Of all the bikes I ogled over the weeks of Interbike and Rampage, none saw as many hard miles under my ass as the Canfield Formula 1. I began my 2003 Interbike experience getting some sublime Bootleg shuttle runs on Lance's personal bike. Then, while we were "working" in Utah, Chris and Lance offered the bike up once again for a trip down the Flying Monkey. With all the work there was to do, I really should have declined... Yeah, like that's ever gonna happen!

Most of us are familiar with the shades on the scene, but there’s a new player on the block, Adidas Eyewear and their line-up of sport glasses. This year at Interbike I managed to meet Ron Mühlböck of Adidas Eyewear and discuss their line, and recently I had the opportunity to try out a pair of Adidas’s top of the line Evil Eye Pros.

“Get loaded in 10 seconds or less” is Sportworks new philosophy. And that is exactly what their quick-load bike racks are all about! Getting your bike from ‘here’ to ‘there’, quickly, easily and safely is another way I would define Sportworks bike racks. If you're like me, the last thing you want to do waste a lot of precious time loading and unloading your bike(s) – all I want to do it get to that trail as soon as possible and RIDE!!

Progressive suspension had some as yet unseen shocks on display for 2004, including new 2-way and 3-way coil shocks. The 2-way shock has all the great features and functions of the 5-way 5th Element but limited to rebound and air pressure adjustments.

Colorado Springs, Colo. (October 29, 2003)—USA Cycling announced today the addition of the NORBA National at the California Outdoor Championships in Sonoma, Calif. to the 2004 NORBA National Mountain Bike Series on May 13-16. The original occupant of that date, the NORBA National at Big Bear, Calif., has been changed to May 20-23, 2004 to accommodate the expansion of the series.

A lot of new stuff from the Evil/e.thirteen guys. First big news was the announcement of their new Sovereign hardtail. The Sovereign frame was designed primarily as a street/trail frame. Its development began just before the Interbike 2001 tradeshow, and it took almost 1.5 years for them to get its custom butted/ sized Reynolds 853 tube set completed. They wanted something that a rider could take on a day long seated XC ride, yet still handle the largest drops and most technical ramp action. Handling had to be on par with the Imperial frame, so Evil laid out the bike's geometry to be quick but balanced, a combination that Evil feels they have perfected, but eludes many others. The frame had to be easily convertible to single speed, yet still offer the security and convenience of a vertical dropout.

Some things at Turner Suspension Bicycles, Inc. will never change. Yes over the past 10 years Turner bicycles have evolved! More travel, lighter frames, new designs, but one thing hasn’t! Since day one Turner Suspension Bicycles, Inc. have always been committed to quality & service, thus constantly providing riders with, race proven, winning designs.

Dominating the Intense booth was their SoCal take on VPP technology, the M3. A direct replacement for the M1, which has now ceased production, the M3 has a target frame/rear shock weight of 10lbs. The prototype we fondled at the booth was built with a ('til now) top secret Manitou Revolver DH air shock.

Bicycle Retailer reported today that Zapata Espinoza, former editor of Mountain Bike Magazine has been hired as Brand Manager at Trek Bicycles. A long time (and outspoken) member of the cycling media, Zap was let go earlier this fall after a 10 year stint with Mountain Bike. Prior to that, he was also with Mountain Bike Action, and this marks his first foray into the bike business side of things. As part of his portfolio, Zap will oversee catalogue design, web site function and media relations.

It's finally here! The long awaited 4th movie in the MPF series is set to premiere Friday November 7th at the University of Calgary. It promises to be a great show with the some of the same names you're used to seeing in the MPF films, as well as some new names that you won't recognize. As always our event sponsors Ridge, Bow Cycle, and Calgary Cycle have stepped up to the plate once again to promise tons of great prizes for all that attend. The word from Mike Kinrade is that Norco is going to be giving away a FRAME as well! Check out the poster for full details, you won't be dissappointed.

Hope has many new goodies in store for 2004. Their brake line up now includes the Mono6ti, which was developed to be the ultimate in braking power. These beauties feature titanium pistons fitted into a 6 piston, one-piece caliper. The pistons are coated with titanium nitride to reduce friction with the seals. The Mono6ti uses the mini levers and uses a 205mm form floating rotor and 185mm rear floating rotor. The system weighs in at 515g. The Mono6ti is the only system to use floating rotors.

The progression of dirt jumping hit new heights during Kona Clump rider John Cowan's first annual Backyard Jam dirt jumping contest held at Cowan’s super-sized private trails in San Marcos, California, on Thursday, October 9th. Fifteen pro mountain bikers rode the "Disneyland" of daunting dirt trails, built by Cowan, in a two-hour contest of sick tricks and technical transfers.

"It's like playing Tony Hawk Pro Skater 4 and finding a new level," says 16-year-old rider, Kyle Strait, who had big moves including a tail-whip over the biggest jump.

Here I sit in front of the computer, in the comfort of my own home trying to put the crazy days of Rampage into words. I'm rested, showered, unpacked, hell I've even done some laundry. Funny thing is, the words I've laboured over since returning just don't seem to do the Rampage justice. I'm not sure if it was too much Red Bull, the desert heat, the dehydration, the copius amounts of Utah dust I've ingested or if it's simply a lack of any short term memory. In any case, as you read, keep in mind I'm not even beginning to scratch the surface of the gnar factor we were witness to in Virgin Utah.

Early this spring I had the opportunity to travel with Neil Sanders on the great roadtrip. He had this idea to get a motorhome or two and take ten riders across the Southwest as far as maybe even Kentucky and make a video that was kind of like Roadfools.

So, once again, we’re late, it’s almost 8:30 am, and Kinrade’s the only rider here for their "mandatory" meeting. Most of the others are up the mountain either scoping lines, digging, raking, or simply asking their hired help (i.e. sponsors, friends and shovel bitches) for advice. There's no shortage of people suggesting lines or just plain helping sculpt the soft Utah dirt into a playground of mayhem, and the competitors seem more than happy to accept!

I thought this bike would be worth mentioning. With the help of Dave Weagle, Independent Fabrication has recently entered the full suspension market with a new prototype bike that features the dw-link.

We couldn’t get any info out of Yeti about their race team for 2004, but we did get the low down on their new bike line up. Yeti has a few new models for 2004, including a 4X special projects frame that will be fabricated in very limited runs (about 50 to 100) and will be sold outside their inner circle for the first time in Yeti’s history.

Cycles Simtra Canadian distributers of Planet X, On-One, Middleburn Components and Armourdillo Products, is actively seeking independent sales representatives in British Columbia, the Maritimes and Manitoba/Saskatchewan. Sales experience is required, 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 agents@cycles-simtra.com or visit www.cycles-simtra.com for information.

I was just reading on www.farkin.net that Chris Kovarik recently injured himself in a MX accident. Apparently he underwent surgery to fix some damage done to his ankle and fibula. First Peat, now Kovarik!

Thanks for the tidbit DOM, and we wish Kovarik a speedy recovery!

Last year at Interbike we were fully impressed with Sinister’s improved Ridge, with its burly frame work, sexy lines and unique geometry. This year Sinister carries on with the tradition with the new R9 (as in Revision 9), a Frank The Welder engineered and built 9 inch travel downhill machine that comes with all the frame build quality synonymous with his name. Sinister also made improvements to the Ridge for next year and showcased the DNA at their booth.

So, here we are, it’s not even 8am, riders are slowly trickling into the Tiki lounge for the mandatory rider’s meeting before action gets under way at 9:30. Photographers are beginning the long hike up the mountain hoping for the prime shot later in the day. There are at least 150 media types here, covering the event, some shooting, some filming, some writing, all in awe of the spectacle they call Rampage.

The new season of Drop In is now officially upon us.

Together with Sportsnet we've worked out a schedule that is, quite frankly, as good as it gets but way better than last year.

Seems the folks at S-net really like the show and it has become their most popular third-party-produced program.
We will be updating the schedule as the season progresses.
Here it is!

To be released sometime in 2004, "Going Native" is the latest video project jon_e is embarking on. Having gained invaluable experience during the making of "True North" they have decided to make another film.

A lot of shooting has still to take place but expect to see top riders riding in their native surroundings as well as on the race tracks.

When: Friday October 24th
Where: Mickey McDougall Rec Centre on E23rd Street, North Vancouver. 2 blocks east of Lonsdale between St. Georges & St. Andrews
How much: $5

This is the location for the Vancouver all ages show. Film will start promptly at 7:15. Redbull 2003 footage will also be included. All those that were too drunk to remember Tuesday nights premiere are invited back as well!

For more info you can contact Jeremy Levin

Finally, North Shore Extreme 7, Quick and Dirty is here. Along with it a couple of other new items in the Pinkbike store.
1 - NSX7 Quick&Dirty DVD $29.95 CDN
2 - Hardtail Pride Rockstar Blue Shirt $21.95 CDN
3 - Hardtail Pride Grunt - Black $21.95 CDN

All store items ship the same day!

From new saddles to new grips, year after year WTB continues to deliver great products. Many new innovative components could be found at the Mill Valley based company booth.

The venue is the Theatre Auditorium at the Canmore Collegiate High School which has large screen, stadium style seating and great sound.
Also...along with the Slideshow of Mass Destruction, NWD IV Premiere and drawprizes....the Rundle Mountain Cycling Club will be hosting a Bake Sale!
This THURSDAY October 23 in Canmore

Just rolled in the door and wanted to pass along the Rampage results before retiring for some much needed rest (and a shower). Cedric Gracia's near perfect first run was all it took to take home Rampage gold. Busting big lines with MMMMAAAAAADDDDDD style, Cedric finished off his run by hitting the huge transfer gap Bourdon and Canfield failed to land last year. In second place was Andrew Shandro who flowed his super tech line almost flawlessly. If he hadn't fallen on the billy-goat drop in, he may have had enough points to beat Cedric. In third place was Glyn O'Brien who rode super smooth and finished up on a line he had cut just minutes before his second run. Look for more on both days of competition once I've got my head on straight!

Just got word from Jeremy Levin from Counterpoint Films ltd. that the premiere of the movie "Return of the Zeros" will be today at the Purple Onion.

As a bonus, there will also be a 5 minute pre-video of this years Red Bull Rampage. Definitely worth checking out!!

When: Tuesday October 21st
Where: The Purple Onion
What Time: Doors open at 8pm
How much: $7 with chance of winning a Balfa frame

Stay tuned for Friday night's ALL AGES Premiere in North Van..

While browsing Fox Racing's web site I noticed that they just recently released two new MTB movies.

New World Disorder IV, Ride The Lightning is coming to a town near you.

Shot in 35 and 16mm, the latest in the NWD series promises to up the ante with sick 360 degree drops, downhill takes and the long awaited footage of the Dave Watson performing the Tour de France road gap. We'll be sure to give you the scoop on the film after the world premiere in Vegas. To find a location near you...

Unless you're a road or XC racing fan, Catlike might not mean much to you. Even I didn't know who they were until I saw this nice DH Helmet on display at their booth. They make many road/XC helmets and a nice line of eyewear.

SDG I-beam seatpost and saddle system was designed to prevent broken or bent rails. Not only is this system stronger, but it also means much lighter saddles, which comes in several different weights for different applications.

Unfortunately I must announce that the 2004 Red Bull Ride will NOT be happening. This is due to a change of direction from Red Bull Australia and without their involvement (and awesome support towards mountain biking) the logistics of putting on the event for 2004 is basically impossible, so we have no choice but to presently place the event on hold.

Here's round one top riders!

1. Cedric Gracia (81.4)
2. Thomas Vanderham (78.4)
3. Steve Romaniuk (78.4)
4. Joe Schwartz (77.4)
5. Richie Schley (75)

Here we are on the eve of the 3rd annual Red Bull Rampage in Virgin, Utah. Hundreds of people are in attendance, most for any one or more of the following reasons; The Party, the Show or the Ride. Pick any or all, but no matter the reason, they’re all here and it’s time to take your seat and enjoy the show.

Foes Racing had a some cool new stuff to showcase for 2004, including two new frames.

New OutDoor Demo Format And Venue Draws Record Attendance. Once again proving itself as the premier trade event for the bicycle industry, Interbike - North America's largest bicycle trade show - concluded Tuesday the 14th, after five days of bike-related business. The annual trade show, which showcases the latest in cycling products and trends, attracted bicycle retailers, manufacturers, media, celebrities and industry advocates and affiliates from around the globe.

Most of the new changes for 2004 come from SRAM's components. As far as Rock Shox goes, the 2004 Boxxer and Psylo lineup pretty much remains the same.

Tucked away in a narrow little aisle, away from the big corporate booths was the Syncros display. No huge contraptions or fancy stands, just some Home Depot hooks and some simple 2X4's nailed together to showcase the fruits of their labour. As I walked by, I saw the familiar face of Marshall Cant, former Rocky Mountain employee, who has apparently made the move to the Ritchey owned company. Marshall has been working his ass off over the last 4 months, developing some heady products for the DH, Freeride and HDXC crowd.

The 2003 Red Bull Rampage kicked off today under the sweltering Virgin Utah sun. The worlds finest picked, polished and tried the line that they hope will get them through to the $3500 US first place prize, just part of the $10,000 US total purse on Sunday. There was plenty of Red Bull to wash the dust down for all the spectators and media that littered the silty and jagged sedimentary rock gorge.

When you attend Interbike, you get to see beautiful frames, beautiful forks, beautiful clothing, beautiful bike bits, etc… But there are OTHER beautiful things to see at Interbike!

Looking for some cool new eyewear? Then may I suggest you look at Adidas new eyewear line? They have a full line of sunglasses, goggles and prescription ready eyewear! From cycling specific sunglasses, to golf specific they have it all. You might have seen a few big name riders, such as Tyler Klassen, Darren Berrecloth and Dangerous Dan to name a few, wearing Adidas this past season.

COLORADO SPRINGS, CO (October 15, 2003) -- USA Cycling announced Wednesday that Eric Moore, Director of Field Operations, resigned from USA Cycling effective immediately.

USA Cycling just announced the schedule for the 2004-05 NORBA National Mountain Bikes Series along with some of the exciting and significant changes that will be implemented in an effort to improve the series. Management of the series for the next two years will fall under the cooperative efforts of Team Big Bear and Blue Wolf Events in a newly announced partnership with USA Cycling.

How would you feel if you went to Las Vegas and all of a sudden won $200,000 on a slot machine?

First off, Rocky has eliminated many of the model names in their lineup into “families” of bikes. In most of their lineup, (exceptions to follow) models will be differentiated by numbered suffixes (30-50 or 70 with 30 being the lowest end model) to denote spec.
The RM7 has been replaced by the RMX lineup, available in a Wade Simmons Signature frameset, top line Team, mid level Pro and “self titled” RMX.

Avid was at Interbike 2003 showing off their full line of bike products. One of their featured products is the relatively new Juicy Seven hydraulic disc brake. As some of you may know, when Avid releases a new product, they do their homework. From their rim brakes and levers to the CPS ball bearing disc brakes, they've consistently put out refined, quality products.

What happens when you mix at least 750 drunk or damn near drunk cyclists, 50 or more of the industry’s finest representatives, another 100 poor folks waiting in line hoping to get in, countless over-zealous bouncers (who apparently don’t like crowd surfing), what could very be the world’s best AC/DC cover band, a little bit of Red Bull and the latest installment in the New World Disorder family?

It was announced late last week that Calgary has been given a World Cup Triple for the 2004 race season. Slated for July 2-4, and hosted by Canada Olympic Park, expect to see some exciting (and unique) spectator "interaction" at the event. The folks that brought you the Trans Rockies Challenge will take care of organization and promotion, and I've gotten word that the boys from Joyride may move their post-WC show from Whistler to a closer-to-Calgary venue. Locals should plan on making some time in their schedules to volunteer for the event and make it a huge success. Got to get back to the show!

Perhaps you’ve heard the rumors of Balfa’s big organizational changes over the last year, perhaps not. Through it all, they’ve managed to tweak their lineup once again into an impressive 5-bike family.

Let me start by saying Bootleg Canyon could very well be one of the most underrated riding venues on the planet! If Bootleg had a chairlift, you’d be hearing about it all the time! From gnarly rock drops to off camber, loose, exposed pseudo-berms, to 20 foot step-downs, or concrete-reinforced dirt jumps, Bootleg’s got it all. While shuttling up with at least 40 other riders and their (borrowed) sweet rides, you can’t help but thank your respective diety. How can you go wrong?

Interbike is old hat to some of us pinkbikers. Radek, Russ, and Mike went to last year's expo, giving them infinitely more experience than I've got at these things. But I'm getting along somehow so far and can offer a commentary on a couple interesting things about IB2003.

It has been about one and a half years since Santa Cruz resurrected the VPP (Virtual Pivot Point) technology with the introduction of the XC specific Blur. Shortly after, the V10 downhill specific VPP bike was added to the Santa Cruz lineup and both pushed Santa Cruz to newer heights.
The long awaited Virtual Pivot Point freeride bike is finally here:
The Santa Cruz VP-Free

The new season of Drop In is now officially upon us.

Together with Sportsnet we've worked out a schedule that is, quite frankly, as good as it gets but way better than last year.

Seems the folks at S-net really like the show and it has become their most popular third-party-produced program.
We will be updating the schedule as the season progresses.
Here it is!

Unless you have been living under a rock, you know that the next four days are the most anticipated in the biking industry.
Interbike 2003 starts tomorrow in Las Vegas, Nevada.
The Pinkbike crew will be bringing you the best coverage with product photos, manufacturer interviews, and articles.

Tonight, that's October 8th, Nelson, BC plays host to Self Titled, the latest video offering from MPF-Productions. Starting with an all ages showing at the Prestige Hotel following up with an adults-only screening at Taffy Jacks nightclub in the Heritage. Doors for the all ages gig open at 7pm, show starts at 7:30, while Taffy's opens its doors at 8:30, with the film blazing at 9:30ish. Admission is just $7, a full two of which goes directly to the Fat Tire Society. Because I'm leaving for Vegas early tomorrow afternoon, Mike was kind enough to show me the video in it's entirety last Sunday... wow! Well worth the price of admission, Self Titled is a world class vid that stays true to its Kootenay roots.

For further info including the teaser visit mpf-ride.com.

After working long with plenty of overtime to get the first G-Boxx prototype bicycle out the door and ready for EuroBike 2003, we are proud to say that G-Boxx was met with high praises and a solid future outlook for this internal transmission mounting standard, pioneered by two well respected mountain bike companies, Nicolai and E13 Components / Evil bikes.

With Interbike just a few days away, you know the folks at Freeride Entertainment are working double time polishing the footage that's taken a full year to film. That's right, as always, Interbike marks the World Premiere of the 4th installment of the New World Disorder Series, NWD IV - Ride the Lightning! Sunday, October 12th at the Rain in the Desert nightclub in the Palms Casino. Doors open at 8pm, show starts at 9:30. Come watch the show with the stars from the big screen. Musical entertainment provided by BC/DC, who interestingly enough, are also featured in the vid. Going to be in Vegas and still not convinced? How about a ton 'o swag to be given away? Alright then, now that you have no excuses, see you there!

Last Sunday marked the beginning of a new era for the Calgary area mountain bike community. After being asked by the Sustainable Resource Development (SRD) to tear down an existing trail, local freeriders pulled together to clean up “Jean Guy”.

Eko Sport, a specialty parts manufacturer, recently purchased Mountain Speed, maker of Mountain Racing Products (MRP). The purchase price was not disclosed.

The Trivial Issue

Print is dead. 1s and 0s are all the rage. That's why Litter "Mega"zine
Online Supplement #23 is up now! The Trivia Issue is not free, however. You
must pay with KNOWLEDGE if you want to be engulfed by the "Matrix" of
mountain bike media. The goodest of goodness awaits your mouse clicking
index finger. Curiousities will be satisfied; lusts satiated

Sorry for the delay in the next Maxxis Tire Contest winner, but it took a long time for our winner to reply to us...was just about to pull another name out of the hat but got a confirmation email last minute.

The winner is...

Chris Halleck from Longview, WA

He takes home 10 tires of his choice from Maxxis...check out his selection

The draw for the Norco 125 bike, based on purchases of Drop In T-Shirts, was made tonight at Pinkbike corporate headquarters in Calgary, Alberta at 10:20PM MST.

The lucky winner, randomly picked out of the many Drop In T-shirt orders was.....

Here is a sale you don't want to miss. Demo, scratched, dent sale NOW on at Calgary Cycle.
Tons of demo frames, forks and complete bikes on SALE NOW!! Double-D Deals has all the info. Get 'em while they're hot!

Deals that will make your head spin and your socks roll up and down! Plus all the regular craziness found in Double-D Deals. Check it out, y'all!


Click here for item list and prices