Dirtscrolls

By Ryan Eisenhower If you have ever spent time in Central Pennsylvania in the middle of winter, you know that we can experience a wide range of conditions over the course of 4-5 months – from mud to packed snow to slush then frozen solid in what seems like a never-ending cycle most years. Fat ...

PAUL Component Engineering and Sierra Nevada Brewing Company are collaborating on a bike build that celebrates California with California-built parts and Sierra Nevada Pale Ale themed colorways. From PAUL: Because of our shared obsession with bikes, beer, and American manufacturing and innovation, we’ve begun a collaboration guaranteed to grab the eyeballs of every attendee at ...

Trail Boss is a video series produced by Jeff Lenosky and documents his attempts to ride some of the most technical trails he can find. A veteran rider with a 20-year professional career and three Observed Trials U.S. National Championships to his name, Lenosky uses his skills to ride the unrideable. Check out all the ...

Not all vests are created with riding in mind. From a company like Club Ride that blends lifestyle and riding, sometimes leaning a little too heavy to the lifestyle end of the spectrum, I was glad to see a piece that was more on the riding end while still keeping the off-the-bike nerd factor in ...

While my home in Pennsylvania was experiencing a February heat wave (temps in the 60s!), I woke up just before dawn on the first morning of Frostbike and looked at my phone to see that the temperature was exactly zero degrees. Part of me said that staying in bed an extra hour was a fine ...

On a cool and rainy evening, a large orange tour bus hums outside of an 18th-century Catholic church that has been converted into a concert venue. Attached to the bus is a black utility trailer filled with T-shirts and music equipment and the general disrepair that a tightly packed space takes on after a months-long ...

“Beyond Trails: Atacama” follows the ambitious human powered adventure of Lorraine Blancher and Robin Munshaw as they embark on a multi-day bikepacking expedition through unmapped trails and canyons in the Atacama Desert in Northern Chile. The Atacama Desert, known to be the driest non-polar region on earth, is a barren and inhospitable place. As mountain bike explorers, the endless kilometers of natural ...

  Remember Kona’s first 29er trail bike, the 130 mm Satori? Five years ago it was a solid first effort, with 68/74 head/seat angles, just over 17″ chainstays, and a long reach for the time. When the Process 111 hit the market, the Satori disappeared. Or maybe it disappeared before the 111? Does it really ...

We still have 1-2 more months of winter in the northern states. My dad resides in Yuma, Arizona and would call 40°’s winter, but whatever your cold tolerance is, baselayers can be a key component to enjoying the outdoors. Baselayers need to wick away moisture in cold temperatures and should be lightweight and fit snugly ...

Salsa has traditionally been a leader in categories like fat and gravel bikes, but this year, a big goal for the brand is to become more competitive in its trail bike category. With that in mind, a focus for the brand recently has been refining its trail bike lineup as well as trying to bring ...

Fuzzy eyed and coffee charged, we lumbered our way to Day 2 of NAHBS. The myth of Jenga greatness welcomed our visitors to the Dirt Rag booth today. Young and old looked to achieve legendary status in the attempts to out-Jenga Dunk and Evan. Day 2 also brought the judges out and the inevitable winners of ...

At this year’s Frostbike, an event held by Quality Bicycle Products to familiarize and showcase retailers and media with new products, All-City launched a monster cross style bike dubbed the Gorilla Monsoon. All-City is mainly known for cross and urban bikes, though the brand has dabbled in the mountain category a little in the past ...

Surly has been coming out with a lot of new stuff lately, from the Pack Rat front-loader touring bike to the redesigned Pugsley fat bike. Here at Frostbike in Minneapolis, the brand launched yet another brand new bike, the Midnight Special. The folks at Surly describe the Midnight Special as a bike that can ride ...

The 2018 North American Handmade Bicycle Show is up and running here in Hartford, Connecticut. The bikes have all been polished, the judges are judging, and over-sized Jenga is going down at the Dirt Rag booth. Day 1 was a busy one for sure; trying to take in all the booths, catch up with some old ...

As a curvy woman, I often struggle to find technical clothing that fits well. Investing in an outer layer that fits right and checks all the boxes on my “must list” is not an easy task. I decided to seek this golden chalice of perfection and gather three outer layers for riding that I thought ...

By Kurt Gensheimer  What started in 2007 as a dream to construct a 9-mile multi-use singletrack trail with 3,000 vertical feet of elevation came to its full realization on January 16, 2018, when the final 1.7 miles of singletrack on Mills Peak Trail in Graeagle, California was completed. The final build bypassed an unpopular jeep road ...

A few weeks ago we caught up with Chris McGovern of McGovern Cycles as he prepares for NAHBS. In our conversation, we asked Chris who he was looking forward to seeing during the show this year, and his answer was Peter Olivetti. Olivetti Bicycles is located in the mountains of Boulder, Colorado. Peter left his job ...

Words and photos by Colt Fetters The mild winter in the San Juan’s didn’t keep the fat bike freaks from swarming Silverton for the fourth annual Whiteout Festival. The winter fat bike course winds through the former silver mining camp that now is Silverton, nestled among Colorado’s San Juan Mountains below the infamous Red Mountain ...

Traveling with your bike can be a great way to explore a new locale, but it doesn’t work if your bike is damaged en route. We reached out to Sue George at BikeFlights.com for some expert tips on how to pack your trusty steed. What are a handful of steps that are must-dos for packing a bike? ...

Tester: Eric McKeegan Age: 43 Height: 5’11” Weight: 165 lbs. Inseam: 32” Not since the launch of Kona’s Magic Link bikes (R.I.P) has there been a bike that creates such a sudden, visceral and polarized response. The Wolf Ridge is an ungainly looking conundrum of a bike, drawing questions of motorization and general confusion about ...

If you have been paying any attention to the hand-built bicycle scene over the last year, you likely have caught wind of Adam Sklar. His bikes are eye-catching and popping up all over the internet and trail systems around the country. Last year, Adam took home the award for best mountain bike at the 2017 NAHBS ...

Bontrager B2 long sleeve base layer – $85 When riding in cold and/or potentially-wet winter conditions, layering and dressing appropriately is of utmost importance. That being said, I usually opt to get my upper body base layers from the thrift store, discarded Dri-FIT tops from New Years resolutionists that do a fine job of wicking ...

Gravity Flannel – $100 The Gravity Flannel from Club Ride has all the aesthetic qualities suitable to both hearty frontier folks and the casual Friday crowd, with functional highlights that make it easy to do just about anything in. Constructed of a polyester/flannel blend, the Gravity has the strange quality of being quite structured, meaning ...

Few have been as dedicated and present as Paul Sadoff has been in the North American cyclocross scene. From a competitor to a frame builder and team sponsor, it’s hard to think about cyclocross and not assimilate it with the mint colored frames of the Rock Lobster team. This year, team rider Andrew Juliano has ...

Good gear isn’t cheap, but I believe it’s worth every penny. Forget the upfront cost. I’ll willingly plunk down my moola for a quality product that’s built to last a lifetime, figuring that I’ll win the cost-per-year game in the long run. What’s that you say? Nothing lasts forever? True dat. That’s where Patagonia’s “ironclad ...

The other day, while I burnt minutes trying to decide what to eat for lunch, I was scrolling through my Instagram feed and something new caught my eye: pen and ink, perhaps some watercolors. I stopped and scrolled back to see this interpretation of a mountain biker lofting through the air. I was instantly taken ...

Tester: Karl Rosengarth Age: 59 Weight: 150 lbs. Height: 5’10” Inseam: 32” The Bike The Roscoe checks key trail-bike boxes with its relaxed head angle, short chainstays, wide (740 mm) bars and a short (60 mm) stem. Factor in the de rigueur dropper post and RockShox’s capable-yet-affordable Judy Silver 120 mm fork, and the Roscoe ...

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 them out here. ...

2018 already got you down? Or maybe you’ve already accomplished more this year than you ever dreamed possible? Or maybe you are beginning to think about another Valentine’s Day spent alone? Or you are about to embark on the journey of a lifetime? Regardless of your personal status at the moment, it is bound to ...

Words by Kurt Gensheimer, photos by Abner Kingman  Towering more than 5,000 vertical feet above the Carson Valley, the eastern slope of the Sierra Nevada isn’t as much a slope as it is a wall — a majestic, snow-capped wall that never fails to command the attention of anyone driving on Highway 395. In the ...

By Ange Gagnon I’ve heard about the Ride Like a Girl at the Wheel Mill for a few years,but this was the first year that I actually had the nerve to pursue it. After years as a bike commuter, I’ve decided that this is my year to learn how to mountain bike. Of course, I ...

By Katherine Fuller If we could all just live by the great commandment of “Don’t be a jerk,” mountain biking wouldn’t need an etiquette guide. But we have met the enemy and he is us. Recent IMBA surveys indicate even mountain bikers recognize that the biggest threat to access is … mountain bikers. The good ...

The Surly Pugsley, one of the original popular fat bikes, got a makeover and is now designed specifically to be an off-road touring and exploration machine. The new “Pugs” features a longer wheelbase for improved stability and handling while loaded, standard Q-factor cranks and plenty of rack and 3-pack mounts to strap just about whatever you’d ...

Words by Emma Rehm, photos by Mike Q Roth  Since I finished riding the Baja Divide — 1400 miles of dirt and sand from San Diego, CA to La Paz, Baja California Sur — I’ve been waiting for its lessons to reveal themselves to me. Some are obvious: Don’t be in a hurry. See what ...

In 2014, Brian Davis went to Kickstarter looking for support of his new creation, the replaceable steel Fix It Sticks. Heck, I was one of those 1,522 backers and continue to use the original set I bought to this day. However, since the sticks lacked a chain breaker and were no lighter or more compact ...

Riding bikes outside during the depths of winter, especially in the chilly northern regions of the country, can seem rather prohibitive or unpleasant if you aren’t used to the cold or aren’t prepared. But the truth is, winter riding offers a fun and rewarding experience, as well as a unique perspective of familiar trails, and just ...

Words by Nick Legan, photos courtesy of Trips for Kids As a reader of Dirt Rag, you may have taken the opportunity to ride a bicycle early in life for granted. I did until I spoke with two people who are working to ensure that more kids get the chance to ride bikes and appreciate ...

Registration is now open for the Yeti Cycles VIDA MTB Series of women’s mountain bike skills clinics and events. “Going into our sixth year of producing women’s mountain bike skills clinics, we have watched the growth of women in mountain biking evolve from women entering the sport for the first time, to women seeking out ...

I have a certain fascination with and interest in exploring abandoned manmade things. There’s a surrealness that comes with being in a place that is in between urban and wild, developed and natural. Rusty metal, crumbling concrete, smashed windows. The ruin, decay, and nature taking over, perhaps as it should have been all along. I love to wander ...

Yokozuna is best known for making some of the best cables and housing on the market. The Motoko is Yokozuna’s first foray into components, aiming for the heart of the rapidly expanding disc-brake, drop-bar market. The Motoko is a cable-actuated, hydraulic disc brake. Unlike almost every other hydraulic system on the market, this is a ...

By Jeffrey Stern Walking into my bike shed is overwhelming at the moment. There are frames hanging from the ceiling, wheels leaning against every wall, parts and pieces all over the workbench and the bike I want to ride is always cornered by the ones that I just snapped a cable on, or even worse, ...

Hitch racks are becoming the de facto standard for transporting bikes, and with good reason. As someone who carries dozens of different bikes on my car throughout the year, I am stoked to never need to deal with adaptors with different axle standards or wheel sizes. I’ve also used almost a dozen hitch racks, and ...

This contest has ended, congratulations to the winner Joel Reeder of Farmington, UT Pearl Izumi has teamed up with us to give away a pair of X-Alp Launch Shoes. The first flat pedal shoe designed to handle the abuse of all-mountain terrain with the confidence, control and comfort you need for all-day riding. This extremely ...

I have a confession to make, mostly to myself. I am getting older. I know, I don’t really believe it either, but it’s true. A few weeks ago, I woke up and I was 40. It is a reality that my juvenile brain has been unwilling to accept. I continue to treat my body the ...

Words and photos by Gabriel Amadeus The market is awash with a huge assortment of very well-made bikepacking bags to fit in every nook and cranny of your bike. One of the simplest, and often over-complicated methods of transport is strapping a load to your bicycle’s handlebars. If it’s a small, light load you can ...

Start dreaming of spring and camping season with this long-term review of a 1-person tent, sleeping bag and pad from REI.  REI Co-op Quarter Dome 1 Tent Price: $279 The REI Co-op Quarter Dome 1 is a 1-person, 3-season tent. If you are in the market for a tent or know someone who is, this ...

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, ...

It’s that time of year when my Strava feed is nothing but trainer rides and Zwifters. Meanwhile, people like my husband are going bikepacking in the single digits and couldn’t be more excited about winter. As the weather has been frigid for weeks here in Pennsylvania, my cycling friends and acquaintances have divided into two camps – ...

This Contest has ended congratulations to the winner Jesse Hepler of Ashland, PA. Fruita Fat Tire Festival is giving one lucky person an opportunity to Win Two Weekend Festival Passes to the 2018 Fruita Fat Tire Festival and a private day of guided riding with Fruita Guide Co. Enter below for your chance to win! Camp ...

A short film from Salsa Cycles about exploring Minnesota’s backcountry by bike and two friends enjoying the peace and quiet of fishing deep within public lands. Reaching places of solitude and beauty that is not accessible by vehicles, the bicycle adds to the enjoyment of the adventure. Watch the film and rethink your next outdoor experience. Salsa Cycles ...