics Include:

• How Lars got into Mountain Biking
• What Lars does professionally for a career
• How Sedona Trails came to be for Mountain Biking
• The various trail zones in Sedona, and the order of when those riding zones opened up for mountain biking
• Pigtail Trail (within the Hogs network)
  • Started out as an IMBA Trail Day
  • Constant improvements to Pigtail
• Western Movies in Sedona / Broken Arrow Area
• Building a relationship with the U.S. Forest Service
• The growth of membership and engagement with the Verde Valley Cyclists Coalition
• Singletrack Bypass Reroute
• The Hardline Trail backstory
  • The timeframe of building the Hardline Trail
• The Public Comment Period of the NEPA Process
• Recommended Direction Trails
• User Experience
• The user reception of the Hardline trail since it opened up
• Specialized and Soil Searching
• The Letter: H
• Trails that don’t start with the Letter H, that are still really great
• Canyon of Fools and lessons learned from that trail
• Monsoon Season and Riding Etiquette regarding wet trails
• Forest Service Trail Crew
• Sedona Red Rock Trail Fund
  • Funds Non-Motorized Trail Development and Maintenance
• What Lars looks for in a Trail Community
• Secrets to riding the Hardline Trail
  • The recommended route for a great ride that includes the classics and Hardline
• Closing Comments

Trail EAffect Show Links:

Verde Valley Cyclists Coalition: https://www.vvcc.us/

Specialized Soil Searching Hardline Trail: https://youtu.be/tJ06FMsIoy8?si=sBwZURjM5n-yFM3v

Sedona Red Rock Trail Fund: https://redrocktrailfund.org/

Episode Sponsor - Coulee Creative: www.dudejustsendit.com https://www.couleecreative.com/

Trail EAffect Podcast Website: www.traileaffectpodcast.com

KETL Mtn Apparel Affiliate Link: https://ketlmtn.com/josh

Trail One Components: https://trailone.bike/josh

Smith’s Bike Shop – 130 Years of Excellence: www.smithsbikes.com

Contact Josh at evolutiontrails@gmail.com

This Podcast has been edited and produced by Evolution Trail Services