34th Annual Pearl Pass Tour to Aspen
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Back in 1976, when a bunch of rowdies from Crested Butte decided to pedal and push their one-speed klunkers over the 12,705-foot Pearl Pass and on into Aspen, they had no idea what they were beginning.
Riders share their favorite bike at Demo Day
What was your favorite bike you rode at the Outdoor Demo?
As the second and final day of Outdoor Demo drew to a close we thought it would be interesting to see what participants thought about the shiny new 2011 rigs they rode. Well, shiny and new before being subjected to two days of abuse at the hands of bikers riding unfamiliar bikes on unfamiliar trails. In case you are not familiar with the trails at Bootleg Canyon, think kitty litter over hardpack, and every rock is sharp and ill tempered.
VIDEO: Thunder Mountain Trail ride
By Justin Steiner
Jeff Lockwood: The Dirt Rag roast
Editor’s note: Jeff Lockwood worked at Dirt Rag for longer than he’d probably like to admit. Now he’s off to Arizona as marketing director for Pivot Cycles and BH. We wish him the best of luck in his new ventures, but we were’t going to let him off the hook quite so easily….
Smell You Later, Lockwood
By Karl Rosengarth
Race Across the Sky to appear in 500+ theaters on Nov. 4
If you weren’t able to make it to Colorado for the 2010 Leadville 100, now you can experience it through the lens and on the big screen as a special screening will take place on November 4 in select theaters nationwide.
The 2010 edition features footage and interviews of the record-breaking win by professional racer Levi Leipheimer, famous blind adventurer Eric Weihenmayer who rode the race on a tandem and Mountain Bike Hall of Famer and six-time Leadville Trail 100 champion Dave Wiens.
Stuff I like: Exposure Lights
By Maurice Tierney
2010 Singlespeed World Championships: We were there
Thanks for the trails
By Sal Ruibal
I’ve been getting lots of emails and calls from my mountain-biking friends this week, looking to ride my neighborhood trails.
I’m lucky to live in an area that’s just outside the Washington DC Beltway, but also rich in singletrack. And not just any singletrack, but sweet-flowing, banked and bermed vintage IMBA Grand Cru that makes up in smiles what it lacks in miles.
When I first began riding here in 1994, there were two kinds of trails; sidewalks and bushwhacked ruts with shin-bashing rocks and ankle-deep mud bogs.
Two words: Recumbent downhill
Does this mean the socks/sandals/beard look will be replaced with flat-brimmed hats and big shades?
Dirt Bag Remedy for Cold Hands
Maybe I have poor circulation, but cold hands are something I’ve always struggled with during winter riding. No matter what gloves I’m wearing, my hands end up cold when the temperature dips below about 15º. Sure, I could buy some lobster-claw-style gloves or mittens, but I don’t like the idea of having to use more than one finger to brake.
Winner, Winner Frozen Dinner!
Yeah, I know, it’s never too cold to ride your bike. Harden the core up, and stop the whining, right? But I’m a man with a different plan.
When life gives you lemons, make lemonade. And when Ma Nature dumps piles of white stuff, grab the XC skis and go with the flow in the snow. Kick and glide—now that’s what talkin’ ’bout.
My local singletrack offers stellar XC skiing terrain, whenever the snow is too deep for mountain biking.
One can be wonderful
Editor’s note: Chances are, you’ve noticed a growing number of unicyclists out on the trails. Think your singlespeed is simple? Try one gear AND one wheel. Dave Krack of Butler Wobble sent us this piece with some tips for trying it yourself. His advice: It’s not as hard as it looks!
Ride the Divide on tour
"The world’s toughest bike race isn’t in France."
That’s the tag line for Ride the Divide, a feature-length documentary about the 2008 Tour Divide race, a 2,700-mile haul along the Continental Divide. The race begins every summer in Banff, Alberta, to the New Mexico-Mexico border. There is no outside support allowed, there are no prizes and there is nearly 200,000-feet of climbing.
Cold Weather Gear… For Dogs?
By Shannon Mominee
It’s hard to keep sane through the winter with the short amount of daylight hours, below average temperatures, and an activity level that wants to dip to near hibernation. I probably would sleep straight through January and February if I didn’t feel guilty about not taking my dog, Roman, to the trails for exercise.
Behind the scene at NAHBS
Taking it over the top in 2011
One of the most rewarding things about shooting bikes and builders at NAHBS is having a couple of minutes away from the bustle of the show floor to chat with individuals behind the bikes. The builders seem to appreciate a brief respite from the constant barrage of questions and talking points—it’s nice to see everyone relax just a bit and take a deep breath.
Dirt Rag Spring Break 2011
We traveled to Western North Carolina this past weekend to visit two more companies for our Made in America series and naturally, get some riding done.
Brain fart: Here’s to good friends
There a gremlins out in them ‘thar hills.
By Stephen Haynes
A few weeks back my riding buddies and I got together at our regular trails to do a little early spring riding. It was just cold enough to still be considered cold, but not cold enough to consider doing something else.
Framebuilders flock to sunny San Diego
By Jeff Thrasher
Brain Fart: Out and about (with kids)
Odin enjoying his favorite outdoor pastime.
By Stephen Haynes
Summertime at Dirt Rag HQ
By Shannon Mominee
Summertime at DRHQ is a special season around here. Our house/office goes from freezing cold to hot and humid. Stink bugs, ants, spiders and the rest of the insects are in full force. Our resident bird couple make non-stop food runs from their nest built into the brick of the patio, and somewhere around here the black snake is killing vermin that wander on to its territory. At least it hasn’t found its way into the house again.
Under test: Breezer Cloud 9 Pro
By Maurice Tierney
What better way to “Get the Skinny” on a test bike than a ride with it’s creator? Joe Breeze is a legend of mountain biking and we’re fortunate to have an office nearby his home turf of Marin County, Cali-for-nye-aye.
Joe is a super-nice guy and it’s a super-pleasure to take a ride with him on his home turf.
Ventana El Saltamones gets around
By Eric McKeegan
I recently finished the print review of the El Saltamones, and never got around to creating a first impression blog. Maybe it was the difficulty in building it up (took more than six months to get all the parts together), but when I finally got it running I just wanted to ride, not talk about it any more. So how about some photos instead?
Anyway, here it is after a bit of mud at DirtFest.
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Waiting for the Phoenix to rise
By Matt Kaspryk
You ever get really excited about something? Like when you get a little taste of a great new thing and can’t wait to try it again! You know, like what you got from those guys for free that first time. Yeah, a thing like that is what I’m talking about!
Ticks suck!
By Gregory A. Cummins, D.O., M.S. American Board Internal Medicine Fellow Candidate, American Academy of Wilderness Medicine
Illustrations by Andy Jones
Dirt Rag gets down with park riding
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By Justin Steiner, photos by Adam Newman
There and back again
Not quite ready for the house of Elrond, but as ready as I’ll ever be for this particular outing.
By Stephen Haynes
A few weeks ago I set out in the spirit of Bilbo Baggins for a grand adventure of the solo variety. Many wouldn’t see this as a warm up to some greater adventure, let alone an “adventure” in itself, but an adventure it was for me.
It Came From the Basement!! Oddities from the parts stash
Dirt Rag has been around a long time—22 years and counting, all in the same office. As you can imagine, we have acquired quite a collection of Stuff. Since 1989, we’ve been writing about some of the best and not-so-best mountain bike products ever brought to the market.
During some recent cleaning we came across a box of wonders tucked away in the basement. Some of the items pictured here we can’t even identify. Recognize any of this stuff? Let us know in the comments below!
First ride with a new trail buddy
By Matt Kasprzyk
I have a new riding buddy.
Royal Zero the Zombie Killer has been a part of my pack for about 17 months now. He’s not a fox. He’s about a year and a half old Shiba Inu, one of the oldest breeds in the world, despite almost going extinct after WWII. My goal has always been to develop him into a great trail dog.
Brain Fart: The used bike economy
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By Justin Steiner
Let’s face it; all hobbies are expensive, particularly if you want nice things. Despite that fact, we receive a fair bit of hate mail for testing expensive bikes and products in Dirt Rag and Bicycle Times.
It Came From the Basement!! More stange stuff from the stash
Dirt Rag has been around a long time—22 years and counting, all in the same office. As you can imagine, we have acquired quite a collection of Stuff. Since 1989, we’ve been writing about some of the best and not-so-best mountain bike products ever brought to the market.
Last week we showed you some interesting stuff we found in a dusty old box. Now we’ve got some more. Some of the stuff we can’t even identify. Recognize any of this stuff? Let us know in the comments below!
Amazing video from klunking’s glory days
By now you likely know the story of klunking, the first genesis of mountain biking in Northern California. But in the late ’70s and early ’80s the idea of riding a bike down (or even up) a mountain was still considered crazy. CBS Evening Magazine aired this story about the craze and caught up with some of the legends of the sport, including Charlie Kelly (pictured here in the white shirt) and Gary Fisher (in the plaid).
Dicky Does Vegas: Part One
By Rich Dillen
Putting the Gnar! in narwhal: A Lesson in T-shirt design
By Stephen Haynes
Most folks aren’t aware of the growing population of aquatic mammals riding gravity inspired bikes in the far north. In fact, it’s laughable to think that such practices even happen, even on a practical level. How would aquatic mammals equip themselves for such exploits? Wouldn’t the components rust or freeze? Whales don’t even have legs, how are they going to pedal a bike?
Steve Jobs and the founding of Dirt Rag
By Maurice Tierney
Just a word on where we came from…
What do you want to learn about photography?
By Justin Steiner
I’m busy writing a “Dirt Rag Guide to Mountain Bike Photography” article for issue #161, hitting the newsstand in February 2012, and would like to ask you, our fair readers, to weigh in with your photographic questions, concerns and advice.
Readers Write: DIY Walmart snow bike
By Scott Berelson
Our favorite part of fall: Pumpkin beer
By Matt Kasprzyk
You know what I like about autumn? Beer and Pie. The leaves are nice too.
Riding Dirty – Adventures of Toby Dog
By Josh Patterson
Three new singlespeeds in for testing
Winter is knocking on the door here in Pittsburgh, and that means it’s singlespeed season. We’ve had a couple new bikes arrive this week for long-term tests and you’ll soon be seing them in the pages of Dirt Rag.
The making of a poster for a decades-old, secret race
By Stephen Haynes
Plagued by the memories of my first Punk Bike Enduro experience last year, I felt compelled to produce a poster that captured both the spirit of the event and my own nightmarish recollections. If you’re not familiar, Punk Bike is a race event held every year near Pittsburgh that combines speed, skill, and standing around in the freezing cold woods drinking beer.
First, some haphazard, drunken sketches were scribbled:
By Jon PrattKrampus, the holiday anti-hero
By Matt Kasprzyk
I really don’t get into “the holiday spirit.” This time of year really doesn’t get me excited. You could blame the commercialism of traditions, or the impositions of religion, or just call me a scrooge. Will Ferrell is funny and all, but it’s just another gray day here. As I tap this out, it’s wet and gray outside, and for the last week the weather has left me with little ambition to get out of bed in the morning. Nothing much to get excited about.
In the house: Lynskey Cooper CX disc
By Adam Newman
Lynskey might be getting a lot of press right now for bikes they are building for other brands—see our Kona post from yesterday—but they build plenty with its own name on the side too.
Gifts in the mail are “Awesome”!
By Karen Brooks
So one fine day after I came back from some time off over the holidays, I found a package in my office mailbox:
What better way to commemorate such a gift than with a Team Dicky-style blog post? Here goes.
Watch Jay Hoots discuss trailbuilding in this TED Talk
Hoots Inc. is a legendary professional freestyle rider that has made it his mission to create better quality facilities for riders around the world. His British Columbia-based trailbuilding and bike park construction company, Hoots Inc., builds parks large and small for its clients.
British TV star riding to the South Pole
British TV personality Helen Skelton is known for her daring adventures—2,000-mile kayak trips, ultra-marathons, highwire tight-rope walking—but this winter she may top them all with an 500-mile bike ride to the South Pole.
Floating around the blogosphere
By Josh Patterson
There’s a lot going on the interweb these days. And the little corner of the blogosphere—yes, that is in fact a word—inhabited by cycling-related blogs and bloggers keeps expanding.
Here are four of the bicycling blogs I frequent:
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Dirt Rag’s 2011 office commute totals
By Shannon Mominee
The numbers for total mileage and days commuted by bike to the Dirt Rag office have been calculated, and per her normal dominance—or at least our ability to mark an “X” on the record board—Karen Brooks, above, takes home the prize for most days and mileage. Actually, there is no prize, but all of us receive $1 for every round trip cycled.
What we’re excited about in 2012
By Eric McKeegan
Riding bikes is pretty awesome, particularly if you are like me and like to ride all kinds of bikes on all kinds of terrain. I’m looking forward to a few things in particular for 2012. Maybe you’ll be interested to hear about them? Maybe not. Regardless here they are, in no particular order:
Follow-up to a fascinating photo
On Monday we posted the photo above on our Facebook page and received an incredible response. I’ll admit to knowing next to nothing about it when it was posted, our readers have filled in quite a few gaps in the story.
Dirt Rag visits Ray’s Women’s Weekend
By Karen Brooks
My favorite event on our calendar was this past weekend: the Women’s Weekend at Ray’s Indoor Bike Park in Cleveland. This is always such a good time, riding-wise and socially, and I’m not exaggerating when I say it has been fundamental to my development as a mountain biker.
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You’re never too old for spring break
Words by Josh Patterson, photos by the Dirt Rag staff
You can blame MTV for cultivating the notion that spring break is all about binge drinking and making as many bad decisions as one can cram into a week. Rather than squander a week blacking-out in a tacky, overcrowded resort, and waking up next to someone you’d rather not see again, why not spend a week doing something you will actually remember, with people whose company you actually enjoy?
Dirt Rag rides the rails
Now I hope it don’t be too long
Waiting on a train come to take me home
So I’ll sing another funky song
Just until another one comes along
— The DFLO Shuffle, by Digital Underground
by Karl Rosengarth
Blast from the past: the Stutterin’ Prick
Editor’s note: I dragged out this post from our old forums about our founder and publisher’s legendary singlespeed, the Stutterin’ Prick. Note, this was written a decade ago, in 2002.
By Maurice Tierney
The real story of my one speed, named after a Joe Peshi line in what movie?
Here’s the deal: The story from 24 hours of Canaan this year (2002) is the story of a ten-year-old bike that has not passed its prime: Stutterin’ Prick.
Assault on the Trans-Sylvania Epic, with a Cannondale Scalpel
by Karen Brooks
The Trans-Sylvania Epic stage race was so much fun last year—in that wonderful suffering kind of way—that I couldn’t wait to sign up again for 2012. Fortunately, Dirt Rag is now a presenting sponsor, so this event counts as “work.” Both Eric and I will be racing the Solo category, and various other staff may also drop by to check things out, particularly on Monday for the Ride for the Trails happening during Stage Two.
President George W. Bush joins in on W100 Wounded Warrior ride
No matter which end of the political spectrum you fall on, you have to respect former President George W. Bush’s ability to tear up a trail. It’s quite possible he was the most physically fit president we’ve ever had.
Race recap: ‘Be careful what you wish for’, AKA, ‘The Stoopid 50’
Yes, that’s the trail. Not pictured are the rattlesnakes.
[Photos courtesy of Bob Popovich]
By Karen Brooks
Issue #164 now on sale!
Today is the official on-sale date of the latest and greatest issue of your favorite mountain bike magazine.
Cover illustration by Chris B. Murray.
Features
Ladies First, By Melanie Strong
But what began as a transparent effort to win the heart of a man turned into a lifelong passion. Thanks to the many men who are often the ones to teach us how to ride, but please let us pass.
Evolution of a cover illustration
The illustration on the cover of Issue #164 was created by artist Chris B. Murray. Below you’ll see a series of sketches that he and Art Director Matt Kasprzyk worked on to finalize the design. You can see more of Murray’s work on his website.
Journey to the Mecca: Whistler Bike Park
By Justin Steiner, action photos courtesy of Sterling Lorence and Shimano.
Whistler Bike Park has long been the Mecca for gravity riders thanks to its lore as the end-all-be-all of downhill riding. I know, because my heart raced like a sugar-addled 4-year old when I learned I had been invited to Shimano’s 2013 Saint press launch there this year. Like most gravity riders, Whistler has been high, if not on top of my bucket list for quite some time.
Gravity Nationals weekend recap
By Justin Steiner,
USA Cycling’s Gravity Nationals weekend wrapped up Sunday at Beech Mountain, N.C., culminating in the men’s and women’s Pro downhill races to crown new national champions. Racers of all ages and ability levels traveled from all over the country to participate in four days of dual slalom and downhill racing. Even before on-sight registration closed Saturday afternoon, attendance was said to be up around 14 percent over last year with roughly 470 race registrations for the weekend. Here’s a day-by-day recap of the highlights.
24 tips for racing your first Leadville Trail 100
By Ellen Hall
If you’re one of the lucky ones who will be at the starting line this year, there are less than two weeks to finish preparing for the Leadville Trail 100. I attempted the race in 2009, pulled out and called it a day as it started to thunder storm on my ride up the Powerline climb.
Singlespeed USA invades Vermont
By Ryan Thibault, courtesy of MTBVT.com,
This year SSUSA crash-landed in the posh resort town of Stowe, Vermont. Under the cover of darkness the singlespeeders crept in and by first light they were amassed. What ensued was a siege that small town New England has not seen the likes of since the Revolutionary War.
Tackling the Chomolungma Challenge – 30,000 feet of descending
By Justin Steiner, photo courtesy of Snowshoe Bike Park.
Navigating peaks and valleys
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By Matt Kaspryk, photo by Jaimee Fristedt.
It might sound really strange for me to admit this, but I think this is true for a lot of riders: my interest in mountain biking ebbs and flows – or has peaks and valleys, if you like.
Online retailer Backcountry.com now selling bikes and bike gear
After what can be deemed as no less than a 15-year oops, the climbers, hikers, skiers, and, yes, cyclists, at Backcountry.com have finally acknowledged… their customers want bikes, too. Mountain, road, cyclocross, triathlon — without a full selection of bikes and bike gear on Backcountry, even the most truehearted Backcountry loyalists have been forced to celebrate New Bike Day at somebody else’s shop. Until now.
Issue #165 on newsstands now!
In this issue
From the outside looking in
By Abram Eric Landes and Eric Benjamin
We’ve covered the Trans-Sylvania Epic and Dirty Kanza 200 before, but there’s something about these two races that keep us coming back.
What’s brewing in Bentonville
By Josh Patterson
Breck Epic – Checking into the Single Speed Frat House
By Montana Miller,
On the last day of Breck Epic, the fastest single speeder gets to shave his pubes. The slowest single speeder gets glue those pubes to his face.
I’ll be racing all week, and posting updates and results here. I really hope I don’t lose. I already have a beard.
A couple weeks ago, I headed out of Pennsylvania. I’ve been on the road traveling around Colorado, riding everyday and trying to adjust to the altitude.
Race Report: Chomolungma Challenge at Snowshoe Mountain Resort, WV
By Justin Steiner and Eric McKeegan. Photos by Emily Walley and Philip Duncan.
Ride report: Mt. Tam Dirt Fondo – Saddle time with the greats
By Gary J. Boulanger
Mt. Tamalpais in Marin County, Calif., is the sacred epicenter of modern mountain biking, a 2,572-foot peak overshadowing Mill Valley and Fairfax. Pioneers Gary Fisher, Charlie Kelly, Joe Breeze and Otis Guy not only plied their trade in the mid 1970s, modifying then constructing machines capable of going up the mountains as well as bombing down, they also spent thousands of hours in the saddle.
F&CK Cancer, win an Intense Uzzi
Make a $5 dontation to support the F&CK Cancer campaign and you could win this Intense Uzzi loaded up with a special paint job and some very bling parts.
This medium Pink Intense Uzzi is a unique bike, specially built to generate resources and raise awareness, to help cancer victims. The frame is a piece of industrial art, hand-built in the Temecula California Intense Factory. The industry’s best have stepped up to donate to this cause. This bike was supported by and is loaded with:
Dirt Rag visits the Yeti Bikes offices in Golden, Colo.
By Matt Kasprzyk
Yeti has come along way since the late ’80s and it doesn’t seem to be stopping anytime soon. I recently had the chance to visit their headquarters in Golden, Colo., and meet the crew responsible for its success.
Class of 2012: Mountain Bike Hall of Fame induction ceremony
By Gary J. Boulanger
A highlight of Interbike for me continues to be the annual Mountain Bike Hall of Fame induction ceremony, where the core bicycle industry icons gather to celebrate those who’ve contributed to our fascinating sport. This year, two large conference rooms in the belly of the Sands Convention Center in Las Vegas were filled with family, friends and well wishers to witness the induction of Bob Woodward, Monte Ward, Gary Sjoquist, Ruthie Matthes, and Dave House on September 19.
Race Report: The Whole Enchilada Enduro, Moab
By Matt Kaspryzk
Moab is an odd place. There are a lot of mountain bikers, ATVs, 4x4s, and hikers for obvious reasons, but there are also a lot of folks who look like extras from "Cocoon" walking around town. It makes for a strange dichotomy.
Whole Enchilada Enduro rider profiles and hot spots for visitors to Moab
By Matt Kaspryzk
Mountain bikers came from far and wide to experience what could be the longest enduro race in the world. We introduce you to a few. You can also read our race recap here.
Chewy Aikin, Sedona, Ariz., Mechanic at Bike & Bean
Recap: Dirt Rag visits the IMBA World Summit
Dirt Rag has been supporting IMBA since Day One.
Words and Photos by Gary J. Boulanger.
More than 350 devoted mountain bikers from 20 countries gathered for the 2012 International Mountain Bicycling Association World Summit in Santa Fe, New Mexico, October 10-13, rallying the troops to advocate increased trail access for all in a celebration of IMBA’s 25th anniversary.
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Blasting fall colors at the OverMountain Enduro
By Harlan Price,
A quick spin in the Dirt Rag Time Machine
By Karl Rosengarth
Gather ‘round the fireplace kiddies, and Uncle Karl will tell you a story. This one’s the tale of how we used to make the Dirt Rag, back in the day.
See this big envelope? It contains the archives from Dirt Rag #20, which was published in November of 1991. Inside the envelope are the original 8.5×11” hardcopy pages that we sent to our printer, and other fun stuff that I’ll tell you about in a moment.
Dirt Rag Magazine hires industry veteran as new editor
Dirt Rag Magazine—the independent voice of mountain bike riders for more than two decades—is excited to announce Mike Cushionbury has joined the staff as Editor. He brings 20 years of industry experience to the role as the magazine continues to grow.
“I’m thrilled to be joining the Dirt Rag family. I’ve always been a friend and fan of the publication since day one so this is a truly great honor to be leading a group of core mountain bike riders who also happen to be the best and most creative people in the business,” he said.
Issue #167 on newsstands now – See what’s inside
It’s summer somewhere: A Patagonia travelogue
By Andreas Hestler
While North America slumbers under a peaceful blanket of snow Wade Simmons, Thomas Vanderham, Geoff Gullavich, and Andreas Hestler head south in search of hundreds of miles of pristine singletrack on the underside of the world.
Cross training: Is it really preferable to letting yourself go in the winter?
By Thom Parsons
Crankworx Les 2 Alpes announces 2013 dates
Crankworx Les 2 Alpes is back again for 2013 and will take place July 6–14, 2013.
In its second consecutive year as a major freeride mountain bike festival across the Atlantic at Les Deux Alpes resort in France, Crankworx Les 2 Alpes will be host to one of next season’s biggest, most critical events for the Freeride Mountain Bike World Tour (FMB), one stage of the new Enduro World Series and the annual Free Raid Classic.
2012 Holiday shipping deadlines
To ensure you receive your items in time for Christmas, please note the following deadlines:
Orders received on or before Tuesday December 18
This is the last day to ship an order using USPS first class mail or UPS ground for Christmas arrival.
Orders received on or before Wednesday December 19
This is the last day to ship an order using USPS Priority mail or UPS Two Day for Christmas arrival.
Burning Dirt: Saved by Bilenky’s Junkyard ‘Cross
By Mike Cushionbury. Photos by Dave Joachim.
I quit bike riding. I’d almost suggest you do too. It’s hard. Equipment breaks down. You get cold and wet. You get lost. You fall and get fucked up. Don’t even get me started on racing; it ruins you from the inside out. It sucks
I think I’ve said that every year since 2006 and oops I said it again in 2012, about four times I think. Thankfully I never really mean it and we’re riding big again in 2013. We may even race some.
Dirt Rag Dirt Fest 2013 registration now open!
It’s a new year and we’re going kick it off with some exciting news: registration for Dirt Fest 2013 is now open. Sign up online now!
Once again we’ll be gathering at the Allegrippis Trails at Raystown Lake, Pa., on May 17-19 for three days of riding, partying, eating, live music, bike demos, and more riding.
Handmade bikes in the wild – Shamrock Cycles
Editor’s note: Each year we cover dozens of the most beautiful bikes in the world at the North American Handmade Bicycle Show and other local shows. But what happens to them after the display booths are disassembled and the lights go out? After all, bikes are built to be ridden, not to sit around and look pretty. So we followed up with some of the bikes and builders we’ve covered in the past to see how these works of art are holding up.
A snowbound adventure starring Sixpoint Resin and raw potatoes
Editor’s note: Montana Miller is our new columnist, and Knobby Meats is a weekly column about bad decisions, good times, and riding bikes. Enjoy!
By Montana Miller.
I munch on a raw potato, while drawing a big loop on the computerized topo Saturday night.
First Impression: 616 Fatbike
By Karen Brooks
I’ve been wanting to try one of the latest crop of fatbikes for a while now. I got to ride the Surly Pugsley we tested for Dirt Rag oh so long ago, and it was a lot of fun, as was the Jones Spacebike with its fat front tire.
Trans-Sylvania Epic, TransRockies to swap riders for East vs. West showdown
The Outdoor Experience Organization—promoters of The NoTubes Trans-Sylvania Mountain Bike Epic- and TransRockies Inc—promoters of TransRockies Challenge – have agreed to exchange entries so that top riders from each side of the continent can participate in the other’s event.
Catching up with: Emmet B. Handy
By Karl Rosengarth
Chances are you’ve never met former Dirt Rag employee Emmet B. Handy. Despite the fact that he’s never ridden a bicycle, let me assure you that Emmet is a legend among Dirt Rag staffers. For several years, Emmet played a critical role in the production of the magazine.
I figure it’s high time that the rest of the world learns the truth about this hidden hero. I recently caught up with Emmet, and we talked about the old days, and what he’s been up to lately.
Look inside Dirt Rag Issue #168
The first Dirt Rag issue of 2013 has shipped to subscribers and will appear on newsstands Tuesday, February 12. As always, order a subscription and not only will you never miss an issue, you’ll get your copy before anyone else. Can’t wait? Order a single issue or subscription through one of our digital options for your tablet.
On the cover: Photo by Michiel Rotgans.
4 strength and balance exercises to get you ready for summer
By Matt Kaspryzk
These last couple seasons I’ve welcomed some time off my bike. The winter months have given me time to prepare both mentally and physically for riding in the coming season.
Pulp Stiction: Mug bogs and gin buckets in Ohio
By Montana Miller
It took longer to get to Ohio than usual, because I got stuck behind a house.
I don’t like going to Ohio in February but my girlfriend is in school there, so every few weeks I have to head into the grey plains.
Fortunately there’s an awesome trail, Vulture’s Knob, just a few miles from the college in Wooster. Friday was barely above freezing, and alternating between rain and ice pellets. I still wanted ride. So I went out.
How to set up a fat bike tubeless
Editor’s note: Will this process work on your bike? I have no idea, so please don’t ask me. But since we get paid the big bucks to be human guinea pigs, we went ahead and tried it anyway. Caveat emptor and all that…
By Montana Miller. Photos by Adam Newman.
Tubeless fat bike tires have quite a few benefits. They roll faster (by eliminating friction between the tire and tube), can be run at lower pressure without risk of pinch flatting, and are lighter.
Enter BC Bike Race video contest and win a spot on Wade Simmons’ team
Ever wanted to test your meddle at the BC Bike Race but find it’s always sold out?
Handmade bikes in the wild – Rick Hunter
Editor’s note: Each year we cover dozens of the most beautiful bikes in the world at the North American Handmade Bicycle Show and other local shows. But what happens to them after the display booths are disassembled and the lights go out? After all, bikes are built to be ridden, not to sit around and look pretty. So we followed up with some of the bikes and builders we’ve covered in the past to see how these works of art are holding up.
No Boys Allowed: Women’s Weekend at Ray’s Indoor gallery
By Trina Haynes. Photos by Emily Walley.
From ultra-beginners to advanced riders, ladies traveled far and wide to enjoy a day of one-on-one coaching and a weekend of women dominating Ray’s Indoor bike park in Cleveland.
Judge not, lest ye be judged — A guide to NAHBS
Cherubim by Shin-Ichi Konno won the President’s Choice award and Best of Show at the 2012 NAHBS.
By Gary J. Boulanger
Point/Counterpoint – Clipless pedals for downhill
By Justin Steiner,
Crankbrothers recently announced a new version of the Mallet dh. According to Crankbrothers, rider and racer feedback lead them back to a pedal with a larger platform and more traction. The first two versions of the Mallet both had a fairly larger platform, while the third iteration, launched in 2011, offered a narrower platform. Generations two and three offered six adjustable and replaceable traction pins apiece.
Blast from the Past: Every advertisement tells a story
By Karl Rosengarth
In my previous post, I shared some cool reader art from the Dirt Rag Time Machine. It turns out that Uncle Karl was holding out on you. I also have a sweet stash of vintage advertisements.
As I’ve said before, time travel is notoriously rough on paper, so forgive the less-than-pristine quality of some of the following images.
No Boys Allowed, Take 2 – Another Women’s Weekend at Ray’s Indoor
By Trina Haynes. Photos by Emily Walley.
There were a record-breaking 203 women at Ray’s Indoor Mountain Bike Park’s Women’s Weekend in Milwaukee and a record 218 at the same event in Cleveland. I feel like I can say with confidence there is a growth of woman who are embracing the fun and challenging sport of mountain biking.
First Impression: Specialized Enduro Comp 29
By Justin Steiner. Photos by Justin Steiner and Jon Pratt.
Gallery: The BC Bike Race team visits Jamaica
By Andreas Hestler. Photos and video by Connor MacLeod.
The 650b fork meets the Yeti SB-66c — a love story
By Matt Kasprzyk
Why mess with a good thing? To make it better, of course. If you agree with the reviews and press; Yeti’s SB-66c is a good thing – if not a great thing. So good that I leapt at the chance for the super-bike to kill my quiver. Yeti has already received several accolades from our staff and many others for their Switch Technology suspension bikes. They must be a good thing, right? So why f’ck with it?
First Impression: Pivot LES
By Jon Pratt. Photos by Justin Steiner.
Dirt Rag Spring Breakers: By the Numbers
By Stephen Haynes.
Click to see ithe infographic full-size.
Danny MacAskill teases new film project
Danny MacAskill is back with a new project, Imaginate, in which he seeks to push the limits of his sport even further than he has previously.
Sometimes being told you can do whatever you want can be more intimidating than being held back and it’s the sign of a true champion to be able to grasp their dreams and make them come to life.
Gallery: Dirt Rag rides Sedona
By Jon Pratt
Recently a few select, privileged, cooler-than-the-rest, Dirt Rag staffers hit up Sedona for a couple of days of fun in the desert. With the guiding hands of Matt McFee, Kevin Waterbury, and Hermosa Tours we sampled some of the best singletrack and crazy crystal-powered-UFO folklore the region has to offer. Look for the story in the new issue of the magazine:
Mountain bike world rebels against USAC and UCI
Many riders will be forced to choose between racing events like the Whiskey 50 or staying home to stay in the good graces of USA Cycling and the UCI.
By Mike Cushionbury. Photo courtesy of Epic Rides.
How We Roll: Montana Miller’s fat-front Kona Honzo
Editor’s note: While we at Dirt Rag get to ride a lot of very nice bikes, most of them are bone stock or very close to it. I’ve always enjoyed seeing how individual riders personalize their bikes with component choices, accessories or other little touches that really make them their own. We’re starting a new feature called How We Roll to highlight some of the cool, unusual or just awesome bikes we see out in the wild. Up first: our current intern Montana Miller.
Join us at the Santa Cruz Mountain Bike Festival
By Joh Rathbun and Adam Newman
For the fourth straight year, the Mountain Bikers of Santa Cruz will welcome riders and visitors to Aptos Village, Calif., for the Santa Cruz Mountain Bike Festival this weekend, April 13 and 14. Conceived in 2009 by a few officers of MBoSC, the festival raises funds for neighborhood bike parks and legal, multi-use trails.
The UCI vs. TSE: One racer’s dilemma
By Michael Wissell
My apologies in advance for this text-heavy entry. This post was going to be about trying to get in enough training to perform at a reasonable level over a seven-day stage race while juggling job, family, and other extracurricular activities. I even had adorable pictures of cats.
Pulp Stiction: Pisgah National Forest
By Montana Miller
The Basics
Town: Brevard, North Carolina (4 miles from trailhead)
Brevard is an arty little town. It has a good bakery, plenty of restaurants, coffee shops and white squirrels. It’s a pretty excellent place to stage a mountain bike trip.
Beers: The Pisgah Tavern (2 miles from trailhead)
Issue #170 is here
By Mike Cushionbury,
Dirt Rag Issue #170 has shipped to subscribers and will appear on newsstands on May 14. In case you’re wondering, a one-year, or lifetime, subscription not only ensures you’ll never miss an issue but it also guarantees you’ll get your own personal copy before anyone else. Don’t trust your postman? Then order a single issue or subscription through one of our digital options for your tablet.
So you decided to do a week-long bike race
By Michael Wissell
So you decided to do a week- long bike race.
I can’t tell you what you have to do to win the race. I imagine that it involves a lot of “training” and “hard work”. I can, however, tell you about a couple of things that can make your week at the Trans-Sylvania Epic even more awesome (and perhaps take away a bit of the sting of losing 30 minutes a day to Jeremiah Bishop).
Wheelies, wine, and oh yeah… racing too!
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By Karen Brooks
It’s 10:21 p.m. and I’m typing this at a rustic wooden table in the dining area of a Boy Scout cabin. My cabin-mates are chatting, drinking water (or beer) and snacking, discussing today’s racing (and shenanigans) and tomorrow’s stage. Someone says, “Aw, it sucks you guys have to work.” But then I remind them that I’m technically at work when we’re out on the trail, too.
Gallery: British Downhill Series round 3 in Innerleithen
By Adam Newman
We stopped by the third round of the British Downhill Series in Innerleithen today, the final big tune-up before the opening round of the UCI World Cup season in Fort William next weekend. Adam Brayton (Team Hope Factory Racing) took home the Elite Men’s win while local favorite Rachel Atherton (GT Factory Team) won the Elite Women’s race.
Dirty Kanza 200: Dan Hughes and Rebecca Rusch repeat wins
By Mike Cushionbury
Photos by Eric Benjamin/Adventure Monkey
Surviving Trans-Sylvania, one pedal stroke at a time
By Vicki Barclay
Ah, the Trans-Sylvania Mountain Bike Epic. For being a local race, you challenge me in so many ways! I laugh out loud when I read about all the signs of “overtraining” and think about how they relate to one’s general well-being during stage racing: Lack of appetite, yep; low heart rate when racing, uh huh; difficulty sleeping, you betcha; emotionally unstable, oh boy!!
Inside Dirt Rag Issue #171
On the cover
The one and only Missy Giove was caught in action at a secret location by Abram Eric Landies.
The Dirt
Down and dirty with local framebuilders in Napa
By Gary J Boulanger. Photos by Maurice Tierney.
Yes, there were winners and prizes in multiple categories at the 19th annual Skyline Park Mountain Bike Race June 23 in Napa, Calif. Yes, there was awesome wood-fired pizza served under the big oak tree afterward. And yes, local rider Levi Leipheimer won the Pro/Expert category at the site of the 2008 Singlespeed World Championships and the 1999 Grundig UCI World Cup cross country race.
Amazing stop-motion film by Binary
Check out this amazing stop-motion video by Binary:
"Take three parts equal love for shooting photos, editing video, and riding bikes. Next toss in that nagging impulse to do something different, even if it requires hours of torturous work, and this video is what you get.
Movie marathon: New vids from MacAskill, Peaty, Garcia and more
Imaginate, Episode 5
After the release of Danny MacAskill’s most anticipated film to date, the final episode of MacAskill’s Imaginate looks at some of the challenges around the project and finally lifts the lid on aspects that up until now, have been a guarded secret!
Ride Guide: Copper Harbor, Michigan
By Justin Steiner
Dirt Rag #172 is here
On the Cover
Our own Adam Newman was at the Fort William World Cup downhill in Scotland where he caught GT Bicycles’ Gee Atherton with deadly focus in his eyes as he rode to victory.
Mountain Bike Oregon – A 3-day dream vacation
By Stephen Haynes
Twice a year, in the tiny town of Oakridge, Oregon, Randy Dreiling and Oregon Adventures host Mountain Bike Oregon with the help of trail maintenance and advocacy groups the Disciples of Dirt and Greater Oakridge Area Trail Stewards, as well as many local businesses and volunteers.
Gallery: Heckler’s Rock at Canadian Open DH – Crankworx
Words and photos by Adam Newman.
The week-long celebration that is Crankworx climaxes each year with the Canadian Open Downhill, a three-minute blast down some of the most technical riding on the mountain.
The highlight, of course, is Heckler’s Rock, where beer-soaked fans were pre-gaming as early as 10:30 a.m. for the 3 p.m. finals.
An ominous sign when walking down to the Rock.
Outtakes: What you missed at Crankworx
By Adam Newman
We’re still recovering from a week of madness at Whistler Mountain, but if you couldn’t join us, here’s a behind-the-scenes look at what you missed.
The mountains beckon on the bus ride from Vancouver along the stunning Sea To Sky Highway.
Closer… closer…
Aaaahhh… here we are.
Been there, done that
Via The Endless Groove
First Ride – Snowshoe Mountain’s Skyline jump trail
[portfolio_slideshow id=14925146] Photos by Adam Newman. Video by Justin Steiner. About a month a go we got wind of a new opening up at one of the premiere bike parks on the East Coast, Snowshoe Mountain, West Virginia. A couple of the Dirt Rag crew put in a tough day at the office rolling laps ...
Portland welcomes HELLTRACK bicycle carnage
It’s a little late for Halloween, but HELLTRACK is coming to Portland’s Lumberyard indoor bike park November 23. The first ever race will wind through the park and out in the parking lot with jumps, obstacles, wooden features, and even a costume contest. Any kind of bikes are welcome, though there are special classes for ...
Moots factory photo gallery
In Issue #159 we visited the Moots factory in Steamboat Springs, Colorado, for our Homegrown – Made in America series. Here are some additional photos from our visit. Photos by Adam Newman Welder Matt Pronovost lays down one of Moots’ signature double-pass, stack-of-dimes welds. The signature brushed Moots finish is achieved by blasting the frames ...
First Look: Six $2,500 trail bikes spend a week in the Shenandoah Valley
Jeremiah Bishop showing us the locals know how to have fun. The leaves have changed and are falling fast, the mornings are met with frost, and the sunscreen is packed away. The days are growing shorter and the riding season is becoming shorter still. But before winter begins to blow its icy breath upon the ...
Wade Simmons samples the Rocky Mountain Instinct
The sounds that a bike makes are music to any riders’ ears, but watch as freeride legend Wade Simmons and the crew from Rocky Mountain Bikes take it to a whole new level.
Bike of the Day
Via Salamander Cycles
Cold Rolled – Marquette, Michigan’s Fat Bike Route – Chapter 2
This is Chapter Two of the five-part short film “Cold Rolled: Marquette Michigan’s Snow Bike Route”, an action documentary from Clear & Cold Cinema, Salsa Cycles and TravelMarquetteMichigan.com that will explore the history and progression of winter cycling culture in the adventure-loving Lake Superior harbor town of Marquette, Michigan. Marquette’s Noquemanon Trails Network has nearly perfected equipment and techniques used to ...
Ray’s Indoor Women’s Weekend – Feb. 14-16 in Cleveland and March 7-9 in Milwaukee
Ladies, there’s no reason to park your bike for winter if you live near one of Ray’s Indoor Mountain Bike Parks. Especially with the hugely popular Women’s Weekend coming up quick. On the Friday of each weekend the ENTIRE park is closed to men from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. and pro rider Leigh Donovan ...
A snowboard race course – on mountain bikes
I was just dreaming about this the other day. Now my winter just got a little brighter. The Dirksen Derby is a snowboard rally race held every year at Mt. Bachelor in Oregon to raise money for paralyzed snowboarder Tyler Eklund. Kirt Voreis and Carson Storch seem to have forgoten their snowboards but luckily they ...
Feature film: ‘A Thin White Line’
Think you’re tough for riding through the winter? Check out this documentary about the 2001 Iditasport adventure race along the Iditarod Trail on foot, ski or bike. Covering up to 1,100 miles across Alaska in the winter could be life-changing or deadly, depending on how it goes. Watch for endurance race legend Mike Curiak on ...
Riding with the Breeze
It’s hard to imagine a more unassuming guy than Joe Breeze. Unlike his contemporaries Gary Fisher or Tom Ritchey, who are easy to spot in a crowd, Breeze could be the guy standing in line in front of you at the grocery store, or your friendly neighbor who always greets you with a wave and ...
Southwest adds bike-friendly New Belgium to menu
Southwest Airlines has always been the most bike-friendly of the bunch. Now it’s added New Belgium to its list of in-flight beverages. Now you can reminisce on your favorite ride with a tasty Fat Tire Amber or Shift Pale Lager at 35,000 feet when flying Southwest or AirTran.
NoTubes Trans-Sylvania Epic adds new 3-day option
The NoTubes Trans-Sylvania Epic presented by Dirt Rag is now offering a three-day stage race alternative called TS3 during the Epic targeted towards racers who can’t be away for an entire week. TS3 racers get the same benefits as the 7-day Epic competitors (since they will be riding the same courses) including fully stocked aid stations, ...
25th Anniversary: 25 years of dirt to dish
This year is a major milestone for Dirt Rag. We’re celebrating 25 years of printing the magazine. The ‘Rag has gone from being hand-stapled in Maurice and Elaine Tierney’s basement for East Coast consumption in 1989 to where we are today in 2014: enjoying rapid circulation growth and distribution across the globe. As part of ...
Ride Like A Girl
By Joh Rathbun. Photos by Jason Van Horn. Most ladies I know wouldn’t be too happy if you told them they “ride like a girl” — unless you’re one of the ladies from the Bicycle Trails Council of the East Bay, that is. On February 1, I joined up with ladies from the BTCEB for ...
Hermosa Tours offers 10-day Colorado Trail adventure
I made an attempt at a Colorado Trail tour last summer, only to be thwarted by rain (and I’m glad I was, seeing how it turned out to be the week of the disastrous Boulder floods). This summer I know what’s at the top of my to-do list: Hermosa Tours‘ new 10-day self-guided adventure along ...
New e-book answers ladies’ sensitive questions about cycling
Author and journalist Molly Hurford rides a lot—and knows countless women who ride a lot—and inevitably all that riding can lead to a little… discomfort. It’s a subject that she found nearly all the women she knows, from beginners to pros, were reluctant to discuss at the their local bike shop or with their male peers. ...
Juliana Bicycles’ backcountry New Zealand adventure
By Anka Martin. Photos by Sven Martin. Our trip went down in early February in beautiful Nelson, New Zealand and the surrounding areas of the Nelson Tasman district. We planned a little backcountry adventure with a few of my friends on our Juliana bikes.
Desert Dreaming with the Rockshox RS-1
Details are still scarce about the new RockShox RS-1 inverted fork, but today SRAM released this teaser video with Kate Courtney and Russell Finsterwald. They’re the future of XC mountain biking—in more ways than one. Courtney and Finsterwald are classic overachievers: She’s a NICA alumnus gone World Cup hopeful (and is a Stanford undergrad in her ...
Rebecca Rusch versus Jay Petervary’s Backyard Fat Pursuit
By Rebecca Rusch Photos courtesy of Salsa Cycles Why does riding and pushing a heavily laden fat bike up and over the Continental Divide in February through the dead of night appeal to anyone at all? I’m not sure I have the answer, but I went searching for it when I lined up for Jay ...
Happy Anniversary Maurice, from BaileyWorks
As you might have heard, we’re celebrating our 25th Anniversary this year. As a bit of a thank you gift to the head honcho around here, Publisher Maurice Tierney, we partnered with BaileyWorks to produce this custom, one-of-a-kind Citi Pack backpack.
Preview: ‘A Quest For Altitude’
Our next issue is on its way, and our cover story is the search for adventure. Gerhard Czerner and Martin Bissig went searching for it in the mountains of Morocco—not known as a mountain bike destination, the “Chamonix of the High Atlas” towers more than 13,000 feet above north Africa. Watch as they reach the ...
Our next issue, #177, is on its way!
Take a peek inside what’s in the latest issue…
Yes, it’s real
I’ll admit, when I first saw the magazine ad for the Specialized Enduro 29 featuring Matt Hunter getting completely horizontal, I too wondered if there was some trickery involved. “No way he rode that out,” I thought. Well I sure was wrong. Check out Hunter’s mastery on the trail and photographer Sterling Lorence’s mastery behind ...
Installation: Wolf Tooth Components 1×10 setup
Single chainring drivetrains have taken the mountain bike world by storm over the past few years. For many riders in many types of terrain, it just works. There are fewer gizmos on the handlebar, fewer moving pieces to maintain, and thanks to new products like Wolf Tooth Components‘, nearly all of the range of gearing—nearly ...
Kick off summer with Steamboat Bike Week
In “Bike Town USA”, it’s time to switch out ski racks for bike racks, tune up the two-wheeled ride and head for the hills. The Champagne Powder has melted, revealing pristine trails, winding pavement and scenic gravel roads. A summer playground for cyclists of all kinds has emerged, and a celebration is in order to ...
Video: Details of the new Magura MT7 brakes
We got our first ride on Magura’s new four-piston brakes in Sedona, Arizona. The design is based on motorcycle technology, with four independent pistons and brake pads. Read more about them here.
Video: ‘Danny MacAskill – Epecuén’
Courtesy of Red Bull Following on from 2013’s mind-blowing ‘MacAskill’s Imaginate’, Epecuén is the latest film from Danny MacAskill. Directed by long time collaborator Dave Sowerby, will see Danny take his riding back to the roots of trials riding, exploring the forgotten town of Epecuén in Argentina, a location that has been submerged for the ...
Mt. Tam Dirt Fondo adds second event
One of our favorite rides every year is the Mt. Tam Dirt Fondo that samples some of the sweet singletrack where mountain biking was born on Mt. Tamalpais in Marin County, California. The original, 46-mile ride will still take place September 7, but this year the Marin County Bicycle Coalition has added a Summer Solstice ...
Oskar Blues Brewery to open beer and bike ranch in North Carolina
Oskar Blues Brewery hails from Colorado but has made western North Carolina its second home, first building a brewery there in 2012, and now it will open a 145-acre farm as a beer and bike vacation destination. Located about eight miles from the Brevard-based Oskar Blues brewery, the former Shoal Falls Farm soon will be ...
Custom Oakley glasses at your fingertips
Oakley’s newest retail store, located in the King of Prussia Mall is the first in the Pennsylvania and Philadelphia area. Besides carrying an assortment of products—apparel, luggage, watches and backpacks, it’s eyewear selection (as you’d expect) is amazing. It features Oakley’s new in-store optical center, one of only 20 in the country, enabling customers to ...
SSWC2014 is about to go America all over everybody’s ass
The biggest party in the mountain bike universe is descending upon Anchorage, Alaska, this weekend, as the annual Singlespeed World Championship rolls into town. We’ve partnered with photographer Devon Balet to capture the action, the mischief and the mayhem for everyone who can’t be there, and everyone who was there but can’t remember. Keep a ...
Racing the Scott Enduro Cup at Canyons Resort
Photos courtesy of Scott Enduro Cup This past weekend I joined elite riders from across the world at the third and final stop of the Scott Enduro Cup presented by GoPro at Canyons Resort. The final stop on the North American Enduro Tour traveled 17.2 miles of trail with 3,200 vertical feet of descending with sharp ...
Opinion: Stop complaining about expensive stuff
Bikes like the new Yeti SB5c pack a ton of technology, and usually carry a price tag to match. Lots of folks write to us criticizing the crop of new bikes that are, admittedly, pushing the price envelope at five, seven, even ten thousand dollars. Is that a bad thing for consumers? Not at all, I say.
World Cup downhill is back! Mont Sainte Anne course preview
After a bit of a summer vacation, World Cup downhill racing returns this weekend with the first of two North American stops at Mont Sainte Anne in Quebec, Canada. As always, the one and only Claudio Caluori shows us the track.
‘The Mountains Don’t Care’ – A Tour Divide recap
I haven’t been able to sleep. Every night I wake up, thinking that I still have more miles to ride to the border. “No, Colleen already picked you up, it’s over,” I tell myself. Then the sun comes up and my legs are rubbery. Tour Divide was monstrously hard. I thought that I understood how ...
‘The Mountains Don’t Care’ – Tour Divide gear rundown
The stuff. All the things that I’m carrying. When it’s all laid out, it doesn’t look like much for a few weeks of living off the bike. But when I’m pushing it up a mountain road, it feels like a ton. I’ve never cared about how much my race bike weighed. I’ve always felt that ...
Windham World Cup update – Part 2
Our correspondent Jay de Jesus is in upstate New York for the only stop of the UCI Mountain Bike World Cup in America. He’ll be bringing us the latest from Windham, New York.
Pumps on Pedals hosting final Ladies Night of the year
By Joh Rathbun, photos by Inga Beck. Don’t take out the disco ball and the pumps—high heels—because this is Ladies Night at Northstar California. Bring a bike pump instead, as NorCal’s favorite mountain is notorious for it’s rocky and dusty conditions. And with the drought that California is experiencing, the mountain is living up to its ...
How Aaron Chase gets the shot
Aaron Chase has been filming his riding for more than 15 years, but it wasn’t until the GoPro cameras came on the market that creativity of athlete-mounted photography could really be explored. The New Yorker recently posted this video of Chase discussing his setup and how he and a partner will construct a shot as ...
Support Marin trails and you could win a Marin Mt. Vision
Courtesy of Access4Bikes Marin County Bicycle Coalition and Access4Bikes want to expand Marin’s bike trail network and increase access to singletrack trails. Support their efforts by purchasing raffle tickets and you could win a 2015 Marin Mt. Vision. Marin Bikes, MCBC and A4B are giving away a XO1/Fox equipped Mt. Vision XM9 (click here for specs) ...
New Dirt Rag T-shirt – Pedal Silent, Pedal Deep
Way back in Dirt Rag Issue #1 appeared, along with a majestic buck in all his 8-bit glory. Now what’s old is new again with our latest limited edition T-shirt. Get yours now before it’s gone, perhaps for another 25 years. [portfolio_slideshow id=14941276]
NiteRider celebrates its 25th anniversary
There must have been something in the water back in 1989. Along with the launch of a certain mountain bike magazine (ahem, ahem), brands like NiteRider, Camelback and Paul Components got their start. But NiteRider didn’t start with bike lights. Tom Carroll was looking for a way to surf his favorite breaks at night, when ...
Girls Rock in Santa Cruz County
By Joh Rathbun. Photos courtesy of Jessica Klodnicki. Still in its infancy, the Girls Rock ride, organized by Jessica Klodnicki, general manager and executive vice president of Bell and Blackburn, hosted its monthly ride at Ibis Cycles last month. More than 70 women showed up to take advantage of the free Ibis demo fleet and to ride ...
Trail Talk With Cush – Going to the junkyard
Bilenky’s Junkyard Cyclo-cross celebrated its ninth anniversary and as usual, it was a scene like no other. It’s the first and only race held entirely in a junkyard. More than just a legendary North Philadelphia, Pennsylvania party, it’s a signature of all that’s great with bike riding. A true gathering of tribes from not only ...
Spotlight: Hanebrink prototype, circa 1993
Photos by the author and Anthony Bareno, Velo Cult It’s hard to point a finger at what was the “first” fat bike. Just like the origins of the mountain bike itself, there are several branches in the family tree. This prototype of what would later become the production Hanebrink “Extreme Terrain Bike”—which is still in ...
Riding in the snow, the modern mud
By Harlan Price Snow riding today is all that’s left of the version of the chaotic two-wheel drifting we regularly did before trail stewards were abundant. Fortunately, some time riding the white-capped seas will benefit you in ways that only the traction-less trail can. A dirty little secret about this enlightened age of trail stewardship ...
The Ultimate Ride to the Ride – Part 1, an introduction
By Chris Reichel I have decided to do something I have dreamed about since I was a kid. I’m going to ride across the United States. Yeah, I know what you are thinking, me and 10,000 other people this summer. But that’s just it, I don’t really want to do one of the same old ...
The Ultimate Ride to the Ride – Part 2, The Setup
Catch up: A cross-country bike tour with a twist: Chris Reichel is riding his mountain bike from Colorado to North Carolina and hitting all the best trails along the way. If you missed Part 1 of the Ultimate Ride to the Ride, read it here. By Chris Reichel This trip became a reality faster than ...
The Ultimate Ride to the Ride – Part 3, Punishment on the Prairie
Catch up: A cross-country bike tour with a twist: Chris Reichel is riding his mountain bike from Colorado to North Carolina and hitting all the best trails along the way. If you missed Part 1 or Part 2 of the Ultimate Ride to the Ride, you might want to start there. By Chris Reichel I ...
Project 27plus Part 3 — Hayduke lives!
It’s taken most of the summer but we’ve finished gathering parts for our 27plus project bike. We started this process earlier this year when rumors of a fat 27.5 production bike were just a whisper and no one was really sure what to make of Trek and SRAM’s “Boost” hub spacing. Then came Sea Otter and ...
Rad female riders in new documentary
“THE LINE” is a new documentary film series set to debut in January 2016 featuring female athletes who excel in adventure sports. The first in the three-part series will highlight female mountain bikers, Kat Sweet, Inga Beck and 13-year-old phenom McKenna Merten. They are featured riding the trails around Lake Tahoe, California, and telling stories of ...
The Ultimate Ride to the Ride – Part 4, Kansas Singletrack Surprise
Catch up: A cross-country bike tour with a twist: Chris Reichel is riding his mountain bike from Colorado to North Carolina and hitting all the best trails along the way. If you missed Part 1, Part 2, or Part 3 of the Ultimate Ride to the Ride, you might want to start there. By Chris Reichel ...
The Ultimate Ride to the Ride – Part 5, Hello Single Speed Kansas City
Catch up: A cross-country bike tour with a twist: Chris Reichel is riding his mountain bike from Colorado to North Carolina and hitting all the best trails along the way. If you missed earlier installments of the Ultimate Ride to the Ride, see them here. By Chris Reichel I didn’t have much of a schedule or ...
The Ultimate Ride to the Ride, Part 6: Missouri and the Katy Trail
Catch up: A cross-country bike tour with a twist: Chris Reichel is riding his mountain bike from Colorado to North Carolina and hitting all the best trails along the way. If you missed earlier installments of the Ultimate Ride to the Ride, see them here. By Chris Reichel I never thought I would say this ...
Bell Helmets working to get more women into mountain biking
PRESS RELEASE — Bell Helmets today announced an important extension to its new Joy Ride women’s program – the launch of six Joy Ride grassroots program cities, each with a dedicated female mountain bike ambassador. These ambassadors will help inspire and enable female mountain bikers with regular, structured, fun and social rides that appeal to all levels of riders where they ...
Video: Hans and Peaty traverse Iceland
Mountain Bike legends Hans Rey and Steve Peat completed an epic Iceland Traverse in August 2015. They were joined by local rider Runar Omarsson and the folks from Icebike Adventures as they crossed the country from north to south. The video provides a sample of the entire country and the phenomenal mountain biking available to ...
Essay: Trucks and bikes – dreams of the off-road
I finally got myself a truck. I didn’t really “need” a truck, nor does its lightweight rear end make it the most practical vehicle in snowy Colorado (doth protest my loved ones), but hauling things like fatbikes and riding gear and sometimes camping stuff and often the dog in a cramped, low-riding hatchback had proved time ...
The Ultimate Ride to the Ride Part 7: Southern Illinois
Catch up: This is a cross-country bike tour with a twist: Chris Reichel pedaled a road bike towing a mountain bike from Colorado to North Carolina and hit all the best trails along the way. If you missed earlier installments of the Ultimate Ride to the Ride, see them here. By Chris Reichel I know that there ...
Rad Rider Rigs: Henry Tan Van
There are people who love mountain biking, and there are those who love it so much they dedicate a vehicle to mountain biking. Chris and Leslie Kehmeier are two of those people, and Henry Tan Van is one such vehicle. The Kehmeiers live in Golden, Colorado, and have each worked at IMBA for over six years. ...
The Roam Rydes Podcast
“Nobody reads anymore” goes the saying. Maybe that’s why podcasts are on the rise: one-third of Americans listened to one last year (according to the Pew Research Center). But search for cycling podcasts and you won’t find more than a handful. One of them is Roam Rydes—a women’s cycling podcast created and produced by Ash ...
Feature: Maryland, An Old-Line State of Mind
Words: Brice Shirbach Photos: Abram Eric Landes Originally published in Issue #189 Growing up, I’d often sit and stare at it. My obsession began the moment my family moved to Emmitsburg, Maryland. I was 7 years old and we piled into a single-story rancher a mile and a half down the road from town square. ...
Passing Through, Newark, DE
Editor’s note: This story originally ran in issue 206 of Dirt Rag Magazine. Like what you see? Issue 207 is out now on newsstands. Click here to subscribe today to ensure you never miss a story. Located just a mile southeast of the tripoint where Maryland, Delaware and Pennsylvania meet, Newark may be the best ...
Mountain bike the Catalonian Pyrenees
As we enter into the soggy months of Southwestern Pennsylvania’s riding seasons, it’s time to daydream about where to spend the cold and rainy months. This video of the Catalonian Pyrenees is getting my blood pumping for some European terrain. Check it out for yourself! Where do your daydreams take you, what are your vacation dream ...
Down the Bitterroot Mountains
Words and Photos by Kristin Winet The front entrance to the welcome center is not entirely legible, because years of snow and harsh Idaho winters have rubbed the black paint into a faint gray. The tip-off that we’ve made it here is the parking lot, which is full of cars and trucks and tourists, many—but not ...
In Print: Eat Me 209 — Hippie Speedball
Editor’s note: OK, so a couple of things. First, this article originally appeared in issue 209 of Dirt Rag Magazine. Like what you see? Subscribe now at dirtragmag.com/subscribe to catch issue 211, coming soon. Second, quite a few folks took issue with this story running in our print magazine. I wrote a response in issue ...
Sea Otter group sesh: Ride to live, Liv to ride
The current issue of Dirt Rag, #210, contains my review of the Liv Intrigue Advanced 1, a mountain bike I quickly fell in love with for how it seemed to disappear under me. When I saw Liv was hosting a group ride, I was excited to join on: bikes, women and sunshine? Literally sign me ...
In Print: Making Do on the Colorado Trail
Editor’s note: This article originally appeared in issue 208 of Dirt Rag Magazine. Like what you see? Subscribe now at dirtragmag.com/subscribe to catch issue 211, coming real soon. by Carolyne Whelan When Rim Tours invited me along for their Colorado Trail guided trip, I was warned that it was “advanced,” due largely to exposure and ...
Rattling the Stoke Bone — Getting Skilled at Ninja Mountain Bike Performance
We all have our strengths and weaknesses as riders. The longer we ride, the more those are reinforced. Especially riding with a group, where we tend to pay more attention to keeping up with the pack than making micro-adjustments to our weight distribution or foot angle. Even riding alone, sometimes it feels like we’re doing ...
Trail Report: Spider Mountain
In a recent issue of Dirt Rag, we went to some bike parks to check out what new developments are happening in the world of designated bike trails and downhill riding. Windrock in January scared the goggles off me, but I took another stab at downhill bike parks when I visited Spider Mountain outside Austin, ...
In print: Fire Mountain
Editor’s Note: This story first appeared in issue 207 of Dirt Rag Magazine. Like what you see? Subscribe now to catch issue 211, on its way to mailboxes real soon. Downhill mountain biking on the flanks of Indonesia’s most active volcano Words and photos by Ian Lloyd Neubauer For the past 20 years, I’ve made ...
Video: Bikepacking the Colorado Trail and Fly-Fishing Salida
Dirt Rag contributor Zach White spent three days with Eric Porter riding their Diamondback Haanjo gravel bikes on a big loop starting and finishing in Salida Colorado on pavement, gravel and singletrack. They rode sections of the Continental Divide Trail and Colorado Trail, through a ghost town, and finished by floating the Arkansas River back ...
Video: A Chilcoltin Hogyssey with Kenny Smith
“It was day four. We arrived at a massive alpine valley lined with creeks and marshes, certain to be filled with mosquitos and shoe-soaking water crossings. Margus led the way, monster trucking through the creeks. We hoped that after the crossing, a ridge would connect us to the top of another mountain; from there, we ...
Passing Through: Buena Vista, Colorado
Last month, we headed over to Buena Vista to check out a new Maverick just released by Juliana. While we had plenty to say about the bike and how dreamy it was to ride out there, the town of Buena Vista was newsworthy unto itself. It’s a bit of a haul from the Denver airport ...
Photo Epic – A Chilcotin Hogyssey: Kenny Smith, Margus Riga, Fraser Newton, Chester Bush.
A couple weeks back, we posted a teaser timelapse video of A Chilcotin Hogyssey. Here is the full report, below, care of Devinci. 4 guys, 4 bikes, 9 days, 225 km The ultimate Canadian mountain bike adventure; Presented by Cycles Devinci Words by Chester Bush and photography by Margus Riga Chapter One: Waving Good-Bye Chasing ...
In Print: Bike-Park Generation
By Brett Rothmeyer The sun is just cracking over the Uintas in Park City, Utah. Main Street is starting to chatter as the doors to cafés open; the wisp of a broom on the sidewalk is overtaken only by the occasional slow-moving vehicle headed up the hill. I had long daydreamed about riding Park City ...
A Tale of Two Bicis, Part Deux
Editor’s note: A Tale of Two Bicis (part one) was published in the current issue of Dirt Rag Magazine, #211. Like what you see? To keep up with our print content, be sure to subscribe today so you don’t miss an issue. Can a sudden injection of modern bike technology make you a better rider? ...
Where do you want to ride in your one wild and precious life? – Sponsored
I bought my first mountain bike back in 2000. I was just starting college and wanted a bike I could get around town with, but also use to explore the dirt roads, arroyos, desert expanses and mountain trails of my new home in Santa Fe, New Mexico. I didn’t really understand mountain biking as a ...
The Professional Bike Geek—Underpaid and Loving it.
So I was chatting with an old friend this morning. He’s back in town after a stint out west working on trails for our nation’s forest. After ranting about the half a trillion dollars spent on war that could’ve been spent on building the mountain biker’s dream—the most ridiculous, comprehensive, exhilerating trail system the world’s ...
Establishing Cred
Out here in internet land, it frustrates me to see so many recommendations and endorsements for things that aren’t great. What’s even more frustrating as a journalist who gets paid to evaluate these same things is watching any schmoe on the street get offered the same gratuities, generosities and respect that I’ve worked so hard ...
Touché, BMX.
Back in the day when I was slingin wrenches at Country Roads Bicycles in Plymouth, Indiana, we had to deal with a bunch of BMX brats. These kids would come in and say one of three things. “what do you have for a dollar?”“where are your pegs?”“can I see the Profile cranks?” Usually a kid ...
Be a Smart Human
I was helping a friend build up his new bike in my basement this weekend. It was quite a nice bike, and he’s excited to use something that’s lighter, faster, stronger and cooler than what he had before. AS he explained to me his motivation for getting the bike, I remembered how new products are ...
#126 Controversy
As an author, you know you’ve hit a home run with an article when people email copies of your article to each other, contact you to say “great job,” or “I can’t believe you printed that!” As an editor, you know you’ve done a great job when shops request more copies or when readers take ...
Off-Season Strategy
It’s late March of 2007, and the weather has finally taken a turn for the better. Cranking out my first 40-mile road ride in 5 months felt surprisingly good. My pace was not all that aggressive, but I wasn’t exactly soft-pedaling. I could easily deceive myself into thinking that I did a pretty good job ...
Here we go!
Hi there, kids! Welcome to the new Dirt Rag Blog. Us staff people have been talking about doing a blog for a couple of years now. And finally….here we are. As you can see by some of the older posts in the Blog here, we’ve been test-driving it for several months now. We promise to ...
Pittsburgh’s Second Official Bike Lane
On Monday morning a few of us from the office attended the opening of a new bike lane on Liberty Avenue in Pittsburgh. For some of you out there in locations closer to bike-topia this is no big deal, but for Pittsburghers, this is only our second official bike lane (and the only one on ...
So Long, Punk Planet
Karen’s post yesterday about periodical postage rate increases reminded me of a Bulletin I wrote on my MySpace page last week. It went something like this: And so it goes… I just got an email announcing that the last issue of Punk Planet magazine is on the way to my house. I knew they were ...
Look Ma, No Gasoline
“Peter Mulvey will be biking to work this September.” Peter Mulvey is a musician. Thus, Peter Mulvey will be going from gig to gig (which is known as touring) on his bicycle. “Most of the rides are under 40 miles. I’m not an athlete, I’m a guitar player. I’ve always enjoyed long rides; this will ...
NYC Century Bike Tour
The NYC Century Bike Tour sounds like a fun ride. Scheduled for Sunday, September 9th, 2007 — and hosted by Transportation Alternatives — the ride offers five route options: 100, 75, 55, 35 and 15 miles. According to the event website: The Century is your ride—as challenging or relaxing as you choose, but always fun ...
Brain Fart: Reward! $100
Reward:$100 for any information leading the capture, arrest, public humiliation, race license revocation, and torture for the guy who dropped that Gu packet on the race course. You know who you are, but who the hell do you think you are? Do you think trail fairies come and pick up after you? Is your mommy ...
Racing Tidbits
Cyclocross NationalsThe USA Cycling 2007 Cyclocross National Championships are scheduled for December 12th-16th at Wyandotte County Park in Kansas City, KS. If you’re planning on attending, then you’ll want to note that online registration will open on September 15th, at 12:01am CST. This is important because: “All athletes will be staged based on when they ...
Put A Load On, Pt. 2
Awhile back I wrote about getting interested in cargo bikes and other ways to carry things by bike (instead of on your back). Since then I’ve used Maurice’s B.O.B. trailer quite a few times, particularly on Mondays, which is the day that the local farmer’s market is located on my way home. It’s getting to ...
9.11.2001 Remembered
After the September 11th attacks, Michael Browne, Dirt Rag’s editor at that time, sent out a request via our eNewsletter. Here’s what it said: “I haven’t been able to get away from the news for the past week, and I’m sure most of you feel the same way. Wherever you were, whatever you were doing, ...
Flog
That’s right. I’m calling this a Flog. You might have noticed that we did away with our usual method for posting Brain Farts. We figured it was better and easier for everyone involved to just do our Brain Farts through the Dirt Rag Blog. Since the term “blog” is a compound of “web” and “log”, ...
Brain Fart: Misadventure in Portugal
Recently, I experienced my first full fledge bike tour on a trip with A2Z Adventures (www.a2z-adventures.com) in Portugal. The duration was eight days and covered about 370 miles, depending on how many turns were missed and how disoriented one became. A group of sixteen riders, including Gary Fisher, and growing to as many as 25 ...
Blog: InterBike 2007
Well it’s that time of year again and the Dirt Rag staff is in Las Vegas preparing to bring all the excitement of InterBike to a computer screen near you. Fighting through the jetlag, lost cab drivers and the slots parlors it is 7:30 on Tuesday morning and the adventures have begun. On Monday, we ...
Today’s Interbike Transportation Provided By…
In the past, during our time in Vegas, we’ve borrowed a random assortment of bikes from various friends who drove to the show, and rode the two-or-so miles from the crappy motel we called home to the convention center. This year things are different—we are stylin’. First of all, we rented a house, complete with ...
Brain Fart: Confession of an Addict
Addiction is a strong word, so now that I have your attention, I’ll change my wording from addict to fanatic. What is it that I’m so hung up on? Rearview mirrors! I must confess, I never pictured myself as a mirror-wearing cyclist. Now that I’ve started down the mirror road, I can’t imagine ...
Brain Fart: Let’s Talk About the Wheels
I started working on a this a few days ago, spent a good bit of time with a write up on my Interbike experience. I finally gave on that last night, way too much info for one post , plus I got a bit overwhelmed once I started sorting through photos, notes and business cards. ...
Out Through The Inbox
SSCXWCThe kids have been busy in the Beaver State. On the weekend of November 10-11th, the Portland Single Speed Collective (PSSC) will play host to SSCXWC— an event that’s billed as the Official UnOfficial World Championship event for singlespeed cyclocross racers. SSCXWC, which involves a time trial on Saturday and the Grand Boucle on Sunday, ...
Brain Fart: Out There in the Woods
Sometimes it seems as if everything that could possibly go wrong happens all at once. I know you all know what I mean. Here’s a hypothetical but representational situation: that dude/chick you’ve been seeing/living with turns out to be a freakish stranger. Your dependable car of many years suddenly starts to drop pieces and make ...
5,000 Bikes for Zambia
We received the following email from Quality Bicycle Products, a company that distributes bicycles and parts to bike shops. While portions of the email are aimed at QBP’s bike-shop customers, much of the message is applicable to the general cycling public, and is worth sharing: 5,000 Ways to Make a DifferenceIn Zambia, a nation where ...
Brain Fart: Changes Are No Good
Welcome to The Bicycle Industry, the place where no good idea goes unpunished. Where the status quo is sacrosanct, and changes are no good.
New Pittsburgh Bike Commuter Map
The general consensus at DRHQ is that Pittsburgh is a great town for the bicycle minded. However, our beloved burgh is hilly, and those pesky three rivers preclude the typical urban grid street pattern—and that makes navigating a bit difficult ’round these parts. If I had a nickel for every time I heard: “you can’t ...
18th Annual Punk Bike Enduro
What’s it all about? Read Maurice’s “How To.” When/Where is it? Check the Dirt Rag Forum Thread. What’s it look like? Visit Dirt Rag’s gallery or pghjohn’s smugmug albums from 2006, 2005, 2004. What are you waiting for? (That’s a rhetorical question.)
The Pleasant Revolution
Here’s a bit of news, fresh from the Xtracycle Blog: Xtracycle Co-founder Kipchoge Spencer is stepping down from his role as Xtracycle president, to follow his long-time dream of taking the show on the road. His band, the Ginger Ninjas, and fellow bike musicians SHAKE YOUR PEACE!, along with an 8 person support crew, are ...
Milwaukee Bike Maps
Another post on the subject of bike maps? Well, as my two milk-crates full of accumulated maps will attest, I’m a bit of a map junkie. So, humor me. This time it’s the City of Milwaukee in the spotlight, with their free online bike maps of the Cream City. Hardcopies are distributed free at Milwaukee ...
Greetings and Salutations from the Art Director
Oh I know, I’ve snuck into the Dirt Rag ranks here and you probably don’t know who I am. In fact I just visited the staff page and I’m not even there. (gasp.) So who is this mystery person? Well, I can tell you. My mother named me Amanda after her mother’s mother, Grandma Blankenship. ...
Riding with Kids Update
After going to press with “Riding with Kids” in issue 130 our trip to Interbike shed some light on the running/no pedal bike market in the US. Kool-Stop imports the wooden Like-A-Bike from Germany. Specialized has a boys and girls aluminum version in their 2008 catalog, and Strider is importing a low cost version with ...
650B-Update
I mentioned my interest in 650B wheels a few weeks ago in a Brain Fart. I’ve been slowly putting together the needed parts. So far Kirk Pacenti has come through with a set of Neo-Moto tires and Velocity has provided a set of 650B Blunt rims. The tires both weighed in at 711 grams and ...
Thursday Nights in the Wiss
Many years ago, a bunch of us used to gather and ride at night in Wissahickon Park in Philadelphia. We’d ride and then head for beers at a local watering hole. It was great, but I fell off the night riding wagon for a while. There are always organized and semi-organized night rides going on ...
Spotlight on Portland
Click here to read the New York Times online article: “In Portland, Cultivating a Culture of Two Wheels”. Check out this NYT video on the Portland’s bike scene and the business side of biking.
Are You an Athlete, a Pathlete, or a Dirtbag Cyclist?
Swobo founder Tim Parr talked to CoolHunting.com’s Josh Rubin recently, and he had some interesting things to say. Chief among them? What’s almost ruined cycling is that too many athletes have gotten into it, not enough regular folks. I like that theory, but the bike industry expanded exponentially during the Lance years — some called ...
The Broken Record, Side Three: Bike Polo!
I was ranting yesterday about the MSM’s fascination with the whole biking & erectile dysfunction story. (I’m still convinced it’s merely cub reporters who have struck upon a reliable and defensible way to write the words “anus” and “scrotum” in the family newspaper. Snicker snicker. Dude, like, how mature.) So this begs a question: What ...
Bikes & Nudity: A Continuing Love Affair
There is safety in numbers, of course. No one knows this better than a Critical Mass rider. Or a World Nude Cycling Day rider. On a fairly regular basis I see examples of the converse of this. Today, for example, I see that an Australian gentleman was arrested in a somewhat vulnerable state on his ...
The 6000 Calorie-a-Day Couch Potato
Lucas Brunelle is best known for his videos of high-speed urban riding in heavy traffic, especially this video of him alleycatting and skitching on a Mexican Interstate. (Those cops he’s passing? They’re after him.) I’ve long wondered how a guy trains to ride a fixie at 50MPH, and now I know. It’s not motor-pacing, it’s ...
Big Air: Kid-tested, Mother-approved
Whitefish, Montana may be the first city in the nation to build a city-sponsored bike jumping facility. About 850 cubic yards of dirt — 70-plus dump truck loads — was brought to the site of the new park. Dirt from the Old Towne subdivision with more clay and rock was used to build a 25-foot ...
Back Off! Someone make some Yosemite Sam mudflaps for this ride.
In the genteel arms race to build the biggest baddest bike, Surly has been the stock SuperPower. Between the Pugsley and the Big Dummy, we’re looking at the biggest pedal-powered two-wheelers ever built. But Traffic Cycle design has built a one-off that actually looks like the bastard offspring of Pug and B.D., and it looks ...
VROOOOOOOM!
A few weeks ago, Wired magazine ran a story about “hacker bikes” — basically, heavily modified bikes and bike-like objects. Among these was a “rocketbike,” that turned out to be a bit of a hoax — at least in the sense that its propulsion system was roughly the equivalent of two sparklers in your back ...
What you do with your bike in the privacy of your own room….
That Scottish dude who got caught having, uh, sexual relations with his bike in his hotel room? He’s been sentenced to three years of probation. Not clear whether he’ll have supervised visitation rights to continue seeing his bicycle. It’s a sad day when Government feels the need to get between a man and his true ...
Bikes vs. Cars vs. Trains vs. Speedboats!
In recent months, there’s been a proliferation of a certain type of media stunt that pits bike commuters against car drivers and public transit straphangers. In most larger urban settings, the winner is invariably the cyclist — owing no doubt to a somewhat, uh, lax approach to traffic signals and the rules of the road. ...
The bearingless bike and the tubeless frame
Speaking of Shimano components, a few weeks ago I saw a prototype for a hubless bike — that’s right, a bike without any ball bearings, that has no physical contact point between wheel and frame, cranks and frame, or fork and frame. How’d they do that? Here’s how: All moving parts are suspended in powerful ...
Brain Fart: I Hate Road Biking
I have a confession to make: I hate road biking. It’s strange to say it, that I hate any form of riding a bike. And to be clear, “hate†is too strong a word… “dislike†is probably more fitting. Whatever you call it, I just can’t see why people would choose to do it simply ...
The most-viewed bicycling YouTube of all time
In a twist on my well-established knack for stating the obvious, I thought I’d mention here what the most viewed YouTube bicycle video of all time is. It’s this video of a Saudi Arabian boy spinning big doughnuts on his BMX and actually burning rubber! This one has been viewed 1,914,250 times, and you’re about ...
More dirt coming to the Olympics
It’s hard to believe, but next year’s Olympics in Beijing will be the first time BMX racing will be a medal event. I mean, it’s been almost 30 years since the movie RAD came out. The BMX discipline (if you can call it that) joins track racing, road racing, cross-country mountain biking, and the time ...
Bike Park Coming to Chicagoland
Back in September, I told you about Bikes Belong awarding a $10,000 grant to help the western chapter of the Chicago Area Mountain Bikers (CAMBr West) construct the Plainfield Bike Park. Recently, the CAMBr website, released details of the park design (which includes a pump track, skills section and dirt jumps)… This is the design ...
Brain Fart: Pennsylvania Perimeter Ride Against Cancer Day 2
Earlier this year I rode my bicycle from Erie, Pennsylvania to Palmerton, Pennsylvania…over 500 miles in six days…to raise money for Cancer research. It was an amazing trip, and I can’t wait to do it again in 2009. The following is an excerpt from the journal I wrote on the trip. You can read all ...
Commuter bikes: Turn it to up to 11!
Rather than enjoying the dubious deals of Black Friday, I had a nice ride on the crossbike miles from the nearest shopping mall. But while I was dodging fat squirrels, it occurred to me that the biggest shopping day of the year might have been all that much “more blacker” (in the Spinal Tap sense ...
Pedal-drop: Know your trials-riding history
We all look on with undisguised envy when a trials rider shows up at the Wednesday Night Ride and hops around the picnic tables on his bicycle like it was a pogostick with a very low seat. Many bicyclists may not realize that trials riding originated in England and Spain on small lightweight motorcycles in ...
Why cousins shouldn’t marry: Dirt bike edition
Mountain bikers are probably the most ecumenical of all bike riders, at least the dudes I hang with. Often and without shame they’re willing to ride BMX, road, singlespeed, free — heck, they’ll even throw themselves at the track, even though fixies without brakes scare the dirt out of ’em. Their love of all two-wheeled ...
The Dirt Rag Literature Contest Top 12
A lot of people have contacted us asking about the other contestants in the Literature Contest. We got over 200 entries, and a lot of good stories. I read all of them—they came in really handy when I stepped in a groundhog hole, injuring my Achilles tendon, and was denied bike riding for a couple ...
Aw, fer cute!
So, you’re hanging up the dirt bike for a few weeks and waiting for the ground to freeze. (You’re also doing hand-strengthening exercises so you can eventually get your Nokian studs onto your Mavic rims.) You’ve decided to put some energy into finishing off that lovely pink cruiser with the grip-tassles and the wicker basket. ...
The sound of hope under your wheels
About 150 schoolkids competed in a bike race in Fallujah yesterday. The course was a 5 km sprint across what was formerly known as “the most dangerous city in Iraq.” But violence is down in Anbar province by as much as 50 percent, and that set the stage for the race. The winner, teenager Haitham ...
Brain Fart: Hot Metal Baby!
Yesterday the Dirt Rag staff joined about 400 other cyclists, pedestrians and rollerbladers to open a vital cycling link in Pittsburgh that has been under construction since 2003. Hooray! For the Hot Metal Bridge! What is this molten steel-named span all about? Well, the Hot Metal Bridge was once a train bridge that actually transported ...
Blast from the past – Mountain bikes in the New York Times
 I happened to discover the very first article on mountain bikes to appear in the New York Times. It’s fun to see how times have changed… and how they’ve stayed the same. A STURDY MOUNTAIN BIKE WINS HEARTS IN THE CITYThe New York Times July 30, 1983, By JOSEPH GIOVANNINI ”My girlfriend whizzes right by ...
Bikes versus planes
American air carriers all deserve a big Bronx cheer for refusing to carry non-folding bikes — or at least charging through the nose for it. For a time, many international carriers were glad to take bikes at no cost, but that’s beginning to change too. Why is the airline business — one of the least ...
Virtual downhill!
As long as you’re blowing off work but still stuck in your cubicle, why not take this downhill big-rig for a ride through the teddy bears? (Don’t hit them; they appear to be made out of china and filled with C-4 or something. Also, someone appears to have replaced the air in your tires with ...
Canadian bikes: strong and (almost) free
Those clever Canadians. Not only do our friends in the True North have socialized medicine; they also have socialized bicycle riding. Yesterday, provincial leaders in Toronto announced that any new bike priced under $1000 will be available tax free in Ontario. British Columbia has already eliminated retail taxes on all bikes and bike accessories, and ...
You think YOU know how to pick a line?
The gentlemen at Surly have announced that they’re now offering this tee-shirt, to complement the nascent utility bike of the same name (which has not yet rolled off the production line, though tongues are wagging). Surly management says: Warning: wearing this shirt may lead to laughter, disgust, or loss of employment. But if you’re not ...
2008 Fuel EX9: Post Punk Pondering
Usually it’s meant as a joke, but this time there was more than a grain of truth to the old saying: Bike testing is a tough job, but somebody’s got to do it. You see, the 2007 edition of the Punk Bike Enduro, was a cold, rainy and muddy affair. But, such is the life of a test pilot—needless to say, I soldiered on.
Cheating mother nature on your mountain bike
Students at Arizona State’s mechanical engineering school have designed a mountain bike that “regenerates” the kinetic energy of braking. (Watch the video here!) In other words, it stores the energy of your momentum while you’re braking, and then allows you to accelerate again, without pedaling — rather like spinning that rubber band on your balsa ...
I’ll take one, thanks.
After reading Karl’s blog post “2008 Fuel EX9: Post Punk Pondering” I’d like to share my own Punk Bike experience. While Karl was slogging through the Punk Bike trails on his fancy-schmancy 27 gear racing bike, I was on my recently purchased Bianchi Sok singlespeed. And that one speed was just fine with me. Truth ...
Get your dirt ride on — in Washington DC?
IMBA, the International Mountain Bicycling Association, is sponsoring the 2008 National bike summit in Washington D.C. The party goes down the first week of March, and IMBA members and advocates can get a special discount on the conference fee, by registering at IMBA.com. IMBA also offers some helpful hints about how to come up with ...
More singletrack in National Parks?
Back in 2005, IMBA signed a memorandum of understanding with the US Forest Park Service. The idea was to create a climate of happy negotiation in an effort to explore the possibility of thinking about talking about maybe proposing more singletrack in National Parklands. The Service has long been prejudiced against mountain bikes, for reasons ...
Brain Fart – Satan’s Drink Part II
Have to admit, I’ve been thinking a lot about automobiles lately. Now, before you jump on my case for desiring to burn fossil fuels, keep in mind that I’ve gone without for roughly 6 years (excluding the motorcycle that followed me home in August). I grew up in a family where internal combustion toys were ...
What can brown do for your street cred?
The rock stars of urban cycling are, of course, bike messengers. Long hours in the saddle, lousy pay without benefits, constant life-threatening hassles from cars and trucks, filthy clothes, gearless brakeless bikes, thankless receptionists, and nifty-looking cargo bags– what’s not to like? If you secretly wish you could somehow get the “cred” without signing ...
The thief and the vandal
Puma and Biomega have teamed up to create a line of hipster urban folding bikes. The “Boston” is an interesting BMX-inspired ride with a wire downtube that reminds me of the Slingshot mountain bike frame from years back. But Biomega takes the idea one step further by making that cable an integrated lock. In other ...
Oh what fun it is to ride….
This looks like way too much fun:
Celebrity cyclists: Buns of steel
There aren’t a lot of celebrities who get around on bicycles just as a matter of transportation. David Byrne is about the only one that comes to mind, although Paris Hilton took a memorable ride on her Stumpjumper a few days before going to the slammer. Â But earlier this week, Matthew Modine had a ...
Brain Fart: Dear Santa
It being Christmas time and all, I thought Santa might want some ideas for me: 1-New off road drop bars. I’ve tried everything on the market and I’m still not happy. I know a certain company that has some pictures of what I’ve got in mind, but maybe Santa can send some elves over to ...
Pay to play: An old argument in new clothes
In Seattle, they’re discussing whether cyclists should pay for a license. The argument goes like this: Because bikes are demanding and getting additional amenities like dedicated lanes and parking racks, cyclists should bear some of the cost. This is an updated version of the idiotic complaint bike commuters have been hearing for years: “Get your ...
Brain Fart: Winter Doldrums Projects
Methinks biking through winter’s fury is an exercise in preparedness, if not stubbornness. It is a wise effort—to doggedly prepare not simply one’s self, but one’s equipment, for the wrath of winter.
Furthermore, the notion occurred to me that sharing my ordeal might perchance afford some amusement to those internet denizens that seemingly take pleasure in reading of such travails. I shall explain forthwith….
The Nanny State vs. the Bicycle
Authorities in Japan are considering a new cycling law that would make it illegal to use a cell phone while riding a bike. I’d call that legislating the obvious, but it’s actually surprising how many urban cyclists you see chatting on the blower while spinning through traffic. Perhaps more interesting to American bike commuters: Additionally, ...
Wondering Out Loud: Who is the most famous pro mountain biker?
What do pro cyclists do after the sun sets on their racing days? Well, some — like Brian Lopes or Tinker Juarez — continue to race against the sun. But others develop bike brands like, say, Eddie Merckx, Greg Lemond, or John Tomac. This article at Bicycle Retail News has some nice insights into what ...
A throwdown to all unicyclists
The Icicle Bicycle Ride takes place each January 1 in Pittburgh — no matter what the weather brings, and no matter what cocktails were imbibed the night before. Organizer Mark Yergin told the Pittburgh Tribune It is a social ride, not a fitness ride, and Yergin said that participants can turn around and head back ...
Like comparing Amtrak to EuroRail
The fabled Hungarian Postal Service — that’s “Magyar Posta” to you, mister — has disbursed 4 million euros to buy 4800 bikes and 30 bike trailers for its mail carriers. Meanwhile, you may be wondering whatever happened to the US Postal Service’s kinda lame plan to run a bunch of Segways? That program was suspended ...
Catching Big Air in Flatland
My obsession with old bicycle posters started with those frameable vintage photographs from the Tour de France — back when racers had to carry their own tires and forge their own forks and they had cigarettes and seltzer at the feeding zone — and came full circle with the new line of Californian wines like ...
Bike ’em Danno
Back in August, Justin called touring The Next Big Thing. Reaching further back in the archives we find a similar augury made by Brad Quartuccio. As these predictions play out, I ‘m struck with a sense of my own divination. Is Bike touring the next armchair travel fad? As I browse through blogs and bookstores ...
Experimenting on Bike Messengers
Bike messengers in Cambridge, England are carrying air pollution sensors around town in a nifty bike-enabled experiment. Eiman Kanjo, a computer scientist at the University of Cambridge, is in charge of the project that uses cell phones and GPS to upload air-quality information from those roving bands of urban punks with Chrome bags and ...
Should cyclists be required to wear helmets?
Authorities in Austin, Texas are considering a law to require all cyclists to wear helmets. Not convinced by common sense, they undertook a year long study at a local hospital. Their findings? A significant number of head injuries can be prevented by wearing a helmet. Of course, this doesn’t necessarily take into account the findings ...
Sabotaged bike trails: What have you seen?
A man in Fullerton, California has been charged with vandalizing a mountain biking trail; he allegedly dug about fifty 2-foot holes in a shared use trail at Laguna Lake Park. Why’d he do it? Reportedly as “revenge” for nearly being run down while walking his dog. Of course, if you were riding a big hit ...
When ghost-biking is the fastest way down the hill
Do you ever get the feeling that you’re sort of fighting your bike — and that it might ride better without you? Here’s a Monday morning video to make you smile.
Cruel and unusual punishment
A perennial subject at the bar is whether you can get a DUI for riding your bicycle while intoxicated. The shortcut for our purposes here: It depends on your municipality. In some areas you can get a DUI and even forfeit your automobile driver’s license. In other areas, where more enlightened heads prevail, the drunk ...
Help a Sister Out….
We already told you about Tara Llanes’ unfortunate accident. Recently, Dirt Rag Forum member downhill mike dropped a post with a great idea that the folks at Whiteface Mountain Bike Park have come up with: At Whiteface Mountain Bike Park we will once again for our 3rd consecutive year have Ladies Days on the 1st ...
MLK’s great cycling predecessor
If you’re working today, it’s a good time to guilt your boss by asking why you don’t get this important holiday off. And I personally give you permission to take a few moments to indulge in some topical slacking. Ever heard of the Major Taylor Association? It’s named for a world-champion African American cyclist who ...
Riding back to where you started, without turning left or right
There have been some impressive ’round the world bike treks in recent years. One of the granddaddies of that type of expedition is Dan Buettner, who has pedaled from the Bering Strait to Tierra del Fuego, from the Mediterranean to Cape Hope, and from Europe across Russia to the Sea of Japan. You might be ...
Brain Fart: More of the Bag
So instead of watching one of two very good things on television right now (a PBS special with The Clash or a Penguins vs Flyers hockey game), I’m sitting here at the kitchen counter, trying to get this Brain Fart out before I go play soccer. Since I sometimes get on other staff members to ...
Bikes in China: Defending a great tradition
There are 460 million bicycles in China, but that number may be at a plateau. As the country industrializes, the Chinese middle class has a big appetite for — what else? — the automobile. But government officials are making a new push to repopularize the bicycle — especially in Beijing, in anticipation of the ...
Give me your worst shot
One of the reasons I’ve always had a slight preference for riding in dirt is that the landing is a lot softer. When you crash on pavement, it’s going to be your flesh and bones that absorb the blow — not the road. But no matter where you are, goofing around on bikes is always ...
BrainFart: Next Stop: Sunshine and Red Rocks
Ahhh, as the buzz around the Dirt Rag house changes with the completion of issue #133 from “Oh man! It’s deadline!†to talk of which of us are going to what World Tour stops one thing is for sure. Spring must be getting closer and I’m happy to cheat time and the season a little ...
The $12,000 steel commuter bike…
A few months ago, Chanel announced that they’re rolling out a boutique city cruiser, which looks pretty much like any other neo-Dutch knockoff. With a price-tag of $12,000, I couldn’t help wondering what type of person would drop that kind of dough on a bicycle that is the equivalent of a $100 gourmet hamburger. Now ...
On your left!
Dear Abby took a break last week from peddling her usual advice about insensitive husbands and nagging wives. Her topic? Bike path ettiquette, especially as regards bikes and pedestrians. The consensus, of course, is that on a shared path, bikes need to warn walkers that they are approaching with either a bell or a vocal ...
Sheldon Brown
By now, you’ve likely heard about the passing of Sheldon Brown. Sheldon was one of the coolest and unique people with so much passion and knowledge about bicycles and cycling. I’m not going to attempt to eulogize him here, but I think Bike Snob NYC had one of the best posts on the matter that ...
Cabernet Savignon-flavored Clif bars?
A couple of months ago, I discovered that the folks behind Clif energy bars also happen to own a winery. Yes, there are several varieties of Clif wine available, including a syrah, a cab, a merlot, and a couple of blends. Cool, huh? Now, if they make an energy wine that I can put in ...
Brain Fart: The Blank Slate
When test bikes come in to DRHQ, our esteemed editor is usually the one making the call of who gets to test which bike. This was the case a few weeks ago when Karen came to my office and asked if I would be interested in testing a custom Lynskey Performance Pro29. The only difference ...
Greetings Earthlings
Word up from EWR Land. This is a new blog that the kind folks at Dirt Rag have asked me to write. From here forward you will see my musings and thoughts. We can sit with coffee and talk of the old days, eat Fiddle Faddle and type with sticky fingers, and wax philosophical about ...
Confirmed: The Prez shreds
The Hoya, Georgetown University’s student newspaper, has a nice interview with Santiago Gonzalez — President Bush’s bike mechanic. And although “Pinkey” has never actually ridden with the Prez (there’s a little unpleasant business having to do with Pinkey’s immigration status), he assures the Good People of the United States: My partner has gone with him ...
How to spot corporate co-option
Bikes are hip these days, anyone can tell you that. So it shouldn’t have been that much of a surprise that DKNY rolled out a bunch of bikes on the streets of Manhattan for Fashion Week. Bikes are cool, right? So companies that celebrate bikes are cool too, right? Problem is, DKNY bought a bunch ...
Put your money where your bike advocacy is
The baddest executive-branch shredder may be the Prez. But the bikingest mayor in the nation appears to be Chicago’s Richard Daley. Last summer, he was in Paris checking out the Velib program, and proposing a similar free-bike scheme for the Windy City. Now he’s announced legislation that would fine car drivers up to $500 for ...
A sound mind in a sound body on a nice bike
Ripon College, a small liberal arts joint in Southern Wisconsin, is giving away a bike, helmet, and lock to every incoming freshman next fall. In exchange, students only have to agree not to bring a car to campus. For your reading pleasure we offer the following FAQ: What’s the free ride going to be? A ...
Around the world on two wheels
A Scottish man has set a new world record for cycling around the planet. Mark Beaumont left Paris and returned in 195 days and 6 hours. In spite of crossing through such lawless lands as Pakistan and Thailand on his 18,000 mile trek, it was the US that almost killed him: Beaumont was mugged in ...
How “Bicycle” playing cards came to be
Ever wondered about “Bicycle” playing cards? They’ve been made by the U.S. Playing Card Company in Ohio since 1885, and they’re the world’s bestselling decks by a long shot. You can read all about the history — including some very interesting WWII and Vietnam War cloak and dagger stuff — at USPC’s website here. For ...
The secret success of post-USSR Cuba
Apropos of the news from Cuba today, I recalled an article last year that explained how that communist country adapted to the collapse of the Soviet Union and its subsidies for oil: It dramatically shifted to become a bike-centric culture. I’m no fan of dictatorships of any kind, but if I could have one wish ...
A clown bike everyone can love
I’ve been known to make a lot of wisecracks about “clownbikes,” and the ineffable human compulsion to try to reinvent the wheels, over and over again — when there is no way, frankly, to improve upon the design of the simple safety bicycle, circa 1885. But one type of clownbike is beyond reproach, and that ...
Another cool use for old bike wheels
Anyone who’s ever worked in bike salvage knows that bike junkyards are often flush with one particular component: wheels. (Crappy aluminum frames are often good dough at the scrapyard, so they get stripped and flipped. Why? Because of all the canned beer you drink, young cyclist. That’s what you’d call an efficient ecological loop!) I’ve ...
RE: On The Rise: Winter Racing
Here in Houghton, Michigan (in the upper peninsula) we get an average of about 200 inches of snow per year–basically it snows from November into April. As you may imagine, it’s rare around here to see dry pavement here in the heart of winter. Even so, there are a core group of people, mostly college ...
William F. Buckley Jr., secret champion of the bicycle
William F. Buckley Jr., the great conservative patrician and champion of the überclasses, died this morning.Whatever you might think of the man (personally, I’m a sucker for his Brahmin-in-Paradise trilogy about bluewater sailing), you gotta give him credit: Way back in 1965, he proposed bike lanes —bike lanes! — in Manhattan to ease congestion, a ...
Brain Fart: smorgasbord
I remembered I needed to post on the blog today as the in-house schedule has rotated back to me. Most times my rides to and from work are full of interesting thoughts (at least to me), but of course my mind was pretty blank today, except I needed to hurry to work with the coffee ...
Americans: Too cool for a serious utility bike?
As everyone knows, Americans and Europeans have widely divergent tastes. France Them: Speedos. Us: Baggy Nauticas. Bavaria Them: Lemonade & beer Us: Whiskey & beer Sweden Them: Scorpions Us: Black Flag England Them: Bangers & Mash Us: Hot Dogs & Fries So, I’m curious about this: With the growing popularity of “utility bikes,” rides like ...
R.I.P., Myron Cope
R.I.P., Myron Cope “The Terrible Towel transcends all sports.†– a commentator (probably Paul Steigerwald) on the Pittsburgh local hockey station, FSN, about the tribute to Myron Cope at today’s Penguins game. The Terrible Towel will likely be seen at hockey games now through the Pens’ run through the playoffs. Thanks for the 2-point head ...
650B full suspension bike? New 650B tires?
For those not paying attention, 650B is a tire size between the two standards out there now; 26 and 29″. Quick history-650B is a French wheel size,often used on older touring and camping bikes. It never completely disappeared, with contingents in France and the US continuing to use and talk about the wheel size (see ...
Brain Fart: Let’s Build Some Trails Together
Hello, it’s me, Karl Rosengarth, IMBA member #784, up here on the soapbox. Just the other day I received the following great news from IMBA:
SRAM Steps Up to Support IMBA Trailbuilding Fund
For Immediate Release
03-03-08
Contact: Mark Eller, IMBA Communications Director
[email protected]
303-545-9011
LUNAFEST
Looking for something to do on a Monday evening? Live in the Boston area? Then check out this enticing offer from the Boston LUNA Chix: The Boston LUNA Chix welcome LUNAFEST(R), the fundraising film festival dedicated to promoting awareness about women’s issues, highlighting women filmmakers, and bringing women together in their communities, to the historic ...
Bike porn — the hardcore stuff
The Bike Film as a genre is beginning to expand and fragment. There are more than a few regional BFF’s emerging — just saw a call for entries up in Boston, for example. And now there is the “Pornography of the Bike” traveling filmfest, uh, coming to a venue near you. There are a number ...
Trek founder passes
Trek founder Richard Burke has passed away. The company reported today that Burke diedlast night after having heart surgery. He was 73 years young. Dick founded Trek in 1976, and shortly thereafter built this bike — And my brother bought one. Which I wish to God I hadn’t sold years ago to buy some dogstained ...
Do Bikers dream of Penfield Mood Devices?
Do Bikers dream of Penfield Mood Devices? Or of a Wilbur Mercer Empathy Box for that matter? A little to esoteric in the reference? Let me explain. Philip K Dick wrote about both devices in his classic Sci-Fi novel Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? A somewhat edited version for those who don’t care for ...
Face Shot
I love dirt jumping. I love dirt jumping in eastern Pennsylvania in the early spring and late fall — bookends to the season and a uniquely different soul and feel. I love the press and rebound of hitting the lip at speed, forcing it low, racer-style. I love the feeling of pumping backside and accelerating. ...
The New Kid
Hey, folks! Another new face has crossed the threshold of the Dirt Rag house. I feel lucky to be here and I am excited to share my enthusiasm and experiences in cycling with yinz (spoken in a true –Pittsburghese-British accent). Wow, all of the years I spent tinkering with bikes and reading Dirt Rag have ...
Spring Cleaning
Cleaning. That is an excellent thing to do to your house, bike, car and your inner/outer self. I find an art in the act of cleaning. Just like a ball of unformed clay, what you start with is always beautified and improved with a little effort. It has potential of being like night and day ...
Jamis Dragon 29 Chronicles #1
This is the first in a series of posts leading up to the Dirt Rag Stuff Review of the Jamis Dragon 29. I’ll informally keep you posted not only with my experiences on the bike, but also with my indoctrination into the 29†machine. This ongoing journal is also an exercise for me to get ...
Road Ride Indoctrination
Last summer I rode my bicycle across Pennsylvania, and then some. I kept a journal for each of the six days of the ride. This is an entry for my first day. .: Day 1 :. Erie to Warren About 98 miles Around 4am, I heard some sort of animal breathing through it’s nose while ...
Jamis Dragon 29 Chronicles #2
This is the second in a series of posts leading up to the Dirt Rag Stuff Review of the Jamis Dragon 29. I’ll informally keep you posted not only with my experiences on the bike, but also with my indoctrination into the 29†machine. This ongoing journal is also an exercise for me to get ...
Roman Joins the Ranks
Man! I don’t know what it is with the arrival of spring. Maybe it is just the good feeling of breaking out of an extremely long winter this year, or maybe it’s me getting (gulp) more mature and responsible. Whatever the case I feel energized! I love the sun. I’ve reflected on the past year to see what I’ve done right and wrong and know what I need to do this year.
A Guide for Reducing Collisions Involving Bicycles
The Transportation Research Boards’s National Cooperative Highway Research Program (NCHRP) Report 500, Vol. 18, Guidance for Implementation of the AASHTO Strategic Highway Safety Plan: A Guide for Reducing Collisions Involving Bicycles provides strategies that can be employed to reduce collisions involving bicycles. The 177-page report contains information that may be useful for bicycle advocates and ...
Brain Fart: My secret shame: I’m addictted to bags
I moved most of my family’s worldly possessions to a new house last weekend. New to me that is, as it was built in 1890. In process of packing up our stuff, I was reminded that I’ve got baggage, baggage of the bag type. Hiking bags, messenger bags, hydration packs, seat bags, panniers handlebar bags, ...
Brain Fart: Peer Pressure
When Laird Knight of Granny Gear Productions invented 24-hour mountain bike racing, he aimed to provide a format that engendered the camaraderie that pervades mountain biking culture. Harkening back to the early days of the 24 Hours of Canaan—with virtually the entire field camping side-by-side in a lumpy, muddy field just outside of Davis, WV and sharing the agony and ecstasy of a brutally challenging course—I’d say Mr.
My secret shame: I’m afraid of new bags
Eric’s recent Brain Fart, along with office kitchen-table discussion, prompted me to think about my own bag usage. I, too, have an older Timbuk2 messenger bag, mine a 1997 DeeDog (the size below Eric’s XL Tag Junkie). Unlike Eric, this has been my sole everyday bag for most of the 11 years I’ve owned it. ...
Brain Fart: Commuting
Yesterday’s view of the parking lot at DR headquarters. This age of nearly $4/gallon gasoline has certainly gotten everyone’s attention. Fortunately some folks are doing more than simply bitching about the high price of fuel. I’m increasingly impressed by the number of people I’m seeing out and about on bicycles whether it’s for fun, transportation, ...
Ride of Silence
The Ride of Silence take place at various locations around the globe today, May 21st, 2008. There may still be time to find a location near you and join a ride this evening. More info from www.rideofsilence.org below: On May 21, 2008, at 7:00 PM, the Ride of Silence will begin in North America and ...
The Practicality of Bikes
I went to Maui on vacation a few months back–didn’t even know I was gone-did you? I’ll completely skip all the typical rhetoric about the islands. You’ve seen the pictures, you know it’s a beautiful place. The surf, the sand, the food… I will put a little nod in here for the little geckos often ...
Karl’s 1995 E-Motion B2 Singlespeed
I wrote a few words about my ’95 E-Motion B2 for the "Owner’s Bikes" section of the East Woods Research website. I thought Dirt Rag readers might enjoy reading it too:
El Cajon Bike To Work Pit Stop
To celebrate Bike to Work Day, Taylor Coffroth, seen here in the Dirt Rag Bright Idea Tee, has been organizing the City of El Cajon’s Bike to Work Day Pit Stop for the past 10 years. Each year, 70 to 80 riders stop by and are treated to free food and prizes on their way ...
Crush the Commonwealth Part 1
For three years running now I’ve been putting on and riding in a little event called Crush the Commonwealth. Pretty simple concept; start in Philadelphia (odd years) or Pittsburgh(even) and ride your bike to the other city along a route that incorporates parts of the Great Allegheny Passage, Penn Dot Bicycle Route S and the ...
Brain Fart: 24 Hours of Big Bear Race Report
On the Dirt Rag World Tour, sometimes the opportunity presents itself to participate as well as spectate at an event. When Granny Gear’s 24 Hours of Big Bear came up on the calendar, many of us at the office wanted to do some participating, but we soon realized that somebody would have to man the ...
17 Reasons Why Bicycles Are the Most Popular Vehicle in the World Today
We each have our own reasons on why we love the bicycle. But I just came across this very cool list from Eco Worldy on 17 reasons many other people love bicycles. Here’s the link: http://ecoworldly.com/2008/06/16/17-reasons-why-bicycles-are-the-most-popular-vehicle-in-the-world-today/
Birthdays, Bike Races, and Music!
The great city of Pittsburgh, PA is celebrating its 250th birthday and a mega-watt of bicycle activities are planned for this weekend. Included in the celebration is the Tour of Pennsylvania, a 420-mile road stage race that began in Philadelphia on June 24th and ends Sunday with a 33-lap circuit race through the streets of ...
Mega Event Schedule Update
We invite you to join us at the Dirt Rag World Tour stop at the Kenda Bikefest Presented by Dirt Rag, scheduled for July 25–27th in Hancock, MA. If that’s not in the cards, then we’ve got dozens of events listed from coast to coast. Check out the action! Date State City Event Title Hyperlink ...
Salsa Cycles Sol Sessions First Report
I had the chance to visit the Salsa Cycles HQ in Minneapolis for the unveiling and riding of Salsa’s two new full suspension bikes. The bikes were designed to have a similar ride with wheel size being the main difference. The 26er called the El Kaboing has 5 inches of rear wheel travel and the ...
The most incredible thing I’ve ever done was NOT on a bike.
That’s right, I’m leaving myself wide open for ridicule and derision at work and at home with a bold statement like that. Those at the office live and breathe bikes and for me to have the most incredible experience of my life NOT on 2 wheels borders on travesty. Similarly at home, after marriage and ...
Brain Fart: Two Wheels, One Love
I’ve been rolling this around in my head for quite a while, but one of the photos in Karl’s Rider Profile of Sarah Hansing really solidified the point; I know quite a few bicycle people who are also motocycle riders, and visa versa. Having recently been re-bitten by the motorcycle bug, I can certainly sympathize. ...
Take a Kid Mountain Biking Day
For the fifth consecutive year, IMBA will be providing support, schwag and publicity for clubs that host “Take a Kid Mountain Biking Day” events. This year’s celebration will be held on Oct. 4, 2008—with help from Schwinn, Smartwool, CLIF Organic ZBar and Trips for Kids. Participating is as simple as organizing a kid’s ride in ...
Brain Fart: Self supported road racing?
Anybody else see any road racing coverage lately, particularly the Tour de France? Anybody else blown away by the amount of motorized vehicles that accompanies the peloton? That’s not even all of it. There are multiple team buses, camera helicopters and all the weird little product placement vehicles that travel the route before the racers, ...
Brain Fart: Cat Herding and Pet Photoggery
I’ll be the first to admit that attending the occasional press camp is one of the primo perks of my job. Case in point: jetting into Durango to ride Gary Fisher’s all new Roscoe and Trek’s updated Fuel EX bikes. It should come as no surprise that riding the latest and greatest bikes on world-class ...
That Was Fun!
I wasn’t expecting to have a blast on a road/race bike this weekend, but I did. In truth, this was my first time at the Kenda Bikefest and I wasn’t sure what to expect. As it turns out, the weekend was filled with extremes. Mild weather, and incredible blue skies interspersed with intimidating thunderstorms in ...
Japan: Bikes Here, There and Everywhere
I recently returned from an amazing trip to Osaka, Japan with my wife, Maggie, and her awesome parents/tour guides, Bill and Kazuko. We saw many great sights, we ate way too much good food, and saw more of the country than the most seasoned Japanese tourist.Before we left for our travels, I thought that I ...
Lost and Found
Thanks to Klunkerz director Billy Savage for sharing the following story: From the very beginning of my project I told anyone that would listen that I’m a storyteller with a mountain bike, not a mountain biker with a camera. Sure, I like to ride a little bit, but I’ve never been much of a climber. ...
First Annual JORBA Bike Festival
When: September 13th, 2008, 10:00 a.m. until ? Where: Waterloo Concert Field adjacent to Allamuchy and Stephens State Parks, NJ. Why: The goal of the “fest” is to promote responsible trail stewardship and cycling advocacy and awareness in New Jersey. Wuzzupwidat? Free admission. Guided trail rides in Allamuchy, Deer Park and Stephens State Park for ...
Brain Fart: The Olympics
This year, for the first time in a while, I find myself actually paying attention to the Olympics. As a youngster I used to be fascinated with the amazing feats of the likes of Nadia Comaneci, Vasiliy Alekseyev and Dorothy Hamill, and was the only one in my family who cared that the U.S. hockey ...
Monarch Crest Trail Celebration
To celebrate National Public Lands Day the International Mountain Bicycling Association (IMBA), Continental Divide Trail Alliance (CDTA), U.S. Forest Service (USFS) and Salida Mountain Trails group are coordinating a massive volunteer effort on the Monarch Crest trail, outside of Salida, CO on Sept. 27th. Anna Laxague and Jason Wells of the Subaru/IMBA Trail Care Crew ...
DNF DNS DIA
DNF I drank beer instead SSWC08 was an amazingly fun time, and I got to enjoy it with some really cool people. We did a lot of riding, partying and traveling out there. Sleep and honest meals were rare, but that didn’t get in the way of fun. Last week’s course was twenty-one miles of ...
SSWC08 Video
After one lap of the course, on which I consumed two beers and a shot, I decided to bail on the next two laps in favor of continuing the party. I decided to film some of the festivities, and have put it all together here in this video. Enjoy!
BrainBlog: Passing on the Reminder
When I was emailed a few days ago to be reminded that it was my turn for a blog entry, the first thing that came to my mind was “Man not this week. I’ve got no words leftâ€. This deadline has been draining on not only me, but I think on the entire Dirt Rag ...
First Look: Commencal Furious
One of my favorite things about mountain bike festivals is the opportunity to ride a variety of different bikes that I would normally only see in magazines. Enter Crankworx Colorado, 2008, Winter Park resort and the Commencal Furious. The nice gentlemen at the BTI booth had the entire Commencal lineup on hand for the shredding, ...
Old Adventure, New Adventure…
My commute to work today made me think about a recent Old Coot article we published a few issues ago. The idea of the article was that you don’t need to ride new and different trails all the time. Sometimes it’s fun and challenging to ride trails closer to home that you’ve ridden several times ...
That Dam Ride
The Rails to Trails Act of 1983 may rank as the best thing to happen to American cycling in the last 25 years. Technically section 8(d) of the National Trails Systems Act, this landmark legislation greases the skids for the conversion of abandoned and unused railroad corridors into recreational trails. According to the Rails-to-Trails Conservency, ...
Brain Fart: In Sickness, and In Las Vegas
Well, its time for me to pump out a Brain Fart, and unfortunately there are only few things on which I’m currently able to focus. So, I’m going to bore you with those. Right now I’m getting ready for Interbike, and rejoicing in the fact that I’m slowly coming back up to speed from having ...
Interbike Report Day 2: More Outdoor Demo
And we are back from brutally hot Las Vegas, Nevada. (Not Las Vegas, New Mexico… and no, we’re not located in Pittsburg, California, thanks for asking.) It’s been another brutally hot day – sorry to keep commenting on this, but we’re constantly amazed that anyone would willingly live here. Anyway, they’ve at least got some ...
Live! From Interbike! It’s Dirt Rag TV!
Ok, so it’s not really “live” per se. But we do have eight interviews right from the halls of the Sands Convention Center from Interbike last week. We spoke to industry insiders about the effect of current economic conditions on the bike industry, interesting products from interesting people and humanitarian aid with the help of ...
East Coast Steel Feast
I just came upon a good article about Smorgabord Cycles, and long-gone east coast frame builder. It gives a good background and some insight to what the company was, and where it came from. Check it out here!
That’s A Wrap!
It’s fall outside and right now we’re sewing up the last bits on the next Dirt Rag going off to press. Issue 139 will be the last of this year. It’s hard to believe that this is about it for 2008. Looking back, the past summer has been chalk full of adventures, both personal and ...
Mavic Caliper Adjusters
Do you own a 26-inch wheeled mountain bike that you ride more on the road than on the trails? Have you ever wanted to make that slow mountain bike faster on the street? Have you tried skinny tires, but people on their road bikes are still whizzing past you? By losing the small, sluggish 26 ...
2008 Punk Bike Enduro Announced
The 19th annual Dirt Rag Punk Bike Enduro is scheduled for December 14th, 2008 in Dorseyville, PA. What’s a Punk Bike Enduro? Maurice already addressed that very question in a previous article, where he wrote: There was an article in an old copy of Fat Tire Flyer that told of an event called the Punk ...
EWR OWB29er: First Impressions
In part one of this series, I ran through the specifications on my new EWR OWB29er test bike, and posted a gallery with pictures of this unique-looking bike. At that point I hadn’t had a chance to throw a leg over my new steed, but since then, I’ve busted out a handful of solid rides ...
The Sounds of 2002
It’s incredibly nerdy, and quite anal, but back in 2002 I cataloged all of the music I purchased that year. In addition to listing it, I also wrote very quick and very impulsive reviews of each CD. Yes…CD’s. Remember them? I miss going into the local, independent record store and spending hours in there. Anyway…here’s ...
EWR OWB29er: How it Rides
How’s it ride? That’s usually the first question somebody ask when they spy me riding a test bike for Dirt Rag. An innocent sounding question, but not an easy one to answer. Describing how a bike rides is a subjective exercise. Many variables come into play. Not the least of which are: riding style, type ...
Cold Weather Riding: It’s All In Your Head
When the temperature drops and daylight wanes, many riders confine themselves to an indoor trainer or hang up their bikes altogether for the winter months. True, winter riding presents unique challenges, but it also reaps great rewards.
Sneak a Peek: Yeti ASR
One thing about time is that it sure moves fast. When I sat down to write this article, I couldn’t believe that I’ve been riding the Yeti ASR for about a month now. I meant to give a first impression of it weeks ago, but somehow time passed my by. My first ride aboard the ...
ACA Announces Ride the Divide Sweepstakes Winners
To celebrate the 10th anniversary of the Great Divide Mountain Bike Route, our friends at Adventure Cycling Association partnered with Dirt Rag to present the “Ride the Divide” sweepstakes. You may recall we announced the sweepstakes at the end of May 2008, and we’re happy to report that the results are in! Piotr Gorecki of ...
Cyclocross Nationals Underway
The 2008 USA Cycling Cyclocross National Championships kick off Thursday, December 11th in Kansas City, MO. Defending Elite Men’s champion Tim Johnson and Women’s Elite champion Katie Compton will be among the nearly 1,800 riders that have registered for the 38 races scheduled to take place between Thursday and Sunday at Kansas City’s Tiffany Springs ...
New Subscriber Features Online!
I know some of your are expecting some brain gas here but I have some exciting subscription oriented news to share. Allow me to introduce you to our new subscription system. In order to better serve our subscribers, we recently upgraded our database to a new system. The beauty of this new system is that ...
2008 Punk Bike Enduro
As soon as my caravan of cycling pilgrims rolled up late to the Promised Land of the Dorseyville Fire Hall on Sunday, I knew that it was a record turnout for the Punk Bike Enduro. A multi-colored mass of bicycles, punks, weird costumes and the vehicles that brought them here spread throughout the neighborhood, as ...
Cold Weather Riding #5: Studded Tires
In this installment I’ll talk about a very valuable tool for winter riding, and my personal favorite: studded tires. Studded tires are one of those things that may not be useful a large percentage of the time, but for those times when they are useful, they are absolutely essential – specifically, when there may be ...
Brain Fart: SLX Group Test Bike Build
The Santa Cruz Heckler frame, previously seen in a different configuration here and here, is being reborn as the test bed for some new products: Shimano SLX group—replaces LX and Hone, aimed at the trail bike/all-mountain market. Our set up will be decidedly big-hitish, with a bashguard double crank, and oversize front rotor. Rock Shox ...
New Featured Artist Gallery Posted
Philip Williamson first began submitting work for Dirt Rag Magazine in 2007. To date he’s illustrated two Table of Content Pages (issues 133 and 137), and a Last Chance for Gas (issue 129), plus submitted dozens of rough sketches for ideas. Philip’s watercolors are light and vibrant, sometimes quirky, and always treats to enjoy. He ...
NEPMTBA Biker Build Off 2009
Happy new year! The following tidbit comes from the fun-loving folks at NEPMTBA, via nepmtbabikerbuildoff.blogspot.com. Welcome to NEPMTBA Biker Build Off 2009. Our contest will run from 1.1.09 to 3.17.08 allowing this time period to build your dream ride. Then all machines will show off in the 2009 Scranton St Patrick’s Day Parade in Scranton ...
Getting There
As I immerse myself in this time honored Dirt Rag tradition of Brain Farting, I find myself flashing back to a warmer time. A time where I was slightly newer to Pittsburgh and beginning an adventure along a new trail. Due to a roller coaster work relationship with a cultural non-for-profit north of here, most ...
It All Started With a Chainring
Some weeks ago I noticed that the large chainring on my cyclocross-style commuting bike was badly and unexpectedly worn – the teeth looked like pointy little shark teeth, rather than the rounded swells they should be. It wasn’t all that old, but it did go through some nasty street slush and muck this past spring. ...
Brighten The Corners
I was still bitter there would be no 2009 Turnpike Super Bowl, but I shook the weak hangover from the Eagles and Steelers games the night before, and shared one last round of goodbyes with the in-laws. It was time for me to head back home to pack the last few things and put the ...
Worst Day of the Year Ride
The 8th annual Worst Day of the Year Ride presented by SKS Germany—to be held in Portland, OR on February 15th, 2009—features an 18-mile urban tour and 40-mile challenge route in one of the world’s top cycling cities. The 3,000 participants will enjoy five stops along the route—with warm drinks, snacks, soup and brew. This ...
Looking Forward, Keep Your Eyes on the Ice
I had great plans and ambition yesterday morning to take on the snow, well more ice than snow, that pelted our city over the last few days and ride to the other side of town on Dirt Rag official business. I dug out my studded Kenda Klondike tires, mounted them to my wheels, and gave ...
Cyclocross World Championships Coverage
If you’re not following Dirt Rag on Twitter, now is a good time to start. Dirt Rag will be at the UCI Cyclocross World Championships in Hoogerheide, Holland on Sunday. We’ll be posting tweets from the event all day along with some quick photos. Start following here: http://twitter.com/DirtRag And since Holland is several hours ahead ...
How Do You Pronounce Hoogerheide?
I’m not sure I will understand why Cyclocross racing isn’t a more popular spectator sport in the United States. All the key ingredients are there: a sport to which just about everyone in the world can relate since anyone of any age can ride a bicycle; dedicated athletes pushing themselves farther than anyone can imagine; ...
Birthdays, Anniversaries, and Cool Graphics!
It’s an exciting time around the Dirt Rag office, if not exhausting, as the wheels of our 20th anniversary gain momentum and we launch Bicycle Times Magazine, your everyday cycling adventure. In addition to a new website, www.bicycletimesmagazine.com, our merchandise machine has been creating fun logos to promote the relaxed atmosphere of our latest endeavor. ...
Snotcycle in Leesburg
Last week I was getting psyched up for a weekend in Northern Virginia riding the Leesburg Snotcycle race. The following is a brief recap of the event and some of the debauchery with a couple pics of the pre-ride. Last spring was the inaugural event for HereForTheSwag at the Leesburg Baker’s Dozen 13 hr race. ...
Looking Forward to Bicycle Times
As I look out my window at icy snow-covered streets, all I can think about are bikes and how much I’d like to be out there riding. I just finished proofing one of the final drafts of our new publication, Bicycle Times, and I’ve got to say, I’m more excited than ever that we’re doing ...
Brain Fart: Salsa Fargo in for Test!
Take a look at this nifty packaging. Â (click on photos for larger versions) I’m sure by now most of you are familiar with the Fargo, but it’s basically a 29’er mountain bike with drop handlebars designed for adventure touring. The Fargo begs to be loaded up and paraded around the countryside with little to ...
Dirt Rag Women’s Weekend at Ray’s Indoor MTB Park
We had such a good time last year, we’re doing it again… the Dirt Rag Women’s Weekend at Ray’s MTB Indoor Park! It starts this Friday, February 20, with a women-only day of riding and skills clinics with some top pros. There will also be demo bikes from Trek and Specialized, and cool raffle prizes ...
World Tour-North American Handmade Bicycle Show
Anyone reading this is probably enough into bikes to know what next weekend is. The North American Handmade Bicycle Show is one of the highlights of the year for me and my favorite non-riding world tour stop. We’ll be headed out in the van with a heavy load of Dirt Rag staffers, specially priced Dirt ...
First Impressions: Diamondback Mission 3
All Mountain. I think this term has grown on me. It is needed these days to describe the growing number of bikes in between freerider shuttle bikes and cross country trail machines. The Diamondback Mission series is a good example of this new breed of do-it-all-but-race XC type bikes. Quick run down of the spec ...
4th Annual Crush the Commonwealth
It is hard for me to believe it is time for this event again. I’ve been putting on a self-supported 400 mile ride/race/challenge/event across Pennsylvania since 2006. In alternating years the start is in either Pittsburgh or Philadelphia and the route meanders its way across the state using part of PA DOT Bicycle Route S, ...
Brain Fart: Winter Vacation
Winter in the northern latitudes is just long enough to make this aging cyclist more than a wee bit cranky. Yes, it is possible to grit one’s teeth and meet winter head-on. In fact, the Dirt Rag staff shared a gunny-sack-full of bright ideas in our Cold Weather Riding blog series: parts 1, 2, 3, ...
Putting the “World” in World Tour
Seems like just a few short weeks have passed since Karen asked me if I’d like to travel to the Philippines to attend the 7th annual Terry Larrazabal Bike Festival (TLBF). Hmm, let me think about that for a minute… In its 7th year running, the TLBF will be held northwest of the Philippine capital ...
Midwest MTB Summit Recap
We promote and cover mountain bike advocacy a lot here at Dirt Rag, arguably more than any other magazine. We do it because we believe it is critical for continued access to trails, and to help promote and grow the sport we love. We also do it to give some much-deserved recognition to the good ...
Trek 2010 Remedy OCLV
There’s nothing like a new bicycle. It sits in its stand, all clean and crisp. At no point in the bike’s life will its components shine like they do when the bike is on display. The newness of the bike is intoxicating. You stand there and fantasize about what it can do and where it’s ...
Project Ziggy: Part One
One of the sweet job perks at Dirt Rag is having the opportunity to test ride the latest and greatest bikes, model year after model year.
Web Extra for Dirt Rag #144: Riding the Singular Swift
Here are links to two routes that David Alden rode while testing the Singular Swift for Dirt Rag issue #144: Kingdom Trails in Vermont Willowdale/Bradley Palmer in Massachusetts
Norco 2010 Launch – Part Two: All Mountain Ride
As our last afternoon in Vancouver neared, we headed the Burnaby Mountain Conservation Area for a cross country/all mountain ride (check the map out here , if you’re interested). Bike choice for this ride varied from the 160mm travel LT 6.1 to the new-for-2010 Judan Belt Drive, a 29″-wheeled singlespeed. The trails of Burnaby Mountain ...
Trek Ultimate Ride (2010 mountain bike product launch)
Product photos by Sterling Lorence and action photos by Geoff Waugh A group of about thirty editors, journalists and general hangers-on from around the world assembled in Altaussee, Austria to witness the Trek mountain bikes 2010 product launch. As with most press junkets such as this, there was a lot of good food, some drinking, ...
Bike Pittsburgh BikeFest!
 We are less than two weeks away from the 5th annual BikeFest here in Pittsburgh. What is BikeFest? Probably best to let BikePGH explain it: “BikeFest is Pittsburgh’s biggest cycling event for cyclists by cyclists. It’s BikePGH’s annual celebration of bicycling, showcasing Pittsburgh in all of its uniqueness and beauty. It is not an ...
Take a Kid Mountain Biking Day
The following information is courtesy of IMBA. IMBA will celebrate its sixth annual International Take a Kid Mountain Biking Day on Saturday, October 3, 2009. This is a great opportunity for you to pass your passion for pedaling on to kids! We’re sure this year’s event will be even bigger and better than ever. Here ...
Life at Interbike Day 1.5
There’s a lot of bicycles and bicycle bits here at Interbike in Las Vegas. The Dirt Rag & Bicycle Times editorial and photo crews will be providing plenty of coverage for you on that front. In fact, you can already find some of it here, here and here. In addition to that in-depth coverage, I’ve ...
An Unwinding From the Booth
It’s an eye-opener working the Dirt Rag booth at Interbike and having conversations with fans of the mag, or those that just want to express their ideas. Now that we have Bicycle Times too, the array of subjects to discuss and the diversity of people stopping by is pretty mind-blowing to say the least and ...
First Impression: Giant XTC 29er 2
Giant’s entry into the world of twenty-nine inch wheeled bikes comes in the form of an aluminum hardtail. The XTC 29er begins with a stiff looking hydro-formed ALUXX SL tubeset with rectangular seat and chainstays, a rectangular tapered top tube, oversized tapered head tube, and hexagon-shaped down tube. It’s finished off with two 9-speed build ...
Dirt Rag & IMBA Advocacy Action Pack
We’re proud to introduce the Advocacy Action Pack in conjunction with IMBA. For $50 you get a one-year subscription to Dirt Rag, a one-year membership to IMBA, and a limited edition IMBA/Dirt Rag T-shirt: Check out IMBA’s membership benefits here. Click here to order! Click here to order if you live in Canada or Mexico! ...
Old News: Cannondale Simon Released to Press at Interbike
Been to a few press presentations, some of which have been pretty hilarious in their use of props to amuse the audience. Like when the old GT used dry ice to introduce the I-Drive suspension design in Brian Head, Utah back in 1990-something. The bike was fine but what I remember most was trying to ...
Pittsburgh’s Dirty Dozen
Since 1983 the Dirty Dozen bicycle race/ride has been serving up the 13 steepest hills in Pittsburgh, amidst 50 miles of pedaling, as a sure-fire recipe for burning off Thanksgiving calories. The race attracts an eclectic mix of road racers, messengers, mountain bikers and casual cyclists to share in the collective agony and ecstasy of ...
2009 Punk Bike Enduro Announced
The 20th annual Dirt Rag Punk Bike Enduro is scheduled for 11:00 a.m. sharp on Sunday, December 6th, 2009 at the Pittsburgh Harlequins Rugby Club. Sunday, Sunday, Sunday! What’s a Punk Bike Enduro? Savor the flavor in the previous reports from the 2006, 2007, and 2008 editions of the Punk Bike. Without further ado, adieu, ...
Dirt Rag Sponsors Rays’ MTB Park XCTT (cross country time trials)
Cold weather got you down? Bike gathering dust as your waistline expands and your muscles atropy on the couch? Has your race face turned into a slack jawed stare as you fixate in pro football broadcasts and insert junk food into your gaping maw? Or maybe you just want to try something new? Ray Petro ...
2010 Jamaica Fat Tyre Festival
The 12th annual Jamaica Fat Tyre Festival, which combines fantastic riding with Jamaica’s unique culture, is set for February 6-12th, 2010. That sounds like great way to jump-start the spring riding season, at time when many cyclists in North America will be more than happy to say goodbye to another winter. The Festival is organized ...
Dirt Bowl Kicks Off Super Bowl Sunday
Six-time Leadville 100 winner, and former US Mountain Bike team member, Dave Wiens, will lead a new annual cycling event for the San Francisco Bay area. The Dirt Bowl will be held on Super Bowl Sunday, February 7th, 2010. The Dirt Bowl is produced by Marin County Bicycle Coalition in partnership with the The NorCal ...
What Works in Winter
On a recent snowy night, Justin and I had one of those spectacular mountain bike rides that makes a cold nose a small price to pay for a frosty frolic in a winter wonderland. As our conversation turned to bike tech, as it invariably does on such Dirt Rag staff excursions, we shared our respective thoughts on what works in the winter. Our conversation gave me the inspiration to share some of my winter set-up tips.
Dirt Rag Office Commute: 2009 Totals
Each year the Dirt Rag/Bicycle Times staff has a friendly intra-office competition and we (try to) keep track of when we ride to work. A simple grid representing the days of the week listed vertically, and our names written horizontally, is as high-tech as we get. As usual, the staff tallied some strong commuting numbers ...
50 Mile Mountain Bike Ride for Rwanda
The 4th annual 50 Mile Ride for Project Rwanda will be held on Saturday April 10th, 2010 in Orange County, CA. This event is a “ride”, not a race. Riders will be treated to a challenging day of mountain biking with an estimated 500 participants, while they raise funds for Project Rwanda. The 50 Mile ...
Web Extra Content for the Carver Killer B Bike Review
Check out Karen’s “getting to know you” blog about her first rides on the Killer B. And here is Karen’s report from the 2009 Singlespeed World Championships, which she raced atop the Killer B.
February 2010 Event Schedule
February is right around the corner. That’s the time of year that cabin fever starts to take hold of the folks in the northern latitudes. Fortunately, Dirt Rag has just the elixir to cure what ails you—our Event Schedule has a tidy list of events that will put some pep in your step. A van-full ...
Sidi Amazing Shoe Story Contest
In celebration of Sidi’s 50th Anniversary, the venerable shoe company wants to hear some amazing stories about riders and their Sidis. Top prize package includes a pair of Sidi shoes, a Look 556 bike with SRAM Rival components and Look Keo pedals. Tell your story in 350 words or less. Or write a poem. If ...
Procrastination Central: First Ride on Santa Cruz Tallboy
Weekly meeting after weekly meeting, I’ve been promising to get this done, but this morning our esteemed web editor said that he’s “counting on me” to write a blog and submit it today. The blog post based on my experience with the “new” Santa Cruz Tallboy. What to do? I have a few words written ...
New Merch: Klean Kanteen
Our sister publication Bicycle Times has partnered with Klean Kanteen to bring to you an eco-friendly, reusable water bottle. This 27oz. bottle is made from 18/8 food-grade stainless steel. It does not have any inner lining, so it’s non-leaching, toxin free, 100% recyclable and will help to reduce landfill waste. This durable bottle has a ...
Dirt Rag Dirt Fest 2010 Announced
Dirt Rag Magazine would like to invite you to our own event: Dirt Fest. Mark your calendars for the weekend of May 21st-23rd, 2010 and head over to the Allegrippis trails at Raystown Lake in Hesston, PA. Dirt Fest will be a fun mountain biking festival, featuring 32 miles of prime singletrack for a weekend ...
Snot and Bikes: Same Great Flavor
Usually, when I talk about heading down to Leesburg, VA for a race in the dead of winter with non-mountain bikers, I’m told with varying degrees of vulgarity that I lack intelligence. But I like to think that Plum Grove Cyclery’s Snotcycle is the beginning of my training for one of my favorite events, the ...
Out of the Box and into the Snow: Gary Fisher Rumblefish
Hey, you might have heard, we are buried in snow. Just in time for my new test bike to arrive. I might have been able to get in just slightly snowy ride in before this last big storm, but a few little things kept me off the new technical trail bike from Fisher, the Rumblefish. ...
Frostbike: It’s always sunny in Minneapolis
Minneapolis is always a good place to be. I’d say MPLS or minneapplepuss or whatever you wanna call it is the city with the strongest bike culture in these United States. Geno at One On One Bicycle Studio , Hurl at Car R Coffins Coffee Bar and Cykel Garage and so on, well ya can’t ...
Bikes Belong Awards $55,000 in Grants
The good people over at Bikes Belong recently showed us 55,000 reasons why they’re so cool. Several cycling organizations and projects (catering to those who love non-paved as well as paved cycling) have just benefitted from the award of $55,000 worth of grants.Of particular interest: Moab Trails Alliance will get $10,000 to help complete a ...
Rally in the Valley
Philadelphia-area mountain bikers of all shapes, sizes, experiences and abilities will again have the opportunity to fraternize, ride, eat and buy stuff when the Fourth Annual Rally in the Valley goes down on April 17th in Wissahickon Park. The Philadelphia Area Mountain Bike Association (PMBA) is putting on the event, which brings together riders, local ...
Google Maps Adds “Bike There” Option
We have some fantastic news coming out of the National Bike Summit in Washington, DC this morning. The League of American Bicyclists is reporting that Google Maps has finally added a “bike there” option to the choices of directions between to locations. According to the press release from the League of American Bicyclists: “This new ...
New Belgium Brewing Urban Assault Ride 2010
Beer. Bikes. Big Wheels. Three awesome things, aren’t they? Especially when they come together, as they will for this year’s installment of New Belgium Brewing’s Urban Assault Ride. As in years past, the Urban Assault Ride series will roll through thirteen cities around the United States between April and September this year. If you don’t ...
Dirt Rag World Tour-Seattle Bicycle Expo-This Weekend!
Last year we had a great time at the Cascade Bicycle Club’s Bicycle Expo in Seattle. Read more about it here, here, and here, and look at pages of photos here. For 2010 the event moves closer to town into the Smith Cove Cruise Terminal 91. Seattle is a very pretty town, and I think ...
Transition TransAm On Test
When asked if I would like to throw a leg over a hardtail, single speed, all mountain bicycle from Transition I jumped at the chance. Why wouldn’t I want to hammer a bike that is carving itself a nice home in the all mountain category? Transition’s plan is to rejuvenate your biking experience to the ...
Cache Me If You Can
Have you ever seen a SylvanSport GO trailer? They look exactly like the one pictured over there on the left (yes, that’s one trailer). Considered the “Swiss Army Knife” of trailers, the GO is truly a spectacle to be held. Now imagine one of those things loaded with $14,000 worth of loot from the likes ...
Options for June 12th & 13th in West Virginia
As we posted last week, the 2010 installment of the 24 Hours of Big Bear has been canceled. A lot of people were looking forward to that race. If you’re one of them, and already have your calendar clear that weekend for racing and/or riding your bicycle in West Virginia, we have a few possible ...
First Impressions: GT Marathon Carbon Expert
Growing up, GT was always one of those brands that was desired by all the kids ripping up the neighborhood on BMX bikes, including me. My family never had the cash for a GT, so I never got to ride around on one, until now. GT’s Marathon Carbon Expert ($3200) is my current test rig ...
All Felt Up
South of the Mason Dixon, in Gilmer county Georgia, at a beautiful Sliding Rock cabin near Ellijay – I’m reminiscing on a couple fantastic days at the Mulberry Gap Mountain Bike Get-A-Way. I’ve been very fortunate the past few days because I’ve met some fantastic people, done some amazing rides and have gotten to put ...
Crested Butte to Aspen Klunker Classic 1980 Videos
By now, you’ve surely seen Klunkerz — the recent film documenting the birth of our beloved sport of mountain biking. If you haven’t seen this instantly classic Billy Savage flick…here comes the shameless plug…you can go right to our own Merch are and order the DVD! Charlie Kelly, one of THE forefathers of mountain biking ...
Santa Cruz Carbon Nomad
Shortly before the Easter weekend, the fine people at Santa Cruz announced the production of a carbon fiber version of the wildly popular Nomad. “While the now tried and true aluminum Nomad is still a vital part of our lineup, we decided to splice some carbon fiber into it’s DNA and see what happens,” says ...
April 2010 Event Schedule
Spring is definitely in the air, and that means more bike riding! It also means more bicycle events for you! Here’s the Dirt Rag/Bicycle Times Events List for your enjoyment. What better way to celebrate the filing of your taxes than riding bikes and coming to see us as the Dirt Rag / Bicycle Times ...
Sun Valley Rhythm & Ride: Bike and Music Festival
It’s no secret there’s always been a strong correlation between mountain biking and music. Motivation sometimes flows through the iPod while you push through that lonely 3:00 am lap in a 24-hour race. We also often find ourselves choosing just the right music for pre- and post-ride mood-setting. Various mountain bike festivals over the years ...
May 2010 Event Schedule
April is just about over, so I figured I’d get you the May version of the Dirt Rag/Bicycle Times Events List a couple days early for your enjoyment and/or planning purposes. While you’re planning, don’t forget to get ready for Dirt Rag DirtFest on May 21st, 22nd and 23rd! 5.1.2010 KS Wilson Lake Wilson Lake ...
Colorado High School Cycling League CycleFest
If you live in Colorado, don’t have plans this weekend, want to meet some mountain bike celebrities, you’re hungry, itching to ride and have $100 laying around to give to a good cause, maybe you should roll up (or down) to Denver and Boulder to check out the inaugural Colorado High School Cycling League CycleFest. ...
Massanutten Yee-Ha! – Gravity East Series, Race #1
As with anything else, we all have strong and weak aspects of our riding skills. Some of us are climbers, and some are downhillers. In an XC sense, my skill set has always leaned toward descending. As such, I’ve always wanted to try my hand at downhill racing, and fortunately I was able to do ...
Black Hills Fat Tire Festival Preview
As you’ve surely seen the ads on the Dirt Rag web site, you’ll know that the Black Hills Fat Tire Festival is set to get rad May 28th through 30th in Rapid City, South Dakota. This event promises all kinds of interesting racing and organized rides. For starters, there will be several races: Cowboy Hill ...
Next Stop: Dirt Rag’s Dirt Fest 2010
Dust off that camping gear and pack up your bike(s). The 2010 Dirt Rag Dirt Fest begins next Friday, May 21! This is one weekend of riding you won’t want to miss. We’ve got a great weekend on tap, with over 30 miles of singletrack riding at the Allegrippis Trails, advocacy workshops, night rides, live ...
Stuff Preview: Clarks Skeletal Hydraulic Brakes
In an effort to give you some insight into the products we plan to send through our rigorous testing process here at Dirt Rag, we’ve come up with the Stuff Preview series. Each Friday, we’ll present one product that is currently in the hands of one of our testing staff. We’ll post a photo of ...
Riding Kennel Blind in the Mid-Ohio Valley? (Part 1)
By Chris Swarr Within the world of dog breeders, there is a psychological condition known as “kennel blindness.” Those affected by it are unable to see any imperfections in the genetic stock of the dogs that they breed. They can, however, still easily pick out flaws in dogs from other breeders’ yards. Therefore, in certain ...
Riding Kennel Blind in the Mid-Ohio Valley? (Part 2)
This is part 2 of a two-part series about rides in and around the Mid-Ohio Valley. You can read Part 1 here. By Chris Swarr The Wayne National Forest Many folks have a misconception about the Ohio landscape. A sort of flat, open topography with little elevation gain is the picture people often have about ...
June 2010 Event Schedule
What biycle events are are YOU planning for June? How about you use our handy Dirt Rag/Bicycle Times Events List for your enjoyment and/or planning purposes. Don’t forget the Dirt Rag/Bicycle Times World Tour rolls into Austin, Texas for the New Belgium Urban Assault Ride on June 27th. 6.12.2010 ID Fairfield Soldier Mountain www.knobbytireseries.com 6.12.2010 ...
Dirt Rag and Bicycle Times Are Hiring!
So you’re interested in working for two of the world’s most awesome magazines, huh? Ok, then…We’ll just cut to the chase and list the job descriptions and contact info here. The rest is up to you…and then us, of course. General Help WantedDirt Rag LTD, publishers of Dirt Rag and Bicycle Times magazines, is looking ...
Bicycle Industry Insider Profile: Grant Petersen
Name: Grant Petersen Hometown: Lafayette, CA Current location:Walnut Creek, CA What do you do for/with/to bicycles? I started Rivendell Bicycle Works, and still work here. What’s the best thing about your job?I like the people I work with and our customers. And it’s nice to be able to recognize a need or want, then work ...
Bicycle Times does England: Part One: Brooks Saddle Factory
When this press trip came up at the office I shoved all the other staffers aside and politely volunteered myself for duty. I had never been to England, so to get a taste of British culture through a Brooks Saddle factory tour and picnic ride was going to require expertise only and old codger like ...
Stuff Preview: Osprey Raptor 14 Hydration Pack
In an effort to give you some insight into the products we plan to send through our rigorous testing process here at Dirt Rag, we’ve come up with the Stuff Preview series. Each week, we’ll present one product that is currently in the hands of one of our testing staff. We’ll post a photo of ...
Trek Launches Gary Fisher Collection, Absorbing Gary Fisher Bicycles
Trek has long owned the Gary Fisher brand of bicycles, positioning it as a stand-alone bicycle company. Mainly focusing on mountain bikes, Gary Fisher has also produced road bikes, cyclocross bikes and even bikes for children. In recent years, the Gary Fisher brand can be seen as the most major company to champion the gospel ...
Anatomy of a Crash
After a good 14 years of mountain biking, I finally earned my wings on a perfect summer day. The car was packed, and I was ready for the thrill of downhill riding at Seven Springs Mountain. As I pulled onto the interstate, I could hear my phone ringing. It was my wife, Maggie. Thinking I ...
Bikepacking 2010
Bikepacking Trip – May 6-8, 2010 For our roundup of bikepacking gear in issue #150, Justin, Karl, Frank and Karen headed out for a 2.5-day journey around the Laurel Highlands of Pennsylvania, for a proper testing session. Conveniently, Frank lives in that area, so we set out from his cabin in the woods near Seven ...
Zero’s Last Ride
I’m going home to bury my best riding buddy. She’s been with me for over 10 years. She absolutely loved to go for rides. Just say the word “ride” and she was prancing in anticipation. In the van or truck she’d go. Queen she was. She couldn’t restrain herself when she’d see me put my ...
World Tour Preview: Urban Assault Ride
Each year the Urban Assault Ride rolls into about a dozen cities, bringing good times with bikes, beer and feats of strength and agility. We’ve been meaning to get to one of these vents for a few years, but scheduling conflicts kept us away. This year the stars aligned and we are headed down to ...
Bicycle Industry Insider Profile: David Cory
Aside from bicycles, of course, the main reason I choose to continue my futile search for fortune in the bicycle industry is because of the people I know and meet. There’s no shortage of extremely smart and passionate people who are insanely interesting, individualistic personalities. Sure it’s cool to be around famous athletes from time ...
Under Test: Ellsworth Enlightenment 29
The first detail everyone notices on the Ellsworth Enlightenment 29 is of course the frame shape. Swoopy with clean lines, plenty of standover clearance, and subtle, yet tasteful graphics placed sparingly on the glossy-black, carbon fiber frame. Take a closer look, and the detail in craftsmanship only gets better. The integrated headset compliments the internal ...
The Results are In!
We told you about Kona’s Shoot the Ride contest a few months ago. Cyclists and/or photographers were encouraged to submit their “absolute best” photo featuring bicycles, bicyclists or bicycling. Well…the results are in. They came from all over the world. Nearly 200 entries all told. Backyard dirt jumps, local races, exotic sunsets, downtown commuters, from ...
July 2010 Event Schedule
It’s that time! Break out your calendar, Franklin-Covery binder, Palm Pilot, iPhone, Day Planner, Trapper Keeper and/or a stone tablet. You know…all those things sitting on top of your pile of old Dirt Rag and Bicycle Times magazines! We have a nice pile of bicycle events from around the US and Candada for you. 7.10.2010 ...
Dirt Rag / Bicycle Times World Tour, Urban Assault, Austin, TX
Words: Courtney Bell, Pix: Maurice On June 23, the only thing separating us from the Urban Assault Ride in Austin, TX was 1,400 miles of blazing asphalt. A few days, and countless pit stops later, we had reached our long-awaited destination…only to screech to halt in Friday rush hour traffic. The skyscrapers of downtown Austin ...
Tour de France 2010
I’m hanging out in Belgium with our esteemed web editor, Jeff Lockwood, taking in a bit of the Tour prior to heading south to France to check out the newest all mountain and park bikes from Trek. Stay tuned to the Dirt Rag blog for details on Trek bikes after the camp, but for now ...
Bicycle Industry Insider Profile: Dave Gray
Aside from bicycles, of course, the main reason I choose to continue my futile search for fortune in the bicycle industry is because of the people I know and meet. There’s no shortage of extremely smart and passionate people who are insanely interesting, individualistic personalities. Sure it’s cool to be around famous athletes from time ...
800 Racers Can’t be Wrong. Downieville Classic Does Not Suck.
Let’s just say this writer has a bit of an attitude problem when it comes to racing. Like why pay to ride your bike with your friends? I have not paid to ride with my friends in many years, and I didn’t want to start now. But I am in Downieville at the Downieville Classic, ...
2011 Specialized Launch, Keystone CO
The Specialized 2011 product launch was at the Keystone resort in Colorado. Leaving the airport and plains behind, the jagged wall of the Continental Divide only hinted at the spectacular views and riding to come. This year’s setting was a couple hours west of Denver at enough altitude to make many experienced riders crumble. For ...
Come Celebrate Chicago’s First Bike Park
It’s a great day when BMXers, mountain bikers, a mountain bike advocacy organization, city planners, concerned citizens, Chicago politicians and a landscaping supply company all come together to build Chicago’s first ever bike park. The Garden is a bicycle playground for children of all ages, featuring a set of dirt jumps, 3 jump lines and ...
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