Dirtscrolls

From your iPhone case to your tattoos, everything these days is about personalization. Santa Cruz Bikes announced this week that they’re going to extend that trend to their aluminum bikes too, thanks to their Custom Color Choice Program, or CCCP.

Magura has completely revised its suspension fork range for 2012, now featuring a new design and new internals. The new forks are called Magura TS (Team Suspension). Whether it’s a 26-inch, 29-inch or 650b for the latest trend – this season Magura offers a matching model for every wheel diameter and a wide range of applications.

The Trans-Sylvania Mountain Bike Epic is a seven day mountain bike stage race through the rocky and rugged Allegheny Mountains of central Pennsylvania. Each day will bring new adventures and new challenges.

By Karen Brooks

It was a sad day when I packed up the Naked custom singlespeed test bike I’d been riding. Sometimes it’s tough to let go of test bikes, and this one was particularly tough. A custom bike! That means only I am supposed to ride it! But the sad reality is that I couldn’t afford this sweet ride, and its maker, Sam Whittingham, can’t afford to just give it away, so someone else will make out.

By Shannon Mominee, photos by Adam Newman

Adjustable seatposts have almost become a requirement for today’s riders, with more and more options coming along each season. This spring, Crank Bros. ups the game with the Kronolog, featuring a unique fixed cable attachment point.

A second round of beautiful bicycles from our photo studio at the 2012 North American Handmade Bicycle Show.

Photos by Justin Steiner 

Cherubim

Form Cycles

Retrotec

By Josh Patterson

Bicycle Fabrications

Hank Matheson of the Bicycle Fabrications is not afraid to push the limits of bicycle design. This year, Matheson had two very interesting prototype downhill bikes on display.

Photos by Justin Steiner

We have a ton of great coverage headed your way, but we didn’t want to make you wait, so here’s a sample of some of the bikes we’ve been taking a closer look at. We’re shooting video interviews with the builders, so you’ll get the behind-the-scenes details straight from them. Stay tuned! 

P.S. Got anything you want to make sure we don’t miss? Post in the comments!

We got a ton of new info from Shimano today, including the details of the redesigned SLX group, additions to the XT and XTR groups and some all-new wheels.

Built to perform like XT and XTR, SLX now includes many of the same Trail options including award-winning Shadow Plus RD technology, and three new Rider Tuned 2×10 crank set options are available on the new style SLX crank. Look for it to be available in July.

The massive run/walk-up at the start stretched the field apart. Photo by Greg Heil

By Adam Newman

It’s probably not a wise move to start one of the hardest races in the Southeast on a bike you’ve never even seen, let alone ridden, but that’s the kind of sadism we practice here at Dirt Rag—all for you, dear readers.

In our current issue (#161) we take a look at the rise of enduro racing in the US and why we think it has a big future. Now a new event from Bigfoot Productions will bring the fun to Moab’s acclaimed Whole Enchilada September 29 and 30.

We had a great time at the BC Bike Race in 2010 and this year looks like even more fun.

The 2012 route will see an all new Day 7 in Whistler and some additions and tweaks to the other six days. In addition to Whistler, participants will experience amazing singletrack in the communities of Cumberland, Campbell River, Powell River, Sechelt, and Squamish.

Dirt Rag and Bicycle Times magazines are seeking a West Coast based sales executive for our print and digital publications. This individual will cultivate sales for both print magazines, their related websites, and email newsletters. We’ve been at this for 23 years and still retain the DIY ethic that got us to where we are today. Don’t mistake our irreverence for ineptitude, our employees are expected to operate at a high level with little need for management.

The Uzzi has been Intense‘s trail-destroying all-mountain bike for more than 10 years, and now they’ve redesigned it from the ground up.

Highlights include a 65-66 degree head angle, depending on the travel selected (6.5-7 inches), new geometry, new tubing, an adjustable dropout system (including 142×12), dropper seatpost cable routing, and a direct-mount front deraileur.

By Karen Brooks

My favorite event on our calendar was this past weekend: the Women’s Weekend at Ray’s Indoor Bike Park in Cleveland. This is always such a good time, riding-wise and socially, and I’m not exaggerating when I say it has been fundamental to my development as a mountain biker.

By Eric McKeegan

An unseasonably warm weekend welcomed bike dealers (and a few media folks) from around the country to Minnesota for Frostbike, Quality Bicycle Products’ annual dealer expo. More than 150 companies were on hand to show off the goods and services you might see this spring in your favorite local bike shop.

By Josh Patterson

Santa Cruz invited Dirt Rag along with a gaggle of other journos out to Sedona, Arizona, to unveil four new models. We didn’t stumble across any vortexes, but we did have a great time testing four new bikes.

Superlight goes big

Photo by Dan Barham

By Adam Newman; photos by Adam Newman and Mathias Marley

By Jordan Villella:

So I know cross season is now over nearly everywhere, but that doesn’t mean you can’t ride a kick ass cross bike around. The Van Dessel Gin and Trombones has entered Frick Park, and it’s eating it for breakfast.

By Adam Newman

The Hei Hei has been one of the most popular models in the Kona lineup since the first version—a titanium hardtail—began production in 1990. The current iteration is a full-bore, dual-suspension race 29er with 100mm of travel front and rear.

By Adam Newman

Riding with the Kona gang near Tucson, Arizona, today, I got my first look at the Kona Raijin, the American-made titanium 29er we first heard about back in January.

The Southeast Bike Expo will be bringing manufacturers from all over the country to show and demo their products February 25 and 26 in Conyers, Georgia. Companies like Trek, Niner, Specialized, Scott, Jamis, Felt, Tifosi, Pearl Izumi, Ergon, Maxxis, Shimano, and SRAM will be there to show off their latest and greatest products. Many more have committed.

In development for two years in conjunction with the Santa Cruz Syndicate team, ENVE‘s full-carbon downhill rims and wheelsets are now ready to ship to customers.

The Santa Cruz team has proven their worth, with more than 50 podium finishes on the new rims, ENVE says. Despite what you might think about carbon, ENVE claims the key advantage is not the weight, it’s their durability, citing Steve Peat’s entire 2011 campaign aboard the same wheelset.

In this issue

The rise of enduro racing

By Harlan Price

It has taken the better part of a decade for enduro racing to gain a foothold in North America. If you’re a well-rounded rider, less interested heart rates or hucking than having a good time, this could be the type of racing you’ve been waiting for.

Alpine adventures in Switzerland

By Bryce Borlick

Niner’s expanding line of RDO (Race Day Optimized) products got a big new addition with the unveiling of the Air9 Carbon RDO, an even lighter and more refined version of the Air9 Carbon.

Thanks again to everyone who took the time to fill out our survey and enter the raffle. The feedback we get from you goes directly into making our magazine and website better. A couple of the lucky winners were kind enough to send us a note, so we thought we share their stories with you. Today it’s Aaron from Waterford, Michigan.

Dear Dirt Rag,

By Adam Lipinski

In 2009 I was fortunate enough to hear the full explanation of Kona’s Magic Link suspension design from creator Brian Berthold. Since then the Magic Link-equipped CoilAir has been on my list of desirable bikes. The basic premise for the CoilAir is versatility. It teeters on the edge of being a full-blown DH bike, but in a package you can still pedal back up the hill.

Ladies, time to ditch the boys and enjoy some time to yourselves at both of Ray’s Indoor locations for the annual Women’s Weekend. On Friday, you’ll have the place to yourselves for a women’s-only skills clinic for riders of all abilities. The event is free, plus there will be prizes raffled off and an after-party. Then on Saturday and Sunday, particpants will enjoy half-priced admission to put their new skills to use.

Now you can get a digital copy of your favorite mountain bike magazine delivered straight to your iPad, iPhone and iPod Touch. Subscribe at the Apple Newsstand in iTunes or on your iGadget.

Same price, same great magazine, far less paper.

This piece originally appeared in Dirt Rag Issue #159. You can purchase a print copy of this issue in our online store or a digital copy to read on your tablet, computer or phone.

Words and photos by Adam Newman

By P. Mitchell Dunklebarger, photos by Laura Ashley

The idea was simple: amass a cohort of riders with the inclination for fat tire bikes, with a disregard for personal warmth, and an unbounded enthusiasm for fraternization and debauchery. As such, the inaugural FrozenFat Outdoor Fat Tire Mountain Bicycle and Camping Social commenced over the weekend of January 13, 2011.

Thanks again to everyone who took the time to fill out our survey and enter the raffle. The feedback we get from you goes directly into making our magazine and website better. A couple of the lucky winners were kind enough to send us a note, so we thought we share their stories with you. First up: Ron from Corvallis, Oregon.

Dear Dirt Rag,

Words by Jeff Potter

Photos by Tim Potter

Cross-country skiing is a great way to stay in shape in the off-season. Groomed ski courses let you flow the terrain like a magic carpet of corduroy and grooves. But, as an added inticement, with today’s new equipment you can also ski the very same trails you love to ride. And after you get the hang of it you’ll even find that the ski rhythm is similar to biking. Then no more will you whine when deep snow flies!

By David Alden-St.Pierre,

Still unsure as to what impact, if any, the change in branding between Gary Fisher and Trek will have on riders, I was eager to test Trek‘s latest entry-level singlespeed 29’er, the Marlin. My first (and second, and an even later) singlespeed bikes were Fishers (two Rigs and a Superfly), and I was curious as to how this bike would compare.

By Adam Newman

Designed and crafted as the most durable of the CrossMax series, the SX wheels are capable of everything short of full-on downhill riding. They were a perfect match for our Santa Cruz Nomad test sled, on which they tackled everything from lift-assisted gravity runs to taming the local cross country trails.

By Adam Newman

Fold It

Working in the cycling industry requires quite a bit of travel. We go to press camps, trade shows, bike shows, festivals, and, some- times, just-for-fun trips. Bringing a bike with you on your trip has never been simple. You can box it up and ship it ahead of time, or you can pack it and fly it in an oversize case. Both methods have their drawbacks. Enter Bike Friday.

We’re going to diverge from your regularly scheduled mountain bike content for a moment because I think this is pretty exciting: SRAM’s next generation Red road groupset will include hydraulic road disc and rim brakes, the company confirmed today. 

By Matt Kasprzyk

This grey dual-crown fork might look unassuming among the RockShox BoXXer line-up, but there are a few distinct updates and tech features that set it apart from other downhill forks, even within the BoXXer family.

Word on the street – or rather the interwebz – is that both Fox and Rockshox are readying new forks designed sepecifically for 650b wheels and the number of tire options is quickly growing.

Bicycling Magazine is reporting that the 2013 RockShox fork (which they could not confirm or deny) would be built in the 130-150mm range, while the Fox would be 140-160mm.

Headed to the Teva Winter Mountain Games? Be sure to bring your camera. The Mountain Click Photo Competition presented by Photobucket will award $2,000 in cash prizes to the best photos taken during the Winter Teva Mountain Games presented by Eddie Bauer, taking place in Vail, Colorado, February 10-12, 2012.

On Monday we posted the photo above on our Facebook page and received an incredible response. I’ll admit to knowing next to nothing about it when it was posted, our readers have filled in quite a few gaps in the story.

Here’s your chance to win a free season pass for next season, but more importantly, let Ray’s know what you think of the park. They’ve assembled a brief list of questions and really want to hear your thoughts, ideas and suggestions on how we can continue to grow and improve.

By Josh Patterson

By Eric McKeegan

Riding bikes is pretty awesome, particularly if you are like me and like to ride all kinds of bikes on all kinds of terrain. I’m looking forward to a few things in particular for 2012. Maybe you’ll be interested to hear about them? Maybe not. Regardless here they are, in no particular order:

Dirt Rag and race promoters Mike Kuhn and Ray Adams are excited to announce the third edition of the NoTubes Trans-Sylvania Epic Mountain Bike Stage Race presented by Dirt Rag, scheduled for May 27 to June 2, 2012 in State College. Pennsylvania.

The race field that doubled in size last year compared to the inaugural edition in 2010. Kuhn and Adams also revealed that NoTubes has signed a three-year title sponsor deal.

By Matt Kaspzryk

For most of us, fall is time of the year when you can’t pass up opportunities to ride. I was lucky that in late October I was able to spend a few days riding some of the trails near State College, PA, which have helped develop the regions relentlessly technical reputation.

By Leslie Kehmeier

Thanks to the year-long efforts of many dedicated individuals and Mountain Bike Idaho, the state is the first in the nation to feature a mountain bike-themed license plate. Under the law passed by the Idaho Legislature, this new mountain bike-themed plate will benefit all trail users of Idaho’s 17,000-mile recreational trail system.