pedalon.org — All Things MTB
PEDAL
ON.
Get outside. Clear your head. Whether you're a first-time rider or someone who bought a bike from a friend for a camping trip with no idea what MTB was — this site is for you.
Explore the site →
pedalon.org — All Things MTB
Get outside. Clear your head. Whether you're a first-time rider or someone who bought a bike from a friend for a camping trip with no idea what MTB was — this site is for you.
Explore the site →Why this exists
I'm Patrick. Mountain biking changed everything for me: the way I think, the way I handle hard days, the way I see the outdoors. I built this site because I wished something like it existed when I was starting out. Every section here is something I genuinely needed.
What's here
Jump Right In
It started by accident. I bought a used Specialized Rockhopper off a friend to take on a camping trip. I had no idea what mountain biking even was. My mom was so annoyed I'd spent money on something I'd never use that she signed me up to ride with a local trail expert, figuring I'd hate it and learn my lesson. Instead, I fell completely in love. Best mistake I ever made.
The speed drew me in first. But what keeps me coming back is harder to explain. It's that feeling of being totally in control and completely free at the same time. When I'm on a trail, nothing else exists. Bad day? Gone. Too much screen time? Gone. Whatever was stuck in my head clears out within the first five minutes of riding. There is no better reset.
My dad Ben started riding with me and it became our thing. We do weekend rides, chase new trails across Southern California: Lake Arrowhead, Laguna Beach, bike parks, trails that don't show up on any map. Some kids bond with their parents over dinner tables. We bond over dirt and open trails.
Along the way I started meeting other riders, kids from all over LA who love this as much as I do. What started as solo rides turned into a crew. That's what MTB does. It finds your people.
I built this site because I found mountain biking later than I wish I had, and I want to make it easier for anyone who's curious to just start. You don't need the perfect bike. You don't need to know what you're doing. You just need to get outside and pedal on. (A bike helps too.)
— Patrick O'Rourke, Founder
The Build
It started with a used Specialized Rockhopper I bought off a friend to take on a camping trip. I had no idea what mountain biking even was. My mom was so annoyed I'd spent money on something I'd never use that she signed me up to ride with a local trail expert, figuring I'd hate it and learn my lesson. Instead, I fell completely in love. Best mistake I ever made, and honestly, the best thing she ever did.
From there I was hooked. I sold that Rockhopper and put every dollar toward a Stumpjumper. My next bike I bought with money saved from odd jobs: walking neighborhood dogs, whatever I could find. Birthday money. Side hustles. Every bike I sold allowed me to upgrade on the next one.
My current bike I built from the ground up. Every part strategically chosen, researched, and placed. It didn't happen overnight and it didn't happen easily. But that's the bike sitting in my garage right now, and I know every inch of it because I put it together myself.
Watch the full build on YouTube — yes, I filmed the whole thing →PROUDLY SPONSORED BY
ODI GripsLove their product so I cold emailed them as a high school student. They said yes.
ALSO SUPPORTED BY
Mobius BracesBroke my wrist. Cold emailed Mobius from the hospital. They said yes. I'll be riding in their wrist brace when I come back.
Part of the game
MTB is a dangerous sport. I broke my wrist on a ride. Five weeks in a cast, no riding, no trail. The thing that clears my head was suddenly off limits. Here's what I learned about being sidelined, and how I came back stronger.
The GoPro crash footage is up on TikTok. Spoiler: it was not graceful.
Read the full story →