Three interesting items from around the MTB world this week:

The Unnamed Epic coming to hills of Wisconsin

photo by akutny.

Chicagoans are bummed the Olympics won’t be coming in 2016, especially after all the hard work that went into the bid. Organizers proposed an MTB venue in Blue Mounds, WI which got a lot of people excited to ride so race promoters are taking advantage with the “Unnamed Epic” race. The event will start in Mineral Springs, WI and will travel 75 miles over singletrack, snowmobile trails, and roads to end at Blue Mound State Park, the highest point in Wisconsin. Total climb: more than 5,280 feet. The race will be capped at a total of about 800 riders so get your entry in now to guarantee a spot!

Register Your Mountain Bike Online – For Free

I’m not sure how new this concept is but MyBikeNumber.com is a site where you can register your bike serial numbers in case of theft. You can even print out a unique QR barcode to stick to your bike to identify it with a mobile phone scanner.

The whole idea is cool but until people start using the site to check on used bikes they’re thinking of buying there won’t be many recoveries. But we see the potential for something much bigger – perhaps like a “CarFax” for bikes. If shops start scanning bike #s everytime they work on a rig this could become mega-useful. Instead of just checking to see if a bike is hot you could also see if it’s had any major frame damage or if Lance Armstrong actually rode it in the TDF like the guy who sold it to you said. Then again, some may see this as a little too “big brother” so who knows…

Trips for Kids Collecting and Selling Used Bikes at Sea Otter

One of Trips for Kids’ main fundraising activities is operating a bike “thrift store” in San Rafael, CA and they’re bringing to concept to Sea Otter again this year. Many of the bikes and parts are donated from the bike industry so we’re not talking rusted out Huffy frames or moldy cycling shoes from the 80s. Definitely seems like a cool concept and we wish there were more places to buy reliable used mountain bikes without having to resort to Craigslist or eBay. One to start up in your area?

How much would you pay to have a beer with a mountain bike legend like Gary Fisher, Ned Overend, Joe Breeze, or Joe Guy? Now, how much would you pay to have a beer with ALL FOUR? Trips for Kids held their annual Bikes, Bucks, and Brews fundraiser last weekend and an all-star cast of more than a dozen MTB pioneers were on hand for the festivities.

The press release we read said $3,000 was raised for this national non-profit which seems like a paltry amount for an event with such celebrity fire-power. Not only that, the $3,000 came from drink sales and a silent auction that included at least two brand new mountain bikes (a FS from Jamis and a 29er from Marin). Heck, we’re pretty sure the MTB legends themselves would have no problem running up a $3,000 bar tab in one night

For those who don’t know, Trips for Kids is a nonprofit 501(c)3 organization that “opens the world of cycling to at-risk youth through mountain bike rides and Earn-A-Bike programs.” TFK is based in Marin County, CA and was founded in 1998 by MTB Hall-of-Famer Marilyn Price.

So to answer the question at the beginning of this article, I’d probably be willing to pay a hundred bucks to have a beer with the guys next year. If just 30 others were willing to do the same, TFK could easily beat this year’s haul!

Hey everyone, sorry for the late post today. There’s still a great article by element22 about AM stuff from Easton coming later this evening but in the meantime thought I’d share just a couple items that I’ve been collecting:

Ellsworth is offering buyers $500 off a new rig! All you have to do is bring in a bike to donate to Trips for Kids to your Ellsworth dealer and they’ll hook it up. Remember what I was saying about doing good this season? Now you can do good AND get a reward (as if you needed one anyway).

JensonUSA is holding their “12 Days of Christmas” sale again this year and somehow we’re already on Day 2 (is Christmas really coming that soon?). Today’s deal is 44% off the Camelbak Octane 8+ which got a 5-star rating here on singletracks. Can’t wait to see what the deal is tomorrow!

We’re also collecting funds to help out one of our members, Bombardier, get some of his stuff out of storage. If you read the forum thread and want to help out, hit me (Jeff) up on the contact page and I’ll let you know what to do.

IMBA’s annual “Take a Kid Mountain Biking Day” (TAKMBD) is set for October 3, 2009 and if you register your event with IMBA before September 15 they’ll send you a goody box with race plates, stickers, and Clif Bars for kids. This year IMBA has set up an online map showing locations of organized TAKMBD events around the world – check it out and see if there’s an event near you!

I didn’t realize this but TAKMBD was actually started to honor a teenage mountain biker who passed away in 2002. Here’s the scoop from IMBA:

IMBA’s International Take a Kid Mountain Biking Day celebrates the life of Jack Doub, an avid teenage mountain biker from North Carolina who had a true passion for the sport from an early age but passed away in 2002. Funding is provided by the Jack Doub Memorial Endowment. The event takes place each year on the first Saturday in October.

TAKMBD should not be confused with Trips for Kids, a non-profit organization that has been helping introduce disadvantaged kids to bicycling since 1988. Trips for Kids offers year round opportunities to help out, though trips are not necessarily MTB focused.

Help celebrate mountain biking October 3 while introducing the next generation to the sport!