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One of the coolest trails we have in the Truckee-Tahoe area is the 165 mile long Tahoe Rim Trail, looping around Lake Tahoe, with the majority open to mountain bikes.

Charlie took on a 20 mile section going from Mount Rose to Chimney Beach on Tahoe's east shore.

Here's a snapshot of his Strava page from the ride:

This length of this stretch of the Tahoe Rim Trail is 20.3 miles with 2,327 feet of elevation, with amazing views both of Lake Tahoe and the Carson Valley. The first 9 miles are only open to bikes on even days of the month (the 2nd, 4th, 10th, etc), so plan accordingly. This is a shuttle ride as Charlie and friends pedaled it, with one car on the Mt. Rose Highway and one at Chimney Beach.

Learn more at the Tahoe Rim Trail Association Website.

Stay tuned as the Start Haus staff continues to tackle area trails with videos, photos and more.

James and Charlie took on one of Lake Tahoe's legendary mountain bike rides: Mr. Toad's Wild Ride. Known for its technical downhill above South Lake Tahoe, this is a trail you want to tackle with a capable rig:

The route they chose took 16.3 miles with 2,052 feet of elevation, check out the route here.

Our riders started on the Tahoe Rim Trail from Fountain Place Road, climbing to beautiful views and rolling trail, before plunging into a sustained, rocky and technical downhill ride back down to a lower spot on Fountain Place Road, shuttling back up to the first car.

Because Mr. Toads connects to the Tahoe Rim Trail and is in the same area as Connector and Corral Trails, you have virtually unlimited options for ride variations, with hard core riders starting 60 plus miles north on the Tahoe Rim Trail at Mount Rose for what TAMBA (Tahoe Area Mountain Bike Association) calls the "Uber Punisher."

We recommend long travel dual suspension bikes for this trail. Stay tuned here for more trail

Start Haus staff has headed south to South Lake Tahoe to check out mountain bike trails at that end of the lake, and one of our favorites is Corral Trail.

Tied into a great network of trails, including Armstrong Connector (also in the video), Sidewinder, Cedar, Powerline, Railroad Grade and even Mr. Toads, the Tahoe Area Mountain Bike Association (TAMBA) recently put some serious work into the singletrack, and it shows.

Really fun trail with great banked turns and a fun jump line stand out, and the ability to shuttle using a paved road lets you take the easy way up when you want.

The variety of trails really lets you pick your own adventure for the day, with different trails to climb, descent, connect and lap for anything from a quick afternoon ride to an all-day session. The views higher up on Armstrong Connector can't be beat either.

If you don't have a lot of suspension travel on your mountain bike, we recommend Sidewinder Trail for the first half, reconnecting to lower Corral Trail

The Downieville Classic, one of mountain bikings coolest events, is happening just north of Truckee this weekend. If you get a chance, it's a fun one to check out. A few weeks ago, James and Allison of the Start Haus decided to check the ride out for themselves:

Map snapshot from James and Allison's Strava:

James' take: "It's easy to see why Downieville has become a premier bike destination; with 14+ miles all straight downhill the ride is a kick in the pants. The trail is diverse from alpine rocky descents to forested, flowy and fast as hell. The trails are top notch and I find myself shocked that it keeps on going when any other ride I've been on would be a fraction of the length. And with the shuttle service it's never been easier to get to the top of a trail. I can't wait to check out some more trails up there. Keep up the good work people!"

Allison's take: "Anyone who is an intermediate level biker and beyond will have a blast riding the Downiville Downhill trails. It is about

As the Start Haus staff continues to get excited for becoming a bike shop in 2015, we went out to check out the Donner Lake Triathlon. Posted up on Old Highway 40, we got to watch some talented athletes flying down the mountain, and we grabbed some photos. Enjoy!

In case you couldn't tell, the Start Haus staff is really excited about becoming a bike shop in 2015. Really, really excited. We're out riding a ton, hitting all the area trails, and getting a feel for the best in bike technology.

We're not pros - not the fastest or going the biggest, but we're passionate. Here's how much we're riding:

And where we're riding:

We're taking after work rides when the shop closes:

Taking on Tahoe area classics like Downieville:

And Mr. Toads Wild Ride:

We've been checking out some cool trails like Connector and Corral:

Riding just about anywhere we can get a bike:

We hope you're excited too. Swing by and talk with us about bikes and rides, or keep an eye here on our blog for the latest and greatest, including more brand announcements like Giant Bicycles, more video and other news.

A few Start Haus riders went for a ride earlier this week on Tahoe's famous Flume Trail, arguably one of the most beautiful mountain bike rides in the world. Check out their pictures and send us any you have of this amazing ride!

If you haven't heard, Start Haus is getting into bikes, with plans to be a full service shop in 2015 and 3G Cruisers available now. Charlie, a Start Haus sales & bootfitter, is one of the shop's avid riders, and he rips:

You can keep up with him and the rest of the Start Haus team on Strava.

We've announced our first brand, Giant Bicycles, and we're asking for your help in answering a quick, 5-question survey about what you're looking for in a bike shop here.

Start Haus is excited to get into the bike shop business in 2015 - we've been working hard and pedaling hard - doing our homework and hitting the trails - all to insure we bring the same level of expertise, service and selection you've come to expect from us in the winter.

You can read more about our plan here, and find out about our first brand partnership, Giant Bicycles, here.

But we need your help too - the Start Haus has always been a customer driven business, and we'd like your input. Please take a few moments to fill out our short 5 question survey here - we really appreciate it.

In case you missed the big news, the Start Haus is going to be a bike shop in 2015 - read more here. Our promise to you is to bring the same quality equipment, expert knowledge and world-class service that you've come to expect from us in the winter.

To that end, we knew our first bike brand was an important decision, and after studying numerous lines extensively, the choice was clear - Giant Bicycles and Liv Women's Bicycles. A number of our employees already ride Giant and rave about them, and their technology, componentry and pricing makes them a no-brainer.

As important to us as the quality of the equipment from a manufacturer is their support - working with us as a shop and you as a customer, standing behind their products and making things right, and Giant has already proven that quality with the Start Haus.

You know the Start Haus for skis. Our goal each winter is to make skiing better by giving you the expert knowledge, the perfect tune, the custom boot fit that means each day on the hill is your best day.

Starting in 2015, the Start Haus is excited to enter into a new venture, bringing that same passion and expertise to the cycling world. We pledge to provide the same world-class service, the same World Cup caliber tuning and the same passion that's made us your ski shop in the winter to bikes.

The Start Haus staff on their bikes.

It's really a no-brainer - our staff is already passionate about the sport, their free time spent on the trails of Truckee, Tahoe and beyond, their names on the Strava leader boards, and their fingers covered in bike grease any chance they get.

You know the Start Haus for skiing, but we're getting pretty serious about summer fun around here. You've seen our stand up paddleboards and summer clothing, but we decided to add something else to the mix: 3G Cruiser Bikes.

These cool cruisers are the epitome of summer - comfortable, practical and stylish, perfect for cruising around town, to the beach or to a barbecue.

Here's James building one of the New 3G Santa Cruz Cruisers up at the shop:

James and Allison took a pair out to Donner Lake and had a blast. Swing by the shop or check them out online today.