Mountain Bike Action 2009 07

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SEVEN RECESSION-BUSTER BIKESSEVEN RECESSION-BUSTER BIKES

SPECIAL: WORLD’S GREATEST TRAILSWORLD’S GREATEST TRAILSPHOTO PHOTO SPECIAL:SPECIAL:PHOTO SPECIAL:

SANTA CRUZ CARBON BLUR

Specialized

FIRST TEST

FIRST TEST

FIRST TEST

FIRST TEST

21.25Pounds

JULY 2009

Diamondback Titus

CannondaleMarinCommencal

FIRST TEST

$4.99

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Photo by Christophe Margot

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RECESSION-BUSTERBIKES

Ride into happy days on bikesthat will put the recession bluesbehind you.

46 The Santa Cruz Blur XCTaking carbon fiber to the nextlevel.

52 The Titus FTMTitus unleashes a full-tilt surprise.

THIS MONTHWe go on location with some of thesport’s biggest names at the mostbeautiful trails. 8.

62 The DiamondbackMission 2A diamond in the rough.

86 The Specialized S-WorksStumpjumper HT DiscCommitted to one thing:winning.

100 The Marin Nail Trail 29erPounding nails has never beenso much fun.

112 The Chumba VF2A Bike born for SouthernCalifornia riding.

124 The CommencalSupreme DHIts stripes are already earned.

MBA PHOTO GALLERY68 On Location Around

The GlobeSo beautiful you’ll be packingyour bags tonight.

PEOPLE50 Riders Who Inspire

Robin Lemonds teachesothers to share.

116 Young RippersIntroducing Mitch Ropelato.

FEATURE

56 How To Start Your OwnMountain Bike TeamAnd maybe win 48 state andfive national championships.

TECHNICAL

92 The Garage FilesDissecting your freewheel justfor fun.

106 Project Cannondale RizeBuilding a real sub-22 poundtrailbike.

120 Inside The Pros’ BikesRyan Leech’s Norco trailbike.

COMPETITION

128 The Kenda Cup FontanaNationalLet the season begin.

Two for the trail: These riders have kepttrails open to all through education,information and recreation. Page 50.

Ride into happy days on bikes that willput the recession blues behind you.

MOUNTAIN BIKE ACTION Magazine (ISSN 0895-8467 Canada GST 12500#9266RT: CPC INT’L. PUB MAIL40024492) JULY 2009, volume #24, issue #7, is published monthly by Daisy/Hi-Torque Publishing Company,Inc., with editorial offices at 25233 Anza Dr., Valencia, CA 91355. Subscriptions $19.98 for 12 issues (oneyear). Canada add $12 additional postage for one year, $24 for two years. Foreign add $15 additionalpostage for one year, $30 for two years. Foreign subscriptions are shipped by surface mail and may take upto 15 weeks to receive. Copyright ©2009 by Daisy/Hi-Torque Publishing Company, Inc. All rights reserved.Nothing in this magazine may be reprinted in whole or in part, by any means, without the express permis-sion of the publisher. Contributors: Photographs should be submitted in digital form on CD or DVD. Imagesshould be 4 megapixels or higher. High-quality, low-compression JPEG images are preferred. Please limitsubmissions to no more than 20 photos at one time. Transparencies and prints will no longer be acceptedfor consideration; such images should be scanned and submitted as high-resolution digital files. Captionsshould accompany all submissions. Make sure the photographer’s name, address, phone number and e-mailaddress are clearly labeled on each CD or DVD. Submissions will not be returned. Written articles should besubmitted on CD (unless other arrangements have been made with the editors), saved as “text” files, andaccompanied by a printed version. Written submissions, both on paper and CD, will not be returned. Thepublisher does not assume responsibility for unsolicited material. PERIODICALS: Postage paid at SantaClarita, CA 91383, and at additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to MountainBike Action Magazine, P.O. Box 958, Valencia, CA 91380-9058. Printed in U.S.A. For Canadian returns mailto: Bleuchip International, P.O. Box 25542 London, ON N6C 6B2.

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VOLUME 24, NUMBER 7JULY 2009

10086

July 2009 / MOUNTAIN BIKE ACTION 7

contents

WARNING: Much of the action depicted in this magazine is potentially danger-ous. Virtually all of the riders seen in our photos are experienced experts or pro-fessionals. Do not attempt to duplicate any stunts that are beyond your owncapabilities. Always use discretion and wear the appropriate safety gear.

ON THE COVERThe Santa Cruz Blur XC gets the prime location from the MBA wrecking crewand the carbon treatment from Santa Cruz. Second row from the left is theSpecialized S-Works Stumpjumper HT Disc, the Diamondback Mission 2 andthe Titus FTM. The bottom row from the left is the Commencal Supreme DH,Marin Nail Trail 29er and 21.25-pound Cannondale Rize. Every photo to graceour cover was shot by his own bad self, Mr. John “Try to top that, kids” Ker.

DEPARTMENTS14 Happy Trails

The importance of theIMBA/Subaru Trail Crew.

16 Mac AttackMountain versus moto.

20 Hard Tales2010 Fox suspension, seeingin 3D and a contest for yoursweetie.

26 TrailgramsCold weather feedback in July?

28 Trail MixMore photos of great riders. You!

36 Thrash TestsRead before buying another tireor handlebar.

42 Inside LineWide bars, clamping saddles andthe right length cranks.

98 Subscribe To MBA NowGet 12 issues a year delivered toyour front door.

142 Quick ReleasesDress sharp with a new jerseyand short.

146 Down The TrailLooking back at the 2000Cannondale Raven.

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EDITORIAL DEPARTMENT

JIM McILVAIN • EDITOR

RICHARD CUNNINGHAM • EDITOR-AT-LARGE

JODY WEISEL • FEATURE EDITORSZAPATA ESPINOZA

SEAN McCOY • MANAGING EDITOR

JOHN KER • ASSISTANT EDITORSRYAN CLEEK

KATHARINE McCOY

JEFF SPENCER • TRAINING CONSULTANT

JOHN TOMAC • CONSULTANTSMIKE BELL

JOHN PERRY

BRAD ROE • ONLINE [email protected] [email protected]

ART DEPARTMENT

EDUARDO GUTIERREZ • DESIGNER

ALMA MARTíNEZ de DICSö • ASSISTANT DESIGNER

CASSANDRA MITTELBERG • COPY EDITOR

PAT CARRIGAN • PHOTO ARTIST

WILLIAM C. HAWLEY IV • PRELIM COORDINATOR

ADVERTISING DEPARTMENT

ROBERT REX • NATIONALADVERTISING DIRECTOR

ROBB MESECHER • ADVERTISING MANAGER

DERRECK BERNARD • ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE

ERIC HARTER • ADVERTISING PRODUCTION MANAGER

JENNIFER EDMONSTON • ADVERTISING PRODUCTION COORDINATOR

LISA BECKWITH • ACCOUNT ADMINISTRATOR

SEAN McCOY • EXECUTIVE WEB ADVERTISINGDIRECTOR, [email protected]

ROLAND HINZ • PRESIDENT & PUBLISHER

LILA HINZ • ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER

CASSANDRA MITTELBERG • ASSISTANTS TO PRESIDENTKATHARINE McCOY

TOM HINZ

JEFF SHOOP • CIRCULATION DIRECTOR

TIM LaPAGLIA • PROMOTIONS

ADVERTISING & EDITORIAL OFFICES25233 Anza Dr.

Valencia, CA 91355(661) 295-1910

Fax (661) 295-1278

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ADVERTISING REPRESENTATIVE IN TAIWANWHEEL GIANT INCORPORATED

P.O. Box 80, Changhua, Taiwan R.O.C.Tel (047) 352555, 350500

Telex: 58312 WGI Fax: 886-47-357860

MBA STAFF

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Any change of address or subscriptionproblems please contact us by e-mail:

[email protected] or call (800) 767-0345.

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Santa Cruz Bicycles: 104 Bronson st. #22 Santa Cruz, CA 95060 santacruzbicycles.com [email protected] Photo: Forrest Arakawa

The word “downhill” means a lot of different things for a lot of different riders. To some, it draws a faint line along a topo map or down the spine of a distant, untracked mountain. To others, it’s all about 3 minutes spent in The Zone focusing on precise wheel placement and measured in hundredths of seconds. A pile of bikes in the back of a pickup and the smell of musty armor. The hum of a chairlift and the 5th run of the day waiting at the top, cold ones and friends at the bottom.

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The new Driver 8 is built for all of that and more - 8 inches of bump flattening next generation VPP travel, more durable pivot hardware than the family truckster, built tough enough to get you down anything you sack up for, yet snappy pedaling and climb-friendly enough to get you back up. Point. Drop. Grin. Repeat.

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Trail Care Crews must be prepared toswitch gears quickly, as their weeklymissions can encompass anything fromteaching proper trail building skills, sur-veying potential routes, overseeing main-tenance efforts, guiding a ride, cutting ina new section of singletrack, and moder-ating conflicts between users, to preach-ing the mountain bike gospel at townmeetings. IMBA’s Subaru Trail CareCrews demonstrate more often than not,that wielding Pulaskis, McLeods andbrush tools is the best way to win thebackcountry battle against anti-bike fac-tions.

Jason Van Horn and Inga Beck aretwo of IMBA’s most recent Trail Crewrecruits, who uprooted from their homenear Portland, Oregon, aroundChristmastime last year to begin a roadtrip that will last two years. Jason is anaccomplished photographer and webconsultant whose previous trail-buildingexperience was primarily sculptingjumps, which is a valuable skill, as manyof IMBA’s affiliates are interested inbuilding urban mountain bike parks.Jason is also a contributor to mbac-tion.com (check out his trail reviews), sowhen I learned that the couple would beworking their way west from Texas, Iinvited them for a ride in the SanGabriel Mountains when the Subarutrain was scheduled to visit SouthernCalifornia.

Loyal MBA readers probably know bynow that my favorite trails scour thesteep slopes of the San GabrielMountains that ring the Los AngelesBasin. My estimate is that there are over100 miles of trails, which thread throughthe range, all designated for multi-use,and I take pride in showing the primeriding there to selected visitors.“Selected,” because the trails there donot lend themselves to novice or unfitriders. More importantly, I am protectiveof the amount of engineering and man-power that it took to build singletracks

The International MountainBicycling Association’s mostpowerful tool is the Subaru

Trail Care Crew program. Subarufunds salaries and car allowances fortwo IMBA trail access teams and onein-house coordinator. Gary Fisherfurnishes mountain bikes, andYakima outfits the crews with bikeracks and trick-looking rooftop stor-age pods. Armed with land-accessnegotiation skills and extensive trailbuilding experience, one team coversthe East and the other heads west,traveling to hot spots across NorthAmerica to assist mountain bikersand land managers in tackling anymountain-bike-related issue.

on the often precarious flanks of the SanGabriels, and I absolutely hate seeingthem ripped up by callous riders andrear-wheel skidders. Here’s my sermon:

If you can’t ride without locking upyour rear wheel, then face the fact; youdon’t really know how to ride. Seek pro-fessional help, and until you learn prop-er braking techniques, ride bike parksand stay off public trails.

So ride day comes along and it’s justJason and I, as Inga was taking some Rand R time to shake a persistent cold.Trail Crews ride the Gary Fisher Roscoe,which has captured the heart of VanHorn, who is not an easy sell. Jasonowns eight mountain bikes, each for aspecific purpose, so living with only onedo-it-all bike is a fresh concept. Within amile, it became clear that Jason was asharp bike handler, and that touring ridespots in four states had broadened hisskills. Jason’s tires rarely scratched thesoil, and he was equally adept on theslow, tight sections as he was at flowingover the faster places on the route. Hewould bust out a sufficient lead toenable him to produce a full-size CanonSLR camera and be waiting in the bush-es or on a rock outcrop for an action orscenic shot as I came into view.

During the two-hour ride, we spokeabout a wide variety of subjects thatranged from how to weave twitteraccounts into mainstream web market-ing to the benefits of 29ers, but regard-less of the topic, it was clear that trailissues were Jason’s passion of themoment. Everywhere we paused, hewould inspect and critique the trailbeneath us. Jason snapped photos ofcliff-side switchbacks supported by steelrods in bare rock, braced with fencingwire and backfilled with rubble. He pho-tographed trampolines constructed fromsaplings that were woven together tocatch riders who stumbled off of cliff-side corners. We tossed around alterna-tive drainage strategies for rutted trailsegments. It was clear that Van Hornknew his stuff, but what struck me washow flexible his mind was when he wasobserving other trail builders’ work. Thelesson that all good trail builders eventu-

14 www.mbaction.com

HAPPY TRAILS By Richard J. Cunningham

ally learn is to make best-scenario deci-sions based upon the resources on hand.

Many of the switchbacks are impossiblytight and steep for cyclists. The trails wehad been riding on were built for the mostpart by rocket scientists at nearby JPL lab-oratories long before mountain bikes camealong. Their Sierra Club Chapter was, formany years, the only group that built andmaintained the trails in the San GabrielMountains, and much of their workstands untouched and in great shapetoday. The Mount Wilson BicyclingAssociation handles much of the work-load now, and their construction style isfar more bike friendly. While there is adecided contrast in their techniques, bothgroups work toward the same end—tokeep trails safe and passable in the mostimprobable terrain.

Having done my share of trail work, Imarvel at the ingenuity of JPL’s old-schoolconstruction methods. I often point outsections of WWII steel landing mats to thecasual trail rider, or the fact that they havebeen riding for a fourth of a mile on rocksbeautifully stacked along a ledge. From arider’s untrained eye, the cliff-side single-track looks natural, like an extension ofthe mountain. Jason, however, was quickto notice and had an honest respect forthe incredible rockwork that JPL’s wilder-ness masons put into place sometimearound the Cuban Missile Crisis.

Riding with Jason afforded me a broad-er appreciation of the scope of IMBA’sTrail Crew Program and a sense of pridethat people like Jason and Inga were rep-resenting our sport where it is most neces-sary. Jason and Inga will be putting themiles on their Subaru Outback as they hitTrail Care dates in the Western U.S. andCanada. If you catch up with them (and Icertainly hope you will) be sure to showthem the A-rides in your neck of thewoods. Check out www.imba.com for theirnext stop and meet the latest members ofthe IMBA/Subaru Trail Crew with yourwork gloves, water bottle and a posi-tive, winning attitude. Ithink you’ll beimpressed.❑

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THE MAC ATTACK By Jim McIlvain

16 www.mbaction.com

I t was Norman on the phone. He’sone of my best non-mountain-bikebuddies. The guy lives in

Vancouver, British Columbia, andwhile his day job is running the fami-ly’s printing business, he moonlights asthe publisher/editor/circulation direc-tor of Motorcycho, the coolest littlemotorcycle ’zine in existence. He isalso the president of the ScorpionsMotorcycle Club. No, it is not a motor-cycle gang. The Scorpions restore andride late ’70s and early ’80s Japanesemotorcycles that have been convertedfor flattrack, hillclimbing and messingaround in abandoned quarries. Yes,Norman is one boss dude.

So we talked moto for a while until Ichanged the subject and told Normanabout the amazing mountain bike rideI had at a place called Strawberry Peak.Norman was silent for a moment andthen said, “I just don’t get it, eh. Whydo you enjoy those silly mountainbikes so much?”

Norman’s comment got me to think-ing just why I enjoy mountain bikingso much more than riding a motorcycle(something I’ve done since I was 14and still do today). The more I thoughtabout it, the longer the list grew.

★★★A bicycle helmet doesn’t weigh three

pounds.★★★

You can feel the wind in your hairwhile wearing a bicycle helmet.

★★★A bicycle helmet gives you three

mini fohawks, while a motorcycle hel-met gives you a hullet (a cross between

a mullet and a helmet-head). Thefohawk beats a hullet in style points

every time.★★★

You don’t have to wear gogglesunless you are sponsored.

★★★When you put on Lycra shorts, you

are ready to go. For moto, a Lycra shortis a base layer.

★★★You don’t need a chest protector.

★★★You don’t need knee braces.

★★★You don’t need a Leatt Brace unless

you are downhill racing.

★★★Cycling shoes don’t come up to your

knees or weigh six pounds.★★★

While motorcycle and mountain biketires cost pretty much the same (go fig-ure that one), it is easy to wear out amotorcycle tire in one ride. It takes alot of riding to wear out a mountain

bike tire in one year.★★★

You don’t rip the skin off yourknuckles changing a tire.

★★★There is a sense of accomplishmentwhen you clear a nasty climb that

would be the twist of a throttle on amoto.★★★

You can pick the bike up and carry itover stuff.

★★★The first words a park ranger says toyou are not, “You have the right to

remain silent.”★★★

Labored breathing is the loudestnoise that emanates from the bike.

★★★If the engine blows, it means pulling

off the trail and getting your heart ratedown.

★★★You have two kick-starters instead of

one. They both go around in circles andseldom kick back.

★★★If the gap is too large to bunnyhop,

you ride through it.★★★

You never get roosted, except whileriding through a stream, and then it is

only water.★★★

If something on the trail scares you,you can get off and walk around it.

★★★Four inches of travel is plenty.

★★★You get amazing gas mileage, and if

you run low on fuel, you can pop a fewShot Bloks into your mouth.

★★★You have to spend $5000 to get a good

moto, while $3500 will buy you an awe-some mountain bike.

★★★Finally, I can beat Norman when we

are on mountain bikes.

Jimmy Mac can be reached,

when he is not riding or writing,

at [email protected].

Mountain Versus Moto

visit us at SIXISIXONE.COM or call 661 257 2756

JHK

in Canada call 604 542 5661

The Sixsixone Raji is the lightest weight glove on the market. Lightweight design stays cool for all day epic rides and XC racing. The tough 0.5 Clarino palm is thin for a good feel on the bike and durable enough for the biggest DH crashes. Go to your nearest dealer and see why the Raji glove is preferred by riders for all styles of riding.

ADS_1.indd 30 4/21/09 10:09:39 AM

HARD TALES

Products

20 www.mbaction.com

Fox AnnouncesSweepingChanges ToProduct Line

Fox F-Series fork: The F-Series forks for cross-country rac-ing get new internals and lose weight. The production versionof the F100 RLC (external Rebound, Lockout and Compressionadjustments) is claimed to come in under 3.2 pounds, a changethat makes the fork’s weight attractive to the most discriminat-ing weight weenie.

Fox Isolated Technology: FIT is a damper system that usesa unique bladder design to provide reduced friction, reducedfluid aeration, and reduced unsprung weight. The ergonomic,handlebar-mounted remote lockout is now available in both leftand right hand versions. FIT dampers will be found in 32 F-Series, Float (air spring), TALAS (Travel Adjustable LinearAir Sping), and Vanilla (coil-sprung) forks for 2010.

All the Fox air forks receive new tunes to their air-springcurves for better utilization of travel. The TALAS forks receivea larger and more ergonomically friendly travel-adjust lever.

Fox 36 and 40 forks: Both lines have the RC2 damper withthe new FIT cartridge. Expect a reduction in friction forimproved bump sensitivity. The 20QR tool-free thru-axle sys-tem increases fork stiffness and front-end precision as well asensuring quick, hassle-free wheel changes.

Fox Float shocks: The 2010 F-Series air shocks get Fox’spatented Boost Valve damping technology. The Boost Valve wasfirst employed on downhill shocks. It is brought into the cross-country and trail categories in the Float RP2 (externalRebound and ProPedal) and RP23 (external Rebound andthree-level ProPedal) shocks.

DHX RC4 and DHX RC2 shocks: Both of these downhillshocks get externally adjustable high- and low-speed, velocity-sensitive damping and a completely redesigned Boost Valve forposition-sensitive damping and ending-stroke control that actindependently from each other. This allows the rider to dial ina balance of traction, small-bump compliance and big-hitabsorption. A larger diameter shaft lowers internal pressuresand increases oil flow throughout the entire shock, allowing fora wider range of tuning.

The man: Fox suspension wasn’t named after a carnivo-rous mammal. The name comes from the company’sfounder, Mr. Bob Fox, an engineer and former motocrossracer.

The2010

FoxD

HX

RC

4.

Fox Racing Shox has unveiled its 2010 mountain bikesuspension line. There are no major exterior changes tothe Float line but the internals have all received massivechanges. The downhill shocks get total makeovers.

The 2010 F-Series fork.


Claimed weight comparisons:Model 2009 2010F80 RLC 3.34 pounds 3.17 poundsF100 RLC 3.34 pounds 3.17 poundsF120 RLC 3.47 pounds 3.25 pounds

The 2010 Fox Float RP23 shock. The 2010 DHX RC4 shock.

Rebound knob

Oil chamber

Internal floatingpiston

Positive airchamber

Negative airchamber

Shaft eyelet

Rebound rod

Shaft

High-speedcompression circuit

Internal floatingpiston

High-speedcompressionadjuster

Low-speedcompression

circuitLow-speed

compressionadjuster

Rebound cam

Reservoir

Boost valve

ProPedal cam

Air sleeve

Rebound rod

Main air seal

Air sleeve seal

Nitrogen chamber

Wiper seal

ProPedal lever

ProPedal rod

Schrader valve

Nitrogen chamber

Rebound adjuster

Shock body

Oil chamber

Shaft piston

Shaft eyelet

Preload ring

Boost valve

Shaft piston

Shock body

ProPedalknob

Air springSchrader valve

Negativespring system

FIT expandingbladder

Air springchamber

Steerer tube

FIT RLC low-speedcompression dial

Damper shaftRebound adjuster

Lower leg

Piston/rebound

FIT damper tube

Air spring plunger shaft Upper tube

Fork crown

FIT lockout lever FIT RLC lockoutforce adjuster

Body capeyelet

HARD TALES

22 www.mbaction.com

Bikes

The Amazing 3D Racing B-29We see our fair share of beautiful bikes, but when 3D Racing’s Chris Herting dropped by the palatial

MBA World Headquarters with his personal ride, our collective jaws dropped, too. His 3D Racing B-29ercheater single-speed is a work of art too pretty to get dirty, but too functional not to thrash.

Cheater: The extra-large bike (21.5-inch-es from the center of the bottom bracketto the top of the seat tube) tipped theofficial MBA scale at 27.8 pounds. If youthink you are looking at a single speed,you’ve been had.

Overdrive: The Truvativ HammerSchmidtinternal transmission crankset gives the B-29 a high and low gear. “I rode this frameon the Durango trails for almost two yearsas a single-speed and when theHammerSchmidt was introduced, I had toupgrade,” says Chris, whose company isbased in the Colorado town. “Now, I canget up pretty much everything.”

Flip the switch: Chris didn’t care for thestock HammerSchmidt handlebar-mount-ed shift lever. He adapted a RockShoxfork lockout lever and fabricated a mount-ing bracket between his top tubes. “I don’tlike handlebar clutter, and the stockHammerSchmidt shifter is very large,”explains Chris. “This location works finebecause it is not like you have to shift allthe time. Just reach down and shift whenyou hit the climb.”

Having some fun: The top tubesprotruding in front of the head tube are acosmetic touch done for the fun of it. Thatdoesn’t mean Chris didn’t get some usageout of it. The rear brake cable enters theframe at this point.


The NextGeneration

Family

Steve Larsen, the same guy whose name ison the side of your Maxxis tires and wasteammate to some guy named Lance, cameout of semi-retirement to travel from his homein Bend, Oregon, to the Fontana National withhis son, Massimo, who is just starting his rac-ing career. How did the fast duo do? Popsnailed 33rd in the Men’s Pro cross-country(not too shabby for a 39-year-old realtor)while Massimo appears to be a chip off theold block, finishing third in the Junior Men’s11-12 class. Steve, who was a national cross-country champion in his prime, now ownsSteve Larsen Properties in Bend, Oregon.Being the boss makes it easy to sneak out fora little training.

People

Mike Sinyard,founder, owner andCEO of SpecializedBicycles, made thetrip down to theFontana National towatch his fast guys inaction. Not much of aspectator, Mikegrabbed a bike (anS-Works Epic no less)and took his own hotlap of the cross-country course.

OneFastCEO

Steel is real: Chris uses steel frame tubing because it gives him “that ride-feelyou can’t match.” The parallel top tubes bend to form the seat stays. This wasnot done for style. “This design gives the bike great bump compliance whiledelivering the kind of lateral rigidity that a single-speed bike requires,” explainsChris about his design. “It is a stiff frame that doesn’t beat the rider to death.”

Plenty of options: The B-29er’s dropout isdesigned so riders can have it their way. Thebike can easily be used with a single-speed,two-speed (like Chris’) or a multi-speed drive-train. The B-29er is not a prototype or showbike. “I have thrashed this design,” saysChris with a satisfied smile.

Internal memo: The rearbrake hose exits the leftseat stay just above thebrake caliper. While this isChris’ personal bike, he’llbuild one for you. The B-29er SS Retro frame sellsfor $1550 and with abouta two month turnaroundtime. You can reach 3DRacing at (970) 385-7840.

24 www.mbaction.com

HARD TALES

Contest

Remember that time you took your girlfriend mountain bikingand tried to teach her a bunch of stuff so that you could enjoyriding together more often? It didn’t go so well, did it? Youprobably stood there and gave her encouragement like “justride it” and “easy on the brakes” while she got more and morefrustrated. We’ll bet you were in the doghouse for a week afterthat, weren’t you?

Hey, we’ve been in that same doghouse, and we know thatit’s no fun. So the Dirt Series by Rocky Mountain Bicycles,Fox Racing Shox and MBA came up with an idea to solveyour dilemma: The Send Your Girlfriend to Camp Contest.

This contest will get you back in the good books and willhelp your girlfriend or wife learn to love mountain bikingas much as you do. The grand prize includes a free entryto a Dirt Series by Rocky Mountain Bicycles weekendskills camp, along with a 2010 Fox Racing Shox 32TALAS RLC 15QR fork and two-year MBA subscrip-tion. That’s all worth around $1100!

The Dirt Series by Rocky Mountain Bicycles(www.dirtseries.com) is a highly respected and provenwomen’s mountain bike instructional program. Ledby dedicated, experienced and motivating coaches,this Whistler-based program has traveled aroundWestern Canada and the U.S. for the past eight years,teaching over 5000 participants in the process. It’s afun and supportive way for riders from beginner toadvanced to learn new skills and fine-tune the ones they already have. The

camps pack a whole year’s worth oflearning into just one incredibleweekend.

And after the camp, well, she’llhave a ton of new confidence on thebike and will be able to ride stuff shenever used to even try. You’ll be ableto enjoy ripping trails together. Maybeone day she’ll even be waiting aroundfor you.

HOW TO ENTER TO WINSend an email to

[email protected], with the subjectline: Send My Girlfriend to Camp. Letthem know why your wife or girl-friend deserves to attend the campand how having her attend willimprove your life, too. The deadline isJune 30, 2009. The winner will benotified on July 10, 2009 after theDirt Series staff reviews all theentries. For camp dates and locations,check out their website atwww.dirtseries.com. The winner isresponsible for traveling expenses tothe camp as well as accommodationexpenses. ❏

Be smart: Let the Dirt Series by RockyMountain Bicycles use their experienceto show your sweetie the wonders ofmountain biking.

Hers, not yours:Don’t even think aboutkeeping the 2010 FoxRacing Shox 32TALAS RLC 15QR forkfor yourself. This forkgoes on her bike.

Send YourGirlfriend To Camp

ADS_1.indd 4 4/16/09 3:39:13 PM

TRAILGRAMS

26 www.mbaction.com

COTTONTAIL TIPBeing off the bike now for a year

(open heart surgery tends to slow youdown a bit) gives one a lot of time toread. So, when I read the tire fix article,I had to share a little idea I’ve used foryears. Pack a few cotton balls in yourpack. Use one or two to wipe the insideof the tire when you’re checking forwhat punctured the tube. Do thisinstead of using your fingers, because itprevents scratching your finger or draw-ing blood. It works, the cotton isreusable, and even weight weenies won’tcomplain.

Michael LewisWestlake Village, California

The April “Mac Attack” about cold-weather riding struck a nerve. Here area few of the responses.

COLD BUDDIESI found the cold-weather article hilari-

ous. I have three riding buddies. We allsnowboard and mountain bike together.We know how to layer and motivateeach other when it’s cold. The thermo-stat said 42 degrees for our Saturdaynight ride. We rode for an hour, and ourgroup was even joined by two girls. Atleast we are only nuts in perspective.

Joe ErneAsheville, North Carolina

OVERDRESSEDI don’t know how cold it was that day,

but to wear that many layers it musthave been around -20 degrees. Youshould try a week around here in mid-

November. We may be able to help youget used to cold-weather riding(although on a good year, mid-Novembermay turn out to be a good day of cross-country skiing). Practice makes perfect,so you’d become a little more efficient atgetting ready to head out in the cold.

Alex BeaumontOttawa, Canada

FROZEN RIVERReally enjoyed the cold-weather expe-

rience story and thought that I wouldshare my experiences. I am an avidcyclist who rides year-round. I go to col-lege and cycle to school daily and experi-ence everything from over half a foot offresh powder to -30 degree Celsius tem-peratures. I am not going to lie.Sometimes it is more pain than fun, butI would hate to walk. Even back in highschool, I used to bike to my girlfriend’splace year-round, and that was quite thetrek during winter. Best way was tocross the frozen river where snowmo-biles had packed a trail and then headthrough their trail for a while beforecoming to roads on the other side oftown. You wanna talk about turningsome heads; I had those snowmobilerspretty confused as I rode this during theday and night. My rides include anupgraded Norco Rival and a Gary FisherPiranha that has never seen the snowcause it’s my baby. Here in southernOntario, I use a cheap Schwinn, ’causethe salt and the freeze and thaw of thisarea are tough on bikes.

Curtis MorinOntario, Canada

CALL OF NATUREJimmy Mac’s observation about get-

ting all dressed and then having to goanswer the call of nature is so right!That last-minute trip to “el bano”seems to be an integral part of anycold-weather ride.

Andy FossLincoln, Nebraska

SAVED BY THE PHONEI had a cold-ride day like that on

Sunday. I mounted platform pedalson the bike. I got dressed in layers,and while dressing the phone rang. Iignored it. The cell phone rang. Iignored it. Phone rang again. Thistime I looked at the number and sawthat it was my wife’s cell phone. Shewas out of gas! I undress and takesome gas to her. I notice that thewind is just howling out. Got home,hit the couch and watched theDaytona 500. Maybe another day forthat ride.

Doug GageBrampton, California

RUSSIAN SUMMERLiving in Russia, I can share my

experience of snow riding.I use three layers of clothes. The

first layer is thermal underwear, thensecond are cycling jersey and pants,and the outer layer is Cannondale’sshelter pants and Gore bike-wear jer-sey (or maybe you call it shell). Forhands, good winter gloves fromEndura, and Louis Garneau wintershoes. Everything all together, thisoutfit gives you up to four hours ofcomfort riding. And it takes not toolong to put everything on. Of course,if it is really cold outside, better tostay at home and to stay alive.

RuslanMoscow, Russia

Write us [email protected] or hard

copy us at MBA Trailgrams, 25233Anza Drive, Valencia, Ca. 91355.

Include the town and state where youlive. Trailgrams tip of the month: Ifyou are not wearing a base layerunder your jersey, you are losing

comfort points. These are not the T-shirts you buy when vacationing atDisneyland. They are made from anultra-sheer material that dissipatesmoisture. Wear the sleeveless typeduring hot months and the long-

sleeve type in the winter.

Ads_2.indd 26 3/17/09 11:07:39 AM

28 www.mbaction.com

TRAIL MIX

MOUNTAIN VISION

Blurred vision, Killington, Vermont.Sovereign Slick Rock, Moab, Utah.

Vermont Pine, Kingdom Trails, East Burke, Vermont.

I try to capture the befores, durings and aftersall us mountain bikers appreciate.

James BaroneLyndhurst, New Jersey

floatrp

23

In a perfect world, you’d have Downhill suspension technology on your lightweight trail bike. Now with our World Cup proven FIT™ and Boost Valve technology, you can. Our FIT damping system is now available on all our new lighter weight 32 mm forks, giving riders incredibly consistent, fade-free damping and steering confi dence. Our FLOAT rear shocks feature Boost Valve technology for increased small-bump compliance and bottom-less feel on big hits. Purpose built. Race proven. FOX Racing Shox. We’re never done.

Visit our all new Website: foxracingshox.com

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ADS_1.indd 36 4/29/09 2:34:46 PM

Ripping the Alpine Trail in Oakridge, Oregon. This is singletrackheaven!

Phil KaznowskiClio, California

RIDING THE BIG O

30 www.mbaction.com

TRAIL MIX

Rollin’ the gnar keyhole on the KeyholeCanyon Trail in Lake Pueblo State Park,Colorado. Trying to keep from running overmy picture taker, Dave, who did a great joband had a lot of trust that I wouldn’t.

Rich ShelinbargerColorado Springs, Colorado

THREAD THE NEEDLE

The foggy Josephine Peak Trail in Los Angeles,California. Just taking a break after almost two miles of rac-ing uphill with friends, and I figured I might as well take apicture. From the left are me (Eric), Xandei, Rich and Jon.

Eric E. CruzGlendale, California

HILL CLIMBERS

TRAIL MIX

EPIC TRAILThe Sardine Lakes

Overlook Trail nearDownieville, California.

Shalyn and Jason GatesTemecula, California

Ads_2.indd 2 4/22/09 8:52:51 AM

BECOME ALMOST FAMOUSWe want to make you a star. Here’s how:1) Image file size needs to be 600 KB or larger.2) Tell us what is going on in your photo.3) Include your name and the city and state.4) E-mail it to Trail Mix ([email protected]).Trail Mix rider of the month: Scott Tedro.❑

Just browsing through the video wetook while camping in Arrowhead (nearHuntsville, Ontario, Canada), and whenI froze the frame, this was the result.The blurred image in the foreground ismy buddy, Nick, and I’m in the back-ground.

Erik SolymarOttawa, Canada

TRAIL MIX

My bike, Scott, taking a restduring another great ride herein Italy.

Nunzio Di DioSicily (Messina), Italy

TRAIL GHOST

TAKE A BREAK

Front Rear

The legendary FAT ALBERT now as an All Mountain twin pack. FRONT

Evolution SnakeSkin, DoubleDefense, Tubeless | 26 x 2.25, 26 x 2.40

for maximum steering control and braking grip. REAR optimized forpower transfer. Both have a lot more besides – SnakeSkin. The bestcombination for Alpine crossings. www.schwalbetires.com

Alpine AssociationAdvisory: Always useappropriate footwear!

Schwalbe North America

XMF6AC

XMF05AT

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Designed to be light, strong and affordable

36 www.mbaction.com

THRASH TESTS Thrash test rating:★★★★★ Perfection★★★★✩ Delivers above average value and performance★★★✩✩ Recommended for intended application★★✩✩✩ Shows potential but has drawbacks★✩✩✩✩ Save your hard-earned bucks

The Next XC 3/4 low-rise handlebar from Race Face wasdeveloped to allow for more aggressive riding by reducingcockpit height.

Tech features: Built for cross-country riding, the carbonfiber Next XC 3/4 bar has a three-quarter-inch rise, a 3.18-millimeter clamp size, is 27-inches wide and weighs sevenounces. Race Face claims their Next 3/4 handlebar ($110)has the highest strength-to-weight ratio of any carbon baravailable today. Race Face, (604) 527-9996.

After the thrashing: As we’ve tested various trailbikesover the years, we’ve made some observations. Our consen-sus is that a rider on a medium-sized trailbike with five tosix inches of travel will greatly benefit from a 26- or 27-inch-wide handlebar. We recently raved about the 5.5-inch-travelIntense Tracer VP, but criticized the 25-inch-wide handle-bar. The 27-inch-wide carbon fiber Race Face Next 3/4 low-rise handlebar seemed like the perfect solution.

Although it’s widely believed that a wider handlebar willinhibit climbing performance, we experienced the oppositeon this bike. The wider Race Face handlebar and 90-millime-ter Titec stem distributed the rider’s weight over the front ofthe bike and kept the 5.5-inch-travel front end from wander-ing. The improved climbing was an unexpected bonus, buton the descents, this Race Face bar significantly boosted the

MAXXIS HIGH ROLLER 3C TIRE

RACE FACE NEXT XC 3/4 HANDLEBAR★★★★★

performance of this already incredible trailbike. Althoughonly two inches wider than the stock bar, the Race FaceNext bar slowed down steering, making the front end morestable on high-speed technical descents and enhancing off-camber cornering ability.

Entering the “Race Face Experiment,” we had a hunch aslightly wider handlebar would improve the Tracer’s alreadyremarkable performance. Our hypothesis was not only cor-rect, but the experiment reinforced our belief that today’strailbike rider can overpower demanding terrain whileremaining in complete control.

up to braking forces. The side knobs have a harder rubberon the interior of the knobs to prevent them from foldingover under hard cornering, while the outermost side knobrubber is softer and tackier for optimized grip. AlthoughMaxxis makes the High Roller in sizes from 2.1-inches to2.7-inches wide, only the 2.5-inch downhill casing HighRoller is available with the 3C technology, featuring rubberwith durometers of 70, 42 and 40. The wire-beaded HighRoller’s famous ramped knobs are designed to keep rollingresistance low, yet provide enough biting edge for brakingpower. The High Roller 3C ($80) weighs 2.8 pounds and isdesigned for hardpack and loose-over-hardpack terrain.Maxxis, (770) 962-5932.

After the thrashing: The High Roller has received highmarks ever since it hit the mountain. Designed for downhillracing, the 2.5-inch High Roller 3C is ideal for hardpack ter-rain or moderately loose trails. The 3C compound takes thislegendary tire and improves on its versatility by improvinghigh-speed cornering grip. It doesn’t take a herculean effortto mount the High Roller to most downhill wheelsets, andwe raced them numerous times on both Mavic and DT Swissdownhill wheels. You could poll downhill racers fromSouthern California, Vermont and Whistler, and they’d agreethat if conditions are moderately dry, the High Roller is thetire of choice. Unfortunately, as is the case with most high-performance tires, the High Roller 3C is a race-specificdesign that would likely only last you about four races, andnot even that long if you’re a brake dragger. Downhillers notoverly concerned with race-oriented rubber compounds willappreciate Maxxis’ other High Roller models, which offerlonger-lasting rubber compounds and lower prices. Still, ifyou’re a serious racer or money is no object, Maxxis’ HighRoller 3C is at the head of the downhill class for moderatelydry and loose terrain.

★★★★★The legendary performance continues

Maxxis offers their High Roller tire in a 2.1-inch cross-country version, 2.35-inch trailbike version, and 2.5-inchand 2.7-inch downhill versions. We’ve been testing the 2.5-inch downhill race version featuring 3C Triple CompoundTechnology.

Tech features: Maxxis’ 3C Triple Compound Technologyis reserved for their high-end, competition-specific downhilltires. Perhaps you’ve seen their advertisements with GregMinnaar and Sam Hill racing on 3C tires. What is 3C?There are three different durometers of rubber in the tread.The center tread rubber is designed to roll faster and hold

TECHNOLOGY >> Our hydroformed downtube allows the use of both coil and piggyback shocks, the offset bottom linkage makes room for an ISCG mount (the

choice of 135mm or 150mm rear spacing lets YOU

The result is our strongest and stiffest frame yet,

WWW.THEBIGREVOLUTION.COM

BIG WHEELS GO BIGGERW.F.O. 9: NINER STABILITY MEETS FREERIDE ABILITY

ADS_1.indd 8 4/17/09 10:30:08 AM

38 www.mbaction.com

THRASH TESTS

Bontrager is the component and apparel division of theTrek/Fisher family, and the $130 RL Mountain is one offour shoes offered for mountain biking.

Tech features: Bontrager begins with an inForm designthat they hope delivers the ideal amount of toe-spring, with

Hydrapak continues to fine-tune their line of hydrationpacks with the $65 Point Reyes.

Tech features: The nylon Point Reyes has a large zip-pered pocket that contains a number of mesh pockets forgear organization. A long pocket is accessible through ahook-and-loop closure. Both of these are wrapped withexpansion straps for carrying oversized items. The 100-ounce reservoir gets a pocket all its own. Quilted air-mesh

shoulder straps are fullyadjustable, and there areremovable waist and sternumstraps. The pack weighs onepound, ten ounces. You canget more information by call-ing (510) 632-8318.

After the thrashing: ThePoint Reyes is the perfect sizefor the serious trail rider. Wewere able to carry tools, food,sunscreen, a bivvy sack, windshell, a helmet mosquito net,spare tubes and derailleurhanger, two pumps (shock andtire), a camera and first aidstuff. After loading all this,there was still space for more!Hydrapak has simplified theirreservoir over the years, andthis one is easy to access, easi-er to clean and never leaked adrop. It can also be reversedfor easy drying, and the hose

The beauty of the Hydrapakreservoir is its easy accessfor cleaning. Does the wideflap cause leaking issues?Nope.

the toes at a slight angle in relation to the carbon-reinforcedsole to help stabilize the foot while cycling. The shoe uses aderby cut pattern, where the tongue extends to the toe. Thismakes the volume of the toe box more adjustable in order toaccommodate a wider variety of feet. The RL Mountain shoecomes with an insole exclusively designed for Bontrager byeSoles, and the heel cup is designed to eliminate heel slip.The shoe’s upper is made from synthetic leather and nylonwith an air-mesh tongue pad. Our pair of size 10.5 shoesweighed one pound, 11 ounces without cleats. The shoes aresold at Trek and Fisher dealers. You can get more informa-tion by calling (800) 688-4324.

After the thrashing: Each RL Mountain shoe uses twohook-and-loop straps and one ratchet strap. Once snugged,the shoe offers a fit that rivals the best of Italian cyclingshoes. That’s saying a lot. There are no obvious pressurepoints, and there is plenty of toe room. It is like the shoe hasbeen wrapped around your foot. The shoe offers great pedal-ing performance (the sole is plenty stiff) and just enoughgive for hike-a-bike sections. It also dries quickly. The shoe’sdesign and thick stitching appear tough enough to last atleast a few seasons, and at only $130, that’s impressive.Keeping the shoe from a higher-star rating is the large size ofthe main strap’s ratchet buckle. It will occasionally catch ontrail shrubbery or scrape on rocks.

BONTRAGER RL MOUNTAIN SHOE★★★✩✩A great trail riding shoe at an amazing price

HYDRAPAK POINT REYESHYDRATION PACK ★★★✩✩Never get caught thirsty, hungry or without sunscreen

and valve are removable. The only problem you might havewith this product is that you can put too much stuff in it.But that will be your fault, not the product’s.

In 2009, Deus resets the standard for mountain bike trail cranks.

Featuring our new, completely reengineered Turbine chain rings. Machined in Canada with hard wearing 7075 aluminum, Turbine rings feature optimi ed pro ling on all ring surfaces, giving you super quick downshifts and clean, fast upshifts.

Our ‘09 Team XC BB completes this high performance pack-age. Utilizing a 16 ball retainer style bearing and packed with waterproof Phil Wood grease, these BB’s are built for smooth running and maximum mileage.

Crankset installation and removal is always a breeze with our new EXI interface. At 850g, Deus cranks are light, stiff and backed by an industry leading lifetime warranty.

Deus, aluminum made sexy.

WE CALL IT ‘DEUS’

BECAUSE THEY

WOULDN’T LET US

TRADEMARK ‘SEXY’

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THRASH TESTS

HALO SKULL CAP ★★★✩✩

Halo makes a number of products to keep the sweat out of youreyes (and off your sunglasses) while riding. The $21.95 Halo SkullCap takes over where the Halo II leaves off.

Tech features: The Halo Skull Cap is a pullover, vented-nyloncap with a band made of two thin layers of Dryline fabric to evapo-rate sweat. A feature dubbed Sweat-Block technology redirects thesweat to the sides of the Halo if the Dryline fabric becomes saturat-ed. The fabric that covers all this is made from micro fiber polyesterthat has been embedded with silver ions. These silver ions areclaimed to prevent the growth of bacteria. The Halo Skull Cap isavailable in black or white and stretches to fit all head sizes. You canget more information by calling (800) 508-4256.

After the thrashing: Slide on the Halo Skull Cap, take the fitpads out of your helmet (because the Skull Cap increases your head’sdiameter by approximately one helmet size) and put your helmet on.The Skull Cap gives a more secure fit than you’ve ever felt with thehelmet’s stock sizing pads. The thin Skull Cap band soaks up sweatduring the longest of rides. No more unexpected salty showers ofsweat over your glasses or into your eyes. Going downhill, the SkullCap keeps the helmet from rocking on your head. And unlike helmetpads, our Skull Cap never got stinky, plus it is easier to wash (justthrow it in the washer with your jerseys). While the Halo Skull Capdelivers on all its promises, those of us with a full head of hair stilllike the Halo II (a simple headband) better. If you prefer wearingskullcaps, give this product five stars. ❑

Take control of your sweaty waterfall

MBA_GIRO_JULY.ai 4/21/09 12:12:22 PM

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INSIDE LINE

42 www.mbaction.com

Don’t ride around with that perplexed look on your face. Send your troubling question to “InsideLine” and get the dirt from the most knowledgeable folks who mountain bike. E-mail your question [email protected], and we’ll get it answered.

CLAMP DOWNSaddle makers use everything from steel to carbon

fiber for their seat rails to save weight and add com-fort. On the other side, you have seatpost makers whooffer a zillion different saddle-clamping systems. Howcan you tell what clamp designs work best for yoursaddle of choice? Also, how do you know how muchtorque to use to clamp the saddle to the seatpost?

Jeff FeldmanSeattle, WashingtonWe asked Suzette Ayotte, who is the U.S.

Marketing Manager for Fizik Saddles, to take aseat and answer your question.

Most seatpost clamps are designed to work with standardseven-millimeter seat rails or oversized eight-millimeterrails, but there is really no industry standard. A good exam-ple of how different seat rails can be is our own 7x9 millime-ter ovalized carbon rail. The purpose of the ovalized 7x9 railsis to optimize seat rail technology, allowing rails and saddlestructure as a whole to handle an increased maximumcapacity of weight and stress. While torque values for carbonrailed seatposts will vary from each manufacturer, the maxi-mum torque value or recommended force for Fizik ovalizedrails is 18 N-m (Newton meters).

The industry doesn’t have a standard set of torque valuesfor tightening saddles to seatposts, as this is interdependenton seat rail design and varies from material to material.When working with titanium or chromoly, for example, thekey is to tighten enough so that your saddle won’t move, butto avoid over-tightening to the point where you cannot get itoff, as nuts and bolts tend to tighten even further when understress.

That said, two-bolt clamp designs like the Thomson’s aremore stable than single-bolt designs and require less torque.A general rule of thumb is that you should not need to crankdown on the bolts with all the force and might of your body tokeep the saddle from slipping. The second general rule ofthumb is that if your saddle is slipping, it’s not tight enough!If you absolutely cannot manage to keep your saddle fromslipping, there may be a defect in the bolt or the clamp.While most mid- to upper-level priced bikes are spec’d withquality components, it would not be a first if you are simplyriding an original-equipment-specified seatpost with a verycheap clamp or defective bolts. It happens. The best solutionwe have found to this problem is simply to upgrade.

BEHIND BARSA buddy says I should keep the handlebar width a bit

wider on my single-speed than on a geared bike. Howcome? I get that it makes for better leverage, but why isn’tthis true for any bike?

Doug CawleyArlington, TexasWe posed your question to 3D Racing’s Chris

Herting. Chris makes both single-speed and multi-speed mountain bikes from scratch in his Durango,Colorado, workshop.

Your buddy’s suggestion is correct. Wider bars do equal moreleverage. On a single speed, you need all the leverage you canfind at both the cranks and handlebars. Any time the terraingoes up on a singlespeed, you have to get out of the saddle anduse all your strength and body weight to crank up the hills andkeep whatever momentum you have going. On a geared bike,the extra leverage is not as noticeable or needed, since you haveall those gears available for the varied terrain. With gears, youcan stay seated on the climbs and keep a higher cadence with-out having to stand and torque on the cranks and pull with allyour might on the bars.

The only drawback to the wide bars is a tendency to over-steer because of the extra leverage (as well as bashing yourhands into other competitors or obstacles on tight, narrowsingletrack).

Ads_2.indd 20 2/17/09 3:57:08 PM

44 www.mbaction.com

INSIDE LINE

GOING TO GREAT LENGTHSCan somebody explain the pros and cons of running a

170-millimeter length versus a 175-millimeter lengthcrankarm for trail riding?

“Little John” MilnertSt. George, UtahRace Face offers their popular Deus XC cranks

in both lengths, so we asked Chris Johannes, whohandles product development and testing for RaceFace, to field your question.

Studies have been done on the effect of crank length, andthere isn’t a clear-cut conclusion that a longer or shortercrank consistently performs better for all the trail condi-tions an off-road rider may face.

There are various pros and cons to running differentlength mountain bike cranks (165-180 millimeters). Tomake the right choice, a rider needs to think about his bodytype, bike geometry and style of riding.

Generally, the longer your upper leg (femur), the longerthe crank you should run to feel comfortable riding withoutrisk of a possible strain to your knees and joints. Longer

cranks provide a longer lever for a given gear. Longer crankscan be a plus for climbing; for riding smooth, wide-open cross-country trails; for racing time-trial events; or for pedaling aslightly higher gear. If this sounds like you, crankarm stiffnessand crankarm weight should also be considered important.

Some riders may feel shorter crankarms allow them to accel-erate their pedaling cadence more quickly. They may feel theshort crankarms make it easier for them to spin their desiredgear. However, a high gear at a lower cadence with a shortercrank may actually be more likely to cause knee or joint prob-lems due to higher loads.

Shorter cranks are less likely to bottom out when pedalingthrough technical and rocky terrain. The shorter cranks allowfor better clearance around sharp corners at speed, and may bebetter suited for bikes with low bottom bracket heights due toframe design or setup (suspension sag).

Remember that saddle fore/aft position, saddle height, andeven cleat position (for clipless pedals) can all play a role ingetting set up in a comfortable and efficient pedaling position.Shorter/longer cranks usually require one to raise/lower hissaddle height to compensate. ❑

Passion Driven.

Our brand was bred from the very roots of

mountain biking, NOT borrowed

from the automotive or any other industry.

We are unique and exclusive,

designing and manufacturing

tires specifically for your sport, your lifestyle, your passion.

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T he Santa Cruz Blur XC is the first carbon-fiber-framed bicycle to emerge from Santa Cruz, and itreplaces the aluminum-framed Blur XC that has been

totally eliminated from the line. This new offering has thepotential to reset the handling standards by which the dual-suspension, cross-country race genre will be measured foryears to come.

WHO IS IT MADE FOR?The Blur XC is intended for cross-country racers, but that

is selling it short. This bike’s solid handling makes it attrac-tive to trail riders who want to keep weight to a minimumwithout sacrificing comfort or control.

WHAT IS IT MADE FROM?Santa Cruz chose a carbon component maker to build

the Blur XC frame because they had extensive experiencelearned from building intricateparts like handlebars, cranksetsand stems. This experience directlyaddressed the problem areas of mountainbike frames like shock mounts and linkagepivot locations. The Blur XC’s swingarmand frame are molded unidirectional carbonfiber. Construction isstunning, and SantaCruz says theinside of themolded frameis almost asbeautiful. Wewere sur-prised to seemolded-indepressionsfor the chainstay protector,chain-suck plateand cable guides—intelligent treatments thatare mysteriously missing from longtime players in the car-bon game. The swingarm is triangulated by a single strutas with the old aluminum Blurs. There is plenty of roomin there for big, 2.35-inch knobbies—and the chainstaysare short at 16.6-inches.

The dual-link rear end has four inches of wheel travel.The upper link is carbon fiber and the lower is forged alu-minum. Pivot shafts are oversized for stiffness and run onangular contact bearings that are specifically designed tohandle lateral stress. Grease fittings on the lower link arefeatured to make the Blur XC user serviceable, and the bear-ings can be tuned to eliminate future side play due to bear-ing wear.

WHAT COMPONENTS STAND OUT?Shimano XTR speaks for itself, as do the Easton EA90

alloy stem and carbon fiber MonkeyLite SL handlebar. DTSwiss wheels and Kenda Small Block Eight tires are as light-weight as they are reliable. Santa Cruz takes pride in the factthat its carbon fiber racing chassis does not have a rider-

MBA est

Taking Carbon Fiber To The Next LevelThe Santa Cruz Blur XC

weight limit, and its component selection underscores theircommitment to reality-based engineering.

HOW DOES IT PERFORM?Pedaling performance: The Blur XC’s rear suspension

will move around slightly as you pedal, but not in a way thatwastes energy. Those who view any shock or fork move-ment under power as a bad thing can elect to switch on theirshock’s Motion Control pedaling platform and the ride willfeel as rigid as a no-suspension 29er. With only four inchesof rear wheel travel, you will find its ride a little harsherthan most of the Santa Cruz trailbike lineup, but not enoughto slow your pace when there is a chance to open her up.

Moving out: We hammered with and without theRockShox anti-bob controls and quickly discovered that thenew Blur was far more exhilarating to ride with the suspen-

sion left wide open. That’s where we leftit. Staying seated got us the best resultsduring accelerations, and we foundourselves dropping down a cog justbecause we could.Climbing: The Blur’s short-coupled,

chainstays keep the rear tire pinned tothe ground without the need to take

extraordinary measures tomaintain traction up

steep or loosegrades. There isnoticable pedalkickback whenclimbing in thegranny gear ifthe suspension

is near toppedout (or in lockout

mode). Once thesuspension moves

into its travel, the sen-sation disappears, but the

unwanted pedal feedback is going toannoy the cross-country racer.

Descending: There may be some Blur XC competitorswho can claim to climb as easily, or perhaps, accelerate aswell out of the turns, but there are few that can match thisbike’s handling at speed. The Blur XC’s balanced suspen-sion, laterally rigid chassis and nonconformist, 69.5-degreesteering angle combine to produce handling performancethat experienced riders expect from aggressive, long-traveltrailbikes. Push the Santa Cruz to your personal limits andyou will be at once impressed by the Blur XC’s secure steer-ing and its ability to track a precise line—and disappointedthat you didn’t ride that section a little faster.

TRICKS, UPGRADES OR TIPS?The Blur XC’s suspension rate is quite linear, and its

leverage ratio is higher than many new designs, so you willneed to use a lot more pressure in the shock’s air spring. Werecorded 225psi for average-weight riders (with heavier rid-ers in the 250psi range) to keep the sag in the recommended20- to 25-percent zone. This will require owners to keep an

Fashionably late: SantaCruz waited for the big

brands to show their stuffbefore releasing its first

carbon fiber cross-countryracer. The Blur XC’s frame

geometry breaks long-standing rules—and the

sound barrier.


eye on linkage bearings and perform shock servicing regular-ly. Also, the shock has a 275psi limit which will be a limit-ing factor for heavy riders.

Up front, we used RockShox’s air pressure recommenda-tions. Bottom line is, use 25-percent sag, use the leastamount of rebound and compression damping as possible,and go ride.

BUYING ADVICERacers will find the Blur XC ready and willing to take on

any competitor over any course. The chain feedback is a pos-sible deal breaker for riders who find themselves regularlyattacking steep, granny-gear ascents. Epic trail riders willrediscover the beauty of a lightweight machine that can han-dle technical descents as if the trail were made specificallyfor Santa Cruz riders.

It is truly lightweight, and its suspension-specific geome-try finally puts the foolishly unstable road-bike-feeling hard-tail numbers to death. This bike offers up bullet-fast acceler-ation and good climbing performance in a handling packagethat can run with the five-inch-travel trailbike pack.❑

48 www.mbaction.com

Dual punch: Santa Cruz’s revised VPP rear suspension and theBlur’s light weight make it an exceptional climber—and itsrelaxed steering geometry gives it wings on the downhills.Watch out!

Borrowing from its brother: Like the longer-travel Blur LT, theBlur XC’s VPP linkage rocks on angular contact bearings andthe lower link has grease fittings. The 2009 suspension geome-try feels great under power.

The Next Level

Specifications

SANTA CRUZ BLUR XCPrice $5999Country of origin ChinaWeight 23.3 poundsHotline (831) 459-7560Frame tested 17.7" (medium)Bottom bracket height 12"Chainstay length 16.6"Top tube length 23"Head angle 69.5°Seat angle 73°Standover height 29"Wheelbase 42.5"Suspension travel (front) 3.9"Suspension travel (rear) 4"Frame material CarbonFork RockShox SID Team Shock RockShox Monarch 3.3Rims DT Swiss XR4.2dTires Kenda Small Block Hub DT Swiss 240 DiscBrakes Shimano XTR Crankset Shimano XTRShifters Shimano XTR Handlebar Easton Monkey Lite XC (27.5”)Front derailleur Shimano XTRRear derailleur Shimano XTR Chainrings Shimano XTR (44/32/22)Cassette Shimano XTR (11-34)Pedals None (Weighted w/Shimano XTR)

ADS_1.indd 10 4/17/09 9:07:25 AM

And all mountain bikerscan do the same

50 www.mbaction.com

U ntil three years ago, 56-year-old Robin Lemondswas the president of the Orange County, California,SHARE Mountain Bike Club, an organization dedi-

cated to promoting responsible mountain biking. “SHAREis a non-profit, IMBA-affiliated organization that coordi-nates trail work, hosts educational programs, and mostimportant, we ride!” says Lemonds. Robin jokinglydescribes himself as 29 and single, meaning he rides a sin-gle-speed 29er mountain bike. His wife, Jane, has been abig part of these projects, and his stepdaughter, son anddaughter-in-law all are avid mountain bikers.

“Jane has been a driving force behind my efforts,” saysRobin. “She’s the realistic one on the team. When I comeup with harebrained ideas, she reels me in, and when myenthusiasm changes (up or down) she puts me back oncourse.”

Although his five-year occupancy of the SHARE presi-dency has come to an end, Huntington Beach nativeLemonds is still an active SHARE patroller. “SHARE hasbeen in existence for 20 years, and I was the presidentuntil a few years ago. It’s strictly a group of Orange Countytrail users who do all of the trail maintenance for state andcounty parks. It’s not an acronym, and it doesn’t officiallystand for anything other than sharing the trails with otheroutdoor enthusiasts,” he explains.

“I started doing IMBA/NMBP (National Mountain BikePatrol) patrols with a group that was volunteering to help

MBARIDERSWHOInspire

Robin LemondsTeaches OthersTo Share

Protect and swerve: Orange County’s Robin Lemonds spent fiveyears as the president of SHARE, an organization teachingresponsible trail use.

monitor the Laguna Coast Wilderness Park. It was anundermanaged open space area that was gradually beingopened to the public over a seven-year period. It was amulti-use space for hikers and equestrians as well. Wepatrolled the land and educated the public about the parkrules. That experience made me realize how the educa-tional aspect of the patrol unit could be effective in bat-tling the increasingly bad reputation of mountain bikers inother areas of Orange County.

“One of the first projects I did in that capacity was toorganize a patrol program at our local Crystal Cove StatePark. They embraced our efforts almost immediately, asmountain biking is the main recreational activity at thatpark, and trail conflict was beginning to get out of control.They were thrilled to have a group of mountain bikerscome to them and offer to be the eyes and ears of thebackcountry. Their park management embraced thatCrystal Cove program, and they eventually took over theorganization and scheduling of the patrollers. We nowhave two patrollers on duty every weekend day, and theyhave become a common presence in the park. They pro-vide advice to new park users about good routes for hik-ing and mountain biking, and carry water and tools forunprepared trail users. They stay away from any type oflaw or rule enforcement, but they do educate the publicwhen they see infractions like illegal trail use, littering,smoking, or dogs in the park. Any problems they seewhile on patrol are reported to the park rangers. Since wedidn’t want to appear to be an enforcement entity, we callour group Trail Assistance Volunteers. Membership inSHARE or IMBA is not a requirement to be in the pro-gram, but we do encourage both. This program hasexpanded into three other parks in Orange County, andwe now have approximately 40 patrollers.”

During his time as SHARE president, the most impor-tant thing Robin learned from his experience was thattrail user education can go a long way toward reducingtrail conflicts and abuses to open spaces. He feels othercommunities can embrace the SHARE methods, and trailusers of all kinds can enjoy the outdoors in harmony.

“I feel riders can pass on those principles to oneanother, which will ultimately have apositive effect on thosemountain bikingcommunities.”❑

Patrol team: Robin and his wife, Jane, voluntarily patrol the trailsof the Laguna Coast Wilderness Park, offering water and tools forunprepared trail users and suggesting the best routes.

For more information on how SHARE

is dedicated to protecting and enhancing

mountain biking opportunities, visit

www.sharemtb.com

Ads_2.indd 32 4/23/09 9:18:18 AM

52 www.mbaction.com

T he 2009 Titus FTM (Full Tilt Moto) is a brand-newmodel that falls into the same trailbike category asthe perennial favorite, the Titus Motolite. The FTM

offers a half-inch more rear wheel travel than the Motoliteand a completely different frame. That frame is available inaluminum (tested here), titanium and Exogrid (the propri-etary Titus tubing that uses a laser cut titanium tube with acarbon insert).

WHO IS IT MADE FOR?The Titus FTM is a trailbike. It is intended for the rider

who wants one bike to handle it all. That means it has topedal efficiently, climb well, descend with confidence andstill offer a lively feel.

WHAT IS IT MADE FROM?The FTM is available in three frame materials, and we

stuck with the most affordable of the three—aluminum. Thealuminum frame uses optimized, hydroformed, butted 6000series aluminum tubing. Titus calls the FTM’s stays theirLight Rail System. It features asymmetrical, hydroformedchainstays and a one-piece carbon fiber seat stay with forgedand machined dropouts. The shock’s rocker link is a one-piece, compression-molded carbon fiber design. Unlike theMotolite, which offers two rear wheel travel settings depend-ing on the shock’s mounting position on the rocker link, theFTM’s geometry is optimized for 5.3 inches of travel, andthat’s what you get.

WHAT COMPONENTS STAND OUT?The FTM is sold as a frame and shock. Titus offers four

build kits that can have your FTM rolling for between$3595 (Kit 1) and $7195 (XTR kit). Our FTM was a customblend of parts that would run you about $4795. The beautyof the FTM is that it doesn’t use any proprietary compo-

MBA est

Titus Unleashes A Full-Tilt SurpriseThe Titus FTM

nent designs. Sure, the shock is valved for this bike, butunlike a design that requires a unique shock, fork or drive-train, the FTM was engineered to accept conventional com-ponents. That means if Fox upgrades their Float shock nextyear or the year after, the FTM will accept the upgrade easi-ly. This is a big plus for riders who plan to ride a new bikefor years.

HOW DOES IT PERFORM?The FTM falls into the same riding category as the

Motolite, and the Motolite is a bike we have recommendedfor years, so comparisons are inevitable. We can tell youright now, the FTM is totally different from the Motolite inboth appearance and performance.

Moving out: Titus made sure the FTM was ergonomical-ly correct. The cables are expertly routed, the frame andstays all tuck in so there is no unwanted contact with therider, and rider position feels more centered than on theMotolite. While 19.25 inches (measured from the center ofthe bottom bracket to the top of the seat tube) is large for amedium frame, it doesn’t feel that large in the saddle. Don’tlet that number scare you, this is a medium-sized trailbike.

Hammering: Our FTM had a reasonable weight, and feltlighter than it actually was. The bike moves out well,whether you choose a small gear to spin or a big gear totorque. The FTM’s rear suspension (the Horst-link, ownedand licensed from Specialized) requires the shock to be runwith the shock’s ProPedal lever on, or you will feel unwant-ed movement.

Cornering: This is where the FTM pulls away from theMotolite (a bike we love). The FTM gives its rider a muchmore connected feel with the front wheel. Whereas theMotolite has always felt a little tall in the front, the FTMfeels hunkered down, even with the fork’s travel adjustmentset to full. It loves tight, twisty, fast singletrack and doesn’t

lose its zest for corners when the speed increases. Thisis a bike that will have you hammering the boring

sections so you can reach the tight, techie stuff.Climbing: We had our best results with the

shock’s ProPedal turned on to the firmest setting,the same setting as when hammering. Thelower-feeling front end allows the FTM rider to

leave the fork in its full travel and just spinup the climbs. You don’t need a lot of

position change to maintain trac-tion, except on the steepest ofsections.

Descending: Open upthe shock’s ProPedal leverand let her rip. The TitusLight Rail System workswell to hold the line youare trying to nail. Infact, the Light RailSystem is a big part ofwhy the wrecking crewloved hammering and cor-nering this bike. The qual-

ity rear suspension travel,the Fox fork (with the


Making contact: The FTMconnects to the trail surface in away that makes a rider salivatewhile waiting to get to the nexttwisty section. The bike has ahunkered-down feel absent inmany long-travel trailbikes.

No guess work: The FTM delivers 5.3 inches of rear wheeltravel. Unlike the Titus Motolite that offers two travel settings,the one travel length freed Titus engineers to optimize the bike’sgeometry.

Full-tilt attack: We dropped in on some nasty sections to givethe Light Rail System a true test. The FTM has a deep-suspen-sion feel that helps the rider through tough situations.It stood up to our beating.

Unleashed15-millimeter thru-axle) and the solid chassis all worktogether for an exhilarating feeling on the descents. Andwhen you get a little too crazy, you’ve got those amazingMagura Marta brakes to slow you back down to a safe speed.

TRICKS, UPGRADES OR TIPS?You may be tempted to set the shock’s ProPedal on the

softest setting and simply leave it on all the time. Thatworks, but not as well as switching between full-strengthProPedal and wide open. Luckily, the shock position makesthe reach to the ProPedal lever intuitive. As far as changingstuff, we couldn’t come up with anything. This bike is readyto go.

BUYING ADVICEWe bid the Motolite, arguably the most recommended

trailbike in the wrecking crew’s history, a fond farewell withtears in our eyes. It will still be around, offered as a lower-priced Titus trailbike, but the writing is on the wall. TheFTM takes the trail rider to a new level, with better han-dling and more travel, without the penalty of added weightor complexity. The FTM is a great, made-in-the-USA trail-bike that takes the place of the Motolite on our short list ofbikes that will do everything you want and leave you stokedafter every ride.❑

54 www.mbaction.com

Specifications

TITUS FTMPrice $4795Country of origin USAWeight 27.9 poundsHotline (800) 858-4887Frame tested 19" (medium)Bottom bracket height 14"Chainstay length 16.85"Top tube length 23.5"Head tube angle 69.25°Seat tube angle 71.75°Standover height 30"Wheelbase 43.5"Suspension travel (front) 5.5"Suspension travel (rear) 5.3"Frame material AluminumFork Fox 32 TALAS Shock Fox Float RP23Rims DT Swiss 4.2dTires Kenda Nevegal (2.35”)Hubs DT Swiss 370Brakes Magura MartaCrankset FSA AfterburnerHandlebar Maxm MX-5 (26.25”)Shifters Shimano XTFront derailleur Shimano XTRear derailleur Shimano XT ShadowChainrings FSA (44/32/22)Cassette Shimano (11-34)Pedals None (weighed w/Shimano XTR)

Royal Chevron Jersey:Durable simple construction that’s light weight, yet trail tough. Large side to back mesh vents to allow maximum airfl ow.

Royal Pro Glove:4-way stretch air mesh, direct inject TPR, and a vented Clarino palm.

Royal Sub Short:Light and durable all purpose short with removable padded liner, a lower back stretch panel, velcro side adjustments, screen printed logo detail, and a velcro fl y with dual pop snap closure.

visit us at ROYALRACING.COM or call 661 257 2756in Canada call 604 542 5661

ADS_1.indd 32 4/21/09 10:11:44 AM

56 www.mbaction.com

MB

AFEATU

RE

How To Start Your Own

Mountain Bike TeamAnd maybe win 48 state and five nationalchampionships like Todd Booth

The Platinum Performance Team has 45 riders based in and around SantaBarbara, California. The team, formed by Todd Booth in 2004, alreadyhas an impressive race-win history. In the five short years since its

inception, Platinum Performance Team riders have won the California StateCoed Team title four times. The team has produced 33 California State SeriesChampions, 11 California State Champions, four National Champions and oneNational Series Champion.

We asked Todd if he would share his secrets to founding and running a suc-cessful mountain bike team and, to our surprise, he agreed. We thought thatmaybe a guy as competitive as Todd wouldn’t want to give away his secrets tosuccess, but it turns out Todd has a big heart. He knows what a positive impacthis team has had and hopes that by sharing his insights he can benefit others.

IN THE BEGINNINGBy Todd Booth

I work at Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital in theCardiac Catheterization Lab. On a daily basis, I see whata lack of exercise and bad living habits do to the body.My goal in life is to influence my son by showing himthat a healthy lifestyle and determination are keys to asuccessful life.

I took my first mountain bike ride in 1989. After racingMammoth that same year, I’ve been hooked ever since. Thefields might have been bigger back then, but racing is a lotharder today. The racers are more focused, and the startline is filled with solid riders who put a lot more time andtraining into the sport.

Family affair: Todd is the first one to acknowl-edge that pulling off a successful team requiresthe understanding of your family. His wife,Rosa, and son, Skyler, are as much a part ofthe team’s success as the riders are.

Fertile ground: Bud Donatoni leads it up a climb with TeamSho-Air and Team Amgen in hot pursuit. Southern Californiahas a number of successful mountain bike squads, and youcould have one, too, if you follow some simple suggestions.

Phot

oby

John

Goo

dman

I have raced for the Cielo Velo Team, the Revolution Team,and before forming the Platinum Performance Team, theAmgen Cycling Team. While being part of a team is essentialfor today’s competitive racing atmosphere, I felt no connectionto my Amgen teammates. I was an out-of-town rider, so mak-ing team rides or meetings was tough. That’s what got methinking about starting a team.

I wanted to form a team where everyone was like family. Iknew Santa Barbara had a lot of mountain bikers. Even so,who knew that four years later Santa Barbara would producesome 60-plus riders who often dominate their respective class-es on the state and national mountain bike cross-country cir-cuit? Much of our success comes from the way the team wasformed, and there is no reason why your team can’t be just assuccessful. Keep in mind these basics:

IT IS A COMMITMENTRunning a team can be a full-time job, but not many of us

have 40 hours a week to work on it. Balancing a medical pro-fession, training, team responsibilities and spending qualitytime with my family is a challenge. My day includes takingcare of team issues by 6 a.m., commuting to work on the bike,and putting in an eight-hour shift. That’s five times a week,plus sometimes I’m on call. Before you commit to forming ateam, make sure you understand that not everyone is cut outto run a team, and it is a major commitment. Luckily for me, Ican say that five years into the Platinum Performance Team, Istill love what I’m doing.

KEEP IT LOCALForming a team with local riders has many benefits, like car-

pooling to events and high turnouts at meetings and trainingrides. Keeping the riders based out of the same area limits yourheadaches. Dispersing sponsorship products, utilizing localsponsors, and all team functions are executed more smoothly.

The good fight. cannondale.com

IT’S A LOCK.The Lefty 130mm PBR. Air sprung for lightness, but tuned tofeel like a coil-sprung fork. With push button lockout and rebounddamping. Standard on the Cannondale Rize Carbon.

Ads_2.indd 28 3/17/09 11:16:39 AM

58 www.mbaction.com

MB

AFEATU

RE Mountain Bike Team

AGREE ON A NUMBERSetting a limit to your rider roster is a very important step.

Remember, these tips are for forming a race team, not a moun-tain bike club. There is a big difference. You have to find a bal-ance between enough riders to make an impact on the racescene and having enough product to give out to everyone. Lastseason, we got up to 60 riders. That turned out to be too manyfor one guy to keep track of. I’m very blessed with the mostunderstanding family in the world, and my wife, Rosa, is anangel, but having that many riders was taking up a lot of time.

The other problem with accepting too many riders is that itdilutes the sponsorship contributions that are shared amongall of the riders on the team.

FINDING A SPONSORIf you go after sponsors who are already involved with

mountain bike teams and riders, your team may take a back-seat. Seeking out companies that don’t sponsor other teams isbeneficial. This allows your team to form a stronger relation-ship with the sponsor.

Our sponsor, Platinum Performance, was a small name onthe human supplement front. They focused mostly on theequestrian and small animal supplement markets. It was a per-fect fit, because our riders helped out with product testing andfeedback, and they won a lot of events, which gave PlatinumPerformance the exposure they were looking for. The team’ssuccess benefits the company, and in return, they reward theteam.

Our team’s vice president, John Goodman, explains that,“First, it’s important to consider what a sponsor will gainthrough a bike team sponsorship. Does the sport offer themexposure they will benefit from? Can the team utilize the com-pany’s products and proactively support the sponsor throughregular use and promotion? The Platinum Team chose to tar-get sponsors in the cycling and sports supplement business.Their products and services are beneficial to the team, and thesponsor gains important visibility within the markets theywant to be visible in.”

I took a chance and named the team after our major spon-sor. The downside to this is that if the sponsor drops support,the team’s name will need to change. Still, our team’s commit-ment to Platinum Performance has made us more attractive tothem. Your sponsor has to feel good about supporting yourteam. The name goes a long way towards doing this.

HANDING OUT THE FREEBIESKeeping all the riders on the same product and race reim-

bursement plan prevents animosity. Every level of rider is abenefit to the team. My main goal is to motivate riders to raceat a higher level. I have set rules that each rider must competein at least eight of our team’s scheduled races per season. Thiswas set up as an amateur race team, not a club.

Our sponsors have been very generous. PlatinumPerformance has supplied the team with free supplements forthe last five years. Specialized Bikes has offered us great dis-counts, so we encourage our riders to stick with one bike com-pany. Our local shop, Bicycle Bob’s, has generously supportedour riders with discounts and labor for years. Rudy Projectdoes the same with glasses and helmets. Fancy Floors,Crankbrothers, Goodman Graphic, Platinum Fitness, ElitePerformance, Jim Adam’s Chiropractic, Northstar Coffee, SolidRock Construction, Uptime, Kenda, and All Wheel Sports givethe team financial support as well as product discounts.

The team has to be fair with handouts, discounts and racereimbursements. State Series Champions get the full seriesreimbursed. We have a rider fund for those who need a littlemore support. In addition to race finishes, the team offers riderbonuses for lining up articles on themselves or the team in thelocal media.

DON’T FORGET YOUR ROOTSTo stay competitive in the California State Series means

always maintaining your team at the entry level. That is one ofour keys to success. Platinum Performance constantly builds astrong beginner base. Then we nurture and grow these ridersinto strong expert-level competitors.

PICKING THE BEST RIDERSPersonality is the number one trait. A positive and motivat-

ed rider is way more beneficial to a team than a nationallyranked racer. If you can find both, you have hit the jackpot.

Writer and rider: Todd Booth shares his secrets for running asuccessful team, but don’t expect him to coach you on how topass him during a race.

Sweating the small stuff: When your team does land a spon-sor, it is your duty to make sure that support is rewarded. Thisdoesn’t necessarily mean winning races. It means the productsare used properly and every rider becomes an ambassador.

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60 www.mbaction.com

MB

AFEATU

RE Mountain Bike Team

Again, all I ask for is eight races minimum. I hope formore, like helping out with team events, organizing rides orwriting race reports. I want riders who will represent thesponsors in a positive way in competition.

We do have a board of directors. A few of the riders evenhelp out behind the scenes with various duties. I try to com-pensate them with race reimbursements. I love it when arider is so motivated that he offers help without me coercinghim.

SMOOTHING OUT THE BUMPSI have been hit with unforeseen issues that your team may

experience. Most of the problems come from riders notthinking when it comes to sponsor obligations. In the begin-ning, all the riders were required to wear the same gear. Thegoal was to make the team more professional looking.Unfortunately, some of the riders were photographed whilenot wearing the approved gear. A sponsor saw the photosand was a little upset. That almost cost us the sponsorship.

The latest problem was riders taking advantage of thelocal shop’s employees’ time by asking lots of technical ques-tions. It was pulling the employee away from the paying cus-tomers. Other team members should have answered thesequestions. We put a stop to that before it became a problembig enough to jeopardize our relationship with the shop.

GET IT IN WRITINGThe problems mentioned above will not happen again

because the team now has a written agreement with eachteam member. You need to spell everything out in the con-tract and have the riders sign it. Once they have read therules and agreed to them, the problem is usually solved.

GET THE WORD OUTMy obsession is getting team race results out to the media

and to the sponsors as quickly as possible. The media lovesthe full reports with photos, so they can post them, and thatkeeps the team in the news. That’s what the sponsors wantto see. Keeping the team active on the race scene and in themedia is the way to keep sponsors satisfied. This will alsospark the interest of talented riders without the need to goout and recruit them.

ON THE WEBA huge bonus for any team is a professional and up-to-date

website. John Goodman runs Goodman Graphics and is themaster behind our website (www.platinummtb.com). This iskey to attracting new sponsors. It also keeps sponsors informedabout the team’s results with photos and race reports.

ON THE TEAM ELEMENTWe hold a Sunday mountain bike ride early in the season

and add a Wednesday evening mountain bike ride as the sea-son continues. Many of our riders also jump in on one of theabundant local road rides we have in this area.

Team meetings are limited to clothing or equipment hand-outs, rider suggestions, upcoming races, and future team plans.I will turn it into a bigger happening by asking a sponsor tospeak about their products as well. Since everyone is on a tightschedule these days, e-mail is the main way our team commu-nicates.

ONWARD TO THE FUTURESet new goals for every season. Keep the team in the fore-

front of media coverage. Keep your riders motivated. This allbrings good race results, and good results lead to happy spon-sors.

This year, Team Platinum Performance will compete at theUS Cup West, the California State Series and select regionalevents across the US. After we tackle that? Maybe PlatinumPerformance will be going after the World Cup Series.❑

Lots of work: Training and racing mountain bikes is nothing compared to organizing and running a team. Keeping riders, sponsors and fami-ly members happy is a tough job that requires the right person. The Platinum Performance Team is a great example of a well-run machine.

Team effort: Without the help of dedicated team members liketeam Vice President John Goodman (458), holding the gangtogether would be close to impossible. It doesn’t hurt that Johnis experienced in public relations.

Phot

oby

Tod

dB

ooth

.

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62 www.mbaction.com

Riding a cushion: TheMission 2 softens the traillike few bikes. There is nogetting around the bike’sweight when climbing, butfor way less than $3000,who’s complaining?


MBA est

A Diamond In The RoughThe Diamondback Mission 2

stem and seatpost. The Hayes Stroker Trail brakes use whitecalipers and reservoirs. The Diamondback guys even tooktime to spec a different tire for the front and rear wheels.Diamondback also throws in a free National Bike Registrymembership with the Mission 2.

HOW DOES IT PERFORM?The Mission 2 has a long wheelbase, and it’s noticeable as

soon as you settle into the saddle. Rider weight is centered,and the rider position is classic trailbike (fairly upright).The 25-inch-wide bar feels a little narrow, but the soft rub-ber grips feel awesome.

Moving out: This is not a light bike, but there is sometype of magic going on here. Setting the suspension with anhonest 20-percent sag results in the feeling of floating downthe trail. Leave the ProPedal off and enjoy the flying carpetas the Mission 2 glides over rocks, ruts and roots. It is crazy.You see obstacles coming at you, but never feel them as youroll over them. This is one smooth bike.

Hammering: Thirty-three pounds is a lot of weight to getup to speed, but don’t despair. Stay seated, pick a comfortablegear, and build up to the speed you want to hold. The amazingrear suspension keeps the tire hooked up when other suspen-sions would have the tire slipping or losing contact with thetrail. We didn’t use the ProPedal lever, because even wideopen, the suspension remains oblivious to your pedaling input.

Cornering: The Mission 2 is not going to dive under across-country race bike in the tight corners, but who cares?Instead, the Mission 2 is a stable, somewhat slow handlerthat doesn’t cross the line into feeling sluggish or too rakedout. Diamondback gives you an seven-inch front and six-inch rear brake rotor that work great in this application.The Hayes Stroker Trail brakes offer good modulation, soyou never find yourself locking up the rear wheel or scrub-bing too much speed entering a corner.

D iamondback is best known for their broad offering ofvalue-priced, value-packed, dual-suspension andhardtail mountain bikes. While selling rows of moun-

tain bikes is good for a company’s bottom line, the hardcoreriders and designers at Diamondback (located just outside ofSeattle, Washington) wanted to strut their stuff and make astatement. The Mission 2 is the result of their efforts.

WHO IT IS MADE FOR?The Mission 2 is such a versatile trailbike that it is easier

to explain what it is not for. While the 2 is tough enough tospend a day ripping the double-black-diamond trails of anymountain bike park, Diamondback also offers their $3750Scapegoat with a Truvativ HammerSchmidt two-speed inter-nal transmission crankset if you are a season pass holder.Outside the park, the Mission 2 will tackle any trail obstacleor situation you decide to attack.

WHAT IS IT MADE FROM?The Mission 2 is made from aluminum. No carbon fiber

stays and no apologies. This bike is built for unabashedabuse. The frame’s top tube is hydroformed and angled toreduce standover height. All the welds are beautiful. Therear suspension delivers six inches of travel through whatDiamondback calls their Knuckle Box suspension.

The Knuckle Box is the triangular rocker that is locatedlow in the frame and positioned to accept a massive 200x51-millimeter shock. This long stroker allows the Mission 2 toenjoy a lower leverage ratio than if the bike used a shortershock. The one-piece seat stays use an arch just in front ofthe rear tire to firm up the rear-end performance.

WHAT COMPONENTS STAND OUT?Everything stands out on the Mission 2. The WTB Pure V

Sport saddle gets white highlights. Easton supplies the bar,

Climbing: If you want to reach down and turn on theshock’s ProPedal feature you can, but you don’t need to. Justspin along in a comfortable gear and work your way up theclimb. Use the sweet suspension to pick the shortest line, notthe smoothest line. When the going turns steep, move to thesaddle’s nose and power away.

Descending: The Mission 2 rider is never aware there isa full six inches of travel under his chamois until he starts todescend. It is while hitting sizable obstacles at speed thatyou finally notice all that travel. The rear end has a very lin-ear feel as it moves through its travel, and even bottomingthe suspension doesn’t punish the pilot. The brakes workwell, and the tire selection was an astute choice. Torsionalflexing in the rear end is evident when slamming a berm, sodon’t use the Mission 2 for dual-slalom racing. That’s a joke,because it is not a race bike. One wrecking crewer surmisedthat the slight flexing in the rear end was one of the reasonswe all loved this bike so much.

TRICKS, UPGRADES OR TIPS?The grips slipped, so we’d replace them with lock-on style

grips once they were worn out. Other than that, theDiamondback crew did all the work for you. The suspensioncomponents, brakes and drivetrain should be left alone.

BUYING ADVICEThe Mission 2 sells complete for the price of some bou-

tique brand’s frame and shock combos. But this is not just agreat bike for the price; it is a great bike. In fact, it is more

64 www.mbaction.com

Slow, not sluggish: There is a thin line between slow and slug-gish, and the Mission 2 does not cross it. The bike is more funthe faster you push it.

Knuckle Box: The triangular rocker allows the use of a longshock. This long stroker allows the Mission 2 to enjoy a lowerleverage ratio that makes fine tuning a reality.

A Diamond

Specifications

DIAMONDBACK MISSION 2Price $2650Country of origin TaiwanWeight 33 poundsHotline (800) 222-5527Frame tested 17" (medium)Bottom bracket height 14.5"Chainstay length 17.5"Top tube length 23"Head tube angle 68°Seat tube angle 72°Standover height 30.5"Wheelbase 44.5"Suspension travel (front) 5.9"Suspension travel (rear) 6"Frame material AluminumFork Fox 32 Float R 15QRShock Fox Float RP2Rims Sun EqualizerTires WTB Prowler Hubs AlloyBrakes Hayes Stroker TrailCrankset Truvativ FireXHandlebar Easton EA50 (25”)Shifters SRAM X-7Front derailleur Shimano DeoreRear derailleur SRAM X-9Chainrings Truvativ (44/32/22)Cassette SRAM PG-950 (11-34)Pedals DB Sound platform

bike than a recreational trail rider needs (Diamondbackmakes the Sortie for them). The Mission 2 is for the riderwho wants to push the limits on a bike that can keep upwith his lofty ambitions. How good is this bike? If you tooka Mission 2 demo bike on a nasty test loop, you’d buy one.Mission accomplished. ❏

— RACHAEL LAMBERT, SPECIALIZED WOMEN’S PRODUCT MANAGER

DIFFERENTIS A

VIRTUE.

“I’VE ALWAYS LIKED GETTING MY HANDS DIRTY. PLAYEDWITH BUGS. BACKPACKED, CAMPED, SNOWBOARDED AND NURTURED AN OBSESSION

FOR RIDING MOUNTAIN BIKES. THE FASTER, THE BETTER. BUT THAT’S THEBEAUTY IN WHAT I DO TODAY. I DEVELOP BIKES AND GEAR THAT LET WOMEN BE

THEMSELVES. NO MATTER WHO THAT IS.” D4WGEAR.COM

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On LocationAmazing shots from around the world

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Photo by: Colin Meagher.

Rider: Andreas Hestler.

Location: Pot Peak Trail,

Washington. Brand: Rocky

Mountain Bikes.


Twelve times a year, MBA does our best toinform you about the newest mountainbikes and components that are hitting the

mountain. Sure, the latest widget info is super,but sometimes we all just want a glimpse of someepic riding photographs. We’ve compiled a photogallery featuring some of the sport’s top brandsand riders, so sit back, relax, and imagine yourselftackling the epic terrain on the following pages.

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Photo by: Christophe Margot.Location: Dolomiti, Italy.Brand: Scott USA.

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Photo by: Christophe Margot.Location: Dolomiti, Italy.Brand: Scott USA.

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On Location

Photo by: Ian Hylands.

Rider: Niki Gudex,Location: Sun Valley, Idaho.

Brand: Scott USA.


Photo by: Colin Meagher.Rider: Andreas Hestler andWade Simmons.Location: Gooseberry Mesa,Utah. Brand: RockyMountain Bikes.

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Photo by: Ian Hylands.Rider: Mike Hopkins.Location: Vancouver, BritishColumbia.Brand: Scott USA.


Photo by: Sterling Lorence.Rider: Cam McCaul.Location: Highland MountainBike Park, New Hampshire.Brand: Trek Bicycles.

Photo by: Sterling Lorence.

Location: Durango, Colorado.

Brand: Trek Bicycles.

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On Location

Photo by: John Ker.Rider: Bryn Atkinson.Location: Livigno, Italy.Brand: GT Bicycles.

Photo by: Sterling Lorence.Rider: Thomas Vanderham.

Location: Whistler, BritishColumbia.

Brand: Shimano.

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On Location

Photo by: Scott USA.Rider: Contessa Team.Brand: Scott USA.


Photo by: Christophe Margot.

Location: Dolomiti, Italy.

Brand: Scott USA.

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Photo by: Sterling Lorence.

Rider: Cam McCaul.

Location: Highland Mountain

Bike Park, New Hampshire.

Brand: Trek Bicycles.


Photo by: Viktor Strasse.Rider: Timo Pritzel.Brand: Scott USA.

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Race form: Specializedoffers their S-WorksStumpjumper HT Disc infive sizes. The top tuberuns tall to its meeting withthe head tube and requiresa little getting used toduring sprints.


MBA est

Committed To WinningThe Specialized S-Works Stumpjumper HT Disc

HOW DOES IT PERFORM?This is an easy bike to evaluate because Specialized estab-

lished well-defined rules of engagement. This is a weaponwhose trigger should be pulled when aimed at the start of across-country race.

While a hardtail race bike doesn’t need a lot of setup time,the Specialized’s Future Shock S90 needs some careful setupattention to achieve its full potential. The fork, whichincludes Specialized’s Brain Fade technology, is not intuitiveto set up. You need to carefully read the setup instructionsin the owner’s manual or visit the Specialized website.Following their recommendations will get you close to theideal setting from the get go.

Moving out: The SW HT puts you in a full-race position.Your back will be close to flat as you stretch out in the longcockpit. This position is not for comfort. It is for staying low

and cheating the wind. The bar has a sub-tle bend, and the lack of suspensionlockout levers cleans up the cockpit con-siderably. The saddle is firm withoutbeing a torture device. Standover height

is a bit intimidating, and the toptube feels high.

Hammering: The SWHT feels lighter than its20 pounds (with water-bottle cage, numberplate and computerbracket attached).With that weight youhave a bottom bracket

and rear stays that areso stiff a sledgehammer

blow to the crankarmwouldn’t bother them, giving

you a rocket ship. This bike doesn’t accelerate as much as itexplodes. In the saddle or out, as long as you pick the besttraction, you are going to be moving.

Cornering: The SW HT doesn’t tolerate lazy riders. It isa precision machine that takes rider input seriously. If youare used to slow, heavy trailbike steering, you will find theSW HT almost unridable. This bike does exactly as instruct-ed and does it fast. What surprised the wrecking crew is thatthe SW HT held its own on fast fire road descents whererace bikes can become skittish. The SW HT held its linewith authority.

Climbing: Good tires, a rigid frame, ideal rider positioningand the bike’s quality drivetrain will get you up your favorite(or most hated) climb faster than you have ever ridden itbefore. Stay seated, pick any gear that won’t destroy yourknees and power away. The Brain in the fork relieves youfrom the chore of choosing between locked-out and open set-tings, and there is no tendency to wheelie. Even out-of-saddleefforts are rewarded with a solid blast of acceleration.

Descending: The SW HT requires mad skills for descend-ing. That is the price you have to pay for a 20-pound racebike that could win a World Cup out of the box. There is lit-tle margin for error. Apply too much brake and the wheelswill lock. Move too far forward and you risk endo’ing.Hesitate and you will lose.

W hile Specialized’s reigning cross-country worldchampion, Christoph Sauser, did the deed on thepopular dual-suspension S-Works Epic,

Specialized has not forgotten about the hardtail holdouts.The 2009 Specialized S-Works Stumpjumper HT Disc ismade for this small but enthusiastic group who want noth-ing to do with rear suspension.

WHO IS IT MADE FOR?Many bikes fall into a gray area of usage. The Specialized

S-Works Stumpjumper HT Disc (we’ll call it the SW HTfor the rest of the test) is not one of them. This bike ismade for cross-country racing. Period. End of story.

WHAT IS IT MADE FROM?The SW HT’s frame, available in five sizes, is

Specialized’s own blend of carbon fibercalled FACT 10M carbon. The SWHT’s frame appears to have been sculptedrather than molded. It is a thing of beautythat almost obsoletes the notion of frametubes, because every tube onthis frame morphs into thenext. The top tube andseat stays form onesolid arch. The seattube and downtubeblend together atthe massive bot-tom-bracket shell.In a word: stunning.

The frame usesforged disc dropoutswith a replaceablederailleur hanger. The headtube accepts a 1-1/8-inch cartridge bearing on top and a1.5-inch cartridge at the bottom. An integrated, oversizebottom bracket was designed together with Specialized’s S-Works oversized carbon crankset.

WHAT COMPONENTS STAND OUT?Specialized has decked out the SW HT with their own

crank, fork, wheels, saddle, grips, waterbottle cage, handle-bar, hubs, seatpost, tires, quick-release skewers and chain-stay guard. The only companies allowed to join the funwere Shimano for the derailleurs, shifters and cassette;Syntace for the stem; and Avid for the brakes. And evenAvid had to agree to making a special version of theirUltimate SL Mag brakes with alloy-backed organic brakepads, a magnesium caliper and titanium hardware beforethey were invited to join the team. To say Specialized prod-uct managers are a picky bunch is an understatement.

Something important to note is that while some bikecompanies develop components to their own proprietarystandards (leaving you no way to experiment with othercomponents or use components you already own),Specialized went to great lengths to make sure aftermarketcomponents will fit this frame. If you purchase an SW HTframe, chances are most of your favorite components fromyour existing cross-country racer will switch over.

TRICKS, UPGRADES OR TIPS?The wrecking crew was all over the board on the fork’s

Brain Fade setting. Some ran it full force, while others pre-ferred between four and five clicks of platform. Ridingcourses with soft or muddy terrain requires more clicks out.Still, it boils down to rider preference.

The seatpost and seat tube were a sloppy match, and ashim was added to assure that the seatpost did not suffercreep during the ride. Speaking of the seat tube, we were alittle surprised that setting a 30.5-inch saddle height (fromthe center of the bottom bracket to the top of the saddle)required running the seatpost above its limit. That’s a bigrisk on a carbon frame with a carbon post. We were testingan 18-inch frame, so that saddle height should be accommo-dated. Our advice is to carefully work with the bike shop tomake sure the frame you end up with accommodates yoursaddle height requirements.

BUYING ADVICEThe Specialized S-Works Stumpjumper HT Disc does not

offer the versatility of a dual-suspension race bike like theSpecialized S-Works Epic (and that would not be considereda versatile bike either). Making your buying decision eventougher is recent sightings of an S-Works Stumpjumper HTwith 29-inch wheels that will probably be a 2010 modeloption.

So is the Specialized S-Works Stumpjumper HT Disc agreat bike for you? We can see two scenarios where itwould be a logical purchase. First, if you are rich or spon-sored, this bike could be your second cross-country racebike. Your first should be a dual-suspension race bike. Youwould then choose which bike to race based on the race-course you are attacking and the day’s conditions. Theonly other reason for purchasing the S-WorksStumpjumper HT Disc is if you refuse to ride a dual-sus-pension bike.

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Limited edition: The SW HT is the most technologicallyadvanced cross-country hardtail race bike that we have evertested. The bike comes with limits that every rider shouldunderstand before making the buying decision.

Winning

Specifications

SPECIALIZED S-WORKS HTPrice $6600Country of origin TaiwanWeight 20 poundsHotline (408) 779-6229Frame tested 18"Bottom bracket height 12"Chainstay length 16.6"Top tube length 23.6"Head tube angle 71°Seat tube angle 73°Standover height 30.5"Wheelbase 42.2"Suspension travel (front) 3.5"Suspension travel (rear) NoneFrame material Carbon fiberFork Specialized Future Shock S90Shock NoneRims Roval Controle SLTires S-Works Fast Trak LKHubs Roval Controle SL X/DT Brakes Custom Avid Ultimate SL MagCrankset S-Works OS carbonHandlebar Specialized XC Carbon flat (23.5”)Shifters Shimano XTR RapidfireFront derailleur Shimano M660 SLXRear derailleur Shimano XTRChainrings Specialized (44/32/22) Cassette Shimano XTR Ti (11-34) Pedals None (weighed w/Shimano XTR)

If you decide to add the S-Works Stumpjumper HT Discto your stable, one thing is for sure—you will have the mosttechnologically advanced cross-country hardtail race bikethat we have ever had the pleasure of throwing a leg over.❑

Parts department: (Clockwise from left) The SpecializedFuture Shock S90 fork, tapered head tube and massive bottombracket shell with Specialized S-Works OS carbon cranks.

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MAXXLITE MEDUSAUltimate Lightweight

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Cog in the machine

T he rear sprockets (we call them cogs) on your rearwheel are attached to your rear hub in two ways.Some older bikes or low-priced mountain bikes use a

freewheel system. You can identify this because the rearwheel has a large thread machined onto the hub. Thesprockets are fixed to a ratcheting mechanism called a free-wheel. The freewheel threads onto the hub. The freewheelhas a clutch or ratchet system inside that allows the sprocketsto spin when you are coasting and locks when you are pedal-ing. When the freewheel is removed, all the sprockets comewith it.

The other is a cassette system. A freehub ratcheting systemis mounted to the body of the hub. This freehub body, thatalso acts as a clutch when coasting and locks when pedaling,

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Tools needed:

You’ll need a chain whip, large crescent

wrench, 20-spline lockring tool (two dif-

ferent styles shown), a paint marker

(optional) and a cleaning solvent.

is splined on its outer shell. The cassette sprockets (cogs) usethese splines to properly slide and align on to the freehubbody. A lockring threads into the freehub and holds thesprockets.

The “Garage Files” is going to show you the steps topulling the cogs off a cassette system. The main reason toremove the cogs is to replace a worn cog. The other reason isfor cleaning. Now, while the cassette cogs can be cleanedwhile attached to the freehub, if we have been through anepic ride where the cassette was exposed to tall grass, mudand sand, we’ll take the time to pull the cogs off so we canclean not only the cogs, but the space between them on thefreehub. Excessive use of chain lube will also gunk up thisarea, and that gunk can be cleaned out by disassembly.❑

Remove the quick-release skewer or drive-side axle nut. Themajority of mountain bike cassettes use a 20-spline lockring tohold the cogs in place. Slide a 20-spline lockring tool into thelockring.

Slide the quick-release skewer back into the axle, through the lock-ring tool and put the skewer nut back on the skewer. Snug the nutand then back it out an eighth of a turn. The skewer and the nut actas a holding device for the lockring tool. This is an optional step.Think of it as added insurance.

Use the chain whip to hold one of the middle cogs.

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Use a large crescent wrench and adjust it to fit the lockring tool.Turn the crescent wrench in a counter-clockwise direction whilepushing the chain whip in a clockwise direction (without thechain whip, the cassette would rotate freely). It will take somemuscle to loosen this lockring, and you will hear and feel a click-ing noise as it starts to loosen.

5

7

8

6Turn the crescent wrench just far enough to break free the lock-ring. Now remove the skewer nut and skewer completely.

You should be able to turn the lockring tool by hand once theskewer and skewer nut are removed. Keep turning the lockringuntil it comes off the cassette. Careful, the cogs can slide off atthis point.

Remove the cogs and be careful to record what side of the cogis facing outwards. If in doubt, dab the outside with a paintmarker. You do not want to flip them around by accident whenreinstalling. Also, if there are spacers between the cogs, notetheir position between the cogs and keep track of the directionthey are facing. You want every component to go back onexactly how it was removed. We lay each piece on the work-bench exactly in the order they will be reinstalled.

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Clean up the cassette body just to make it easier to slide the cogs back on.You don’t need to grease the body. This will only attract dirt.

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Clean all the cogs thoroughly with a solvent and brush. It is difficult to seecog wear. The rule of thumb is, if it wasn’t skipping, the cogs are still okay.

Slide the cogs and spacers back on in the order they were removed. If youdon’t, you will have one strange-shifting bike.


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Grease the threads of the 20-splinelockring and thread it onto the cassette,hand snugging it with the special tool.

Leave the tool in place and slide theskewer back in and snug up the skewernut. Again, this is optional, but it helpskeep the tool from popping out.

Use the crescent wrench to turn thelockring until tight. Since you are tight-ening in a clockwise direction, you donot need to use the chain whip. Thecassette is locked in the clockwise(drive) direction.

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M arin has increased its line of 29-inch-wheeledmountain bikes to four models for 2009. The NailTrail 29er sits at the top of the heap just in front

of the Pine Mountain 29er single-speed and two lower-price-point geared offerings: the $1420 Palisades Trail and $785Alpine Trail.

WHO IS IT MADE FOR?The Nail Trail 29er is a hardtail trailbike that uses 29-

inch wheels. It is intended for the trail rider who doesn’twant rear suspension. This rider is attracted to simplemountain bikes that don’t require a lot of setup time ormaintenance.

WHAT IS IT MADE FROM?The Nail Trail 29er is constructed from 6061 alu-

minum. The bike uses a proprietary triple-butted, hydro-edge-formed top tube and downtube. The seat stays andchainstays use double-butted aluminum. The stays areoptimized for rigidity, with a distinctive bend and shapethat isn’t easily discerned with the eye. These tubes needto be touched to get an idea of how much engineeringwent into them.

WHAT COMPONENTS STAND OUT?Marin didn’t build the Nail Trail 29er as eye candy. Its

battleship-grey frame and black and silver components weremeant to blend in, not jump out. The bike appears to havebeen constructed in partnership with Shimano. The newShimano SLX and XT components are all business. Fillingout the spec are items from WTB (Marin’s next door neigh-bor) and FSA.

MBA est

Pounding NailsHas Never Been So Much FunThe Marin Nail Trail 29er

HOW DOES IT PERFORM?We immediately noticed that Marin has lowered the stan-

dover height of the Nail Trail 29er a half an inch over the lastMarin 29er we tested, and that makes all the difference in theworld. It boosts a rider’s confidence to know that the top tubeis tucked out of harm’s way.

Moving out: Bikes with 29-inch wheels have taller gearingthan 26-inch wheeled bikes, and you are reminded of that onthe Nail Trail 29er. From a dead stop, choose either a lowergear or a little more muscle to get up to speed. The Marin’sframe encourages you to take the latter approach, because itoffers firm, flex-free performance. It likes to be ridden in a biggear. The Nail Trail 29er rider sits inside the bike, and thelower center of gravity is noticeable immediately.

Cornering: If you tried early 29ers and hated the big-wheelfeel in the corners, you owe it to yourself to try it again. Framegeometry has changed over the years to compensate for thelarger wheels, and Marin did it right. The bike steers light,sticks like glue and doesn’t require rider acrobatics to make itwork. Staying seated (and centered) is all you need to do tomake this bike rail any corner. Toe overlap? Not one of thewrecking crew could get their fat feet to make contact in thetightest of switchbacks.

Climbing: The big wheels smooth the trail, and this is a realbenefit on the climbs. The rider can concentrate on holding agood rhythm instead of worrying about steering around everybump, rock or root in the trail. Again, we had the best luck

staying seated and maintaining a comfort-able spin up the climbs. The Nail Trail

29er has a respectable weight, but it isno lightweight trailbike, and the bigwheels mean you don’t have the lowgear of a 26-inch-wheeled bike.

When the going gets steep, it is up toyou to put down the effort. There is no

bailout gear on the Nail Trail 29er (orany 29er).


Please touch: The MarinNail Trail 29er frame tubesneed to be touched to beappreciated. There is a lot

of engineering in thissimple-looking hardtail.

Descending: The big hoops take the sting out of flat-edged bumps and at the same time stick to the trail like theyare an inch wider than claimed. The bike’s low center ofgravity increases confidence. Use the big wheels and framerigidity to their full advantage when descending and youwill fly by an equal rider on a 26-inch-wheeled hardtail andgive the dual-suspension guy a run for his money.

TRICKS, UPGRADES OR TIPS?The bike had a loose seatpost-to-seat tube fit. We needed

to add a shim to keep the seatpost from slipping. We wouldconvert the wheels and tires to tubeless after we hadpatched the tubes a few times. Lock-on-style grips would bea nice upgrade, but you won’t need them until the stockWTB grips wear out. You can add a chainstay pad, but wedid not have any chain slap issues during our time on theNail Trail 29er.

BUYING ADVICEMarin has delivered a hardtail trailbike with 29-inch

wheels that is ready to rage (right down to the pedals). Thebig wheels smooth the trail and give you traction that waspreviously only enjoyed by riders of full-suspension bikes.There is nothing that this bike needs. You can buy one andride it for years without spending another penny on any-thing but normal-wear items. Marin nailed it with the Nailtrail 29er.❑


Trail mannered: The Nail Trail 29er steers light, sticks like glueand doesn’t require rider acrobatics to make it work. Stayingseated (and centered) is all you need to do to make this bike railany corner.

Firm fit: The Marin dropouts are forged for strength and deliverin the ride department. The derailleur hanger is replaceable. TheShimano XT rear derailleur is reliable and easy to tune.

Pounding Nails

Specifications

MARIN NAIL TRAIL 29erPrice $1995Country of origin TaiwanWeight 28.2 poundsHotline (800) 222-7557Frame tested 17"Bottom bracket height 12"Chainstay length 18"Top tube length 23"Head tube angle 71.5°Seat tube angle 73.5°Standover height 29"Wheelbase 43"Suspension travel (front) 3.9"Suspension travel (rear) NoneFrame material AluminumFork Fox 32 F29 RLShock NoneRims WTB Laserdisc Trail 29erTires WTB Prowler SL (2.1)Hubs Shimano DeoreBrakes Shimano SLX hydraulic discCrankset ShimanoHandlebar Marin MTN XC Series (27" wide)Shifters Shimano SLXFront derailleur Shimano SLXRear derailleur Shimano XTChainrings Shimano (44/32/22)Cassette Shimano (11-34)Pedals Shimano M520 clipless

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ADS_1.indd 11 3/23/09 3:38:30 PM


The 21-PoundCannondale Project Rize

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W e were impressed with the2009 Cannondale RizeCarbon 1 (tested in our

September 2008 issue). We concludedthe test saying, “The Rize is a trailbikethat thinks it is a cross-country racer. Itis light, responsive, slim and just aseffective (and fun) on the 40-minutelunch loop as it is on a six-hour, I-can’t-believe-I-rode-the-whole-thing epicexcursion.” We weren’t the only onesimpressed.

The guys at Newbury Bike Shop inNewbury Park, California, were equallyblown away. Then it happened. Theyhad just finished an after-work ride onLos Robles Trail and were munching ontheir Double-Doubles at In-N-OutBurger, conveniently located right nextto the bike shop. Talk turned fromhow fun it was riding the Rize tohow much fun it would be to builda Rize from the frame out. TheRize is available in five models(two carbon framed and three alu-minum framed), but Cannondalealso sells it as a frame/shockcombo so you can become the prod-uct manager. A frame/shock combowas ordered, and the Project RizeCarbon NPLO was hatched.

Cannondale and Newbury Park Bike Shopbuild a beauty

THE PROJECT RULESThe Rize Carbon 1 we tested tipped

the scales at 24.4 pounds withCrankbrothers Smarty pedals. The goalof the Project Rize Carbon NPLO(which stands for Newbury Park LocalsOnly) was to trim at least two poundsoff that mark. There was a catch, howev-er. It would be easy to lose the weight,and at the same time lose the ability touse the Rize as a trailbike. This was notacceptable. The final build had to pro-duce a durable, ridable trailbike.

In addition to shedding weight with-out losing the essence of the Rize ride,the guys wanted their project to attractattention. This was not to be a sleeper orsubtle bike. They wanted to elicit jaw-dropping reactions from riders whowalked into the shop. The gang went towork.

Floating proof: The Project Rize felt just like the realthing, only lighter. The bike’s light weight and long travelmade every trail easier to ride. It really pays off in slow,technical sections.

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Rize

Newbury Park Locals Only (left to right): Shane Heid, Ben Cox and Anthony Aker arethree of the guys who made the Project Rize dream come true. Shane Kelly (not pictured)was the bike’s builder. Somebody had to mind the store.

THE RESULTIt is estimated that 40 hours of labor

went into the creation of the ProjectRize Carbon NPLO. And this doesn’tinclude two weeks of acid baths and pol-ishing of select components by ThePolishing Shop in Oxnard, California,(805) 278-8274. Cannondale got word ofthe project and threw down a pre-pro-duction 2010 Lefty fork. Parts wereimported from Italy. The bike was metic-ulously assembled. The result was astunning Cannondale Rize Carbon withCrankbrothers Eggbeater pedals thatweighed a mere 21.25 pounds on theofficial MBA Ultimate Digital Scale. Thebike’s value is in the neighborhood of$8000.

THE RIDEThe Project Rize Carbon NPLO takes

getting used to. A rider has to treat itlike the precision instrument that it is.That means deliberate, controlled brakeapplication. It means that rider positionhas a bigger influence on cornering,braking, climbing and jumping than ona heavier bike. It means gear selectionmakes a giant difference in forwardmomentum. This is a hypersensitivetrailbike, and that’s why we loved it.

The Project Rize Carbon NPLO takesover three pounds off the productionRize Carbon 1. This weight reductionoffers the biggest benefit on climbs. Inmost instances, you are better off leavingthe chain in the middle ring and power-ing up climbs. Dropping to the grannyfeels like an exercise in bike balancing.The Project Rize makes easy work outof tight switchbacks. You can easily loftthe bike over trail obstacles. You can usethe quick handling and ample suspen-sion travel to fly down descents, andthat light weight is always egging you onto loft off or hop over stuff.

Finally, a big surprise came directlyfrom Cannondale. The pre-production

Polished performance: Componentswere polished for pure esthetic appeal.The polishing did not reduce weight. Itadded to the bike’s visual impact.

First look: The Project Rize Carbon NPLOused a 2010 prototype Cannondale LeftyFork that did a lot more than reduce weight.

Importers: Italy’s Extralite components,like these chainrings, are hard to find inAmerica. That’s not a problem forNewbury Park Bike Shop. They importExtralite components directly from Italy.

2010 Lefty Fork donated for the projecthas a new feature that we have beggedfor. The fork’s lockout now offers ablow-off circuit, so if you hit somethinghard while locked out, the fork willmove into its travel and save you from asizable jolt to the upper body.Cannondale, we love you, man! Can’twait to get a production version for afull test.

MISSION ACCOMPLISHEDThe Project Rize Carbon NPLO is a

dream bike come true. While you mightnot want to drop $8000 to build yourown version, the guys at Newbury BikeShop can help you pick and choose theparts you need to get close to their cre-ation. You can reach them by calling(805) 498-7714.❑

ADS_1.indd 14 4/17/09 9:33:58 AM


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Rize2009 Cannondale Rize Carbon

18-inch frame.

Fox Float RP23shock with a pol-ished air canister.

Stock, magnesiumsuspension link.

KCNC QR seat collar.

KCNC Ti Pro Litescandium seatpost.

Fizik Antares saddlewith carbon fiber rails.

Schwalbe Rocket Ron 2.4-inch tires, converted to

Stan’s Tubeless System.

Polished NoTubesZTR Arch rims.

Formula Alloy brake rotor,six inch, with titanium

hardware.

KCNC Alloy ceramicderailleur pulleys.

Stock aluminumswingarm.

ExtraliteOctaRampchainrings(44/32/22).

KCNC Alloychainring bolts.

Shimano XTR frontderailleur with polished

components.

Extralite UltrahubSPD rear hub.

CrankbrothersEggbeater pedals.

KMC X9SL-TI chain.

Extralite skewer.


Sapin CX-Ray spokes.

DT Swiss spokenipples.

Formula R1 brakecaliper with titanium

hardware.

Power Cordz cables.

Nokon Carboncable housing.

CannondaleHollowgram BB30

SI SL crank.

Enduro ABI ceramicbottom bracket.

Cannondale OmegaSI Lefty hub.

Cannondale Lefty MaxCarbon (2010 prototype).

ESI Silicon grips.

Sunline V-One OS Carbonriser bar, 26.5-inches wide.

Polished Formula R1brake levers.

Shimano XTR shifters.

Cannondale LeftyXC3 SI stem.

Weight: 21.25 poundsPrice: $8000


Material mix: The Chumba XF2uses proprietary aluminum

tubing for the frame andcarbon fiber for the stays. Thecombo takes a full 1.5 pounds

off last year’s XCL trailbike.


MBA est

A Bike Born For Southern CaliforniaThe Chumba VF2

WHAT COMPONENTS STAND OUT?Our VF2 had an eccentric mix of components, to say the

least. We got a smattering of cross-country-light Shimano XTRcomponents with heavy-duty trailbike touches, like theSyncros handlebar and rims, Fox 32 TALAS fork with 15QR,and Thomson Elite X4 stem. This build brought the bike up toa weight that is acceptable for trailbike use and out of the ques-tion for cross-country.

HOW DOES IT PERFORM?The VF2 has a classic Chumba feel with a twist. The rider

feels very centered between the wheels, but the bulk is miss-ing. There are no giant gussets, fat top tubes or downhill-readytires squeezed between the fork legs and stays.

Moving out: The VF2 needs the help of the shock’sProPedal feature to keep the rear end from bobbing. Turn it onand stay seated or get out of the saddle and hammer. The VF2responds with much more enthusiasm than a 29-pound trail-bike should. The top tube’s shape encourages the rider tothrow the bike from side to side, and the laterally stiff bottom-bracket area can take whatever you can throw at it.

Cornering: The VF2 has two personalities when cornering.If the ProPedal feature is engaged, the rear end sits high. Itmakes the fork travel feel like less than five inches (it has 5.5inches). Applying the brakes with the ProPedal engagedrequires the rider to move back or risk too much weight shiftto the front. With the ProPedal off, the bike settles into its trav-el and feels far more balanced. You just lose a little momentumexiting the corner because the rear suspension compressesunder hard pedaling. Also, the high bottom bracket and tallstandover height hinder the VF2’s handling.

Climbing: You do not need tocrank down on the fork travel for

climbing, because the ProPedalmode (and you need it climb-ing) gives you the exact samesensation. Flip the lever, stay inthe saddle and spin away. TheVF2 requires its rider to payattention when dropping to thegranny gear. Why? The bike’ssteering becomes ultra-sensi-

C humba has a long and storied history as one ofSouthern California’s premier boutique brands, butthe exposure they received from success on downhill

racecourses was a mixed blessing. They earned a reputationfor building tough race bikes that could withstand the mostbrutal of beatings without breaking a sweat, but this repmade a lot of riders feel that a Chumba was overbuilt forregular trail riders. The VF2 is out to change that percep-tion.

WHO IS IT MADE FOR?Chumba calls their VF2 a “lightweight, race-inspired,

cross-country bike.” That’s a stretch. Our VF2 build clearlyfalls into the trailbike category, with five inches of travel, atrailbike fork and trailbike components. Since the bike isbuilt this way, we evaluated it as a trailbike, not a cross-country race bike.

WHAT IS IT MADE FROM?The VF2’s frame uses bead-blasted, anodized aluminum

with a custom-made, hydroformed, butted top tube. Thedowntube is manipulated so it morphs into a continuallychanging diameter and shape on its way to the proprietary,inverted bottom-bracket shell. The stays are full carbonfiber, and Chumba employs oversized bearings for theSpecialized FSR rear suspension. Hardware is anodizedseven series aluminum, and every nut and bolt appears tohave been engineered for its particular duty. Claimed weightof the frame sans shock is 5.3 pounds (1.5 pounds less thanthe five-inch-travel Chumba XCL we tested last year).

Open it up: The Chumba felt the most comfortable on thedescents with the shock set on the soft side with an honest 25percent of sag. This slackened the front end and made forcalmer high-speed attacks.

tive in the smallest cog. Drop to the granny and you will needto loosen your grip or you’ll find yourself scissoring back andforth.

Descending: We had the most fun on the VF2 on the down-hills. The rear suspension stays active during braking, thechassis is everything a Chumba has always been, and that fattySyncros bar, vise-like Thomson stem, and Fox fork make for aterrific trio. This bike will handle anything a five-inch-traveltrailbike is supposed to handle without breaking a sweat.

TRICKS, UPGRADES OR TIPS?The shock is cradled a good distance from the top tube, so

the reach to the ProPedal lever is a long one. Since theProPedal is an often-used feature, easier access would be better.Unfortunately, inverting the shock will create clearance issues.It is something you will have to adjust to.

The build of our VF2 used expensive Shimano XTR compo-nents that shaved weight. If you built up this bike with lessexpensive components, it would probably near the 30-poundmark.

BUYING ADVICEIf your rides are on tight trails with lots of short ups and

downs, the VF2 will require a lot of lever throwing to reach itsfull potential and is probably more bike than you need. TheVF2 is a trailbike that, intentionally designed this way or not,is ideal for the kind of riding most of us face in SouthernCalifornia. These rides consist of long, uninterrupted climbs tothe halfway point, then you turn around and head back down.Both ways are littered with nasty rocks, ruts and uneven trailsurfaces. The VF2 is all about conquering this kind ofterrain.❑


Steady as she goes: The Chumba XF2 benefited greatly fromthe Syncros bar, vise-like Thomson stem and Fox fork whennegotiating rocky terrain.

A Bike Born

Specifications

CHUMBA VF2Price $1849 (frame and shock)Country of origin TaiwanWeight 29 poundsHotline (714) 986-9100Frame tested 19" (medium)Bottom bracket height 14"Chainstay length 17"Top tube length 23.5"Head tube angle 69°Seat tube angle 73°Standover height 32"Wheelbase 43.5"Suspension travel (front) 5.5"Suspension travel (rear) 5"Frame material AluminumFork Fox 32 TALAS RLC 15QRShock Fox Float RP23Rims Syncros FLR DS23Tires Maxxis Ignitor (2.35”)Hubs Chumba M5x/Shimano XT (f)Brakes Shimano XTCrankset Shimano XTRHandlebar Syncros FL 7075 (25”)Shifters Shimano XTRFront derailleur Shimano XTRRear derailleur Shimano XTRChainrings Shimano XTR (44/32/22) Cassette Shimano (11-34)Pedals None (weighed w/Shimano XTR

Ads_2.indd 14 4/22/09 12:22:36 PM


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Introducing Mitch Ropelato

I t’s 1 p.m. on a Thursday after-noon. Seventeen-year-old MitchRopelato and his father, Kerry,

have been on the road for eight hoursand are entering Mesquite, a town onthe border between Nevada andArizona. They’re still about fivehours from their destination ofFontana, California, roughly 60 milesoutside Los Angeles, where Mitchwill be racing mountaincross anddownhill on the weekend.

Mitch has been on MBA’s radar forover a year, as he’s had some impres-sive runs at National events. Hishead-turning style at race speed andhis BMX skills are evident in his bikehandling ability. Mitch’s skills on thebike are unmistakable, and obviouslynot acquired overnight. “I’ve beenracing BMX for 10 years and beganmountain bike racing about threeyears ago,” explains Mitch. “I’ve hadsuccess in BMX—for example, I quali-fied for the UCI WorldChampionships in 2007, and I alsowon the Redline Cup.”

From Ogden, Utah, Mitch compet-ed in his first mountain bike racethree years ago at the Deer ValleyNORBA National in Park City, Utah,and has been racking up notable winsand podiums along the way in boththe Junior Expert and Pro divisions.

“I had some good results over the

past year, and that gave me the confi-dence I needed to give racing pro ashot,” Mitch says. “Last year I gotsecond in the Sea Otter dual slalom inJunior Expert and won the 4-Cross atthe National held at Angel Fire, NewMexico. But, qualifying ninth in afield of top pros at the Jeep 48Straightdual slalom event in San LouisObispo, California—that was cool. Iwasn’t sure I would even qualify, butI did well. I actually beat a lot of guysI never thought I would beat, butwanted to beat since I was a ‘youn-gun.’ It was fun racing against WorldChampions I always see in the videos,like Greg Minnaar. In my first coupleof years racing Junior Expert, I wasputting up mid-pack pro times, so I

knew I could hang once I was oldenough, and qualifying ninth out of32 at the Jeep dual slalom race at 16years old had me stoked.”

The bike handling skills derivedfrom BMX racing translate to dualslalom and 4-Cross racing, but down-hill is a completely different animal.“Mitch is a fast rider, but he only fin-ished two of his first six downhillraces,” says Mitch’s father, KerryRopelato. “I knew he was getting alittle frustrated, because he knew hewas better than some of the guys whowould beat him only because he’dcrash.”

“It took me some time to get usedto the downhill bike,” explains Mitch.“I’m good at riding the steep, gnarly

Young RIPPER

Serious skills: Mitch Ropelato has head-turning bike handling skills. His BMX rootstranslate well to dual slalom, and he’s coming into his own as a downhiller, too.

1pg_mba_rc_combo_ad.indd 1 4/28/09 10:55:36 AMADS_1.indd 24 4/29/09 9:15:23 AM


stuff. I used to ride the technicaldownhill trails at Deer Valley onmy hardtail. Downhill cornering iswhat’s tough and gave me the mosttrouble. I took Gene Hamilton’sBetter Ride clinic and focused pri-marily on corners. It really helpedme to keep my speed and link sec-tions of the downhill track togeth-er.” (Apparently Mitch is tellingthe truth. He won both the Cat 1(junior expert) downhill and thepro dual slalom at the “Mob In TheMojave” event at Bootleg Canyonin Boulder City, Nevada, whichwe covered last month in ourJune issue.)

As a young, talented rider Mitchis catching the attention of the

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Young RIPPER

sport’s elite racers. Former BMX andmountain bike world champion “E.C.”Eric Carter is quick to acknowledgeMitch’s abilities.

“The kid has tons of talent,” saysCarter. “He rides so fast all of the timeand is wide open on every section ofthe track. Whether it’s practice or thefinals, he’s flying. I think he’s going tobe a real player in the World Cup 4-Cross scene right away, and in down-hill it just takes time in the saddle onthose machines. It could take himsome time to become comfortable withthe speeds of downhill at the WorldCup level, looking really far ahead onthe course and so on. There are a lotof variables in downhill that aren’t inBMX and 4-Cross.”

Although still in high school,Mitch Ropelato has a full plate ofracing in 2009. “My main focus isthe World Championships inAustralia,” Mitch explains enthusias-tically. “I’ll be racing both Pro 4-Cross and junior division downhill.Before the Worlds, I’ll hit all of themajor North American events, likethe Sea Otter, Crankworx inWhistler and the Canadian WorldCups; and I want to do really well inthe Mountain States Cup events.Some of them overlap with the WorldCups, but we’ll hit the ones we can.”

“I don’t push Mitch—I just likespending time with him,” says KerryRopelato. “And, the fact that he’s afast bike racer makes this a lot of funfor both of us.”❑

Tough crowd: At just 16 years old, Mitch qualified ninth out of 32 in a field of professional world and national champions at themost recent Jeep 48Straight dual slalom series.

294 Depot St. Andes, NY 13731. Phone Hours: M-Th 9-9, Fri 9-6, Sat 9-1 (EST). Prices are subject to change without notice. We are not responsible for misprints or errors in descriptions or prices. Specs on bikes and builds may change due to availability. Prices may vary between our store, magazine ads, and website. Prices do not include shipping. *Free shipping to orders over $89.00 to the Conti-

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Customize your ride. Upgrade. Build.

Race Face/Sram XC Trail Bike KitRock Shox Reba Team Air Fork, Race Face Deus X-Type Cranks/BB, Race Face Deus XC Stem, Bar, & Seatpost, SRAM X9 Trigger Shifters & FD, SRAM XO RD, Med. Cage, SRAM PG 990 Cassette & PC-991 Chain, Avid Juicy 7 Hydraulic Disc Brakes, ODI Ruffian Grips, FSA Orbit MX Headset, WTB Pure V Pro Saddle, Easton XC One Disc Wheelset, WTB Mutano Raptor Race Tires. $2675 $1999

Ellsworth Epiphany Frame with Fox Float R (RP23 +$50), Fox 32 Float 140 RLC Fork, Race Face Deus X-Type Cranks/BB, Race Face Deus XC Stem and Seatpost, Race Face Deus Low Riser Bar, SRAM X9 Trigger Shifters, SRAM XO RD Long Cage, SRAM X9 FD, SRAM PG-990 Cassette & PC-991 Chain, Avid Juicy 7 Hydraulic Disc Brakes, Mavic Crossmax Disc Wheels, Cane Creek S3 Headset, WTB Pure V Pro Saddle, WTB Mutano Raptor Race 26 X 2.24 Tires. Ellsworth Epiphany Frame w/ Float R MSRP: $2595 Kit: $6150 $3999 Pro Build: $4199

$1999

Race Face Evolve XC/Sram X9/XC Build KitRace Face Evolve XC Crankset/BB, SRAM X9 Trigger Shifters, SRAM X9 RD Long Cage, SRAM X7 FD, SRAM 970 9-Speed Mountain Cassette,SRAM PC-951 Mountain Chain. $492.95 $319.95 With Avid Juicy 7 Disc Brakes $540

Race Face Evolve/Sram X9 All MTN Kit Race Face Evolve DH X-Type Crankset/BB, SRAM PC-951Mtn. Chain, SRAM PG 950 9-Speed Mtn. Cassette, SRAM X-9 RD Medium Cage, SRAM X7 FD, SRAM X-9 Trigger Shifters.

$482.95 $299.95

Truvativ Firex/SRAM X9 Drive Train Kit Truvativ Firex 3.3 Team Crankset GXP w/ Cups, SRAM PC -951 Mtn. Chain, SRAM PG-950 9-Speed Mtn. Cassette, SRAM X9 RD Long Cage, SRAM X7 FD, SRAM X7 9-Speed Trigger Shifters. $387.95 $249.95

Elixir R Hydraulic Disc160mm, Front or Rear, Msrp: $128.95185mm, Front or Rear, Msrp: $132.95

Juicy Ultimate Hydraulic140/160, Front or Rear, Msrp: $259.95

G2 CleanSweep RotorsChoose size. Msrp: 160mm $39.95185mm $44.95 203mm $49.95

Elixir CR Carbon Hydraulic Disc160mm Front or Rear Msrp: $203.95185mm Front or Rear Msrp: $207.95

BB7 Mechanical Disc160mm Front/Rear, Msrp: $60.95185mm Front/Rear, Msrp: $64.95

2009

PG-990 Cassette11-32/11-34, 9-Speed

Msrp: $99.95

XO Rear DerailleurLong Cage Msrp: $222.95

PG-970 Cassette 11-32/11-34, 9-Speed

Msrp: $38.95

X9 Rear DerailleurLong Cage Msrp: $98.95

PC 991 PowerLink9-Speed Chain Msrp: $45.95

GXP BlackBoxCeramic BB Msrp: $199.95

WTB Laser V Team IS ‘08Titanium Rails. $140 $75

WTB Pure V Pro ‘08Nicro Rails. $90 $40

WTB Shadow V ProNicro Rails. ‘09 $90 $41

WTB Pure V Race ‘08Cromo Rails. $60 $33

HUTCHINSON BULLDOG MRC Med. 26 x 2.3" $60 $27.95MRC Med. UST 26 x 2.3” $70 $32.25

HUTCHINSON BARRACUDAAir Light 26 x 2.10" $55 $25.99MRC Med 26 x 2.3" $60 $27.95

HUTCHINSON PIRANHA TIRESMRC High UST 26 x 2.0" $65 $29.95

WTB TIRESMutano Raptor Race 26 x 2.24" $45 $20.25Moto Raptor Race 26 x 2.24" $60 $20.25Prowler XT Race 26 x 2.3" $50 $22.50

HUTCHINSON PYTHON TIRESMRC Medium UST 26 x 2.3" $60 $28.95New Gen. MRC High UST 26 x 2.0" $65 $29.95

Saddles

KENDA TIRESTomac Nevegal 26 x 2.10” $60 $28.50 Tomac Nevegal 26 x 2.35” $65 $31.50

2009

Juciy 7 Hydraulic Disc160/185, Front or Rear, Msrp: $146.95

X9 Front DerailleurHigh Clamp, 31.8/34.9, Msrp: $52.95Low Clamp, 31.8/34.9, Msrp:$46.95

XO Trigger ShiftersLong Cage Msrp: $233.95

Ellsworth Epiphany Float XO Kit

Race Face Deus/Sram X9/XO Build Kit Race Face Deus X-Type Crankset/BB, SRAM X9 Trigger Shifters, SRAM XO RD Long Cage, SRAM X9 FD, SRAM PG -990 Mtn. Cassette, SRAM PC-991 Mountain Chain.

$799.95 $549.95

CLEARANCE

ADS_1.indd 16 4/17/09 9:35:30 AM


InsideThePros’BikesBorn in Vernon, British Columbia,

on February 20, 1979, Ryan Leechstarted mountain biking at 13.

Ryan raced cross-country and downhill,but all that changed the day he attendeda Hans Rey trials show.

“I was amazed at Hans’ bike handlingskills,” says Leech. “I immediately startedlearning the moves.” Soon he was com-peting in and winning most of the con-tests he entered, including winning anational championship when he was 16.

Around the same time, Ryan acceptedan offer to join a trials team, and hebegan performing in shows. It turnedinto a profession that Ryan neverplanned for. Today, Ryan produces hisown trials shows, including booking, set-ting up the obstacles, doing all the ridingand signing autographs for his legion offans. He puts on about 200 shows a yearand has been doing it for ten years.

Back in 2000 and 2001, Cirque deSoleil hired Ryan to dance his bikearound the stage in their “La Nouba”show in Florida. His riding has also beenfeatured in over 25 videos. Ryan’s latesttrials film, “Crux,” won the People’sChoice Award at the Banff InternationalMountain Film Festival last fall.

In shows, Leech uses a special bikethat is designed only for trials. But whennot doing shows, Ryan gets back to hisroots and rides a Norco Fluid LT with afew special “trials-friendly” touches. Heseeks out the most technically challeng-ing trails he can find, with rocks, logsand other obstacles for him to utilize histrials skills. His current hometown ofPort Moody, British Columbia, is hisfavorite place to ride, but he adds, “I likeriding wherever I’m at.” Here’s the bikeRyan uses for trail riding:

1. Norco Fluid LT,six-inch travel,aluminum frame.

“I only wanted to haveone mountain bike thatdoes well in all kinds ofmountain biking. I like theuninterrupted seat tubebecause you can raise thesaddle for cross-country ridingand slam it down for trials.”

2. Marzocchi 55 ATA fork, six-inchtravel.

“I chose it because I can lower it forclimbing, but it can still handle bikeparks or a downhill setting.”

3. Marzocchi Roco Air TST shock.“I like that I can adjust it for climbing

or for downhill. It’s a perfect, all-aroundshock.”

4. FSA Orbit Xtreme headset.

5. Kenda Nevegal tires with Stick-E Rubber, 26x2.35 inches.

“I like riding on slippery logs, and Ineed the absolute traction and grip.These tires provide better traction thananything else I’ve ridden.”

6. Shimano XTR disc brakes,six-inch rotors.

“They’re light, strong, durable, andhave great modulation when inching thewheel forward in tight situations.They’re also strong enough to handlelong downhills at bike parks.”

7. FSA Gravity Light seatpost.

8. WTB Devo SLT saddle.“Comfy, simple and durable.”

9. Shimano XTR front derailleur.

10. Shimano XTR cranks, 170-mil-limeter length.

“The XTR cranks are incrediblystrong. They can take endless abuse!”

Ryan Leech’sNorco trailbike

20

12

15

8

11. Shimano XTR chainrings, 22Tand 32T, used with an e.thirteenbashguard instead of a large chain-ring.

“In technical terrain with logs androcks and steep roll-offs, having the extrachainring clearance makes a big differ-ence.”

12. Shimano XTR rear wheel.“It’s incredible how light but strong

this wheel is. I use this wheel for uses farbeyond what it’s rated for and have hadzero issues.”

13. Shimano XT front wheel.“I chose the XT wheel because the

XTR wheel doesn’t come with a 20-mil-limeter axle option for my Marzocchifork. I always drill my rims out forSchrader-valve tubes. Then at least Ihave the option of using presta orSchrader when I’m out in the middle ofthe woods with a flat.”

14. Shimano XTR chain.“Since I’m a spoiled pro and can get a

new bike every year, I never have toworry about replacing chains. I knowthose XTR chains last for a few seasons,though—no problem."

15. Shimano XTR Shadow rearderailleur.

“The low profile of this design lowersthe chance of whacking it on tightrocks.”

16. FSA Gravity Light stem,70-millimeter, six-degree rise.

17. Shimano XTR Rapidfireshifters.

18. FSA Gravity Light handlebar.

19. ODI Lock-On grips.“I’m pretty picky with grips. They have

to be grippy in all types of weather. Theycan’t be bumpy or too hard, and whenpositioning the screws of the Lock-On,they have to be twisted so they don’t con-tact my hands.”

20. Shimano XTR cassette, 11-32teeth.

21. Kenda inner tubes, Schraderstyle, standard thickness.

22. Shimano DX pedals with thelong pins.

“Pedals are crucial for me. These arejust the right size, allowing my shoes tocurl over the front and back just a little.They’re comfortable, grippy and light.” ❏

Weight: 31.5 poundsPrice: $6000

1

2

65

22

13

2114

9

16

19 18

17

10

74

3

11


Availability subject to stock on-hand. Prices subject to change without notice. Not responsible for typographical or pricing errors.

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Floor PumpsBLACKBURN AIR TOWER 1 08BLACKBURN AIR TOWER 2 08TOPEAK JOE BLOW PROLEZYNE ALLOY Floor driveFrame PumpsCRANK BROS POWER PUMP BLACKBURN MAMMOTH 2 StageLEZYNE AIR DRIVE MLEZYNE ALLOY DRIVE M

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HeadlightsNITERIDER MINEWT MINI USBMARWI NIGHTPRO EXPERTMARWI STELLAR EXPERTPLANET BIKE BRT-SPOT LEDTOPEAK WHITELITE HP 1 WATT LED LIGHT & MOTION SECA's Starting $369.95

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Jerseys/ShortsNEMA JEWELADIDAS FLOW JERSEYADIDAS RESPONSE JERSEYADIDAS PELOTON JERSEY ORANGE OR SLATEFOX RANGER SHORTKONA CLUMP MOTO LONG SLEEVEADIDAS ADISTAR TECH SHORT

Knee/Shin & ElbowFOX LAUNCH KNEE/SHIN '09FOX LAUNCH ELBOW '09661 EVO KNEE '09661 EVO ELBOW '09DAINESE 3X KNEEDAINESE 3X ELBOWPants & SocksFOX 711 PANTS FOX PUSH PANTS FOX TORQUE PANTS

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Mountain Bike ForksFOX FORX 32F RLC 09FOX FORX 36 TALAS RC2 09MARZOCCHI 4X World cupMARZOCCHI DJ 1 WHITE 08ROCKSHOX TORA 318 SOLO AIR MARZOCCHI CORSA SL WORLD CUP 08ROCKSHOX DOMAIN 318 COIL FORK 07

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Prologo ScratchTitaniumCarbon

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Spyder XVP (Frame Only) Msrp$2050 SALE $1499.99Blur XC (Frame Only) Msrp$1698 SALE $1194.99Evolve 29er X9 Custom was $5,214.99 $3,299.99

Truth X9 Custom Complete was $4,970.99 $2,999.99

MTN WheelsetsCRANKBROS COBALT XCMAVIC CROSSMAX SLR DISCEASTON HAVOC WHEELSETWTB LASERTRAIL SET.................WOWSAINT M800 MAVIC EX729 WHEELSETSHIMANO LX Bontrager MustangSHIMANO XTR WH-M975 DISC UST SETSHIMANO XT M765 DT 4.1D XC SETSHIMANO 525 WTB DUAL DUTY W-SETAZONIC OUTLAW WHEELSETWheel SkewersATTIVO TI SKEWERSCRANK BROTHERS SPLIT SKEWERSSALSA FLIP OFFS WHEEL SKEWERS

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Tubeless UST TiresHUTCHINSON OCTOPUS UST 2.3 & 2.5 WIRE GEAX BLADE UST TUBELESS HUTCHINSON PIRAHNA UST INTENSE SYSTEM 2 UST TUBELESSMAXXIS CROSSMARK UST TUBELESS

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ADS_1.indd 39 4/21/09 3:03:26 PM


Tough going: Despitebeing the budget model inCommencal’s lineup, itsWorld-Cup-level descend-ing performance is evident.


T wenty years ago, Max Commencal startedCommencal bicycles. During that time, his line ofmountain bikes evolved to include everything from

cross-country hardtails to eight-inch-travel downhill bikes.Although he’s had some top talent riding for him in recentyears (Anne Caroline Chausson and Cedric Gracia), in 2008his Andorra-based brand became even more visible as broth-er and sister duo Gee and Rachel Atherton each capturedDownhill World Championships aboard their CommencalSupreme DH World Cup edition bikes. We got our hands onone of these Supreme DH bikes for a test.

WHO IS IT MADE FOR?The Supreme DH is a pure downhill performance

machine. With eight inches of front and rear wheel travel,the Supreme DH is for serious downhill competitors orthose who spend a lot of time riding lift-accessible trails.

Commencal offers three complete models of theSupreme DH, all sharing the same frame:the $6000 Team Replica, the $7999Supreme DH WC, and our $4499 SupremeDH test bike.

WHAT IS IT MADE OF?The aluminum

Supreme DH is a sin-gle-pivot design thatuses Commencal’sContact System rock-er-link suspension.The Contact System isengineered to providea progressive feel in therear and control the shockratio. It’s available in twosizes: small/medium and large/extra large.

Racers who like to tweak and customize their setup havethe ability to adjust the Supreme’s head angle by one degree(either steeper or slacker), the wheelbase by about a half-inch, and the rear disc brake mount to tune how the rearsuspension performs under braking forces.

WHICH COMPONENTS STAND OUT?The Supreme DH is Commencal’s most affordable com-

plete downhill rig and is spec’d with a variety of tough, mid-level components to get the job done. The Marzocchi 888RC3 has 38-millimeter stanchions, features a direct-mountstem, and has adjustable rebound, high-and-low compression,and air volume adjust. The coil-sprung Marzocchi Roco Rshock has a lot of tunability, including Trail SelectionTechnology, rebound, spring preload and air-assisted bottom-out resistance. Avid’s Code 5 brakes have World-Cup-levelstopping power—and set up with eight-inch rotors, they willreally keep your speed in check. The Code 5 brakes featureAvid’s Juicy lever, rather than the wider-bladed Code lever.

HOW DOES IT PERFORM?Although designed in Andorra for World Cup-level ter-

rain, the Commencal Supreme DH made itself at home onour downhill trails. We raced it throughout California and

MBA est

Stripes EarnedThe Commencal Supreme DH

ripped down our favorite shuttle trails. Here are some per-formance highlights.

Ergonomics: In the saddle, you’ll immediately notice the32-inch standover height, which at first seems on the highside and a bit imposing. The two-inch-rise, 27-inch-wideCommencal De Luxe handlebar feels too tall and is on thenarrow side for a competitive, downhill-specific build.

Pedaling: A redeeming quality of single-pivot suspensiondesigns is efficient pedaling, and this trait is evident with theSupreme DH. The 45-pound rig wouldn’t be described as asnappy accelerator, and the Marzocchi suspension is veryactive front and rear, but when putting down the power atspeed on a racecourse, the Supreme DH’s pedaling abilityshines through. The Truvativ Ruktion cranks use a 38-toothchainring and an MRP G2 chainguide. We inevitably banged

the cranks on rocks and logs, but never saw any lin-gering effects on the crank arms or pedal threads.

Technical descents: Commencal suggeststhe optimum sag for the Supreme is 30 per-cent. After setting sag, we dialed in theMarzocchi spring rate and rebound on thefork. Since our local trails are often tight

with a lot of cornering, we optedfor the shorter of the two

wheelbase options. TheSupreme DH stakes itsclaim as a World Cup-caliber design when thetrail turns downward.Commencal’s ContactSystem rocker link sus-

pension gobbles up brak-ing bumps, trail chatter,

and repetitive hard-edgedhits, helping you feel in com-

plete control on taxing terrain.Aboard the bike, your weight is centered, which puts you ina proper position to attack technical trails. With the SupremeDH, you simply point and shoot through gnarly terrain andtrust the suspension to handle the load. The 32-inch stand-over height hinders the bike’s agility, but on steep, rocky ter-rain, the Supreme remains balanced and stable. The center ofgravity on the Supreme is around the bottom bracket; sopumping terrain is an easy and efficient way to find morespeed when pedaling is not an option. The 17-inch chain-stays are on the shorter side, which is great when you needto manual or lift the front end. Lateral stiffness is an under-stated characteristic of the Supreme’s single-pivot design.

One word describes the Marzocchi suspension on thisbike: active. Traction was always at a premium aboard theSupreme, as an active shock and fork kept the wheels stuckto the track. The Supreme’s geometry is dialed for downhillterrain, and as the trail becomes faster and steeper, thebike’s descending proficiency shows.

Cornering: As with pumping sections of trail, theSupreme is very balanced in corners as a result of the lowcenter of gravity. You can drive the wheels into off-cambercorners and simply let the ultra-versatile Kenda Nevegaldownhill tires do their thing. The two-inch riser handlebaris on the tall side, which forces you to exaggerate when get-

ting your weight over the front of the bike to stick the frontend into a turn. However, after a few rides it becomes habit.

Braking: Avid’s Code 5 brakes are built for keepingdownhill bikes under control. You can only ride as fast asyou can stop, and the Codes will keep your speed in checkif you’re riding on the edge. The suspension does stiffenunder braking forces, but this is usually only noticeablewhen entering a whooped-out corner full of brakingbumps. The Supreme DH has three rear brake mountoptions that alter the angle of force applied to the rearwheel and suspension. We preferred the first setting (inwhich the suspension has moderate squat under braking)for better and more predictable handling.

TWEAKS, UPGRADES OR TIPS?We could complain about the Supreme’s 45-pound weight,

but that wouldn’t be fair to this $4500, race-ready machine.We did, however, have some trouble with the MRP chain-guide. After just a couple of rides we bent the mountingplate, causing it to rub the inside of the crank spider. Thetwo-inch-rise handlebar was another universally frownedupon component choice. Downhillers are going to greatlengths to reduce the axle-to-handlebar height, and thesewere unnecessarily tall. Thankfully, a wide, low-rise alu-minum handlebar is an easy and affordable fix.

If you spend a lot of time riding at mountain bike resorts,you will want to carry all the necessary tools, and maybe evena small pair of pliers in your hydration pack, because there isa lot going on at the rear dropouts. Removing and installingthe rear wheel takes some practice and a third hand.


Tune in: Just because the Supreme DH has a rather basic sin-gle-pivot suspension design, don’t think it lacks customization.The head angle, wheel base and rear brake mount all have arange of tuning adjustments that can better match the bike forthe terrain at hand.

Shared greatness: The Supreme DH shares the same frameand suspension design that captured two professional downhillworld championships in 2008. That pedigree builds confidenceand removes excuses.

Stripes Earned

Specifications

COMMENCAL SUPREME DHPrice $4499Country of origin TaiwanWeight 45 poundsHotline (800) 558-8324Frame tested Small/mediumBottom bracket height 14.5"Chainstay length 17.3"Top tube length 23"Head tube angle 65°Seat tube angle 72°Standover height 32"Wheelbase 45.5"Suspension travel (front) 8"Suspension travel (rear) 8"Frame material AluminumFork Marzocchi 888 RC3Shock Marzocchi Roco RRims Sun Ringle Equalizer Tires Kenda Nevegal (2.5")Hubs CommencalBrakes Avid Code 5Crankset Truvativ RuktionHandlebar Commencal (27”)Shifters SRAM X.7Front derailleur MRP G2 chainguideRear derailleur SRAM X.7Chainrings Truvativ 38TCassette SRAM PG990 (12-27)Pedals None (weighed w/Shimano DX)

BUYING ADVICEWe’re not sure what the best thing about the Commencal

Supreme DH is. Is it the fact that you get a dependable,ready-to-roll downhill racer for $4500, or that it slays steep,gnarly downhill trails? The Supreme has a rather basic sin-gle-pivot suspension design, yet a variety of additional hi-techtweaks and adjustments allow you to create a customizedfeel. All three of Commencal’s Supreme DH bikes share thesame World Championship-winning frame, so whether you’resetting your sights on the rainbow stripes like Gee andRachel, or just looking to put in a ton of laps at your localresort, there’s a Commencal Supreme that fits your budget.❑

Ads_2.indd 1 12/18/08 3:06:14 PM

MBA Competition


The Kenda CupFontana National

T he official USA Cycling ProCross-Country Tour bySho-Air kicked off in

Southridge, California, the first ofseven events that will crown men’sand women’s cross-country serieschampions and men’s andwomen’s Super–D champions. ThePro Tour events take place withinthe Kenda Cup West and EastMountain Bike Race Seriespresented by Specialized, whereamateur riders chase classchampionships.

Although not part of the ProTour or Kenda Cup events,Fontana hosted amateur and pro-fessional downhill and mountain-cross events to bring all the differ-ent disciplines together atFontana’s Southridge Park.

These are the riders that left animpression.❑

Crowd control: Fontana’s infamous wallhad not been used for a national event inyears. Its reopening brought dread to manya competitor’s heart. The brutal climb wasmade worse by heavy traffic. Over 100 menstarted the professional cross-country.

SeasonBeginLetThe

Ads_2.indd 52 3/17/09 4:35:18 PM


MBA Com titionFontana

What ifs: Todd Wells snapped the chain on his prototype SpecializedS-Works Stumpjumper HT Disc 29er and played catch up all day. Hepassed 103 surprised riders to finish in tenth place.

Rock star: The Fontanacourse threw many chal-lenging sections at theriders. Sid Taberlayalmost sands downhis shoulder at“the boulder”just after thewall climb.

Full moto: Adam Craig loves rid-ing, and it shows. Adam jumpswhere others fear to tread. Hisaggressive style is backed upwith great physical conditioning.Adam is building an army of fansnot seen since the Tomac days.

Northern invasion:World Cup winnerCatherine Pendrel madesure the Luna Teamwould stand on the toptwo podium steps byfinishing less than twominutes behind the raceleader. The LunaWomen’s MTB Teamgets it done.

pe

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MBA Competition

Georgia on my mind: Georgia Gould played with thewomen’s Pro field until she got bored and motored away.The 29-year-old from Ketchum, Idaho, looks again to bethe one to beat. Heather Irmiger (5) looks on in frustration.

Sam the Man: Fisher’s Sam Schultz needs one big cross-countrynational win and the confidence that comes along with it to makehimself untouchable. We said the same thing about Geoff Kabusheight years ago.

Teammates: Jeremy Horgan-Kobelski,at 31 years old, is one of the elders ofthe cross-country racing tribe. He usedFontana to show his protégé (SamSchultz) the way to the podium.

Carry on: KrisSneddon (20)upheld the Konacolors, finishing14th, after RyanTrebon couldn’tmake the start dueto a broken framesuffered the daybefore the event.

Fontana

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MBA Competition

Reason to suffer: If a cross-country race lasts two hours, what’s so importantabout the first two minutes? Everything. Riding ahead of the initial chaos cangive race leaders an immediate gap of minutes.

Late arrival: Canada’s Max Plaxton did-n’t have a team slot just weeks beforethe opening round. Scott Tedro, ownerof Team Sho-Air, signed him and Maxgave Tedro a signing bonus: a secondplace finish in his first ride for the team.

Quick release: Sam Jurekovic had hisday cut short when a titanium quick-release skewer snapped on the first lap.Unable to take outside assistance, Samfinished the lap on foot.

FontanaFontana

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MBA Competition

The gloveless one: Canada’s EmilyBatty used winter training in Tucson,Arizona, to beat the deep-snow bluesand came to Fontana ready to rage.She did.

Not again!: Geoff Kabush has beenpretty much untouchable on NorthAmerican soil the last few years, and ifthe season opener is any indication,nothing is going to change soon. Geofftoyed with the men’s field like a cat andmouse.

DOWNHILL ACTION THE OTHER RACE

Young ripper: Youngster Brad Oien contin-ues to mature riding his way into fifth placein the Men’s Pro downhill. Not bad for a kidfrom Huntington Beach, California, wherethe biggest downhill is a sand dune.

Gone again: If winning ever gets boring,KHS’ Melissa Buhl is one bored racer. Sheagain cleaned house at Fontana.

Vet Pro: Eric Carter is still winningdownhill races at the tender age of 39years old. No, he doesn’t race the Vetclass. He beats all the kids fair andsquare.

Pink power: Kathy Pruitt put down asolid run for second place in the women’spro downhill on the lung-busting Fontanacourse.

MBA CompetitionMBA CompetitionDOWNHILL ACTION THE OTHER RACE

Crowd pleaser: While not part of a national series, the downhill attracted a large andvocal audience. The large crowd softened the blow of riders who shot off the course.


MEN’S CROSS-COUNTRY1. Geoff Kabush, Team Maxxis/Rocky

Mtn., 1:50:362. Max Plaxton, Sho-Air/Specialized,

1:51:193. Jeremy Horgan-Kobelski, Subaru/Gary

Fisher, 1:52:144. Sam Schultz, Subaru/Gary Fisher,

1:52:155. Adam Craig, Giant, 1:52:506. Sid Taberlay, Sho-Air/Specialized,

1:54:347. Derek Zandstra, 3 Rox Racing, 1:55:178. Seamus McGrath, Jamis, 1:55:569. Jeremiah Bishop,

Monavie/Cannondale, 1:56:1010. Todd Wells, Specialized, 1:56:12

WOMEN’S CROSS-COUNTRY1. Georgia Gould, Luna Women, 1:35:152. Catherine Pendrel, Luna Women,

1:36:493. Heather Irmiger, Subaru/Gary Fisher,

1:38:204. Emily Batty, Trek Bicycle Store, 1:39:595. Willow Koerber, Subaru/Gary Fisher,

1:41:236. Amanda Sin, 3 Rox Racing, 1:41:257. Kelli Emmett, Giant, 1:44:278. Pua Sawicki, Ellsworth, 1:45:049. Melanie McQuaid, Sho-Air/Specialized,

1:45:2810. Allison, Mann, IE Bikes 1:46:56

MEN’S SUPER D1. Carl Decker, Giant, 10:05.032. Adam Craig, Giant, 10:05.393. Travis Livermon, Champion S, 10:21.824. Aaron Bradford, Onsite Ultra, 10:36.115. Ryan Woodall, Dedicated Athlete,

10:38.50

WOMEN’S SUPER D1. Kelli Emmett, Giant, 12:14.292. Sue Butler, Monavie/Cannondale,

12:14.293. Anina Aaron, Kenda/KMC, 12:50.844. Maureen Kunz, Lost Coast, 13:23.585. Sarah Kaufmann, Titus, 13:37.58

DOWNHILL PRO MEN1 Eric Carter, GT Bicycles, 2:11.22. Kevin Aiello, GT Bicycles, 2:11.63. Cameron Cole, Maxxis/Rocky

Mountain, 2:12.94. Cody Warren, Specialized, 2:12.95. Brad Oien, ODI/Southridge/Turner,

2:13.9

DOWNHILL PRO WOMEN1. Melissa Buhl, KHS Bicycles, 2:30.22. Kathy Pruitt, Jamis, 2:36.03. Sabrina Jonnier, Maxxis/Rocky

Mountain, 2:37.04. Jennifer Wolf, Vixxen, 2:54.35. Michelle Rivera, Marin, 2:55.3

KENDA CUP FONTANA NATIONAL RESULTS

On a roll: Seventeen-year-old Kevin Aiellocontinued his excellent rookie pro season witha second place in downhill. After this event hisfocus turns to the World Cup circuit.

Fontana

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From trail to mag to your computer,From trail to mag to your computer,

always evolvingalways evolvingwww.mbaction.comwww.mbaction.com

From trail to mag to your computer,

always evolvingwww.mbaction.com


T his issue we focused on trailriding jerseys and shorts fromsome of the most innovative

brands. Below you’ll find trail-ridingkits to enhance your experience.

Fox Racing: You’ve likely seen Fox Racinggear on the likes of Kirt Voreis and Cam McCaul,ranging from downhill to trail bike kits. The FoxFlow jersey is made from 100-percent polyesterand has two side zip pockets, a sunglass wipesewn in at the hem, and custom pockets for inter-nal cord routing for MP3 players. The Fox Attackshort is 95-percent polyester and 5-percentSpandex twill knit. This short features zipperedfront pockets and has an adjustable waist, elimi-nating the need for a belt. Flow jersey $69,Attack short $129, (888) 772-2242.

Oakley: The short-sleeve, regular-fit Plate jer-sey from Oakley is made from 100-percent poly-ester and has three back pockets, plus a half-zipback closure. The Ballistic short has been anMBA favorite for years, and the latest version ofthis 100-percent nylon short has a removablemesh liner with a high-density chamois, frontmesh vents, a stretch fly, belt loops and anadjustable static waistline. Plate jersey $75,Ballistic short $125, (800) 431-1439.

Specialized: The loose-fit Trail Top fromSpecialized features casual style and hasSpecialized’s Fieldsensor fabric that pulls mois-ture away from the skin. Specialized’s Trail Shorthas all of the essentials you’ll need for all-daycomfort on the trail. For 2009, the Trail Short istwo inches shorter, is 100-percent nylon, and hasa removable chamois liner. The waistband is elas-tic with a draw cord, and the zippered pocketskeep small items secure. Trail Top $80, TrailShort $95, (877) 808-8154.

Troy Lee Designs: The short-sleeve XC Jerseyfrom TLD is made from breathable, moisture-wicking fabric, has a zippered collar, three cargopockets and one hidden zipper pocket on the backof the jersey. Troy Lee’s XC Air Shorts are madefrom 450 Denier polyester, have side cargo pock-ets, and mesh panels for ventilation. Spandexstretch panels are utilized in the side and rearseat areas for increased comfort. XC Jersey $65,XC Air Short $88, (951) 371-5219.

Oakley Women: Few companies combinefashion and function like Oakley, and their grow-ing women’s mountain biking apparel lineincludes the 100-percent polyester Cable Tankjersey, featuring three top-entry back pockets andone side-entry zip pocket. The women’s Sprocketshort is 95-percent polyester and five-percentSpandex. Has an integrated chamois, and theback pockets have flap closures. Cable Tank jer-sey $40, Sprocket short $85, (800) 431-1439.

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Royal: The casual-cut Ventilator jer-sey from Royal has a sweat-wicking,quick-drying polyester fabric and a 3/4zipper neck. The Royal Rivet short is anaggressive riding short made from 600Denier polyester, has a snap waste clo-sure, waterproof zippered pockets, and asweat-wicking liner. Ventilator jersey$69, Rivet short $119, (888) 520-4888.

Dakine: The MTN Shield is a short-sleeve jersey made from moisture-wick-ing polyester and has an eyewearchamois at the inseam. Dakine’s Skylineshort is also made from moisture-wick-ing polyester and has a back stretchpanel, zippered hand pockets, inner legvents and a 15-inch inseam. MTNShield jersey $45, Syncline short$85, (541) 386-3166.

Sombrio: From their Epik fit line,Sombrio’s 100-percent Assault jerseyhas a multi-paneled, short-sleeve design;an anti-bacterial treatment; and a stealthpocket for electronics and keys. TheAssault is available in both bright whiteand pitch-black colorways. Sombrio’sLowline short has two lower leg pocketswith laser cut zippers, secure-zip sidecargo pockets, a moisture-wicking waist-band, a seamless crotch panel, and stur-dy seam construction. Assault jersey$50, Lowline short $75, (866) 632-1654.

O’Neal: Made with Coolmax micropolyester, O’Neal’s Mayhem jersey isdesigned to wick away sweat and keepyou cool. It features an elastic waist andcuffs, a front hidden zipper and threerear storage pockets. O’Neal’s Generatorshorts have four-way stretch Coolmaxpanels, a seamless crotch, and two stashpockets. Mayhem jersey $39,Generator shorts $69, (800) 326-6325.❑

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DOWN THE TRAIL


T he trails were just starting to feelthe summer heat when the MBAwrecking crew received a surprise.

Cannondale supplied us with an earlyrelease of their 2000 Raven dual-suspension,cross-country race bike/trailbike hybrid. Wehit the dirt.❑

Take the high road: The asymmetrical swingarm hadthe right side chain stay dropping down to allowderailleur clearance, while the left side took a moredirect route. The lack of cantilever brake bosses showedCannondale’s faith in the future of disc brakes.

No twist: Cannondale was sensitivetowards criticism, so they made sure theLefty fork met or exceeded the torsionaland bending stiffness of all comers.

Hear it comes: The Raven never snuck up on any trail user. The hollowcarbon monocoque frame would be a welcome addition to any drum cir-cle. It amplified every ping and ding along the trail.

Thinner and longer: The main frame was made from twin halves of thin, ther-moplastic carbon fiber surrounding a central spine of magnesium. The cockpitwas lengthened based on rider input.

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Mountain Bike Action 2009 07

Sports

Transcript of Mountain Bike Action 2009 07