Pinkbike Awards 2015: Rules and Guidelines

Rules for Determining Nominees and Judging Winners


The following list should satisfy the curiosity of those who are in search of how Pinkbike selects who or what is nominated – and eventually chooses the winners of our year-end awards. We include each category or, in some cases, a grouping of similar categories, with its own rules and guidelines. Where it applies, we also add the names of the judges who participated in a particular category should we invite specialists from outside Pinkbike’s staff to assist in the judging process.

If you don’t see a category listed, it is probably because we have yet to post that nomination. Shortly before posting an additional category, we will list the applicable guidelines on this page.

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Mountain Bike of the Year:

Selections to be determined by Pinkbike’s editorial staff.

All nominated bicycles must be visibly and technically new models. Upgraded models from the previous year may be allowed if the bicycle has been visibly and technically modified in a significant manner.

Bicycles must be selected from current model year, or from models designated for the following season that have been released for sale and are reasonably available to the public before November 1.

Nominated bicycles can be selected from any mountain bike category, and must have been either reviewed by, or have been the subject of a thorough first-ride opportunity by Pinkbike’s editors.

In rare cases, a prototype or a limited production bicycle that is not available for public sale may be accepted for nomination without review or a first ride preview, providing that it is a visually and technically new design and that it has proven to be overwhelmingly successful in professional competition by two or more competitors.

Nominees will be judged primarily upon their ultimate performance, technical design aspects, component specification, and application to their category. Suggested retail pricing and perceived value will be considered, but will not be emphasized.

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Suspension Product of the Year:

Selections to be determined by Pinkbike’s editorial staff.

Nominees must be chosen from production suspension forks, shocks, and also suspension controls that were released for public sale in the current model year, including products designated for the following model year which were released for sale and reasonably available to the public up until November 1.

Nominated suspension products should be new models that are visibly and technically different, or previous models that have been significantly modified or improved in such a way as to provide a clear and recognizable performance advantage.

Each nominated product must have been reviewed by, or have been the subject of a thorough first-ride opportunity by Pinkbike’s editors.

Nominees will be judged by absolute performance and technical design aspects. Suggested retail price and perceived value will not be a factor unless there is a need for a tie-breaker between two similar and competing products.

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Best Value Product of the Year:

Selections to be determined by Pinkbike’s editorial staff.

Nominees may be selected from bicycles, components, clothing, or accessories that were released for sale and were reasonably available to the public before November 1.

Selected items should carry an advertised MSRP which is significantly lower than competing products, while offering similar or nearly similar benefits, or a comparably priced product that offers additional benefits compared to its competitors. Innovative products that have no direct competition in the marketplace will also be considered if the item is judged to provide an extraordinary benefit at an MSRP which is deemed to be a good value.

The suggested MSRP for nominated products is under $1000 USD.

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Product of the Year:

Selections to be determined by Pinkbike’s editorial staff.

Nominees may be selected from major components gear or accessories released for sale in the current model year, or those designated for the following year which were released for sale and were reasonably available to the public before November 1.

Criteria for selection will be judged upon the product’s performance benefits and innovative design aspects. Perceived value will also be a consideration. Also, in such cases that an item has enjoyed overwhelming popularity among consumers, that product can be nominated without further consideration.

Products that are available globally will be generally be given the advantage over those which are available regionally or manufactured in small quantities.

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Best Gear or Accessory:

Selections to be determined by Pinkbike’s editorial staff.

Nominees may be selected from clothing, protective gear, tools, or peripheral accessories released for sale in the current model year, or those designated for the following year which were released for sale and were reasonably available to the public before November 1.

Criteria for selection will be judged upon the product’s performance benefits and innovative design aspects. Perceived value will also be a consideration.

Products that are available globally will be generally be given the advantage over those which are available regionally or manufactured in small quantities.

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Male and Female Athletes of the Year:

Selections will be determined by Pinkbike staff and key members of the mountain bike community that may include professional competitors, event promoters, videographers, photographers and competitors, who are selected and polled by Pinkbike staff. Pinkbike will maintain a public list of contributor judges.

Nominees will primarily be selected from professional competition, but can also be chosen from any recognized discipline within mountain biking. Selections will be measured by the degree with which he or she has progressed the sport, and also by the measure of their personal achievements from January 1, through November 1 of the current year.

To be selected, the nominee’s achievements must have taken place in a public venue, including professional competition, festival demonstrations, feature films, or verified events that were photographed and published by popular public media sources.

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DH Race of the Year, Enduro Race of the Year, and Freeride/Slopestyle Event of the Year:

Selections will be determined by Pinkbike staff and key members of the mountain bike community that may include professional competitors, event promoters, videographers, photographers and competitors, who are selected and polled by Pinkbike staff. Pinkbike will maintain a public list of contributor judges.

Nominee events must be selected from professional competition venues with emphasis upon major international events. Freeride and Slopestyle nominees, however, can also be chosen from demonstration events or record attempts by professional-level athletes. To qualify, events must have been staged in the current year from January 1 through November 1.

Considerations for nomination include the magnitude of the event, including its popularity, attendance, and level of competition; the quality of its production and execution; and the creativity of the design and construction of the course itself. Special consideration will be given to venues that elevate or progress the sport in a significant manner.

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Photo of the Year: Follow this link.

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Innovation of the Year:

Selections to be determined by Pinkbike’s editorial staff.

Nominees will be chosen from new products released for sale or for competition during the current model year, and also including pre-production products that are both cosmetically and functionally correct for production, but not released for sale during the current model year. One-off-type prototypes or proof-of-concept products will not be considered.

Nominated products should be new items that provide solutions to problems not yet solved, or present significant technical improvements over their predecessors that stem from a novel use of materials, technology or mechanical means. Serial improvements to existing products will not be considered for nomination.

Pinkbike editors must have ridden or used nominated products to an extent that each could be deemed capable of regular use for its intended purpose.

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