TractionMag

Dirt Coaster

2012-01-30T13:38:00.000-05:00

Dirtcoaster from Bobby Henderson on Vimeo.

Evil Undead

2012-01-30T09:44:00.003-05:00

Here is the first preproduction sample. Lets pray that it holds up longer than the metal one.

James Doerfling is not a douchebag...

2012-01-17T12:03:00.002-05:00

But he is sponsored by Unit Clothing, it's an honest mistake. But he's a good guy. Massive drop at 3:29!

James Doerfling Gettin' It Done!

TRACTION & CHUFF

2012-01-11T03:09:00.003-05:00

Monger and I headed out with Sam from www.ChuffMD.com to take a rare chance in January to ride the big bikes. This is what we came up with.

Fairclough's new Volatge

2012-01-10T14:01:00.003-05:00

The twatterverse is alive with a pic of Brendan Fairclough's new Scott Voltage bike. New suspension and drivetrain for the lad on top of some new frames. Can't wait to see the DH bike.

The Miserable Champion

2012-01-10T13:55:00.002-05:00

Shaun Palmer Documentary

Chainsaw Productions - Palmer "The Miserable Champion" from Chainsaw Productions on Vimeo.

Get it lubed.

2012-01-09T09:31:00.000-05:00

GNARLUBE How To Lube Your Chain from GNARLUBE™ on Vimeo.

Ice Cube on the Eames

2012-01-04T11:12:00.000-05:00

Damn right it was a good day.

A little throttle

2012-01-03T11:23:00.002-05:00

Kraus Motors "Achuma"

2011-12-15T00:08:00.001-05:00

TLP Profile - Ryan Fudger from Ryan Scott on Vimeo.

2011-12-06T14:56:00.001-05:00

I don't think a whole lot needs to be said about this.

2011-10-24T16:38:00.000-04:00

From the Inside Out Trailer from SecondBase Films on Vimeo.

Can you spot the problem?

2011-10-21T10:34:00.000-04:00

2011-09-26T01:40:00.003-04:00

LOTEK/GARRETT REEVES from Lotek on Vimeo.

Garrett Reeves. Baltimore. Think about this.

Throttle...

2011-09-14T16:25:00.000-04:00

Like Whoa!

2011-09-13T09:27:00.000-04:00

-11.699

2011-09-05T22:53:00.003-04:00

Pinned.

Pedal Driven

2011-08-03T08:27:00.002-04:00

If your in VA in two weeks stop by and take a gander. It may change your perspective on your trails.

Pedal-Driven: The Official Trailer from Howell at the Moon Productions on Vimeo.

Pedal-Driven Trailers

"Just straight huckin"

2011-07-30T14:56:00.002-04:00

B.J.'s new ride.

Shop Class as Soul Craft

2011-07-30T14:53:00.002-04:00

This is a great book. He really underlines the value of manual labor for the many people who have misplaced its importance. Check it out.

BOOOOST

2011-07-30T08:13:00.002-04:00

2001 Worlds - Greg Minnaar boost king

Yeti SB-66 Whistler Setup

2011-07-22T17:37:00.002-04:00

East coaster John Pentecost nabbed a job at Yeti when RaceFace went belly up. The boys at Sicklines spotted him and his new rig at Whistler. The new Yeti SB-66 with a coil shock. Nice bike and a predictable chain-guide from John. I want to ride this bike NOW!

MotoGP 1000 frames per second

2011-07-22T15:38:00.001-04:00

Casey Stone on a very small patch of rubber.

Norco's Aurum DH

2011-07-21T09:09:00.003-04:00

The word is Latin for Gold.

I have to be honest I have never been a big fan of the Norco full suspension bikes. Especially the Italian inspired noodle bike from a year or so ago. The company went back to the drawing board and over some extensive time prototyping and testing have come up with what appears to be one of the more aesthetically pleasing bikes we have seen this year. The fluid and sometimes narrow diameter tubing gives a "light" look to the bike. Details such as the shock mounting hardware, headtube and hidden seatpost clamp are all signifiers of the attention to detail that the designers took. An ingenious little solution at the der. hanger is pretty ingenious. They have adopted the Syntace X-12 system for the rear axle and hanger mount area. The hanger mount is designed around a typical chainring bolt that is designed to fail in a crash or rock altercation. They have also provided an extra bolt for the system near the downtube/bottom bracket junction on the frame. Nifty. Prices will be between $3400 to $7350. Which is no cheap investment but what is?

The name is growing on me. To say they struck gold may be incorrect it appears that they have engineered gold. So maybe Alchemy is more fitting?

More images and words at Bike Mag.

No axle pedals? I'm not buying it.

2011-07-20T18:04:00.003-04:00

They finally solved that problem I wasn't having! Call me old fashion but I happen to like axles. Seriously I will not buy these.
Hey Tioga if you read this, prove me wrong send us a pair and will put Monger on them.

Commencal no longer carried by BTI

2011-07-19T22:14:00.005-04:00

And then we had nothing.

Commencal will no longer be distributed within the U.S. by BTI.
They claim that another form of distribution will pickup but the specifics are blurry.
The marketing of the products in the states was less than expected and with ridership in the states at an all time high, this is not good timing.

A few shops just opened accounts and even purchased minimums to become stocking dealers only to find out that they would no longer have access to the line.

Canadian distributors will try to assist with small parts but as most of us know that can be an extreme hassle when it comes to import taxes and shipping costs.

We hope Commencal finds another home here in the states quickly. Wih the release of the new downhill frame, the very new all mountain Meta frame and the success of the Athertons it seems as if this a crucial time to be part of the U.S. sales market.

Just look at as another product that BTI will be out of stock on.

Crabapple hits with Fairclough, Hart and Riffle

2011-07-19T14:24:00.003-04:00

That video we were referring to down below.

Some stuff thats been happening.

2011-07-19T14:09:00.004-04:00

1. The jumps on Crabapple Hits have gotten just a bit bigger. (Fairclough showing us how its done)
2. Ropelato won the Crankworx Dual Slalom and Steve Smith won the Canadian Open. (See vid below)
3. You can watch all the latest action on Freecaster (Tonight is the Garbanzo DH)
4. Specialized has released their new colorways for the Demo, framesets come with CCDB (One includes a TLD version which we personally like)
5. Specialized also has released the new Dissident helmet (More pictures here)
6. BTI will no longer carry Commencal moving forward, get them while you can. Go ask the Canucks for one.
7. Love em or hate em, prolly the latter. Brosnan is fast.
8. Gracia killed his ACL at the French Championships and likes floral undies (Image of leg and undies here)

CrankWorx Canadian Open DH 2011

2011-07-19T09:18:00.003-04:00

Best footage I can find so far. Brosnan looks as if he gaps Heckler's Rock. The booter up to the whoops is big and fun looking.

Good Lord!

2011-07-18T10:32:00.001-04:00

I miss it already.

2011-07-13T16:31:00.001-04:00

Like we said...

2011-06-30T17:04:00.000-04:00

Thanks DirtMag.

New Commencal Meta AM

2011-06-30T14:39:00.007-04:00

Since the big T doesn't want us to have any fun we will switch gears to Commencal who have just released their new Meta AM bike. (Watch the video)

COMMENCAL META AM from COMMENCALbicycles on Vimeo.

Super Slo-Mo

2011-06-30T11:25:00.001-04:00

Claymore Clallenge - Phantom Flex High Speed Camera - Highland Mtn from Tom Guilmette on Vimeo.

It is about time.

2011-06-29T23:14:00.004-04:00

In order to keep my promise to a friend we have been sitting on this info since Interbike. We are incredibly excited and cannot wait to get our hands on it. We will see on June 30th.

Teaser Video

COMMENCAL All Mountain from COMMENCALbicycles on Vimeo.

Step 2 (Real world test)

2011-06-24T09:09:00.006-04:00

Watch the video in the post below before proceeding.
Now that you know how you work, imagine the bells and whistles going off in the southern region when your eyes view an image such as this:

Now this:

Two completely separate images of different sports yet they both trigger the same bells and whistles in the southern region.
If that is correct, you my friend suffer from a lifelong condition.

Step 1 (How you work)

2011-06-24T09:08:00.002-04:00

Watch carefully and gain wisdom then move on to Step 2 above.

Der Mensch als Industriepalast [Man as Industrial Palace] from Henning Lederer on Vimeo.

Watch out!

2011-06-15T11:32:00.001-04:00

3-Way Street from ronconcocacola on Vimeo.

Salty just got sweet

2011-06-15T09:23:00.004-04:00

Fakis, a great friend and instigator of salty behavior, just recently had his wallet birth him a healthy new frame. The young frame is the new 2011 Commencal Supreme DH. Its his first, and as any newly crowned parent/owner of a downhill frame he is going through great pains to ensure that only the finest of products are fastened to his new fresh progeny. He will be updating images of the process and we will be sharing them with you here.

For a guy who could toss a Session 88 down the side of a mountain in a curse filled tirade, I doubted this day would come. Congratulations Fakis, you have a beautiful son.

More images here at Spoke Apparel.

It's been a while.

2011-06-07T16:20:00.000-04:00

But it doesn't get old.

3 Minute Gaps Official Trailer

2011-05-02T16:24:00.006-04:00

Here is the Official "3 Minute Gaps" Trailer from Clay Porter and John Lawlor.

Stars and Stripes

2011-04-24T10:35:00.006-04:00

Aaron Gwin wins the first stop of the UCI World Cup series in Pietermartizburg, South Africa.
Shaun Palmer was the last American to win a World Cup back in 1999 at Big Bear. Crack a Bud heavy and celebrate!

History maker. Thanks PB for the pic.

1 GWIN Aaron USA19871224 TREK WORLD RACING 4:08.634
2 MINNAAR Greg RSA19811113 SANTA CRUZ SYNDICATE +-1:31.553
3 ATHERTON Gee GBR19850226 COMMENCAL +-1:33.233
4 BAREL Fabien FRA19800726 MONDRAKER FACTORY TEAM +-1:35.558
5 PEAT Steve GBR19740617 SANTA CRUZ SYNDICATE +-1:38.121
6 SMITH Steve CAN19891125 DEVINCI GLOBAL RACING +-1:38.246
7 BEAUMONT Marc GBR19840925 GT +-1:38.549
8 HILL Samuel AUS19850721 MONSTER/SPECIALIZED +-1:38.711
9 BEER Nick SUI19870917 SCOTT 11 +-1:39.277
10 BRYCELAND Josh GBR19900323 SANTA CRUZ SYNDICATE +-1:39.593

CG's V10

2011-04-23T11:27:00.002-04:00

Cedric's ride in Pietermaritzburg, S.A.
Dropper post, air shock and skin walls... love it.

Sea Otter Bar Turns and Kickouts

2011-04-22T17:35:00.003-04:00

Note the hydroformed (gussety) downtube.

Danny Hart pre-photog. incident.

Andrew Cavaletto.

Prettiest American.

Actual Prettiest American.

Post Office Jammed

2011-04-22T17:31:00.002-04:00

dusty bermshotted

Pro GRT cheer section

2011-04-18T08:43:00.001-04:00

The hippies in the PNW really know how to liven up a DH race.

New pocket burning product from the Otter.

2011-04-16T13:26:00.005-04:00

Ricardo here reporting from the Wet Beaver (Sea Otter) race. Just got in yesterday and the weather was a warm welcome. The DH course is looking fast and is very dusty. The pits are full of new products from some of our favorite brands at TractionMag. Just when you thought they had built everything for you to spend your money on, they build some more.

Fox has a new lineup with forks sporting a new naming system (Evolution-Performance-Factory) that will help identify the forks. Entry level forks will be known as "Evolution" (Not a fully formed product, primordial goo), "Performance" (Because thats the shop you will think of when you see these suckers on OEM rides) and "Factory" (which is the best so don't even think about buying the other two.

Rear shocks with Kashima Coated shafts and new SKF Seals. This will include the DHX.

A super slick tapered titanium steerer/crown on a newly badged 32, this must be Factory, not Evolution.

SRAM, who is a sponsoring partner of the Otter also had some newly polished XO parts to show and a chainguide built in collaboration with MRP.

e.thirteen and Hive were showing off some new hubs rocking the E.13 name but some Hive carbon tech. Chris stated that they will be showing off complete wheelsets when Eurobike comes around. The new LG-1TR chainguide looks tizzight. It does away with the bash, dropping weight as well as a bit of protection. All good stuff.

Editors note: Thanks for the updates Ricardo.

Mountain Syckle

2011-04-15T08:09:00.002-04:00

Mountain Cycle is the "Bullet Tooth Tony" of the bike industry. No matter how many rounds you pump into his body he keeps coming back. Oh and fellas... primary colors on a frame is like eye rape. Please stop. More here.

It was terrible then...

2011-04-15T07:57:00.002-04:00

So it must be terrible now.

Ellsworth introduces the same bike over and over again. Employee of the year who is holding the mic definitely came from the insurance industry.

As one savvy reader stated: "Yesterday" is a good name for that bike.

Disclaimer: I feel dirty posting this video.

Style for miles

2011-04-14T15:09:00.002-04:00

Stellar imagery from PB with the Giant boys tearing up the Sea Beaver course. Check It

New Crank Bros.

2011-04-11T16:05:00.002-04:00

I'm 50/50 on the 50/50.

I'm 100% on the new Mallet though.

World Cup Compilation

2011-04-11T16:04:00.000-04:00

Mud, roots, whips and some rocks.

Downhill Mountainbiking from mtb-blog.nl on Vimeo.

Keronite Boxxer for 2011

2011-04-07T13:38:00.003-04:00

Rock Shox have just outed the latest addition to the BoXXer line up. For 2011 they will be offering a Keronite version BoXXer, Keronite is a plasma electrolytic oxidation process which changes the surface of metals such as aluminum and magnesium. The lowers of the fork will be treated with this process ensuring increased durability and wear. This will also offer a more consistent weight in forks. Powder coating and other finishing methods can make weights move around around a bit. The stuff is apparently the secret sauce of the aerospace industry. The new greyish look will appeal to many and the improvements that were made to the control knobs will have riders smiling.

Evil Aluminum is dead but Evil Carbon is...Undead?

2011-04-07T09:35:00.004-04:00

ALIVE!

Price will be similar to the metal Revolt. Weight will be... who fucking cares it will be lighter and stronger.
For all you goons who broke the aluminum ones and have been waiting for a warranty replacement, this is it.
Lets see this thing in production.

V-10 may have some sexy competition.

Test

2011-04-03T15:29:00.001-04:00

Testing iPad blogger

Incredible.

2011-03-25T18:16:00.001-04:00

COD CREW & WU TANG NINTENDO VIDEO from WEN1COD on Vimeo.

3 pics

2011-03-21T11:14:00.003-04:00

Control. Loose. Control.

Down for the count!

2011-03-17T14:41:00.000-04:00

Glad to know our boy is ok.

2011 Trek Team Bikes TWR

2011-03-16T13:13:00.001-04:00

Trek World Racing 2011 Teaser

Black Cat

2011-03-16T11:03:00.001-04:00

Rising Sun

2011-03-13T10:41:00.000-04:00

Plate tectonics are a bitch!

2011-03-11T16:37:00.003-05:00

We hope our friends at Chirosangaku and all their families are doing well after the devastating earthquake that hit Japan.

Half of a half shell?

2011-03-09T09:54:00.002-05:00

Giro's creepy uncle lives in an old cabin named "The Dome." He widdled this little thing together to protect baseball pitchers from getting their shit cracked open. "Hello Baseball I would like you to meet my buddy MTB."

DS, that pic is pure gold.

Aaron Draplin Interview part:1

2011-03-08T10:35:00.000-05:00

Learn something.

Aaron Draplin: Part One from YoBeat Magazine on Vimeo.

3 Minute Gaps

2011-03-07T11:48:00.004-05:00

Clay Porter and John Lawlor's new film. Check out the Fairclough teaser, "Stylie McMasters"

Check out Matti Lehikoinen's teaser as well as Ben Reid's.

Deal of the day?

2011-03-01T15:51:00.002-05:00

Go get it!

Can't stop won't stop?

2011-03-01T12:36:00.003-05:00

Not only is Dirt Mag a friendly bathroom companion they are also funding these goons into spitting out superbly edited footage in a timely manner during the race season. What do they do with all the footage that can't be crammed into a 5 minute video summary of a weekend?
Answer:

The Parkin Bros. continue to pump out these installments. Gotta love badass race footage in HD for free! Check out the latest segment (part 6) for some Champery and Morzine excitement.

Finally 2 part 1
Finally 2 part 2
Finally 2 part 3
Finally 2 part 4
Finally 2 part 5
Finally 2 part 6

Bishop wins Best Steel Bike!

2011-02-28T09:47:00.005-05:00

Chris won the 2011 NAHBS's Best Steel Bike award this past weekend in Austin.

Here is what Chris had to say:
My Columbus MS track bike won Best Steel Bike at the 2011 NAHBS! I am really excited and had a great time at NAHBS this year. I met so many great people and meeting and hanging out with these people is always the best part of bike shows. Dan Artley’s bike and the Brett Horton town bike were also the favorite of many who came by to see the bikes. The Horton bike’s female counterpart, Shelly Horton’s bike by Bilenky Cycle Works, was also a hit and won best lugged bike at the show. Dinucci deservedly won Best in Show with his town bike. I am a big fan. I will be posting some pictures to flickr soon of the MS bike, Dan’s Rando, and the Horton Town bike all built up. More soon!

Links:
His bikes.
His site.

Sic details...

2011-02-25T09:38:00.002-05:00

Marty at GeekHouse is getting his bikes ready for the North American Handmade Bike Show that wil be taking place in Austin this year. Eye candy.

Snap and flash

2011-02-24T12:20:00.002-05:00

2 great pics from a great photographer, Scott Pommier.

Stop jockin...

2011-02-24T10:37:00.006-05:00

I have known both Montagne & Bishop for a long time. I know them well enough that when these two forces collide a lot of perfection, time and money will be spilled. This is the fruit of their first creative collaboration.
An all stainless ride with polished lugs and polished logos, carbon rims and bar and other high-end goodness.

360 degree video...

2011-02-21T15:51:00.002-05:00

Just click and drag. Imagine mountain biking shot this way. RedBull Rampage?

"The Art of Flight"

2011-02-17T13:49:00.000-05:00

Stem babies

2011-02-15T16:42:00.004-05:00

Was talking to my good friend Chris on Sunday. He was sputtering some crazy story of a stem he was making for a customer. about a 1000 hours later this is what you get.

From Chris: "I was going to do a fillet stem originally then Brett sent me a pic of a Rene Herse stem and asked if I could do one like it. I have had a block of 6061 around that I was planning on using for a stem some day. Well It is a LOT more work than I ever thought. Especially on my little Linely Jig mill. Making this stem reminded me of a three pitch rock climbing trip I took with a friend to Seneca rocks. The farther you went up the higher the stakes were and the more careful you had to be. By day four of the machining I knew one wrong move would set me back that much further. I had another stem ahead of it that I would use to test each set up with, but early on I messed up the drop angle, so it was like a track stem. After the machining I hand filed all the edges to give it a more organic handmade feel, which definitely transformed it from the downhill stem it was looking like during the machining process."

2 nice things.

2011-02-10T15:15:00.001-05:00

Salvagetti

2011-02-09T15:54:00.001-05:00

A nice shop in Denver, with an impeccable collection of suspension forks.

Gear down clown...

2011-02-09T11:25:00.000-05:00

Have a seat, dick.

2011-02-04T09:43:00.001-05:00

Something for the 29er crowd.

Might as well be this one.

2011-01-26T10:59:00.002-05:00

If you have to ride one of those silly bikes, might as well be this one.

The DH 29er is still fucking ridiculous.

"Lance Armstrong is a crackhead."

2011-01-24T11:23:00.000-05:00

Yes!

"Finally 2" part 1... So good.

2011-01-21T17:49:00.003-05:00

Presented by Dirt TV and the Parkin Bros.

More Mountain Biking Videos
Click the HD button and watch it full screen, its only fair.

Safety First

2011-01-20T15:14:00.000-05:00

"Death is stronger than pride."

Drinking the Kool-Aid...

2011-01-20T14:51:00.003-05:00

Twitter feed from new TractionMag contributor:
HansNoWayRey: My new GT Sensor 9er just took it 4 a ride

SpokeApparel: Uh-uh. We cant loose the great Hans Rey to 29" silliness.
HansNoWayRey: no worries
SpokeApparel: Nice. RT

Tim Lake 2010 Show Reel

2011-01-18T22:26:00.002-05:00

This guy knows where to stand with a camera at a race.

More Mountain Biking Videos
The last time I saw a Kona hold a turn like that there was a frenchman at the helm.

Vital visits Giro

2011-01-14T09:47:00.002-05:00

Special appearance by Smith as he explains the complicated formula used to create color choice.

Introducing the Giro Xar Trail Helmet - More Mountain Bike Videos

Get back to work D. Smith.

Draplin and Crew

2011-01-13T12:19:00.000-05:00

Longest Yard Sale

World's Longest Yard Sale - Part One from Jess Gibson on Vimeo.

Bar Drag Bounty

2011-01-13T10:25:00.003-05:00

Be sure to visit Vital's site and place your vote for the best bar dragging video.

We suggest casting a vote for T-Mag contributor: Dusty Bermshot's Lunch Break Left Hander

Comments are open and I guess welcome...

2011-01-12T15:45:00.003-05:00

Spit fire till your hearts content.

It only seems right...

2011-01-12T11:39:00.000-05:00

You should do this...

On this...

It only seems right...

2011-01-12T11:35:00.002-05:00

You should do this...

On this...

Andrew Neethling moves to Giant

2011-01-12T11:30:00.004-05:00

Andrew is one of our offices favorite riders and now it looks as if Needles has inked a deal with Giant. He will be joining Danny Hart and the illustrated man (Duncan Riffle).
Maybe with some proper coaching from Needles the D-Riff can start getting a bit faster. Ha... lightning bolts!

I wanna see it.

2011-01-07T10:55:00.001-05:00

The Parkin Bros. grace us with a trailer.

More Mountain Biking Videos

Logan Mulally gets bitten by Sinyard...

2010-12-30T09:23:00.003-05:00

Specialized/GROM, a gravity racing junior development team, signed East Coast talent Logan Mulally for the 2011 season. Logan, a regular top performer at regional gravity events, is the younger brother of Neko, who earned a silver medal at the 2010 Junior World Championships.

"Logan had many options for 2011. Choosing our program not only pushes us forward towards our goal of preparing young American riders for international competition, but takes Logan to the next level as well," said Christopher Herndon, Team Director.

"I've had a long relationship with the Mulally family and have seen Logan develop since he was 10 years old racing at Snowshoe, West Virginia. Having the opportunity to introduce and prepare him for World Cup competition is very inspiring. He has an incredible natural talent and we want to compliment that talent with a solid program designed to prepare him both mentally and physically."

"We have some incredible young riders in our program and Logan exemplifies what we're looking for in those riders. He has a lot of experience for such a young athlete and we know the rest of our riders will benefit from having him on the team."

"I've known Chris for as long as I've been racing mountain bikes," said Mulally. "When it came time for me to make a decision for 2011, I was offered several generous opportunities to choose from. For me, it all came down to the hands-on approach I knew I would get from the Specialized/GROM racing program... . I am ready for a great season in 2011."

For the rest of the winter, Logan will continue to train with brother Neko, while he prepares for his first major race of the 2011 season at the Port Angeles US Pro GRT.

NYC's campaign

2010-12-27T14:37:00.000-05:00

We have deemed the whole thing useless.

2010-12-22T12:53:00.003-05:00

So here is our solution. A 3D Rendering of Corsair's 888 fork crowns. Coming soon?

Tis the season...

2010-12-14T10:35:00.000-05:00

Remember the 90's?

2010-12-06T09:03:00.000-05:00

Bicycle Girl Fight

2010-11-29T09:40:00.001-05:00

She peels out!? How do you say: "Send me an angel" in Chinese?

Courtesy of Harry Heath

Ben Reid's Prototype Norco DH

2010-11-28T17:30:00.003-05:00

I like the look of this new design but I have to say that I can't help feeling that DH bikes are soon going to all look the same. Again.

More info here: DIRT

Needed: "1 Giraffe with bolt cutters"

2010-11-27T10:18:00.002-05:00

And if you lose the remote?