Tri-Flow and Ray’s Indoor MTB Park are holding the second annual XC Indoor Invitational Jan 15-17 at Ray’s in Cleveland. The race is open to pro riders only and after qualifying rounds on Friday, the top riders will compete in a time trial around the XC course. No word on how long the course is or how many laps the riders will complete but I’d say to qualify as an XC race it should be at least 10 miles long.

Pro mountain bikers including Jeremiah Bishop, Nick Waite, and Sue Haywood will be competing for a piece of the $5,000 cash purse. On Sunday the public is invited to meet some of the pro riders and maybe even sneak in a lap or two around the course.

If that isn’t enough indoor MTB action for you, check out these videos. The first is a 1990s indoor mountain bike race that appears to take place on a BMX track. The announcer says the riders will complete 40-something laps for a total of 12 miles!

This next video was shot during the 2007 Red Bull Ride the Sky challenge. This has to be the most creative indoor MTB course ever constructed.

Who would have thought riding mountain bikes indoors was so common and established?

Sorry for the late announcement but here it is: The dirtiest mountain bike drivetrains on the planet. Ok, so maybe there are nastier chains, cassettes, and cranks out there somewhere (probably in a third world country) but these riders happened to post the nastiest pics on singletracks.com.

Grand Prize

Goo uploaded this one and the judges noted the serious wear on the crank teeth along with the dirt and grime that’s been built up over many, many rides. We know this didn’t happen all at once – shame on you Goo At least now you’ll have the proper Tri-Flow products to keep your equipment in tip-top shape plus a new Titec Hellbent Nemesis saddle!

First runner up

ckdake clearly knows where to find mud on the trail and the amount of gunk lodged between his wheel and seat tube is impressive. Aside from the copious amount of mud (which should easily wash off), the judges noted the dryness of the chain on the left side of the image. In honor of this epic mud slog, ckdake wins Tri-Flow Citrus Degreaser PLUS a Titec Honcho Prolite seatpost.

Second runner up

We had a tough time choosing the third prize winner but in the end, BFD squeaked by with this sad entry. Sometimes a MTB drivetrain can get so clogged the rear derailleur just gives up which is what we assume happened here. I wish we had some mud flaps to give away as a prize but BFD will just have to settle for some sweet Tri Flow Citrus Degreaser.

ckdake may be tough to beat with this pic.

Just a couple more days left in the Tri-Flow “Dirtiest Drivetrain” contest. Post your pics to the dirty drivetrain photo album for consideration by the end of the day, October 1, 2009 and we’ll pick the winners. Right now we’re seeing plenty of mud but not much rust, grease, corrosion, or nasty black gunk. Worst looking drivetrain will get a prize pack from Tri-Flow plus a Titec saddle with additional prizes for second and third place.

No need to be embarrassed  – just tell everyone you submitted a pic of your buddy’s bike

Rust. Dirt. Grease. Grime. Mud. All of this adds up to a dirty drivetrain which can seriously harsh your ride. Fortunately Tri-Flow offers a full line of products to help you get your chain, derailleurs, cassette, and crank into shape for conditions from wet to dry.

Send us pics of your dirty, muddy, rusty, and grimy bike chains and cassettes for a chance to win sweet lube and de-greasing products from Tri-Flow! Hit the ‘dirty drivetrain’ album and upload your pics (make sure to tag them ‘dirty drivetrain’ to be considered) and we’ll pick the winners on October 1, 2009. If you’ve already uploaded some worthy pics, just add the ‘dirty drivetrain’ tag for consideration. And be sure to rate the dirty pics you like!

Top three photos win product from Tri-Flow and Titec – full prize list below.

1st: Tri-Flow Citrus Cleaner Degreaser, Superior Foam Lubricant, and Synthetic Grease PLUS Titec Hellbent Nemesis Expert saddle
2nd: Tri-Flow Citrus Cleaner Degreaser PLUS Titec Honcho Prolite seat post (30.9×350 mm) OR Ritchey WCS 10 Degree Sweep Flat Bar
3nd: Tri-Flow Citrus Cleaner Degreaser