Mid-Atlantic Cyclocross series will have equal payouts for top women
Women racing in the The Champion System Mid-Atlantic Cyclocross series will take home the same cash prizes as their male counterparts this season, according to Series Director Mike Hebe.
A win in the Elite category must now pay $494 at the series’ nine UCI-sanctioned races. At the series’ two non-UCI races, the top payout of $250 will be supplemented to achieve parody with the Elite Men.
Route for 2011 BC Bike Race announced
The fifth running of the epic BC Bike Race through British Columbia will visit new places and include even more amazing singletrack.
The 2011 route will include a stop at the small town of Campbell River on Northern Vancouver Island on day two. The stage will start and finish on the waterfront with amazing views.
2010 Singlespeed World Championships: We were there
Video of the Massanutten Yee-Ha!
By Justin Steiner
As a northerner, Yankee if you will, I’m always stoked to head south for bicycle events, ‘cause you know you’ll be treated to some good ol’ Southern hospitality when you get there.
Pretending to be a Badass
By Karen Brooks
This past weekend, a few of us Dirt Rag staffers traveled to Massanutten Resort in Virginia for the Massanutten YEE-HA! downhill race. This is a venerable race with a long history… in fact, the guy that makes it all happen, George Willetts, entertained us with tales from way back of lake jumps, rigid rigs with toeclips (and plenty of broken frames), and insane photos ending up in the Rag.
The Road to Trans-Sylvania
By Josh Patterson
This spring I had the privilege of pre-riding what will be the final stage of this year’s Trans-Sylvania Epic course. TSE promoters Mike Kuhn and Ray Adams led us out of the Seven Mountains Boy Scout Campground—which will be our home the weeklong event and where five of the seven stages will start and finish—and into the rock and root infested trails that surround State College, PA.
Vicki Barclay: Thoughts from the LFG
That’s Local Fast Girl to you!
By Vicki Barclay
Sonya Looney: All systems go
By Sonya Looney
Transylvania. When we hear it, we think of Bram Stoker’s classic gothic horror, Dracula. In one month’s time, The Trans-Sylvania Epic will commence. While I don’t think there will be any vampires trying to suck my blood, the course over the week will be trying to suck the life out of me, but I will overcome.
Barry Wicks: Ready for rocks
By Barry Wicks
29er notches first World Cup win
Well, it was bound to happen eventually. Czech rider Jaroslav Kulhavy stormed to victory in the elite men’s cross country mountain bike World Cup in Dalby, Yorkshire, in the United Kingdom on Sunday, May 22.
Like Lambs to the Slaughter
By Karen Brooks
Josh, Dirt Rag editor, and I are now at the Seven Mountains Boy Scout Camp, nervously preparing for the start of the Trans-Sylvania Epic. We begin our adventure at three this afternoon with the opening prologue, a time trial of 10 miles. Josh’s wife Jamie is our directeur sportif.
The calm before the storm
It’s not the just racers who get nervous before the start of the Trans-Sylvania Epic. Co-promoter Mike Kuhn has his share of butterflies too.
By Mike Kuhn
The hardest part is just ahead. Lots of volume, lots of intensity, little time for rest. No time to stop. Less sleep. More stress. Go, go GO!
If you think this sounds exactly like the opposite of what athletes are supposed to do to bring about peak performance you’d be right.
A Trip Like S’mores
By Jeremiah Bishop (2010 and 2011 race winner)
The combination is really magic, I think; graham crackers, cheap ass, marshmallows from a run down gas station, some Hersheys bars, and of course fire.
Suppose fire makes a lot of things happen. The human rise to global domination and the improvement upon the cold graham cracker chocomallow sandwich…
Not Dominating, Just Documenting
By Karen Brooks
It’s the fourth day of the Trans-Sylvania Epic – humpday. Some of us have made it this far, but broken frames and broken dreams abound. A stomach virus has been creeping its way through the peloton, taking out contenders like Karen Potter, who was leading the women’s field until it got her. Our own Josh got it on Monday night and couldn’t start Tuesday. So far I seem to be lucky.
An offering to the forest
By Barry Wicks
Flat tires are starting to really cramp my style. One flat tire can be attributed to many things. Five in three days is a curse. I think I need to go down to the chapel by the river and make peace with the forest nymphs tonight.
Ice cold beer cures all
By Rich Dillen
Rebecca Rusch goes to Plan B
.jpg)
By Five days of the Trans-Sylvania Epic down and two more stages to go. I’m sitting solidly in 5th place in a super strong women’s field. I’m sort of OK with that, sort of not.
Vicki Barclay’s most memorable stage
By Vicki Barclay
Knowledge through suffering
The complete women’s field at the Trans-Sylvania Epic. Looney is at far-right.
By Sonya Looney
Transylvania Epic. It ended only 3 days ago. In some ways, it feels like it’s been weeks since I said a heartfelt goodbye to our crew at Boyscout Basecamp and in other ways, I feel the pain like the swollen lump on my leg with every footstep as a reminder of the joy and the suffering.
Rich Dillen: Back to reality
By Rich Dillen
Trying to put a finger on the horns of my dilemma without getting pricked
Waking Up, or Going Back to Sleep
(Or, ‘Dicky Stole My Title’)
By Karen Brooks
Josh asked for a “look back” kind of post about the Trans-Sylvania Epic, and I’m glad he did – it’s fun and therapeutic to evaluate such an undertaking after a week’s worth of reflection.
TSE: A learning experience
.jpg)
Vicki Barclay held on to finish third, that’s her second from the right.
By Vicki Barclay
Alex Pro booted by sponsors for rioting
Professional mountain biker Alex Prochazka, who goes by the name Alex Pro, seems to have thrown away his career after several photos of him rioting in the aftermath of the Vancouver Canucks’ loss in the Stanley Cup Finals surfaced online.
World Cup racing returns to the US this weekend
By Jay de Jesus
Windham World Cup Day 1 update
By Jay de Jesus
Day 1 training is complete and the intensity is here. DH and XC courses are burning in nicely, both with some new features for this year. A wet spring has created some unique challenges, and the course builders have done an excellent job making a World Cup-worthy venue.
Windham racing recap
Words by Jay de Jesus
XC Photos by Max Hautaniemi
DH Photos by Jay de Jesus
Saturday – Cross Country
Riding The World Cup XC Lead-Moto
By Jay de Jesus
Slingshot DD-M takes on the Rattlin’ 50
By Adam Newman
I know, I know. You’re thinking: Where’s the cable? Well not everyone wants to ride the kind of cable-sprung bike that Slingshot is famous for, so the Michigan-based brand created the DD-M (Double Diamond Mountain, get it?) and built it right there in the Wolverine State.
First Impression: Rocky Mountain Flatline Pro
By Josh Patterson. Photos by Justin Steiner, Adam Newman and Jon Pratt
Readers Write: Leadville Trail 100
Editor’s note: As the Mountain Bike Forum, we welcome readers to submit their stories, photos, or whatever. Send them to [email protected].
By Frankie Cates
Announcing the Dirty Kanza video contest winner
The votes are in and Ben Thornton is the winner of the 2011 Dirt Rag / Dirty Kanza 200 video contest, sponsored by GoPro. The unpredictable Kansas weather forced many racers to throw in the towel. Ben fought through the wind, rain and mud to finish. Best of all, he kept filming. For the uninitiated, the Dirty Kanza 200 is a grueling 200-mile gravel road race through the Flint Hills of Kansas.
Readers Write: Dakota Five-O race report
Riding near the top-30 going into the first section of singletrack, Salsa Cycles team rider, Tim Ek (159) was well positioned to avoid bottlenecks that could slow his progress.
Readers Write: Coal Cracker Classic race report
Editor’s note: As the Mountain Bike Forum, we welcome readers; writing, race reports, poems, essay, even artwork. Got something you’d like to share? Send it to [email protected].
By Jacob Seibel
Breck Epic designates itself the Single Speed Stage Race World Championship
From Mike McCormack himself:
That’s right, Single Speed Stage Race World Championships. To be honest, we sort of designated ourselves. But that’s OK. It’s not like the UCI has been spending a lot of time preserving the soul of our sport (reference: 4X, dual slalom, disc brakes in ‘cross, UCI approval stickers for frames/components, video rights debacle, et MF cetera). Custom SS frame and pastel-hued SSSRWC jersey to the victors.
Geoff Kabush signs with SCOTT- 3Rox Racing
SCOTT Sports announced today the formation of a new XC team based in North America. The Team, named SCOTT– 3Rox Racing Team, will include Geoff Kabush who will target the UCI World Cup series, the 2012 Summer Olympics and select North American events aboard the SCOTT Spark and Scale mountain bikes.
The complete team consists of:
Freeriders bundle up for Winter Teva Mountain Games
This February, the world’s top freeriders will converge at the 2012 Winter Teva Mountain Games presented by Eddie Bauer in Vail, Colorado. The first-time winter event—modeled after the highly successful summer Teva Mountain Games—gives riders a chance to battle it out in three competitions for significant cash prizes.
Whiskey Off Road will send 2 singlespeeders to SSWC
Two very fast and very lucky participants in the single speed category at the Whiskey Off-Road will win a free trip to the 2012 Single Speed World Championships (SSWC) located in Spioenkop/Winterton Kwa-Zulu Natal province, South Africa.
Each top ten male and female single speed finisher will be entered into a raffle that will take place following the Pro cross country awards ceremony on Sunday, April 29. All they have to do is finish in the top 10 to be entered.
It’s official: Athertons joining GT
.jpg)
Beginning in 2012, the mountain bike race team of Dan, Gee, and Rachel Atherton, will join non-family GT rider Marc Beaumont and form the new team GT Factory Racing.
Dirt Rag presents the Trans-Sylvania Epic 2012
Dirt Rag and race promoters Mike Kuhn and Ray Adams are excited to announce the third edition of the NoTubes Trans-Sylvania Epic Mountain Bike Stage Race presented by Dirt Rag, scheduled for May 27 to June 2, 2012 in State College. Pennsylvania.
The race field that doubled in size last year compared to the inaugural edition in 2010. Kuhn and Adams also revealed that NoTubes has signed a three-year title sponsor deal.
BC Bike Race announces 2012 route, new enduro stages
We had a great time at the BC Bike Race in 2010 and this year looks like even more fun.
The 2012 route will see an all new Day 7 in Whistler and some additions and tweaks to the other six days. In addition to Whistler, participants will experience amazing singletrack in the communities of Cumberland, Campbell River, Powell River, Sechelt, and Squamish.
New event to race The Whole Enchilada
In our current issue (#161) we take a look at the rise of enduro racing in the US and why we think it has a big future. Now a new event from Bigfoot Productions will bring the fun to Moab’s acclaimed Whole Enchilada September 29 and 30.
Recap: Foundry Auger Disc at Southern Cross
The massive run/walk-up at the start stretched the field apart. Photo by Greg Heil
By Adam Newman
It’s probably not a wise move to start one of the hardest races in the Southeast on a bike you’ve never even seen, let alone ridden, but that’s the kind of sadism we practice here at Dirt Rag—all for you, dear readers.
Entries for Trans-Sylvania Epic filling up fast
The Trans-Sylvania Mountain Bike Epic is a seven day mountain bike stage race through the rocky and rugged Allegheny Mountains of central Pennsylvania. Each day will bring new adventures and new challenges.
Race report: Tuscarora Enduro
Editor’s note: Got a race report or journal from your latest adventure that you’d like to share with Dirt Rag readers? Send it to our online edtior at [email protected].
By Zachary Adams, photos by A. E. Landes
Race recap: The Barnyard Classic
Editor’s note: Got a race report or story you’d like to share with Dirt Rag readers? Send it to [email protected].
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
San Juan Huts 200 turns a tour into a stage race
.jpg)
What if you could take an already epic seven-day mountain bike tour from Durango to Moab and turn it into a mountain bike stage race, complete with meals, timing, racer swag, support, and memories of epic proportions? Well now you can. Introducing the San Juan Huts 200!
Windham to host World Cup racing for the third year
For the third year in a row, the world’s best professional mountain bikers will converge on Windham Mountain as the town hosts the eighth in a series of 10 World Cup events held all over the world. The 2012 edition of the RockyRoads.net UCI Mountain Bike World Cup presented by Shimano makes 10 stops worldwide with the Windham event taking place from June 30 through July 1.
Registration open for Big Mountain Enduro Series – filling up fast
Registration for the Big Mountain Enduro Series presented by Yeti Cycles opened today for all three events. Entries for the first two events is capped at 200 participants and registration for The Whole Enchilada is limited to 150 participants, with half open at 7 a.m. and the remainder at 8 p.m. to give riders equal opportunity to register regardless of their schedule.
U.S. Grand Prix of Mountain Biking begins Friday
The 2012 US Grand Prix of Mountain Biking is set to make its official debut Friday in the picturesque town of Port Angeles, Washington. From April 26-29, the Grand Prix in conjunction with the NW Cup, is set to host one of this year’s most highly anticipated races on US soil.
Sea Otter downhill – the right tool for the win
By Josh Patterson
Sea Otter’s downhill course is tame by World Cup standards; it’s short on elevation, devoid of large drops, and lacks technical terrain. One racer described the course as “a single-slalom course on steroids.” This is not a dig at Sea Otter’s DH course, far from it. It’s oddball courses such as this one that challenge racers and team mechanics to re-evaluate their set-ups. For many gravity racers, both professional and amateur, the biggest challenge at Sea Otter is choosing the right bike.
Trans-Sylvania Epic pro mens field filling up fast with top talent
In recent days pro men from across the United States have finalized their commitments to this year’s NoTubes Trans-Sylvania Epic and once again it will host the strongest field to assemble in North America for a mountain bike stage race.
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.
Readers Write: Massanutten race recap and photo gallery
Editor’s note: From time to time we get submissions from readers about their bikes, their rides, or any other type of cycling-related stories. Some we chose to share with other readers online or in the magazine. Got a story you’d like to share? Send it to [email protected].
By Robert Lewis, photos by Ian McAlexander / ITMexposures.com,
North American Enduro Tour returns for second year
The 2012 North American Enduro Tour (N.A.E.T.) is back and going bigger in its second year to gather athletes at many of the continent’s best race venues for the rapidly growing mountain bike discipline of Enduro racing.
Epic Teams are hugely popular at 2012 Trans-Sylvania Epic
Epic Teams are the fastest growing category at this year’s NoTubes Trans-Sylvania Epic Presented by Dirt Rag and for good reason. The fun, team approach and the complete customization of the week afforded by this choice has numbers tripling in this category in just one year.
Keith Bontrager on preparing for the Trans-Sylvania Epic
By Keith Bontrager,
Bald Eagle Prologue Launches Year Three of Trans-Sylvania Epic
Barry Wicks of Team Kona trails Bishop by one minute after the first day of racing.
Photos by AELandes
Keith Bontrager after Stage 2 of the Trans-Sylvania Epic
By Keith Bontrager,
Mid-week update from the Trans-Sylvania Epic
By Karen Brooks,
We are having a great time here at the Trans-Sylvania Epic. Once again, Mike Kuhn and Ray Adams have put on a quality event, and I’m stoked to be here.
Eric is stoked about his high-viz glasses that ensure he stands out in photographs.
TSE: Wicks Claws Backs Seconds; Haywood Claims Second Win on Coburn Stage
Forty seven miles and more than 5,000 feet of elevation gain on wide open gravel, paved and dirt roads made for a fast and attack-fueled Stage 3 at the NoTubes Trans-Sylvania Epic. The attacks came early and often and left the men’s field strewn across the Pennsylvania countryside.
Preparing to battle the gravel – Dirty Kanza 200 preview
By Emily Brock,
Kansas is stranger country than most of us are willing to admit. In 1541 the Spanish conquistador Coronado marched a small army across its scorching midsummer plains, searching for gold in the Land of Quivira. He found nothing. On the dusty plains of central Kansas, Coronado finally lost hope of ever discovering cities of gold. He turned his men around and trudged back again, retreating across that dry indifferent landscape.
TSE Stage 4: Bishop takes time, Haywood makes it three for four on Allegrippis Trails
"Nuclear."
That’s the word Jeremiah Bishop (Cannondale) used to describe the pace during the Raystown stage, Stage 4 of the NoTubes Trans-Sylvania Epic presented by Dirt Rag. Only 25 seconds separated Bishop from Barry Wicks (Kona Bikes) at the start of the day. By the end that lead had ballooned to more than six and a half minutes.
Preparing for the Dirty Kanza: Holding the Fire
By Tim Ek, Photos by Imaginegnat.com,
The phrase, “Dirty Kanza 200” causes an involuntary physiological response within me. I wish I could control the butterflies’ fluttering wings in my belly, but I can’t. I even call on race experience in an effort to quell the quiet storm that’s gathering deep inside me, but it’s quickly trumped by memories.
TSE: The hardest part of racing is not racing, by Vicki Barclay
.jpg)
By Vicki Barclay,
May – a beautiful month for bike racing and bike riding. People are signing up for events left, right and center. Me? I’m starting to think of May as my bike-crashing month.
TSE: Johnson First Across Line; Bishop and Sornson Extend
Raw Pennyslvania trails built by 19th century loggers and CCC workers in times long past were the theme for day five of the NoTubes Trans-Sylvania Epic. RB Winter which played host for the race is one of PA’s beautiful State Parks – a spring-fed lake surrounded by lush green foliage and dark pine forest in an elevated valley and served as the start location for a 25 mile course of "old school" mountain biking.
TSE Stage 6: Johnson demonstrates prowess on rocks of Tussey Ridge
Tussey Mountain Trail. The crown jewel of the NoTubes Trans-Sylvania Epic presented by Dirt Rag. Stage 6 through Rothrock State Forest was intense. Thirty seven miles of beautiful trails surrounded in emerald green hues from the sea of ferns and the brilliant white of blossoming mountain laurel were the playground for the racers left in the TSEpic.
A four-mile neutral rollout added mileage to the stage, but warmed up the legs and it was all guns blazing off the start as the final men’s podium is far from decided.
.jpg)
TSE Stage 7: Buekes takes stage as Bishop wins overall
.jpg)
Photos by A.E. Landes photography,
Expectations that the final day of competition in the week-long 2012 NoTubes Trans-Sylvania Epic presented by Dirt Rag would be uneventful proved to be fanciful dreams of those at the top of the leader boards. The Men’s Open category saw aggressive racing from the gun while several in the Women’s field saw opportunities to attack the pace eased between the two front runners.
Another Keith Bontrager dispatch from Trans-Sylvania Epic
By Keith Bontrager,
200 miles of bad roads – Dirty Kanza 200 race report
By Josh Patterson, photos by Josh Patterson and Corey Godfrey
Anatomy of a gravel race bike: my Dirty Kanza 200 rig
By Josh Patterson,
One of the things I enjoy most about endurance gravel events is that they challenge participants to innovate. Gravel racing is a new and evolving niche. Companies are starting to take note, but for the most part it’s about improvisation and ingenuity.
Riders Write: The Fire of Dirty Kanza
By Tim Ek,
This race just won’t leave me alone. I poured over its details beforehand and now that it’s done I can’t stop replaying the scenes in my mind. I close my eyes at night and there I am back on Battle Creek Road, trying to remain calm as I scan the flint rock under my feet for a lost tool. When I do fall asleep, the dreams I have are visions of leaders slipping away from me as I succumb to another flat tire.
Gallery: Massanutten Hoo-Ha! Triple Crown XC race
Below is a gallery from the 24th-annual Massanutten HOO-HA! Triple Crown XC races at Massanutten Resort near Harrisonburg, Virginia. More than 150 racers turned out for the Saturday Super D and Short Track events while even more people (250+) came out to race their bikes for the full race on Sunday.
These photos are by Ian McAlexander. See more photos at ITMexposures.com.
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
Registration for 2013 Trans-Sylvania Epic p/b Dirt Rag now open
Registration for the 2013 running of the Trans-Sylvania Epic stage race in State College, Pa., running May 26-June 1, 2013, is now open, and the first 50 spots are available at extra special pricing at TSEpic.com.
We’re in Windham, N.Y., for World Cup racing
By Jay de Jesus, photo by Jon Pratt
Thursday
Windham World Cup: Qualifying complete, Gwin on top again
By Jay de Jesus, photos by Jon Pratt
Windham World Cup racing recap: Americans represent on home soil
.jpg)
Once again American Aaron Gwin was on the top step of the Elite Men’s DH podium.
By Jay de Jesus, photo by Jon Pratt
Spotted in the pits – Windham World Cup tech report
By Karl Rosengarth and Jon Pratt
Fox Racing Shox iCD
It’s been spotted quite a few times already this year, but now we’re getting more details on Fox’s iCD electronically controlled suspension system. Both Geoff Kabush (Scott-3Rox) and Catharine Pendrel (Luna Chix) have been running the iCD on the World Cup circuit this year, but at Windham there were a total of nine riders on the system.
The battery-powered system electronically switches between three modes:
UCI releases 2013 schedule – no Windham stop
We had such a great time in Windham this year that we were pretty disappointed to see it wasn’t included in the 2013 UCI World Cup schedule. Looks like we might be driving a bit further to Mont Sainte Anne…
There’s also word that there may be a stop in China, but those dates have not been set. That would be big news for sure.
2013 UCI DH Schedule
Life as a privateer racer – Windham World Cup
By Karl Rosengarth and Jon Pratt
Leif Lorenzen of Croton On Hudson, N.Y., has dreamed about competing in a World Cup event ever since he started downhill racing in 1999. In 2012 his dream came true.
Lorenzen was one of six discretionary selections who represented the USA in the Men’s DH event at the Windham World Cup (along side riders who earned enough World Cup points for automatic selection).
Video: Gravity Nationals course preview at Beech Mountain, N.C.
By Justin Steiner, photos by Justin Steiner and Emily Walley.
Balmy temperatures and threatening skies greeted riders from all over the country at Beech Mountain Resort yesterday for the opening day of this year’s Gravity National Championships.
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.
Race report and rider spotlight: Specialized Enduro at CO Freeride Festival
By Matt Weatherbee
For the last five years, Trestle Bike Park at Winter Park, Colorado, has played host to the mountain bike festival Crankworx Colorado. This year was the dawn of the Colorado Freeride Festival. Despite the lack of the Crankworx name, this year’s festival was as big as ever and did not disappoint the athletes or spectators.
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.
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.
Breck Epic Stage 1: Pennsylvania Creek
By Montana Miller,
Three minutes into the race, climbing up Boreas Pass, my calves are locking up. It feels like there’s a baseball embedded in each leg. Damn my meathead friends for making me climb a 14er two days before the race.
The top single speed guys are gone. The neutral start isn’t very neutral. I forgot how hard it is to race at elevation. The people that live here are just spinning away. Bastards.
Down some single track, off my bike, hiking up a steep section of jeep road. One of my Neanderthal friends from Pittsburgh is behind me.
Breck Epic Stage 2 – High mountains and low temperatures
.jpg)
By Montana Miller,
“Alright, Stage 2 of the Breck Epic! Go!” the announcer says over the loudspeaker.
A drop of rain hits my arm. We follow the police car out of town. Up the first climb. I get off my bike and start to walk. The rain is coming down steadily.
“Don’t worry guys, there’s blue sky right over there!” a volunteer yells. I hope it makes over here.
Breck Epic Stage 3: Survival turns to sunshine
By Montana Miller,
“Can you imagine shooting a kangaroo with a bow? The things have hands. It’d rip that arrow out and stab you,” my friend Brad says. We’re sitting at the dining room table in the condo. Just finished the stage.
Today’s race was way better than yesterday’s.
Registration open for King of the Mountain Enduro in NJ
Registration for the upcoming King of the Mountain All-Mountain Enduro race on September 29th and 30th is now open. The King of the Mountain at Mountain Creek Bike Park in Vernon N.J.—just an hour north of New York City—promises to be a classic enduro much in the style of the original gravity-focused enduros made popular in Europe.
2012 24-hour World Championships cancelled due to lack of participants
Pretty shocking news this week as word came that the 24-hour World Championships to be held in Canmore, Alberta, Canada, would be cancelled due to lack of sponsor support and low participation.
In a letter posted on the 24 Hours of Adreniline website, race founder Stuart Dorland said it would not be "economically and administratively feasible" to hold the race.
Riders Write: Butte 100 race report
By Miguel Arias, Bikeparts.com / Waltworks,
Trek launches cyclocross team with 8-time US champ Katie Compton
.jpg)
Trek Bicycle launched the Trek Cyclocross Collective, a US-based ‘cross racing team headlined by eight-time US National Champion and all-around badass, Katie Compton. The three-time World Championship medalist, who began her professional racing career on Trek’s East Coast Regional Mountain Bike Team, will represent the Collective at world-level events, while a small army of popular domestic regional athletes will bring the world of Trek cyclocross to their local race series’ and the United States Gran Prix.
Breck Epic – Stages 4-6: Bourbon and powdered donuts
By Montana Miller
Stage 4 — Aqueduct Loop — 41 miles
I’m hiking up the same hill that I’ve walked up a few times earlier this week. It’s not getting any easier. Across the top, then down a super fast descent that’s covered in baby heads. I get off the front brake and bounce down the trail.
At the bottom, I catch my friend the Bradley the Birdman of Charleston. I cup my hand over my mouth and fire the customary greeting birdcall at him. “Kah-Kaw!”
Descending 30,000 feet at the Chomolungma Challenge
By Justin Steiner, photo courtesy of Snowshoe Mountain Bik Park
We’ve packed up the van and we’re on our way to the Chomolungma Challege – the race to descend nearly 30,000 vertical feet. That’s the height of Mount Everest, from which the event draws its name.
UCI Downhill World Championships course preview
The eyes of the mountain bike world will be at Leogang in Salzburgerland, Austria, the next two weekends as the UCI World Championships come to town.
First up this weekend is the men’s and women’s 4X on Saturday and the men’s, women’s, and junior’s downhill races with the elite cross country races the following weekend.
A while back, the Santa Cruz Syndicate, along with a host of other top teams headed out to Leogang to ride/test on the up-coming Leogang UCI World Championship track.
Race Report: Chomolungma Challenge at Snowshoe Mountain Resort, WV
By Justin Steiner and Eric McKeegan. Photos by Emily Walley and Philip Duncan.
Book review: ‘Mud, Snow, and Cyclocross’ by Molly Hurford
By Adam Newman
There’s no doubt author and racer Molly Hurford is passionate about cyclocross—after all, this is the woman who permanently inked it into her skin, an act made famous by her column known as “The Girl With the Cowbell Tattoo” that appears in "Cyclocross Magazine."
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.
Race Report: King of the Mountain Enduro
Words and photos by Harlan Price
This weekend, September 29 and 30, was the inaugural King of the Mountain enduro at Mountain Creek Bike Park in Vernon, New Jersey. The three stages on Saturday were for amateurs and pros while Sunday had two extra stages just for the pro class, which was really just an open class for anyone who thought they’d be competitive or could handle the more difficult terrain.
Respect the Rooster: The Chequamegon Fat Tire 40
By Stephen H. Smith
In the sensible Midwest, long before exotically-mapped fondos, gravel centuries, and mountain bike epics with entry fees steeper than a Colorado mountain peak, there has always been the Chequamegon Fat Tire 40. This meat-and-potatoes, point-to-point 40 miler has consistently filled the starting grid for three decades with racers eager to line up for the love of racing in a venue decidedly void of the trappings of A-lister cyclerati and hipster race names.
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
Racing isn’t over this year: Kali Fall of the Enduro
The Kali Fall of the Enduro will be an awesome and exciting test of speed, skill and endurance for mountain bike enthusiasts of all levels. Dirt Rag is proud to be a sponsor of this event.
Weather holds off for 10th running of Iron Cross race
By Mike Cushionbury. Photos by AELandes Photography.
Under a large but ultimately unrealized threat of rainy, hypothermic conditions the 10th annual running of Pennsylvania’s legendary NoTubes’ Iron Cross treated riders to 63 miles and 6,500 feet of climbing with crisp, cloudy skies and perfectly tacky trail conditions in and around the scenic Pine Grove State Park in the Michaux State Forest.
Trek World Racing to focus on gravity, drops XC
(1).jpg)
From the team’s website:
Blasting fall colors at the OverMountain Enduro
By Harlan Price,
Cannondale to co-sponsor Team Sho-Air, combine with CFR
By Mike Cushionbury, photos by J. Andres Vargas.
Trans-Sylvania Epic rocks and rolls with an eye to the future
Local State College pro Aaron Snyder (Scott Pro Team) used his trail knowledge to help search out leaf-hidden trails during our two-day media camp. He finished fourth overall at TSE in 2012.
By Mike Cushionbury, photos by A.E. Landes.
Coming into its fourth year, the top mountain bike stage race in the contiguous United States has big plans not only for 2013’s edition but also for its fifth anniversary in 2014.
Enduro World Series set to launch in 2013
The popularity of enduro racing continues to rise, and a new series is poised to become the hottest ticket of 2013.
Enduro World Series announces 2013 dates
Recently we brought you news of the founding of a new race series that included some of the biggest enduro events of the year, and now we’ve got a schedule.
The Enduro World Series, in association with the Enduro Mountain Bike Association (EMBA), will offer seven events taking place in Italy, France, Canada and the US between May and October of 2013
American Ultracross Series announces 2013 dates
It’s not cyclocross, it’s not mountain biking, it’s not gravel grinding… it’s Ultracross.
Whatever it is, it’s a lot of fun and we’re excited to see the calendar expanding to seven races in 2013:
New event brings mountain bike stage race to Haiti
Photos by Steve Z.
MTB Ayiti is billing itself as the first international cycling event in Haiti. Ayiti literally means “land of mountains” and is the perfect backdrop for a unique event that combines a once-in-a-lifetime cultural immersion experience with the opportunity to build the foundation for a sustainable adventure tourism industry.
New race to launch at CAMBA Festival of Trails in 2013
A 30-mile, point to point race dubbed the Mt. Borah Epic will be a highlight event of the 2013 CAMBA Festival of Trails. CAMBA, short for Chequamegon Area Mountain Bike Association, has developed miles of pristine, smooth single track that the Epic route will pay tribute to.
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.
Fundraiser party will benefit Almanzo 100 January 5
One of the biggest gravel grinder races of the year, the Almanzo 100, will get a big boost January 5 as riders and fans will gather in Minneapolis for a party to offset some of the cost of organizing the race which charges no entry fee.
Intermedia Arts will host the party from 6-10 p.m. Tickets are just $10 at the door. Expect a family-friendly event for cycling fans from fanatic to casual.
The Wild Turkey Enduro and season recap
By Harlan Price,
2012 is the year when the Enduro race format emerged awkwardly from it’s pre-teens to become a gangly all-limbs adolescent who is ready to crush the world with new-found power. On the East Coast here, where I reside, we went from one enduro in 2011 to a total of 10 official enduros in 2012.
XC racer Burry Stander killed while riding in South Africa
Photo courtesy of Specialized.
Former U23 World Champion, Olympian, and World Cup winner Burry Standar was killed by a taxi while riding in his home country of South Africa today. He was 25 years old.
The collision occured in Shelly Beach on the Kwazulu-Natal South Coast. Details are under investigation.
Big Mountain Enduro goes even bigger in 2013
Chewy Aikin, a mechanic at Sedona Bike & Bean, had a great time at the 2012 Whole Enchilada.
By Sarah Rawley
Enduro continues to be the most talked about topic in the industry on both a national and international scale. As racers start planning their schedules for next season, we get to the bottom of the series in the U.S. that has the terrain and the vert to bring Euro-style enduro racing to our own backyard.
Registration is open for 10th Whiskey Off-Road
Amateur registration for the Whiskey Off-Road endurance mountain bike event opened January 1. Much like Geoff Kabush’s arrival to the finish line in 2012, registration has been rolling in at record pace. With an amateur field limit of 1,850 registrants, Epic Rides suspects the event will reach capacity faster than ever before.
Registration open, new starting point for 2013 Sub-9 Death March
There will be several changes to the 2013 Sub-9 Death March including a brand new host venue for the 3rd edition of the race on March 9. First, the start and finish will take place at the Midwest Trail Ride Horseman’s Camp and Outpost in Norman, Indiana, on the western edge of the Hoosier National Forest. The change in venue opens the doors for more riders to participate as well as adding several new cemeteries to the list of check-points.
A look at the frozen fun of the Arrowhead 135
Photos by Jeremy Kershaw.
The Arrowhead 135 returns for its ninth running Monday, January 28, racing 135 miles on foot, bike, or ski across northern Minnesota at "hopefully the coldest time of the year."
With temperatures plunging well below zero, riders usually complete the course in about 24 hours and skiers and walkers taking up to two days.
Olympic champ Kulhavy to join Specialized Cape Epic team
Jaroslav Kulhavy on his way to Olympic gold in London.
BMC partners with the Transylvania Epic stage race
BMC, best known for its bikes in the pro road peloton, has signed on to partner with the NoTubes Trans-Sylvania Epic (TSEpic) mountain bike stage race. Presented by Dirt Rag, TSEpic is the fastest growing mountain bike stage race in North America.
Trek announces factory XC race team
Trek has announced a new cross-country mountain bike race team for 2013 dubbed Trek Factory Racing. Forged with Olympic veterans, the team will feature US National Champion Sam Schultz, Canada’s Emily Batty, 23-year-old rising star Annie Last, two-time Olympian Dan McConnell, and U23 podium finisher Rebecca Henderson. Managing the team will be industry veteran Jon Rourke.
Team CF returns for 4th season, invites club riders to join
Selene Yeager, Kristin Gavin, and Kathleen Harding are part of the dominate Women’s Elite team. Photo by PJFreeman Photography.
Team CF, the rolling brainchild of cystic fibrosis researcher Dr. Jim Wilson is racing into its fourth year with some fresh faces and a new Club Team that is open to the public.
‘Handups’ is not a word in Flemish
By Jeff Lockwood.
I’m driving home after barely hanging on for a pathetic 16th place in a soul-crushing amateur cyclocross race in Rillaar, Belgium when I get an email from a friend in the United States asking me to translate “Handups are not a crime!” into Flemish.
The timing of the email turned my grimace into a smirk.
Rasmussen, 1999 XC world champion, admits to using PEDs
By Neil Browne. Photo by Todd Trisch.
These past weeks the cycling world has been rocked by the admission of widespread doping from several riders. The parade of cyclists willing to unburden themselves from the guilt, or perhaps to reduce their suspension under undeniable evidence, continued with Danish rider Michael Rasmussen. Nicknamed “The Chicken” from a Danish cartoon, Rasmussen’s professional cycling career started with mountain biking and ended this week as a member of a professional road racing team.
Gallery: Cyclocross World Championship – Louisville
By Adam Newman. Photos by Ethan A. Glading.
In case you’ve been living under a rock for the past few weeks, you may have heard the UCI Cyclocross World Championships were held this past weekend for the first time ever in the U.S. Though the weather caused a few headaches for racers and promoters alike, the even was a smashing success and a great opportunity for the U.S. ‘cross scene to show the world how much it loves the sport.
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.
Ride for Reading forms new mountain bike race team
Dejay Birtch at the 2012 Trans-Sylvania Epic. Birtch will represent Ride for Reading in 2013.
Ride for Reading is teaming up with professional mountain biker Dejay Birtch to create an innovative, professional mountain bike team. Birtch will not only represent Ride for Reading through racing, he will serve as an ambassador of the organization by collecting books, visiting classrooms, and spreading Ride for Reading’s mission as he travels from race to race.
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?
Team CF racer wins award, stars in film about fighting cystic fibrosis
By Adam Newman. Photo above by A.E. Landes, photo at right courtesy of Team CF.
Grand Junction Off-Road offers $20k cash purse, three days of festivities
The inaugural Grand Junction Off-Road endurance mountain bike event and free community concert, presented by U.S. Bank, and produced by Epic Rides will take place in Grand Junction on Labor Day weekend, Friday, August 30 through Sunday, September 1.
Urban downhill series coming in 2014
Videos of insane urban downhill courses have been a huge hit online, and the popularity of bringing the sport to new venues has prompted a full race series to emerge.
In 2014, the City Downhill World Cup series will grace at least half a dozen cities in Europe and South America, with talk of more venues to come. A pilot race will be held June 22, 2013, in Bratislava, Slovakia.
New Fox 40 Float RC2 fork brings air springs to DH racing
By Eric McKeegan. Photos by Thomas Dietze and Matt DeLorme.
Fox recently released news of redesigned forks and rear shocks, upping the ante in the gravity arms race. While Dirt Rag couldn’t snag an invite to Spain for the official unveiling, we got the low-down on the new suspension bits, and we’ve got a request in for review samples.
Let’s breakdown the new stuff:
Vote for your favorite in the BC Bike Race video contest
Ever wanted to do the BC Bike Race but it was ‘Sold Out’? Ever wanted a Rocky Mountain Bike but couldn’t afford it?
Four lucky finalists have a chance to ride the 2013 BC Bike Race with the ‘Godfather’ of Fun, Wade Simmons, on a brand new Rocky Mountain Element 970 RSL BC Edition bike with a huge pile of other prizes.
Vicki Barclay: Thawing out as training heats up for TSE
.jpg)
By Vicki Barclay. Photo courtesy of Dave MacElwaine.
One of the things I love about mountain biking is the way that people refer to trails as if they are living entities. I often hear local people here in State College talking about how the harsh winters in Pennsylvania allow the trails to “get a rest” under the blankets of snow, like a sleeping beast waiting for spring.
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.
Finding new motivation to ride
By Stephan Kincaid
I don’t like to let people down. It’s a weakness disguised as a strength that sometimes wears lycra. For those of you that don’t know me, that would be 99% of you reading this, my name is Stephan Kincaid. Most people call me Geronimo.
For a few weeks I’ll be guest blogging my adventures (a.k.a. daily life as a working stiff trying to ride bikes trying to achieve life balance) leading up to the Trans-Sylvania Mountain Bike Epic.
Dirt Rag is headed to the Inca Avalance
Based in Ollantaytambo, Peru, just around the corner from Machu Picchu, starting at nearly 16,000 feet altitude, the Inca Avalanche, protected by Bell Helmets, motion by Kenda Tires, holds the title as the second highest race in the world. Now in its 6th running, the Inca Avalanche is set to host more than 13 nations during the two day event June 1 and 2, 2013.
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.
Riding to make new memories, cherish old ones
By Joel Kostelac.
A few weeks ago I celebrated my birthday. It was a great week and day and probably fairly typical as birthdays go. I worked, enjoyed time with my family, and even managed to squeak in a ride at Allegrippis. I am thankful everyday that I can do so.
Ten years ago I celebrated my 28th birthday a bit differently in a small southern Iraqi city named As Samawah. It is a small city straddled over a key supply line to Baghdad and home to an important bridge over the Euphrates River.
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).
Racing roads to the Trans-Sylvania Epic
By Stephan Kincaid,
The Tour of the Battenkill is a road race spread over an entire weekend and catering to the beginner to the Pro. Littered with a bunch of dirt road sections it’s becoming a legendary event. This year had over 3,500 racers in attendance on Saturday alone.
So what does this have to do with getting ready for Trans-Sylvania Epic?
One day you’re in, the next you’re out
.jpg)
By Vicki Barclay
Approaching a big race like the Trans-Sylvania Epic, people always ask, “How you are feeling?” and “Are you ready?” I always find it a funny question to answer! The same way as when someone asks how a job interview went, men tend to answer with confidence, I have noticed, whereas females tend to be more coy and careful. I prefer the coy and careful approach.
Racing underway at the 2013 Trans-Sylvania Epic
Day 1
The fourth edition of the Trans-Sylvania Mountain Bike Epic presented by Dirt Rag began today with picturesque weather and ideal trail conditions. The riders raced through the 14-mile NoTubes Individual Time Trial in Bald Eagle State Forest in sunny, 60-degree temperatures and dry, tacky trails. The course took riders through a variety of terrain, from gravel roads, to rocky descents and freshly cut, serpentine trails.
Lindine takes third win in Trans-Sylvania Epic
Zach Adams led the charge out of the mist Tuesday morning.
Gravel racing: A look at my Dirty Kanza 200 weapon
By Mike Cushionbury
Enduro stage of Trans-Sylvania Epic shakes up competition
.jpg)
Racers found Wednesday’s stage 4 to be the most challenging yet.
Wheelies, wine, and oh yeah… racing too!
.jpg)
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.
Racing gets rowdy as TSE tackles R.B. Winter State Park
By Tim Darwick
Sam Koerber (Progold, above) edged out Justin Lindine (Redline) for the victory while Andrea Wilson (Brickhouse Racing) took her first win of the week on Stage 5 of the Trans-Sylvania Epic. The day’s stage featured a substantial amount of climbing condensed into only 26 miles. Lindine described the stage as having “almost as much climbing as the longer days, but all in a two hour package.”
Lindine extends lead at Trans-Sylvania
In Stage 6 of the Trans-Sylvania Epic, Justin Lindine (Redline) continued to build his lead in the Open Mens competition, while Amanda Carey and her NoTubes teammates regained lost time.
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.
Lindine, Carey win Trans-Sylvania Epic
Justin Lindine, above, overturned his past years’ misfortunes to win the 2013 Trans-Sylvania Epic, while Amanda Carey takes her second overall win in the week-long stage race. After close racing all week, riders battled over an intense, 26-mile course in Stage 7 to confirm the final standings.
Athertons sweep victory at Fort William World Cup downhill
There was no doubt who the crowd favorite was as Gee drops in towards the finish.
By Adam Newman
Race against Team Dirt Rag at the Big Bear Lake 2×12 this weekend
By Karl Rosengarth. Illustration by Stephen Haynes.
Dirt Rag is headed to the 2013 Big Bear Lake 2×12 Relay Race and Mountain Festival in Bruceton Mills, W.V., on Saturday, June 15 where the trails rock, the vibe is chill, there’s free beer and a live bluegrass concert after the race—it’s all good!
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!!
Trans-Sylvania Epic bike checks – the top racers and their rides
By Molly Hurford
Justin Lindine, men’s overall winner
Where you’re from: New Salem, Mass.
Is there anything special or different about your bike? Well, we just got these sweet new Novatec Dragon 29 wheels, so those are the newest/most different thing right now. I got them just before TS Epic and they have been awesome! Nice and light, but holding up well to the PA rough stuff.
First Impression: Kona Raijin Ti hardtail
By Eric McKeegan
Years ago, I lusted after a Kona Hei Hei titanium hardtail. This was towards the end of the long reign of the hardtail as king of the NORBA series. I never got that Hei Hei, and years later, even after almost six years of reviewing bikes for Dirt Rag, I haven’t spent any real time on a Ti bike.
Racing the Trans-Sylvania Epic isn’t about racing
By David Nolletti
UCI publishes 2014 World Cup calendar—Racing returns to Windham, N.Y.
Today the UCI published the calendar for the 2014 UCI Mountain Bike World Cup presented by Shimano.
Approved by the UCI Mountain Bike Commission but subject to approval by the UCI Management Committee, the 2014 calendar will comprise nine rounds in nine different countries.
Seventh B.C. Bike Race begins Sunday
Photos by Margus Riga and Dave Silver.
The BC Bike Race is ready to roll with a stacked roster of riders ready to race the "Ultimate Singletrack Experience". Day one begins June 30 in Cumberland and finishes in Whistler on July 6.
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.
The Pace is Right at the Ultra Lite
By Karl Rosengarth
Team Dirt Rag will be throwin’ down at the Cheat Mountain Ultra and Ultra Lite Sunday in Beverly, W.V. The fourth race on the WVMBA Ultra Series calendar sends Ultra riders on a 40+ mile romp through the rugged Cheat Mountain Wilderness, including a 12 mile gravel road climb that should sort out the starting field in fine fashion and avoid any singletrack logjams.
First Look: 2014 Rocky Mountain Instinct MSL 29er
By Rich Dillen. Photos by Brendon Purdy and Margus Riga.
With Rocky Mountain Bicycle’s recent relocation of their headquarters to North Vancouver, BC, what better place to get an introduction to the all new 2014 Instinct MSL? After the official ribbon (log) cutting ceremony, we got to find out what was up their plaid sleeves.
Recap: 2013 BC Bike Race Day 1
By Harlan Price. Photos: Margus Riga, Dave Silver, Erik Peterson, Todd Weselake.
Tropical hot weather has smothered the racers on the opening day of the 2013 BC Bike Race Presented by Harbour Air, BC Ferries and Shimano. With temperatures pushing 90 degrees and the humidity soaring, race co-founder Dean Payne describes day one of the BCBR as the hottest and most humid on record.
Recap: 2013 BC Bike Race Day 2
By Harlan Price. Photos: Margus Riga, Dave Silver, Erik Peterson, Todd Weselake.
Recap: 2013 BC Bike Race Day 3
By Harlan Price. Photos by Margus Riga, Dave Silver, Todd Weselake, and Erik Peterson
Recap: 2013 BC Bike Race Day 4
By Harlan Price. Photos by Margus Riga, Dave Silver, Erik Peterson
Day Four of the BC Bike Race Presented by Ryders Eyewear woke early for breakfast and a transition to the Saltery Bay BC Ferries Terminal where most riders jumped on a ferry to Earl’s Cove. The ferry that runs from Saltery Bay is too small to move the entire race so some riders split off to take water taxis or the seaplane provided by Harbour Air.
Recap: 2013 BC Bike Race Day 5
By Harlan Price. Photos by Margus Riga, Todd Weselake, Dave Silver, Erik Peterson
Santa Cruz Super Enduro is back!
The Santa Cruz Super Enduro is back for a second year at the Soquel Demonstration State Forest October 11-13, with the race itself running Saturday October 12.
The Santa Cruz Super Enduro will offer a larger, more inclusive field than last year’s inaugural event. However, spots are still limited and expected to fill fast — so would-be participants are encouraged to note the registration dates on their calendars and sign up as soon as registration is open.
Video: BC Bike Race recap
The BC Bike Race, the top ‘Bucket List’ event for mountain bikers around the world, maintained the highest standards for courses, food, safety and fun over seven days as nearly 1,000 people (staff, participants and support) travelled through six communities before finishing in Whistler.
The Pace is Right at the Big Bear Ultra
By Karl Rosengarth. Illustration by Stephen Haynes.
Help send US athletes to the World Championships
There is no lack of bad blood between Sho-Air owner and team founder Scott Tedro and USA Cycling. Earlier this year his US Cup series broke ties with USAC over its mandate that riders follow UCI rules banning them from participating in non-USAC races like the Leadville Trail 100 and the BC Bike Race.
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.
House and Sherman win Iron Cross XI
[portfolio_slideshow id=14924866] Photos by AE Landes. Cole House (616 Fabrications) and Ruth Sherman (Corning/NoTubes/Swan Cycles) won the Stan’s NoTubes Foundry Cycles Iron Cross bike race in Michaux State Forest, Pennsylvania, on Sunday. In its 11th year, Iron Cross delivered an epic 68-mile day of endurance cyclocross racing over gravel roads, rocky singletrack, ATV trails and ...
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 ...
Gallery: Photo review from the Big Mountain Enduro Series
[portfolio_slideshow id=14925398] Photos by Nicholas B. Ontiveros The Big Mountain Enduro Series wrapped up September 29 in Moab with Nate Hills and Heather Irminger taking the overall series titles. At each of the five stops in three states, riders were treated to some of the best riding in North America, with amateurs—and even juniors—racing the ...
SSCXWC2013: ‘Join or Die’ in Philadelphia
The Singlespeed Cyclocross World Championship is headed east this year to the City of Brotherly Love, the same weekend as the Bilenky Junkyard ‘Cross race.
Haitian stage race returns in 2014
The MTB Ayiti Stage Race combines a once-in-a-lifetime cultural immersion experience with the opportunity to build the foundation for a sustainable adventure tourism industry while racing an insanely challenging course thru some of the most rugged and awe-inspiring terrain in the Western Hemisphere. All Inclusive 6 Day, 5 Night cultural immersion experience that combines 3 days ...
Trailer: ‘Won’t Back Down – The Steve Peat Story’
From his humble beginnings in his hometown of Sheffield, England, Steve Peat has established himself as one of the worlds most iconic cyclists. Peaty has been competing at the top level in his chosen sport of downhill mountain bike racing for the past 23 years, longer than the lifetime of many of his current competitors. ...
Raleigh unveils limited-edition SSCXWC frame
Heading to Philly for the mayhem that is to be the Singlespeed Cyclocross World Championships? Grab one of these super-limited-edition Raleigh frames for just $667 (because it’s better than evil). Steel, disc brakes, rack mounts… it’s got all the goodies. The racing will be held December 7 and 8 in conjunction with the Bilenky Junkyard Cross. Registration is filling up ...
Photo Gallery: Bilenky Junkyard ‘Cross
A long-standing Pennsylvania tradition, Bilenky Cycle Works has hosted a… unique cyclocross race each winter through a salvage yard. There are no UCI officials measuring tire widths, the barriers are not to spec, and #handupsarenotacrime. This Saturday the annual event was pushed to new levels with the influx of humanity (and inhumanity) in town for ...
Photo Gallery: Singlespeed Cyclocross World Championships 2013
This is it. The main event. After Friday’s party, Saturday’s qualifying rides and Junkyard ‘Cross, then Saturday’s party, it was time get some racing on for the Golden Speedo and tattoos. The first SSCXWC to be held on the East Coast, Philly was an amazing host for the weekend. Despite some horrible weather for driving to ...
Big Mountain Enduro series announces 2014 schedule
There are some new locations and twists thrown into the mix for the 2014 Big Mountain Enduro Series. More details will be released early 2014, but for now mark your calendars. Online registration will open on Wednesday, January 15, 2014 at 8 a.m.
Grand Junction and Whiskey Off-Road announce registration opening
Today Epic Rides officially announced January 1 as the opening day for registration in the 11th Annual Whiskey Off- Road and 2nd Annual Grand Junction Off-Road presented by U.S. Bank. To sweeten the deal, anyone who registers for one or both events will automatically be entered to win over $7,000 in prizes via 7 Days ...
Team CF returns as Rare Disease Cycling
I remember when I first moved to the East Coast and Team CF (Cystic Fibrosis) formed in Philadelphia. They were a small group of mostly local riders who had a lot of heart, some notable results and now a big vision: Take it all up a notch and create a larger regional, and maybe national, ...
Registration for Southern Cross now open
Southern Cross presented Maxxis Tires is not your average cross race. As the opener for the American Ultra Cross Championships, the SX is in the same vein as the the Three Peaks USA, Iron Cross, the Hilly Billy Roubaix, Barry Roubaix, Crusher in the Tushar and the Gravel Grovel. The course will open with a ...
Big Mountain Enduro to feature 5-day backcountry enduro in 2014
The Big Mountain Enduro just got bigger. For this coming season, the series will be capped with the first-ever five-day backcountry enduro race. The Crested Butte Ultra Enduro will take riders up and over some of the most picturesque mountains in the US. From September 3-7, riders will tackle some of the most challenging trails ...
Sign up now for Scottish adventure at TweedLove Festival and Glentress Seven
The largest cycling festival in the UK, TweedLove gathers cyclists of all types to the Scottish border region for two weeks of adventure. If you’re thinking of crossing the pond, the festival’s flagship endurance race, the Glentress Seven, is now open for entries. The seven-hour endurance race is one of the festival’s most popular events, ...
Big Mountain Enduro series registration opens
Registration for the Big Mountain Enduro Series and the Crested Butte Ultra Enduro opens today. Registration for Snowmass, Keystone and Moab are open now. The fourth “TBD” event in the Big Mountain Enduro Series will open at a later date and information announced within the next few weeks.
2014 Enduro-X race series dates announced
The Enduro-X Race Series returns for a second season with multi-stage, gravity-oriented races scheduled for July 19-20 and August 16-17, 2014 in Steamboat Springs, Colo. Racer-X Event Productions, parent company of the Enduro-X Race Series, has added a new race event, the Summit-X Enduro on August 24. The Summit-X Enduro will take place on the ...
Jay Petervary wins Arrowhead 135
Photos by David Gabrys/45NRTH The frozen feats of strength known as the Arrowhead 135 started Monday morning and 45NRTH sponsored rider Jay Petervary took the win in his first attempt, finishing the 135 miles in 20 hours and 11 minutes. Though it was his first crack at the race, Petervary is no stranger to these ...
UCI will suspend enforcement of unsanctioned race ban in 2014
Relaxing its stance on the “forbidden race rule” the UCI has announced it will not prosecute or punish pro racers who participate in races that are not sanctioned by the UCI or a national federation, such as USA Cycling, in 2014. These races include popular events like the Whisky Off-Road, Breck Epic, the Teva Mountain ...
More singletrack and enduro racing added to 2014 NoTubes Trans-Sylvania Epic
Photos by A.E. Landes Photography The NoTubes Trans-Sylvania Epic mountain bike stage race presented by Dirt Rag Magazine is pleased to announce the route for its fifth edition on May 25-31, 2014. This year’s race will offer more singletrack than ever before and will feature additional enduro segments during seven days of racing through the ...
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, ...
Race recap: Pura Vida at La Ruta
By Heidi Shilling My journey to Costa Rica started in early July when I realized I had a chance to win a free entry to La Ruta de los Conquistadores, a three-day mountain bike stage race considered to be one the toughest in the world. I had been texting with my good friend Annie about ...
Kick off your season with the Tuscarora Offroad Weekend
On Friday, March 21 you can bid farewell to the offseason and say hello to the 3rd annual Tuscarora Offroad Weekend. Fast Forward Racing Productions is offering up a weekend full of fun starting Friday afternoon with course inspection and group camping. Saturday will be jam packed with single track goodness, starting with a fundraiser ...
SRAM and Troy Lee Designs form new race team
SRAM, in partnership with Troy Lee Designs, announced today the formation of its own mountain-bike team for the 2014 season. SRAM has had a longstanding tradition of supporting racing, from grass-roots contests through the World Cup level, and now, the company will also fly its own colors in local, national and World Cup competition. The ...
US national championships: In comes enduro, out goes 24-hour racing
USA Cycling on Friday announced the addition of Enduro races to the Cross-Country Mountain Bike National Championships beginning in 2015 in Bend, Oregon. USA Cycling cited feedback from competitors and the mountain bike advisory committee for making the change. Enduro races will replace the Super D competition at these events. Additionally, feedback from USA Cycling’s ...
POC Eastern States Cup expands for 2014
The POC Eastern States Cup is offering a full plate of Gravity Racing in its fifth season. With the growth of the series it has become apparent that East Coast mountain bike racers want more racing. The POC ESC is stepping up to supply the demand with two Downhill Series, an Enduro Series and a ...
Cannondale OverMountain enduro team switches to Lefty SuperMax
Cannondale has announced that its North American OverMountain team will, for the first time, be racing and adventuring on the all-new Lefty SuperMax suspension fork this season. A 26-inch, 160mm travel fork has been seen under team riders and the 29er version is currently 130mm. This is a particularly interesting announcement on the eve of ...
Brian Lopes to ride Intense Cycles in 2014
We had heard that the fastest man on dirt had parted ways with his longtime ride at Ibis, and now it’s been confirmed he will be on Intense for 2014. Will he be shredding on the new Tracer 275 Carbon? Sounds likely.
Kamikaze Bike Games is back for 2014
Thirty years after its debut, the famed race is scheduled to return this fall with racing of all types.
Details announced for SSCXWC14 in Kentucky
A sample of the scene from SSCXWC13 in Philadelphia. The 2014 Raleigh Single Speed Cyclocross World Championships will be held at Eva Bandman Park in Louisville, Kentucky, on Saturday, October 25, 2014. This year’s event will continue the great tradition of prior Single Speed Cyclocross World Championships, with a full weekend of qualifiers, racing and ...
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 ...
Top notch field to line up for NoTubes Trans-Sylvania Epic powered by Dirt Rag
The NoTubes Trans-Sylvania Epic presented by Dirt Rag is drawing a top notch field to its seven-day mountain bike stage race from May 25-31, 2014. Some of the fastest endurance mountain bike racers will converge near State College, Pennsylvania for a race many affectionately call “Singletrack Summer Camp” where $60,000 in cash and prizes is ...
Big Mountain Enduro promises big backcountry racing
Big Mountain Enduro is throwing down the largest-scale enduro this side of the pond September 3-7, 2014 in Crested Butte, Colorado. The inaugural Crested Butte Ultra Enduro will blend high altitude backcountry adventures mixed with most of the biggest descents in the area over five days. Expect to ride some of the most challenging and ...
SPOT rider tracking added at NoTubes Trans-Sylvania Epic mountain bike race
The NoTubes Trans-Sylvania Epic mountain bike stage race presented by Dirt Rag Magazine has partnered with event tracking provider Trackleaders.com and device maker SPOT LLC to become the first stage race in North America to equip top racers with tracking devices. The 2014 edition of the race will May 25-31. The NoTubes Trans-Sylvania Epic (TSEpic) ...
Trans-Sylvania Day 1: Bishop, Sorenson take Stage 1, Wicks leading TS3
Text and photographs courtesy of the TSE Media Team Racing started with a bang for some and a whimper for others in the first stage of the week-long NoTubes Trans-Sylvania Epic mountain bike race presented by Dirt Rag Magazine in the wilds of western Pennsylvania. Sunny skies and mild warm temperatures showcased the best of ...
Video: Novo Mesto World Cup XC
This Memorial Day Weekend (for us) was round three of the UCI World Cup cross-country series in Novo Mesto na Morave in the Czech Republic. By the looks of the course in this pre-ride video perhaps the U.S. series could learn a thing or two about making a real mountain bike track. It’s ironic to ...
Bishop and Barclay claim rocky Stage 2 at TSE
Text and photographs courtesy of the TSE Media Team The second stage of the NoTubes Trans-Sylvania Epic presented by Dirt Rag Magazine was arguably the hardest stage of the week – and obviously the hardest stage thus far – with 41 miles of racing, 25 of which was rocky, technical singletrack. With four SRAM Enduro ...
Broderick and Barclay win enduro stage at TSE
Enduro racing has exploded in popularity in recent years, and the NoTubes Trans-Sylvania Epic mountain bike stage race presented by Dirt Rag Magazine takes that popularity seriously, with their week-long SRAM Enduro stages during each day’s racing and a full day devoted to the SRAM/Geax Enduro on stage 3 on Tuesday. The 22-mile long stage ...
McElveen beats all the pros in stage 4 of TSE
Photos and text courtesy of the Trans-Sylvania Epic Media Team Wednesday’s stage 4 is often referred to as the “road stage” of the NoTubes Trans-Sylvania Epic mountain bike stage race presented by Dirt Rag Magazine. However, massive thunderstorms rolling in the previous night and rain all morning made for a messy start. As one racer explained ...
Oberman and Barclay win stage 5 of TSE
Photos and text courtesy of the Trans-Sylvania Epic Media Team With 31 miles of racing in R. B. Winter State Park, about 45 minutes from camp and deep into Pennsylvania Amish Country, NoTubes Trans-Sylvania Epic mountain bike stage racers not only got to experience some new, perfectly tacky singletrack on Thursday, but they also got ...
Bishop and McConneloug win Queen stage of TSE
Photos and text courtesy of the Trans-Sylvania Epic Media Team There’s only one stage to go after today’s action in the NoTubes Trans-Sylvania Epic mountain bike stage race presented by Dirt Rag Magazine, so racing was fast and furious today as riders fought for 41 miles of the Queen Stage, which included plenty of climbing ...
Bishop, Sorenson win 2014 Trans-Sylvania Epic
Photos and text courtesy of the Trans-Sylvania Epic Media Team For some, the 26-mile final stage of the NoTubes’ Trans-Sylvania Epic mountain bike stage race presented by Dirt Rag was a party day. But for race leaders and overall podium contenders, today was for the final hours of serious racing before riders crossed the finish ...
Video: Ft. William World Cup preview
My favorite World Cup venue is once again filling up with fans and racers as the third round is underway this weekend in Ft. William, Scotland. Can Gee Atherton repeat his win from 2013? Can Peaty grab a win on home soil? Will there be any 26-inch bikes still around? So far we know Lapierre, ...
Recap: A great week in Trans-Sylvania
The NoTubes Trans-Sylvania Epic mountain bike stage race presented by Dirt Rag Magazine held near State College, Pennsylvania, from May 24 to May 31, 2014, proved a huge success among racers from near and far. After seven days of world-class racing through central Pennsylvania’s lush, green forests on dirt roads and pristine singletrack, NoTubes Trans-Sylvania ...
Cross Country racing returns to Pocahontas Trails
The old-school, East Coast riding that make the trails at Slatyfork famous more than two decades ago are back with an expanded race weekend at the Pocahontas Trails in West Virginia. The new, three-day format features a short track race, an XC race and an enduro August 22-24. The weekend of racing showcases what the ...
Scott Enduro Cup highlights Smith Optics Ride Sun Valley Bike Fest
The second stop of the Scott Enduro Cup presented by GoPro captivated the attention of the biking community as the flagship race of the Smith Optics Ride Sun Valley Bike Festival June 27-29. The two day competition is one of the longest enduro races in North America covering 24 miles and 9,000 descending vertical feet ...
Stars and Stripes on the line at Marathon National Championships this weekend
Photo by Team i4 Productions Eighteen Stars-and-Stripes jerseys will be awarded in Sun Valley, Idaho, this weekend as the 2014 USA Cycling Marathon Mountain Bike National Championships bring an end to the Ride Sun Valley Bike Festival on Saturday, July 5.
Wells wins third straight Marathon champs, Grant takes women’s title
Photo by Micah Rice Twenty-two Stars-and-Stripes jerseys were earned on Saturday as the 2014 USA Cycling Marathon Mountain Bike National Championships brought an action-packed end to the Ride Sun Valley Bike Festival in Idaho. Riders left the start line in morning and afternoon waves with temperatures being near perfect for the morning races and beautiful, ...
Final stop of the Scott Enduro Cup coming to Canyons Resort in Utah
The Scott Enduro Cup presented by GoPro mountain bike race series heads to Canyons Resort in Park City, Utah on July 19 for its final stop of the season. After competition stops in Moab and Sun Valley, the pressure is on athletes to earn North American Enduro Tour (NAET) points and also to become the ...
U.S. Mountain Bike National Championships Return to Bear Creek, PA
On July 17-20 the U.S. National Mountain Bike Championships for cross-country and Super-D return to the Bear Creek resort in Macungie, Pennsylvania. We took a few laps around the cross-country course and here’s what to expect, along with a schedule of events.
Enduro-X race to air on TV, offers half price entry to women
As if riding and racing in Bike Town USA wasn’t enough of a draw, the organizers of the Enduro-X series have announced the race will air on television across the country, plus a new novice category that will let riders of any skill level get a taste for modern enduro racing. In addition, in an effort ...
In Print: Cruzing to the Top, The Ben Cruz Interview
At the end of June American enduro racer Ben Cruz of Team Cannondale OverMountain finally earned his first ever international victory at round 3 of the Superenduro Series in the Lombardia Alps of Madesimo, Italy. It was a nasty, rainy event where weather definitely played a role. Like his WTB-Cannondale OverMountain teammates Mark Weir and ...
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 ...
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.
UCI releases 2015 World Cup racing calendar
The UCI released the 2015 schedule today and it includes six cross-country events, seven downhill events and zero cross-country eliminator events. The season will kick off on April 11-12 with round one of downhill in the new venue of Lourdes (France). Although new to the World Cup calendar, Lourdes has already hosted the French Cup, and ...
‘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 ...
Windham World Cup update – Part 1
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. Wednesday was moving in day for the international trade teams. European-based Team Chain Reaction’s gladly unload their overstuffed rental.
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.
Gallery: Enduro World Series – Crankworx
Photos by Adam Newman The sixth round of the Enduro World Series rolled into Whistler just in time for a little thing called Crankworx to get under way. Several classic Whistler trails were groomed especially for the event with the deep, soft terrain of Crazy Train contrasting sharply with the rocky, exposed Top of the ...
Enduro World Series announces 2015 calendar
Hot off the heels of one of the most talked-about races in the young series’ history, the Enduro World Series has unveiled its plans for an eight-round series in 2015.
Jeremiah Bishop and The Munga Diary: In Search of My Twin in Toughness
Editor’s note: At the end of last month Jeremiah Bishop got an email from his Sho-Air sponsored team titled, “Sponsorship/Opportunity.” The content was to let him know he was laid off, sighting a small section in the contract that rendered 2015, which he was signed through, as meaningful as a wooden nickel, in his own ...
Intense Cycles just hired this guy…
Intense has announced they have hired a new Brand Ambassador, Talent Scout and R&D Guy.
The Munga Diary, Chapter 2: Racing the Shenandoah 100-plus
Jeremiah Bishop has set his sights on The Munga, a 620-mile, non-stop, two-person team race across South Africa. While the challenge is huge, the prize money is even bigger: a cool $1 million. We will be running Bishop’s personal diary as he prepares to conquer The Munga. As of yet he has no teammate.
Semenuk wins Red Bull District Joyride in Nuremberg
Courtesy of Red Bull Amazing tricks, top-notch riding and an electrifying atmosphere – the world’s best 24 mountain bike slopestyle athletes put the ancient city of Nuremberg at the pinnacle of action sports during Red Bull District Ride. Over the course of two days, 84,000 fans filled the weaving alley ways in this historic city. ...
The Munga Diary, Chapter 3: Serious Competition
By Jeremiah Bishop One of the U.S.’s biggest mass-start mountain bike races, The Chequamegon [say “sha-wa-mu-gun”] Fat Tire Festival has taken place in the north woods of Wisconsin for 32 years. It’s been on my bucket list, so I thought I had better tick it off before The Munga! I made a whirlwind trip of ...
Helmet cam footage from Pinnacle downhill
Video courtesy of the Hutchinson UR team. Learn more about the event at www.pinnaclechampionship.com
Red Bull Rampage is nearly here
Images courtesy of Scott Sports Red Bull Rampage, the annual pilgrimage to the most insane freeride lines anywhere is already underway with teams digging out new lines in the event’s new location outside of Virgin, Utah. Scott Sports is leading the charge with no less than seven athletes attending this year with Brendan Fairclough pre-qualified and Nico ...
XC and enduro national championships move to Mammoth in 2015
Photos courtesy of Peter Morning/MMSA USA Cycling has announced that the 2015 cross-country and enduro national championships will move from Mt. Bachelor in Bend, Oregon, to Mammoth Mountain in Mammoth Lakes, California. It will now coincide with the Gravity Mountain Bike National Championships. All events will take place July 14-19. According to USA Cycling, the ...
Andreu Lacondeguy wins 2014 Red Bull Rampage
Courtesy of Red Bull After three straight years of coming in 4th place, Spanish athlete Andreu Lacondeguy broke his curse in a big way, coming out on top with an emotional victory after fighting back nerves and a stacked field of competitors. Set against the picturesque backdrop of the Southern Utah landscape, 20 riders thrilled ...
Enduro World Series enters final round in Italy
Defending World Champion Jerome Clementz at Finale in 2013. Who will succeed him as champion? Courtesy of the Enduro World Series The Enduro World Series will crown its new world champions this weekend – and all that stands between the riders and glory is the incredible trails of Finale Ligure, Italy. The Italian Riviera resort is ...
Go behind the scenes at Rampage with Scott Sports
Photos courtesy of Red Bull Scott sent no less than seven athletes to Red Bull Rampage this year, each armed with the latest Gambler downhill bike. Three made it to the finals with Brendan Fairclough, above, and Paul Basagoitia, below, cracking the top ten and Louis Reboul nearly cracking himself when he came up just a bit ...
‘This is Peaty’ – Season 3, Episode 6
After a long season for Steve Peat and Co., it all came down to the final round out in Meribel. Could Rat take the overall or would nerves get the better? Could Peaty regain some end of season form and hit the podium? After all was said and done out in France, there was no rest ...
Video: ‘The Road to Rampage – Episode 6, The Final Destination’
Courtesy of Red Bull After a week of building in the desert it’s time to ride. While Andreu and Kyle are pre-qualified Tom has some unfinished business to attend to before qualifying. As Tom confronts his goals in qualifying, Kyle and Andreu prepare for two runs and one chance at Rampage gold. The entire season ...
Jared Graves and Tracy Moseley are Enduro World Champions 2014
Courtesy of Enduro World Series. Photos by Matt Wragg. The Enduro World Series 2014 has created many stories in the last seven rounds – but none quite as compelling as Finale Ligure this weekend. Not only did the Enduro World Series crown new World Champions but we saw one of the most impressive comebacks cycling ...
The Munga Diary, Chapter 4: The biggest bike-week of my life
By Jeremiah Bishop For me, last week was bike mega-week! First, my family hosted our fourth annual Alpine Loop Gran Fondo in our hometown of Harrisonburg, Virginia; then I rode the toughest ride of my life in my self-created “SDS1 Mini Munga;” and then I followed it all up with the 70 mile Iron Cross ...
Ruckus Composites hosting NWSSCX race for ladies only
Courtesy of Ruckus Composites: (Click here and you’ll understand the cow image.) Calling All Single (Speed) Ladies! Everyone knows SS ladies have more fun. If ya didn’t, now ya do. And girl oh girl do we have a race to prove it. We’ve built a special course with interesting twists and turns, a few kegs ...
Stan’s NoTubes announces elite women’s race team for 2015
The Stan’s NoTubes Elite Women’s Team is heading into its fifth year and has announced its roster for 2015, including eight returning riders and two new signings. “We will be participating in a variety of races across the country and the world, and we’ll be leading ladies’ riding clinics at many of the races which ...
California Enduro Series announces 2015 schedule
The California Enduro Series (CES) is pleased to announce the 2015 race schedule and promises another great year of enduro racing. In its third year, CES proves its commitment to growing this popular cycling sport by expanding its schedule to include additional fun and challenging venues, offering more race categories, and maintaining equal pro payout ...
Scott Enduro Cup announces 2015 dates
The Scott Enduro Cup presented by Vittoria has announced three competition stops for the 2015 season: Moab, Utah (May 9), Sun Valley, Idaho (June 27-28) and Canyons Resort, Park City, Utah (July 18). Each location provides a challenging and unique mountain bike race experience for both men and women professional, amateur and junior athletes. Enduro Cup ...
Trail Talk With Cush – We have a winner
Editor’s note: Last weekend Dirt Rag’s “sponsored” SoCal racer Lance Nicholls lined up for his first cross-country first race of the new year. While the rest of the vet pros (and open pros) were on geared bikes, Lance races only on a singlespeed. Here’s how his winning ride unfolded. Congratulations Lance and thanks for doing ...
Endurance legend Rebecca Rusch signs with Niner Bikes
Rebecca Rusch has announced she will be riding for Niner Bikes in 2015. This marks the end of a lengthy relationship with her former bike and equipment sponsor. Rusch says this partnership is a perfect fit for where she is in her career and passions. “My mission has always been to push my own limits. I’ll ...
Woodruff and Blevins to race as new Team Stan’s NoTubes-Niner
Chloe Woodruff, left, and Kaylee Blevins, right, have paired up on the brand new Team Stan’s NoTubes-Niner for 2015. The two American women got to know each other while they were traveling together to compete for the US National Team last year. “Team Stan’s NoTubes-Niner includes a more seasoned rider matched up with a ...
Join us Sunday, March 1, for the Ray’s indoor XC time trial
Feeling pretty sluggish this time of year? It’s time to blast out the cobwebs with an indoor cross-country race at BOTH Ray’s Indoor Bike Park locations: Cleveland and Milwaukee. Both venues are tearing down walls, rerouting trails and creating a one-of-a-kind opportunity to get back on your bike and ride hard in a one-lap, time-trial ...
Whiskey Off-Road and Grand Junction Off-Road expand festivals with headlining acts
Courtesy of Epic Rides Today Epic Rides announced headlining musical acts for the 12th Annual Whiskey Off-Road on April 24-26 and the 3rd Annual Grand Junction Off-Road presented by U.S. Bank on May 29-31. Music and mountain bikes create lasting memories, which is why Epic Rides events bring both together in a weekend-long experience that’s ...
Barry Wicks: Searching through stage racing
By Barry Wicks. Photos by John Gibson/Gibson Pictures. When I first started racing bikes, my mom used to drive me to races in her blue Dodge minivan. My bike, my most prized possession, would be carefully tucked into the back seat, protected from scratches and the elements. We would listen to the alt-rock station or ...
Introducing the new Juliana-SRAM women’s mountain bike team
Photos by Gary Perkin and David Smith. Juliana Bicycles has announced the launch of the new Juliana-SRAM Professional Mountain Bike Team. Anka Martin (RSA) is joined by Kelli Emmett (USA) and Sarah Leishman (CAN) to complete a trio of female athletes who will be racing the Enduro World Series and select international events in 2015. A ...
The Adventure Diaries: Jeremiah Bishop starts the season
By Jeremiah Bishop This winter, I have been training like a blacksmith making armor for an epic battle looming on the horizon. So I was eager when it was finally time to travel to the first race in mid-February. I was headed for the Andalucía Bike Race in southern Spain. With so many weeks spent ...
The Adventure Diaries: ABSA Cape Epic Prologue and Stages 1-3
Here we go The Table Mountain Prologue was a short, intense and exciting opener to the Cape Epic. In this team time trial, my Topeak Ergon Racing teammate Robert Mennen and I nabbed ninth place. The exhilaration of racing in the world’s biggest mountain bike race, with a TV helicopter shadowing you along the cliff-side, ...
The Adventure Diaries: ABSA Cape Epic Stages 4-5
Dusty desert riding Stage four in Worcester (a city in the Western Cape) was long and hot with tons of dust, as is common late summer on the desert side of the mountains. We started hard. Matthys Beukes and his teammate Phillip Buys from Scott factory Racing nailed the first climb hard and got a ...
Trek Factory Racing introduces 2015 enduro roster
Photos courtesy of Trek Bikes Back-to-back Enduro World Series champion Trek Factory Racing returns with with eyes focused on an unprecedented three-peat in 2015. The team’s European-based squad consists of 2013 and 2014 series champion Tracy Moseley (GBR), Rene Wildhaber (SUI), and Justin Leov (NZL). American enduro power-couple Jeremy Horgan-Kobelski (USA) and Heather Irmiger (USA) ...
The Adventure Diaries: Final dispatch from the ABSA Cape Epic
The Single Track of Wellington In the slate dark morning of Stage 6, we woke to the sound of raindrops patting the tents and campers. “Hmm,” I thought. “Today’s shorter, cross-country distance stage could be more decisive than we’d expected.” Sure enough, soon after the starting gun, the field was peppered with crashes. The ...
2015 Whiskey Off Road recap
Photos by Brian Leddy. The twelfth annual Whiskey Off Road kicked off the Epic Rides Off-Roads Series over the weekend, 2,000 riders enjoyed perfect trail conditions and an estimated 10,000 spectators enjoyed the party along Whiskey Row in Prescott, Arizona. Highlights Friday’s 15 Proof Fun Ride guided riders of all skill level on a scenic course of ...
Trans-Sylvania Epic returns with more enduro stages in the mix
At the NoTubes Trans-Sylvania Epic stage race on May 24 to May 30, 2015, near State College, Pennsylvania, mountain bikers will not only have the chance to go for overall cross country glory, but they will also have the option to focus on the enduro competition. Featuring an average of three to four timed, downhill ...
Dan Atherton and the Dyfi Enduro
By Dan Atherton with Gill Harris, photos by David Evans Last weekend Dan Atherton of GT Factory Racing, oldest sibling in the Atherton family and famous for his world-class bike handling skills across loads of different disciplines rode the grass-roots Dyfi Enduro, held in the Dyfi Forest, starting at the Machynlleth town center in Powys, ...
Underway: Inca Avalanche in Peru
Underway this week the Inca Avalanche Trail Fest has returned to the Sacred Valley of the Inca and Ollantaytambo, Peru. The festival features five days of riding on the best descents in the area, evening cocktail parties, Inca sites and cultural experienced you just don’t get anywhere else. The week is capped off by the Inca Avalanche race ...
McElveen and Anthony win Stage 1 at the NoTubes Trans-Sylvania Epic
By Sue George. Photos courtesy of the Trans-Sylvania Epic Media Team Beautiful, dry weather set the stage for a lightning-fast opening day at the NoTubes Trans-Sylvania Epic in State College, Pennsylvania on Sunday. The 15-mile individual time trial prologue course wound around the picturesque base camp and included three special timed sections, two enduro segments and ...
McElveen and Barclay win Stage 2 at the NoTubes Trans-Sylvania Epic
By Sue George. Photos courtesy of the Trans-Sylvania Epic Media Team The forested hills of central Pennsylvania hide steep climbs and rocky singletrack that can make for an interesting race. Stage 2 of the NoTubes Trans-Sylvania Epic is widely considered the toughest of the week, covering 37.5 miles and 5,892 feet of climbing. Despite the lengthy ...
Lindine and Haywood win stage 3 at the NoTubes Trans-Sylvania Epic
By Sue George. Photos courtesy of the Trans-Sylvania Epic Media Team. Today’s stage 3, the Galbraith Enduro, is a crowd-pleaser for both participants and spectators at the NoTubes Trans-Sylvania Epic Mountain Bike Stage Race. Five enduro segments of classic East Coast singletrack, each steeper and rockier than the last, tested racers’ ability to flow like water—or ...
Timmerman and Barclay win Stage 4 at the NoTubes Trans-Sylvania Epic
By Sue George. Photos courtesy of the Trans-Sylvania Epic Media Team. Stage 4 is considered the “road” stage of the NoTubes Trans-Sylvania Epic, but in the wilds of central Pennsylvania, that means surfaces ranging from gravel to chunky doubletrack bracketed by sections of twisty, rocky singletrack. Nevertheless, there was plenty of roadie-style peloton action complete with ...
McElveen and Anthony win stage 5 at the NoTubes Trans-Sylvania Epic
By Sue George. Photos courtesy of the Trans-Sylvania Epic Media Team. Stage 5 started at R.B. Winter State Park, after a drive along a pastoral valley road complete with Amish buggies. In past editions of the NoTubes Trans-Sylvania Epic, this stage has served up arduous singletrack sections and heartbreaking climbs, but this year’s course was smoother and ...
Uhl and Barclay win stage 6 at the NoTubes Trans-Sylvania Epic
By Sue George. Photos courtesy of the Trans-Sylvania Epic Media Team. In a race as long and challenging as the NoTubes Trans-Sylvania Epic, the only constant is change. On the signature trail of the stage and of the race, Tussey Ridge, the men’s category was shaken up today by a mechanical and will be tightly contested ...
Lindine and Barclay win 2015 NoTubes Trans-Sylvania Epic
By Sue George. Photos courtesy of the Trans-Sylvania Epic Media Team. The last day of the NoTubes Trans-Sylvania Epic brought a few more miles and lots of smiles. For the elite men, the final day was shorter, but no less intense, with 26 miles of twisty singletrack for racers to whip through in an effort ...
Video: Aaron Gwin’s chainless World Cup win
Over the weekend American downhill racer Aaron Gwin (Specialized Racing) did the unbelievable: he won the Leogang, Austria, World Cup downhill without a chain. The two-time World Cup overall champ snapped his chain right out of the gate and literally “coasted” to his second World Cup win of the year. How awesome is that?! Believe ...
Ride Sun Valley Festival celebrates full weekend of racing
The fifth annual Ride Sun Valley Bike Festival presented by Subaru of Twin Falls drew a large number of the biking community with an array of two-wheeled events June 25-28. From fierce competition in the SCOTT Enduro Cup presented by Vittoria and the new Shimano Boulder Mountain Fox Trot 50k cross-country race to the comedic ...
Courtney and Gorry win U23 cross-country national championships
Courtesy of USA Cycling. Photos by Philip Beckman. Kate Courtney (Kentfield, Calif./Specialized Factory Racing) and Cypress Gorry (Brevard, N.C./Whole Athlete-Specialized Cycling Team) wasted no time collecting the U23 cross-country national titles on Thursday in Mammoth Mountain, Calif., claiming the first two Stars-and-Stripes jerseys of Day 2 at the 2015 USA Cycling Mountain Bike National Championships. ...
Cometti and Kintner repeat dual slalom titles, Finsterwald and Woodruff take short track
Courtesy of USA Cycling. Photo by Philip Beckman. Luca Cometti (San Diego, Calif./Intense Factory Racing) and Jill Kintner (Bellingham, Wash./Red Bull-Norco Bicycles) repeated as men’s and women’s professional dual slalom national champions, and Russell Finsterwald (Colorado Springs, Colo./SRAM-Troy Lee Designs Race Team) and Chloe Woodruff (Prescott, Ariz./Team Stan’s NoTubes-Niner) took over as men’s and women’s professional short track cross-country national champions on Friday ...
Kintner wins third national championship in as many days
Courtesy of USA Cycling. Photo by Philip Beckman. Downhill On Saturday Jill Kintner (Bellingham, Wash./Red Bull-Norco Bicycles) followed up Friday’s dual slalom win with a convincing 15.64-second downhill margin of victory, crossing in 4:03.95 to earn her 15th career professional national championship. She defeated dual slalom silver medalist Jacqueline Thomas (Winter Park, Colo.), who earned downhill silver in 4:19.59, while Rebecca ...
USA Cycling names 39 to represent USA at mountain bike world champs
USA Cycling announced today the 39 athletes who will represent the United States at the 2015 UCI Mountain Bike World Championships which are slated for August 31 to September 6, 2015, in Vallnord, Andorra. Athletes will race for the red, white and blue in the elite, U23, and junior cross-country races and in the elite and ...
Photo Gallery: Crankworx Dual Slalom racing
Photos by Justin Steiner and Adam Newman The racing here at Crankworx took center stage Friday night as the threatening rain clouds hovered overhead but never dampened the action. The dry and dusty course was running fast as rookie Dakotah Norton, left, came out of nowhere to take the win as challenger Martin Maes took a ...
Photo gallery: 2015 Leadville Trail 100
Few mountain bike races have earned the title of “legendary,” but if one is a shoo-in for the list it’s the Leadville Trail 100. With a starting elevation above 10,000 feet, it climbs to more than 14,000 through thin, Colorado air. In a race where just finishing is a victory, this year Alban Lakata took the ...
Big in Japan – The 2015 Single Speed World Championships
By Chris Reichel There has been quite a bit of grumbling lately about singlespeeding being dead. They will say single speeds are played out, jumped the shark, sold out, mainstream, and so on. But there is still a large group of miscreants and derelicts from all over the world, who meet up once a year ...
Video: The story of race plate 139
This episode of “On Track With by Curtis Keene” deals with the passion and the risks involved with racing mountain bikes. It is dedicated to Will Olson—who ran race plate number 139 at stop #5 of the Enduro World Series in Crested Butte, Colorado and who unexpectedly passed away on August 1, 2015 while racing. The athletes, the ...
Crankworx World Tour expands for 2016
PRESS RELEASE — Crankworx World Tour announced it’s adding Les Gets, France, to the family. Crankworx begins in Rotorua, New Zealand, March 9-13, 2016, and will hit Les Gets the following month for a June 15-19 run. The event returns to its Whistler home base in British Columbia, Canada, for a 10-day event staged August 12-21. Nestled in the 12-resort ...
Blast From the Past: Trans Iowa and The Rise of Gravel Grinders
Editor’s note: This story first appeared in Dirt Rag Issue #157, published in July 2011. Words by Guitar Ted. Photos by Steve Fuller and Jeremy Kershaw. Not beholden to any sanctioning body, having devised their own rules, and in a lot of cases with no entry fees, these events are carving out a sub-culture of ...
Blast From the Past: Gunnar Shogren Interviews Floyd Landis
Editor’s note: This interview originally appeared in Gunnar Shogren’s regular “Wuzzupdiddat?” column in Dirt Rag Issue #39, published in August 1994. Photo by Tom Moran. Summit Near the Summit, or “Clowns at the Round Table” When: July 17,1994, the day following NCS #5. Where: Spokane, Washington. Who: Floyd Landis riding for GT Bicycles, Willy Goeghegan ...
Feature: No Rest for the Weary
Words and photos: Brice Shirbach Originally published in Issue #191 For most of us, the UCI World Cup downhill series is a somewhat nebulous arrangement, largely unfolding by means of online media, live video streams and an assortment of social-media posts from the athletes themselves. While fans of the sport are well aware of what ...
Trek releases Slash 29, focused on enduro racing
There was a general sense of “WTF” when Trek killed off the Remedy 29 for 2017. Yes the new Fuel EX 29 had the same geometry and a stiffer frame, but 130 mm of travel is still only 130 mm of travel. How is the semi-retired Tracey Mosely supposed to take on the EWS without ...
Blast From the Past: High School Mountain Bike Racing
Editor’s note: This story about the formative years of high school MTB racing, including the trend-setting NorCal High School Mountain Bike League, which spawned the current-day National Interscholastic Cycling Association, first appeared in Dirt Rag Issue #106, published in April, 2004. Words by Jim Wallace. Photos by Matthew Fritzinger. Interest in mountain biking programs for ...
Epic Israel: Holy rolling singletrack
It was an amazing adventure to a historic land littered with scenic trails, long climbs and high-speed descents. A holy land that hosts one of the best three-day mountain bike stage races I’ve ever done. Yet it almost didn’t happen. In early 2014, I received an invite to attend the Epic Israel. While some questioned ...
Video: More Than A Sport
As stated in the Trek blog, “There’s something undeniably cool about a high school mountain bike team, something that separates it from more traditional sports teams like football, wrestling, and soccer. The great distinguisher, perhaps, is that mountain biking doesn’t end with graduation. It knows no age limit. At Corner Canyon, the team has more ...
Gravel Grinding Essentials: An Open Mind and Good Beer
Words by Jeffrey Stern No longer a fad, but a full blown discipline covering a wide range of mixed surfaces such as dirt, sand, pothole-littered pavement, grass and of course, gravel. Events are springing up across the country featuring long courses, winding through relatively untraveled roads in the most remote corners of states. Gravel grinding, ...
Race Recap: True Grit Epic
The National Ultra Endurance (NUE) series is dedicated to 100 mile and 100 kilometer mountain bike racing. With over a dozen races across the United States and a newly added race in Costa Rica, both professional and amateur athletes alike have been chasing the series title since its birth in 2006. For 2017, the NUE ...
Join Dirt Rag at Big Bear Lake Trail Center’s WVMBA Events on April 29-30, 2017
Dirt Rag is headed to the West Virginia Mountain Bike Association (WVMBA) cross-country and enduro events at Big Bear Lake Trail Center on April 29-30, 2017. The Big Bear trails are staff favorites, and we can’t wait to kick off Big Bear’s 2017 season in style. We’ll be sending our fast kids out to race cross-country ...
The Trans-Sylvania Epic Experience: Tips from a first-time stage racer
When you express to a co-worker or family member that you signed up for the Trans-Sylvania Epic mountain bike stage race you’ll likely be greeted with an interesting response, and rightfully so. You want to do a what? On your pedal bike? You’re going to do this for how many days? The conversation continues but ...
Race Report: Rothrock TrailMix
I often say that I don’t really race. I do a few events a year, but I usually would much rather go on a big group ride with friends than spend the day trying to ride faster than other people. That being said, I have had a lot of fun at every race I’ve ever ...
Pandemonium in Portland: Singlespeed Cyclocross World Championships
By Stevil Kinevil The year was 2007. One person or another asked me if I’d planned on attending the first-ever Singlespeed Cyclocross World Championships, which were to be held a few weeks later in Portland, Oregon. Having been in the trenches both organizing and racing in some of the first Singlespeed World Championships of the ...
Video: “Monkey Business” featuring Lorin Whitaker
Follow high school senior and Canfield Brothers rider Lorin Whitaker on his final cross-country race of his high school mountain bike racing career and for a run down the infamous King Kong freeride line in the Utah desert.
Behind the Veil of Faranak Partoazar
By Steve Thomas Iran, mountain biking and women: There’s a combo you don’t see every day. Meet Faranak Partoazar, the Iranian national cross-country champion, who is shredding convention and preconceptions. Can we get our prize money, please?” There was little doubt as to who was the leader of this prize-hunting pack: It was the slender, ...
The Skull 120/60/30 Gravel Grind showcases Oregon’s public lands
The Skull 120/60/30 Gravel Grind highlights Harney County, Oregon’s rugged character, from long mountainous ascents to teeth-chattering and eye-watering descents, to breathtaking vistas, open rangeland and alpine forests. With two stream crossings and cattle guard after cattle guard, this gravel grind is a feat to finish and a testament to the rider’s grit and determination. The Skull 120 ...
Event Recap: Croatan Buck Fifty
If you look up the word stoke in the English dictionary you will find that it means, “to poke or stir up or supply with fuel” or “to increase the activity, intensity or amount of.” On highway 58 in the town of Cedar Point, North Carolina, there is an old service station coated in fresh ...
Race Recap: Pisgah Stage Race, part 1
By Andrew Vontz Stage One I woke up at 6 am. At home and when I travel, I wear silicone earplugs to help me get quality sleep. I popped one out. I popped the other out–and it tore. A huge chunk of it was stuck in my right ear. I tried to dig it out ...
I Want to be a RockStar: RockStar 270 race recap
By Robert May (the fatbike guy) We’ve been on our bikes for hours now with the daunting realization that we are nowhere near the end of this journey and will spend days, not hours, out here in George Washington National Forest. Despite the calendar saying it’s April 7th, it has been snowing for hours now ...
Race Recap: Pisgah Stage Race, part 2
By Andrew Vontz If you missed Part 1, check it here. Stage Four On Tuesday I catapulted my face into a slab of rock on Squirrel Gap. Today’s stage has the most singletrack of any stage in the entire race–including a trip back over Squirrel Gap in the opposite direction and over the same slab ...
Race Recap: Pisgah Stage Race, part 3
By Andrew Vontz If you missed them, check out Part 1 here and Part 2 here. Stage Five: The Battle with Hot Pink + Get on the Bus Today I finished 7th / 36 riders in my cat (open Masters 40+) on the day, my best finish ever in a stage at Pisgah. Final result ...
The Pisgah Stage Race bike and gear guide
By Andrew Vontz In 2017, I competed in the five-day, five-stage Pisgah Mountain Bike Stage Race, survived the most technical trails I’d ever ridden on a demanding course and came away with strong ideas about how to do better in 2018. Based on what I learned and extensive conversations with Pisgah honchos like Chris Komanski, ...
Guerrilla Gravity presents The Good, the Rad, and the Gnarly, a gravity-fueled adventure “race.”
Website URL: https://RideGG.com/GRG Do you think you can handle a fully-pinned day at the bike park? If your answer is “hell yeah maybe,” then this is the event for you! Guerrilla Gravity, the Colorado-based mountain bike manufacturing company, is stoked to announce their first-ever The Good, The Rad, and The Gnarly “race.” One part ...
2018 Mercedes-Benz UCI World Cup round 2 at Fort William
Photographer Jason Barker of Roots and Rain headed out to Scotland to catch Round 2 of the UCI World Cup at Fort William, which took place June 2-3, 2018. Tahnée Seagrave took home the women’s win for this round, meanwhile, Amaury Pierron locked in a victory in the men’s division. Check out these select highlights of the ...
Mountain Bike Trailer Park: Mullet Wave at the Pisgah 111k
By Uncle Dan Mountain Bike Trailer Park is a regular column written by Uncle Dan that appears monthly on the Dirt Rag Interwebs. He dabbles in a variety of topics including racing, training, trails he loves, and not taking himself too seriously, all with a big dash of humor. If you missed his previous columns, check ...
What’s better than riding in a wet chamois? Throwing yourself off a cliff
by Jen Rose Smith In Huaraz, Peru, local athletes don’t really have a place to swim—the town’s river is clogged with trash, and nearby mountain lakes are glacially cold—but they’ve got easy access to the Cordillera Blanca and the Cordillera Negra, a matched set of mountain ranges that rear up in the country’s northern Andes. ...
Can you whip it?
Crankworx has been happening all week and will continue through the weekend. It’s a great time to check out some feats of mountain biking. Sometimes is inspirational, or at least entertaining, to see how these tricks are learned. Here’s a little video Haro put together that shows Ryan Nyquist training for the Crankworx Whip-off.
Is it the bike? Is it the rider? Or is it the tire?
I’m not a huge race nerd. I’ll just put that out there immediately. It’s cool and all, and going fast is really fun, but I’d much rather be out riding myself than sitting home watching others have all the fun, and I just can’t bring myself to do the things— train, practice, analyze my wattage, ...
Snow Bike Festival is back!
Carved into the back of the goalpost I tended on the homefield of my varsity field hockey team back in high school was a wise offering: “The only way to beat temptation is to yield to it.” This is what comes to mind when I look out my window to the gray, snowy Pittsburgh I ...
Women’s UCI XCO HC PRO Cross Country Race Sea Otter
We have made it back to the coast of California for another fine edition of the Sea Otter Classic. To get things kicked off this year the professional women’s field tackled the steep slopes of the cross country course surrounding Laguna Seca Raceway. With UCI points on the line, some of the worlds best showed ...
Sea Otter Dual Slalom
Dual Slalom at Sea Otter means a couple of things, One; it’s Saturday and Two; it’s time to party and watch some of the fastest and most skilled on two wheels attack the dusty twisting course at Laguna Seca Raceway. The line up this year was as heavy ever for the finals, Greg Minnaar, Luca ...
MTB Heat Check Episode 2: Epic Rides Whiskey Off Road
Our friend Bill Schieken aka @cxhairs has been traveling around the west coast and catching a bunch of the early season XC racing action. While there is no live coverage for the domestic race scene Schieken has been putting together some delightful videos of the action recapping both the men’s and women’s field. This week ...
MTB Heat Check Power Rankings and SoHo MTB Festival
Our friend Bill Schieken from CX Hairs is back with another episode of Mountain Bike Heat Check. In this episode, we check out some of the action from the SoHo Mountain Bike Festival and find out who is topping the rankings in North America. Check out all the action here and stay tuned for coverage ...
The 2019 Gunnison Growler
For the past ten years, the Gunnison Growler has helped kick off the riding and racing season in Western Colorado. The race takes place in the Hartman Rocks Recreational Area, high desert terrain offering technical rock features and ripping fast descents. On Saturday the weekend’s events got kicked off with the Half Growler, a 32-mile ...
New TV show about bikepacking hits Amazon and Vimeo
If you want to up your stoke for a season of bikepacking, check out this new show streaming on Amazon and Vimeo. Season One of Ride To Extraordinary (R2E) features the 2017 Trans North Georgia Adventure (TNGA). In doing so, R2E blazes uncharted territory by being the first of its kind — an on-demand series ...
Big Mountain Enduro wraps up at Glorieta Camps in Northern New Mexico
The season opener for the Big Mountain Enduro series took place last weekend outside Santa Fe, New Mexico. Glorieta Camps in Glorieta, New Mexico, has pristine trails located on a Christian-run, adventure-focused campground. The trails here range from beginner/intermediate to advanced, and the race course is no joke with serious drops and lots of ...
Colin Strickland pulls in major victory at Dirty Kanza
If you’ve ever broken a bone, and perhaps even moreso if you haven’t, you likely understand the apprehension of getting back on the bike once it’s healed. Colin Strickland broke his pelvis just this past October, and merely hearing that puts a chill in me when I see footage of him riding the Dirty Kanza ...
Trans-Sylvania Epic 2019
Words and Photos by Bruce Buckley Memorial Day weekend serves as an unofficial start to summer in the mid-Atlantic states—as temperatures finally hit a point where we are no longer reaching for long-sleeve tops or extra layers before we head out to ride. Since 2010, the start of the season in western Pennsylvania has kicked ...
Breck Epic Prep
By Scott Williams Photography by Devon Balet It’s been two years since I had the pleasure of doing my first multi-day mountain bike race at the Trans-Sylvania Epic (TSE). The first half of the initial day started like any other race I’ve done. Smiles on the outside but inside was strictly business as I tried ...
Breck Epic Stage 1: There Will Be Mud.
When we arrived a few days ago in Breckenridge, CO, it was as if we came to some sort of fantasy land for lovers of the outdoors. Majestic mountains reaching far up into the blue skies, the air was dry and cool, a perfect setting for a bike race. It is now Sunday and the ...
A Silver King For a Day at the Leadville 100
I delayed my departure from Breckenridge to Leadville, CO as long as possible the day before the Leadville 100 was to begin. After two long days behind the wheel torpedoing across the vastness of the midwest, the urge to jump back on the highway was absent. I rolled into the Silver King Inn at around ...
Breck Epic Stage 2: High Upon the Colorado Trail
The rain and the cold that battered riders during Stage 1 moved out with the moon. The Breck Epic was greeted with sun and clear skies this morning to the relief the riders. With clean drivetrains and hopefully dry shoes, the competitors looked to get after a big day of climbing taking them far into ...
Breck Epic Stage 3: The Ghost of French Pass.
I had big plans for today. Stage 3 was to take the riders over French Pass high along the Continental Divide amongst the snow and the mountain goats, and I planned on being there, camera in hand. I checked with a few locals to see if it was possible to drive there and it seemed ...
Breck Epic Stage 5: ‘Til Death
Today’s stage at the Breck Epic was yes, Epic™. It was Epic™ for the usual reasons; big climbs, impressive views, not one but two 12,000 foot summits, but also and most importantly, a wedding. A lot of this would not be transpiring if not for this wedding. Our own Scott Williams and his partner and ...
Breck Epic Stage 6: The End
You would think after five tough and challenging days on the bike, most of the field would be relieved to see that today was the final stage. Yes, I know there is a Stage 7, and as soon as I have finished typing this, I’m heading over. Today on paper was the easiest stage of ...
Snowshoe World Cup: Downhill Practice
Whatever concerns that may have been floating around the internet about the track at Snowshoe being to tame or to buff were completely dispelled after yesterday’s walkthrough and today’s practice laps. Holding to West Virginia’s theme of ‘Wild and Wonderful’ the course for Saturday’s World Cup Final is more than worthy of this year’s final ...
Downhill Qualifying Snowshoe World Cup
The stage is set for a monumental showdown tomorrow for the final of this year’s Downhill World Cup. Tracey Hannah set the fastest time for the woman during qualifying with her closest rival Marine Cabirou coming in second and newly crowned world champ Myriam Nicole finishing with the third-fastest time today. In the men’s field, ...
Snowshoe World Cup: Short Track
Friday was an action-packed day on the mountain at Snowshoe. The early afternoon saw the Downhill qualifying runs and in the evening the stars of the World Cup XCO took to the slopes for the Short Track race. Twenty minutes of all-out racing to determine starting positions for Sunday’s main event. The women hit the ...
Snowshoe World Cup Downhill Finals Ultra-mega Photo Gallery
There was speculation day long on how many people actually showed up for yesterday’s Downhill Finals at Snowshoe mountain. As the riders began plummeting down the mountain at warp speed the cascade of cheers, horns, cowbells, and chainsaws sounded like a tsunami barreling through the woods. Based off of intense scientific research of maximum decibel ...
Snowshoe World Cup: Women’s XCO
The stage was set for a proper mountain bike treat for the fans at Snowshoe Mountain Sunday afternoon. American Kate Courtney, one of the sports biggest stars looked to put on a show for the home fans. Along with the race at a hand, Courtney also was looking to seal the deal on the World ...
Snowshoe World Cup: Men’s XCO Finals
There was little at stake concerning the overall for the men’s World Cup. World Champion Nino Schurter had the series in the bag and Sunday’s final was a bit of a victory lap for the dominant Swiss rider. However, Schurter certainly didn’t make the trip all the way to America to just phone in the ...
WynTV: Snowshoe World Cup Finals
I don’t know about you but we are still flying high from the big World Cup Weekend down in Snowshoe, WV. If you weren’t there well, sorry you missed out, but don’t fret, you can still experience how awesome the weekend was via WynTV. GT Bicycles fluffy-haired pro is back with what we consider his ...
This Friday, the SKOV ATB will send you into orbit
As we polish up our last issue of the year, the Offbeat Races issue, our attention has turned toward all the wacky bike stuff going on out there. This Friday, the self-proclaimed world’s hardest ATB Race-Experience is taking place in the Southwest Kingdom of Vermont (SKOV). According to race promotor Old Mark, their lawyers recommended ...
The YT Mob World Tour Episode 5: Windrock Bike Park
The YT Mob welcomed 22 racers from America, Brazil and Canada to Windrock Bike Park located 161 Miles east of Tennessee’s state Capital Nashville. Built by Whiteley’s protégé Neko Mulally, Windrock hosted the fifth of six Young Talent Camps. The young racers had three days to soak up as much knowledge as possible passed on ...
EWS Adds Burke Mountain to 2020 Schedule
Today the World Enduro Series announced that they will be visiting Burke Mountain in East Burke, VT for stop #6 of the 2020 season. Hot on the heels of the mountain biking World Cup event in Snowshoe, WV, east coast fans will once again have the opportunity to see some of the best riders in ...
30 Months of Rust Belt Mud
The oldest continuously operating mountain bike race series in America (or at least on the East Coast) is a low-budget, unsanctioned, volunteer-run event that you’ve probably never heard of. Sure, Leadville 100 has been running longer, but that’s just one race. Pearl Pass Tour and Downieville also predate this Pittsburgh-area institution, but they aren’t series ...
Burst Balloon
A while back I posted about my off season strategy and stated that: “I could easily deceive myself into thinking that I did a pretty good job of keeping myself in shape, over the off-season. A deception that will surely burst like a toy balloon on April 21st when I plan to strap on a ...
6 Hours of Power
The 6 Hours of Power is a great grassroots gathering in Western New York. 2007 marked my second consecutive pilgrimage to Ellicottville to participate in this 6-hour mountain bike race, which offers both solo and two-person team categories. Holiday Valley ski resort is kind enough to allow promoter extraordinary Mack Lawrence (on the microphone below) ...
What’s up with racing mountain bikes?
Hello world. I suppose I’ll introduce myself seeing this is my first post. My name is Ryan LaBar. I interned with Dirt Rag last summer and am now a contributor and racer for them. This summer I’m living, racing, and riding bikes in Colorado before I go back to Michigan to race the collegiate mountain ...
Wilderness 101
For the past four year, I’ve competed (and I use that term loosely) in the Wilderness 101 in central Pennsylvania. It’s a well-run, epic mountain bike race that covers one huge loop (with no repeats) in some stellar riding terrain. I made some hard scheduling choices this year, and couldn’t make it to the 101, ...
Fashionably late.
Hi. I also am posting my first race report. Carol Clemens is my name and racing mountain bikes, well I guess it is my game.This is a little something about one of the endurance series events in North Carolina. Cowbell Challenge 2007 Time has continued to move at a rapid pace into what is now ...
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 ...
Seven Springs brings…
…pain. There is pleasure in pain, right? I must be a masochist at heart because bringing pain to myself seems to be my style. Anyone who is willing to ride their bicycle for 24 hours solo seems to fall into that category, and I am one of many.There is a day that we label as ...
Pre-Interbike Fun: the 24 Hours of Landahl
How stupid is it to start off the week of Interbike, an event known for grueling days and late nights, with a 24-hour race? I got the opportunity to find out. Turns out, it wasn’t too stupid, only a little bit, and it was a lot of fun. The race in question was Granny Gear’s ...
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 ...
Are you as tough as a Park Tool designer?
Park Tool’s headquarters are in wintry Minnesota, so — along with all the good folks at Quality Bike Parts and Island Cycle Supply and World Cycling Productions and Twin Six and Kurt Kinetic and all of their groupies — there are an astonishing number of year-around bike commuters who have no problem riding in a ...
Chicagoland Cyclocross
If you’re in or around Chicago between September and December check out one of the Chicago Cyclocross Cup series races. I raced at Montrose Park this past weekend to test a Co-Motion Demon (more on that to come) and had a blast. Montrose Park or harbor is on the lake Michigan shore very close to ...
2007: the year cyclocross and singlespeed got their closeup
While recreational urban cyclists embrace fixies and messenger bags, rank-and-file racers have a new favorite sport: Singlespeed cyclocross, a sport that arguably combines the roughest and toughest elements of all cycling disciplines. And lest there be any misunderstanding, one gear on a rigid bike with skinny tires can be just as fast as any other ...
A crash on dirt beats 14 on the track
Racing mountain bikes is frequently compared to time trialling on the road, because drafting doesn’t play a huge role, and racers are often strung out and isolated, racing against their own limitations as much as against their rivals. There are two upsides to this: When you crash, you typically have a soft landing and you ...
Mountain biking’s feeble — but recovering — Great Uncle
A few weeks ago, I mentioned that BMX would be making its Olympic debut at Beijing this summer — alas, only as an exhibition event. But considering that road-racing, track racing, and even mountain biking have been medal events forever, it’s kind of surprising it took this long. This article about British BMX sensation Shanaze ...
This is NOT a Polish joke
If you’re like me, you’re beginning to get the itch to try new events in places that are off the beaten singletrack. Call it the “Eternal Summer” impulse. It strikes after you have every inch of every local trail memorized. And after you’ve collected enough of the same race numbers to turn your garage into ...
A Page from his book
is likely the best cyclocross racer the US has ever produced. Last year, he nearly won the World Championships, but still astonished the cyclocross world with a silver. That led to a high profile, high-buck contract with one of Europe’s best cyclocross teams, SunWeb-ProJob. So far this year has been a tough one for him, ...
Floyd joins the ultra-marathon dirt series
The rise and fall and rise of Floyd Landis continues. Today, the National Ultra-Endurance series announced that Mr. Landis has agreed to ride the series of eight 100-mile offroad races. Last year, he raced to podium finishes in the Leadville 100 and the Shenandoah 100. Presumably, a former Tour de France rider who’s accustomed to ...
Global warming? What global warming?
Here’s something you don’t see everyday: A snowbike race up at Shawnee Peak in Bridgton, Maine. For a $30 entry fee, you get to race mountain-cross style, four riders per heat. And bear this in mind: the world record for speed on a mountain bike was set on a snow slope in Peru late last ...
Lance: Getting serious about dirt?
Lance Armstrong is apparently gearing up for racing in the Leadville 100. You’ll recall that he rode sections of the legendary offroad marathon last year with his trainer Chris Carmichael, but didn’t end up riding. But last weekend, the Big Texan confirmed that he’s going to take a run at it, but it looks like ...
Jonathan Page at CX Worlds
Last weekend in Italy, the World Championships of Cyclocross took place. A few weeks ago, I mentioned that Jonathan Page was competing — he’s probably the best cyclocross racer the US has ever produced, having won silver last year. This year, the race was uncharacteristically warm and dry, and though Page had been racing ...
Olympic MTB Team Named
This just in from USA Cycling: USA Cycling announced the names of 11 athletes who are eligible to represent the United States at the 2008 Olympic Games in the discipline of men’s and women’s mountain biking. Six men and five women were named to the Long Team last week. Of the six men named to ...
On the rise: Winter racing
Yesterday, I was sort of kidding about winter riding — how it’s difficult and dangerous, and strictly for the obsessive cyclist. Today, I was reminded by several readers that riding in snow and ice can be a blast, especially if you’re a racer in a budding winter race scene. There’s the Arrowhead 135, up in ...
12 hours of Santos
The world of endurance racing. This world that I placed myself in has a lot of interesting experiences to offer, the idea of winning a race for example. On paper that sounds wonderful, and in reality it is. But the energy and effort that goes into making it happen is pretty huge. By choice I ...
Granny Goes Galactic
Granny is typically the mild mannered, conservative type, but her recent press release is out of this world: Galactic Championship of 24 Hour Mountain Bike Racing Set For Moab, Utah, USA, EarthPioneer of the Sport Goes Large To Create the Greatest Eventin The History of 24-hour Mountain Bike RacingDavis, WV, USA, Earth – Granny Gear ...
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 ...
Leave the Red Bull in the cooler, young racer
The NorCal High School Mountain Bike League has decided to ban caffeine. In its updated 2008 rulebook, Guarana Root, Taurine, and Creatine have also been banned. While these substances are obviously less harmful than, say EPO, coaches and officials have been watching as some members of the 40-school league have been “strategically” using these ...
Which is faster: Snowbike or skate skis?
Up in Alaska, they run a winter race called the Litte Su. It’s not nearly as ambitious as, say, the Iditarod. But the 31K backcountry trek is unique in that you can race it apparently any way you please — with dog sleds, skis, snowshoes, bikes. Or maybe any combination thereof. And according to ...
World Tour Action: Sea Otter Classic
Dirt Rag is on the scene at the 18th annual Sea Otter Classic in Monterey, California. This event has grown over the years into much more than just a race, although the competition does cover just about every discipline on two wheels. It’s also a mini-tradeshow with over 300 exhibitors (all open to consumers), skills ...
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:
Project SingleSpeed Racer: Part One, What is Project SSR?
I’ve heard a lot of reasons why some riders prefer a singlespeed over a geared bike, but one that doesn’t come up often is that they are faster. Welcome to Project SingleSpeed Racer (Project SSR), a regular blog feature where I will be exploring if that could be true. Over the course of the coming ...
Project SingleSpeed Racer: Race Report #1
Last weekend I raced in the third cross country race in the Mid Atlantic Super Series, “Escape from Granogueâ€, in Delaware. This race gave me a good lesson what can go wrong on race day. I had raced Granogue before, winning the Expert Class, so I knew the course well enough that being competitive on ...
Project SSR, Part Two: The Science of Singlespeeds
Singlespeed bikes are the most efficient bikes in the world (except highwheelers). From the hour record , to Jennie Reed’s 2008 Keirin World Championship, when looking to getting the most return for your effort nothing beats one gear. Most hillclimb records have even been set on singlespeeds. Why? Drivetrain efficiency and weight. What is efficiency? ...
Project SingleSpeed Racer- Race Report 2
It was supposed to be a fair weather only event, the 4th in the Mid Atlantic Super Series, and on Friday night it looked questionable. The forecast was for thunderstorms, tornadoes, and high winds. The promoters figured that most of the racing would be done before it hit, and decided the race was a go. ...
Dirt Rag Mega Event Schedule
Summer is right around the corner, and the action is already heating up on the Dirt Rag World Tour, with upcoming stops at the IMBA World Summit in Park City, UT and the 24 Hours of Summer Solstice in Bolton, ON, Canada. If you can’t hook up with us on The Tour, don’t sweat it—check ...
ProjectSSR- Part Three: Putting the Power to the Pedals
With just one gear, the only other variables on a singlespeed are crankarm length and pedaling speed, or cadence. It turns out that there is more leeway in both of these factors then the convention cycling wisdom thought. In an interesting study Jim Martin, Ph.D. of the University of Utah, and Waneen Spirduso, Ed.D of ...
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 ...
ProjectSSR- Part Four: Training Techniques
In earlier parts of this series we looked at the advantages and challenges of racing a singlespeed bike. While a singlespeed drivetrain is mechanically more efficient then a geared one, we need to make the most out of that efficiency. As some readers have pointed out, the motor is just as important as the drivetrain. ...
Cactus Cup is Back
The Mountain’s Edge 2008 Cactus Cup is scheduled for September 19th – 21st, 2008 in Las Vegas, NV. The latest incarnation of this venerable event sticks with the tried and true Cactus Cup formula, combining a three-day festival and a mountain bike stage race. The event takes place on the weekend preceding the annual Interbike ...
Project SingleSpeed Racer- Race Report 3
The drama is supposed to happen on the race course, not in the parking lot. On a hot and dry June day I pulled into the Neshaminy High School parking lot in plenty of time for the Guy’s Racing Neshaminy Classic. After getting checked in, I kitted up and started my warmup circling the parking ...
Chico Racing’s 24 Hours of Summer Solstice
Here we are back from the wilds of Canada and happy to report that Mountain Biking is alive and well amongst our neighbors north of the border. This weekend at Chico Racing’s 24 Hours of Summer Solstice we were treated to a slice of what Ontario and greater Canada have to offer in way 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 ...
Raccoon Rally Report
It’s late Sunday night and I’ve just rolled back from a three-day road trip to western New York. Rather than sifting through a stack of press releases, looking for a newsworthy nugget to post in this space, I’ve decided to tell you about my trip.
Project SingleSpeed Racer- Part Five: Riding Tips
Getting the most speed out of your singlespeed bike requires learning some new skills, and perfecting old ones. Well mastered basic skills for cross country mountain bike riding are essential to singlespeed riding. The nature of riding a singlespeed tends to magnify any lapses in your technique. With only one gear, there are also some ...
Tour de France Coverage on Versus TV and Website
For the eighth straight year, the Versus network is bringing TV viewers Tour de France coverage, with an average of 14 hours of coverage per day. Daily coverage includes a pre-race show followed by live morning race coverage, race action replays four times daily, and an expanded prime-time show. During the key mountain stages, Versus ...
Project SingleSpeed Racer- US National Champs
Pedal boats suck. So I just got back from racing in the US National Mountain Bike Championships at Mt. Snow Vt., and let’s just say that things did not go as planned. Last year I raced in my first XC Nationals and surprised myself by coming away with the Stars and Stripes in the Expert ...
Mega Event Schedule Update
Sunday, Sunday, Sunday! Handlebar to handlebar racing action! Thrills, chills and spills. Mud, blood and gears. Bring your camera! Date State City Event Title Hyperlink 7.31.2008 CO Winter Park Crankworx Colorado www.crankworxcolorado.com 7.31.2008 CO Crested Butte Powerade Pinnacle Summer Race Series www.ridecb.com 8.01.2008 CO SolVista Bike Park Mountain States Cup #6 Sol Survivor www.racemsc.com 8.02.2008 ...
Cactus Cup Update
As we previously reported, the Mountain’s Edge 2008 Cactus Cup is scheduled for September 19th – 21st, 2008 in Las Vegas, NV. The latest incarnation of this venerable event sticks with the tried and true Cactus Cup formula, combining a three-day festival and a mountain bike stage race. The latest news is that the Cactus ...
Crankworx Colorado – Winter Park
(Thursday, July 31) It has been one year since its inception to the mountain bike world. The Colorado Crankworx course is set, and it is intense. No…not like camping in-tents. It IS intense. Our late arrival on the opening practice day denied us access to the chairlifts, however, the Winter Park staff was immensely helpful ...
Crankworx Colorado Day Two
(Friday, August 1st) The first full day at the 2008 Crankworx Colorado has lived up to my expectations. It would be hard to have a bad day that begins with a few good chair lift-assisted runs on freshly prepped Kona demo rigs (thanks Scott and Willy.) The afternoon was completed with mind-blowing performances from the ...
Crankworx Colorado Final Days
Day three of the Colorado Crankworks begins with more runs down the 28 miles of mountain trails. Today we are given the pleasure of riding some of the 2009 Commencal offerings. I am sampling the Supreme, and the Meta 5.5, while my friend Matt Weatherbee demos the Furious CG. Matt has also been assisting me ...
24 Hour Mountain Bike Nationals
The cast iron skillet was the last item to be placed into the red 1998 Ford Windstar with the crumpled left-front fender. I would say “crammed into” if it were not for the fact that there was a small patch of daylight that provided, via the rear-view mirror, a clear view of the four bikes ...
Kokanee Crankworx Whistler, BC August 13th
Day five of the Kokanee Crankworx in Whistler BC is Dirt Rag’s first for the 2008 event. Most of the day has been spent on two planes and a bus, a small price to pay to be here. As far as the day’s competitions go, I was only able to see the final runs of ...
RockShox SID with 2008 Olympic Games Decals
On August 22nd, 2008 at 3:00 p.m. the women’s cross country mountain bike race in the XXIX Olympic Games will take place in Laoshan of the Shijingshan District in Beijing. The men’s competition is the following day, August 23rd on the same course and time. Thirty women and fifty men will compete for the three ...
SSWC08, Here We Come!
It’s been three years since the circus known as the Singlespeed World Championships touched the shores of the United States. While we here at Dirt Rag aren’t as fortunate as we were in 2005 to basically have SSWC in our back yard, we still plan on running away from home out to Napa, California to ...
Mega Event Schedule Update 08.20.2008
Summer may be winding down, but the racing action is heating up. Dirt Rag World Tour stops at SSWC08 and the Shenandoah Mountain 100 highlight the upcoming events on our mega event schedule. Date State City Event Title Hyperlink 8.23.2008 CA Napa Single Speed World Champs ’08 sswc08.com 8.23.2008 CO Nederland Eldora Escape – Mountain ...
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 ...
The Singlespeed World Championships 2008
The Singlespeed World Championships: Holy cow, that was a whirlwind tour of some sweet spots in Northern California’s riding stash, and a great family reunion of the singlespeed tribe. Jeff Lockwood – web dude emeritus, his large Philly-area posse, and I packed a lot of riding and socializing into three days. Friday: The City Our ...
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 ...
Old Gunfighters
Bike racing for me has always been a sort of identity. From racing around the neighborhood to retiring my BMX career to my current love of mountain biking, racing has defined my life. I began writing this at three in the morning after racing slalom at the U.S. National MTB Championships at Mount Snow, VT. I was in a mood…
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!
Project SSR Part Six: Heading North for some R&R&R
Since the last installment in this series I suffered a bit of a setback with a knee injury, Race Report 5. After Nationals I finally got in to see my orthopedic, the fabulous Doctor Palumbo. After explaining what’s been going on with it, he took a look at it and immediately noticed that one of ...
Subaru 24 Hour Champion Challenge Photo Gallery
Thanks to photographer Glenn Acker for sharing a ton of cool pictures from the 2008 edition of the Subaru 24-Hour Champion Challenge (a.k.a. the 24-hour race at 7 Springs, PA). Glenn was positioned at the top of “the big climb” and his photos capture the effort (and joy) on the riders’ faces. For your viewing ...
Lance Armstrong Un-retires
According to a statement posted on September 9th on his livestrong.org website, Lance Armstrong has decided to come out of retirement: I am happy to announce that after talking with my children, my family and my closest friends, I have decided to return to professional cycling in order to raise awareness of the global cancer ...
USA Cycling Announces New MTB Categories
USA Cycling recently posted the following announcement on www.usacycling.org: Colorado Springs, Colo. (September 12, 2008)—USA Cycling announced today the development and implementation of a new mountain bike category system set to take effect for the 2009 season. The modification to the existing structure comes after significant analysis and dialogue by the national governing body and ...
Interbike Report Day 3: Indoor Show
It’s out of the sun’s intense rays and into the dark (and sometimes dank) caverns of the Sands Convention Center for the next phase of the Interbike adventure. We walked the halls and took a lot of photos of interesting stuff, we met old friends we haven’t seen since – well, last year’s show, and ...
Project SingleSpeed Racer- Part Seven: One Gear in the Kingdom
After spending most of a week bike and kayak packing around the Adirondack’s it was time for some more serious riding (Part 6). Starting from Middle Lake Saranac, it was a beautiful drive across Route 9W through the High Peaks area and over to Essex, where I picked up the ferry across Lake Champlain. Crossing ...
USA Cycling 2009 MTB National Calendars Unveiled
USA Cycling has announced their 2009 Cross Country, Gravity and Ultra-Endurance National Calendars. During the season, athletes will have the opportunity to earn ranking points towards overall titles in men’s and women’s individual and team categories. Each of the 29 events on the cross country calendar is categorized according to the amount of overall ranking ...
Project SingleSpeed Racer: Race Report 6, Season Finals
I used the Summer Showdown, the last Mid Atlantic Super Series race of the season, as my goal for recovering from my knee injury. The course at Bear Creek Ski Mountain in Macungie, Pa. is typically one of the most technical of the series, and tends to suit my strengths as a rider well. They ...
Dirt Rag Mega Event Schedule
Summer is but a memory, and with the cooler fall temperatures comes hot cyclocross racing action. Not to mention late-season mountain bike racing. It’s the perfect time to strap on a number plate and throw down. Date State City Event Title Hyperlink 10.17.2008 OR Bend 14th Annual Bend’s Big Fat Tour www.bigfattour.com 10.18.2008 DE Wilmington ...
Hand-made Bike Show at Wissahickon Cyclocross Race
The Wissahickon Cyclocross race in Ludwig’s Corner, PA on October 19th is more than just stop #4 on the Mid-Atlantic Cyclocross circuit. The event will also showcase some fine, hand-made bicycles. “The mini hand-made show will be showcasing builders that have had a presence in the cyclo-cross scene over the years of it becoming popular ...
Dirt Rag Headed to Ray’s Grand Re-Opening
Dirt Rag will be loading up the van and heading to Cleveland, OH for the Ray’s MTB Indoor Park grand re-opening weekend on November 1st – 2nd, 2008. We’ll have a booth set up on site, and the finalists from the Ray’s/Dirt Rag photo contest will have their photos hanging in the SRAM lounge area, ...
2008 Collegiate MTB Champions Crowned
Last weekend’s competition at Banner Elk, NC for the 2008 USA Cycling Collegiate Mountain Bike National Championships came down to the wire, with Fort Lewis College narrowly beating host Lees-McRae College to win the Division I team omnium competition by 20 points, 698 to 678. The Division II battle was even closer, as Division II ...
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 ...
2008 World Cup DH Final
Greg Minnaar sailing down the hill on his way to the World Cup overall title. Fraser Britton photo. For the final round of the 2008 World Cup downhill season, the circus made its way to the Planai ski resort in the small town of Schladming, Austria. The overall series standings had been closer for both ...
Showdown at Nine Mile: Uncut
The battle for the Men’s Solo Championship at the 2008 USA Cycling 24-Hour Nationals, which took place at the 24 Hours of Nine Mile in Wisconsin, had spectators on the edge of their seats. As the race entered its final hours, Chris Eatough (Trek/VW) and Josh Tostado (Bach Builders) had lapped the field, and reduced ...
Single Speed Cyclocross World Championships
On November 7-9th, 2008, Portland, OR hosted the second annual edition of SSCXWC—the “unofficial” Single Speed Cyclocross World Championships. Mix singlespeeds with cyclocross, and you’re guaranteed to see racers letting their freak flags fly. One can only imagine the surreal scene provided by costumed riders juxtaposed against a backdrop of an 8 foot tall, 12 ...
Ramirez Wins Fifth Conquistadores Crown
Costa Rican Federico Ramirez (BCR-Pizza Hut) won the 2008 edition of the La Ruta de los Conquistadores on Saturday, November 15th.The victory represented the fifth championship for Ramirez in the grueling mountain bike stage race. “This is definitely my favorite race. That’s my main motivation,” said Ramirez, after finishing the fourth and final stage at ...
Trek Sponsors Punk Bike Costume Contest
But the father said to his servants, “Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let’s have a feast and celebrate. For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost ...
2009 Pro Mountain Bike XC Tour Announced
USA Cycling has announced the creation of a new professional cross country mountain bike series—the USA Cycling Pro Mountain Bike Cross Country Tour (ProXCT) presented by Sho-Air. The ProXCT will be comprised of seven UCI-sanctioned events throughout the United States, with each event offering ranking points to top finishers, and the series offering overall individual ...
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 ...
Stars-and-Stripes Awarded at Cyclocross Nationals
A thick stack of Stars-and-Stripes jerseys were awarded over the weekend at the 2008 USA Cycling Cyclocross National Championships in Kansas City. Here are your champions: Elite Men: Ryan Trebon (Bend, Ore./Kona)Elite Women: Katie Compton (Colorado Springs, Colo./Spike)Collegiate Men Division I: Will Dugan (Burlington, Mass./University of Vermont)Collegiate Women Division I: Carla Swart (Banner Elk, N.C./Lees-McRae ...
Punk Bike Enduro Video
A tasty mix of snow and mud made the Punk Bike Enduro stage #1 downhill finish particularly exciting the year. Click here to check out all the videos on Dirt Rag‘s YouTube page. Read the 2008 Punk Bike Enduro report, and check out the Punk Photo Gallery.
2009 Tri-Flow XC Indoor Challenge
Ray’s Indoor MTB Park, located in suburban Cleveland. OH, will give amateur racers the chance to compete on a three-lap technical time trial course on Friday, January 23rd, with cash prizes up for grabs. Time penalties will be assessed for failing to complete a line. The course’s technical lines will be designed for skill, not ...
USAC Accepting Bids for State MTB Championships
USA Cycling’s Mountain Bike State and Regional Championship events serve as automatic qualifiers for the USA Cycling Mountain Bike National Championships. At each event, the top 15 riders from each discipline, category and age group will be eligible to qualify for competition at the 2009 USA Cycling Mountain Bike National Championships set for July 16-19th ...
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 ...
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. ...
24-Hours of Moab to Host 2009 USA Cycling Nationals
USA Cycling announced that it will hold the 2009 24-Hour Mountain Bike National Championship at the 24-Hours of Moab in Moab, UT on Oct. 10-11th, 2009. USAC also revealed that the 2010 USA Nationals will be held at the 24-Hours of Big Bear in Hazelton, WV on June 12-13th, 2010. Originally slated to be held ...
U.S. Cup Offers Contests and Contingencies for Amateurs
The U.S. Cup presented by Specialized announced some cool series contest and contingencies available for amateur racers competing in the 2009 Kenda Cup West and Kenda Cup East series events. Kenda Podium Kickback: Open to all racing categories, the Kenda Podium Kickback program will reimburse the race entry fee for one male and one female ...
2009 USA Cycling Pro Gravity Mountain Bike Tour Unveiled
USA Cycling announced the creation of a new professional gravity mountain bike series—the USA Cycling Pro Mountain Bike Gravity Tour (ProGRT)—which will consist of five events, including three UCI-sanctioned races. The ProGRT will offer series ranking points to top finishers, resulting in overall individual titles for men and women in downhill and 4-Cross. In addition, ...
Dirt Rag / Bicycle Times Mega Event Calendar in Full Swing
A Dirt Rag World Tour stop at the Grand Opening for 30-Mile Allegrippis trail system at Pennsylvania’s Raystown Lake headlines this latest edition of the Dirt Rag / Bicycle Times Mega Event Calendar. Working in partnership with the Army Corps of Engineers, IMBA’s Trail Solutions and six other trail contracting firms have built 30 miles ...
U.S. Open of Mountain Biking 2009
With over $50,000 in cash and prizes up for grabs, the U.S. Open of Mountain Biking is hard evidence that America’s mountain bike gravity racing scene is alive and well. The event, which takes place at Diablo Freeride Park/Mountain Creek Resort in Vernon, NJ on May 22nd-24th, 2009, offers up-and-coming athletes a unique opportunity to ...
California High School Mountain Bike Championships
On Sunday, May 17th the Boggs Mountain Demonstration Forest in Cobb, CA hosted 374 high school mountain bike racers for the 2009 California High School Mountain Bike Championships, presented by Touchstone Climbing and Fitness. Racers from the well-established NorCal League squared off against the new kids on the block from the recently-formed SoCal League. The ...
Conquering the Tour Divide 2009
The Tour Divide, a self-supported mountain bike race that covers all 2,745 miles of Adventure Cycling’s Great Divide Mountain Bike Route, gets underway on June 12th, 2009 in Banff, Alberta, Canada. The routes includes dirt roads and jeep trails that follow the Continental Divide through the Canadian provinces of Alberta and British Columbia—and the American ...
Mountain Bike World Cup Finale Coming to USA
For the first time since 2005, the USA will host a UCI Mountain Bike World Cup event when the series finale rolls into Windham Mountain Resort in New York on August 28-29th, 2010. Windham will offer cross-country, downhill, and four-cross competitors one last chance to hone their game before heading to Mont-Saint-Anne, Quebec for the ...
Trek Top Fuel 9.8 Testing Update
I’ve been testing the Top Fuel 9.8, Trek’s 100mm travel full-suspension race bike, for over four months. During that time, I’ve taken the Top Fuel on a winter vacation to Florida that included a 6-hour race, made road trips to some of the most rugged and beautiful MTB trails in my home state of Pennsylvania, ...
July 2009 Dirt Rag Mega Event Calendar
The Dirt Rag Mega Event Calendar is chock full of action for the month of July. Find an event near you and join the fun. Date State City Event Title Hyperlink 7.1.2009 VA Annandale Wednesdays@ Wakefield #2 www.potomacvelo.com 7.4.2009 CO Breckenridge Marathon National Championships www.mavsports.com 7.5.2009 CA So Cal Coaster Brake Challenge #2 www.atomiccycles.com 7.5.2009 ...
Marathon Mountain Bike National Championships a Family Affair
The husband and wife duo of Jeremy Horgan-Kobelski (Boulder, CO/Subaru-Gary Fisher) and Heather Irmiger (Boulder, CO/Subaru-Gary Fisher) made it a family affair at the 2009 USA Cycling Marathon Mountain Bike National Championships, as the pair nabbed the pro men’s and women’s national titles on July 4th at the Firecracker 50 in Breckenridge, CO. With a ...
Mountain Bike Nationals Set for SolVista
SolVista Bike Park in Granby, CO will host the 2009 USA Cycling Mountain Bike National Championships on July 16-19th, 2009. Professional and amateur races will vie for national titles in cross country, downhill, super D, mountain cross and short track disciplines. In an effort to create a more competitive atmosphere for mountain biking, USA Cycling ...
Shaun Palmer Back in the Saddle
Shaun Palmer burst onto the downhill mountain bike racing scene in the mid-90s with a brash style and bigger-than-life persona. Quickly building a world-class resume in the sports of snowboarding, mountain biking and motocross, Palmer became America’s prototypical “action sports” hero. The savvy X Games star parlayed his fame into a successful Palmer snowboard company ...
Mount Snow Mountain Bike Festival Announced
Vermont’s Mount Snow has announced that the inaugural Mount Snow Mountain Bike Festival has been added to the US Kenda Cup East, USA Cycling’s Pro XCT tour presented by Sho-Air, the Kenda Downhill Series, and the Trek Women’s Triathlon Series events that are scheduled to take place at the storied ski resort on August 7-9th, ...
MTB Nationals: Results and Wrap-up
July 18, 2009 (Granby, Colo.) – The husband-wife duo of Jeremy Horgan-Kobelski (Boulder, Colo./Subaru-Gary Fisher) and Heather Irmiger (Boulder, Colo./Subaru-Gary Fisher) grabbed their second set of Stars-and-Stripes in as many weeks, earning Saturday’s pro men’s and women’s cross country national titles in dramatic fashion. Coming off wins at the USA Cycling Mountain Bike Marathon National ...
Web Extra for Dirt Rag #144: Tour Divide
For more photos of the event taken by the Adventure Cycling Association’s Aaron Teasdale (and his son Silas), click here. The official Tour Divide race site has the start list, updates from the race, the finishing times, and more. Dirt Rag has had several features about this event in the past: “A Long Way from ...
Web Extra for Dirt Rag #144: Zach Adams Interview
As noted in the Dirt Rag #144 article “Massive Success,†I encountered Zach Adams at the recent VisitPA.com Festival and Rassin’ Weekend. Zach is at the center of a fiefdom of mountain biking in the area: he leads the Cyclesports/Fast Forward Racing junior development mountain bike team, runs the Pennsylvania Scholastic Cycling League for high ...
August 2009 Dirt Rag Mega Event Calendar
The Dirt Rag Mega Event Calendar for the month of August is bursting with dozens of mountain bike events. Check out the latest calendar update, find an event near you, and join the fun! Date State City Event Title Hyperlink 8.1.2009 PA Coburn Wilderness 101 – NUE #5 www.mtntouring.com 8.2.2009 KY Elizabethtown Kentucky XC Point ...
Crazy Tricks, Huge Air and a Dactyl at Crankworx Colorado 2009
Crankworx Colorado—which took place at Winter Park, CO on July 30th through August 2nd, 2009—was a huge success for the third year in a row. The foremost gravity riders in mountain biking got together once again for a massive Slopestyle throw-down. What a spectacle! The weekend kicked off to a dreary start with rain all ...
Trans-Sylvania Mountain Bike Epic Announced
We here at Dirt Rag have know for a long time that central Pennsylvania is home to some truly epic mountain biking. With the announcement of the inaugural Trans-Sylvania Mountain Bike Epic—a seven day mountain bike stage race through central Pennsylvania slated for May 30th through June 5th, 2010—these the rugged and beautiful mountains will ...
USA World Championship MTB Team Announced
The following information is courtesy of USA Cycling. USA Cycling has announced the 43 athletes that have been nominated to represent the United States at 2009 UCI Mountain Bike World Championships, scheduled for September 1st though 6th in Canberra, Australia. In the first Mountain Bike World Championship event since the Olympic Games in Beijing, American ...
September 2009 Dirt Rag Mega Event Calendar
Temperatures in the month of September may be cooling off, but the mountain bike event action is hot, hot, hot. The latest edition of the Dirt Rag Mega Event Calendar has dozens of events from coast to coast, so get on your bike and join the fun! Date State City Event Title Hyperlink 9.5.2009 IA ...
2009 MTB World Championships Underway
UCI Mountain Bike World Championship honors will be on the line at Stromlo Forest Park in Canberra, Australia on September 1st – 6th, 2009. To follow the action, as the world’s top mountain bikers throw down down-under, visit www.mtbworldscanberra.com.au, where you will find the latest news, not to mention photos / videos, a live webcast ...
Cygolites Performed Better Than Me
Labor Day weekend while many Americans were drinking beer and grilling, Shannon from the mag, a couple friends and myself participated in the 24hr race at Seven Springs near Pittsburgh. During the race I had a few grueling night laps around 10 p.m. and 3 a.m. to field-test the Cygolite Mitycross (reviewed in 145) and ...
A Little Shindig Called the Singlespeed World Championships
A Little Shindig Called the Singlespeed World Championships The Singlespeed World Championships are one helluva good time – an underground, sanctioning-body-free race that attracts badass dudes and chicks to come and ride and party together. One can have a beer with the likes of Marla Streb or Adam Craig at night, and then get dusted ...
Help Send Zach Adams to NorCal Summit
In a previously published story we told you about Zach Adams, the motivated and successful young man who runs the Pennsylvania Scholastic Cycling League for high schoolers, puts on mountain bike events, and also coaches young racers. Zach has been promoting youth cycling and healthy living since he turned 16 years of age (the past ...
First Annual Mercer Mountain Bike Festival
Scheduled for October 31st, 2009 at Belle Mountain in New Jersey, the First Annual Mercer Mountain Bike Festival will include racing, food, music, a cycling industry expo, ride clinics and Halloween activities for families. Belle Mountain is a retired ski area in Mercer County, NJ that has been sitting relatively undisturbed since its closing several ...
First Impressions: Carver Killer B
The idea to do a long race of some sort had been kicking around in my brain for a while, and the stars aligned such that I had both a ride to the Shenandoah Mountain 100 and the time to do it this past August. The only thing I didn’t have was a test bike. ...
High School MTB Racing League Formed in Colorado
The Colorado Mountain Bike Racing League was created to serve as the regional governing body for high school mountain biking in the state of Colorado. The League was founded to foster the development of high quality competitive cross-country mountain biking programming for high school aged athletes. The league expects to begin competition in the fall ...
2010 USA Cycling National Championship Calendar
USA Cycling has announced the dates and locations for the majority of its 2010 National Championship events. Of particular interest to mountain bikers looking to race for Stars-and-Stripes jerseys are the following events. 24-Hour Mountain Bike National Championships – June 12-13th. Ultra-endurance mountain bikers will gather in Hazelton, WV at the 24 Hours of Big ...
Iron Cross, or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Long
Iron Cross, or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Long(The Longest Cyclocross Race in America, a Nice Day on a Bike)by Gunnar Shogren In 2002, Mike Kuhn, race promoter, coach and thinker, came up with the hare-brained idea that a race like the 3 Peaks Cyclo-Cross event over in England should happen ...
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, ...
Commencal Grassroots Program Accepting Resumes
Commencal is looking for talented riders for their 2010 grassroots program and the company is accepting resumes for 2010 sponsorship.  If you think that you have what it takes, then email your resume or video to this link or mail to:Commencal Grassroots1216 Mercantile RoadSanta Fe, NM 87507 In your resume include: What discipline you race. What ...
Preview: Trans-Sylvania Mountain Bike Epic
More and more multi-day stage races have been coming to the surface in the past few years to challenge riders that are looking for more than the standard 24-hour or 100-mile race. In 2010, central Pennsylvania will be added to the list of premier multi-day racing venues with the introduction of the Trans-Sylvania Mountain Bike ...
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 ...
2009 Cyclocross Nationals Set for Bend, Oregon
An estimated 1,600 racers are set to compete in the USA Cycling Cyclocross National Championships which are slated for Dec. 10-13th in the heart of Bend, Oregon’s Old Mill District. The competitors will vie for Stars-and-Stripes jerseys across 30 age and ability categories. The big guns will throw down on Sunday, Dec. 13th in the ...
Countdown to 2010 Singlespeed World Championship Registration
Rotorua, New Zealand will host the 2010 Singlespeed World Championships on October, 23rd, 2010. Actually, SSWC10 will be the finale of a week-long Rotura Bike Festival that will kick off on October 16th and run through race day on the 23rd. Rotura was the host venue for the 2006 UCI Mountain Bike & Trials Championships, ...
2010 USA Cycling Pro XCT Shakeup
US Cup is withdrawing as the official management organizer for the 2010 Pro XCT series. USA Cycling announced that the 2010 USA Cycling Pro XCT will move forward with the nation’s three remaining UCI inscripted events. Below are the official press releases that Dirt Rag received from the respective organizations. On December 9th, 2009 Dirt ...
2009 USA Cycling Cyclocross National Champions Crowned
A crowd of more than 5,000 spectators watched Tim Johnson (Middleton, Mass./Cannondale/Cyclossworld.com) outpace reigning national champion Ryan Trebon (Bend, Ore./Kona-FSA) to win the USA Cycling cyclocross National Championships elite men’s national title on December 13th in Bend, OR. The number one ranked cyclocross rider in the world Katie Compton (Colorado Springs, Colo./Planet Bike) scored her ...
NorCal High School Cycling League Seeking Executive Director
The Northern California High School Cycling League is looking for a new executive director to replace the founder and outgoing executive director, Matt Fritzinger, who is moving on to build the National Interscholastic Cycling Association (NICA). Having founded and built the NorCal League, Fritzinger is now finding all his time taken up by work at ...
US Cup Announces All Mountain Race Series
On December 11th we reported that US Cup is withdrawing as the official management organizer for the 2010 Pro XCT series. Now comes the following news release from US Cup regarding the creation of a brand new Triple Crown All Mountain Series: The US Cup is pleased to announce the 2010 dates for its inaugural ...
2010 DORBA Frozen Endurance Series
The DORBA Endurance Series presented by the Dallas Off-Road Bicycling Association (DORBA) will offer up 4 and 6 hour races, slated for the Saturdays of January 9th, February 13th, and March 6th, 2010. The promoters expect a record number of riders with 250 amateur and professional riders from across Texas, Oklahoma, Louisiana, and Arkansas heading ...
Updated: 2010 USA Cycling Pro XCT Schedule
USA Cycling announced that two additional races have been added to the USA Cycling Pro Mountain Bike Cross Country Tour. The addition of the Sea Otter Classic and the Mellow Johnny’s Classic brings the Pro XCT calendar to a total of six UCI-sanctioned events. “The 2010 Pro XCT will provide one of the best calendars ...
Bicycle Ice Racing, Toronto Style
Maurice, I saw the article about the 1983 J.P. Weigle Icecycle in Issue #146. Nice tires, but the screws are same as on motorcycles. Bike messengers have been racing on ice in Toronto since the late ’80s. It started out on lake Ontario, but now it’s on a rink (thanks to global warming). It’s evolved ...
2010 American Mountain Bike Challenge Announced
USA Cycling announced the dates and venues for its 2010 American Mountain Bike Challenge (AMBC). All AMBC events will serve as qualifiers for the USA Cycling Mountain Bike National Championships, which are slated for July 15-18 in Granby, CO. The 21-race AMBC series will visit 16 states over a period of seven months. Two events ...
Pennsylvania Scholastic Cycling League Offers MTB Race Series
The Pennsylvania Scholastic Cycling League (PASCL) Mountain Bike Racing Series is a youth-specific racing series. The series provides a fun, positive environment for youth to try mountain biking. PASCL is designed to stimulate school mountain biking clubs, and provides a place for kids from different schools to compete against each other. For 2010 PASCL will ...
Universal Sports to Webcast UCI Cyclocross Worlds
Universal Sports is teaming up with the International Cycling Union (UCI) to present same-day webcast coverage of the Cyclocross World Championships from Tabor, Czech Republic. The UniversalSports.com website will post coverage of the elite men’s and women’s races on Sunday, Jan. 31st starting at noon (ET). The rest of the races will be offered on-demand. ...
MTB Marathon Nationals Registration Now Open
The USA Cycling MTB Marathon Nationals will once again be held at the Firecracker 50, on the Fourth of July in Breckenridge, CO. National championship classes will have a two-week exclusive online registration period available from Wednesday, February 17th through 12:01 a.m. MST on Wednesday, March 3rd. The field will again be limited to 750 ...
2010 Professional MTB Gravity Tour Schedule Set
USA Cycling has announced the dates and venues for the 2010 USA Cycling Professional Mountain Bike Gravity Tour (ProGRT). In its second year, the ProGRT series consists of five races in four different states across the United States. The 2010 series will also feature an Amateur GRT which, like the Pro GRT, will give Expert-level ...
March 2010 Event Schedule
As the calendar flips to March, the action in the Dirt Rag online event schedule is heating up. One can only hope that spring-like temperatures are not far behind. We invite you to join us as the Dirt Rag / Bicycle Times 2010 World Tour rolls into the Seattle Bike Expo on March 13-14th. Or ...
Registration Underway for 2010 U.S. Open of Mountain Biking
The 8th annual U.S. Open of Mountain Biking returns to Diablo Freeride Park in Vernon, NJ on May 27th through 30th, 2010. With a rich cash and prize payout valued at nearly $60,000, the event attracts big names from around the world. The event’s PRO/AM format gives amateur athletes the unique opportunity to compete against ...
2010 24 Hours of Big Bear Called Off
News broke yesterday that THE pioneering 24-hour mountain bike race, the 24 Hours of Big Bear, is canceled for 2010. Granny Gear Productions, based in Davis, West Virginia, points to an un-friendly economic climate as a major factor in the decision to cancel the race this year. Laird Knight, founder and head of Granny Gear ...
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 ...
2010 North Face Costa Rica Trophy Bike
Like riding your mountain bike in Costa Rica? Want a beautiful, exciting and punishing alternative to the beauty, excitement and punishment of La Ruta? How about the 2010 North Face Costa Rica Trophy Bike race—a 5-stage, 280-mile adventure taking you from the Pacific Ocean resort of Playa Samara all the way through to the Caribbean ...
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 ...
Kyle Strait Signs with Pivot Cycles
If you’re out at the Sea Otter Classic in Monterey, California right now, you’re likely going to see downhill phenom, and all-around bicycle racing and stunt magician, Kyle Strait riding atop a Pivot Cycles bicycle. Pivot Cycles just announced they will be the frame sponsor for a newly-formed World Cup race team for the 2010 ...
Whistler/Blackcomb Crud 2 Mud
Nothing signals the end of ski/snowboarding season quite like some loony spring-skiing event at your local ski area. We have the Pond Jump on the last day of the season here at Seven Springs—where participants don costumes…or not much of anything else…and ski down a slope, onto a ramp and into a the pond. Of ...
Kentucky Gets Another Permanent Cyclocross Course!
Cleveland has Ray’s Indoor MTB Park, Camp Woodward has expanded their empire to a few locations in the United States, and you can find a velodrome in a few cities around the country. But did you know there are already two permanent cyclocross courses in our country, and a third one is coming? While enjoying ...
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. ...
Houffalize MTB World Cup Report
Houffalize, Belgium photo by Jonas Bruffaerts “Bikes, beer and banter” was the theme at the Houffalize World Cup in Belgium held last Sunday. As 211 male and 119 female riders battled arguably the most challenging course on the circuit, they were cheered on by over 20,000 animated cycling fanatics, many of whom were double-fisting it ...
It’s Steve Peat on Your iPhone!
There are all sorts of interesting bicycle-related apps for your favorite Apple-built handheld device, but there have been surprisingly few bicycle games…especially mountain bike-themed games. But that’s about to change. Apposing, an iPhone applications and smart phone development company out of Liverpool, England, is set to release an iPhone/iPod/iPad game called, “Steve Peat – Downhill ...
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 ...
Philadelphia Cyclocross School
Cyclocross season is still several months away, but it seems like we’re getting cool ‘cross news every week thanks to the rising popularity of the sport here in the United States. You’ve heard about the 2013 Cyclocross World Championships being held in Kentucky, and we posted a story last week about construction of a year-round, ...
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 ...
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 ...
Big Bear Lake 2×12 Race and Mountain Fest Report
No 24 Hour race? No problem! Mark Schooley of Big Bear Lake stepped up to put on a Duo Team race to fill in the slot previously occupied by Granny Gears’ canceled 24 Hour race. At the pre-race meeting I was pleased to hear Mark say that he was committed to having an annual race ...
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 ...
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, ...
This site is an independently-operated mirror and is not affiliated with Dirt Rag, Rotating Mass Media or any of its current or former subsidiaries. No copyright is claimed for any content appearing herein.