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After almost a year jumping, riding, and—occasionally—bashing NOBL’s TR37 carbon mountain wheelset, Colt Fetters thinks he might just have found the one workhorse enduro wheel to rule them all. The TR37s tip in on the lighter side of the scales, and feature a 32-spoke construction and NOBL’s signature sinewave design. Read on for Colt’s full rundown on these wheels and thoughts on why carbon wheels should get more credit for their durability.
Way up in the north woods of Duluth, Minnesota, a deified cat on a towel hosts the Slender James Classic Enduro. Born out of the hive mind of Cedaero and whichever dimension Slender James came from, it provides a venue for those who embrace absurdity while hurtling their old bike down Duluth’s sketchy trails. For participants, this event serves as a celebration of communal joy amid life’s (sometimes equally absurd) challenges. Read on to get a glimpse of last year’s pool party themed festivities and check out a fully homespun film for an even deeper dive…
Maryland-based freelance photographer and all-bikes rider, Korey Hopkins, recently traveled with the Minority Mountain Bikers for what promised to be a schralp-filled bike park weekend. An untimely OTB put the kibosh on any riding ambitions he had but fortunately he’d packed his camera! Alongside shreddy Snowshoe shots, Korey shares his inspiration for bridging his love for photography and bikes.
Rezduro takes place in the remote community of Hardrock, Arizona which is located on the Black Mesa plateau/region on the Navajo Nation. What started out as a vision by Nigel James and friends has turned into the first and only Indigenous-led mountain bike enduro race. Nigel James dreamed of bridging his grandparents’ sheep herding trails with his passion for mountain bike enduro racing as a result, Rezduro was born in 2021. Rezduro is organized by Diné (the Navajo people) on Diné lands.
To much fanfare, last month we teased the beautiful steel full suspension enduro rig that Tyler of BTCHN’ Bikes was cruising around with at Sea Otter in our event coverage. Aptly named The JERK, it’s a true stunner with a 29/27.5 mullet setup, standard 24mm bottom bracket single pivot, custom integrated bar/stem, wild paint, and so many other intricate details. Today we’re stoked to announce that BTCHN’ is launching a small batch pre-order for eight of these frames in a size run (S, M, L) and two suspension configurations. The engineering for this bike was complex and took Tyler and team a looong time to dial in. Below, Tyler goes into lavish detail about his design process and philosophy, so continue reading about this beautiful machine, how it came to fruition, and how you can get your hands on one!
All of my mountain bikes have Teravail Kessel 2.6″ tires on them at this point. I’ve personally been thrilled at the tire’s grip and resistance to our sharp rocks here and can still count on one hand the number of times I’ve needed to plug one of those tires. So when the Warwick landed in my inbox, my interest was piqued. The Warick is designed for modern XC, flow, and enduro trails. This tire utilizes a hardback edge in the center of the tire to increase traction while braking. Teravail recommends a Kessel in the front and a Warwick in the rear for optimized trail riding when the going gets rough.
If you’re interested in reading more, head to Teravail, and if you want to get rolling on a set, hit up your local dealer.
Trans Cascadia explored a new region this year in the Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest. This land is the traditional indigenous territory of the Wenatchi and Syilx people. As a blind enduro, racers are given each day’s map the night before, with no chance to explore the trail prior. Race Director Nick Gibson was excited to get started. “I’m stoked to get people on course after a year’s delay. We’re excited to show people this area, this is the first-ever bike race on these trails.”
With a full volunteer staff, spending countless hours in preparation, racers shuttled into Foggy Dew Campsite, their home for the next 5 days. A remote backcountry experience with all the amenities save cell service, racers are treated to a camp that feels more like a living village. After Covid testing and orientation, participants devoured a stunning southern-inspired meal prepared by Hannah Carlos of The Bayou Catfish under the stars…
Packing 170mm of travel, 29″ wheels and the Effigear system, the Spur is the bike for big-terrain enduro racing, double-black bike park laps and hassle-free seasons in the mountains.
The Spur uses a high-pivot, gearbox design to offer an unprecedented ride on a steel chassis. During the design process, Starling worked closely with Effigear to build this steel frame around their 9-speed system, offering a 440% range, making any climb more efficient. Speaking of efficiency, the Effigear system uses a standard trigger shifter, not an annoying grip ship. Having the gearbox at the bottom bracket keeps the bike balanced, nimble, and provides a lower center of gravity. This translates to unprecedented traction, control, and an overall more balanced feel.
The Spur is available to order now from Starling Cycles and is built by hand in Bristol, UK using Reynolds 853 steel heat-treated tubing. There is a 16 week lead time on all orders and frames are available with or without shock and with a variety of components to help build your dream bike.
Specs:
Front triangle and swingarm hand-built in Bristol, UK, using Reynolds 853 heat-treated tubing
170mm travel
Effigear 9spd drivetrain with 440% range, including cranks, shifter and cogs
29″ wheels
2.6″ tyre clearance
Up to 200mm rotor
Designed for single speed 142x12mm rear hubs
Unique Starling dropouts system means rear wheel can be removed without adjusting tension
Seattube reinforcing strut on XL
Integrated seat-clamp
Stainless & numbered dropper port
Starling headtube gusset
Bottle mount in frame on medium & above
Available in Medium, Large, and X-Large. Pricing is £3330.00 for a frame. See more at Starling Cycles.
While I was driving out to meet Andréane Lanthier Nadeau, all I could hear in my head was Eminem’s Lose Yourself, “If you had one shot or one opportunity to seize everything you ever wanted in one moment, would you capture it?” I know that’s a little dramatic, right? But maybe not…I knew Andréane and I would only have a few runs to shoot, and after hearing Nikki Smith speak at this year’s Frostbike, explaining how important it was to show real people, people of all walks of life, people of all different colors and genders doing their craft, not just standing with their bikes. I knew this was important. I also knew that ALN, short for Andréane Lanthier Nadeau would crush it, but I was skeptical of my talent behind the camera. I needed to nail what few photos I would be able to take because she was leaving for her home in Canada the next day and wouldn’t be back in Southern California for a year. So yes, I literally only had one opportunity to show y’all how ALN is one of the greatest mountain bikers I have ever ridden with and spoken to.
Perhaps you read Locke’s review of the Rascal earlier and are intrigued by Revel’s offering but weren’t feeling the colors available. Well, the brand just announced a new color for their flagship enduro bike, modeled after T1000 in the Terminator franchise. These slick and silver steeds are now shipping from Revel, so head over to poke around their site.
A lot of people are qualified to talk about long-travel enduro bikes. You can find me dangling by a thread at the bottom of that list, hanging there with a confusing mix of unfounded self-confidence and extreme midwestern imposter syndrome. I’ve lived near mountains extremely briefly and before that, the closest hill was a highway overpass. At the very least, I can offer you a unique perspective on a big bike. There’s a review in here somewhere, embedded in a long-winded story.
Chris Cocalis, the owner of Pivot Cycles, knows a thing or two about bicycle design and the popularity of his bikes prove just that. I’ve reviewed a lot of full-suspension bikes over the years and am accustomed to people’s reactions at the trailhead or on the trails but no bike received such trail accolades as the Mach 6 Carbon. Before I had even gotten to ride the bike, it seemed like everyone had something to say about it. Which, as someone trying to approach reviews without any bias, can be a bit much to handle. Yet, here we are, with a month on the bike and a month since I’ve ridden the bike, ready to talk about the Mach 6. Does it live up to the lore? Read on below.
Broken and Coastal takes us on a trip out to the Tiger Mountain Cascadia Dirt Cup. Head on over to their website for more from this race!
Making a weekend out of a race, taking the time to explore and soak in the local culture is what makes bike races so special. Here’s Freehub’s latest from the NZ Enduro.
… just makes me miss Tasmania and Blue Derby even more. I’ll be heading back this year for sure.
Sunrise to Sunset at the 2016 Trans Cascadia
Photos and words by Dylan VanWeelden
The second Trans Cascadia race welcomed 100 primed racers to a blind format enduro race spanning 4 days in the rugged lands of cascadia. It kicked off with a meeting point in the Mackenzie River area where everyone was loaded onto buses with a bag, tent and bike in tow with no idea where they were going. The Trans Cascadia crew worked all season to open long time silent trails to keep even the locals on their toes. Each day hosted a full day of riding unknown trails while the night brought secluded parties only the racers will know.
If you’re looking for a wild experience next year, make sure to sign up when the 2017 registration opens because it tends to sell out in hours. Head to Trans Cascadia!
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What a difference a mic’d rider makes in a video. We get to enjoy the sounds of the ride, rather than the author’s music choice. This video was shot real-time, showing just how fast Bryan Regnier is…
Coming Together at the Trans Cascadia
Photos by Dylan VanWeelden, words by Kyle Von Hoetzendorff
“I love it when a plan comes together.” – Hannibal – Every single episode of the A-Team.
Picture this, you arrive at a parking lot just off the main road of very small town that is set alongside a river amidst vast stretches of timber covered mountains. Waiting for you is a series of off road ready shuttle vans. You load in your bike and gear then you’re whisked away to a remote, wifi-less, electronic less, civilization-less beautiful mountain lake. This is your idyllic base camp, and during the day you will be racing blind on little known trails where deep loam sits just ready for the shredding. Over four days and 21 stages you will gradually race your way back towards the better known trails of Oakridge, Oregon.
