We’ve all dreamed about riding our mountain bikes in places that we know would get us thrown in jail… through the middle of a crowded mall being one of those places.

At this annual race in Prague, though, a lucky group of riders get to legally do just that in front of hoards of screaming fans:

Your Turn: What other urban settings do you think would be great for mountain biking?

If you’ve watched this video once, you’ve probably seen it a half-dozen times, and know how insane Danny Hart’s mud-riding skills are and how hilarious the announcers are. If you haven’t already seen this video, then you are in for a real treat:

One question in closing: “How does Danny Hart sit down with balls that big?”

Sentry Jersey

The Sentry Jersey from Dakine is a baggy t-shirt-style jersey designed for downhill mountain bikers. It features a very roomy design to accommodate bulky pads and body armor underneath. Special features include mesh panels that run down the side for excellent ventilation, an anti-bacterial fabric treatment, an eyewear chamois located on the left interior sideseam, and eye-catching sleeve graphics.

Wearing the Dakine Sentry jersey, Sentinel gloves, and Syncline shorts.

Based on my personal experience with the Sentry, this jersey breathes very well even with serious body armor on thanks to the mesh side panels and lightweight fabric. I was actually surprised at how light this jersey is, and yet somehow it still feels durable enough for shredding. It’s lightweight which makes it comfortable on a cross-country or all-mountain ride, but it does feel pretty baggy without body armor. No worries – this jersey is meant for the chairlift!

Downhilling at Crested Butte Mountain Resort in the Dakine Sentry, Sentinel, and Syncline.

I really like the subdued graphics on the Sentry – to me they’re understated but stylish, not bright and obnoxious like many DH jerseys I’ve seen. The Sentry is available in black, burgundy, and concrete (tested).

The Sentry offers an excellent blend of comfort, style, and performance. And for only $50, it’s hard to go wrong!

Sentinel Glove

Dakine’s Sentinel full-finger glove features padding on the knuckles for plenty of protection, an adjustable velcro closure, and a D30 flexible palm that features synthetic suede and a one-piece seamless construction. The two brake fingers on each hand feature silicon grip for maximum control.

The seamless palm construction completely eliminates any possible pressure points. However, the stiff d3o padding can definitely take its toll if your hands aren’t up to the challenge. The first several days I used these gloves I developed some serious blisters, but after a couple of months of use those blisters have transformed into durable callouses, and I can ride for hours without a problem. I have noticed that the uniform padding gives me more control on the trail – there’s nothing to dull the feedback from the front end, providing a very snappy, precise feel.

Despite being full-finger gloves, the Sentinels feature excellent venting and are comfortable even on cross-country rides in 80 degree heat. If the temps get much warmer than 80, though, I’ll probably be reaching for a fingerless glove.

The knuckle armor is respectably burly and has saved my knuckles from several trees that were way too close for comfort!

The only possible negative that I have to mention from my test is that the silicon grip at the ends of the index and middle fingers has started to peel away. At present, there is only about 50% of the original grip left.

The Sentinel is available in black (tested) and white.

MSRP: $40.

Many thanks to Dakine for sending out the Sentry and Sentinel for review!

The Dakine Syncline features an “all-mountain fit” with a 14.5″ inseam. It has a conveniently removable Italian-made Comp chamois, ventilated mesh lining, zippered hand pockets and leg vents, a heavyweight rib knit back stretch panel, side waist tab adjustments, polyester birdseye waistband, and a crotch gusset for an increased range of motion.

But what does all of that even mean? Nothing if it doesn’t translate into a comfortable ride out on the trail.

Out on the Trail in the Syncline

I first tested the Syncline shorts during a long day of shredding the Evolution Bike Park at Crested Butte Mountain Resort. The baggy fit easily accommodated some beefy knee pads without any catching or binding. Thanks to the removable chamois, I think you could easily wear a hip and tail bone protector under these shorts and still feel very comfortable (although I haven’t tried them with one yet). The exterior of the Syncline short is much heavier and tougher than a cross-country short (as you’d expect) since it’s built to survive a few tumbles off the bike now and again without getting shredded to pieces. I’ll admit I took a couple of spills, and the Syncline shorts thought nothing of them.

When is a pair of downhill shorts just another pair of shorts… and when is it something more?

Obviously, the Syncline is designed for the downhill aficionado, and with all of these DH-specific features and its durable build, it excels in this category.

I was surprised to discover that the Syncline performs well in a number of other applications, too.

Cross-country

Despite the fact that these shorts hit below the knee, they ride very well even on cross country rides. I guess the “all-mountain fit” lives up to its name, by keeping them from catching on the knee or saddle. There were several chilly, early-morning rides in Crested Butte when I threw the Syncline on for a little extra warmth, and they were both comfortable and toasty! Obviously, because of the heavy, durable exterior they wouldn’t be ideal for hot summertime rides, but as the temps continue to cool here in North Georgia I am looking forward to many fall rides in the Synclines,

Commuting

The cooler fall temperatures have also convinced me to start commuting to school again. As a result, my Syncline shorts have been seeing significant use as a pair of commuter shorts. They’re the perfect mix between bicycle comfort and classroom style. I don’t have to  destroy my taint on the uphill slog to campus, and I don’t have to pack an extra pair of shorts to change into before class. Dakine’s Phantom pattern (tested) is low-key enough to not draw any weird stares from my fellow English students. Want to sport a different style? The Synclines are available in 5 different colors.

Bottom Line

From the big hit bike to the carbon hardtail to the commuter, the Syncline shorts provide stellar performance and classy style!

MSRP: $135.

Many thanks to Dakine for providing the Syncline shorts for review.

2010 was a big year for me. After a little soul searching I decided I would like to work in the bike industry. It seems like a natural progression given my lifelong passion for bikes and past work experience. I found a job in Vancouver, B.C., packed up my truck and drove across the continent. Over the past year I’ve made many new friends and had some amazing rides. Here’s a 27 minute video documenting some of my favorite rides of the year. I hope you enjoy it and that it inspires you to get out and spin those cranks!

Cheers,

Bob_the_Builder

Today’s fastest MTB racers are choosing increasingly wider handlebars in an effort to improve leverage and control. Gravity racers are also demanding low rise or flat bars which allow the rider to get into a low, powerful position. Syncros understands this and offers the FR 31 bar for extreme riders looking for maximum width and minimum rise.

If you look around the pits at a DH race, you’ll find that most racers run bars 710-785mm wide with 0-1” of rise. These days most DH race bikes are equipped with either the Chromag Fubar OSX, Raceface Atlas, Sunline V1 or Truvative BooBar handlebars bolted to the front end. Syncros aims take some market share from these 4 companies with the FR 31 handlebar. At 315 grams these bars are around 10% heavier than the competition but at just $66.95 MSRP, the FR 31 is $20-50 less expensive than the others.

Looking at the bars, the first thing that strikes you is the width. At 790mm (31 inches), this is the widest bar on the market which translates into unparalleled leverage and control. Every rider I talk to who has switched to wide bars likes the extra control and refuses to go back to narrower bars. Of course if you just can’t get used to that much leverage or if you regularly ride trails with really closely spaced trees, you can always cut the bars to size.

The Ride

There’s a reason why all the top racers are running wide bars like these. It took me about an hour of ride time to get used to the FR 31 bars but after that I was launching jumps higher, pinning corners faster, pumping rollers better, pedaling harder, and rolling through rough terrain more easily.

No matter the terrain, your bike will feel more stable with these ultra wide bars. The width, rise, and sweep combine to put your hands in an ideal riding position which allows you to exert more power on the bars. In particular, the low rise puts you into a streamlined, race-ready position. I tested in black/grunge black bar, which drew some compliments, especially when paired with the matching Crux pedals.

The Verdict

The Syncros FR 31 bars are a perfect choice if you are a new school rider looking for more control overall and I wholeheartedly recommend them.

Similar Products Tested:

- Sunline V1
- Truvative Team DH/XC
- Truvative Holzfeller
- Truvative Hussefelt
- 2007 Raceface DH

Thanks to Syncros for supplying the FR 31 bar for testing

About Syncros

Syncros started operating out of a Vancouver bike shop in the 1980’s, producing parts that could withstand the pounding dished out by riders on the nearby North Shore Mountains. Syncros was bought by Ritchey in 2003 and today produces high end components built tough enough to withstand the most difficult trails while maintaining competitive weights and prices.

There’s a new documentary film out about mountain biking women and judging by the previews it looks to be as adrenaline packed as any MTB film we’ve seen. Of course, this movie isn’t just about women who ride bikes – it’s about women who ride downhill, DJ, and freeride specifically. A Seattle Times film reviewer gives the movie two and a half stars out of four which ain’t bad.

The film is showing in Seattle this week and you can buy the DVD through the Bones Over Metal website for $24.95 right now. Anyone seen this one yet and care to share a review? Trailer embedded below.

Lots of mountain biking news to share this morning.

Kona Naming Contest: A couple weeks ago we told you about the contest to name Kona’s new Magic Link all-mountain bike and one of our readers is a finalist in the contest! Denis suggested “Tanuki” which is “a Japanese raccoon like dog or badger with monster nuts” who, according to legend, is a master of shape shifting and disguise. Whatever, all we know is it sounds cool and we want to see Denis win. Head over to the Kona site and vote Tanuki up…

VHoldR Intros ContourHD Helmet Cam: The helmet cam market is heating up with the introduction of the world’s first HD helmet camera from VHoldR. The camera is said to capture 30 frames per second in full high-def quality or a rockin’ 60 frames per second in standard definition and sports a 135 degree wide angle lens to take in all the action. Pricing is reasonable too – just $299 – look for the Contour HD in stores and online starting next month!

Downhill Camp Held in Lousã, Portugal: This press release came to us in Portugese but the pictures speak a thousand (English) words. Ten riders attended the Team Berg Cycles camp April 8-11 and learned to tackle the toughest jumps and obstacles over dozens of  downhill runs. My favorite part of the camp: the riders trained using spinning bikes (see photo below). Most cross country riders view downhillers as too lazy to ride uphill but this camp shows it takes endurance no matter which direction you ride.

If you’re developing cabin fever while trying to stay in mountain biking shape this winter, you can also be preparing your 2009 race plans. If you have never tried a mountain bike race, find a race and you just might surprise yourself with how fun and rewarding it can be. For inspiration, let’s take a peek into the life of Unreal Cycles sponsored racer, Matt Adams. Matt shared with us his passion for riding bikes, his training regimen, and his 2009 racing schedule:

“Over the past seven years I have spent countless hours aboard my bicycle. My two wheeled companion has given me way to escape the trials of day-to-day life, a way to lose myself in another world.

My Unreal Junior has become a close companion. Downhill, dirt jumps, street, or slalom, the Junior loves it all. It has helped to make my training a joyful experience.

I ride a minimum of four days a week, more if I can help it. The typical day involves racing cars down the suburban streets in my hometown of Pacifica, California. Then hitting the dirt jumps or downhill trails, depending on my mood: keeping it fun is important. At least three of these ride days are followed by a second grueling upper or full body workout. I have found jiu-jitsu to be an excellent addition to my training regime. Twice a week I hit the mats for 3 1/2 hours. The core workout is intense. Sit-ups, leg lifts, pushups, pull ups, bench press and curls are a daily must as well.

In 2009 I will be focusing on racing on the west coast. I’ll be hitting some of the local Sandhill Ranch series, the Sea Otter Classic, some North Star races, and the Southridge Classic in Fontana come November. I will also be doing several of the CCCX races in Monterey. Also in 2009 I will be helping instruct at a local XC camp, and doing a 24 hour race in July.”

We’re wishing Matt the best of luck in his upcoming races. This spring, we’ll be testing an Unreal frame similar to Matt’s, so stay tuned for more about this unique build from Unreal Cycles.

A race schedule like Matt’s may seem daunting to most of us, but to reiterate his own words,”keeping it fun is important.” So what are you waiting for? Whether it’s entering your first mountain bike race or testing your endurance in a 24 hour race, just get out there and have fun!