Rugged roads and twisting trails await those who seek. 

Thanks to its history of trail use by outfitters and recreationalists, Jasper has established itself as a must-stop destination on the mountain biking map. 

These days, standing on the shoulders of the 1990s-era riders, a new generation of athletes are discovering Jasper’s trails. 

Josh Scott from Vicious Cycle is one of those athletes. Scott, whose image graces the latest cover of Mountain Life: Rocky Mountains magazine, says the there is plenty of riding on offer in the national park.

“There’s really a good level of riding for someone that has ridden a bike occasionally, to someone who wants to go out and ride the more technical stuff,” he explains. 

Make no mistake, Josh fits into the latter. When Mountain Life: Rocky Mountains sent Kootenays-based action sports photographer Steve Shannon to Jasper in May to document the fire-transformed trails for its summer edition, Shannon was blown away by the 26-year-old’s riding abilities.

“I’ve worked with many professional riders and Josh is easily one of the most naturally-talented athletes I’ve photographed,” Shannon said. 

Josh’s dynamic riding style is helping put the spotlight on Jasper’s unique trails, but it wasn’t his passion for riding bikes which originally brought Josh to Jasper. 

Instead, it was following the snow—another passion of his—that opened up the world of biking in the Canadian Rockies to Josh. His brother, who lives in Canmore, was also another drawcard to this part of the planet. 

“I came [to Jasper] to do a ski season, to have somewhat of a career break, and my brother was already out here, so kind of [came] to bother him and then stayed.”

As those who have tried to keep up to him on the local trails might have guessed, the career Josh was pressing pause on was that of an up-and-coming mountain bike racer. For six years he turned wrenches and managed a bike shop, and was chasing the dream of being a pro rider, but the lifestyle was a grind, not to mention the extremely talented pool of racers he was competing against.

“I did ok but wasn’t getting podiums,” he laughs.

But even though he’s traded the racer’s pinny in the UK for a bike mechanic’s apron in Canada, Josh continues to push his own boundaries when it comes to biking. 

“There is plenty of stuff you’ll have a lot of fun doing on your own, you don’t need [a big group of] people, you don’t need a camera.” says Josh. 

He loves sharing his passion with friends and roping them into big adventures, such as riding 231 kilometres from Jasper to Lake Louise.

“[It’s] one of those things you always think would be really fun to do [but] never really put it into play. My friend Magda bike packed around Europe, and I was like, well, if anyone’s going to be up for the challenge, she’d probably say yes.”

Last summer’s forest fire brought many challenges to the trails community, but although the landscape is different, it’s not at all spoiled. Josh reminds visitors to Vicious Cycle that there are plenty of trails untouched and ready to go. 

“Actually, the majority of what I want to ride [at] the back of town is open. We’ve lost three or four trails on Whistler’s Bench [plus] Signal Mountain [which had] our biggest downhill trail, but I imagine it will get cleared eventually.” [Editor’s note: it has].

Warm weather and long days make ideal conditions for riding well into the evening, and the trail network on the Pyramid Bench is not only prime for riding, but conveniently close to town.

“It’s an easier network [with] link trails to have fun on,” he says. 

For those unsure on where to start when it comes to biking, or for riders wanting to collect a new riding buddy or two, getting amongst the community is a good place to start. Josh loves to join in on local group rides on Tuesdays and likens Jasper to a big playground. 

“Join the Tuesday night ride, go out with the locals and see if you can find someone that will guide you around to the good trails.” 

Besides the trails, the local community is what has kept Josh in Jasper, allowing him to keep pursuing his passions amongst like-minded enthusiasts. 

“[The] sense of community here is pretty big, it’s got a few layers to it. There’s a mutual love and respect for the surroundings and people. I am pretty happy here”.

Catch Josh at Vicious Cycle and Snow to get a grip on the latest bikes and gear to kit you out for this summer season and beyond.

Georgia Ristivojevic // info@thejasperlocal.com