Source: Simon Gauthier

It’s under the French blue skies of beautiful Mont-Tremblant that the Canadian racing season has kicked in this past weekend. With no signs of grey clouds or even raindrops, the racing has undergone on a beautiful dry revamped racing track, thanks to the organizers making it faster and way more flowy than ever before.

Andrew Shandro has been running bike camps in Whistler for 8 seasons now and they go by the name Summer Gravity Camps. SGC is known as the world's premiere bike camp to attend and thanks to Andrew and his staff's passion to teach and ride, this excellence shines through.

Andrew and I were able to sit down and chat recently about the summer camp. Read on for the full interview:

Mike Hopkins hails from Rossland B.C. and is a big mountain freeskier and freerider. This year he made the trip down to Utah for his first Red Bull Rampage. Tam from Newwavecine.com was also there with him to capture the event and document it for us all to see.

Check out Mike's Red Bull Rampage experience on video inside:

Round two is going to be off the Richter Scale and will go down in the history books as the hardest track in the U.K ever to race on. Steve Parr and his trail fairies have officially set the bench mark and completed a master piece.

The course drops 1,000 feet and is super steep. Imagine the steepest and most technical sections from your favorite tracks, Champery, Glen Coe, Mynth Duu, Strathyre, Dunkeld, Goats Gully and Fort William Woods all in one track, without a break and no let up. The only pedaling you will do is three strokes off the start line and that is it.

‘Dr’ Steve Peat has somehow found time to plan what is sure to be a mouth-watering 4th annual Wharncliffe Weekender, despite his hectic racing schedule and his new found profession, delivering babies!

This is your chance to meet with Steve, ride with him and many other Pro's as well as a spot of charity work!

Source: Troy Lee

D2 Action Sports Helmet

The latest in his line of replica helmets "For the World's Fastest Racers", Troy Lee recently introduced the all new D2 Carbon Shaun Palmer Replica action sports helmet.

Transition Bikes re-defines ‘all-mountain’ genre with an all new Covert.

Moving forward into a new realm of design, Transition Bikes has completely revamped the existing Covert all mountain bike to create a new 6” travel quiver-killing bike capable of more aggressive riding. The new Covert sports a refined frame at the same weight as the old model, but is significantly stronger. The new frame comes in at a respectable 6.7 lbs without rear shock, and builds up to a 28-32 lb bike made for efficient long days in the saddle.

The Mount Shasta Ski Park in Mt. Shasta, CA will be hosting its first annual "Shastarama" downhill and cross-country races July 18-19!

The park will also be open to the general public!

Learn more inside:

Do you ever dream you could head out to the local park to play on a pump track, practice riding some skinnys, or take turns hitting some wall rides & jumps with your friends? Maybe you just wish there was well-made, legal singletrack within your city parks. SF Urban Riders has been hard at work, pushing those dreams that much closer to reality.

Jordie Lunn has a lot of history in racing, but has become better known for his freeriding and outlandish clothing style as of late. He was at the US Open representing his sponsor Jamis Bikes and giving racing a go again, but don't call it a come back (sing that like L.L. Cool J). Jordie intends to do a few more races this season at events that prove to be fun and give back to the racers.

Check out Jordie and his Jamis Dakar II Bam in video and pictures inside:

Source: Darcy Turenne

My personal experience with Arizona hasn't extended further than road trips to Lake Havasue to visit my 90 year old great grandmother in her nursing home when I was a kid. My most distinct memory from those long car rides is of long, painfully straight roads lined with massive cactus, while Alanis Morrisette blasted through my walkman headphones. Maybe I had a discman by this point...I'm not sure.

Hello Fellow Canucks!

We at Calgary Cycle are excited to announce the launch of our new online store. It’s a project we have been working on for the last few years. Our goal is to provide the best products and brands at competitive prices to all Canadians from Whitehorse to Weyburn to St. Johns. For many years at Calgary Cycle, we have always put the focus on top quality performance products. Now, with Calgary Cycle Online we will be able to offer similar products at great prices all across Canada. The online store will also give customers access to great closeout deals and one time specials.

Absolut SX

Initially designed for a slopestyle life, the Abso¬lut SX is going to show that its range of abilities will be much wider. Modern, compact, light, with a 140mm /5,5inches of travel, it will be as comfortable in a bike park as in a twisty downhill trail. Developed and build with Cédric GRACIA’s input, this bike is extremely reliable and knows how to boogy!

The guys were all over the course capturing clips for you all to enjoy. The downhill race at this year's US Open was one hell of a good time. The weather played it's part and made a tough course that much harder for the racers to navigate, but Sam Hill and Miranda Miller each went home $5000 richer!

Check out the video from the race and the podium shots inside:

Sunday May 24th 2009 and what a day. Bank Holiday weekend usually means rain here. Not this weekend! Temperatures soared, girls undressed, not a cloud in the sky, a gentle breeze, sunburn, Rockstar, Hensley, Chris Roberts, The Butcher, Baby Jake, 4x meeting, racing and a 10oz Rib Eye Steak.

Read on to hear about the whole event:

We’ve been getting quite a few requests for a 26” version of the S&M Pitchfork, so we went ahead and did a full production run of them. Right now it really is just a longer version of our BMX fork, so the dropouts are 3/8” only, and brake mounts are only available as a custom option.

Have a look inside to see it better and let us know what you think:

News Source: Eric Schutt
Rockshox SID World Cup gets a significant update for model year 2010 affecting two parts of the SID chassis and shedding 110 grams. The crown and steerer evolved from the existing aluminum architecture to a hollow one-piece carbon fiber composition. The fork lowers are now full magnesium compared to the magnesium and carbon fiber combination found in the 2009 version. The all magnesium lowers continue to feature Power Bulges, which increase stiffness and bushing durability.

Also the Midland Championships on Saturday the 16th and Sunday the 17th of May 2009. HOPTON CASTLE, Near. Craven Arms, Shropshire. Another full house at what is seen as the slickest run regional race series in the U.K.

Did I say slick? You should have seen the weather, it rained cats and dogs!

Yeahh! No matter where you are from around this Globe, Peaty is the new leader for us downhill worshipers. The King of downhill is now officially a GOD. He can't seem to stay off the top spot of the alter and again he did not disappoint. I think next year they are going to have to change the name to the, "Lisboa Peat Town" race..

Read on for Kathy Sessler's weekend report-

Sam Hill and Miranda Miller have won the 2009 US Open Downhill!

The 2009 US Open has come to a wrap and what a weekend it's been. Us west coast riders have had a great experience here at one of the chillest events in North America. The weather all weekend has been touch and miss, with bright, hot sunny moments and then little bits of rain. For the race though things got hella wet and it poured HARD from 3 o'clock on - full course hold due to lightening too!

The strong racers grinned and pinned! Read on for full results!

Watch all the action from the US Open Giant Slalom Finals. Congrats to Jill Kintner and Brendan Fairclough for winning the titles and picking up the $2000 in cash each!

The Giant Slalom at the US Open has just ended and the racers seemed pretty stoked on the format - no contact, just them versus the clock on a mini DH type track. Brendan Fairclough and Jill Kintner each took home the wins.

Read on for Pro results, video to come later!

Qualifying just wrapped up for the 2009 US Open Downhill! Bryn Atkinson sits in first for the men, while Fionn Griffiths sits in the hot seat for the ladies. This morning the sky was blue and things looked promising, but the clouds rolled in dumped a quick shower on the course with only 15 minutes left in practice.

Read on for full qualifying results:

The sky is blue here at the US Open at Diablo Freeride park in Vernon New Jersey. Weather is amazing and the riders are loving the track. The general consensus is that it's ROCKY up there and that the lower section is fast and open. The teams are filling up the pits and the athletes were mulling about.

Check out the athlete video and pics inside (Giant Slalom qualifying results inside too):

With the course in close to mint condition and the weather staying hot all morning, the Pro practice was great to watch and film. Ambrose was on course capturing all the goods for you to see, so check out the great video he's compiled for all y'all that are not here in Vernon, New Jersey to watch.

Check out the Pro Practice inside:

No curse this time at Caersws. We did have a few showers but then we had glorious hot sunny weather and dust! Even Hensley enjoyed himself this weekend just west of Welshpool in deepest, darkest Wales.

The only nightmare was trying to get down this National course in one go, read on..

Over the years the track known to the world as Fort William has seen its fair share of drama. Snaking down Aonach Mhor at the base of Ben Nevis it is famed for brutality and taking no prisoners and has been host to all manner of races from rounds of the Scottish series, to Nationals and, since 2001, a round each year of the World Cup.

The alarm went off at 2:41 am and it was time to drag my butt out to the curb and wait for Karl and Stan to pick me up and head to the airport for our flight to New Jersey. We picked up Ambrose on the way and were in the air by 7 am. Yep it was early for this guy, but we are stoked to be out here for our first US Open at the Diablo Freeride Park.

Read on to see pics of our day:

Do Epic Stuff Jam! Come one, come all on June 6th, 2009!

Why? Because it will be fun and you get to meet new people and the best of all - PRIZES! Win a Premium BMX in the raffle! There will be many more prizes in the raffle too! Oh, did I mention FREE energy drinks?!

Bring your friends, bring your family! Bring who ever!

Stretch out your legs, tune up your bike and drink lots of fluids because ladies and gentleman - the Hood River SUPER D returns to give everyone who enters a SUPER GOOD TIME! With the word out about last years event it's no wonder MTB'ers from all over the west coast are super hyped to bring some friends for one really great bike event.

Fox Racing Shox and the Athertons teamed up last season and made quite the impact with both Rach and Gee winning Worlds in 2008. For this year, they are continuing to work even closer together to refine the DHX RC4 rear shock and tune the forks to keep the Athertons on the podiums. Dan, Gee and Rach all spent the winter living down the road from Fox Racing Shox in Watsonville, California and worked directly with the engineers to help bring you the best possible products for your cycling needs.

Check out the interviews with Gee and Dan inside as well as all the info on upcoming 2010 Fox Racing Shox suspension:

ZEPtechniques mountain bike coaching and instructor training: New camps and course dates, venues and pricing for 2009, Pro-deal Program and more...

Learn more inside:

Source: ADHRA

The Alberta Downhill Racing Association is proud to present the first ever Western Canada Cup at Kicking Horse Mountain Resort on the July 11-12, 2009 weekend. This event will be run on a brand new DH course that KHMR is preparing specifically for this race. The most unique feature of this race will be the awarding of the Western Canada Cup trophy to the province with the fastest overall group of riders.

Source: Norco Bikes

Norco Bikes has issued a safety recall for a number of their down hill and free ride mountain bike frames from 2007-2009, due to a cracking issue at the headtube. Read on to see if your Norco bike is affected, and what to do about it.

We're big fans of products that work, and after testing the Havoc AM Wheels, we knew Easton had their stuff together. The Havoc DH stem is a basic OS stem that has simple features, and a clean design. It's strong, reliable, and comes with a sweet warranty to back it all up. Offered in 3 different lengths, and 1 rise, Easton has the basics covered for riders looking for a new stem.

Click here for more info...

Catch the action this weekend as Steve Smith, Sam Hill, Gee and Dan Atherton, Brian Lopes and other top World Cup racers compete for the 2009 US Open title. Make sure to bring out your camera to capture the event and upload your photos for a chance to win a Shimano Saint Groupo ($1000+ value) and a BOS N'Dee fork.

Bring your bike as well, as the Diablo Freeride Park will be open during the whole weekend to shred.

Bigfoot Productions, along with Mountain Flyer Magazine and Devon Balet Photography will once again be hosting a season long photo contest as part of the Mountain States Cup 2009. We are excited to announce that Pinkbike.com will also be joining forces for our contest.

So what's the deal you ask? Bust out your camera and start shooting!

We want to see your best Mountain States Cup shots from this season.

Since 2006, the small college town of Ashland Oregon, set in the picturesque mountains of Southern Oregon, has been host to some of the best All-Mountain racing in the North America. With the huge success of events like the Downieville Classic, “All-Mountain” racing is taking-off and bringing with it a vibe not felt since the early days of mountain bike racing.

Deep in the coast mountains of BC, a small crew of filmmakers has spent the last eleven months huddled together, planning, scheming and brain-storming to come up with a concept for a new company and mountain bike film. The hard work has paid off and Anthill Films is stoked to announce the release of their premier film FOLLOW ME... Scheduled to be released in Spring 2010, FOLLOW ME... will feature some of the best mountain bikers in the world, including: Sam Hill, Gee Atherton, Brandon Semenuk, Cam McCaul, Thomas Vanderham, Matt Hunter, Ben Boyko, Kurt Sorge, Steve Smith and Geoff Gulevich.

View the Demo Reel Video inside

The track was taped late Friday hoping to get as much weather info as possible to provide you with the best track for the weather. It did cross our minds the amount of pedalling involved but at the same time we realized it is a bike race! Eventually we took the gamble with the weather and took the flat and rooty option from the start ramp. People seemed to complain about the dark, had they not been to Kidland 1 month earlier!?

Dakine makes the best packs in the business for shooters, and here's why.

Chances are, whether you ride with it or not, you have a pack. If you ride with your pack, it's essential that you can carry water, some snack food, and a few tools and a spare tube, as well as anything else your non-pack toting buddy is going to need to get out of the woods. That last part is debatable, which is why I request that my buddies bring some cash on the ride, as backcountry spare tubes can go for a pretty penny.

Dylan Dean of Dean Optics and Dylan Designs fame is one busy guy. He was on hand at the Sea Otter Classic to show off his latest goggles to the masses and to spread the word on the Pro Gravity Tour.

We got to talk to him about both, so check out the interviews inside:

News Source: e*thirteen components
The third round of the Nissan World Cup action took place last weekend in the snow covered mountains of Vallnord, Andorra. Steve Peat and Sabrina Jonnier carried their momentum from last weekend’s World Cup in La Bresse, France and earned top spots in their respective categories. Fionn Griffith wins the Women’s 4X.

Source: Just Reid Racing and MTB Cut

With only a few days between the 2 rounds, most teams started arriving here in Andorra at pretty much the same time. Some had chosen to squeeze in a days riding on route whilst others spent the time getting excited by the prospect of a dip in the Mediterranean sea before coming inland for the race.

Perhaps the most thought provoking product ever?

Whatever your circumstances nobody wants to break their neck do they? Our Moto-X friends have shown us the way, should you follow?

You decide...

Toby Henderson Enterprises (THE) offers their comfortable DH-405 full-face helmet (aka The One) in a variety of styling paintjobs for 2009.

Toby Henderson has been making bike protective gear for several years and the quality has always been a cut above. For 2009, THE offers the DH-405 full face helmet in sizes XS-XL and in both composite and carbon fiber shells. Each material offers 4 individual color schemes, for a total of 8 available paint jobs.

News Source: Eric Schutt
Steve Peat claims his second consecutive World Cup Downhill victory this past weekend at the Vallnord bike park in Andorra. This win marks Peat’s 17th career win, and bests the long standing record held by Nicolas Vouilloz.

Volunteers have been working hard at the Canmore Nordic Centre Provincial Park to get some hand's on trail building experience while improving some old trails.

The Trail and Bike Park Workshop, designed to bring the Bow Corridor (Lake Louise to Calgary) cycling community together with ideas and trail education, has seen more than 1000 volunteer hours over the past 8 days.

This just in from the World Cup at Vallnord in Andorra. Video from Finals. Steve Peat took the win by 0.02 sec's ahead of Gee. Steve now makes history having won a record 17 World Cup wins.

1. PEAT Steve
2. ATHERTON Gee
3. MINNAAR Greg

Check it out:

On May 22nd Snowshoe Mountain, West Virginia kicks off the 2009 Season.

Last year a few new trails were added. Missing Link a groomed trail with huge berms and huge jumps was finished. Ninja Bob along with Chainsmoke were also completed. Finally the lower section of the Red Bull Trail opened at the very end of the season.

For 2009 the Red Bull trail is being expanded up the mountain.

This just in from the World Cup at Vallnord in Andorra. Video and results from Day 2; Qualifying

Check it out:

The World’s Top Racers Take Aim at 2009 U.S. Open of Mountain Biking

The seventh annual U.S. Open of Mountain Biking, which will kick-off on May 22nd, has become a national benchmark for U.S. mountain bike events boasting attendance by many of the world’s top racers. Against the backdrop of nearly 50 custom built mountain bike trails, the U.S. Open of Mountain Biking plays host to amateur and professional racers from across the globe all looking to capture the most prestigious title in American gravity racing.

Entering its first season of operation, Biking and Snowboarding Experience (aka BaSE) will be providing a variety of summer programs for riders in Calgary and the surrounding area. Armed with a shuttle van and trailer, BaSE represents an opportunity for young riders to experience trails they would not usually have access to while developing their skills and meeting new friends, all while under the watchful eyes of experienced coaches.

Source: MTB Cut

This just in from the World Cup at Vallnord in Andorra. Video from Day 1, practice and rider input.

Check it out:

Source: BCAA

Cyclists won’t need to fret over flat tires, broken chains or other mechanical woes with the introduction of BCAA’s new “Bike Assist” service. If you use your bike to commute, run errands or just to get around, BCAA’s “Bike Assist” program offers the same peace of mind provided by BCAA’s reliable Road Assist service – breakdown assistance 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

The Candyman came to town-

Ryan Berrecloth is known as the Big Claw, the Candyman and I'm sure many other alias names too, but what he is in our industry is a hard working professional. Following his passion to become a professional baseball player for 5 years in College, Ryan took up riding as a past time. Soon it engulfed his spare time and turned into his second full time job and he's doing a wicked job so far! Recently we got to sit down with Ryan in the woods, talk about his new bike, sponsors, plans, and then we tee'd up some of Vedder Mountain's great trails.

Click here for the Ryan Berrecloth Bike Check...

Patrick and crew from Elka suspension were at this year's Sea Otter Classic showing off their Canadian Made suspension offerings. We are lucky enough to have one of our own Elka shocks here at Pinkbike, but I was able to meet a racer that just got his Elka and talk to him about how it changed his ride and the overall feeling of his bike. Luis Samayoa got to the Sea Otter and was experiencing issues with his stock rear suspension, lucky for him the folks at Elka were on hand and got him set up for the weekend.

Check out the interview and pics inside:

Source: MTB Cut and CRC Intense

Last weekend we were at La Bresse in France for the 2nd round of the Nissan UCI World Cup.

The race week did not get off to a great start when driving across France, we had to pull into the hospital to get Claire checked out. No-one spoke much English at the hospital and they quarantined us for 5 hours as they thought she might have swine flu! It turned out she just had a bad dose of regular flu and they let us go as soon as they got the all clear.

Source: Goat Style

Winner of Goat Style goes to Crankworx! Get your registration forms in as there are limited spots available!

The goats are getting restless. They’ve been cooped up for too long and they’re dying to get out! What happens when you try and contain the goats? Well, when they finally get loose…they unleash fury.

Race Face Components grew up and lives on the North Shore, but they are widely received as some of the best parts you can put on your bike, no matter where you live. At this year's Sea Otter Classic, Julian from Race Face took us on a tour of their current and forth coming components. Lots of great new colors, graphics and completely revamped parts coming to us in the weeks ahead.

Check out the video and pics inside:

Five ten has revamped their bike line up of shoes and they are now all ready for the public's consumption. Andrew talks to us about the new Karver, the Rennie, the Hill and the ladies Karver. If you ride flats off road, these are the shoes that you should be wearing.

Read on to learn more and watch the video:

Source: Red Bull

Wanted: Downhill and Cross Country Riders

On May 23, 2009, twenty-five teams of mountain bikers will hit Mont Tremblant for a two-hour race through the resort village, facing challenging obstacles such as jumps, stairs, ramps, trails and of course, the clock.

Camp of Champions and the Longhorn Present The Bike Park Opening Day Celebration

Opening Day of the Whistler Bike Park is counted down to by everyone with a bike within driving, pedaling or flying distance of Whistler. Thinking opening day never gets the party it deserves, The Camp of Champions thought we'd throw one. To celebrate the return of the king... The Whistler Bike Park, The Camp of Champions Mountain Bike Camp is throwing The Bike Park Opening Day Celebration at the Longhorn with $12,000 in draw prizes, on opening day, May 16, 2009 from 10:00AM to 5:00PM.

Source: B-Labs

With a week that takes years off your life, comes the conclusion of the Jordie Lunn Fresh Air event. The course was the most challenging course that Jordie has ever put together. The roll-in really threw people for a loop and the multiple "Special" features toyed with even the best shreds. The back yard of Jordie's moms house was an amazing setting for the fourth installment of B-LABS events hosted on Vancouver island. We had plenty of talent out on the weekend and the winter training for some riders was very apparent in the first day of practice.

Kore Components are based out of Seattle and have been in the game for a long time now. At the Sea Otter Classic, we were able to talk to Wick about their I-Beam seats and how they vary from other saddles.

Learn more inside:

Clay Porter is becoming a legend behind the lens. He's been killing it on the video scene since Synopsis. Since the early days, Clay has been traveling around following the World Cup circuit, and filming all the action. Then, he sits in front of his computer for hours, weeks, months and compiles a masterpiece out of his clips from around the world.

We recently got a chance to see Clay's new video, Tipping Point, which follows the 2008 World Cup race series and dives into the lives of individual riders and their lives.

Read here for a video review on Tipping Point...

V.I.O., the leader in wearable video technology, has engaged in a strategic partnership with Summer Gravity Camp (SGC), the world-renowned freeride bike camp based in Whistler, British Columbia.

The partnership will utilize V.I.O.'s new POV.1.5 wearable video technology as a tool for training and video production.

The World Premiere of a Goldstein Productions Film

Goldstein Productions has officially arrived with the release of On The Line. The mountain bike community is invited to share in a visual experience that documents some of the most talented riders as they converged in Whistler, British Columbia and the surrounding areas last summer.

You asked for it, you got it… Arguably the only downside the upside down fork was the price tag. At $2775 MSRP the Carbon Dorado was a little outside of most people's price range, however, Manitou has come up with an "Answer" for all of you. MY11, or better known as the Aluminum Legged Dorado, is the next step for Manitou Racing Development (MRD), and it's a big one.

Read more here...

X Fusion Shox had a good presence at this year's Sea Otter Classic, from their booth to their race team. We were able to stop by and talk to them about the new Vengeance Fork, the Vector HLR rear shock, the H3LT rear shock and the O2 PVA.

Check out what they have rolling for 2009:

If you rode mountain bikes in the early to mid 90's, then you probably remember the carbon shell hubs from a small company named Nuke Proof. Times have changed that small company and thankfully they are no longer making those exact hubs, but have spread their wings a bit to create a whole component line up. From bars to rigid forks to headsets to non-carbon hubs and everything in between.

Here we want to show you the bar and stem combo that we put onto a recent build up...

At this year's Sea Otter Classic, we at Pinkbike.com and numerous industry friends put together great draws through out the weekend for everyone to enjoy and have a chance at winning some great swag! All spectators and racers alike had to do was fill out the nice entry ballot that could be found in all the race packages and drop by the booth and enter it into our draw box. If you were not racing, we had entry forms on hand for you to fill in and get your chance at some amazing prizing.

Check out what we gave away and who the winners were inside!

Source: Diablo Freeride Park

Round ONE kicks off May 16th at Diablo Freeride Park

This upcoming weekend, Diablo Freeride Park in Vernon, New Jersey is set to host ROUND 1 of the 2009 Diablo Gravity Mountain Bike Series. The Diablo Gravity Series returns in 2009 offering nine total events, improved race courses, lower entrance fees, over $50,000 in overall series cash and prizes and a brand new Giant Slalom discipline.

Source: Just Reid Racing and MTB Cut

The second round of this year's UCI World Cup series was held in the small town of La Bresse.

The hype around the pits was that the track looked flat and pedally after seeing a helmet cam shot just a few weeks before. This quickly changed after track walking and suddenly everyone was placing predictions on who the track would suit the most.

Answer Racing is a division of the Hayes Bicycle Group and along with Manitou suspension have a lot of things in the works for the 2010 season and at present too with the all new Dorado. We were able to sit down with Denny Yunk and talk about the all new Absolute Plus from Manitou as well as talk to Melissa Buhl about her relationship with the Hayes and Manitou brands. Also enjoy some course footage from Jason Memmelaar and his Dorado.

E Thirteen is best known for their chainguides and that is because they have done a great job with creating guides that work on numerous styles of bikes. Using a chain guide on your gravity propelled bike is common place these days. Downhill racers require them to ensure top spots as no one wants a dropped chain in a race run.

e13 recently went back to the drawing board to refine their current offerings and back to the playing field with some sexy new pieces to hang your chain off of. Sexy, light and strong is the new e13 SRS+ with a "TurboCharger". Learn more inside...

Check out all the DH Finals footage from La Bresse France and the final results from the race.

1 Steve Peat (GBr) 2:07.14
2 Samuel Hill (Aus) 2:08.41
3 Michael Hannah (Aus) 2:09.00

Read on for full results and video

With qualifying complete, check out all the Day 2 footage from the World Cup at La Bresse, France.

Enjoy!

Team GT riders Andrew Cho and Tyler McCaul ride their prototype slopestyle bikes in Aptos, California-

I had little bit of time between Sea Otter and Ranchstyle (Grand Junction, Colorado) and had the chance to stay with Tyler McCaul for a few days in Aptos, California. It's always interesting to see and live someone else's life, especially being from so far away in Vancouver. I was lucky enough to visit during a heat wave, where it consistently went over 40 degrees Celsius for a few days, (~100 Deg. F) which is apparently quite unusual for Aptos for this time of the year.

Coming June 2009.

A high definition tribute to the coolest human-powered adrenaline tool ever invented and a look at the riders who push these bikes to their limits.

Teaser Inside:

Round 2 of the Irish National Downhill Points Series, took place at Ireland's most southern venue, Clashnacrona Woods, Dunmanway in Co. Cork. The Race was hosted by 021 Racing and promised to be yet another great race!

After much speculation on what course was going to be used, the organizers opted for the older NPS track with a few nice new additions, to keep everyone on their toes.

Source: MTB Cut Productions

Scott Marshall is in the mix at this stop on the World Cup DH circuit at La Bresse. Here is video footage from Day 1 and practice.

Enjoy!

The Sea Otter Photo Contest has come to an end and after sifting through thousands of photos, we've chosen our winners for this year's event.

Thanks to everyone that participated in this event, we enjoyed all the shots from sunny California.

Here are your winners!

Truvativ Holzfeller Direct Mount Stems - it's about time! SRAM own RockShox and Truvativ and have done so for a few years now. Do they not play together in the play ground, did they have a fall out over a girl, dinner money or a bit of name calling?

Well finally the teachers banged their heads together and made them play nicely, now look at their work..

Last month, the Pinkbike.com crew had the pleasure of stopping in at the North West School of Freeride (NWSOF) for a few days. While we were there, the DH racers learned to back flip and Casey hit up some drops in between indoor park sessions. Heck I hear Spoiled Goods even got his flip on too. Well now it's your turn to go and experience the fun that is the NWSOF!

Read on to watch our interview and riding footage from our stay:

Source: Silver Star Resort

Hey, it's Cam here. The lifts are closed, the snow is melting, so I've decided to hit the road. Over the next couple of weeks I will be traveling to Vancouver, Calgary and the Kootenays, stopping at every mountain bike shop in between to spread the word about the 2009 mountain bike season at Silver Star.

NiteRider lights makes some of the world's top cycling, off road and diving lights and they are made right here in North America. Tom Carroll talks to us about some of the exciting things that are going on in the light world.

Check out the video and pictures inside:

Wayne Tabernor sent me these bars to run and run I did, straight to my mate Ryan Corbyn. Ever tried to take a picture of a pair of handlebars? It's hard as Ken propping them in the bath for a point and shoot session.

Good job Ryan is better than me with the snapper as you can see here.. SixPack Millenium XXL Handlebars.

Source: Steve Romaniuk

RockStar Energy Drink and Steve Romaniuk present an All Ages Video Premier of "Barred for Life" mountain bike film featuring the worlds top athletes as they travel the globe in search of the nasty lines!

Grow your Flow early this season and come on out and make history by attending the first ever trail day hosted by the Moose Mountain Bike Trail Society (MMBTS) on Moose Mountain.

Our trails were put to bed in late December last year and the alarm to wake them up is set to chime at 11am on Saturday May the 9th. A new day, a new season and a new beginning.

Source: Peter Appleton, Sirbikealot Racing

The first stop on the Cycle Solutions O-Cup DH/Super D series was off the hook, posting the second largest race in Ontario’s History. A mix of sun and clouds kept the Super D course buffed as the inaugural event took place. The course was a mix of super fast and flowy sections with some rocks and jumps thrown in for good measure. All of the competitors had smiles from ear to ear (if they weren’t picking their lung up from off the ground, haha) and said this was the perfect start for Super D in Ontario

Formula Brakes have been pumping out top quality stoppers for years now. At this year's Sea Otter Classic, Chris Costello took the time to walk us through the line up and tell us about changes to the program.

Check out the video and pics inside:

The winner for the first month of the Diablo Freeride Park Photo Gallery contests goes to rdog123 (Robert Lewis) with the photo by Jill Neely.

Congrats for the sweet wall ride shot and amazing lighting.

News Source: Eric Schutt
Congratulations to all the racers that competed in the new Pro Mountain Bike Gravity Tour (Pro GRT). While the Port Angeles course may have been a bit challenging for competitors to get there, racers were rewarded by a great course and excellent competition.

Source: Knolly Bikes

We have always admired the work that Anthill Films puts out. When the opportunity to collaborate with them came up, we jumped on it. We wanted to give our team the opportunity to work on a fun project while sharing a little insight about our company. In addition, we hope to give you a little something to enjoy while surfing the net.

This winter has been revolutionary for the Calgary and area mountain bike community. With the record cold snaps and the trails buried under snow for the past 5 months a group of builders and riders have come together to organize and begin building a relationship with the Alberta government.

A network of riding buds have been hard at work for close to ten years; And the work done this winter has given way to the creation of the Moose Mountain Bike Trail Society (MMBTS).

Curt Keene (Specialized/SRAM) and Katie Holden (Specialized/SRAM) continue to dominate the Port Angeles WA Dry Hill track taking the first North American Pro Gravity Tour stop wins in Pro Mens and Womens classes. Weather decided to play her 'rain card' on Saturday night making the track very exciting for all racers Sunday morning, but the sun dried it out and the racing was intense!

Photo's provided by Carl Warren Photography (unless noted). Video by Andy Tran of Syndrome Racing.

The Norco Shore series of freeride bikes are built to handle the punishing terrain of Vancouver's infamously technical North Shore, including meaty rock hucks, mind-puzzling stunts, and big boy jumps. These bikes are designed with abuse in mind and after several months of heavy usage, the hearty component spec shows little sign of fatigue. The Shore's compact size feels comfortable and balanced in the air and handles pretty well when the going gets fast. Although it's not claimed to be a great pedaller, some adjustment could get this bike up to being somewhat of a contender for the "one bike", depending largely on the needs of the Shore-style rider.

Complete review and pics inside:

The small mountain town of Wells, B.C. is developing a large network of MTB trails. I will start work as soon as the snow is gone and will post updates as the work progresses. This is my first commercial trail building project and I'm excited to make the transition from hobby builder to full-time trail builder right here in my back yard.

Here's an introduction to the project, more on the actual building process, equipment and my crew will follow.

Source: Freeride Dawgs

We’re baaaacck! Freeride Dawgs is back for another year of the bone crushing, rim breaking, steep and nasty Arduum Challenge DH. Come see what all the fuss is about.

Maintenance after the nasty winter has begun and the course will be changed a wee bit as we can’t have you guys knowing it from year to year. Planning is well underway and we have one hell of a list of sponsors for this year.

Chris Costello from the Hive talks to us about the exciting new hubs from chub and their new Fifteen G cranks. The hubs are so unique in appearance that it's tough not to ask questions about them. While the Fifteen G cranks use an interface from WWII tanks that offers a 100% surface contact area that makes them bomber.

Check out all the pics and video inside:

This weekend saw the kick-off to the Diablo Freeride Park 2009 east coast riding season with new trails, new features and an all new retail and demo center.

Just got word from Darren at Push Industries that they have a brand new web site, which went live last night. They now have an online store where you can place orders directly and comprehensive explanations for all the different suspension services they offer. While you're there, be sure to take the Facility Tour and check out their super sweet setup in Loveland Colorado - doesn't get much better than that.

Source: The Bicycle Cafe

Unicorn 5000 - presented by the Bicycle Cafe in Kamloops B.C. Come on out to a DH race on Harper Mountain, Sunday May 10th, 2009.

Details inside.

Source: The Ride to Conquer Cancer Vancouver

Some of you may be thinking what is the Ride to Conquer Cancer?

The Ride to Conquer Cancer is a unique, two-day cycling event to take place on June 20-21, 2009. During this bold cycling journey, you will ride from Vancouver to Seattle. The Ride to Conquer Cancer is a new endeavour to do just that - conquer cancer. The funds you raise through The Ride to Conquer Cancer will deliver breakthrough research, exemplary teaching, and compassionate care BC Cancer Foundation.

Ancillotti Factory is proud to announce World Cup downhill team for 2009.

The newly Formed Ancillotti Doganaccia racing team, a professional downhill and 4X team established by Ancillotti Bicycles and partner Doganaccia 2000.

The Team will compete in the UCI World Cup, World Championships, some European races, Italian series, Italian championship.

Source: Mike Estes

Curtis Keene leads the Pro Men, Katie Holden leads Pro Women and Pinkbike's own Kyle Marshall leads the Junior Experts going into tomorrow's finals at the second round of the Fluidride Cup series in Port Angeles, Washington.

Every year in early spring, Saas Fee turns into the center of the Swiss mountain biking community. The most famous Snow downhill race takes place in the heart of the Swiss mountains.
Unfortunately the race was canceled this year, because of the bad weather conditions.

But there are some sweet pics of the Funpark session who take place, Friday before the race day!

So after a gripping first round of the World Cup, matched with some surprises in the Top 10, we've got a fairly spread out league in the Pinkbike Fantasy Downhill.

I hope you're all enjoying the lovely spring weather. It was a cracking race, with the Top 10 riders putting in some great runs.

Marin Bikes of Marin County California has been working on their DH race bike in various stages of prototypes for the last few seasons and Shaums March even won a world Master's DH championship on one of the protos. Here you can check out the goods and get the details on the final product. We also talk to Andrew Taylor about his new program at Marin Bikes and with Mark Vanek about the new CXR.

Check out the videos and pictures inside:

Schwalbe tires is looking to crack into the DH tire market in a bigger way with their newest offerings, the Dirty Dan and the Wicked Will. Partnering up with the Fox / Yeti team is going to be a great way to gather that all important real world testing and development too. At the Sea Otter we were able to sit down with Henry Horrocks and talk about the new 2010 offerings.

Check out the pics and video inside:

Rachel Atherton is to undergo surgery which rules her out of action for the next 3-4 months – however we are hoping she’ll be back in time to defend her crown at the Worlds.

Animal Commencal team director Dan Brown has confirmed that Rachel Atherton is to have surgery on her injured shoulder.

The current women’s Downhill World Champion sustained nerve damage to her left shoulder during pre-season training camp in America and is expected to be out of action for the next three to four months.

With its fresh new look, new owner and a stable of top sponsored athletes, SDG COMPONENTS rolled into the Sea Otter Classic with lofty expectations and
came away with phenomenal feedback and several podium spots. Opting to partner with Northern California’s anchor retailer - RideSFO (rideSFO.com) – new president Tyler Anspach and his longtime lieutenant, Chris Han, used the RideSFO booth as their base camp. Heavy consumer traffic, a DJ and a cloudless blue sky made for a solid weekend for the globe’s premier saddle brand.