The shop just started carrying Redline adult bikes and I ordered up a fully rigid 29′er.  The Redline D440 with 29 inch wheels.  So I took the bike to the tapeworm just up the hill from the shop.  It was a little muddy but the big wheels just cruised over everything in its path.  I did switch the brakes to some BB5 Avids since all I had to do was add calipers.  The bike comes ready for discs.  So that is just a small taste of the test.  I will keep posting about this and more new bikes in the stable.  If you want to try a 29er out just stop by the shop!

Transition Bottle Rocket

The heart and soul of North American mountain biking is right here, the area roughly from Seattle to Whistler, and spoke rockets made by a little Ferndale company called Transition are the latest rage. It was started by two local hard-core riders, and the niche they seem to have hit is for a bike that’s bombproof on the downhill but forgiving enough to rip the cross-country. “We design bikes for what we like to ride, so they’re definitely tailored to this environment. They’re definitely good Northwest bikes,” says Kevin Menard, one of those two dudes. This ride will bomb the A-line at Whistler, but is agile enough to throw sick tricks on Galbraith Mountain. The Bottle Rocket is for aggressive riders; newbies and those who just want a good trail bike should consider the lighter and more nimble Covert. With a Transition, you buy the frame and then pick the forks and gearing specific to your style, or chose one of three kits. These bikes aren’t cheap, running $2,800-$3,800. See them at Fluidride here in Seattle, GHY Bikes in Renton, too. transitionbikes.com

Read Full Article HERE

The new nasty boy cranks by FSA are far better than the previous years.  We had one of the local rippers try them out and he put together his thoughts on the cranks.  The biggest improvement that I noticed was the fact that they machined each crank after they were painted.  I have had a few sets of BMX style cranks that when the sprocket was bolted to the arm, it wobbled.  The build up of paint on one side would make the sprocket not sit flat.  Well FSA has fixed that!  Here is Shawn Wilson’s take on things.

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We are selling the 2007 Norco’s for a great deal.  Some of the bikes are up to $500 OFF.  That is a huge savings for some of the best DH, Freeride, Hardtail and Commuter bikes.  Come to the shop to see all of the bikes on sale!!!

Here is my take on Interbike.  There is 100lbs of crap in a 5lb bag.  So there is some quality stuff among the dead wood.  This year Phil, Drew (our computer tech) and I went to assault Vegas.  I found out Phil and I have two passions in common, riding and gambling.  With many hours drinking and pushing buttons and throwin dice it was hard to make the rounds at the show.  If you have not been before it basically takes 3 days of walking to see everything in the place.  Thats a lot of bike stuff.

Here are some of the things that I think are worth taking a look.  First off lets start with the hardtail I am trying to ride this year.  It is an Eastern…from BMX fame.  So the short back end will be easy to manual and perfect for any street/park situation.  HINT:  take a look at the headtube.

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Last Saturday was a whole lot of fun.  We started with a HUGE sale at the shop and then moved next door for the movie.  As always the Disorder movie was up to standards.  We had a great give away with help from Eastern bikes, Gravity Components, Xpedo Pedals, Vanderkitten clothing, Pro Tec, Smith Optics and Norco.  I must say that the Eastern frame is pretty tight.  I rode that same frame for a couple of days and only wanted a little larger one for myself.

I was stoked that Hacksaw came up from Oregon, along with Alex from RST suspension.  Here is Hacksaw Phil and me on the mic.We had a pretty good time and we should do some riding also next time.  Here are some stoked individuals who won super dope swag that was on hand. 

Eastern Grips, Gravity Guide, Vanderkitten, Xpedo Pedals, Gravity Post, Smith Goggles, Xpedo again

If you missed this shindig then we will see you next time hopefully. 

The SMT guys live in Vancouver Washington and are some layed back guys. We finally met face to face at Interbike and they were happy to show us all their cool new stuff. These guys definately have a different angle on the engineering which is a nice change. Check out the Bashguard they make.
Unlike most bashguards which attach to your crank, the CODE 240 attaches to the bottom bracket, where the mounting plate prevents the chain from falling or locking up in the chainstay. The CODE 240 is made entirely of UHMW and can withstand high impacts and abuse from mountain and freestyle biking. UHMW (Ultra High Molecular Weight) Plastic has a coefficient of friction that rivals Teflon but will outperform PTFE in abrasion resistance by a ratio of 30 to 1. Your chainrings and bottom bracket are protected against impacts on logs, concrete, rocks, metal, or whatever you choose to assault. No more missing teeth!!! 

I cant say the same for JB though. Rock rings may protect your chainrings, but a high impact WITHOUT the CODE 240 will warp the crank spider or bend the bottom bracket. Available for 22-32-44, 28-38-46, 28-38-46 chainring setups. Custom bashguards and chain-tensioners also available. A review on this product is soon to follow this article.