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!

Next week is bike to work week and while not *officially* a mountain bike event we thought you’d want a heads up. SFGate.com published an article with commuter fashion tips from none other than Mr. Gary Fisher himself and it’s worth a read if you’re killing time waiting for the weekend to start. It seems apparel companies are getting smarter about designing clothing that works well on the bike but also looks good for work (one woman even claims it’s easier to bike in high heels than to walk in them). I wouldn’t know about that myself.

The League of American Bicyclists website has a listing of bike events around the country during the month of May (national bike month) - find your local ride and bike to work next week!

Photo by Ian Smith, Vancouver Sun

The Vancouver Sun published an article on Kelly Smith, a wheelchair athlete who won the wheelchair division at the Vancouver Sun Run 10K this weekend and his story of amazing toughness.

Kelly lost the use of his legs in a climbing accident 18 years ago but another accident just 17 months ago on a mountain bike nearly ended his wheelchair racing dreams as well. On a 7,000 foot downhill run in Hawaii, Kelly strapped his feet onto a downhill mountain bike and all was going well for the first half of the run. Feeling confident Kelly whipped around a turn and crashed, sending him and the bike flying. The crash was enough to fracture 2 bones in his elbow. His response:

I said ‘Look, we’re not getting medivac-ed out of here.’ They put a stick and a spare rubber tire around my elbow just to support it. I got back on the bike, rode the rest of the way down, taken to hospital and put in a sling cast. Then we go to a pub the next day and this guy comes up to me and goes ‘You’re the dude! You’re the dude!’ I’m like ‘What are you talking about.’ He’s like ‘I heard all about you, the crazy paralyzed guy who went mountainbiking down Haleakala Crater, broke his arm, got back on the bike and kept riding. You’re awesome!’

To make a long story short, the fractures in his elbow didn’t set properly and he had to wait some time for surgery. To a wheelchair athlete arms are everything - it’s like a sprinter breaking his leg - which makes his victory at the Vancouver Sun Run all the more amazing.

The other cool thing Kelly is promoting is able-bodied athletes competing in wheelchair races which is something I hadn’t heard of before. I’m pretty sure most wheelchair athletes could spank any one who shows up and it’s an awesome way to showcase just how truly amazing these athletes are. One to try on the mountain trike scene? Bring it on.

Markus Stockl on his way to a world MTB speed record.

Mountain bikers are always looking for new ways to push the envelope - mountain biking wouldn’t be an extreme sport if we weren’t. Here are a few MTB records we were able to uncover and a few records we’d like to see made official:

Longest jump on a mountain bike: As far as we can tell the record for the longest jump on a mountain bike is held by Jason Rennie and was set in February, 2007. Rennie was pulled up to speed by a motorcycle at 82mph and launched 133.5 feet from ramp to ramp. The bike? An off the shelf Kona - not a bad endorsement

Fastest mountain bike run: You’ve probably seen the YouTube video by now of Eric Barone’s spectacular crash in his attempt to break his own world speed record on the mountain bike (just over 100mph) but that’s old news. The CURRENT world record is held by Markus Stockl who rode 130.74mph down a 45-degree slope in Chile on an Intense M6 mountain bike. I have a feeling that record will stand for a while.

World’s longest mountain bike race: It’s the Great Divide race and it follows the route of the same name from Canada to Mexico across the Rocky Mountains. The race is held in late spring / early summer each year and covers 2,700+ miles.

Longest mountain bike wheelie: Ok, this one isn’t too official but I found a video of a guy on GuinessWorldRecords.com who claims to have ridden the longest mountain bike wheelie - 1.43 miles. This sounds impressive but not unbeatable - in fact I’m sure some of our readers could do better with a little practice. One to break this year?

If you’re looking to create your own mountain bike record, here are some we’d like to see documented:

• Most expensive mountain bike ever assembled
• Longest continuous ride (Chris Eatough or another 24 solo rider probably has a lock on this one)
• Biggest MTB landed drop (rumor has it the record is between 68 and 90 feet but we couldn’t find confirmation)
• Highest bunny hop
• Lowest MTB limbo
• Largest continuous singletrack trail network
• Most pro-level MTB race wins
• Largest MTB race

What other mountain bike records are out there?

Mountain biking has been fun but recently the singletracks crew has decided to get more serious about road cycling. Mongoose traded his DH rig for a svelte carbon-fiber Madone from Trek and element22 was recently spotted sipping an espresso at a local cafe with his Litespeed Ghisallo titanium bike leaned against the table. Bombardier has decided to change his name to LeBombardier and 2leftfeet is taking classes at the local bike shop to learn how to tweak Dura Ace components.

As for me, I’m shaving my legs once a week and working on moving all the member accounts to our new website, iluv2roadbike.com. Fortunately Wal-Mart has agreed to purchase the singletracks.com name for a new online music store they’re launching that allows you to purchase single music tracks. They offered 100 bucks which was too good a deal to pass up.

We should have all the new changes ready just in time for the Tour de France this summer so stay tuned! Oh, and happy April Fool’s Day

It’s been a while since we filled you in on the guys who are “riding the spine” on their mountain bikes - from Fairbanks, AK to Tierra del Fuego on the southern tip of South America. Actually it’s been a year and a half since our last check-in but it appears the guys are still on course and in northern Peru. If you’re a geography buff like me you know Peru is located in the northern part of South America which means the riders still have to make it across the bulk of the continent.

Even if the guys had to stop now what they’ve accomplished thus far is truly amazing. Just making it from Alaska to the continental US is a loooong and wild trek. Mexico and central America is no joke and at one point the team had to kayak from Panama to Columbia with bikes in tow. One rider, JJ, got Dengue fever Columbia - read their blog for the whole story and to catch up on their journey thus far.

The Riding the Spine adventure has been ongoing since July, 2006 so this summer will mark the 3-year anniversary of the beginning. I don’t know if any of the guys have taken off during that time but from what I’ve read it’s been a non-stop push. Definitely gives me inspiration for my own (tiny) MTB endurance challenges this year…

To say Klunkerz is “a film about mountain bikes” is a bit of an understatement, especially given that it’s racking up awards at film festivals all over the country (including “2009 Cycling Film of the Year” at the Endurance Sports Awards and the “Make Your Own Legends” award at the Boulder Adventure Film Festival). Klunkerz is THE film about mountain bikes and mountain biking, a visual history of the sport we’re all so addicted to and it really should be required viewing for anyone who calls themselves a mountain biker. I had the chance to watch the film this week for the first time and despite riding mountain bikes for the last 15 years, I still had a lot to learn…

The amazing thing about Klunkerz is the amount of footage director Billy Savage was able to dig up from the early days on Mount Tam (the birthplace of mountain biking). Consider this: the original group of guys (less than a dozen or so) were really just messing around on modified World War II era bikes on fireroads and trails in the early 1970s and had no idea they were launching a worldwide phenomenon - yet someone had the prescience to film their exploits! Savage puts the vintage film to good use and splices in commentary from the guys who were at the center of all the action - Gary Fisher, Joe Breeze, Otis Guy, and Charlie Kelly. Watching those guys fly down Mount Tam, kicking up dust and having a great time almost makes you feel like you were there.

Klunkerz also makes great use of photographs taken by Wende Cragg during the early days of mountain biking in Marin County, CA. Wende was a part of the first group that rode Mount Tam and as the first female mountain biker she has a pretty special place in history. Wende was also a photographer and we can thank her for documenting mountain bikers’ early exploits out on the trails. These days it’s fairly common for folks to take their tiny digital cameras out on the trail but Wende was way ahead of her time, lugging around her bullky SLR to get the great (and now historic) shots.

Watching Klunkerz made me realize how little I really know about mountain biking. For example, I always thought that downhill mountain biking was a relatively new development but it turns out guys were shuttling mountain bikes up to the top of Mount Tam and racing to the bottom in 1974 (the legendary Repack races). Mountain bikes were being produced in Asia fairly early on (Specialized started doing so around 1983) and by 1986 mountain bikes outsold road bikes in the US. And check this out: cyclocross was started WAY before mountain biking - yet no one thought to build or modify bikes for riding downhill.

Klunkerz also gives us wonderful insight into some of the trends we’re seeing in mountain biking today. From the film we see that some of the early mountain bikers like Gary Fisher were also pretty serious road riders but they made it a point to dress more casually on the trail than the road (jeans instead of spandex, work boots instead of flat shoes, etc.). In the late 1980s and 1990s mountain bikers started wearing road cycling clothes for the trail but today MTB fashions seem to be moving back to our roots (flanels, denim, baggy shorts & jerseys, etc.). The MTB pioneers interviewed for Klunkerz also say the original scene was very laid back and was just as much about socializing as it was about getting out and exploring the great outdoors - kinda like a cross between freeriding a ultra cross-country mountain biking.

If you’re a gear head you’ll also appreciate the detail director Savage includes about the evolution of early mountain bike hardware. From re-purposed Schwinn Excelsior bikes to custom built frames, mountain bikes quickly evolved from hack jobs to highly tuned machines and Klunkerz shows you what the early mountain bikes looked like and how they performed.

Klunkerz is one of those films you just have to see to get a full appreciation for where mountain biking has been and where it might be heading. If you’re not fortunate enough to make it out to a film festival screening you can purchase the DVD online from Amazon.com for under $23. An important addition to any mountain biker’s DVD collection - you’ll be watching this movie for years to come!

Evomo needs your help designing their next sick MTB t-shirt - and the pay ain’t half bad. The winning designer will receive $400 in cash and prizes PLUS will have their t-shirt debut at the Sea Otter Classic in April. Entries are due before Midnight, March 22, 2009 so get cracking - good design takes time you know

Brent Thomson, Trail Master at Bootleg Canyon in Nevada, passed away yesterday due to complications from his recent quadruple bypass surgery. We wrote about Brent and his struggle several weeks ago and our hearts go out to his family and the Las Vegas area MTB community. Details are pasted below and donations are still being accepted to help pay for some remaining expenses. RIP.

Las Vegas, NV -  February 18, 2009  - - Brent Thomson, Mountain Bike Industry Legend and Trail Master of Bootleg Canyon has lost his battle with complications from the Quadruple Bypass surgery he underwent in January.

While surgery went well and Brent was coherent and talking after recovery, a series of post-operative strokes took him back to the Intensive Care Unit where he eventually succumbed to complications from the surgery.

Brent’s son Barret was at his side with relatives as his condition worsened. “Brent appreciated and was aware of all of the love and support that the mountain bike industry has shown through this difficult time” said Barret. “There’s been an outpouring of emotion and support from all of his friends and the industry, and we’re making plans for a memorial event to be held at Bootleg Canyon over St. Patrick’s Day Weekend (March 14-15.)”

Barret can still use financial support as there are many loose ends to tie up. Please continue to support the cause by donating to the paypal account listed above.

Stay tuned for more information, and make plans to attend the memorial for Brent Thomson at Bootleg Canyon over the March 14-15th weekend.

Add any NEW mountain bike race or event before midnight, February 16, 2009 and get FREE Singletracks stickers, plus you’ll be automatically entered to win other great schwag.  We want to shout out to the top Singletracks users sending in the most races so far - Thanks to fastedjones, spazjensen, and element22!

You still have a chance to pass these guys up by submitting more new races/events, the top 3 contributors on February 16 will win:

First place prize: 1-year Singletracks PRO membership and set of Kenda MTB tires

Second place prize: 1-year Singletracks Training membership and Blackburn Mammoth 2-Stage pump

Third place prize: Singletracks T-shirt and NiteRider CherryBomb tail light

Adding races and events is super simple.  Check out the websites for your state’s or local mountain bike clubs and organizations for races, festivals, even trail work days.  Then come back to Singletracks and tell us the date, location, and a few other details so we can help spread the word about these great mtb events happening all over the world!  Fill out this Add an Event form with any NEW mtb event and your entry will be submitted for review and approved (if not already listed on the race calendar) within 24 hours.

When your mountain bike race or event is posted, you can RSVP for the event and let others know you’ll be there.  Plus, you can post photos and reviews of past events!

Have questions or need help adding an event?  Contact us.

I’m a big fan of mountain bike specific shorts for a lot of reasons: they’re comfortable, they look good, they fit well, they protect stuff, and they’re ultra-low maintenance. The Viper shorts from Sugoi are the perfect example of what’s great about mountain bike shorts and if you’re not already a believer, allow me to explain…

Comfort: The Sugoi Viper shorts are designed first and foremost with comfort in mind. From the integrated S.100 chamois with one piece construction and zero seams to the breathable dry wick outer material, these shorts just feel good on the bike and on the trail. Some folks may not care for an integrated liner but for me, it’s a good compromise because the liner material can be much lighter weight and breathable than typical spandex bike shorts. I hardly noticed the padding which is a good thing - not so thick that I feel like I’m wearing a diaper but thick enough that my ass wasn’t hurting after a moderate ride.

Style: The Viper shorts look cool as hell. I know, I know, you’re gonna say buying clothes based on how they look is silly but if that were true you’d be going to work covered in a burlap sack. Nope, style is at least a little important to most of us and the Viper shorts are semi-fitted giving them a sporty profile and just the right leg coverage (down to the kneecaps). Colors are neutral and sleek on the outside while the inside includes some neon details that just might surprise you (I’ve never seen a bright orange chamois before). In terms of fit you may want to consider choosing a smaller size if you’re unsure - the large shorts are a little droopy on my size 33 waist.

Fit: In my mind fit and style go hand in hand but when you’re mountain biking fit is all about managing flapping fabrics. The Sugoi Vipers have a high cut in the rear to keep your shorts from snagging your saddle nose on steep descents and are are virtually unflappable even at high speed. No need to worry about material getting sucked into your wheel or chain either - the length on the Vipers is perfect. One thing the Viper is missing is a drawstring for cinching up toward the end of a dehydrating epic ride (or epic diet).

Protecting stuff: We all have stuff to protect and the liner in the Viper shorts will secure your family jewels comfortably. The outer shorts are made from tough Nylon material that should stand up to all but the gnarliest tree snags and dirt slides. The Vipers also include four velcro-sealed pockets (two front, two back) to keep your gear secure, even on rooty and rocky trails. I actually had a hard time quickly accessing my pockets because the velcro is so tight - must be some extra strength velcro or something…

Low maintenance: Throw the Viper shorts in the wash with all your other clothes - how low maintenance is that? The shorts also include two elastic loops inside which I imagine could be used to hang them to dry after a quick rinse at the campground. Integrated liner means you won’t have to match up your shorts after every load of laundry.

Yep, the Sugoi Viper shorts make a solid foundation for any mountain biker’s trail ensemblé and are a HUGE upgrade for anyone still rocking the tight spandex or Umbro soccer shorts on the trail. Try them out and you’ll see what I mean - no need to thank me.

Photo by Sven Martin, Velonews

Rachel Atherton, was hit by a car while riding her road bike in Santa Cruz last week. Atherton dislocated her shoulder in the accident, Velonews reports:

World downhill champion Rachel Atherton of Great Britain dislocated her shoulder after colliding with a car in Santa Cruz, California, on Sunday. Atherton, who rides for Animal-Commençal, was training on her road bike with her brothers Dan and George when the accident took place.

The three had been in Santa Cruz on a training trip since January 9.

Atherton reportedly hit the car head-on, with her Cervelo road bike taking the lion’s share of the damage. The 21-year-old Atherton also suffered cuts and bruises to her face.

I always used to think a dislocated shoulder was the most glorious of bike related injuries.  I was riding with my friend, Esther, at Skeggs once where she took a nasty tumble and dislocated her shoulder.  We had to hike out about 2 miles and though I tried to keep Esther’s mind of the pain by trying to be funny, I knew it was a long and agonizing walk for her.

We made it to the closest fire station and Esther was feeling better thanks to a couple hunky firemen and a little morphine.  Must have been a good dose because she was feeling well enough for me to take a picture of her grotesque bulging arm socket (man, I wish I had a picture to insert here!).  After a few hours in and out of consciousness at the emergency room, Esther was all better and had proven she was one tough cookie!

So here’s to the tough cookies like Esther and Rachel Atherton, who can bounce back on their feet bike after a serious injury and giving us all a sense of mental and physical toughness to admire!