Dirtscrolls

Magura was showing off its MT8 brakes – that’s Mission Team for those of you keeping score at home – and it sets the bar for lightweight performance. The whole master cyclinder is made from injection molded carbon fiber. Even the clamp is carbon. The lever is carbon fiber as well. At 53 grams per complete brake lever, it certainly won’t be slowing you down on the race course.

Also available are MT2, MT4 and MT6 versions, all sharing the carbon master cyclinder at different price points.

At the WTB booth we spied these Speed TCS wheels – the 29-inch All Mountain version. For about $400 you can grab a wheelset capable of more than just smooth cross-country riding. They are tubeless compatible too.

It can be intimidating trying to match tires to terrain. New from Schwalbe in 2011 is the Hans Dampf—when loosely translated from German it means jack-of-all-trades—is designed to have good all-around performance and predictable cornering characteristics and will seal on some tubeless setups without sealant. Initially the Hans Dampf is only available in a 26×2.35, but look for more sizes and a 29er version this fall.

Shimano continues to improve its 10-speed mountain drivetrains with trickle-down technologies from the top-level XTR group to the XT and SLX groups.

At the top, the new Shimano XTR Shadow Plus rear derailleur features a selectable pivot for the pulley cage (the small gold lever) that increases spring tension to minimize chain slap, which should also result in fewer dropped chains, when pedaling through rough terrain. Flipping the lever down reduces spring tension to the standard rate to make wheel removal easier.

Old-school meets new-school at Fox Racing Shox and their booth featured a fully equipped arcade. The Pac-Man game these guys are playing is probably older than the players!

We spied this prototype titanium crown at Interbike 2010. For 2012 Fox will offer an investment-cast, one-piece titanium steerer and crown option on their highest-end 26-inch 32 series forks. Weights reportedly start at 2.9lbs. with an uncut steerer.

By Jeff Thrasher

By Jeff Thrasher

By Adam Newman

The Bellingham Herald is reporting that the owner of more than 3,000 acres on Galbraith Mountain near Bellingham, Washington, is ending the recreation use agreement with a local mountain bike organization and will close the trails.

We’re heading west for the Sea Otter Classic in Monterey, California, this week.

By Shannon Mominee

By Josh Patterson

So a guy walks into a bar…

He spies a girl sitting alone. She’s attractive. Gorgeous, actually, with curves in all the right places. The guy buys her a drink, walks over and strikes up a conversation, but to his dismay, quickly discovers they have very little in common.

There a gremlins out in them ‘thar hills.

By Stephen Haynes

A few weeks back my riding buddies and I got together at our regular trails to do a little early spring riding. It was just cold enough to still be considered cold, but not cold enough to consider doing something else.

By Eric McKeegan

So recently I headed down to Birmingham, Alabama, for the Michelin Press Camp. I don’t know much about the state, and I’m pretty sure the last time I was there involved old vans, good-cop/bad-cop routines and a drug-sniffing dog. I’m a few years and a few haircuts removed from then, which is a good thing, since the fancy pants golf resort we stayed in might have thrown a younger me out. Anyway, other than one presentation, our time at the resort was mostly spent eating, drinking and sleeping, a fine thing since I don’t know a nine iron from a polo mallet.

It’s easy to think of carbon fiber bikes as mass produced plastic, but Brad Cason of KirkLee begs to differ. His brand’s own t-shirts asks: "Who says carbon has no soul?" Listen to Cason talk about their creation with the widget below.

Note: You can read about Santa Cruz’s other new offering, the Blur Carbon here.

(L to R: Santa Cruz staff Josh, Nick, Ariel, some fellow journalists, and Mike, giving his "serious face")

By Karen Brooks

Tire-maker Continental unveiled a range of new products this week, including an industry-first: a tire designed specifically for making riding wheelies easier.

With the same shape as some of their traditional off-road treads, the tire is 300 grams lighter and has a special "springy" rubber compound that will allow you to lift the front end more easily and keep it lofted.

By Karen Brooks

The venerable brand from NorCal introduced three new bike models earlier this week, and I was one of the lucky stiffs who got to check them out on the kickass trails on and around Gooseberry Mesa in southern Utah. Santa Cruz really knows how to impress: not with slideshows of graphs, but with lots of time on singletrack.

By Karl Rosengarth

It’s about time.

Giant finally mated their proven Maestro suspension design with big wheels. Viola! Giant gives birth to the Anthem X 29er lineup in model year 2011.

This bouncing baby boy sports 100mm of front/rear travel, thanks to a Fox F29 RL fork with QR15 thru-axle up front, and a Fox Float RP2 rear shock (coupled to Giant’s Maestro rear suspension).

By Justin Steiner

Yeti is without a doubt one of the most iconic of the long-standing U.S. bike brands. I’ve always been impressed with, if not a bit puzzled by, the loyal cult following surrounding Yeti—known as the Yeti Tribe. After all, how many other bike companies have fan pages (www.yetifan.com)? Given the opportunity to test the redesigned 575, I jumped at the chance to drink the Kool-Aid.

Following last year’s successful launch of the Anthem X 29er full-suspension XC bike, Giant is introducing an all-new 29er bike for competitive XC racing and riding: the XtC Composite 29er.

We traveled to Western North Carolina this past weekend to visit two more companies for our Made in America series and naturally, get some riding done.

Rody Walter of Groovy Cycleworks built this 650b mountain bike for an old-school rider who wanted a modern interpretation of his vintage ride. Listen to Walter tell the story of its creation with the widget below.

Editor’s note: Readers Write is a showcase of essays and stories from readers just like you who want to share their experience. If you have something you’d like us to consider publishing, please send it to [email protected].

by W. K. Medlen, Huntsville Alabama

Online retailer Competitive Cyclist is best known for selling, but in this case it was doing the buying, having purchased Merlin Bikes from American Bicycle Group.

Merlin has been a pioneer in the development of titanium frames since 1986 and will reach a broader audience through the new venture. Currently the Merlin web site simply features a logo with he words "Brand rebirth underway".

If you’ve been thinking about making the trek to British Columbia for the 2011 BC Bike race, here’s a chance to win one of two free entries, courtesy of Kazimirski Law Corporation. The Kazlaw Community Foundation is providing two spots at BC Bike Race the race people who make mountain biking happen in their community.

The rumors you’ve been hearing are true. Race Face is out of production and likely to be liquidated. A reciever took over the company’s assets from its bank, and in a letter to Race Face employees dated March 14 the reciever, Grant Thornton Limited, announced that it was terminating all Race Face employees at its New Westminster factory, and at its operations in Taiwan.

Andrew Watson of Watson Cycles is a young builder from Connecticut who brought this snowman to the show. It puts big feet on the ground with 3.7” Surly tires and luggage racks, but unlike many bikes with those features, it isn’t merely a pack mule. Andrew calls it “my utilitarian utility bike,” but it’s pure mountain bike too, with modest chainstays, derailleur drivetrain, and plenty of standover height.

Listen to Andrew go over some more of the details in our interview.

Curtis Inglis loves curves. On bikes that is. His retro-inspired road and mountain bikes blend modern materials and design with vintage looks. He builds bikes under both the Retrotec and Inglis labels.

Listen to our interview with Inglis discussing his work with the widget below.

Curtis Inglis loves curves. On bikes that is. His retro-inspired road and mountain bikes blend modern materials and design with vintage looks. He builds bikes under both the Retrotec and Inglis labels.

Listen to our interview with Inglis discussing his work with the widget below.

We’re sending our "West Coast" office up to Seattle this weekend to visit the Seattle Bike Expo. Held at the Smith Cove Cruise Terminal, it promises a whole weekend worth of cool stuff with more than 250 exhibitors scheduled to appear.

Highlights include appearances by racer Axel Merckx, satirical cycling blogger BikeSnobNYC, stunt rider Ryan Leech and bicycle fashion show.

Taking it over the top in 2011

One of the most rewarding things about shooting bikes and builders at NAHBS is having a couple of minutes away from the bustle of the show floor to chat with individuals behind the bikes. The builders seem to appreciate a brief respite from the constant barrage of questions and talking points—it’s nice to see everyone relax just a bit and take a deep breath.

Editor’s note: Readers Write is a collection of essays and fiction written by readers. Have something you’d like to submit? Send it [email protected].

by Jim Murren

The Mountain Bikers Liberation Front (MTBLF) says to the bosses of the world, “there are days in this life that the trail calls us in such a way that we are not able to resist.” We do not say that out loud to them, but rather we say, “I am sick and will not be in to work today.”

The National Bike Summit, held this week in Washington D.C., is a gathering of voices from the bicycle industry, advocacy groups and concerned citizens to make their case to Congress for making "strategic transportation invenstments that foster healthy people and healthy communities."

The Industry Insider Series is our look behind the curtain at the folks who keep the bicycle industry rolling. This interview features Paul Sadoff, who has been building custom bicycles under the Rock Lobster brand for more than 30 years.

Hometown? 

Los Angeles, Calif.

We’ve just gotten some new product updates here at Dirt Rag HQ from Shimano for 2012. Some of it is completely new and some is trickle-down technology from higher spec components. Anyway you slice it, it looks cool to us. Here’s what we can share with you:

SLX group: SLX brakes receive many of the updates that show up for Deore XT. With Servo-Wave, Ice Technologies brake pads, oversized 22mm ceramic pistons, and the one-way bleed integrated into the new design. The brake lever mounts are also Ispec compatible for reduced system weight and simplicity.

We’ve just gotten some new product updates here at Dirt Rag HQ from Shimano for 2012. Some of it is completely new and some is trickle-down technology from higher spec components. Anyway you slice it, it looks cool to us. Here’s what we can share with you:

SLX group: SLX brakes receive many of the updates that show up for Deore XT. With Servo-Wave, Ice Technologies brake pads, oversized 22mm ceramic pistons, and the one-way bleed integrated into the new design. The brake lever mounts are also Ispec compatible for reduced system weight and simplicity.

Frostbike is Quality Bicycle Products annual in-house tradeshow. If you’re not familiar with Quality Bicycle Products—known as QBP by bicycle shop employees the world over—you’ve certainly had dealings with them via your local bike shop. QBP bills itself as "the shop behind America’s shops" they supply small parts, service items, and even complete bicycles to over 5,000 shops in North America. Frostbike is a chance to get the scoop on what you’ll be seeing in your local bike shop in the year to come.

Frostbike is Quality Bicycle Products annual in-house tradeshow. If you’re not familiar with Quality Bicycle Products—known as QBP by bicycle shop employees the world over—you’ve certainly had dealings with them via your local bike shop. QBP bills itself as "the shop behind America’s shops" they supply small parts, service items, and even complete bicycles to over 5,000 shops in North America. Frostbike is a chance to get the scoop on what you’ll be seeing in your local bike shop in the year to come.

By Shannon Mominee

It’s hard to keep sane through the winter with the short amount of daylight hours, below average temperatures, and an activity level that wants to dip to near hibernation. I probably would sleep straight through January and February if I didn’t feel guilty about not taking my dog, Roman, to the trails for exercise.

by Nat and Rachael Lopes

This episode of the Industry Insider profile series features Steve Garro, the man behind Coconino Cycles.

Hometown?

Tuba City, AZ. {for reals}

Current location?

Flagstaff, AZ

What do you do for/with/to bicycles?

This episode of the Industry Insider profile series features Steve Garro, the man behind Coconino Cycles.

Hometown?

Tuba City, AZ. {for reals}

Current location?

Flagstaff, AZ

What do you do for/with/to bicycles?

"The world’s toughest bike race isn’t in France."

That’s the tag line for Ride the Divide, a feature-length documentary about the 2008 Tour Divide race, a 2,700-mile haul along the Continental Divide. The race begins every summer in Banff, Alberta, to the New Mexico-Mexico border. There is no outside support allowed, there are no prizes and there is nearly 200,000-feet of climbing.

via Bicycle Retailer and Industry News

A new study conducted by researchers at the Center for Injury Research and Policy of The Research Institute at Nationwide Children’s Hospital found the number of mountain bike-related injuries decreased 56 percent over the 14-year study period (1994 to 2007), going from a high of more than 23,000 injuries in 1995 to just over 10,000 injuries in 2007.

Editor’s note: Chances are, you’ve noticed a growing number of unicyclists out on the trails. Think your singlespeed is simple? Try one gear AND one wheel. Dave Krack of Butler Wobble sent us this piece with some tips for trying it yourself. His advice: It’s not as hard as it looks!

Fatback Aluminum

By Lee Klevens

If you’ve tried and failed to get a lottery entry spot in the Leadville Trail 100 mountain bike race before, now you can race your way in. AEG, operator of the Amgen Tour of California, and Life Time Fitness have partnered to create a qualfiying race series for entries into Leadville.

The three 2011 qualifying events will be held in June and July in California, Colorado and the Northeast. In 2012 and 2013 additional races will be added in Texas, the Southwest, Midwest, Southeast, and one more in California.

Dan Powell

Hometown?

Born in Detroit, Michigan. But I grew up in Lansing and went to college in Marquette, so really I consider the entire state of Michigan my hometown. Michigan is America’s high-five you know.

Current location?

Portland, Oregon.

What do you do for/with/to bicycles?

Dan Powell

Hometown?

Born in Detroit, Michigan. But I grew up in Lansing and went to college in Marquette, so really I consider the entire state of Michigan my hometown. Michigan is America’s high-five you know.

Current location?

Portland, Oregon.

What do you do for/with/to bicycles?