Long travel
just got lighter.
Not just all-mountain. Every mountain.
Both ways, up and down.
Test ride the Remedy today at your dealer or check it out at trekbikes.com

REMEDY 8™ SUSPEND CONVENTIONAL THOUGHT ©2008 Trek Bicycle Corporation

©2009 FOX Factory Inc. All rights reserved

features
063 America’s Secret Stashes
Moab, Fruita, Whistler, Pisgah. It’s a familiar litany
of popular destinations. But what about the un-
likely suspects? What about the trails on the other
side of Downieville? What about the brown ice of
Brevard, North Carolina, and the limestone laby-
rinths of Terlingua, Texas? We offer the inside dirt
on six of America’s hidden gems.
074 Black Rock: The Great Experiment
Five hundred acres of jumps, drops, doubles and
berms litter the old-growth forests of Black Rock,
Oregon. The place’s very existence is a minor
miracle—the result of unprecedented cooperation
between trail builders and land managers. But this
isn’t any ordinary freeride park—the trails are open
to the public, and they’re attracting riders from
around the country. Cam McCaul and Kirt Voreis
stopped by to see what all the fuss was about.
082 Rad Ross
Ross Schnell may be the best rider you’ve never
heard of. The winner of last year’s Downieville races
could even be the best all-around rider the sport
has seen in years. What’s more, he’s a throwback
to the sport’s gritty beginning—when riders raced
Cover: Kirt Voreis killing it for fun, not fame, on hard, adventurous courses.
at Black Rock, Oregon, Afraid mountain biking has lost its soul? Relax,
during a shoot for NWD.
Photo: Scott Markewitz/NWD
Rad Ross has it all under control.
THE PLAINS OF ABRAHAM, MOUNT ST. HELENS, WASHINGTON. PHOTO: RICH WHEATER bikemag.com I 009

contents
039
054
108
024 112
gear departments
089 Bike Test: Cannondale Rize Carbon 1; EWR OWB29er; 021 Start Here: Lou Mazzante escapes the expected
Moots Cinco; Titus FTM
024 Buzz: All-American edition
098 Beat Down: Shimano SLX: the underrated group that
delivers XT performance at half the price 034 Letters: Our readers get pissed, go wild, pound it out, get a flat, sur-
render to the mountains and then call it quits
102 Fresh Produce: Three pages of the latest, greatest,
gotta-have-it gear 039 Splatter: Montana’s coolest restaurant; the B.C. Bike Race returns with
more singletrack than ever; the best racecourses of all time; Bellingham’s
106 Showcase: An exclusive look at six 2010 trail forks and bitchin’ trails; remembering Brent Thomson; and seven reasons why
four do-anything multi-tools there’s hope for riding in America
110 Kit: High-performance gear for the long haul 054 Ask Chopper: To raise or not to raise; looking out for the little guys;
risking life and limb for Bike; Jenny Craig; Chopper’s unit; and physics
112 Blueprint: DT Swiss is ready to roll with its carbon for dummies
all-mountain wheels
058 Grimy Handshake: Mike Ferrentino dances with meat
122 SBC: Cam McCaul flips out on the Sh*tbike
BIKE MAGAZINE IS PRINTED ON
RECYCLED PAPER SUPPORTED BY
010 I bikemag.com

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STTWQWS\\QgO\\RQ]\\b`]Z]\\O\\gbS``OW\\

editorial
EDITOR Lou Mazzante
PHOTO EDITOR David Reddick
ART DIRECTOR Shaun N. Bernadou
MANAGING EDITOR Brice Minnigh
SENIOR EDITOR Chris Lesser
ASSISTANT PHOTO EDITOR Morgan Meredith
ASSISTANT EDITOR Ryan LaBar
EDITORS-AT-LARGE Vernon Felton, Mike Ferrentino,
Mitchell Scott, Rob Story
CAPTAIN GRAVITY Mike Vihon
CONTRIBUTING WRITERS
Johnathon Allen, Chris Dannen, Ron Ige, Cam McCaul, Colin Meagher,
Dan Oko, Greg “Chopper” Randolph, Brad Walton
SENIOR PHOTOGRAPHERS
Bob Allen, Dan Barham, John Gibson, Sterling Lorence,
Scott Markewitz, Stephen Wilde
CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS
Stef Cande, Steve Casimiro, Adam Clark, Lee Cohen, Ryan Creary,
Jeff Cricco, Matt Domanski, Chris Figenshau, Derek Frankowski,
Mattias Fredriksson, Bill Freeman, Rene Gouin, Brendan Halper,
Chuck Haney, Dave Heath, Ilja Herb, Ian Hylands, Blake Jorgenson,
Anne Keller, Jamie Kripke, Doug LePage, Steve Lloyd, Victor Lucas,
Jordan Manley, Christophe Margot, Sven Martin, Colin Meagher,
Chris Milliman, Dan Milner, Tom Moran, Peter Moynes, Chris Murray,
Haruki Noguchi, Mike Padian, Matthew Scholl, Dave Silver,
Janne Tjarnstrom, Marco Toniolo, Ken Viale, John Wellburn,
Woods Wheatcroft, Rich Wheater
CONTRIBUTIONS: Bike magazine is not responsible for unsolicited
contributions unless otherwise pre-agreed in writing. Bike magazine retains
ALL RIGHTS on material published in Bike for a period of 12 months after
publication and reprint rights after that period expires. Send contributions
to: Bike magazine, P.O. Box 1028, Dana Point, CA 92629, Attn: Editor.
BIKE’S COVERAGE AND DISTRIBUTION:
The magazine is published 8 times per year, worldwide.
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866-542-2679 or e-mail:customerservice@primediabackissues.com.
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REPRINTS: Contact Wright’s Reprints to purchase quality custom reprints
or e-prints of articles appearing in this publication at 877-652-5295
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COPYRIGHT © 2009 by Source Interlink Magazines, LLC. All Rights
Reserved. Printed in the USA.
Due to the volume of inquiries, we cannot respond to all e-mail. Sorry.
Occasionally, our subscriber list is made available to reputable firms offering
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261 Madison Avenue, New York, NY 10016, Attn.: Privacy Coordinator.
Thanks: To Cam McCaul showing the world that anything is possible
on a crappy bike. To Race Face for the sweet digs, and the even better
dinner. Julian, you are the man, and we really are sorry about all those
dirty dishes. And to Brent Thomson, who left us too soon, but will
always be remembered for your masterpiece at Bootleg Canyon.
014 I bikemag.com

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016 I bikemag.com

BY LOU MAZZANTE
E RIDE FOR MANY REASONS—FOR to the grocery store. Even those of us who have never ridden Moab or Whistler have seen
fun, for fitness, or as an excuse to en- enough photos and YouTube clips to wash the excitement clean off those places.
joy the company of a few good friends. So we seek new terrain, new trails and new destinations. Within the pages of this issue we
But mostly, we ride to escape—to es- feature some of America’s best, if least-known destinations. “Secret Stashes,” which begins on
cape the stasis of a life constructed around a 9-to- page 63, details a half-dozen areas with untamed trails—places such as Graeagle, California,
5 job; to escape the streets of suburbia; and, most which has hid in the shadow of Downieville for years, but has riding that is every bit as good.
importantly, to escape the expected. We also include the truly remote trails of Terlingua, Texas; the challenging singletrack outside
On the trail, whether it traverses remote moun- New Haven, Connecticut; and places like Ellicottville, New York, which might be the best-kept
tains or slices through local parks, anything is pos- secret in the Northeast. Not only do we pinpoint the top trails in each area, we also highlight
sible. Those slivers of dirt, the best of them not the best bets for camping, restaurants, bike shops and spots for post-ride margaritas.
more than 18 inches wide, contain infinite possibili- This issue also includes a photo feature on Black Rock, Oregon, which might be the best
ties. Each corner brings forth new risks, and new network of trails in the country still flying under the radar. Not only does the town of Falls City
rewards, leading us further from home and deeper welcome mountain bikers, but the 500 acres of drops, doubles, wall rides and berms constitute
into the unknown. So we pray at the altar of dirt, some of the most fun terrain in America. And speaking of flying below the radar, Rob Story
and what we ask for most is an adventure. profiles Ross Schnell, who could well be the best rider nobody has ever heard of.
Our sense of adventure leads us to local trails And, proving that we practice what we preach, the Bike staff is preparing for a weeklong
and distant destinations. But over the years, even trip to Kernville, California, another of the hidden destinations included in our “Secret Stashes”
those far-flung places—Fruita, Moab, Pisgah and feature. Although it is less than three hours from Bike’s office, none of our current staff have
Whistler—become mundane. Sometimes another ever ridden there. Putting this issue together provided all the inspiration we needed to finally
road trip to Utah has all the excitement of running check out its trails. We hope you find the same inspiration within these pages.
PHOTO: ANNE KELLER bikemag.com I 021

buzz
When Dan and I first landed in Alaska,
our thoughts naturally turned to getting
in a quick ride before the evening sun
set. But by the time we arrived at the
Gold Mint trailhead, 8 o’clock had come
and gone; hopes of getting a decent
pedal that day had all but evaporated.
But incredibly, Tony, our guide, was
putting on his shoes, testing his tires
and preparing to head out. We shot this
image a good two hours into the ride,
in June light that refused to retreat. In
Alaska, limitless terrain and endless
light make it seem possible to ride
forever. —Dan Barham
Dan Gronross. Palmer, Alaska.
Photo: Dan Barham
DOWNLOAD AS YOUR WALLPAPER ■ BIKEMAG.COM

buzz
This is Willow Koerber on the Ribbon trail in Grand Junction, Colorado.
It’s a cool, scenic shuttle run (or uphill on the road) that starts on a
big, wide-open slab of slickrock, like a big, flat table that is tilted sky-
ward a few degrees. You can almost get lost up there until it drops
into this section, where the trail winds through sand and slickrock
before finishing further down the valley. —Scott Markewitz
Photo: Scott Markewitz
026 I bikemag.com

It’s hard to explain what piles of
dirt can mean to a person. They can
be your best friend and your worst
enemy, all wrapped into thirty piles
of carefully shaped terra firma. This
shot was taken during the final
session at the Hidden Valley jumps
in Huntington Beach, California.
Everyone was there—the Athertons,
the Lacondeguys, the Aptos clan,
Hidden Valley regulars and even
first-timers. Three days later, the city
closed them to riding and the trails
were gone. —Taylor Sage
Taylor Sage. Photo: John Gibson

buzz
This is a legendary trail in Laguna Beach, California. It is quite steep and can have bitter consequences if one
comes off the trail or doesn’t make a turn. I would rate it a triple-black diamond, and it takes a skilled rider to
tackle it with anything less than 7 inches of travel. This particular drop needs to be approached and ridden very
slowly, braking hard before hitting the berm. It’s steeper than it looks. —Hans Rey
Photo: Craig Glaspell
028 I bikemag.com

We were driving down some dirt roads in Utah when we came across a big ditch that our rental van couldn’t
make it through. I looked out the windshield and saw these two big piles of dirt—one gray and the other red.
There was a good run-in, a good run-out and a manageable gap. Big Red Ted and I went to work and dug until
it looked rideable. I tried it a few times, but had to hit the eject button. After a few tweaks to the lip and run-in, I
finally made it across. This is one of the few jumps that I’ve only ever landed once. —Cam McCaul
La Verkin, Utah. Photo: Matt Domanski/NWD
bikemag.com I 029

buzz
030 I bikemag.com

Although Mount St. Helens is most
famous for the Plains of Abraham—a
windswept, high-altitude, pumice-
garden moonscape accented by “ghost
trees” stripped raw by the devastating
eruption—killer riding also exists in
the dank shadows of this Cascades
wonderland. The day after touring the
Plains, we explored the remarkably
lush Lewis River trail, which serves
up 10 glorious miles of point-to-point
ripping through Jurassic old growth.
We entered the buff, tight singletrack
seconds from our campsite, charging
down the gentle, endless roller coaster,
zipping past giant ferns, enormous trees
and little waterfalls. —Rich Wheater
Senja Palonen. Mount St. Helens,
Washington. Photo: Rich Wheater
DOWNLOAD AS YOUR WALLPAPER ■ BIKEMAG.COM
bikemag.com I 031

letters
between the staff here and our some über bikes come out that
contributors, and edited by Vernon have a weight limit of 185 pounds.
Felton. Trust me, you don’t want
this group of people anywhere
near a trillion dollars. There’s not
a bar or bike shop in the country
that would be safe. —Ed
Riding characteristics for one bike
would be different for every rider.
Please include the weight and
riding style of each test bike rider
from now on. I guarantee that
LOM
LETTER OF
your magazine (which is already
GOING WILD
the best one out there) would be
even greater. I have many friends
THE MONTH
What a coincidence, the day my who ride hard and weigh over 200 Does anyone else seem to recall
reading that cycling, of any type,
May 2009 issue, which has the pounds. We need that information drastically reduces the count of
story about Wilderness issues in to help us make educated “available swimmers” one could
Montana (“This Land Is My Land”), decisions on what we ride. produce? I spent every day of a recent
hits my mailbox, the front page of STEVE SLIMMON; weekend downhilling my Santa Cruz
Nomad. Around the same time, the
GETTING PISSED my local paper announces that the CALGARY, CANADA
wife and I decided to stop “not trying,”
I thought my rival was the Mt. Hood Wilderness Legacy bill in her words, and leave the baby
mountain (okay, hill in the was approved. Guess what, we lost Steve, we’re glad you found the blockers in the cabinet.
Midwest) until I read the latest over 110 miles of what your July rider weights useful. We’ll try to About a month later, and despite
beating the hell out of myself on my
issue. I literally pissed myself 2004 issue called “some of the best include them whenever we think Nomad, I proved this notion false.
reading “Your Bike vs. Your singletrack in the universe.” And it will help readers like you make I was wrenching on my bike when
Sweetie,” (“Mountain Biking’s all the Senators and Congressmen better buying decisions. —Ed. my wife screamed for me to come
Greatest Rivalries,” May 2009). said was, “this is so great for upstairs. Needless to say, the word
“positive” has never evoked such
After a week of suffering on our economy and recreational emotion or surprise. Originally, I
rollers in the pain cave, the first possibilities!” Duh: bikes can’t LEFT FOR DEAD thought that I would have to stay out
thing out of my mouth come be ridden in Wilderness. I hardly call myself a mountain of the saddle for a few months or at
weekend is, “Can I ride today?” As a former IMBA rep, I have biker anymore. Just two years least give up the DH. While I’m stoked
that I don’t have to take a break from
The process follows the story been involved in this particular ago my routine was eat, sleep, riding, I now have to get my sh*t
pretty much to the letter, with Wilderness proposal for over ride, repeat. I would hang out at together, seriously together.
the addition of two boys in Little four years. It is a sad day for the local shop and look at all the Lesson of this story: riding is not
League and the glare of two dogs mountain bikers in the USA. This bikes I dreamed about riding. I effective contraception. However,
teaching my soon-to-be hellion on
that literally clean the post-ride new Wilderness has set a bad entered races and won, I looked two wheels how to ride seems pretty
singletrack off the rig with their precedent. If they use this same under seat cushions to find spare awesome. Hopefully, he/she is as
nostrils. Nice one. I hope my example in other places—asking change to buy that beautiful Fox crazy about riding as his/her old man.
sweetie finds it as amusing as mountain bikers to give up 57 fork I saw shining in magazine JUSTIN; ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI
I did. Now, about that beer.... percent of their access in other pages. I lived for the ride and any
Congratulations, Justin—not just on
ALLAN THOM; places—slowly but surely, we will free moment I hit the trail. Then the soon-to-be little ripper, but also
CHICAGO, ILLINOIS be losing trail mileage from now on. something happened. I went on learning one of life’s great lessons:
We did our best to refute the to high school, homework and you can’t trust anything you read in a
I just peed my pants. Your enviros and their lies, deceit and school sports consumed me and, magazine. Let me guess—you’re still
waiting for your six-pack abs and the
collection of racing, industry, backstabbing, but we lost out as I grew, my beloved Gary Fisher secrets to super shifting.
riding, products, commerce and to a better-funded and more Piranha seemed to shrink. As for getting your life in order,
romance point-counterpoints organized group. Even though riding was sounds like you’re halfway there—
were fabulously funny and ROGER W. LOUTON; becoming less and less a part you’ve got a wife, a nice bike, and a
kid on the way. Just take care of the
informative. Whoever came up PORTLAND, OREGON of me, I never canceled my hellion the way you take care of your
with “Your Bike vs. Your Sweetie” subscription to Bike; you guys are Nomad and things should
should be put in charge of the keeping the sport alive for me. work out. And since
Troubled Assets Relief Program. POUNDING IT Your articles make me remember the little one will
be receiving
While I’m not sure they’d solve Just a couple of things I wanted to all of the joy biking brought me. piles
our economic problems, I’d be tell you. One, I loved reading the I remember long summer days of baby
out riding my bike and laughing May issue’s bike tests. To include where I rode until the sun slipped presents
too hard to care anymore. the weights and riding styles of behind the mountains, and in the near
future, here’s
GRAHAM HOLMES; the test rider is the best idea I begging my mom to take me to something just
PLEASANTON, CALIFORNIA have ever seen in a bike magazine. the trailhead. Thanks to Bike, I’m for you. Enjoy
I weigh 225 pounds. I’m not fat, not through riding yet. Mark my the Bellwether
Graham, that piece was written just big and strong. My riding style words, I will be back. Sedona jersey
and Switchback
by Chris Dannen, and the entire is pound it and ground it. I abuse JOHN PEAKE;
shorts. —Ed
feature was a collaborative effort my bike when I ride. I have seen ROANOKE, VIRGINIA >
034 I bikemag.com

letters
WIG WORLAND
John, I don’t know whether to pat you on
the back or slap you across the face. While
I appreciate that this magazine keeps you
tethered to the sport, I can’t help wondering
why you so ruthlessly abandoned riding. My
guess is that you’re too busy lifting weights
Catch & Release Intern Program
and chasing skirts. Trust me, there’s more Want to spend your summer riding the best trails
to life than football and cheerleaders. Surely in Southern California, working for Bike magazine?
you can find an hour or two a week for We are looking for interns for the editorial, photo
riding, just to keep a fresh coat of dirt on and digital departments. If you have a knack for
the English language, like mountain bikes, maintain
your tires. —Ed your composure around deadlines, can pinpoint
random spelling mistakes buried in mountains of
text, know your way around a camera or a website,
FLAT ATTACK are currently enrolled in college and willing to
work for credits, then we’d like to hear from you.
Two damned flat tires in two days. Why? Is We’ll work you hard, show you some great trails
it because I am riding an XC/trail bike on and release you in the fall, just in time to return to
trails that people would say are better for an school. E-mail your résumé to: bikemag@sorc.com.
all-mountain bike? Does my bike feel pissed
off and depressed that I am not shaving my only survived my job because I too have
legs and going on longer rides half naked in had my ass kicked on a regular basis by
spandex and not using it for its purpose? Is the mountain. The people, the stressful
my bike a prude that cannot handle the legal times and all the difficulties in my life both
terms of the trails I ride? Maybe my bike has at work and personally have always paled
problems with jumps larger than the inches compared with the adversity brought on
of travel it possess? Either way, I have to go by the mountain. Whenever I am climbing
buy another tube tonight and tomorrow is just relentlessly up the Colorado Trail or trying
another day, possibly with another flat tire. to push my 50-pound mud-laden bike out
IAN STOWE; MARIN COUNTY, CALIFORNIA of the woods or crouched down in the
oak brush waiting out a lightning storm
Ian, I can assure you that your bike is not with every mosquito within 20 miles, I am
pissed at you. It is not a prude. And it toughened by the mountain. But at the
definitely does not want you to shave your same time I find peace deep within my soul,
legs. It only wants to be loved and maintained, which helps me not just survive, but thrive.
and to have someone who can make sure the The mountain kicks my ass summer, fall,
right amount of air is in its tires. Flats happen. winter and spring. It also continually adjusts
Change your tubes, check for thorns, stop my perspective; it allows me to see the big
plowing into every sharp-edged rock you see, picture—a picture much larger than myself.
quit complaining and go for a ride. —Ed Thank you, Mike. You always find a way to
express so well what we all figure out while
THE MOUNTAINS WIN AGAIN grinding up and flying down the mountain,
I have been reading Bike magazine since is- but can never quite put into words.
sue number one and have been a subscriber JOE SARGENT; DURANGO, COLORADO
since year two. I never miss Grimy Hand-
shake, written by my favorite bike and life
philosopher, Mike Ferrentino. The last time
I wrote was after he wrote “Mountains that
Speak.” He has such a great understanding WRITE US
of what mountain biking is all about. His lat-
est masterpiece in the May issue, “Molded
by Mountains,” once again says it all.
I am at the end of a very stressful job; I
> Bike welcomes your input, and we’re suckers for
cavalier use of the English language. Letters may be ed-
ited for length, but don’t expect us to fix all your spelling
mistakes, okay? Send correspondence to: Editor, Bike
retire in July at age 55. I have been riding magazine, P.O. Box 1028, Dana Point, CA 92629. Or
send an e-mail to: bikemag@sorc.com.
mountain bikes for 27 years now. I have
VERBAL RECALL In May’s East vs. West “Rivalries” feature, we misspelled Tupac’s name.
Sorry, but Biggie put us up to it. Also, in the June issue, a line of text is missing from the bottom of the
first page of “Making the Brand.” The words were inadvertently covered by the black background. They
read: “At that time, Joel was North American sales manager and brand manager for Answer Products.”
For the complete text, go to Bikemag.com/DIY.
036 I bikemag.com

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splatter E V E NTS * P E O P LE * P L AC E S * TR A I LS * C U LTU R E
HUCK YOU
Big Sky’s THC
Café combines
Montana’s PART RESTAURANT, PART Schwinn Orange Krate from) some of the best eat- You’ll vintage bikes and
ride- bar, part shrine to the cult
of mountain biking, The
Sting Ray, an original 1984
Specialized Stumpjumper,
eries in the mountain-sports
world—including well-
find The
Huck
classic food
inspired Huckleberry Café (known an ’87 Fat Chance, a black-
and-yellow “bumble bee
known haunts in Durango,
Moab, Missoula, Telluride
(406-995-3130) in the Big
Sky Town Center, just down
locally as “The Huck” or
refueling “THC”) in Big Sky, Mon- fade,” team-issue Miyata and San Luis Obispo. It’s the road from the resort.
station tana, is easily the coolest
gravity-sports-themed
from Greg Herbold’s first
year as a pro, and an array
entirely likely your favorite
dish (like the delicious
Group rides roll out every
Saturday morning at 10
restaurant in the state, and of impressively broken bike fruit-and-custard-smothered during the riding season,
possibly the entire country. parts and ski gear. “Jammin’ Rad Cakes,” lifted and lifts at the Big Sky Ski
More than 20 vintage The Huck’s owner, Brian from Durango’s now-de- Resort start shuttling bikers
bikes hang from the rafters Franks, has created a menu funct Meeting Place Café) up the hill in late June.
and walls, including a inspired by (or maybe stolen is already on the menu. —JOHNATHON A LLEN
PHOTO: BOB ALLEN bikemag.com I 039

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WOT
WHAT’S
ON TAP?
> JULY 5–10
Stage racing has flourished
around the globe, but America
has lacked a race of its own. Until
now. The inaugural Breck Epic is
a six-day race crossing 200 miles
of Rocky Mountain trails, many
of them above 10,000 feet. The
course weaves its way through
the Breckenridge backcountry
and offers about 40,000 vertical
feet of climbing; breckepic.com
> JULY 10–12
The Downieville Classic is a
weekend of two famously rugged
races. The 29-mile cross-country
race offers nearly 4,500 feet of
climbing and more than 5,500
feet of descending. The next day,
riders tackle one of the longest
downhill courses in the nation,
descending more than 5,000
vertical feet in 17 miles. Add one
good bar, a cool river and 500
or so mountain bikers and you
have one heck of a good time;
downievilleclassic.com
> JULY17–19
We all like beer, food and
singletrack. The Mt. Bike Oregon
event in Oakridge, Oregon, offers
huge quantities of all three. For
keep it narrow DANGEROUS CURVES
The B.C. Bike Race
just $279, riders receive daily
shuttle rides that access hun–
dreds of miles of singletrack,
three meals a day, two nights of
The B.C. Bike Race sticks to singletrack promises many camping and locally brewed beer
things—at the top of in the evenings—just bring your
the list is incredible bike, camping gear and a desire
singletrack to ride; mtbikeoregon.com
tt HERE ARE PLENTY OF STAGE RACES THESE
days—the Cape Epic, La Ruta de los Conquis–
tadores, the Transalp and the TransRockies
readily come to mind, with new races such as the
Intermontane Challenge in Kamloops, B.C., and the
Breck Epic in Breckenridge, Colorado, set to stage their
inaugural events this summer. Most of these torture-fests
singletrack classics. Organizers say they expect
singletrack to account for about 70 percent of the 248
total miles. They also have added a solo category, which
should appeal to those who prefer to suffer alone, as
well as to racers who are unable to find a partner.
Whether racing solo or with a partner, the race is no
cakewalk—it features seven demanding stages, averag-
> JULY 16–19
Highland Mountain’s
Claymore Challenge promises
to be one of the most exciting
slopestyle events of the year.
Nineteen of the world’s top
pros plan to compete, including
Paul Bas, Ben Boyko, Aaron
Chase, Brandon Semenuk
and last year’s winner, Cam
have multiple stages, tough climbs and ample suffering. ing about 35 miles each. If that kind of distance doesn’t McCaul. Expect the rider-
built course to include huge
But one of the more recent additions to the endurance- sound impressive, consider the technical difficulty. Every jumps and innovative stunts;
racing scene, the B.C. Bike Race, has loads of something stage is a hard day in the saddle. Take the first, for ex- highlandmountain.com
that many other races skimp on: singletrack. ample. While only 28 miles long, the stage is likely to
“Our event has the most singletrack, period.
And not walking paths, either; these are trails
made by mountain bikers for mountain bikers,”
take even pros more than three hours to complete, says
BCBR vet and Team Jamis rider Chris Sheppard.
Although the race is demanding, the level of
> JULY 30–AUGUST 2
Following on the heels of
the Claymore Challenge is
Crankworx Colorado, the only
other major slopestyle contest
says Andreas Hestler, the event’s spokesman and support reduces the sting. Massages will be available in America. But the freeride
a veteran endurance racer. Hestler is not alone in at the end of each stage for an additional fee. event isn’t the only draw here.
The three-day event, modeled
this assessment. BCBR veterans and pro racers Kelli Transportation between stages and campsites for after its bigger brother in
Emmett and Chris Eatough, both connoisseurs of fine the racers are dialed. And the food? Delicious and Whistler, also includes downhill,
dirt, rave about the quality of the trails. It’s a “mountain satisfying. “In short,” says Eatough, “the organizers super-D, cross-country, big-
air and dual-slalom contests;
biker’s dream course,” Eatough says. have everything covered.” —COLIN MEAGHER crankworxcolorado.com
For 2009, the BCBR—now in its third year—has a
few twists. This year’s event will start in downtown This year’s BCBR will run from June 28 to July 4. GO ONLINE FOR MORE INFO
Vancouver before sampling legendary North Shore For more information, go to bcbikerace.com. bikemag.com
▼
040 I bikemag.com PHOTO: CHRIS CHRISTIE

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THE SIX
GREATEST
RACES
KNOW THEM
LOVE THEM
FEAR THEM
IN THE ANNALS OF MOUNTAIN La Ruta de Los Conquistadores
biking, there are racecourses, and Religious penitents go to extremes
then there are racecourses. These to atone for their sins: the torment,
are the six tracks that the world’s the flagellation, the long journeys.
best riders approach with a mix- In the religion of mountain biking,
ture of fear and elation. Some are the true masochists flock to La Ruta
stops on the World Cup circuit. de Los Conquistadores. The race
Others have historical significance. across Costa Rica is a four-day
Still others are part of the growing painfest composed of endless hike-
trend toward endurance racing. a-bikes, 30,000 feet of elevation
But all of them are defining cours- gain and hundreds of miles of mud-
es that have shaped our sport dy roads. And yet, year after year,
and continue to awe fans. They the lemmings come. It defies logic,
are mountain biking’s Kitzbühel, but if you feel compelled to suffer
Indianapolis Motor Speedway and the fires of hell on two wheels, this
Madison Square Garden. Steve Peat. Photo: Victor Lucas is your race. It’s not the prettiest
course on the planet, but the trails
of the Nevis Range before fun- has ever witnessed a crowd com- and roads of La Ruta helped define
Fort William neling them into a tight, technical parable to the hordes at Fort Wil- the sport of endurance racing. >
For pure downhill, the king is stretch of root-infested forest. As liam.” The course also gets bonus
Scotland’s Fort William. The track Steve Peat puts it: “Fort William is points for the rowdy beer garden Photo: Colin Meagher
drops more than 1,700 vertical a true man’s track and is barely at the bottom.
feet and is unrelentingly steep, rideable on anything other than a
taking riders on a high-speed full-on DH bike. And then there’s Mont-Sainte-Anne
romp through the barren peaks the crowd—wow. No other venue Mont-Sainte-Anne is the ogress
of eastern Canada. Every facet of
the World Cup venue is big and
scary, yet undeniably irresistible.
The downhill course demands
Jedi-like focus—rated tops by
longtime pros, it pushes riders to
top speed quickly, then constant-
ly challenges them with some of
the circuit’s rockiest terrain. The
XC trails snaking through the
woods offer healthy servings of
humble pie to everyone. The 4X
is big and beautiful, and every
single event draws legions of
cheering fans. This is what World
Cup racing is all about. Nowhere
else combines so many world-
Photo: Colin Meagher
class courses in a single venue.
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Photo: Victor Lucas
Megavalanche Alpe D’Huez
“That was the worst, gnarliest, best thing I’ve ever done in my life,”
raved former World Cup DH racer Sven Martin following the 2008
Megavalanche in Alpe D’Huez, France. This is the granddaddy of
epic enduro races. Riders start, en masse, on an icy glacier with
several hundred other competitors and then plummet 6,500 feet
in 19 miles. The course is fast and technical, a mix of snow, scree,
fireroads and singletrack. The fastest riders take about 45 minutes to
Photo credit: Olivier Croteau complete the race; mere mortals must suffer for well over an hour. It
is complete insanity—a course that spawned a new style of racing,
and a new style of riding.
100 % Adrenaline Nevegal
In racing lore, some races have a ring to their name. Something
menacing. Nevegal, in the Dolomites of Italy, terrified generations of
Escape to Québec, Canada, to discover the most thrilling mountain downhillers, thanks to its freakishly tough terrain. From 1996 to 1999,
bike park East of the Rockies
Photo: Colin Meagher
• 125 km of maple forest cross-country riding
• 26 km of downhill trails serviced by a gondola
NEVEGAL
• Inferno X-Zone will satisfy every passionate biker with its obstacle
• course circuit INSPIRATION FOR A TIRE
• Exhilarating downhill courses with over 2000 feet of vertical drop While Nevegal hasn’t hosted a World Cup downhill in a decade, the name
lives on in the popular Kenda Nevegal tire. Since its introduction in 2004,
it has become one of the most popular tires of all time—it comes stock on
everything from $6,000 freeride bikes to $1,000 hardtails. The reason? Its
Dirt cheap package tread works in almost every condition. And there’s a good explanation for
that—when John Tomac set out to design a signature tire, he based it on the
Starting at toughest course he’d ever raced.
“Nevegal was extremely challenging to both the riders and the equip-
ment we rode on at the time,” Tomac says. “It completely hammered the
$21 * *price per person, per day, double occupancy, campsite suspension, the brakes, the frames, the wheelsets, the tires completely and,
without service. Taxes extra. Certain conditions apply. Includ- of course, tested your mind and body to the fullest.
ing 2 nights and access to cross-country trails for 2 days.
“The top was open ski slopes with undulating, high-speed terrain. Next
was the white ‘limestone of death.’ This was a steep, twisting chute of solid,
rounded-off, baby-head rocks about 1 meter wide. When wet, it was seri-
ously gnarly stuff. If you wadded it up in there, it was straight down onto the
1 800 463-1568 baby heads; broken bones were quite common. If you survived the chute of
death, you were treated to some killer singletrack through wooded sections
www.bike.mont-sainte-anne.com before getting dumped back onto the lower slopes for the finish. Simply
finishing a race run at Nevegal was a great accomplishment.
“When I designed a tire for Kenda that I wanted to work on almost all ter-
rain, I used that course to inspire me, and called it ‘Nevegal’ as a tribute.”
Hight performance
demo center 044 I bikemag.com

Nevegal was a main-
stay on the World Cup
circuit and ground zero
for some of history’s
greatest downhill rival-
ries. Martin Whiteley,
former director of the
World Cup, put it this
way: “This was prob-
ably, in my mind, the
first track of the new
generation. Nevegal
had the high speed,
the jumps and a magic
technical section un-
der the chairlift, which
was awesome for both
spectators and riders.
Nevegal tested every
aspect of downhill
racing. If you won at
Nevegal, especially
John Tomac. Photo: Malcom Fearon in the wet, you had
conquered Euro down-
hilling.” DH veteran Eric Carter echoes that sentiment. “Having a good
run at Nevegal was something to cherish, regardless of whether you
made the podium or not. It was a beast.”
Photo: Rob Jones
Houffalize
No place on earth has
a tradition of racing
two-wheeled machines
in absolutely terrible
conditions like Bel-
gium does. And the
World Cup course in
Houffalize, Belgium, is
the track every cross-
country racer wants to
race at least once in
their career. The brutal,
4.2-mile-long course
has hosted a World Cup
16 times. It begins with
a 14-percent-grade
climb right out of town,
and then alternates
between cruelly tilting
skyward or dump-
ing riders down steep and tricky chutes, such as the famed “Fosse
d’Outh” and “Arsenal.” More than 40,000 spectators throng to see
the carnage each year. America’s top XC racer, Adam Craig, sums it
up best: “Classic mountain biking terrain, a beautiful village nestled in
Belgium’s Ardennes region, tons of people who are fired up on bike
racing, perfect weather (whether that means warm sun or sleet), and
even organized bike-theft rings to keep things interesting.”
—COLIN MEAGHER
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DESTINATION:
BELLINGHAM, WASHINGTON
North Shore-caliber trails, without the crowds
CLOSER TO HOME
Once passed over by
riders on their way to
IN JUNE THEY BEGIN TO TRICKLE INTO TOWN. BY GALBRAITH When riders wax poetic about Bellingham’s
Whistler, Bellingham
July, it’s a flood of F-150s, Xterras and 4Runners from amazing trail system, they’re usually referring to the stuff on has trails that are
Los Angeles, San Jose, Portland and parts south; each Galbraith, the north end of Lookout Mountain. Galbraith hosts worth the detour
rig loaded with pilgrims on a journey to the famed North more than 40 miles of trail renowned for chewing folks up and
Shore. Vancouver’s Mount Fromme and Seymour lie just spitting them out. In truth, there are trails here for every level of rider, and all are built to
across the border. Whistler, a couple of hours more. They IMBA standards by mountain bikers.
can practically taste A-Line. For most of them, Bellingham, The easier, cross-country-style trails are on the north side of the mountain. Cut your
Washington, is simply a place to take a leak and fill their teeth on Cedar Dust, a mellow singletrack that weaves through dense cedar forest and
tanks. They have no intention of riding here, and absolutely is dotted with beginner-level log rides and ladder bridges. Then explore longer trails
no idea what they’re missing. such as Ewok Village, Esophagus, Intestine and Candy.
Bellingham is a mid-sized college town about an hour Many of the routes that demand serious skill and body armor are on the
and a half north of Seattle. It’s a pretty place. Look to southern side of the mountain. Cheech and Chong’s Wild Ride is a great example:
your left and there sparkles Puget Sound. Look to your It’s a one-way downhill trail bristling with ladder bridges, rock drops and countless
right and you have the Cascades—a wall of snow-capped twists and turns. There are easy ride-arounds to all the stunts—a real plus if the
mountains that march north to south as far as the eye can idea of surfing a wet, 4-inch-wide skinny onto a rolling ladder bridge scares the
see. And there are trails here. Miles and miles of trails that hell out of you. Want more? Give Evolution, Scorpion and Mullet a go; all are within
rival much of what you’ll find on the Shore. striking distance of this trail.
PHOTOS: COLIN MEAGHER
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Dakar XAM.
All Mountain.
From the beginning, the Dakar XAM earned a rep as an incredibly Up front there’s 20mm of stiff thru-axle strength to keep you firmly
plush, efficient trail bike. This year, we re-worked it from head tube to planted and pointed where you want to go no matter how aggressive
rear dropout, making it the best-handling/best-pedaling 6-inch travel the conditions.
all-mountain bike to ever set tread on dirt.
All powered by SRAM’s revolutionary Hammerschmidt: a lightweight
The XAM’s mp3 rear suspension gets a new one-piece bell crank, new transmission system that shifts instantly from 1:1 to 1:1.6, effectively
pivot hardware, new seatstays and dropouts for added stiffness at the providing a 22/36T chainring setup. No more chain dropping. No more
back end, and a 2.63:1 shock leverage ratio that improves shock life and chain suck. No grinding chain during shifts.
offers more progressive control.
Dakar XAM. All Mountain. Any Mountain. All the time. Any time.
www.jamisbikes.com

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THE CHUCKANUTS Just south of town, and west of the I-5 are
the Chuckanut Mountains. The trails here are of the epic, cross-country
variety and the best bet in these parts is the Chuckanut Ridge trail—a
root-and-rock-infested, 4-mile-long ridgeline trail that offers jaw-
dropping views of Puget Sound and the San Juan Islands. You’ll have to
slog up either North Lost Lake trail or Cleator Road to reach the Ridge
trail, but the adrenaline rush on the way down is well worth it.
IN TOWN First things first—head to downtown Bellingham’s
Boundary Bay Brewery. The micro-brews are amazing and the food
is surprisingly sophisticated. I could be stoned to death in public for
saying this, but the best Mexican food in town is undoubtedly Taco
Lobo, also in downtown Bellingham. Local riders love the burritos at
nearby Banditos, but Taco Lobo is the real deal. For outstanding Thai,
try Busara. There are plenty of options when it comes to coffee, but
the best espresso drinks are at Adaggio, just a couple of blocks north
of the brewery. For the best drip coffee and breakfast, head south a
couple of miles to the Harris Avenue Café in historic Fairhaven.
Upscale travelers looking for lodging should try the Fairhaven Village
Inn (360-733-1311); it’s within walking distance of several great
restaurants, and you can pedal to
the Chuckanuts in five minutes. On
a budget? Try the Motel 6 (360-
671-4494); it’s within 3 miles of
Galbraith’s northern entrance.
—VERNON FELTON
the inside line
Before You Go: The local advocacy group, the WMBC (www.whim-
psmtb.com), produces an outstanding map of Galbraith’s extensive trail
system. It sells for nine bucks and, bonus, it’s waterproof. The best map
of the Chuckanuts is made by Square One Maps—you can grab one at
REI (360-647-8955).
Bellingham has some excellent bike shops. Two of the best are the
Fanatik Bike Co. (360-756-0504) and Kulshan Cycles (360-733-6440).
You can pick up a WMBC map at either, as well as dig for trail informa-
tion. As a general rule, folks ride year-round up here, but the best sea-
son is June through October. The later months offer less mud.
FOR
FO TRAIL INFORMATION, MAPS, PHOTOS, VIDEOS AND
▼
GP
GPS DATA OF THESE TRAILS AND OTHERS, LOG ON TO
BT
BTRAILS.COM.
bikemag.com I 049

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THERE’S HOPE
FOR RIDING
IN AMERICA
American men and women trail building. In the past year, or four years,” says Epic Rides’
combined for 40 top-10 finishes SRAM, Specialized and Trek Todd Sadow, whose Whiskey Off
in the World Cup last year. Me- have combined to commit more Road race has ballooned from
lissa Buhl took home a 4X World than $1 million to IMBA and 400 riders in 2006 to more than
Championship, and two men— other groups devoted to building 800 this year.
Aaron Gwin and Luke Strobel— new singletrack.
each finished in the top 10 of a The NorCal High School Moun-
World Cup downhill. It’s time to Even better, an anonymous tain Bike Racing League has be-
start paying attention to what donor recently pledged $1 mil- come more than a one-hit wonder.
happens between the tape. lion to create a 35-acre mountain The league has 33 teams and 560
bike park in Portland, Oregon. The racers, while its offshoot in SoCal
We are finding new and in- proposed area will include trails, has attracted 14 teams and 103
novative spots to ride. Places a freeride zone and even a cyclo- riders in its first year. Now, the
like Black Rock, Oregon, (see cross course. According to Mike league is looking to expand to
page 74) Ray’s Indoor MTB van Abel, IMBA’s executive direc- other states. League Director Matt
Park in Cleveland, Ohio, and the tor, the park is proof that “we’re Fritzinger hopes to have programs
Colonnade bike park—located entering a new era of mountain in Colorado and Washington
under an I-5 overpass in Seattle, bike facilities.” within two years, and a total of 10
Washington—continue to thrive. programs on the ground by 2015.
Public dirt jumps and pump Local race series and grass-
tracks are gaining popularity, roots events are exploding. According to the National
and lift-access terrain continues The Mountain States Cup, Sporting Goods Association,
to expand at Diablo, Northstar, Downieville Downhill and Fluid mountain bike participation
Winter Park, Snowshoe and Ride Series all report increased increased 20 percent between
Highland. numbers, proving that riders will 2006 and 2008 to 10.2 million
race as long as courses don’t enthusiasts, its highest level
While we continually risk suck, or cost $100 to enter. in a decade. People are stoked
losing trails, there has never “Grassroots events have carried about riding.
been more money available for the industry for the past three —Lou Mazzante
050 I bikemag.com PHOTO: DAVID REDDICK

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THE TRAILS: They have names and a trail builder, and he ap- ing the hills outside of Boulder City.
like G-String, Diva, Mother and Ar- proached both with the passion of When he tired of the existing trails,
mageddon. They are rocky and pain- an artist. Unfortunately, Thomson he built his own. The Mother trail
fully jagged, steep in places, beauti- passed away in February, after suf- was his first, and it helped the net-
fully contoured in others. They de- fering a heart attack while riding work earn IMBA’s Epic designation.
scend mountains and dance through the very trails he built. Thomson
canyons. And every year, they first discovered Bootleg more than THE FUTURE: Thomson’s passing
become more popular. Boulder City’s a decade ago, and quickly began leaves a gaping hole in the mountain
Bootleg Canyon trail network, not far building trails on the city-owned bike community, and the trails at
from Las Vegas, Nevada, possesses land. By 2004, the town hired him Bootleg Canyon in limbo. The town is
some of the Southwest’s most thrill- as Bootleg’s trail master, and he looking to hire a new trail master, but
ing cross-country and downhill devoted himself to digging trails and several Boulder City board members
tracks. More than two dozen have establishing the city as a legitimate have suggested eliminating funding
been hewn into the rocky moon- mountain bike destination. for the trails. Local riders, members of
scape, including IMBA Epics, rowdy the bike industry and race promoters
DH shuttle runs, super-D courses THE PAST: Thomson discovered are fighting to keep the trails open. “Brent had a vision for Bootleg,”
and rolling loops of singletrack. mountain biking after undergoing a —L OU M AZZANTE says David “Crash” Collins, a
close friend of Thomson. “He
quadruple bypass in 1994. Doctors put everything he had into it.
THE TRAIL MASTER: Brent told him that he needed to exercise To contribute to the Brent Thomson He’s the reason those trails
Thomson built nearly every inch of if he wanted to live, so he turned to Memorial Fund, contact Barret exist. He’s the reason mountain
trail at Bootleg. He was a painter mountain biking and began explor- Thomson at barretstudio@gmail.com. bikers go to Bootleg.”
052 I bikemag.com PHOTOS: MORGAN MEREDITH

ask chopper BY GREG RANDOLPH
THE
BALL BUSTER has not been taking ExtenZe;
QOM
I am somewhat vertically we’re just average size, and we’re
challenged and can’t find a okay with that.]
BIBLE full-suspension rig that fits.
I am about 5’4’’ with a 29”
inseam, and most standover
For anyone who has cramped
while on the can, I suggest
my soon-to-be-patented Two
OF BIKE heights are too tall. I am
most interested in an all-
Session Technique. Session
One: read until you get to the
QUESTION
OF THE MONTH
ADVICE
mountain/light freeride start of “Crucible” and pinch it
setup. Any suggestions? off. Go make some coffee and I’VE SIGNED UP FOR THE TEST
OF METAL IN SQUAMISH,
I took this question very seriously do jumping jacks in the kitchen B.C., THIS SUMMER AND IT’S
and sent an e-mail to an over- while it brews. Then head back MY FIRST RACE IN YEARS.
worked colleague suffering from to finish what you started. Get I’M NOT CONCERNED ABOUT
PLACING, BUT WANT TO GIVE
ADD who did some research the dirty business done quickly, IT MY BEST. THE COURSE
on standover heights. His effort, courtesy flush, and close the COMBINES A LOT OF MILEAGE
which cost me three pints and lid. Sit on top of the throne AND ELEVATION GAIN WITH
GNARLY DESCENTS. SHOULD
a bourbon at a grungy watering with the lid closed. This will raise I BOTHER ADJUSTING MY
hole in New York City, yielded your effective toptube height SEATPOST DURING THE RACE
OR JUST RIDE WITH IT AT A
the following data on this year’s and place less pressure on your CONSISTENT HEIGHT?
extra-small trail bike lineup: femoral nerves, allowing you to Brother, if you throw a leg over a
sit comfortably in that nice cool toptube with zip ties on the bars,
you’d better care about the result.
MODEL STANDOVER sanctuary and finish this rag in Pucker up and give me your best
Giant Reign 31.5 ultimate style. Or get a padded, effort, because this shit ain’t free.
Kona Coilair 32 gel-fortified seat. A heated one Now, forget about manually
fussing with your seatpost during
Norco Six 29.1 might be nice in the colder months. the race. You will lose precious
Pivot Firebird 28.5 I hear old people love them. time raising it before every climb,
IF YOU HAVE A QUES- Rocky SXC 31 and you can’t race with your
saddle at half-mast.
TION FOR OUR SINGLE- Santa Cruz Blur LT 27.8 THE BIG UNIT If you are going to fiddle with
Specialized Enduro 29.2 Is there a calculation to your saddle height, make sure
TRACK SAGE, SEND IT TO you do it like you are tuning a
Turner RFX 28.9 determine how many violin. When you are shelled
BIKEMAG@SORC.COM Yeti 575 28.5 calories one should eat mid-race, freeballing your
WITH “ASK CHOPPER” IN THE to replenish the calories own seat height with a quick
release is going to be a disaster.
SUBJECT LINE. BECAUSE Norco, Pivot, Santa Cruz, burned from a ride? The only way to accomplish
Specialized, Turner and Yeti look While it is very true that I have a consistent and efficient
NOT ONLY ARE THERE DUMB seat-height change is with an
like companies that realize small trouble with counting or actually adjustable seatpost like the
QUESTIONS, THERE ARE bikes are purchased by people organizing anything, I do know Crank Brothers Joplin, Gravity
EVEN DUMBER ANSWERS. with shorter inseams who value that the “calorie count” school of Dropper or similar product.
But listen, Panama Red,
their family jewels. You can’t go thought is an incomplete method endurance races are won and lost
wrong with any one of those. of analyzing your body’s energy on the climbs, not the descents.
needs. To provide the most Even with a trick adjustable post,
you need to relax and catch your
CRAMPIN’ ON THE CAN precise information possible, breath on the downhills. Going
I find myself spending too I consulted a very respected flat-out with your saddle dropped
may gain you 30 seconds, but
much time sitting on the nutritionist. After all, Jenny Craig if you shoot your load on the
throne reading Bike. My has done wonders for Valerie descent, your competition will
question is, how do I keep Bertinelli—that woman is back in regain that advantage in a matter
of minutes on the next climb and
my legs from falling asleep? the smokehouse! use you for traction while you
If you had written this to me Each minute of a ride suck flies through your teeth.
three years ago, I would have gets one “unit.” We will use Use the lowered seat to gain
advantage only where it is really
recommended going to a “units” since “calorie” is just going to make a difference, and
local Pesky Learning Center or a fancy word for “unit.” Thus, go get ‘em tiger.
picking up a copy of English a two-hour ride is worth 120
for Dummies. But now that this units. If you are a woman,
damned magazine has gotten each kilogram of body weight
so big and bitchin’ your legs are equals two units; men get 2.5
likely to go numb while you flip units. Then suppose a PB&J
through the pages. [Editor’s note: sandwich is worth 120 units. THE WINNING QUESTION RECEIVES NEW GLASSES
FROM SMITH, LIKE THIS PARALLEL MAX MODEL
Despite Chopper’s claims, Bike A slice of cold pizza is worth
054 I bikemag.com

www.eastonbike.com
Always wear a helmet and ride within your limits. Handlebar stress can vary with rider skill.
DR. GREENTHUMB TRAIL,
VANCOUVER BC.
11 FOOT DROP:
314 POUNDS OF FORCE ON HANDLEBAR
MONKEYLITE DH
EASTON BAR DROP TEST:
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ask chopper
125 units. Prepackaged astronaut food is worth between 100
and 150 units, depending on make and model. Beer is worth
negative 100 units, since it is nothing more than bubbly water
with flavor and blood thinners (and because assigning a proper
value to beer would be depressing).
Take your ride and find the total unit value. Then take your weight
and multiply by the proper number of units. Then subtract ride units
from weight units, multiply by 10 and subtract your IQ. Boy, that sure
seems like a large number and a lot of food to carry, so help yourself
out by drinking some beers, which will have a net negative effect on
the amount of food you actually need to satisfy this formula. Keep
in mind that the more inefficient you are (i.e., doughy and out-of-
shape), the more food units you will need to add.
The sooner you can eat post-ride, the better. Aim to get 1 to 1.2
grams of carbohydrates per kilogram of body weight (pounds divided
by 2.2) within the first hour or, even better, within the first 30 minutes
of exercise. Beer has roughly 15 grams of carbs per 12-ounce can,
which means I can drink a seven-pack on the tailgate. This sounds
about right, and makes me think you can trust this school of thought.
In the end, get a rough estimate of the calories you need and then
pay attention over time to what your body is doing. If you are feeling
weak, eat more. If you are getting fat, eat less. This science is as exact
as a science can get when you are addressing an art with a science.
CLOWNIN’ AROUND
Why aren’t there any downhill 29er bikes? Or at least a 29-
inch wheel in the front? Wouldn’t this increase the bike’s
ability to destroy/roll over everything in its path?
There are a few obvious reasons for the lack of 29er downhill bikes.
1) Downhillers are not trendy metrosexuals wearing shants, chain-
link jewelry and festooned with soon-to-be-regretted tattoos related
to bike exploits.
2) By the time you put a DH tire on a 29er you would have to
register it as a carnival attraction.
3) The only thing worse than a 29er evangelist is a fixed-gear poser.
4) The 29er is like parachute pants. Yes, parachute pants. They were
incredibly functional, yet the concept was not altogether perfect.
Why? Cramming a backpack’s worth of stuff into your pants’ pockets
was a nifty idea, but you couldn’t do the centipede or a headspin
without loose change, chewing gum, your tape player, urine sample
and car keys spraying like water from a lawn sprinkler. They looked
great on dweebs, but had limitations. The same goes for 29ers.
Larger wheels roll very well, corner reasonably well, and about half
the time they make riding more efficient and fun. But they also raise
your center of gravity, turn slower, decrease the amount of pressure
exerted per square inch to the ground (compromising tire bite,
especially at speed), and deflect more under pressure due to their
increased diameter. Shhhhh. Don’t have an aneurism. What is done
is done, and this isn’t subject to debate—I wore parachute pants for a
while, so I know a thing or two about this kind of stuff.
On a downhill bike, 26-inch wheels work well, considering the
frame dimensions, weight and power output of the humanoid, as well
as the sartorial desires of participants. And if bigger were truly better,
I would imagine motorcycles would come with cartoon wheels, too.
Alas, even the 69er is a great ride, but the forces of nature make
a larger wheel less optimal for DH. In short, you are never going
to have a Steve Peat-level game with wagon wheels on your bike.
Finally, you might find it trendy to assemble such a contraption, but
be sure to wear the appropriate costume.
056 I bikemag.com

grimy handshake BY MIKE FERRENTINO
the dance
of meat
Searching for salvation in the almighty spin
s
s
KILL, AS APPLIED TO THE MODERN
mountain biking experience, tends to
be thought of as a matter of reflex
and bravery—especially as the defined
edge of what we deem possible on a bike keeps
getting pushed outward in all directions. How
hard a rider can crank into a turn, how smoothly
that rider can float over a rock garden before
don’t ever strut or brag about their spin, especially in the current zeitgeist of hucking one’s baggy-
clad carcass loosely into space. Spinning is for people who can’t really throw down. Except, it’s not.
Because sooner or later you have to climb a hill, or chase down that dickwad who just elbowed you
off your line, and at those times, a good spin is a godsend. A spin, one nicely honed by years of
pedaling, polished smooth by mileage the way a rock gets caressed round by a flowing river, is the
secret weapon that allows people who “haven’t been riding in months” to rip your legs off right when
you think you’re the toughest cowboy at the rodeo. A good spin is what enables that crusty beggar-
looking guy on the old Giant Iguana with a baby seat to ride you off his wheel on your cross-town
a series of step-downs and drops, how much commute. No amount of justification can make that feel any better, especially if you happened to be
aerial maneuvering can take place between riding a road bike with an Italian name. A good spin—stay with me here—is the only way you’re going
takeoff and landing. to survive with an 8-inch-travel bike, flat pedals and no access to chairlifts or shuttle trucks (for the
Speaking entirely for myself—lining up what I sake of brevity, we will refrain here from getting into why the hell anyone would choose something
can and cannot do against what the most grace- like this as their only bike if they didn’t have either a ski resort or a fleet of trucks readily accessible),
ful athletes in this sport do with ease can make because the only thing nature abhors more than a vacuum is some square-pedaling chump in a pair
a man bitter. Fortunately, speaking entirely for of untied 5.10s on an 8-inch bike trying to ride up a gentle grade.
myself, I shut that kind of comparative thinking My ability to turn the pedals with any degree of fluidity has become entirely dependent on the
straight down, and instead content myself with season. Admittedly, I didn’t do myself any favors when I was young. Instead of taking the advice
considering the scope of my own abilities and of smoother elders who suggested that time spent paying attention to turning circles with my feet
how they manage to fluctuate from embarrass- would be a skill that would serve me well decades down the line, I derailed myself by playing to the
ing to almost half-competent and back with pre- one strong suit I had in my genetic deck of cards. I was kind of blocky and could stomp a big gear.
dictable, seasonal regularity. So I did that, a lot. And, as such, ended up being a mostly bow-legged square-pedaling chump. At
Nowhere does this fluctuation between almost- least I kept my shoes tied.
grace and clubfooted misery show up more than Now, with the guilt-free smugness of someone who can cop to his own blind spots, I can admit
in the most invisible skill of all. My spin. People without shame that I’ve read every issue of Bicycling where there was some cover blurb like “Spin
058 I bikemag.com PHOTO: RYAN CREARY

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TwistGrip III Locking Presta/Schrader head
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The Blackburn Mammoth 2Stage.
Everything you could reasonably want in a minipump.
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grimy handshake
Like A Pro!” (Corrected for anytime between
2001 and 2009, that blurb would probably read
“Spin Like Lance!”), and I’ve gone on rides where
I did nothing but pedal flat ground and count
while trying to let my body sink into some sort of
smoothness. I’ve done one-leg pedaling drills in
out-of-the-way places where nobody would see
me. Hell, I even resorted to fixie riding, once, about
15 years before tight jeans and matching rim/
handlebar grip colors were required to be seen on
one of those torture devices. I listened to advice:
“Imagine you are scraping something off the sole
of your shoe at the bottom of your pedal stroke.”
I’ve tried “pedaling in circles.” I’ve even tried to
understand what the hell people like Chris Car-
michael are talking about when they refer to “an-
kling.” Eventually, I surrendered to just letting my
body figure it out. And what I have ended up with
is something called “The Dance of Meat.”
In the middle of winter, The Dance is more of
a grim wrestling match, where I fight myself and
lose. Stairmastering up climbs, wondering why it
hurts so much, mashing down with both legs on
the pedals at once (“C’mon guys pleeeeease? Just
try and lift up a little on the back pedal, okay?”
muttered through clenched teeth while going no-
where, chugging like a broken steam engine). By
spring, as a semi-regular ride schedule has come
into play, the wrestling match is a little less violent.
The “thunk-deadspot-thunk-deadspot-thunk” pe-
dal stroke has become slightly less lumpy, and
cadence of up to 80 rpm becomes a possibility. But
it still is far from pretty. Then, finally, sometime in
those golden days of late summer, it happens. The
Dance of Meat. I find myself, without even thinking
about it, just floating along. My thighs are a pair
of ham-slabs working a groove with each other.
My shoulders are not bobbing with effort. My hips
aren’t rocking. My glutes are playing rhythm sec-
tion to the beat of the ham-slabs. I’m not thinking
about pulling up on the pedals, and my tires are not
going “squelch squelch squelch” in time with each
unbalanced spasm of muscle. Sometimes it only
lasts for a few minutes. Sometimes I get a week
out of it, every ride a whole magnitude easier all of
a sudden. It feels like cheating. That’s how much
easier and smoother it makes everything, when
The Dance of Meat is really working. And I cherish
every second of it.
Then the trade show comes along, and it’s
back to drinking too much and not riding enough.
Then the days get shorter. Then it starts raining.
Then the holiday season comes and turns me into
a fat bag of turd that doesn’t ride. The Dance of
Meat fades into memory, and I get towed into the
next riding season on nothing more than hope
and self-loathing.
A cyclical life, aboard these bicycles. The Dance
of Meat, abandonment of hope, rinse, repeat.
060 I bikemag.com

AMERICA’S
WE SCOURED THE COUNTRY LOOKING FOR OFF-THE-RADAR
DESTINATIONS—HERE ARE SIX THAT HAVE ALL THE TRAILS,
WITHOUT THE HORDES.
KERNVILLE, CALIFORNIA.
PHOTO: JOHN SHAFER
bikemag.com I 063

BREVARD, NORTH CAROLINA
Pisgah’s Private Playground
CHUCK HANEY
> Most riders have heard of
Pisgah—the steep, rooty, rocky,
wet wonder-world of trails in the
heart of the Blue Ridge Mountains
is the stuff of legend. Most have
also heard of Asheville, the hip
university town that serves as the
Southeast’s answer to Boulder,
Colorado. The name many riders
might not recognize, however, is
Brevard, a small mountain col-
lege town about 30 miles south of SOUTHERN FRONT:
Asheville and the perfect starting ASHEVILLE MAY GET ALL THE
point for some of North Carolina’s ATTENTION, BUT BREVARD’S
TRAILS ARE JUST AS GOOD,
best singletrack. AND FAR FROM THE MASSES
Brevard, with a population of
6,687, sits right at Pisgah National
Forest’s back door. There are, liter-
ally, a million acres of terrain and
200 miles of trail here—and it’s all
just a few pedal strokes from the
LYNN PILEWSKI
its sun-baked slog up Clawhammer
Road, weed out the weak and keep
the trails largely free of traffic the
whole year round.
BREVARD Looking for something a little
less intimidating? Just a few miles falls and eastern granite domes—
east of Brevard is the Dupont mossy versions of Moab’s cele-
State Forest, where nearly 100 brated slickrock.
west side of town. Be forewarned miles of intermediate trails await. Annual events like the Pisgah
that a journey into the depths While Pisgah is full of big ups and Mountain Bike Adventure Race
of this dense forest may lead to downs, Dupont brims with gen- give riders in the South something 828-884-8670; Sycamorecycles.
encounters with poisonous plants tler, rolling trails. It’s a beautiful to brag about: two-man teams com, 828-877-5790), as does
and insects, and perhaps even a place, filled with massive water- pedal for six to 12 hours over El Chapala, a post-ride favorite,
black bear or two. And every 70-plus miles with 15,000 feet where grande cervezas wash
October the infamous “brown of elevation gain in this com- down endless chips and salsa
ice” leaf blanket covers the pletely unsupported race. If that (828-877-5220).
forest floor. doesn’t sound hard enough, The town is home to Brevard
BLACK MOUNTAIN TRAIL
Those who venture into The Black Mountain trail pretty much sums there’s always the “Most Hor- College, and there is a healthy mu-
these woods, however, will be up Brevard-area riding: 13 miles long, with
rible Thing Ever” in February— sic scene with a decidedly Appala-
2,000 feet of climbing through a mix of for-
rewarded with fast, technical ested creek bed, gravel road and steep, think 36 hours and 150 miles chian flavor. There are also plenty
descents that rage for miles. technical singletrack. All this climbing of Pisgah pain. of affordable hotels (Hampton Inn
Pinning rhododendron tunnels leads to epic views before a 4-mile ridge-
line descent along rock-and-root-infested Locals heading from Brevard Brevard, 828-883-4800; Holiday
and negotiating root-strewn singletrack that winds through seemingly into Pisgah generally start their Inn Express, 828-862-8900).
ridgeline crags are highlights, endless rhododendron tunnels. rides near the Davidson River When you’re done riding, be
usually accompanied by Park at the ranger station in Brevard and
turn west on Highway 276 into Pisgah Na- campground, which offers year- sure to check out the 150-foot
“damn, we’re really far out” tional Forest. Take a right onto FR-477 road, round camping with hot showers natural waterslide at Sliding
views of the Blue Ridge Moun- then another right at the horse stables onto
and access to the national forest Rock, just 8 miles from town on
Clawhammer Road.
tains. Shuttle opportunities Sweat out the climb until you reach the right across the road for $16 a Highway 276. Got a thing for wa-
are scarce, so bring a good Buckhorn Gap saddle and soak up the views. night (828-862-5960). terfalls? There are 250 of them in
all-around steed that is light Continue to the right onto the Black Mountain
trail, where you’ll climb and climb until you While the trails of Transylva- the region. And stay on the look-
enough for the climbs and reach the 4,200-foot clifftop view. After the nia County may sound spooky, out for Brevard’s “famous” white
plush enough for root-filled second summit, hang on for your reward—a the quiet town of Brevard is squirrels, for which the town
descents. Grueling access rough, twisty downhill that loses 1,900 feet
of elevation. Follow the white dots to stay anything but that. Two bike holds its annual, you guessed it,
climbs such as the 13-mile- on the Black Mountain trail all the way back shops sit a minute’s pedal from White Squirrel Festival.
long Black Mountain trail, with to Highway 276, where you’ll turn right one
the trailhead (hubbicycles.com, —BRAD WALTON
more time to return to your vehicle.
064 I bikemag.com

> Go ahead and call southern
Connecticut a giant, sprawling NEW HAVEN, CONNECTICUT
suburb. But the area offers killer
all-day, all-mountain riding, just
Trumbull’s Suburban Singletrack
an hour and change from New
York City.
Get out your magnifying glass
and find Connecticut on a map.
Tucked into the state’s southwest
corner is some of New England’s
least-hyped riding—Trumbull’s
River Valley trails. Go any further
north and you’re in the boonies;
go any further south and you’ll
RIVER VALLEY TRAILS
PHOTOS: CHRIS DANNEN
As Trumbull is a clusterfuck of connec-
tors, skills spots and shortcuts, it’s hard
to tell one trail from another. But riding
TRAIL HAVEN: NEW HAVEN HAS
here can be split into two halves: pre-
ITS SHARE OF NYC SUITS, BUT
lowland and post. The first half of your
SWEET TRAILS LURK IN THE
ride will take you through leafy single-
SURROUNDING FORESTS
track packed into dense groves of trees
and scrub. Once you come out the other
side, you’ll descend into a sandy open
field of tall grass. Traverse it and get
back into the woods, and you’ll be riding building that goes on here—one covered in a rare species of moss
along several tributary rivers that give
the trails a chilly, dank feel. Stay close low-lying sandy area is famous for known as Oh Shitticus.
to the river on your right; the main trail its mud holes—Trumbull’s menu Survive Trumbull and head to
will try to tug you up a rocky 10-minute of riding is largely nature-made, Wooster Street in New Haven,
climb, but the riverside promises undu-
lating, stone-knuckled singletrack that thanks to huge glacial rock depos- epicenter of the city’s vibrant Italian
weaves over and around huge plates of its and blankets of pine needles neighborhood and blessed with
rock that dip thrillingly close to the wa-
ter. When you come out the other side,
that keep undergrowth at bay. incredible pizza, pastries, pasta
you’re at a skills section with several Riders like to say that parts and coffee. Try Frank Pepe Pizzeria
four-foot drops, three long log rides and of Trumbull don’t look like Con- Napoletana (157 Wooster Street;
a handful of other bang-around obsta-
cles to keep you limber. necticut, and they mean that as a 203-865-5762), an 84-year-old eat-
NEW HAVEN compliment. The lowland trails have ery so famous it has a longer Wiki-
a signature Swamp-Thing feel, with pedia page than Gary Fisher. This
TRUMBULL lots of moss, coniferous trees and isn’t pizza like you know it—it’s New
up-and-over boulders that would Haven-style apizza (separate Wiki-
love to pitch you sideways into the pedia page), a massive, rectangular
find yourself amidst some very not huge; we’re talking about 10 muck. Bring plenty of tubes here, or coal-fired thin-crust concoction that
pissy former hedge-fund suits. to 12 miles of trail. But it’s a time- run tubeless; you’ll want to run low makes New York and Chicago-style
Trumbull’s trails are extensive, suck in its own right, keeping you pressure for the grip, but the edgy look like Boboli. Don’t get the
easy-access webs, with new con- in the saddle all day while tooling rocks seem poised for pinch-flats. “famous” white clam pizza—it’s
nectors and diversions appearing around on newfound sections, This isn’t a place you rip about as good as it sounds—but
every season, and the nearby taking mulligans and working up through, so when you pack energy every other topping combo on the
town of New Haven is a post-ride to the big stuff. And big stuff there bars, it’s because you’ll be gone all menu is worth the 25-minute drive
oasis with some of the best Italian is: while there’s plenty of all- day. Even XC riders linger in some from Trumbull. —CHRIS DANNEN
food this side of the old country. mountain fun to be had, Trumbull of the playground
Trumbull doesn’t have major el- welcomes your 7-inch bike with areas, treating them
evation changes, so the trails here three-story roll-ins, severe rock as skills sections and
aren’t lung-busters—just good old gap jumps, hairy drops and big re-running the odd
Northeastern blast-up climbs, with spines of granite. stunt. Show up on
elbow-splitting rock gardens and Patience is rewarded. Dozens of a Sunday and you’ll
dense canopies of green that keep offshoots from the main trails lead see herds of riders in
you cool. All this, without bummers to ledges, drops, rock ravines and gravity gear; get lucky
such as paid parking, overuse or other fun stuff, most with clean, and you’ll see one
singletrack traffic jams. loamy lines. While IMBA would hit NFW, a 30-foot
Like the state itself, the spot is probably frown on some of the trail pants-crapping roll-in
bikemag.com I 065

ELLICOTTVILLE, NEW YORK
The Hidden Empire
> He was fit. One of those chiseled,
Zone Diet-fanatic, triathlete types.
He was also shelled. Bonked.
doubt about it, but perfectly feasible
on anything from a rigid singlespeed
to a burly all-mountain rig. And while
Done. You could see it in his thou- there aren’t many wooden stunts
sand-yard stare and the defeated around here, the trails incorporate
slump of his shoulders. healthy doses of rock that demand
“How…uh…(gasp for air)…how your full attention.
do I get back to the ski resort?” For those not content to simply
I felt for the guy. He was a cruise the trails, there are a variety of
long way from home and a whole races, such as the Wednesday Night
mountain away from the ski resort, Race Series, the Six Hours of Power,
a warm bath and a bottle of his and Roots, Rocks and Ridges.
favorite electrolyte mix. A word of advice: Ellicottville’s
It’s easy to get lost on the trails are well marked, but maps are
singletrack around Ellicottville—not essential. The trails connect, inter-
that there are hundreds of miles connect and double back in a man-
of trail in this corner of upstate ner that can leave out-of-towners
New York. To be precise, there stumbling around like extras from
are about 30 miles of singletrack Dawn of the Dead.
within an easy spin of the main After emerging from the woods,
drag. The best-known routes— there’s the town to explore—all
Pale Ale, Big Merlin, Billygoat and one square mile of it. Ellicottville
Porcupine—wind their way up and is tiny: 1,738 full-time inhabitants
down McCarty Hill and Little Rock tiny, to be exact. But there are a
City state forests, just above town. variety of places to cool off and
INTO THE WOODS: WHAT
Ellicottville’s two ski resorts are
JONAS NOCKERT
ELLICOTTVILLE LACKS IN
also open to bikes during the sum- QUANTITY, IT MAKES UP
mer. Need more? There’s another FOR IN QUALITY
10 miles of tight and twisty stuff a
20-minute drive away at Gold Hill
State Forest. relax. The first stop should
While Ellicottville doesn’t have be the Ellicottville Brewing SPOILED FOR CHOICE
the sheer quantity of trails as, Company (716-699-2537), What’s the single best trail in Ellicottville?
where riders can sample You have a lot of options here, and you can
say, Fruita or Sun Valley, it more reach them all by starting out on the race
the burger and wings or loop behind Holiday Valley. Pressed for
get all upscale with the time? Try Big Merlin. What Merlin lacks in
technical challenges it makes up for with
pub’s bruschetta, Thai Chile the best flow in the area. Think swoopy,
Mussels or Spicy African roller-coaster time. If you come here look-
Peanut Soup. Of course, the ing for something tougher, try combining
the Finger Lakes trail (FLT) and Pale Ale
real attractions are the fine trails. Ellicottville is home to one of the few
house brews, including the bike-legal sections of the FLT (ride sensi-
tasty and very inappropri- tively, of course, and help keep it that way).
The FLT is plenty tough: the rock gardens
ately named Pantius Drop- seem to go on forever. Best yet, you can use
ELLICOTTVILLE
pus Imperial Pale Ale. Need the FLT to connect to the North, Middle and
South Pale Ale trails, which are arguably the
caffeine? Head down the best in the entire region. Still feeling frisky?
street to Dina’s. Ice Cream? Take a right on Billygoat, hang another right
Try Coolings Ice Cream on the fire road and then go left on the Rim
trail, another great stretch of singletrack
Café. Not into sin? The vil- that takes you to Rock City. You’re deep in
than makes up for it in quality. lage hosts the requisite the woods at this point, so hopefully you
These trails are good. Really good. ski-town salons, chocolate dropped by the Ellicottville Bike Shop and
Which is why riders from Ohio picked up WNYMBA’s excellent Ellicottville
shops and antique stores map before you started.
and Pennsylvania are flocking as well as a decent bike
here to join the legions of riders shop (Ellicottville Bike
from Buffalo who’ve spent the Shop, 716-699-2453) and
past decade building and quietly several hotel and camp-
STEVE GOLDENBERG
savoring the goods. ing options (Ellicottville
The terrain is quintessential East Wingate, 716-699-6000;
Coast—dense forest filled with mud, Allegany State Park,
roots and too many log-overs to 716-354-9121).
count. The riding is technical, no —VERNON FELTON
066 I bikemag.com

GRAEAGLE, CALIFORNIA
Downieville’s Sunny Shadow
> The tiny Sierra foothill town of
Downieville has carved out a
mountain bike paradise reputation
much larger than most 300-popu-
lation towns could ever expect.
Riders shuttle up to Packer Saddle,
where the spine of the Sierras
vectors north, and then descend
westward down a now-legendary
network of trails and drainages.
Few riders ever cast their eyes east
before dropping in.
MIKE FERRENTINO
SUNNY SIDE: ARIEL
That’s too bad. Because for LINDSLEY ROCKS ONE OF
every mile of well-known, well- GRAEAGLE’S TECHNICAL
traveled trail that drops toward DESCENTS
Downieville, there is a correspond-
ing distance and vertical drop
toward the town of Graeagle, a Elwell (7,818 feet) and Eureka Peak
quiet community of 825 people on (7,447 feet). Graeagle, on the valley
the floor of the Sierra Valley to the floor, is 4,300 feet above sea level.
Tracing lines between the peaks,
GRAEAGLE through the basin and down into
Graeagle, is a network of 40-plus
miles of singletrack. From the top of
Elwell, 9 miles of steep, narrow trail
drops 3,500 feet between the peak
GREG WILLIAMS
and town. A couple of miles further
north along the Deer Lake OHV
trail, the Jamison Creek trail sheds
2,200 feet in a riotous 4.8-mile de-
east of the range (about 18 miles scent from the spine of the Sierras downright lethal post-ride marga-
as the crow flies from Downieville, to Plumas Eureka State Park. ritas and decent dinners shoot for
but a good 45 minutes of twisty One of Downieville’s key moun- the Coyote Grill (530-836-2002).
road mayhem in a car). tain bike agitators has been shift- The Lakes Basin is festooned with
Whereas the west-side ing his focus toward Graeagle and easily accessible campgrounds
trails are fast and dusty, the Lakes Basin for several years and lodges (River Pines Resort,
MOUNT ELWELL PEAK TRAIL those dropping east serve now. Greg Williams, founder of riverpines.com, 530-836-2552;
To seek out the crown jewel of Lakes Ba- up a much more technical both the Downieville Classic and Gray Eagle Lodge, grayeaglelodge.
sin riding, you’d best be prepared to climb
your brains out. Option A: From Graeagle, diet of rocks and rough- the Sierra Buttes Trail Stewardship com, 800-635-8778), and in sum-
have someone drive you up to Plumas age. Instead of railing (SBTS), lives just south of Graea- mer it offers the perfect post-ride
Eureka State Park, then through the park gle and has been chipping away
along a dirt road to the A-Tree. From
down river drainages, the elixir—choose-your-temperature
there, suffer a thousand small deaths trails clamber over granite at trail projects in the basin for the lake bathing.
heading south by bike along the Deer slabs and thread down past few seasons. To The only things not
Lake OHV trail for about five miles until
it intersects with the Mount Elwell Peak boulder-strewn chutes date, 15 miles of trail on the menu here,
trail just south of where the PCT crosses into the Lakes Basin. The have been restored, and the key reasons
the OHV trail. Cinch up bootstraps and bite riding is slower, more capped by the com- for the area’s under-
down on your stem for the next thousand
MIKE FERRENTINO
or so feet of climbing to the summit. Op- technically demanding pletion of the Smith the-radar status, are
tion B: Catch a ride from Graeagle up the singletrack-finessing, with Lake trail in 2008. a bike shop and a
Gold Lake Highway to the Sierra County Graeagle itself
line and get dropped off in the Gold Lake
some high-consequence dedicated shuttle
Lodge parking lot. From there, pick your opportunities for speed has the all the trap- service to Packer
way through the Lakes Basin via Bear thrown into the mix. pings of a small Saddle. You’ll have
Lake trail, Mud Lake trail, Silver Lake trail
and then a dash of Long Lake trail before The Lakes Basin con- mountain vacation town: golf to figure your own way up to the
accessing the Mount Elwell Peak trail. sists of some three-dozen courses, a market and gas sta- high country from town, and be
This will hurt just as much or more than alpine lakes, presided tion and an assortment of touristy prepared to ride self-sufficiently.
Option A, and you’ll need a map. But if you
like technical, rocky singletrack climbing, over south to north by bead- and trinket-type stores. Nut up for that, and the rewards
you’ll have come to the right place. the slopes of the Sierra For breakfast, head to the Café are guaranteed to be plentiful.
Buttes (8,591 feet), Mount Mohawk (530-836-0901) and for —MIKE FERRENTINO
068 I bikemag.com

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in Canada call 604 542 5661

TERLINGUA, TEXAS
No Country for Old Men
> You know you’ve been formally
introduced to Big Bend Country
the first time a limestone-loving
lechuguilla agave cactus relieves
your tires of air pressure. Also
known as “letch-u-gotcha,” this
needle-tipped angiosperm is in-
digenous to the Chihuahuan Des-
ert, which fills much of Texas’s
Big Bend Country.
It’s a long way to this hidden
Tex-Mex border outpost next to
PHOTOS: CRYSTAL ALLBRIGHT
Big Bend National Park (nps.gov/
bibe, 432-477-2251). But those LIVIN’ LAJITAS:
TERLINGUA HAS
willing to face the heat—and the MILES OF TRAILS
trailside risks—will find rewards in AND A HANDFUL
the purple-hued mountains and OF DESERT RATS
WHO CALL THEM
solitude of desert singletrack. HOME
With more than 1.2 million
acres of public land, it’s tough to
know where to start. Singletrack singletrack. High points include (starting from $150, lajitas.com,
lovers will want to head directly the aptly named Crystal trail sec- 432-424-5000) with rides right
for the Lajitas trail system, one tion, where glittering stones cover out the back door. And whether
of the few places in Texas where the ground, and the more techni- you need to buy some extra
you won’t be shot at for riding on cal Dome trail, which skirts an tubes or stock up on Gu, head
extinct volcano. to Desert Sports (desertsportstx.
Big Bend National Park also com, 432-371-2727). The shop
has worthy options—although it offers bike rentals and repairs,
was one of the original IMBA pilot as well as guided rides.
Terlingua also plays host to the —DAN OKO
Mas-o-Menos 100K race, which
has 30- and 50-kilometer
routes as well. Held each
February, the USAC-sanc-
tioned ultra-endurance race LAJITAS TRAIL SYSTEM
takes place on mostly pri- With the main trailhead marked by a simple ki-
TERLINGUA osk and nothing but mountains on the eastern
vate land (many of which are horizon, the Lajitas trail system crisscrosses
closed to bikes the rest of the hilly arroyos that separate the 25,000-acre
the year), and attracts more Lajitas Resort from the 800,000-acre Big Bend
private land. Texas is also work- National Park. Just keep your eyes peeled for
projects to establish singletrack than 400 racers each year. airport signs on the south side of Ranch Road
ing to develop the 300,000-acre in National Parks, the riding still is After a day of riding, head 170, halfway between downtown Terlingua
wilderness of Big Bend Ranch mostly on remote jeep trails. Ar- to the Starlight Theatre (ac- and the Rio Grande, 14 miles from the national
park entrance at Study Butte (pronounced
State Park (tpwd.state.tx.us, range a shuttle and bomb the 27 tually a restaurant, starlight- “stoo-dee beaut”).
432-358-4444) into a bike- rough, rocky miles of the Old Ore theatre.com, 432-371-2326) From either the airport or the resort trail-
friendly destination. Already on head, you can shape up a smoking 15-mile
Road through the foothills of the for the best selection of loop almost entirely on singletrack, hitting
the ground is the quad-burning, Dead Horse Mountains. beers in town, tasty burgers, sections like Dog Loop, Jackrabbit Flats and
20-mile Contrabando Loop, one For those looking to explore hand-cut steaks and a hand- Fun Valley, which are featured as part of the
of the park’s premier stretches of Mas-o-Menos racecourse.
further afield, Desert Sports outfits ful of vegetarian entrees. If Those hungry for miles can double back
overnight trips to the state park’s it’s pizza you’re looking for, on parallel jeep roads and link together 30
miles or more of trail, but don’t let those
seldom-seen interior, where rid- try the tasty pies at Long West Texas postcard views distract you:
ers will discover the Solitario, a Draw Pizza (432-371-2608) In addition to the thorny cactus and ever-
collapsed caldera 10 miles wide a couple of miles down 170. present Spanish daggers, desert obstacles
include dry-creek dips, ass-busting lime-
and estimated to be more than 25 Both joints have regular live stone ledges and loose stone and sand.
million years old. From the park music. For beds, there’s Still, make time to conquer the Outer Loop
camping in the state and (designated Trail 4), and do yourself a favor
headquarters, it’s a 40-mile slog and hit the roller-coaster-like Lajitas Half-
along dusty doubletrack to reach national parks, and comfort- pipe and Brennecke Loop (Trail 3).
this lonely limestone labyrinth. able rooms at Lajitas Resort
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KERNVILLE, CALIFORNIA
A Gem in the Southern Sierras
posed of undulating singletrack
that parallels Highway 178 and has
several bailouts, so you can tailor
the distance, while JO/WR is a
15-mile-long technical, singletrack
downhill trail with minimal climbing.
Those not afraid to drive can
JOHN SHAFER
travel about an hour north for the
Slate Mountain Summit trail—a
tough, 8-mile lung-busting ride
that rewards the effort with beau-
periodic visitor deluge is there
tiful panoramic views and some
is no shortage of quality lodg-
challenging switchback descents.
ing in off-peak seasons, with the
While you’re in the “neighbor-
Kern River Inn Bed and Breakfast
hood” you can visit the world-
(760-376-6750) and Whispering
renowned Needles climbing area
Pines Lodge (877-241-4100) offer-
or the truly mind-bending Trail
ing nice rooms at a decent price.
of 100 Giants; a band of massive
For those who prefer camping, the
old-growth Giant Sequoias.
The best time to ride this
area is in the late spring when
TAKE THE PLUNGE: the high-country trails open,
KERNVILLE’S CAN-
NELL TRAIL DROPS usually after Memorial Day, CANNELL TRAIL
6,500 GLORIOUSLY when the soil is tacky and the The hub of riding in the Kernville area is
JOHN SHAFER
VERTICAL FEET the Cannell trail. Ridden as a point-to-
weather is cool and crisp. Most point shuttle by all but the truly Herculean,
TOWARD LAKE
ISABELLA of the rides in the area are this 32-miler is the one trail that must be
sampled. In fact, you risk having your true
also open to motorized traffic, mountain biker membership card revoked
and by summer the dust and if this treasure trove of singletrack doesn’t
California summer heat can leave you feeling justly rewarded.
Cannell starts at 9,200 feet above sea
really take the bite off of even
> My career as a mountain bike
writer has taken me, with bike in
for its rafting and camping scene.
the best singletrack buzz. Fall is
another worthy option, as the
level, and about 4 hours later it finishes at
2,700 feet. In between are fantastic views
of the Sequoia National Forest, a few sig-
nificant climbs and ecstatic stretches of
tow, around this continent and well
fast downhill singletrack—the homestretch
beyond. While there is no shortage And it’s not one of those prototyp- is referred to as the “Plunge,” and it drops
of excellent riding destinations, ical bike-centric towns where you the last 5,000 vertical feet in 8 technical,
throw a leg over your bike and are switchback-strewn miles.
some of my most-memorable trips The simplest way to reach the Cannell
have been to the trails around a quick pedal away from orgasmic trailhead is by enlisting the shuttle service
Kernville, California, just two hours trails. But once you finally do get from Mountain River Adventures (mtnriver.
KERNVILLE com). They also offer shuttles to other trails
from my home near Los Angeles. to put two wheels to singletrack, in the region, as well as guided, fully sup-
It’s proof that you often don’t have Kernville has trails sweeter than a ported, multi-day ride services. It’s also
to travel very far to find truly epic post-coital afterglow. worth noting that Kernville doesn’t have a
true high-end bike shop and Cannell’s sus-
backcountry singletrack. The Keyesville Classic, just a tained descending loves to chew through
This small town of 2,068 is lo- stone’s throw south of town at brake pads, so come prepared.
Lake Isabella, is one
of Southern Califor- Kernville area Forest Service is a
nia’s longest-running good source of info as well as trail
mountain bike races. condition updates (760-376-3781).
While the Keyesville The Kern River Brewing Com-
racecourses aren’t pany on Sierra Highway near
memory makers, the downtown is an essential stop. The
Keyesville Recreation beers are brewed on site, and can
PAUL FERRARO
Area is located right pack quite a donkey kick to a de-
off the Kern River and annual Kernville Fat Tire Fest hap- hydrated rider, so it’s a good idea
has plentiful camping. pens each October. to also order the fish tacos or any
It can also be used Also, unless you love traffic and of the other fine menu choices. For
cated at the southern foot of the as home base for crowds, avoid planning trips on a those with a true sense of adven-
Sierra Nevada mountains and flies two notable rides, the Kern River holiday weekend, when Kernville ture, venture down to The Hut on
just below the mountain bike radar. trail and Just Outstanding/Waggy morphs from a quaint riverside Kernville Road. It’s a paradise for
The lack of recognition could be Ridge trail. The KRT is a point- village into a three-headed tour- true dive bar aficionados.
because the area is better known to-point, out-and-back ride com- ist monster. The upside of the —RON IGE
072 I bikemag.com

CAM MCCAUL TOOK ONE LOOK AT
Granny’s Kitchen and knew he had come
to the right place. He’d visited Black Rock a
year earlier, but back then the Kitchen was
just a small section of trails, a few tabletops,
a couple of random berms. This time, drops
appeared between the trees. Tight berms
flowed around every corner, and beautiful
doubles rose from the ground.
Black Rock is tucked deep into the forests
of Falls City, Oregon, and offers more than
500 acres of jumps, drops, wall rides, dou-
bles and ridiculously fun DH trails. What
began after a chance meeting between a
mountain biker and a state land manager
three years ago has turned into one of the
country’s most progressive riding areas.
Word of this place initially spread slowly,
but the hype is beginning to boil. Last
summer, McCaul and fellow pro Kirt Vor-
eis stopped in to check out the trails and
film a segment for the latest NWD film.
The terrain is undeniably good; the only
question is whether this public park can
sustain itself as a major freeride destina-
tion. We can only hope so.

–KIRT VOREIS
This massive wall ride,
ridden by Kirt Voreis, was
inspired by Chris Styler,
an old-school rider who
has built some of the best
BMX trails in Oregon.
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bikemag.com I 077

SVEN MARTIN
—CAM MCCAUL
Left: On scheduled weekends, a
shuttle hauls riders to the top so they
can hit drops like this all day long.
McCaul has seen the light.
Top: Dirt jumps, drops and gaps litter
the terrain, but Black Rock is also
home to some gloriously rocky DH
trails. Voreis samples one of the best.
Right: Immediately after this jump,
the trail funnels into an S-berm that
McCaul claims is “tighter than
a BMXer’s jeans.”
bikemag.com I 079

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–KIRT VOREIS
Riders can either roll off the
bridge or gap the entire thing.
Here, McCaul takes the high road.
bikemag.com I 081

DESPITE CRUSHING THE COMPETI-
TION AT DOWNIEVILLE, DESPITE THE
NEW SPONSORS, ROSS SCHNELL
CONTINUES TO DO THINGS
HIS OWN WAY BY ROB STORY
PHOTOGRAPHY BY ANNE KELLER
the Holy Cross trail was built on Wingate Sandstone,
Jurassic stream channels and sizeable deposits of testosterone. Just before drop-
ping into the trail, Ross Schnell, astride a gleaming new Trek Remedy with orange
wheels, peers back over his shoulder and warns, “Hard moves ahead, with off-cam-
ber ledges and corkscrews. Lotsa back and forth.” He alludes to sudden transitions
and hefty drops. “Racers on hardtails with skinny tires do not have fun here!”
Schnell—a 6-foot, 160-pound whippet of a 29-year-old whose dark features,
ubiquitous five o’clock shadow and easy grin evoke a love-child of Johnny Knox-
ville and Adrian Grenier—then leans over his bars, stomps on a pedal and shoots
down the trail, smearing a parabola over a salmon-colored slab of rock, narrowly
avoiding a petrified stump.
Schnell is suddenly mountain biking’s “It” racer. The buzz began quietly when
he co-founded the race team at Mesa State University and proceeded to win
the 2001 cross-country collegiate national title, and then won the 2003 award for
dual-slalom. In 2006, he followed up by winning the NORBA Super D title. Those
were nice moments for Schnell, but hardly the stuff of legends. Then, last year, he
not only won the Downieville Downhill, but also the event’s 29-mile cross-country
race—setting new course records in both. The buzz had grown into a roar. >

Luckily, that roar has not followed Schnell to the Holy Cross trail, in the event. That’s real indicative of Ross as a racer. He’s comfortable in every
Lunch Loops area of Grand Junction, Colorado. On this warm Thursday situation, a mutant.”
afternoon all is quiet—the way Schnell likes it. He grew up in Grand Suddenly, Schnell has been credited with saving competitive moun-
Junction and prefers Lunch Loops to the more famous trails of the tain biking. Suddenly, big-name sponsors like Trek, SRAM and Crank
Kokopelli or Book Cliffs areas to the west. He loves Grand Junction. This Brothers are falling all over him. He recently returned from Oakley’s
is not a universal sentiment. But to those who’ve questioned the area’s headquarters, where he signed a coveted contract with the company.
grandiosity after buzzing by on I-70 or U.S. 50, scoping tree-deprived But with each new sponsor, each new contract, expectations rise.
moonscapes and big-box retailers, it should be noted that Grand Junc- That’s especially troubling for someone like Schnell, who never re-
tion gets its name from the confluence of the Colorado and Gunnison ally wanted anything except to ride his bike. “I’m specializing in being
rivers, and is home to a growing network of quality trails. non-specialized,” he says. “Which is kind of stressful. I’m expected to
Schnell fires up Junction’s mellow desert inclines (at least compared to be good at everything.”
the lung-searingly steep San Juan Mountains a few dozen miles south-
east) in a single fast-muscle twitch. Then, at the bottom of Holy Cross,
he pulls a deer-like trials move to pop atop a seven-foot boulder and if you’ve ever wondered what a fake boob feels like, head
promptly hurls himself off. to Schnell’s place on a block full of modest ranch houses in central
It’s easy to see how Grand Junction’s trails made Schnell an elite Grand Junction. Sitting there on the coffee table is a pliable silicone
rider. But perhaps the confluence, the Grand Junction itself, forged bra-stuffer. “Girls will come over, look at it, and say, ‘ewww’,” Schnell
him as well. Schnell joins rivers of influence—BMX prodigy, lean- laughs, “but by the end of the evening they’re squeezing it, too.”
muscle climber, large-onioned downhiller—into the mythical figure While the fake boob’s providence is a mystery, one suspects the
of mountain bike lore: The All-Around Badass. long train of medical influence in Schnell’s friends and family. He
“Ross is a Dave Wiens type,” says Troy Rarick, owner of Fruita’s Over earned a degree in radiology and worked at a hospital in Glenwood
the Edge (OTE) bike shop, where Schnell worked in the early 2000s. “He’s Springs, Colorado. He dates a physician’s assistant, Cathryn Haskins,
just a natural on the bicycle. The amazing thing about his riding style is from Montrose. His sister works as an ultrasound technician. And his
he’s not remotely single-faceted. He can do trials, DH, dual-slalom, BMX parents own Mesa Orthopedic, which, among other things, makes
or cross-country. He’s the first collegiate racer to podium at every single orthotics for shoes. “Their small business…is basically my motiva-
LAST YEAR AT
BRIAN HEAD
SCHNELL WON
THE SHORT TRACK,
AND ALMOST WON
THE XC RACE. HIS
SECRET? DOWNING
A WENDY’S SUPER-
SIZE BACONATOR,
WITH SIX JUICY
STRIPS OF BACON,
AND A CHOCOLATE
FROSTY THE NIGHT
BEFORE, WHILE HIS
TYPE-A TEAMMATE
JEREMIAH BISHOP
LOOKED ON IN
HORROR.
084 I bikemag.com

MOUNTAIN BIKE RACING SHOULD BE FUN.
IT SHOULDN’T BE A GRIM, SERIOUS THING.
I MEAN, YOU ARE RIDING AROUND IN A CIRCLE ON A BIKE.
WEARING TIGHTS. HOW SERIOUS CAN YOU BE?
tion for not owning a business,” Schnell says. “They work ungodly from Fast Times at Ridgemont High) riding around flipping the bird and
amounts of hours, like 80 a week. Not good.” a young star named Cru Jones who blows off his SATs to race his bike.
Still, his parents’ union produced three hyper-athletic kids. Sch- Says Schnell, “I so wanted to be Cru Jones.”
nell’s baby brother is an upper-echelon rock climber, and he and his Schnell caught Troy Rarick’s eye in 1994, during the World Cup in
sister Rana competed for a dual-slalom Division 1 title on the same Vail. “I saw him on the news,” Rarick says, “this young local teenager
day in 2003. “I watched her win the national title as I climbed into the taking third in the juniors there. I called his dad and asked if Ross
gate,” he says. “I was psyched, then I told myself to pull it together. I had a sponsor. His dad said no, and I offered to sponsor him at Over
was lucky enough to take the title, too.” the Edge. He did a bit of everything for us over the years: wrenching,
Luck really has little to do with Schnell’s career, though. Consider self- retail, you name it. Ross has been and is a great person to know. Still
fulfilling prophecies, for one: The word schnell means fast in German. goes on staff trips with us, still drinks beer in the hot tub.”
Plus, he’s been doing this for a long time. He grew up a BMX rat and Though interrupted somewhat by that radiology degree and brief
his life revolved around 20-inch wheels, races and checkered Vans. hospital job, Schnell remains a fixture/legend at OTE. Skip Hamilton, a
Everything was neon then, and he was a huge fan of the movie Rad— shop regular and the coach of Specialized’s inaugural mountain bike
the BMX cult classic from 1986 that features Ray Walston (Mr. Hand continued on page 116
086 I bikemag.com

bike test
CANNONDALE * EWR * MOOTS * TITUS
07/09
Cannondale Rize Carbon 1: “System
Integration” comes to a head with this ridiculously
light, sturdy and fast 5-inch trail bike.
EWR OWB29er: A high funky-freaky fac-
tor and a BMX heritage make this unconventional
29er ready for almost anything.
Moots Cinco: This trail bike has more sus-
pension than any other Moots model. But can the
titanium frame withstand the punishment?
Titus FTM: This longer-travel offspring of the
classic Motolite looks stunning. But does it deliver
on the trail?
TITUS FTM, SAN JUAN TRAIL. ORANGE COUNTY, CALIFORNIA. PHOTOS: MORGAN MEREDITH bikemag.com I 089

bike test
CANNONDALE RIZE CARBON 1 $5,849
>
CARBON FIBER OR ALUMINUM? IT’S NOT AN EASY
choice, but Cannondale has made the decision easier
by melding the two materials in the 5-inch-travel Rize
Carbon 1—a stiff, light and strong trail bike.
Starting with a structure called the “Backbone,” Cannon-
dale created a first-ever 3D forging to combine a bottom
bracket, pivot and seat-tube from a single piece of aluminum.
The Backbone is bonded to an oversized carbon-fiber front
triangle, and the transitions between the Backbone and top
and downtubes are undetectable, both cosmetically and in
practice, when pinballing through a rock garden.
A sturdy frame needs an equally stout fork, and though
the Lefty Max Carbon weighs less than 3 pounds, its dual-
crown design delivers exceptional stiffness. Adjustments bigger hits while never bottoming out.
include a push-button lockout as well as rebound and air- Cannondale applied generous engineering mojo
spring adjust. But the fork lacks travel-adjust, so you have to
stay on top of it—literally. Short, steep climbs require the rider
to get over the front of the Rize more than on bikes with low-
to the cranks as well. The BB30 Hollowgram Si SL
cranks, which weigh an industry-leading 645 grams,
feature a bottom bracket with ceramic press-in bear-
HIGHS
Super stiff, very light and
er front ends, but the 68.5-degree head angle kept the bike ings and a huge 30-millimeter aluminum spindle. strong; lifetime frame warran-
ty with no rider weight limit
in check, so the front end didn’t wander Mavic’s Lefty-specific Crossmax ST
too badly on climbs. The Lefty slides on wheels with Maxxis Rendez
a roller-bearing system that is supple
over small bumps and ramps up pro-
tires gave the Rize a
decidedly racy feel. LOWS
“System Integration” limits
gressively on But I swapped for
fork and crank options; no
some higher-volume
fork travel adjust
Geax Lobo Loco 2.3-inch
treads for a bigger and stickier
MORE INFO:
contact patch. The bigger tires
800-245-3872
excelled on slippery, sandy,
CANNONDALE.COM
rock-infested trails with lots of
off-camber technical terrain.
Even with the extra rubber, and pedals, the Rize
never breached the 26-pound mark.
If you’re looking for quibbles, look at
the XT shifters and cassette. On a bike
with a price tag scraping $6,000, one
might expect top-shelf components
across the board. Still, with so
much engineering effort invested
in making the Rize’s standout
frame, fork and cranks, Cannon-
dale can be excused.
After four months of winter
testing on rugged desert trails, the
Rize leaves little to complain about.
It is expensive, but all the innova-
tion makes it a solid value. And
more importantly, it all adds up to
a stiff and light trail bike that marries
the best of carbon fiber and aluminum.
The 2010 model year will be the
last that Cannondale makes frames
in the United States, so anyone looking
for an American-made Rize should pick up
one soon. —A LAN DAVIS
090 I bikemag.com

bike test
EWR OWB29ER $1,395 (frame only)
>
THE EWR OWB29ER IS A UNIQUE BEAST, AND THE
bright green paint job is just the beginning. The
5.6-pound, praying-mantis-looking frame
is built of steel tubes usually reserved
for BMX bikes, but that shouldn’t
be too surprising—company
owner Jay de Jesus is a
former national-level trials,
dual-slalom, downhill and
BMX racer.
EWR emerged on the
East Coast riding scene
more than a decade
ago and established a
loyal following of rid-
ers. Bikes like the first
OWB (Original Woods
Bike) featured high
bottom brackets and
short chainstays and
were designed for rip-
ping through the rocks,
roots and downed trees
common on the East Coast.
They excelled at everything
from trail riding to dirt jumping.
After a several-year hiatus,
de Jesus revived EWR and the
OWB29er is the company’s second
offering. The new bikes are built by Bilenky while I’m listing grievances, the OWB
Cycle Works in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, but still
adhere to de Jesus’s distinctly different, do-it-all ethos. And the OWB is
requires an odd-sized 29.4-millimeter
seatpost, which limits post options.
HIGHS
as different as they come. The OWB excelled on rough and Nimble geometry; incredible
standover; likes it rough
The unorthodox front end uses a truss system similar to cantilever bridges steep terrain. The 70.75-degree head-
to increase durability. The less-acute angle between the downtube and tube angle eased the twitchy, about-to-
headtube creates a stronger junction, says de Jesus. Even for a 29er, the
bike’s dual-slalom roots could be felt in the corners. It preferred to be leaned
and pumped into turns, rather than steered through them. The lively steel
endo feeling that plagues many 29ers.
And with no seat-tube-mounted bottle
cages, the saddle drops all the way to
LOWS
Heavy; less-than-ideal
frame, coupled with the stiff, short rear end, launches the bike out of corners. its rails. All that extra standover height bottle placement; odd
The bike’s 12.2-inch-high bottom bracket made it easy to tip into provides for excellent maneuverability, seatpost size
turns, but also caused it to wander a bit during steep climbs. The frame and the Reba Race fork with a 20-milli-
design yields some unusual bottle-cage mounting options, too. And meter through-axle was a perfect match MORE INFO:
for the bike’s predilection 610-659-4430
for rough terrain. EWRBIKES.COM
Without turns to carve
or rocks and roots, however, the OWB felt like a fish out of
water. On long climbs or smooth fire roads, the hefty frame,
which built up to 27 pounds with lightweight cross-country
parts, was definitely noticeable.
I punished this bike on everything from lung-crushing
XC races with 4,000-plus feet of climbing to steep, rock-
strewn shuttle runs where 5-inch full-squish bikes rule the
roost—and it handled each admirably. It may be an odd
duck, but the OWB is a great go-anywhere, do-everything,
all-mountain hardtail. —RYAN L A BAR
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bike test
MOOTS CINCO $3,550 (frame and shock)
>
THERE’S REALLY NO OTHER WAY TO SAY IT: THIS BIKE IS A
bastard child. Born from a Colorado mother, a California father, and
named after a distant Mexican relative, the 5-inch Moots Cinco is a prod-
uct of mixed breeding.
The titanium front triangle clashes with the shiny aluminum Ventana-
made rear end, and the ride qualities are just as mixed.
Weighing in at a respectable 28 pounds with pedals, the Cinco is easy
enough to pedal, but on plodding climbs or even rolling terrain, the bike
squats lazily in its travel. Switching on the Fox RP23’s ProPedal lever deliv-
ers a hint of that magical feel titanium hardtails are famous for, but it begs
the question: Why not just ride a full ti hardtail? terrain and up short, punchy climbs. As soon as the going got rough, any
I rode the Cinco on fast, rolling trails in SoCal and New Mexico, but complaints about the rear end evaporated—this bike handles like a hard-
it wasn’t until I hit some technical, Grade-A, rock-and-root-strewn New tail on steroids.
England singletrack that I found the answer. Hauling around a thuddy Handling is tight and fast without being too twitchy, and a big front
5-inch rear end becomes worth the effort when muscling through rocky tire and a 140-millimeter Fox 32 TALAS RLC helped rake the headtube
angle out slightly past its 71-degree
stock measurement. Plus,
the solid 15-millimeter
axle lent the bike a
HIGHS
little extra gusto when Loves rough terrain; custom
frame options available;
things got rough. made in America; brilliant
This test bike arrived seatpost clamp
with Mavic Crossmax SX wheels and
LOWS
pinner Hutchinson Bulldog tires, but
I opted for a beefier setup. Instead, I
ran a Maxxis Ardent 2.4 up front and
Uninspiring suspension
a WTB Mutano Raptor 2.4 in the rear,
performance on tame
with Stan’s sealant in lieu of tubes. terrain; expensive
Combined with an already
light Crank Brothers MORE INFO:
970-879-1676
Cobalt wheelset, MOOTS.COM
the setup
delivered a superlative sensation while
charging through technical sections.
The legendary durability of the
Moots front end is complemented
by the robustly built Ventana rear
end, which uses two stout cartridge
bearings per pivot. I noticed zero
rear-end slop during the test, and
although I found myself missing
the economy of an active suspen-
sion on the climbs, I can rationalize
the trade in traction for the added
stiffness and simplicity—something
lacking in a complex multi-link de-
sign like a DW-Link or VPP.
It may be a bastard child, but the
Cinco inherited the best qualities from
its parents, and it will likely deliver a
lifetime of faithful companionship. Mutt or
no mutt, me gusto. —CHRIS L ESSER
094 I bikemag.com

bike test
TITUS FTM $6,495 ($6,195 as shown)
>
EVOLUTION IS A FINE THEORY FOR NATURE, BUT WHEN IT
comes to bikes, Intelligent Design reigns supreme. As much as we
like to personify our bikes, they don’t just “evolve” on their own into
lighter, stronger, faster beasts. Instead, bikes are given
life by designers and product managers, and
in the case of the Titus FTM, those guiding
hands managed a near-miraculous job.
The FTM began life years ago as the
Titus Motolite, a widely acclaimed
Horst-link bike with 127 millimeters
of travel. But as trail bikes grew
from 4 inches of travel to 5, losing
weight in the process, the Mo-
tolite was left in the evolutionary
dust. It was replaced this year by
the FTM, a modified version that
boasts an extra 13 millimeters of
travel while trimming a bit of fat in
the process.
The new model, made by Sapa
in Portland, Oregon, features car-
bon seatstays and asymmetrical
chainstays with forged and CNC’d
dropouts. The seatstays also lose a
structural bridge that was prone to
clogging with mud. Those changes shave
230 grams from the old rear end, yet the
bike remains every bit as stiff, Titus claims. The
FTM also jumps up to a larger 30.9-diameter seat
tube to accommodate adjustable-height seatposts. The geometry
stays mostly the same, but the bottom bracket was slightly lowered to anodized finish, was as hot as the Arizona
keep a 69.25 headtube angle with the longer-travel fork.
Despite the increased travel and the new name (FTM stands for “Full
Tilt Moto”), this is not just a Motolite built for bigger trails. This is a decid-
sun. It scorched climbs, and even with the
sag set at 30 percent of travel the bike
delivered a solid pedaling platform and
HIGHS
Excellent climber that is
edly lightweight trail bike. The bike we tested came with a 140-millimeter reacted quickly to pedal input. Climbing responsive on the trail;
Fox TALAS RLC 15QR fork, but the rest of the kit screamed XC: Magura will never be an effortless task, but ev- high drool factor
Marta SL brakes, FSA Team Issue carbon cranks, Maxm carbon post and erything from ledgy switchbacks to steep
carbon Ritchey WCS bars. With pedals, the bike weighed 27 pounds. and loose fireroads seemed a little more
When it came to ripping around the trails, the FTM, like its orange tolerable aboard the FTM.
The suspension also offered
LOWS
Rear shock ramps up
smooth small-bump absorption, quickly; undergunned
and despite the lack of a seatstay brakes; lacks quick-release
bridge, the FTM tracked true while seat collar
cornering. The geometry was spot- MORE INFO:
on for most terrain. 800-858-4887
This isn’t the stiffest or plushest TITUSTI.COM
bike on the market, however. The
shock ramps quickly on harsh terrain and the lightweight brakes
can’t withstand fast, technical descents—so anyone who expects
to repeatedly rally this bike on steep trails littered with big hits
might be disappointed.
But the FTM doesn’t pretend to be an all-mountain bike. This
is a pure trail bike, and it excels at its job. Anyone who likes to rip
singletrack, sprint up climbs, and possibly enter some endurance
or XC races should give the FTM a spin. —L OU M AZZANTE
096 I bikemag.com

beat Down
SHIMANO SLX $898 (complete group)
949-951-5003; BIKE.SHIMANO.COM
ALL-MOUNTAIN, TRAIL RIDING, SUPERFUZZY- neers, I can’t verify the “100-percent stronger” claim, but can attest to the cranks’ incredibly
BunnyHucking—whatever you call it, more riders stout nature. They exhibited no noticeable flex. The SLX double cranks come stock with a
are tackling tougher trails on light, long-travel bikes. larger-than-average, 36-tooth big ring. Those extra four teeth provide a very usable gear
The market is awash with 5- and 6-inch rigs, but range when riding a light, all-mountain-style rig. It’s a nice touch.
until recently components have generally fallen into The SLX double also sports steel pedal inserts (a la second-generation Saint), which
either the ultra-light cross-country or extra-burly will be a great relief to thread-stripping, ham-fisted mechanic types who work on their
freeride camps. Enter SLX: Shimano’s take on all- bikes with a 40-ouncer in one hand and a pedal wrench in the other. Style-wise, the SLX
mountain parts that are both light and strong. crank arms take their cue from the latest iteration of XTR, and the brushed-aluminum fin-
Positioned as a sort of supercharged LX kit, ish proved nearly immune to scuffing.
SLX represents a Best of Shimano compilation al- The polycarbonate (plastic) bashguard doesn’t immediately inspire confidence. In fact,
bum. There’s a whole lot of anniversary-edition XT it looks suspiciously like a toy that you’d pull out of a box of Cap’n Crunch. However, after
in the disc brakes and shifters, a dash of new Saint a dozen poorly executed log-overs (including one event that threatened to shear my
in the cranks, and, as always, a bit of XTR trickle- frame in two), the guard still appears shiny and new. I can’t say how it will fare against
down technology. sustained rock, but it shrugs off logs with ease.
I spent a couple of months with SLX and came
away pleasantly surprised. Shifting is spot-on, PRECISE SHIFTS, BEEFY BUILD
brake modulation is fantastic and the double The SLX shifters ($100) have innards similar to the XT. Not surprisingly, they function just
crankset is downright impressive. Shimano’s old as well and weigh the same as their workhorse big brothers. The main difference between
LX group was about as sexy as a bowl of brussels the two is that XT shifters have fancier metal thumb paddles. Being a stickler for proper
sprouts, but I’d put SLX on any of my bikes. cockpit setup, I appreciated the fact that I could mount the SLX shifters on either side of
my brake levers.
BASH-WORTHY CRANKS SLX breaks new frontiers in the front-derailleur department. There are no fewer than
The SLX cranks ($240 with bottom bracket) come seven models to choose from, including Shimano’s new plate-mount “D” standard—there
in two flavors—a conventional triple ring or a com- truly is something for every conceivable frame configuration. The stubby, double-ring-
pact double. Shimano claims the double, which fea- specific version shown here ($60) features a stout, compact cage that reduces derailed
tures an overbuilt spider and axle, is twice as strong chains and boosts tire clearance. Installation was brainless, shifting was spot-on, and I
as its XT sibling. Lacking a squad of German engi- didn’t drop a chain once. >
098 I bikemag.com PHOTOS: MORGAN MEREDITH

BEAT DOWN
T
LIGH
EAD
AH
The rear derailleur ($90) is essentially a
ER
& slightly beefier XT model. While it’s meant to
be stout, it eschews the axle-mount of Hone
UT
and first-generation Saint for the newer,
P lower-profile Shadow design. It also
COM features a stronger guide spring up and to back off ac-
A than its LX predecessor. As
a result, shifting is ac-
cordingly. SLX rotors
only come in Center Lock,
companied with a more however, which means
definite click—it’s not the wheel choices are limited.
convincing ka-chunk delivered by SRAM’s X.0 Speaking of rotors, I experienced little to no
derailleur, but it’s definitely a solid shift that drag between rotor and pads. The Servo Wave
should please many riders. cam inside the SLX levers not only boosts brak-
ing power, it also allows the pads to rest deeper
HITTING THE BRAKES inside the caliper, reducing rotor rub. On the
When it comes to form and function, the SLX subject of noise, the resin pads were church-
brake levers are almost identical to XT. They have mouse quiet. I never encountered the annoying,
a nice ergonomic shape, with a pronounced hook wounded-turkey warble that I experience with a
at the end that makes one-finger braking feel a lot of other brake systems.
bit more secure during rough downhills. The SLX
levers also feature the tool-less reach-adjustment DELIVERING THE GOODS
knob found on XT and Saint levers. Are there burlier component groups on the
Unfortunately, SLX lacks the free-throw ad- market? Absolutely. Saint is an obvious choice,
juster screws you find on XT and Saint, so you and you can build a bombproof SRAM X.0/Avid
can’t adjust the actual brake-lever travel. Bum- Code/Truvativ Holzfeller kit. Are there lighter parts
mer. That would have been a nice feature. While out there? Plenty. The same selection of parts in
I’m quibbling, I wish Shimano had used a split- XT flavor will shave two-thirds of a pound (319
perch design (a la Hayes or Avid) on their brake grams, to be exact) off your bike. But are you
levers—it would make lever swaps and cockpit willing to pay an extra $340 to save 319 grams?
adjustments a whole lot easier. That’s what upgrading to XT will cost you.
The SLX calipers use a two-piece construction, SLX is precise, it’s durable, it actually looks
which is cost effective, but a bit heavier (77 grams cool and, when it comes to shifting and braking,
more a pair) than the one-piece, forged XT cali- it’s pretty damn hard to tell it apart from Shimano
pers. Dual, opposed pistons drive the pads home. XT. In fact, once you consider SLX’s excellent
The SLX brakes cost $320—for a front and rear double crankset/front derailleur combo, you al-
set, pre-bled. That makes them cost-competitive most have to wonder whether XT will have a job
with Avid Juicy 5s, and about half the cost of XT. next fall. Shimano’s done a bang-up job of build-
When it comes to actual braking power, SLX ing a budget group that doesn’t ride like a budget
fares well. Shimano’s “trail” brakes, XT and SLX, group at all. —VERNON FELTON
produce 120 to 125 percent more power than the
previous XT 755 brakes, which Shimano uses as
a base to measure braking power in
new models. By extension, the cross-
country-oriented XTR is rated at 105
“ The best part
of commuting is
percent of base, and the recently re-
launched Saint group chomps down
at an astonishing 150 percent.
With this SLX kit I opted for the
180-millimeter rotor option,
the ride home and stopping power
”
was decent, even
with the resin
pads in wet con-
ditions. Modula-
tion was excellent.
It’s very easy to sense
when the brakes are about to lock
100 I bikemag.com

fresh produce
LOUIS GARNEAU TREELIUM
$100 / 800-448-1984; LOUISGARNEAU.COM
The Treelium is Louis Garneau’s top mountain bike helmet. It features
extra protection in the rear and carbon-reinforced bridges to keep the
safety factor high, while 26 air-scooping vents keep craniums cool.
E.THIRTEEN SRS WITH TURBOCHARGER
$150 / 978-537-9313; E13COMPONENTS.COM
The e.Thirteen Turbocharger is designed to keep riders charging through
the roughest terrain. The unique bashguard works like a one-way
spring, flexing away from impacts, but also away from the chain. And the
meticulously re-engineered SRS guide eliminates dropped chains.
LOOK QUARTZ HURRICANE COMPONENTS FORK UPS
CARBON $35-$70 / 951-280-6036; HURRICANECOMPONENTS.COM
$200 / 866-430-5665 Have a sweet new through-axle fork, but an old fork-mount roof rack? The California-made Hurricane
LOOKCYCLE-USA.COM Components adapters provide a simple solution and can accommodate just about any axle size, including
The Quartz Carbon pedal is made of the 15-millimeter, 20-millimeter, Specialized, Maverick, Cannondale Lefty and Surly Pugsley standards.
injection-molded carbon fiber and uses
cartridge bearings at the near side of the
spindle and needle bearings at the end.
The space between those heavily sealed
bearings allows for effortless mud shedding
and a wide platform for no-nonsense power
ESI GRIPS
transfer. The 260-gram pedals come with $17-$19 / 760-947-4345; ESIGRIPS.COM
cleats that release at 15 degrees and shims These American-made morsels of bike candy are slightly thicker
for a dialed shoe/pedal fit. on the palm side to help absorb hand-numbing vibrations.
The high-friction silicone material prevents the grips
from twisting, sliding or becoming slippery,
regardless of the conditions. They come in
two sizes: the Chunky (shown here)
and the slightly thinner and
lighter Racer’s Edge.
PHOTOS: MORGAN MEREDITH
102 I bikemag.com

P R O M O T I O N
EVE NTS I HAPPE N I NG S I PROMOTION S
Freedom Riders
World Tour
Freedom Riders is a gritty,
rootsy documentary that offers a
unique look into the creation of
one of the first legal, purpose-
built downhill trails on U.S. For-
est Service land.
Narrated by Wade Simmons,
the film includes interviews with
local riders in Jackson, Wyo-
ming, action sequences shot on
the once-illegal trails and archi-
val shots that trace the progres-
sion of freeride mountain biking.
The film premiered in April
at Sea Otter in Monterey, Cali-
fornia, and the producers have
embarked on a 50-stop U.S.
tour to raise money and aware-
ness for IMBA. For more details
on the film, trailers and a list of
tour dates, visit bikemag.com or
23@3927:CH7=
freedomridersthemovie.com.
Win Fox MTB
Team Rider
Aaron Chase’s gear!
Fox, Cannondale, SDG,
SIC and Bike magazine
have partnered up for the
sweepstakes of the year.
Roll over to foxmtb.com
to enter. The grand prize
winner will be chosen
in June so get to it!
B I K E A L S O S U P P O R T S :
G E T M O R E I N F O R M A T I O N A T B I K E M A G . C O M

fresh produce
FREELAP
JUNIORTX
$390 / 973-277-9437
FREELAP-USA.COM
Stop wondering which
line through the rock
garden is faster and
settle the debate once
and for all. Ride past
the first beacon to
activate the stopwatch,
pin it down the hill and
sprint past the lower
CRANK BROTHERS IODINE
beacon to stop the
timer. Afterward, upload
the data to a PC and $1,000 / 949-464-9916; CRANKBROTHERS.COM
compare times against Fewer holes means increased strength. At least, that’s the concept behind Iodine wheels. The spokes attach
previous runs or the to a vertical spine that runs along the inside of the 21-millimeter-wide rim via 12 cylindrical steel shuttles.
times of other riders. The tubeless-ready all-mountain wheels weigh a respectable 1,907 grams.
PRO KORYAK BARS AND STEM
$65; $60 / 949-951-5003; PRO-BIKEGEAR.COM
Pro, now owned and distributed by Shimano, is a new name on the
mountain bike scene, but the parts go through the same rigorous quality
control and testing as Shimano-branded components. This 270-gram,
685-millimeter-wide Koryak OS riser bar has a 9-degree backsweep with a
5-degree upsweep. The forged, 90-millimeter-long stem weighs 160 grams
and uses a box-like shape to resist twisting forces.
WTB VIGO CARBON SLT
$180 / 800-975-2453; WTB.COM
The Vigo is a medium-width saddle with thick padding designed with
long-distance riders in mind. The seat features a long profile, replaceable
rails and WTB’s signature Love Channel groove, which is designed to
reduce pressure on sensitive areas.
SIXSIXONE
EVO
$70 / 888-520-4888
SIXSIXONE.COM
The amazingly flexible
D30 foam armor in
these gloves takes a
high-tech approach
to preventing bloody
knuckles. The secret?
D30 says the molecules
in its flubber-like
material stiffen under
impact. We say it’s
magic. The gloves’
unpadded synthetic
palm offers a tight
grip on the bars, while
highly breathable mesh
helps prevent clammy
hands.
104 I bikemag.com

LEZYNE SABER
$30 / 805-548-8780
LEZYNE.COM
It’s not a light saber; it’s a
Lezyne Saber—a super-long,
plated-steel tire lever with a
built-in 15-millimeter open-
end for changing pedals or,
if you’re wearing your sister’s
jeans, tightening the axle
nuts on your fixie. The icing
on the cake is an integrated
bottle opener that even
the hippest hipster can
appreciate.
TROY LEE
DESIGNS
D2 CARBON
HISTORY
$375 / 951-371-5219
TROYLEEDESIGNS.COM
Troy Lee helmets are
known across the globe for
their stylish graphics, but
only this D2 model includes
iconic images from the
company’s 28-year history.
More than a mantle piece,
the D2’s carbon shell uses
titanium hardware to keep
the helmet light, while
large, mesh-covered vents
keep the air flowing.
PHOTO: SCOTT MARKEWITZ
BLACKBURN MAMMOTH 2STAGE
$30 / 800-456-2355; BLACKBURNDESIGN.COM
Thanks to its massive aluminum barrel, the Mammoth 2Stage fills the
beefiest 2.5-inch tires in its “high volume” mode and tops out at 120 PSI
in its “high pressure” mode. The pump clamps to Presta or Schrader
valves with a simple turn of its TwistGrip smart head, and a lifetime
warranty and bottle cage mount come standard. X
photos * news * trails * videos * gear
bikemag.com I 105

showcase
future forks
SIX TRAIL FORKS
FOR 2010 THAT WON’T
STEER YOU WRONG
Marzocchi 44 RC3 Ti
The titanium spring in this 140-millimeter
fork delivers pillowy coil-spring plushness
without the weight penalty of steel. Built for
lightweight performance, this 4-pound fork
features a third-generation RC3 damper, a
stout-but-lithe 15-millimeter axle and nickel-
plated stanchions.
Marzocchi 44 Micro Air Ti 29
Marzocchi was the first major suspension
maker to produce forks for the 29-inch wheel,
and the company is diving back into that mar-
ket with a vengeance. Witness this 4-pound
fork’s 140 millimeters of air-sprung travel, tita- $779 $729 $1,029
nium negative spring, nickel-plated stanchions MARZOCCHI.COM MARZOCCHI.COM ROCKSHOX.COM
and 15-millimeter axle.
RockShox Lyrik Solo Air
At just 4.8 pounds, the Lyrik is a battle axe of
a trail fork. The new model features a full 170
millimeters of travel and is available in the
gamut of steerer tube sizes (1.125, 1.5 or
tapered). Other upgrades include a new
Mission Control DH damper and a freeride
version of RockShox’s Maxle Lite through-axle.
RockShox Revelation Team
The completely redesigned Revelation uses
Power Bulges for better bushing perfor-
mance, receives an increase in travel to
150 millimeters and comes with an optional
tapered steerer, like this Team model. With
Maxle Lite and Mission Control damping,
this 3.9-pound beauty threatens to be one
of 2010’s top trail forks.
Fox 32 FIT TALAS RLC 15QR
One of our favorite trail forks just got better.
Now available with 150 millimeters of travel,
this 4-pound 15QR fork benefits from Fox’s
new FIT damper (plusher, lighter, more consis-
tent), as well as some relocated controls that
are easier to toggle while riding.
Fox 32 FIT F29 RLC 15QR
Fox upped the ante with its 29er fork by
adding a 15-millimeter axle. This redesigned
3.5-pound model comes ready for duty with
the company’s new FIT RLC damper and up to
120 millimeters of travel.
$690 $860 $795
ROCKSHOX.COM FOXRACINGSHOX.COM FOXRACINGSHOX.COM
106 I bikemag.com PHOTOS: MORGAN MEREDITH

showcase
man’s best
friend
Four tools that won’t Crank Brothers Multi 17 $27
leave you hanging 949-464-9916; CRANKBROTHERS.COM
Everything you need; nothing you don’t. That’s
the thinking behind the 165-gram Multi 17.
With high-tensile steel tool bits and a knurled
aluminum frame, this simple, affordable, effec-
tive riding-pack staple comes with a lifetime
Lezyne Stainless 20 $50 warranty and just about everything you need
805-548-8780; LEZYNE.COM to get you out of a jam. The tool bits have a
Forged aluminum side-plates and stainless tendency to flop around after a bit of use, but
steel tool bits make this little work of art it comes with a custom rubber band to hold
as brainy as it is brawny. The thoughtful everything in place.
precision-fit bits pivot on their central axis,
which makes for easy tool turning and
smooth, long-lasting flip-out action. Size-
wise, it’s the biggest tool on this page, but
at 150 grams it’s also the lightest. A chain
tool that spins off of the main body includes
multiple spoke wrenches and doubles as
a pad spreader. Another nice touch: a ser-
rated knife for divvying up trailside PB&Js.
Pedro’s ICM $28
(978) 657-7101; PEDROS.COM
The ICM has been around for a while, but kudos to Pedro’s for not
messing with a good thing. Two very functional tire levers snap onto
the sides of the tool, and long, leverage-giving tool bits—in all the
critical sizes—swing out to get the job done. The ICM also has a
Mavic spoke wrench and a deployable 14/15-gauge spoke wrench
nestled in the heart of the tool. Plus, it includes a chain tool with the
all-important second position for loosening stiff links.
Topeak Alien III $65
800-213-4561; TOPEAK.COM
Looking beyond its kitschy green alien logo, the
272-gram Alien III has everything but the kitchen
sink. Witness its long 2-millimeter L-bend for hard-
to-get-at brake lever bolts; its rotor-bending tool;
spoke wrenches for Shimano, Mavic and all standard
options; its full complement of 8-, 9- and 10-millime-
ter box wrenches; and, best of all, snap-in recesses
for replacement Shimano chain pins. The tool also
includes a knife, a solid chain tool and a chain wire
for holding loose links while you pin them down.
108 I bikemag.com PHOTO: MORGAN MEREDITH

KIT
choose your
adventure
THIS ENDURANCE RACING KIT IS
READY TO GO THE DISTANCE
Hours upon hours of training? Check.
Motivation for punishment? Check.
Apparel that stays comfortable
throughout a day or more of pedal
mashing? Better check again, be-
cause few things are more torturous
in the heart of an endurance race than
ill-fitting and under-performing apparel.
Baggies are great, but let’s be
honest: nothing yields all-day comfort
like bib shorts. Castelli’s Free bib
short ($230; castelli-us.com) features
a low-cut stomach, heat-dissipating
chamois, flat-lock stitching and
injection-molded silicon leg grippers,
making them well worth the price.
Keep your dogs from barking with
Sidi’s Dominator 5 shoes ($270;
sidiusa.com), which have non-carbon
soles that make hike-a-bikes bearable.
Pair them with the breathable DeFeet
Levitator Lite socks ($12; defeet.
com), which have flat seams to prevent
raw spots. Protect your hands with Giro’s
Rivet gloves ($30; giro.com), which have
a lightweight mesh back and a contoured
three-panel palm for a bunch-free fit.
The Bell Sweep helmet ($140;
bellsports.com) has 20 large vents to keep
your noggin cool—and thanks to a flat
spot on top, mounting lights is a snap.
The Endura FS260-Pro jersey ($90;
endurasport.com) offers a snug fit and
a grippy waist hem that prevents the
contents of its pockets from sloshing
around your keister—plus, a zippered
compartment keeps small items like
quick links from getting tossed. For
long stages, try a CamelBak Lobo
($75; camelbak.com). It’s a step up from
the back-pocket-water-bottle routine, and its
100-ounce reservoir and 200 cubic inches of storage leave your
jersey pockets free to carry more food, like Honey Stinger’s
Organic Energy Chews ($2; honeystinger.com).—RYAN L ABAR
PHOTO: MORGAN MEREDITH
110 I bikemag.com

blueprint BY CHRIS LESSER
a new carbon
category
DT Swiss’ EXC 1550
CARBON FIBER CRANKS, HANDLEBARS,
brake levers—even frames—are everywhere.
But the incredible weight and strength char-
acteristics of the magical material aren’t just
for weight weenies anymore.
The backcountry is the new racecourse,
and products such as the EXC 1550 wheels
from DT Swiss prove that carbon is capable
of appeasing truly aggressive riders. The
secret of these 1,550-gram wonder wheels
lies in their first-ever, all-mountain-specific
carbon fiber rims. There is nothing like them
on the market.
The wheels are hand-built around DT
Swiss 240s-based hubs and bladed double-
forged spokes. The rims use stainless-steel
eyelets, measure an impressive 28 millime-
ters wide and weigh just 400 grams apiece.
In short, the EXC 1550s are insanely ex-
pensive, unthinkably light and, according to
the company, exceptionally strong. The rub?
They cost $2,850 a set, but DT Swiss makes
no bones about it. This is a high-end product
for riders looking for ultimate performance in
a 6-inch all-mountain bike.
Prior to joining DT Swiss as a product manager in 2002, Silvan Buerge drove a tank in the Swiss
army, worked as an engineer for Siemens and owned his own high-end mountain bike shop.
What’s the goal for this product? To have an Nothing is indestructible, so if these rims break, how will they break? They don’t
all-mountain bike with 6 inches of travel, just collapse. The fiber construction of the rim, plus the double-chamber construc-
front and rear, that weighs 22 or 24 pounds tion, means that if a rim breaks, it will have something like a half-inch or an inch of a
with a very solid set of wheels—not just a delaminated fiber section. This makes the rim soft, but it doesn’t really fall apart. The
tiny, non-eyeleted aluminum rim. rest of the rim still stays sort of stiff. Of course, you’ll lose spoke tension and your rim
How did this wheelset come to be? There’s will be wobbly and you’ll have to replace it, but the fibers will not break. With alumi-
CHRIS LESSER
always been a downhill/freeride segment, num rims you might have a dent in the rim or a flat spot, but carbon doesn’t dent. The
but there was this big gap between it and the level [of force needed to destroy the rim] is so much higher with carbon that it lowers
cross-country-race segment. There’s never the overall failure rate.
been a light-as-possible wheel that still Is this the lightest all-mountain wheelset ever produced? Check all the cross-country
had a rim that was wide enough for pretty wheels out there—there aren’t many that are below the weight [of these wheels]. For
large tires. So it all started with the [alumi- this rim dimension and this purpose, and still having a very solid, 6-bolt, all-mountain
num, 28-millimeter-wide] EX 1750 wheel, hub with a 20-millimeter axle and big bearings up front, at 1,550 grams per set, I
and then as soon as we started the carbon would say it’s a pretty unique product.
[XRC 1250] cross-country rim project, I said Isn’t it also one of the most expensive wheelsets out there? It will be a few bucks more.
immediately that we would need to have a But if you’re talking about high-end carbon enduro frames, people are spending how
28-millimeter-wide carbon rim, and we much for a Specialized or a Scott? Then consider how important the influence of the
worked for more than a year on this project. wheel is for the overall influence of the bike, well, those are our target customers.
112 I bikemag.com PHOTO: MORGAN MEREDITH

Photo: Embry Rucker

RELAX: RAD ROSS HAS IT ALL UNDER CONTROL
continued from page 086
team, calls him “a terrific human being who’s not caught up in himself. When it’s time to
focus, he does. When it’s time to relax, he does.”
For Schnell, relaxing often means getting a little goofy. Hamilton remembers him
showing up for an OTE group ride bent on tweaking “guys in Lycra body condoms fes-
tooned with [Italian road] names they couldn’t pronounce.” For his part, Schnell sported
Bermuda shorts, an ancient Styrofoam Bell helmet and old Oakley Pilot sunglasses.
“When the beginner ride began, Ross took off and the Lycra guys were shocked,”
Hamilton recalls. “They insisted he try the advanced group, and Ross said, ‘No hablo
ingles!’ The Lycra guys were totally befuddled. Ross did that to put competitive im-
pulses in perspective.”
though previously known as “Rad Ross” (he even had the nick-
name tattooed across the back of the leathers he wore at BMX races), it wasn’t until
Downieville last year that Schnell emerged as a mountain bike sensation, a cult hero at
the very least. Sure, he had earned a spot on the Trek/VW cross-country team, and he
had a handful of top-10 finishes at national cross-country and Super-D races. But after
the 2008 Downieville Classic, blog posts suddenly began appearing with headlines
like: “Why Ross Schnell is Cool.”
Why is Ross Schnell cool? Last summer in Downieville, he started in the mid-40s
I’LL NEVER BE THE GUY WHO RIDES A
L
ROAD BIKE FOR SIX HOURS A DAY AND
DRINKS WATER AND
EATS VEGETABLES.
I WANNA LIVE LIFE.
in the 29-mile, point-to-point cross-country race.
He traveled there with few expectations and even
fewer practice runs. Despite crashing, he won the
race. The next day, again facing three-time de-
fending champ Jason Moeschler and local leg-
end Mark Weir, Californians both, the kid from
Colorado who’d never even been to Downieville
won the event’s renowned 17-mile-long downhill.
Amazingly, he set course records in each race.
“I had no idea how serious people are about
that race. Winning gave me instant credibility. My
career blew up after that,” Schnell says.
Even his hometown newspaper, The Daily Sentinel, which normally concerns itself
with Halliburton’s local drilling, crowned him the “new king” of mountain biking. The
Sentinel identified him as a Fruita resident in the story and a Grand Junctioner (correct)
in the photo caption, but still….
Perhaps more importantly, winning Downieville, in an odd sort of way, justified
Schnell’s existence as a professional mountain biker. Throughout his career he has
avoided road-oriented training regimens and shown a healthy disdain for monstrously
competitive and freakishly fit cross-country racers. Instead, Schnell thrives on his own
irreverence. This is a guy, after all, who believes that “beer is the best recovery drink.”
“In Downieville,” Schnell notes, “you have to pedal up fast and then race down-
hill…on a real bike. On the same bike. So it pays to be a hack at both cross-country
and downhill. The pseudo roadies who normally win XC races will never show up at
Downieville. I don’t know if Downieville is the future of racing, but that’s what mountain
biking is. It’s the best race I’ve ever done.”
Undeniably a throwback, Schnell seems of an era when XC courses were rugged and
support was minimal. If he had an idol from mountain biking’s boom, it was John Tomac—
a rider who could turn around in a phone booth, flow downhill like water, and still leave
opponents gasping with pulmonary edema on long, rocky climbs.
116 I bikemag.com

RELAX: RAD ROSS HAS IT ALL
In the sport’s early days, there were no
race teams and no national race series.
Now the sport’s governing body is strug-
gling to re-establish a national cross-
country series after the existing model
crumbled last season. And with the de-
mise of the powerhouse Trek/VW team
after umpteen years, Schnell is now Trek’s
lone domestic cross-country competitor.
He races commando—alone, old-school,
independent.
“Rad Ross” is also “Retro Ross.” At the
Snowmass NORBA Nationals in 2006, Sch-
nell showed up with a roadie cap under
his helmet. He wore white terrycloth short
shorts. Sporting a mullet and handlebar
moustache as well, he looked eerily like
a young Tom Ritchey. “I heard there was
a moustache-growing contest [affiliated
with the race],” Schnell says. “Luckily, I can
grow one pretty fast. And I thought, ‘Hey,
this can be complemented with a mullet
and short shorts.’ So I did. Then shaved ev-
erything off after the race.”
to be a true mountain biker,
must one necessarily dislike road biking?
It’s an undying question. But Schnell is be-
loved for his candor regarding skinny tires.
Trek provides him free road bikes, so he
owns a couple. Yet, one day in his garage,
he points at one and sniffs, “I’m allergic to
curly bars, man. I can’t do ’em. Road bikes
put you in the worst position possible; I
wouldn’t wish it on anyone. I’ll never be the
guy who rides a road bike for six hours a
day and drinks water and eats vegetables.
I wanna live life.”
He holds similar contempt for roadie-
influenced mountain bike races. Like, for
instance, the season-opening, sponsor-
booth-infested, commercial-as-Christmas
biggie in Northern California. “Sea Otter,”
Schnell says, “is cool if you’re into rain
and poison oak. More like Sea Slaughter.
I don’t think it’s a mountain bike race if
you can win it on a hardtail. A pro roadie
who’s never mountain biked could win
that thing.”
Schnell doesn’t talk about cadence
or lactic-acid threshold. He talks about
“moves.” To him, the maneuvers required
to negotiate tough, technical trails are
crucial to the sport. “I talk about ‘moves’
all the time,” he says. “Moves are what
mountain biking is all about. When I go
out for a bike ride I get more satisfaction
from cleaning the local ‘Widowmaker’
than I do comparing best times up the lo-
cal road climb.”
Thanks to the moves he made at Dow–
118 I bikemag.com

UNDER CONTROL
nieville, and to his emerging reputation
as an all-around badass, his sponsors are
“backing the idea of me doing fun events
with products real people buy,” he says. That
includes the mass-start Megavalanche rac-
es in Europe, as well as the Downieville-in-
fluenced Super-D races in Ashland, Oregon.
He’ll still race cross-country, but aims to hit
the killer venues in Colorado, while avoiding
the flat-and-wide courses elsewhere (don’t
even mention the word “Fontana” to him.)
Schnell concedes he may have to get
more intense if he wants to compete on
the World Cup stage. But not just yet. For
one, his metabolism remains that of a teen-
ager’s. He goes to bed at 11 and wakes up
two hours later to chow cereal. “Last night I
took down a family-size bag of Doritos…at
one in the morning,” he admits. He’s been
known to fill his CamelBak with Coke. (He
likes bubbles. And resents Cytomax for
lacking them.)
The irreverence is real. Not long ago,
Schnell rode Utah’s 113-mile White Rim
trail in a single day powered by an econo-
my-size package of Reese’s Peanut Butter
Cups because it was just after Halloween
and the candy was cheap. Last year at
Brian Head, the last stop on the NMBS
circuit, he won the short track, and almost
won the XC race—some of the best results
in his life. His secret? Downing a Wendy’s
super-size Baconator, with six juicy strips
of bacon, and a chocolate Frosty the night
before the XC event, while his Type-A
teammate at the time, Jeremiah Bishop,
watched in horror.
“So far in my career, I’ve found zero cor-
relation between eating well and going
fast,” Schnell says.
That career has lasted more than a
decade, and has taken more than a few
unusual turns. Even Schnell seems to
struggle when asked to define his role in
the sport. “At best, I’m mediocre at every
single thing. Which somehow stacks me
higher than guys who are good at one
thing only. My general goal is to mountain
bike for the soul of the sport. I’m not the
most competitive guy out there. I love the
lifestyle and love what I’m doing, to ride
and travel to good places. If that means
getting beat by a guy who rides 30 hours a
week, that’s fine. The day I don’t have fun
is the day I’ll be done racing.”
So what does being an all-around
mountain biking badass mean to Schnell?
It means having a good time. “Mountain
bike racing should be fun. It shouldn’t be a
grim, serious thing. I mean, you are riding
around in a circle on a bike. Wearing tights.
How serious can you be?”
bikemag.com I 119

SH*TBIKE CHALLENGE
part XII
WINGING IT I didn’t even get to ride the roller to get enough speed for the jump. But DROP TO FLAT The landing hurt every
bike in the parking lot. I just went for it, first you can’t lean back on the Sh*tbike; you time. Usually when you land you just keep
run, and winged a backflip. It worked perfectly. have to kind of squat off to the side. Once I your back straight, vertical to the ground,
The beam didn’t bottom out on the tire and the got to the jump, the backflip wasn’t so bad— and bend your knees to take up the impact.
bike came around nicely. The truth is that this getting there was the hardest part. But the seat is so high that I had to lean
bike is easier to flip than it is to straight air—it’s over with my whole body and absorb all
not really balanced for jumping. I don’t think it STEPPING UP We tried to mix it up a bit the pressure with my lower back. My head
was born with the intent of being airborne. and do a superman seat grab because the almost hit the bars every time.
bike has that big old beam. You can grab
THE RUN-IN My biggest concern on wherever you want—instead of about 3 THE LESSON You don’t really need a
was whether I could actually lean back far inches to grab, you have about 3 feet. Then to fancy-schmantzy bike to have a good time.
STERLING LORENCE
enough, because the seat on this bike is take things up a notch we went for a backflip We had a little crappy bike today, and it re-
higher than the stem. Usually, my seat is superman. The best part about the backflip minded me that as long as you’ve got a bike
slammed all the way down to the toptube. superman was the cool motorcycle sound the that rolls you can do whatever you want.
But the hardest part was just getting through gripshifters made as they spun through my You can even backflip a Sh*tbike.
the run-in because you have to manual a hands while the bike rotated around. —As told to Lou Mazzante
Bike (ISSN 1072-4869) July 2009, Volume 16, Issue 4. Published eight issues yearly in the months of March, May, June, July, August, September/October, November and December. Copyright © 2009 by SOURCE
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FOR EXCLUSIVE VIDEO AND BEIND-THE-SCENES PHOTOS OF
122 I bikemag.com MCCAUL’S BACKFLIP, GO TO BIKEMAG.COM/SBC