Today the embargo on the newest iteration of one of our favorite trail bikes has been lifted with the release of this introductory video by Santa Cruz Bicycles. The Blur TRc has been our favorite trail bike to date since we threw a leg over it, and is now available in a more wallet-friendly alloy […]
Northstar at Tahoe: the Gypsy Trail
The Northstar resort in Tahoe is pretty much the summer destination for gravity addicted downhill and freeriding mountain bikers in the Bay Area and continues get a bit better every year. We missed getting a trip in last season due to having sold off DH bikes to pay bills, and although the quiver is now […]
Stuff We Like: 2013 Santa Cruz Chameleon
What is it about the hardtail that just won’t go away? Although industry types keep shouting “hardtails are dead”, the abundance of non-technical groomed trails in the Bay Area mean they will always be in demand. For local trail riding, the 29er hard tail is the logical choice when you’re leaving the car in the […]
Trail Destination:The Sandy Ridge Trail System near Portland, OR
The Sandy Ridge Trail is one of our favorite trails in Oregon, and amazingly continues to get better (and longer) with the addition of the newest section, “Two Turn Tables and a Microwave.” Adding more diverse terrain (see the rock garden pictured below) and even more jumps, rollers and bermed turns, the trail is the […]
Bay Area Dirt Jump Destination: the Pleasanton Bike Park
The Pleasanton BMX Park is one of the few public riding spots the Bay Area where novice dirt jumpers can go to develop their riding skills. It was constructed about 7 years ago, and although it is accessible by public transportation, remains below the radar of many mountain bikers seeking to develop and improve their […]
Marin Bikes Mount Vision XM6
Those of us chasing the latest and greatest gear put a lot of hurt on our credit cards, but you don’t need to spend a ton of cashola to get a decent bike for riding the local trails. The Mount Vision from Marin Bikes retails for just over $2k, which is almost $1000 less than […]
Transition Bikes officially unveils their first carbon release — the 2013 Carbon Covert
Last weekend at the Ashland Enduro we spotted Transition Bikes rider, employee and all around rad guy Lars Sternberg ripping the local trails on a sleek new version of the Covert. When asked if we could take a picture, he responded with a quick “no!” and carted his ride out of sight. With last night’s […]
2012 Ashland Enduro Gallery
Here’s a teaser of some of the race action from Sunday from the BTI trail in Ashland, Oregon. There are possibly more photos coming, but until then, keep an eye out for them in an upcoming issue of Decline Magazine.
Santa Cruz MTB Festival: the Epicenter Pumptrack
The Epicenter Pumptrack in Aptos, California received a rework and a facelift for last weekend’s mountain bike festival, and we had been looking forward to checking out the new lines as well as the pump track comp on Sunday. Unfortunately, misreading the schedule combined with a delayed morning start caused us to miss out on […]
Fresh Gear: SDG Duster Saddle and Grips
I’ve been a fan of SDG saddles since way back when. I had a red kevlar covered saddle they made back in the day on my dirt jump/ slalom bike for years, and I’ve owned almost one of every i-beam model they’ve made. Since I’ve changed from my i-beam Gravity Dropper post to a Rockshox […]
Angleset + Carbon Nomad = Sweetness
The Cane Creek Angleset has arrived, and is now in place on the Carbon Nomad. How does it ride? In a word, it’s glorious. Yep- that’s what I said. Installing the Angleset was fairly straight forward, although special care was taken in lining up the top cup with the center of the bike. I started […]
Fresh Gear: Rockshox Reverb Seatpost
Like many others that have posted critiques of their adjustable height seat posts, I too have a love/hate relationship with the models I’ve run. However, although mechanical issues have ruined a few rides and seriously pissed me off from time to time, I can’t give up on them. Even with their occasional snafus, they’ve enhanced […]