The 2026 Progression Issue

This issue of Freehub explores cycles of change from multiple angles. Anne Keller documents the quirkier side of Moab’s riding scene. Caroline McCarley writes about a tight-knit group of Moroccan guides working hard to put their corner of Northern Africa firmly on the map as a point of interest for traveling mountain bikers. Matt Coté dons his business reporter hat to tell the definitive story of what happened, from an economic standpoint, during the boom of Covid and the bust of the ensuing years. And, in our cover story, Sakeus Bankson profiles the hard-to-pin-down Braydon Bringhurst—a rare rider who revels in both up and downhill feats of stupendous technicality.

Shorts

Breaking the Hamster Wheel | The Tough Task of Out-Pedaling Negative Self-Talk

Smell the Rhody | Observations From the Other Side

End of the Roll | Monochrome

Features

Hill Country Hideouts | A Freeride Scene Flourishes on Private Land

Face the Strange | Moab Begins To Shed Its Hardcore Image

Ever Upward | Braydon Bringhurst’s Quest for Multi-Disciplinary Mastery

Bikepocalypse Now | Recovering From Big Money and Bad Bets

Blended Layers | Moroccan Guides Lay Groundwork for Future Riding