Imagine my surprise when when a local bike shop employee sent me an e-mail informing me their Specialized sales rep had left a pair of new Specialized 29er tires for me to review.  Sweet!  I went to pick them up and was stoked to see the newly redesigned Fast Trak and the new Ground Control, both in the Control version and 2Bliss Ready.

Specialized got into the bike business with tires, and recently they felt like they had fallen behind some of their competitors.  To up their game they went back to the drawing board on some of the tires and started using Finite Element Analysis (FEA) as part of the design process.  FEA allows the tire to be modeled on a computer and run through virtual tests, which is much faster and cheaper than producing tires to test, and it means the first prototypes that are manufactured are further along in the design process already.  The new Fast Trak and Ground Control are the first two mountain bike tires that use FEA in the design process.  The Ground Control was produced a long time ago, but the new tire shares nothing with the old other than the name.

FEA allows engineers to get a good idea of how a tread block will react under load before any prototypes are produced.  Photo: Specialized

Fast Trak

-Size: 29×2.0 (also available in 29×2.2, 26×1.8, 26×2.0, and 26×2.2)
-MSRP:  $50-$55
-Bead: Foldable
-Casing:  2Bliss Ready
-Claimed Weight: 630g
-Actual Weight: 560g – No, that’s not a typo, my tire came in considerably lighter than the claimed weight.

Specialized says the redesigned Fast Trak has more grip and less rolling resistance than the old version.  The tread pattern has been completely redone, and the tread blocks are now sipped – meaning they have a small groove on the surface.  I had the old version on both ends of my geared bike, so I’m pretty familiar with it.  I can say without a doubt that this new tire is worlds better than the old – and I liked the old version already!  The casing is much more supple and smoother rolling. It eats up little bumps and irregularities a lot better, leading to more stable cornering and higher cornering speeds.  I actually had to increase my air pressure a few psi because the casing is so supple – it felt a little too squishy at the same pressure I used the old version at.  Still, even with a few more pounds it rolled smoother and faster.

The Fast Trak tire I received was a final prototype version, identical to production tires except for this cool prototype decal on the sidewall.

Generally when a tire loses rolling resistance it loses grip as well, but this isn’t the case with the Fast Trak.  It grips better in the corners, under power, and while braking.  In true hardpack conditions it’s a fantastic tire, and in loose conditions it’s much better than you would expect with such small knobs.  The sipping on the tread blocks (something the old version didn’t have) is certainly part of the reason for the increased grip.  I didn’t think it could really make much difference, but it does.  The sipping basically gives you two biting edges on one knob.  To feel it yourself you can press a finger on one of the knobs and try to slide it off – you can feel the sipped edge roll up and dig into your finger.  Cool stuff.

Fast Trak tread design.  Nearly continuous center tread for low rolling resistance and larger siped shoulder knobs to bite in the corners.  The round profile means you can really lean on this tire.

The Fast Trak now rolls almost as fast as the Renegade, but has much more grip.  Because of this I would say the Fast Trak is a much better tire for most riders than is the Renegade.  But if you want the ultimate in low rolling resistance, but still want semi-sure-footed cornering, put a new Fast Trak on the front and the Renegade on the back.  I’ll be trying this set up eventually, but with all the leaf litter on our trails this time of year I need something more aggressive on the front.  But as a rear tire it works great, even with all the leaves down.

Ground Control

-Size: 29×2.1 (also available in 29×1.9, 26×1.9, 26×2.1, and 26×2.3)
-MSRP:  $50-$55
-Bead: Foldable
-Casing:  2Bliss Ready
-Claimed Weight: 670g
-Actual Weight: 630g – Again, not a typo – both of these tires came in lower than the claimed weight.  And yes, the scale is accurate.

The Ground Control is a different animal than the Fast Trak.  While Specialized classifies the Fast Trak as a “Competitive XC” tire, the Ground Control is classified as an “XC Trail” tire.  The Ground Control has larger squarish knobs with plenty of spacing between them.  Like the Fast Trak the tread blocks are siped for improved grip.  Specialized claims the Ground Control has more grip than a Captain and has about 20% less rolling resistance thanks to the more advanced casing and tread design.

The Ground Control rolls much better than the widely spaced square knobs would lead you to believe.  And it has a more square shaped profile than the Fast Trak.

Once again, it looks like all the money Specialized put into the R&D for this tire paid off.  Just by appearance I could tell these tires would grip pretty well – and they do.  The Ground Controls grip even better than I expected and seem to at least match the Captains for cornering grip in most conditions.  The Captain does grip a little better in really loose conditions however.

What surprised me was just how fast the Ground Control rolls, because it doesn’t look like a fast rolling tire. I put the Ground Control on the front of my single speed, which has the very fast rolling Renegade on the back, and was blown away by the rolling speed.  Topping a climb it felt like the bike was getting pulled down the next hill faster than normal, and motoring across the flats I felt like the tire wanted to just keep rolling forever.

Close-up of the Ground Control tread.  The siping on the tread blocks seem to make a big difference in grip.

Verdict

Specialized hit the mark with both of these tires.  The redesigned Fast Trak is better than the previous version in every way and the Ground Control has a ton of grip for as little rolling resistance as it has.  I do wish Specialized would make a wider version, either a 2.3 or 2.4 would be great.   It’s strange that the XC racing-oriented Fast Trak comes in a wider width than the Trail oriented Ground Control, for 29ers at least.  I used both tires tubeless with Stans sealant and no issues at all.  So who are these tires for?

If you value grip over speed, but don’t want something that rolls like a square, and don’t need a big tire – try the Ground Control.

If you value speed over grip, but want more grip than a near semi-slick like the Renegade – try the new Fast Trak.

Special thanks to Specialized for providing the tires for review.  Get all the details on the Fast Trak here, and Ground Control here.

Water bottles and cages have been around pretty much as long as bikes themselves.  You’d think someone would have perfected them by now…yet, there are still cages that can’t keep a bottle secure and bottles that stink and make water taste like donkey sweat.  Thankfully Specialized has a few products that address these issues.

Purist WaterGate Bottle

It’s hard to get excited about a water bottle, until you use one that is really good.  And the Purist bottle is really good.  The bottle is infused with silicon dioxide, which forms a barrier between the plastic bottle and your liquid of choice.  What that means is your drink tastes like, well, just your drink.  Not your drink with plastic in it, or your drink with whatever was in the bottle last time it was used.  It also makes the bottle easy to clean and mold resistant.  Since the silicon dioxide is infused in the plastic in the molding process rather a coating applied to the inside, it wont flake off over time.  The bottle itself is really flexible and easy to squeeze, more so than any other bottle I’ve ever used.  The bottle is available in 22oz ($11) and 26oz ($12) sizes.

Close up of the WaterGate valve.  It works like magic.

The good doesn’t stop there.  Instead of a traditional bottle cap it’s got a WaterGate diaphragm type self sealing valve cap.  You pull the valve up to put it in the ‘ready’ position.  Then either squeeze the bottle or suck on the cap to open the diaphragm and get things flowing – and it will flow a lot of fluid.  You don’t have to bite on the valve, you don’t even have to touch it – just squeeze the bottle.  Oh, and the valve won’t leak unless you squeeze the bottle.  So you can leave it in the ‘ready’ position all the time without worrying about spilling any.  No more fumbling with trying to pull the cap out to get a swig.  The valve is removable for easy cleaning.

The cap doesn’t leak even if the bottle is laying on its side or turned upside down…until you give it a squeeze.

Any downsides?  They’re a little taller than normal bottles, so on one of my bikes when the 26oz is put in the seat tube bottle cage the cap hits the top tube.  And if the bottle is really full and you hit a bump hard enough a little bit of fluid might come out of the cap if it’s in the ready position – but only if the bottle is really full.

Rib Cage and Zee Cage

The Rib Cage ($20) is a traditional “top loading” bottle cage.  It’s made of reinforced plastic and weighs only 36g.  If you have more money than sense Specialized is happy to offer a carbon version that weighs less than 23g and retails for $60.  The Zee Cage ($18) is a side loading bottle cage, and also made of reinforced plastic, and weighs in at 43g.  There is no carbon version, but there is a $12 alloy model weighing in at 50g.  The Zee Cage is great for use on a seat tube or in a full suspension frame – it lets you use a big bottle without needing space to pull it out of a top-loading cage.  The Zee Cage comes in left and right side entry models.

Zee Cage on the left, Rib Cage on the right.

Both the Rib Cage and Zee Cage work really well.  Like all good things in the cycling world they’re laterally stiff and vertically compliant – flexible enough to get bottles in and out easily, but stiff enough to keep bottles in place.  I haven’t lost a single bottle yet.  They look good on modern aluminum and carbon frames, but not so much on thin tubed steel frames.  Both are available in lots of colors so you can coordinate them with the rest of your bike.  Not much else to say really.

The Zee Cage makes it easy to get big bottles in and out of tight places.

Where to Buy

Obviously, your local Specialized dealer will have both the bottles and cages.  You can also order them directly from Specialized on their website – go here to get started.  You can even design your own custom bottle here!  Lastly, there are a few places that sell the Purist bottle with their own logo on it.  A quick Google search has me thinking that Hammer Nutrition seems to have the best deal – the 26oz for only $9 and the 22oz for $7!  Of course you have to pay shipping, so unless you order a lot of bottles it’s still probably cheaper to buy from your local shop. Bottles up!

The Specialized Camber Pro 29er is more mountain bike than most riders deserve – and yet it’s not even top of the Specialized line. With decades of experience designing and building mountain bikes, Specialized has applied that knowledge to the Camber Pro, resulting in a high performance FS 29er that’s built for going fast and winning races.

Like the Tallboy from Santa Cruz, I went into my demo ride assuming the Camber Pro would feel a bit sluggish and unnecessarily heavy. Of course once again I was completely wrong. The Camber Pro is probably the most responsive FS 29er I tested and it was ultra-snappy on the climbs. At medium speed over rocks the bike felt a little twitchy and stiff but once I opened things up the suspension felt plush. Of course it’s always hard to pinpoint exactly what’s affecting the feel of a bike – everything from tire pressure to shock settings to frame materials plays a role.  Still, I can say the Camber Pro has a racy feel that seems to be part of its DNA.

Unlike the top of the line S-works Stumpjumper 29er, the Camber Pro is not a full carbon bike – the rear triangle is alloy. Still, the bike is very light and felt just as stiff (or even more stiff) than other full carbon bikes I tested. With 120mm of travel this bike dips its toe into Trail bike waters but to me it’s a pretty solidly XC bike. Still, some of the features – like wider handlebars and a Specialized dropper seatpost – lean toward Trail bike territory.

Specialized has a reputation for producing dialed-in racing machines and the Camber Pro is no exception. It’s a sexy looking bike that’s efficient at getting its job done, all in a neat, FS 29er package. Want to win full-on singletrack century bike races? The Camber Pro might just be your ticket.

Crested Butte is legendary as one of the birth places of mountain biking. While Marin, California may receive most of the fame (infamy?), Crested Butte was also one of the places that the earliest mountain bike pioneers called home. Unlike Marin, Crested Butte has maintained its legendary status with the oldest mountain bike club in the world, CBMBA, and the Mountain Bike Hall of Fame. The quality of the trails in the area back up this rich history: the greater Crested Butte area may boast one of the highest concentrations of singletrack anywhere in the United States, perhaps in the world!

Traditionally, Crested Butte has been strictly known for massive cross-country rides at lung-taxing altitudes on singletrack that sports truly epic views. However, that may be slowly changing.

Enter Evolution Bike Park.

Christian Robertson on the Timeline trail.

Crested Butte Mountain Resort (CBMR) has been running their lifts for mountain bikers for 8 or 9 years now, but up until just 3 years ago, the runs consisted of old hiking trails and cattle paths – they were anything but mountain bike-friendly. In 2008 CBMR made the decision to hire on a crew of full-time workers to build and maintain a park designed specifically for downhill mountain biking, and Evolution Bike Park was born.

Since that time, the bike park has grown at an astounding rate! It now boasts 25 miles of trails that are open to mountain bikes, and five of those trails have been purpose-built for downhill mountain biking and are closed to uphill riders and all other trail users. In 2009, CBMR logged 3,500 rider days; in 2010, that number jumped to 8,000. According to Christian Robertson, the bike park manager, they hope to log at least 10,000 rider days this year.

Over the past couple of years, CBMR has been a popular stop on the Mountain States Cup race series, and just this year they got certified with USA Cycling. As a result, CBMR has been added as a stop on the international-caliber Pro GRT race series.

My Experience Riding Evolution Bike Park

I was fortunate enough to be shown around the mountain by none other than Christian himself, and he was kind enough to let me pick his brain on the chairlift rides up the mountain. CBMR also hooked me up with a free pass, one of their Specialized Demo 8 rental bikes, and some body armor so I could get a true bike-park experience.

The Demo 8 performed superbly!

All kitted up, and ready to rip!

All of the mountain bike trails are serviced by a detachable high-speed quad, which means less time on the chairlift and more time on the mountain bike!

I was impressed by the number of groms tearing around the resort. Turns out there’s an organization in town called Gravity Groms.

Like everywhere else in Crested Butte, the views from the top of the lift are surreal!

Without further ado, here’s a breakdown of several of the trails that we rode:

Avery

Christian pinning it through one of the rock gardens.

Avery is Evolution Bike Park’s race course, and as such there is a little bit of everything incorporated into this top-to-bottom black diamond trail. You’ll find plenty of drops (including a 12-foot cliff), technical rock gardens, bridges, table-top jumps, big berms, off-camber turns, slick mud, a step down, and tons of roots. Basically anything you can imagine, Avery will throw at you!

After just one run down this trail, I knew it was my favorite run on the entire mountain. I absolutely love the variety and technical nature. And while it is challenging, I didn’t feel like I was going to die every time I rounded a turn.

Check out some of my GoPro footage from Avery:

Timeline

According to Christian, Timeline is the most popular trail on the mountain. Its design embodies what many people have come to expect in a fast, flowy jump trail. If you want to catch air and find your flow, Timeline is the place to do it! Almost every corner is bermed, rocks are few and far between, and the jumps vary from small kickers to table tops to massive cheese-wedge booters.

Christian Robertson.

Christian Robertson.

Wood’s

Wood’s Trail is far out on the rider’s right-hand side of the resort and it takes a little pedal to get there and back – but it’s well worth the effort! The top of the trail starts off with a quick barrage of small jumps and berms, but lower down the trail straightens out and speeds up as it feeds into a massive pair of back-to-back wooden wall rides. The lower section of Wood’s is currently under construction, but it looks like it holds a fast line of medium-size jumps.

Be sure to check out the wall rides at 1:07-1:25:

Luge

Luge is the classic intermediate trail at CBMR, and it flows quickly down the mountain. True to its rating, it isn’t very difficult: this is a great warm-up run for advanced riders. Check out the video to get an idea of what it’s like:

Psycho Rocks

The only double-black trail at CBMR, Psycho Rocks is full of (you guessed it) rocks and drops. If you are looking for gnar, a real test of your suspension, or are possibly suicidal, drop into this technical whirlwind!

Check out this video (not mine) to get an idea of what kind of challenges this trail holds:

Final Thoughts

While the Evolution Bike Park is quickly turning Crested Butte into a downhill mountain biker’s paradise, the lifts can also be of use to those who are of a more cross-country persuasion. There are many trails at CBMR that are not downhill-specific, meaning they require more pedaling and are much smoother. Cross country riders can ride the lift up, and then hop on one of these less-challenging trails for a fun ride without nearly as much climbing! Since CBMR is adjacent to many of the other area trails lying outside of the resort boundary, you can truly build an epic XC ride with a fraction of the normal effort. While this might sound lazy to some, this can be a great benefit to riders coming from much lower elevation, and to those who just aren’t used to climbing very much. Epic trails like 401 still require a serious aerobic effort, though!

While they already have 25 miles of trails, Christian and the crew are not done building: Wood’s Trail is currently under construction, and they are hoping to break ground soon on another intermediate trail with mid-sized jumps to help riders progress their levitation abilities.

After I sprayed my bike off and returned it to the shop, I wondered to myself, “What is the most fun I’ve ever had on a mountain bike in a single day?” I’m not sure, but this day of shredding might have been it!

If you’re worried about the price of admission, well, you shouldn’t be. I was amazed at how affordable the riding is! A full-day lift ticket is only $35, and if you’re a beginner, you can get a package deal with a bike rental, lift ticket, and lesson for only $70! How sweet is that?

Many thanks to Christian Robertson, Erica Reiter, and Crested Butte Mountain Resort for the royal treatment!

Spring is here!  After what seemed like a long winter, the trails are finally starting to dry out and firm up.  For me, that means it’s time to switch out my knobby, grippy winter tires for lighter and faster summer tires.  I used a Kenda Small Block 8 (SB8) the last few summers, but after seeing how easily Specialized 2Bliss tires set up tubeless I decided to try the Renegade.  As with The Captain I ran as a rear tire this winter, I opted for the “Control” version.  A lighter S-Works version is also available but has very thin sidewalls and is considered a race-day-only tire.  I moved my Captain tire to the front and put the Renegade on the rear.

Tech Specs

The Renegade is Specialized’s most race-oriented tire.  It is very light and has six rows of small square-ish knobs and a round profile.  The knobs are so small (only about 2mm in the center, 4mm on the shoulder) they are not ramped like similar tires from other companies, like SB8s and Geax AKAs.  The tread pattern is fairly open, with plenty of space between the knobs, and some braille-like texturing between the knobs for a little extra grip.  Here are the specs:

Size: 29″x1.95″ (also available in 26″x1.9″ and 26″x2.1″)
Bead: Folding, Aramid
Casing:  2Bliss
Weight: 510g (1.12lbs)
MSRP: $50-$55

Set Up

I’ve been running this tire on two different wheel sets: with tubes on the WTB LaserDisc Trail I have on test, and tubeless on my personal set with Stan’s Arch rims.  I needed a tire lever to get the Renegade onto both wheels which I think is typical of tubeless-ready tires.  Tubeless set up was easy, just as easy as with a tube.  Put the tire on the rim, add two scoops of sealant, pump it up, go ride.

The Ride

One word describes this tire: FAST!  The Renegade is a third of a pound lighter than the Captain I was running and the weight reduction was immediately noticeable.  The Renegade is much easier to accelerate and get up to speed.  And once you get it going, the supple casing and low profile knobs keep rolling resistance to a minimum – this thing rolls out!

The Renegade is really designed for dry hardpacked trails, but I found it actually works pretty well in the wet.  In fact, I used this tire at the 3rd Snake Creek Gap Time Trial this year, which was very wet.  It gripped the slick roots and rocks really well, but did struggle a bit in the sloppy stuff.  The open tread did a nice job of clearing mud though and never got packed up like my SB8′s did.

In the corners the Renegade held its line really well on hardpack, especially when set up tubeless.  With tubes it tended to bounce around a bit, but the lower pressure allowed by going tubeless cured that.  In loose/loamy soil you have to be careful though – the little knobs on the Renegade can’t penetrate deep enough to take a good hold, so it’ll slip and slide.  It doesn’t just wash out immediately however as the slippage is usually controlled and easy to catch. The good news is I haven’t crashed yet!  While Specialized’s pro racers use this tire front and rear, I don’t think I could handle it up front – it’s just not grippy enough for me.

I haven’t found the braking power on the Renegade to be as good as the knobbier Captain but I would say it’s on par with the SB8.  Where the Renegade struggled the most is climbing, especially in loose conditions.  It’s pretty easy to get it to slip in anything but pure hardpack when you’re out of the saddle really cranking on the pedals. The tire struggles the most in pinestraw.  Also, because the knobs are so short, it wont take much wear before the tire needs to be replaced.  I’m already seeing wear on mine after less than 300 miles; I doubt I’ll get more than one summer out of it.

The Verdict

All in all, I really like this tire and plan on using it all summer.  It is really, really, really fast!  The Control version seems to be plenty tough enough for everyday trail use, tubeless set up is a breeze, and did I mention it’s really fast?  Specialized already has their pro racers trying a new version of the Renegade, hopefully they can add some climbing traction without slowing it down any.

I’ve been on the lookout for a new rear tire for my single speed for a while now. For the last 2+ years I’ve been running Kenda’s Small Block 8s (aka SB8) on both my older, full suspension 26″ bike and my newer, rigid SS 29er.  I love that tire, but I had worn the knobs almost down to nothing and I wanted to try something different this time around.  I was looking for a little more volume since the Kenda is labeled 2.1″ wide but the casing is actually only 1.9″.  I also wanted something with more grip in the wet, leafy conditions that besiege the southeast in the fall and winter.  Lastly, I needed a tire that would work well with my tubeless set-up, something the Kenda wasn’t stellar at.

Tech Specs

Enter the Specialized “The Captain” Control 2Bliss 29er tire.  One of Specialized’s most popular tires, it’s marketed as an all around XC/trail tire and I opted for the Control version instead of the lighter, more fragile, S-Works version.  Here’s a quick look at the stats for the version I chose:

Size: 29×2.0 (also available in 29×2.2 and 26×2.0/2.2 sizes)
Bead: Folding, Aramid
Casing: 2Bliss, 60tpi
Weight: 670g (1.48lbs)

Compared to my old Kendas, these are wider with a true 2.0″ casing and 90g heavier.  The Captain Controls also have a lower thread count casing (the SB8 is 120tpi).

All of Specialized’s high end mountain bike tires are available in what they call 2Bliss Ready.  These tires have a bead designed to be tight fitting and strong enough for tubeless use, but do not feature an air tight casing like UST Tubeless tires, so they do require sealant.  The big advantage of 2Bliss Ready tires over UST is weight – they are much lighter.  The 26″ Captain Control 2Bliss Ready tires are 160g lighter than their same-sized UST counterparts.  All 2Bliss ready tires can be used with a tube as well.

Set up

Mounting this tire was just crazy easy.  This was my first experience using a tubeless ready tire, and I don’t think I’ll ever go back to a ‘normal’ tire again.  It was a tight fit, but not too tight: I was able to get it on the rim (Stan’s Arch) without needing tire levers.  It took two pumps with the floor pump to get the tire’s bead seated and holding air.  Two pumps, that’s it.  With the Kenda I had to pump like crazy for a few minutes before it finally seated and started holding air, and I had to lubricate it with soapy water for that to even work.  The Captain took two pumps, no soapy water.  Easy-peasy.

The Ride

After riding these tires for a while I can certainly see why this The Captain Control is so popular.  It has a really good combination of grip and rolling resistance at a reasonable weight, though it is noticeably heavier than my old Kendas.  As a result, the Captain just doesn’t spin up to speed as quickly and it doesn’t roll quite as fast either.  Out on paved or gravel road connectors I could feel the additional rolling resistance, especially on the pavement.  Off road however, I couldn’t tell much difference in rolling resistance (though that may change once the leaf litter disappears).  The Captain certainly doesn’t roll horribly, but it isn’t as fast as the SB8 (to be fair, few tires can compare!).

Where The Captain shines over my old SB8s is in the grip department – pretty much in every direction I need it.  Traction, cornering, and braking, the Captain is far better than the SB8s, especially on loose or leaf covered trails. Even when climbing over wet, leaf covered roots, The Captain hasn’t spun out yet – it just pushes me forward into battle.  Cornering is amazing and even loose, off-camber corners are no problem – the tire just grips and goes.  Braking is better too; it’s much harder to lock the tire up than with the SB8s.

I couldn’t tell any difference in riding comfort, and that’s not a bad thing.  With the lower thread count casing I expected the Captain to be a bit harsher than my old tire, but that just wasn’t the case.

The Verdict

For a lot of people this could very well be the perfect everyday, all-around mountain bike tire.  It would even be a good choice for XC/endurance races if the course is loose or wet.  The Captain has good grip, rolls surprisingly well for such a grippy tire, and it’s not terribly heavy.  And the 2Bliss Ready casing works really well: it’s super easy to install, and doesn’t lose air nearly as quickly as a standard tire.

For me personally, I do miss the lower weight and rolling resistance of my old SB8s but this time of year The Captain is simply fantastic.  The extra grip in the leaves far outweighs the sluggishness, though once summer rolls around and I’m back to riding almost exclusively on hardpack trails, I’ll probably end up switching to something faster and lighter.  But don’t worry – The Captain will be waiting on the wall in my garage for the fall when I’ll put it back into service again!

Just came across this post about a jet-powered mountain bike using an AMT miniature gas turbine jet engine. This mini rocket booster is designed for propelling remote control airplanes which explains the setting for this video (embedded at the bottom of this post). Cranked up, the engine sounds badass but it’s a letdown to see the guy puttering along slower than he could pedal. The mountain bike looks like a Specialized Stumpjumper and the rocket mount seems top-notch (though perhaps a little overdesigned for the amount of power the jet ultimately produces).

Notice how the rider mounts the bike by swinging his leg over the back of the bike, right through the jet wash. He probably felt a little hot air back there – but who even gets on a bike like that anyway? I guess he’s lucky he didn’t burn his boots or his pants. It also seems like the rider doesn’t actually get to control the jet – the guy with the remote appears to be working the throttle. Yikes!

We’re waiting for a more powerful version of the jet before we strap one of these onto our mountain bike.

Durango Mountain Park is poised to be renamed after one of mountain biking’s biggest names: Ned Overend. The Durango, CO resident was the first MTB world champion in 1990 and won the NORBA championships every year but one from 1986 and 1992. Today Overend is a product developer for Specialized and is one of the living legends of our sport. Here’s what he had to say about the prospect of the park being named Overend Mountain Park:

(Trails 2000 founder Bill Manning and others are) the unsung heroes here. It could easily be Manning Park. To me, it’s a real honor.

The park itself features 7 miles of singletrack spread out over 300 acres below Perins Peak. Overend and Ed Zink, owner of Mountain Bike Specialists, sold land to the city at below market values to help expand the park. But Overend and Zink want to share the park with all Durango residents, even non-mountain bikers.

It’s really important that mountain bikers don’t think they own the trails. I’ve run into some who don’t watch their speeds or watch out for others.

An article I read said Overend has even asked other riders to slow down on the trail (and that’s something coming from one of the fastest ever!).  We’re stoked to see this trail named for such a humble and generous mountain biking legend.

Rebecca Rusch wins the 2009 Leadville 100

Back in September I got a chance to chat with 2009 Leadville winner and 2-time 24 Hour Solo World Champion Rebecca Rusch about racing, training, and mountain bike trails. Meeting Rusch for the first time I was instantly struck by how friendly she comes across despite being such a fierce competitor on the racecourse. A cool confidence seems to underlie everything she says and her enthusiasm for mountain biking is seriously contagious.

Rusch tells me she got into mountain biking through adventure racing several years ago, though MTB wasn’t exactly her favorite part of racing. After winning a qualifying race for the Australian Eco-challenge in 2001, Rusch quit her job and decided to go pro. In the beginning she says she wasn’t great at mountain biking (hard to believe) but ended up doing well at 24 Hours of Moab so she stuck with it.  At age 40 she’s in top mountain bike racing shape and in her first Leadville 100 appearance she proved it, coming in a full 25 minutes ahead of the second place woman. For those who got a chance to watch “Race Across the Sky” last month, you’ll remember Rusch saying she had no idea how she was doing during the race so she just pretended every rider in front of her was a woman she needed to catch. Talk about determination.

As a 24 Hour Solo champion, 100-mile race winner, and MTB stage racer I asked Rusch if she thought the trend toward longer, more extreme mountain bike races would continue.

“Limits are where we put them,” she replied, as naturally as if I’d asked her favorite color. Races like Leadville and stage racing are becoming more accessible to amateur competitors, allowing anyone to push their limits and Rusch sees that trend continuing for the next several years.

Of course to be competitive in mountain biking it’s super important to use the most effective training tools available. I asked Rusch how she was using technology to boost performance and she surprised me by saying she only recently started tracking cycling power data this year. More important than geeking out with measurements and computers, she says training is all about listening to your body and enjoying the ride. If only it were that easy for the rest of us…

I asked Rebecca to tell me about her favorite mountain bike trails and she says her favorites are the ones that combine plenty of pedaling with interesting terrain. The McKenzie River Trail in Oregon tops her list along with the Alpine Trail, also in Oregon. Rusch lives in Ketchum, Idaho so many of her training rides take her through Sun Valley, ID where the singletrack is scenic and never ending.

As a Specialized Team rider, Rebecca has access to the latest and greatest mountain bikes and she tells me her primary rig is an Era FSR Marathon with 4” of rear travel. Rusch has been experimenting recently with a 29er hardtail for competition and after alternating between her FS and 29er bikes during a 24 Hour race she decided to rock the 29er HT at Leadville. Apparently the decision paid off for her, despite the fact that none of the top 5 male finishers rode 29ers at Leadville this year.

Last month Rusch competed in the women’s duo class at 24 Hours of Moab and took first with teammate Gretchen Reeves. She was also on hand at the premier of Race Across the Sky in NYC on October 22 and even hung out with fans at the after party. This month she’ll be competing in Vuelta al Cotopaxi, a 2-day MTB stage race in Ecuador.

Rebecca Rusch is truly an amazing competitor and an inspiration to anyone who likes to ride fast and long. Keep up with her (if you can!) on her blog @ rebeccarusch.wordpress.com.

Specialized is going to hook up “a handful” of lucky riders this year with free access to 2010 Stumpjumper FSR bikes and sponsored MTB trips to hot trail locations. All you gotta do is prove you’re master of the Facebook or Twitter (or singletracks.com) and you just might get the gig.

Of course you don’t technically get to keep your Stumpjumper FSR – you just get to ride it for a year at which time you can decide to purchase it at a discount (what are they going to do with a used bike otherwise?). No specifics on how many people will be chosen for the crew or how many sponsored MTB trips will be offered but I suppose you can’t look a gift horse in the mouth.

The whole idea of giving bloggers / social network influencers mountain bikes to talk about online isn’t really a new one. In fact I ran my own (unsuccessful) campaign in 2007 to change my singletracks screen name in return for a new mountain bike. No one took me up on my offer which included hundreds of thousands of ad impressions, blog posts, and photos but I guess mountain bike companies hadn’t heard of the internet at that point

If you want to be considered for the program we’d love to help you out. Draft up a post about why you think you’re a good fit for the crew (more details about what Specialized is looking for) and we’ll see about posting your story on the #1 mountain bike blog or our forums. Then send Specialized a link to your post on singletracks.com – how’s that for targeted advertising!

Via bikehugger and cyclelicio.us.

2009 Specialized Rockhopper Comp

If you bought a new Specialized mountain bike between June 2008 and February 2009 check this out: Specialized is recalling 14,000 2009 model bikes due to a serious fall hazard involving the handlebars (see below for a list of specific models). In one case a rider’s handlebars broke and the resulting crash left the guy unconcious with a puncture wound. Ouch. Then again, no one said mountain biking was a 100% safe…

If you own one of the bikes listed below Specialized says you should stop riding it immediately and bring it to an authorized Specialized retailer so they can replace the handlebars. The handlebar in question is part of the HL series and is marked “ALR-13 NTFOV” beneath the ride side grip.

Affected MTB models:

• 2009 Cross Trail Comp
• 2009 Myka HT Comp
• 2009 Myka HT Elite
• 2009 Rockhopper
• 2009 Rockhopper Comp
• 2009 Rockhopper Comp 29

Some 2004 Specialized road bikes are involved in the recall as well – find out more here if you think your bike may be affected.