Vancouver, BC Canada- 04/15/09

Rocky Mountain Bicycles, who since 1981 has been known for top-quality bicycles made in Canada, is pleased to announce the hiring of a new sales rep in the Northwest United States.

Eric Daignault, based in Portland, OR will act as the sales rep for Alaska, Washington and Oregon. Mr. Daignault most recently managed the Downtown Bike Gallery in Portland, OR.

John Olden the US Sales manager says “I’m really thrilled to hire Eric out of the local market, with recent retail experience. It will be great for the whole team to have Eric as a resource and we are excited to help him learn our side of the business.”

Eric Daignault says, “I’m excited for the opportunity to work for Rocky Mountain Bicycles, a well respected and innovative company. I’ve enjoyed working with them in the past and I look forward to being part of their team.”

Rocky Mountain Bicycles has always been committed to excellence in both products and service provided. We are constantly working to improve every aspect of our business. For more information about Rocky Mountain Bicycle, visit www.bikes.com

source: Andreas Hestler

Hutchinson Rolls Out New Road and Mountain Bike Tire Technology at Sea Otter

Monterey, CA - April 16, 2009 - - Hutchinson Tires is showcasing advances in two tire categories at the 19th Annual Sea Otter Classic at Laguna Seca Raceway in Monterey, California.

The Intensive long-wear road racing and training tire is now available in a Road Tubeless version, while the fast- rolling Cobra mountain bike cross-country tire is now available in a Tubeless- Ready version with racy Red sidewalls.

We’re stoked to have such an incredible racer as Pua Sawicki to join multiple Olympic, World and World Cup Champion Julien Absalon in our offroad contingent. Hook that up with seven Tour de France Victories in the last ten years and you’ve got a recipe for success!
source: Steve Boehmke

BRECKENRIDGE, Colo.  (April 15, 2009) – Shimano and the Greenspeed Project, Inc, promoters of The Breck Epic Mountain Bike Stage Race are pleased to announce that Shimano has signed on as presenting sponsor of the inaugural 6-day event to be held from July 5-10 in Breckenridge, CO. In addition to occupying the ‘presenting’ role, Shimano will become the official and exclusive partner for drivetrain components, brakes, wheels and shoes.

“It made a lot of sense for us,” said race director Mike McCormack, “mountain bike stage races are populated by core enthusiasts and high-functioning racers; each rider a successful athlete in their own right. And they’re demanding of their equipment. The Breck Epic course is pretty rugged – 90% of the course is what any normal person would define as ‘mountain biking.’ Over the span of 6 days at race pace, their gear is going see very hard duty. Shimano offered a very thoughtful, racer-focused package that included tremendous on-site support. Their involvement makes our event significantly better.”

“Being part of Greenspeed’s events allows Shimano to support key consumers as well as continuing our global initiative of bringing people closer to nature,” said Shimano’s Dave Arnauckas.  “Land access is a critical element to our business.  We’re proud to be associated with a forward thinking promoter.”

In addition to providing on-site technical support to augment the existing mechanical support team, Shimano will also be involved in The Greenspeed Project’s other events, most notably USA Cycling’s Marathon National Championship, “The Firecracker 50,” (July 4, 2009) an ultra-endurance backcountry cyclocross race “Crossifixion” (September 20, 2009) and The Copper Mountain Twilight Criteriums, slated for the weekend of September 12^th, 2009.

About Greenspeed

The Greenspeed Project was founded in 2008. Its stated mission to underwrite local open-space initiatives using the proceeds generated from distinctive backcountry events. In founder Mike McCormack’s words, “There are big holes in the conventional ‘event-o-sphere’ that events like Downieville, Crankworks and The Firecracker fill. We want to operate in that space and produce events that make cycling richer and more resonant both for the participant and the industry.”

About Shimano

Shimano American Corporation is the U.S.-based subsidiary of Shimano, Inc. a multi-national manufacturer of a variety of leading sporting goods and related products. The company has operations in Irvine, Calif., Woodland, Wash., Broomfield, Colo., Grand Junction, Colo., Peterborough, Ontario, and Kirchzarten, Germany.

http://www.breckepic.com/

source: Michael McCormack

GRAND JUNCTION – April 16, 2009

In the quest for lighter, stronger components, MRP will show a carbon fiber version of their successful G2 chainguide. The new guide weighs in at only 197 grams for the 36-40T size thanks to the carbon boomerang and weight-optimized skid. It also features increased compatibility and adjustability with a new upper arm design. The 32-36T version is expected to weigh in at a svelte 170 grams. The adjustable upper arm is fixed by the upper ISCG bolt, so there is no compromise in added weight to gain the adjustment. The carbon guides still feature MRP’s patented integrated bash guard technology so you can be sure that your drive train will be protected.

“By allowing independent adjustment of the upper and lower guides, the Super-G lets the rider easily dial in the optimum position for each individual bike. This is extremely helpful on some bikes where you might have a pivot or dropped chainstay in the way.” said Ryan Cranston, MRP Product Manager.

Also being released at Sea Otter is the new 1.X (say “won bye”) guide from MRP. This guide has been developed and tested in partnership with Giant XC Pro Adam Craig. The 1.X weighs in at only 58 grams and is perfect for the gram counting cross country rider seeking reliable chain retention for their 1 x 9. There are two sizes available, 32-36T and 36-40T. The guide is bb-mount only for simplicity and light weight, and features a chainline adjustable upper guide to dial it in perfectly.

MRP is a small company based in Grand Junction, Colorado. With countless World Cup and World Championship victories, MRP has been the choice of champions since 1996. MRP’s patented technologies put them at the top as the leader in smooth, silent, reliable chain retention.

For more information about MRP, please visit their website at www.mrpbike.com

Mountain Racing Products
580 N. Westgate Drive
Grand Junction, CO 81505

source: Ryan Cranston

Countdown To Sea Otter Film Premiere - Three Days Until The Debut of The Freedom Riders Film Drops At Sea Otter With IMBA Party - Media Contact/Questions: Keith Cozzens, info@freedomridersthemovie.com or 307.690.7411. JACKSON HOLE, WY. (April 15, 2009) - The countdown has begun in anticipation of the premiere of the KGB Productions/Gravnetic high-definition mountain bike film Freedom Riders at Sea Otter. As a reminder, the world premiere will drop on Saturday April 18, 2009 at Sea Otter at the Embassy Suites in Seaside, CA. from 7-10pm. The premiere will be screened at the IMBA California Benefit Party with proceeds to benefit the biking advocacy organization. Tickets cost $10 at the door and there will be a huge raffle featuring loads of killer prizes from: VIO cameras, Crank Brothers, Five Ten, Princeton Tec, CamelBak, Yakima, Mountain Khakis and GU. Plus, the really important part, free beer and food! Freedom Riders is the Dogtown and Z Boys of mountain biking. The film artistically captures the evolution of freeriding from stealth trail building to forging a working relationship with the U.S. Forest Service to establish the first-ever downhill specific trail in Forest Service history in the Teton Pass area of Wyoming. The film showcases the freeriding subculture in North America from where it was to where it is now by highlighting how the sport has obtained its legitimacy in the public eye. The film will also feature an original soundtrack by Grammy Award nominee Luke Reynolds. Following the Sea Otter premiere, the Freedom Riders film will embark on a 60 venue nationwide tour. Wanna show the film in your area at a film fest, trail building fundraiser or festive weekend? Well we want you to, too! For more information about bringing the story of the Freedom Riders to your backyard and local riding community, contact us at info@freedomridersthemovie.com and visit http://www.freedomridersthemovie.com/ for the latest. CHECK OUT THE FREEDOM RIDERS TRAILER HERE AND HERE. JOIN US ON FACEBOOK TOO. Freedom Riders is sponsored by: IMBA, Grand Targhee Ski and Summer Resort, PBR Beer, Little Tony’s Pizza, Five Ten, CamelBak, Backcountry.com, GU, VIO, Princeton Tec, Mountain Khakis, Smartwool, Green Guru, Bike magazine, Pinkbike.com, MTBR.com and NSMB.com. Photo: Gabe Rogel Photo: Gabe Rogel Photo: Freedom Riders Photo: Gabe Rogel 2607 South 3200 West . Suite A | Salt Lake City, UT 84119

source: Keith Cozzen

Fast Just Found A New Area Code!

It has been an amazing year of design and development for Jeff Steber and his team at Intense Cycles. It was at Sea Otter 2008 where the Tracer VP trailbike was first introduced. In terms of sales and awards, it has gone on to become Intense’s most successful model ever. Since then, Intense has released the new Uzzi VP, the Spider 2 and the Tazer FRO VP. Now exactly one year later, Intense launches the 951 Downhill Race model. Featuring Intense’s famous World Cup winning geometry, Next Generation VPP suspension with adjustable travel from 8 to 8.5 inches, an 83mm bb and ISCG 05 mount, the 951 represents the evolution of Downhill racing. The first production will be the FRO model with monocoque downtube and G3 dropouts, allowing the rider to change wheelbase, head angle and bottom bracket height depending on the track. Later a less expensive standard model with a traditional downtube and fixed dropouts will be produced. Both will be available in 3 sizes and multiple colors. MSRP is $2760 for the FRO with Fox RC4 shock, $2420 for the standard version with Fox RC2 shock Contact your local Intense dealer for more info or to get yours on order.

More images and videos of this exciting new model are available on the Intense website.

Or check out:

http://www.vimeo.com/user1152888/videos

source: Paul Cusick

Well we are finally back from South Africa…
Apologies for the late news but our internet went down at our accommodation and I have food poisoning or some dodgy South African Bug.

We got our first World Cup podium of the year with our new signing Claire Buchar/Kovarik placing 5th in the women’s field. This was Claire’s first ever world cup podium - she and the team were stoked! After qualifying 3rd on friday she kept her nerve for the final even though she was very nervous before her run and managed to knock off 8 seconds from her qualifying time to finish 5th with a time of 4.34.20

Chris Kovarik was riding amazing all week. After winning the SA National the previous weekend on the same track and placing 3rd in qualifying on friday we were positive for at least a podium for Chris. The track was riding a lot faster than qualifying 2 day previous and riders were posting quicker times in the finals.

Sam Hill had a great run and went into the hot seat and with a guaranteed podium position but only 3 seconds faster than Chris’ qualifying time.

We waited with anticipation as Chris set off and waited for him to appear on the big screen for the first split time. As the time kept ticking - he never appeared on the screen. He finally came into sight and it was obvious that he had had a major problem on the top half of the track.

Chris was devastated as he knew he was riding really well and was back to his World Cup winning potential. He had been pushing super hard on the technical part of the track - a section where he knew he would loose time to the clipped in guys. He went into a hard compression just that bit too fast and was off line and into the rock garden where he hit a big stump and rock. Chris flew over the bars into the rocks, he was winded pretty bad and injured his back.

Chris said afterwards he was just so disappointed as he felt he had let himself and the team down. He felt that the new bikes were making it much easier for him to be on podium pace… roll on round 2 in La Bresse!

Julien had an OK run but said he just felt a bit slow in certain sections and not enough power. Considering he has been off his DH bike for that last month with a wrist injury, he did amazingly well to finish 10th place with a time of 3.54.95 - keeping him in contention for a good overall result at the end of the season.

Ruaridh sat on the hot seat for a while. He put in an excellent run in the final and with his knee strapped up in a brace, surprised us all with his time of 3.59.12 placing him 26th overall. After a winter of rehab on his knee reconstruction this was a fantastic start to the season for him and we know in a few months Ruaridh will be up there getting the results we know he is capable of.

Matt was riding strong but unfortunately he just lost the back end on a corner up on the top of the track. He slid out and crashed onto his back ruining his chances of a top 20 result. Matt got up and rode hard all the way to the finish making up time and finished with a respectable time of 4.05.18 considering his crash. You could see his disappointment as he crossed the finish line.

Well done to Greg Minnaar who kept his nerve in front of his home town crowd of Pietermaritzburg and took the win with a blistering time of 3.43.44 in front of a ‘fresh’ Mick Hannah 3.45.69 and Steve Peat in 3.49.25. Sam Hill surprised us all on this track that really didn’t suit him placing 4th in a time of 3.50.18 and Gee Atherton rounded off the podium in 5th with a 3.52.01

Team Chain Reaction Cycles.com/Intense are 5th in the team points even with Chris and Matts crashes, so we are looking forward to the rest of the season and know we can move up the standings.

In 4X Lewis didn’t have the best night loosing out in the first round after a bad gate and Lucas lost out in the 1/4 finals in a hard heat with eventual winner Jared Graves.

Claire and Matt are racing at Sea Otter this weekend and then we all leave for La Bresse for world cup round 2 in a couple of weeks.

Thanks again to all our sponsors, we definitely have the best bikes and equipment on the circuit this year!

Photography by: Victor Lucas

source: Nigel Page

Turner dw-link DHR demos at Sea Otter

source: Joshua Barney

Team Jamis invites you to a meet and greet with the new Team Jamis riders. Please join us in the Team Jamis race pits at Laguna Seca’s Sea Otter Classic, Saturday, April 18th for coffee and breakfast treats. Saturday,  April 18th 9:00am Laguna Seca Raceway, Sea Otter Classic, Team Jamis race pits booth #510 Check out the new Team Jamis bikes, equipment sponsors, and meet the team riders and staff. Free coffee and sweets from Pavel’s Backerei in Pacific Grove. Team Jamis will be supported in their adventures and racing conquests by Jamis Bikes, Geax Tires, Edge Composites wheels stems, seat posts, and handle bars, Chris King hubs, Fox Shox, Gore RideOn Systems, WTB saddles and grips, Hayes Brakes, Crank Brothers, FSA BB30 crank and BB system, SRAM, and Clif Bar.

source: Craig Hoyt

Monterey, Calf. (April 16, 2009) – The USA Cycling Pro Mountain Bike Cross Country Tour presented by Sho-Air (Pro XCT) is gearing up for the second event on the nation’s premier cross country calendar at the Sea Otter Classic on April 19. The Pro XCT men’s race is slated for 1:30 p.m. on Sunday afternoon while the women’s Pro XCT will begin at 1:45 p.m. Both races will start and finish at the Sea Otter Bridge. Dozens of the world’s top riders are expected to fight it out for the series lead on this classic course.

Following the first event on USA Cycling’s Pro XCT, the Fontana City National, Canadian Geoff Kabush (Team Maxxis Rocky Mountain) and Australian Max Plaxton (Sho-air-Specialized) lead the men’s standings ahead of Americans Jeremy Horgan-Kobelski (Boulder, Colo./Subaru-Gary Fisher), Sam Schultz (Missoula, Mont./Subaru-Gary Fisher) and Adam Craig (Bend, Ore./Giant). On the women’s side Luna teammates Georgia Gould (Fort Collins, Colo.) and Catherine Pendrel (CAN) claimed the top two spots while Heather Irmiger (Boulder, Colo./Subaru-Gary Fisher), Emily Batty (CAN/Trek) and Willow Koerber (Asheville, N.C./Subaru-Gary Fisher) round out the top five. Click here for more on the series’ individual leaders.

The 2009 USA Cycling Pro Mountain Bike Cross Country Tour presented by Sho-Air (Pro XCT) is also tracking the top male, female and mixed teams participating in the series. With one of seven series’ events completed the Sho-air-Specialized squad leads the men’s team standings while the dominant Luna squad is tops on the women’s side. Another powerful and well-balanced team, Subaru-Gary Fisher, is the current leader in the mixed team rankings. Click here to view the complete team standings heading into the series’ second event.

A category one UCI cross country event, this weekend’s Sea Otter Classic, will feature international stars such as Burry Stander (RSA) and 2008 World Champion Christoph Sauser (SWI) battling it out against series’ leaders Plaxton, Horgan-Kobelski and Craig, among others such as Dave Wiens (Gunnison, Colo.). The Western hemisphere’s top women, including all the series’ leaders as well as Katerina Nash (CZE/Luna) and Catherine Vipond (CAN/Norco), are also expected to be in attendance at Sea Otter making it one of the most competitive cross country mountain biking contests in the world.

Sea Otter will also mark the debut of the TrailWatch.net USA Cycling Pro XCT Short Track Series presented by EscapeAdventures.com. The series will encompass the short track contests at Sea Otter, the Carmichael Training Systems Sand Creek International Classic, the Mount Snow Shoot Out, the Yankee Clipper at Windham Mountain and the Pro XCT Finals in Las Vegas. Most aggressive riders in both the male and female short track races will be awarded $250 courtesy of TrailWatch.net. The Pro XCT Short Track rankings will be tabulated completely separately from the Pro XCT cross country series, creating a unique king and queen of off-road short track mountain bike racing.

The official USA Cycling Pro XCT website is now available on-line at http://www.usacycling.org/proxct/. The site offers more information on the series including a complete schedule, current standings and more.

The 2010 USA Cycling Pro XCT/GRT and Mountain Bike National Calendar bid period is set to open May 1, 2009. All promoters interested in hosting an event on one of these 2010 calendars can find more information on USA Cycling’s mountain bike homepage, here.

The Sea Otter Classic will include much more than Sunday’s Pro XCT event. The four-day celebration of sport and the largest outdoor consumer expo in the country, Sea Otter features a full schedule of amateur and pro cycling events, as well as family activities for all ages. The Sea Otter Classic also plays host to one of the largest consumer bike expos in the world. Despite tough economic times the infamous cycling festival has seen an increase in exhibitor registration, as well as an increase in athlete sign-ups.

According to Frank Yohannan, Sea Otter Classic president and CEO, companies carefully analyzing their events and marketing initiatives are deciding that the Sea Otter Classic is one event they can’t afford to miss.

“Companies realize they need to remain competitive and hold on to their market share,” said Yohannan. “The event is also a great value for athletes watching their budgets. With its various events, family activities, the festival and expo, Sea Otter is much more than just a race.”

Sea Otter Classic Challenges Participants with an Overflowing Activity Roster

Racers make the annual pilgrimage to Sea Otter to participate in cycling’s best competitive and non-competitive events. The mountain bike events include an epic Cross Country, Dual Slalom, Super D, Downhill and more. Road cyclists enjoy road racing on the former Ft. Ord property. They can also compete in criterium and circuit racing on the world famous Laguna Seca Raceway. For those who want to take a less competitive route, Sea Otter offers recreational Road Tours and Mountain Bike Tours.

The Sea Otter Village, hub of the event, pulses with the activity of free bike demos, stunt shows, kids’ playhouses, an international food court, beer and BBQ garden, and live entertainment. Free to kids 12 and under are Sea Otter egg hunts, bike rodeos, kid’s races, and much more. The Sea Otter Expo holds hundreds of vendors who display new products, give out free samples, and offer terrific bargains. Hundreds of professional road and mountain bike athletes come to Sea Otter to race, sign autographs, and share their racing techniques with the fans.

A few years ago, after many requests from fans and exhibitors alike, Sea Otter added a Product Demo Area to the list of ways to interact with this cycling-centric audience of consumers, athletes and spectators. Over 25 exhibitors will set up shop where the public can try out new products. Last year over 2,000 people tested products on roads designated for demo use as well as on bumps and jumps in the MTB Ride Zone.

Exhibitors Kick Off Season with Product Launches and Brand-building Activities

Nearly 300 companies exhibit each year at what is widely accepted as the most important spring consumer tradeshow for cyclists in North America. With nearly 50,000 athletes and spectators walking through the expo, it is a perfect opportunity to show new products, interact directly with consumers, offer samples, sell closeout items and build brand awareness.

Bicycle Leadership Conference Rallies Innovators, Decision-makers and Trendsetters

For the next three years, the Bicycle Leadership Conference, the premier forum for decision-makers and change-makers of the cycling world, will meet in conjunction with the Sea Otter Classic. This makes it all the more economical and beneficial for company representatives to join this important group of industry leaders.

“The combination of the world’s best consumer cycling festival preceeded by the only cycling industry leadership conference eases budgetary concerns for many companies,” said Lance Camisasca, BLC Conference Director. “For the price of one airline ticket and lodging arrangement leaders of the bike industry can continue to attend two must-attend events.”

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About the USA Cycling Pro Mountain Bike Cross Country Tour presented by Sho-Air (Pro XCT)

Created in 2009 to provide world-class athletes with a consistent competitive arena on American soil, the USA Cycling Pro Mountain Bike Cross Country Tour (Pro XCT) consists of seven UCI sanctioned events in 2009. As the top national-level cross country mountain bike calendar in the country, the Pro XCT recognizes the best professional Cross Country teams and athletes competing on U.S. soil. The tour employs a season-long rankings system that will identify overall men’s and women’s series leaders with a unique leader’s jersey. Upon completion, the overall winners are recognized by the mountain bike community as the best professional Cross Country athletes in the U.S. For more information on the USA Cycling Pro Mountain Bike Cross Country Tour, visit www.usacycling.org/proxct, or to become a part of the nation’s premier Cross Country mountain bike calendar, contact USA Cycling Mountain Bike Events and Program Director, Kelli Lusk at 719-434-4285 or klusk@usacycling.org.

About Sea Otter Classic, Inc.

The 19th Annual Sea Otter Classic will be held April 16-19, 2009 at the Laguna Seca Recreation Area, Monterey, Calif. The four-day “Celebration of Sport” is considered the world’s largest cycling festival, hosting nearly 10,000 professional and amateur athletes and 50,000 fans. More information can be found at www.seaotterclassic.com or by calling 800-218-8411. An online version of this release can be viewed here.

source: Smith, Andrea