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Hannah Otto Sets New Kokopelli Trail FKT: Watch “Kokopelli Strong” Here

The Kokopelli trail runs 137 miles from Moab, UT to Loma, CO and the women’s time to beat is 13 hours and 7 minutes. For professional mountain bike racer Hannah Otto, failure is not a common occurrence. She’s constantly pushing the sport and finds herself toward the top of the podium during her race season on a regular basis.

Last year, Hannah had great success clocking the FKT (Fastest Known Time) on the ascent and descent of the Whole Enchilada trail. But this year, she had her sights set on a more challenging route. The Kokopelli trail is an unforgiving beast that most skilled riders would consider completely ludicrous to ride in one day.

Hannah’s hunt for the FKT drove her to extreme temperatures resulting in a frozen hydration pack, frostbitten fingers, hypothermia, and moments of failure—but that only added fuel to her internal fire.

After sleepless nights, early mornings scouting, and a failed attempt, Hannah Otto holds the fastest known time on the Kokopelli trail at 11 hours and 53 minutes.

Rapha for Team Amani

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Rapha for Team Amani

Since 2021 the ambition of Team AMANI has been to climb to the highest peaks of the sport and make East Africa the home of not just endurance runners, but cycling champions as well. Currently plying their craft on the open frontier of gravel racing; these young athletes have the legs and desire to change the landscape…

Radar

Clara Brown for Wahoo’s Why I Roam Series

“I roam for the freedom and the ability to explore, experience new things, find joy in the little things, and the excitement for what lies ahead.” Three-time World Champion and Paralympian Clara Brown never thought it’d be possible to walk again after suffering a traumatic spinal cord injury that left her paralyzed from the neck down at the age of 12.

To Clara, living to the fullest with what she has motivates her the most.

2024 POC Ventral Air Mips EF Education-EasyPost Team Edition

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2024 POC Ventral Air Mips EF Education-EasyPost Team Edition

To celebrate racing the Giro d’Italia, the first Grand Tour of the 2024 men’s World Tour season, POC is thrilled to release the 2024 Ventral Air Mips EF Education-EasyPost team edition ($300). The new limited-edition helmet is the same as used by many of the EF Education-EasyPost’s riders, which has protected, performed, and inspired in equal measure and will be available immediately in selected online and retail stores and on Pocsports.com

 

Cycling in Kuwait: It’s Not the Heat That’s the Challenge

Reportage By: Abe Alkhamees

Cycling in Kuwait: It’s Not the Heat That’s the Challenge

Kuwait was the last place Abe Alkhamees expected to find a cycling community. After an extended vacation to all the best cycling destinations in Europe, he traveled to his home country to explore the cycling there. His Meet The Rider project aims at putting a face to Arab cyclists, sharing their stories, and bridging the gap between these riders and the rest of the cycling world.

Our Town Makes ONGUZA: Bicycles Made in Namibia

Reportage By: Dan Craven

Our Town Makes ONGUZA: Bicycles Made in Namibia

What do you picture when you hear “African bikes”? There’s a good chance you’re not thinking of a luxury, world-class bike. And you’re not alone. We need to change the way people think about goods made in Namibia – and from Africa as a whole. Name a luxury brand from the African continent…? Yeah, we have our work cut out for us. Onguza is making handbuilt steel frames in Omaruru and helping to put Namibia on the map of international frame builders.  Continue reading below as Dan Craven gives us a look into starting the brand and his motivations.

2022 Cyclocross Nationals on Film: Patience Through the Chaos

Reportage By: Brett Rothmeyer

2022 Cyclocross Nationals on Film: Patience Through the Chaos

With my camera bag loaded with several boxes of 120 film and a brick of Ilford HP5, I pulled out of the driveway bound for Hartford, CT; I paused, wondering how I arrived at this moment. All of the little moves and influences resulted in me lugging two cameras with a combined age of some 75 years to shoot the season’s most crucial cyclocross race. There is a “Butterfly Effect” moment in our lives that leads us to our current state, and somewhere amongst the mud, dust, and thousands of shutter actuation is mine.

A Tale of Two (Colorado) Trails: Lachlan Morton’s MTB Progression

Reportage By: Hailey Moore

A Tale of Two (Colorado) Trails: Lachlan Morton’s MTB Progression

“I wasn’t going back because I wanted to go dramatically faster but because I wanted to put myself in the same situations I was in three years before and be more comfortable. I knew that the only way to do that was to try to do it fast because that requires you to push yourself to a place where you are kind of on the edge of your capability. And every time I reached that limit this time, I was comfortable, in a way. I wasn’t stressed whereas every time I’d reach that point three years before I’d just crumble.”

In 2019, Lachlan Morton rode the Colorado Trail for the first time, starting in Durango and finishing three days and 22 hours later in Denver. He went back this summer, riding the trail in the opposite direction in three days and ten hours, and chopping nine hours off any other recorded time. However, after sitting down with the EF Education Easy-post athlete, it seems that speed was a byproduct of the feat, not the primary focus. Read on for a more detailed look behind the clock, from my conversation with Lachlan about how he went from surviving the CT in 2019 to establishing a new level on this iconic route this year. 

Beyond Camaraderie, Between Athletes, Behind the Tape: Cyclocross’ Unsung Hereoes

Reportage By: Dominique Powers & Max Pratt

Beyond Camaraderie, Between Athletes, Behind the Tape: Cyclocross’ Unsung Hereoes

Amidst the fray of cyclocross athletes regularly pushing themselves to the limit, the unsung heroes of this discipline are churning away behind the scenes. From mechanics and photographers to directors and coaches, the lesser-known faces that keep this crazy sport going are all unique people with their own stories, but not ones you’ll likely hear about in race coverage. So enjoy a glimpse into the world of the people on the outside of the tape – we hope it inspires you to take a walk through the paddock at the next race you attend and look a little closer.

Paul Paul
Mondraker Mondraker
Industry Nine Industry Nine
Singular Singular
Silca Silca
State Bicycle Co State Bicycle Co
Leatt Leatt
Rivendell Rivendell
SimWorks SimWorks
The Radavist The Radavist