For Immediate Release

Giant Bicycles Canada announces 2003 DH team.

Vancouver, B.C. - January 30 th, 2003 - As Giant Bicycles increases its market share within North America, it seems both Giant U.S. and Giant Canada are responding with increased promotional plans. Following suit to Giant U.S.’s announcement of an industry leading race team, Giant Canada has again signed on the who’s who of the Canadian downhill circuit.

Now that Mother Nature's decided to give us a break from the cold, let's take the opportunity to Derby. Meet at 8pm at the Eau Claire Y's courtyard for and hour or two of bar-banging action.

Rules are simple:

1 - Don't touch the ground
2 - Don't fall over
3 - Don't lose your flag

Other than that, it's anything goes!

Bring your Cruiser, BMX, singlespeed, XC steed or your downhill-ready ride. Consider it training for the Biker-X season. See you there at 8 bells!

Looks like things are getting back together in the race world, as rumors and facts are slowly trickling their way into my inbox. The latest I've received is that Chris Kovarik and Sabrina Jonnier have been confirmed on the Intense roster. Both riders will contest the World Cup, select NORBA's as well as some Maxxis Cup, Australian National and European events. In related Intense news, Intense Tires and Santa Cruz Bicycles will field a team boasting the Houseman Brothers, Johnny Waddell and Henry O'Donnell. The team will be run by long time racers, Derin Stockton and Kathy Sessler and will also hit the World Cups and NORBA events in addition to select freeride events.

The Advil Outdoor Adventure Show will take place in Edmonton at the Northlands Agri-Com next weekend (February 7-9). In addition to the BMX race (the first provincial event of the year), the organizer will also be hosting a Dirt Crit. This will be a sanctioned event but will not count towards Alberta Cup or upgrade points. Entry is $20 for men and $15 for women.

Brought to you by the folks who put on the Coquitlam bike park fundraiser, the newest event to hit the scene this year is Race The Ridge, a DH, XC and Road race weekend coming to Maple Ridge on April 19-21, 2003. Volunteers are needed in all areas, from course construction to shuttle truck drivers for
the event. The DH course is already under construction but we need your
help. Anyone willing to volunteer their time to help this event go off
please contact Keith White at 604-785-5876 or keith@ggrp.com.

I just got an email from the good folks over at Maxxis Tires. You know, the tire company with an ear to the ground? They've recently got a small number of 26" Hookworms in stock. What makes this tire noteworthy? Pinkbike's readers first saw this rubber on a prototype Rocky Mountain Switch (in 24" form) in late 2001 and your emails to Maxxis HQ prompted production of the urban/skatepark tire. Here's the catch, at the moment, numbers are limited. If you were one of the many who asked for them, there's just 100 to be found until next month, better step up quick!

On what had to be the fastest winter biker-X course ever seen, James and the gang at COP delivered one hell of a ride on Sunday night. With multiple lines, jumps and berms, Sunday's course was fun for riders of all abilities. Big airs and icy drops kept every rider at least a little humble and all 97 racers who attended walked away smiling. The weekend chinook's warm temperatures helped the course set up like concrete (albeit ICY concrete) and after a "trial" run by yours truly, James made the decision to run the groomer up and down the course.

Siemens mobile, one of the global leaders in mobile communication, and Cannondale, the world's premier manufacturer of high-performance bicycles, are joining forces to sponsor a pro mountain bike team, that is expected to race among the best. The team will compete under the name Siemens mobile/Cannondale in the 2003 and 2004 World Cup seasons, and it unites some of the world's top professional riders. Rainer-Wurz.com, the company owned by former mountain bike racer Markus Rainer and Formula 1 driver Alex Wurz, helped to bring the companies together and will run the team. Cannondale will provide state-of-the-art racing bikes, technical expertise and support. Siemens mobile will provide cutting edge mobile phones that will allow the team, via triple band technology, to make phone calls in all parts of the world.

Cannondale (Nasdaq: BIKE), has announced that it intends to file a voluntary petition for reorganization under Chapter 11 of the U.S. Bankruptcy Code on January 28th.

Cannondale and its lenders, The CIT/Business Credit, Inc. and Pegasus Partners II, L.P. have reached an agreement in principle that, subject to Bankruptcy Court approval, will provide the Company with interim financing to fund post-petition operating expenses and to meet supplier and employee commitments. “The interim financing will be used to continue the operation of our bicycle business,” said Cannondale Founder and President Joe Montgomery.

After celebrating an incredible 2002 season, the Maxxis Factory Team is kicking off 2003 with even more vigor and excitement! The 2003 team lineup consists of some of the world’s best mountain bikers. Maxxis is welcoming back its 2002 team members, two-time NORBA NCS Overall Champion John Kirkcaldie, No. 7 NORBA Downhill Racer April Lawyer and the young up-and-coming Colin Bailey, who was a contender for the U.S. Downhill title last year. However, the team has gone one step farther this year, adding a cross-country racer to the roster for the first time since 1999. To compliment the podium finishes of its gravity racers, Maxxis has brought Kashi Leuchs on board, the 2000 Olympic mountain biker from New Zealand, to secure some top finishes in the endurance discipline.

"Kranked 5 - In Concert" is in the editing room. We are throwing down the coolest beats as we caress the footage we've collected over the last year.

It's looking stellar and we are psyched.

The Release date is coming up fast - April 12th is the world premier down at the huge Sea Otter Festival. Then we are in Whistler the next night April 13 to release it at The World Ski and Snowboard Festival.

After this the "Get Kranked World Tour " kicks in with parties being thrown all over the world to celebrate the coming riding season. If you are interested in throwing a party go to the world tour page and get in touch with Johnny Smoke.

Bjørn

You can check out the Radical Films website for more info.

Episode 6 - Invermere is currently online and available for download.
Each episode will be put online for a limited time period so download it and save it to your computer instead of streaming.
(RIGHT click on the link, and save target as)NOTE: If you are having a problem downloading on the same day that the video comes out it is due to the 1000s of users trying to do this at the same time. The video server connection can get saturated.
Click here to download Dropin Episode 6 (23 minutes playing time)

Windows Media Player required

DropIn is a new Freeride TV series that is playing on networks across Canada. It features a group of pro freeriders traveling across Alberta and BC hitting some of the best riding destinations.
For more detailed info check out dropin.pinkbike.com

Questions/Comments

To bolster its robust BMX and Freeride
programs,
Specialized has joined forces with the new action-sport focused talk show
54321
which will air nationwide on the Fox Sports network. Premiering Monday,
January
27th at 5:00PM, 54321 will feature a Specialized 415 Pro BMX and Big Hit
Downhill bike as permanent features on the set of the show. Tune in
regularly
and keep your eyes peeled for Specialized factory team riders Chad Kagy,
Brett
Tippie, and other Specialized personalities to be featured talent on the
show in
future episodes. 54321 will air Monday through Friday with a new episode every night...check
your
local listings for show times.
Until then, have a nice ride.

Cannondale officials declined to confirm or deny on Friday reports that the company's bicycle, motorcycle and apparel factories in Bethel had been closed, the locks changed and its employees let go without pay.

Citing Securities and Exchange Commission rules, Scott Montgomery, Cannondale's vice president, declined to comment on the closure or the company's future.

On Sunday January 26, 2003, Van Cortlandt Park in the Bronx, N.Y. plays host to an informal race . All racers are to meet up at the sink hole. Entry fee to race will be $10, and there will be 1st, 2nd and 3rd place prize money depending on the number of entries. The race is open to all riders, given that you have a DH specific bike. Depending on the turn out we will have a second race including non DH specific bikes. The race will start promptly at 2pm Practice will be held from the morning until 1:30pm. All riders in the area and throughout the 5 boroughs of New York are urged to be there or be square. SEE YA SUNDAY!!!!

Iron Horse Bicycles, in partnership with Mad Catz Racing, is proud to announce the formation of the Iron Horse/Mad Catz Pro Team. The San Diego, CA based team will contest the full Norba National Championship Series, UCI World Cup Series, Sea Otter Classic, and selected regional events and freeride competitions throughout North America, Europe, and Australia.

Norco’s Supercross bike, the One25 wins U.S. based Mountain Biking Magazine’s Dirt Jump 2003 Bike of The Year award. Great news for the Canadian bike industry and our company when you imagine all the big American bike companies who could have been chosen and who have been favourites in the past. “This is definitely a David vs. Goliath story” said Bike Division Manager, Dave Overgaard.

We just got word that the Edmonton stop of the Advil Outdoor Adventure Show will now feature a Dual Slalom race in addition to the Big Air, BMX and on-dirt demo gigs already planned. We've also added the Event Information and Registration Forms for the Vancouver show on the Outdoor Show Page. Be sure to stop by the Pinkbike booth at the western shows to say hi and pick up some of the sweet new softgoods we'll be hawking at the show. See you there!

The weatherman is promising we'll break out of this cold snap just in time for the first race in Canada Olympic Park's 2003 Biker-X series. Temps right around the freezing mark should make this race especially sweet as most of us have been stuck indoors since the cold swept in 2 weeks ago. Registration is just $15 and runs from 5:30-6:30 and racing begins at 7pm sharp. Here's your chance to bang elbows in the terrain park, with only 3 races this season, you won't want to miss it!

With the cost of bikes showing no sign of decline, many riders can’t afford to upgrade or purchase a new ride. This is especially the true for those of us who have an aluminum rig in the garage that has suffered a frame failure. For the most part a bike with a cracked or failed frame that is out of, or not covered by the manufacturer’s original warranty is worthless, and getting a new replacement from the bike shop for most simply isn’t an option.

Hoots Gear just shot us an email about a brand new contest that gives you the opportunity to win some of the most protective and innovative gear available. Go to www.hootsgear.com to enter and win. This month you could win a brand new pair of 2003 Hoots Freeride Knees, a retail value of $79.00 CAD. Take the time to enter a little info about yourself and you could be the first winner of the Hoots monthly contest. The winner will drawn on January 31st, 2003 and will be posted at www.hootsgear.com. Time's running short, just one week to go in this first installment!

Revolution Sports Supply is pleased to announce that they are once again working with the Electra Bicycle Co. Distribution of Electra’s cruiser and comfort bikes in Canada will be handled from Revolutions’ Calgary headquarters. 2003 marks the 10th Anniversary of the Electra Bicycle Co. and the bikes are looking better than ever. These are the bikes that no one should be without. Whether you need a big chopper, a derby ride or a classy ladies bike, these bikes are the ticket.

The long awaited DVD version of Riders Anonymous, a film by Mike Kinrade, is finally here. This is the 3rd title from Mike and MPF and is better than ever.

MPF films are renowned for the super chill riding, bro style and the hippest soundtrack on the scene.


The bonus features on this DVD make it an even more amazing purchase. In addition to the Riders Anonymous film, you get the entire Second Coming film on the DVD, HIGH ANTICS (a 10min promo that was a couple years back from Hidden Pleasures in 97/9 and a bunch of bonus footage.


Buy a copy online - only $24.95 CAD ($15.94 USD )

Most of the team news this season has been centered around the race scene, but I'm beginning to see a trend developing in the industry. Just last week, freerider extraordinaire, Tyler Klassen became the first rider to sign directly with Santa Cruz Bicycles. We've also seen Specialized step up and sign Darren Barrecloth, a relative unknown before his 3rd place finish at the Red Bull Rampage in Utah last October. I had the opportunity to speak with Andrew Shandro earlier this week about his recent signing with Trek USA. For 2003, Shandro's contract is entirely a freeride gig; no race commitments to be found, though I'm sure you'll see the long-time stalwart of the Canadian DH scene at one or more of the western Canada Cups. That got me thinking about the state of our sport and its various disciplines...

Questions/Comments

Reigning 17-year-old Australian World Junior Champion Sam Hill won the 2003
Red Bull Ride from an experienced international field of 28 competitors at Jindabyne.

The mountain-biking prodigy from Glen Forrest, WA, claimed victory in a
flawless final run of the day on a specially made course that is recognised
as the toughest ever created. Fellow West Australian John Waddell, 22, came
second with Nathan Rennie, 22, of Kurrajong Heights, NSW, placing third..

Australian Grant Allen was the only competitor to attempt the daunting 8.5
metre (28 foot) drop on the practice day of the 2003 Red Bull Ride.
Recognised across the globe for his fearless jumping and blasé approach to
huge drops, Allen completed his landing flawlessly. Today's effort was a
solid endorsement of Allen's reputation in the mountain biking Mecca of
North America, and complemented his performance at the 2002 Red Bull Ride,
where he was the first to attempt that course's 20ft vertical drop.

The Dropin contests are starting as of today. For the next 13 weeks we will be giving away prizes from various sponsors and from the Dropin crew. There will be a skill testing question from a dropin episode on each contest entry. You must get the answer correct to win the prize. We will have a random draw at the end of each week to pick the winner.

GRAND PRIZE: Norco 125 complete bikeOn the 14th week we will pick a random name out of the 13 winners of the previous contests, and this lucky person gets a brand new, complete Norco 125 bike!
So get your names in the first contest...click here to enter

Remember last year's winter bike race we did at Shawnee Peak? Well, it's back by popular demand. The mountain thought it was the coolest thing they'd ever seen! They are totally willing to let us move a little snow around and build up some berms for this year's event. They have seen it now and realize that if they build it, riders will come. Expect the course to be way more fun!

This Sunday, January 19th, the Airdrie BMX Association opens up the Didsbury Indoor BMX track to the mountain bike community. Here's your chance to get some much needed interval training on the dirt racing your bros on the BMX track. Bing your wife, bring the kids, bring your parents, just come out and ride a stellar track in downtown Didsbury. Prepare for next week's Biker Cross at COP by banging elbows across the jumps and in the turns with your fellow mountainbikers!

There's some very important information in the [Read More] section, so read on my brothers and sisters.

See you at the track!

Trident Performance Sports Inc., an industry leader in Windsurfing and Kiteboarding distribution in Canada, is pleased to announce the introduction of the Trident - Mountain Bike division. The new Trident - Bike Division manufactures/distributes Hoots, Yeti Bikes and Progressive suspension in Canada for 2003, look for these products in your local shop by April 2003. Known for their high commitment to customer service, customer loyalty and offering only the best products at the best price; look for Trident to make some waves in the Canadian market.

The Calgary Mountain Bike Alliance is working with the City of Calgary to locate appropriate areas to develop dirt jump parks. The dirt jump parks will provide sanctioned areas for freeriders to improve their skills and enjoy their sport. The long term goal is to locate parks in each quadrant of the City in order to allow access by bike or public transportation. This will provide facilities for young riders that do not have access to a car for transportation to less accessible venues such as COP. The initial goal is to locate a single site that is accessible and meets the immediate needs of freeriders. This site will be developed as a demonstration site. If it is successful then other sites will be identified and developed.

By Rich Vigurs

The winner of the first ever Ultimate Freeride Challenge and current winner of the Red Bull Ride, Tyler “Super T” Klassen has just signed with Santa Cruz Bicycles.

Finally got my copy of Superheros III last week and watched it MANY times since. I was expecting the usual freeride roof top hucking scenes like in Superheros I & II, but Neil really went above my expectations in this one. The movie starts off with awesome freeriding and dirt jumps segments from master of style, Randy Spangler and Aaron Peters! Randy and Aaron are only a sample of outstanding riders features in this movie. Throughout the movie you will entertained by some of the most talented riders in the world such as the Superheros team, Cedric Gracia, Darren Miller, Kyle Strait, Aaron Chase and many more.

The world's best riders will take on the world's toughest ever mountain
bike course in Jindabyne, NSW, Australia from January 19 to 24.

The course that humbled many of the best freeriders in the business last
year has been abandoned in favour of something harder. Thirty-foot drops. A
45-foot step down gap. Huge jumps. Wall rides. A moving seesaw on rails.
Thirteen uber-technical sections of scaffolding, dirt and rock make up a
brand new kilometer-plus course down the steep and Spartan slopes of the
summertime NSW ski fields.

Twenty-seven riders. Nine countries. Fifteen grand prize money

The Red Bull
Ride 2003 is coming...

So I'm cleaning up the video server tonight and guess what I just happen to stumble across....ah yes....the first video ever made by Pinkbike. Actually this is the video that inspired the making of Pinkbike.
Back in those days (CIRCA 199 there was no full suspension, no pads, no big forks, no fat tires, just bar ends, xc bikes, water bottles, clipless pedals and yes, spandex. And what fun it was.

This is a video of Radek and Mike Blarowski on the first "hard core" biking trips we ever did...hitting Rossland and Fernie, for the first time running into stunts and riding logs. I guess it was love at first sight.


Remember - right click and save as
You're going to luv this VIDEO mtb1.mov 30 Mbytes

Questions / Comments / Flames

New on the Pinkbike shelves is the Pinbike Hardtail Pride - rock star edition T-SHIRT.

Top brand, 100% cotton, preshrunk T-shirt.
The shirt that is perfect for any occasion. A blend of perfect rip and style allows you to terrorize trails, dirt jumps and urban during the day, and in the evening, kick back and chill in your one and only Pinkbike Hard Tail Pride - rock star edition shirt.
Check out the shirt here

As we alluded to in our previous race news stories, Haro announced this afternoon that 2001 World Cup Downhill Champion Greg Minnaar will ride for Haro/Lee Dungarees. "We're excited to bring Greg and former Global team mate Mick Hannah together again in the same program", said Jim Ford, Haro’s President, "The addition of Greg to the team should make Team Haro Lee Dungarees a powerhouse in downhill and 4X events while providing us with invaluable input into the design and performance of our mountain bikes".

Press Release - Monday January 13, 2003.

Greg Minnaar Released from Global Racing

Over the past weekend Greg Minnaar was released from his 2003 Global Racing
contract allowing him to pursue a place on another team for the coming
season. 23 Degrees Sports Management, the owners of Global Racing, have
assisted Greg with this move so as to ensure he has a secure ride for the
upcoming race season. His new team is expected to announce his signing later
today.

On his first race since joining Chumba Wumba along with Shaums March, Lisa Sher and Todd Bosch, Lars Tribus took top spot at the Blue Mountain Biker Cross at Blue Mountain, PA this past Sunday. By all accounts it was an impressive field with the likes of Aaron Chase, Jeff Lenosky, Derrick Nobman, and Tom Oaks. Chase eventually had to settle for 3rd spot finishing behind John Gabor and Tribus. No word yet on Blue Mountain's next race dates but by the looks of things, the race was a huge success and there was a stellar turnout.

Results
1. Lars Tribus
2. John Gabor
3. Aaron Chase

Episode 5 - Nelson is currently online and available for download.
Each episode will be put online for a limited time period so download it and save it to your computer instead of streaming.
(RIGHT click on the link, and save target as)NOTE: If you are having a problem downloading on the same day that the video comes out it is due to the 1000s of users trying to do this at the same time. The video server connection can get saturated.
Click here to download Dropin Episode 5 (23 minutes playing time)

Windows Media Player required

DropIn is a new Freeride TV series that is playing on networks across Canada. It features a group of pro freeriders traveling across Alberta and BC hitting some of the best riding destinations.
For more detailed info check out dropin.pinkbike.com

Questions/Comments

There's been some rumors circulating throughout the industry since the holidays. Starting with the defection of a certain high profile rider from the Global squad to Team Haro/Lee Dungarees. Seems since Arai pulled out of their Global sponsorship, the team has been struggling to search for new sponsors. Still no official word from the team, however the silence may be speaking volumes... Speaking of Haro, it looks as though Mike King will be returning as team manager/rider along with Mick Hannah, the unnamed Global rider and Kyle Strait (I promise details when they become official).

The Edmonton BMX Association is proud to be hosting the first race of the 2003 Provincial Race Series at the Advil Outdoor Adventure Show, February 7 – 9, 2003. This is our second year taking part in the Outdoor Adventure Show and we are very excited to be hosting a provincial race at this event.

The Biker-Cross series at Canada Olympic Park gets under way once again on Sunday January 26. Registration runs from 5:30 - 6:30 and racing action starts at 7pm sharp! Not one to disappoint, James assures me the course will run through the terrain park and should feature all the jumps, berms and snow we've come to expect from COP's races. Ridley's is sure to bring a ton 'o swag to the table, so bring your $12 entry ($6 for the ladies) and be ready to ride! There's no equalizer like a bit of snow and ice!

Next dates in the Series are February 16 and March 23.
See you at the Races!

Quality Bicycle Products (QBP), North America's largest bicycle parts distributer, generously gave back to the cycling community over the holidays. Starting with a $3000 donation to the New England Mountain Bike Association to assist in the group in their purchase of 47 acres of land at the headwaters of the Upper Charles river. Another $5000 donation was given to the Chequemagon Area Mountain Bike Association for its Rock Lake Relocation Project. The Chequemagon group is trying to raise $20,000 to rebuild a heavily used trail. QBP's donation is an example for all of the cycling industry. Let's face the facts, without trail access, mountainbiking will cease to exist.

Every little bit helps, donate to NEMBA's Land Preservation Fund!

Gear up for your sweetest riding season ever!!! Don’t miss the industry’s top retailers, manufacturers, associations and more, who will be on hand with the latest products and services to make your 2003 riding season bigger and better than ever. Talk tech with industry insiders and buy the equipment you need to hit the trails. Throughout the weekend there will be a ton of events where you can show your stuff.

Balfa Cycles of Montreal, QC, Canada is happy to announce it’s FACTORY Team pilots for the 2003 race season. Back on the program is 2002 Canada cup overall champion Mathieu Laurin of Ste-Adele, QC. Mathieu, at only 20 is already regarded as one of the country’s three fastest racers. His Canada cup season was nothing short of brilliant with a victory in Tremblant and three second place finishes in the Maritimes and beautiful BC. Mathieu took third at the Nationals, earning him a spot on the National team to compete in Kaprun, Austria. He managed to finish as second Canadian despite a bad virus that held him back all week long. He also qualified a magnificent 16th at the Ste-Anne world cup before a flat tire ended a dream week-end for him. Mathieu won a Plattekill series race (NY state championship series) and a Quebec cup race over the course of the summer.

KMI, Canadian distributers of Arrow Racing, SRAM, Campagnolo, Fizik, Hutchinson and more are actively seeking sales representatives in British Columbia, the Maritimes and Manitoba/Saskatchewan. Sales experience not required, but interested applicants should live in the required area, have an in-depth knowledge of the industry and visit bike shops regularly. Send resumes off to info@kmi.ca or visit www.kmi.ca for information.

Our old friend Jonn Teghtmeyer stopped by this weekend to show off the bevy of goodies he's now repping under the Yodobike banner. The most coveted in the group would have to be his army green Evil Imperial. These frames were sold out long before production was complete on each of their first 2 runs, so be sure to knock on the door now if you're looking have one of these in 2003. He also took great pleasure showing off most of the Atomlab lineup, GRC's Moto levers and Evil's chainguides. If you're in BC and have been searching for some of the Yodobike goodies, including Rotec, Chumba Wumba, MountainCycle, Evil/e13, Ridge and many others, have your shop contact Jonn or Dominique at Yodobike.

This weekend, January 4th and 5th, at Mt. St. Anne there will be a chance
for every biker to reclaim the slopes for a weekend from the snowborders and
skiers. That's right, for all you racers out there there will be a DH and
4-Cross race complete with prizes and bragging rights to beat out those
winter blahs. The DH training runs from 8:00-9:59 am, with the race starting
immediately afterward at 10:00 am.

JANUARY 02, 2003 -- SAN JUAN CAPISTRANO, CA (BRAIN)--In an end of the year restructuring at Bike Magazine, longtime publisher Ben Warner and senior editor Mike Cushionbury were laid off Monday morning.

It may sound like a bad movie, but in fact it's a bike race. Red Bull's Race Down To The Centre of the Earth is a two-up downhill race set in a disused salt mine 700 metres below ground. It's not a new event, but it's been nearly two years since the last one. And for once the term "unique" is entirely justified – we can't think of any other 100% subterranean downhill races...