OK, so I actually had a dream about this just a couple days ago before I even heard about the contest so I’m pretty sure I’m going to win. Go ahead and enter if you like but I’m just warning you: it’s my destiny

Seriously though, the contest runs through December 2, 2009 and all you have to do is become a fan of Clear2Go on Facebook and fill out an online entry form to enter the sweepstakes. You can even “earn” more entries by posting photos to the Facebook page. The press release I got mentioned the ride would take place in Austin but didn’t say what kind of bikes we’d be riding. When I win I’m hitting the mountain bike trail with Lance (Walnut Creek sounds like a good one) just like in my dream.

Here’s a brief description of the contest:

Lance Armstrong partnered with Clear2Go™ this past year to help design a water bottle that would be conducive to cycling and other endurance sports and wanted to give his fans the opportunity to not only test out the bottle but take a personal bike ride with him. Lance is an advocate for living a greener lifestyle and is fully supportive of this sweepstakes.

Who knew Lance was a product designer?

VholdR.com is holding a mountain bike video contest through November 30 and there are some pretty sick prizes up for grabs. It’s simple to enter: just upload your mountain biking related video to VholdR.com and tag it ‘mtb.’ VholdR members can rate videos on the site and the top 5 video producers will walk away with the loot. Of course there’s even a video explaining the contest itself - ain’t technology great?

Prize details from VholdR:

Winners of this contest will receive cool stuff from Diamondback and Avenir, as well as the usual mount, battery, or store credit from us.

1st: Diamondback Drifter1 Beach Cruiser
2nd: Avenir Cargo Trailer
3rd: Avenir Home Mechanic Tool Kit
4th: Avenir Torque Wrench
5th: Avenir Handler Pro II Floor Pump

The submission deadline for this challenge is Nov. 30th.

We’re pulling for you maddslacker, make us proud with your shiny new Contour HD camera!

Cool opportunity to help get a high school mountain biking league going in Colorado. Details below from IMBA.

Help Bring a High School Mountain Bike League to Colorado!

You may have heard about the incredible success that the Norcal and Socal high school mountain biking leagues have enjoyed in California.

We now have a chance to launch the Colorado version — high-quality racing and a comprehensive bicycle education program designed for young riders. We are asking for your help to make the Colorado High School Mountain Bike Racing League a reality.

How can you get involved? Start with three simple steps:

1. Learn about the successes of the sister programs in California by watching this short video clip.
2. Forward this message to your riding friends, club members, cycling parents and anyone who might want to get involved.
3. Let us know if you’d be interested in attending a gathering (or hosting one) for like-minded supporters to help build momentum in your part of the state.

Our goal is to raise enough interest and support to launch the Colorado High School League in the fall of 2010. With your help, we can do it!

This summer Garmin sponsored a series of events in the UK where mountain bikers got the chance to try out the company’s hot GPS units. Riders competed in timed events that tested route planning and orienteering skills for a chance to win a spot in the Garmin MTB Academy. The “Academy” is basically a weekend of riding with UK downhill legend Steve Peat which is definitely cooler than Police Academy or any other academy I can think of. Other top prizes included a Commencal Super 4.1 bike and Garmin Edge 705 GPS units.

No word yet if this event series will be extended to the US or Canada. In the UK orienteering is actually considered a “sport” by some and orienteering competitions aren’t unusual. Judging by the photos on the first page that comes up for “orienteering competition” on Google this might not be a group that embraces the latest and greatest technology like GPS… (screen shot)

Looks like a blast to me!

A little while back I wrote a review on Mavic’s Crossline wheel set which was and still is a great set of wheels. But I recently got a chance to ride with the Crossline’s big brother, the Mavic Crossmax SX, and the experience left me impressed. Now don’t think the big brother is larger or heavier than its sibling; in fact the Crossmax SX set weighs 300 grams less!

The 2009 Crossmax SX wheel set has a completely redesigned rear hub that drops 165 grams of weight and makes use of the same ITS-4 (instant transfer system 4) pawl cassette engagement found in the Crossline set. This means that 2 pawls are in engagement at all times and each pawl is separately sprung. The hubs’ look has also been updated and sport a white finish which fits nicely with the awesome white graphics on the rims.

Mavic has always been known for great looking, high performance wheels and this year they’re keeping the pedal to the metal. The 2009 Crossmax SX wheels sport a new gray anodized finish and fresh white graphics - but don’t think these rims are all style without any substance. After the rim is shot peened it is put through a chemical anodization process which adds a very tough micro hardness exterior layer to increase the life and durability of the wheel. While forming and shaping the rim, Mavic welds and machines everything flat in a process called SUP for extra precision. Mavic is also able to save weight through their inter spoke milling process using a CNC machine to remove excess material between each spoke.

The Crossmax SX wheels roll with 24 straight pull Zicral spokes (aluminum) compared to 28 steel spokes on the Crosslines. The front axle is available in a 20mm configuration only while the rear can either be a 12×135 through axle  or 9×135 QR. The Mavic Crossmax SX wheels seem to fit best on bikes with 140 - 160mm travel and tires that are 2.3 - 2.5″ wide.

Mavic Crossmax SX wheels are UST meaning they can used with tubeless tires. Looking at the inside of the rim there are no protruding spoke holes and therefore nowhere for air to leak. The rim also has a drop center that provides a small channel for air to inflate a UST tire and force the tire over safety ridges to hold the air-tight beads in place. Mavic even created a special manufacturing process called FORE to fit the special Mavic M7 spoke nipple which makes the wheel much stiffer and more fatigue resistant.

It took me very little time to get the Mavic Crossmax SX wheels up and running. Seeing that these are tubeless I grabbed a set of  tires that I happened to have around and got to work. Installing a UST tire is pretty much the same as a tubed tire, just use soapy water and wet the sidewalls of the tire before inflating (it really helps popping the tire is place with less pressure).

On the trails I really felt the difference the wheels made right away, especially when comparing the Crossmax SX running UST tires vs. Crossline wheels with tubes. Right off the bat I lost a total of  630grams (or  1.38 pounds) of rotational mass after making the switch. The coolest part: there is zero strength lost and the Crossmax SX wheels feel super stiff. That stiffness gives the rider greater freedom to change lines more quickly and with less effort while tracking oh so well in tight berms. I had an awesome time on the trails smashing my way down slopes with a much greater degree of control and freedom than I had before.

These wheels are also incredibly efficient in acceleration. Remember these are not DH wheels and they’re not meant for very big hits or fast descents through rock gardens. But after a good thrashing I must say these wheels held up great, though I did have to use the M7 truing key (supplied with the wheels) to take out a small wow on the rim after encountering a rather large log. Speaking of tools, Mavic supplies you with everything you need to service these wheels including an M7 truing key, 12 and 9mm frame supports, rear QR, and a bearing adjustment tool. They even toss in the UST valves if that’s the way you want to go.

At $899.00 USD ($1340.00 CDN) these are not cheap wheels but if look carefully you may find them for a lower price. Ultimately these wheels are worth a few extra bucks because they hold up to abuse and won’t hassle you with any worries or problems on the trail.

Cheers.

A quick thanks to the folks at OGC for the Mavic wheels and of course Opus for a stable and reliable bike to do my testing with.

photo: 10K trail running race on the 1996 Olympic MTB course, sponsored by Dirty Spokes

A lot of people ask me why I run so much - usually 3-4 days a week - and I always tell them it’s to make me a better mountain biker. The truth is my schedule doesn’t always allow me to get the time I need in the saddle and running is a pretty good way to build and maintain endurance for mountain biking.

Over the past few years I’ve been getting into trail running and I gotta say it’s about as close as you can get to mountain biking without the wheels. At a recent MTB trail work day one of the volunteer leaders mentioned that trail runners and mountain bikers typically travel trails at the same speed (on average) which I never thought about before. Of course mountain bikers do the passing on the descents while the trail runners can often pass mountain bikers going up

When I lived in North Carolina there were a ton of trails near my house but very few of them allowed mountain bikes. Instead of hiking to explore the local trails (slow and boring) I ran ‘em. I even found that after trail running a local MTB trail I knew the trail much better than if I had only biked there. That knowledge came in handy the next time I was out on my bike as I was bombing through familiar turns and bouncing over rocks and roots that I knew like the back of my hand. Trail running is also a good MTB substitute on days when the trails are too wet for riding.

Many of the mountain bikers I know got into the sport because of bone or joint problems that prevented them from other forms of exercise like running. Mountain biking is certainly low impact but it turns out trail running is pretty low impact as well. By avoiding the pavement and sticking to soft dirt, trail runners minimize much of the pounding associated with road running. If you’ve had to stop running due to joint issues you may want to try a short jog at the local MTB trail to see if that works for you.

For those who haven’t tried trail running before, here’s a good chance to give it a go: August 22 is National Trail Running Day. Hit up trailrunningday.org to find an event near you or head over to SeriousRunning.com (one of our sister sites) to find and review running trails. While trail running will never compare to mountain biking for me, it’s definitely a good way to stay in shape and a fun way to explore trails closed to bikes.

So yesterday I didn’t get a chance to post on the blog and it was the first time in months, if not years, that we missed a weekday post. I left the house early yesterday morning intending to post in the afternoon after my ride at the IMBA Epic Bull Mountain trails but barely made it back after getting severely exhausted and dehydrated. Here are a few lessons I learned (and re-learned) during my ordeal.

Avoiding Dehydration, Heat Stress, and Exhaustion

1. Don’t ride alone, especially when you’re tackling a challenging route. Riding alone is never a good idea but it’s even worse when you’re heading to a remote trail system. In 4.5 hours on the trail I didn’t see a single person and if I had collapsed it would have been a long time before anyone found me. I did let mudhunny know where I was going ahead of time so at least the rescuers would know where to start looking for me. Still, riding for hours at Bull Mountain alone was stupid.

2. Do your homework before hitting the trail. I had a vague idea about which trails I wanted to ride but I didn’t research all of them ahead of time. The book I brought with me was published 12 years ago - clearly out of date - and I didn’t even know how far I’d be riding by stringing several loops together.

3. Bring plenty of water - then bring some more. I filled my 100 oz. Camelbak for the ride and honestly at the beginning I wanted to pour some out because the thing was so heavy. I ran out of water around mile 16 which was a really bad feeling, especially since I knew I was miles away from my car. If you can’t carry all the water you need, plan your route with water stops in mind (convenience stores, spigots, or even loop back to your car for a refill).

While we’re on the subject of water, here’s a survival tip I learned in the Boy Scouts: don’t conserve. It turns out that plenty of people have been found dead due to dehydration with water still in their canteens. Drink all your water until it’s gone and you have a better chance of making it home.

4. Know your limits. This is a tough one to admit but clearly I didn’t understand my own fitness limitations yesterday. I rode 22 miles with about 3,500 feet of climbing which would have been a cinch when I was training for my metric century but clearly I’m not in that kind of shape at this point. Add in the hot and humid weather and I really wasn’t prepared for such a long ride.

5. Know your equipment. Fortunately I didn’t have any mechanical issues yesterday but I was riding an unfamiliar bike which may have contributed to my exhaustion. Make sure you get a few “check rides” in on a new bike before heading out on an epic adventure so you know what to expect in terms of comfort, weight, performance, etc.

What To Do When You’re In Trouble

Even if you do follow all these tips you may still find yourself in a dangerous situation on the trail, whether it be due to heat stress, dehydration, exhaustion - or all three. Here are a few ways I’ve found to cope.

1. Stay calm. A positive mental attitude is the most important thing to bring with you. Tell yourself that you’re going to make it and you will. Sing a song, repeat a mantra - whatever it takes to keep yourself focused and moving forward.

2. Conserve your energy at the first signs of exhaustion. Taking the climbs easy will help you regulate your body temperature while coasting the downhills will result in a nice breeze. Drink water frequently if you still have some left to help with leg cramps. Stop to rest in shady spots so you can push through exposed areas.

3. Change your riding position frequently. Hop off the bike and walk a bit to stretch your back; straddle your top tube while coasting to stretch your thighs; adjust your Camelbak shoulder straps tightly on climbs and loosen them on descents to take strain off your shoulders.

4. Back track if possible. When you’re tired the last thing you want to do is get lost so try to return the way you came, especially if it’s the shortest route back. Also a GPS can help you find a shortcut or at least keep you on the right track. I got lucky yesterday and took a wrong turn that ended up saving me a couple miles on the return trip - but I won’t count on that happening again!

5. Drink whatever you can. Back in high school I had a friend who became severely dehydrated on a bike ride, so much so that he was delirious and barely able to walk. None of us had any water to offer and with miles to go to the car we filled our friend’s water bottle from a nearby creek. The water revived him enough to get back safely - though several hours later he got sick from the water. Fortunately by then he was in the hospital where they were able to treat him for dehydration and his stomach problems. If we hadn’t given him any water who knows if he would have made it to the hospital at all…

It started raining toward the end of my ride yesterday and I was able to catch a few drops in my mouth that really kept me going. Those few drops probably didn’t hydrate me much but the relief from dry mouth was a big psychological boost.

Bottom Line

Fortunately my story has a happy ending and I made it back without requiring medical intervention but it could have easily ended badly. Let’s all try to be safe on the mountain bike trail this summer…

Talk about sweet, this helmet rocks! All I can say about the THE ONE Ink helmet ($199 MSRP) is that it’s absolutely stunning - photos just don’t do this one justice. When I received my medium Ink helmet and pulled it out of the box I was astonished at how cool the vintage tattoo art looks in person. And then of course I started to think about how jealous all my riding buds were going to be when I rolled up to the trailhead.  Besides looking cool, this helmet is feature-rich and includes a second visor and a decent quality bag right out of the box.

THE ONE Ink is a composite helmet designed for Freeriding, DH and BMX but in fact this helmet could be used for almost any action sport. Designed with the rider in mind, THE took feedback from top riders such as Bryn Atkinson to perfect some of the key features shared by all THE Helmets while exceeding CPSC and CE standards. Attention to detail is evident in this helmet from the graphics to the quality of materials to the performance on the trail.

One really nice feature of the Ink helmet is the removable, washable liner. Even the liner itself is covered in hot graphics but more importantly this liner is anatomically shaped. When I put the helmet on I immediately noticed the lack of pressure points on my head. Instead, this helmet applies mild pressure equally around the head which gives it a very comfortable fit.

Speaking of fit: Once the helmet is strapped on there is virtually zero movement, even when riding washboard trails. For a DH rider this is super important since you don’t want anything distracting you on your run. The chin strap features a stainless steel double D ring which will stand up to a ton of abuse compared to some of the plastic clips on the market which is also important if (when) you collide. The last thing anyone wants is their helmet to fly off while bouncing on the dirt!

Now I’m sure more than one person is asking right about now “how well does it breathe”? Well, taking the INK out on the slopes and the trails I have to say this helmet provides sufficient air flow, especially compared to other full face helmets I’ve used. Even when wearing goggles there was adequate cooling, thanks in large part to 4 internal air channels and 15 exterior vents.

As far as weight, I found this helmet lighter than most other brands, which is a key feature for many riders out there. Other helmets I’ve tested tend to give me a slight kink in the neck due to the extra mass I am carrying, but for some reason I didn’t get that with the INK. Perhaps this is due to the lighter weight or the fact that the helmet didn’t move around - either way I’m stoked!

After a few hard days on the slopes and trails with the THE INK I have to say I truly love the performance of this helmet and would not hesitate recommending  this to anyone who wants a full face helmet with superior fit and venting. This Helmet is a premium choice for anyone looking to make a statement on the trails while protecting their noggin comfortably. Just make sure to try before you buy - some head shapes may differ and fit is what it’s all about when choosing a helmet. You know what they say - if THE helmet fits … buy it!

Cheers.

Specifications from THE industries:

• Helmet comes with 2 Visors
• 15 exterior vents and 4 interior vent channels in the dual EPS Liner
• Stainless Steel D-rings and custom THE Rivets
• Exceeds CPSC and CE standards
• Multiple patents pending
• THE ONE Composite Helmet Weight: 41oz Adult Medium

This week’s MTB news round up has a decidely “happy” flavor to it and with Independence Day coming up, what more could you ask for?

Lost mountain biker rescued. On Sunday a 58-year-old mountain biker became lost on Bummer Peak (seriously) near Lake Sonoma in California. Fortunately the only bummer was that he rode to the top of Bummer Peak and didn’t get to ride down - a rescue chopper took him to safety instead. No word on if he had to leave his bike or if it made the trip in the helicopter but the good news is he was able to get a cell phone signal to call 911. Guess his phone didn’t have GPS…

New trails proposed at Mount St. Mary’s University. Don’t feel bad if you haven’t heard of Mt. St. Mary’s University (MSMU) yet - it’s a small Catholic school in Emmitsburg, MD with a freshman class of about 400 students. Although you may not know the school, you’ve probably heard of Marla Streb, champion downhill racer and MSMU graduate. Marla is working with the school to design and build a network of 12 miles of biking and jogging trails on the campus which may one day connect to land owned by the town of Emmitsburg. Streb has a master’s degree in Environmental Science so she knows a thing or two about designing sustainable trails - we can’t wait to see what MSMU comes up with!

Legally blind mountain biker continues to shred. You’ve probably heard about Bobby McMullen, the blind downhill rider who was profiled in a recent documentary but Tommy Kinkle could probably give him a run for his money on the trail. Kinkle has just 5% vision in one eye and can’t drive anymore but get him on a mountain bike and just try to keep up! As a kid Kinkle was a sponsored BMX and skateboard rider and he hasn’t let his disability slow him down one bit. Read the article and get inspired!

No, unfortunately this isn’t a joke. The first ever World Indoor MTB Championships were actually held over the weekend in the UK and featured top riders including Gee Atherton and Greg Minnaar, the eventual winner. If your head is filled with visions of guys screaming around an indoor course like the one found at Ray’s Indoor MTB Park, think again. While racers pedaled real bikes, the course was completely “virtual” in the sense that it was computer simulated and the bikes were stationary. And what the heck are these guys doing riding inside - it’s June for crap’s sake!

I suppose the Brits have a different idea of an exciting sporting event because the Indoor MTB Championship will be televised on Sky Sports next month. Right… I’m sure millions will tune in to see a race that happened a month ago where the athletes ride in place. I already get that show for free at the gym.

The only cool thing I can say about this idea is that it makes it possible to bring mountain bike competitions pretty much anywhere in a spectator friendly format (that is, if the spectators aren’t bored after just a few minutes). Then again I think I’d still rather drive to the mountains for a few seconds of watching riders blast past me.

Yesterday a new online MTB retailer opened its virtual doors at HuckNRoll.com. The new site carries mountain bike gear ONLY which is pretty rare, even among online retailers. Since the site is MTB-only that means you (should) get great customer service and tech help via the online chat function. The guys at Backcountry.com are behind this one so you know it’s gonna be high Q.

To celebrate the launch, HuckNRoll is giving away a huge prize package that includes an Intense Cycles Tracer VP Mountain Bike Frame. All you gotta do is watch the video below and ID all 15 riders in order to toss your name in the hat. Huck ‘n Roll.

Psssst… For those of you who like to be prepared with extra clothing for the ride but don’t want the added bulk and weight have I got a sweet product for you: The Gore Countdown Jacket ($249.00 MSRP). Made from GORE-TEX Paclite, this jacket folds up to near nothingness - perfect to fit in the main compartment of your hydration pack - and is extremely lightweight. When the weather is not cooperating this jacket is perfect for keeping out the cold wind and even light rain.

On the trails or on the street this jacket works well at stopping the wind while at the same time feeling breathable and light. I don’t know about you but I’ve noticed many other waterproof  jackets don’t breath or stretch well but the Gore Countdown excels at both. Even when riding along at a slow pace and generating lots of body heat this jacket controls the humidity without trapping in body moisture.

What I really like about the jacket is its comfortable fit, both in the riding position and walking around. In the riding position the long back folds out and covers your back side so there’s no gap to where your shorts begin.  I’ve also been using my GORE Countdown while jogging (yuck, I know) where it works well even off the bike. GORE incorporates reflective piping instead of tape strips so you get 360 degrees of reflection without the geeky stripes that other jackets sport. Great for being seen at night, and at the same time a great looking jacket that can be worn around town.

From the Gore website here are the details:

• GORE-TEX® Paclite® Shell
• “GORE-TEX® stretch inserts on front, back and arms for maximum comfort”
• Slim fit
• Adjustable collar with easy-to-operate cord stopper for one-handed use
• Velcro fastening for separate hood
• Long back
• Hem-width adjustable by easy-to-use covered cord stoppers and elastic draw-cord
• Adjustable cuff
• Zip tags for easy handling
• Zip-underflap and zip-port
• “Reflective piping on front, back and sleeves”
• Reflective logo on front
• Reflective logo on collar
• Zip stow-away pocket in back

One thing that really makes the Countdown stand out is the quality of workmanship. Not one stitch was out of place on my jacket and not one stitch was not covered with the protective under tape that seals the jacket and adds to the weatherproofing. There are no front pockets on the Countdown which at first seemed odd but then I got it! In the riding position if you had a front pocket whatever is in there would dangle around plus there would be another zipper and a possible place for wind / water to enter.  The rear pocket is dead center in the middle which also seemed a bit weird at first but I realized this is so there is less chance your pocket items will shift to the side and distract you from your riding. Pretty smart.

Overall I think the Gore Countdown is a great purchase for anyone who rides in shifting weather conditions. The jacket is avaliable in 4 color choices - red/black, yellow/black, blue/black, and all black - with many sizes to fit most of us. The jacket shown above is an XL and I am 190lb, 5′9″ and it fits perfect. If you have the need for a jacket during those nasty days and want something compact that you can fit in your Camelbak, look no further than the Gore Countdown!