Caersws still remains as one of the best downhill venues in the country and now with all the trees cut down it's an even better place to ride with the 5 new courses, including a new National downhill course there is an amazing choice of tracks to ride.

Race organizer Chris Roberts said, “Caersws is the perfect place for the series, the best uplift in the country equals more time blasting down the five exciting courses”. More details inside,

It's been a great weekend for the Olympics with Canada taking gold in Men's Hockey. But in the bike world great things were also happening. Tyler McCaul threw down a triple tail whip on the Mega Ramps with his brother Cam watching on.

Video inside,

The latest rider profile from Anthill's upcoming release, Follow Me. This week... Ben Boyko.

Late last summer the we headed down to Mt. Hood with Ben Boyko and Cam McCaul to shoot a custom slopestyle zone. Here's a quick rider profile on Boyko from the shoot.

Video inside,

Brian Lopes To Ride On Edge Composites Wheels And Components!

Brian Lopes joins forces with renowned carbon specialists Edge Composites. For 2010 Brian will be sporting Edge Composites carbon AM series wheels with Chris King hubs, their carbon post and stem, as well as the new carbon Edge Sweep handlebar.

Read on...

Source: Pro GRT

USA Cycling announced the 2010 USA Cycling Professional Mountain Bike Gravity Tour (Pro GRT). In its second year, the five-race series will continue to raise the level of competitive gravity racing across the United States by providing a consistent stage of international-caliber events for elite gravity racers to showcase their downhill skills. More details inside,

The time has come to nominate your favorite riders in Alberta. Not only are you helping your favorite riders with props and swag but by nominating and/or voting, you will be eligible for the great prizes available.

Nominations are open and will run until Sunday February 28th, 2010. Voting starts March 1st!

More details inside,

Sam Reynolds has been stamping his mark on the Dirt jump scene for a couple of years now, and recently he placed 8th in his first ever slopestyle event in the white wonderland in Leogang. We recently caught up with Sam and his new ride at a private session at Adrenaline Alley, Corby.

Check out Sam`s new DMR 898 custom build inside...

This morning was what we had been waiting for. It was the payoff for hanging out in a zone for a week. It was the light at the end of the tunnel. It was sunny and it was foggy, and it was on.

View part 4 of 4 inside,

I met up with Kristijan to talk about his recent video, his achievements on a bike, his plans for the future and of all things bike and non-bike related. He also explains why some of the tricks in his recent video look kind of sketchy.

Video, photos and interview inside,

When the rain season hits, it hits hard in our area. Better known as the "Wet Coast", the West Coast is well known for getting a lot more rain than snow on the local trails. While this winter season was one of the best in recent memory, we still have had our fair share of wet weather. Inside you'll see some of the gear I was rocking while out there dodging raindrops.

Read On...

O'Neal are no stranger to the mountain bike scene having been worn by many a rider over the years from the local woods to the World Cup scene. Having dropped from my radar a few years ago they were brought sharply back into focus last summer when I spent some time in Europe with their UK distributor, Col Williams, the face of Fli-Distribution. And having borrowed some of the 2009 kit out there I was left suitably impressed and so made a resolution to track down some of their new stuff for 2010 when it was available. Roll on to winter and being delivered is a box filled with their latest and brightest kit.

Read on for more of what was inside the box…

Hayes Removes The Covers On Their New Prime Brake System

Not long ago Hayes released some blurry teasing images of their new Prime brake system. Inside you'll find two videos explaining just what exactly is behind those blurred out pixels and what makes the Prime different from anything else.

Read on...

Not too long ago I was in need of some new wheels for my street bike, a baby blue Tonic. I was looking for something on the strong side but reasonably priced at the same time. Enter Halo and their lineup of hubs and rims. Inside you'll find more info on the Combat rims, DJD single speed cassette hub, and their 20mm Spin Doctor front hub,as well as a great riding video.

Read On...

With the previous nights' sins behind us, day three was on. The only thing is, so was the sun, and contrary to popular non-photog/filmer belief, sunny skies with no clouds are not all that epic for shooting in the forest. While the sun burned hot high in the sky, and the forest was full of ugly contrasty light. We decided that the best course of action for the day was to let the riders get some shuttle laps in to get to know the zone, and for us to set up a cable cam shot. All in the hope that by the afternoon clouds would roll in and diffuse the harsh light.

View part 3 of 4 inside,

It's not everyday on the East coast of Canada that you can say your from a town in which a local pro was raised. However Ontario has been producing many sick riders lately like Logan Peat, Frankie Vass, Andrew Bigelow etc. However in the streets of my little suburban town, Matthew Macduff was raised. This man has a great attitude and lots of energy. He first started off by inspiring everyone in my town, including myself, and is now very well known in our province. Thankfully because of our new local bike park, Joyride 150, I was able to see him again for possibly what may be the last time before he's busy riding awesome spots in different towns and inspiring other kids. If you have seen his name or videos before and you're like, who is this dude? Then read on...

Read on for more, photos, videos inside!

The world is full of talented riders and people working their guts out to make it in the world of riding and racing bikes. Welcome to the thirteenth of many, quick, slap in the face style, 60 second interviews - and next up Downhill racer, Foz Willis.

Catch up with the Foz inside,

Innerleithen is the home of perhaps what has become one of the most legendary winter series in the UK over the years. The people behind the series may have changed from time to time but each and every year the hill never seems to fail to provide great racing from both the rapid locals and the big names who never fail to make an appearance, year in, year out.

Click here for more of what the weekend had on offer...

Here’s a little taster of two bikes from the brand new Saracen range just unveiled at the Icebike tradeshow.

The Ariel 140mm trail bike is turning heads, while the all new Saracen Myst DH prototype is busting them right off!

More pics and details inside,

Source: Transition Bikes

Winter is winding down in most places (unless you live in the PNW and in which case, it totally passed us by this year) and a lot of you are chomping at the bit to get out on your DH bikes again. Your bike could likely use a little early season set up and today Lars is gonna take you through a general suspension set up for your DH steed.

Video inside,

It's been almost 10 months since I've introduced the project here on PinkBike. 2009 has been a much anticipated summer and it did not disappoint. I wrote about my plans of working as a professional trailbuilder here on PinkBike in April of '09. May came and I was anxious to get started but it seemed like the snow would never melt. I finally couldn't wait any longer, hired my first helper, Pascal, and started on a section of trail with southern exposure and almost no snow. Immediately it became obvious, this is a little bit different than just working for fun. Our first job, part of the contract, was to move an old, existing out house. Not exactly what I had envisioned, but hey, if it leads to building MTB trails I can handle it.

Read on how my transition from hobby builder to MTB trails contractor went and find out where the projects stand right now.

Better known for their all encompassing line of bikes, Specialized also has a complete range of helmets to suit most rider's needs. Inside we'll take a closer look at their all-mountain oriented Vice helmet. Featuring more protection and a load of massive vents, the Vice has styling all its own.

Read on...

Our second night camped out at the base of Black Rock was a little easier than the first. Mainly because it wasn't raining and we knew where we were and what was around us. Still, venturing out beyond the comfort and safety of the fire to take care of business, there was an uneasy feeling that you were being watched, and that whoever was watching you, had strange and disturbing ideas of hospitality.

View part 2 of 4 inside,

After winning the Maxxis Cup International Series, competing in World cups and coming 3rd in the National Champs in 2009 - Jess Stone is described by many as a sure bet for making her move to the top of female downhill racing in the near future.

See more about Jess inside,

The races I am entering this year are all in prep for the mega avalanche as are most of my trips to ride. This past week I headed over to sunny (haha) Bradford to get some 4X tips from the explosive Haro Rider - Martin Ogden. And then if my fortnight couldn't get anymore rad, my 2010 race frames have arrived at DMR!

Read on to hear about the training and prep in weeks 29 and 30

Canadian company Opus ventures into the long travel market in 2010 with their brand new Nelson series of freeride machines. Built around a virtual pivot rear suspension with 175 mm of travel and featuring a long travel Totem fork, the Nelson 1 that we take a closer look at inside looks to be ready for battle!

Read on...

It started with a Pinkbike PM, which evolved into a few e-mails, a phone call, and an epic trip out to a completely new place that I had no idea existed! It was an awesome experience riding a new area filled with huge rolling hills and fun high speed jumps!

More details and video inside!

Sometimes, while on the road, the only way to gauge what a place is like, is to check out the people at the local grocery stores and gas stations. If that is true, then Dallas Oregon, which is the closest town to Black Rock Oregon, with a grocery store and gas station, is one strange place.

Our crew consisting of Knolly team riders - Curtis Robinson and Alan Crisp, team manager - Chris Glew, filmer - Ambrose Weingart, and myself - the photographer, stopped off in Dallas to pick up groceries for camping.

View part 1 of 4 inside,

With the Follow Me...Everywhere Contest 2 weeks old, the submissions are rolling in with everyone vying to add the 2010 Giant Faith 0 to their arsenal of bikes on March 19th. But until then, Shimano is kicking in weekly prizes; check out who won the random draw for week 2.

See who won!

We wanted to show everyone the progress made in 2009 at the Eagle Bike Park in Eagle Idaho (Boise area). Thanks to grants from Bikes Belong and Lowe's, we were able to install a few more trails this year.

A big thank you to Bikes Belong for a $10,000 trail building grant. We combined this grant with a $4,800 supplies donation from Lowe's to build two new trails and some new expert dirt jumps this year. Thanks to all the volunteers as well who have put in close to 9000 hours of work since this project started. The local riders have really stepped up along with several local organizations. Volunteers from the Ada County juvenile court system, Lowe's, REI, SWIMBA, Boy Scouts, Idaho Youth Ranch, and the Boise State TRIO youth program have all pitched in.

Details and videos inside,

Online Registration Launches March 1, 2010

Terralogic Park Industries, the official event promoters of the U.S. Open of Mountain Biking, have announced that athlete, vendor and media registration will open Monday, March 1st, at 9:00am. Set to take place on May 27th through May 30th, elite mountain bike racers from across the globe will converge at Diablo Freeride Park to battle for the most coveted title in American mountain bike racing - the U.S. Open Championship. More details inside,

Shots taken at the Banshee Factory in Taiwan.

I am not going to waste space with a lot of words, I am going to let these pictures do the talking for me. I will just say that I was lucky enough to be locked in a room with a couple of 2010 Banshee Legend MKII frames and a camera. Trying to fit one into my backpack crossed my mind a couple of times. I should have brought a bigger bag.

Pics inside,

Canadian boys Blackspire have spent years producing some great mountain bike components right in their British Columbia facility. New to their list of high end bike goodies for 2010 is the SUB4 pedal. Inside we'll take a closer look at the SUB4 as well as dish on how they have held up over the last three months of riding.

Read On...

Source: Muc Off

Steve Peat races the DH section at the brand new 8 hour enduro race that is the Muc Off 8. The race takes place on the 11th of April at Pippingford Park, UK, and Steve hooked up with his sponsor Muc Off to set a time for the racers to aim at on the day.

Video inside,

Source: Sacred Rides

An unlikely combination meet in Mexico

Remember those Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups ads in the 80s? Much like the implausible duo of peanut butter and chocolate, yoga and mountain biking might not, at first, seem a good fit. After all, the stereotypical mountain biker is young and adrenaline- fueled, while practitioners use yoga to find calm and groundedness in their lives. More details inside,

I am obsessed about riding bikes. I don't mind admitting that but sometimes, I feel like the obsession with building at my local spot is taking over! I love building jumps, so much so that I feel the need to write about it!

Everyone, bikers and non-bikers alike, knows what it's like to fall in love with a place. Whether it’s a favourite holiday resort or a favourite dog walk, there’s something incredibly satisfying about visiting these special places. For most mountain bikers involved in any kind of trail building, or even just riding, this place is undoubtedly their local spot.

Story and pics inside,

Source: Dartmoor Bikes

Szymon “Szaman” Godziek is an 18 year old Mountain Biker from Poland. Being a Dartmoor team member, he was succeeding on all the biggest bike events and competitions in Poland in 2009. Because of the adverse weather conditions in winter, he has recently switched to BMX to train in some indoor skateparks.

Video, pics and details inside,

Entries are now live for the British Downhill Series and they are already 35% full within the first week! To ensure you don't miss out on the top domestic race series in the World they want to give you the following heads up!

There is £10,000.00 in prize money up for grabs and over £25,000.00 in prizes!

Details inside...

"Introduction to Basic Workflow" is the first of several video photography tutorials from Ian Hylands that Pinkbike will be featuring in the upcoming months. Ian goes through the basics of how to set up your camera and computer and the 5 basic steps that he uses and recommends as a photography workflow, from start to finish. Topics covered include everything from basic camera settings to file naming and backing up your data.

Tutorial inside,

I have been riding for the last four months in nothing but Five Ten Freerider shoes and lycra shorts. Review for the lycra shorts to come later ...

I have been riding for years with skate shoes and flat pedals. In my search for the perfect shoe and pedal combination I have tried all the major brands of shoes and pedals. Recently I have been pretty happy with Deity Decoy Pedals and Nike 6.0 shoes. The issue I have with skate shoes is that after a couple of months my pedals eat away the grip where I place my foot on the pedal. This usually does not cause a great deal of problems until the trail gets wet and sloppy.

Review and pics inside,

The world is full of talented riders and people working their guts out to make it in the world of riding and racing bikes. Welcome to the twelth of many, quick, slap in the face style, 60 second interviews - and next up Newbie Downhill racer, Ben Gillet.

Learn more about Ben inside,

Race Face's slopestyle assassin Paul B locks it in for 3 more.

Race Face Components Inc., one of North America’s leading producers of high-end mountain bike components, apparel and protection, is proud to announce the re-signing of arguably the most successful slopestyle rider in history, Paul Basagoitia.

Details inside,

ZEP Mountain Bike Camps are pleased to announce our 2010 Whistler camp dates and info...

ZEP's Mountain Bike Camps include up to four weeks of pure mountain bike indulgence. ZEP's MTB Camps are the dream mountain bike holiday in the world's mecca for mountain biking - Whistler! You can choose between the Rider Improvement or Instructor Training camps. These adult camps specialize in providing the ultimate mountain bike training experience of a lifetime.

Details inside,

Source: Black Market Bikes

There's almost nothing better than when you’re expecting something new and exciting to show-up. Today just happened to be one of those days and the waiting is over! We just received the first production sample of our most ambitious project to date...
So, without further adieu... I give you the Black Market Killswitch exactly as you will see it in approximately 40 days... that's right, 40 days!

More details and video inside,

Filmed in North and South America, Brighter has an often overlooked, unique approach to filmmaking: we're here to have fun!

From the co-visionary of the underground cult classic Stripped, the online web series Stund, and a past editor for Freeride Entertainment, Tamas Forde/New Wave Cinema is delivering this spring exactly what you've been missing: A feel good, pro quality film...that won’t break the bank. We believe in giving good deals, and that's all there is to it. Shot in pristine hi definition and 35mm d.o.f, Brighter features some of the world's best riders, shredding and sending it for their love of riding bikes.

Check it inside,

Source: Vincent Allard

Check out the teaser for The Rise, a movie that I've spent most of 2009 working on. It will be premiering on March 26th at the Bell Center Cage Aux Sports in Montreal.

Teaser inside,

If you are a rider who clips in, or have clipped in, in the past, Lake shoes are probably already on your radar. Lake has a massive lineup of shoes to choose from for nearly every occasion but inside we'll focus on Lake's high performance MX170 mountain shoe and its noteworthy Boa Lacing System

Read On...

By Steve Price, Duane Walker, Chris Russell, Jamie Harper and Tom Elmore.

The French Alps is arguably the best place to ride in Europe. We've always wanted to ride there and finally got the chance to check it out in the summer of 2009 after we did our exams and had finished school.

Click here for pics and video from the trip...

Source: Leaf Cycles

Joe Dodd, an English BMX rider who has recently moved to Australia, takes us on a tour around some of Sydney's most iconic streets, parks and locations.

Video inside,

Recently on my daily internet hunt I was turned onto a frame in the Santa Cruz Riders thread. JBDirtJumper linked to a couple photos of a new Nukeproof Downhill bike! That's right, a component based company is stepping into the realm of DH bikes.

Here's some info on the new rig...

This installment of Fresh Meat is a new approach and I think that you, the readers will like it. I've been using all these items throughout numerous rides and want to share some details on the following 7 items with you. Vans Warner Shoes, Race Face Ambush d3o Knee Pads, Dakine Syncline Shorts, Dakine AMP 18 pack, Dakine Blitz Jacket, Dakine Ventilator Gloves, and the new Giro Athlon Helmet have all been out in the woods with me.

Inside is a video on the products as well as pros and cons to each, enjoy!

Annual General Meeting

The A.G.M. for MTBco, the Kelowna and area bike club, is set for:

Tuesday, February 23rd
7:30PM to 9:30PM
Kinsmen Field House (in the Mission Sports Complex in Kelowna)

As usual, there's an ungodly assortment of door prizes for those that make the trip out to the meeting.

Interview by David Peacock

They are leading the rebirth of racing, dominating freeride competitions, pioneering new ground for women in extreme sports, and laying claim to nearly every podium in the racing world. Doing all of these things would seem like an insurmountable task to most families; fortunately for the mountain bike community, the Athertons don’t fall into the category of “most families”. The youthful triad of Dan, Gee, and Rachel are revolutionizing the sport, and whether the competition likes it or not, they’re here to stay.

Read the full interview inside that is complete with videos and pictures of the family.

This year, the UCI has changed back the rules about wearing the National Champion's Jersey. A National Champion will now have to wear the National Champs jersey in ALL timed runs, and on the podium.

Look inside for more info.

If you're a hiker or more serious climber you may have already heard of Osprey, a well known name in the world of outdoor bags. For 2010 Osprey has decided to attack the mountain bike market and their weapon of choice is the new Raptor backpack. Have a look inside to see how they plan to become the leader in cycling bags.

Read on...

The world is full of talented riders and people working their guts out to make it in the world of riding and racing bikes. Welcome to number 11 of many, quick, slap in the face style, 60 second interviews - and next up Midlands Downhill racer - Andy Dodd!

Catch Andy inside,

Day 2 and 3 of the Jamaica "Fatta" Tyre Festival were awesome. Lots of riding, lots of crazy things to see, and way too much fun every night. Locations include Murphy Hill, Hamilton Mtn, Rio Nuevo Beach, Pimento Hill, and Robin's Bay.

Check inside for more photos and video...

A fortnight after the halfway marker has been a real kick in the go-nads - After achieving fitness I went and hit some more technical terrain - my skills were tested and my body armor put to good use!

Read more inside

A huge part of our lives as riders, builders and filmmakers is collaborating with other people who feel the same passion for this so called sport as we do. Nicolas Teichrob, aka Teky is an enthusiastic local photographer and a great friend of ours. He’s always down to shoot come rain, snow, shine, or in this case, arctic temperatures. His energy for shooting is portrayed in his shots and so we felt it was time to bring you into his world and show you what it takes to Get The Shot.

Webisode & pics inside,

With the Follow Me...Everywhere Contest 1 week old, the submissions are rolling in with everyone vying to add the 2010 Giant Faith 0 to their arsenal of bikes on March 19th. But until then, Shimano is kicking in weekly prizes; check out who won the random draw for week 1 and also some entries that highlight some judging criteria.

See who won!

When it comes to video, I’m a rookie. I’ve spent countless hours shooting still images, and a fair bit of time on the athlete side of video production, but when it comes to aspect ratios, frames per second, editing timelines, or encoding, I’ve got a lot to learn. In an ideal world, I would have jumped into the video scene by upgrading my DSLR body to something like a Nikon D300s, but with these coming in around $1500 CAD, that wasn’t in the cards.

Enter the GoPro Hero HD.

Elite rider, Harriet Latcham is fast becoming an impressive force on the UK downhill scene and is tipped to be a force to be reckoned with on the track in 2010.

Have a look inside to hear more about Harriet and her sweet Propain Rage.

Kyle Norbraten & Dylan Dunkerton of The Coastal Crew go for a rip to the beach to talk about Scott's hottest new free ride weapon.

Videos inside,

Riders from Around the Globe Visit Aptos in the Off Season

If you're into Dirt Jumping then this is for you! This time of year in Aptos, CA you will no doubt see many Pro Mountain Bikers from all over the world. They come in search of the good weather and awesome riding. From now until Sea Otter in April, the Santa Cruz area will be filled with riders. In town currently are riders Brandon Semenuk, Andreu Lacondeguy, Sam Pilgram, Amir Kabanni, and of course all the local pros like the McCauls', Greg watts, Ryan Howard, Jack Fogelquist, Cob, and even Guy French. The next few months should be filled with excitement!

Please look inside to read more and see some pictures of the action!

Sam Hill, the 2009 Overall World Cup Champion, rides the North Shore with local Thomas Vanderham in the up coming mountain bike feature Follow Me.

A super quick profile to give just the slightest taste of what went down when Sam Hill and Thomas Vanderham rode the Shore late last fall. If you want to know more about what went down on the shoot check out the blog post from Anthill filmmaker Jonathan Schramm. Video inside,

As direct mount stems become the norm on DH bikes, the number to choose from seems to be getting bigger every week. Persist Components from the UK is throwing their hat into the ring with their beautiful Triumph stem. Shipped stock with gold titanium bolts, the Triumph looks to be simple, strong, and light.

Read on...

The world is full of talented riders and people working their guts out to make it in the world of riding and racing bikes. Welcome to our tenth of many, quick slap in the face style, 60 second interviews - and next up, Downhill Racer Anita Novak.

See more inside..

In 2007, the first prototype of the MATCH was shown at Eurobike and Interbike. After that FireEye has spent a very long time on testing and redesigning. This year, they have finally launched it to the market.

More details and pics inside...

Source: Sirbikealot

Bikercross on snow March 20th, 2010 at Sir Sams Ski Resort

The POC Freezeride Bikercross is on! Sirbikealot Racing is pleased to announce a bikercross event on snow March 20th, 2010 at Sir Sams Ski Area. POC, the leader in safety for snow and bike sports will be supplying prizing for the event. Details inside,

Source: Fox

FOX Racing kicks off the 2010 season with an impressive line-up of MTB team athletes.

Details inside,

Here at Pinkbike we all seem to have a bit of a grip fetish. Inside you'll find a few of our favorites, including Lock-Ons, thick grips, thin grips, soft and hard grips, and even some amusing scented jobs! You're bound to find something you like from RaceFace, Answer, Gusset, NS Bikes, Sensus, and Spank.

Read On...

Crank Bros. are known for producing products that are not only unique, but also eye catching. If you're going to put it in on your bike then why not have it look great as well, right? The Iodine wheels could be the perfect example of that idea. Inside we'll take a closer look at some of the finer points of the Iodine's.

Read On...

The UCI for 2010 have re-introduced the mandatory wearing of the National Champs Jersey during any timed runs and podium appearances.

So what I hear you ask? Well what if you're a pro rider in with a shot of the National Champs jersey? If you win that coveted jersey then all your big time sponsors get not much more space than a postage stamp of real estate, if any! Come and join in on the debate..

Pinkbike offers video up to 120fps, you don't see this anywhere else on the web.

As a digital videographer I showcase a lot of my work online, generally through flash video. Almost all the online video websites offer flash video at up to 30fps (frames per second). Now coming from little old New Zealand I use the 25fps standard. But a lot of the High Definition cameras these days can shoot up to 50 or 60fps, including mine. Meaning if you shoot at a high frame rate it gets down converted to 25 or 30fps depending on the site.

Here's a comparison between 50p and 25p video on the web.

Source: Redfern Media

Twenty-some years ago a German biking enthusiast believed he could make something better than the best available lamp to hit the trails at night– to design and build a truly useful and versatile 'Personal Lighting System.' From that time, and to that end, Lupine has been maxing-out the leading technology of the time to create the standard-bearers of bike lighting. By adapting progressive improvements in light sources, battery power and microelectronics, today's Lupine Lights represent the pinnacle of portable, adaptable, hands-free lighting design.

Watch the video inside and see for yourself,

Very few people know the difference between not wanting to ride and not being able to ride. Recently I became aware of both. It has opened my eyes and focused my attention to something far greater than myself, and for that I am grateful!

Read on, you won't be disappointed!

Riding Adventure through Northern Thailand and Laos.

After being in Luang Pra Bang for a couple of days it was time to start riding to Vientiane. James decided that he would take the bus to the border and then head south to a beach in Thailand. Morgan and I were then going to meet him in Bangkok before flying back to Taiwan.

Part 5 inside,

Source: Cedric Gracia

Now it's the right time ! I know a lot of people have been waiting for this news letter for a long time! I have the pleasure and the honor to introduce my new bike sponsor!

The CG Racing Brigade is going to be pimped on Santa Cruz bikes. Thanks to Santa Cruz to trust in me and the Brigade for the future; I am happy and proud to ride the V10.

The latest addition to the Maxxis tire catalog is the Ardent, a high volume XC/AM tire designed to roll fast and offer confidence inspiring traction year round. Inside we'll have a closer look the Ardent.

Read On...

James Visser is an up and coming slopestyle/dirtjump competitor who is looking to leave his mark during the 2010 season, I was able to catch up with James to get this interview about his sponsors and goals for 2010. He currently resides in San Diego, California and recently signed with Division 26. Here is a quick interview to see who else he is riding for in 2010 as well as some awesome pictures and video from the 2009 season!

Please open and get to know James just a little bit better!

After the amount of people who contact me weekly about my bikes used in Project fifty two, I felt a good way to end these repetitive replies was to write a bike check. This is one of the bikes you'll see the most of in my project "52 weeks"

See the Haro Steel Reserve 8 inside..

Usually right about now I am sobbing in my bedroom or playing videos games because I can’t ride my bikes. But not this year! Winter has already come and gone here in Kelowna and with finishing my grade 12 year with an early graduation I am out almost everyday digging.

We don’t usually pull out the bikes until about the middle of March but this year is different. I set my wheels down on dirt in January! The warm weather, and soft moist ground is delightful.

The red carpet came out at the NW Film Forum in Seattle WA for the Women of Dirt: Awesome Land Film Premiere. Executive Producers/Filmakers Mark Brent and Miles Sullivan welcomed Darcy Turenne, Stephanie Nychka,Tammy Donahugh, Anna Wells, Katrina Strand, Cierra Smith and Leana Gerrard with white roses and a tasty keg of beer. I was even handed a jello-shot as the cinema began to pack in for the 'Sold Out' Worldwide Premiere. Here's the lowdown including some ripping riding at Duthie Hill MTB Park in Issaquah WA the next day.

All photos provided by Carl Warren Photography and video provided by Andy Tran/Syndrome Racing

Read on...

Source: Rocky Mountain Bikes

Dave Smutok is heading to Spain for a filming trip for Gravity Components and we painted up the first 2011 Flow proto for him in our paint shop.

Check it out,

When Intense first showed off their 951 DH bike, rider's jaws dropped. Check out the X Fusion Intense 951s inside as well as the down low on the sick graphic kits that have been popping up on a few pro's 951s courtesy of HieroglyphFX.

Pics and info inside,

Source: Demz

Practice Day...a lot of the big hitters came out to get a feel for the course and to catch up with all their buddies. More videos will come in a few days...

Practice video inside,

A retrospective view back on the 2009 biking year, what it brought to me, what it didn't and other stuff.

My name is Ivan, I live in Estonia. I wrote this first line much to myself, just to realize better, what sort of "mountainbiking" I am actually going to talk about. I mean, there are certain complications in doing a mountain-based activity, when you live in a country, where there are no mountains. This is on the one hand. On the other hand - the beautiful, untouched nature, so inviting to be explored, cozy small towns full of nice people, the pleasure of tripping within a country, that is so small, that its every corner is accessible within a half-a-day car drive - all this is just the right combination to wake up the spirit of adventurer in the most passive soul.

Story and pics inside,

How does Sam Pilgrim like to chill out after loud and full season of contests? Check out how in this short photo-story.

Finally, there is no huge crowd, harsh judging juries, oversized and scary jumps, riders can go and feel the pure satisfaction of doing what they like the best in life!

Sam came up to our local jumps one early afternoon. He knows this place, has been here before, but still we had some surprises for him. All of the main line is rebuilt, now.

He took a quick look...

The world is full of talented riders and people working their guts out to make it in the world of riding and racing bikes. Welcome to number 9 of many, quick slap in the face style, 60 second interviews - and next up,BC slopestyle/Dirt rider Aeron Learmonth.

Get sideways with Aeron inside,

Rain, rain, rain! Max and I went for a rain ride on some fast trails filled with jumps and berms! Another day, after much digging, the crew went out for a mini moto sesh!

More details and video inside!

Source: Santa Cruz Bikes

The crowning of Steve Peat as 2009 World Champion put an exclamation point on the Santa Cruz Syndicate’s domination of the downhill arena for the past few years. Peat’s 2009 season put him in the history books - 17 career World Cup downhill wins, 50 World Cup career downhill podiums and finally the elusive championship - and he alongside teammate Greg Minnaar pushed the Syndicate to the pinnacle of success. Minnaar won three World Cup downhills in his first season aboard the Santa Cruz V-10 and captured the UCI World Cup overall in 2008. He continued his charge in 2009, winning three more World Cup races, thus scoring 6 of his 11-career World Cup wins during his two-year stint with the Syndicate. Young gun Josh Bryceland’s contributions to the squad with his Junior World Championship title in 2008 and 13th overall World Cup performance in ’09 has made the Syndicate the UCI #1 Downhill Team for two years in a row. More details inside,

Source: Hayes Brakes

Hayes releases new Prime disc brake! Details and specs inside.

Read on...

I've been in Jamaica for 2 days now, and yesterday was the first real event of the trip, the Bicycle Bash! It's an amazing bicycle event for locals and anyone else that wants to come.

Stunt riding is big in Jamaica and everyone likes to customize their bikes. Video and pictures inside,

Anthill's new film 'Follow Me' is all about having fun on your bike and so we wanted this contest to be fun too. We're pretty stoked on the idea - hopefully it will give you a chance to come up with some funny, crazy, unique ideas of your own. Looking forward to seeing the results.

Read on for contest details and how to win the loot!

There’s a lot of momentum behind Geax (jee-aks)…who recently released a totally redesigned website featuring a host of new applications for online visitors. The site now allows you to compare different products, score and leave personal feedback on the tires, download wallpapers, and check out their latest videos like the new video from Aaron LaRocque.

Video inside,

James van de Kamp is one of Norco's newest factory riders on their BMX team. James is one of the many rad riders to hail from Surrey, and he always throws down big. One of his signature tricks is a super clicked table like no other.

To find out more about James, read after the jump!

As my thesis project for Industrial Design, I decided to design and develop the best downhill frame ever made in Chile, by combining various rider's experiences with my own into sophisticated technologies software adopted from the aerospace industry. Inside you'll find a lot of information on my Industrial Design Thesis Project.

Editor's note - English is not Maximilian's first language, so please take this into consideration when reading his story about the creation of his bike. Enjoy the article.

At only 16 years of age and bursting with talent, Sam Maddison is now signed up with the Team Mountain high/Orange, with high hopes of making his presence known on the UK Downhill scene this year. Get a glimpse of Sam and his bike in a very rare still opportunity.

Check out his new ride, pics and video inside...

I recently got the chance to spend some time and chat with UK Dirt jumper Blake Samson at Adrenaline Alley in Corby. As he was there riding his super dope 2010 DMR - I thought it was a perfect moment to do up a bike check with him for everyone at Pinkbike.

See Blake and his 2010 DMR 898 Bike inside!

Happy new year to all, though it may be a bit late. Since it's a new year I decided it was time for a change. However the bad weather was a bit of a downer and so I needed some inspiration to get out and do something big...build something big(ish)...

It was a lazy Sunday that it all kicked off. There I was quite happily staring mindlessly into the videos on pinkbike when I stumbled upon something, Sam Pilgrim's step up video. As many of you will of seen it as VOD its not only an awesome video but one that made me decide to go and get the spade out and dig.

The UK seems to have a real strong uprising of dirt jumpers - and here is Spank's newest signing - Oscar Golding and his new Spank Tweet Tweet. At only 16 years of age and riding with the likes of Sam Pilgrim, this lad has a big future ahead.

More pics and details inside..

Deal Central will be a monthly article that will feature some great sale items from our Online store supporters. We work with some of the largest online stores, so we decided to help you the readers out in finding where the best deals are each month. Without further ado here are the deals of this month!

Click here for the deals of the month...

If you live and ride in the bay area, take this survey – politely voice your support for a bike park and sustainable mountain bike trails in McLaren Park. This is one of the most important ways you can help make the dream of a world class mountain bike park in San Francisco, a reality.

This season, I decided to give myself the challenge of saving all my footage until I no longer could, and creating something I would really enjoy watching. This started out as a small edit, but quickly progressed into a short Bike film showcasing a ton of Ontario talent.

Story, video and pics inside,

Summer Gravity Camps is one of Whistler's Premier camps for mountain bikers. Run by Andrew Shandro and a hand full of professional riders, Summer Gravity Camp allows you to get close and personal with some of the best riders in the world, and get some exclusive time in the Whistler Bike Park and the Whistler area in general. One of the riders you may come across this year in the bike park is Cam McCaul, so here's a little glimpse of what he could be teaching you to do.

Click here for Cam McCaul's Superman How-To...

661 SubGear Compression Suits are brand new for 2010. Think the Skins Compression suit combined with a light weight body armour and here you have 661's Sub Gear.

This is going to be a winner for so many of you..

Fresh in the door from Answer Products is their new Rove direct mount DH stem and matching ProTaper DH handlebar. Inside we'll take a closer look at both, as well as a great installation video!

Read on...

Source: e13

The Freechucker is a new type of chain retention system inspired by everyday riders who ride hard and ride frequently in muddy and low maintenance conditions. With no moving parts, dual bash protection, and an open mud-shedding design, it’s truly a set-it-and-forget-it for years of riding retention system.

Plus, it works a heck of a lot better than a locked out front derailleur or a couple of plates.

Riding Adventure through Northern Thailand and Laos.

For the past couple of days we have been taking it pretty easy. The most difficult day we have had was the three hundred kilometer bus ride from Luang Nam Tha to Luang Pra Bang. It would not have been so bad, but it took us ten hours to make it here.

Part 4 is picture rich and inside,

The world is full of talented riders and people working their guts out to make it in the world of riding and racing bikes. Welcome to our eighth of many, quick slap in the face style, 60 second interviews - and next up, UK Downhill Racer Becky Hilton.

Catch Becky inside,

Source: Norco

Norco just uploaded this nice little video about their junior XC, 4X, Dual and DH racer Nick Geddes. Nick's overall riding abilities landed him on the Factory Team last year. This video shows him doing a little bit of XC and DH.

Video inside,

Dunbar Cycles is proud to be signing Dean Tennant for the 2010 race season. Dean had a breakout 2009 race season and with Dunbar for 2010, we can expect that success to keep on rolling.

“Dean is one of the most promising up and coming Canadian riders out there. He has a super positive attitude towards racing and life in general and we are stoked to have him join the team", says Robert Venables: Team Manager

More details inside,

Source: Dan Brown

Having already worked together for three years, Rachel, Gee and Dan Atherton’s confidence in Commencal has been strongly reiterated with the announcement of another two years in partnership with the bike manufacturer. This relationship has steadily grown and is now set to be stronger than ever. The fresh team name and logo marks a new chapter, and the birth of Team Commencal.

The Atherton siblings will be chasing World titles aboard Commencal’s race proven bikes, the ‘Supreme DH’ and the ‘Absolut 4X Ti’.

Introducing, the first ever Video of the Month!

I will be running video of the month for the rest of the year and at the end of the year Pinkbike will name its first Video of the year! Look inside for the top five videos for January 2010!

Louis Garneau is a Canadian company with an all encompassing range of products. From apparel to complete bikes, to parts and accessories, Garneau has it covered. Inside we'll narrow it down a bit and take a closer look at their Treelium helmet and Durango shorts.

Read on...

Jordan and some of the Chilliwack locals were out ripping on Vedder Mountain this past weekend and busted out the GoPro HD with chest mount. Jordan, Cory and Luke all took turns ripping trails like Two Cents, Skidder, Turd Ferg and Femur with the GoPro HD on.

Check out the slick trails,

Cycle Dog - Recycled Dog Leashes and Collars made from bike inner tubes

Cycle Dog is a Portland, Oregon based company that designs and manufactures recycled dog leashes, collars and accessories from reclaimed bike inner tubes. New for Spring 2010 is their patented Pup Top™ Bottle Opener/dual function leash attachment. Man’s Best Friend is always there for you.

Manon Carpenter is fast becoming one of the top female DH riders in the UK, having had a stellar 2009 Youth season in which she very often posted faster runs than most of the women’s senior categories, including the Elite Women!

Heads up, now I've mentioned this name before and today won't be the last. Manon comes from the Carpenter Stables, headed up by Jason Carpenter of Dragon Downhill fame. Those Dragon races were legendary, not just for the amazingly tough courses but for the locals who set fire to the tracks, shot their air rifles at us as well as throwing rocks mid race run. I won't even mention moving the burned out cars on the uplift so the trucks could get past..

Teenage DH prodigy, Manon Carpenter will ride a Lapierre DH 920 for the 2010 season, supplied by Hotlines Europe Ltd on a supported rider program. Hotlines will also be supplying Manon with Nuke Proof wheels and X-Tools maintenance products.

I was up at the Alpine Bikes Winter Series round one in Scotland on Saturday for some scary riding in very icy conditions. After getting the nod that the race was going to be canceled, we packed up in the evening and some 350 miles later we were down at the Forest of Dean in Gloucester for 08:00.

Who needs sleep when there is a race to attend...

The first Picture of the Month (POM) of the year!

I will be running Picture of the Month for the rest of the year and at the end of the year Pinkbike will name its first Picture of the year! If you missed last month's POM you can find it here. Look inside for the top five pictures of January 2010!

Source: Chain Reaction Cycles

If you read any sort of magazine or cycling website associated with your chosen discipline of cycling, then you're guaranteed to have come across the part where pro riders show off their pimped out bikes. BMX, Dirt Jumping, Downhill...they're all at it, with custom paint jobs, blinged out rims and whatever else they can think of. Here at Chain Reaction Cycles we can help you to create the bike of your dreams. Everyone knows standard just doesn't cut it any more, so if you have a spec list in mind then why not get in touch with our sales staff and get the wheels in motion? Our qualified mechanics are here to get it built up for you, the sky really is the limit!

We have pretty much every part you can think of and endless colour possibilities, so whether you want something sleek and colour coded or you prefer to stand out from the crowd then we can do it for you. For an example of just what is possible, check out this bad boy we built up for our showroom...

A new British Downhill mountain bike film from the vttmedia team of Ronan and Alice Taylor, comes Beyond the Threshold - a British DH video. It showcases some of the year’s best downhill action in Scotland, England and Wales. The SDA series, World Cup and regional races are part of the high-adrenalin mix. So too are rider sections and interviews with top pros, national contenders and local riders.

From mountains to valleys, check the lines, feel the speed. Go Beyond the Threshold.

Do you remember in grade 1 when the Circus came to town and you attended it as a field trip? There was always some excitement until the clowns came up into the audience and you freaked out.

Well get your freak on kids, because here comes the Circus!

Source: Coastal Crew Productions

Coastal Crew Productions would like to proudly present the first of many webisodes documenting our lifestyle as passionate mountain bikers. We have a dialed zone where we had built some unique lines for our segment in Kranked Revolve. We as riders, builders and filmmakers felt that these lines deserved more than just a handful of shots in a movie. After all, this is our home and is the continuing scene for many afternoons of laughter and good times. One bright Saturday morning in October 2009, we decided to shoot our first webisode. Our goal was to give you, the viewer, a more detailed and rider influenced feel of the lines. Utilizing our new Canon 7d and incorporating the vision of both Dylan and Cal, we were all smiles for a day in the office. The key to all of our work is our work ethic. We have no budget but we do this because we want to push our creativity in terms of building, riding and film making, in order to show you what is possible when you have a great group of friends and a vivid passion for what you do.

Webisode and pics inside,

Source: Transition Bikes

Lars Sternberg brings us an indepth look at cornering in this video from Transition bikes.

Video inside,

News Source: Brandon Turman

After a whirlwind debut at Interbike ’09, Team Geronimo has ramped up to full on tornado status. The Pro racers, staff and Junior Development Team of Team Geronimo are proud to introduce their 2010 lineup:

The world is full of talented riders and people working their guts out to make it in the world of riding and racing bikes. Welcome to our seventh of many, quick slap in the face style, 60 second interviews - and next up, Downhill Racer and Freeride Dabbler Ali Chapple.

Information inside,

Radek Burkat (Pinkbike developer) and Andrew Krynen (mountain biker) take on the most dangerous race in the world, the BAJA 1000. The two bikers traded in their pedals for a motor and challenged themselves to see how well two mountain bikers could do in the world of moto.

On the trip was long time mountain bike cinematographer Ambrose Weingart (CKD, Back in the saddle, etc) to film and put together a full one hour documentary of this event. Support was by long time Pinkbike photographer Russ Day, and Pinkbike's Karl Burkat.

(video inside) Welcome to our sister site ChainSlayer!

Source: Rasoulution

Sam Pilgrim wins "White Style presented by Kona“ in front of Linus Sjoeholm & Yannick Granieri

Europe’s young guns dominated the fifth anniversary of the “White Style presented by Kona” winter slopestyle competition in Leogang last Friday evening. Riders from North America made it into the top ten: Darren Berrecloth came fifth, Cam McCaul sixth and Jamie Goldman seventh. Great Britain’s other well-known faces, Sam Reynolds and Grant Fielder, placed eighth and ninth. Pics and details inside,

Once upon a time there was a little boy who raced BMX in Kamloops. One sunny summer day he wandered into the Bicycle Cafe to get his bike fixed. Being quite the gnarly little shredder his visits started becoming more and more frequent. Eventually we made friends and Graham Agassiz began racing for the Bicycle Café BMX team. That little boy kept growing and growing and riding bigger and bigger bikes (but not very big overall).

Flash forward a few years and that boy is now a Kona Clump team rider, NWD star and international slopestyle competitor.

Interview inside,