Snow Melt Photos Show the Coming of Another Great Riding Season

May 6 2008 Downieville, CA - Spring is here! And Downieville Outfitters is posting bi-weekly status reports on our website with pics through spring so you’ll know when the downhill is fully rideable. With the pictures you can see the melting down of the snow on top of Packer Saddle at the Sunrise Trail trailhead.

Snow melt began in April and we plan to open and start shuttling May 24th - Memorial Day weekend.

Check the latest conditions reports here:

http://www.downievilleoutfitters.com/conditions.php

Downieville Outfitters is also giving away full day shuttle rides to 10 lucky riders!

The winners will get a day of shuttle rides for themselves (2 shuttles) for use anytime during the week of May 24th to May 30th. That includes Memorial Day weekend! Give it a shot here:

http://www.downievilleoutfitters.com/shuttles_free_tickets.php

About Downieville Outfitters:

Downieville Outfitters is Downieville’s longest running bike shop. Now offering higher end models of Specialized and Ellsworth bicycles to accommodate the growing need due to our intense geography.

source: Patrick Cavender

Cycle Solutions O-Cup DH#1 Race Report Presented by Commencal bikes

It was a wild start to the first race of the season, rain hammered the Niagara Escarpment for 3 consecutive days, culminating in a 7hr drenching on Saturdays practice day. However it could not dampen the spirits of the riders, if anything it motivated them more. Our second ever largest turnout was welcomed by sun on Sunday morning which combined with some wind dried the course out nicely for race runs.

A great womens field was trumped by Sheila (the great) Morris (Cycle Solutions/Angry Johnny’s), chasing her down were Kristen (Poisonfrog.ca) and Caroline (Jamis/Bikezone) both getting in under the 2min mark!

1. Sheila MorrisCycle Solutions/Angry Johnny`s RacingBarrie 1:44.903
2. Kristen Courtney Poisonfrog.ca Toronto 1:57.842
3. Caroline Arsenault Jamis/Bikezone RacingToronto 2:00.185

Next up everyone was watching the Junior Expert field, the return of Rob Fraser (Poisonfrog.ca) and Andrew Gotuaco (Sweet Petes) along with newcomer and last years cadet champ Robert Bailey (Commencal). And surprise surprise guess who showed up on the podium Rob, then Andrew, the Robert!

1. Rob Fraser Poisonfrog.ca Pickering 1:29.863
2. Andrew Gotuaco Sweet Pete`s Collingwood 1:36.066
3. Robert Bailey Commençal Cambridge 1:37.750

The anticipation grew as the day grew on waiting for the Pro Men, would all this extra time help dry out the course??? Yes it would! Drew threw down the gauntlet with a ripper a full 2 seconds faster than the fastest time of the day. Tom followed up with a stellar 2^nd place and Brandon pulled in a healthy and well deserved 3^rd.

1. Drew Pautler Primary-Devinci Brampton 1:24.385
2. Tom Kakamousias Cycle Solutions/AngryJohnny`sRacing Toronto 1:26.9232
3. Brandon Cassell Adrenaline Racer/Industry Skate Park Strathroy 1:29.131

Our next stop is back here at Kelso June 14/15, we are building a brand new course so be ready for something sweet!

We can’t thank enough our amazing support staff, Lee Allen, Kris Somers (MC/DJ), Allan Hawley and his timing staff, Kelso Pro Patrol and staff (Barb and Simon) and ofcourse the amazing volunteers and sponsors:

Cycle-Solutions.com Bike Store, Commencal Bikes, Norco Performance Bikes , Kenda Tires, Titec Components, Dropmachine.com, Privateer Racing, To Wheels, Industry Bike park, Trident Distribution, Gamut, YODO bike, E-13, Atomlab and Azonic.

For all results and Ontario Cup DH/4X racing info go to

www.sirbikealotracing.com

source: Peter Appleton

Alfama is getting ready to host the athletes who already confirmed their presence at Lisboa Downtown. At the 9th edition of the urban downtown international event, riders of all countries will once again show off amazing manoeuvres. The highlight goes to the Downtown King, Steve Peat. The Santa Cruz Syndicate athlete will be in Lisbon on the 17th of May to try to own the 7th victory in a row.

With the dirt trails replaced by Portuguese pavement, typically urban obstacles such as cars and trams have become a challenge for all the athletes of the sport since 2000. Year after year the Lisboa Downtown has become increasingly renowned and lots of riders place the Portuguese competition in their event agenda.

This year was no exception. Samuel Hill (team Iron Horse Mad Catz), the French Cédric Gracia (team Oakley Commencal), Greg Minnaar (team Santa Cruz Syndicate) and Filip Polc (representing Gravity Group) will race from the Castelo de São Jorge all the way down to the Largo do Terreiro do Trigo.

One other rider making his presence is Oscar Saiz, the fastest rider is all eight editions of Lisboa Downtown. The Off Session rider made the record time of 1:25 in 2001.

These are the best among the best and they already granted their place at the most famous urban downhill race in the world. All there is left to know is who will be the fastest - the one to sit on the Lisboa Downtown 2008 throne.

For the 9th year in a row the event is under the Extreme Conteúdos’s responsibility and will take place on May 17th, at 14h00 in Alfama.

The Lisboa Downtown 2008 would not be possible without the support of the Lisbon Municipality, EGEAC, Red Bull, Mondraker, SAPO, Mega FM, Grande Ecran, RTP, Bike Magazine, O Jogo, 24 Horas, Onda Bike and Fonte Viva.

www.

source: Press@extreme

www.jamisbikes.com

source: Craig Hoyt

Hey everyone,

I hope you all have taken the time to check out the “ONE OF A KIND” Auction that’s taking place over at www.GO211.com.

“Tara Llanes and GO211.com will be hosting an online auction to help raise money to go towards her ever growing medical bills. The auction will feature some of the most sought after items in the sport today!”

There are TOOOONS of great items up for bid from many of the sport’s famous faces! & as the auction says, it’s “ONE OF A KIND”… you can’t get many of these items anywhere else!! Signed jerseys, signed helmets, signed BIKES! But the best thing of all, is that the money goes to the TARA LLANES ROAD TO RECOVERY FUND! So no matter what you bid, no matter what you win… we all win! It’s all going to a such a great cause!

http://www.go211.com/tara

Here are just a few hot items up for bid…

* Shaun Palmer Signed ‘08 Jeep KOM Title Winning Jersey….. only $50 (current bid)

* Shaun palmer Signed ‘99 Team Specialized / Mtn Dew Jersey….. only $60 (current bid)

* Cedric Gracia’s Signed ‘08 Team Commencal /Oakley World Cup Race Kit….. only $200 (current bid)

* Eric Carter’s ‘05 National Championship Mongoose Bike!….. only $530 (current bid)

* Tara Llanes Signed ‘06 Giant STP Hardtail Race Bike….. only $800 (current bid)

* George Hincapie Signed ‘06 Tour de France Yellow Leaders Jersey….. only $350 (current bid)

* Leigh Donovan’s ‘01 Schwinn Straight-8 World Championships DH Bike….. only $510 (current bid)

* Alison DUnlap’s Signed Luna Chix World Championship Skinsuit….. only $55 (current bid)

* Tara Llanes Signed ‘05 National Championship Custom Painted Giant Trance….. only $1000 (current bid)

& much much more!!

It all ends on MAY 9th! So make sure to get your bids in before it’s too late!!!http://www.go211.com/tara

source: PINNED MTB Magazine

- CLUMP Superstar Andreu Lacondeguy Throws Down For First, While Factory Team Riders Suffer Through XC Event -

KONAWORLD (May 6, 2008) – Over the course of last weekend Madrid, Spain dished out first-place medals and first-class crashes to members of Kona’s CLUMP and Factory Team riders.

Competing in the heart of the European city, Andreu Lacondeguy showed off his hard-to-compete-with-talent at the Nissan Qashqai Challenge – blowing all other competitors out of the aqua en route to seizing the top prize. Scoring the highest mark of the day after ripping off a Superman back flip, the young gun continued his final run by stomping a 360 on the step up, hitting another huge extended Superman and following that up with a clean 360 tailwhip. Fellow CLUMPster Grant “Chopper” Fielder also competed in the event but missed the cut for the 15-rider finals.

Taking it to the third event of the World Cup XC series, Factory Team riders Wendy Simms, Kris Sneddon and Barry Wicks were dealt a different dish from the Spanish city. Racing on a technical, dry course and facing stout competition, the trio was hit with challenging hurdles when Wicks posted a DNF after being sidelined with a stomach bug, Sneddon absorbing a race altering crash and Simms “limping” to 40th after falling apart after the first lap in the 80-rider women’s elite division. One glowing note, Simms sits in 26th place overall after three events.

www.konaworld.com

source: Keith Cozzens | Base Camp Communications

TFK’s Bicycle Thrift Shop booth sold merchandise to and formed
new partnerships with Sea Otter attendees and participants

San Rafael, Calif. - May 6, 2008 - While attending this year’s Sea Otter Marketplace Expo in Monterey, California, Trips for Kids (TFK) made a profit selling surplus merchandise from the Re-Cyclery Bike Thrift Shop and met up with the bicycle industry to raise awareness of TFK programs.

“Because Sea Otter attracts a lot of racers, families and out-of-town visitors, it’s a wonderful opportunity to shine the spotlight on our local programs and our national expansion,” said Marilyn Price, founder and director of Trips for Kids. “I talked to several attendees who are interested in starting a TFK chapter!”

With generous product and monetary donations from bicycle manufacturers and organization supporters, the fourth year of attendance for Trips for Kid at the Sea Otter Marketplace Expo netted substantial proceeds. These funds directly support TFK programs which include daylong mountain biking adventures, Earn-a-Bike programs and 63 chapters across North America.

TFK’s attendance at the Sea Otter Expo also resulted in new partnerships for the organization. A professional photographer dropped by the booth and agreed to shoot photos for TFK on a pro bono basis. In addition, the authors of Adventures of the Great Chiweenie drew huge crowds to the TFK booth with an adorable canine companion. They generously offered to donate a percentage of their book’s proceeds to TFK.

The Trips for Kids Re-Cyclery Bike Thrift Shop is located at 610 Fourth Street, San Rafael, Calif. The shop is open every Tuesday through Friday, 12:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday, 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. For more information about Trips for Kids, please visit www.tripsforkids.org or call Marilyn Price at (415) 458-2986.

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 63 Trips for Kids chapters across the United Stated and Canada, with more on the way. www.tripsforkids.org

source: Maura Lansford, SOAR Communications

Trek helps bring beer, bikes, and big wheels to Madison on August 24

LONGMONT, CO - April 10, 2008 - Adventure Fit Inc. is pleased to announce that Trek has signed on as the title sponsor of the Trek Urban Assault Ride in Madison, WI and presenting sponsor at the seven other Urban Assault Ride events.

The Urban Assault Ride is a funky bike scavenger hunt that sends two-person teams riding to checkpoints around town to complete crazy obstacle courses at each stop. Mental muscle is just as important as bike skills as teams of two choose their own course to checkpoints around the city. Obstacles are a surprise until participants arrive at the checkpoint and have included bike jousting, adult big wheel races, flying down an inflatable slip and slide, and much more. This pedal-powered urban adventure is an event that anyone can do.

Urban Assault founder Josh Kravetz is pleased with the partnership. “Trek is an ideal sponsor because they share our ideals and goals. Like us, they want to make the world a more bike-friendly place and show riders that it can be just as easy to grab your bike lock as your car keys when you’re running errands or going to work. Using a bike for transportation is the easiest way to improve the country’s lack of fitness, combat increasing traffic problems, and help fight global warming. And of course… it’s fun.”

A key goal of Trek’s One World, Two Wheels program is to increase the number of US trips by bicycle from one percent to five percent. According to their web site, with nearly 40% of car trips taken being under two miles, it’s an achievable goal. Kravetz agrees. “Participants in past Urban Assault events have told me that after experiencing how easy it is to bike around town, they are using their bikes more for transportation.”

The distance is around 25 miles and the ride takes two to three hours to complete. It is based at Olin Park and the ride is followed by a huge after party with Capital Brewery beer, live music, and plenty of two-wheeled shenanigans. Madison was chosen as a host city because of its bike-friendly community and an extensive cycling infrastructure.

The Madison event benefits Dream Bikes – a group that promotes bike advocacy as well as the Wisconsin Association for Blind Athletes. The Urban Assault Ride’s “green focus” extends beyond bike advocacy. The entire production powered with solar power, a bio-diesel truck delivers the gear to each city, and almost all event waste is composted or recycled. In addition, Urban Assault partners exclusively with companies that have sustainable business practices and promote bike advocacy. In addition to Trek, Urban Assault partners include New Belgium (which is title sponsor at six of the eight race series), Keen Footwear, Clif Bar, Sweet Leaf Tea, Swobo, Timbuk 2, Rudy Project and other local sustainability-focused partners.

Other bike-friendly cities selected to host this year’s event are Seattle (May 18), Portland (May 25), Austin (June 22), Fort Collins (July 20), Denver (July 27), Minneapolis (September 21) and Chicago (September 28).

Find out more at www.urbanassaultride.com

This weekend was the 3rd consecutive World Cup. We went from Northern Europe down to sunny Spain. Earlier in the week temperatures were barely hitting 18C, but today for the race it was in the 30Cs. That’s pretty hot when you’re used to high teens.

Burry, Mark (Team Mechanic), and I spent the week in Mira Flores which is a mountain town about 60Ks outside of Madrid. It’s about three thousand feet higher, hardly any traffic and great road riding. The Vuelta Espana rolls through the town on one of the mountain days.

The course in Madrid hasn’t changed much since the first time I raced here back in 2002. It’s fast with short one-minute climbs, super hard pack with ball bearing type pebbles on top which make for slick corners. There are also tons of spectators packed on the course’s six main climbs. Last weekend in Offenburg the race was only 35Ks–this weekend we did about 56Ks, so that gives you an idea of how fast this course is.

The race started incredibly well for me, and I led the race through the start/finish area after the first lap. I have never led a World Cup before so that was an accomplishment in itself. I eventually popped out of the lead group at the end of lap four and raced in for an 18th place finish, only 2:49 seconds down on the winner. That just goes to show you the depth of the fields we’re racing. Burry had another incredible race coming in 13th and the number one U23 rider meaning he got a trip to the top of the box.

We have three weeks of no World Cups now, and I’m looking forward to a break and doing my home town Iron Horse Road Race for the first time in almost ten years.

Thanks for all your support,

Todd Wells

Thanks to all of our GT Team Sponsors: Kenda Tires, SRAM, Kore, Sun Ringle, SDG, Ogio, Champion System, FLY Racing and e.thirteen.

http://www.gtbicycles.com/usa/eng/newsDetail?id=2860 

source: Sarah Ostermeier

http://www.kirtvoreis.com/allride.html 

source: Lindsey Voreis