PORTLAND, OR – May 30, 2008 – Cloudy skies and a light drizzle didn’t deter the 200+ cyclists who made their way to Pioneer Square on May 25th to participate in Portland’s first ever New Belgium Urban Assault Ride. Teams of two cycled to checkpoints at Sunnyside School Park, Fat Tire Farm, River City Bicycles, Community Cycle Center, Plan B Bar, and Laurel Hurst Park to complete various obstacle courses, including bike jousting and big wheel races.

Local racers Doug Ollerenshaw of Rock Racing and Jason Sager of Mona Vie Cannondale comprised the winning team with a time of 1:15. Each received a limited edition cruiser bike from New Belgium Brewing, the title sponsor of the event.

The pedal-powered urban scavenger hunt benefited the Bicycle Transportation Alliance, an organization dedicated to opening minds and roads to bicycling. Portland participants pledged to ride 25,200 miles through New Belgium Brewing’s TeamWonderbike, potentially diverting some 25,000 pounds of CO2.

Remaining Urban Assault rides in the 2008 series are Austin (June 22), Fort Collins (July 20), Denver (July 27), Madison (August 24), Minneapolis (September 21) and Chicago (September 28).

About Urban Assault Ride: The Urban Assault Ride is a green event designed to show riders that a bike is a great way to get around town.Its “green focus” extends beyond bike advocacy. The production powers the event with a solar generator, a bio-diesel truck delivers the gear to each city, and almost all event waste is composted or recycled.

Find out more at www.urbanassaultride.com.

source: Sharon Cutler

May 26, 2008, - Tempe, AZ – Titus Cycles, announced today the Titus Summer Trade-In Program on two of its key aluminum full-suspension bikes. The promotion which kicks off on June 1 and will run though August, is intended to drive new high-end sales to its retailers during the peak selling season. Consumers can save up to $500 on popular models such as the aluminum Racer X and aluminum Motolite by simply walking into any Titus retailer and providing them with their old mountain bike frame. Current Titus owner’s who trade-in their old frame can save $500 on the purchase of a new Titus. Even non Titus owners can take advantage of the savings by trading-in their old Ellsworth, Turner, Santa Cruz, Specialized, or you name it and they can save $300 on the purchase of a new Titus.

“We realized that it’s a challenging selling environment right now, and we want to do everything we can to support our dealers by driving business through their door,” said Titus CEO Pat Hus. “We wanted to do something special to show our dealers how much we appreciate their support,” continued Hus.

No matter what frame is traded-in you’ll be doing some good at the same time. Titus will be donating the exchanged frames to the non-profit group Trips for Kids (www.tripsforkids.org). Trips for Kids provides the materials, moral support and inspiration that an individual or group needs to help disadvantaged kids discover the joy of mountain biking. “Trips for Kids is most grateful to Titus for choosing us as the recipient of their fabulous frame trade-in program. Titus’ donation will significantly contribute to our bike thrift shop which covers over 50% of our programs expenses each year,” said Marilyn Price, Director of Trips for Kids. Operating in the United States and Canada, Trips for Kids opens the world of cycling to at-risk youth through mountain bike rides and Earn-A-Bike programs. The more than sixty Trips for Kids chapters that they support combine lessons in personal responsibility, achievement and environmental awareness through the development of practical skills, and the simple act of having fun.

Titus Cycles out of Tempe, Arizona is a leading manufacturer of high-end mountain and road bikes. The company builds frames from aluminum, carbon fiber and titanium and holds exclusive licenses for numerous frame technologies. For more information contact Titus http://www.titusti.com/

source: Jeff Titone

New Singlespeed 29er carries Pro Athlete to Victory

NOVATO, Calif.–May 27, 2008. Marin Bikes, manufacturer of performance bicycles, Pro athlete Yuri Hauswald was singlespeed champion at last weekend’s Friends of Tamarancho NORBA sanctioned Invitational Mountainbike race in Fairfax, California.

With a good turn out amongst Bay Area Pro and Expert riders Yuri Hauswald was to have his work cut out for him. Yuri is in a minority of Pro level racers in that he holds down a full time job in addition to training and competing nationally at 24-Hour endurance events. Yuri is both a schoolteacher and Mountainbike coach for racers in the Nor-Cal High School League. He devotes much of his spare time to inspiring young riders to reach their full potential both on the race circuit and in the classroom.

Yuri completed the three lap, 18 mile, race aboard a stock Marin Pine Mountain 29er. Twenty Nine Inch wheels are new to the Marin Bikes line up for 2008. The entry level Alpine Trail 29er attracting much praise in Mountain Bike Actions July edition. Yuri’s time on the trail was enough to place him 9th overall amongst the Pro men’s field. He was, however, the first rider across the line aboard a singlespeed bike, earning him the top step of the podium.

“Yuri is a valuable asset to Marin’s racing program. As a school teacher by profession Yuri’s personable demeanor and communication skills make him an excellent ambassador for Marin Bikes.” Stated Marin Bikes Marketing Manager, Mark Vanek. “He’s a real world athlete holding down a regular job and competing at the highest levels of the sport.”

Marin Bikes, a designer and manufacturer of performance bicycles and bicycle accessories, is located in Marin County, the birthplace of mountain biking. Marin, founded in 1986 by Robert Buckley, who remains it principal owner, and the company’s employee/owners are as committed to high quality service and customer support as they are to the lifestyle of cycling. Distributed in approximately 40 countries with international offices in Canada, Taiwan and Switzerland, Marin continues to pursue its original mission of providing quality performance and product innovation.

www.marinbikes.com

source: Mark Vanek

What happens at a Pub in Fullerton does not stay in Fullerton. No, the results of a raucous night sponsored by Fullerton Bicycles and California Bike Gear are available to be viewed by all who want to check it out. It’s all recorded an up on YouTube. Eighteen contestants, including shop owner Mike Frenze and a few of his employees, took their shot at fame and a trip to Las Vegas for the Interbike 2008 show. Their goal was simple. To record the best time possible for the removal and replacement of a tire using the fastest tire changing tool in the land, Quik-Stik.

The competition began at the shop in Fullerton with a few trial runs on Tuesday, May 13. The competition began in earnest two days later at the appointed 7:00 pm hour. A local bike club supported by Fullerton Bicycles was planning to end their ride at the shop. After a few folks took their turn, their was general agreement that many of the riders may have ended up down the road at a local eatery/drinkery. This turned out to be the case. For a look at numerous wrong ways to win this competition, and a couple of outstanding results under 40 seconds, go to Youtube.com and search Quik-Stik.

Terry Brown, sales manager of California Bike Gear, observed: “This clearly shows that the contest can be a great event for the dealer. This was fun and involved 30 or so folks in a great time. Now the videos are all up on YouTube and there’s another chance to build community as everyone watches and laughs at their fellow riders trying to beat the clock.” Any independent bicycle dealer can hold a competition, in store, in pub, or anywhere they like. The benefit of having it in the store is the added publicity of the store brand being seen on the YouTube.

This competition was the latest group of local events in the ongoing national contest for Quikest Stik. All events must be held on or before August 18, 2008. For information about Quik-Stik tire changing tools, and for the details of how to hold a contest or just compete, go to http://www.CaliforniaBikeGear.com

source: Bicycle Newswire

CHICAGO (May 29, 2008) – Johan Bruyneel, the most winning Sports Director in cycling history, has joined the Board of Directors of World Bicycle Relief.

Bruyneel is the mastermind behind eight of the past nine Tour de France victories, including Lance Armstrong’s record-setting seven straight yellow jerseys (1999-2005), and Alberto Contador’s heroic ride to his first Tour de France win (2007). Bruyneel is currently General Manager of the Astana Cycling Team.

“Serving on the World Bicycle Relief Board is an opportunity to give back to the world through something that has given me so much in life” Bruyneel said. “To the world’s poor, time lost to walking destroys much of their productive day. A bicycle represents a leap in efficiency that magnifies everything they do. We often forget that the bike is used for more than sport; for many people it’s an invaluable part of everyday life.”

According to F.K. Day, president of World Bicycle Relief, “Johan’s proven leadership and management at the highest levels of competitive cycling will help us accomplish our mission of serving the transportation needs of the poor.”

Bruyneel is a Tour stage winner himself, and has documented his winning formula in the forthcoming book We Might as Well Win. He currently resides in Madrid, Spain, with his wife Eva and daughter Victoria.

World Bicycle Relief was founded by SRAM Corporation in 2005 and is supported by many leaders in the bicycle industry. World Bicycle Relief specializes in large-scale, comprehensive bicycle programs by providing supply chain management, technical knowledge and logistics expertise to poverty relief and disaster assistance initiatives. To date, nearly 50,000 new bicycles have been provided as part of a completed program in Sri Lanka and several major current projects in Africa. More information is available at www.worldbicyclerelief.org.

source: Michael Zellmann

In co-operation with WCSN, The Home of World Champions, Freecaster.tv will feature live and on-demand the UCI Mountain Bike World Cup 4X and downhill events in Andorra, on May 31th and June 1st. Over 40,000 viewers tuned into Freecaster.tv to catch the amazing Live coverage from Maribor. Back by popular demand, Rob Warner, Matthias Weber, Cedric Gracia and Brian Lopes will be your hosts and will certainly welcome some other celebs in the commentary booth. ‘I have been waiting for so long to show the UCI MTB events live in the USA in partnership with WCSN, I’m so stoked and hope we will significantly grow from 40.000 viewers two weeks ago in Maribor’ said Ray Dulieu, founder of Freecaster.tv ‘My goal is to ensure that by the world championships over 100,000 people, including the American audience will be watching the downhill and 4X UCI World Championships live!’ he adds.

Freecaster.tv will keep bringing the live action of 4X on Saturday May 31 at 12am EST (09am PST) and DH on Sunday June 1 at 08am EST (05am PST). You don’t want to miss these contests. It’s going to be big!

For the best viewing experience ensure you have an adsl connection and the latest version of Flash on a recent computer and tune in to http://www.freecaster.tv/1000188

source: Aaron Lutze

source: Trisha Petrella

Norridge, Illinois (May 28, 2008) You might think of Genuine Innovations as “that CO2 inflator company”, which it is. But It also makes high-quality floor pumps and Lexco carries the complete line.

Top Dog Deluxe Yellow
This high value/low cost pump features a yellow metal barrel with a mid-level positioned gauge and a wooden handle. The extra long black hose carries a dual head which fits both Presta and Schrader valves. The extra wide base offers stable support, and the pump’s yellow finish is a great eye-catcher. MSRP is $44.99.

Top Dog ST Gauge Red
Featuring Genuine Innovations patented “smart” head design which instantly attaches to either a Presta or Schrader valve, this pump boasts a smart red/black design, mid-level positioned gauge, stable base, steel barrel and extra long nylon-braided hose. MSRP is $37.99.

Top Dog Gauge Blue
Made of a composite material, this pump features a mid-mounted gauge, dual head, stable base and extra long black hose. MSRP is $24.99.

Top Dog CP Gray
An entry-level pump made of a composite material with a dual head, extra long black hose and gray-colored barrel. MSRP is $16.99.

“Riding on properly inflated tires makes cycling safer and much more fun,” says Karen Peterson of Lexco. “So having a quality, easy-to-use floor pump is a must. Dealers have found Genuine Innovations floor pumps offer great value at a competitive price, and we are proud to offer the pumps to our dealers.”

Says Mike McGary, Sales Manager at Genuine Innovations: “The one thing EVERY cyclist MUST have in their garage is a good floor pump. So why not make it a Genuine Innovations floor pump? Being the World Leaders in CO2 Tire Inflation for almost 20 years, we know all about flat tires. We realize that a great quality floor pump is the perfect compliment to our CO2 inflators. All of our pumps come with our Limited Lifetime Warranty and will provide your customers all the air they need when they really need it.”

Check out the full line of Genuine Innovations floor pumps. http://www.genuineinnovations.com/

source: Bicycle Newswire

On Sunday, June 15th, the Bikepark Groningen foundation will organize the kick-off of the Dutch Fourcross Series 2008. On the bikepark in the city of Groningen, the Dutch Fourcross season will start spectacularly.

The Fourcross track has undergone several changes, which results in a more exciting experience for the riders and the spectators. Together with the Sparerib Express, the Bikepark Groningen Foundation offers free barbecue for all the participating riders and volunteers after the race.

This year, the Dutch Fourcross Series will consist of two races. On September 20th. the second race will be held. We will inform you about this event in due time.

Further information:

Date: June, 15 2008
Place: Bikepark Groningen, Recreational area Kardinge, city of Groningen, The Netherlands

9.00 - 12.00: registration time for the riders
10.00 - 12.00: Training
from 13.00: qualification
from 14.30: heats
from 17.30: final heats
from 18.00: prize ceremony and barbeque for riders and volunteers.

Costs:
€ 15,- per race
€ 25,- when you register for both races at June 15th .

When registered, the riders receive a numberplate, which must be mounted on the handelbars. This plate can not be changed between the 2 races. When lost, riders can buy a new one for € 2,50 from the Bikepark Groningen Foundation.

Registration is only possible at the bikepark during both race days.

www.bikeparkgroningen.nl

source: Stichting Bikepark Groningen

Bike giveaway, two monster races, updated guidebook, and magazine feature showcase Great Divide Route

Missoula, Mont.—Adventure Cycling Association Adventure Cycling Association—North America’s largest cycling membership organization—and Dirt Rag magazine invite dirt lovers everywhere to celebrate the 10-year anniversary of the Great Divide Mountain Bike Route (GDMBR). The longest mountain bike route on the planet, the GDMBR traces the spine of the Rocky Mountains for a whopping 2,711 miles in its entirety, following primarily dirt roads and tracks from Banff, Alberta, to Antelope Wells, New Mexico, at the Mexican border. Sound hardcore? It is, but there are lots of ways to be involved with the anniversary, whether your friends call you super dirt or you’re still on training wheels.

Enter to win an Old Man Mountain Boomerang bike, http://www.dirtragmag.com/GDR/. Join one of Adventure Cycling’s seven-day guided tours on sections of the route in Banff or Colorado. Interested in experiencing the route on your own? Peruse the freshly updated version of Cycling the Great Divide, a comprehensive guidebook to the GDMBR written by Adventure Cycling’s Michael “Mac” McCoy. Adventure Cycling also offers map sections for the route featuring turn-by-turn directions, campground locations, and the best re-supply points along the way. Information about the tours, the guide, and map sections are available at http://www.adventurecycling.org.

For superhumanly fit cyclists, check out the two, ultimate racing challenges taking place on the route this summer. The fifth-annual Great Divide Race (http://www.greatdividerace.com) kicks off on June 20 (at high noon), following the GDMBR from the Canadian to Mexican borders. (Last year’s winner, Jay Petervary, completed the route in a jaw-dropping 15 days.) The Tour Divide (http://www.tourdivide.org/) is new this year and, like the Great Divide Race, the Tour Divide is entirely self-supported, with riders carrying everything they need on their bikes or backs, but it ups the ante by starting a week earlier, on June 13, in Banff and includes the GDMBR’s Canadian section for an additional 221 miles of riding. Adventure Cycling is not officially involved in either race but encourages all riders of the route.

To cap off the anniversary events, Adventure Cyclist’s July 2008 issue will be devoted to inspiring stories from and practical advice for the route. Essays by Mac McCoy, the GDMBR’s principal architect, and other luminaries will look back at the route’s first decade, while Adventure Cyclist Deputy Editor Aaron Teasdale gives his account of riding the Canadian section and presents a special section, “Gear for the Great Divide.” Adventure Cyclist is the member publication of Adventure Cycling Association, http://www.adventurecycling.org/mag/index.cfm.

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Adventure Cycling Association is the premier bicycle travel organization in North America with nearly 44,000 members. A nonprofit organization, their mission is to inspire people of all ages to travel by bicycle. They produce routes and maps for cycling in North America, organize more than 40 tours annually, and publish the best bicycle travel information anywhere, including Adventure Cyclist magazine and The Cyclists’ Yellow Pages. With 38,158 meticulously mapped miles in the Adventure Cycling Route Network, Adventure Cycling gives cyclists the tools and confidence to create their own bike travel adventures. Contact them at (800) 755-BIKE (2453), info@adventurecycling.org, or visit www.adventurecycling.org.

source: Adventure Cycling