Posted by Seb on Sunday, August 29th, 2010
Best trail and best trail name. Five minutes from my house but always in the back of my mind.
So even though Crankworx is all wrapped up for another year and everyone has moved on to new pastures, I’ve just been reunited with my camera which contained my poor attempt at going behind the scenes of the world’s biggest MTB show.
This first photo is of the first trail I showed some of my house guests during a one-hour pre-work power ride. It sort of set the tone for the week. Here’s some more halfwit’s attempt at wit. READ MORE
Posted by Seb on Monday, August 16th, 2010
Enduro EVOlution, FOX DHX RC2 coil shock, Fox 36 170mm fork, and chain guide.
This year Specialized has introduced a strain of highly evolved bikes into its expert range of bikes. The Epic, Stumpjumper HT, the Stumpjumper FSR, and the Enduro all get the EVO tune which are designed to serve the evolving needs of certain riders. There are limited numbers of these bikes being produced but what it means is that Specialized can cater to sub species or niche markets of MTBers who want slightly more aggressive or faster builds. Some models lean towards more aggressive styles of riding (EVO), with wider bars, slacker angles, lower standover, more travel, meatier tyres etc, while other models (EVO R) are XC race-leaning thoroughbreds with ultra lightweight and efficient specs. Yes, that paragraph sounds like the press spiel I was fed last week, but honestly these bikes are very very exciting offerings because they are bikes that relate to me, you and the average Joe. Who has an above average income of course. READ MORE
Posted by Seb on Sunday, August 15th, 2010
Just got in from watching the Crankworx Slopestyle finals where KELLY MCGARRY finished FIFTH PLACE! This is a well deserved accomplishment for Kelly, who has been chipping away at the big contest for years now. He stacked his run with lots of flips and twists. His run went like this: 3 drop, flip up then 3 off the Kokanee trailer, alley oop table the quarter bank, then something up the pink elephant to 3 off, massive flip no hander the super mega big booter jump (that only four guys even hit), tweaker up the Monster drop to super drop off, then something off the moustache, to tyre grab up the SRAM levitator berm, to X-up off, to huge flip table into the throng of adoring lady fans. READ MORE
Posted by Seb on Friday, August 13th, 2010
Bumping up the travel, the SX Trail now replaces the void left after the Demo 7 gets 86'd.
A day late, but here’s the lowdown on more of the gravity bikes in the 2011 Specialized range. I didn’t get to ride these ones as I was having too much time doing a bad impression of Brendan Fairclough aboard the Demo on Crank It Up for two days straight. My bad. Talking of which, where are the GT bikes release photos Caleb? Come on, you know we are all dying to see them.
I’m sure Caleb is very busy tanning himself raw with a bottle of the finest olive oil on some Italian nudist beach. Watch out Wellington, the seven foot tall slice of streaky bacon is on its way. READ MORE
Posted by Seb on Wednesday, August 11th, 2010
With Caleb sipping wine and eating olives in Italy to help digest the GT bikes launch, it was left to North America Spoke correspondent, Seb Kemp, to smash out some lairy wet laps in the Whistler Bike Park aboard the 2011 Specialized big bike range. READ MORE
Posted by Seb on Monday, August 2nd, 2010
How big? The only thing bigger than his hair is his air. Karl, Frew Jam 09. Picture: Greig Howell.
Karl Bensemann, unquestionably one of the most shreddiest Kiwi riders, has taken a big step and taken over the distribution of Black Market bikes and components in Australia. His company is called Private Distribution. Go check out the webber HERE. The reverberations of the BLKMRKT/S&M split some time ago may or may not have resulted in Elite Cycles dropping Black Market so the poor old Aussies were left with no one to get their beloved parts from. In steps long time rider of Black Market products, Mr Bensemann. READ MORE
Posted by Seb on Saturday, July 17th, 2010
Chris Clarke tore around the hot dusty hellavator ride of Pemby to take the stage win on the final day. Photo: Matthew Mallory/ Cycle Component Network
Day Four, the final day. Ever since the courses and format was announced it was Day Four that was on everyone’s lips. For one it was to be held not in Whistler but in Pemberton, the spiritual home of steep and deep biking, big climbs and descents that take man balls. Another thing, it was called the Lady Macbeth “Pemberton Tragedy” which is a pretty ominous name if ever I’ve heard one. READ MORE
Posted by Seb on Friday, July 16th, 2010
Joel Robinson goes 'stashe first down PHD. Photo: Matt Mallory/ Cycle Component Network.
After last year, Race Dictator Drill Sergeant Tony Horn must have sat down and wondered why there weren’t more dead bodies lying around on the side of the course. In an attempt to remedy this he squeezed a whole extra stage into the four days which makes it a five stage race in four days. You beauty. READ MORE
Posted by Seb on Thursday, July 15th, 2010
Seb the Skid struggling to find traction in the air and in his race face. Yep, that's Garbo. Yep, that's a 29er. And yep, next time I'll take it more serious I promise... Photo: Matthew Mallory/Cycle Component Network.
Day two was a short day, only about a quarter of an hour, but don’t discredit day two because of this short time. Today started at 5500 feet up in the mountains and descended over 3000 feet back to Whistler village going through the rooty, rocky, holey hell of the Bike Park. READ MORE
Posted by Seb on Wednesday, July 14th, 2010
Kiwi Chris Johnston sprints for the line after washing out on the last corner. Still smiling. Photo: Matthew Mallory/CCN
THE QUEEN OF CLUBS: THE FREDDIE MERCURY MEMORIAL TIME TRIAL
Last weekend whilst a bunch of smelly Euros, loutish Brits, and a few brain dead downhillers were sliding down a glacier in France, and the whole of the North American MTB industry relocated to a tiny mountain town in the Sierras, another far more local event was taking place. Whilst most of mountain biking’s eyes were on the Mega and Downieville to see who would be crowned the best mountain biker, the real test was taking place in that tiny and not so famous British Columbian mountain town, Whistler. READ MORE
