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A lot of people are qualified to talk about long-travel enduro bikes. You can find me dangling by a thread at the bottom of that list, hanging there with a confusing mix of unfounded self-confidence and extreme midwestern imposter syndrome. I’ve lived near mountains extremely briefly and before that, the closest hill was a highway overpass. At the very least, I can offer you a unique perspective on a big bike. There’s a review in here somewhere, embedded in a long-winded story.
Chris Cocalis, the owner of Pivot Cycles, knows a thing or two about bicycle design and the popularity of his bikes prove just that. I’ve reviewed a lot of full-suspension bikes over the years and am accustomed to people’s reactions at the trailhead or on the trails but no bike received such trail accolades as the Mach 6 Carbon. Before I had even gotten to ride the bike, it seemed like everyone had something to say about it. Which, as someone trying to approach reviews without any bias, can be a bit much to handle. Yet, here we are, with a month on the bike and a month since I’ve ridden the bike, ready to talk about the Mach 6. Does it live up to the lore? Read on below.
Broken and Coastal takes us on a trip out to the Tiger Mountain Cascadia Dirt Cup. Head on over to their website for more from this race!
Making a weekend out of a race, taking the time to explore and soak in the local culture is what makes bike races so special. Here’s Freehub’s latest from the NZ Enduro.
… just makes me miss Tasmania and Blue Derby even more. I’ll be heading back this year for sure.
Sunrise to Sunset at the 2016 Trans Cascadia
Photos and words by Dylan VanWeelden
The second Trans Cascadia race welcomed 100 primed racers to a blind format enduro race spanning 4 days in the rugged lands of cascadia. It kicked off with a meeting point in the Mackenzie River area where everyone was loaded onto buses with a bag, tent and bike in tow with no idea where they were going. The Trans Cascadia crew worked all season to open long time silent trails to keep even the locals on their toes. Each day hosted a full day of riding unknown trails while the night brought secluded parties only the racers will know.
If you’re looking for a wild experience next year, make sure to sign up when the 2017 registration opens because it tends to sell out in hours. Head to Trans Cascadia!
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What a difference a mic’d rider makes in a video. We get to enjoy the sounds of the ride, rather than the author’s music choice. This video was shot real-time, showing just how fast Bryan Regnier is…
Coming Together at the Trans Cascadia
Photos by Dylan VanWeelden, words by Kyle Von Hoetzendorff
“I love it when a plan comes together.” – Hannibal – Every single episode of the A-Team.
Picture this, you arrive at a parking lot just off the main road of very small town that is set alongside a river amidst vast stretches of timber covered mountains. Waiting for you is a series of off road ready shuttle vans. You load in your bike and gear then you’re whisked away to a remote, wifi-less, electronic less, civilization-less beautiful mountain lake. This is your idyllic base camp, and during the day you will be racing blind on little known trails where deep loam sits just ready for the shredding. Over four days and 21 stages you will gradually race your way back towards the better known trails of Oakridge, Oregon.
It’s been a wild ride to watch but the 2015 Trans-Provence ends with a couple of spectacular shots and an ocean-swimming ender.
It’s Friday and the trails are calling. These videos from the 2015 Trans-Provence have me really missing the mountains… Oh and that wallride at the 1:18 mark was so good!
#GetSickDay threw our coverage of the MAVIC® Trans-Provence 2015 off a day. While we were in bed with a cold, these racers were getting sick…
Killer switchbacks and natural pump tracks line the trails for the third day of the MAVIC® Trans Provence. Seriously, I can’t get over how much fun this year’s course looks!
If you need a reason to be stoked on the Trans Provence, just look at this video’s title image. A mix of old vernacular and modern MTB technology creates this dichotomy of trail stokedness. Or something like that. Just check out the MAVIC® Trans Provence’s Day 02 coverage and look for our boy Ty in the mix!
… oh and happy birthday Gary!
Here we are, one full year later. The MAVIC Trans-Provence was the buzziest enduro of 2014 and this year’s course looks to be delivering one hell of a fun time. Even on Day 01! Let’s all wish the Radavist contributer Tytanium some good luck!
The Mojo HD is in its third iteration, aptly dubbed the Mojo HD3, following the Mojo HD/Mojo HDR. The crew at Ibis didn’t take this evolution lightly, either, scrapping the previous geometries for a much more modern one, perfect for today’s Enduro demand.
The geometry got longer, lower and slacker, kicking in with 6″ of rear travel and new, more versatile internal cable routing. Some might even say the Mojo HD3 followed the Ripley with a substantial drop in frame weight and increased pedaling performance.
Bottom line is: the HD3 will dust people going downhill after it outclimbs them.
See more at Ibis and check out full specs and frame details below.
ACRE has a recap of this year’s Trans Provence with their rider Ty Hathaway – who coincidentally walked away as the top American finisher in the race. If you love photos of peeling singletrack carved into French mountains, this is a photo essay for you.
Head over to ACRE for the full scoop!
We are Here to Win Fucking Races
Photos by Dylan VanWeelden, words by Kyle Von Hoetzendorff
Charlie and Alex arrive at a bar. They’re friends, they met through bike racing, they’re both good at it, they’re both tall. Charlie, usually big on words with questionable substance and unquestionable humor is noticeably quiet. Something is troubling him. Wit isn’t lacking in Alex however, he powers the conversation, something he has never had a problem with, throwing out easy jabs, blockable shots, lazy passes, hoping to get his friend into the game.
Alex knows they’re competitors, that, while he leaves himself open for body blows, Charlie, in his current state of discontent, is vulnerable and it would be easy to land a couple of devastating hits, but this isn’t where they compete, and that isn’t how you play the game. In their field time is the perpetrator, the villain.
Back to back beautiful slideshows from the crew at Vital MTB. The French still do Enduro best, from the way they govern their races – riders have to ride the same bike throughout the duration of the race and changes or repairs cause a time deduction -, to the feral enormity of their terrain the set the chocolate croissant standard of Enduro racing. You don’t have to take my word for it, just pop on over to Vital MTB and check out their race coverage. SO GOOD. Day 1 & Day 2.