GEAX Hammer Head Racing has choosen GEAX Tires as the team race tire for the 2010 season. The first year team of Elite and Cat 1 racers choose GEAX because of its new performance line up of XC tires. “Our team races both 26″ and 29′ wheels and we think the GEAX has the best tires for both applications” stated team member James Robinson when asked about how the team choose GEAX over other brands.

“With some of our team mates racing at the Elite level, they need to ride the best tires they can get and GEAX makes some pretty sic stuff” Robinson added. “Some of our team were already racing on GEAX, so it was a perfect fit for us.”

The team seems to be gravitating toward the Saguaro, Mezcal, Barro and AKA cross country tires with the TNT (Tubes - No Tubes) option. GEAX offers, tubed tires, UST Tubeless, TNT and Ultra-lite race tires. The broad base of product offering ensures a tire option for every riding situation. In addition to their Cross Country tire offering, GEAX is also gaining a strong reputation with their DH and Free Ride Tires.

GEAX has seen huge growth in the tire market in the last few years and when you look at the tread designs, it is easy to see why. Owned by Vittoria Tires - a world class manufacturer of some the best road tires on the planet, GEAX is not a newbie in the tire game. They have the resources and experience to make equally impressive cross country tires.

Also coming on board for this season is Accel Sports - makers of Endurox R4, Accelerade, Accel Gel and FROZE food bars.
Accel Sports makes outstanding food products for endurance athletes before, after and during the ride. While known in the bicycle world, they are super big with iron men triathletes. “Similar to GEAX, most of our riders use Accel Sports products in one form or another and they were our first choice for nutrition since it plays such a vital role in performance.” stated Hammer Head team rider and US Certified cycling coach Art MacFarland who has competed in the Cape Epic, Trans Rocky, La Ruta De Los Conquistadores, BC Stage race, Furnace 508 and other ultra endurance events.

The Team will be providing FREE samples at the races they will be attending through out California, Arizona, New Mexico and Texas. Just look for the Pop-up tents sporting the Accel Sports logos.

To honor his great career and allow fans to show their appreciation for the “consummate professional”, the ABA and GHP have planned a farewell tour. Starting at the Gator Nationals in Oldsmar, Florida, one lucky winner will take home the ABA BMX Champs jersey, personally autographed by Randy Stumpfhauser. As Randy races to defend his ABA #1 Pro title in 2010, a lucky winner will be chosen by Randy at each subsequent Pro Series event to receive an autographed jersey.

In addition to the jersey giveaway, beginning at the Winter National in Phoenix, ABA Racewear will have a specially designed Stumpy T-shirt available for all fans to have personally autographed by Randy. If you have ever had the pleasure of meeting Randy, you know what a truly great person and ambassador for the sport he his. If you have never met the man, this is an opportunity to see why he has been apply nicknamed the “consummate professional.”

Randy will retire as one of the most accomplished and professional BMX racers our sport has ever witnessed. GHP BMX and the ABA would like to wish Randy the best of luck in 2010 on his quest to defend his hard earned ABA BMX PRO title.

It would be hard to script it better, 70 degree days, 45 degree nights, 1500 plus riders and 24 hours to do what ever it is you do at these events. Part Woodstock and part Baja 1000, The 24 Hours at Old Pueblo is a place where some race round the clock while others enjoy the beverage inspiring atmosphere and the crazy fast single track. The Hollywood setting for this weekends 11th riding of the 24 hours of Old Pueblo did not disappoint. The stories that will be told will not include snow or sub freezing temps, but the absolute perfection that organizer Todd Sadow and his awesome group of volunteers and workers managed to pull down.

With no official numbers to quote, I can only say that the field was enormous and the starting line of bikes at the Lemans style start will serve as proof. I was impressed by the great sportsmanship displayed as the throngs of bike jockeys funneled their way down the race course lined with thousands of family, friends and teammates in an effort to find their bikes. The start resembled a Boston marathon start where some riders were 10 minutes behind the fastest runners before finding their bikes or being able to ride. As for attitudes, they were all in the right place. What is ten minutes when you’re going to be riding for a long, long, long time?

Here is a video that truly exemplifies the experience. Its one of the best videos I have ever seen of this type of event.

24 Hours in the Old Pueblo from Vladimir Chaloupka on Vimeo.

If you were there and had so much fun you can’t wait until next year, check out some of Epic Rides other events. The Whiskey 50 is coming up Next! If you want to tell your story, be sure to blog about it below.

Bicycle World / Hammer Head Racing Takes Third Podium Spot.

The newly formed team of elite Pro and Cat 1 riders sponsored by Bicycle World and Hammer Head Bikes out of Austin Texas, grabbed the third podium spot in it’s first official team race of the season at the 24 Hours of Old Pueblo. Lead by Jeff Herrera’s consistently fast laps, fellow teammates Art MacFarland, Ryan o’Connor, and Scott Henry dished out enough punishment to complete 21 laps and fend off over 130 other teams in the men’s open category. The overall victory went to Sport Systems MTC Dream Team who won by a full lap with Second Place going to the impressive U23 squad of Waste Management.

With near perfect weather, the top three teams completed the 24 hour time frame with out any real issues. “Our riders are experienced endurance athletes and that is what it takes to finish on the podium in these type of races. That and some luck” - quoted the teams manager.

For a more detailed report. Read the blogs from the racers themselves as they post them here.

Photos of the event can be found at Clutch Photography
Results from the event can be found here. RESULTS!!!!

The movie opens with a good home grown feel of several riders, the race promoters and an emcee on a stage in front of a live audience going through some simple questions and introductions before quickly getting to the meat of the movie, the race history and the race itself. Not too long on the race history either, just what you want to know about the event to make you want to support it more. And that, is pretty much where the movie begins to go off the boil. It quickly turned into a long edition of a day in the life of Lance. Sure they did the human interest angle of six time winner Dave Weins, but it became quickly apparent to this rider, that the movie wasn’t as much about the race, but about Lance.

The cameras followed the lead group for a majority of the footage cutting in on several occassions to cover some great human interest stories like the woman who survived a horriffic auto accident while riding on her road bike only to come back and complete the race (multiple times now). Stuff that the race is really all about. But it’s the overwhelming amount of footage of Lance interspersed with some of his voice overs of what losing last year taught him that turned me off. The contradiction of his words saying something about learning it was Okay to loose then show up with an unofficial band of TREK domestiques and joking about inaccurate time splits was a bit more than I could swallow. Could someone tell him, that mountain bike racing is Mano-Y-Mano and that radios and time splits are for pussies? There is also a section in the movie where Lance talks about seeing all the faces during the return from the turn around and how cool it is that everyone shouts encouragement to each other. Was it simply bad luck in the editing room or a line of BS - because while the mics picked up riders and fans cheering him on, I can’t say I ever heard Lance cheer for one of the masses walking up one of the races tough climbs.

Cutting back to the footage of the hail and rain that pummels the slower riders up on Columbine Pass, the movie did a good job of showing the physical pain any dedicated rider can appreciate and admire.

Finally, in a panic over a flat tire in the last miles of the race, Lance who apparently really can’t fix a tire, puts air in the leaking tire and promptly discards his used cartridge on the ground and rides off. Nice one. In all fairness, this occurs around the 90 mile mark and Lance has climbed 14,000 feet at big altitudes, so I am sure his thinking was not as sharp as it could have been. Let’s blame it on the altitude and leave it at that.

After watching the show, it becomes more obvious that film is either sponsored by directly by Trek or Lance himself as I realized that all the guests on stage are Trek Riders with the exception of Dave Wiens. It’s not a blatant Trek sales meeting, but subliminal as Travis Brown and the Coach of Fort Lewis (whose name escapes me now) had no real business being on the stage.

The production value of the movie also needs to be reviewed. Knowing that the race was just run in AugustCitizen Pictures did a good job putting together this movie in just 3 months. They used a mix of hand held cameras, a motorcycle camera (following Lance and the lead group) and even several spectacular helicopter camera shots including the show stopper of the top of Columbine climb. While not all of the cameras where of equal quality, I could overlook that as it gave the story a more real feel.

If you are looking for some info on the race, this film does a good job to show you just how painful and epic this race can be. If you’re looking to get inspired or want to convince friends that mountain biking is cool - skip it. If you are a Lance fan, this is one for your library.

While there are those who ride to win, their there are twenty more there for the experience. The experience of survival, euphoria, the Saturday night hang over, the comraderie or the feeling of completing a 24 hour solo effort. No matter what they say, every one talks about seeing things in the shadows. A beautiful desert moon above them as they take their solo journey over the seven bitches down through the cactus patch and into the cold desert, alone, self sufficient in the dark of the night.

Not a good time for flats when the air is 35 degrees and your fingers don’t function very well. Even in the lonely cold, a calmness engulfs you as you share a “good job” greeting with the solo soldiers methodically making there way through the night at a pace calculated to ensure their survival to see the sun rise, then noon. Speed doesn’t matter, neither does the trophy. It’s about the experience. The stories that will be told, friendships deepened, the pictures shared and the plans made for next year.

I can’t wait until Saturday!

Ever see 500 skinny legged mountain bike racers run? How about with cycling shoes on and in the dirt? Here’s your chance to see the marathon of all Le Mans style starts at last years Old Pueblo. Watch the video below with attention paid to the guy on the left side as he takes a header into the ditch. You may see yourself or a teammate.

Taiwan overall trade rebounds in December

Taiwan’s trade w ith the rest of the world grew by over 50% in December 2009,
signaling that trading condit ions are returning to normal. The Bureau of Foreign Trade
(BOFT) said that Taiwan’s total foreign trade value in December 2009 posted a 51.2%
growth to US$38.41 billion compared with December 2008. Of this figure, exports
registered US$20.03 billion, a new high since October 2008 and representing 46.9%
growth compared with December 2008—better than the 33.7% export growth posted by
South Korea in November. Imports also soared 56.2% to US$18.38 billion. These
figures yielded a trade surplus of US$1.65 billion, a decrease of 11.7%. Taiwan’s total
trade value for the entire 2009 calendar year reached US$378.36 billion, a decline of
23.7% compared with the corresponding period in 2008. Cumulative exports fell 20.3%
to US$203.7 billion w hile cumulative imports shrank 27.4% to US$174.66 billion. This
yielded a cumulative trade surplus that surged 91.3% from the previous year to
US$29.04 billion, a record high.

Taiwan set for recovery in 2010 - bike makers post big jumps in January results
Taiwan saw a dramatic fall in overall exports in 2009: overseas shipments fell by
20.3%. But according to the government’s statistics section, the island’s economy is
expected to grow at a healthy 4.72% in 2010, the largest grow th in three years. The
bicycle industry experienced a tough year in 2009, but results for January from the
major manufacturers paint a brighter picture. Giant show ed an 11.55% increase in
January compared to the same month in 2009, with revenues of NT$1.524 billion
compared to NT$1.367 billion in 2009. Merida posted results of NT$983 million for
January, up a striking 26.2% from 2009’s NT$778 million. Ideal, Taiwan’s third largest
bike maker did not show much change from 2009’s f igure, at NT$297.1 million.

The Taipei cycle Show runs from March 17 - March 20

Rob Roskopp has always put together a top team and adding Cedric and his brigade is an smart move. Already with a loaded team with Steve Peat, Greg Minnaar, Josh Bryceland, Kurt Voreis, Jamie Goldman and John Waddell - Cedric’s Team and personality will only help attract more attention for the brand.

Gracia and his brigade will be riding the Santa Cruz V-10 for the world cup downhill competitions.

That’s me and that’s you and if you’re looking for a real review on tires, then here is two for you on the same page. The WTB Nano Raptor and the WTB Prowler. These aren’t just throw em on your bike for a one day test ride results, these are, ride’em, race’em until you need new tires sort of a tests. Hell every new tire grips for a day….lets see what these did.

WTB NANO RAPTOR

WTB PROWLER XT 2.3