So if you read closely below, you will see that the Mongoose Series has joined forces with the Spur High School Series to cater for all school ages. The backing of KZN Mountain Biking has meant that this is the primary focus for the year for the younger riders and one of the only ways to earn provincial colours. For more on colours awards, go to www.kznmtb.co.za/info/general. In the meantime, make sure you put the following dates in your diary! More info here: www.mongooseschools.co.za Read More

The original SRAM Grip Shift burst onto the scene in 1990, when Greg Herbold used it to win the first-ever UCI World Downhill Championship. As XC and DH racing grew in global popularity, elite racers grew to embrace Grip Shift. XC legends John Tomac, Ned Overend and Thomas Frischknecht swore by it. Downhill stars like Anne-Caroline Chausson joined Herbold in adding it to their arsenal. Today, athletes are riding farther and harder than ever before, pushing the limits of component technology.… Read More

One week after crushing his rivals at the opening round of the South African National Cross-Country Series, Burry Stander (Specialized USN) outsprinted compatriot and long-time rival Kevin Evans to win the second round of the South African National Marathon Series, the MTN Tulbagh, in the Western Cape on Saturday. In a year that Stander has made a commitment to doing fewer marathons and stage races in order to focus on the shorter, more intense Olympic cross-country discipline ahead of the… Read More

Yolande Speedy, winner of the first round of the 2012 South African National Cross-country Series last weekend, showed on Saturday that she’s able to win in all conditions when she claimed first place in the Elite & Under-23 women’s race at the first round of the 2012 Momentum Health UCI XCO Series at Giba Gorge, in the KwaZulu-Natal province. In stark contrast to the hot, dry, dusty and rocky conditions she triumphed in at the Durbanville course near Cape Town last week, Saturday’s racing took… Read More

The 2012 South African Elite Mountain Bike Marathon Championships will take place in Wellington, in the heart of the Boland, on Saturday 25th August 2012. Only 45 minutes’ drive from Cape Town, Wellington is situated near the Cape’s famous Wine Routes, and the Wellington Tourism & Wine Route of the Western Cape in South Africa is today a major tourist attraction. In what is fast becoming an annual attraction in its own right at the Diemersfontein Wine and Country Estate, the SA Elite MTB… Read More

Last Thursday, barely 100 days after Thomas Binggeli, the new CEO of BMC, took a stake in the BMC Group, he presented the future of the BMC Group of Velo Friends. With a clear commitment to the Swiss bicycle production plants in Grenchen and Oberwangen and with a new group strategy, Thomas Binggeli is leading the newly renamed BMC Group into the future. The management team is being reorganized and the personnel strengthened. The bicycle brands BMC and Bergamont as well as the electric bike… Read More

The 2012 Dirt Fantasy League in association with Trek is LIVE!!! UPDATE: Dave the Sparky has told: “Ah, there’s been a 4k power surge through the main flux capacitor which has tripped out the Gazooberator and blown the Shatners Bassoon to smithereens” I’ve no idea what this means, but Dave swears that he can fix it. Sorry about the glitch, all should be good to go soon! The 2012 Downhill World Cup race season kicks off in Pietermaritzburg soon and now you can play along with the action in our… Read More

X-Fusion has been gaining traction, both as a competitor to Fox and RockShox in the OEM market, and in bike shops that serve enthusiast-level aftermarket suspension customers. X-Fusion sent us a 2012 Velvet fork and O2 RCX shock tuned for our Santa Cruz Blur LTc test sled and we returned the favor by putting some quality miles on both to assess the longevity and performance of two suspension products that we will be seeing a lot more of on medium to upper-end trailbikes. Velvet RL Fork Velvet… Read More

The Air 9 RDO is a thoroughbred – a no-nonsense instrument built for speed and performance. An extension of our form-follows-function philosophy, no curve is out of place on the newest Niner. And while looks are important, true attraction begins as soon as you push on the pedals and the Air 9 RDO goes flat out. Refined Design The Air 9 RDO is specifically intended as a geared racing bike. With this in mind we referred to the purposeful lines of the Air 9 Carbon but reduced diameters and trimmed… Read More

Part 2 of this series takes us to a trail called 'Firetrail' (aka 'Nationals' and '123') on the opposite side of the valley. Once used as a national's course, this trail features very technical and tight single track and at some points during the climb, it seems easier to put your bike on your back and take a shortcut to avoid slowly snaking up the winding trail. This might not always be the best idea during summer though, as this is Cape Cobra country (among other snakes) and you can be sure… Read More

New event After careful consideration we have decided to create an additional 3 day midweek event which will be known as the FedGroup Berg and Bush Great Trek. This route will follow exactly the same route as the FedGroup Descent however will be midweek from Tuesday 30th October and will finish in Winterton village Thursday 1st November. This new event will reduce the field for the Descent and create an event for cyclists who prefer a smaller field, less congestion, good food Shorter queues.… Read More

With less than two weeks to go before the first ever UCI MTB Marathon Series race to be held in South Africa, taking place on 25th to 26th February 2012, preparations are storming ahead! The recent heavy rains that have hit Mpumalanga have drained away leaving some challenges to the course designer Dennis Lawrie, but living in the Sabie mountains Dennis is superbly adept at reconfiguring and redesigning courses. Mother nature has been known to throw a few curve balls over the years but knowing… Read More

Beijing Olympians Burry Stander and Yolande Speedy showed that four years later they’re still South Africa’s top mountain bike racers in the Olympic Cross-Country (XCO) discipline, winning the Elite men and women’s races respectively at the opening round of the 2012 South African National Cup Series in Durbanville, near Cape Town on Saturday. Stander (Specialized USN) hasn’t been beaten in a domestic XCO race in South Africa since 2003 and he ensured he maintained that dominance by finishing… Read More

Technologically Advanced All-Conditions Trail Bike Trek is one of those companies that possess all of the resources that keep fellow big brands like Specialized and Giant atop their game year after year. We’ve heard the tired-old complaints that Trek places more emphasis on its road-bike division but can’t agree with nay-sayers, especially after spending some time in the saddle of the Remedy 8. The Trek Remedy 8 is a trail bike by nature but if you want to really want to be technical, this is a… Read More

This weekend kicked off the 1st DH race in the Western Province, South Africa. As usual I was there to capture the action & the scorching heat made things rather loose & interesting. Here are my shots from the weekend, enjoy the sun if it is winter where you are living. Saturday's goods: This little man is a photographer's gem, so much style & energy. Theo Ripping the berm a new one Sunday morning, already 30 degrees before 9am: One of the few tracks with a tar road to the top Seeding runs with… Read More

The Red Bull Rampage is included in the 26 events for the 2012 FMB World Tour. The Monmouth and District Freestyle Freeride Frisbee Festival still hasn’t made the FMB grade, not even copper standard, but there are still twenty six cracking events that did! FMBA releases official 2012 FMB World Tour calendar Munich, February 08th, 2012 – After holding the general board meeting in 2012 last week, the Freeride Mountain Bike Association (FMBA) has finalized the calendar of the 2012 FMB World Tour.… Read More

After a long winter in the UK the British based riders from Orange Monkey-Cannondale are finally about to jet off to South Africa to hook up with Rourke Croeser and Ben Roff as the team meet for the first time in 2012. It has been a long, testing pre season for the team but as everything begins to fall into place the team are now set for a series of 4 UCI races culminating in the first round of the UCI MTB World Cup in Pietermaritzburg, just north of Durban. Ben joined Rourke in his native… Read More

Fox's prototype inverted DH fork whipped up a storm of excitement, but it isn't looking like the upside down slider will be hitting the production line. Pinkbike gave you the first look at Fox's inverted DH fork when Gee Atherton did an early morning practice run at the US Open with it bolted to the front of his bike. It garnered a massive amount of attention, and we took some bold guesses as to the details of the prototype slider, but Fox shared the real story with us during our visit to their… Read More

2012 UCI PMB World Cup Entry Requirements08 February 2012 - All riders who intend participating in the RockyRoads UCI MTB World Cup in Pietermaritzburg from 16th to 18th March, please note the following entry requirements that apply to the UCI World Cup Series: Entries may only be processed through your National FederationEntry Fees (Payable at Registration) R390 - XCO Juniors R680 - XCO Elite & U23 R680 - DHI International LicenseYou are required to produce your license card at Registration.… Read More

"2012 is going to be my year," said MTB icon Burry Stander as he begins his preparations on the course at The Cascades MTB Park ahead of the UCI... The first rider to check out the new course planned for the UCI Mountain Bike World Cup in Pietermaritzburg, South Africa from March 16-18 was young South African mountain bike legend Burry Stander, who predicted, "2012 will be my year." The 24-year-old Specialized rider from Umtentweni on the KwaZulu-Natal south coast has taken a different approach… Read More

Cedric Gracia giving his Santa Cruz Tallboy 29er some full helmet. Now I reckon the Gracia might just rock up to the first round of the World Cup at Pietermaritzburg on a 29er. I know the Tallboy is only 100mm travel but CG seems to be going full chat in this vid and a 29er does suit PMB. And remember 2011 when Cedric rocked up with his seat dropper and claimed 4th place in qualifying. The next minute everybody was running dropper posts. What do you reckon? Filmed and edited by Antoine Bussier… Read More

The Nukeproof junior team gets revamped with four super fast young riders on boardpinning the Scalp. Nukeproof’s rider support programme has been expanded for the 2012 season with Ben Kennedy (Juvenile) and Greg Williamson (Elite) joining Chris ‘Kipper’ McGlinchey and Dan Sheridan (Junior) as part of the newly formed Team Nukeproof. The new setup, which is an extension of last year’s Nukeproof Junior Team, allows the variety of different aged riders to get a taste of the factory-rider life with… Read More

Testing conditions no match for Team FedGroup-ITEC Connect & Momsen Bikes MTBing in the mud is no mean feat. To race against some of South Africa’s fastest professionals in what can best be described as swampy conditions to claim a podium result is a feat well worth celebration. Team FedGroup-ITEC Connect’s three riders in Brandon Stewart, last month’s MTN National MTB Barberton 2012 Marathon race winner Jacques Rossouw and Bridgette Stewart did their sponsors proud when they persevered to walk… Read More

Burry Stander (Specialized USN), a multiple South African and African mountain-bike racing champion and London Olympics medal contender, cruised to a comfortable victory at the final round of the South African cross-country National Series at Rietvlei Farm, Alberton, at the weekend. After having missed the first three rounds of the country’s most prestigious cross-country series, Stander, currently ranked fourth in the world, had no chance of challenging for the series title. His reason for… Read More

Kevin Evans (Nedbank 360Life) fended off strong challenges from Jacques Rossouw (FedGroup-Itec Connect) and the waterlogged course itself to take his second win in the 80km Extreme mountain bike race at Addo just outside Port Elizabeth on Saturday. Evans, who last won the mountain biking segment of The Herald VW Cycle Tour in 2009, outsprinted Rossouw as he entered the fields of the Addo Polo Club to take the title (3:10:17) two seconds ahead of his rival (3:10:19). His teammate James Reid… Read More

Mag41 is quite a popular, free digimag from Germany, made by young riders in love with various aspects of the mountain bike sport, such freeriding, downhill racing, enduro or dirt jumping. It's a dynamic and professional group, consisting of passionate bikers and racers, who have gained experience in the journalistic sector as well as the racing scene during various years. Together, they created a kind of lifestyle mag featuring a unique design and some nice interactive features. The first four… Read More

February 1, 2012 – San Romolo, Italy- Early season testing started for the Santa Cruz Syndicate with mechanics, engineers and riders arriving in the town of Imperia, Italy, for three days of extensive testing aboard the latest Santa Cruz full carbon V-10’s. The bikes were decked out with the Syndicate’s newest sponsor products from Fox and Shimano. The Syndicate’s choice to join forces with Shimano and Fox proved to be a great decision as the test session was incredibly successful. “Testing was… Read More

Danny Macaskill is a man in demand and has been since he burst on to the international scene a couple of years ago with his first Youtube video. And for good reason for his riding exudes class, style and individualism. Which is precisely why he has recently been signed by Lezyne as their latest sponsored rider. We took the opportunity to catch up with him in his adopted city of Edinburgh where he was recently shooting a promo video for his newest sponsor who have just launched their 2012 range… Read More

In follow up to NSMB's Sh*t Mountain Bikers say, some girls in Germany put together a female version of the spoof. It's subtitled in English, but you'll get the point. Read More

The first rider to check out the new course planned for the RockyRoads UCI MTB World Cup in Pietermaritzburg from 16 to 18 March was none other than South African MTB legend Burry Stander, oozing confidence and vowing that "2012 will be my year." The 24 year from Umtentweni has taken a vastly different approach to his racing this year, using scientific analysis and support from the SA Sports Science Institute in Cape Town, and feels that he has prepared and planned well to be able to make 2012… Read More

The gruelling Cape Epic mountain bike race will present a completely different challenge for racing car driver Gugu Zulu. As a celebrity participant, Zulu has started training for the seven stage event beginning on March 25. "I've never done this event, although I've seen that a couple of days can be muddy and wet which makes it very difficult to get through," said Zulu speaking at the media launch in Sandton on Thursday. Zulu, who has three SA Rally Class Championship titles to his name,… Read More

RIDERS Starting out as a conversation in the Morewood Bikes' factory some years ago, the United Ride team was created and has come a long way since then. A diverse race team with riders hailing from France, South Africa and now Australia. For the 2012 season United Ride gains some great sponsors and continues to grow the team as we are proud to announce Hutchinson as our title sponsor and the signing of Mick and Tracey Hannah. • Mick Hannah is one of the most respected riders on the circuit… Read More

Newbury Park, Calif. (February 1, 2012) — On the heels of its most successful year ever, the Giant Factory Off-Road Team rolls into the 2012 season with new goals, the rainbow stripes of a World Champion, and plenty of momentum. Danny Hart, the reigning Downhill World Champion, returns to lead the DH division of the squad. In just his second season on the pro circuit last year, Hart rocketed through the ranks on his Giant Glory. The 20-year-old Brit scored three World Cup podiums and won the… Read More

We filmed this cool edit while testing the 2012 mtb line in Squamish and the North Shore in B.C., Canada. It was fun to see Steve Smith rip it up with the McCaul brothers in B.C. Enjoy! View the whole catalog here. Read More

Take a look at how many bikes come with Float series shocks today. Other companies would kill for that kind of market share. In recent years the competition has really stepped it up, so if you’re in the market for an air-sprung shock, there are some serious alternatives to consider. The 2012 Factory-Series Float RP23 is Fox responding to that pressure. The 'Factory-Series' designation means that nothing is spared, inside or out - and the air-sprung damper bristles with features like super-slick… Read More

All systems are go for the 2012 UCI Mountain Bike Cup opener, to be held at the Cascades Mountain Bike Park in Pietermaritzburg, South African in less than two months. Officials are on track to complete renovations to the world-class facility well in time to be able to welcome the world's best downhill and cross country riders. The Pietermaritzburg round is expected to draw most of the sport's top riders. Being an Olympic year, the world's top cross country riders are eager to get in as much… Read More

With the UCI Mountain Bike World Cup in Pietermaritzburg fast approaching, downhill course designer Nigel Hicks is chomping at the bit to give the Cascades MTB park track a facelift. Renowned for the tough flat middle section, the Pietermaritzburg track may not always be international riders' favourite venue, but is one that brings balance to the UCI downhill calendar and sets a unique challenge for riders. "The Cascades track is not a technical track by any means. However, due to the… Read More

After an eternity together the Santa Cruz Syndicate and Sram/RockShox are ending their relationship. Breaking up is a hard thing to do, I’m imagining the phone calls and texts including lines like: “It’s not you it’s me” and “I need some space” or “we’re better off as friends” or maybe “I love you, but I’m not in love with you anymore” or just plain “I’ve met someone else” Is that someone else Shimano/Fox? The Santa Cruz Syndicate and SRAM/RockShox brands have been synonymous with one another… Read More

Pietermaritzburg – Cycling South Africa has clinched another coup by winning the rights to stage the 2013 mountainbike Masters World Championships in Pietermaritzburg, a week before the 2013 MTB World Championships at the same venue.The announcement was made at the International Cycling Federation (UCI) management committee meeting on Friday afternoon, confirming that the masters event will be bolted onto the World Championships at the Cascades MTB Park next year.The awarding of the Masters… Read More

Seven years almost to the day after his last major marathon victory, Jacques Rossouw (FEDGROUP – ITEC Connect) made a triumphant return when he claimed a dominant victory over a strong field at the MTN South African National Mountain Bike Series Ultra-marathon in Barberton at the weekend. Four-time South African marathon champion, Kevin Evans (Nedbank 360Life) finished second with Jacques Janse van Rensburg (MTN Qhubeka) claiming third place. Defending champion, Max Knox (Decca Ghost) had to be… Read More

Pietermaritzburg – With the RockyRoads UCI Mountain Bike World Cup Pietermaritzburg at the Cascades MTB park less than two months away, officials are on track to complete renovations to the world-famous facility well in time to be able to welcome the world's best downhill and cross-country riders. The event has major significance for two reasons. Being an Olympic year, the world's top cross country riders are eager to get in as much top-level competition as part of their preparations for the… Read More

Media Release: Momentum Health XCO Internationals brought to you by KZN MTB Cross Country Mountain Biking us fun and for everybody to enjoy The 2012 KZN Cross-country scene is set to start out with a bang with the 3 event Momentum Health XCO Internationals. These eventsare intended to bring the fun and excitement back into Cross Country (XCO) Mountain Biking and to makeit accessible to all skill levels.The series creates the perfect platform for out elite riders to fine tune their skills and… Read More

South African series round one set for this weekend. The MTN Barberton Marathon will kick off the South African Marathon Series on Saturday, January 28. Since the inception of the national marathon series in 2001, the MTN Barberton mountain bike event is the only race in which more than 70 percent of South African mountain bikers have competed at least once. The race is organized by Fritz Pienaar and Wessel van der Walt, who aim to provide riders with unique challenges in each event. When it… Read More

Clutch equipped?SRAM hasn't let any information slip at this point, but taking a closer look at the prototype unit reveals that it seems to use a standard parallelogram, the very same as SRAM employs on their XO level unit. What is clearly different, though, is the derailleur's larger than usual knuckle. What does it do? Why is it so big? There is only one reason in our minds: the prototype is an answer to Shimano's friction clutch equipped XTR Plus derailleur that uses a roller clutch to keep… Read More

There are plenty of chain devices on the market for the 2012 season. Most follow the same two or three major design points; with a bashguard or without, rollers or sliders, ISCG or ISCG 05. Weeze's "The End" chain guide from Poland does not stray from this trend. A simple bashguard-less chain device that fits ISCG 05 mounting, the Weeze guide tries to differentiate itself in one major way: ludicrously light weight made possible by its full carbon construction and aluminum hardware. The result… Read More

Burry Stander, pictured here in action at the 2011 UCI World Cup in Pietermaritzburg, South Africa, is focussing firmly on an Olympic medal this year.... South African anticipates the start of the cross country racing season Virtually everything Burry Stander does between now and August will be part of his preparation to try and win a medal at the 2012 London Olympic Games. The 24-year-old multiple South African and African mountain bike champion is one of a handful of South African athletes… Read More

This is a pretty funny clip. Good work to Seb Kemp, the NSMB guys, Morgan Taylor and Matt Dennison. Read More

Scapin Introduces Oraklo 29″, The Bike of the new Scapin Factory MTB Team The new Scapin 29er bike, showed at the recent exhibition Expobici in Padua, is the choice of the new Elite Marathon Scapin Factory MTB Team. Scapin is pleased to introduce the new Oraklo 29″. Keeping up with current trends, Scapin launches its own version of the 29″er bikes. Approved by the UCI, the mountain bikes with “big wheels” are increasingly widespread in the United States and Europe, even in races. The new Scapin… Read More

Cove's STD is a multi-functional, freeride-oriented bike with an emphasis on getting gnarly. While not intended as a quiver-killer, the STD blurs the line between downhill and trail bike, and is a steed to consider for riders looking for a highly maneuverable big bike, park bike, or whose off-road missions include pedal-powered access to the nastiest of descents. This is the ride review follow up to the 2012 STD Preview, where you will find bike specifications and details. STD at home in the… Read More

Following a dream debut year in 2011, Team RE:CM, the South African-based professional mountain bike racing team, will tackle 2012 with a bigger team and a more ambitious racing schedule that includes some of the world’s most significant events. This was announced as the team was introduced to media, sponsors and key industry figures in Cape Town on Tuesday night. Neil MacDonald and Waylon Woolcock, who surprised many with early success as mountain bike racers in the colours of Team RE:CM last… Read More

ONE Industries is proud to announce an exclusive three year deal as the official race team wear supplier of the recently announced; ‘Atherton - GT Factory Racing Team’. Gee sporting the ONE practice kit - stay tuned for the full line. We are entering an exciting new chapter at One Industries with the launch of a technical mountain bike apparel and protection line scheduled for release Fall 2012. When the opportunity of teaming up with Gee, Dan, Rachel and Marc was presented to us we saw the… Read More

SAVE THE DATE: RED BULL RAMPAGE RETURNS TO UTAH IN 2012 The dawn of 2012 brings with it the anticipation of many momentous events – the presidential election, The Summer Olympics, and if you follow the Mayan calendar, the apocalypse. If all of civilization is falling, we may as well go out in style – and come October, the best freestyle mountain bikers in the world are going to huck it like there is no tomorrow. Red Bull Rampage, the most progressive and prestigious event in Freeride will once… Read More

Shimano launched their sexy, new XTR Trail Brakesto a great reception from riders in early 2011. For its 2012 range, Shimano adapted many XTR features down to the rest of its disc brake lineup - including its value-priced SLX group. We got our hands on a set of the mid-range SLX Brakes back in August 2011 and have been running them since on big, alpine terrain. If we had to take an educated guess at how much use they've had, we'd say we've put well over a hundred hours of trail time on them. We… Read More

The crew at deityis proud to announce the addition of World Cup Champion, Tracy Moseley, to the roster! The fastest woman on two wheels, Tracy will be on board the new lines of deity handlebars, stems, and more for the 2012 season! With the recent launch of T-MO Racing, Tracy has set her sights on a dynamic season of racing that not only covers the World Cup circuit, but also numerous worldwide enduro races. Fit, hungry, and the proud wearer of the rainbow stripes, the addition of Tracy Moseley… Read More

Mountain bikers who find South Africa’s longest paired mountain bike race a bridge too far, may want to consider the exciting six-day derivative announced by the organisers of the nine-day Old Mutual joBerg2c today. The new Old Mutual Berg2c starts on April 30, four days into the main event, and picks up the existing route from Sterkfontein Dam in the eastern Free State to Scottburgh on the KwaZulu-Natal coast. It covers 577 kilometres of some of the country’s most pristine mountain biking… Read More

Atherton Racing mechanic Polish Pete built up the first of the team's GT Fury DH bikes at their winter training spot in Southern California yesterday. Check out this video of the build by Pinkbike Video Guru Aaron Larock and listen to Pete talk about the bike and the parts the team will be running this year. As Pete says this is a pre-season bike and all parts and graphics etc are subject to change before the beginning of the World Cup race season. For the 2012 race season the Atherton Racing… Read More

There is a wave of fat bikes coming. What are they? They are mountain bikes with up 3-4 inch bike tires. Some the tires just in front but the real machines have them front and back. Why are they important? Well we’re not sure but everyone who rides them seems to have a smile on their face. They seem to capture the mountain biker’s spirt of adventure. They go anywhere and do anything as the big tires float over impossible terrain like snow, sand, rocks, mud, loose dirt. It seems to take us back… Read More

GT Bicycles is proud to announce its partnership with Atherton Racing. Beginning in 2012, the mountain bike race team of Dan, Gee, and Rachel Atherton, will join non-family GT rider Marc Beaumont and form the new team GT Factory Racing. Atherton Racing is one of the most progressive teams in the history of mountain biking, and is known for taking the sport to the next level. We're excited about the partnership because it both continues GT's legacy as the brand that helps progressive riders push… Read More

Featured User: Santa Cruz Tallboy Carbon 29er Full Suspension Bike by AK Chris Price: $2400.00 at LBS Overall Rating: 5 of 5 Value Rating: 5 of 5 Bike Setup: 24.62 lbs – insane for a XL 29er. This is the lightest bike I’ve ever owned, amazing. Will drop below 24 with some ~1700g American Classics or Havens. My setup: 140mm Reba with Maxle, King/Stans wheels (2000g, soon to be replaced with something lighter), Haven Carbon bars, Crank Bro’s carbon post, 2.1″ tires tubeless, polished XTR 960… Read More

San Luis Obispo, CA — In an ongoing effort to match consumers with the right products, Lezyne has built a new web-based Buyer’s Guide. Consumers can now select what type of rider they are to see a selection of recommended products. The Buyer’s Guide is part of an ongoing redesign of Lezyne’s official website which started in September 2011. This new website is designed to provide all Lezyne fans with more access to information about the products, sponsored athletes, and news. New features… Read More

X-Fusion is pleased to announce the signing of 4-time World Champion Brian Lopes. A Mountain Bike and BMX Hall of Fame member, Lopes professional cycling career has spanned over 20 years. During that time, he has won over 19 titles and still has more World Cup event wins than any other male athlete in history. Filmed and edited by Root One Media There were a lot of athletes looking to ride X-Fusion for 2012, but we decided to work with Brian because he offers more than just a marketing face for… Read More

KZN-MTB will be hosting a fun Cross Country event on the 22 of January 2012 at Cascades. The event will take place on a course of about 5km in length which is easy/moderate in difficulty so its an event for the whole family. Its also a great way to get into the swing of Cross Country before the season starts, without the pressure that goes with racing. Teams of 2 or 3 will have a time limit to complete as many laps as possible. For U16 and younger this will be 4 hours and for Juniors and above,… Read More

SRAM's ever-expanding XX component ensemble features the Rockshox Monarch XX shock, which features the XLoc handlebar-remote lockout button and a carbon fiber air can. The Monarch XX is a late 2011 product that will be sold with the carbon fiber air can in the aftermarket for around $550 USD and will appear on 2012 bikes with both carbon or aluminum cans. The aluminum can shock is an OEM exclusive. The XLoc lever can be had with a standard handlebar clamp, or in a brake-lever-mount Matchmaker… Read More

Bontrager announced today that they will be the exclusive tire provider for the 2012 Trek World Racing gravity squad, the world’s top ranked downhill team, led by DH phenom and 2011 World Cup overall champion Aaron Gwin. The team will ride the all-new Bontrager G-Mud and G4, a tire already earning rave reviews from the gravity world. “I’m stoked on the new tires,” said Trek World Racing’s Aaron Gwin. “I’ve gotten to ride them a fair bit now and they feel like everything I need to win races.… Read More

GIVISIEZ, Switzerland — January 3rd, 2012 Syncros was founded in 1986 by Peter Hamilton and Pippin Osborne as a small, high-end components company on Vancouver’s North Shore. After a few changes in ownership, Tom Ritchey made the final buy in 2003 and under his guidance, Syncros returned to its roots as a leading manufacturer of high end mountain bike components specialized in the All Mountain, Freeride, and Downhill categories. SCOTT will give Syncros the necessary support to design outstanding… Read More

2012 iXS Morewood Factory Team Unique Sports Co. Central Point, Oregon Unique Sports Co. has combined the handmade quality of South Africa's Morewood Bikes and the protective innovations of Switzerland's iXS Sports Division to create an International gravity team of US based Pros. It is our pleasure to introduce the 2012 roster...well, most of it. Jacqueline Harmony – DH, DS, Enduro Dante Harmony – DH, Enduro Mikey Haderer – DH, DS, 4x, General Mayhem Mr. X – DH, DS, 4x, Enduro Lance Tueller –… Read More

Just a few kilometers outside picturesque Stellenbosch lies the Jonkershoek nature reserve. The complete playground for all forms of mountain biking and hiking, accessible all year long. Playing host to various downhill and cross country races, the area also has a large network of all-mountain trails for those who like to pedal uphill as well as the thrill of a fast open downhill. Jonkershoek offers a trail for all levels of riding, and for a couple of bucks, you get access for the whole day… Read More

Kenda K.O.T The K.O.T, which is an acronym for 'King of Traction', has been designed to excel in extremely soft or muddy conditions, making use of a tread pattern that is far more aggressive than a standard all around tire. While the cornering knobs are among the tallest that we've ever seen, the tire's central section features lower lugs that should retain decent rolling speed when it counts. A harder rubber compound has also been used for the same reason, as well as keeping the tall side lugs… Read More

3 Time World Cup Champion Greg Minnaar will be the new face of O'Neal! After a week of wild speculation & and hundreds of emails guessing who will be the new DH Superstar in O'Neal clothing it´s official: South African Greg Minnaar will be representing the Californian clothing and protection specialist O'Neal! The rims, the tires, his saddle and Greg´s big feet were obviously already enough for readers to recognize the new "SANTA" Cruz rider on board. Iris Kuckelberg, Head of Marketing,… Read More

Although this video isn't fresh off the press, we felt it deserved another round. Nothin like some good rippin through the woods. To see SRAM's line for 2012 visit www.sram.com Read More

Epic Battle Guaranteed Between Global Heroes at World 24 Hour Championships September 13-17, 2012 Entries Already Received from Germany, Italy, United Kingdom, Denmark, Costa Rica, Brazil, Ecuador, Portugal, Australia, New zealand, South Africa, Canada and the United States Toronto, Ontario, CANADA (CFEpr+) December 22, 2011 – The Global Gauntlet has been thrown as the current two-time World 24 Hour Solo Mens Champion, five of the leading Solo Endurance Mountain Bike Category athletes and… Read More

Nothing ever lasts forever, so they say, but this one lasted a long, long time. However the time has come for Animal and the Athertons to go in new directions. Just had word from Steve Kitchen, Animal Sponsorship manager, and the original Team Animal main man. After almost 10 years the Athertons are to part company with Animal. Here’s the story from Steve: The story started back in 2002, the Athertons were juniors on Muddy Fox bikes and had big potential. They were talented, raw, unpredictable… Read More

Favorite New Product: G-Form pads Given my opportunity to sample the latest and greatest suspension and carbon fiber wonder-parts, some readers are likely surprised that I chose a set of knee pads as my favorite new product of 2011. I'll even admit that I couldn't help but poke fun when I first saw them being worn by a Euro journalist at a press camp earlier in the year (in my defense, he was sporting the bright yellow version), but once I got my own set to try, I was convinced. So many riders… Read More

Organizer of series says objectives are met either way The organizer of the inaugural DH1 in 2012 made a statement as promised on Monday about the future of his international-level series. "I will ... give myself a few more weeks time before making a final call, will further work on acquiring sponsors and on finalising the event calendar," said Ray Dulieu of DH1 and Freecaster.tv. "If I manage to secure the required budgets, we will stage DH1 and support the comparison with the Red… Read More

The pack is an excellent lightweight entity, that makes use of light materials and a minimalist design, for a pack that seamlessly conforms to your back, for superb comfort and conformability. It’s meant for everyday adventures, with enough capacity, features and pockets for long forays into the backcountry. The feathery light pack all but disappears while being worn, and it uses nylon fabric, a softly padded and flexible back, and comes with their excellent Antidote Reservoir. CamelBak Charge… Read More

Specialized Rockhopper 2011, MBR hardtail of the year “It’s been nearly nine months since I tested the Rockhopper, but riding it again felt like a homecoming. I don’t put this down to some sort of photographic bike memory, but to the Spesh’s geometry — perfect for trail riding and more akin to the bikes we usually ride. Built around a fantastic M4 alloy frame, the Rockhopper has a slackish head angle and long wheelbase containing short chainstays and long front-centre: All this mumbo-jumbo… Read More

Syncros’s FL series refuses to surrender to neat categorization. Light enough to be used for non-technical pedal-to-the-metal xc racing purposes, yet tough enough to be used for technical hard riding, ths “Freaking Light” component group extends to handlebars, stems, seatposts, saddles, headsets and wheelsets. In my opinion, components are as much about looks as they are performance. The Syncros FL group has an understated aesthetic that will appeal to those who crave simplicity of neutral… Read More

15 endurance and 14 gravity squads on the elite roster The UCI announced the 15 "endurance" (Olympic cross country) teams and 14 "gravity" (downhill and four cross) teams that will race with the "UCI Elite Mountain Bike" label in 2012. These teams will benefit from numerous advantages: notably free entry at UCI Mountain Bike World Cups and free entry for all races on the UCI Mountain Bike International Calendar. In return, they are obliged to enter at least one rider in all rounds of the 2012… Read More

Announcement expected Monday Mountain bike racers and fans are awaiting news on the fate of the new DH1 downhill series that was launched for 2012. Recent news suggests that the series may fold before it ever runs its first race in the New Year. The new series came about after Freecaster's rights to broadcast UCI Mountain Bike World Cup action were not renewed for 2013. Those behind Freecaster - including owner Raymond Dulieu - proposed a new international-level downhill series that would… Read More

After the shock decision by the UCI to drop 4X from the Mountain Bike World Cup Series at the end of the 2011 season, the 4X Alliance have been working hard to ensure a new 4X series was created for the 2012 season. After what will be remembered as the finest year for 4X in 2011 since the sports creation, we are pleased to announce that for 2012 a new 4X Series has been formed. We are extremely happy to announce the launch of the ‘4X Pro Tour’. 2012 4X Pro Tour venues and dates: Round 1 –… Read More

This is pretty huge news and we are super excited about where this could take us. There have been lots of rumors flying 'round about the possible new deal with Red Bull and the UCI for coverage of the 2012 World Cup series. The rumors are further propagated by some interviews with Freecaster owner Raymond Dulieu. Dulieu recently spoke to french magazine Velovert, and stated that if Redbull were to take over the broadcasts, he would not want, or have the ability, to compete. Calls to our local… Read More

Multi Talented athlete Brian Lopes has partnered with Magura to meet his braking needs for 2012 and beyond. After hearing about the new MT Series brakes from Magura, Lopes contacted Magura last summer because he was looking for a disc brake that would meet his strong expectations and high standards and also hold up to the abuse that he dishes out on a daily basis. "Magura brakes have been on my radar for a while and after finally riding them I was definitely stoked at the weight and performance… Read More

AIGLE, Switzerland (transcendmagazine) -- Rumours are lighting up email boxes everywhere this morning that the alternative DH1 race circuit proposed by Freecaster owner Raymond Dulieu is cancelled. This coincides with word coming out of our european sources that Redbull Media House will be taking over direction and live broadcasts of all MTB world cup events. Smaragd will reportedly still be doing the actual production work as in years past. Dulieu recently gave an interview to french magazine… Read More

Downhill World Cup champ will expand focus to enduros and eliminators One day after Trek World Racing announced that its 2012 team would not include Tracy Moseley, the 2011 downhill World Cup champion and 2010 downhill world champion shared her plans to ride under the new T-Mo Racing banner for the coming season. Still sponsored by Trek, Moseley will expand her calendar to include a variety of race formats. She began her elite racing career specializing in downhill racing starting in the 1990s,… Read More

Round 1 to kick off in Africa in March December is prime off-season time for most of the World Cup mountain bikers, but in just three months, the 2012 World Cup cross country and downhill season will kick off in Pietermaritzburg, South Africa. It will mark the third time the international series has visited African soil. The Cascades mountain biking venue, which hosted both the 2009 and 2011 UCI MTB World Cups, has undergone many transformations, and the cross country course in particular was… Read More

Trek World Racing announces its roster for 2012, returning once again with an impressive line-up of Cross Country and Downhill riders ready to take on the UCI Mountain Bike World Cup, World Championships, Olympics and a selected set of major events including Crankworx in Whistler, the Sea Otter Classic and the Sunshine Cup in Cyprus. DH: As the number 1 Downhill team in the world this year, Trek World Racing will return with 3 elite men, namely Aaron Gwin (USA), Justin Leov (NZL) and Neko… Read More

All X9 shifters will see a nice ball bearing upgrade next year. Read More

San Luis Obispo, CA – Lezyne is proud to announce the continued partnership with gravity legend Cedric Gracia (CG Racing Brigade) through the 2012 Season. A Lezyne Ambassador since 2009, Cedric is a long-time user and supporter of Lezyne. “Cedric is a great athlete to work with and a lot of fun. He has really helped to spread Lezyne’s message of Engineered Design around the world. We are stoked to continue working with him,” said Patrick Ribera-McKay, Lezyne’s Worldwide Marketing Manager.… Read More

First new model since acquisition by UK’s Planet X Bikes It’s a year since Planet X rescued famed US bike maker Titus by purchasing the brand after it ran into difficulties. Today we’re excited to announce that the first new edition Titus Rockstar full suspension 29ers are ready to ship from Titus’s new home in Portland, Oregon. But we’re also a bit sad that this could be the last new model of bike to be built by Sapa Extrusions. More of that later. The 2012 Rockstar has been significantly… Read More

There’s always something new up the sleeves of Fox Racing Shox when the model year flips over. It seems that we’ve been fed a steady stream of new goodies from 15QR to FIT damper to Terralogic and now Kashima. But when it comes down to where it actually counts, do all these doodads really matter? Do they improve ride quality or just fill out checkboxes on a spec sheet? It’s with that focus that I began testing the new 2012 Fox 32 Float 29 100mm FIT RLC fork with Kashima Coat. It’s got all the… Read More

The Freeride Mountain Bike Association (FMBA) has just successfully finished its second season and is already in full preparation for 2012. For next year, the league founded in 2010 will continue pursuing the goal of gathering the finest riders at the prime spots for the best events under the roof of the FMB World Tour. Almost all existing FMB World Tour events of 2011 will also be part of the tour in 2012. At the same time, the FMBA is open to new events, which will allow freeriding to… Read More

With the contract renewals of several top athletes for 2012, Specialized Racing is well positioned to continue its success on the elite men's cross country race circuit. Jaroslav Kulhavy, Burry Stander and Todd Wells will continue racing in colors for the upcoming Olympic year as will the previously renewed Christoph Sauser. The team also signed the young rider Howard Grotts. "All is good for the year ahead, " said Specialized Racing Team Manager Bobby Behan to Cyclingnews. "Also, yes we have… Read More

Patrick Morewood, a co-founder of Morewood Bikes, confirmed the launch of a solo project called, PYGA Industries. The new bicycle manufacturer plans to hit the market in May 2012 with two 29ers. Morewood will show the designs toward the end of January 2012. Earlier this year, Morewood, a former three-time South African downhill champion, announced his departure from the brand that carries his name. He spent the last decade helping to build the company into an internationally known property from… Read More

I spent some time talking to Patrice Drouin of Gestev this summer about the work that goes into planning and organizing a World Cup Event. Gestev has put on a World Cup Mountain Bike event at Mont Saint Anne every year for the past 21 years, that's every year since the Mountain Bike World Cup began. That also means that he probably has more experience with putting on this type of event than anyone else in the world, and the if you look at the quality of the Mont Saint Anne World Cup it shows.… Read More

Contenders in the Old Mutual joBerg2c, South Africa’s longest paired mountain bike race, will now compete for prize money on every stage, organisers announced today. The third edition of the nine-day event, which sets off from Heidelberg south of Johannesburg on April 27 next year, will give daily winners a greater share of the increased R330 000 prize purse. According to co-organiser Craig Wapnick the top men’s team stands to win R100 000 while the most successful women’s pairing will pocket… Read More

Five athletes selected for gravity team The KHS Factory Team will be back in action for 2012, this time with five mountain bikers, who will compete in a mix of downhill, four cross, dual slalom and super D events. Look for the team at the Southridge Winter Series in Fontana, California, starting in January. Its riders will also be at events like the Sea Otter Classic, the US Open of Mountain Biking, US Mountain Bike Nationals, Urban Nationals, the US Grand Prix of Mountain Biking, Crankworx and… Read More

Mutiny on the Bounty. Steve Jones tells us his thoughts on the bikes with the big wheels. ALL HANDS ON DECK MR CHRISTIAN THE 29ER IS FASTER AND HAS TAKEN OVER. The need for speed and fun is central to everything we do on two wheels; Steven Jones takes at a look at the 29er bike to see whether they really do deliver or if it’s just a case of the next big thing. Clarity and the 29er bike have lacked unity for too long. A mix of cynicism, fence sitting and reluctance to stray too far from the… Read More

Future Publishing, publisher of leading business, automotive and environmental magazines, has teamed up with TREAD – Mountain Biking With Soul to add more value to the growing South African mountain bike market. TREAD is a mountain biking brand started three years ago by mountain biking/media couple, Joanne and Sean Badenhorst. Sean is a former editor of Ride magazine and founding editor of Bicycling magazine. Joanne has worked for various magazine publishers on the production side. The TREAD… Read More

You are invited to join us at the Premiere of SA’s #1 Cycling Event, the FedGroup Berg and Bush. Time: 19h00 Date: 12th December 2011 Place: Café Sport, Corner of Windermere and Innes Road, Durban Cost: No cost or entrance fee. Please note that you can order dinner at the venue, and that a full bar service will be available. Families and friends are all welcome. Preview: We have completed the TV edit, and all we can say is that you don’t want to miss the production. We have invested huge time… Read More

This weeks homebrew bike is a stainless steel eight inch travel downhill beast called the “Gorilla” Yann Watkins built the Gorilla back in 2008 and is working on the mark two version now (the Orangutan?) Anyway enough of the monkey business here’s Yann top tell us about the bike: My name is Yann Watkins and I am a Product/Industrial Designer with a passion for bikes. I did some design work related to the bike industry in the late 90s early 00s. Then I moved to Chile, were I am currently located… Read More

I first met the crew at Niner Bikes at Interbike 2008. They were there serving two varieties of Kool Aid to the masses at Interbike: Actual Kool Aid and the big-wheeled kind. It’s hard not to like these guys as their passion and dedication oozes from every fiber. Niner was my introduction to big-wheeled-ness and I owe them for my inability to ride 26″ mountain bikes anymore. Niner Jet 9 Al Features: Race-ready 29er full suspension, updated for 2010 3″ of CVA™ suspension Custom valved standard… Read More

Ashima sent along a set of their new 2012 Ai2 lightweight rotors for testing to coincide with its product launch at the Taichung Bike Week, which is taking place in Taichung Taiwan this week. Ashima has been making some very trick lightweight rotors for quite some time, and I have used their AiRotor product since it was in its beta stage. In direct comparison to the AiRotor, the Ai2 rotors are 20% lighter, have larger cutouts and a more wavy and undulating pattern, and the struts are steeper… Read More

November 15, 2011 – Ogden, UT, USA – In 2006 ENVE’s (Edge) first mountain clinchers were pulled from the molds and after two years of ride testing, the first legitimate full carbon mountain clincher was introduced to the public at the2008 Sea Otter Classic. Today, carbon fiber has proliferated to all off-road applications and ENVE has been on the front lines pushing the limits of what is achievable, highlighted by Syndicate wins on the World Cup Downhill circuit on the first all carbon downhill… Read More

Ex World Cup and World Downhill Champion Sabrina Jonnier has signed for French racing team Labyrinth Shimano.Jonnier was plagued by injury last season, and then came the news that her team, Maxxis Rocky Mountain, was no more. So it’s good news to hear that she will now be on the new French based Labyrinth Shimano team. She’ll be joined by team mates William Balaud, Remi Thirion and Antonin Gourgin. Lets hope that she has fully recovered for the 2012 race season. It should be a real battle this… Read More

It’s that time of the year again, the World Cup is over and World Champs is done. Most of the riders are chilling as it is the off season. So Specialized decided to make the Asia Pacific race in Indonesia an annual event. This year they moved the venue from Batu-Malang to the Sebex Bike Park in Mt. Pancar Sentul, West Java. The elevation is not as big as last year, but the course has a bit of everything, steep and twisty in the top section, big drops, rocks, roots, a pedaling section, and few… Read More

Four men and three women dominated During this season's South African MTN Marathon National Series, four men dominated the racing: David George, Kevin Evans, Max Knox and Adrien Niyonshuti. Between the four of them, they won 13 of the 24 podium places on offer during the eight races, taking six victories among them. Evans, who was a six-time overall winner, had dominated the marathon series, but in 2011, his streak came to an end through no fault of his own before the season even started. He… Read More

Ashima sent along a set of their new 2012 lightweight rotors for testing to coincide with its product launch at the Taichung Bike Week, which is taking place in Taichung Taiwan this week. Ashima has been making some very trick lightweight rotors for quite some time, and I have used their AiRotor product since it was in its beta stage. In direct comparison to the AiRotor, the new rotors are 20% lighter, have larger cutouts and a more wavy and undulating pattern, and the struts are steeper and… Read More

Hell it’s only a week old and I cannot keep up. By the time this goes live I should be having tea with the Athertons bike checking their 2012 race machines.STRIVE For now here goes the weekly bike check of bikes, that might or might not, get in the mag. In this case issue 120. And it’s a good one. The primary focus of a one hundred and sixty millimetre travel mountainbike (apart from having a shed load of fun) is to descend. Well, for the most part, for there still remain pockets of builders… Read More

The YT Wicked peddles high end performance at low prices. Click to zoom Consumers love them, the traditional bike industry hates them but, whichever camp you fall into, direct-sales brands are here to stay. For the last couple of years Canyon has been steadily making inroads into the UK market, winning tests and finding new owners thanks to its aggressive pricing strategy and the quality of its product. The latest name being whispered around riding circles is Young Talent Industries (YT… Read More

Hitch racks are certainly my preferred method of bike transportation. Like many people, I’ve had a rooftop disaster. Luckily, it didn’t damage my bike too much, but it did over $1000 in damage to the roof of my Subaru (yeah, not the best trade-off). Thule has one of the most copied hitch rack designs on the market and the T2 continues to be one of the finest hitch racks money can buy. Thule T2 Bike Hitch Rack Features: SecureHook™ with integrated cable lock secures the bike without making frame… Read More

It’s a funny old game, professional bike riding. The outsiders will never know the fun we have following the best riders in the world as they duke it out across the globe. Once you’re in the loop you can start to appreciate the full madness of the racing circus, and the wealth of inspiration to be found. The gut-wrenching tension and fizzing rivalries of those personalities at the top, is ours to savour. Those who say little let their actions speak for them. They perform at the highest levels… Read More

The Milka-Trek mountain bike team will be known as the Milka-Superior mountain bike team in 2012 when the team switches bike sponsors. Founded in 2008 by Olympic champion Bart Brentjens, the team will ride Superior frames instead of Treks, which it was riding for the past three seasons. "After riding with Trek for two years as part of the Dolphin Team, Trek became the main sponsor of my own team in 2009. We have worked together for three years and got some amazing results," said Brentjens. "I… Read More

Open/Closed: Hot and dusty all year round! (best times Oct-June). Best Trails: We ride on the best trails in and around Cape Town and the winelands. A few good DH options but most riding is enduro/trail. Accommodation: We host you in 3&4 star clean and comfy B&B accommodation near the trails. Expect great breakfasts, our famous home-made lunches and the restaurants in Cape Town are world famous for their quality and affordability. Transfer / Journey: Fly direct to Cape Town. iRide Africa’s van… Read More

Time to put some of the speculations and rumors to bed. Brendog will be riding on the Scott11 team for 2012. Following the wrap up of yet another amazing season of Downhill racing, a number of interesting rumors involving Claudio’s 11, Swiss cheese, pump tracks, and Brendan Fairclough’s next move have been circulating online. SCOTT Sports is delighted to put an end to the speculation and to proudly welcome professional DH racer, and all round pinner, Brendan Fairclough to the Scott11 team.… Read More

MTB squad to focus on marathons, Cape Epic and Olympics The MTN Qhubeka team generally will focus on the South African MTN Marathon National Series and the Absa Cape Epic as core races for 2012 while one of its stars, Adrien Niyonshuti, prepares to be the first ever Rwandan mountain biker at the Olympic Games in London next August. Jacques Janse van Rensburg and Niyonshuti have just completed their first mountain bike team event together, the Cape Pioneer Trek, and the duo performed well. They… Read More

Eight rounds feature including a race in the UCI Marathon Series The 2012 MTN South African Marathon National Series was announced on Wednesday. It will include eight events, kicking off in late January and running through mid-October. Barberton and Tulbagh will host the first two rounds on January 28 and February 18 respectively. The third round in Sabie, on February 25-26, will double as the first 2012 event of the UCI Marathon World Series. Wessel van der Walt, race director of the MTN… Read More

South African-based squad launched in Johannesburg South African racers Max Knox and Jock Green will form the foundation of the Decca Ghost mountain bike racing team that was launched in Johannesburg, South Africa during the weekend. Decca Ghost is a South African registered team but will follow an international strategy in 2012, in order to boost the awareness of the international brands associated with the team - including Belgium-based Decca performance cycle clothing, German-based… Read More

Plenty on the calendar for South Africa in early 2012 In the run-up to the opening 2012 UCI Mountain Bike World Cup starting in Pietermaritzburg on March 17-18, South Africa is hosting several UCI-categorized cross country races. KwaZulu-Natal will be home to no fewer than four UCI cross country events in February and March of next year. The first of the three events in the KZN XCO Provincial Series - at the Giba Gorge Mountain Bike Park on February 18 - will be held on courses designed by Nic… Read More

Chromag is eight years old, and it is already hard to think of another bike company that is so quintessentially Whistler. This is an article about Chromag components. Indeed, not a product review, because what can one intelligently and honestly report about handlebars, stems, chainrings or seatpost quick release clamps?. Instead, I offer a paean about the inception of Chromag and how its name became associated with quality products and the art of bicycle componentry. Ian Ritz contemplating the… Read More

'From the Inside Out' DVD + BluRay combo packs have left the factory and are making their way to a shop near you. The digital download will be live on 20+ iTunes stores this week. Premiere events for are taking place all over the world... it’s pretty cool to see it all become a reality. Especially when you look back at all the challenges we overcame making 'From the Inside Out'. The trip we took late in the summer to the Rocky Mountain foothills town of Fernie is a good example. We were really… Read More

History has shown that speaking a non-truth will not hold up. Not just about bikes, but about everything. It may take a week, it may take years, but the truth will always come out. Larger wheels roll better over bumps - it's a fact. You can find it in textbooks." What are the advantages of a 29er over 26-inch wheels for DH and AM?“Twenty nine-inch wheels are better for downhill for the same reasons that big wheels are better for cross country. The longer tire contact patch creates more traction… Read More

James Reid, one of South Africa’s brightest young bicycle racing talents, has been snapped up by Nedbank Team 360Life professional cycling team for 2012. Reid joins two of South Africa’s most accomplished professional racers, Kevin Evans and David George, on a team that’s had a hugely successful first year in 2011. Racing in his first year as an Under-23, Reid captured the 2011 African Continental Cross-country title and 2011 South African National Series Cross-country title, a rare achievement… Read More

Watch a Zerode G1, you know the New Zealand gearbox bike, get the full build treatment. Looks like the lads down at www.prestige-cycles.co.uk are doing a series of vids on the Zerode G1, the first one is the build. The frame will set you back £2700. Read More

Things seem to be gathering speed with the inaugural DH1 race series. We first heard about the DH1 race series back in October and we’ve just been informed that the series will visit France twice in July. It is going to be a pretty hectic schedule for any pro rider racing both the UCI Wolrd Cup and the DH1 series. There are back to back races…Mt St Anne, then Windham, then Oz-en-Oisans, then Les 2 Alpes, a one week break and then Val d’Isere. Myriam Nicole riding in Oz-en Oisans Here’s the full… Read More

The fat has been chewed and left nothing but the lean cuts for one last sender of an episode. Ladies and Gentlemen… The BEST OF STUND! “For those of you who have been following STUND this year and the past 2 season you all know what this show is about. Mountain Biking Lifestyle. That says a lot actually. We live and breath what we do in our lives and when you give that much of your life to a sport in the way which we do, it becomes your life. The Best Of STUND is a chapter in each of our lives.… Read More

On root with the Specialized Stumpjumper Evo This, my last report, means the Stumpjumper Evo is leaving my garage soon and the most telling thing is that I’ll be sad to see it go. It also raises the question: what other bike can fill the void? I’ve become used to pulling it out of my crusty pile of relics, riding it up to my local trails and bashing it around for a few hours. And every time I have, I’ve pedalled home thinking about what a fun bike it is. It’s fair to say that I feel totally at… Read More

In 2001 on the western boundary of Zion National Park one of the most legendary events in the mountain bike scene was born – the Red Bull Rampage. Year after year the riders have pushed their limits higher and the sport to a new level. Then after 2004, the competition skipped a few turns and returned to Utah with a brand new idea in 2008. In addition to the natural drops, manmade features were placed throughout the riding zone. Riders are free to choose their own line, combining downhill and… Read More

Shifted is a new mountain bike film that will be released online in the Spring of 2012. Created by Matt Butterworth and Eric Marciniak, this will be their first full length film release. Featuring up and coming riders throughout British Columbia; the main focus of the film is to showcase some of the lesser known talent and give viewers some insight into people trying to make a career out of their passion. Shot primarily across British Columbia, including Kelowna, Vernon, Vancouver’s North Shore,… Read More

Swann Releases Swann Freestyle HD™ - 1080p High Definition Wearable Video Camera with LCD Viewer Santa Fe Springs, Calif. – Swann, a global leader in security monitoring solutions, proudly debuts its first high definition wearable video camera with a detachable LCD viewer: Swann Freestyle HD. Whether capturing 1080p video with up to 3x digital zoom or snapping JPEG images with its 8MP camera, Swann Freestyle HD lets you capture stunning hands-free video and share it with the world. Housed in a… Read More

Winter is almost here, and it's probably one of the last rides of the year. The days are short, the last leaves are falling. Many people become sad. For us it is a pleasure to enjoy a weekend with some of the most beautiful light of the year. CheersDamien and all the Team !FASTFOKUS Read More

Filmed and Edited by Ross Measures - Photos by Harookz. The three of us had a creative goal in mind to produce our own riding segment, shoot some amazing photos, and merge it all together in an article on Pinkbike. We hope that you enjoy Geoff's riding first and foremost, as well as my video and Harookz's photos. A lot of blood, sweat and beers went into creating this media for you - Enjoy. For those that don't know, Green River is a town in Utah, and for any freerider looking to film a video… Read More

A preview of the 150mm 2012 Giant Reign trail bike. Quick intro. Dirt Magazine’s bike tester Steve Jones has been given a challenge (like what Anneke Rice used to do). Every Thursday before the clock strikes thrice (3pm in normal speak) Jones will be posting up brief thoughts and feelings of bikes that may or may not appear in the magazine. First up the Giant Reign 1 which will be reviewed in full in Dirt #119. 2012 GIANT REIGN 1 Words and photos: Steve Jones. Here we go then, one of the best… Read More

South Africa’s longest paired mountain bike stage race, the Old Mutual joBerg2c, became shorter for some after organisers announced an innovative team relay option on Thursday. According to Craig Wapnick, the team relay, which forms part of the cross-country trail starting just south of Johannesburg on April 27 next year, was created for riders who long to experience the event, but don’t have nine days to spare. “Not everyone can afford the time, so this option allows teams to split the race… Read More

Enduro means having fun with speed, gravity and demanding terrain. Riding in the rain, scorching sun and freezing cold provided that the place is beautiful and interesting. That is the essence of mountain biking and you will have an opportunity to find all of this in Enduro Me – the film which showcases the most interesting places to mountain bike in Poland. We tried to chose locations to shoot Enduro Me that have unique character, are exceptionally picturesque or simply give a lot of enjoyment… Read More

The Session 9.9 is all new for 2012, and the forth incarnation of Trek's Session downhill bike. It is built around an entirely new frame for 2012 that is manufactured at Trek's U.S.A headquarters, with the front triangle, seat stays and EVO Link all being made from carbon fiber. Total weight for the production bike pictured above is 35lbs, making it the lightest production downhill bike available. The frame alone weighs just 7.2lbs (including the stock Fox DHX RC4 shock and its steel spring)… Read More

Enve Conposites has been working with Santa Cruz and its powerhouse Syndicate race team to develop a production version of the carbon fiber rims and wheels that the team has been racing for three years running. Enve's carbon fiber cross-country wheelsets have proven to be nearly indestructible. We' ve been running a set for over three years and they are still true and tight. The original XC rims were the hoops that the Syndicate team were originally racing on the world Cup circuit and during… Read More

Well folks, here it is. The best of STUND. For those of you who have been following STUND this year and the past 2 season you all know what this show is about. Mountain Biking Lifestyle. That says a lot actually. We live and breath what we do in our lives and when you give that much of your life to a sport in the way which we do, it becomes your life. The Best Of STUND is a chapter in each of our lives. There's no doubt that each year we leave a legacy behind with this show. The time, energy,… Read More

JetLites has announced the release the newest addition to the E-Lite Series. The E-­Lite Series: X-51 is a single beam LED using the latest in CREE LED technology available for helmet mount or single and dual bar mount. The bar mount fits standard and oversized bars and is unique in that it allows vertical light head adjustment even while riding and is a snap to install. The helmet mount also has vertical adjustment and is the only mount recognized by the Bicycle Helmet Safety Institute for its… Read More

San Luis Obispo, CA – After their debut at Interbike, Lezyne’s new LED line was infused into the competitive LED Light market and has been well received by the press worldwide. Click the following links to read about what people are saying: BikeMagic.com on the Super Drive LED:“A smartly designed light good for those who want a commuting light powerful enough for occasional off-road night riding.” Read More » BikeRadar on the Power Drive LED:“A good all-round balance of power and function in a… Read More

Author: billy | 21 November 2011 | Look what Dan White from Cube has just gone and done. He’s only just bloody brought us the first Two 15 in the country! I’ll keep it short because I have to go and do some shots with the German bike as there is obviously quite a demand on this one. In simple (possibly not) terms it’s a four bar linked bike with ‘Triple Linkage Kinematics’, and having had a quick gas around some banks locally find the whole bike incredibly supportive. The spring at 275 is… Read More

The 2011 World Cup season is done and dusted. Now the silly season of team speculation has begun! Who is going where and riding what for the 2012 World Cup season? Who knows?!!! Let the speculation begin! Some creative chap has started a Twitter account called @teamrumours and has put ink to paper to illustrate his thoughts as cryptic cartoons. We’ll update this as @teamrumours churns out the gossip. Have a gander and see if you can interpret the hieroglyphs. Read More

How I Spent My Summer Vacation Words by: Steve Remer Photos by: Steve Remer and Jeff Newman The fall is always a great time to reconnect with people after a long hot summer of traveling. On a recent group ride with some friends that I essentially hadn’t seen since summer started, I got asked those three, all important, questions: “So, how was your summer?” “Did you go anywhere cool?” “Did you do anything fun?” I was instantly reminded of that Cheech & Chong skit with substitute teacher Sister… Read More

The 145 mm travel Dixon RC is Devinci's mid-level all-mountain contender, priced at $3,999 USD and tipping the scales at 29 lbs (size large, w/o pedals). Considering that the frame is made in-house at Devinci's headquarters in Quebec, Canada, and offers an unheard-of lifetime warranty, it could be considered a bargain. Devinci is so confident in the original rendition of the bike that the only real revision to the successful Dixon platform for the '12 season was the addition of an XL size.… Read More

The Swedish based POC gravity sport protection company recently released the trick Trabec mountain bike helmet, which comes in two flavors, the Trabec Race and Trabec. The helmet extends down the back of the neck, and it uses Aramid filaments combined with an In-mold Expanded PolyStyrene (EPS) foam liner for maximum protection. The three-piece outer polycarbonate shell has optimized sections that don’t have seams in the most vulnerable areas, and its bonded to the reinforced core, for strength… Read More

Enve launches new composite All-Mountain wheels.In 2006 ENVE’s (Edge) first mountain clinchers were pulled from the molds and after two years of ride testing, the first legitimate full carbon mountain clincher was introduced to the public at the2008 Sea Otter Classic. Today, carbon fiber has proliferated to all off-road applications and ENVE has been on the front lines pushing the limits of what is achievable, highlighted by Syndicate wins on the World Cup Downhill circuit on the first all… Read More

This year the San Francisco Bike Expo had a last minute addition: a jump jam for the ladies! All photos by Pat Branch Hosted by Lindsay Beth Currier of Shine Riders Co., the course was initially planned to be composed of a drop to a series of dirt tabletops. However, there was not sufficient time or funding for the projected build. Phil Segura of rideSFO kindly offered the use of the event production company's portable wooden box jump. Friday afternoon the girls had hoped to practice before the… Read More

Coming off a big year, this Kiwi is taking steps towards 2012 improvements. 23 Degrees Sports Management announced today that it has finalized an agreement to represent 2009 Junior World Champion and World Number 6, Brook MacDonald of Hawkes Bay, New Zealand. After an impressive 2011 that included 3 World Cup podiums and an overall 6th place in the series, Brook who turns 20 next week, has a big future ahead of him. Brook had this to say: "Next year is a really important year for me. I want to… Read More

The Cyclepath Kelowna DH crew goes for a shred in the fall on their exclusive trail. This trail has been worked on by all of the riders during the past year. Ben Reasbeck was the one who searched and found the perfect zone. We decided to go up and film the trail this fall in the beautiful fall colours that the Okanagan has to offer. The end product turned out pretty sweet and we hope you enjoy! Trail founder, Ben Reasbeck, testing out a line After breaking my leg this summer I invested in a new… Read More

View 2012 products, dealers and more from any major mobile device Irvine, CA (November 17, 2011) – Felt Bicycles is pleased to announce the launch of its mobile version website at feltbicycles.com. This new mobile version is currently live and has been tailored for modern mobile phones and tablets including the iPhone, iPad, Android and most other mobile platforms. Features on Felt’s new mobile-optimized site include the ability to view all products—bicycles, frames, parts and clothing—and… Read More

It gives you a tremendous feeling of security if you’re all roped up with a guide while hiking through the rugged cliffs and icy deserts of the Ortler massif. Well at least that’s one of my thoughts when crossing the path with other maximum-equipped mountaineers. I’ll never find out how it feels... When travelling with Harald & Martin our bikes become the ice pick, a rain jacket transforms into a sled and riding skills is the only thread our health depends on. For me that’s the ultimate… Read More

If it involves gravity, Karim’s raced it. World Cup downhill, World Cup 4X, World Cup DS, Superenduro, Crankworx, Avalanche Cup, the list just goes on and on. These days you’re most likely to find him chasing podiums on the enduro circuit. He’s been going hard for more years than we care to remind him of, yet if you had to pick one word to describe his approach to racing and riding it would be meticulous. He cares about all the little details, in his training, his diet and, of course, his bike.… Read More

If you haven’t started getting ready for 2012 – right now is the best time to start! The Steve Peat Syndicate is running a promotion through December 15th, we are looking for a few more applications! 10 members accepted into the program between now and December 15th will get a free plane ticket and free lodging for a Steve Peat Day Event in 2012 where Steve Peat will be there as well as many other members (Dates TBD in January). We haven’t finalized the event dates yet – but it’s looking like… Read More

This mechanical adjustable seatpost has three positions, and uses a collet system for locking, a remote cable actuation for release, and air spring for return. The post is an upgrade of last year’s Command Post, and includes innovative quick-release remote, three travel options, improved internals and lighter weight. Collectively, the minor improvements and decreased price make it an outstanding seatpost in the highly competitive adjustable seatpost market. Command Post BlackLiteThe Command… Read More

Look what Dan White from Cube has just gone and done. He’s only just bloody brought us the first Two 15 DH bike in the country!I’ll keep it short because I have to go and do some shots with the German bike, as there is obviously quite a demand on this one. In simple (possibly not) terms it’s a four bar linked bike with ‘Triple Linkage Kinematics’, and having had a quick gas around some banks locally I find the whole bike incredibly supportive. The spring at 275lb is pretty light for my weight… Read More

Giro is always introducing new helmet designs. Some are ultralight and others are ultra-protective and the new Feature MTB Helmet is a little bit of all of that. This new helmet is aimed at riders who are pushing the limits with longer-travel bikes, but don’t quite want to haul around a full-face lid. Giro Feature Helmet Features: Use: All-mountain, Trail Ride, Super-D Includes adjustable moto-style visor In-Mold Polycarbonate Shell Construction with EPS liner In-Form Fit System Includes 12… Read More

Twenty6 Predator pedal:Twenty6's new Predator pedal comes from the mind of Tyler Jarosz, the man behind the small operation based in Montana, USA, and is a evolution of his much loved Prerunner design. Just like its forebear, the Predator isn't intended to be a generic and inexpensive pedal, but rather a boutique choice for a rider who is looking for a high-end, US made option. Twenty6 is all about choices - the Predator can be had with aluminum, steel, or even titanium traction pins, as well… Read More

Tell us a little bit about yourself. I am a Toronto, Ontario-based action sports photographer. Prior to becoming a full time photographer, I worked in the sporting goods industry here in Canada. I did everything from marketing to running national race teams. I even organized some noteworthy races, included the Schwinn Toyota Biker Cross, one of the first of its kind in Canada. I started shooting video around that time but always dreamed of being a photographer. I remember thinking it was so… Read More

One thing that makes our sport unique are the different natural landscapes that we traverse on our bikes. Some of us ride the ancient Appalachians and its mixed forests, others spend weekends pedalling the sub-alpine of the Rocky Mountains while flowy Arizona singletrack starts on the end of some of our streets. In certain regions the land changes dramatically from one town to the next and a single ride can offer staggering diversity. Rider and guide Paulo Valle is just like the rest of us, he… Read More

When I think of South East Asia, I think about the heat, the humidity, the ocean, the food, the jungle and of course the people. Usually the heat and humidity are two things that would keep me away from traveling to a place. But as it was one of the coldest winters in New Mexico’s history, a trip to the Philippines sounded like a pretty awesome idea. It all started when I got a call from Andrew Taylor (AT) asking if I would be interested in traveling to the Philippines on an Adidas Adiridas… Read More

When we set out to design the 2012 Supreme Operator, we considered all of the many facets today’s downhill bike are exposed to. It has to be a bike that can attack the pressure, speed and precision needed to compete on the World Cup race circuit. At the same time, the bike also needs to be able to handle the unpredictability, improvisation and playfulness that comes with riding big nasty lines in the middle of nowhere. Aggy dropping in on mega big Bralorne, BC burl. Photo: Blake Jorgenson To… Read More

The long awaited full film - Being Free - is here! This summer Nico Turner has been working hard travelling across the UK and Europe to produce this master piece. Anyone with any experience of film making knows just how hard it is to create something of this standard purely off your own back. Nico rises to the challenge every time and reminds us what dedication is all about. Heis behind the camera for every single shot and has spent hours in front of a monitor editing for your viewing pleasure!… Read More

(Santa Fe, NM and San Diego, CA – Nov 16, 2011) Loaded Precision Products has announced that Santa Fe, NM wholesaler Bicycle Technologies International will be the company’s first distribution partner. BTI is now stocking a large representation of the San Diego, CA based company’s line of headsets, stems, seatposts, binder clamps, handlebars, grips, pedals, hubs, rims, skewers and complete wheelsets. After three years developing the current selection of road and mountain components, Loaded… Read More

Word in from The Collective crew…the Anthology…Including behind the scenes stuff, epic shots, highlights and more. Get it on your Christmas list: PRESS RELEASE While many of you have probably assumed that The Collective must have fallen off a skinny ladder bridge deep in the North Shore mountains, bumped its head on a large old growth stump and proceeded to decay into the moist, dark forest only to be entombed in a dank layer of green moss, I am pleased to announce that The Collective lives.… Read More

Here’s your chance to earn some bragging rights!…Chrome presents the “Hey, Check Me Out!” fixed gear freestyle video contest. Log on to http://www.chromebagsstore.com/contest2 and upload the link to your best 60 seconds of footage for a chance to win the one of the largest prize packages ever from Chrome. Submissions close on November 23rd at which point Chrome’s own Ed “Wonka” Laforte will spend his Thanksgiving weekend reviewing all videos and will announce the winners on Monday, November… Read More

The mountain bike message boards are on fire this week with the news of Brendan Fairclough’s departure from the Specialized/Monster Energy Team. The internet’s armchair downhill racing experts are commenting away, trying to guess which team Fairclough will be signing with. Fairclough is currently recovering from knee surgery, and should enter next season fully rehabbed and hungry for a win. His fourth place finish at World Champs with a bum knee shows he still has the skills required to reach… Read More

The FMB World Tour 2012 took shape, a pre-schedule has just been announced. The starting signal should be given in Vienna (Austria) for the Vienna Air King. This will be followed by the Rocket Air, the FISE and the iXS Dirtmasters. There is also the Bearclaw Invitational and Crankworx, but we do not yet know the final event, it will probably take place in Utah during the Red Bull Rampage 2012 . Read More

Santa Cruz adds new colors and gaphics for the Butcher, Nickel and Jackal. Read More

Happy 30th Birthday from MTBiker Greg!!!! Read More

Riding a titanium frame is pretty exceptional, almost rare. A noble material with an instantly recognizable colour, it has unique benefits when compared to aluminum, cromo or even carbon. With its ability to better absorb vibrations, a titanium frame has a non negligible level of comfort. The durability of this element, unalterable, makes it almost eternal. The dream of every rider appreciative of beautiful materials. At Commencal, titanium has always had its place. Apart from its technical… Read More

Colorado Springs, Colo. (November 10, 2011) – The final stage of La Ruta de los Conquistadores, a four day, 240 mile mountain bike race across Costa Rica, took place on Saturday November 5th. The course was inspired by the route travelled by Spanish Conquistadores several hundred years ago, winding through jungles, across rivers, and over volcanoes, with 39,000 feet of climbing. La Ruta is known as the “hardest mountain bike race in the world” and is the original “multi-dayfat-tire stage race.”… Read More

Newest Essential Gear for Winter Bicyclists Boosts Safety, Fun Factor$25 Bike Safety Light Makes Any Bicycle Frame Glow Santa Cruz, Calif. – As the days grow shorter, there’s a much bigger chance of bicycling in the dark, in the rain, and in the fog. Experienced bike commuters, road racers, and triathletes are prepared with waterproof jackets, reflective gear, and bicycle lights as local laws require. But is that enough to be safe and be seen? Let alone stylish? “Most bicyclists who ride at… Read More

On Sunday 4th December 2011 Red Bull Downforce will rip through Swansea city centre giving amateur MTB riders from across the UK the chance to ride the specially created course in front of thousands of spectators. The course will see riders reaching speeds of up to 40mph taking on narrow flights of steps, high speed turns and hills with 1 in 4 gradients. 32 riders will battle it out over 2 runs to set their fastest time. The course starting at Nicander Parade, and finishing on The Kingsway in… Read More

A group of leading contemporary artists have accepted the challenge to create unique pieces of art using only SRAM bicycle components. Each piece will be auctioned and the proceedings donated to the World Bicycle Relief. Now approaching its grand finale at Chicago’s Gallery 1028 on November 30th leading figures in the cycling world will be viewing the artwork, meeting the artists, and bidding on favorite pieces, directly supporting the mission of World Bicycle Relief. Best of all, even if you… Read More

It’s official, Gee, Rach and Dan Atherton will leave Commencal. But who will they ride for next year? After five great years with Commencal the Athertons are on the move. The internet rumour mill has been grinding out speculation for a while that the fastest family in downhill will make a switch to riding GT bikes next year.But with Rachel possibly taking a year out to recover from injury and Dan finding a new challenge with Enduro events, will this mean that only Gee will be racing World Cups… Read More

The FastFokus crew travel to Tenerife and bring us their final installment featuring French dirt jump ace Yannick Granieri. “That’s it ! The last episode is here ! Winter is almost here for the northern hemisphere, and many of you will be happy to see the sun. Tenerife is the largest of the seven Canary Islands, which are located just off the coast of Africa, guarantees year round sunshine. Desert and volcanic landscapes, subtropical forests, beaches of black sand with spectacular cliffs, all… Read More

1st - Andreu Lacondeguy - Double Backflip2nd - Anthony Messere - Tuck No Hander Frontflip Andrew Taylor kept it silky smooth all weekend. AT hit a completely clicked super flip during the best trick jump jam. Paul Genovese threw these clean 3's all day long. A broken crank arm that sounded like a gunshot ended his jam before he could get the trick he wanted. Greg Watts: suicide no hander 360. The Original Scraper Bike team was rolling through the contest all weekend. Peep them here:… Read More

World Cup and World Championships broadcaster Freecaster is set to launch its own downhill race series in 2012, in the biggest shake-up to downhill racing in years. Freecaster will no longer cover elite racing for the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI), after a rift over royalties. The UCI is rumoured to be asking for €130,000 from Freecaster for the right to broadcast. That’s triple the previous asking price, according to Freecaster CEO Ray Dulieu. Gee Atherton hits a rock garden at Fort… Read More

The Occam is designed with versatility in mind. Click to zoom Design The sleek and refined Occam chassis uses Orbea’s signature diamond-kink top tube, and sports a tapered head tube on the carbon model, and a traditional 1 1/8in head tube on the hydroformed aluminium version. The head angle is quoted at 68.5º (67.5º on the 140mm version), although we measured it very slightly slacker. Chainstays are short at 420mm, and there’s also a low 327mm BB height for increased stability. One… Read More

Big mountains are what the Mega was made for. Click to zoom The Nukeproof Mega is built for all-mountain riding, aimed squarely at the new breed of gravity-based Enduro events. It was designed as the perfect bike on which to ride the annual race of the same name, with Michael Cowan, from Chain Reaction Cycles, racing the first generation prototype at the Megavalanche in Alpe d’Huez back in 2009. With 150mm of travel, the Mega frame sits in the middle of a Nukeproof range that includes the… Read More

2011 Giant Trance X4 “I’d been riding the Specialized Epic Evo for several hours before I came to the Trance X4. From the raciest, priciest machine to the cheapest bike with the most travel, but as the trail happened to be heading downhill at the time, the changeover was a revelation. The bargain Giant bombed down the hill with great traction and confidence-inspiring geometry, backed up by a secure set of brakes and a real feeling of solidity. You don’t need to be a nerd to set-up the… Read More

Last Summer, I had the chance to ride my first titanium bike — the Moots Vamoots RSL. One ride was all it took to be sold on titanium and Moots. The only problem is I don’t have the coin to hop aboard one as my daily driver. Like you, I can always dream. Taking that dream to the dirt, Moots has recently announced the release of an all-new full-suspension platform for 2012. The new Moots MX Divide full-suspension bike is available in both 26 and 29-inch flavors and features the Sotto… Read More

Rarely do I run without some sort of aftermarket insoles in my shoes. This year, I’ve been running exclusively with Superfeet Blue insoles in my Brooks Cascadia 6 trail runners. After hundreds of miles, I’m ready to deliver the verdict. Superfeet Blue Insoles Features: Deep heel cup cradles the foot for improved natural shock absorption Encapsulating Stabilizer System provides firm underfoot support High-density foam provides long-lasting comfort and support Built for tighter-fitting footwear… Read More

Let’s face it: for most MTB riders, that bike-to-hike stuff can be a drag. However, it’s the technical trails that are often the most alluring. If you anticipate getting on and off the bike frequently, your best option is a shoe that’s built for both a good ride and a good hike. Pearl Izumi X-Alp Elite MTB Shoe Features: Compatible with SPD and all Look pedal systems P.R.O. 1:1 Anatomic Buckle Closure Dual density EVA X-Alp outsole/midsole Carbon rubber lugged outsole Breathable mesh/synthetic… Read More

In Canada, we have long winters that make avid cyclist crave the touch and feel of their bikes below them without being frost bitten or drenched in rain. Last weekend I found a cure for this, which lies just south of the eastern Canadian border in Milwaukee, Wisconsin at Ray’s Indoor Mountain Bike Park. Ray’s Indoor Mountain Bike Park is a mountain bike specific park, which opened eight years ago with their first location in Cleveland, Ohio. Since then, Ray and the rest of the crew have… Read More

Avid Elixir 7: Avid's brake lineup spans the gamut of uses, from their cross-country intended XX brakes, to the powerful Code stoppers that are usually seen bolted to downhill bikes, but it's their five model Elixir lineup that will appeal to most riders, having been designed for duty as all around brakes. The 350 gram Elixir 7's tested here sit one down from the top range 9's, and feature adjustable reach via a redesigned tool-less dial, a carbon or aluminum lever blade option and come with… Read More

Straitline AMP Pedal: Straitline's new AMP pedal has been designed with trail and all-mountain riding in mind, making it a lighter weight option and with a smaller platform than their original Defacto pedal. Straitline is confident that the AMP (All Mountain Products) pedal can do double duty on a downhill bike as well, despite their svelte 363 gram weight. And if that isn't light enough for you there is also a titanium axle version that comes in at just 272 grams. Just as found within the… Read More

A couple of things transpired to give us this month's training post. First, my wireless mic was used to announce some slalom racing at The Ranch - I got smoked by Geoff Gulevich, the eventual winner - and I couldn't get it back in time to shoot a video like I usually do. This left me trying to find something that I could do that did not need a video.Second, I had Mikey Sylvestri come to town so that I could help him develop an off season training program to help him take it up a notch next… Read More

After four successful seasons with Monster Energy race programs, it's come time to announce that Brendan Fairclough (GBR) is moving on following the conclusion of the 2011 race season. Team manager Sean Heimdal discussed the fun that "Brendawg" brings to the track every week. "Brendan’s charisma on and off the bike will be missed. There’s not many riders as talented in the world that are as much fun to watch on a bike. His style speaks volumes of the fun you know he’s always having." Heimdal… Read More

Bars are getting wider and wider these days. At 730mm, the all-new 2012 Truvativ Holzfeller riser bars would be considered “normal” by today’s freeride/DH standards when just a few years ago, that “normal” was considerably narrower (680mm ish). Guest reviewer, Nathan Hansen, has had the Holzfeller risers and stem on his rig for a few months and is ready to share his thoughts. Read on. Truvativ Holzfeller Riser Bar Features: Material: Butted AL-7050 TV Weight: 290 grams Width: 730mm Rise: 20… Read More

BTB is a relative newcomer to the sunglasses market. Their shades are marketed as “the finest $100 sunglasses you can buy for under $50.” With that, I embarked on several weeks of using the BTB 900 sunglasses to reveal both good and bad about them. At a $34.95 price point, the 900′s have a lot to offer. BTB 900 Sunglasses Features HD lens technology Side vents for fog-free vision Optically de-centered lenses Hypo-allergenic rubber nose and ear pads 9 base lens curve MSRP: $34.95 BTB 900… Read More

Mobil Mesh upper bib is highly breathable, lightweight and designed to stay in place No inseam to reduce under chamois bulk 10 panel body contour fit Flat seams for increased comfort Functional back pocket Compression leg band for secure and comfortable grip MSRP: $200 Sugoi RSE Bibs Review I have a pair of older Sugoi bibs that I’ve worn for several years that I really like, so I had high expectations for the RSE Bibs. Having most recently reviewed the Pearl Izumi PRO Bibs, I had an… Read More

Tweet Last Summer, I had the chance to ride my first titanium bike — the Moots Vamoots RSL. One ride was all it took to be sold on titanium and Moots. The only problem is I don’t have the coin to hop aboard one as my daily driver. Like you, I can always dream. Taking that dream to the dirt, Moots has recently announced the release of an all-new full-suspension platform for 2012. The new Moots MX Divide full-suspension bike is available in both 26 and 29-inch flavors and features the Sotto… Read More

After campaigning on the UCI Cross-country World Cup circuit for the past six months, Burry Stander (Specialized USN) made a triumphant return to mountain bike marathon racing on Sunday when he won the Sunday Tribune Jeep Hill2Hill in Hillcrest, KwaZulu-Natal. It was Stander’s fourth win in the 105km race from Hilton to Hillcrest, but it was one of the toughest according to the 24-year-old Port Shepstone resident. “It was very hot today, which always makes the race harder, but it is a tough… Read More

Big news from Devinci with the addition of a carbon fiber swingarm for the back of their Wilson downhill bike in 2012. The new swingarm has actually been in testing for quite a while now, having made appearances on the back of some of Devinci's top rider's bikes this last season, and Devinci has been quite pleased with the results. Read More

Day Two of the Dirt Demo – so far we started with torrential rain today and it’s stayed grey and (actually) chilly all day. However, we still have shot from yesterday’s sunshine to post. There are many bits and piece that don’t fall into regular categories, so we’ll be posting random selections of them as we find them. So, sit back and enjoy Read More

Mike at Pinkbike has been rocking the Kenda Excavators (right) on the front of his personal rides for the past 2 seasons, meet it's new big brother, the Nexcavator in 2.5 with Race Sticky Rubber (RSR) - approx a 42A durometer. Read More

Yep, you heard that Race Face went all a bit wrong for a while earlier this year… well, it’s back and it’s got some new backers and bosses and is cranking out new kit as if nothing happened… A table full of goodies Read More

Before the madness of Eurobike kicked off, Jon was invited to One Planet Adventure in Llandegla to see the new mountain bike specific shoe from Teva, the Links: Pic by Laurence Crossman Emms (www.laurence-ce.com) Teva (pronounced Teh-vah rather than Tee-vah) are well known in the world of watersports, having created the world’s first ‘sports sandal’ all the way back in 1984, when their founder and river rafting guide decided he needed something than held less water than a trainer but more… Read More

Tweet Utilizing Yeti’s new “Switch” eccentric suspension system, an all-new 29er trailbike will be hitting the market in 2012: The Yeti SB95 29er. Although it took Yeti a few years to deliver their first 29er, the Big Top is one heck of a hardtail 29er. After cutting their teeth on that one and releasing the much-heralded SB66 earlier this Summer, word was that a 29er version of the Switch platform was soon to follow. Read More

The team at SRAM had a tough task of going through the 1000+ entries and narrow it down to 10. We received several times more submissions than we expected which took time to sift through, but here they are in no particular order. Each person in the top 10 here will receive a 2012 RockShox Totem fork! SRAM is still making the decision on the winner. Read More

And with no further ado (and no apparent gap between Eurobike and Interbike) we start here with our Interbike coverage. Chipps, Jon and Mark are all out in the desert, trying to track down some new stuff worth chatting about. Let’s start with the video camera company, Contour… Read More

Training watches come in all shapes, sizes and price points. The X-factor with any training watch is its ease-of-use. The new Suunto M5 training watch was built with simplicity in mind — not something Suunto is typically known for. So, is the M5 simple and easy-to-use? I think so Read More

We showed you the prototype version of the Tsar Bomba at last year's Eurobike show, but Da Bomb is now ready to go into production with their eye catching machine. The 9" travel Bomba uses a single pivot and linkage activated rear end which may look similar to other designs on the market, but the bike uses different pivot points that will result in a very different personality on the trail. Read More

MRP has recently collaborated with SRAM, which has rebadged its G2 chain device as an XO-level chain keeper for single rings. But even as it was announcing this at the Sea Otter this spring, we got a glimpse at a new chain keeper for double chainring setups Read More

You do have to admire Niner and it’s single-minded approach to the big wheeled bicycle. As it says on its website, their 29ers aren’t the token bikes in the range, they are the range. It’s this fanaticism, coupled with some very nice looking design that has won it many fans in the US and, slowly, in Europe too Read More

“Ignore the fact that Europe has the largest concentration of lift-access trails. Ignore the Continent’s massively popular Enduro and Megavalanche events and let me show you our new line of XC 29ers.” Such was the theme of Eurobike 2011, and Cannondale was surfing the big-wheel wave at the Expo like everyone else with a full lineup of dual-suspension Scalpel 29ers – no doubt, capitalizing on its US affiliation with the genre. Read More

We’ve just been sent this spy shot from one of our friends who was at the World Championships last week. You might not have noticed in all the Danny Hart frenzy, but there was a cross country race there too… and the winner of it was Specialized rider and Czech national, Jaroslav Kulhavy Read More

Formula has reached fruition on an ambitious development cycle that began in secret a number of years earlier. The Italian brake maker has diversified with a range of Scandium-rim wheels, and its first suspension fork. In case you are wondering, Formula has not lost any momentum in its core business, as evidenced by the debut of its 361-gram (per side), ‘RO’ brake with an innovative oval-piston brake caliper Read More

I just happened to be passing the Orange booth and Danny Macaskill was there, chatting to MTBCut’s Stu (who filmed his latest video) Here’s a little peek at the bike he was riding. Small, compact and bolt-through everything. And in the most rugged of colours too. We like! With that, we’ll light the blue touchpaper Read More

Commencal, the Andorra based Bike maker is on fire with its latest Meta dual-suspension platform. We rode the Meta AM in Whistler, where the bike's just right head angle and well-mannered trail suspension seemed perfect for any situation from mid-mountain play riding to the rolling singletracks in the Lost Lake area. Commencal introduced the entire Meta Family at Eurobike, with travel offerings from 130 to 160 millimeters, and even had a 29er in the mix Read More

Tweet Cruising around town with the kids, towing bike trailers and stuff like that isn’t so much fun on a road bike and being the bike snob that I am, I don’t quite like hauling around on my mountain bike. For tooling around and around-town commuting, Diamondback has the Insight STI-8 performance hybrid Read More

Scott has always felt like a European brand, and Eurobike was certainly a comfortable environment for them in Germany. Weight and tech weenies proliferated the halls, forming ques wherever carbon bike makers showcased a lightest-in-class bike or product. It came as no surprise that Scott was on every geek's i-Pad GPS app. After all, this is the bike maker that, a decade earlier, shamelessly sold the first production carbon race-bike to top 10,000 dollars. There is no stopping these guys when it… Read More

Fort William 2010... Any World Championship is a big event, but in 2011 it seemed that the level of interest and expectation heading into Champery was bigger than ever. Gwin’s record breaking five wins from seven world cups was unprecedented, especially as Minnaar had been the only other rider to mop up the remainder of the first places. Without a doubt the favourite, the pressure was on for Aaron and it seemed as though it was his race to lose. Read More

Just over a couple of hills from Singletrack Towers is Hope Technology. The factory runs 24 hours a day and the clever bods there seem to work a similar amount on making clever new things. We took a tour with Alan who showed us some of the highlights. First up is the new R8 light – it uses eight Cree XPG LEDS with user-selectable beam angles and a claimed maximum output of 2000 lumens. There are two modes: Race and Trail. Read More

KTM, the orange and silver brand that has been rocking the off-road moto world, displayed a massive number of bicycles at Eurobike ranging from carbon road racers, to all-out downhill racing rigs, to a wildly powerful electric-powered freeriding prototype. KTM’s downhill machines are regularly seen on the European DH circuit, and by the looks of ts lineup, we should expect a North American invasion soon.Phinx 1.29Phinx is KTM’s name for its lightweight trailbike lineup that includes 29ers and… Read More

Mavic has been pushing into the world of soft goods with a passion - and with materials and manufacturing methods that, up to present, seem to have been out of reach of cycling designers. Most Pinkbike members know Mavic from its championship-winning Deemax wheelset and of course there were a host of offerings in its round and fast department. What caught our eye when we entered the Mavic display at Eurobike, however, was Mavic's extensive shoe collection. Yes, Mavic makes the lightest road… Read More

Is wide right? Do you ever wondered what a wider bar would feel like, but don't want to go out and drop your hard earned coin to find out? First stop in the SRAM booth was this great interactive display that let you feel the difference in bar width by simply sliding the grips to different positions. You could try out everything from the slender 680mm wide Truvativ Noir T20 carbon bar, all the way up to the big stick, a 780mm wide Boobar. The display had quite a lineup of people who wanted to… Read More

Next to the shoulders, the knees and lower back are some of the most injury prone areas of the body for mountain bikers. Whether they’ve been tweaked from a wreck or just hurt from long hours in the saddle, having knees and a lower back that can take the abuse of riding while staying injury free is very important. One of the biggest causes of knee and low back pain pain is overusing the quads and low back to pedal and power your bike and not using the Read More

FURY RL HELMET - ABS plastic shell (950g)- Removable and washable padding kit- Includes the patented O’Neal Fidlock buckle system which is a magnetic release system appearing on many of their downhill bikes in 2012.- £99.90 With pricing for the Fury as competitive as it is you’re really getting a lot of helmet for your money. Read More

SR Suntour's Durolux fork impressed us when we reviewed the 2011 offering, but they've stepped up to the plate to sort out the fork's few minor shortcomings for '12. This should put the competitively priced Durolux firmly on everyone's radar, especially those who don't want to drop two months salary on a fork, but still want reliability and performance. The Durolux is available in a few different flavours, but the updated RC2 TAD (Travel Adjust and Damping) equipped model that can be adjusted… Read More

I’m a big fan of Ergon’s grip line and now I’ll have more to be a fan of: the forthcoming Ergon SM3 saddle line. The more miles I ride, the more keenly aware I’ve become that the interfaces between bike and rider are ultra-important for long-term cycling health and comfort. The interfaces I’m talking about are the hands, butt and feet. There are many ergonomic options for each including Specialized Body Geometry, ISM Saddles and Ergon. Of those, Ergon is the only one to focus exclusively on the… Read More

The sani2c will become the first multistage mountain bike race in South Africa to add a third leg to cater for an ever-increasing demand, organisers announced on Tuesday. Founder Glen Haw said the new component would further entrench the event’s position as the largest fully serviced event in the world. “I know of no other race that takes a three-pronged approach,” he said. The event currently consists of a race for serious competitors and an adventure component for competent social riders, who… Read More

Yeti's 303 WC may be a new machine, but it is very clearly just an evolutionary step away from some of their previous designs. The new bike features a number of changes, including the addition of fork bumpers that are integrated into the frame and a tweaked rear suspension configuration - more on that below - but the gram counters will be jumping for joy to learn that Yeti has managed to remove nearly two pounds of material from the frame compared to the 303 RDH - a whopping number. Read More

Rider List 1. Amir Kabbani2. Andreu Lacondeguy3. Anthony Messere4. Antoine Bizet5. Brandon Semenuk Read More

And here’s a sort of un-ordered collection of things that caught my eye at Eurobike this year, but that don’t fit into any particular story. I hope you enjoy them. Feel free to comment… Chipps Read More

So here’s the getting to know you bit about my new longtermer, a Santa Cruz Highball. Due to holidays, mag trips and deadlines I didn’t get time to write up the plans for this one earlier so here we go. First off it’s fair to say that due to experiences with early 29′ers I didn’t really get them. They all seemed barge like and uninspiring, fine for fireroads and covering ground but lacking fun when they were ridden on singletrack. Read More

The Yeti booth this year was hidden in plain sight outdoors, but it was one of the brands most mentioned in the traditional ‘Hey, what have you seen that’s new?’ conversations that passing journalists and bike trade types always have at these events. There was talk of a new carbon bike and a 29er, but it was only on Saturday that I managed to fight through the crowds to see the bikes Read More

Available in 100mm, 120mm and 140mm travel options, Manitou's Marvel Pro is their top tier trail fork. Inside you'll find a damper that combines Manitou's proven TPC damper with the pedalling performance of the Absolute+ piston and shim configuration. TPC refers to the fork's Twin Piston Chamber - two pistons, one compression and one rebound, in a sealed cartridge that provides longer service intervals and more reliable damping. Manitou pioneered the two piston design in mountain bike… Read More

Neil MacDonald and Waylon Woolcock of Team RE:CM used road cycling tactics to outsmart and then out-power their rivals to finish first and second respectively at the Nissan Trailseeker Down and Dirty in Centurion on Saturday Read More

Last week we brought you news of Intense’s new Hard Eddie carbon hardtail and before that the new carbon Carbine. Well there’s already another new model. Its’ the Carbine SL. Once again it’s a Taiwanese carbon frame that’s then assembled in the States with US-made bits and pieces. The Carbine SL, as you might expect is a lighter version. It comes with a carbon rocker link and a few other weight savings, like 135mm dropouts, rather than bolt-through, and the frame weight drops to 4.75lbs (the… Read More

e*thirteen have been busy behind the scenes. We caught up with them in Friedrichshafen for the 2011 Eurobike show and what follows are a few of their treats which were on display. To briefly explain their ranges, XCX is cross country, TRS is all mountain and LG1 is for downhillers Read More

I’m a fan of CrankBrothers wheelsets. The pair of Iodine’s I had were phenomenal wheels that I still think about to this day. As carbon wheels have become more and more common, it was only a matter of time before CrankBrothers jumped into the action. But, it goes without saying that carbon wheels are not for everybody. Reducing that rolling weight and adding a touch of quiet-ness to your ride will cost you plenty. Read More

The Fox Transition Hardshell Rockstar Helmet. This will be Fox's number one selling open face for the skatepark rats and the dirt jumpers hitting the trails out there. Eleven vents to keep the grey matter cool and the removeable suede micro fiber lining means she is one fine lid. Just make sure you Mom doesn't put that lining in the tumble drier after washing them Read More

Tioga has been working nights and Sundays on two radically different downhill concepts that are sure to rock the status quo. The first shot over the bow is the MT-Zero Pedal first featured in Pinkbike earlier this Summer. Less than ten millimeters thick and cast from chromoly steel, the MT-Zero places the sole of the rider's shoe nearly on center with the pedal axle. Actually, the Zero doesn't have a true pedal axle.The pedal platform is cantilevered from a stub-shaft that rides in a single… Read More

I’m a fan of CrankBrothers wheelsets. The pair of Iodine’s I had were phenomenal wheels that I still think about to this day. As carbon wheels have become more and more common, it was only a matter of time before CrankBrothers jumped into the action. But, it goes without saying that carbon wheels are not for everybody. Reducing that rolling weight and adding a touch of quiet-ness to your ride will cost you plenty. Read More

Intense M9 FROThe Intense M9 was on display here twelve months ago so it’s not exactly new. What is however is a redesigned lower pivot assembly that uses expanding collets on each side to help stiffen the area and reduce maintenance. More noticeable was this color, fluro yellow offset with contrasting matt black decals. Sunglasses optional...taste questionable. It’s probably wrong that I like this Read More

OK, time to sit down and get the pen and paper out… Giant Bicycles has a new headset standard for you to get your head round. This is the premise: OK, so with everyone getting wider and wider bars, there’s a lot more sideways force going through your stem and steerer – a 1 1/8th inch steerer that harks back to the days of quill stems. So what Giant proposes is that everyone adopts a new size for stems and steerers. They call it ‘Overdrive 2′ Read More

While neck braces have quickly gained traction within the downhill community, other gear that should be made to be compatible the neck protection has been slow to come around. With their MTB Bionic Jacket, Alpinestars is one of the first companies to produce an upper body suit made to mesh with a neck brace, specifically their own series of Bionic Neck Support (BNS) braces Read More

Spank had a some early prototype versions of their upcoming Spike stem at the show for people to see, with the fully CNC'd examples attracting a lot of attention. There are only a few of these in the world at this point, but production versions will be forged before CNC'ing takes them down to their final shape. It weighs in at just 135 grams for the stubby 35mm version, despite it being designed for gravity riding or any other abuse that you can dish out. Spank Spike Read More

A visit to Surly was inevitable, given it’s pre-show release of the Moonlander bike – a snow bike that takes astoundingly huge/impressive/silly 4.7in Big Fat Larry tyres. It’s a bike that makes the Surly Pugsley look ‘normal’. The Moonlander runs offset cranks that carry a middle and granny ring. The Big Fat Larry tyres will just fit into the Pugsley too if you run ‘small’ 60mm rims and can do without four or five biggest sprockets Read More

I had Transition down as one of the prettiest bikes out there, it may be time to revise. Cube Two 15-FSP 4 Link System-215mm Travel-x12mm Rear Axle-Fox Racing Shox 40 Kashima Fork-Formula R0 Disk Brakes-Shimano Saint Hubs on Alexa Rims-4,699 Euros Read More

Bionicon is on the move, with a redesigned four-bar rear suspension and an all-new long-travel fork and shock. The German bike maker also introduced the all-new 140-milimeter Reed and two all-mountain/freeride bikes: the Alva 160 and the Alva 180. The 180-millimeter-travel model employ a hybrid coil-spring/air spring system in the fork and is the first Bionicon to sport a coil-over shock. Small improvements, like through-axles in all the new frames and forks, are welcome upgrades from Bionicon.… Read More

The Eurobike Trio are still there and Chipps takes up the story. OK, if we count the Demo Day as day 1, then today must be Day 2. Today we split up, with Jon heading off for video scoops (most of which will trickle out over the next few days) and Matt heading off to do mega ad deals and me wandering around a little aimlessly and then getting it together for some good aisle-stomping through Hall B1, B2, B3 and B4 Read More

After 3+ years of development, a crumload of anticipation and we finally get to see the latest creation from Ibis: The Ripley 29er. I’m a huge fan of the Ibis Mojo and most people anticipated that they would simply take the Mojo and adapt it to fit big hoops. Well, the Ripley is nothing like the Mojo and the DW-Link suspension is quite hidden within the inner-workings of the rear triangle/seat tube/bottom bracket area Read More

So, Ibis has been open about working on a 29er for a couple of years. It decided to unveil it at Eurobike even though it’s not going to be remotely ready to buy until next year – just in case people thought they were just joking. The story goes that back in 2008 Ibis was looking to make a super light, short travel 26in race bike as its next frame, but then compared to its 140mm bikes, 100mm seemed a little tame, so it turned its attention into making a 100mm 29er using the same compact design… Read More

Monty's stunning M5 trials bike uses a full carbon fiber frame, along with some other lightweight parts, to bring the total weight down to just 14.9lbs. Monty M5 details: • Full unidirectional carbon fiber trials frame• Unidirectional carbon fork (inc. crown/steerer tube)• Kevlar down tube protection Read More

The new Oak Pro Aluminum knee pads from Dainese incorporate the clever Boa Closure System directly into the pad, allowing you to easily fine tune the fit with a quick turn of the dial. When the ride is over you simply pull on the dial and the tension releases, allowing you to slip the pad off. Dainese Oak Pro Aluminum Knee pad details:• New knee pad for 2012• Uses the Boa Closure System • Aluminum knee cup• Multi material 'Crash Absorb' soft protection above and below the Read More

New Niner AIR 9: Lighter and Stronger Niner riders have long loved the simplicity of an alloy hardtail with great ride quality. For those riders, we are excited to announce updated Air 9 and E.M.D. 9 frames, available immediately Read More

Pinkbike’s walk through Eurobike’s outdoor demo revealed some interesting items originating from North American as well as European soil. Here are some highlights from the first few kilometers of aisle walking near the outskirts of Germany's famous Friedrichschafen Zeppelin flughafen. Conway’s E-Rider Extreme cuts a menacing profile, although it carries a lot a weight high in the frame. Previous electric-powered MTB designs have suffered in the handling department from having a high center of… Read More

Greetings from Eurobike! Sim, Matt and Chipps (that’s me) are over at Eurobike for the week, seeing what’s new for 2012. The first day was the Demo Day, so we got to spend it outdoors, in the actual sunshine. Wednesday to Saturday we’ll be back indoors so we made the most of it Read More

SIXC: THE WORLD'S LIGHTEST DH RACE CRANK? Building on the success of their proprietary Canadian carbon manufacturing program, Race Face has made some impressive expansions to the SIXC line of cranks for 2012. The addition of an 83mm spindle, 165mm length and removable granny spider make the 2012 SIXC a formidable DH race option coming in at a scant 650g (165mm, 83mm, 36T ring, including Turbine BB). This is a full 100g lighter than any other full carbon DH crank that we know of. Read More

Pinkbike’s walk through Eurobike’s outdoor demo revealed some interesting items originating from North American as well as European soil. Here are some highlights from the first few kilometers of aisle walking near the outskirts of Germany's famous Friedrichschafen Zeppelin flughafen. Conway’s E-Rider Extreme cuts a menacing profile, although it carries a lot a weight high in the frame. Previous electric-powered MTB designs have suffered in the handling department from having a high center of… Read More

KS's new Lev telescoping post offers 5" of infinite height adjustment in a package that weighs in at 100 grams less than their current offering, but the big news is the stationary cable positioning on the post's outer tube. No more massive loop or funky routing solutions needed.KS Lev details:• 5" of total drop (infinite adjustment)• Stationary cable location on post's outer tube • Air return sprung/hydraulic internals• One way bearing system (same as their current post)• Carbon remote trigger•… Read More

While we’re always stoked to report on and review the top-of-the-line components, the reality is that most mountain bikers are just fine with the workhorse-level components. Saving money is big on everyone’s minds and when it comes down to it, most mountain bike shoppers will gladly downgrade the components a notch while keeping the same frameset. Or, when custom-building a new bike, they opt for lower-grade components to get the high-zoot frame. Either way, it works. And, for 2012, SRAM’s X5… Read More

Dropping in at the Hotlines stand today gave us a look at two new Ragley full suspension frames as well as some neat options from Nukeproof. Both Ragleys fit in with their philosophy of big travel at the front matched with relatively short travel at the rear. Given that both of these are prototypes the final geometry isn’t yet set in stone, but the general bias is towards a longer top tube, steep seat tube to benefit climbing and a slack head angle for ripping the Read More

The Cagua, which takes its name from a stunning volcano in the Philippines, is a 170mm travel enduro machine that weighs in at a competitive 32lbs. Up front you'll find a custom, OEM only 170mm travel Fox 36 fork to match the bike's rear end, complete with a full length 1.5" steerer tube. Read More

Eurobike: SRAM today officially launched its new X5 groupset, which is good news for those on a budget – and it’s also good news if you run one of it’s swankier X9 or X0 groupsets and wince every time you have to take your bike out in the mud, because you’ll be able to get X5 cassettes for a fraction of the cost and use them all winter long without fear of financial ruin Read More

Pinion's P1.18 gearbox attached to the bottom of a Nicolai Helius AM. It offers 18 sequential gears and a 600% range that can be adjusted to suit the terrain by swapping out the drive sprockets. Pinion P1.18 details: • 18 gears without an overlapping gear range • Sequential shifting • 600% gear range• Capable of shifting under load or while coasting• Uses a twist shifter • Total weight: 2.6kg (including shifter, front and rear sprockets)• MSRP: Helius AM frame w/ Pinion P1.18 gearbox - $3399 EUR Read More

Lapierre's DH-720 is built around the same frame that is used by the Lapierre International DH Team and is designed as a race bike to get you down the mountain as quick as possible. Lapierre DH-720 details: • Rear wheel travel: 200mm• Adjustable head angle: 63/64 degrees• Unidirectional carbon fiber swingarm• Uses Lapierre's Pendbox suspension system• Internal cable routing• Built in fork bumpers• Weight: 39lbs 11oz (w/o pedals)• MSRP $5199 USD Read More

A legendary course needs a legendary course designer: for the comeback of the Red Bull District Ride, no other than mountain bike freeride legend Aaron Chase planned the course. The winner of the 2005 Red Bull District Ride is well established in the mountain bike scene. Read More

We sent Faye Sanders over to the sunshine of the Alps for a few days of Alpine ripping on the new 2012 range from Rose Bikes. Expect to see more of them in the UK in the coming months and years. And now it’s over to Faye: Vaujany, a small mountain village nestled in the French Alps was the stunning location for the Rose 2012 press camp. A stone’s throw away from Alpe d’Heuz and with over 200km of riding and lift-assisted trails scattering the mountainside it was the perfect place to get to ride… Read More

We’ve just been sent this ‘two minutes before we’re supposed to go home on a Friday’ teaser from Intense… It’ll be unveiling a carbon 29er hardtail at Eurobike, but sent a few teaser photos to keep you salivating until the show starts next week. (Demo Day is Tuesday, main show starts Wednesday and Singletrack will be there to report on it). Read More

Trek Scratch Air 8 This is the follow up to the 2011 Scratch Air 8 Preview we featured this spring. Coming in just a hair under 34 lbs and at a retail price of $3,879.99 USD, the Scratch Air 8 packs quite a punch into the one-bike quiver category. The Scratch Air is the product of Trek's Scratch freeride frame platform mated with little brother Remedy's all-mountain components. Although the versatility is almost immediately apparent, the practicality of such a niche-specific mountain bike may… Read More

Niner today announced two new frame updates: the new Air 9 and the E.M.D. 9 Why does Niner always shoot its bikes like they're about to tip over? The updated Air 9 claims to be stronger and lighter by using a new 6000 series alloy that it claims it more compliant than scandium and allows more hydroforming, leading to stronger tube shapes. Plus Niner can anodise it and make it look smart. Niner says of its new tubing “We are now able to tune our alloy frame as carefully as we do our carbon… Read More

With an ever-growing variety of 29er wheelsets on the market, it’s always nice to find one that gets the job done without being overly-flashy or expensive. That’s always been Easton’s schtick with their EA70 line of components and the new-for-2011 Easton EA70 XC 29er wheels are no exception. Read More

Jess Stone playing in the lava sand. La Palma is the most north-westerly of the Canary Islands. La Palma is the fifth largest of the seven main Canary Islands. La Palma's geography is a result of the volcanic formation of the island. The highest peaks reach over 2,400 m (7,874 ft) above sea level, and the base of the island is located almost 4000 meters below sea level. The northern part of La Palma is dominated by the Caldera de Taburiente, with a width of 9 km (6 mi) and a depth of 1,500 m… Read More

Lightweight, all purpose hoops: Spank's Oozy EVO rims are light enough, at just 420-435g grams per hoop (depending on finish), to be laced up and run on a feather weight cross-country race whippet, but Spank says that they can also be used on all-mountain and enduro machines that would benefit from less rotational weight - ideal for those 5 and 6 inch travel bikes that earn their turns. Read More

SpecificationsRoco lite Air in-lineLength (mm): 165.1 x 38.1 or 190,5 x 50Features: Lighter version for pure XC, Lock out, external rebound adjustment, hard anodizing air canister and main tubeWeight: 198g Read More

]] Scott wrench Ben Vergnaud pushing out a few pretty heavily abused pivots in preparation for fresh hardware. At this stage of the season, bikes and gear are beat down, and many of them don't have next level product from the sponsors. Yet. So it's up to the mechanics to squeeze every last bit of performance from man's most elegant machine on parts that have already been pushed to their limits. The break between Windham and La Bresse meant that a lot of riders were able to take time to just go… Read More

For years now, the design link between Marin and Whyte bikes has been quite close. Their bikes have used the same Quad Link 2 suspension system and shared many styling cues – but for 2012 it’s been all change. Marin have decided to make their bikes decidedly different and, just as Whyte tailored their bikes to the UK market, they have decided to stamp their own image over the 2012 bikes. Read More

The story of SRAM X0 DH starts, as that of many new SRAM products, under the BlackBox program. At the beginning of the 2009 racing season Steve Peat and Greg Minnaar of the Santa Cruz Syndicate start testing an X0 rear derailleur modified to be used with a 10 speed cassette. Read More

Much has been said about the Olympics XC course, but very little of that has actually come from the people that will be using it come race day. Lee Williams is an elite level cross country racer. Coming from South Wales, he’s sponsored by Wiggle and is currently the Welsh Champion as well as British Bronze medallist. Read More

Will riding a bike that is setup to go faster than you are capable of mean that you'll go quicker? Despite my hopes, riding Brendan Fairclough's bike didn't automatically mean that I had his speed or Read More

A lot can happen in ten years. When Whyte released their first bike, the PRST-1, back in 2001 it would be an understatement to say it was a departure from the norm. From the ‘Plus Four’ linkage fork, the robot-welded monocoque frame to the proto-QR thru-axle ‘Big Gripper’ dropouts out the back, it certainly wasn’t the work of people that were afraid to try new things. Read More

Highly anticipated, the 2012 Scott Spark 29 RC was tops on my list to ride at DealerCamp. So, I arrived and went straight to the Scott tent and got dialed in and hit the great singletrack at Deer Valley. Read More

Updated suspension, fresh frame designs and a sweet new park bike. Kona started its 2012 debut by admitting that the seminal freeride brand had slacked off on its development for a few seasons. Whether that is true or not, this year Kona put its nose to the grindstone and cranked out a new gravity range for 2012 that indicates that raw riding enthusiasm is dripping from the veins of Kona’s design staff once again. Kona retains its rocker-link suspension design, but with new leverage rates and… Read More

It’s fair to say that the Olympic mountain bike venue and the race course itself haven’t had the warmest of receptions on the Singletrack forum with arguments and comments ranging from “it’s not technical” to “it’s not Dalby/Fort William/Glentress”. But how would it actually hold up in practice? Read More

This auction is a Fund Raiser which will benefit "The Weekend to End Women’s Cancers™" walk in Montreal, Quebec Canada. Read More

We’ve been inundated with tyres here at Singletrack Towers and that’s made resident rubber fetishist Jon quite happy. In fact he came out in a bit of a rash. Possibly some kind of reaction or overexcitment. Anyway, welcome to a special rubbery edition of Fresh Goods Read More

I swung up to Deer Valley for a few hours to attend Bike Dealer Camp. My goal was to ride a couple of the new crop of 29ers that will be arriving soon. Tops on that list was the all-new Rocky Mountain Element 950. This new 29er from the boys up North had been sufficiently hyped so I just had to find out for myself if it was a worthy entry in the increasingly-crowded full-suspension 29er market. Read More

We take a look at the prototype of the new 2012 Saracen Ariel. We take a look at the prototype of the new 2012 Saracen Ariel.“It’s a fun bike.” It’s hard to get frame designer Ryan Carroll to use any more adjectives to describe Saracen’s 140mm bike. In days when the market is full of press releases with lengthy technical explanations of why this new bike or that new bike is great, it’s a real breath of fresh air to hear a bike company talking in such plain terms. Read More

When you ride and race bikes in your teens and early twenties, the adult world largely grants you a pass. You‘re still a kid and society accepts that you might occasionally hurl yourself down a hill on a bike, racing a clock that only you and a handful of other misfits are watching. Read More

His extensive manufacturing career is anchored by two-decades with a Nuclear Pump Company in Bedfordshire, England where he began as machine operator and spent the next eighteen years working his way through various departments, eventually taking the helm as Plant Manager prior to relocating to Canada. Murray is no stranger to the cycling industry, having spent more than eight years as Head of Operations for Rocky Mountain Bicycles, Canadian frame manufacturer and birth place of the boutique… Read More

I remember vividly my first 2×10 experience. It was at Interbike 2009 and it didn’t take me long to hop aboard the 2×10 bandwagon. The crisp shifts and overall smoothness was a huge improvement in mountain bike drivetrains. Now it’s 2011 and 2×10 has gone from a wildly-expensive prospect of SRAM XX only to mainstream with varying price points. I’ve had the opportunity to test the 2011 SRAM X0 2×10 platform on my Niner RIP 9 and the Yeti Big Top, so it’s time to shed some light on the SRAM X0… Read More

Intense finally released its first full-carbon fiber frame after almost three years of development. The Carbine is a 5.5 pound VPP-suspended trailbike chassis with looks to kill and a lineage to match. Jeff Steber, the founder and designer of Intense said that the project began as a made-in USA effort, but that it quickly expanded into an international effort after Intense collaborated with Germany's SEED Engineering to match its vision with their expertise in carbon-fiber product development… Read More

In the early 2000's he and Chris Winter organized the Joyride Bikercross and the Joyride Slopestyle Expression session which were held during the Whistler Summer Gravity Festival. It could be argued that he was largely responsible for the whole slopestyle phenomena and the evolution from those early events to the present state of the discipline has been nothing but astounding. Read More

While at the recent Scott launch (more on that in a bit), long time Scott team supporter, Tom Ritchey was there. Mainly to pull everyone’s legs off on the climbs, but also to show off his new stem. Read More

Here’s some more from Trek World in the lovely Austrian town of Mayrhofen… Read More

Life Cycles was 6 years in the making – a labour of love for the two directors, Derek Frankowski and Ryan Gibb. After using all their budget to buy the latest filming gear and dedicating years to the project, the end result is nothing short of stunning. “We threw out what we knew about bike films and built this movie from the ground up,” Frankowski “Typically, shots in a bike movie are a rider-based or location-based segment. You go to Alaska with some riders, or you do a segment at a dirt jump… Read More

• Cold forged 7050 aluminum body• 10mm body height (measured at the middle, not the edges like some others do)• Body features dual concave (front to back, side to side)• Each pedal spins on a large inboard sealed bearing and twin needle bearings• Weight: 510 grams per set (production version could be lighter)• Price: TBA• Availability: Fall 2011 Read More

Pnkbike found two of downhill racing's fastest women talking it up before they went head to head on the famous Jeep Air DH course. Ibis legend Anne Caroline Chausson sat alongside Leigh Donovan on her trusty Intense waiting for their slot for the race. Anne Caro was the hands-down winner last year, Leigh came out of retirement to earn a top ten finish. When pressed as to the topic of their conversion, Leigh laughed, "Nothing remotely related to bicycles!" Read More

Andrew Neethling and Anne Caroline Chausson have won the Jeep Air DH at Crankworx today, Brian Lopes second and Mick Hannah third for the men, Jill Kintner second and Sara Leishman third for the ladies. Read More

Aurum: DH ($7050 - $7350 US - $2600 Frame Only) Intended Use - A purpose-built World Cup downhill bike, the AURUM is designed for riders that want to go downhill fast. If you’re obsessed with chair lift and shuttle access, the first thing you will notice when you ride the AURUM is the speed at which it covers ground, the ease with which it flows through corners and the confidence with which it eats up rough terrain. Read More

Sim and Jenn were in Mayrhofen, Austria last week for Trek’s massive 2012 product launch. As well as overdosing on weissbier and cheese, they got lots of riding in on the new 2012 Remedy and Fuel EX as well as sneak peeks of a couple of brand new bikes that should be hitting these shores in the autumn. Read More

Pre-Order you copy here. NWD Greatest Hits is the best shots from 10 years of filming chosen by 12 riders with in-depth interviews about the history of mountain biking and their careers. Read More

A crash in last year’s Dual Slalom Pro Men’s Final kept Mitch Ropelato (USA) from earning gold, but he redeemed himself a year later by coming out on top in today’s race. With hardly an error in any run, Ropelato has able to blaze through each ladder, consistently pinning it to take gold over Mick Hannah (AUS) in the finals. Read More

Last held in 2003 during the Whistler Summer Gravity Festival, this inaugural event for Kokanee Crankworx looped around the new Whistler Olympic Plaza and drew an enthusiastic crowd despite cool, cloudy weather. Read More

There was no 4X competition, so no racing for the Mechura brothers. The track at Windham was shorter in time and distance from the previous rounds this season, but the race action was as exciting as it gets. Team manager Nigel Page said: "The track was not the steepest, nor did it have the scariest of technical sections but it was more than challenging for the racers to say the least. Read More

2 years in the making, 3 Minute Gaps is a performance based documentary about the new school generation of downhill mountain bike racers. Read More

La Gomera is the second-smallest of the seven main islands of Spain's Canary Islands, located in the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Africa with around 20.000 inhabitants. It´s one of the roughest of the Canary Islands, not so touristic like Tenerifeor Gran Canaria. So it's a little paradise for hiking and biking. Read More

Well the race is over. I am tired, but home. The afternoon and evening of day 7 was filled with lots of good beer, good food and good friends, some old, some new. Despite all of that the most intoxicating experience was to have both of my children greet me at the airport. Read More

Congratulations to Kyle Wynia, winner of Rockstar’s ‘Dream It Drop It’ contest. A wide range of designs were submitted ranging from a 50ft Death Kicker to the winning Rube Goldberg inspired “The Mouse Trap”. For Kyle’s epic design, he has got himself and 3 of his riding buddies a 4 night stay at Panorama with full bike park access. Plus he will be able to sign off on the official first ride of his creation. Read More

Platypus has long been the guts of many hydration packs, but until recently, they haven’t had their own pack line. This year, they have introduced their Origin line of packs consisting of a variety of sizes for many different outdoor activities. I’ve been testing the smallest one, the Platypus Origin 3 and it’s time to lay out the good news. Read More

"The Summer Gravity Festival will truly put Whistler on the map as a year-round destination resort," said Barrett Fisher, Vice President of Marketing and Sales for Tourism Whistler. "Whistler is known for its ski, snowboard and golf product, and now will come into its own for mountain biking." Read More

After finishing 6th in the Mont Saint Anne World Cup 4X, I came home for about 5 hours, repacked everything necessary, jumped in the car and drove to Alpe d´Huez France for the big enduro DH race – Megavalanche. I had been thinking about doing this race for a long time, but every year there were conflicting races which made it impossible. Finally this year I could try it. Mega Avalanche Alpe d'Huez top 51. Remy ABSALON (COMMENCAL France) 0:42:32,460 0:00:00 A2. Jerome CLEMENTZ (CANNONDALE… Read More

If you thought that 29ers were making a grand entrance in 2011, just wait until all the new 2012 models arrive! Adding one more to the long list of 29er trailbikes for 2012, Rocky Mountain has released some information on their forthcoming big-wheeled machine, the new Element 29er. Donned in alloy and built using Rocky’s ultra-solid SmoothLink suspension with ABC pivots, the Element 29er is built like a Rocky, which is good for most riders out there. Read More

What is it: A more price point friendly version of Rocky Mountain's high-end race bike, the full carbon Element RSL (race super light) and MSL (marathon super light). Of course those bikes are still around, too, but now they have a younger sibling that shares all the same MSL geometry and design, with a more friendly price tag. Starting point is $1900 for the Element MSL 10. Read More

If you thought that 29ers were making a grand entrance in 2011, just wait until all the new 2012 models arrive! Adding one more to the long list of 29er trailbikes for 2012, Rocky Mountain has released some information on their forthcoming big-wheeled machine, the new Element 29er. Read More

New title sponsors for the Walkerville Classic, ASG Sport, are including a R200 voucher in every goody bag for pre-entrants into Sunday's big race. The R200 gift voucher is redeemable on any Rudy Project helmet, Rudy Project sunglasses, Sidi shoes or a Scicon bike bag purchased from Northcliff cycles or at the venue on Saturday and Sunday. The voucher must be physically produced when collecting your purchases and cannot be combined with any other vouchers or used on items that are already… Read More

A flurry of interest is expected when entries for South Africa’s longest paired mountain bike race, the Old Mutual joBerg2c, open at 9.30pm tonight (Monday, July 11). To ensure a great rider experience, entries for the third edition of the nine-day event will be limited, said one of the organisers Craig Wapnick. Read More

Aaron Gwin has won the Windham World Cup followed by Steve Peat in second and Andrew Neethling in third. Men's top 5 1. Aaron Gwin2. Steve Peat3. Andrew Neethling Read More

Day 7 began like so many others before it. A breakfast followed by a bus ride. The night of day 6 was most premium, involving tequila shots, beers, laughs and hot tubs. Whistler promises lots of climbing and lots of technical descending. As I sit here on the bus from Squamish to Whistler I can’t help but recall the last days and on day one today seemed like an eternity away. After days of riding some of the sweetest trails around it seems like yesterday that we started. Read More

Rachel Atherton is back! Women's top 5 1. Rachel Atherton2. Floriane Pugin3. Tracy Moseley Read More

Today was sweet. My legs were dead. The descents melted my face off. Read More

Photos by Fraser Britton and Colin Meagher The Windham 4X was considered by many of the athletes to be one of the better courses last year, so it was even more unfortunate that they decided to cancel it this year. The official reason was that Windham had torn down most of the course so that they could use the slope for their ski operation in the winter, and lacked the funds to rebuild it. Read More

Photos and captions by Fraser Britton Read More

We kicked off the day with a nice low key morning in Sechelt. The breakfast was tasty even though the Canadian breakfast burrito is drastically different than the New Mexican version. The race today was “shortened” from “38km” to “30km”. Due to a sketchy river crossing that was too high due to the snowmelt. The day started off with the usual largely road, uphill rollout. Following pavement we were greeted by a long dirt road climb that at times was very steep. Entering the singletrack was nice… Read More

Thunderstorms rolled in just before the start of the women's qualifying race, forcing a 45 minute delay to the start of qualifying; it's unsafe to run a chairlift during a thunderstorm. Read More

Marcus and Tim recently caught up with Nicolai marketing man, Vincent Stoyhe, to talk about two hot new bikes from the German über engineers. First up is the Ion 14, an adapatable 4X bike, that will replace the historic UFO DS in their line-up. Read More

http://lonewolfproductions.ca I have heard Brett Turcotte described as the gnarliest rider you have never heard of, which is likely true unless you ride a snowmobile. Like many of the top athletes out there Brett has made a cross over from another sport, but instead of having a BMX or Moto Cross background Brett comes from the less common sport of sledding. Read More

Photos and captions by Fraser Britton Read More

BC Bike Race Day 3 Day 3 is coming to you delayed. Day 3 began with an early wake up and then a bus trip to a ferry ride to Powell River. The town of Powell River is beautiful and the people were really excited to see us. We were greeted off the ferry by people of all ages ringing cowbells and cheering, keep in mind that this was just for us walking off the ferry. The race began quickly after getting off the ferry and the roll out through town was filled with cheering crowdsand steep pavement… Read More

Photos and captions by Fraser Britton Read More

Photos by Colin Meagher Read More

BC Bike Race Day 2 Well I’m no mathmatizer or rocket surgeon but 2/7ths of the way done means there is still a lot of riding left. Today’s stage was amazing with the start leading us out, through Campbell River and about 10k of road rollout. Read More

]]> The idea of going on a long ride can be taken many ways. What does a long ride mean for you? Is it having to hike-a-bike your DH ride to the top of the mountain then rip your way down? Maybe it means being out on the trail all day. For some it is finally hitting the 100 miles in a day mark. No matter what you personally consider a long ride, the riders that have embarked on the Tour Divide route in 2011 can all agree they are in the midst of an insanely long ride. Read More

Although the new 120mm travel Lapierre X-Flow was the bike that hogged the limelight at their 2012 product launch, the much loved 140mm Zesty and 160mm Spicy all mountain/enduro bikes have had a lot of work done for this year with new angles, revised suspension and full carbon fibre frame options. Read More

After a few days here and lots of buildup we all finally got to ride today. Breakfast was tasty and the coffee was great, can’t ask for more when it comes to pre-ride food. The race started at 9:30am and took all of us through a road roll out through Cumberland. That got us all stretched out before we entered some great singletrack. Read More

Well, here I sit in my hotel room after checking in for the race. I flew late on the 30th, the day before Canada Day, something I knew nothing about. Happy 144th birthday to Canada. As I got in late I decided to take public transport which worked fairly well. Without delving into a specific critique of Vancouver’s mass transit I will say it’s not without its quirks. The quirkiest part was not the system but rather the fact that Rush, a Canadian band, was in town, which apparently here in Canada… Read More

Aaron Gwin has won the Mont Sainte Anne DH, Josh Bryceland 2nd, Brook MacDonald 3rd! Men's Top 5 1. Aaron Gwin2. Josh Bryceland3. Brook MacDonald Read More

Tracy has won the DH here at Mont Sainte Anne once again, followed by Floriane Pugin 2nd, Rachel Atherton 3rd, Sabrina Jonnier 4th, and Myriam Nicole 5th. Top 5 Women 1. Tracy Moseley2. Floriane Pugin3. Rachel Atherton Read More

Mens Final 1. Jared Graves2. Roger Rinderknecht3. Guido Tschugg4. Joost Wichman Read More

Jul 1, 2011 Read More

Mont Sainte Anne World Cup - Day 1 Practice Photos Read More

First seen in 2005, the Meta has left its mark on the world of MTB. It has been globally praised by the international press, with an inclusion among the 10 best bikes of the decade in the UK’s MBR magazine. It has seen success on the Megavalanche, the Maxiavalanche and the Enduro Series. Above all the Meta has shown a certain way of riding Enduro, where downhill performance and pleasure are combined to perfection. Read More

Mont-Sainte-Anne 2011 Course Walk Read More

The big news at the 2012 Shimano XT launch wasn’t only the new Ice-Tech equipped brakes we covered here. The drivetrain components have had a thorough reworking and the XTR influence has been just as important here, although less visually obvious. Read More

What is it: SRAM's X0 drivetrain has been designed to be versatile enough to span the gamut of uses, and true to form, we've seen it mounted on everything from top flight cross-country hardtails to World Cup downhill bikes, all with great success. But SRAM's high end product range is driven by their competition focused BlackBox racing program, a development team consisting of some of the world's top riders who, with the help of SRAM's engineers, are always developing components that are… Read More

With Shimano’s top flight XTR drivetrain getting a radical makeover last year it was only a matter of time before that groupset’s tech-fest trickled down to the more affordable groupsets. It’s one of the excellent things about mountain bike technology – last year’s pro racer/fat wallet kit will inevitably become affordable to (more of) the masses within a relatively short amount of time. Read More

Wildomar, CA- Team Monster Energy Specialized rider Sam Hill was injured this weekend while training back home in preparation for the upcoming World Cup rounds. Initial observation is that he’s re-aggravated his shoulder injury sustained at Fort William during the 2010 season, but Sam will undergo an MRI first thing this week to get a proper diagnosis. At this time, it looks certain that Sam will miss the Mont Saint Anne and possibly Windham World Cup rounds. News of his injury comes with… Read More

Since establishing Morewood Engineering in 2002, partners Patrick Morewood and Richard Carter have developed one of the most respected mountain bike brands in existence today. So it is with sadness that we officially announce Patrick’s departure from the company. Feeling the need for a change, he has gone on to pursue new challenges. “It has been an honour to work with Patrick through the years,” says Richard. “He has played an invaluable role in the business and the development of product. We… Read More

GT Bicycles has a huge heritage in mountain biking, and an even bigger one in BMX. The GT brand has had its ups and downs, but recently seems to have had some great bikes at all ends of the spectrum; from Marc Beaumont’s carbon Fury DH to the new carbon Zaskar. Building on this lot for 2012, GT showed us some new bikes that it hopes will continue the momentum. Let’s start with the plastic wagonwheeler; the new Zaskar ’9r’: Read More

The movie Sugarbeat aims to show the wider public the world of women who are dedicated to extreme sports. The movie, on the border of a documentary and a sports clip, is going to present 15 ladies doing sports like skateboarding, snowboarding, freeskiing or mountain biking and more. The short sport clips are going to be accompanied by commentaries of the ladies themselves, talking about all kinds of topics considering the issue of women enforcing themselves in sports dominated by males. Read More

Niner is bound to cause some huge love (and hate) with its new frame. It’s a full carbon, full suspension bike. Dubbed the Jet 9 RDO – ‘Race Day Optimised’, it has 100mm travel (though you can run 120 too) and is designed to be everything from a full-on race machine, to an all day trail bike or a marathon event machine. The frame is a full carbon monocoque and it comes with Niner’s five year warranty, that includes racing. Read More

Fox Racing Shox brought a prototype cross-country fork with an investment-cast, integrated titanium steerer tube and fork crown to the Lapierre bike launch in the French Alpine town of Les Gets. The prototype fork, called the Float Ti will be seen as soon as September 2011 on the World Cup racing circuit, but that is about all the information Fox officials were willing to commit to. Well, almost all. Read More

What’s new with Camelbak for 2012? Some new freeride packs, a new MTB specific lumbar pack and a new finish on the Mule. There are cleaning kits, coloured nipples, bendable drinking straws. There are two new freeride packs that replace the old Don and Capo and Consiglieri packs: the Agent and the Asset. Read More

The Patriot makes a return to the Orange Mountain Bikes lineup for 2012. Taking up a position between the Alpine 160 and 224, the new bike delivers 180mm of balanced single pivot suspension. The original was responsible for much of our direction in design, the 2012 bike more than lives up to the name… Highlight features at a glance: Read More

After years of denial (actually extreme secrecy), Niner Bikes officially announced the next-generation Jet 9 RDO carbon fiber full-suspension bike. I’ve been told this bike has been years in development and, not wanting to suffer from the availability issues that plagued the Air 9 Carbon, Niner has bit their tongue and waited until the time and production was right. Read More

After hosting the World Cup a week ago, Leogang was the venue for the third leg of the iXS European Downhill Cup. A total of 356 competitors from 26 countries lined up at the start, but it wasn’t the quantity, but rather the quality of the starting pack which attracted attention.That Leogang Bike Park has now made an international name for itself on the mountain biking scene is not least due to the fact that it hosts top notch races and contests. So this weekend saw the downhill, fourcross and… Read More

The UCI Management Committee, which is meeting in Maastricht, the Netherlands, today approved the calendar for the 2012 UCI Mountain Bike World Cup presented by Shimano. Next year’s edition of the World Cup series will comprise 10 events in nine countries on three continents. There will be seven rounds for each of the traditional mountain bike disciplines: Olympic cross-country, downhill and four-cross. 2012 will also see the introduction of the cross-country eliminator, in which several rounds… Read More

When it comes to mountain bike helmets, I typically opt for one with more coverage. I’m not that worried about shaving grams off my helmet to get me to the top of the climb faster. I’m more concerned about this noggin of mine that I’ve spent the last 36 years filling with knowledge. So, the Specialized Vice MTB Helmet fits in quite nicely next to my Giro Xen helmet, but will it replace it as my everyday lid? Read More

Graham Agassiz You weren't on the list to even be in Life Cycles at the start, how did you meet up with them/get a seggie? Yeah I wasn’t originally part of the film until late into the year. I was injured at the time with a broken collarbone from shooting with Freeride Entertainment for NWD 10. Read More

SRAM's XO group is firmly entrenched as the company's high-end, do everything component set and is designed to meet the needs of demanding riders from all over the world. We previewed the 2011 XO group last year and now, after subjecting it to one of the wettest, most unpleasant Wet Coast winters in recent memory, we have some pretty decent ideas about the performance and durability of the lineup. Read More

Spotted at Leogang, being put on to Greg Minnaar’s Santa Cruz V-10. Greg was also running a new Blackbox Boxxer fork. Neither seemed to slow him down. This new mech is designed to work with close-ratio cassettes like modern downhill bikes run. With Peaty running XO brakes in disguise last year, could this mean that there’ll be a DH flavoured group coming out later this year? Or is this just a special-order mech for the fast boys (and girls)? Read More

Vancouver, BC - June 15, 2011- Race Face Performance Products Inc., a global leader in premium mountain bike components, apparel and protection, has signed legendary freeride athlete Brett Tippie, indefinitely. In addition to rocking the brand’s latest components and protective gear this season, Tippie also assumes the title of social network guru as one of the regular contributing voices on the Race Face Twitter and Facebook pages. Read More

When it comes to off-the-shelf 29ers, I’ve been impressed with the offerings from Specialized. New this year is the Camber line and the Camber Pro 29er that I’ve had the pleasure of riding over the past few months. No question… this bike is a winner. 2011 Specialized Camber Pro 29er Features: Read More

Jared Graves has won the 4X at Leogang today, David Graf 2nd, and Tomas Slavik 3rd. In the womens race it was Romana Labounkova with Melissa Buhl 2nd and Anneke Beerten 3rd. The rain definitely played a part today with riders having to really slow down for more than one of the corners or risk going down on the wet and greasy track. It was also interesting to see riders using tear offs in 4X, that's not something you normally see. It was raining so hard riders were pulling tear offs at the start… Read More

It was a beautiful day at Leogang today, course conditions were a little dryer than they were in qualifying, and the times show it. Highlights from the day include Brook Macdonald once again holding the hot seat for a while, until Sam Hill took it away from him with 15 riders left to go. One of the more exciting moments was seeing Cedric Gracia ahead of Sam Hill at the split, but he couldn't hold it and finished 0.1 behind Hill for 7th place. Still amazing to see CG coming back and almost… Read More

Intense’s M9 represents 16 years of downhill racing development that began with the game-changing M1. No other brand can lay claim to as long or rich a heritage in World-Cup-level downhill racing. At one point in downhill's heyday, if you weren't on an Intense M1 (or an M1, rebadged and painted to look like another bike brand), then you weren't on the podium - end of story. Read More

Mike Montgomery took a strong second, as well as best trick honors, with this prototype Straitline hydraulic gyro installed on the front of his Banshee. Expect to see a few other riders, including Cam McCaul and Brandon Semenuk, rocking one of these at some of the upcoming events. Read More

Just a quick newsflash before things get too mental: Our mole at Whyte tells us: “We have been testing the bike at trail centres in the UK and at local trails in Cheltenham where our R & D facility is located. The bike is a work in progress, where we have been fine tuning our geometry. As with all our bikes the geometry is key to our design concept. Read More

Saturday SKS SlopestyleThousands came to check out the action of the SKS Slopestyle in Winterberg Germany. The slopestyle is part of the iXS Dirt Masters bike festival that drew 35,000 plus festival attendees. Read More

Yeti SB-66 On a sunny day in early April, the crew at Yeti brought together select media sources to have have a look at their all new SB-66 bike and suspension platform. In true Yeti form, the SB-66 is an all new suspension platform for them (more details below) and this new 6 inch bike is set to take trails by storm. Read More

Saracen's 2011 Myst downhill racer offers the same chassis that its pro-team is campaigning on at an affordable price and with an impressive spec. Saracen's name has been absent from the world of high-end bikes for quite a while, but now that they’re under the management of Madison in the UK, that is changing. As this feature test of Saracen's latest downhill design indicates, there is a vibrant, youthful energy lighting up the brand Saracen has a new World Cup team on the go, and the Junior… Read More

X-Fusion might be one of the newer kids on the suspension block, but lately they’ve been making products that are standing up against the big boys. Upgrade Bikes are bringing their range to the UK and we’ve just had a set of the new 160mm travel X-Fusion Vengeance HLR forks land in the office. Those offer a wide range of adjustment with independent high and low speed compression along with adjustable rebound and preload from the air spring, all at a price that undercuts similarly specced forks.… Read More

The world of mountain biking was busier than ever this past weekend, with Slope Style Events and World Cup Racing. With everything happening around the world, the Chile Challenge, which is the first gravity round of the Mountain States Cup, was going down in Angel Fire, New Mexico. Riders from Colorado, New Mexico, Texas, Arizona, Utah, and parts of California started to pour in to Angel Fire Thursday afternoon. I didn’t make my way up to Angel Fire Resort till early Friday morning. My alarm… Read More

Morpheus Cycles is unveiling their long awaited short travel, gravity bikes this season - the first being the LOKI. This bike represents the culmination of over two years of engineering, blood, sweat and testing. Class leading features from top to bottom are reasons to be interested, fully customizable event-ready frames and builds are reasons to believe. Mitch Chubey on his Loki Photo by Jeff Cox As you “build your own” on our site, you realize the parts you’ve always wanted to put on your… Read More

With so many big-bike riders sporting all-mountain bikes, it's safe to say trail-riding is cool again. Call it what you like, all I know is that you leave the shuttle behind, earn your turns, and have a wicked time. Giant's 29-pound Reign 0 fits neatly into the trailbike end of the all-mountain spectrum. With a three-chainring crankset and a lighter-weight component spec, the Reign 0 is designed to be a more versatile version of its burlier, gravity oriented Reign X brother. Giant's Reign 0 is… Read More

Yeti has a new six inch trail bike coming out: the SB-66. And we’ve already ridden it… Ready for it? Here's the Yeti SB-66 in 'Sulphur', which seems a hot colour for 2011 Starting with how it looks… we can see it being a bit ‘Marmite’ with Yeti fans and haters alike. It’s certainly a different look to Yeti’s normal bikes. However, we reckon it’s a pretty purposeful looking machine. Did that caption say ’2011′? Yes, that’s because it’s a bike that you’ll be able to actually buy this year, unlike… Read More

Building a jump, no matter how big, small, sweet or shady is something every mountain biker has done at some point. Steve Peat wants you to get out there dig, pile and shape your best jump, to celebrate his birthday week, June 13th – 17th. Build a Jump is a project created the World Champion Downhill Rider and a few of his Sheffield friends, in the hope of creating something fun for a rider of any age and any skill level to enjoy and be a a part of. Read More

Following the success of their limited edition run of ‘Blackout’ Orange Fives, the boys from Halifax have decided to give the ST4 trail bike a similar makeover with the release of the Orange ST4 Pro Blackout. Limited edition gets 140mm travel adjust forks up front plus custom extras... Read More

Internet at Fort William has been spotty at best today so we've been a little slow getting all our images. Here is a gallery of todays best photos from Colin Meagher. Mitch Ropalato and Curtis Keene chewing the fat pre quali day practice. Read More

When it comes to races on the World Cup circuit there are few events that carry such weight of expectation on their shoulders as Fort William. Right from day one the event has been an amazing success and now, in its tenth year, we see the second stage to the major renovation started in 2010. Bernat Guardia, getting flatter than your breakfast table on the top hip.. Read More

Photos by Colin Meagher and Duncan Philpott It was a great day at Fort William. New Zealand rider Brook MacDonald took the early lead with a time that was over 4 seconds faster than yesterdays fastest qualifier Aaron Gwin, but it was Greg Minnaar with the run of the day, finishing in 4:43.854. Danny Hart had a crazy loose looking run for an amazing second place finish, while Brook's time held up well enough to leave him on the podium in 3rd place. Gwin looked to be having an amazing run at the… Read More

Dave Smutok and Jeff Lenosky head to head in the second heat of finals. Lenosky won this heat but Smutok took the overall win for the race. Jeff Lenosky qualified first and won the second of two heats against Smutok, but couldn't overcome Dave's advantage after the first heat. Results 1. Dave Smutok2. Jeff Lenosky3. Eric Porter4. Kurt Sorge5. Mike Kent6. Clint McMahon7. Jay Vestich8. Brian Peters Read More

Joost Whichman got the holeshot in the mens final and looked to be going for the win, leading for the first half of the race. Unfortunately he crashed in the rock section at about halfway, taking out his teammate Thomas Slavik and letting Roger Rinderknecht and David Graf get past for first and second respectively. Fastest male qualifier Jared Graves got pushed outside in the first turn of the semi final by Tomas Slavik and didn't advance to the main event. Graves 5th place finish here still… Read More

Womens top 51. Tracy Moseley2. Rachel Atherton3. Floriane Pugin4. Myriam Nicole5. Sabrina Jonnierfull results at bottom Rachel Atherton, second place. Welcome back!38850 DHI WE Results Read More

Photos and Words by Fraser BrittonThe usually sloppy wet and gloomy Fort William World Cup was surprisingly sunny and hot today. Winds picked up which kept the midges at bay and helped to dry out the track, turning it into a freeway full of potholes. Massive braking bumps and holes are starting to form as the dry layer has been pushed off the track and the damp dirt underneath is getting shredded.Everyone seems to be enjoying the track, including the new sections in the woods leading into and… Read More

The racing is about to start, so keep an eye on our new Singletrack at Fort William Twitter feed for results as they happen, but in the meantime here’s some more random snaps of new bits and bobs we’ve spotted in the pits… Duvel - the super strong beer that makes you better in bed. In your head. Read More

Jon has been wandering around the pits and expo area this morning looking for anything new and interesting to take pictures of. Here’s what he’s come up with so far… Elite Women’s Qualifying has just finished – we’ll post up the results shortly but Rachel Atherton fastest down the hill so far. Mark is updating our Fort William World Cup Twitter feed live as we speak so you can see what’s happening in real time… Scott ‘Boom Boom’ Beaumont will be racing 4X later today – here’s his rather special… Read More

Sim’s been living on the hill with a camera for the weekend to record the racing and general goings on. He’s survived on nothing but wild haggis he’s caught himself and drinking bog water. There’s a cafe at the top of the hill, someone really should have told him. Anyway, here’s Sim’s top 10 shots of Fort William 2011 so far. Sun? At Fort William? You bet. Read More

No matter which camp you call home, it’s hard to ignore the fact that SRAM has hit the market just right with the 2×10 revolution. The entire XX group has garnered heaps of well-deserved praise from me and thousands of raving fans. For 2012, the lineup of AVID XX brakes gets a complete overhaul to be more powerful while also reducing weight. Read on for all the salivating details. May 19, 2011 – Colorado Springs, CO: The newly redesigned AVID XX and XX World Cup incorporates race-proven… Read More

Last Fall, I spent a couple of days at the Interbike Outdoor Demo. While there, I stopped in to visit the crew at Ellsworth Bikes. Here’s a quick overview of a couple of great bikes you should look for at your local dealer. 2011 Ellsworth Moment SST.2 The current Ellsworth Moment is one of the best bikes I have ever ridden. If you are looking for a true pedal friendly freeride bike that can do it all, then this may be your bike so you better start thinking about which Ellsworth custom frame… Read More

Trek World Racing's Aaron Gwin has just become the first American to win the DH at the US Open today, beating out Steve Smith and Justin Leov. In the Womens race Jill Kintner beat out Melissa Buhl and Joanna Petterson for the win. This gives the USA a full sweep of the event, with wins in all 4 pro races. Gwin and Kintner in DH, and Kintner and Ropelato in GS.Mens DH top 51 Aaron GWIN Trek World Racing Read More

What is it: Crank Brothers' fresh 5050 platform pedal is completely new from the ground up, sharing next to nothing with the original version. Using a unique two piece design that employs different materials - aluminum for the platform's outer section and polycarbonate for the inner - these novel pedals are quite different from other options on the market. There are two versions available: a 428 gram, black and silver version that retails for $80 USD and spins on a combination of a bushings and… Read More

BOS Suspension release their first air rear shock, as well as a newly revised fork line up. Marcus Farley and Tim Spickernell get the low down from UK importer Roger Estrada of R53 Engineering. First up is the new air shock, the Vip’r. It is designed to compliment their Deville range of trail and enduro forks and comes in 190, 200, 216 and 222mm eye to eye lengths. Like most of their products, the shock has been a number of years in the making, with BOS only releasing it when they felt it had… Read More

Worried that your hardcore hardtail just isn’t niche enough? Well, worry not – the gentlemen at Silverfish UK have sent us news of the arrival of two special edition Evil hardtail frames, all the way from the US of A. We imagine the levels of stoke are sky high right now. Here’s what they have to say… The Special Edition Evil Sovereign. Very yellow. “Now shipping to UK riders are Special Edition white Faction DJ frames and Special Edition yellow Evil Sovereign trail frames. The original Evil… Read More

The ST4 is a design made to continue our own inimitable niche: bikes for mountain biking, pure and unabridged. Like the original, the new frame is a responsive low-slung trail missile, efficient on the pedals, but with downhill poise that belies its travel. It's not about fashion; it's about the ride.Built for all-day missions, the ST4 uses a low leverage ratio to produce 110mm of buttery smooth travel. Rather than use a shorter 165 mm shock the ST4 takes a lesson from the Blood, running a… Read More

Santa Cruz Alloy Tallboy So just before deadline we headed up to the rather cosy Dog and Partridge at Tosside to see the new offerings from Santa Cruz. No powerpoints in stuffy darkened rooms from these boys, instead two days of riding bikes round Gisburn Forest before retiring for the evening to drink beer and be really well fed. Win. So first up is the Alloy Tallboy a 100m travel VVP 29er that can run 100-120mm forks up front. The Tallboy is proving popular with the long distance and 24 hour… Read More

A certain Tracey Moseley headed out to race in Elite Women's XC... Last weekend saw the second XC World Cup event to come to Dalby Forest, North Yorkshire. Held near the picturesque village of Pickering, the venue is proving to be a popular one with riders and spectators alike. The technically demanding 6km course was compact enough to let spectators view riders on all parts and thanks to to commentary being piped to all areas they could keep up with events as they happened. As well as the… Read More

Lama Cycles, the Canadian distributor for NS Bikes, Morewood Bikes, Industry Nine, Kali Protectives, Straitline Components, Octane One, Creme Cycles, Formula Brakes and Nema Internationalis proud to announce its official DH team for 2011. For a fifth year in a row, the Lama Cycles team will take part in the Quebec Cup events, the Canada Cup events, selected BC cup and Pro GRT events and will also be attending the two North American World Cups. Throughout the 2011 season, the team will be… Read More

Their partnership was broken by illness and they couldn’t defend their Masters’ title at the 2011 ABSA Cape Epic, but Cycle Lab Toyota’s Andrew McLean and Shan Wilson bounced back in a big way with a dominant performance at the 2011 Subaru Sani2C at the weekend. With 2000 participants, Sani2C is the biggest mountain bike stage race in the world, the perfect platform for a reunion of two of the world’s leading 40-years-plus mountain bike racers. Not only did they achieve victory in the Veteran… Read More

A missed turn around 12km from the finish of the final stage resulted in the Nedbank 360Life team of Kevin Evans and David George losing the 2011 Subaru Sani2C. But on reflection, they gained more from the three-day race than they lost. Having won the first two stages and holding a lead of more than two minutes over their nearest rivals, George and Evans were in rampant form come Saturday’s final leg. They made the pace hard on the early climbs and narrowed the lead group down to just four… Read More

Max Knox and Adrien Niyonshuti's luck changed on Saturday when an error by the overnight leaders handed the duo the overall victory in the Subaru Sani2c mountainbike race in Scottburgh. After 78 kilometres of furious racing from Highflats in southern KwaZulu-Natal, the MTN-DoItNow pair crossed the finish line behind stage three winners Neil MacDonald and Waylon Woolcock (RE:CM) to snatch overall victory from Kevin Evans and David George (Nedbank 360Life). Evans and George dropped to third in… Read More

Kevin Evans and David George look set for their second title as a unit after winning the tough second stage of the three-day Subaru sani2c mountain bike race between Ixopo and Highflats on Friday.Taking advantage of near-perfect conditions, the Nedbank 360Life pair blitzed the 96-kilometre course in 3:48:18 to extend their six-second overnight advantage over MTN-DoItNow’s Max Knox and Adrien Niyonshuti (3:50:28) to 2:16.RE:CM’s Neil MacDonald and Waylon Woolcock were third in 3:52:35 for a… Read More

Hygia Elite Carbon brakesWhat it is: Hygia is a Taiwan-based company that makes bicycle brakes and accessories, and a division of a large Taiwanese metal fabrication company, so one would expect that they have experience in manufacturing precision devices. The Elite Carbon brake we tested is a hydraulic disc brake intended for light all-mountain and cross country use. The $375 Elite carbon (tested) is followed by the $325 XC-oriented SLP and the $260 Aspire DH/Freeride system (prices are for… Read More

The pairs of David George and Kevin Evans and Cherise Taylor and Karien van Jaarsveld won the respective men's and women's first stage of the opening day to take the leaders' jerseys at the Subaru sani2c on Thursday. The Nedbank 360Life duo of George and Evans completed the 87-kilometre stage between Underberg in the southern Drakensberg and Mackenzie Club near Ixopo in 2:49:16 to hold off MTN-DoItNow's Max Knox and Adrien Niyonshuti by six seconds. Three seconds further back were RE:CM's Neil… Read More

The Canary Islands, also known as the Canaries are a Spanish archipelago located just off the northwest coast of mainland Africa, are only a four hour flight away from the German airport Frankfurt. So Tenrife, La Palma, Cran Canaria, El Hierro and La Palma are the perfect location to escape the bad winter weather in Europe. So the idea was born to make the Gravity Girls Fototrip to these beautiful volcanic islands. With the help from Atlantic cycling (www.atlantic-cycling.de) the idea came up… Read More

MicroSHIFT Marvo XEWhat it is: You are forgiven if this is the first that you've heard of MicroSHIFT, especially considering that it would be an understatement to say that SRAM and Shimano have the lions share of the drivetrain market. But it's always good to keep an open mind, right? MicroSHIFT may not have the product spread that the two big players can brag about, but they do offer the sharp looking, Shimano compatible 9 speed Marvo XE rear derailleur tested here, along with a matching front… Read More