Dirtscrolls

In a recent issue of Dirt Rag, we went to some bike parks to check out what new developments are happening in the world of designated bike trails and downhill riding. Windrock in January scared the goggles off me, but I took another stab at downhill bike parks when I visited Spider Mountain outside Austin, ...

There was a time when Mike Tyson was the most destructive force on the planet. He flattened beastly opponents and made short work of some of the most feared fighters the world had seen. One by one opponent fell in the wake of what was the most feared heavyweight champion in the world. Coming into ...

When the 429 SL first debuted as Pivot’s ultimate World Cup-caliber race weapon it was long, low and slack, at least for its time. Signaling a change to the new era Pivot’s cross-country bike is now named the Mach 4 SL providing 100mm of a renowned dw-link suspension paired with either a 100-120mm travel fork. ...

PEARL iZUMi has partnered with us to give ONE lucky winner a new men’s or women’s mountain bike kit. This is the one kit you’ll be rocking all summer long. Lightweight without compromising pedaling performance the Summit Shell Short will earn its place among your favorite gear. Paired with the comfortable and breathable Summit Top, ...

Editor’s Note: This story first appeared in issue 207 of Dirt Rag Magazine. Like what you see? Subscribe now to catch issue 211, on its way to mailboxes real soon. Downhill mountain biking on the flanks of Indonesia’s most active volcano Words and photos by Ian Lloyd Neubauer For the past 20 years, I’ve made ...

by David Tucker It’s late afternoon and the air has a bite to it. The heat of summer is gone, replaced by the angular and indirect sunlight of fall. Four grade-schoolers huddle together while their mate sits on his bike, poised above a miniature tabletop, waiting anxiously to drop in. “Can I send it?” he ...

Pivot Cycles has partnered with Dirt Rag Magazine to give away a Mach 6 Aluminum Race XT. Enter to win below! The Mach 6 Aluminum brings Pivot’s progressive, long and low geometry to its top-tier alloy design, offering best-in-class stiffness, power transfer, and suspension performance to riders looking to tackle new, challenging terrain. MRSP Value: $3,799 ...

From Red Bull Media Photos by Corey Rich May 16, 2019 (LITTLE ROCK, Ark.) – World-class endurance athlete Rebecca Rusch has just completed the outer loop of the Arkansas High Country Trail, a new 1041-mile bike trail across the state. Rusch is the first cyclist to ever ride the entire trail straight-through, doing so in a ...

By Evan Robinson Editor’s note: Mountain bikes weren’t the only thing ahead of their time and right on schedule in 1989. While Dirt Rag was being cut-and-pasted in Maurice Tierney’s living room, other wing nuts and artists were also toiling away at their own masterpieces. Many of those albums have stood the test of time ...

We all have our strengths and weaknesses as riders. The longer we ride, the more those are reinforced. Especially riding with a group, where we tend to pay more attention to keeping up with the pack than making micro-adjustments to our weight distribution or foot angle. Even riding alone, sometimes it feels like we’re doing ...

Editor’s note: This article originally appeared in issue 208 of Dirt Rag Magazine. Like what you see? Subscribe now at dirtragmag.com/subscribe to catch issue 211, coming real soon.  by Carolyne Whelan When Rim Tours invited me along for their Colorado Trail guided trip, I was warned that it was “advanced,” due largely to exposure and ...

Kona Bikes has partnered with us to give TWO lucky winners their new Wah Wah II Pedals & Key Grips! Start clickin’ below to earn 20+ entries. Once you enter, you’ll receive an email with additional sharing instructions to improve your odds! 🙌 The Kona Key Grip features a single lock-on grip with a closed-ended ...

Our friend Bill Schieken from CX Hairs is back with another episode of Mountain Bike Heat Check. In this episode, we check out some of the action from the SoHo Mountain Bike Festival and find out who is topping the rankings in North America. Check out all the action here and stay tuned for coverage ...

Words and Bike Photos: Brett Rothmeyer Action Photos: Ian Collins Santa Cruz Bicycles has released the latest version of the Stigmata out into the wild. Along with the Stigmata, sister company Juliana has released the all-new Quincy to their line up. Building upon where the 2015 revamped Stigmata left off there are some great new ...

If you missed it last week Shimano has released the newest addition to their family of componentry in GRX. Geared (pun totally intended) towards gravel, cyclocross and adventure riding, Shimano builds on their existing road platforms by offering components to meet the demands of steeper and more grueling terrain. The GRX group will be offered ...

SuperEIGHT: Super Gose ABV: 5.3 The concept of a beer that can develop film is a bit off-putting, the way junior high science fair projects of Coca Cola eating away at baby teeth and tarnished jewelry alike made me suddenly notice how soft my teeth felt after a can of cold soda on a hot ...

This story first appeared in December 2016. We are gearing up for Dirt Fest PA 2019 as we speak and it always nice to look back and remember how this all got started, Planning on attending Dirt Fest? Be sure to register here and we will see you at the Lake! The first edition of ...

Dial in your all-terrain adventure set up with Ritchey! All new is the Kyote bar, at 800mm wide with a ergo sweep and slight rise, this is a great option for added comfort on the trail. Combined with pressure relieving silicone Evergrip and a robust stem, this cockpit will be a sure fire winner. Plus ...

Editors Note: This story originally appeared in issue 209 as part of our new column “Fast and Loose.” Like what you see? Become a subscriber to help support independent mountain bike journalism and have Dirt Rag delivered to your door! By Carolyne Whelan Photos by Brett Rothmeyer It’s easy to miss, but tucked in a ...

Our friend Bill Schieken aka @cxhairs has been traveling around the west coast and catching a bunch of the early season XC racing action. While there is no live coverage for the domestic race scene Schieken has been putting together some delightful videos of the action recapping both the men’s and women’s field. This week ...

Seven-time world champion mountain biker, filmmaker, Emmy winner, author, activist, charity organizer, adventure athlete, and personal hero Rebecca Rusch sets out today to complete the Arkansas High Country Ride. Her goal is to ride 100-150 miles each day to get to the Bentonville Film Festival. Other superfans may remember Rusch’s film Blood Road, which debuted ...

We are once again diving back into the year of our creation, 1989. In our last mix, we checked out the first few months of the year so we are picking up where we left off. April 1989 through the early part of June unleashed some monumental recordings. The Cure’s “Disintegration” Nirvana’s “Bleach” David Bowie’s ...

Industry Nine A35 Stem – $125 industrynine.com By Scott Williams   In late 2018, Industry Nine unveiled a new piece of bicycle candy further expanding the company’s componentry offerings. The A35 is an all-mountain stem for 35mm clamp diameter handlebars and is available in four lengths, 32mm, 40mm, 50mm, and 60mm with +/- 6mm offset ...

There is a lot going on over in the Trust Performance camp today. First of all, they have updated pricing on the Message fork, as of today it will be available to customers for $1975 USD. In addition to offering the Message to customers at this updated price, Trust Performance will provide its early adopters ...

Crust Bikes custom frame Price: $1,475 for frame, estimate $4,000 complete Online: crustbikes.com Tester: Carolyne Whelan Age: 36 Weight: 143 lbs. Height: 5’ 5.5” Inseam: 32” Reach: 16.2” Stack: 24.4” Top Tube: 22.8” Head Tube: 63° Seat Tube: 74° BB Drop: 1.8” Chainstays: 16.5” Weight: 28.1 lbs. without pedals, specs based on size tested It’s ...

Rocky Mountain has partnered with us to give away one men’s kit and one women’s kit! Start clickin’ below to earn 20+ entries. Once you enter, you’ll receive an email with additional sharing instructions to improve your odds! Men’s Prize: RMB CC Shirt S/S Storm – Using 7mesh’s Eldorado shirt, the short sleeve trail jersey ...

Did you miss the new Ibis Ripley yesterday? Well, here it is frolicking in the high desert landscape. To see more of the Ripley, check out our first impressions here.

$379. Being more or less glued to a technological device at all times, I cherish the precious time I have on my bike when I am not staring at a screen. I say this as a person with a Garmin watch who has been known to stop in the middle of the trail to answer ...

This past weekend marked the start of this year’s World Cup campaign. Riders tackled the insanely fast and technical course in Maribor, Slovenia setting the stage for what is going to be another exciting season. If you’re a little like me, you can’t help but catch the bug when watching such wild and inspired riding. ...

The all-new Ibis Ripley has been released into the world today, and we had a chance to spend a day riding one on its home turf in Santa Cruz. So what’s new with the latest version of the Ripley? Everything according to Ibis. The bike has undergone a whole new redesign inspired by its longer ...

By Stevil Kinevil Dave Strunk and I had been friendly acquaintances since we were little kids, but it wasn’t until my sophomore year of high school that we clicked over a mutual love of skateboarding, art, photography and punk rock. Eventually, around 1988, he found himself having to move to Denver or face homelessness. Upon ...

Editor’s note: This article originally appeared in issue 209 of Dirt Rag Magazine, as part of an ongoing column by Martin Kozaczek called Be Kind Rewind. Like what you see? Subscribe now at dirtragmag.com/subscribe to catch issue 211, coming real soon.  by Martin Kozaczek Much like Preston Tucker and the Studebaker brothers, the legacy of ...

In Montana, mountain bike advocates seek continued access to the Lionhead by David Tucker Halfway up the final climb to Targhee Pass, our progress grinds to a halt. From the high side of the trail, a ball of earth the size of a VW bus hovers suspended in midair, propped up by six 50-foot beams ...

Paul Components Dropper Trigger – $90 paulcomp.com By Scott Williams  At this point, I couldn’t even count the number of different dropper levers which I have used. There are certainly a few that stick out my mind and would recommend to friends, some that functioned perfectly fine but were otherwise unmemorable and a handful that ...

Hutchinson Tires has partnered with us to give seven people . chance to win a set of 27.5″ or 29″ Griffus tires! Start clickin’ below to earn 20+ entries. Once you enter, you’ll receive an email with additional sharing instructions to improve your odds!   The Griffus is Hutchinson’s brand new gravity tire designed to ...

Editors note: This story originally appeared in issue 209, our island adventure issue. If you like what you see and would like to see content like this more often, consider becoming a subscriber or invite us to your adventure Island! Photos and Words by Brett Rothmeyer A voice breaks through the crackle of AM radio: ...

Cane Creek eeWings Mountain crankset – $999 By Scott Williams Typically we would round-up the price of a particular product we are reviewing, but in the case of the Cane Creek eeWings crankset, that last dollar makes the price point a whole lot harder to swallow. Undoubtedly, the eeWings are not for everyone; they’re a ...

Jim Gaffigan has a bit at the end of one of his early stand-up performances that starts off, “I like wood!” Of course he’s speaking euphemistically, but with the general sentiment, I agree. I also relate to the old-man voice he puts on in the bit. Anyway, wood has always intrigued me and although I’m ...

MSRP: $899 canecreek.com Cane Creek’s new Helm Work Series 130mm (WS130) fork is built around the success of the original longer legged Helm offering a robust chassis with 35mm stanchions but explicitly optimized for 130mm of travel. With a hollow 44mm offset crown, new bolt-on D-loc axle and revised internals, the WS130 was able to ...

Words: Gregory A. Cummins, D.O., M.S. American Board Internal Medicine Fellow Candidate (as of original writing), American Academy of Wilderness Medicine Illustrations: Andy Jones Note: This article originally appeared in Issue #155 (2011), but was one of our most popular stories and is still entirely relevant. Read, learn, then enjoy your rides! Ever notice that your biking ...

Editors Note: Originally this feature appeared in issue 206, this is Part 1 of a three-part series of DIY fabrication.  We had plans. Big plans. Plans to send staffers off to classes. Classes on frame building. Classes on bike mechanics. Classes on mountain bike skill instruction. But things got in the way. Employees moved on, ...

The hills beyond the Laguna Seca Raceway are continually calling your attention during the Sea Otter Classic. On the drive in, the morning fog settles into the valleys allowing the lush green peaks to push through into the bright morning sun. The greens of the hills were deeper and greener than I have ever seen ...

While we scoured the dusty grounds of Sea Otter for the newest, next, and biggest we were able to get a closer look at some of the latest brands and models to be putting tires to dirt this year. First up is Revel Bikes, a new brand from some industry veterans. Spearheaded by Adam Miller ...

At this year’s Sea Otter, there was a lot of fresh stuff to see. Some brands were bringing out their classics in new colors, while others had exciting product launches or were showing up at Sea Otter for the first time.  

Salsa Cutthroat Apex 1 Price: $2,900 Sizes: S, M, L (tested), XL Online: salsacycles.com Tester: Scott Williams Age: 33 Weight: 170 lbs. Height: 5’ 11” Inseam: 32.5” Reach: 15.1” Stack: 25.4” Top Tube: 22.8” Head Tube: 71° Seat Tube: 73° BB Drop: 2.8” Chainstays: 17.5” Weight: 23.9 lbs.without pedals, specs based on size tested “During ...

Dual Slalom at Sea Otter means a couple of things, One; it’s Saturday and Two; it’s time to party and watch some of the fastest and most skilled on two wheels attack the dusty twisting course at Laguna Seca Raceway. The line up this year was as heavy ever for the finals, Greg Minnaar, Luca ...

The current issue of Dirt Rag, #210, contains my review of the Liv Intrigue Advanced 1, a mountain bike I quickly fell in love with for how it seemed to disappear under me. When I saw Liv was hosting a group ride, I was excited to join on: bikes, women and sunshine? Literally sign me ...

Industry events and expos can be a brutal overloading of the senses. So many products and bikes and handshakes and cold beverages, it can be difficult to decipher what is what. Amongst the widgets and doodads, the big travel future bikes, there are the diamonds in the rough. While shuffling from booth to booth and ...

We have made it back to the coast of California for another fine edition of the Sea Otter Classic. To get things kicked off this year the professional women’s field tackled the steep slopes of the cross country course surrounding Laguna Seca Raceway. With UCI points on the line, some of the worlds best showed ...

Editor’s note: For this review of Hutchinson’s Griffus tires, designed especially for gravity shredding in dry, loose trail conditions, we sent “Janker” Ted Jaramillo, an enduro racer riding for Transition and based in Northern New Mexico, to Digne-les-Bains, France with Hutchinson to test these tires at the EVO bike park. Janker Ted knows what a ...