Looking for something to watch on Netflix this weekend while recovering from Memorial Day celebrations? We have just the film. Inspired to Ride, from the producers of Ride the Divide and Reveal the Path, is a beautifully shot record of the first ever Trans Am Bike Race across 4,233 miles, ten states, all self supported.
It’s the antithesis to events like Tour de France and Race Across America. There are no teams, no support vehicles, no special jerseys and not a dime in prize money. . . As they battle lack of sleep, injuries and spirited competition, INSPIRED TO RIDE takes you on an invigorating road trip — amidst the jaw-dropping beauty of the TransAmerica Trail with its varied landscapes, intriguing locals and found stories which dot this path of discovery. . . Featuring Mike Hall and Juliana Buhring plus many more “crazies”.
While a movie about a race like this has the potential to be a snoozer, filmmaker Mike Dion and his crew pull together a film that is visually stunning, constantly compelling, and deeply insightful into the minds of these ultra-endurance bicycle racers. Check it out on Netflix.
The Amsterdam based bike company VanMoof is rolling out a new SmartBike that is loaded with so many features that anyone who sees it will want to steal it, but those same features will make that nearly impossible.
And even if a thief is smart enough to get past those features, the SmartBike features a first-of-its-kind “Peace of Mind” guarantee: If the bike is stolen, a recovery team will use the bike’s built-in anti-theft tracking technology to locate and return it to its rightful owner. If it can’t be recovered within two weeks, VanMoof will replace it.
SmartBike preorders can be made at smartbike.vanmoof.com beginning May 31, 2016 for delivery beginning in October. Preorder prices are $1,098 for a 3-speed, and $1,298 for an 8-speed model. Sounds like a pretty good deal, yeah? Follow the jump for the official word from VanMoof.
Mammoth Mountain is still digging out after one of their best snow years in recent memory, but that isn’t stopping them from opening the mountain bike park in June with five new trails for all levels of riders. Marketing Manager Gabe Taylor walks us through the new trails and cracks the whip on one of the workers responsible for clearing snow. Huh, huh, huh.
It appears that Dave Mirra the BMX legend, who killed himself in February of 2016, had CTE, the same neurodegenerative disease that has claimed the lives of so many football players, according to a story on ESPN.com.
Mirra is the first action sports athlete to be diagnosed with chronic traumatic encephalopathy, a neurodegenerative disease that can lead to dementia, memory loss and depression. He died on Feb. 4 from a self-inflicted gunshot wound. . . The tau protein deposits found in Mirra’s brain were indistinguishable from the kind that have been found in the brains of former football and hockey players with CTE, Dr. Lili-Naz Hazrati, the Toronto neuropathologist, told ESPN The Magazine.
The news may come as an explanation for many of Mirra’s actions late in life, but can never make the loss to his family or the BMX community any less painful. It is, however, a solid reminder of how bad concussions are even if you’re wearing a helmet. Click the link for the rest of the story.
The Southern California after work mountain bike racing season starts on Thursday, May 26, 2016 with the first of six Quick n’ Dirty races in San Diego’s North County.
Registration opens at 4pm and the race rolls off promptly at 6:30. We’ve designed a challenging and fast course that will make for great racing regardless of your ability or age group, rad prizes and a fun family environment so get out there and join us, won’t you??
The first three races wills start and finish at the Lake Hodges Boat Ramp. This is the perfect event for anyone who wants to race, especially for first timers. For all the official details on the QnD Summer Series, please click the link.
After 782 miles and eight days of racing, 23 year-old Julian Alaphilippe (FRA) of Etixx – Quick-Step Pro Cycling Team clinched the 2016 Amgen Tour of California championship, becoming the youngest rider to hold that title in the race’s 11 years.
“This victory is really important. It’s my first win of the season, and it’s the first time that I won a General Classification,” said Ardennes sensation Alaphilippe, who is the first French rider to win top honors in California. “It’s really something special to win this race, especially here in California, and I’m really proud of my team all week, especially today because it was a really stressful day for a lot of riders in the peloton. Everyone wanted to be in the front….It was a good day and I’m really, really happy.”
After a harrowing last lap charge by Mark Cavendish’s lead-out man Mark Renshaw to reel in the break, Cav had to go it alone in the sprint of Stage 8. He jumped on Peter Sagan’s wheel and waited for Peter to go, then blasted by both Sagan and Alexander Kristoff for the win (his 10th tour of California win).
“I’ve been coming to the Amgen Tour of California for many years. There’s a reason all the top riders in the world come over to America to race here,” Cavendish said. “It’s always been a great race, and Kristin and AEG always put on a tremendous show, as well a great, relaxed race for the riders to come to….I’m happy to be here and I’m definitely coming back.”
For the official word from the Amgen Tour of California (including coverage of the women’s race) please follow the jump.
After taking a flyer well into the race World Champion Peter Sagan talked it over with the Tinkoff Director of Sport and decided to sit up and wait for the peloton to catch him on the streets of Santa Rosa. He jumped back in for the circuit laps and muscled his way on to Alexander Kristoff’s wheel for the final sprint and came around only to lose by an inch to the Olympic Bronze medalist.
“It was a hard stage…I was really struggling on the climbs… at the end, Peter [Sagan] was in front alone, and he had two minutes, and we had to chase hard. And at the end he almost beat me also, so it was an impressive ride by him but I just managed to hold him off, and I’m really happy to win here in California,” said Kristoff who earned a bronze road race medal at the 2012 Olympic Games.
For the official word from the Amgen Tour Of California, please follow the jump.
The name of the game was “fast” in Folsom today as the 140 men competing in the 2016 Amgen Tour of California raced the clock in their individual time trial event, with Australian Rohan Dennis (BMC Racing Team) recording the fastest time.
“I was optimistic. Alaphilippe ripped out a very, very good ride…,” said Dennis of his chances to overtake the race lead today. “16 seconds – it’s not over, but it’s not going to be easy to bring back, that’s for sure…Tomorrow’s supposed to be a really tough stage…It’s been a pretty hard Tour as it is, and this Tour has gotten harder and harder every time I’ve done it.”
For the official word (including women’s TTT coverage) follow the jump.
Cannondale Pro Cycling Team’s Toms Skujiņš (LAT) lead a break about 45 minutes after leaving Lodi, California in Thursday’s (May 19, 2016) Stage 5 of the Amgen Tour of California and he never let up.
“It wasn’t easy to get in the break, of course, because people knew that the break might stick,” said Skujiņš. “I luckily managed to get in the right one.”
The peloton never saw him again until they all reached the finish line at Heavenly Valley. Stage 5 couldn’t go to a radder guy. For the official word from the Amgen Tour of California, please follow the jump.
Pro snowboarder Austin Smith decided to tag along with Smartwool on their annual 350 mile ride from Steamboat Strings, Colorado to Salt Lake City, Utah for the Outdoor Retailer Summer Market because, really, how hard could riding a bike 350 miles in four days be. It doesn’t hurt that his bike is a Moots, but his corduroy shorts? Well, not so good. Watching people come around to the subtleties of cycling is always fun. Check it out in this episode of Smartwool’s ROAM TV.
