Introduction

Magura announced the eLECT automatic fork adjuster for their TS forks at the Sedona press camp this week. It’s comprised of a DLO² damper with electronic ON-OFF and blow-off uses a 3D accelerometer and a handlebar mounted Bluetooth remote. Magura has four different compressions dampers now, the DLO2 (Dynamic Lock Out 2 position), the DLO3 (Dynamic Lock Out 3 position), the SL (fixed compression) and the new eELCT. Basically, the eELCT is an automatic lock out cartridge that is either on or off, with a non adjustable blow off for larger impact, the latter because the shim stack is factory set. The 3D accelerometer in the damper is just like what your smartphone or video game controller uses, and will lock out the fork in 0.2 seconds when it’s detected orientation reaches a preset pitch angle, or it’s impacted. It was pretty cool to hold the damper in your hand and tilt it slightly and feel it vibrate as it went into a lock out mode. The unit is oriented towards the cross country rider where performance and efficiency are paramount, but it can be used by longer travel forks if desired, since the damper is plug-able into any of their TS forks.

Ride Impressions by Francis Cebedo

So Magura USA GM, Jeff Enlow came to me before the day’s ride on Chuck Wagon trail of Sedona, AZ and offered me a ride on the new eLECT damper with automatic lockout. “Ahh, the life of a tester,” I thought. It can be very exciting and/or dangerous at times. These were unfamiliar trails to me and I was about to put my ‘front lockout’ faith in prototype technology. And just for kicks, I wanted to leave it in full lockout mode all day.

I already had a Specialized Camber bike set up from the day before with a Magura TS8 120 mm travel fork. The beauty of this technology is its a modular damper that can be installed in any TS fork and I watched Jude Monica replace my damper cartridge and put in the eLECT in a matter of minutes.

My instructions were very simple: Press the fork button 3 seconds to calibrate the fork ‘open’ position and this will activate the automatic lockout mode. Or press the remote to lock out or unlock the fork and put it in remote manual mode.

I calibrated the fork to be fully open on level ground and that put the fork in full active mode. At about a 2% grade or higher, I tested the fork several times and it was indeed locked out. We had a rolling road climb to get to the trailhead and the fork locked and unlocked perfectly and gave me a bit of an edge as I climbed out of saddle. “That’s fine. But what about when I’m climbing at speed and a big Sedona rock attacks my locked out front fork?” I thought. Would I be stopped dead cold and pitched over the bars?

So the ride went on in the rolling singletrack and the fork was wide open on the descents. There was no knocking or delay similar to the Specialized Brain Shock or Fox Teralogic forks that I’ve used before. On a few short climbs, I pushed down on the fork and it was indeed locked out. I never sensed the locking or unlocking action of the fork. It was completely seamless.

Finally, I found myself in several rocky climbs and stair-step tech climbs. On the slow techy climbs, I sensed that my front fork was locked out but when the ledges came, I never really bumped them. I had the front end light as I lifted the bar a bit and powered through the tech climbs. I never really used the front fork as a bump stop to get over single or double obstacles on climbs.

Later, I went through a dip in the rocky trails at high speed and I hit short rocky climbs. This was the situation I feared as I thought the front might lock out when I needed to get over an obstacle at the other side of the dip. But then again, it was a non-issue. The fork did not seem to lock out on those situations.

Finally, I went through about a 3% climb and it was strewn with babyhead rocks. On this climb, I could feel the fork locked out and it did remain locked as I hit the rocks. This was a disadvantage and I need to do more pulling and body english to get through the rocky climb. With this in mind, I stopped and tilted the bike a bit to simulate a 3% grade and I recalibrated the front fork. This put the fork in the wide-open position for these climbs and it locked out on the steeper climbs. This worked but it obviously made the fork lock out less.

So we did about a three hour ride and I rocked it in full automatic lockout mode. The experience was seamless as the technology never interfered with my ride. At the minimum, I could have used it as a wireless remote lockout system but I never had to resort to that. It seemed like it would be a good complement to my Specialized Epic at home as that has an automatic lockout in the rear but not in the front.

So I was left thinking that for this user market that appreciates lockout forks, remote cable lockouts and remote electronic lockouts, this was darn good technology. If this was version one, I could only imagine what could be developed as engineers used the accelerometer more to detect impacts. Also, a bike computer or iphone could be connected to adjust thresholds, reaction times and damping modes. The flexibility of the system is encouraging. But the best revelation on this test ride was how simple the technology was and how little it interfered with the ride.

– francis cebedo –

Click here to view the embedded video.

Features
TÜV/GS certified protection pack (TÜV Süd)
CE-certified Liteshield Back Protection Technology (EN 1621-2)
Back protection can be detached and worn separately
2-step zipper system
New for 2013: Helmet/Protection carrying flap
Wide tool compartment opening for easy access
Integrated rain cover
Accommodates hydration systems up to 3L
Available in 2 sizes S, M/L according to body height

Specifications
Volume: 20l (Size M/L; S: 18l, XL: 22l)
Weight: 2.86 lbs. (1300g – size M/L)
Size: 27 cm x 56 cm x 14 cm (Size M/L)
Materials: Nylon 210/D Ripstop PU Coated, P600/D PU Coated, Air Mesh, Neoprene

MSRP: $199

Evoc now has a distributor in the US at http://www.evocusa.com. Currently, only a few bags and sizes are being imported into the US. They are available at www.evocusa.com

]]> http://reviews.mtbr.com/video-evoc-fr-trail-pack-for-all-mountain-and-enduro-events/feed 0 http://reviews.mtbr.com/video-wounded-veterans-ride-100k-on-memorial-day-weekend http://reviews.mtbr.com/video-wounded-veterans-ride-100k-on-memorial-day-weekend#comments Fri, 24 May 2013 20:31:43 +0000 Francis Cebedo http://reviews.mtbr.com/?p=80085 Memorial Day is considered by many as the opening day of summer and the start of many mountain bike trips and adventures. But let us not forget that this holiday weekend exists for the military service men and women who died while in military service. It is also a significant opportunity to thank all those who have served in the military, specially those who have been injured while in service.

Veteran being assisted up a steep mountain bike climb

In that vein, there is a special mountain bike event that celebrates the lives and the resilience of those who served and/or have been injured in the global war on terror, focused in Iraq and Afghanistan. The event is called the Warrior 100K mountain bike ride and it takes place May 23-25, 2013, near Waco, Texas.

Video: 2012 W100K Highlights

Click here to view the embedded video.

2013 line-up

• Major James C. Anderson, Jr., USA, from San Antonio, TX
• Sergeant First Class Manuel A. Colón, USA from Orlando, FL
• Sergeant First Class Thomas W. Costello, USA, from Shelby, NC
• Staff Sergeant Matthew P. DeWitt, USA, Ret. from Weare, NH
• First Sergeant Robert A. Ferrara, USA, Ret. from San Antonio, TX
• Major John Dana Greer, USA, Ret., from Savannah, GA
• Lieutenant Colonel David Johnson, USA
• Staff Sergeant Joshua M. Krueger, USMC, Ret. from Hubertus, WI
• Staff Sergeant Michael D. Morabito, USA, Ret., from Converse, TX
• Staff Sergeant Jeffrey R. Palenske, USA from Chicago, IL
• Master Sergeant Roque Rodriguez-Urena, USAF Ret., from Charleston, SC
• Staff Sergeant Omar R. Romney, USA, Ret., from Clarksville, TN
• Specialist José E. Santiago, USA from Centennial, CO
• Major Kent G. Solheim, USA from Raeford, NC;

Full rider Bios are available here: http://www.bushcenter.org/w100k/2013-w100k-warriors

For more information go to: http://www.bushcenter.org/military-service-initiative/w100k

Click here to view the embedded video.

Of course, with those variety of styles comes a variety of setups. Though all the guys ride the 5.18 lb Altitude 790 MSL frame in this video, the Rocky Mountain Ride9 system gives them a chance to dial in the bike just right. Wade runs his geometry and suspension rates the slackest (no surprise) and Thomas runs it in slacker & progressive (forward & down, aka “Vanderham Mode”). Both Andreas and Gully run the bike neutral & progressive (furthest down).

Watch the video and be entertained! Check out the photos and official info below, too.

********************

Rocky Mountain’s riders are a diverse bunch, and we take pride in that. Our Altitude platform is equally diverse, so with this Fourtitude video we set out to explore what four very different riders could bring to the Altitude 790 MSL.

Wade wanted to showcase the kind of “steep & deep” technical riding that he enjoys on a daily basis. These natural steeps lurk on Vancouver’s North Shore, but rarely see bikes that aren’t full travel downhill rigs. We’re pretty sure The Godfather would be stylish on an old 10-speed too, but it’s always humbling to see him bring flow to the burliest lines.

Andreas “Dre” Hestler is an Olympian and has plenty of experience racing TransAlp and Enduro events, so it’s no surprise that he coaxes blistering speed out of the Altitude. For Fourtitude he took it to Squamish, where he gunned for some Personal Bests on one of the nicest trail networks around.

Thomas Vanderham likes to take each new bike to Kamloops – a landscape he knows and loves, and the Altitude was no exception. For its maiden voyage he took it out for some true trail blasting, from corner slashing to his patented whips.

Geoff Gulevich is better known for his slopestyle riding, but he was excited to bring his playful approach to the Altitude. He decided to shoot his section on a short road trip through Oregon, where he had a few tricks up his sleeve.

Photos by Margus Riga

Magura USA (aka Magura Direct) hosted the 9th annual press camp in spectacular Sedona Arizona in May, and they invited editors and writers to test out the products that they distribute, which includes Magura (brakes and forks), uvex (helmets and sunglasses) and Vredestein tires, and they also were joined by SKS and Specialized. We got to test the products from each of the companies on the inspiring, sometimes scary and invigorating, and extremely technical singletrack trails of the Sedona area. I want to thank Magura Direct (Jeff, Tony, Jude, Ruthie, Mike) for hosting this shindig at the lovely Red Agave Resort, and their partners Mark of SKS and Tony of Specialized, and our cooks, John, Janet and Debbie.

The big news at the Magura Press Camp was their new TS (Team Suspension) 29er 140/150mm travel fork. The fork will come to the US in the 140mm mode, but can be changed internally to 150mm. The fork will come with their proprietary M15 thru axle system, dropout bumper protectors, 32mm stanchions, 7″ PM disc brake mounts and will be available in their TS8 and TS6 models. Magura was late to the 29er fork game, but they’re diving full force into the long travel 29-inch bike world, and this new lightweight (1775 grams) and decently priced fork (around $849) should be a real winner.

At the press camp, they had various Specialized 29er bikes equipped with the new fork, so the editors got to go hammer the forks on the local epic trails, so we all got a good feel for how well the forks perform on the flowy and sometimes vicious Sedona terrain. In addition to the new long travel 29er fork, they are coming out with a true dedicated 650B fork in the November time frame. They currently have a 27.5″ compatible fork, but it can only be used with small to medium-size tires, and the new lowers should be applicable for any 27.5″ tire, even monstrous 2.5″ ones. Although they didn’t give any specifics, I would assume that it will have a slightly taller axle-to-crown than the current 26″/27.5″ version.

All the 2014 forks get an upgrade named the Performance Package, which improves suppleness, smoothness and usability. They had been using a food-grade quality silicone based grease in the lowers with their TS model forks, and this year they’re replacing the 5mm of oil in the upper air chamber with 4 grams of the grease. They have also replaced the Delrin plastic bushings with slicker aluminum bushings that have been impregnated with Teflon, and they’ll work in synergy with the grease for to provide good supple action. They upgraded the rebound knob, and made it more ergonomic and easier to use, as the existing knurled one was hard to turn. They have a tuneable air chamber now, and by adding or removing specifically sized Delrin spacers just under the top of the air cap, you can alter the spring rate of the fork.

Jude Monica of Magura gave an excellent short clinic on breaking down their forks, which surprisingly only require a couple of tools, and is a moderately simple operation in the grand scheme of things. During the demonstration, he highlighted all the internals pieces and how they interact with each other. All the parts are very modular, and everything is easy take apart and replace if required, though the damper itself isn’t serviceable and would need to be entirely swapped out.

On top of the existing SL and DLO2 damping cartridges, they have a new one named the DLO3, which is the predecessor to the Albert Select. The new DLO3 has an easy to use adjustable thumb wheel, with three positions, open, firm and locked, with a blowoff in the lock mode.

The air side of the system was pretty interesting. The bottommost elastomer has little triangular indentations cut into it, so that it gives a slight plushness during its initial compression. The notches in the middle of the rod (shown above) are where the travel height can be changed by moving the roller pin to a different location. The plunger head at the top of the rod pivots, and it uses grease instead of oil, so you’ll no longer see any weeping oil on that side of the fork.

Final Thoughts
The new long travel 140mm/150mm 29er and 27.5″ are great additions to their lineup, and the subtle improvements of the Performance Package add suppleness and usability, and it’s retrofittable to the existing TS models. The new DLO3 damping cartridge is easy to use and works really well, and is very much like FOX’s CTD system. During my test rides of the new TS8 29er 140 DLO3, the fork had excellent suppleness, decent small bump compliance, great plushness on medium to large bumps, and had good stiffness from the DAD arch. I do wish they had 34mm stanchions for this big beast, since there was just a hint of give when pushed extremely hard. During my short rides, I found this long travel 29er to be lightweight, supple, stiff and compliant, and would be a great addition to my long-awaited Ibis Ripley.

Photo by Matt Burt Photography/mattb.net

Dave Wiens cringes at the comparison. Though the Leadville 100 is longer, higher and includes far more climbing, the Colorado native prefers not to contrast the race that made him famous with the race he now runs – this Memorial Day weekend’s Original Growler.

Indeed, the six-time Leadville 100 winner (and man who took down both Floyd Landis and Lance Armstrong during that run) says bluntly that you have to be a better pure mountain biker to finish the Full Growler, a 64-mile race that’s held the day after Saturday’s 32-mile Half Growler.

Wiens (L) battles Armstrong at Leadville.

The reason? While Leadville’s course is predominantly fire road and doubletrack, the Growler is loaded with techy singletrack and almost never-ending pedaling as you wind your away around the ever-undulating Hartman Rocks trail system that’s just a few miles south of Gunnison, Colorado. No wonder everyone who registers for the race must tick a checkbox affirming that they are “an experienced mountain biker.”

“It might only be 4,000 feet of climbing per lap (and the 64-mile race includes two laps), but it all comes in these tiny pieces that added together really break people’s legs,” said Wiens, alluding to the pain, not the possibility of trauma, which also exists in what will be the race’s sixth running. “Lots of people love to climb long climbs like at Leadville or on the road, but this is not same. This course is super physical and you have to work for every inch. For some people it really is death by 1000 cuts.”

So how does one survive this interminable beating and make it back to downtown Gunnison for the beer-fueled after party (the race was named after a growler of beer after all)? Well for starters, listen to what Wiens has to say in this exclusive Q&A about the race he helped found and now directs.

Photo by Matt Burt Photography/mattb.net

Mtbr: What’s the best tip you can give to a newbie Growler racer?
Dave Wiens: Pacing is really the key, especially if you are not use to this type of riding. You need to be prepared for repeated short, punchy climbs where you’ll have to be up and out of the saddle a lot. That can really beat you down over 6-7 hours, maybe longer. (Note: Last year, men’s winner Alex Grant finished in 5 hours, 17 minutes, and the majority of the Full Growler finishers spent 7-8 hours in the saddle.)

Also you really need to pay attention out there. Don’t just drop blindly into something if you are not sure. There are some steep rock sections that may look like they have a lot of options, but it’ll turn out that there is just one rollable line. So when in doubt use caution – and remember that we don’t do a bunch of hazard marking because if we did there would be too much to mark.

Mtbr: Tell us more about the course and what people can expect.
Dave Wiens: It’s a lot of singletrack. Not all singletrack. But a lot. And a lot of that is fairly technical trail that’s connected by fast, flowy sections. Basically you spend the day going from short sections of granite rock problems to fast flowy fun. So if, or maybe it’s when you get discouraged, just know that it wont last too long. But it’s definitely a course that keeps people engaged from start to finish. There are only a few road sections, and usually you’ll be pretty happy when you get to them because it’ll give you a chance to relax for a minute and get a drink.

Don’t forget to look around either. A lot of our racers come from [Colorado’s] Front Range where you spend most of the time riding in the forest. Hartman Rocks isn’t like that at all. It’s high desert with amazing long-distance views. You can literally see for miles in all directions. It’s a really unique riding experience.

Mtbr: How about the charitable element of this race.
Dave Wiens: Yeah, all the money goes to fund Gunnison Trails, our local trail advocacy organization. That means maintaining trails, proposing new trails like the one from Gunnison to Crested Butte that we are working on, that kind of thing. This event is the lifeblood of Gunnison Trails, probably about 60-percent of our annual budget comes from entry fees to this race.

It’s also really important to our community. Before this race there just wasn’t much going on here. Now this kicks off our summer season. The KOA campground sells out, the hotels do well, the restaurants have their first real busy weekend. Analysis done by the city says it’s about a $1 million impact, so the community is really getting behind it.

Wiens is a force in the local trail building community.

Mtbr: The event always sells out. Why not expand beyond the 350-rider-per-day cap?
Dave Wiens: You know we could probably get the Forest Service to allow us 500 per day, but that would just be too many because there is too much singletrack and the racing experience would suffer. We don’t want that.

Mtbr: What’s the bike of choice?
Dave Wiens: Well, I may be the wrong person to ask because I’ve been a hardtail guy for so long. But probably the lightweight full suspension is the way to go for most people. It’s definitely a race bike course unless you are just out there to have fun and don’t mind pushing a little bigger bike. A 29er probably makes a lot of sense, too. There’s tons of smooth, flowy stuff, and then with the 29er it’s a lot easier to roll through stuff, those cantaloupe sized rocks. I’d go with a slightly bigger tire, too. There are some sharp rocks out there so it’s a gamble to run super light tires.

Mtbr: Hydration pack or bottles?
Dave Wiens: That’s all personal preference, whatever you are used to. I’d run bottles, but you’ll see a lot of people out there with packs on. If you do run a pack, there’s a chance that the volunteers at the Skull Pass aid station will tell you to drop your pack when you pass the first time, then they’ll fill it and give it back when you pass back through about two miles later. So if you can go without your pack for those few miles, that could save you some time.

Photo by Matt Burt Photography/mattb.net

Mtbr: What about the halfway point drop bags? What do people put in those?
Dave Wiens: Honestly I’ve seen it all. Parts, tools, sandwiches, small coolers with sodas. So again, it’s just whatever you think you’re going to need out there at the halfway point of the race.

Mtbr: What will be available at the aid stations?
Dave Wiens: Main things will be product from Honey Stinger and Acli-Mate (hydration drink). There will also be peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, bananas, water. And usually there will be people that go out there and do their own thing, passing up bacon, maybe beers, though that’s probably not a great idea.

We’ll also have a few mini-aid stations that are just Acli-Mate and water, so basically for the 64-miler there will be liquid every 7-8 miles, and you’ll pass full aid stations at miles 15 and 17 at Skull Pass, and 30 at Hartman Rocks base area, then again at 43 and 45, and then 61 back at the base area.

Mtbr: Any final words of wisdom?
Dave Wiens: Get ready to have some fun. It’s mountain bike racing at its finest.

Note: Check back to Mtbr.com after the long weekend for updates on all the action, plus a first person account from Features Editor Jason Sumner, who will be doing his best to make all the time cut-offs in Sunday’s Full Growler.

Enduro racing is akin to the type of riding that mountain bikers want to do anyway in their spare time. Like enthusiasts and weekend warriors, they had to hone in and select their equipment to make it up the big mountains and ride down as fast as possible.

Here is a great race report from the folks at DirtTV

The Parkin Bros and Dirt’s Steve Jones hit up Punta Ala for round one of the Enduro World Series, and have come back with this magnificent ode to racing and good times. The next best thing to being there…

Credit: Orpheus Productions

Official Release:
DH, 4X, BMX, XC and Enduro Riders Share First Ever Enduro World Series Podium

Proving Ground of the All-Round sees former DH World Champs, Fabien Barel and Tracy Moseley, on top

9am GMT, May 20, 2013, Edinburgh, UK – Just seven months after the creation of an Enduro World Series was announced, the first round took place over the May 18-19 weekend in Punta Ala, Italy.

Over 500 riders from every mountain bike discipline and almost every nation arrived to take part in one of the most anticipated mountain bike races ever.

Locals from the seaside resort came out in force to experience the opening night time trial, the Prologue, and witnessed the world’s fastest mountain bikers tear through the rain-slicked medieval cobblestone streets of Castiglione della Pescaia. France’s Alex Cure (Urge Team) and Anne Caroline Chausson (Ibis) finished the Prologue in the top position.

The podium results indicate what a true test of the all-round rider enduro racing is, with French downhill champion Fabien Barel (Canyon Factory Team), French enduro specialist Jerome Clementz (Cannondale Overmountain) and Australian BMX Olympian and 4X World Champion Jared Graves (Yeti-Fox Factory Team) taking the top 3 places. (Narrowly missing the podium was 16 year old Belgian rider, Martin Maes (GT Factory Racing.)

While Clementz took an early lead, winning Sunday’s first stage, Barel put in the performance of the race on the longest, most technical trail, the race’s second stage and special Red Bull Time Rush, where he took a 13 second lead.

Former DH World Champion and enduro racer, Tracy Moseley from the UK (Trek Factory Racing) beat out current DH World Champ Emmeline Ragot from France (Lapierre International) and XC Olympian Cecile Ravanel from France (GT Skoda) in the women’s field.

For Managing Director of the EWS, Chris Ball, the event had the perfect mix of epic clashes of top athletes, drama and challenge with riders posting World Cup downhill speeds, instagramming during the liaison stages, and big names like Chausson and Nico Lau crashing out, Vouilloz racing to maintain a decent overall position after a puncture, and Cedric Gracia snapping his chain at the start of stage 4 and having to run his bike through the entire stage and 10km liaison before picking up a replacement chain for the final stage.

Combined with the spectacular setting, great hospitality from the organisers, perfect trail-ending on the beach by the Mediterranean, and intrigue from the pits as prototype bikes and gear set-ups were tested out, the amazing vibe of the weekend set the bar for the Enduro World Series’ debut.

“The riders took enduro to a whole new level today and the racing was some of the most exciting I have ever followed,” says Ball. “We have a lot to learn and a lot to develop both in the following 2013 rounds and in the years to come but I feel that this weekend marked a whole new chapter in enduro history. We couldn’t have asked for a better start and I greatly thank all of our members and supporters for allowing this historic race to happen here in Punta Ala.”

A video highlight edit of the first round of the Enduro World Series from Dirt TV will be released on Tuesday.

Full results, including team rankings, will be live later today, and will undoubtedly be scrutinised, as the quest to become first Enduro World Champion will be based on overall performance across all seven races in the series.

The Enduro World Series moves next to Val D’Allos, France, where riders will be met with chairlifts for uplift and a slightly different format that will provide another opportunity to test riders in the quest for the most versatile all-round mountain bike athlete in the world.

Men’s Results – Top 100 out of 374 Starters

Final overall classification
Result
1 Fabien Barel 0:20:38
2 Jerome Clementz 0:00:12
3 Jared Graves 0:00:15
4 Martin Maes 0:00:34
5 Dan Atherton 0:00:39
6 Benjamin Cruz 0:00:53
7 Samuel Blenkinsop 0:00:56
8 Remy Absalon 0:00:56
9 Joe Barnes 0:00:57
10 Josh Carlson 0:01:00
11 Alex Lupato 0:01:02
12 Florian Nicolai 0:01:11
13 Manuel Ducci 0:01:15
14 Ludovic May 0:01:16
15 Brian Lopes 0:01:17
16 Curtis Keene 0:01:22
17 Cedric Ravanel 0:01:22
18 Thomas Lapeyrie 0:01:24
19 Nicolas Vouilloz 0:01:24
20 Francois Bailly Maitre 0:01:25
21 Th O Galy 0:01:29
22 Loic Bruni 0:01:30
23 Arnould Jeremy 0:01:31
24 Vittorio Gambirasio 0:01:35
25 Alex Cure 0:01:40
26 Cedric Gracia 0:01:42
27 Nicolas Quere 0:01:43
28 Simon Andre 0:01:47
29 Florian Golay 0:01:48
30 Steve Peat 0:01:48
31 Denny Lupato 0:01:49
32 Damien Oton 0:01:51
33 Greg Minnaar 0:01:51
34 Davide Sottocornola 0:01:53
35 Yoann Barelli 0:01:53
36 Nicola Casadei 0:02:00
37 Greg Callaghan 0:02:03
38 Adam Craig 0:02:04
39 Lukas Anrig 0:02:06
40 Mark Scott 0:02:07
41 Francesco Colombo 0:02:10
41 Petrik Bršckner
43 Yannick Pontal 0:02:13
44 Maurian Marnay 0:02:14
45 Gary Forrest 0:02:17
46 Duncan Riffle 0:02:20
47 Jhon Hauer 0:02:21
48 Sam Flanagan 0:02:25
49 Antonin Gourgin 0:02:25
50 Josh Bryceland 0:02:28
51 Cl Ment Benoit 0:02:30
52 Tobias Reiser 0:02:31
53 Trocello Maurin 0:02:35
54 Leoluca Scurria 0:02:38
55 Max Schumann 0:02:40
56 Michael Schžrer 0:02:42
57 Markus Reiser 0:02:43
58 Regnier Bryan 0:02:44
59 Daniel Jacquemot 0:02:49
60 Matteo Raimondi 0:02:51
61 Tobias Pantling 0:02:52
62 Ludwig D™Hl 0:02:52
63 Thomas Decugis 0:02:54
64 Laurent Solliet 0:02:56
65 Paul Aston 0:02:56
66 Baptiste Gaillot 0:02:58
67 Senechal Yannick 0:03:01
68 Jacopo Orbassano 0:03:05
69 Peter Mlinar 0:03:08
70 Robert Kordez 0:03:09
71 Stefano Migliorini 0:03:09
72 Mathew Stuttard 0:03:12
73 Alex Balaud 0:03:13
74 James Shirley 0:03:14
75 Kevin Lorenzato 0:03:21
75 Pierre Yves Liverneaux
77 Nejc Rutar 0:03:22
78 Balz Weber 0:03:28
79 Demailly Aur Lien 0:03:29
80 Stefano Rota 0:03:35
81 Andr Wagenknecht 0:03:35
82 Andrea Pirazzoli 0:03:37
83 Marovelli Xavier 0:03:40
84 Nace Krivonog 0:03:43
85 Tracy F Moseley 0:03:44
86 Aidan Bishop 0:03:45
87 Jeremy Voet 0:03:49
88 Scott Laughland 0:03:49
89 Michal Prokop 0:03:50
90 Francesco Formichi 0:03:50
91 Pietro Chinucci 0:03:55
92 Marco Fidalgo 0:03:55
93 Ulysse Francoglio 0:04:02
94 Stuart Nicholson 0:04:03
95 David Thibaud 0:04:04
96 Ari Kurvinen 0:04:05
97 Paolo Fenocchio 0:04:11
98 Francesco Fregona 0:04:15
99 Damien Saint Patrice 0:04:15
100 Anthony Garcia 0:04:17

Editor’s Note: Guest columnist Leighton Poidevin is a longtime mountain bike racer who’s contested nine 24-hour mountain bike races and three cross-country ski race all nighters. He has a handful of race wins on his resume, and once finished fourth at the solo world championships. Poidevin’s 2013 racing plans include Canada’s Trans Rockies in July, and the world solo 24-hour championships in Canberra, Australia in October.

What is the state of 24 hour racing? That’s a question I’ve been asking myself a lot lately. Having competed in a dozen 24 hour solo events over the years, it’s fair to say I care about the future of the all-night racing discipline.

But 24-hour racing is not (and has never been) a UCI-sanctioned event, so it has been left in the hands of independent race promoters. And many of those promoters have questioned the financial viability of running 24-hour events — especially the solo category, which hasn’t seen a world championship event the last two years.

I’ve yet to hear any real concrete reasons why the 2011 event was tabled. But in 2012 Stuart Dorland, owner/operator of the 24 Hours of Adrenalin series, which previously put on the solo world’s event, wrote on his event website that, “It would not be economically or administratively feasible to keep the event on the calendar.”

I understand that many solo races are only viable when there is also a team aspect. A typical scenario is maybe 80 soloists and 1200 team riders, with the teams bringing in more than five times the revenue. No wonder it’s easy to forget about the solo riders.

So what can be done to save the solo discipline? Number one is getting the bike industry and other major sponsors involved to help ease the financial burden put on race directors. In the past, the automotive industry and beer companies helped prop up some 24-hour races. But they have since left the sport, leaving it in a tricky predicament. Yet, I’m still convinced that the compelling narrative of racing one’s bike from noon to noon is a story sponsors will want to get behind. We just need to make sure that message is being delivered in the right way.

Presently, I think our best hope comes from the likes of the Canberra, Australia-based World Endurance Mountain Bike Organization (aka WEMBO). This group bills themselves as a collection of like-minded mountain bike clubs and promoters from around the world with vast experience in hosting 24-hour mountain bike races.

The group was formed in 2011 after 24 Hours of Adrenalin opted to not host a world solo championship. At the time WEMBO laid out a three-year schedule and this October they are planning to host a 24-hour world solo championships in Australia. The plan is to slot the solo race a week after the Australian 24-hour mountain bike championships at Mount Stromlo.

By holding these events in conjunction with each other, the hope is that it will create a weeklong mountain bike festival atmosphere that will be attractive to sponsors. In my opinion, this is the best way to make solo events feasible. We already know that without major sponsorship support, running a stand-alone event is very difficult. But by having the team and solo events a week apart, the infrastructure will already be in place, significantly reducing overall costs. Bottom line, creativity is the key to any successful venture.

The final question to be addressed, is that without the UCI’s rainbow stamp of approval, what makes an event world championship worthy? In the case of 24 hour racing, I think it starts with an organization that can attract the world’s best riders. That means Australians Jason English and Jess Douglas; Canada’s Cory Wallace; and America’s Tinker Juarez, Josh Tostado, Kelly Magelky and, of course, the “Queen of Pain” Rebecca Rusch. Hopefully some or all of these riders will travel to Australia.

Secondly, these races must consistently represent the cycling industry by displaying a level of professionalism that includes a clear set of racing rules and accredited drug testing.

Only time will tell if WEMBO can pull it off and preserve the legacy of 24-hour solo racing. Or perhaps it is destined to be a cycling discipline bound for extinction. I for one, certainly hope it lives on.

Volvo C30 Polestar Edition.

Product Highlights

You need to transport bikes on occasion but you have multiple vehicles or you are not ready to commit to a permanent rack. Or you have a type of car where a hitch rack is not an option and a roof rack is not available. Or you want a roof rack but you are concerned about wind noise and mileage degradation during the times when you are not transporting a bike.

The Seasucker Mini Bomber works by using suction cups that attach to any flat and clean surface. Each cup can hold up to 210 lbs of pulling force and the Mini Bomber uses four of them on the two fork mounts alone. For the rear wheel, one suction cup and a Velcro strap is used.

On a very clean surface, each suction cup can maintain its pressure for 2-5 days. Loss of pressure is easily detected by a colored white bar that becomes visible on each suction cup pump when the cup loses pressure.

Specifications:

• Holds 2 bicycles – up to 45 lbs each.
• Made for roof top, trunk or hatchback attachment.
• Attaches to metal, glass or fiberglass surfaces.
• 3/4” thick high-density polyethylene (HDPE) body for strength and durability.
• Two heavy-duty fork mounts for 9mm dropouts.
• Four 6″ SeaSucker vacuum cups on body (210 lb. pull-strength rated each).
• Approx. 12 lbs.
• MSRP: $400

Strengths:

• It is versatile and works on any vehicle with a solid, flat roof
• Each suction cup has tremendous holding power and the pump has a pressure indicator
• It literally installs in minutes and can be removed in seconds.
• Fork mounts are angled slightly to give room for wide handlebars
• It does what it’s supposed to which is secure the bike on almost any vehicle

Weaknesses:

• The fork mount is a Delta brand mount with a lock mount tab that gets in the way when removing the fork from the rack
• The rear wheel strap is two pieces of long Velcro that mate together. This should be a ratcheting clamp or a hook Velcro trap that can be tensioned. These two long pieces of velcro flap around when not in use and need to be hooked to each other.
• Although one suction cup is plenty strong to hold, the rear wheel mount needs two smaller suction cups for redundancy so if one loses pressure over time, the other one is a fail-safe
• The front fork mount board is flat when almost all roofs are curved. Force has to be applied and maintained to bend the board. On curved roofs, one has to lean on the end of the rack and lock it with the suction force. This works ok but the bent board is taking away some of the retaining force of the suction cup.
• The suction cup pressure guages have to be checked every single time the vehicle is used as a matter of precaution
• The rack is meant to be removed every time it is not used but reinstalling it requires cleaning all surfaces.
• Bad wind noise even when there’s no bike because of the flat board for the fork mounts. This occurs more when the rack is mounted near the windshield
• It can be stolen easily when left on the vehicle
• Expensive for what it offers
• The suction cups develop slow leaks (warranty is awesome though and any cup will be replaced for $12). In the span of our testing, two of our cups lose pressure in a few hours instead of 5 days when cleaned and new. Orange covers are supplied by Seasucker to put on the cups when not in use. This is meant to minimize dirt contamination and the development of leaks.

See Next Page for Car Gallery and Conclusions.

Click here to view the embedded video.

The first stage was won by Jerome Clementz but Fabien Barel gained an insurmontable 13 second advantage in Stage 2. Fabien Barel won the first ever Enduro World Series race for the Men and Tracy Moseley took it for the Women. Top Americans were Ben Cruz in 5th place, Brian Lopes in 15th place and Curtis Keene in 16th.

Click here to view the embedded video.

From Punta Ala, the Enduro World Series will move to the French Alps; Whistler, Canada; and Colorado, USA, before returning to Finale Ligure, Italy, October 19-20 for seventh and final leg of the series and the crowning of the inaugural Enduro World Champion.

Men’s Results: