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XC NEWS & VIEWS

Slow build, but it’s rolling…

December 21, 2023|News|

Just uploaded podcast #11, and I'm starting to get into the swing of things. I've decided to try adding a once-a-week video to go along with the podcasts. I have too many things to show, and review and discuss that are better served with a visual I think. So keep an eye out for that. But there are many, many interesting things happening now and in the future for the "short travel" mountain bike world. Big races, new racers, and the relentless release of new products. And I [...]

Tubolito Tubes? Orangetastic?

November 4, 2023|Reviews|

Tubolito Tubes Tubes? In this day and age? Why you ask, would someone take the time and money to develop inner tubes? Well, we're about to find out if it was a worthwhile endeavor or a complete waste of time!  

Henrique Avancini retires

August 22, 2023|News|

Great goodbye video with english captions: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=shuF_YLMVVk&t=128s He had a great run. Not the longest career in XC, but a good one. Won some great races, was always going for it it seemed. He'd get out front then drift back. You could tell he wanted to hammer it all the way home, just couldn't quite pull it off. That said, he is the newly crowned Marathon XC World Champion, so that's a great way to bow out.  

Is Canada the next Switzerland?

August 11, 2023|News|

If going by their Junior team results at the World Champs is any indication, they might be! Okay, that might be a bit of an exaggeration, the Swiss will remain at the top for a bit. But, to take Gold, and some Silver home for both men and women Juniors, well, that's pretty cool. Maybe in a few years we'll be watching them come into the Elites like other amazing young talents have. Could it be Catherine Pendrel? She does not get mentioned nearly enough in the discussion [...]

Great new course recon video of XCO world champs!

August 7, 2023|News|

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rMYgB-lgxWs&t=166s This is awesome I think. The original course video didn't really show much. This one is awesome. Great Britain riders Max & Corran? Not sure who they are honestly but they look to be FLYING through the one lap of the course. Fearless. Man, if MvDP can get his bad starting position fixed quickly, he has a very real chance at taking the triple golds like PFP did years back. He will probably ride the same exact style of race as the Road. Stay up front with [...]

Marathon Worlds looked awesome!

August 7, 2023|News|

While most XCO stars didn't race, Avancini certainly did, and won the thing again. This would be his second Marathon championship. Alan Hatherly gave it a go, and most of the big names in the longer distance world were there. The top racers who show up to Cape Epic, usually race the Marathon Worlds if they can. So Avancini winning is quite the achievement in my mind. He can hang with the best at the short punchy XCC races, but seems to fade quickly in the XCO format. [...]

Official XCO World Champs course preview

August 3, 2023|News|

Not sure how I didn't see this sooner, but the UCI had released a video a month ago showcasing the entire XCO course to be used for the World Champs next week. Watch it here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K6DN0dmxiu4 It doesn't look like a World Cup course, that's for sure. They always add the crazy man-made features with giant fake rock formations, logs, whatever they can to make a seemingly "easy" course more difficult. The crazy rock formation trend makes little sense to me I must admit. When I was standing [...]

Tom Dumoulin the MTB racer?

August 2, 2023|News|

Saw a cool article about ex-road pro Tom Dumoulin. I don't know how many of you follow the road racing world. I'll admit to be a fair weather fan. I watch the TDF, and several of the spring classics. Mainly out of boredom. But Tom Dumoulin was a big gun for a bit there, and certainly seemed to be on the rise to the top. He retired a bit early some would say. So I think it's cool that he's taking to the mountain biking and gravel world [...]

Henrique Avancini is going for it in Glasgow.

August 2, 2023|News|

I must say, hats off to the Brazillian. He is going to race all three XC formats. On the 6th he'll take on the Marathon, then the 10th the XCC and finally give the XCO a whirl on the 12th. That's pretty cool I think. I would love to see more of that if I'm honest. Many of the riders at the World Champs, let's be honest, probably aren't thinking they are going to win a medal. That's not always the goal I suppose. Don't get me wrong, [...]

Who are we sending to Glasgow?

August 1, 2023|News|

We're a week away, and just in case you were wondering, here's the official list of Team USA that will be visiting the World Championships in Glasgow, Scotland for 2023: Elite Men Christopher Blevins (Durango, Colo.; Specialized Factory Racing) Elite Women Savilia Blunk (Inverness, Calif.; Rockrider FORD Racing Team) Kate Courtney (Kentfield, Calif.; SCOTT-SRAM Factory Racing) Gwendalyn Gibson (Ramona, Calif.; Trek Factory Racing) U23 Men Riley Amos (Durango, Colo.; Trek Factory Racing) Carson Beard (Middlesex, Vt.; Team Segment 28) Brayden Johnson (Littleton, Colo.; Bear National Team) Bjorn Riley [...]

It begins with a Podcast

July 31, 2023|News|

Well, after 2 years of going back and forth on formats, it's been decided a weekly podcast, yes, another dreaded podcast, will be the first release from Short Travel Mag. Some things are best shown in a video, so we will also be releasing a weekly video, but the goal to start is to do multiple podcasts each week, 2-3 times if needed. This time of year is often busy in the Cross Country world, world cup races, new 2024 products being shown, all kinds of great things [...]

’23 World Champs are upon us!

July 31, 2023|News|

Glasgow, here we are! This years World Champs extravaganza sure seemed to creep up this year. When first announced that the UCI was going to combine all disciplines into one location at one time, it seemed so far away. But in a few days, the fun begins. For me, the XCO and XCC races, along with the Marathon, will be the focus. When Marathon was announced earlier in the year as a dedicated broadcast on the new Discovery channels, I naively thought we'd see some crossover XC racers [...]

SRAM AXS…second guessing trying it out.

July 28, 2023|Late To The Party|

Well, I have in my box of "stuff I bought, didn't need, and can't bring myself to install" a complete XX1 AXS Eagle groupset. The works, crankset, DUB bottom bracket, everything. The one thing I don't have, only because no one on the planet seems to stock, is the Rocker Paddle Upgrade Kit. I ordered it and immediately was told at least 1 month wait. So maybe I'll get the thing someday soon. Anyway, I was able to order it from a certain retail store in Colorado where [...]

Tan wall tires? Really?

April 22, 2023|Late To The Party|

Back in the day, only BMX bikes had tanwall tires. The infamous Comp III tires ruled the day. I had them on several bikes. I don't think they were tan for looks, but for a manufacturing reason? I'm guessing using a fabric sidewall on a rubber tire simply meant leaving the black rubber off the sidewalls, showing the threads and natural color. My cousin sent me a photo today of one of his Comp III and you can see the threads pulling out slightly. They were easy to [...]

Togs? Useful or Useless?

September 1, 2022|Reviews|

Togs? Useful or Useless? Everyone who knows me knows how much I still believe in bar ends on my bikes. I have them on every bike I own. I have a drawer full of them that aren't being used. Yet, I'm so clearly in the minority that it has finally started making me wonder if I really need them? Enter Togs - Thumb Over Grip System. Made here in the USA, and now gaining popularity among some elite mtb racers. Will Nino ever be using them? Probably not, [...]