Thursday, May 2, 2013

Fanformed: Crowd Designing Mountain Bike Gear



How often have you thought to yourself, “this hydration pack (or sunglasses, shoes, etc.) is excellent, but there’s this one feature that would make it better…”? In today’s age of technology and social media, we are used to talking and having someone hear us. Some companies leverage their social media outlets and listen to what their consumers want, and deliver it. But why not provide some way for the masses to have hands-on control of how their products are designed?
Fanformed thinks consumers should have that hands-on access when it comes to designing the products they love–and seeks to give it to them. Fanformed’s stated mission is “to help expert product users create product design breakthroughs.” They go on to say, “As a product fan, you know best how a product should work, what it should do, and what it should look like.”

Saturday, April 27, 2013

Updates from Sea Otter Classic 2013


The Sea Otter Classic, one of the largest mountain bike races and festivals of the year, is currently in full-swing at the Laguna Seca speedway in Monterey, California. While mountain biking is a major part of Sea Otter, the festival caters to bikers of all disciplines.

In 2011, the festival had 8,500 racers, 50,000 spectators, 325 exhibitors, and 300 journalists turn out for some great bike racing and revelry. Sea Otter continues to grow, and in 2013 they have over 400 companies exhibiting at the expo. All of the major bike companies and component manufacturers are in attendance with their latest and greatest products on display, Shimano among them:

Read the full article here.

Friday, April 26, 2013

On Review: Trek Superfly 100 AL Pro


I’ve been shopping around for a good bike to race the Cohutta 100 on. At first, I was hoping to find a carbon hardtail 29er to use for my race bike, but based on Jeff’s recommendation, I also threw some short-travel 29er FS XC rigs into the mix. When the opportunity came to do a long-term review of the 2013 Trek Superfly 100 AL Pro, I knew I had found my race bike!

Read the full article here.

Thursday, April 25, 2013

On Review: Raleigh XXIX+G Steel 29er


Building on their classic history, Raleigh’s XXIX+G hardtail 29er looks like a throwback to the beginnings of mountain biking. From the steel frame to the stamped head badge to the understated graphics, at first glance this looks like the mountain bike that every singletrack luddite has been longing for!

However, this bike hides some new-school componentry in its classic-looking package.

Read the full article here.

Wednesday, April 24, 2013

Training for the Cohutta 100: Three Weeks to Go



There are less than three weeks to go until the Cohutta 100. What I am trying to do… the difficulty of what I am trying to accomplish… is finally setting in.

Read the full article here.

Tuesday, April 23, 2013

Mountain Biking Lake Tahoe


While the Tahoe area is known as a world-class skiing and snowboarding destination during the winter, it is also an excellent mountain bike destination during the summer.

Read the full article here.

Monday, April 22, 2013

Mountain Biking the Dragon's Back Near Roanoke, VA


In the Roanoke area, Carvin’s Cove is the well-signed, hard-to-lose-yourself trail destination while Dragon’s Back is where you go if you’re looking for some real adventure!

Complete with gravel road connectors, hike-a-bike singletrack, rocky ridgeline riding, gorgeous views, and blazing-fast technical descents, this ride harkens back to the days when men were men and boys stayed at home and hid behind their mothers’ aprons.

Read the full article here.