Dirtscrolls

From Issue #186 BMC from Switzerland is certainly well known as a racing brand. Internationally, Julien Absalon, who is arguably the most famous and winningest cross-country racer on the circuit today, won last year’s world championship on his full-suspension BMC Fourstroke FS01 29. Here in the U.S., Stephen Ettinger won a cross-country national championship while ...

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 ...

We field tested three bags for traveling with your bike: Evoc Bike Bag, Scicon AeroComfort MTB and the Shimano Pro Bike Mega. If you’re ready to ditch the cardboard box, considering putting one of these products on your Christmas/Hanukkah list this year. Evoc Bike Bag Tester: Mike Cushionbury Evoc is commonly known as the brand that redefined how ...

Editor’s note: This story by Silja J.A. Talvi first appeared in Dirt Rag Issue #67, Published in August 1998. Art by Mark Tierney. As a young girl living in a cold, rather depressing Scandinavian town, I remember relishing the freedom afforded me by my three-speed bicycle, which had been graduated from training-wheel infancy to two-wheeled ...

From Issue #186 Earlier this year, the Santa Cruz Highball 29er welcomed a 27.5 little brother to the family, and the siblings are like two peas in a pod. The 27.5 Highball is designed to mimic the cross-country-oriented trail manners of its 29er predecessor. Sure, 27.5 and 29 bikes inherently “feel” different. But that’s exactly ...

The Phil’s World trail system, near Cortez, Colorado, is a worthy destination for a multitude of reasons. First, the riding is absolutely amazing. Second, this riding area illustrates what can be achieved when local advocacy groups are able to form strong partnerships with land managers like the Bureau of Land Management (BLM). Phil’s World exists on BLM ...

Fox Factory Holding Corp. (FOX, as we know them) announced October 19 that it will acquire some assets of Marzocchi’s mountain bike product line. This follows FOX’s acquisition of Race Face and Easton less than one year ago, a move that led some to speculate FOX would either ramp up its purchasing of other bicycle ...

Editor’s Note: Readers Write is an occasional feature of reader-submitted stories. Do you have a story you’d like to share? Send it to [email protected]. [wonderplugin_gallery id=”46″] By James Murren Halcyon is a kingfisher. It is also a fabled bird that had supernatural powers to calm the sea and turn the sky blue so that it ...

“This was simply the most frustrating trip I have ever done in 30 years of mountain biking.” — Dan Milner Milner, aka The Trail Ninja, heads to the Black Sea region of Turkey in this video from the Machete Trail Diaries to join a group of mountain bike guides scouting the area for suitable trails. To ...

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 ...

The International Mountain Bicycling Association (IMBA) announced that its 2016 World Summit will be held November 10-12, 2016, in Bentonville, Arkansas. “Bentonville, specifically, and Northwest Arkansas, regionally, have shown a commitment to developing world-class mountain biking trails,” said IMBA President and USA Executive Director Mike Van Abel. “I look forward to introducing mountain bikers from around ...

Massachusetts-native Nicholi Rogatkin is no slouch of a pro mountain biker. The 19-year-old finished third overall in this year’s FMB World Tour and is competing in his second Red Bull Rampage. In Thursday’s qualifying round, Rogatkin suffered one of the scariest crashes in the event’s history but managed to finish his run, including sailing over a massive canyon gap and back-flipping the ...

Felt Bicycles today announced the launch of its new trail mountain bike, the Decree, which features Felt Active Stay Technology (FAST), custom shock tuning and an innovative frame design. The new full suspension bike adds to Felt’s growing family of performance mountain bikes. Designed for the rider looking for an enormous range of capabilities … the 24.06lb/11.17kg Decree ...

Editor’s note: This story first appeared in Dirt Rag Issue #69, published in November 1998. We met Uncle Ed in a parking Lot in Brian Head, Utah. In fact, what happened was, our kindhearted shuttle driver had seen the “Need Ride” sign strapped to the back of a pile of crap hanging off the back ...

Here’s another small sampling of new and interesting things we saw during the whirlwind week that is Interbike, America’s largest bicycle industry trade show. Alchemy Arktos Alchemy Bicycle Company isn’t the first name in mountain biking; it’s a young brand known for making custom carbon road bikes but its first ever full-suspension mountain bike, the ...

Editor’s note: This story first appeared in Dirt Rag Issue #63, published in February 1998. Words and photos by Jeff Lockwood. This story was inspired by our conversation with Frank “The Welder” Wadelton, head welder at Spooky Cycles, at the Interbike show back in August. And, let’s just say that he is an interesting fellow. ...

From Issue #186 The axiom we hear is this: If we can make enough easy-to-ride trails, more people will ride mountain bikes, which will mean more trails and more access for everyone. My favorite trails have always been a mess. Hell, some of my favorite rides have involved me walking down stuff I found too ...

Ohio might not be the first state that jumps to your mind when you’re looking for a mountain bike destination. But, the 22.2-mile loop around Mohican State Park is well worth the trip. I’ve only ridden the approximately 8-mile short loop and have been itching to get back for the long loop ever since. Still ...

It’s safe to say the modern mountain bike would be very different today without the innovations of Charlie Cunningham. From aluminum frames to roller cam brakes, sloping top tubes to 135 mm rear axles, Cunningham’s influence can be seen far beyond just mountain bikes. After all he has given the cycling community over the years, ...

From Bicycle Times Issue #36 What’s old is new again it seems (aren’t hifi stereos and albums grand?), but what never gets old for serious cyclists is the leather saddle. Prior to Avocet developing the first gel saddle in the 1980s, nearly all saddles sold were leather. While the company that John Boultbee Brooks founded ...

Jessica Martin arrived at the top of Pikes Peak near Colorado Springs after hiking and riding a 13-mile, 8000-foot vertical trail. She was wearing a multi-colored tutu because “bikes are about fun; this is supposed to be fun.” Alongside two friends she popped champagne, ate donuts and took a few photographs, but otherwise there was ...

Islabikes designs high-quality, lightweight, child-specific bicycles. As a cyclist, you know how important it is to get your bike to fit properly, and how much easier a light bike is to ride than a heavy one. Islabikes combines years of cycle-design experience and practical cycling knowledge together to produce a range of exclusive bikes for children. ...

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania – October 2, 2015 – After seven years of service as Dirt Rag Art Director, Matt Kasprzyk is moving on to a new career at SCOTT Sports. Issue #188 will be his last with Dirt Rag. “I’ve been challenged and inspired during my tenure at Rotating Mass Media and Dirt Rag Magazine. I’ve ...

PRESS RELEASE: The Women’s Bike Mechanic Scholarship Program is back for its third year! Title sponsors for the upcoming iteration include QBP, SRAM, RockShox, Park Tool, and United Bicycle Institute (UBI), along with Gold level sponsors Jagwire, Saris, Michelin, Surly Bikes, and Liv and Silver sponsors Ergon, and Dero. Together, these sponsors are pleased to ...

PRESS RELEASE: Ten years ago, Niner Bikes was founded on the belief that larger wheels offered true and undeniable performance gains in the world of mountain biking. Though the landscape of 29ers has changed, Niner still believes bigger is better and is launching its RKT 9 RDO: “Victory Favors the Equipped.” From the race track to everyday singletrack, ...

Kingdom Trails is one of the premier mountain bike destinations on the east coast, if not the entire United States. Sure, it doesn’t have the epic scenery of Sedona or Moab, but the riding is world class and the quaint little town of Burke, Vermont is very welcoming to cyclists. Much of the area’s economic growth ...

PRESS RELEASE: Introducing the Lindarets x Wolf Tooth GoatLink 11: Optimizing Shimano 11-speed derailleurs for use with SRAM XD and aftermarket extended-range cassettes. From the moment we realized that Shimano and SRAM’s 11-speed mountain cassettes shared the spacing, we knew that we wanted to it all.  We wanted Shimano’s ergonomics, pricing, and reliability combined with ...

It always takes a while to recover from the Interbike trade show but, once we did, three of us who oversee Dirt Rag sat down to discuss trends we saw at the show, what we’re excited about and what we think the near future holds for bicycles and cycling gear. Katherine Fuller [online editor]: Let’s talk ...

Editor’s note: This article by John “Bones” Branum first appeared in Dirt Rag Issue #60, published in August 1997. V-brakes will stop you! As a tall rider, this impressive promise scares me. A high center of gravity is a playground for stiff stoppers. A while back, I was standing on a trail. While looking for ...

Here’s just a small sampling of the new and interesting things we saw during the whirlwind week that is Interbike, America’s largest bicycle industry trade show. Spank A handful of things stood out in Spank’s small, tucked-away booth. The company tries out new ideas in single product types before expanding them to the full line, ...

“THE LINE” is a new documentary film series set to debut in January 2016 featuring female athletes who excel in adventure sports. The first in the three-part series will highlight female mountain bikers, Kat Sweet, Inga Beck and 13-year-old phenom McKenna Merten. They are featured riding the trails around Lake Tahoe, California, and telling stories of ...

Editor’s note: This product review by Adam Lipinski first appeared in Dirt Rag Issue #56, published in February 1997, back when V-brakes were all the rage. Welcome to the Dirt Rag V-Brake Clone Linear Pull Plus Shoo Tout. This test consists of the Curve Jaws II FS, Hershey Longneck Billet, Paul Motolite, Shimano XTR V-Brake, ...

On the Cover Amanda Batty riding on her local trails. Photo by John Shafer.  The Dirt and Readings In The Dirt and Readings, Bama writes about meeting Jesus while Stevil offers his thoughts on keeping the world from crushing every last semblance of peace in his life. Rebecca Rusch gives her advice for riding with the ...

As summer begins to show the first signs of the approaching fall, we’ll continue to feature some high-country rides while they remain accessible. This week’s Featured Ride loops up into the mountains between Aspen and Snowmass, offering breathtaking views of 14,000-foot peaks in the neighboring Elk Mountain range. This 18.3-mile route features 2,175 feet of climbing ...

Fuji is not usually the first brand that springs to mind when most riders think of mountain bikes, but full suspension has returned to the company product line and Fuji’s new Auric with M-Link suspension design just might begin to change minds. The M-Link suspension design was first introduced on Breezer’s Supercell and Repack. Breezer is a sister ...

The RFX has been out of the Turner lineup since 2007 but returns with a vengeance as a fully modern carbon fiber all-mountain bike. The Turner website is already loaded up with prices and build kits, with complete bikes starting at $4,573 for SRAM GX, up to $8,718 with XTR and Enve wheels. Frames are ...

With hundreds of exhibitors at the Interbike trade show vying to attract attention, it’s no easy chore getting noticed. Back in 2000 and 2001 Dirt Rag managed to create a buzz by publishing a zine titled the “Dirtier Daily” that we distributed on the show floor. Each evening, after the show closed, our staff and ...

Allow me to set a scene for you: It has been a long and arduous journey for women in cycling, from those who work with bicycles for a living to those who simply find joy when riding them. For decades, we haven’t been seen as equals or deserving of either employment or representation because we ...

Cover story from issue #187 Words by Chris Milucky Photos by John Shafer   Amanda Batty gained a degree of notoriety earlier this year, not because of her race results as a professional downhill and enduro racer but because she abruptly resigned from a position as an online columnist due to sexism, double standards and ...

Park City, Utah is simply loaded with great trails, over 350 miles in fact. With that many miles of trails, it’s hard to pick a favorite. However, riders have ranked this IMBA Epic the best ride in the Park City area. Stretching 25.5 miles, this Epic climbs 3,500 feet throughout the ride. Maximum elevation tops out ...

Since the initial release of the Roubion and Furtado, a host of changes have taken place in the trail bike market. For 2016, Juliana is updating both the Roubion and the Furtado to reflect these evolutions in design, including slacker head tube angles and steeper seat tube angles coupled with a longer, lower top tube and ...

Roughly two and a half years after the initial release of the Bronson and 5010, both bikes have been updated with more progressive geometry and the third iteration of Santa Cruz’s VPP suspension design. The 5010 and Bronson have been hugely successful for Santa Cruz, so updating these popular models was a serious undertaking. Last ...

Rotating Mass Media has hired Katherine Fuller to be the new online editor for Dirt Rag and Bicycle Times magazines. Fuller replaces Adam Newman, who was named editor-and-chief of Bicycle Times in July. As online editor, Fuller will oversee the care, feeding and growth of each magazine’s online presence, from the websites to social media. ...

Editor’s note: This story by Bob Ward first appeared in Dirt Rag Issue #74, published in August 1999. I journeyed to the bike industry’s annual trade show extravaganza last year expecting to be underwhelmed with the latest and greatest that the bike industry could assemble. I figured if freeriding was the best that the marketing ...

This 69.5-mile trail segment certainly lives up to it’s status as an IMBA Epic. Don’t let that mileage turn you off though, as the North Umpqua Trail (NUT) can be ridden in segments or in its entirety as supported adventure. Ridden west to east the NUT climbs along the North Umpqua River, gaining 9,000 feet ...

Courtesy of Cannondale At Cannondale, the quality and safety of our products are of paramount importance. We build world-class bicycles, components and parts for riders who demand the highest levels of performance. During the course of regular testing, we identified a potential safety issue with the OPI stem/steering tube assemblies used in certain Mountain Bikes. We ...

In a world of “me too” carbon bikes from overseas, the Turner King Khan is an American-made, full-throttle “F-you.” With a frame that’s welded up from good-ol’ metal in the U.S. of A., it’s a flag-waving, big-block, red-meat monster ready to crush anything in its path. There’s no denying that you better be an outgoing ...

Editor’s note: Maurice Tierney was one of the first journalists to get his grubby mitts on the original RockShox suspension fork. Here is his product review from Dirt Rag Issue #13, published in November 1990.  Photo by Maurice Tierney who had this to say: “I used to shoot the photos on black and white film ...

It’s taken most of the summer but we’ve finished gathering parts for our 27plus project bike. We started this process earlier this year when rumors of a fat 27.5 production bike were just a whisper and no one was really sure what to make of Trek and SRAM’s “Boost” hub spacing. Then came Sea Otter and ...

MTB Project encourages users to rank rides and trails in order to help other riders prioritize ride options when exploring new trails. Rider’s who have been lucky enough to ride this high-country route have rated it favorably enough to capture the number one rating in the region surrounding Grand Teton National Park and number two in the entire state ...