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XC NEWS & VIEWS

30 years ago – World Champs Review

June 28, 2024|News|

I’ve been feeling nostalgic lately. I’ve been checking out tons of BMX racing photos, articles and bikes from when I was a teenager. I was just as obsessed with early bmx bikes and racing as I am now with XC mtb. Go figure. So all this nostalgia about old bmx also morphed into nostalgia for old mtb xc racing and bikes. I have a 2nd gen Answer Manitou fork sitting on my desk. The first commercial model that were released after Doug Bradbury turned them over to Answer [...]

Tour de France for mountain bikers?

June 26, 2024|News|

I know I always say I focus only on XC mtb, but I must admit I enjoy watching the TdF every July. Back when Lance was the star, each Tour was an exciting event for us US viewers. But the Tour has a decent history of mountain bikers tearing it up in France. Cadel Evans is probably the most successful former XC racer at the tour. He was one of the best in his years on the World Cup before moving full time to the road. Unlike modern [...]

Pidcock again? Chris Horner has a point…

June 24, 2024|News|

For any of you who kind of follow road racing like I do, I occasionally watch ex-pro Chris Horner’s youtube channel where he makes daily posts and gives his opinions on races, and whatnot. Having been a pro for a very, very long time, through the “iffy” years of the sport, I tend to take what he says with a bit of salt as they say. But still, he makes good points. His recent video discusses why he doesn’t understand what the heck Top Pidcock is doing, and [...]

I hate man made XC racing tracks. There. I said it.

June 20, 2024|News|

I don’t fully understand why they keep making XC mountain bike tracks so “difficult” for the world cup. The latest new course, Crans Montana in Switzerland has many man made giant rock features, wood bridges, even a dual skinny wood ledge thing that looks ridiculous. It’s going the same way as BMX tracks did. When I raced bmx, the tracks were built with all dirt, with jumps and berms you could pedal over if you wanted to, and starting hills that as a parent, you’d be fine letting [...]

New Chisel FS is the coolest XC bike in years

June 18, 2024|News|

Wow, didn’t see this coming. There are still plenty of full suspension mountain bikes made in aluminum. The problem is they are usually the lowest, heaviest in the range, or downhill grade monster bikes. Very few if anything in between for us XC types. There are reasons to want a truly lightweight aluminum, read, non-carbon bike frame. They are usually cheaper, they should be anyway, I’d say more durable, and could likely last a lifetime with no worries about fatigue to the carbon or cracks hiding beneath paint. [...]

Val Di Sole World Cup – one boring, one not

June 17, 2024|News|

Wow, Nino got number 36. I won’t bore you with the details, go watch it, or at least the highlights videos if you can. Nino lost only to the mighty Pidcock at the last race. He looked very, very solid. So I was assuming he’d do well this weekend too without Pidcock being present. He pulled a PFP and took off early and didn’t slow down until he won. The womens race was quite boring I’d say. PFP took off, and everyone lined up behind her and it [...]

Sam Gaze has come a long way!

June 14, 2024|News|

No spoilers from todays XCC races at Val Di Sole, but the interview after the mens race was awesome. Sam Gaze was featured, and if anyone remembers how this guy sounded and acted 5-6 years ago when he first broke on the scene, you’d be happy I think. He beat Nino in a famous sprint, at a time when NO one could beat Nino it seemed. Here comes Gaze, with a perfect build for power, and won. But his attitude, outbursts, and whatnot seemed to overshadow his talent [...]

All mtb sunglasses should be like this

June 13, 2024|News|

There, I said it. Photochromatic lenses that go from clear to tinted are the best for most typical forms of off road biking. Unless you are on gravel type roads or on double track with no shade that is. But for the type of riding I do in the upper midwest, they really are superior. I have many pairs of Oakley glasses, even a few very expensive prescription glasses. And when you are coming in and out of the woods as most races I attend, having clear lenses [...]

New Scott Spark with Flight Attendant

June 12, 2024|News|

Ever since I tried for a year to replace my rear shock, this being on a 2016 Trek Top Fuel 9.8, I realized what a nightmare it can be. The model year 2016 was the only one that had the Monarch and Sid XX system using Xloc – the lockouts on both shocks are hydraulic, just like the Reverb dropper post. So two hydraulic cables go to each shock. Honestly, I love how that works. The large button onder my left grip triggers the lockouts with very little, [...]

A solution to weird feet?

June 11, 2024|News|

For all of us out there that have one or two weird things about their feet, this new company might be just the ticket. 3D printed shoes? Perfectly fit to your individual feet. Sign me up!I have yet to find a truly all day comfortable mtb shoe. I was a SIDI believer (the cheap model with 3 velcro straps only) for years and years. Then magically, the shoes were too small. Did my feet grow that much? Apparently so. So I began looking for something else. All the [...]

PFP is gone…

June 10, 2024|News|

I have a love/hate relationship as a fan, with Pauline Ferrand Prevot. I love how she is all business. Train on her own, pick just the races she wants to win, and usually shows up and does just that. She’s never cared about the overall World Cup for some reason. I find this odd actually. She clearly likes to collect titles and championships. So why not grab at least one overall World Cup title to go along with the others? The key for the overall is clearly being [...]

Alternative XC pedals? Is Shimano losing their status?

June 5, 2024|News|

I bought the very first SPD pedals, and shoes, you had to buy both, as SPD was so new, there was only Shimano’s single model shoe you could use with them. I had been using toe straps on aluminum cage pedals just like everyone else. I was also fairly new to MTB, this being the very first years of the 1990’s. Every single part of the MTBs of the day was in a constant state of change. Every time I visited the high end bike shop near me, [...]

SRAM Pod Rocker finally released…and it’s about time

June 4, 2024|News|

Ever since Transmission by Sram was released, I had my doubts about the new 2 button shifter (controller as they prefer). The number one reason I hated it is because you completely lose the ability to use your index finger to trigger at least one shift from the front of the grip. The original paddle design had this ability built in, and it’s the one I still prefer. The original design, as it turns out, really is one of the best. The 2nd attempt of a shifter paddle design [...]

Stans XC race wheels for free!

June 3, 2024|News|

Okay, you knew that’s not true. But Stan’s wheels is one of those brands I used to see all over. Online, at races, they were often in most any discussion when it comes to wheelsets. Now I’m not talking about their sealant, that’s a different type of thing. But the wheels. The rims. Not so long ago, I lusted after and ultimately purchased a set of their Podium SRD XC race wheels. They were very light, 1290 grams on my scale, for the set of 29” rims, spokes [...]

Trek is the future. The future is Trek.

May 30, 2024|News|

There isn’t much “talk” on the webs about Junior and U23 racing at the world cup level. There should be, and this year I have become obsessed a bit with the U23 races. Mainly because I can now watch them (well, the XCO at least) online for free. The Juniors weren’t even on my radar at all, these are KIDS out there giving it their all. Many of them won’t even make it into the Elite races anyway.But, so many of our recent Elite racers were in fact [...]

Berd Spokes for the win!

May 29, 2024|News|

Berd Spokes. What else can be said about these interesting take on spokes. They aren’t new anymore, and are one of those products that doesn’t seem ready to fade away like so many other “new and improved” bicycle innovations over the years. In fact, if anything, they are gaining in popularity. I’ve personally have a fondness for Berd. Originally, it was because anything that shaves weight off your bike without sacrificing strength or durability is always a winner to me. But then I came to like them [...]