From the Koots to the Coast, It’s Another Ultimate Summer of Freeride
Get Hooked Up With Cash, Accommodation And Seasons Passes at Bike Parks BC

Vancouver, BC May 16, 2012 – Summer is around the corner and Bike Parks BC is back with their Ultimate Summer of Freeride contest, throwing down 2 Grand Prizes each offering seasons passes at three of BC’s best lift-accessed bike parks. Also included are two nights accommodation at each resort, DH rig rentals, a half-day with a guide for a proper introduction to the mountain, two lift tickets at each park for the winner’s riding buddy and $500 spending money to help fill your tank.

“BC is a big province and summer just isn’t long enough for most people to visit all 6 of the bike parks so we have decided to offer two grand prizes,” says Martin Littlejohn, Executive Director of the Mountain Bike Tourism Association. “The big question is which grand prize pack would you choose?” Bike Parks BC’s participating resorts: Whistler Mountain Bike Park, Silver Star Bike Park, Sun Peaks Resort, Fernie Alpine Resort, Mount Washington Bike Park and Panorama Mountain Village Bike Park.

Entering the contest is easy, just complete the online entry before June 24th, 2012 and you may be one of the lucky ones. Six finalists will be randomly chosen for each grand prize who will then have to convince the judges why they should be declared the winner. The panel of judges will be looking for the rider that has their priorities straighter than the next guy or gal and is willing to share their experience tearing up the tastiest bike parks BC has to offer over the summer.

Here are the important dates you don’t want to miss:

• Contest entry period from Wednesday May 16 to June 24, 2012 on www.bikeparksbc.com or www.facebook.com/bikeparksbc.
• Finalists will be randomly chosen Monday, June 25 and will have 5 days to respond with a compelling case for why they should be the chosen one.
• The winners will be announced Tuesday, July 3rd and their ultimate summer of free ride with Bike Parks BC will begin.
  For full contest details and to enter head to www.bikeparksbc.com or on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/BikeParksBC.

About Bike Parks BC
Formed in 2005, Bike Parks B.C. is a partnership of British Columbia’s top all season resorts, Tourism British Columbia and the Western Canada Mountain Bike Tourism Association. Bike Parks B.C.’s resort partners offer the very best facilities and services for mountain biking found anywhere in North America.

Bike Parks BC partnership is managed and coordinated by the Western Canada Mountain Bike Tourism Association (MBTA). The goal of the partnership is to create greater awareness about the many mountain biking resort destinations found in British Columbia. Each resorts offers a full range of accommodation and service options, professionally lead programs, high-speed lifts, outstanding trails and fabulous mountain scenery.

Source: Martin Littlejohn

Specialized Turbo E-bike

Specialized’s Turbo electric bicycle was on display. It is being touted as the “fastest e-bike ever made” (for Europe, that is.) It has a top speed of 45 km/h (28 mph). The frame features internally routed cables, rear hub motor (ala Bionx), disc brakes and a battery incorporated into the down tube.

Cannondale Scalpel 29 and Jekyll

Cannondale had their Scalpel 29 and Jekyll on display as well as their Hooligan commuter bike (and of course, the Liquigas booth babes!)

Rotor is a company from Spain that manufacturers very high end components. They’ve been making waves with with their 3D+ crank system and Q-Rings and they sent us a set of of their 2×10 crank to try out.

I’ve been using the 2×10 crank for about a month and it has been a revelation.  First off, the cranks are incredibly stiff. They are able to fit a 30mm crank spindle on to my old Santa Cruz with standard bb shell.  This spindle with these crank arms is stiff and it is noticeable. The system is light too at 690 grams complete with BB so it’s a few grams lighter than the Shimano XTR 2×10 crank and BB.

The big revelation though is that these cranks actually make a difference.  I have ridden SLX, XX XTR and many carbon cranks and it’s pretty darn hard to tell the difference.  The difference is mostly in shifting and durability . None of the cranks make me faster, slower, or smoother.  The Rotor Q-Rings seem to do that. It makes my pedal stroke smoother and it seems to give more power, longer. The 2×10 chainrings I got were 40-27 teeth. That seems like an odd combination but it is very similar to a 39×26 double chainring.   When I’m on the 40 ring,  I get the equivalent of a 42 tooth ring at my sweet spot, which is right under the 3 o’clock position.  At my weakest point, thich right at top at 12 o clock, I get about a 39 tooth ring.  This ring is ovalized and is constantly changing size on my as I go through my uneven stroke.

So instead of pedaling in squares where you struggle to get the pedals over the top, Rotor aims to smooth out your stroke and even out your power. This is most evident when you’re pooped or going for a Strava KOM and can’t turn your pedals over. It will help you stay at a heavier gear and help you deliver more consistent power. It can also help with back pain and knee pain where the rider is experiencing stress as we compensate for the dead/weak spots in our stroke

The cool thing for me is on my first ride, it felt good. It just felt smooth and it I could tell its effects when I was knackered and when I usually lose my spin. I thought it would take me weeks to adjust to it but it was pretty natural actually.  The reason for this is our body really has an uneven pedaling stroke. At the 12 o’clock position, we really have much less power than at the 3 o’clock position.  We’ve been trained over the years to smooth out this stroke but folks have varying degrees of pedal smoothness specially at full effort.

We’ve only used it for a month so we are still collecting data and haven’t tried to break our Strava PRs yet. But stay tuned.

Meanwhile, we saw this site called mtbr.com and it has a ton of user reviews on the Q-Rings.  We checked them out and it is a treasure chest of real-world experiences by people who have paid for the product and used them long-term.  The feedback is great and it confirms a lot of our observations. We’ve collected the strengths and weaknesses of reviewers below.

3D Cranks: http://www.mtbr.com/cat/drivetrain/crankset/rotor/3d-mtb/prd_455167_115crx.aspx

Q- Rings: http://www.mtbr.com/cat/drivetrain/chainring/rotor/q-rings/prd_412521_112crx.aspx

Strengths:
- works as intended
- reduces knee pain/discomfort
- free speed on the rides!
- Awesome difference
- riding bigger gears
- less fatigued after a ride,
- back pain after an epic ride is GONE …. just try them .
- options available are designed specifically to replace major brands with minimum fuss
- Better acceleration
- Don’t have to get used to it
- Good quality
- Light
- Possibility to finetune the chainring position
- can buy just the Q-Rings to start off

Weaknesses:
- Pricey, Pricey
- does not shift as well
- does not fit all carbon cranks
- you’ll probably have to upgrade all your other bikes as well.
- confusing terminology in manual – “regulation points”
- folks will think you have ‘biopace’ and you won’t hear the end of it.

Bottom Line:

At any price, it is worth trying out. Consider the Q-rings first to see the benefit and if it makes sense for you. Of course the risk always is you’ll like it so much that  you’ll feel compelled to upgrade all your bikes in the stable.

Price:

3D+ Cranks – $660

Double Q-Rings Set – $245

Website: http://www.rotorbikeusa.com/index.html

Park City Receives Top Honors from International Mountain Bicycling Association

Park City, Utah (May 14, 2012)- Park City, Utah has been named the first and only “Gold-Level Ride Center” by the International Mountain Bicycling Association (IMBA), the largest mountain biking and trail advocacy group in the world.

IMBA has distinguished Park City for its accessible and well-marked trail systems, terrain variety, consistent weather conditions ideal for biking, guided tour opportunities and post-pedal activities within the destination.

“Park City is extremely honored to be named the first IMBA Gold-Level Ride Center,” says Bill Malone President and CEO of the Park City Chamber & Visitors Bureau. “This designation, coupled with accolades the city has received for its dining, lodging and nightlife, make Park City a truly superior biking destination.”

From the family-friendly Historic Union Pacific Rail Trail, to the 22-mile, single track Mid-Mountain Trail, Park City offers a full range of rides for mountain biking enthusiasts of all styles and skill levels.

“The sheer miles of trails are fantastic, but what’s really important is that they function as a cohesive network, with signage and trail connections that create a model riding area,” says IMBA Regional Director Ryan Schutz.

Trail improvements implemented since 2008, including the opening of the Trailside Bike Park in 2011 as well as new gravity trails and features at Deer Valley Resort and Canyons Resort, positioned the destination above others worldwide, according to IMBA.

Another distinguishing factor is the 400 miles of interconnected, lift-served trails throughout Canyons Resort, Park City Mountain Resort and Deer Valley Resort. Park City is also one of the most accessible mountain biking destinations in America, just 36 miles from Salt Lake City International Airport.

The IMBA defines Ride Centers as large-scale mountain biking areas that offer trails for beginner, intermediate and expert riders. All candidates are invited to apply for this status by IMBA. Park City is one of seven areas that have been evaluated worldwide. The remaining designations consist of one silver level and five bronze level Ride Centers.

For more information on the IMBA rating system, visit www.imba.com.

About Park City
Park City is one of America’s most accessible mountain recreation destinations, located only 36 miles from the Salt Lake International Airport. With its wide range of summer activities, events, the arts, spas, and dining options, Park City offers something for everyone. For more information, please visit www.visitparkcity.com.

Source: Brittani Wood

This year at DealerCamp, exhibitors will have another tool in their customer relations tool box. Using a free smartphone app coupled with cloud based software provided on DealerCamp’s dime, participating brands will have device based lead retrieval at their fingertips.

DealerCamp exhibitors will be able to capture conversations and visits anywhere, anytime during their stay at camp. Additionally, the ability to add action items and notes to leads, run real-time lead analysis reports, and follow up instantly by tapping attendee’s telephone and email address makes this a real enhancement to their participation” commented Lance Camisasca, president of Lifeboat Events.

“We are working continuously to add value and productivity to exhibiting time at DealerCamp. We felt that, with so much time on the handlebars and away from laptops and note pads, we could help everyone maximize their expo time with this simple and effective tool,” continued Camisasca.

“It’s backed up and synched on a secure website, and it’s all right there when you need it. Everyone’s follow ups will be more accurate and complete. I know lots of shows offer this sort of thing for a charge, but as an up-sell it loses value. This is a DealerCamp investment in our customers and we think it’s critical.”

The iLeads app and software will be available to all 2012 exhibitors at DealerCamp.

Canari Custom to Dress PressCamp and DealerCamp Attendees

Canari Custom Cyclewear is now the official apparel supplier of both PressCamp and DealerCamp, thanks to a new partnership between Lifeboat Events and the Vista, CA apparel house. Canari, an exhibitor at DealerCamp 2011, returns to DealerCamp and adds PressCamp to their event list as they continue their march to the top of both custom apparel and off the rack options for retailers.

The persistent momentum of Canari over the past decade is no longer an industry secret.  Team Canari will be participating in both PressCamp and DealerCamp in 2012, showing industry press and IBD leaders alike what the 2013 direction for Canari Cyclewear and “Made-in-USA” Canari Custom are all about.

“For the past ten years, a lot of great people and efforts have helped our company become one of the most reliable suppliers of cycling apparel products…that dealers make money with…and riders enjoy to wear,” stated Scot Robinson, LeeMarc Industries President.

“As we engage with more and more of the industry each year, we recognize the great chance to strengthen those connections through our involvement with the Press Camp and Dealer Camp,” he concluded.

Industry Vet to Shoot DealerCamp

Mike Johnston, bike industry veteran and former Head of Global Communications at Mavic and adidas Cycling will be joining the Lifeboat Events Team as the staff photographer this July.

Since leaving Mavic, Mike has worked on many projects such as organizer of the Ride-On OEM events in Taiwan and Europe, Crankbrothers marketing efforts in Europe and project management for Lapierre Cycles.

In parallel to consulting with many fine brands, photography has been a part of his expertise for many years – covering many events: from the Sea Otter to World Championships.

Mike will be on hand with the Lifeboat Events team for the duration of the event in Park City this year to capture the essence of the event, its people and the hot stories around the paddock.

Source: Lifeboat Events

GOOD and CLIF Bar are asking the public to share ideas to promote bike riding and get more neighbors cycling

Los Angeles (May 15, 2012) – CLIF Bar in partnership with GOOD–an integrated media platform for people and organizations moving the world forward–is excited to announce the launch of the 2012 Bike Week Challenge. This inspiring grant opportunity is focused on promoting biking in local communities and is looking for the most creative idea to get people on their bikes. The winning submission will be selected via online voting and will receive a $1,000 award to implement the idea.

“CLIF Bar is a brand literally born on a bicycle,” said Ryan Mayo, CLIF Bar Environmental Activism Manager. “We think that life’s better on your bike, and we’re proud to partner with GOOD in the 2012 Bike Week Maker Challenge to encourage new ideas to get more people out of their cars and on their bikes.”

CLIF Bar has a great history of community support and giving back in effort to promote social good. The launch of CLIF Bar’s GOOD Maker Challenge focuses on improving health by increasing activity, specifically through biking. May is National Bike Month and CLIF Bar is proud to partner with GOOD to encourage this important activity toward healthy living and social good.

Ben Goldhirsh, co-founder and CEO of GOOD Worldwide commented, “We’re excited to partner with CLIF Bar to raise awareness for the 2012 Bike Week Challenge – the perfect time to challenge friends, family, coworkers, and yourself to make a change for personal and environmental health.”

GOOD Maker is an online grantmaking platform that connects people with great ideas to organizations, communities, and businesses like CLIF Bar who have the resources to activate and support those ideas. From May 14 to June 11, 2012 Bike Week Challenge ideas can be submitted to the GOOD Maker site (clifbarbikes.maker.good.is) and voting opens on June 12th. The submission with the most votes by June 25th will be selected to win $1,000 to put the project idea into action.

For more information about CLIF Bar, visit clifbar.com and for more information about GOOD and the GOOD Maker Challenge Platform, please visit maker.good.is

Source: Sam Guasta

Aspen/Snowmass, Colo., – May 15, 2012 – Competitors can now sign up for the inaugural Master of the Mass bike race, a new a four-stage, three-day mountain biking race in Snowmass, July 13-15, 2012. Go online now to www.aspensnowmass.com/master to register.

This Enduro Mountain Bike Race covers Snowmass’ unique trail system in four individual stages with the ultimate challenge – all racers must choose one bike to race on for all disciplines. The race includes a chainless downhill, cross-country, downhill and super-downhill stages. Parties and events will surround the weekend of mountain biking in one of the most beautiful settings in the Rockies.

Final results will be based on a cumulative time in racing divisions for pro men/women and amateur men/women. The pro division will have a $3,000 prize purse. Registration is now open.

Tentative Schedule & Preliminary Course Information:

Friday, July 13 – 4 p.m. – Super-Downhill (Time Trial)
The crown jewel of the race is the first stage with a drop of more than 4,000 feet from the top of Elk Camp Chair all the way to the rodeo parking lot. There is not a longer lift served descent in the United States. The course will feature Vapor, Government, Anaerobic Nightmare, Highline and Lowline trails. A DJ, drinks and welcome party will follow in Snowmass base village.

Saturday, July 14 – 10 a.m. – Cross-Country Race (Mass Start)
Beginning at the top of the Elk Camp Gondola this ride will incorporate the best Cross-Country trails Snowmass has to offer including: Sway, Government (West to East), Village Bound and Cross Mountain. The ride will finish with a ride down Valhalla  (the new Gravity Logic trail) and finish in Snowmass base village.

Saturday, July 14 – 3 p.m. – Chainless Downhill (Time Trial)
Begin at the top of Elk Camp Gondola and descend down Snowmass Way, the new Funnel trail and finish in Base Village. An after-party will continue in Snowmass base village.

Sunday, July 15 – 11 a.m. – Downhill (Time Trial)
Each racer will have one run down Snowmass’ famed Pro Downhill course accessed from the top of the Village Express chairlift and finish in Base Village. Practice for the downhill will start at 9a.m. An award ceremony and closing party will follow at 1 p.m. in Snowmass base village.

More on Summer in Aspen/Snowmass
Aspen/Snowmass offers many on-mountain summer events and daily activities on both Snowmass and Aspen Mountain. Summer operations run daily June 16 – September 3, 2012 and on weekends only May 26 – June 10 and September 8 – October 7.

Snowmass is home to Bike Snowmass, the new mountain bike park with everything from family-friendly beginner trails to challenging intermediate to advanced downhill trails. The new Valhalla trail, built by Gravity Logic is now complete. Camp Aspen/Snowmass, a daily summer camp for kids ages one through teens, offers many activities in Snowmass including fishing, hiking, biking, paintball, mountainboarding and more.

Master of the Mass is sponsored by Town of Snowmass Village, Helly Hansen, Muscle Milk, Clif Bar, and Giro.

Source: Jeff Hanle

Geoff Kabush Says
Athlete Blog: Kabush Opens up about his move to 29″ wheels

The month of April just passed and the race season is definitely starting to heat up. I just finished three exciting and very different weekends of racing; the very intense Houffalize World Cup (11th), the historic and hectic Sea Otter Classic (1st XC, 3rd STXC), and a fun and relaxed grassroots Whiskey 50 weekend (1st Fat Tire Crit, 1st 50 miler). April was a great month, I have a couple victories under my belt, and it feels like everything and everybody on the SCOTT-3 Rox Racing program is starting to click. It has been an exciting year for me with lots of changes and the move to SCOTT-3Rox Racing.

One of the changes that has caused quite a bit of conversation has been my bike choice. Yes, it’s true, I have been racing on some bigger 29in wheels this year; the very sexy Scale 29 and Spark 29. People have been saying whoa, what, hold on, I thought he said he would never race big wheels? The truth is it was the over the top evangelists and 29er propaganda that I have had quite a distaste for and not the actual bicycle wheel size. The fact that the “church of 29er” tribe is overly sensitive also made them quite fun to mess and joke around with. I have a mechanical engineering degree, I am a man of science, and when people feed me bull@#$% facts and bend the truth I take offence.

I’ve certainly seen a lot of propaganda regarding 29ers. Team statements “Our riders all choose to race their 29ers” when they don’t have a choice or the truth is their 26in bikes were 2lbs heavier than their custom 29er frames. A lot of people try claiming 29ers are just as light as their 26ers; the truth is unfortunately due to physics 26in equipment will always be lighter. I also hear 29ers are great for everyone; even tiny so-and-so is riding one. I feel that compromises are made with position when trying to fit some people onto big wheels; my vertically challenged mechanic would need a near zero head-tube to get his position correct. The thing that drives me most nuts though is people preaching and lecturing other people about why they should ride big wheels. At the first World Cup this year someone came up and started lecturing a Canadian friend about how she could be so much better on big wheels; the friend happened to be Catherine Pendrel and she was wearing the World Champion rainbow stripes. I’m not sure she needed any tips.

All said I’ve never actually had a competitive 29er option to test or until this year. I was actually pretty interested to finally have a chance to see what all of the buzz was about. One of the exciting things about joining the SCOTT family is their top-notch options in race bikes. I knew coming into the year I wasn’t going to be compromising a thing because their bikes are top of the line in any wheels size I wanted. This year I have been testing both 26in and 29in Scale and Sparks.

Switching to a 29er there is immediately a different sensation and some of the benefits are certainly tangible. I won’t get into detailed analysis but I think one of the underrated benefits is higher rear axle for climbing; it shifts the weight balance, keeps the front wheel down, and allows you to keep a more relaxed position. I was concerned that it would be harder to whip, scrub, and aggressively maneuver the big wheels on trail. I’m happy to report this is not a problem. Luckily I am also big enough I don’t have to fight the geometry of a 29er; I don’t have to run a ridiculous negative stem, reduce suspension travel, and I am still able to run a riser bar; a nice 700mm wide Syncros bar at the moment.

Are big wheels for everyone? Depending on your size I’m not sure. I can say after some testing and comparison I will be racing the Scale 29 and Spark 29 this season. I think the equipment has evolved to a point where the small weight penalty is outweighed by the benefits. I am also lucky SCOTT-3Rox Racing can put together such a competitive package in any wheel size and allow me to choose what I think works best. Hopefully I’ll see you at the races and with some luck near the top of the podium.

Get out and ride. Cheers,

Geoff

This story is available on http://scott-sports.com in the Geoff Kabush Says blog.

Source: Adrian Montgomery

$10,000 Cash up for grabs at the POC Eastern States Cup Pro GRT’s at Mountain Creek and Plattekill Bike Parks

The POC Eastern States Cup is kicking off the DH MTB Race Season with two USA Cycling Pro GRT Series races. The Mountain Creek Spring Classic, May 17-20 and the Plattekill FOX RACING SHOX Gravity Open, May 24-27. The two bike parks have doubled the Pro GRT Pro Purse to $5000 at each race. The Pro GRT is the only national series recognized by USA Cycling. The races are USAC World Team Qualifiers for Pros and Juniors, the competition among the fastest DH racers in the USA will be fierce.

Amateurs will get a chance to race on the same course as many national and international world cup regulars including the 2012 World Cup Champion, American Aaron Gwin. Gwin will be the Master of Ceremonies at the Grand Opening Ribbon Cutting Ceremony Saturday at 9AM at the new Mountain Creek Bike Park. Mountain Creek is celebrating with a Saturday pre race rock concert featuring the “Misfits” and two other nation bands.

The POC Eastern States Cup is proudly offering 5 USAC State Championships and the USAC Eastern Regional Championship. The Series is offering over $35,000 in Cash and another $35,000 in prizes to Amateurs.

“I am excited that the POC Eastern States Cup is able to bring the USA Cycling Pro GRT Downhill Series to two of the premier bike parks in the United States. The POC ESC is committed to bringing the best mountain bike racers and racing to the East Coast. We are working on adding XC and Enduro Series races in 2013. With those additions the future of the POC Eastern States Cup is really exciting. “, says George Ulmer from the POC ESC.

The POC Eastern States Cup will offer double series points at both Pro GRT events, to start off the season with a bang. The series just announced a third Challenge to the racers. The POC ESC Speed Zone Challenge. This new challenge will reward the fastest MPH Amateur with great POC Gear at every race this season. The fastest speed of the season will earn a complete POC kit. Other Challenges are the $1000 POC Team Challenge and the $1000 Loeka Women’s Challenge. The series will produce a Voncooper video for every race, while Oliver Racing will take care of the fourth place prizing.

Both mountain trail crews have been working on their racetracks for weeks. Plattekill renewed one of their classic courses on the steep north face side of the bike park. The Plattekill course has new berms, chutes and the steep loose shale Plattekill is famous for. Mountain Creek is combining the new and the old for a real exciting track. The Mountain Creek course offers a few newly cut woods sections, and a steep wide-open ski trail section with large areas of granite slab rock. It will be one of the longest and fastest courses at Mountain Creek ever. Expect two of the best courses the east has to offer.

Schedules, Pre-Registration and all information can be found on the POC Eastern States Cup website: easternstatescup.com

I Can’t Drive 55! POC Speed Zone Awards Fastest DH Riders at Mountain States and Eastern States Cup

Do you like to ride fast? With the first Eastern States and Mountain States Cup races right around the corner, POC is psyched to announce the POC Speed Zone Award.

Armed with an on-course radar gun at each event, DH racers will be clocked at a designated POC Speed Zone area during each MSC and ESC contest. The top two speeds clocked (one amateur male and one amateur female) at each race will be awarded POC prizes, including VPD 2.0 body armor, full face Cortex Flow and enduro Trabec helmets, goggles or apparel. At the conclusion of the season, the rider with the single fastest recorded POC Speed Zone result will take home the grand prize POC package including body armor, gloves, helmet and apparel.

Note: No Pros, amateur only