New Belgium Brewery Awards Bikes Belong $30k Grant

Posted on January 19, 2012 by aa

BOULDER, CO (BRAIN) Jan. 19, 8:59 am MT — New Belgium Brewery has awarded a $30,000 two-year grant to the Bikes Belong Foundation to support the foundation’s major programs.

New Belgium, based in Fort Collins, Colorado, is a long-time supporter of cycling, and its Fat Tire Amber Ale is a favorite for many riders.

“This grant further strengthens our relationship with New Belgium Brewery, and we are thankful for their support of our efforts to raise cycling awareness across the U.S,” said Bruno Maier, vice president of Bikes Belong. “These programs enable us to give cities the resources they need to become more bike friendly and to practice healthier lifestyles.”

via Bicycle Retailer and Industry News.

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The Southeast Bike Expo FEBRUARY 25th-26th 2012

Posted on January 19, 2012 by aa

The Southeast Bike Expo will be bringing manufacturers from all over the United States to show and demo their products. Manufacturers like Trek, Niner, Specialized, Shimano, and SRAM will be there to show off their latest and greatest products. Many more have committed. Check their website for updates.

Not only will it be open to retailers like most bike expos, but it will be open to the general public as well. The goal is to put on a fun event in a great location for very low cost to manufacturers, retailers, and consumers.

The Georgia International Horse Park in Conyers, Georgia provides that. The GIHP is the site of the 1996 Olympic Mountain Bike cross-country course. This gives the opportunity to use onsite world-class MTB trails. The event will also have an area for road bike demos. This unique outdoor demo area has space for over 1000 vendors.

This new event gives you the consumer the ability to actually ride the new products and then talk with the manufacturers about the products.

The Southeast Bike Expo will take place February 25th-26th, 2012.

Event Hours
February 25th 10:00am – 4:30pm and 6:00pm – 9:00pm (night light testing)
February 26th 10:00am – 4:00pm

To purchase advance tickets go to one of the following:

www.southeastbikeexpo.com
http://sebikex.com
www.facebook.com/sebikex

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6 golds for U.S. riders on final day of Masters Cyclo-cross Worlds

Posted on January 16, 2012 by aa

Louisville, Ky. (January 15, 2012) —Racing concluded at the 2012 UCI Masters Cyclo-cross World Championships Sunday with six more Americans claiming the top step of the podium. Great Britain claimed two gold medals out of eight.

With conditions changing throughout the day, the women 50-54 took to the course while it was still covered in a coating of snow and frozen ruts. Karen Brems (Redwood City, Calif./Team Rambuski Law) claimed victory, followed by Kris Walker (Pocatello, Idaho/Contender Bicycles), and Ruth Sherman (Spencer, N.Y./ Corning/NoTubes Race Team/Swan Cycles) rounded out the podium.

As the temperatures rose, women 55-59 took to the course in a hard fought race that ultimately saw Kathy Sarvary (Manchester, N.H./Blue Steel Cyclery) claim the rainbow jersey ahead of Elizabeth Heller (St. Louis, Mo./Dressell’s Pub) and Diane Ostenso (Cottage Grove, Wis./Planet Bike).

Karen Wells-Hamilton (Fairborn, Ohio/ BioWheels/Reece-Campbell Racing) won gold in the women’s 60-64 division while multi-time national champion Julie Lockhart (Dunstable, Mass./ NEBC p/b Cycle Loft/NEMCA) claimed her rainbow jersey in the women’s 65+ race.

As the day progressed, the frozen ruts gave way to perfect muddy conditions under sunny skies. Glen Norton (Renton, Wash./Team Redline) claimed the first gold for the men today in the 60-64 division ahead of Fred Wittwer (Charlottesville, Va./Alan North America Cycling Team) and Gregory Pautsch (Chippewa Falls, Wis./Planet Bike).

The Americans’ lock on the top step of the podium was broken when Great Britain’s Victor Barnett (Welland Valley CC) stormed to victory in the 65-69 group ahead of John Elgart(Sacramento, Calif./ Webcor/Alto Velo) and James Wagner (Auburn, Wash./ Cycle Therapy/4-Corners Racing).

John Ginley (Condor Road Team) kept England’s streak alive in the 70-74 division ahead of countryman Michael Ives (Jewson/M.I. Racing).

Ronald Riley (Aptos, Calif./Bike Station Aptos) seized the gold medal in the men’s 75+ division.

Superstar and cycling legend Ned Overend (Durango, Colo./Specialized) added another rainbow Jersey to his storied palmares, dominating his race in the 55-59 division ahead of California Giant Strawberry/Specialized racers Norman Kreiss (Orinda, Calif./California Giant Strawberry) and Henry Kramer (Menlo Park, Calif./California Giant Strawberry), who raced to hard-fought second and third places respectively, knocking Planet Bike’s Robert Downs (Madison, Wis./Planet Bike) to fourth place.

The women had the marquis spot on the day’s schedule, racing the final two contests of the day in perfect ‘cross conditions. Katrina Dowidchuk (Wilmington, Del./ Team TBB/Deep Blue) stormed to victory ahead of Kimberly Flynn (Hixson, Tenn./US Stove-Trek p/b Vantaggio) and Margell Abel (Boulder, Colo./Tough Girls Cycling) in the 40-44 division.

The final race of the 2012 Masters Cyclo-cross Worlds was a battle for dominance in the 45-49 women’s division. Shannon Gibson(Durango, Colo./Stan’s NoTubes Elite Cyclocross Team) won ahead of Lori Cooke (Pembroke, Mass./Cycle Lodge) and Jennifer Maxwell(Washington, D.C./Van Dessel Factory Team p/b Sterke Meiden), who made up huge ground to go from sixth to claim the third step of the podium.

Full results are available here.

The UCI Cyclo-cross World Championships return to Louisville, Ky., in 2013 when Masters racing returns January 29-30 and the UCI Elite Cyclo-cross World Championships race February 2-3 in more history-making cyclo-cross racing.

For more information visit www.louisville2013.com.

2012 UCI Masters Cyclo-cross World Championships
January 15, 2012
Louisville, Kentucky

Women 40-44
1. Katrina Dowidchuk (Wilmington, Del./ Team TBB/Deep Blue) 36:57
2. Kimberly Flynn (Hixson, Tenn./US Stove-Trek p/b Vantaggio) 37:39
3. Margell Abel (Boulder, Colo./Tough Girls Cycling) 38:50
4. Catherine Moore (Waco, Tex./Bicycle Outback) 39:37
5. Sally Price (Cuyahago Falls, Ohio/Cleveland Clinic Sports) 40:14

Women 45-49
1. Shannon Gibson (Durango, Colo./Stan’s NoTubes Elite Cyclocross Team) 40:17
2. Lori Cooke (Pembroke, Mass./Cycle Lodge) 42:00
3. Jennifer Maxwell (Washington, D.C./Van Dessel Factory Team p/b Sterke Meiden) 42:12
4. Antonia Leal (Waukesha, Wis./Planet Bike) 42:58
5. Kirsten Begg-Swider (Danbury, Conn./Cycle-Smart Grassroots Team) 43:22

Women 50-54
1. Karen Brems (Redwood City, Calif./Team Rambuski Law) 38:37
2. Kris Walker (Pocatello, Idaho/Contender Bicycles) 40:21
3. Ruth Sherman (Spencer, N.Y./ Corning/NoTubes Race Team/Swan Cycles) 40:37
4. Christine Schryver (Rochester, N.Y./Full Moon Vista) 40:54
5. Karen Tripp (Deerfield, N.H./Blue Steel Cyclery) 40:57

Women 55-59
1. Kathy Sarvary (Manchester, N.H./Blue Steel Cyclery) 42:46
2. Elizabeth Heller (St. Louis, Mo./Dressell’s Pub) 43:38
3. Diane Ostenso (Cottage Grove, Wis./Planet Bike) 45:07
4. Lucia Colbert (Cordova, Tenn./Los Locos) 47:42
5. Linda Elgart (Sacramento, Calif./ Webcor/Alto Velo) 48:54

Women 60-64
1. Karen Wells-Hamilton (Fairborn, Ohio/ BioWheels/Reece-Campbell Racing) 48:22

Women 65+
1. Julie Lockhart (Dunstable, Mass./ NEBC p/b Cycle Loft/NEMCA) 45:22

Men 55-59
1. Ned Overend (Durango, Colo./Specialized) 40:32
2. Norman Kreiss (Orinda, Calif./California Giant Strawberry) 41:54
3. Henry Kramer (Menlo Park, Calif./California Giant Strawberry) 41:56
4. Robert Downs (Madison, Wis./Planet Bike) 41:57
5. Benny Andersson (Sweden/Trek Sweden Racing) 43:32

Men 60-64
1. Glen Norton (Renton, Wash./Team Redline) 40:14
2. Fred Wittwer (Charlottesville, Va./Alan North America Cycling Team) 40:50
3. Gregory Pautsch (Chippewa Falls, Wis./Planet Bike) 41:48
4. Harold Parker (Lenexa, Kan./360Racing) 43:50
5. Timothy Leonard (New Hartford, N.Y./Nycross.com) 44:12

Men 64-69
1. Victor Barnett (England/Welland Valley CC) 42:58
2. John Elgart (Sacramento, Calif./ Webcor/Alto Velo) 43:52
3. James Wagner (Auburn, Wash./ Cycle Therapy/4-Corners Racing) 44:21
4. Lewis Rollins (Salt Lake City, Utah/Contender Bicycle) 44:32
5. Rick Abbott (Boulder, Colo./Excelsports.com) 47:04

Men 70-74
1. John Ginley (England/Condor Road Club) 48:57
2. Michael Ives (England/ Jewson/M.I. Racing) 50:26
3. Erik Nordenson (Moab, Utah/Poison Spider Bicycles) 50:49
4. Robert Llamas (Montrose, Calif./Team Montrose Bike Shop) 51:06
5. Loren Hettinger (Littleton, Colo./Schwab Cycles RT)

Men 75+
1. Ronald Riley (Aptos, Calif./Bike Station Aptos) 47:15

via http://www.usacycling.org/news/user/story.php?id=7320

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Review: Manitou Tower Pro 29” Suspension Fork

Posted on January 15, 2012 by aa

Manitou Tower 29With a history that dates back twenty years, Manitou’s Tower Pro marks a welcome return to form from one of the oldest brands in mountain biking.

Headlining the companies 29er cross country fork line the Tower range replaces the older Minute line.

There are two forks – the Tower Pro and the cheaper Expert – the main difference being in the spring system. The Expert gets the ACT Air system while the Pro gets the superior MARS Air system along with a lighter crown and butted legs that result in a lighter fork.  On test here is the Tower Pro.

Read the full review at: Review: Manitou Tower Pro 29” Suspension Fork.

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5 world titles earned by Americans on day 3 of Masters CX Worlds – USA Cycling

Posted on January 15, 2012 by aa

Louisville, Ky. (January 14, 2012) —Americans took five of six possible rainbow jerseys Saturday on the third day of racing at the 2012 UCI Masters Cyclo-cross World Championships.

The morning began with the women’s 30-34 race, where Rebecca Gross (Lakewood, Colo./Tough Girl) outrode Alyssa Severn (Madison, Wis./Cylocrossracing.com) for the gold. Andrea Wilson (Cordova, Tenn./Outdoors, Inc.) followed Severn to the line to score a bronze.

Canadian Lyne Bessette took victory in the women’s 35-39 race, beating Kristin Weber (Boulder, Colo./Boulder Cycle Sport) and Lisa Hudson (Golden, Colo./Feedback Sports), who finished second and third respectively.

Men’s Races

In the first men’s race of the day, Stephen Tilford (Topeka, Kansas / Tradewind Energy/Eriksen Cycles) earned victory in the men’s 50-54 contest while Kevin Hines (East Wareham, Minn./Corner Cycle) took silver, a repeat of the duo’s one/two podium finish at the recent USA Cycling Cyclo-cross National Championships. Gunnar Shogren (Morgantown, W.Va./Team Pathfinder of WV) finished close behind Hines to claim third.

Donald Myrah (San Jose, Calif./ Ibis/Buy-Cell.com), the current men’s 45-49 cyclo-cross national champion, added another jersey to his closet after he bested the rest of the 45-49 field by more than a minute and a half. Belgium’s Erik Teck rode to a second-place finish just ahead of Gannon Myall (Lafayette, Calif./ California Giant Strawberry/Specialized).

It was a thrilling finish to the men’s 40-44 race, where the top two steps of the Cyclo-cross Nationals podium traded spots when Peter Webber (Boulder, Colo./Boulder Cycle Sport) edged teammate and reigning national champ Brandon Dwight (Boulder, Colo./Boulder Cycle Sport) for the rainbow jersey. Mark Savery (Omaha, Neb./ Trek Midwest CX/MWCC) earned the bronze.

The men’s 35-39 competition provided another close finish as Scott Frederick (Raleigh, N.C./Inland Construction) reached the line just three seconds ahead of runner-up Christopher Case (Golden, Colo./Feedback Sports). Craig Faulkner (Mendota Heights, Minn./Crossniacs) took the third step on the podium.

The final day of racing begins Sunday morning at 9:30 a.m. with the women’s 50-54 age group final.

Admission to the races is free to the public with a $3 parking charge. For a complete race schedule and more information, visit www.louisville2013.com. You can also follow the event on Twitter at @Louisville2013 or by searching the hash tag #cxmasters2012.

2012 UCI Masters Cyclo-cross World Championships

January 13, 2012

Louisville, Kentucky

Women 30-34

1. Rebecca Gross (Lakewood, Colo./Tough Girl) 37:52

2. Alyssa Severn (Madison, Wis./Cylocrossracing.com) 38:59

3. Andrea Wilson (Cordova, Tenn./Outdoors, Inc.)

4. Cooper Ambjorn (Covington, Ky./Team CNC) @1 lap

5. Sarah FarverStaub (Ashley, Ind./Men of Steel Racing) @1 lap

Women 35-39

1. Lyne Bessette (Canada) 39:04

2. Kristin Weber (Boulder, Colo./Boulder Cycle Sport) 39:30

3. Lisa Hudson (Golden, Colo./Feedback Sports) 40:56

4. Elizabeth Shogren (Morgantown, W.Va./Team Pathfinder of WV) 42:56

5. Kristal Boni (Erie, Colo./Rapidracing) 43:15

Men 35-39

1. Scott Frederick (Raleigh, N.C./Inland Construction) 44:53

2. Christopher Case (Golden, Colo./Feedback Sports) 44:56

3. Craig Faulkner (Mendota Heights, Minn./Crossniacs) 45:39

4. Joshua Roeser (Montrose, Minn./ Crossniacs/Bicycle Fit Guru) 45:46

5. Andrew Messer (Bloomington, Ind./ DRT Racing p/b Revolution Bike & Bean) 45:51

Men 40-44

1. Peter Webber (Boulder, Colo./Boulder Cycle Sport) 43:09

2. Brandon Dwight (Boulder, Colo./Boulder Cycle Sport) 43:09

3. Mark Savery (Omaha, Neb./ Trek Midwest CX/MWCC) 43:54

4. Todd Bowden (Canada/ Expo/Superior Energy) 44:30

5. Mark McCormack (Foxboro, Mass./ Clif Bar/Pactimo) 44:36

Men 45-49

1. Donald Myrah (San Jose, Calif./ Ibis/Buy-Cell.com) 43:34

2. Erik Teck (Belgium/Vreda Cycling Team) 45:07

3. Gannon Myall (Lafayette, Calif./ California Giant Strawberry/Specialized) 45:31

4. Keith Lucas (Custer, Ky./ Scheller’s Racing Team) 45:42

5. James Coats (Campbell, Calif./ California Giant Strawberry/Specialized) 46:01

Men 50-54

1. Stephen Tilford (Topeka, Kansas / Tradewind Energy/Eriksen Cycles) 42:01

2. Kevin Hines (East Wareham, Minn./Corner Cycle) 43:00

3. Gunnar Shogren (Morgantown, W.Va./Team Pathfinder of WV) 43:17

4. Philip Roach (England/Rugby Velo) 45:46

5. Tim Hacker (Madison, Wis./Planet Bike) 46:44

Full results and lap time reports are available here.

via 5 world titles earned by Americans on day 3 of Masters CX Worlds – USA Cycling.

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Tread Lightly – Responsible Mountain Bike Riding

Posted on January 13, 2012 by aa

T – Travel responsibly on designated roads and trails or in permitted areas.

R – Respect the rights of others, including private property owners, all recreational trail users, campers and others so they can enjoy their recreational activities undisturbed.

E – Educate yourself prior to your trip by obtaining travel maps and regulations from public agencies, planning for your trip, taking recreation skills classes, and knowing how to operate your equipment safely.

A – Avoid sensitive areas such as meadows, lakeshores, wetlands and streams, unless on designated routes.

D – Do your part by modeling appropriate behavior, leaving the area better than you found it, properly disposing of waste, minimizing the use of fire, avoiding the spread of invasive species and restoring degraded areas.

Get the brochure.

via Tread Lightly – Responsible Mountain Bike Riding.

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USA Cycling names cyclo-cross world championships team – USA Cycling

Posted on January 13, 2012 by aa

USA Cycling announced Friday the roster of elite, U23 and junior athletes that will represent the United States at the 2012 UCI Cyclo-cross World Championships in Koksijde, Belgium on Jan. 28-29.

Elite Men

Due to a fifth-place ranking at the 2011 World Championships, the United States qualified six starters for the race. The 2012 national champion Jeremy Powers (Easthampton, Mass./Team Rapha-Focus) and Tim Johnson (Topsfield, Mass./ Cannondale p/b Cyclocrossworld.com), who was the second-ranked American rider in the rankings (17th), were automatic qualifiers for the team. In addition to his 2012 national championship, Powers is the top-ranked rider (11th) in the UCI’s rankings with 984 points and has registered a pair of top-15 finishes at UCI World Cup races.

Joining Powers and Johnson as discretionary selections to the team are: Ryan Trebon (Bend, Ore./LTS-Felt), Jamey Driscoll (Winooski, Vt./Cannondale p/b Cyclocrossworld.com), Jonathan Page (Northfield, N.H./Planet Bike) and Christopher Jones (Auburn, Calif./Team Rapha-Focus). Trebon, who is one slot behind Johnson in the UCI rankings, has accumulated 365 points in 10 American UCI category-1 races while Driscoll has amassed 244 points and is 30th in the UCI rankings. Page finished 12th at the 2011 UCI Cyclo-cross World Championships and has registered three top-25 finishes at World Cups this season. Jones has accrued 55 ranking points and is ranked 68th by the UCI.

Elite Women

Each of five women comprising the American elite women’s team are automatic qualifiers. Katie Compton (Colorado Springs, Colo./Rabobank-Giant) rides in on the heels of collecting the eighth national championship of her career. After placing second in the 2011 UCI Cyclo-cross World Championships, Compton has collected three top-five finishes at UCI World Cup events, including winning the first race in Plzen, Czech Republic on Oct. 16, 2011. Amy Dombroski (Boulder, Colo./Crankbrothers Race Club), who has a pair of top-15 finishes at World Cups, including a sixth-place result at Plzen, Czech Republic, is also an automatic qualifier. By virtue of finishing 10th at the UCI World Cup race in Namur, Belgium, Kaitlin Antonneau (Racine, Wisc./Cyclocrossworld-Cannondale Cyclocrossworld) earned a spot. Meredith Miller (Boulder, Colo./California Giant Berry Farms-Specialized) and Nicole Duke (Boulder, Colo./Cyclocrossworld-Cannondale Cyclocrossworld) each registered a top-15 result at a UCI World Cup race with Miller’s coming in Tabor, Czech Republic and Duke’s coming in Plzen, Czech Republic to each qualify a spot. Miller also has amassed the most UCI ranking points from 10 American category-1 races with 327.

U23

Zach McDonald (Bainbridge Island, Wash./Team Rapha-Focus) was the lone rider to earn an automatic spot on the team after winning the U23 race at the 2012 USA Cycling Cyclo-cross National Championships and registering a 10th-place finish at the UCI World Cup in Tabor, Czech Republic. Joining McDonald in the U23 race will be discretionary selection Cody Kaiser (El Dorado Hills, Calif./California Giant Berry Farms-Specialized). Kaiser placed second in the U23 race at nationals and was the second-best American U23 rider in three out of four domestic qualification events.

Junior Men

The winner of the junior men 17-18 race, Logan Owen (Bremerton, Wash./Team Redline) and the highest-ranked riders in three of four domestic selection races, Andrew Dillman (Fairdale, Ky./Bob’s Red Mill) were two automatic qualifiers for the American team. While Dillman recorded 26 points in the domestic selection races, Owen was the second-ranked American rider with 21 points.

Also contesting the junior men’s race are discretionary selections Richard Cypress Gorry (Payson, Ariz./Whole Athlete-Specialized), Tobin Ortenblad (Santa Cruz, Calif./California Giant Berry Farms-Specialized) and Curtis White (Delanson, N.Y./Clif Bar Development Cyclo Cross Team). Ortenblad placed second, Gorry finished third and White was fifth in the junior men 17-18 race.

The 2012 UCI Cyclo-cross World Championships begin Saturday, Jan. 28 with the juniors and U23 races before culminating with the elite races on Sunday, Jan. 29.

2012 UCI Cyclo-cross World Championships

Koksijde, Belgium

January 28-29, 2012

U.S. team roster:

Elite Men

  • Tim Johnson* (Topsfield, Mass./ Cannondale p/b Cyclocrossworld.com)
  • Jeremy Powers* (Easthampton, Mass./Team Rapha-Focus)
  • Jamey Driscoll (Winooski, Vt./Cannondale p/b Cyclocrossworld.com)
  • Christopher Jones(Auburn, Calif./Team Rapha-Focus)
  • Jonathan Page (Northfield, N.H./Planet Bike)
  • Ryan Trebon (Bend, Ore./LTS-Felt)

Elite Women

  • Kaitlin Antonneau* (Racine, Wisc./Cyclocrossworld-Cannondale Cyclocrossworld)
  • Katie Compton* (Colorado Springs, Colo./Rabobank-Giant)
  • Amy Dombroski* (Boulder, Colo./Crankbrothers Race Club)
  • Nicole Duke* (Boulder, Colo./Cyclocrossworld-Cannondale Cyclocrossworld)
  • Meredith Miller* (Boulder, Colo./California Giant Berry Farms-Specialized)

U23 Men

  • Zach McDonald* (Bainbridge Island, Wash./Team Rapha-Focus)
  • Cody Kaiser (El Dorado Hills, Calif./California Giant Berry Farms-Specialized)

Junior Men

  • Andrew Dillman* (Fairdale, Ky./Bob’s Red Mill)
  • Logan Owen* (Bremerton, Wash./Team Redline)
  • Richard Cypress Gorry (Payson, Ariz./Whole Athlete-Specialized)
  • Tobin Ortenblad (Santa Cruz, Calif./California Giant Berry Farms-Specialized)
  • Curtis White (Delanson, N.Y./Clif Bar Development Cyclo Cross Team)

* — Automatic qualifier

This Article Published January 13, 2012 For more information contact: dgaylinn@usacycling.org

via USA Cycling names cyclo-cross world championships team – USA Cycling.

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26 vs. 29er: Go on, give a 29er a try

Posted on January 13, 2012 by aa

26 vs. 29erThe debate between 26″ and 29″ mountain bikes will never go away. There has been many articles written about the topic, and many tests done comparing the two. For years, I was one of those riders that wanted nothing to do with a 29er…that is until I rode one. Only 5 minutes on the bike and I was a believer and advocate for the 29er.

Owning five mountain bikes, there’s only two that I ride…my Redline MonoCog 29er and my Motobecane Fantom 29. The other mountain bikes that I have, I use for friends to ride. But when I let someone try my 29er, they don’t want to give it back. They’re hooked too.

The naysayers will tell you that a 29er takes longer to get up to speed and a 29er doesn’t handle as good in tight twisty singletrack. Both of my 29ers handle very good in the tight twisty terrain. Physics might prove that a 29er takes longer to get up to speed, but over a 2 hour race, lets face it, that few second longer getting you up to speed, make no difference. But, what is a difference is that once you get up to speed, that speed is faster than a 26 inch. That, my friend, you cannot debate. The 29er wheel will also go over obstacles easier allowing you to maintain your momentum. This will also smooth out your ride making a hardtail ride smoother. And, because the 29er roles over obstacle easier, you don’t have to pick and choose your line as much as a 26″. This means a straighter faster line. Add it all together, and you are still faster than a 26″ wheel mountain bike.

Read the singletrack.com article Revisiting the Rancor: 26 v. 29. About a year ago, they did an in depth comparison of 26″ hardtail, 26″ full suspension and 29er hardtail.

Posted in 29er, mtb | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

10 Worst Mistakes to Make Winter Riding

Posted on January 13, 2012 by aa

We’ve all done it: overestimated the temperature outside, hammered up a climb in the cold only to freeze in our own sweat on the descent, put on that extra pair of socks in an attempt to keep feet warm only to have all blood circulation cut off from the tight fit, accidentally stayed out after the sun had dipped below the horizon. There are hundreds of ways to mess up a winter ride with more dire consequences in the winter than the summer.

There are a few classic mistakes, that when avoided, can greatly enhance a winter riding experience. This is by no means an exhaustive list of things that can go wrong, and each point has a dozen variations, but the next time you’re at the top of a climb thinking that you’re plenty warm and don’t pause to put a jacket on for the descent, think again…

Read the full article here: 10 Worst Mistakes to Make Winter Riding.

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2012 USA Cycling National Championship Calendar

Posted on January 13, 2012 by aa

2012 USA Cycling National Championships

2012 USA Cycling National Championship Calendar
*All dates and locations subject to change

  • Jan. 4-8: Cyclo-cross National Championships – Madison, Wisc.
  • April 1: BMX National Championships – Chula Vista, Calif.
  • May 4-6: Collegiate Road National Championships – Ogden, Utah
  • May 26-28: Professional Road & Time Trial National Championships – Greenville, S.C.
  • June 20-24: Elite, U23, Juniors, & Paralympic Road National Championships – Augusta, Ga.
  • July 5-8: Mountain Bike Cross-Country National Championships – Sun Valley, Idaho
  • July 11-15: Juniors Track National Championships – Trexlertown, Pa.
  • July 20-22: Mountain Bike Gravity National Championships – Beech Mountain, N.C.
  • July 28: Professional Criterium National Championships – Grand Rapids, Mich.
  • Aug. 2-7: Masters Track National Championships – Colorado Springs, Colo.
  • Sept. 5-9: Masters Road National Championships – Bend, Ore.
  • Sept. 15: Mountain Bike Marathon National Championships – Bend, Ore.
  • Sept. 21-23: Collegiate Track National Championships – Frisco, Texas
  • Sept. 27-30: Elite Track National Championships – TBA
  • Sept. 29-30: Mountain Bike 24-Hour National Championships – Colorado Springs, Colo.
  • Oct. 19-21: Collegiate Mountain Bike National Championships – Angel Fire, N.M.
  • TBA: Tandem Track National Championships – TBA
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