Dirtscrolls

While the standard Fox 32 chassis received a major face-lift in creating the first generation 32 Step-Cast, the changes to 34 Step-Cast chassis were not quite as extreme after going under the knife. Aside from the distinct external steps in the lower casting, the most notable change to the (MY2019) 34 Step-Cast chassis is locking ...

Editors Note: This the second installment of an ongoing series where we find out from the mountain biking community what their go-to accessories are for tackling the trails, enhancing the ride and saving the day. Check out the first installment here.   Tracy Brown & Ikhide Ikhigbonoaremen are the Co-Founders of All Mountain Brothers, an ...

It’s October and in the mountain bike world, which means Red Bull Rampage, the most iconic freeride event of the year. Marzocchi riders have been Rampage frontrunners ever since the godfather, Wade Simmons won the very first edition in 2001. Beginning on Monday, October 21st, in an ode to Marzocchi’s heritage, all team riders will ...

The trails of Big Bear West Virginia hold a special place in the heart of Dirt Rag. Our annual mountain bike festival has taken place there during the month of July over the last three summers and we are already looking forward to the 2020 event. Besides being our partners in Dirt Fest, Big Bear ...

Living, riding and working in East Burke, Vermont, Alex and Emma have created a life for themselves based around mountain biking. Their business, Vermont Mountain Bike Tours offers coaching and guided riding on some of the best trails on the east coast. Check out this great little film from Transition Bikes about Alex and Emma ...

A fun little edit from the folks at Muc-Off to get you going for the weekend.

Sometimes an edit is so dang good you want everyone to see it. The latest from Commencal Bikes is just that and a little more. Introducing the latest version of the Furious, this video takes viewers to epic landscapes and even more epic riding. Sit back and enjoy!

A two-parter with Esker Cycles; First up is Cedar Keyes of Esker joining Ben from Mountain Bike Radio podcast during our Dirt Fest West Virginia Festival. (Be sure to scroll to the bottom to listen to the episode.) Second, Esker Cycles is helping get some new trail built in their home state of Montana. Flathead ...

Editors Note: This the first installment of an ongoing series where we find out from the mountain biking community what their go-to accessories are for tackling the trails, enhancing the ride and saving the day. Thanks to Alexandera Houchir for volunteering to be first  Alexandera Houchin recently set a new women’s singlespeed record at the ...

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 ...

Introducing the newest merchandise to hit the Dirt Rag Store. Welcome, the Dirt Rag Bolt. Act fast, this is a pre-order only and ends Wednesday, October 30th at 11:59 AM EST. We’ve got your crewneck sweatshirt. The full-zip hooded sweatshirt. And, of course, we have a T-shirt available in Black, White or Gray. Be sure ...

Take what you know about a hardtail mountain bike and toss those opinions in the trash; the new Specialized Fuse for 2020 is an entirely new animal, and it’s ready to party. This aggressive hardtail is sporting a slack 66.5-degree head angle, minimal branding, and adjustable dropouts for those that refuse to let singlespeed life ...

On October 4, 2019, a friend from Surly Bikes posted news on social media. The United Bicycle Institute was closing its Portland location. She, amongst many others, had a life-changing experience there. Education, friendship, and bikes, they have that power. On a positive note, UBI is keeping open their Ashland, Oregon location! Phew. When any ...

By Brett Rothmeyer Online:www.viathonbicycles.com Price: $1998 Last year before the annual Sea Otter Classic, there were rumblings of a high-end Walmart bike coming to the market. Yes, high-end bikes and Walmart are an easy segway to a punchline, but it is no mystery that the Walton family has a vested interest in the bike industry. ...

Joining a growing list of bike and outdoor brands, in August, Kitsbow announced they would be moving its operations to North Carolina. We reached out to David Billstrom, the chief executive officer of Kitsbow, and asked him a few questions on what helped make that final decision. Dirt Rag: I know that you were looking at ...

Marin Bikes has partnered with Dirt Rag to give away a 2020 Rift Zone 2 Mountain Bike. Enter below to win! The Rift Zone is the fastest rolling, most speed oriented MultiTrac bike in the Marin Bikes line, ready for all-day trail epics, claiming personal records, and smashing weekly night rides with the local shop. ...

By Eric McKeegan While an English bicycle company building steel frames isn’t that noteworthy, Starling stands out with a number of full-suspension bikes, including a single-speed-specific downhill bike. These bikes have an unexpected foundation, Starling founder Joe McEwan spent about 20 years as an aerospace engineer, mostly testing carbon fiber structures. So, how does a ...

Chris Akrigg takes his dynamic skills and puts them to work in the latest edit from Mongoose on a drop-bar all-terrain, half cyclocross, half freeride meets gravel show. Which begs the question, do you even freeride/cyclocross/trials/gravel bro? Well, do you?

Editor’s Note: This story originally appeared in issue 210. If you like what you are seeing and reading Subscribe and help support independent mountain biking journalism. By Leslie Kehmeier “But is it foldable?”   I am told this was a question that was raised when the SQZBX (pronounced “squeeze-box”) Brewery and Pizza Joint was about to ...

With some already seeing snow in the mountains and Pittsburgh receiving the first official frost warning this weekend, it’s time to enjoy the few remaining days of dust-covered trails. To help keep the good vibes going once the sun sets we’ve paired up the 30th Anniversary stainless steel flask and signature “Pedal Silent Pedal Deep” ...

by Riley Missel Photos by Martin Vecchio Nestled inside a cluster of lush trail systems and quaint stone farmhouses in eastern Pennsylvania is a small urban city obsessed with bikes. One weekend in August, the obsession is especially obvious: the Radsport Cycling Festival. A crowd of teenagers on BMX bikes pop wheelies to the delight ...

A temperature-based guide for cold weather mountain bike riding By Keith Huff Now that fatbiking has become a popular sport, more riders, both skinny and fat tire, are riding through the winter months. This has allowed not only extended (or continuous) seasonal recreational riding, but it also promotes base mileage achievement for competitive riders. Winter ...

The third film in the Race Face Creator Series is “My Last Day of Summer” by Kristina Wayte. We absolutely love this film, and we think you will too! If you remember we interviewed Kristina a while back and if you haven’t read it before you can check it out here.  Enjoy the film!

QBP is continuing its efforts to expand diversity within the bike industry with its Bike Mechanic Scholarship open to women, trans, non-binary, gender non-conforming, two-spirit, and intersex individuals. From my own experience most of the cyclist I’ve met in every genre of cycling are welcoming folks, we are just stoked when other folks want to ...

Enter for a chance to win the Motorex Ultimate Bike Maintenance Kit. This kit will provide you with everything you need to keep your bike running smooth and looking fresh! Plus you’ll get to rock your new Motorex hat while wrenching on your bike. Start clickin’ below to earn 20+ entries. Once you enter, you’ll ...

Editor’s note: A little while back we had the pleasure of riding with Cameron Falconer and visiting his workshop in Quincy, California. It was a real pleasure all around and we are happy to share a little bit of Cameron’s story here with you. If you would like to see more about what is going ...

This year the team from Mountain Bike Radio set up shop at Dirt Fest PA. Over the weekend they grabbed a bunch of folks from the world of mountain bikes and sat them down for a chat. They even managed to wrangle our very own Maurice Tierney to talk about 30 years of Dirt Rag ...

For one week only get yourself a special deal on Limited Edition Dirt Rag Magazine 30th Anniversary bundles in the Dirt Rag Store. Be sure to act fast as quantities are limited and the special sale ends Sunday, October 6th. The Butts and Booze Bundle is marked down to $90 and includes a 142 mm ...

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 ...

Let us begin with a bit of backstory on the Olivetti Thunder Pig. Leading up to the 2018 NAHBS event, (that’s the North American Handmade Bicycle Show for those of you not hip to the acronym) I scoured the list of builders looking for people to interview in the run-up to the show. On the ...

By Melonee Hurt Steve Kasacek’s handiwork stretches from the woods of Maine to the remote hills of Arkansas. Most days his workspace is five miles deep in the woods somewhere. His home address consists of a storage unit and a mailbox. He has been known to sleep in his car or next to it, regularly ...

Zwift, the online cycling platform that ties together stationary biking and video games, has agreed with UCI to host the first ever UCI Cycling eSports World Championships in 2020. First! This is eSports, not E-Bikes. eSports started in the 1970’s with video game competitions. (You could argue that e-bikes might have started in the 70’s ...

INTRO Back in ‘81 when the first Specialized Stumpjumper hit the floors of shops, it sported a rigid fork, cantilever brakes, 26-inch wheels and a high-post. Today, while the Stumpjumper name is consistent, the bike itself has changed a lot over the decades. Available in three modes of rowdiness with options in carbon or aluminum ...

Industry Nine 101 Trail S 29er wheelset Starting today, complete tubeless-ready aluminum wheelsets featuring the Industry Nine 101 hubs are available for $750. The wheelsets are offered with either Trail S or Enduro S rims and feature 28-hole i9 101 hubs, and Sapim Race J-bend spokes laced 3-cross. Hub options include Boost (QR and TA) ...

It has been a busy season for Ibis and they have just added a new member to the lineup with the Mojo HD5. The HD5 builds on what the HD4 started, a 27.5 enduro bike made for tackling the toughest of tracks. Along with the HD5 comes Traction Tune Suspension. Ibis’ full-suspension models use the ...

Over the next few months Race Face will be releasing a collection of short films as part of the ‘Creator Series.’ First up is Skye Shillhammer’s “From Slide to Ride.” Skye Shillhammer’s film From Slide to Ride is a story of how a natural disaster brought a town together and how mountain biking could bring ...

Admittedly, since I’ve been running a Fox 34 Step-Cast on my hardtail for some time now, I was not exactly eager to try the new 32 Step-Cast. The original 32 Step-Cast, while light as a feather, was an absolute noodle in the most unpleasant way. I was not the only one who felt that way ...

I bought my first mountain bike back in 2000. I was just starting college and wanted a bike I could get around town with, but also use to explore the dirt roads, arroyos, desert expanses and mountain trails of my new home in Santa Fe, New Mexico. I didn’t really understand mountain biking as a ...

A message from our sponsors  Mountain Biking Park City        The temperatures are crisp, the colors are sharp and the trails beckon… Park City, Utah has some of the best fall riding, sometimes well into November.  In fact, for many, it’s a favorite time of the year to ride. The fall foliage is outstanding ...

Name: William Kirk Age: 36 Height: 5’10 Weight: 190lbs Weights (In Grams) M6 Stem: 85 grams (40mm) M6 Bar: 190 grams M7 Stem: 35 grams (35mm) M7 Bar: 230 grams Price M6 Stem: $280 M6 Bar: $160 M7 Stem: $280 M7 Bar: $170 www.enve.com Standards are a constantly moving target in the cycling world, and ...

Welcome the Remote 160 to the Kona family of trail bikes. Like it or not E-bikes are here to stay and Kona has joined the ranks. Based off of the popular Process models, the Kona Remote 160 is designed around fun and efficiency. Check out the Remote 160 in action here and visit Kona Bikes ...

Editors Note: This review was originally part of Issue 211, if you would like to receive copies of Dirt Rag to your door so you can impress your friends Subscribe Today! By subscribing to Dirt Rag now you will not only be supporting independent mountain bike journalism but you will also be receiving our next ...

Paul Components is having a party! We’ll let them invite you themselves, just after this interview with Paul Price of Paul Components. That’s right, *the* Paul. Dirt Rag and Paul Components both turn 30 this year! Read our interview, attend their party, and subscribe to Dirt Rag so you don’t miss future rad content featuring ...

This Friday, October 13th a new show, ‘Peaking’ will premiere on the CW network featuring record-breaking Olympic mountain biker, Jenny Rissveds. The eight-episode docu-series produced by Red Bull Media House, will premiere on The CW and takes you behind the scenes each week with a different athlete. Each athlete has a unique story to share ...

Hear ye, hear ye, we’ve got the threads you want, no, need! Fresh merchandise is back up in the Dirt Rag Store. All items are packed and shipped with tender loving care by an actual Dirt Rag staff member. There are only five of us on staff and wear many hats, so, for now, we ...

Intro Craft beer and mountain biking go hand in hand. Even if you fall on the nonalcoholic drinker side of the equation, the correlation between the two is evident. It’s the post-ride happy hour, mid-ride vista paired with a trail “soda” or hell, I’ve even witnessed cold ones stored in racers’ aid station bags. Beer ...

Ibis has just added an aluminum option to their line up by way of the Ripmo AF and it is available as of today. Mimicking the lines and attitude of its carbon sibling, the AF looks to get riders on a big mountain killer at a much lower price. Starting as a complete for $2,999 ...

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 ...

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 ...

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 ...