Lance Armstrong to be a papa again, girlfriend expecting baby

from bicycle.net

LOS ANGELES, Dec 23, 2008 (AFP) -

Embattled cycling star Lance Armstrong finally has some good news in his life as the seven time Tour de France winner is expecting a baby with his girlfriend, CNN reported on Tuesday.

Cancer survivor Armstrong and Anna Hansen are expecting in June, the American broadcaster reported. It would be the fourth child for Armstrong.

“Anna and I are thrilled to confirm that we are expecting in June and our families are ecstatic and grateful,” Armstrong said. “We are very much looking forward to what 2009 brings on many fronts. We appreciate respecting our privacy, as we are both eager to celebrate the holidays as a family.”

The 37-year-old American Armstrong has three children from his previous marriage with Kristin Richards.

After being diagnosed with testicular cancer in 1996, Armstrong underwent chemotherapy treatment as the cancer spread to other parts of his body.

The children with his ex-wife were conceived using sperm Armstrong stockpiled prior to his cancer treatment.

It was initially thought the chemotherapy would leave him unable to have further children.

This time the couple are expecting without the use of artificial fertilization, CNN said.

Armstrong retired in 2005 but announced in September he was going to make a comeback. In order to get ready for the 2009 Tour de France, he plans to race in the Giro d’Italia and Australia’s Tour Down Under.

News of his return has drawn mixed reviews in cycling circles.

Armstrong has been accused of doping practices on several occasions, most notably in an article in French sports newspaper L’Equipe in 2005, claiming six urine samples from his 1999 Tour victory contained the blood-boosting drug EPO.

Armstrong has always denied doping and the international cycling body cleared him in 2006.

Armstrong complained last week that he is being targeted by international drug testers before being ruled eligible to return to competition.

Armstrong claims to have been drug tested 11 times in the past 19 weeks and twice in the same week this month. The latest test was conducted by officials from the International Cycling Union on Thursday at his Texas home.

“UCI control. They flew a guy from Germany for it. That makes a ton of sense,” Armstrong wrote on Twitter, a social networking website.

Armstrong was placed under a six-month probation period by the United States Anti-doping Agency at the beginning of August.

Armstrong needs to pass USADA’s out-of-competition testing pool before his cycling comeback can become official.

File Photo: CorVos Pro

Memperbaiki Rem yang Bergesek

diterjemahkan dari artikel mbaction

Jaga suhu
Rem cakram merubah kecepatan dan energi sepeda menjadi panas. Ketika anda mengerem dengan kencang, akan dihasilkan sejumlah panas (di cakram, pad, kaliper dan bahkan di cairan rem). Jadi, sebelum menyentuh bagian mana saja dari sistem rem, pastikan mereka telah mendingin


Hilangkan lapisan: Bersihkan cakram rem dengan kain lembab yang dibasahi dengan alkohol isopropil. Lapisan ini dihilangkan untuk mencegah sisa-sisa minyak atau lemak yang terdapat di disc. Kurangi kemungkinan terluka dengan mencopot roda ketika membersihkan.

Hidrolik dan Mekanik
Rem cakram terbagi dalam dua jenis: hidrolik dan mekanikal. Memencet lever rem sistem rem cakram hidrolik menekan piston yang akan menekan cairan yang mengalir di selang ke kaliper rem yang terpasang di batang sepeda anda atau di bagian fork. Begitu tekanan meningkat mencapai kaliper, dia akan menekan pad melawan cakram rem.
Rem cakram mekanikal melakukan hal yang sama, tetapi tidak menggunakan tekanan cairan yang menekan di dalam selang, sebuah kabel dari lever rem ke kaliper akan menggerakkan pad rem.


Permukaan yang bersih: Cari masalah yang terlihat sebelum anda mulai mencabut pad rem untuk menghilangkan bunyi. Yakinkan drop out bersih. Cari adanya cat yang terkelupas atau permukaan yang rusak yang dapat mengakibatkan roda tidak terpasang secara benar. Drop out di gambar ini tidak bermasalah.

Kemampuan pad
Kami sangat merekomendasikan agar di tool box anda tersimpan beberapa pad rem setiap waktu. Pad rem menjadi aus secara berbeda-beda bergantung dari material pembuatnya, kondisi ketika anda bersepeda dan cara anda mengerem. Beberapa rider bisa memakai sepasang pad selama setahun, tetapi rider yang lebih agresif yang bersepeda di kondisi yang lebih berat bisa saja menghabiskan pad rem dalam hitungan bulan. Untuk kedua kondisi diatas, ketika pad rem telah habis masa pakainya, hal itu akan terjadi dengan cepat. Mempunyai set cadangan di tool box merupakan perbedaan antara akan bersepeda besok atau menunggu sampai pesanan pad tiba. Pesan satu set sekarang.


Kencangkan: Tanda-tanda lain dari rem yang berbunyi barangkali pemasangan sekrup yang kendor. Kebanyakan disc brake membutuhkan kunci Torx T-25 untuk mengencangkan sekrup nya. Ide bagus untuk mencek sekrup ini walaupun ketika rem tidak ada masalah.

Pad rem untuk sistem mekanikal atau hidrolik tersedia dalam bermacam kompun. Secara umum bahan organik yang lebih lembut (atau resin) mempunyai kecenderungan suaranya tidak berisik ketika digunakan dan menawarkan lebih banyak modulasi. Barang ini yang paling cepat ausnya.
Pad metalik (atau semi metalik) lebih tahan lama, terutama dalam kondisi basah dan berlumpur. Mengombinasikan kedua jenis pad (satu metalik dan satu organik) dapat menjadi hal yang paling disukai tetapi membutuhkan perhatian lebih banyak (karena pad organik nya akan aus lebih cepat daripada pad metalik nya).


Renggangkan: Jika jarak pad terlalu sempit (A),


ambil obeng, hati-hati selipkan ke dalam dan putar pegangannya (B)


Jangan memaksa obeng, karena anda dapat merusak permukaan pad, mengurangi masa hidupnya. Setelah melakukan ini pad harus benar letaknya dan siap untuk menjepit cakram(C)

ROTOR PEMBUNUH
Rotor rem mengakibatkan lebih banyak kecelakaan pada mountain biker setiap tahunnya daripada drop mendadak di bagian Atas A-Line di Whistler Mountainbike Park. Jangan letakkan jari dekat-dekat rotor ketika sedang memutar roda. Bahkan ada mekanik profesional telah kehilangan ujung jarinya karena rotor rem yang berputar. Anda bisa mengalami luka bahkan ketika mengenakan sarung tangan. Jika anda lelah, bosan atau tidak konsentrasi, tunggu lain waktu untuk memperbaiki rem.


Bengkokan kembali: perhatikan ketika rotor berputar melalui kaliper. Jika rotor oleng, gunakan alat seperti Park Tools DT-2 Rotor Truing Fork untuk memperbaiki lengkungan. Cakram cukup fleksibel sehingga jangan melakukannya berlebihan. Sedikit tekanan sudah cukup.

Mulai dengan yang terlihat
Sebelum anda berkutat dengan mengganti pad rem, meluruskan cakram atau menumpuk ganjal, pastikan roda terpasang dengan benar di fork dan di batangnya. Cat yang terkelupas, lumpur atau per quick release yang bengkok dapat mengganggu kemampuan rem. Tarik keluar roda, cek dropout nya, ganti ban dan kencangkan quick release. Hal ini dapat memperbaiki sekitar 37 % dari semua masalah rem yang berbunyi.

INSPEKSI CAKRAM
1. Letakkan sepeda di bike stand sehingga kedua roda bisa berputar bebas
2. Putar ban dan dengarkan. Cakram seharusnya tidak menyentuh apapun ketika sedang berputar melalui kaliper rem
3. Jika cakram bergesek, periksa cakram adanya kotoran atau sisa-sisa dari pad rem. Gunakan alkohol isopropil atau cairan yang serupa untuk membersihkan permukaan cakram. Menggunakan cairan pembersih yang mengandung minyak atau meninggalkan sisa berminyak dapat mengkontaminasi pad rem dan mengganggu kemampuannya.
4. Perhatikan cakram yang sedang berputar. Cari adanya oleng ketika cakram berputar melalui kaliper.
5. Cek pemasangan sekrup cakram untuk meyakinkan cakram benar-benar terpasang dengan baik ke hub. Sistem yang paling umum adalah menggunakan 6 sekrup. Kebanyakan sekrup cakram menggunakan kepala Torx, soket kepala 12 poin dan dibutuhkan kunci Torx T-25 untuk mengencangkannya. Jika anda dapatkan ada yang kendor, kencangkan sesuai dengan spesifikasi pabrik (biasanya antara 40 – 60 inci-pound) Gunakan pengunci thread (Blue Loctite) pada threads. Beberapa cakram shimano menggunakan sistem pengunci tengah dengan lockring, serupa dengan lockring kaset. Cakram ini membutuhkan alat kaset untuk mengencangkannya.
6. Jika semuanya sudah kencang, periksa cakram apakah ada kerusakan atau cacat. Sebelum mengganti cakram yang bengkok, coba luruskan dengan alat seperti Park Tool Rotor Truing Fork. Perhatikan oleng di kaliper. Letakkan bagian panjang dari alat ini diatas cakram dan tarik atau tekan . Jangan terlalu bertenaga. Hanya sedikit tekanan yang dibutuhkan untuk meluruskan cakram. Kadang diperlukan untuk meluruskan cakram di bagian lengan cakram nya, yaitu ketika ada bengkokan yang panjang pada perimeter rotor. Gunakan bagian yang pendek dari alat itu. Dengan begini dimungkinkan alat ini untuk berada 90 o melawan arah cakram. Jika ada kerusakan parah pada cakram lebih baik diganti saja.


Ganti saja: ketika pad rem tebalnya kurang dari 3 mm (termasuk alasnya), sudah waktunya untuk mengganti dengan yang baru.

MASIH BUNYI?
Anda sudah mencek bahwa cakram bersih, lurus dan terpasang dengan baik, tapi masih ada bunyi mendecit ketika roda diputar. Waktunya untuk mencek pad rem

1. Cabut ban dan periksa pad rem adanya kotoran, kerusakan atau aus. Bandingkan dengan pad yang baru
2. Anda barangkali perlu untuk melepas pad rem untuk inspeksi yang lebih baik. Anda membutuhkan manual pemilik untuk secara benar mengeluarkan dan menggantinya. Aturannya adalah jika pad tebalnya kurang dari 3 mm termasuk alasnya, ganti saja.
3. Kami sudah pernah mengalami rem yang berbunyi karena kerusakan per pad (kandang kecil yang mengelilingi pad rem ketika mereka dijepit di kaliper rem), jadi jangan lupa untuk menceknya.


Ambil kartu saya:Pegang kartu nama pada kedua sisi cakram dan secara hati-hati putar kearah kaliper rem. Tekan rem beberapa kali. Keluarkan kartunya. Cara ini telah digunakan untuk menghilangkan bunyi berjuta-juta rem yang mendecit.

MENSET HIDROLIK
Rem hidrolik sistem terbuka bisa berubah sendiri jika aus. Kadang-kadang pad bergerak terlalu dekat ke cakram dan bergesekan. Beberapa kali kaliper perlu di reset karena seseorang memencet lever rem ketika roda sedang tidak dipasang. Ini yang harus dilakukan:
1. Jika pad masih dalam keadaan baik, secara hati-hati selipkan obeng yang bersih, datar dengan ujung yang agak tajam diantara pad. Gerakkan obeng melewati bagian tengah piston kaliper dan jauhkan pad dengan memutar pegangan obeng sampai kamu merubah piston kaliper melebih ketebalan cakram rem
2. Pasang kembali roda. Ambil dua kartu nama dan selipkan diantara pad rem dan di kedua sisi cakram
3. Pastikan sepeda anda tegak. Tekan lever rem sampai silinder utama memompa cukup cairan ke kaliper lalu kembalikan pad ke posisi mereka yang benar (lever akan terasa keras ketika kamu memencetnya)
4. Tarik keluar kartu namanya dan pompa lever rem perlahan beberapa kali. Jika menggunakan rem cakram mekanik, merubah tekanan kabel sama gunanya seperti apa yang dilakukan untuk rem hidrolik diatas.


Pemeriksaan Pad: Jika diperlukan tarik pad rem (ikuti manual pemilik anda) dan cari aus yang berlibihan atau tidak rata. Periksa kerusakan atau kontaminasi pada permukaan pad. Cek juga per laba-laba (mereka bisa menimbulkan bunyi-bunyian yang tidak diinginkan jika rusak atau aus)

BELUM SEMBUH JUGA
Bunyi gesek tetap ada?
Kaliper rem anda menggunakan ganjal atau bracket yang dengan sedikit pengesetan mengepas letaknya dengan cakram rem

1. Dengan roda terpasang di sepeda dan sepeda terpasang di standar, putar roda dan lihat dari atas posisi dimana cakram memasuki kaliper. Apakah kaliper terletak kira-kira ditengah-tengah cakram?
2. Jika tidak ditengah anda perlu untuk menambah atau menghilangkan ganjal atau mengendorkan pemasangan hardware kaliper untuk memposisikan kaliper dengan benar. Hal ini membutuhkan trial dan error dan kesabaran. Kadang-kadang anda dapat posisi kaliper yang sempurna, tetapi ketika mengencangkan sekrup posisinya berubah lagi. Sekali lagi, bersabarlah.
3. Jika anda menggunakan lebih dari dua atau tiga ganjal untuk memposisikan kaliper dengan benar, anda bisa saja salah memasang kaliper atau sekrup. Batang sepeda atau fork juga harus benar menghadap kemana hardware atau kaliper terpasang. Toko sepeda bisa menolong anda dalam hal ini.

Chinese bikers dominate Asian Mountain Bike Championship

Chinese players dominated the first day of 14th Asian Mountain Bike Championship winning both titles in Men's and Women's Elite Cross Country race at Chovar, Kathmandu.
A cyclist from Iran during the Cross Country – Elite Men Final of ' XIV Asian Mountain Bike Championship' at Chovar, Kathmandu, Saturday, Nov 08 08. nepalnews.com/NPA
A cyclist from Iran during the Cross Country – Elite Men Final of ' XIV Asian ...

Chinese rider Jiang Xue Li clocked 1 hour 34 min 24 sec to complete the 35.63 km long seven lap race. Japanese rider Kohei Yamamoto secured the second position clocking 1 hour 55 min 46 sec and Chun Hing Chan of Hong Kong finished the race in 1 hour 56 min 52 sec for third position.

Nepalese Padam Sabenhang, among four Nepalese bikers, was the only one to finish the race, with a time of 2 hours 10 min and 53 sec securing 17th position out of 30 bikers.

Ren Chengyuan of China won the ladies category with timing of hour 34 minutes 24 seconds for 25.45 km. Additionally, Chinese players came in second and third also. Nepalese Nirjala Tamrakar was forced to leave the track for her slow riding.

The Down-Hill category will be held on Sunday.

Meanwhile, the organizer has said that the top three riders from male and female categories would qualify for the 2012 Olympics.
news and pic from nepalnews

Updated: Mio Suemasa wins downhill women, we still search for the complete results

POLYGON BIKE DESIGN winners

The 1st Polygon International Bike Design Competition 2008 is aimed to encouraging innovative ideas from creative people and strengthening the awareness of public about the significance role of bike design for ecological vehicle.

The first winner for USD 5000 prize money is a kiddy bike called “Boo-boo” by Rian Satya Wijaya from Indonesia. Second winner for USD 3000 is a bike with special compartment titled “Workbox” by Bramono Sasongko and Kiki Bimasakti from Indonesia and the third winner for USD 1500 is a design work titled “Roadie” by Benny Tan, Lim Jian, and Frederick Phua, from Singapore. For full feport click here

Place where bicycle and love meet

Just bump to this site, cyclingsingles, is the perfect place to find your love, cyclist!

Bicycle, Tour de France, cycling - are these some of your favorite words? Do you love cycling? Looking for single cyclists?

If the answer to these questions is yes, then Cycling Singles is for you. This is a free dating site that brings bike lovers together. From road to mountain biking and from amateur to competitive cyclist - hit the road: register and create a profile now.

KL Urban Downhill Results

pic from theadventureofheeroyui


Click here for KL Downhill results. Nurwarsito 3rd and Rissa 1st for Men elite and Women categories. Congratulations! Still looking for the pics of this event. There are several Indonesian rider participate in this event.

Steve Peat and Cedric Garcia at KL

ROAM dines with Steve Peat and Cedric Garcia. We jealous!

UCI: No skinsuits for DH

pic from zimbio
Its official that skinsuits are banned for DH and 4X competition.
We still remember Tracy Moseley at Fort Bill and Australia, how her skinsuit made her a winner. And we actually agreed with Tracy, that most of the riders don't like wearing them, but that it is an advantage. This rule will lead into protesting, as stated in this article from transcendmagazine, majorly because this rule will cause higher cost for a national bicycle team.

UCI Bans Skinsuits for DH - Updated

AIGLE, Switzerland (transcendmagazine.com) -- UPDATE: This is no longer a rumour. The UCI has officially banned skinsuits for competition in DH and 4x. The official announcement will be made to all Trade Teams and the Media Monday.

No details have been released as to how this will be enforced, but we imagine it will be a similiar sort of ruling as they currently have in BMX competition. You must be able to pinch 3cm of material between your fingers without stretching on the forearm.

Editorial: Unfortunately the UCI has felt the need to over regulate the sport once again. This is a speed based sport. Riders race against the clock, they should be able to take every aero advantage they can get, no matter how silly some people feel it looks.

You can bet that national federations will be protesting this on the cost factor alone. Most federations do 1 uniform. It is worn by everyone from the Road and pursuit teams through XC and DH. Now they need to do at least a BMX jersey, as even a long sleeve XC jersey will not pass the test, and many countries require long sleeves for downhill competitions.

Canadian Brandon Semenuk wins Redbull Rampage

RESULTS (courtesy Redbull)

1. Brandon Semenuk
2. Kurt Sorge
3. Thomas Vanderham
4. Mike Kinrade
5. Cameron Zink
6. Mike Hopkins
7. Cedric Gracia
8. Graham Agassiz
9. Kyle Strait
10. Darren Berrecloth
11. Robbie Bourdon
12. Paul Basagoitia
13. Cam McCaul
14. Michal Marosi
15. Gee Atherton DNS (did not start)

Pics of Red Bull Rampage

Day One

pic from redbullrampage

pics from pinkbike

Sam Hill's Specialized Demo?

Demo at Specialized booth at Interbike that might be Sam Hill's new ride next year, according to bikeradar

Cool urban bikes at Interbike

Electra, long known for its beach cruisers and recently the Amsterdam line, have expanded into the delivery boy and iPod-listening market, with racks and storage galore. Not only can one choose from a range of retro commuter style bikes, one can also pick a colour to match your latest iPod player.
from bikeradar

Harley Sonic in coma

Updated news 10/17 - Harley Sonic awake and have to check his health regularly, according this thread in sepedaku

Jawa Barat MTB athlete Harley Sonic was reported in a coma because of brain tumor. We hope he can get over this and get well soon.

Cycling is officially chic

The bicycle has become the ultimate fashion accessory, but it was chic way before Agyness Dean started riding
by Rebecca Nicholson
guardian.co.uk,Thursday September 04 2008 00:01 BST

With the madness of Fashion Week nearly upon us, one sight is more certain than untouched food at a backstage buffet – Agyness Deyn will be tearing between shows, as usual, on her trusty bicycle. Her fondness of two wheels, documented by countless paparazzi pictures of her cruising through the New York streets, Strokes boyfriend in tow, set enough of a trend for Page Six magazine to declare it "a fashionable pursuit". Cycling's not only sustainable, cheap and healthy – it's officially chic.

pic from dailymail

Cycle commuting in London has increased by 91 per cent since 2000, and with that comes a natural evolution of style. Last year's limited edition Chanel bike may have been a ridiculous £6,000, and certainly ill-suited to London's cycle theft record, but Gucci soon followed with a limited Beijing-themed red model, embossed leather panniers included, which sold in China and Hong Kong for $3,400. Ludicrous, certainly, but also a sign of how fashion is starting to take cycling seriously. (Just ask Vivienne Westwood, a long-time devotee of pedal power.)

Chanel's limited edition bicycle, which sold for £6,000

But sales of "sit-up-and-beg" bikes were on the up long before Agyness took to her Electra Amsterdam. While they're easier on the eye than a clunky mountain bike, the explosion of Dutch or vintage style brands like Pashley, Velorbis and Grand 1888 allows cyclists to be more fashionable. They're slower machines good for leisurely rides – think riding home with flowers in your wicker basket, and you'll get an idea of the pace. You're far less likely to work up a sweat on a Pashley than you are on a zippy racer, which means you're far less inclined to reach for the dreaded Lycra.


This hatred of clichéd cyclewear unites bike-style bloggers across Europe and the US. They share a belief that the stereotype of an aggressive cyclist in Spandex shorts and wraparound shades does a great deal to harm the concept of cycling as simply a normal, everyday means of getting from one place to the next. "There are two major misconceptions," explains Caz Nicklin, founder of cyclechic.co.uk, an online store and blog for fashion-conscious women on bicycles. "One is that cycling is a geeky pursuit for which you have to be dressed from head to toe in Lycra. The other is that it's dangerous."

These concerns show that, despite recent growth, going anywhere by bike is still a novelty in Britain. A million Londoners may own bicycles, but only two per cent of journeys are made using them. We're still a long way behind the cycle-centric cultures of Amsterdam, Copenhagen, Berlin and even Paris, now, and it's in Europe that "cycle chic" really comes into its own.

The term was coined by blogger Mikael Colville-Andersen for his site, Copenhagen Cycle Chic, which collects and publishes his daily shots of the city's most stylish cyclists. He tells of girls in Louboutin heels who seem to stick with "beat-up old Raleigh granny bikes" and how the city's men are switching to "sit-up-and-begs" like the Velorbis Churchill, but really, he says, "We don't have cyclists in Copenhagen, we just have Copenhageners who get around on bikes."

Marc van Woudenberg, who runs the popular site Amsterdamize, supports the idea that fashionable cycling is about being able to wear your everyday clothes to do it. "It's not for the purpose of cycling, but for the purpose of dressing according to your personality and the occasion, be it work, school, a party, whatever," he says, adding, "Anything but Lycra."

And that's what the boom in "sit-up-and-beg" bikes like the Pashley Princess, the Electra Amsterdam and those beat-up old Raleigh granny bikes will continue to nurture – dressing as you would every day, in Louboutin heels if you like, enjoying your leisurely bike ride.

Schladming W C Results

Men 4X Final

SCHLADMING WORLD CUP DH RESULTS
1. Samuel Blenkinsop (NZl)...Yeti-Fox Shox...4.10.16
2. Samuel Hill (Aus)...Monster-Iron Horse...4.11.80
3. Gee Atherton (GBr)...Animal Commencal...4.12.36
4. Steve Peat (GBr)...Santa Cruz Syn...4.13.20
5. Greg Minnaar (RSA)...Santa Cruz Syn...4.17.56

WOMEN
1. Rachel Atherton (GBr)...Animal Commencal...4.47.21
2. Floriane Pugin (Fra)...Playbiker-Iron Horse...5.00.88
3. Sabrina Jonnier (Fra)...Maxxis...5.01.33
4. Tracy Moseley (GBr)...Kona...5.04.05
5. Emmeline Ragot (Fra)...Suspension Center...5.04.94


FINAL 2008 WORLD CUP DOWNHILL STANDINGS
1. Greg Minnaar (RSA)...Santa Cruz Syn...1354 points
2. Samuel Hill (Aus)...Monster-Iron Horse...1293
3. Gee Atherton (GBr)...Animal Commencal..1207
4. Steve Peat (GBr)...Santa Cruz Syn...1099
5. Samuel Blenkinsop (NZl)...Yeti-Fox Shox...794
6. Fabien Barel (Fra)...Subaru...717
7. Nathan Rennie (Aus)...Santa Cruz Syn...620
8. Justin Leov (NZl)...Yeti-Fox Shox...614
9. Chris Kovarik (Aus)...Chain Reaction-Intense...608
10.Julien Camellini (Fra)...Chain Reaction-Intense...505
from mbaction

pic from transcend

2008 Giant Glory DH

from mbaction

$4700

46 pounds

8.8-inch rear wheel travel
Full test: June 2008
Highlights: The Glory DH is a competition-specific, big-hit build, separating itself from Giant's more park-style performance-oriented bikes. The Glory DH is intended for racing. With nearly nine inches of rear wheel travel, the Glory's Maestro suspension is designed to be fully active over a variety of impacts while operating independent of pedaling and braking forces. The same suspension concept is on the Giant Trance (tested February 2008) and Reign trail bikes, and we've been very impressed with those two.

Best quote:

"There's one feature that's critical to a downhill bike: solid descending. With 17.5-inch chainstays, 8.8 inches of rear wheel travel, and a wheelbase of over 45 inches, stability in rough terrain was a constant aboard the Glory DH."

Bottom line: With the Giant Glory DH you get a World Cup proven downhill bike that's fantastic on technical terrain, pedals efficiently and is one of the best-handling all-around downhill bikes we've tested.

Not only is its performance reason enough for you to throw a leg over one, you get a durable, race-ready, high-end component package at a killer price. Giant offers the Glory in sizes extra-small to large, so finding a perfect f����it shouldn't be a problem. And, at over a $1000 less than many of its competitors, you'll be able to afford your bike park season pass, too.

Eurobike: Santa Cruz V 10

from bikeradar

Earlier this year Santa Cruz revealed an updated design to their popular Nomad frame, with revised links, shorter chainstays and a redesigned front triangle. This followed in the footsteps of the makeover given to the Blur LT cross country trail bike.

Santa Cruz have continued their overhaul programme with a new Jackal too, which boasts a Chub Hub rear hub and cleaner, less rounded look. Santa Cruz Syndicate riders Kirt Voreis and Jamie Goldman have been riding the new Jackals this season.

Santa Cruz’s V10 downhill machine – as used by Steve Peat and Team BikeRadar riders Neil Donoghue and Marc Beaumont – was on show with a fresh green colour.

Lance Armstrong: a Texas playboy ?

The New York Times written an entire article about Lance Armstrong's "playboy" status.

MOVING FAST Lance Armstrong, with Kate Hudson on the handlebars, and, from left, Tory Burch, Ashley Olsen and Sheryl Crow.

the Return of the Rampage : the Evolution

Yes, the rumors are true; Red Bull Rampage has returned, and it is bigger and badder than ever! Red Bull Rampage: The Evolution will take place from October 2-5, 2008, outside of Virgin, Utah on a brand-new piece of insane terrain. Stay tuned for more event information!

Freecaster TV: World Cup Austria Live Webcast

Dont forget to watch the World Cup 4x and DH live from Austria at Freecaster tv on 12 and 13 September.

Kuala Lumpur Downtown Downhill 2008

Kuala Lumpur will be the host of the Kuala Lumpur Downtown Downhill 2008 and will be held on 17-19 October 2008. They said three world cup pro riders will participate, who are they? More information click here

Canberra - DH Finals

Results of Canberra World Cup Downhill
RESULTS - MEN
1- Greg Minnaar 2:41.32
2- Nathan Rennie 2:46.02
3- Gee Atherton 2:47.00
4- Fabien Barel 2:47.64
5- Chris Kovarik 2:48.38
7- Steve Peat 2:48.78
11- Sam Hill 2:50.53

RESULTS - WOMEN
1 - Tracy Moseley 3:10.43
2- Rachel Atherton 3:14.51
3- Sabrina Jonnier 3:14.66
4- Fionn Griffiths 3:23.90
5- Emmeline Ragot 3:24.41

from transcend

Olympics: Chausson and Strombergs win BMX gold

Frenchwoman Anne-Caroline Chausson held her nerve in a dramatic, crash-marred final to win the Olympic Games' inaugural BMX gold here Friday.Her compatriot Laetitia le Corguille finished second to take the silver with Jill Kintner of the United States taking the bronze.

In the men's race Maris Strombergs of Latvia kept his nerve in the face of a two-pronged American challenge to win gold in a crash-marred final.The silver medal went to Mike Day of the United States and the bronze to his compatriot Donny Robinson.

Results
Women
1 Anne-Caroline Chausson (France) 0:35.976
2 Laetitia le Corguille (France) 0:38.042
3 Jill Kintner (USA) 0:38.674
4 Sarah Walker (New Zealand) 0:38.805
5 Gabriela Diaz (Argentina) 0:39.747

Men
1 Maris Strombergs (Latvia) 0:36.190
2 Mike Day (USA) 0:36.606
3 Donny Robinson (USA) 0:36.972
4 Andres Jimenez (Colombia) 0:39.137
5 Rob van den Wildenberg (Netherlands) 0:39.772

Complete story read bikeradar

Spitz and Absalon won the Olympic

Cycling at the Beijing Olympic Games concluded with the mountain bike cross-country on Saturday. Both the men's and women's races were held on the same day, after the women's race was postponed because of 'unsafe' conditions due to rain on Thursday. The new Olympic champions were the dominant riders in both races, leading from the first lap.

Sabine Spitz (Germany) took the women's title, while Julien Absalon (France) became the first man to successfully defend the Olympic mountain bike title. The weather was possibly the best seen thus far in Beijing for the Games, with blue skies, a slight breeze and temperatures in the low 30s (Celsius).

The ground was almost completely dried out from the soaking two days earlier, leaving a hard and fast track. The women did six laps and the men eight on the 4.5 kilometre course.

Spitz fulfilled her dream of an Olympic gold medal by dominating the field early on. Silver went to Polish rider Maja Wloszczowska and Irina Kalentyeva (Russia) scored the bronze medal. The best Chinese rider was Chengyuan Ren in fifth place, 2'29 back.

read complete story at cyclingnews

Kokanee Crankworx

pic by Carroux

Kokanee Crankworx — August 9 - 17, 2008

Whistler's premier mountain bike festival is set to return to Whistler August 9 to 17, 2008. Nine days of incredible, gravity-defying freeride competitions, pro riding demos, FREE music and entertainment.

Crankworx - Garbanzo Downhill

taken from transcend magazine

WHISTLER, Canada (transcendmagazine.com) -- Sunday brought more rain and clouds, cold temperatures and the infamous Monster Garbanzo Downhill to Whistler Mountain. Over 14 minutes long, the Garbanzo DH has been known to reduce professional racers to mush. When it gets wet and the thousands of roots and rocks that litter the upper portions of the track get tracked with mud, it only gets worse. Riders have to fight to stay upright, let alone put in a winning.

World Champion Gee Atherton (Animal Commencal - GBR) took home the win for the men with a time of 14:20.4.

Last year's winner, Sam Hill (Monster Energy/Iron Horse - AUS) attempted to defend his title, but luck would play no part in helping. Hill had a small excursion off course at the top of the run, and then dabbed while going over one of the small wooden structures on course, and somehow managed to lose his show in a hole. " I debated the consequences of going on without it, and thought better of it" explained Hill from his team truck. Hill would get second and Marc beaumont (Bike Radar Santa Cruz - GBR) took third.

For the women, it was Rachel Atherton (Animal Commencal - GBR) completing the Atherton Garbanzo sweep beating country women Fionn Griffiths (Norco - GBR) and rookie Canadian racer Denice Yusegi (Pinkbike). Rachel stopped the clock at 16:48.9.

Atherton talked to Crankworx media officials after her run. "This course is like three times as long as what I'm used to on the world cup. You really need to stay focused on such a long, hard course."




Downhill results
Pro Women
1 Rachel Atherton (GBr | Animal Commencal) 0:16:48.9
2 Fionn Griffiths (GBr | Norco World Team) 0:17:25.1
3 Danice Uyesugi (Can | Pinkbike.Com) 0:18:32.7
4 Rebecca McQueen (Can | Summity Gravity) 0:18:41.9
5 Helene Valerie Fruhwirth (Aus | Morewood,,Generali,) 0:19:02.1

Pro Men
1 Gee Atherton (GBr | Animal Commencal) 0:14:20.4
2 Sam Hill (Aus | Monster, Ironhorse) 0:14:37.8
3 Marc Beaumont (GBr | Team Bike Radar) 0:14:44.6
4 Dan Atherton (GBr | Animal Commencal) 0:14:50.0
5 Curtis Keene (USA | Specialized) 0:14:50.1

Miley on bike

pics from teenscoop

Young starlet Miley Cyrus spotted cruising wiht friends.

Watch the world cup live at Freecaster TV

Watch final Downhill and 4 cross of Mt St Anne world champ live in freecaster on Sunday July 27 at 2 PM CET

Merdeka Downhill Championship

There will be a Downhill Championship at Kudus, Central of Java in August 16-17, with MOR 29 and Djarum as the organizer and the main sponsor.Click here for further information.

Emas DH untuk Jatim dan Jabar

Jawapos
SAMARINDA - Jatim dan Jabar berbagi emas pada cabang balap sepeda nomor MTB downhill. Atlet Jatim Popo Ario Sejati meraih emas di kelompok pria. Sedangkan Risa Suseanty (Jabar) menjadi yang terbaik di kelompok wanita pada lomba di Bukit Air Putih, Samarinda, kemarin (15/7).

Sukses Popo itu menambah pundi-pundi emas tim balap sepeda Jatim. Saat ini, Jatim mengoleksi tiga emas dari lintasan balap sepeda. Target yang dipatok adalah enam emas. Meski demikian, pelatih downhill Jatim Sugeng Trihartono mengatakan puas dengan pencapaian atletnya. "Hasil ini membuktikan bahwa kami tidak lagi dipandang sebelah mata," katanya.

Hari ini, Jatim berpeluang menambah emas dari nomor cross country. Andalan Jatim Usman Ali bakal bersaing dengan lawan-lawan tangguh. Di antaranya, tiga atlet pelatnas asal Jabar. Yakni, Dadi Nurcahyadi, Bandi Sugito, dan Candra Rafsanjani. Pesaing lainnya adalah Sugianto Hoho Setiawan (Jateng).

Hoho bisa menjadi ancaman terbesar bagi Jatim. Maklum, atlet binaan PPLP Malang itu tidak pernah kehilangan emas sepanjang keikutsertaannya PON. "Meski usianya (Hoho. Red) sudah tidak lagi muda, kiprah, pengalaman, dan skill-nya masih menakutkan bagi-lawan-lawannya," terang Sugeng.

Hingga kemarin (15/7), Jogjakarta masih memimpin perolehan medali dari balap sepeda. Di cabang olahraga (cabor) tersebut, Jogjakarta mengoleksi lima emas, dua perak, dan tiga perunggu. Jabar berada di peringkat kedua dengan empat emas dan enam perunggu. Sedangkan Jatim menduduki posisi ketiga dengan tiga emas, delapan perak, dan dua perunggu. (vem/ca)


Results Downhill PON Kaltim
from mtbfreerideindonesia
Men DH
1. Popo Jawa-Timur 01:31.35
2. Agus Jawa-Barat 01:31.38
3. Purnomo Jawa-Timur 01:32.98

Women DH
1. Risa Jawa-Barat 02:01.97
2. Fitriyanti Jawa-Timur 02:03.07
3. Kusmawati Jawa-Timur 02:08.07

Psychosis Downhill Race - July 4th 2008

pic from tourismgolden





Psychosis. The 5.9 km stretch of track is quickly gaining a reputation as the steepest and gnarliest ride on the circuit. The trail has been described as mind-blowing, knuckle-whitening, ridiculously-steep, and insane.
This years race took place Saturday afternoon in Golden, Bc. Some of the world's best racers threw themselves off the launch pad and into the longest singletrack DH race in the world. Chris Kovarik took the win and set a new course record with a time of 12:35, 14 seconds faster than Sam Hill's record from last year.

Men
1 2 Kovarik, Chris Gold Coast Mtb Club 12:35.1
2 6 Quinn, Nick CC DH Team/Dakine/Oakley 12:43.6
3 3 Morland, Tyler SRAM, RockShox, Avid, TruVativ 12:46.5
4 1 Hill, Sam 12:48.2
5 159 Mitchell, Andrew Cove Factory Team/SRAM 12:51.0

Women
1 160 Bouchar, Claire 17:02.3
2 98 Warman, Sarin 19:34.4
3 72 Parsons, Bethany 19:53.0
4 76 Holden, Katie KatieHolden.com 20:15.6
5 71 Mancer Kari 21:08.2

The most popular fork

Our poll reveal that Rockshox is the most popular fork (40 %) followed by Marzocchi (18 %). Manitou, Fox and others share the same number (14 %). But since theres only 7 voters, our poll is far from reflecting anything…

Specialized 2009

By James Huang
BigHit

The revised linkage arrangement provides improvements in standover clearance, seatpost adjustability and shock bushing wear as on the new SX. Travel on the four-bar rear end has been brought down a bit from 208mm (8.2”) to 191mm (7.5”) but the front end beefs up with a tapered-and-oversized head tube to accommodate the new crop of burly single-crown forks. As on the SX, the BigHit will also include DMD and ICSG mounts as well as fixed geometry.

SX Trail

The new SX receives a tapered-and-oversized 1 1/8”-to-1 1/2” front end and a clever shock mounting arrangement that eliminates wear at the rearmost DU shock bushing. Specialized fits the bottom bracket area with both a DMD front derailleur mount [mounts directly to the swingarm] and standard ISCG tabs to accommodate a wide variety of setups and, as usual, tosses in a healthy dose of cold forgings throughout for durability.

FSR XC

The all new M4 alloy frame and rear wheel travel to 120mm moving it more into the trail bike category than last year’s 100mm-travel model. The rocker link-style arrangement bears strong resemblance to the premium Stumpjumper frame and provides the same benefits: more standover clearance, greatly increased seatpost height adjustment range and a lower centre of gravity for better handling. Riders living in muddier climes should also note that the rear shock is now shielded from debris kicked off of the rear wheel by a double-bent full-length seat tube.

complete article click bikeradar

Guci's 8808 bike

Gucci launch the 8-8-08 Limited Edition for the commencement of the 2008 Olympic games in Beijing. The line features eight accessories, each cast in bold red and bearing its own exclusive athletic twist. The sporty wares include a digital watch with a logoed red rubber band, suede patchwork sneakers and a bicycle tricked out with red leather details. Eight is considered the luckiest number in Chinese culture. This item will be sell exclusively at Gucci boutiques in China, Hong Kong, and Macau

Becak reinvented

Solo's becak
pic from hmibecak

Pictures below which taken from copenhagenize blog show cargo bikes in europe. With todays gas price, becak and gerobak are back.

sheep on bike

Got this picture from forwarded email. Poor sheep.