Dirtscrolls

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 ...

It’s hard to imagine a more unassuming guy than Joe Breeze. Unlike his contemporaries Gary Fisher or Tom Ritchey, who are easy to spot in a crowd, Breeze could be the guy standing in line in front of you at the grocery store, or your friendly neighbor who always greets you with a wave and ...

Spotted on the Origin 8 Facebook page.

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 ...

Though it isn’t sporting a 29×3.0 rear tire in the photos, this is a prototype of Singular Cycles‘ new 29+ platform, dubbed the Rooster. It will feature a steel frame and fork, eccentric bottom bracket and tapered head tube. Stay tuned for more details on price and availability.  

In the middle of the Santa Monica Mountains with my 1952 Schwinn Klunker. It was “cold” (about 50 degrees) in the dead of winter for Los Angles so I was all alone. -Paul de Valera Have a photo you’d like to share? Send it to [email protected].

Tools, in the most basic sense, empower you. They’re an investment in the future; they will help you accomplish things. Foundry Cycles, as a brand, has really pursued the marketing their carbon fiber bicycles as tools. In the hands of a skilled user, or rider, the tool will be transformed into a beautiful thing. Dirty, ...

Photos by mtbgreg1. Trail stats Difficulty: Advanced Length: 9 miles Average Singletracks.com Rating: 4.71 out of 5 stars. Description El Prieto has been hailed by many as one of the best singletrack rides in Los Angeles. After hearing such accolades, I just had to check it out! And let me tell you: they are not ...

The Stache is an all-new addition to Trek’s 2013 lineup, a rugged trail bike designed to be versatile enough to serve as the elusive “one bike that’s does it all.” Rather than give the Stache a substantially different layout, Trek adapted their tried-and-true 29er G2 geometry. The Stache’s 68.6 degree head angle is about a ...

Misceo is a Latin verb that means “to mix or blend.” The idea behind the Raleigh Misceo Trail 2.0—a flat-bar, 700c bike decked out with disc brakes and a suspension fork—is to blend the performance and versatility of a mountain bike with the comfort and street-friendliness of a hybrid. This machine is designed to tackle ...

Since 1981, Moots has been handcrafting frames from U.S. made titanium and are well known for their soft-tail YBB frame and high-quality hardtails, road, and ‘cross frames. Feeling the need to cater to XC and Epic riders and racers looking for a short travel bike, other than ones made from carbon or aluminum, Moots partnered ...

Gravity Anomaly is a small operation founded in 2012 that is sold only online or at small pop-up shops or events. All of its products are made in the USA and use domestic fabrics whenever possible.  Teamster Shorts $64 The Teamsters are cross-country or general-purpose shorts that hit above the knee. They have the full ...

While many brands have introduced “endurance” road bikes over the last few years, few have taken the idea to quite the extreme as Trek. The Domane was developed with considerable input from Swiss pro cyclist Fabian Cancellara, who is known for his steam-engine riding style, using his massive power output to crush cobblestones in the ...

Shimano has never been known for its electronics – apart from the excellent Di2 shifting systems, today it announced it is joining the fray of action sports cameras with the CM-1000. The new camera is the latest from Shimano’s new Lifestyle Gear Division, targeting fishing AND cycling customers. I guess fishermen love HD video as ...

A good pair of winter shoes is key for year round riding if you live where it gets cold and snowy. Depending on your region, super duty boots like Lake’s MXZ might be overkill, that’s where Lake’s new $260 MX145 mid-weight winter shoe comes in. The water resistant upper is constructed with a combination of ...

Most of our Rider’s Eye submissions these days are photographs, but since the beginning of Dirt Rag we’ve loved showcasing illustrations too. Reader Joe Holden sent these works of the rad ol’ days of mountain biking. Thanks Joe! Have a photo or artwork you’d like to share? Send it to [email protected].    

Photos by Maurice Tierney and Shimano In response to its rapid growth, Shimano American Corporation has expanded its Irvine, Calif., office building by some 48,000 square feet turning it into a massive 51,000 square foot distribution center. An entirely new, modern business center also opened directly across the street for Shimano’s marketing, R&D and inside ...

In this business, we travel a lot. Planes, trains and automobiles, as well as the occasional water-born vessel, that’s the life. We carry a lot of crap too—helmets, shoes, pads, all sorts of oddly shaped items. That’s where the North Face Base Camp Duffel comes in. Available in several sizes, they’re perfect for getting my ...

The first issue of 2014 has shipped to subscribers and should be showing up on newsstands any day now. Want to make sure you never miss an issue? Pick up a subscription. Inside

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 ...

The Mason is a serious departure from most 29-inch hardtail geometry, with numbers more often found on all-mountain rigs. A 66.5 degree head angle, 17-inch chainstays and 13-inch bottom bracket is closer to full-suspension bikes. This bike was ready to rip out of the box, assuming you can look past the skinny rear tire. The KS ...

If you’ve ever seen footage from Megavalanche (or have been lucky enough to be there yourself) you know it can be a crazy and chaotic scene. Filmmaker Ralf Schupp wasn’t interested in all that, so he took is time to be able to ride the route without distraction and meet some folks along the way ...

It is not that often I get excited by shirts, but over the last months, I’ve been wearing three that deserve some attention. Zoic First, this short-sleeved Zoic Nirvana. While it is classified as a jersey on Zoic’s website, it looks and wears like a favorite button-up. A single large zip rear pocket can carry ...

After years of fits and starts the final wall holding back the flood of 27.5 trail bikes broke, as more than a dozen manufacturers brought new or redesigned models to market. One was something of an unlikely source: Breezer. Yes, Joe Breeze was a key player in the birth of mountain biking but in the ...

Marin County, the birthplace of mountain biking, has suffered for decades with lack of good, legal singletrack. Access4Bikes is working hard to turn the tide in Marin and open up more riding opportunities for our vibrant mountain bike community. Funds raised from this campaign will go to building more trail miles at Camp Tamarancho, one of ...

What began as a 50th birthday ride for one of the event founders has become an annual tradition for the Orange County cycling community. The 8th Annual 50 Mile Ride for Rwanda will be held on Saturday April 26, 2014 in Orange County, Calif. Event organizers expect over 1,000 mountain bikers to join this year’s event. The ...

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 ...

Photos by ositoking Trail stats Difficulty: Advanced Length: 14 miles Average Singletracks.com Rating: 4.67 out of 5 stars. Description The skinny: Alafia River State Park trails are IMBA Epic certified. The park offers a wide range of trail difficulties, from novice to intermediate to advanced to highly-advanced sections. Due to the park’s location on an abandoned ...

  This is one jacket that truly lives up to its name. Built from a waterproof/breathable exterior over a soft, polyester fleece liner, the $145 Alpine Storm jacket from Royal Racing straddles the riding and lifestyle categories from bike saddle to bar stool.

For me, the hitch mounted tray rack is what you graduate to after toying around with other, lesser types of bike carriers. The Holdup 2 from Yakima is an excellent example of what a bike carrier can and should be. The Holdup comes in two variations for receivers of either 1.25-inch or 2-inches. Yakima supplies ...

You may have noticed from the recent batch of bike First Impressions that have been popping up on this site, the staff recently embarked on a little trip to focus solely on a $2,500, six-bike test for the upcoming February issue (Dirt Rag #175). Our chosen location was the Stokesville Lodge in Virginia, just outside ...

Like a Phoenix, the GT Xizang rises from the ashes of the 90’s, when stars like Rishi Grewal and Juli Furtado marked the history books with their global domination of cross-country racing. Times have changed and cross-country racing isn’t the center of mountain bike culture like it used to be, but there’s still a place ...

Think those videos you see of amazing mountain adventures just come easy? Think again. Some aspiring filmmakers from Slovakia got in touch with their story of their adventure in the West Tatras mountains and how their new film “Get High” came to be. By Zuzana Triebusnikova One and a half year ago I did not ...

Let me answer this question first: no, this is not a Krampus with holes drilled in it. While ECR closely resembles its 29+ brethren, it is a completely different beast. The frame is different, the geometry is different, the build kit is different and the fork is different. Built for loaded touring, exploring and “Escaping ...

In Issue 175 you’ll find the story of Heather and Jay Goodrich, who explore Alaska’s Kenai Peninsula to retrace the steps of their honeymoon more than a decade earlier. We couldn’t fit all of Jay’s wonderful photography in the magazine, so here’s an extended look at their adventure. Want to read the story? You’ll have ...

For 2014, Fox has significantly revamped its 34-series forks, including a totally redesigned TALAS system, and introduced a completely new shock geared toward all mountain riding and enduro racing.

Admittedly, I went into this test a bit skeptical. I can justify titanium for other applications rather easily, but for a progressive trail riding 29er I needed to be convinced. The weight savings is nice, but would it be stiff enough? Although Ti is usually associated with compliant ride characteristics, Carver Bikes made a point ...

The Arrowhead Ultra 135, the coldest bike race in the Lower 48, begins one week from today in International Falls, Minnesota. Traversing the 135-mile Arrowhead Trail, it promises promises near-Arctic conditions and nearly always delivers. To finish, let alone win, is a triumph of man and machine over nature. Salsa Cycles‘ Mike “Kid” Riemer has ...

Sub-9 Events puts on some of the best events in the midwest, including the Sub-9 Death March, the Gravel Grovel and the Brown County Breakdown.

Let me answer this question first: no, this is not a Krampus with holes drilled in it. While ECR closely resembles its 29+ brethren, it is a completely different beast. The frame is different, the geometry is different, the build kit is different and the fork is different. Built for loaded touring, exploring and “Escaping ...

Bike factories I love? Ad Intense to this list. Every effort is made to have raw local materials come in one end and bikes out the other. This was evident on a recent tour of their facility in Temecula, Calif. We heard there was a new bike on its way so we stopped by to ...

Think you’re tough for riding through the winter? Check out this documentary about the 2001 Iditasport adventure race along the Iditarod Trail on foot, ski or bike. Covering up to 1,100 miles across Alaska in the winter could be life-changing or deadly, depending on how it goes. Watch for endurance race legend Mike Curiak on ...

Those of us dirt bags reading this magazine have a common interest, for better or worse: riding mountain bikes. Additionally, most of us like looking at engaging photographs, as well as documenting our own adventures. It’s high time we write about making better photographs of our adventures, so you can share them with your friends, ...

By ZFH Productions Brandon Blakely, Zach Heaton, and Evan Voss were the motivators behind Church. Our friendship was forged in college through riding bikes, with a mutual interest for multiple sports and the refined skillset that goes hand in hand with mastery of those disciplines. We have traveled distances together for riding but for this ...

Over the course of an amazing 19-year run, Bill Boles stepped into a nearby phone booth seven times per year, and emerged toting yet another installment of The Old Coot. Starting with Dirt Rag #15 and running through issue #153, The Old Coot dispensed a potent blend of riding tips, mechanical tricks, and practical New ...

We got this note from Hillside Cycling, a mountain bike guide service outside Gothenburg, the second largest city in Sweeden. It’s amazing how much it resembles our home state of Pennsylvania! The terrain around Gothenburg consists of hundreds of kilometers of natural trails through rolling and rocky forests which makes a durable freeride bike advantageous ...

I have gotten fat this winter, and I couldn’t be happier. Just before Christmas this neon dream of American-made aluminum showed up from the Khaki Santa (aka the delivery guy) and made my riding bright. Fatback was built exclusively around fat bikes, and it has kept this decidedly American sport homegrown by partnering with Zen ...

Peaks of Life is a short Documentary about UK rider and downhill racer Tom Wheeler. The documentary by Director Kris Forrest and Aspect Media illustrates Tom’s lengthy recovery and rehabilitation process after loosing the use of his right arm whilst racing in Rheola, Wales, back in 2011. Despite paralysing his right arm, Tom’s determination and ...

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.

Photos by Griff Wigley The Midwest Fat Bike Access & Grooming Workshop was held on January 9 and 10 in Cable, Wisconsin. This gathering brought together over 70 advocates from Michigan, Minnesota, and Wisconsin devoted to improving off-road cycling and fat biking in winter. The event was sponsored by Quality Bicycle Products (QBP) and hosted by Minnesota ...