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Seclud's White Mountain Peak Debut
Please Note:
You may notice that this story and its photographs mention and show Ocoee Bikes — that’s because it was published prior to our Obed Bikes rebrand. Check out this blog to learn more about the reason behind the rebrand, the new Obed Bikes name and our plans for the future.
This review was written by Parker Amstutz in California.
Putting one foot in front of the other, I pushed my Seclud GX 29 the final few hundred yards to the summit of California’s only bike-able 14,000+ foot slope, White Mountain Peak. Coming from sea level the day before, my head spun as the thinning air made every step a battle to maintain a stable heart rate. One thought dominated my mind: it’s almost time to drop.
That morning, after a fitful night of sleep, I prepared to put my Seclud through its most arduous workout yet. As we took off from the trailhead, I couldn’t help but be incredibly grateful for the carbon frame as I glided up the first hill towards the research station along the summit route.
I shifted down as the trail continued to climb to the mountain’s observatory, with the Eagle drivetrain floating me flawlessly through the gears. As White Mountain Peak loomed in the distance, we traversed over a lightly used 4x4 track, riddled with boulders. The Seclud tackled these rough sections of trail as though the barbed rocks were inconsequential.
As we climbed through switchback after switchback, the trail conditions worsened, and exhaustion set in. It was soon one foot in front of the other, a fight to the finish. As we stumbled to the summit, I couldn’t wait to spend the next hour tackling several thousand feet of downhill.
At the onset of altitude sickness, I hopped on my ride, hit the Seclud’s Raceface dropper, and charged downward. Despite extremely loose turns of jagged rock, the capable Maxxis Rekon 2.6’s handled the descent with ease.
As our altitude decreased, the trail returned to more suitable conditions. Skimming along the trail’s surface, several features gave ample opportunity to put some air under the tires. Soft landings only multiplied our speed as the final two miles of rushing wind and an open trail made me wish the ride didn’t have to come to an end.
With our steeds loaded in the truck, we began journeying back to LA. Watching our bikes lightly dance in the wind through the rearview mirror, I couldn’t help but dream of what challenge I could throw at my Seclud next, fully confident it would handle anything in its path.
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