Dirtscrolls

Hey there, Dirt Rag Nation! If you’re a United States citizen and have the ability to vote, today is a great day. It’s like the public policy version of choosing teams in gym class, but way less embarrassing and way more important. This is the time when we choose the people to play on our ...

While innovation comes from around the world, it’s always great to see products made in the USA. The Belay Bag from Diamond Brand Gear, made in the Carolina Mountains and located in North Carolina, haven’t quite reinvented the backpack but it’s about as close as I’ve seen to a complete design rehaul. The tops of ...

A good portion of my riding friends grew up on BMX bikes. Beyond making them all exceptionally better riders than me, it left them with tales from the trail. While most kids started at their local racetrack a lot moved on to building their own BMX trails and jumps away from the screaming parents and ...

It’s the most wonderful time of the year! No, not Christmas. It’s Halloween! Although I’m sure there is a multitude of stores and commercials ready to start pumping Jolly ‘Ol St. Nick in our face as soon as the last peanut butter cup is dropped into a candy bag. What’s better than a gang of ballerinas, ...

Ahh, November. Depending on where you live, you may still have hard-packed— dare I say “dusty”— trails, or you may already be frolicking in a winter wonderland. Here in the mid-Atlantic, we are sludging through the awkward adolescent season of late autumn, where the trails are slick with wet leaves, roots, and rocks, and for ...

Enter for a chance to win a set of Terrene tires! Start clickin’ below to earn 20+ entries. Once you enter, you’ll receive an email with additional sharing instructions to improve your odds! 🙌 Plowing through a layer of fresh morning snow, or grinding on into the unknown in the dead of winter—adverse riding conditions require ...

If you have been paying attention to the world of downhill and enduro racing then you have no doubt heard the name, Martin Maes. In 6 years with GT, Martin Maes has gone from rookie to the potential to become one of the world’s best mountain bikers. 2018 was a wild ride for Maes full of 2nd places, ...

OK, so now that I’ve gotten the Pittsburgh tragedy out in the open, let’s move on to the PHILLY BIKE EXPO! Maurice (Dirt Rag’s publisher and mastermind) and I drove into Philly with a few bikes in tow, plus some old copies of Dirt Rag to hand out, socks, pint glasses, hats, t-shirts, frame bags ...

The first bike shop job I ever had was at a place called Rob N Charlie’s in Santa Fe, New Mexico. One of my wrenching mentors there gave me good advice when I began working on an expensive bike for the first time: “Consider the Hippocratic Oath: First, do no harm.” That advice stuck with ...

As we enter into the soggy months of Southwestern Pennsylvania’s riding seasons, it’s time to daydream about where to spend the cold and rainy months. This video of the Catalonian Pyrenees is getting my blood pumping for some European terrain. Check it out for yourself! Where do your daydreams take you, what are your vacation dream ...

Editor’s note: In excitement for our upcoming issue on Making Do, in your mailboxes and select storefronts soon, here is a story from contributing writer Bryan Chambala on his quest to finish the Green Mountain Gravel Growler. For more stories like this, subscribe now to Dirt Rag by clicking this link, to ensure speedy delivery ...

If you are anything like me then you have likely tried every configuration for toting your camera along with you on rides. Slings, backpacks, handlebar bags, jersey pockets, I have tried them all. When Road Runner Bags approached us about trying out some of their offerings I jumped at the chance to throw the large ...

Editor’s note: This review originally appeared in issue 206 of Dirt Rag Magazine. Like what you see? Subscribe now at dirtragmag.com/subscribe to catch issue 208, coming real soon.  Name: Eric McKeegan Age: 44 Weight: 165 lbs. Height: 5’ 11” Inseam: 32” Price: $6,799, $7,999 with carbon wheels Sizes: XS, S, M, L, (tested) XL Online: ...

I know what you were thinking, “I need a fancy anodized stem to match my sweet Industry Nine hubs!” Wait no longer for that dream to come true. Introducing the A35 Stem from Industry Nine. The A35 Stem – a 35mm bar diameter all-mountain stem. As always with i9, it is weight competitive, quality Asheville, NC ...

Our dogs are more than our best friend— they are our riding and adventure partners throughout the seasons, including winter. Ruffwear has been designing adventure dog apparel and dog gear since 1994. Check out some of Ruffwear’s new and updated gear and apparel for the upcoming winter season. The Vert Jacket is a new product ...

I’ve spent time in Portland and Eugene, Oregon, but never made it out to Bend. I had two days to get a quick taste of just how delightful this town is. Let me start by saying two days is not enough time! This not-so-small resort town is packed full of outdoor activities, coffee shops, bike ...

Walking into the Hydro Flask office there are a few boxes lying about and a large amount of empty space seen throughout the building. It’s not just the open office environment that is creating this open feeling in the office, it’s that Hydro Flask moved into this new office just two years ago and it’s ...

Race Face is excited to introduce their new down-country XC/Trail wheelset, the Next SL. Next SL wheels are ready to maximize your trail riding; light for XC, but wide and strong for aggressive days on the mountain. Designed to complement their award-winning Next SL Crankset, Next SL have been designed to take full advantage of the ...

Enter for a chance to win a wheelset from Stan’s NoTubes! Start clickin’ below to earn 20+ entries. Once you enter, you’ll receive an email with additional sharing instructions to improve your odds! 🙌 Stan’s NoTubes flow rims have had a long history as the go-to trail wheelset for riders around the world, and the Flow MK3 ...

I got my first job as a wrench when I moved to New Mexico. I hung out at my local bike shop whenever I had free time, and when I got laid off from the food co-op I suddenly had enough free time for them to notice. The head mechanic, Laura, said, “if you’re gonna ...

Editor’s note: This review was originally published in issue 206 of Dirt Rag Magazine. Want to see more? Subscribe today at dirtragmag.com/subscribe to catch issue 208, coming soon! Price: $5,999 Sizes: XS, S, M, L (tested), XL Online: www.bikes.com Tester: Brett Rothmeyer Age: 40 Weight: 165 lbs. Height: 6’1” Inseam: 32” Reach: 17.9” Stack: 24.0” Top ...

Words and Photos by Andrea Wilson I hail originally from the hot, flat realm of Memphis, Tennessee. I moved to the Colorado Front Range almost three years ago, and I’ve been obsessed with finding all of the nooks and crannies of the mountains ever since. When I realized that the population density of the Denver ...

I mean, sure, we had suggested at the beginning that Mixtape Monday would fall on the first Monday of each month. But months were just created by liberal astrologers as a conspiracy to confuse Julius Caesar, and Monday is the worst day of the week so why rush things? It’s not that things are totally ...

Photography provided by Meyvn Creative On September 15th, Brittany Konsella became the first person to ride all 750 miles of unique trail in the Gunnison Crested Butte area. To cover every unique mile, some rides required revisiting areas she had already ridden and many included a dirt road approach. In all, it took about 3,600 miles and ...

This contest has ended. Congratulations to the winner: John Holly of Grand Ledge, MI! Subscribe to Dirt Rag Magazine and sign up for our weekly newsletter so you don’t miss a chance to win our next bike giveaway. FATBACK bikes has partnered with Dirt Rag to give away a Rhino FLT. The versatile Rhino FLT with Sram NX Eagle will take you ...

You may have seen a peek at Green Guru’s prototype Mod Case, or Modular Adventure Travel Case, in our Interbike coverage. They just recently started their Kickstarter campaign to create this product. The Green Guru team is a group of creative dirtbags and like us here at Dirt Rag we try to mix as many ...

The new Cannondale Habit is equipped with all the must-haves of today’s trail bike – slack and capable geometry, 130mm of suspension travel, and of course 29” wheels as well as the obligatory “flip-chip” to convert to 27.5+” wheels if so desired. Big grippy tires, properly wide bars, powerful brakes, and a dropper post can ...

Do you wear a Lazer helmet? Check your head. Lazer, a Belgian helmet company owned by Shimano, has issued a recall for its Blade, Magma, Elle and Jade bicycle helmets sold since January 2015. Helmets typically have a wear-life of 4-5 years, not including the one-crash rule, so if you bought your helmet during the earlier ...

Whether you are a mechanic at a shop trying to find the best bars for your customer’s custom build, or a daydreamer wistfully putting together a vision board of your dream bike, the options for some components can be staggering. Some componentry comes with built-in parameters such as size, measurements, and budget. In this era of ...

Editor’s note: This story originally ran in issue 206 of Dirt Rag Magazine. Like what you see? Issue 207 is out now on newsstands. Click here to subscribe today to ensure you never miss a story. Located just a mile southeast of the tripoint where Maryland, Delaware and Pennsylvania meet, Newark may be the best ...

It was still dark; I sat on a slab of granite staring down at the lakes below descending like giant glistening stairs. The mosquitos were already hard at work trying to get to my blood through two layers of clothing as I looked over my shoulder to see the headlamps of my travel partners disappearing ...

Enter for a chance to win a new Range (Torque Ratchet Combo) from Feedback Sports.  Start clickin’ below to earn 20+ entries. Once you enter, you’ll receive an email with additional sharing instructions to improve your odds! 🙌 The Range (Torque Ratchet Combo) gives you the precision of a flex-bar torque wrench and 2-way ratchet in a single ...

Editor’s note: This story originally ran in issue 206 of Dirt Rag Magazine. Like what you see? Issue 207 is out now on newsstands. Click here to subscribe today to ensure you never miss a story. By Martin I love a good barn find. I mean, who doesn’t love a story about an old relic ...

On Monday, Ibis launched its newest carbon hardtail, the DV9. Inspired by Lili Heim, the varsity XC racing high school daughter of Ibis co-owner and CEO Hans Heim, this bike is designed to be fun, fast, and affordable. With 67.4° travel on a 120mm fork (68.5° on a 100mm fork), the geometry is slacker than ...

Some people call October the month when fall comes into bloom, the time when the maple leaves of the Adirondacks turn red and purple and the Rockies’ quivering aspens become an overwhelming gold; others think of it simply as Danzig Month and don their thickest eyeliner and devilock. Here at Dirt Rag, we choose to ...

Editor’s note: Our latest print issue of Dirt Rag Magazine, The Road Trip Issue, just dropped in the mailboxes for subscribers and newsstands. Here’s an awesome write-up of mountain biking in Denmark to accompany the print issue. Interested in subscribing? Click here! By Shawna Kenney pamphlet translated by Shawna Kenney with help from Anja Klemp ...

Superpedestrian came out with the Copenhagen Wheel a few years ago and has continued to maintain and grow their wheel technology. The Copenhagen Wheel is an electric assist wheel that turns an acoustic bike into an electric bike. There is no throttle. The wheel feels the force of pedaling and kicks in based on the ...

The Road Trip issue is a well-established theme here. We took a broad approach to the topic this time. Long-time contributor Devon Balet rides the rails to the trails. New contributor Ian Lloyd Neubauer travels to Indonesia for a ride on an active volcano. Recent studies are finding small doses of LSD to be an ...

Dakine has a sick new gravity line called Thrillium, with their partnership with Graham Agissiz and Team Aggy, bringing a very specific “wolf” vibe, which I am not opposed to, into both their men’s and women’s cuts. They have new knee pads and gloves, and their baggies have been redesigned to offer a ton of ...

Wahoo Fitness has a new product called the Kickr Headwind, which gives you a headwind (duh) while riding your bike. You can either use this to keep you cool while riding indoors on those rainy, wintry days, or charge through 30mph winds in penance for whatever terrible thing you’ve done (like choose to ride indoors). ...

While protein powders aren’t a catch-all substitute for real, whole foods, they are a great way to get a bunch of nutrition into your diet, and fast. I’m a sucker for protein powders mixed in a morning smoothie or after big ride. Not all protein powders are created equal, and there are a lot of ...

Endura adds some updates to its award-winning MT500 line. Watch the video with Dan Atherton and check out the goods.   [wonderplugin_gallery id=”86″]

The overwhelming challenge of sifting your way through the first day of Interbike can be an exhausting task. What’s new, what’s hot, where are the sample snacks? There are a lot of important questions to be answered. After hours of swimming upstream through the current of attendees and vendors, A few things stood out today ...

Dirt Rag is officially in the throes of Interbike, the annual expo of the bike industry where companies show off their latest developments and newcomers have a chance to put their product in front of the eyes of purchasers and reviewers. Monday was Dirt Demo, the day to check out some of the latest mountain ...

If you live in a place that experiences cold, and especially if that cold is also wet, then you probably know about 45NRTH. They are at the front of the pack when it comes to keeping our toes from falling off, making fully waterproof, insulated cycling boots and shoes for mountain biking and commuting in ...

This amazing book by forester Peter Wohlleben will forever change the way you think about trees and the forests that they inhabit. Blending his years of personal experiences with information from groundbreaking research, Wohlleben presents a compelling case that forests are vast symbiotic networks. Through the “Wood Wide Web” – the underground network of interconnected ...

By Zach White MSRP $380($360 for the 1-person version) Weight 1195grams/2.6lbs(actual) Available January 2019 Big Agnes is now offering updated versions of their Fly Creek UL2, including a new Bike Pack model. The biggest new feature that justifies the name designation is that the tent’s poles break down to 12-inches in length, which was primarily ...

Standing at the base of Burke Mountain staring up the line of the Mid-Mountain Express lift, fog blows across the top bringing an early morning chill to the valley below. There is a silence only broken every so often by the chirp of morning birds off to a busy day. Living on the east coast, ...

When Justin’s (the nut butter company) emailed us about sending over some samples, we envisioned a mid-morning project with the office kiddos, lazily moving around in the haze of summer and excited to get out into the woods behind Dirt Rag Headquarters. It would be so fun, so nutritious, a learning and bonding opportunity for everyone! ...

If you’ve had a chance to grab a copy of our latest issue, then you know it’s no secret that we are also fans of skateboarding. It just so happens that John Cardiel, one of the best to ever roll on four wheels, is also a total shredder on two. Chrome has teamed up with ...