On a sunny Thursday afternoon what is better than giving my John Hancock to the UPS man, then dragging numerous boxes of DVD’s into our store just for your viewing pleasure, oh and of course ours as well. So order yourself some fresh DVD titles to get stoked on bikes while watching, then go out and shred the sunshine.

Creston BC is the place to be this coming weekend with the Goat Style Bike Festival rolling into town. The crew has been building like mad and it's looking to be an amazing show this year.

Have a look at some of the shots Gord and his crew sent my way:

News Source: Gene Hamilton
It is great to see the junior classes in mountain bike racing growing by leaps and bounds and to meet such a great group of kids. At the highest level of junior downhill racing, the Junior Expert class the fields are bigger than ever in the history of the sport! At the second and final Us Team World Championship Qualifier in Angel Fire New Mexico 43 of the fastest junior downhill racers in the country gathered to battle it out and see who will represent the US at the Worlds (along with first qualifier winner Kevin Aiello).

Come up to Canada Olympic Park on Saturday May 31st and join Bow Cycle and Norco for a Demo Day.

Norco will be bringing their top line up of bikes, including A Line, Atomiks, and Six's for you to try out.

Transition Bikes has teamed up with Pabst Blue Ribbon beer to offer a very special limited edition frame. “We believe your bike is a reflection of who you are and our riding culture which is why we encourage custom painting, let customers choose their own decals and customize their build options. Doing a limited edition PBR BottleRocket was just another step in offering our customers a unique bike that is a reflection of their own personal style, says Kevin Menard owner of Transition Bikes”.

How many times have people asked about the Intense hardtail and when it will be available? 4 trillion? 5 kabillion? Since the answer is still unknown (other than the cryptic 'maybe in 2009' answer), how about some photos of JD Swanguen's bike?

Source: Danice Uyesugi

After walking the DH course at Mont Tremblant, my first thought was: this could be painful. It was considerably longer and rougher than Bromont, with rocks and roots everywhere, and mud everywhere else. This was not a course you wanted to fight your way down – it wouldn’t be shy, it would probably hit back.

You only have three days left to purchase your early bird Silver Star Bike Park season's pass. The savings end May 31 at midnight…don’t let your wallet turn into a pumpkin.

Opening day is June 26 and this year and as a bonus Silver Star is adding extended play in the bike park on Wednesdays until 7:30 p.m.

Well thanks to the English weather it was another last minute decision to make the comp go ahead and what a comp it turned out to be.

King Of Dirt (KOD) is the springboard to the bright lights and razzamatazz for any budding U.K trail rider.

If you were looking for e.thirteen athletes at the US Open last weekend, chances are that you'd see them huddled around the podium area. Both men's and women's pro downhill podiums were filled with e.thirteen riders, as the chain retention system performed flawlessly on its home soil.

"Downhill Gravity Racing is alive and striving this weekend!" exclaimed Fluidride Owner/Racer Simon Lawton. "270 Racers from Canada, Idaho, Colorado, Northern California, Oregon and Washington." He reviews. A smile of great accomplishment comes across his face as he prepares his team for the weekend. Discussion quickly turned to the Dual Slalom as the pits were starting to make bets..........

Lots of pictures and video clips to show the action that went down! (DH Racer Pun)

Kranked 7 - The Cackle Factor - is now shipping at the Pinkbike Shop!

The Camp of Champions, always leading the way in finding cool new ways to enjoy summer in Whistler, is pleased to announce MTB Pro Camp. MTB Pro Camp is The Camp of Champions Mountain Bike Camp stripped down to the bare essentials to save you money but still making sure you still have everything you need to have the best time ever in Whistler and in the Bike Park.

Function Bikes announces that their 2008 "Inertia Project" Race Crown kits for 04-07 Marzocchi 888 and all Fox 40 Downhill Forks are ready to hit the race course. The flat crowns reduce stack height, increase stiffness, and offer adjustable offset, direct-to-crown handlebar mounts.

Women who like to have fun on their bikes with no boundaries or expectations will love the latest Bettygohard events scheduled for June and August in Canada Olympic Park.

Canada Olympic Park is offering a discounted lift pass, free lessons, bike discounts and discounts in the lounge for our après. Bow Cycle, Calgary Cycle and Couloir Bikes will be there with all the must-have items for this summer and their bike techs will answer any questions.

Eighteen year old Canadian young gun Steve Smith has defeated a star-studded field to win the US Open of Mountain Biking at Diablo Freeride Park in New Jersey.

“This is a huge result for Steve. I am really excited for him heading into the rest of the season. He has proved that he can ride with the best in the World.” said Gabe Fox, marketing manager at Cove Bikes.

Cycle Solutions O-Cup DH #2 Build Day June 1 presented by Commencal bikes


After a successful first race of the season at Kelso we are back for a brand new, never before seen race course. I've had a great number of inquiries about when the build day will be, so I'm pleased to announce the following:

A Weekend for the Women at Sun Peaks Resort!

It’s time to leave the men at home while the women take over the Sun Peaks Bike Park July 4-6, 2008. The Loeka Ladies Adventure Getaway is all about escaping the city with friends and meeting other women who want to ride and have some fun! Ride the Sun Peaks Bike Park with a guide who will show you the best trails and tricks, plus enjoy live music, Loeka clothing and more great prizes! Your registration fee* includes 2 nights accommodation, a guided tour through the bike park, bike park lift pass, meals, parties, live music and more!

MTBco's call for help gets great results in big bush cleanup day

An awesome turnout of 35 volunteers worked on Gillard Forest Service Road on access trails to remove a huge amount of garbage. The photos speak for themselves, and MTBco would like to thank everyone who turned out to help on what turned out to be a beautiful sunny Okanagan blue-sky day. You guys rocked the bush today !

The World’s Most Demented Downhill Mountain Bike Race-A Decade to Go Down in Mountain Bike History!

July 4th, 5th and 6th 2008 will mark the tenth and final Psychosis as it exists today. This is last call for the world’s finest racers and riders and a final opportunity for everyone to take part in this legendary event; Psychosis is the race that started it all. Ten years ago, Golden, BC Canada was home to a race so different that officials did not know how to classify it. Since then, Endurance Downhill racing has been born and IMBA once classified Psychosis as the longest “all singletrack” downhill race in the world. Then in 2005, Red Bull dubbed it “The world’s Most Demented Downhill Race”...Today it is listed as one of Sam Hill’s career accomplishments.

Noel at Knolly has been designing some gorgeous bikes now for a few years and takes a whole new level of pride in offering folks the highest quality he can bring to all his models. These bikes are built to get the job done day after day and keep you smiling by the amount of stoke they are bringing to their owners. We got our paws on a Delirium T frame and have taken on the task of building it up as an All Mountain pedaler with an emphasis on its Freeride capabilities.

Check out the build up with videos and pictures:

The 2008 Nissan Qashqai Challenge is in the books with plenty of surprises at the grand final to shake up the overall standings. The local boys stole the show in London, firing up the 50,000 spectators right in front of Tate Modern, one of the nation’s most popular art galleries. Colchester’s Sam Pilgrim took the win for the biggest result of his career, and Manchester’s Lance McDermott’s consistency scored him the overall title and the sport’s largest cash purse!

The mid-travel suspension market is starting to get a bit crowded with contenders these days. And for good reason, whether we like it or not most of us are better off on something with a bit less length than our current forks. It's too easy to automatically think of one of the "big three's" suspension products when looking for a new fork, but there are other options available for those willing to change it up.

Better known for their stoppers, Magura has been quietly making headway with its 160 mm travel Wotan fork. With some unique features and stunning looks it begs a closer look.

Read on.....

News Source: Doug Smith
Action sports destination site BNQT.com is proud to announce their role as exclusive web media outlet for the 2008 US Open of Mountain Biking. The event, which takes place this weekend, will feature some of the world's best MTB athletes vying for over $50,000 is cash and prizes.

The French have been known for making some high quality shwag, and Devinci represents this name hard. This could very well be one of the many reasons why I was not surprised at the quality, and attention to detail on the recent addition to my bicycle fleet. Pinkbike.com readers, I ride at an International Elite level and it's an Olympic year, so I am here to see if the Devinci Moonracer SL4 and I are made of Olympic material.

Every year we unveil one and only one completely unique Speedgoat Pink Bike to be raffled off on our web site, with 100% of the proceeds of $10 raffle tickets going to our friends at Breast Cancer Fund. In addition to our usual high standards, we have a few important guidelines for how our Pink Bikes are put together. First, the bike should include at least a few components you just can't get anywhere else. Second, it should be pink. And finally, it should be nicer than most of the other bicycles in the world.

The United Riders of Cumberland challenge all you riders to a duel! Bring your best and show us what you are made of! Go Fast or get out of dodge!

A showdown or a mowdown, come on out to Cumberland this Sunday, May 25th for the return of the DCDH. Third stop on the Island Cup Race Series DH schedule, the classic course is updated with some buff new lines and all the gnarcore you can handle. We've got bigger trucks for more shuttles so be sure to get your groove on before racing.

The Camp of Champions is pleased to announce that Transition Bikes will be rolling with the camp this summer. “I’m so stoked to welcome a small, rider owned company to camp that shares the same philosophy and passion for biking as we do.” says COC owner and director, Ken Achenbach. “Plus I can’t wait to ride their bikes this summer!”

e.thirteen is up to something. I was just on their site and saw this thing about "Staccato 8". I have no idea what it's all about, but if you're lucky enough to attend the US open this weekend, go check it out!

As promised, here are the winners of the Seasons Recut contest, but hey, you're going to have to read this press release to figure out who won it.

Well, what are you waiting for?

News Source: Doug Smith
With days to go before the start of the 2008 US Open of Mountain Biking, event organizers are excited to welcome the world of gravity racing to the 6th annual event. As registration continues to grow to near-record numbers, racers are strongly encouraged to pre-register online by May 21st at 5:00pm EST.

Nicola Pescetto is a young rider from Italy who is out there killing it day after day. This kid is dialed in better than your FM radio, and has the style to back it up.

Read on for the few words we shared with him.

So I guess this is where I ask that over used cliched question: do you want the good new first or the bad??? I'll decide for you and give you the bad first. Many of you from London, Ontario who are on this site undoubtedly know Meadowlily, the lustrous green gem tucked away in east London. You should also be aware of the glorious single track and dirt jumps that bless that area. But what some of you may not know is that it is in danger of being lost to commercial land development!

The 20th Annual Chile Challenge, event #3 in the Mountain States Cup Championship Series is taking on a life of its own. Each year the event brings more and more riders and their support teams to Angel Fire, a testament to the warm welcome that they receive from the resort and community. This year’s race takes on international implications and as an added bonus, will host a national championship event on Angel Fire’s legendary behemoth scary-as-all-get-out mountain-cross course.

The season finale for the 2008 Nissan Qashqai Challenge is here with the world’s best mountain bike freeriders gearing up for a showdown in London. This Saturday the world’s top 30 riders will be fighting for the overall series title and the sport’s biggest cash prize. This is being held at one of the nation’s most popular art galleries, Tate Modern.

The Ride-a-Rama roadtrip started with a bang this weekend. The trip features Black Market / Atomlab riders traveling from Southern California to Austin, Texas in the Pita Pit Winnebago. The first stop was Woodward West. After riding skateparks on Friday morning, the crew headed over to the hillside slopestyle course. It wasn't long until we worked our way down to the big drops and the 50 foot double. After everyone started getting warmed up, Joe Perrizo jumped the big double. We all laughed when he said "I think I can flip it". On only his third time hitting the double he did the unthinkable - he flipped the monster at what had to be at least 40mph!!! Keep in mind the set up for this double is a 20ft drop with an 18ft gap then tearing down a hill. Joe did it all on his Atomlab hardtail with the new GI60 fork and a little skateboard helmet!!! The first flip was measured at 63ft, but Joe flipped it three more times on Saturday and went even further. This has to be a record for a backflip on dirt jumps.

Looking for a short travel 3.5”/ 90mm ride to hit the local trail centers with and perhaps try your hand at a spot of XC racing or enduro events?

Then your search could well be over with the Solid Pine.

A short letter in relation to the bulldozing of our local spot:

City staff came in one day last week and bull-dozed Stirling’s Jumps. Thousands of hours of work obliterated because they were bike jumps. The probable theory that was a drinking and drug spot, garbage spread all around, evening parties, a definite deterrent for homeowners building or maintaining their homes on Dilworth Mountain. If “they’re making bike jumps, they're probably of a bad ilk“. “Don’t want those kids hanging around our neighborhood, they’re up to no good.”

I understand municipal laws, however it does not apply in this instance. These young men chose an area in the forest where no home could be built. They were not encroaching on any lots nearby. They were in the forest.

And the winner of the Recut Seasons edition is...oh wait, you have to watch this video and see Jamie, the director of Seasons announce the winner.

The video got twice as many votes as the 2nd place video.

There will be 2 additional winners announced tomorrow.

Brian Lopes, Cedric Gracia and Niki Gudex will be coaching at The Camp of Champions this summer as part of Oakley Week.

Oakley is stoked to bring our top pros, products and custom technology to an action packed, one of a kind week at the Camp of Champions from June 28th - July 5th. The Oakley week is almost sold out so if you want to be a part of this amazing week, you had better sign up soon.

Rock & Roll, the much-dreaded hike-a-bike in the first half of The North Shore Credit Union Test of Metal, has been re-routed and made rideable according to Test organizer, Cliff Miller.

“There's some talk that it should be renamed Muzak, ” Miller joked about the trail work done.

Apparently Bromont's history of rainy race days rivals that of Sea Otter, so when the clouds rolled in Saturday night and it started to rain it wasn't really that surprising. But like Sea Otter, this was the year to break that tradition, and we woke up to blue skies and a freshly watered, perfectly tacky course.

Let the races begin!

IMBA and the town of Park City are pulling out the stops for next month's IMBA World Summit scheduled for June 18-21. The 3-day gathering will feature over 200 delegates from around the globe, 30 educational seminars from the best in the mountain biking game, and riding galore. Headliners include Trek president John Burke and legendary Australian trailmeister Glen Jacobs. Freshly added speakers include Dafydd Davis, pioneer of the United Kingdom's first purpose-built mountain bike trails at Coed y Brenin, and Vancouver's Jay Hoots, arguably today's most prolific urban bike park architect. Need more convincing? Keep reading...

The Merritt Mountain Bike Association and the Bicycle Cafe Kamloops Present: The 2008 Cowtrail Classic

The always killer course for the upcoming Cow Trail Classic is getting more classic this year with the addition of over 4 km of new top notch single track bringing the lap length to 20 km. The added length comes via the hidden gem of a trail "WaterHole #9". Returning racers who like the feel of JP Cool should feel right at home on the new tight section that features both high speed rips and a few steeps up and down.

The ninth annual Lisbon Downtown race was held today with racers taking to the infamous cobblestone stairways winding down the old city from the Castelo de Sao Jorge. As cats scrambled off the race rack citizens watched from their laundry filled balconies to see Steve Peat, indisputably the King of Lisbon, take his 7th consecutive win with teammate Greg Minnaar in second, just .46 behind him.

About 25.000 spectators came to the event in Munich and with that being the biggest crowd of all Qashqai events, a fantastic event was expected. Some of the world’s best mountain bikers like Cameron Zink, Cameron Mc Caul, Paul Basagoitia, Lance McDermott and Andreu Lacondeguy were in Munich to have a good time with a bunch of young riders ready to step in.

Well the BC Cup race series officially kicked off this past weekend in Kamloops with Race the Ranch. It brought racers from all over Alberta, British Columbia and even racers from Washington State came out to rip up the new course at the Kamloops Bike Ranch. Unfortunately the race seems to have attracted some low lifes too in the sense of BIKE THIEVES!

Fellow riders do what you can to ward off the bad people and keep your bike yours, but even the best preparedness is no match for criminal thieves. Our good friends at Dunbar Cycles were attending the race this weekend and had their team trailer broke into and this is the note I just got from them: ($2500 Reward for the return of the bikes)

Win Steve Peats signed 2008 race kit as pictured here on an online auction!

All proceeds go towards the Stephen Murray Family Fund.

Like a lot of companies, Rocky Mountain has an extensive range of bikes to cover nearly any needs you could think of. Slayer is a name that is used on two lines of bikes meant to excel at different tasks. The Slayer SS is a robust 6" travel slope style (that's the "SS") rig with a slacker 66 degree head angle and more stand over height than its lighter brother, the SXC. The Slayer SXC, that's "Super Cross-Country" by the way, also sports 6" of rear wheel travel, but is aimed at the rider who fills his pack and disappears into the hills for a day of epic mountain biking. A more xc-friendly 68 degree head angle, longer seat post extension, and lighter weight set the SCX apart from the SS. As someone who enjoys a jaunt into the hills I was more than happy to saddle up on the SXC for a few months and give the bike a proper going over.

"Pedal Slipping" sucks!

That's the theme of this review. As a DH Racer nothing is more aggravating than "slipping a pedal" while trying to post a quick time. I decided to search the world of MTB'ing and hunt down the best pedals made for my problem - I found Straitline's Jeff Lenosky Signature Pedal to be exactly what I needed and it's saved my precious family jewels more than once this season already. I bet they can save yours too!

Hello Pinkbike Land!
Well, in my rush out the door to celebrate my May long weekend I received an email from Brian over at Whistler Mountain Bike Park. Seeing as the Lower Mainland was blessed with amazing weather the past couple of days, Brian and others have decided to open up the mountain even more. Read on to figure out what we are going to get to ride now!

Summer Gravity Camps (SGC), run by pro mountain biker Andrew Shandro have teamed up with Nike 6.0 to bring professional photographer Sterling Lorence into the mix. Summer Gravity Camps run for five weeks during the summer in the Whistler Mountain Bike Park and cater to all levels of mountain biker, from beginners to advanced riders.

Exciting news from Chile Pepper Bike Shop in Moab, Utah!!! Chile Pepper is opening a second location at Angel Fire Resort in Angel Fire, New Mexico. The new shop will be open May 21st, just in time for the Chile Challenge Race Series May 23-26, 2008. The shop’s operating period will be mid-May through mid-September each year. The new shop will be a full-service shop offering bike rentals, expert repair service and biking apparel.

News Source: Doug Smith
Diablo Freeride Park, Americas Premier Mountain Bike Park, is excited to welcome racers from near and far to ROUND 1 of the 2008 Diablo Domination Series on May 17th-18th. The first race in the series has traditionally played host to a number of top racers who use this weekend for training and as an opportunity to enjoy the entire trail network that Diablo has to offer. The first Domination race will premier the use of Freelap timing systems installed on the race course for personal timing use during practice sessions.

Cranks play a huge part when putting the power down to the ground, so there is no surprise why there is so much technology being created year by year. After the change from a basic "square taper" bottom bracket, to ISIS drive, now we are using outboard bearing, with 2 piece cranks. Everyone is making an outboard set up these days and the crew an Shimano has been at it for a while now. I just got my paws on a set of 2008 Shimano XT cranks and wanted to show you what it took to install and set them up right for my application.

MTBco launches series of trail cleanup events.

On a damp, cool windy Sunday morning five hardened members of MTBco (Mountain Bikers of the Central Okanagan) gave up some precious riding time and cleaned up the whole forest service road area adjacent to the Powers Creek drop in line.

May 31st to June 1st. Those dates lay only two weeks away. Why is this important? Unbelievable skills thrown down by riders that are trying to stand tall. Tricks so big, talent taken to an unthinkable level, bikes tweaked perfectly, trusted by their “masters” to guide them through the air. It’s Goat Style Bike Festival. An event that has risen from simplicity to an outrageous depiction of where mountain biking has gone, in such fashion that it has become one of the bigger slopestyle events in Western Canada.

“Monster Energy will be the official energy drink for this year’s NPS (National Point Series) races,” said Jamal Benmiloud, Monster Energy’s UK Marketing Director “NPS riders and fans alike will be among the first in the country to sample this super-charged energy drink.”

Freeride Foundation is the first and only online retail store dedicated to female gravity addicts. In addition to carrying women’s riding clothes from Sombrio, Loeka, Harlot, and Twin Six, Freeride Foundation offers an online community for ladies who would rather huck and haul ass than kit up in Lycra for a five-hour climb.

Grand Junction Colorado, 1996, a small "Performance Bike Parts" company was born. Mountain Racing Products, or better known as MRP, created their first chain guide. The system 1 was born, and it would forever change the way we kept our chains in line and on our rings. The Pinkbike.com/Devinci DH team is happy to have MRP on board for 2008 with the all new G2 guides.

Knolly Bikes is pleased to announce our newly formed partnership with Ryan Berrecloth.

Ryan will be utilizing Knolly Frames for his various riding endeavors and we look forward to mutually benefiting from this professional partnership.

Chicopee's Bike Park has come a long way already. The meeting was a success seeing many riders from various skill levels attending and putting in their input. It was after that meeting that everything took off. Within just over a week the final plans were put into place, the jumps, pump tracks and flow trail were all staked and ready for dirt.

Claude from TDC Construction brought some of his guys out to get started on building the park and build they did!

The Collective is proud to announce the launch of its new online store and the Seasons DVD. The new film is available now for pre-order at www.thecollectivefilm.com.

DVDs will be shipping May 20th. Order now an you’ll be one of the first to get your hands on the DVD.

The legendary Whistler Mountain Bike Park is set to open this Saturday, May 17, marking ten years of operation and progression in the world of lift-accessed downhill mountain biking.

Despite some challenges caused by deep snow-pack at the lower elevations and a cooler than normal spring the Whistler Mountain Bike Park will open with two of its most popular trails – A-Line and Crank It Up.

In late July, Panorama will host the Bike Parks of BC “Ultimate Road Trip”. Read on to figure out more details, and how you could win this trip of a lifetime.

May 3rd, 2008, the day a lot of locals and non-Diablo Locals had been waiting for. The opening day of Diablo Freeride Park!

Prior to opening day, the Town of Vernon has been battered with severe weather (rain, thunder-storms, strong winds Etc).

Following a week long west coast premiere tour that has taken The Collective from Vancouver to San Diego and back, a North Vancouver all ages show has just been announced for this Tuesday May 13th. The show will be at Centennial Theatre, 2300 Lonsdale Ave in North Vancouver. Tickets will be $10 for adults and $6 for kids 12 and under. Tickets are available at Cove, Steed, John Henry, BSP, and Obsession bikes on the North Shore, and at the Centennial Theatre box office. All proceeds from the event will go to the Tara Llanes road to recovery fund. http://www.tarallanesroadtorecovery.com

Toronto Off Road Bicycling Association is a new grassroots community organization dedicated to preserving, maintaining, and creating off-road cycling opportunities in Toronto. Toronto has almost hundreds of kilometers of world-class off-road trails that are used every day by cyclists, hikers, runners, dog walkers, and nature lovers.

The Dirt Series women’s mountain bike camp is rolling into Calgary on the May long weekend, and for the first time in years, there are still a few spots open.

We’re just a week away from the 7th Annual Yeti Tribe Gathering in Fruita, Colo. This year’s location treats all fat-tire fanatics to some of the most distinctive singletrack in Colorado. Fruita has been known for years as the original “other Moab”, but for those who have experienced the trails along towering red cliffs and through wide-open vistas; been down ripping descents on foot-wide swaths of buttery singletrack and up lung-bruising climbs; they know that Fruita is a place all its own.

Here's the latest info from Mountain Bike Coaching & Instructor Training company ZEPtechniques, and what they're up to for 2008.

Martin Soederstrom wins a captivating final in Munich’s Olympiapark as the biggest crowd of the year was treated to a nail-biting final on the biggest Qashqai course of the year! It was an amazing event across the board, and the final round at London’s famous Tate Modern Gallery is sure to provide a culminating final to the 2008 Nissan Qashqai Challenge

Maxxis tires are the choice for many pro racers, and even more non pro riders. Not only do they have a large selection of tires, but their tread patterns and compounds accent each tire to its highest degree.

Maxxis tires has been at the top of the tire game for a long time, so that's why we chose them when we were sourcing out our rubbers.

Gasoline, Dirt Jumps, Mud, Sweat, and yes... Beers. This is the Lifestyle of a Yard Biker.

This short 16mm film gets a close look at the lifestyle of the Gang that has been shaping the growing craze of Freeride at Highlands Mountain Bike Park in Tilton, NH.

After having one of the most successful volunteer days we’ve ever seen at Canada Olympic Park in our bike park this past Saturday, we are asking for help once again!

The snow that has hit Calgary for the third time this spring has slowed our redevelopment progress once again. We considered pushing back our opening by another week but have decided that if we can get the help we need next week, we will be able to open at least a portion of our new bike park on May 17. We have decided to push the Springin’ Open event to May 24. Gravity Logic and our trail crew have been working as hard as they can to get our park ready for the 17th and it looks like we could use a hand for the homestretch!

Source: 23 Degree Sports

If there was even an ounce of doubt prior to the opening round of the Nissan UCI Mountain Bike World Cup that Sam Hill could follow his stellar season of 2007 in the same dominant style, well that evaporated today in sunny Maribor in front of thousands of enthusiastic fans.

VIDEO JUST ADDED-Monday May 12th, 2008

The Fix Bikes in Boulder, Colorado is stoked to announce our annual Fix Jump Jam. This year we'll be shredding our backyard jumps in Boulder on Sunday, June 8, 2008, the day after the Freeride events at the Teva Mountain Games.

The Commencal Furious is Cedric Gracia’s answer to a slopestyle, 4X and all around pinning machine. Its development has taken place over the past few years and is now in full production and ready for all of us in the general public to get our greasy paws on it. We here at Pinkbike.com wanted to see just what a bike that was put together by the “Entertainer” himself was able to dish out and take, so we dug deep into our bike testers and pulled out Colton King. Colton may be the youngest rider we have on the squad, but his experience list (or should I say injury list) reads like a long time veteran’s would.

Read on to learn more about the Furious and Colton as they get introduced to each other.

A while ago FSA produced a second line of products called Gravity, which was based around Gravity fed aspects of riding.

Slopestyle, Freeride, Downhill, Dirt Jumping, and Street Riding was the application they intended these products for, and they seem to have made a big splash in a little pond.

Intense Bikes, based out of Temecula California, had a huge success with the creation of their Socom bike in 2007. Using the reliable and amazing ride of the VPP link, these bikes hit the market like throwing a stone in water.

Well, judging by the design, and overall look of the all new Intense SS, it has the makings to be the next big splash.

There is an awesome new DH course built for this event which is a blast to ride. If you haven't ridden it yet - get up there and try it out.

The organizers are looking for Course Marshalls, timekeepers, and other smaller jobs. All the training you need will be provided! (and maybe a snazzy t-shirt)

Only 3 days until the first Nissan Qashqai Challenge event in the Olympiapark, Munich – the site of the 1972 Olympic Games. People from all over the world will head to the Coubertinplatz, right in between the Olympic Stadium and the swimming hall in order to watch the world’s best mountain bikers. The level of riding at the first two qualifying events has been incredible, but this weekend is sure to see the best yet as the top 28 freeriders in the world will be at this event. Munich is the first of two final events that will determine the overall Nissan Qashqai Challenge series winner, and with $ 250,000 Dollars up for grabs, definitely the biggest pay out of the season.

The synopsis for my new DH mountain biking film - TIA.

Australia is home to many of the world’s fastest, most skilled, and most successful DH mountain bike riders. Australia is widely known to have the most well-rounded group of professional riders anywhere, consisting of many different riding styles and personalities. In light of the phenomenal success these riders have had, at the highest level, over the past several years TIA: This Is Australia will take a look into what makes Australians so good at riding bikes down hills.

It was a wild start to the first race of the season, rain hammered the Niagara Escarpment for 3 consecutive days, culminating in a 7hr drenching on Saturdays practice day. However it could not dampen the spirits of the riders, if anything it motivated them more. Our second ever largest turnout was welcomed by sun on Sunday morning which combined with some wind dried the course out nicely for race runs.

Get Your MTB Movie Stoke On Because The Sooke Bike Club Presents...The Vancouver Island Premiere of Seasons
A film by the Collective

Host: Sooke Bike Club
Date: May 9th, 2008, 7:30pm
Location: Sooke, BC
Venue: Edward Milne Community School, 6218 Sooke Rd.
Contact: Lorien, 642-3123 lorien@sookebikes.com
Tickets: $7 ($2 of which goes into trail building fund) $5 for students

Troy Lee Designs, cleverly labeled "For the Worlds Fastest Riders" has come through with some well needed protection. No, not the kind of protection your parents kid about. Were talking carbon fiber construction, moisture wicking fabric's, and shorts.

In association with SOLID Bikes. The Search is based in Morzine, France and offers downhill mountain bike day trips to other bike friendly resorts in the Alps. We operate to a number of regular venues but are very flexible and will visit any resort that will make a viable days trip. We hope to add more resorts to our regular list in preparation for peak season.

The riding season has started up in Vancouver and NSRide is up and riding. We are a non-profit group of volunteers that organize local and out of town rides for riders of all types - everything from lycra clad xc riders to dh riders wanting to just go fast.

Highlights for 2008 include our ever popular Tuesday night Girls Night Out rides, Thursday night co-ed rides and weekend rides everywhere from the Sunshine Coast to Whistler to Cumberland. All local rides end up at Seymour's Pub for some well deserved refreshments.

Since my last piece about the Push Pike, I’ve had the chance to ride and compare a stock Pike to the Push Pike. I took both forks and did back to back rides on the same trails using the same bike.

Marin Bikes, manufacturer of performance bicycles, announced that Marin will be the official bicycle sponsor for the Kokanee Beer “Ultimate Road Trip” contest presented by Bike Parks BC for the second year in a row. After its successful launch in 2007, the contest has expanded to awarding two separate road trips for contest winners.

The Seasons Recut Contest is coming to an end.

Check out the over 400 recut videos that have been uploaded and vote for your favorites.

We all have been checking out the videos as they were coming in and remembering the best ones.
Tell all your friends, tell the whole bunch to vote for yours!

April 26, 2008 - An amazing weekend in the Lunn's backyard! As you all know Jordie Lunn has been putting on Dirtjump Competitions in his yard for the last couple years. I have dreamed about going to his yard ever since watching the movie 'ROAM' by The Collective. This year things changed, Tyler Maine aka Brule called me one night while I was working on the jumps in Kelowna and asked me what I was doing on the 26th of April, I simply replied, "Either gaming on Call of Duty 4 or riding our local jumps". Then he told me that I'd got an invite to Jordie Lunn's competition, I just freaked, dropped my shovel and jumped up and down in excitement! This was the coolest invite ever!

Every trail builder has this problem once in a while. You don't go to your set of dirt for a week and you find someone has found your tools, ran on your jumps or even changed them.

Here's a few things people should know when riding other peoples jumps.

It seems like that time of month to get out the shovels, and rakes and go buff those trails you ride every weekend. Kamloops Bicycle Ranch needs some love, and the only cure is your working hands.

Gravity Group, marketing agency is pleased to announce their cooperation with global tire producer – KENDA and bicycle manufacturer – TOMAC as title sponsors of the newly created KENDA TOMAC Mountain Bike Racing Team.

KENDA TOMAC is an international mountain bike downhill-fourcross team that associates 2 athletes: Filip Polc (Slovakia) and Mitch Delfs (Australia).

So for those of you who didn't read Chuck Ibis's spew "Lopes goes to Poland with a Tranny", tranny is the hardtail prototype that Brian brought to compete in the invitational "Four Cross Night Race" held in southern Poland. And with the fastest qualifying time, Lopes and the "tranny" proved to be a winning team from the get go.

News Source: Shawn Orecchio
U.S. Open of Mountain Biking event organizers announced today that a new unique photography discipline has been added to the event roster for 2008. In addition to the donwhill and dual slalom disciplines, a RedBull Sharpshooters event will compliment the U.S. Open action simultaneously.

MTBco encourages local riders of all disciplines to speak up.

We have a fantastic one time chance to let our City officials and planners know how important our trails are !!!

A couple of days ago we had the 2,000,000th photo uploaded at Pinkbike.com!

We would like to thank you all for making the Pinkbike.com photo gallery the largest action sports gallery in the world.

Both the All Mountain Alliance and the Freeride Coalition are non-competitive recreational cycling clubs for all levels of cyclists. Membership is open to all ages and with a variety of backgrounds.

We enjoy riding together, socializing with each other, making new friends, and seeing new places. People, riding great trails and scenery are high priorities.

Are you up for it? John Henry Bikes and Jay Hoots present The Dreaded 150 at the 16th Annual John Henry Days. We need 60 expert riders prepared to test their skills on the dual stunt course and take the victory in The Dreaded 150. The course will have skinnies, a pump track, hop ups and some skill testing surprises.

If you want to be a star you’ll have to sign up now.

The preparations for the Out of Bounds Weekend on June 5th-8th are already running. Since 2004, Leogang has been looking forward to having many pro riders and bike fans spend an exciting weekend full of adrenaline in the midst of the Austrian Alps. This year the 26TRIX dirt jump contest will be again the most spectacular highlight of the weekend. But also the Kona Top 2 Bottom Terminator dual slalom will take place and, of course there will be lots more going on outside of the racetrack.

Hardwood Hills and Pearl Izumi welcome riders from all over Ontario back for the 14th annual Ontario High School Mountain Bike Championships. We look forward to providing a fun and challenging day for all ages and levels of riders. Each cyclist may compete as an individual in the morning races and again as a school relay team in the afternoon. All schools and riders are encouraged to bring other riding friends and athletes to fulfill "team" points for their school awards. Elementary School riders are also welcome to compete in a dedicated category.

The organizers did a brilliant job putting together this test event in the heart of the Val Di Sole region in Northern Italy, and the pleasant weather this weekend helped make the event a great success. The test event was a great way to prepare for World Championships for both the racers and the organizers. The Syndicate boys were pleased with the downhill track and feel it is worthy of a championship race. "The course is great with fast parts ripping through the trees, and it has a lot of rocks and sniper roots all over, and quite a few steep parts. They've done a nice job putting the course together and the sections link up with a nice flow," said Rennie.

Andreu Lacondeguy wins Madrid! It was an amazing day at the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium, the home of Real Madrid. Nissan’s course design team built the best Qashqai course yet and the riding was absolutely through the roof!

The Nissan Qashqai Challenge Series is really coming into it’s own, the courses are getting better and better, the judging panel is working very well together and the LIVE time results are quick and accurate on the venue’s flat screens. With beautiful weather, a local DJ spinning smooth euro beats throughout the competition, and live local hip-hop show, it was a great day in the heart of Madrid.

News Source: Gene Hamilton
With the World Championships moved up this year do the Olympics the race for a spot on the US team is tight. The first qualifier took place at Plattekill this weekend and had the most stacked junior ex field I ever seen. The usual suspects from the West were there, Kevin Aiello, Graeme Pitts, Joey Schulser and Naish Ulmer (1st through 4th at Sea Otter and 1st through 3rd at NMBS 1 in Fontana has well as some East coast talent and some of Darner's RPM Yeti boys.

The next addition to the North West Dirt Culture video series is being released on DVD May 16th. I recently had a chance to sit down with a beer, a bag of pop corn, and got to indulge my eyes upon this well compiled, excellently filmed video.

Here are my thoughts on it.

I have written this press release to address all of the comments and questions I have been receiving regarding my decisions for the 2008 international racing season.

I hope that this is something you will understand, and know that Mountain Bike racing is not over for me.

Well the birds are singing, the snow has melted (finally!) and its time to get dirty! As with every O-Cup DH season we kick it off at Kelso in Milton, Ontario. This time honoured venue is close to the GTA and always has the biggest crowds. Racers are excited to see friends, compare their new bikes and best of all, see who's been training hard in the off season.

Massanutten Resort is ready to host Mad March Racing for 2 days of Coaching Clinics in preparation for the first race of the Gravity East Series! “Starting the season off right and dusting off the winter cob webs” is a key element to any racer’s success,” suggests World Masters Champion, Shaums March.

Pinkbike.com is now accepting Pre Order's for the newest Collective film, Seasons. So start your summer season off on the right foot and get some quality footage in the DVD player. Read more to find out about Pinkbike's special promotion.

A short while ago we told you, the Pinkbike.com viewer, that we had received one of the new Banshee Wildcard bikes to do some beating on.

Well, we have abused ourselves, bruised our bones, scarred our limbs, and thankfully enough, but to no surprise, the Wildcard is still standing tall. The Wildcard has been hiked through 4 feet of snow, pushed through 2 feet of mud, rode through the pouring rain, and is still begging for more. Here's the full review on the Banshee Wildcard and the parts that made it go.

Sunday April 27 saw the Vedder Mountain Trails Association host the annual Vedder Mountain Trails clean up and trail maintenance day. VMTA representing the interests of Fraser Valley Mountain Bike Association, Back Country Horseman of BC, Vedder Running Club, Pacific Northwest Motorcycle Association, and Chilliwack Outdoor Club on Vedder Mountain coordinated the efforts of nearly 100 recreationists to revitalize the well used and well loved trail network.

Downhill MTB racing isn’t just about gravity; it takes lot of practice, bravery, skill and natural ability, as well as total faith and reliance in your equipment. E.thirteen and Silverfish know that to win the race you need to first finish the race, which is why every racer serious about results has opted to run e.thirteen components in 2008.

In it's 15th year, surviving road building, clear cuts, new courses and more, the Hammerfest Downhill returns this weekend. Come on out to try the course that has launched the likes of Shaums March, Steve Smith, Jordie Lunn and more.

Who will be this year's champion?

MSC Bikes / Descent-Gear.com NPS Round 1, April 2008 at Ae Forest, Dumfries in Scotland.

Co-Sponsored by Monster Energy and Halfords Bike Hut.

So with the honeymoon period over and onto year two of the SPS run British Cyclings National Points Series. It was an almost unanimous decision that 2007 was a major step forward over previous years; only time will tell if Si Paton and Steve Parr are able to continue the momentum. The signs however look good, with new high profile sponsors in place, more riding time throughout the weekend and an awesome looking track in the shortest name place in the U.K: Ae.

Following a week long west coast premiere tour that has taken The Collective from Vancouver to San Diego, a Laguna Beach Show has just been announced for this Sunday May 4th.

The show will be at the Laguna South Coast Cinemas at 162 South Coast Highway, at 7:30. Tickets are $10 and will be available at the door.

News Source: Shawn Orecchio
This Saturday, celebrate the official kickoff of the 2008 riding season at Diablo Freeride Park! Session the latest ParkLogic trail creations, time yourself with the new Freelap timing system or simply ride some of the most popular trails in the east!

A fund raiser is being held in conjunction with the CCCX Downhill Race Series starting this Saturday, May 3rd in honor of Mark A. Reynolds who died on Saturday, April 19, 2008.

Holland’s first dirt competitions started last Saturday with the first event in Drachten.

Dutch's best MTB DJ/Slope Style riders were there with a few BMX riders, to have a good day together with what has become a small group of mates.

It was a sad day in Calgary as the Sundance DJ's were torn down without warning during school hours.

Just days ago, the jumps had been packed all weekend with bikers enjoying spring and now all that remains is a flattened eyesore.

Toronto, its your turn to experience the most talked about DVD for the past month. No Regrets Bar and Lounge is hosting your premier, so read on to figure out how you can catch a glimpse at Seasons before it hits DVD.

Ae Forest in Scotland was the opening venue for this years National Points Series. Returning as reigning champions Rachel and Gee had it all to prove on the newly revised course. Practice was hampered by rain causing some sections of the course to become knee deep in Scottish mud! Having spent the last 2 weeks in American dust, the mud was almost alien to the Atho's, but they certainly didn't let this show!

Over 45 riders showed up mid-April from as far away as Canada to clear trails and build the courses for the first race of the season this Sunday May 4 at Plattekill Mountain in Roxbury, NY. This weekend's race will be the first in Plattekill's 7-race series for 2008 and serve as the automatic qualifier for juniors to the USAC World’s Team. Top juniors from thru out the United States will challenge the steep terrain and big drops at the mountain.

Join Access4Bikes and the Bicycle Trails Council of Marin at the San Rafael Community Center on Sunday, May 18, for an exciting night of food, drink, and entertainment provided by independent filmmakers and bike enthusiasts. The evening will feature the Marin premieres of THE WAY BOBBY SEES IT and SEASONS.

Please take a moment to contribute to the Master Planning of the Hood River Oregon Trail System. The Hood River County Land Managers are asking "Trail Users" of all types to take a short 12 minute survey to help them prioritize the needs of all MTB'ers that visit the Post Canyon Trail system and Middle Mtn Development.

Tim DaSilva died in a tragic accident while building his dream; a place for children, youth and their families to enjoy exercise, companionship and the spirit of competition. His family has taken solace in the fact that his dream had become a reality and a unique amateur sports facility that anyone from across the GTA and beyond could enjoy. Unfortunately the proper permit hadn’t been procured before he began building on the private land. Now the Niagara Escarpment Commission (NEC) is forcing the family to flatten their son’s dream in 49 days or the owner of the private land will face stiff penalties.

“One more,” I pleaded Johan our guide as the African sun cast its final pastel orange beams across the landscape. He looked away silently as he scanned the horizon with his senses keenly tuned. The light was on fire and it brought the earth and plants alive. I just wanted to get one more photograph. I set my camera up quickly and captured the image then we hopped on our bikes and ripped back to camp on a super-buffed elephant path.

If you look out of one of the windows in my house you can see our trail. An 8 pack leading into a berm and a steep downslope which turns 180* down and into the return track which brings you back to the start. The trail as a body keeps growing, new limbs form in the form of a berm on the run in, a pump track, a short (but very technical) downhill track, and even some board walks. We built all of this within the area which we are allowed (known as the long grass!) with none of it stretching onto the actual playing field with which it is next door neighbors, and therefore no obstruction or problems are caused by it. I assumed that it would be OK, people would leave it as it is and not interfere with any of it, parents of young children can watch us fly through the air and amuse their kids without us being of any annoyance to them, this was my biggest mistake.

RECLAIMED is a short film featuring the Launceston MTB scene. Launceston is the second biggest city in Tasmania, a small island off the bottom of Australia. The city is well known for producing amazing riders and trails despite its small population.

Filmed and edited by Aaron Denne.