Man, it seems like everyone everywhere is having some kind of mountain bike festival or race this month! Fall is definitely a great time to get out and ride and to celebrate mountain biking before the snow falls and the days get too short. Here’s a sampling of what’s happening:

24 Hours of Moab: The grandaddy of all 24-hour endurance races is this weekend and more than 1,300 riders will be racing this year. The race boasts a $20,000 cash purse and $40,000 in prizes drawing the top mountain bikers in the world to the competition. The Steamboat Pilot & Today profiles some Colorado riders who have been prepping for the race including Kris Cannon, a first time female 24-solo rider.

Whistler MTB Park closes after this weekend: Honestly I’m amazed the park has stayed open this long without snow but for this last weekend the guys are pulling out all the stops. A brand new trail called “Kungfu Pizza Cat” just opened to give riders a taste of what to expect for next season. Fortunately Whistler has one of the earliest openings of all the MTB parks - usually mid-May - so we won’t have to wait too long!

Mountain unicycling catching on: The Gaston Gazette (North Carolina) posted a lifestyle article about mountain unicycling that even includes some tips for getting started. In the article Josh Tayler, an avid mountain unicycler, estimates there are only about 10 or so ‘munis’ in the entire state. I’m guessing that will change very soon if the showing at the SORBA Woodstock Festival was any indication - the folks at unicycle.com had at least a dozen munis at the trail and several kids seemed to be catching the fever!

Several mountain bike news items this week:

Trek opens larger R&D facility in California - It seems like the boys and girls from Wisconsin are finally getting hip to the biking scene out west and realize the need for a test facility near rad dirt. Hopefully the new facility will end Trek’s recent lack of exciting new MTB products. Watch out Cannondale, I think you may have awakened the sleeping giant!

Redline D660 reviewed - At Interbike I rode and reviewed the Redline D660 and I have to say I came away pretty impressed with the 29er. It turns out Dirt Rag was pretty impressed as well and this month’s issue contains a detailed review of the bike. Long live the 1×9!

Specialized sponsors California high school mountain bike league - You may have read this last week but I thought I’d add my two cents. Sure, a bike company sponsoring a race or even a team isn’t a new concept but as far as I know sponsoring teams at the high school level certainly is. In the soccer industry where I worked for a summer I know it’s common for companies like Nike and Adidas to sponsor youth clubs with free footwear and uniforms - could we start to see the same thing in the bike industry? Start ‘em young and hook ‘em for life!

Lunch Loop adds “Kids Meal” - The famous Lunch Loop trail in Fruita, CO added a new 0.6 mile section designed for kids and beginning riders called the Kids Meal. Chris Muhr, president of COMPMOBA called the new trail a “self-teaching trail.” Sounds like a great concept, hopefully we’ll see more smart trails like this around the country.

The word on the street (er, trail) is that Mick McCormack is planning a multi-stage mountain bike race in Breckenridge, CO next July called “Breck Epic.” The 5-day race will be configured to start and finish in the same location each day rather than go point-to-point like most stage races. This means logistics are easier but it also means there’s the potential for a better spectator experience. And although the race is said to be based out of Breckenridge, this ain’t no resort ride - expect the course to stick to high elevation, remote backcountry trails and offer serious technical and aerobic challenges. Weekend warriors need not apply.

While there’s nothing official about the race yet, keep checking breckepic.com to find out more once the details are worked out.

We added a new monthly mountain bike deals page to singletracks to help you find the best prices on mountain bikes and accessories. If you find a great deal on cheap mountain bike gear online, send us an email and we’ll consider adding it to the deals page. Viva la bargain!

I got a chance to demo a few women’s bikes at Interbike and I was impressed with the selection of high-performance cross-country mountain bikes available.  Actually, let me correct myself, many manufacturers these days don’t necessarily make “women’s specific” bikes, just smaller frames.  With smaller frames, naturally, a more compact geometry follows (for males and females alike) and since front and rear shocks can be adjusted based on rider weight, there’s no need for women’s specific suspension.  Two such mountain bikes that I found are a good fit for smaller riders are the Ellsworth Truth and Yeti AS-R.

The Ellsworth Truth in size X-small was a good fit for me (I’m only 5’0”), with the exception of the 175mm crankset, which made me lean down into my pedal stroke more.  I certainly hope the build kit has a 165mm crankset for the X-small frames.  All Ellsworth full suspension mountain bikes use their patented Instant Center Tracking (ICT) suspension technology, supposedly the most energy-efficient suspension design in the world.  With the ICT, I felt totally comfortable and confident gliding over the rocky terrain at Bootleg Canyon on the Truth.

Another bonus from Ellsworth is their Project Pink.  For three years now, Ellsworth has offered their bikes in a very special “rose petal” anodized pink frame finish.  For every one of these Project Pink bikes purchased they donate $50 towards breast cancer research.  You definitely won’t go unnoticed on this pink beauty and you’ll be supporting a great cause!

I used to be embarrassed about riding such a little bike, people often mistook my beloved ride for a kid’s bike (I guess the handlebar streamers didn’t help).  Imagine what I thought when the guys at Yeti said, we make an Extra EXTRA Small frame that might work for me.  Phew, those are 26” mountain bike tires, I thought to myself when he brought the XX-small Yeti AS-R out.  Another thing I noticed were the assymetrical chainstays on the AS-R, designed to provide better chain clearance while maintaining strength on the non-drive side of the bike.  Built up with full XTR, I was ready to see what this bike was made of.

I originally thought the XX-small would be too small, but it handled perfectly.  I was ripping through turns and descents.  After just a few minutes, I felt as if the bike responded to what I was thinking.  Even though the Yeti AS-R has a small 14.5” frame, it doesn’t fall into the “cute” bike category, this is a serious racing machine and I didn’t even get to try the carbon version!

I rode a couple women’s specific mountain bikes from Specialized, too.  First, the Specialized Safire FSR Comp proved to be a lightweight and race-ready mountain bike.  The women’s specific geometry is evident in the Safire with the sloping top tube.  The Safire is a fast mountain bike that can take a beating.  Priced more than 3x the Safire FSR Comp is the women’s specific S-Works Era FSR Carbon.  The S-Works Era is in a league of its own, weighing only 20 lbs for the complete bike, this bike is built for the pro mountain bike racers.  I can’t think of anything negative about this bike, considering it practically pedaled itself up hills and took me for a fast, smooth ride.

Both the Safire and S-Works Era use Specialized proprietary front fork and rear shock.  I didn’t want to like it, but the Specialized Future Shock e100 on the S-Works Era was surprisingly well tuned.  Specialized also makes the handlebars, crankset, tires and saddles for their bikes.  I’m sure the technology on the Specialized componentry, shocks specifically, will get even better over time, but that makes me wonder about the fate of the Fox’s and Rock Shox’s of the world.

Every mountain bike I tested had something unique and special about them.  It’s hard not to want one of each!  If you’re looking to upgrade to your next XC mountain bike, fit is unarguably the most important consideration.  And if you’re a smaller rider like me, you’ll be overwhelmed with how many options there are now compared to just a couple years ago.  Good luck and enjoy the rides!

Just a quick shout to those who might be planning on attending Sea Otter in 2009: Online registration for campsites opens Nov 1 at 9am PST through seaotterclassic.com. You can select up to 5 campsites but all reservations require a 3 night minimum stay. Last year the resale market for campsites was pretty robust so reserve your spot early. MTB Festival campsite scalpers? Who would have thought…

In case you don’t keep up with the latest Injury Prevention Literature Updates, a recent article may be of interest:

Mountain biking is considered an extreme sport, causing not only head and neck injuries, but also injuries to every part of the body. Using standardised interview, the aim of this work was to survey the frequency of dental injuries in mountain biking, as well as the behaviour of athletes after experiencing dental trauma, depending on their intensity level. Furthermore, habits of wearing helmets and mouthguards as well as knowledge about the tooth rescue kit were investigated. A total of 423 male mountain bikers from Germany, Italy, Austria and Switzerland were surveyed for this study, including 50 juniors from Switzerland. 27 athletes (5.7%) had endured tooth accidents in mountain biking. Only 246 (52%) were aware of the fact that avulsed teeth can be replanted, and only 30 individuals knew about the tooth rescue kit (6.3%). 71.9% (n=340) were familiar with mouthguards; however, only 21 individuals (4.4%) used mouthguards while mountain biking. The results show that where mountain biking is concerned, more information about prevention is required.

I have to admit I’ve never heard of the tooth rescue kit and I don’t use a mouthguard when mountain biking. I’m also not sure what “avulsed teeth” are but they don’t sound pretty. Can anyone attest to the powers of prevention when it comes to dental injuries and mountain biking? No photos please

Yesterday the Red Bull Rampage qualifying rounds took place after a weather delay earlier in the weekend. The freeride / downhill MTB competition is being held near Virgin, UT just outside St. George - the first Red Bull Rampage since 2004. The singletracks crew was in the vicinity just a couple weeks ago and from a distance we saw some of the rock formations on course - and all I can say is sick. To give you an idea of how remote and extreme this terrain is: spectators were asked to park in a designated parking area 4 miles from the course and hike or bike to the action.

Here are a few pics from the competition, check out more up to date info on the Red Bull Rampage website.

Michael Marosi in the air. Photo by Ian Hylands.

Logan Bingelli at the top of the course. Photo by John Gibson.

Robbie Bourdon negotiates a steep rocky face. Photo by Ian Hylands.

Photos from City of Farmington

The Road Apple Rally in Farmington, New Mexico is the oldest continuous running mountain bike race in the country (and perhaps the world) and this year is the 28th anniversary. In the early days of the race the competition was actually between equestrians and mountain bikers (seriously!) but today you’ll only see mountain bikes on the trail. I wonder how they convinced the horses to ride trails alongside mountain bikes without freaking out?

More than 225 racers are expected this year including an international and star-studded field. Ned Overend will be competing this year in what he calls his “favorite ride.” That’s a pretty solid endorsement coming from the former mountain biking world champ and Durango, CO resident.

From what I’ve read the course is fast and swoopy - a real roller coast ride according to many who have raced the course. The winning time last year was 1 hour 44 minutes and over the 30 mile course that means an average speed of more than 17 mph! I have a hard enough time averaging that kind of speed on the road.

If anyone is able to make it out to the Road Apple Rally this weekend send us the pics so we can post them here!

Photo from Lifehacker
Yahoo has built a fleet of 20 custom painted Electra Townie 8 bikes equipped with solar powered cameras and GPS devices to let folks document their cities. No, this isn’t some poor man’s version of Google’s Street View or Amazon’s A9 - the idea is to focus “on innovative ways to celebrate the eccentric side of life.” Interesting.

But seriously, the whole concept is kinda cool, especially for a mountain bike trail geek like myself. We’ve built our MTB trail database to document trails in almost every way imaginable - reviews, photos, videos, and maps - so that new riders will know exactly what to expect when they ride a trail for the first time. With the Yahoo Purple Bikes most of the trail documenting features are already built into the bike itself. The cameras are rigged to take photos every 60 seconds and the GPS adds a geo-tag to each photo automatically. The geo-tagged photos are instantly uploaded to Flickr (a Yahoo company) for all the world to see.

Lifehacker has posted a guide to creating your own ‘Flickr bike’ if you’re so inclined. My own trail-documenting rig looks something like this: GPS mounted to handlebars, GoPro Helmet Camera on the helmet, and digital camera in my jersey pocket. It may not be solar powered or upload anything automatically but it gets to job done without weighing me down on the trail. Now if I could just figure out a good way to take my huge DSLR camera on the trail I’d be all set

Lance Armstrong is buying a stake in SRAM along with Lehman Brothers, according to SportsOneSource. The total Lehman investment is $200 million for 40% of the company but there’s no word on exactly how much Lance is putting up himself. Lance’s new cycling team, team Astana, uses SRAM components so it seems like a pretty good investment all around.

At Interbike we attended the press conference with Lance Armstrong and noticed 3 SRAM guys (including the president of the company) sitting a couple rows behind us, matching red SRAM shirts and all. I thought it a little strange at the time because we knew the conference was for press members only (strictly enforced). Then again I suppose a few million dollars can get you in anywhere you want

Man, if you’re a mountain biker in the southeast and you’re not on the IMBA/SORBA email list you gotta get on it. Last month’s newsletter was chock full of news and events:

• Want to be a full-time mountain bike trail care guru? IMBA is taking applications through October 3 to fill two positions in the IMBA Trail Care Crew. Cruise the country all year in the IMBA Subaru and visit some of the best trails in the US. How sweet would that be?
• Want the IMBA Trail Crew to visit your local trails to lend a hand? IMBA’s got the 411 on that as well.
• There’s a new trail called Flying Squirrel at Chicopee Woods in Gainesville that just opened late last month.
• Huntsville, AL SORBA is hosting a fat tire festival at Monte Sano Oct 4-5.
• Yellow River mountain bike festival is happening October 18.

The email has even more info, subscribe today or stay tuned here for future highlights!