Brent Thomson – R.I.P.

Industry Legend Leaves – PayPal Donations Still Needed

Las Vegas, NV – February 18, 2009 - -  Brent Thomson, Mountain Bike Industry Legend and Trail Master of Bootleg Canyon (trail used for the Interbike Dirt Demo) has lost his battle with complications from the Quadruple Bypass surgery he underwent in January.

While surgery went well and Brent was coherent and talking after recovery, a series of post-operative strokes took him back to the Intensive Care Unit where he eventually succumbed to complications from the surgery.

Brent’s son Barret was at his side with relatives as his condition worsened. “Brent appreciated and was aware of all of the love and support that the mountain bike industry has shown through this difficult time” said Barret. “There’s been an outpouring of emotion and support from all of his friends and the industry, and we’re making plans for a memorial event to be held at Bootleg Canyon over St. Patrick’s Day Weekend (March 14-15.)”  Read more

Last Day to Support Bikes in National Parks

Action Alert – Deadline for official comments is Feb. 17.

For Immediate Release
02-12-09
Contact: Drew Vankat, Policy Analyst
drew@imba.com
303-545-9011

Ask all of your riding friends to take action and support improved mountain biking opportunities in U.S. national parks. We’re down to the final week for public comments — this is your last chance! Please forward this alert to everyone who rides; we need their support to create better trail experiences in America’s most treasured parks.

Take Action!

IMBA’s online form makes it easy to send your letter to the National Park Service (NPS).

This important rule change will let individual parks — using established processes for public comment and environmental review — decide whether to expand mountain biking on dirt trails. This is a monumental change that benefits mountain bikers in several ways:

More Great Riding Near You

NPS properties can be found in rural, suburban and urban areas throughout the country. With 391 park units, there are NPS lands you may not even know about.

Increased Park Visitation Fosters Environmental Stewardship

As a “gateway sport,” bicycling attracts new people to outdoor recreation in national parks and provides them an ideal way to appreciate the natural world.

Bicycling Will Gain Momentum

With the NPS rule change official, trail users, land managers and public officials will receive a strong message that bicycling is a positive form of outdoor recreation. Picture the impact this will have on state and regional parks, as well as future environmental planning and recreation across the country.

Want to learn more about the proposed rule change? See our comprehensive analysis, including NPS issues mountain biking can alleviate.

IMBA has been asking for this change since 1993. The time is upon us and we need you to support the NPS in their efforts to improve mountain bike access in our national parks.

By joining IMBA you demonstrate your support of national parks and bicycling.

The advances this decision will make for the parks, environment and your riding lifestyle are truly remarkable. But the clock is ticking – we urge you to become a member today. If you care about mountain biking and national parks, you belong with us.

Rays Indoor Mountain Bike Park Time Trials

Rays Indoor Mountain Bike Park in Cleveland Ohio held the “first in the world” indoor XC mountain bike time trials. The informative video below will give you an idea about how the day turned out.

Ray’s Mountain Bike Park Indoor Time Trials – Click here for this week’s top video clips

Klunkerz Wins the 2009 ‘Cycling Film of the Year’ at the Endurance Sports Awards

The below was just forwarded on to me by Klunkerz writer/producer/director, Billy Savage.

San Diego, CA. –As a very physically fit crowd of nearly 600 of the world’s best endurance athletes, sports filmmakers, and their fans looked on, ‘KLUNKERZ’ won the 2009 ‘Cycling Film of the Year’ award at the 17th Annual Competitor Magazine Endurance Sports Awards. The film chronicles the birth of the off-road bicycle in the 1960s and 1970s, and the unique athletes and artisans credited with inventing the world-wide phenomenon.The black-tie gala was heldon Saturday nightin the Nautilus Pavilion at Sea World in San Diego, CA. This was the inaugural year for the Competitor Film Festival, which played in conjunction with the ESAs.

Cycling legends and subjects of the film, Gary Fisher and Charlie Kelly, were on-hand to support the film’s writer/producer/director, Billy Savage, who accepted the award. The award was presented by Dennis Christopher, star of the groundbreaking 1979 cycling film ‘Breaking Away’. The slightly underdressed Savage was overhead saying “I’m honored and humbled to be the recipient of this award. This award is for all of us, the cycling pioneers who trusted me to tell their story, and for my amazing crew who worked so hard on this film.”  Read more

Sacred Rides – Mountain Bike Tours

Do you ever get tired of riding your local single-track? If you are like me, then the answer is probably yes. We ride local trails because of their convenience and our familiarity with them. Trying to imagine leaving the state or country you live in order to try out a new bike trail is pretty hard to fathom. Why? The logistics in itself can be difficult. How will you, your bike, gear, and supplies get from point A to point B? Once you get there where will you stay? What will you do? Where will you ride? You get the idea.

I recently had the chance to talk with Sacred Rides founder Mike Brcic. Started in 1996, Sacred Rides has evolved from a summer trail guide service in British Columbia to providing mountain bike adventure trips around the world. For the year 2009, they have been rated as the “Best Adventures Company on Earth” by National Geographic Adventure. Mike doesn’t like to use the word “trip”, instead he refers to the trips as tours. Riders participating get much more than just a trip…they get a tour of the scenery and culture of another country. Each destination in their portfolio is selected because of the jaw-dropping scenery and amazing cultural experiences…not to mention, the chance of a lifetime, to ride the world’s most incredible mountain bike trails. For over 13 years, Sacred Rides has offered award-winning small-group adventures and skills camps: in British Columbia, Ontario, Croatia/Slovenia, Peru, Guatemala, Utah and Chile.

The tours are about so much more than riding your bike. Each tour is carefully designed to give participants a glimpse into local culture, a view into another way of life, all based on the notion that we are part of one “shared humanity” and that we need to look out for each other and our planet. Sacred Rides approaches mountain biking as just a super fun and convenient way to introduce people to that notion.

Sacred Rides was born in the changing of the seasons. Mike Brcic had been working at a ski lift and with the ending of the season, was soon to be without work. A friend suggested that he should start a trail guide service. He took out a business loan and bought some bikes. It wasn’t until Mike’s third year of business that overnight trips were introduced. Today the company provides skill camps as well as trips ranging from 7 days to 14 days in length.

Interested riders may view tours online, but it should be noted that these tours are not for beginner skill level riders. All tours are designed for experienced mountain bikers with at least 2 years of regular mountain biking experience. Each tour has a skill and fitness level rating that helps riders determine if the trip is well suited to them. If you are a beginner and want incentive to progress, check out these adventure journeys…talk about “pump you up”!

Every tour is led by a local expert who will serve as both trail guide and coach. Many skills are taught, perfected and mastered on these tours.

If you are interested and would like to sign-up, then you had better book it at least 3-6 months in advance…some people book trips 1 to 1-1/2 years in advance!

Over the past 13 years the company has provided about 150 tours with over 2,000 attendees with another 500 attending their skill camps. In 2008, twenty-five tours were conducted. For 2009, an additional five tours are being added for a grand total of 30 scheduled tours.

Mike has very strict mandates for both his company as well as adventure seekers and they are summed up in his responsible riding mandate…a first in the industry. Interestingly, after some self examination Sacred Rides learned that during 2007 the company burned over $5,000 worth of fuel, equivalent to emitting about 11.5 tons of CO2 into the atmosphere. In response, last year marked the introduction of a “veggie van” which uses waste vegetable oil instead of gasoline, thus reducing the impact on the environment. I found it very admirable that Mike would have such caution to the footprint his company leaves on the land. Mike is not about business…he is about purpose! For Mike it’s about valuing our world and our neighbors…to show beauty to others…to help others grow themselves through personal challenge…to help others appreciate our shared responsibility to care for the environment and make a positive impact on the communities that are visited…to enjoy this wonderful world through the fun of mountain biking.

I applaud Sacred Rides.

How the Wheel Was Re-Invented…Literally

A video entitled Klunkerz documents how in the late 1960′s a handful of hippie cyclists literally re-invented the wheel.  The film was written, produced and directed by William “Billy” Savage who I contacted in order to receive a copy of the DVD.  The film documents modified pre-war balloon tire bikes known as klunkerz, the precursor to the modern day mountain bike.

First off, the video is excellent! What surprised and captured my attention most is the use of actual photos and video from the late 60′s early 70′s depicting the Klunkerz in use.  It isn’t often that such events are documented providing witness to the birth of something so revolutionary.  I have often heard that the birth of mountain biking took place in California, but didn’t know much more beyond that.  The video provides a much more in depth look into how the sport came to be and the different groups involved and their relation to one another.  To say one person invented mountain biking would not be true, but rather it was a collaborative (and competitive) effort of different groups working together all wanting another way to enjoy the nature that surrounded them.

Klunkerz were created by taking old balloon tire bicycles (built before 1945), preferably those with high bottom brackets such as the Schwinn Excellsior and removing the fender, chainguard, kickstand and tank (if it had one) from the bicycle.

It began as a “party in the woods” on Mount Tamalpais, a mountain 2600 feet above sea level, known to the locals as Mt. Tam. Groups of adventure and thrill seekers would get together as a way to have fun and goof around.  The gatherings were usually organized by Fred Wolf who is well remembered for inviting riders with a simple, “wanna go out on a klunk?”.  From joy rides down Mt. Tam to the competitive races at Repack the spirit of mountain biking is captured in this documentary.

Really cool are the interviews with the  founders of mountain biking; Fred Wolf, Charlie Kelly, Gary Fisher, Joe Breeze, Tom Ritchey, Otis Guy, The Larkspur Canyon Gang, The Morrow Dirt Club and others.  It is easy to forget that mountain biking has really only been around for a little over 30 years. The interviews provide a unique look at the creation and history of the sport.

The film is well edited and entertaining providing and will provide a greater appreciation to the sport and its pioneers.  After watching the video I found myself somewhat embarassed at calling myself a mountain biker, not really knowing the details and individual contributions of how the sport came to be.  I would encourage any mountain biker to order a copy of the DVD, it costs just a little over $20.

Watch the movie trailer below.

The beauty of mountain biking is in its beginnings…groups of people looking to have a little fun and goof around.  Thankfully for those enthusiasts, not much has changed since those early days.

Interview with Mountain Bike Photographer Seb Rogers

Seb Rogers lives at the foot of the Mendip Hills in the United Kingdom with his partner and four year old daughter.  He has been shooting mountain bikes professionally for nearly 13 years. I came across his website randomly and after spending time browsing through his portfolio I thought it might make for a good interview.  Below are excerpts from my interview.

MTOBikes: How long have you been biking for and what got you started?

I’ve been riding for 18 years. I started riding in 1990 as a way of taking my mind off an upsetting end to a relationship and just kind of forgot to stop.

MTOBikes: What do you like most about biking?

Physical and mental freedom. Oh, and singletrack. The fast, twisty kind.

MTOBikes: What is your most favorite scenic trail?

That’d be the one a couple of miles from my house. Views for 50 miles in all directions and some of the best singletrack in the UK.

MTOBikes: How many bikes do you own?

Three.

MTOBikes: What are they?

A ’94 Fat Chance Yo Eddy!, a custom Independent Fabrications singlespeed and a Kona Humuhumunukunukuapua’a. I haven’t bought a bike since ’98 because my shed’s full of a constant rotation of magazine test bikes.

MTOBikes: When did you begin photographing bicycle related images? What motivated you to start?

I’ve actually been taking pictures longer than I’ve been riding, but it didn’t occur to me to put the two together until a friend of mine – who was a regular contributor to one of the UK’s mountain bike magazines – went to Greece with me in 1994. I took some shots of him riding, he wrote some words and we sold the feature as a package. It was way more fun than the bike shop job I had at the time…

MTOBikes: What do you like most about photography?

Art and science rolled into one. What’s not to like?

MTOBikes: What camera do you use?

A Nikon D3, D300 or D40X.

MTOBikes: What lens?

Anything from a 10.5mm f/2.8 to a 200mm f/2.

MTOBikes: What are your favorite lenses?

The 14-24mm f/2.8 and 200mm f/2. They’re both big, heavy, expensive and impractical… but optically outrageously good.

MTOBikes: How do you choose your shots?

That’s a whole subject in itself. But mostly I’m looking for impact, relevance and originality.

MTOBikes: How do you setup for shots?

That’s another whole subject in itself. Spot a potentially nice bit of trail. Stop, check it out. Walk around a bit, get the camera out, figure out the angle. Try a couple of shots. If it’s working, stick around until I’ve got ‘the’ shot.

MTOBikes: Mountain biking is such a hard subject to shoot, especially with the DOF you utilize, focusing on the biker would be so hard. Are you extremely fast/skilled or do you setup for shots and focus on an area and wait for the biker to enter the focused area?

Autofocus is much better than it used to be, but I still use manual pre-focus most of the time. It’s generally more consistent, and you don’t end up sticking the rider slap in the middle of every shot.

MTOBikes: What gear do you take with you when you go out? Assuming it is quite a bit of gear. Obviously you must pack light so what is your preferred equipment?

If I’m riding a fair bit I’ll take the D300 with 10.5mm f/2.8, 14-24mm f/2.8 and 50-150mm f/2.8 lenses, plus a flash and radio trigger. On shoots where I can work on foot I’ll pack the (larger, heavier) D3, 16mm f/2.8, 14-24mm f/2.8, 24-70mm f/2.8, 80-200mm f/2.8 and two flashes. It all goes in one of several Dakine or Fstop bags.

MTOBikes: What camera, lens, pack, etc. would you recommend to someone who is just starting off and would like a SLR camera.

Any of the current crop of dSLRS with a standard zoom will do the job fine if you’re just starting out, and there’s a good range of backpacks around too. The best way to choose is to spend some time at a good dealer trying out different cameras (and bags) until you find one that ‘fits’.

MTOBikes: Is it safe to mountain bike with a dSLR camera or can the rough ride cause damage?

Yes. And possibly. But in over a decade of riding with lots of expensive gear, the only breakages I’ve suffered have been when I’ve been off the bike and walking around on two feet. Go figure.

MTOBikes: Is there a good pack/case to use?

Tamrac, Kata, Lowepro, Fstop and Dakine (amongst others) all make good bags. Try a few out for size!

MTOBikes: Where do you see yourself/business and where would you like to be in five years?

Pro photography is tough right now (and that’s before you take into account the wider economic picture). Rates are down, competition is up and clients expect more for less. Just surviving is a challenge, but I’m proud to say that the past three years have been my best ever. I’d like to continue to set new standards over the next few years… and keep a roof over my head in the process!

MTOBikes: Ten years?

We’re going to see a lot of changes in the way that imagery – both still and moving – is used. There’s going to be a convergence of TV and web, and that’s going to change the way that media companies commission content. Where do photographers like me fit into this? That’s a good question…

France’s Julien Absalon’s Olympic Gold Mountain Bike

Last year, France’s Julien Absalon won his second Olympic gold medal in China.  The 28 year old Absalon is quite possibly the best cross country mountain bike rider in the world.

What bike does he ride?

Absalon won gold with an Orbea mountain bike that weighed 18.5 pounds that has an estimated value of $12,000 and has several blackbox (prototype) components that are available to only a few select riders.  Below is what makes up his bike.

• Orbea Alma SL2.5r carbon fiber frame
• RockShox BlackBox SID World Cup fork, 3.5 inches travel
• Orbea Zeus Carbon SL handlebars
• SRAM BlackBox X.O Twist Shifters
• Avid BlackBox Juicy Ultimate disc brakes, six inch rotors
• Truvativ Noir carbon fiber crankset
• Fulcrum Red carbon wheels with stock spokes and Tune Titanium Quick Lock hubs
• Hutcchinson Piranha Tubless Ready tires, 26 x 2.0
• Time ATAC XS Carbon pedals
• Selle Italia SLR saddle with titanium rails and prototype shell
• SRAM X.) rear derailleur
• SRAM Red front derailleur
• SRAM 11-32 BlackBox Ti cassette
• Foam Ultralite grips
• Zeus Carbon seatpost
• Orbea carbon fiber seatpost collar
• Time Tital Carbon AttacX stem
• Truvativ BlackBox GXP ceramic bearing bottom bracket
• FSA aluminum headset
• SRAM 991 HollowPin chain
• KCNC bar ends
• Elite carbon water bottle cage

Mountain bike champion to inspire at Coronet Peak

Mountain bike enthusiasts are in for a treat at Coronet Peak this summer when supreme downhill mountain biker Scarlett Hagen hosts a range of training sessions at the Bike Park.

The former 2004 Junior Downhill Mountain Bike World Champion and 2008 Oceania Champion will hold skill sessions from 8 January to 1 March.

Scarlett aims to analyze riders’ performance and provide personal feedback and skill development whilst teaching them different techniques to aid improvement.

Ski Area Manager Hamish McCrostie said Scarlett’s skill sessions provided an awesome opportunity for aspiring and advanced mountain bikers to learn from one of the world’s best.

“Scarlett’s passion for downhill mountain biking and her reputation within the industry makes attendance at these sessions a must for up and coming riders or anyone who wants to take their skills to a new level,” he said.

Scarlett says the sessions are designed to accelerate development and fast track improvement.

“I love inspiring others to reach their potential and I’m always amazed at how much people improve with just a few simple training tips.”

The sessions cater for all ages and levels from beginner to advanced. For $50 (plus lift pass) participants can choose to take part in either a two hour group session or a one hour private session.

Participants must have their own bikes with all the necessary safety equipment including their own protective wear.

Positions are limited so early registration is encouraged. Visit www.scarletthagen.com for more information.

The Coronet Peak Bike Park season opened yesterday (7 January) and will run until March 1. The park will be open 11.30 am till 7.30pm Tuesday through Sunday each week of the season, weather permitting. Closed on Mondays.

Help Create New Singletrack at Charleston Park

Last month 35 riders had a blast (pictures) building berms at Big Creek mountain bike trail in Roswell, Georgia.  This month you have another opportunity to help create some sweet new singletrack overlooking the steep shores of Lake Lanier!

The work will be much less strenuous than last month.  Help is needed to clear brush and leaves from the trail line so that a machine can follow and do the harder work of moving earth.  This is important because the Ditch Witch operator can’t cut trail that he doesn’t see!

The fun will take place between 9AM – 1PM this Saturday, January 10th at Charleston Park in Forsyth County.  Although RAMBO will provide tools, a few extra leaf rakes might be helpful for this particular work party.

Come prepared and bring the following:  water, gloves, closed-toe shoes or boots suitable for hiking (Charleston Park is STEEP!), and as always…a few friends!

NorthStar Bicycle will be providing lunch.  RAMBO will also give away a few prizes.

Directions

GA-400N to exit 17 (GA-306 / Keith Bridge Rd.) Right on Keith Bridge Rd at end of ramp Right at 1st major intersection (Browns Bridge Rd.) drive ~1.5 miles Right at Mashburn Dr. -or- Charleston Park Rd.
Go to boat ramp parking lot

Google Map

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