2010 Bike Previews

If you are like me, you are probably thinking about how you could up your ride to close out this year or possibly to start next years. And naturally your choice of steed probably comes to mind first (at least for me). So if you are thinking about getting a new ride, hop over to Bike Rumor to check out the 2010 Bike Preview so you can see what is coming down the pike. They detail most of the major bike and component manufactures.

Had I not just jumped on the 29er wagon with my SuperFly, I'd be all over this carbon fiber Air 9.

FOX Racing Shox 2010

Sick Lines details our favorite NorCal suspension company's products for 2010:

See inside for a peak at some of the FOX Racing Shox 2010 products.  We thought we’d show some select parts to get everyone some details on what to expect for the coming season.

See the full article on Fox Racing Shox 2010 product line at Sick Lines.

Another Fork Recall: Marzocchi

Another MTB fork recall, this ones kinda scary:

The recalled Marzocchi Bicycle Forks were sold for installation on mountain bikes. The recall involves certain 2008 model year 888RC3 and 888RC3WC suspensions with date codes beginning with T07D07, T07D08, and T07D09.  The recalled Marzocchi Bicycle Forks are white or black with red and black artwork on the legs and were sold at a variety of bicycle parts distributors and retailers nationwide from July 2007 through September 2007 for between $1,000 and $1,700.

Via Marzocchi Important Recall.

Here's the scary part:

Marzocchi has learned that after a forceful landing, the suspension system can become completely compressed and “bottom out.” The piston rod may collapse under the load of the landing. The collapsed piston rod prevents the suspension system from extending and returning to its original configuration. The fork spring will remain compressed inside the fork leg.

WARNING: If an unqualified mechanic attempts to repair the suspension system, the fork may extend violently, ejecting the top cap or spring with significant force, resulting in personal injury.

This would not be good. If you have one of these forks, return it to your dealer or contact Techinfo@Marzocchiusa.com.

Niner Full Carbon Rigid 29″ Fork ?

Interesting pull from the guys over at BikeRumor:

... some spy shots of the upcoming Niner carbon fiber rigid 29er mountain bike fork.  The fork has been in development for about a year, and Niner’s top racers have been testing it recently…they even mention it in our recent interview with them.

It’s full carbon, tip to tip, steerer tube to dropouts. The official release is set for Sea Otter...

This could be popular with the singlespeed 29er crowd. Jump over to Spy Shot - Niner Full Carbon Rigid 29″ Fork » Bike Rumor to see pics.

RockShox Domain Fork Recall

Something to check if you have a RockShox Domain fork:

"SRAM issued a recall on Tuesday of certain RockShox Domain 302 and 318 fork models produced with a steel steerer tube.

SRAM is pulling these RockShox Domain forks from the marketplace due to potential for the steerer tube to fail.

Consumers with these forks should stop using them immediately and return the fork to dealers for verification of steerer material and serial number. Forks with steel steerers with the specified production codes should be replaced with a similar model fork by dealers, who will be refunded.

The affected forks have codes of 09T8XXXXXXX to 42T8XXXXXXX. The production code is located on the fork crown."

Via Bicycle Retailer and Industry News

Truvativ HammerSchmidt

So I've seen a lot of press on this new crankset, but sick Lines has posted a really good review/explanation that shouldn't be missed:

"It’s not every day that you get to ride something as unique as the Truvativ HammerSchmidt. What Truvativ has designed, a planetary gear system, is impressive to say the least."

Via Sick Line's Preview: Truvativ HammerSchmidt.

Shimano Shuns Cables for Full Electronic Shifting

This isn't MTB specific but since most of Shimano's road advances eventually trickle down to their MTB kit ...

"Japanese parts manufacturer Shimano is launching an electronic shifting system for high-end road bikes that it claims will vastly improve performance and reduce maintenance. By replacing the conventional levers that pull wound-steel cables through protective housings with solid-state switches and rubber-coated wires, there's no chance for road gunk to clog things up and interfere with shifting, or, for that matter, your post-ride beer.

Thursday's announcement that the system, called Di2, will hit shops in January 2009 settles a question first raised in 2005 when prototypes began cropping up on the bikes of select Shimano-sponsored racers in the pro peloton ... Shimano plans to offer the electronic setup as an upgrade option within the 7900 group -- which is preselling for $2,600 -- so parts such as the two-tone cranks and brakes will be the same. (No word yet on the additional cost for electric; it could be double.) Di2 consists of two brake-and-shift levers, two derailleurs whose springs have been replaced by servo-motors, a 7.4-volt lithium-ion battery pack, and the wiring harness that connects everything."

Via WIRED: Shimano Shuns Cables for Full Electronic Shifting.

Santa Cruz Bicycles Garage Sale

So this isn't really racing related per-se, but it certainly is NorCal:

Yes, the coastside purveyors of sweet MTB rides are blowing out some inventory.

2008 North American Handmade Bicycle Show

The NAHBS is this weekend up in Portland, OR. What is the NAHBS you ask ?

Having started with 23 exhibitors in Houston, Texas, in 2005, the North American Handmade Bicycle Show is dedicated to showcasing the talents of individuals around the world whose art form is the bicycle. It aims to be a gathering point -- online and in person -- for framebuilders and consumers looking for custom-made bikes, for the sharing of ideas and promotion of this industry and its traditions. This year's event features 155 exhibitors and will draw over 4,000 people to the Portland, Oregon Convention Center.

Basically, it's a bunch of the cool bike makers like Ellsworth, Hunter Cycles (Watsonville), Moots, Ritchey (Sparks, NV), Rock Lobster (Santa Cruz), Soulcraft (Petaluma, CA) and Ventana (Rancho Cordova, California).

Cannondale Recalls 2008 Scalpel

Yikes.

"Cannondale is recalling its 2008 model year Scalpel, including the Scalpel Framset, Scalpel Team, and Scalpel 1/2.

The frame can break while in use, causing the rider to lose control and suffer injuries from a fall or collision. The firm has received six reports of frames breaking. No injuries have been reported.

According to Cannondale:  ‘This recall is a result of discovering that the chainstays in these frames may be improperly bonded. There is a risk that the chainstays may separate from the rear dropouts, with risk of an accident or injury. Please do not ride your bike until the frame is replaced.’

‘In the US, if you wish to confirm whether your serial number is subject to recall, or have any questions please contact Cannondale Customer Service at 1-800-BIKE-USA (245-3872).’" (Via Cannondale Recalls 2008 Scalpel)

MTB Black Friday Sales

For those of you shopping (instead of riding), here are some Black Friday sales for the MTB racers in your life:

• Pricepoint.com is having their biggest inventory sale of the year. I am looking at the On One Inbred Single Speed Bike.
• Bicycles Plus (Folsom, CA) offers a $25 gift cards with a purchase of $100 or more.
• JensonUSA has 40% off selected items like Crank Brother pedals, Shimano shoes and Marzocchi forks.
• The Randall Scott Cycle Company has a holiday gift planner.
• Performance Bikes has up to 20% off purchases
• Twin Six has some pretty sweet deals: select jerseys will be $45, select t-shirts as low as $12 and even the T6 Sack will be on sale for $90.

If you know of any other MTB sales, feel free to add a comment.

Interbike 2007 Highlights

Interbike 2007, the largest bicycling tradeshow in the US, kicked off this week in Las Vegas:

Interbike Is Coming This Week: "The 2007 Interbike trade show is coming to Las Vegas, Nevada... Bikemag.com and the entire Bike magazine crew is preparing to depart for one of the hardest working weeks of our year. Interbike is scheduled to include over 1,000 brands from almost as many exhibitors being shown to nearly 22,000 attendees from over 60 countries." (Via Bikemag.com)

Here are some of the best links of new swag pictures from around the web and that starts with the newest from Crank Brothers:

"The folks at Crank Brothers have been very, very busy over the last year. How busy? Try this: they’ve added wheels, headsets, integrated cranks, a new take on the quick-release skewer…and oh yeah, they’ve also taken over production and distribution of the Speedball adjustable seatpost from Maverick." (Via Bikemag.com)

Here is an incomplete list of Interbike 2007 stories and pics, guaranteed to waste some valuable work time on this Friday morning:

• MTBR Interbike Coverage
• Garmin Blog: Interbike 07: power up with Edge 705
• Official Website of Jeff Kerkove: Interbike madness!
• Interbike 2007: Report 2 - BIKEmagic Gear News
• Interbike 2007 - BIKEmagic Gear News
• Go Clipless: Interbike 2007 OutDoor Demo Day 1 Roundup
• Interbike Update 2 » Blue Collar Mountain Biking
• Interbike Update 3 » Blue Collar Mountain Biking
• Interbike Update 4 » Blue Collar Mountain Biking
• Interbike Update 5 » Blue Collar Mountain Biking
• Interbike Update 6 » Blue Collar Mountain Biking
• Interbike Convention Begins » Blue Collar Mountain Biking
• Singletrack - Interbike - Dirt Demo 2
• Singletrack - Interbike - Demo Day Part One
• Interbike: On Dirt Demo « dhRENO * downhill, freeride, trail bikes & more
• Passion Trail Bikes > Interbike Roundup
• Randall Scott's Blogger: Live From Vegas Bathroom - Mtbr.com Forums
• Sick Lines » Archives » Deity Interbike 2007
• Sick Lines » Archives » Tomac Interbike 2007
• Sick Lines » Archives » Yeti Interbike 2007

Previewed: Garmin Edge 605 And 705 GPS

As a long time and loyal Garmin Edge 305 user, I couldn't let the announcement of the new series of toys gadgets serious cycling computers go unnoticed:

Previewed: Garmin Edge 605 And 705 GPS: "Garmin recently unveiled two new additions to its Edge family of handlebar-friendly GPS devices: the Edge 605 and the Edge 705." (Via Bike Magazine)

My Garmin Edge (along with Motionbased.com) provides most of the course maps that you see on this site.

I may have to buy one of these when they come out in November / December. Anyone want to buy a slightly heavily used Edge 305 ?

Downieville in iPod Ad

Wandering through the intranets today looking at the new iPod and was surprised to see Downieville prominently displayed.

Here's the full clip without downloading Quicktime or buying an iPod touch:

Ned Overand Rides 2008 Stumpy

Some action pictures of Ned Overand on Specialized's new 2008 Stumpjumper:

Sideways Bike: Surfing the Streets

Apparently today is off-topic post day. But this is far too weird and bicycle related not to post:

This crazy contraption is Michaels Killian's Sideways Bike. Killian is a software engineer in Dublin, Ireland and he came up with the idea while tinkering in his shed. A complex multi-stage chain transmission takes care of driving the wheels, and steering is done by moving the front and back wheels independently. To stop the rider slipping off, a unicycle saddle is used.

Of course. Perhaps we can race these.



Courtesy of Wired.

Mounting A Camera On Your Bike

This has very little to do with MTB racing, but I thought it was something that a lot of people might be interested in:

I've seen a couple gorgeous films lately of couriers flying through traffic, narrowly avoiding cars and pedestrians, all filmed from a bicyclist's perspective (example). Most of these are shot from helmet cam, but there's something cool about the perspective from a fixed bike mount as well. The latter is really easy to do on the cheap, and there are a couple Instructables that'll show you how to build a secure mount for your video camera with just a buck or two or hardware.

Full links and instructions over at Hackzine.

New Shimano XT Revealed

I don't usually spend much time talking about parts here on the blog but since Shimano XT is so popular among the racing set, I thought I should at least link to changes: Shimano's New Deore XT Groupset Revealed! [Singletrack Magazine UK]. Looks to be available in Europe this Summer.

NSMB Review Avid Coda Brakes

NSMB has a nice review of the new-ish Avid Coda brakes. They likey.

24 Solo

24-Solo, the new movie from producers of Off Road to Athens, is coming to Northern California on a tour before its release. 24 Solo, follows 24 Hour Solo World Champion Chris Eatough on his quest to a 7th consecutive title. Shot in high def, this rare glimpse into the personal life of the sport’s most successful 24 Hour racer features commentary from the biggest names in mountain biking including Gary Fisher, John Stamstad, Hans Rey, John Tomac, Alison Dunlap, Ned Overend. From victories in China and Wisconsin to his tumultuous training and the final race, this is a glimpse into the life of Eatough and his support crew.

NorCal dates are:

• April 13th, 8pm Monterey, CA (Golden State Theatre)
• April 14th, 7 & 9pm Monterey, CA (Golden State Theatre)
• April 15th, 7 & 9pm Monterey, CA (Golden State Theatre)
• April 16th, 7:30pm *Davis, CA (Davis Varsity Theater)
• April 18th, 7:30pm *Grass Valley, CA (Del Oro Theater)
• April 18th, 7:30pm *Berkley, CA (Berkeley Comm. Theater)
• April 19th, 7:30pm *Larkspur, CA (Lark Theater)
• April 20th, 7:30pm *San Francisco, CA (Randall Museum)

Tickets for astrix showings (*) are available for $12 at NorCal MTB High School's website. The others are available at available at Gripped Films website for $8. The first several showing of this are at the Sea Otter Classic.