Bearclaw 2 Invitational, catch the video Highlights of this event right here!

(This space previously used for:)

Crankworx, the mother MTB event in the heartland of trail riding that is Whistler, BC has partnered with Rip.TV to stream the 2007 slopestyle event live and direct via the wonderous interweb
It what seems like a deal too good to miss out on, Mtbr.com has joined in on the action and you’ll be able to watch it right here!

Among the highlights Rip.TV and Mtbr will be bringing you all the action, including the winning runs from the top 5 riders of the weekend, highlight reels from all runs from the weekend rider by rider, overall best tricks and airs, crashes, and more.Riders confirmed for the event are the best of the best from all over the world and the bar will again be raised as the progression of the sport continues to mount.

Other Crankworx News:

»Brian Lopes Claims First At Crankworx Jim Beam Air DH

»Syndicate’s Rennie 2nd On A-line DH - Bobby McMullen races

»Sam Hill Takes All In Garbanzo Downhill Race

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Wednesday, October 16, 2007

Oakland CA — The November 10th CycleFest Dinner and Auction hosted by Bob Roll, which benefits the fast growing NorCal High School Mountain Bike Racing League, has sold each of the 300 tickets available. Only “Stand-by” tickets are now available for Saturday’s dinner. However, Bob Roll will be hosting two brand new benefit events on Friday and Saturday, a cocktail party and a road ride, rounding out a full weekend for cycling fans and League supporters. Information and “Stand-by” tickets are available at: www.norcalmtb.org

On Friday, November 9th, Charles and Lotte Moore will be hosting a cocktail party with Bob Roll at their home in Mill Valley from 6:00 PM to 10:00 PM. Come and enjoy cocktails, buffet, and of course, stories by Bob Roll all for $25. Please RSVP to bobroll@mcguire.com, for more details visit www.mcguire.com/marketing/marcom/ClubMcGuireCycling-BobRoll-v3b.html (or visit www.norcalmtb.org )

On Sunday, November 11, ZteaM Cycling is proud to present a benefit ride with the legendary Bob Roll. The ride will start at 8:00 AM at the Woodlands Market in Kentfield. In Tour de France fashion, the ride will be escorted by California Highway Patrol officers. This will be a friendly and mellow paced ride for experienced road riders, and there will be 45 and 75 mile options. To register and for more information, go to: www.bikereg.com/events/register.asp?eventid=5261

The Nor Cal High School Mountain Bike League is a non-profit organization that provides mountain biking as a high school sport alternative. The League exists because of generous donors and sponsors such as Clif Bar, Inc., Gary Fisher Bicycles, USA Cycling Development Foundation, Ritchey Bicycle Components, Creation Engine, Tecnu Extreme, Galaxy Granola, Mike’s Bikes, The Pedaler, Specialized and Fox Racing Shox. The League provides coaching and camaraderie to help students achieve both competitive and non-competitive cross-country mountain biking goals in a safe and enjoyable manner. Each season includes the Leaders Summit, winter riding camps, six-race series, and a variety of summer camps. For more information visit www.norcalmtb.org or call (510) 653-2453.

“You, too, can regain the floating equilibrium of your womb origins. Go out to the trails. Get down on your hands and knees and feel the soil, smell it, run your fingers and toes through it. Devine intervention will come, like me, you will transcend the constraints modern living imposes on every post-aquatic human embryo. But let me admonish you also to give back what you take from nature, or we shall all perish in a car-mageddon fire, one that’s already threatening us from every direction. From his footprint we know Hercules. But for the devine flyers we want and really need to become, the whole is revealed by each, separately and together.” –Bob “Bobke” Roll, Tour de France Survivor, Mountain Biking Legend and Versus Commentator

source: Matt Fritzinger
League Director [fritz@norcalmtb.org]

Ryan Trebon Strong in Europe, Nat Ross wins in Moab
For Immediate Release:

Colorado Springs, CO - CTS Athlete and three-time US National Cyclocross Champion Katie Compton continued her domination of the US cyclocross scene with convincing wins in Saturday and Sunday’s UCI C2 races in Cincinnati, Ohio. Across the pond, US National Champion Ryan Trebon competed in the first races of his 2007 European cyclocross campaign, starting out with a strong seventh place finish on Saturday at the Grand Prix de la Région Wallonne in Dottignies, Belgium. A day later, feeling the full effects of jet lag, he finished 19th at the first Superprestige event of the season.

Including her two victories in Ohio, Compton has won five of her past six races. In Saturday’s event, she had a chance to show off the technical skills that have been a key to her success; she was the first racer of the day to successfully navigate a sharp corner right in the middle of a deep sandpit. The silver medalist from last year’s World Championships will soon leave for an extended period of racing and training in Europe.

Over in Belgium, Ryan Trebon battled through jet lag during his first two European cyclocross races of the season. With a Superprestige race scheduled on the same weekend, the start list for the Grand Prix de la Région Wallonne in Dottignies, Belgium, included the absolute best ‘cross racers in the world. In the second half of the race, the American champion was in the second group, just 15 seconds behind the leaders. As the laps dwindled, tactical riding up front allowed Trebon’s group to catch back up, and he went right to the front. With three laps to go, Trebon was leading the race and attempting to leave everyone behind, but the leaders regrouped and Trebon was caught in a crash when Bart Aernouts went down with two laps to go. Eventual winner Sven Nys avoided the crash, and by the finish Trebon crossed the line in seventh place.

The following day, Nys won his second race of the weekend, which was the first race of this season’s Superprestige series. It was his tenth consecutive victory in Superprestige series races (he won every race in the series last season). Trebon, having arrived in Europe only days before, was feeling the full impact of jet lag, rode through the fatigue to a respectable 19th place. He’ll be looking to improve on that finish in upcoming Superprestige races as he prepares for Cyclocross World Championships in January 2008.

CTS Mountain Bike Athlete Wins at 24 Hours of Moab

CTS Athete and endurance mountain bike pro Nat Ross (Subaru/Gary Fisher) and his partner Mike Janelle won the two-person Duo Pro category at the 24 Hours of Moab endurance mountain bike race in Moab, Utah on October 13-14. Ross, who won the Men’s Solo event at Moab in 2006 and was part of the winning 4-man team in the 2007 Race Across America (RAAM), is coached by CTS Premier Coach Jim Lehman.

Founded by Olympian, US Olympic Committee Coach of the Year, and bestselling author, Chris Carmichael in 1999, Carmichael Training Systems (CTS) inspires and empowers the athlete in EVERY BODY to perform at their best. For more information, visit

www.trainright.com

source: Kevin Dessart

For Immediate Release

Moab, Utah (14th October, 2007)–Six hours after Chris Eatough (Trek Volkswagen), and Jari Kirkland (Boulder Performance Network) won the Men’s and Women’s Solo races, more than 100 of the 800+ tents and campsites still stood in what had been a tent city for the weekend of the EAS 24 Hours of Moab, 13-14 October. 388 teams, including 1396 riders, and an estimated 2500 spectators had travelled a long way to be in this isolated mountain biking paradise. People sat at their camps swapping stories of a weekend they will remember, for many the party was still not over. They were staying another night.

“It’s fun to race here. That was the main reason I came. It’s a super-fun race,” said Rebecca Rusch (Specialized-Red Bull), who finished second to Jari Kirkland in the Women’s Solo class.

Throughout the night team support crews had entertained themselves in a multitude of fun and friendly ways. One crew had placed a garden gnome behind a ramp they’d placed on the course. A sign read ‘Gnome Jump. Win a Pez!’ Several competitors cleared the gnome, but none stopped to collect the prize.

Laird Knight, the event director, could not have been more pleased with the way it ran. He said: “The weather, the people and the sportsmanship.” Those are the three things that made this event special. “The weather was probably the best it has ever been for this race. The people that race here have a heart, a toughness, and a love of racing and each other that lights me up. There are so many stories of great sportsmanship, I can’t even begin to recount them. This is the culmination of a very successful second annual National 24 Hours Points Series. I’m very excited, it bodes so well for next year’s series.”

Italian 24-hour mountain biking champion, Lorenza Menapace (Trentino/Salomon) was not prepared for her Moab experience. “What does this mean: Gudjob? I hear this a lot. It is not like Italy where the riders shove you with their elbows,” she said. “I like to race here. The people on the course and beside the course, they are all more friendly and supportive than in Italy,” she added.

With team names like Jack Mormon Militia (from Provo, Utah), and Momentary Lapse of Reason (Fort Collins, Colorado), the light heartedness extended to the riders as well as their support staff. But the frivolity was not restricted to the slower riders, both of the named teams won their racing class.

The 14.5 mile course, located at Behind the Rocks, some 12 miles outside Moab, has become legendary among the riders since it was introduced to the mountain biking world 13 years ago. 2000 Olympic team member Travis Brown (Trek), a veteran of the Moab course, commented that the sand, which varies from year to year, was deeper this year. “Also, this is a rough course, and there’s lots of technical riding in it. It’s not an easy course at all,” he said. Brown, now retired from racing, is a test rider for Trek and was there riding in the Just for Fun class.

For those interested in a serious race, there was a lot on offer. Because of the number and quality of riders that compete at Moab, the world class course, the large cash purses, the unique RealTime online results services, and the fact that it is a Granny Gear Productions event–the company that introduced the 24-hour racing format to mountain biking–the 24 Hours of Moab has long been regarded as the defacto world championships.

This year the riders competed for a share of a $16,200 purse, and the racing was highlighted by some truly outstanding performances in the women’s and amateur fields.

Renowned ultra-endurance rider, Chris Eatough, of Ellicott City, Maryland, was racing here for the first time in the solo class. After following Josh Tostado (Giant-Smith), of Breckenridge, Co. around lap one, Eatough unleashed a devastating bolt of endurance energy that none of his rivals could match. The Trek rider was never challenged thereafter. He finished with a total of 13 laps in 22:59. “I was surprised he went so early, normally he doesn’t like to get into the really serious racing until about two laps in,” commented Eatough’s crew chief, Zach Vestal. After the race, Eatough said, “It always feels good to win a 24-hour race, because it’s such a long time to be on the bike, and it takes so much preparation,” and he added that the main appeal of the Moab race to him is the sheer scale of the event and the number and quality of the racers. Accomplished multi-sport athelete, Travis Macy, took second place, and 24 Hour National Series leader, Rob Lichtenwalner, took third place and sealed his series win.

The Women’s Solo class produced some of the most outstanding racing of the weekend. Jari Kirkland, of Boulder, Colorado, was leading last year’s race when it was cancelled due to hypothermic conditions. She came back this year in the best condition of her life and a firm intention to win. Rebecca Rusch, of Ketchum, Idaho, pressed hard for the first eight hours and then started to feel the effects of a long, hard season. “I had to stop and nap for a couple of hours,” she reported at the end, after finishing second. Kirkland was not willing to ease up. “I didn’t want to go that hard, but with all those girls chasing I felt I had to,” she explained at the finish. Kirkland’s urgency propelled her to complete the 14 laps in 24:02, the same number of laps as Eatough, and more than Macy.

Behind Rusch, Lisse Daugard-Gordon moved up from seventh place after nine hours of racing to cross the finish line in third. “It’s all new to me. I’m just excited to be here racing against these guys. It’s quite a deal to race with Riva (Rusch) and Jari,” said Lisse, an experienced collegiate cyclist competing in her third 24-hour race.

The Duo Pro class was won by the Gary Fisher/Tokyo Joes team of Nat Ross and Mike Janelle, who completed 18 laps in 22:55. “We could have ridden longer, but we figured our first place was secure, so we decided to stop there and have a beer,” said Ross. Second place went to the Ambiguous relay duo of Chris Peters and Julian Gasiewski, who were delighted with their result. “We’ve raced here several times before, but this was our first Duo. We were hoping for 16 laps and a top five result, but we rode 17 laps and got second place,” said Peters. Only ten minutes behind the Ambiguous team, occupying third place, came the Bikers Edge/TFMB team of Jake Pantone and Jonny Hintze.

The MonaVie/Cannondale Co-ed Pro/Am team led overall for most of the race, and completed 20 laps in 24:29. MonaVie/Cannondale Pros captain Bart Gillespie broke a chain close to the halfway point, but was able to fix it without losing the team’s position. The Desert Mud team never looked like challenging for first place, but maintained an even pace to take second place with a time of 23:58 for 18 laps, 14 minutes ahead of Feedback Sports who completed their 18 laps in 24:12.

King and Queen of Moab awards, given to the male and female riders with the fastest lap times, were won by Bart Gillespie of the MonaVie/Cannondale Pro team, with a time of 1:02:13, and Willow Koerber of the Sid Vicious team, with a time of 1:14:04.

With so many more stories to tell, we suggest you visit www.grannygear.com for the low down, and a wide range of pictures from around the venue and the race track.

-30-

source: Granny Gear Press Office

Destination: Oakridge, Oregon.

Where? Oakridge is a small valley town, east of Eugene. Where? It’s 9 hours north of Norcal. We’ll figure it out. There’s a small outfit called Mountain Bike Oregon that promises 3 days of riding bliss and free beer for less than $300. Last year, a few of my friends left me on injured reserve and took the trip to Oakridge. They said the riding was incredible and the event was very enjoyable. Tom Tran described it as: “You know our favorite part in Downieville… Third Divide? It’s like that but hundreds of miles long.” I said “Wow, let’s roll!”

What bike to bring?

Nomad, 29er FS, Rigid, Singlespeed? Since I was just hitching a ride, I could only bring one bike. All the rides are shuttle rides, I hear. So let’s bring the Nomad. Tom however convinces me to ride the Salsa Mamasita 29er singlespeed. “That’ll be perfect” he said. Nice cushy front and light enough to be fast. I had my doubts as I wasn’t too interested in racing XC up the trails. Although Tom took a Niner singlespeed rigid fork last year and had a blast. He said all the descents are fairly smooth and the climbs are not too steep. Ok, Mamasita it is.

Arrival

So I’ve never been to Oregon. Well it’s very green, hilly and scenic. The roads are smoother and the folks drive slower. But don’t you dare pump your own gas since you might get arrested. We roll into Oakridge and it’s a beautiful valley town surrounded 360 degrees by these tall green mountains. Right by the main road is a park/campground next to the Willamette river. We arrive on Thursday afternoon and the camping area has several dozen tents next to the river. We set up camp with about a dozen mtbr tents and signed up for the upcoming rides. There’s a beer garden area with a stage, a feeding area, a lunch box set up area and a shuttle staging area on one end of the park. Bathroooms are handled by several dozen portables. Showers are at a high school a half mile away with shuttles constantly running in the afternoons. Heck, we even had cell phone service.

The rides

There are many options for the three days of shuttle riding. Each route is described in a guidebook and it makes recommendations depending on rider skill level. Our ala carte schedule looked like this:

Friday- Lawler and Hardesty

Saturday - Middle Fork Trail ($35 extra)

Sunday - Alpine Trail

That’s the consensus of the locals for advanced riders. Middle Fork Trail costs an extra $35 since it’s way out there. The shuttle ride to the drop-off point takes about an hour and a half. There’s lunch midway through the ride and there’s ice-cold beer at the end of the ride.

In addition, our group decided to do a couple of self-supported shuttle rides since we drove all the way from another state and all. These were:

Thurs - Larison Rock

Monday - Mackenzie River Trail

So why are all the rides shuttle rides?? Are they such extreme downhill runs? Isn’t shuttling uncool? It turns out the descents are very XC style and 40 lb. bikes are not needed. In fact, the locals rarely shuttle these same rides. But the climbs are huge at 4000-6000 feet of elevation gain. Shuttles are done basically so we can ride every day and not feel cooked. The remarkable thing is all these trails are shuttle friendly. There’s usually a road that drops you off at the top of the trailhead. And even with the shuttle up the hill, there’s usually some climbing involved throughout the day. Another point is riders of varying abilities can try these wonderful descents. Not everybody can climb 5000 feet but most folks can descend that. Of course that’s a double-edged sword that can put riders in over their heads on top of a mountain.

Thursday - Larison Rock

This one is right behind the camping area across the river. We drove up a windy road for about 20 minutes and voila, we were at the trailhead. It’s about a 4-mile, 2000-foot descent. The minute we hit the trail, I knew this place was special. There were a hundred shades of green as vegetation covered every square inch outside the narrow singletrack. The trail snaked down the mountain, sometimes very narrow with some exposure on one side. Leaves lashed at my half-covered fingers as I swooped down the hill. The soil condition was A+ with zero dust and plenty of grip. We ended on a flatter trail that led us all the way to the campground. Wow, our beloved Norcal trails just got schooled and this was just a prelude to the trail orgy to follow.

Friday- Lawler and Hardesty trails

This one is actually two shuttle rides. The bus waits for us at the bottom of Lawler and takes us to the top of Hardesty. This ride was a gem! There was a little out and back bonus trail in the beginning. Then the Lawler descent ensued with uninterrupted descending down the middle of a very big, dark forest. The twisty descent just flowed through soft, loamy trails inside the tree canopy. Then came Hardesty trail. Hardesty was easier yet better. It had such good flow and speed that everyone came out of the canopy just smiling. But wait there’s more! at the bottom, people were just laughing.

Saturday - Middle Fork trail

An hour and a half away and $35 extra? Is it worth it? In a word, hellya! You have to be an advanced rider to survive the roots at the top and endure the 30 mile trek. But pay that price and you will be rewarded with the most interesting trail of the weekend. The trail is peppered with turns, roots, sights, hikes and flowy descents. The first half of the trail is an exciting and technical descent through some very twisty and very rooty singletrack. The views are dramatic with all the water flowing but there’s no time to look. It’s about a five-hour ride and the guides leave a personalized box lunch halfway through the trail. Let me just say that PB&J sandwiches never tasted so good. We even took a little hike across the highway and saw a natural spring pop out of the ground and start a creek before our very eyes. After the lunch break is an exciting but grueling section of creek crossings and hike-a-bikes. It then opens up to the flowy, buff singletrack the area is famous for. At the end of the 30 miles, the muscles, back and neck were sore. We then jumped into the river and injected life back into our bodies. Grab a beer at the shuttle and we can go ahead and anoint this as the ‘best ride evar’.

Sunday - Alpine trail

At around 2 am, the skies opened up. August downpours are rare even here in Oakridge and it took everyone by surprise. Half the attendees packed up while most of the Norcal crew donned shower caps and braved the elements. Remarkably, the trail was in great condition as the showers lightened up at around 11am. I did not make the Alpine ride said this one rivaled the Middle Fork ride. They said the flow was incredible and the vistas were epic.

Monday - self shuttle at Mackenzie River Trail (non-MBO)

The great thing about Oakridge is we are within striking distance of some of the other great Oregon trails. We took about an hour and a half drive to Mackenzie river and stayed at Harbick’s Inn. The next morning, we braved the morning drizzle that unfortunately turned into a downpour. We shuttled to the top and did a loop around the lake. This trail was again so interesting and flowy. Did you know that lava and big fir and redwood trees can thrive together? Well, here it does. There is about a one-mile section of lava that was so technical and interesting. The good news about lava trails is there is almost perfect traction even in the rain. The bad is the price for failure is very steep as that lava will exhibit it’s friction properties on your skin. On the trail, we are treated to a symphony of twisty singletrack, lava obstacles, bridges, water crossings, waterfalls, pools and a million shades of green.

The Carnage

At the July venue, it was reported that there were 5 broken bones(mostly collarbones). In this August MBO, we were spared that but one of our Norcal contingent went down very hard. Sarah is a beginner/intermediate rider and was having a blast at Lawler trail. But as the trail opened up to a fire road, she picked up a bit of speed and did not see a dirt mound for blocking vehicle access. Not having ever jumped before, she launched off the dirt and landed on her head and her back. Now for the scary part, she was incoherent for about two minutes. Then she came to but had no memory whatsoever of the last week’s events. Over the next hour, she regained all her memory and complained of a sore back while laying down. She declined the ambulance ride to the dismay of all the rescuers and ride organizers. She then got checked out at a nearby hospital and got a clean bill of health. She is a trooper and managed to have fun the rest of the days despite being quite sore. The other injury of note was Noah’s tattoo. Noah crashed on the trail and the the bike was still clipped in on one foot and landed on his shoulder. Noah is about 300 lbs and can put some heat on those disc brakes. He thought, ‘what’s that little stinger on my shoulder’? It was his brake rotor burning his skin!!! Wow. Rumor is Noah is going to mark that spot with a real rotor tattoo that says ‘MBO’.

The Guides

Each MBO ride is led by many guides. The guides are unpaid volunteers that belong to the Disciples of Dirt, the same group that maintains these trails. These guys were key to making this event so enjoyable. Their enthusiasm for sharing their trails was matched only by their riding ability. They excelled at climbing, descending, trials riding. Just by coincidence, the Norcal group was matched up with Boyd and Wes for four days of riding. We had fun at the expense of Boyd’s Kiwi accent. And we benefited from his guiding and riding expertise. Most important, Boyd and Wes’s upbeat spirit always lifted the group. I think they had fun too as they joined us on their own at the Mackenzie River Trail ride.

So there you have it. The perfect trip. The founders Randy and Porter of MBO have done good. The event has grown from 30 people in 2005, 250 in 2006 and 450 in 2007. Take note that MBO gives a money to a lot of local community groups. They care for the town and it shows as all the locals are very accomodating to cyclists. One caveat is each MBO event is capped at 300 riders. It will most likely sell out next year so register early when it opens before christmas.

Next year, get ready MBO, the Mtbr armada is coming!

Resources:

Photo Gallery: http://gallery.mtbr.com/showgallery.php/cat/1164

Discussion and rider reports: http://forums.mtbr.com/showthread.php?t=330452

Mountain Bike Oregon site: http://www.mtbikeoregon.com/

——————

2008 Update:

The dates are:

July 18-20, August 15-17

and there are still open spots.

Marzocchi 2008 Fork Lineup

This is the first of three articles on the 2008 Marzocchi suspension product lineup.

I won’t pass judgment or give my opinions on the new forks in this article. I’ll do that in my final story. For more information, Marzocchi’s product photos, and specs for selected forks, click on the photos below. They’ll take you to new pages with larger photos and more specific details. If you have questions, ask them at the bottom of this page and I’ll do my best to answer them.

See all 2008 Marzocchi forks in gallery >>

If you like this article, please also support my site, PhotographyREVIEW.com. By supporting PhotographyREVIEW.com, you will make more articles like this possible. You’ll also learn to take better mountain bike photos. And we all like to look at more pretty bike photos!

Coming soon: 2008 Marzocchi rear shocks…

Organization patrons and cycling enthusiasts gather to launch inner-city bike program into the next decade
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

SAN RAFAEL, Calif. - October 11, 2007 -Trips for Kids celebrates 20 years of empowering youth with a dinner auction from 6:00 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. on November 3, 2007, at the Mill Valley Community Center in Marin, California.

The limited live auction portion of the event is expected to draw both generous patrons and a captive audience of cycling fans. Noteworthy auction items include:

-High-end mountain bikes donated by Ellsworth and Maverick.
-A bike trip through Europe offered by Trek Travel and American Airlines.
-A cycling trip to Moab, Utah, contributed by Western Spirit Cycling.
-A private mountain bike ride on Mount Tamalpais with mountain bike legend, Gary Fisher.

The event will also feature a silent auction with an extensive collection of bike-related goods. Other event sponsors include Tom Weisel Partners, ZteaM cycling, Wilderness Trail Bikes and Transportation Alternatives of Marin.

In the last 20 years, Trips for Kids has led more than 38,000 underserved youth on mountain bike adventures. Each ride builds confidence and teaches valuable life skills as youth dig deep for strength to climb mountains. At the same time, youth are taught to appreciation nature and better appreciate their roles as caretakers of the environment.

Modeled after its flagship program in the San Francisco Bay area, fifty-seven Trips for Kids chapters across North America are working together to take low-income, inner-city, or otherwise at-risk youth on mountain bike adventures.

Former students confirm the impact of their Trips for Kids rides.

“I had never been into the woods before and I could feel the difference in the air - it was thin and fresh,” said 19-year-old Edwin Martinez. “I had asthma as a kid and I could really feel the difference. I still love to go out on the trail now.”

“It was the best time I ever had,” said 23-year-old Vianney Gutierrez. “I remember every single bit of the trip and will for the rest of my life.”

The widespread achievements and growth of Trips for Kids’ outreach comes with an increasing price. Sixty percent of the funding for Trips for Kids comes from the sale of donated merchandise through its Re-Cyclery Thrift Shop - perhaps the largest bicycle thrift shop of its kind in the country. Located in San Rafael, this green business is a community center for affordable and environmentally friendly transportation.

Trips for Kids relies on financial donations to pay for organization expenses not covered by Re-Cyclery Thrift Shop profits. Proceeds from the 20th Anniversary Celebration will boost the expansion of Trips for Kids’ award-winning programs into more communities across the country.

To purchase event tickets or make a donation, please email info@tripsforkids.org, call (415) 458-2986, or visit www.tripsforkids.org.

About Trips for Kids
Trips for Kids is a national 501(c)3 nonprofit based in San Rafael, California. Trips for Kids started in 1988 as a grass roots effort by avid mountain biker, environmentalist, and Mountain Bike Hall of Fame inductee, Marilyn Price. Its programs give underserved youth a chance to experience the joy and challenge of mountain biking, while learning valuable life skills and an appreciation for the outdoors. There are currently fifty-seven Trips for Kids chapters across the United Stated and Canada, with more on the way.

# # #

source: Chip Smith, Marilyn Price

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Jay, Vermont (October 11th 2007) Jay Challenge LLC is proud to announce their expansion plan for the 2008 season.

Jay Challenge LLC( event promoter) will operate all their events under the brand name The Ultimate XC. In order to better cater to a growing market, we have created 3 different series; The running series, the mountain bike series, as well as the 3 day stage race series

The running series will have 2 new events. One, in June in Quebec, Canada and one in November in Moab, Utah

The mountain bike series will add the America’s SS Championship in North Conway, NH to it’s current selection. Racers already have confirmed their attendance from the USA, Canada, Dominican Republic, Cuba, Brazil, Costa Rica and Mexico

The 3 day stage race series will survive. We continue to scout different venues in order to bring back the world famous Jay Challenge: however the Jay Challenge in it’s original format will not take place in 2008. We are presently working on introducing a 3 to 5 days running stage race for 2009. Location TBA

For further details you can visit the web site www.ultimatexc.com

—END—

source: Dan Des Rosiers
Race Director
Rd@jaychallenge.com

Laptop bags, Champ riding jacket, Messenger bags from Chrome.

| Chrome Industries, inc. | San Francisco, California

www.chromebags.com

source: Rob Reedy

Presented by the Chile Pepper Bike Shop
PRESS RELEASE - MOAB, UTAH
October 9, 2007

The Moab Fat Tire Festival died , the Halloween Bike Fest died…….So, come join us for 3 days of a rockin’ good time! Bring your fat tire bike and your dancin’ shoes. We have group shuttles, a townie tour, bike industry vendors with demos and swag, a big air contest, a Halloween costume party with lots of rock’n roll. Sound like fun? You bet you’re A@# it will be, so don’t miss it!!!

We have group shuttle pick up at the shop daily. Check out the big drops at Bartlett Wash on Friday. Saturday, you can shuttle to Porcupine Rim and LPS trail, one of the locals’ favorites and Sunday shuttle or ride to Amasaback Trail.

Catch the Stop and Suds Townie Tour on Friday. Meet at the shop on 2 wheels at 6pm.

Big air contest on Saturday afternoon at 3pm in the parking lot of the Elk’s Lodge. Can you go BIG? If so, bring your dirt jump worthy bike or your 26” wheeled bike and show our judges what ya got. You could win a Giant STP frame. We will also have raffles and prize giveaways.

Don’t forget to bring your best costume because Saturday night at the Elk’s Lodge is our Halloween costume party with music by the Shindaggers from Flagstaff and Iocane, a Moab local band. Did we say best costume wins an Electra Cruiser? Doors open at 7pm with a $5 cover at the door.

Call the shop for more details 435-259-4688.

p.s. – You ask what’s a Ho-Down?? It’s short for Hootenanny. What’s a Hootenanny? We don’t know, but it sure sounds like fun!

www.chilebikes.com

source: Tracy Reed, tracy@chilebikes.com