Dirtscrolls

We’re giving away two pairs of entries to the Enduro-X race in Steamboat Springs, Colorado, August 22-23 along with two nights lodging. The enduro vacation package includes two event entries to the Enduro-X, August 22-23, two BBQs, live music, bike expo and premier enduro racing at the Steamboat Bike Park and Routt National Forest trail ...

The Howru Klunk Crew gets after it at opening day of Snow Summit Bike Park. A freak May snowstorm made for all time conditions when the sun started shining on Saturday. The trails were dialed and the park was wide open, a perfect scenario for an all out klunkfest. https://vimeo.com/129830637 Riders: Carl Hulick, Tucker Hopkins, ...

Riding high after Greg Minnaar’s victory at the Ft. William World Cup, the Santa Cruz Syndicate heads to the second of back-to-back races in Leogang, Austria.   Rayboy’s race run What’s it like to go warp speed? Check out Josh Bryceland’s helmet cam from his race run.   Keep watching Catch up on all the ...

Editor’s note: This piece originally appeared in Issue #185 but due to a printing gremlin, the final few lines were cut off. It is reprinted here in its entirety. To read the reviews of the two singlespeeds in the issue, order a copy today. Words by Eric McKeegan, photo by Kyle Tingly Let’s get this out ...

Over the weekend American downhill racer Aaron Gwin (Specialized Racing) did the unbelievable: he won the Leogang, Austria, World Cup downhill without a chain. The two-time World Cup overall champ snapped his chain right out of the gate and literally “coasted” to his second World Cup win of the year. How awesome is that?! Believe ...

It’s no secret that my love of all things metal rivals that of my love for all things mountain biking so when this video of Jean-Michel Labadie from French metalers Gojira ripping through Vallorie Bike Park in the French Alps surfaced last week it was pretty awesome. It’s a high quality, pro-shot video that shows ...

The original Yelli Screamy helped to redefine what a production hardtail 29er could be, with short chainstays, a slack head angle and a playful nature. “The original Yelli was the 29er that we wanted to ride,” said Lance Canfield, owner and designer. “It didn’t exist, so we built it. It’s fun up, down, in the air, ...

Hollywood Racks sprang from humble beginnings in 1973 when it began making trunk racks in a Hollywood, California–based bike shop. Eventually, the shop was shuttered so Hollywood could focus on its booming rack business. Sport Rider 4 Hollywood’s $444 Sport Rider 4 is a two-plus-two arrangement, meaning there’s a two-bike base rack for 2-inch hitches ...

Ruckus Composites is working hard to diminish the idea that carbon fiber frames are disposable. While steel is always touted as easily repairable, the crew at Rukus can do the same for just about any broken carbon fiber frame. Working with a new motto, Remade in the U.S.A., check out the new website for more ...

Editor’s note: This story first appeared in Dirt Rag Issue #48, published in November 1995. Words by Chip Baker. Art by Craig Foster. It starts out innocently enough: Your chain starts skipping manically over your gears for no apparent reason—as you’ve worn out your welcome at Sid’s Bike and Tackle Shop, you think “why not ...

On the cover Rambling along. Photo by Mattias Fredriksson.   The Dirt and Readings Tech Editor Eric McKeegan rants in defense of spoiled bicycle-media types, check out some amazing images from the famous Duryea Downhill road gap as well as CruzFest—the first time this European-based, invite only series came to America. Plus, a thank you ...

Kona Bikes has been a busy bunch. Its line of Process bikes have been a huge hit—see our double review in the current issue—but it isn’t exactly coasting. The brand has recently opened a flagship bike shop in its home town of Bellingham, Washington. It will carry, naturally, Kona bikes, but it will also serve ...

It’s not a good idea to cut corners when it comes to safety, but it can be tough to decide how nice a helmet you really “need.” Bell hopes to make choosing a bit easier with the introduction of the $90 Event XC, the most affordable helmet in its lineup with the MIPS safety system. ...

  “Adventure” is all the rage these days, but the scope definition and scope of these adventures varies greatly from source to source. In this case, Jamis defines adventure with a heavy dose of performance and a side of versatility for their new go-anywhere, do-anything road bike. The highly engineered Renegade joins a stable of ...

Bike companies are getting hip to the next generation of mountain bike talent. Commencal is starting them young on the 12-inch Ramones push bike. No toy, the $199 Ramones 12 is built with some quality parts, like an actual threadless stem and handlebar that can be swapped out as your child grows and pneumatic Kenda ...

While Aaron Gwin is getting all the headlines this week about his jaw-dropping chainless win, the weekend prior there was some big news as well, as Greg Minnaar matched his Santa Cruz Syndicate teammate Steve Peat for the most all-time World Cup wins with number 17 coming at Fort William, Scotland. In the meantime, Peaty ...

After an exciting vote, Bell Helmets and IMBA have announced that the Appalachian Mountain Bike Club of Knoxville, Tennessee, is the 2015 Bell Built champion. Situated in the heart of Knoxville, the Appalachian Mountain Bike Club will receive the full $100,000 grant to build their Urban Wilderness Trail Project. The bike park is being constructed with ...

By William Kirk These Bontrager Rhythm shoes could easily hide on the shelf at your LBS under the guise of a standard light-duty cross country shoe. However, if you dig deeper you’ll find features with an obvious gravity influence. About the intended usage of the$160 Rhythm shoes, Bontrager says “A little bit of all-purpose. Trail. ...

When an email from 9point8 landed in my inbox this morning, I was hoping it was shipping confirmation for our sample of its new Fall Line dropper. We are big fans of the Pulse dropper, and have high hopes for the Fall Line, which has internal routing, infinite adjustment and very simple internals. It’s also ...

By Matt Kasprzyk Amidst the 27.5 and fat bike boom Trek has been perfecting a 29er that redefines 140 mm travel, big-wheeled bikes. Sure, there’s a lot of proven Trek features that riders are familiar with, but the latest iteration of the Remedy is a mind-expanding ride experience because of two major design features: the ...

By this point you’ve likely heard plenty of watercooler chatter (both excitement and complaining) about the latest crop of bikes with 27.5 wheels and tires ranging from 2.8 to 3.5 inches wide. If you’re looking for some backstory, check out Part 1 of this occasional series. Here at Dirt Rag we’ve only had some short ...

Six mountain bike athletes have been handed a camera and given free reign to share their storytelling skills with the mountain bike community. Together with a team of riders and videographers, they have from today until August 4 to craft a four to six-minute video to be screened at the Whistler Olympic Plaza during Crankworx ...

As we reported in February 2015, Santa Cruz has added a 27.5 option to its 2015 Highball lineup. The original 29er model also received minor geometry tweaks, but in both wheel sizes, the hardtail remains true to its cross-country, racy roots. The CC designation denotes an upgraded carbon frame that, thanks to some nips and ...

By Sue George. Photos courtesy of the Trans-Sylvania Epic Media Team. The last day of the NoTubes Trans-Sylvania Epic brought a few more miles and lots of smiles. For the elite men, the final day was shorter, but no less intense, with 26 miles of twisty singletrack for racers to whip through in an effort ...

By Sue George. Photos courtesy of the Trans-Sylvania Epic Media Team. In a race as long and challenging as the NoTubes Trans-Sylvania Epic, the only constant is change. On the signature trail of the stage and of the race, Tussey Ridge, the men’s category was shaken up today by a mechanical and will be tightly contested ...

By Sue George. Photos courtesy of the Trans-Sylvania Epic Media Team. Stage 5 started at R.B. Winter State Park, after a drive along a pastoral valley road complete with Amish buggies. In past editions of the NoTubes Trans-Sylvania Epic, this stage has served up arduous singletrack sections and heartbreaking climbs, but this year’s course was smoother and ...

Photos by Brice Shirbach. Intense has carved its niche as a high-end manufacturer of some of the most desirable frames in the mountain bike business. At one time it was an operation that only served up American-made aluminum frames and select parts kits. Recently it set the industry on fire with the $10,000 carbon Tracer 275C ...

Having just won the first World Cup XC race of 2015 in the U23 category, Jenny is cementing herself as a mountain bike racer with some serious talent. Head out for a ride with Jenny on her Genius at home in Sweden during the offseason.

By Sue George. Photos courtesy of the Trans-Sylvania Epic Media Team. Stage 4 is considered the “road” stage of the NoTubes Trans-Sylvania Epic, but in the wilds of central Pennsylvania, that means surfaces ranging from gravel to chunky doubletrack bracketed by sections of twisty, rocky singletrack. Nevertheless, there was plenty of roadie-style peloton action complete with ...

  Editor’s note: In this letter from Dirt Rag Issue #85 (April 2001), serial art contributor “Captain Black” explains how he eschewed proper engineering principles and created a magical machine for sharing the joy of cycling with his son. Keep reading We’ve published a lot of stuff in 25 years of Dirt Rag. Find all ...

The Ryders antiFOG collection represents the next level of cycling eyewear. The anti-fog treatment on the inside of the lens is permanent and washable, meaning you won’t have to worry about the anti-fog wearing out over time. The front of the lens is hydrophobic, ensuring that water doesn’t distort your vision. The antiFOG/hydrophobic features are ...

Joe Breeze has been a busy guy. In addition to popularizing the very concept of mountain biking back in the early 1970s, he also steers the ship at his own brand, Breezer Bikes, and has taken stewardship of the original Mountain Bike Hall of Fame. Breeze has brought the collection to his home—and mountain biking ...

By Sue George. Photos courtesy of the Trans-Sylvania Epic Media Team. Today’s stage 3, the Galbraith Enduro, is a crowd-pleaser for both participants and spectators at the NoTubes Trans-Sylvania Epic Mountain Bike Stage Race. Five enduro segments of classic East Coast singletrack, each steeper and rockier than the last, tested racers’ ability to flow like water—or ...

The Camargue from Velo Orange is a bike designed to extend the ride beyond where the pavement ends. Named after an ancient French horse breed, the Camargue is as rugged as its wetland-dwelling namesake and capable of taking you on adventures both near and far and in a style normally reserved for bikes with much ...

The three 2015 Bell Built finalists have been named, and the final voting period is now LIVE through June 4. Unlike prior years, only one finalist will be dubbed the Bell Built grand prize winner, where they will take home the full $100,000 to build their dream trail. See the finalists below and cast your vote at bellhelmets.com/bell-built. ...

Let’s face it, not every ride is a Sunday stroll along a smooth path. If it was it wouldn’t be mountain biking, now would it? Sometimes hike-a-bike is an unavoidable nuisance to get to better trail ahead. In this short video photographer and adventure expert Dan Milner shows us three of his favorite techniques for ...

By Sue George. Photos courtesy of the Trans-Sylvania Epic Media Team The forested hills of central Pennsylvania hide steep climbs and rocky singletrack that can make for an interesting race. Stage 2 of the NoTubes Trans-Sylvania Epic is widely considered the toughest of the week, covering 37.5 miles and 5,892 feet of climbing. Despite the lengthy ...

By Sue George. Photos courtesy of the Trans-Sylvania Epic Media Team Beautiful, dry weather set the stage for a lightning-fast opening day at the NoTubes Trans-Sylvania Epic in State College, Pennsylvania on Sunday. The 15-mile individual time trial prologue course wound around the picturesque base camp and included three special timed sections, two enduro segments and ...

In elite cross-country racing, cutting every gram possible is key to getting to the top of the mountain first—or the top of the podium. Some World Cup racers have adopted full-suspension bikes, but many prefer the simplicity and pedaling performance of a hardtail. BMC has revived an old idea with its latest bike design: a ...

Being on a professional MTB team, there is a lot of traveling involved, before and during race time. Nino Schurter and SCOTT-Odlo MTB Racing spent a decent amount of time in South Africa and California preparing for the upcoming World Cup season, which starts this coming weekend in Nove Mesto, Czech Republic.. South Africa is ...

A huge and heartfelt thanks goes out to the more than 3,600 attendees, exhibitors, sponsors and volunteers who made Dirt Rag Dirt Fest presented by Pivot Cycles possible this year. Special thanks to the Army Corp of Engineers and the Friends of Raystown Lake for providing an incredible venue and working hand-in-hand with us to make ...

I come from a long line of pack rats. Nothing gets thrown away, and family attics look like scenes from “American Pickers.” This genetic predisposition, combined with my long tenure at Dirt Rag, landed me the role of de-facto staff archivist and historian. Each week, I rummage through the magazine’s archives in search of “Blast ...

Words by Frank Maguire. Photos by Scott Schoen. Since you’re reading Dirt Rag, it’s a safe bet that you think bikes are a pretty great human achievement—right up there with sliced bread, space travel and Saturday morning cartoons. As with all great inventions, bikes should be measured by their ability to change and improve people’s daily ...

If any one single model epitomizes “mountain bikes” it’s the Specialized Stumpjumper. One of the first mass-produced off road bicycles, it been a mainstay of the lineup since 1981. Its evolution has traced the course of mountain bike design, through various frame materials, suspension setups and user categories. There are no fewer than 19 different Stumpjumper ...

Dropper posts have dropped a bomb on the bike industry, with many riders (this one included) believing they are the most significant mountain bike innovation since the suspension fork. But while they can transform your bike and your ride, they have their weaknesses. Reliability has been an issue with many models, and the thumb remotes ...

By Eric McKeegan Since the original introduction of the 29plus platform with Surly’s Krampus, riders in love with the plus-size concept have been wishing for/hoping for/ demanding a more aggressive tire than the all-purpose Knard found on that machine. While there are more plus-size tires in the pipeline, these two tires are the first we’ve ...

Photos by Justin Steiner Anyone who followed the saga of the Ripley knows this bike wasn’t easy to birth. Between a completely new dw-link system that uses eccentrics rather than links and a switch to a different factory in the middle of development, to say this was a difficult labor would be an understatement. Ibis stuck ...

Editor’s note: This story first appeared in Dirt Rag #111, published in November 2004. Words by Karen Brooks. Photos by Brad Quartuccio. If you’re reading this, chances are you know the joys of gliding through the woods, the satisfaction of making it up that hill, and the release of elevating your heart rate. It makes ...

Enter to win a trip for two to the SCOTT Enduro Cup presented by Vittoria at the Ride Sun Valley Bike Festival June 26-28. Tackle a two-day enduro race on Sun Valley’s legendary singletrack complete with music, food, a beer garden, pre-race prologue, bike expo, clinics, bike prom and more homegrown fun. The package includes ...

Underway this week the Inca Avalanche Trail Fest has returned to the Sacred Valley of the Inca and Ollantaytambo, Peru. The festival features five days of riding on the best descents in the area, evening cocktail parties, Inca sites and cultural experienced you just don’t get anywhere else. The week is capped off by the Inca Avalanche race ...