Cross

The Escape Collective Goes Live

by editors on March 16, 2023

The new face of user supported international cycling media showed itself today, March 16, 2023 with the launch of Escape Collective: The Home of Independent Cycling Journalism. You will know many of the names behind the new brand (Wade Wallace and Caley Fretz are “mostly in charge”) as they’ve been responsible for creating some of the best cycling media of the last decade. Not to go too deeply into it, but many of them left their (private equity funded) former corporate media employers after experiencing buyouts and “consolidation.” But they’ve rounded up their crew and are already offering up some solid content.

Here’s how Caley Fretz puts it:

This is an incredible moment. We finally have somewhere for you to bookmark and open up every morning and scroll through and, hopefully, find a bit of inspiration or enjoyment or simply some information you didn’t have before. This is the start, the very first day, of a vision we have for what bike media, and outdoor media more broadly, can be. It’s a vision many of you have literally bought into and one we cannot wait to bring to life. 

Make sure to checkout the site, bookmark it, and most certainly subscribe, because these are the good guys.

PS: None of this should be confused with the Australian cycling apparel brand Escape. (Wonder how this trademark situation will go?) 

[Link: EscapeCollective.CC]

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Roll Cleaner Rotors with Muc-Off

by editors on October 19, 2022

No one wants dirty discs. And Muc-Off has just announced the perfect solution: Muc-Off’s Disc Brake Cleaner.

The unique formula breaks down unwanted particles which can compromise braking performance. It has added conditioners that rehydrate the disc brake pad to dramatically reduce brake squeal and prolong the disc brake life, leaving discs and other braking componentry clean and contaminant free.

For more info, please follow the jump.

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Garmin Goes Solar With Edge 1040

by editors on June 8, 2022

Garmin’s big daddy, top-of-the-line cycling computer just got a solar update with the new Edge 1040 Solar.

Harnessing the power of the sun, the Edge 1040 Solar features a Power Glass™ solar charging lens, giving cyclists even more ride time between charges–up to 100 hours in battery saver mode –while multi-band GNSS technology provides more accurate GPS positioning in challenging ride environments, such as dense urban areas or under deep tree cover.

The Edge 1040 Solar is big and expensive. It retails for $749.99. This makes it a bike computer for people who really love big cycling computers. We’re still happy with our Edge 500 and a phone in our back pocket, but if you don’t mind the size and paying as much for a bike computer as you’d spend on an iPhone then the 1040 Solar might be right for you. For all the details click here, or follow the jump.

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Draplin Design Company + Smith Optics

by editors on June 1, 2022

Our favorite designer, the world famous teller of stories, layer downer of thick lines, and all-around epic human Aaron Draplin continues his partnership with Smith Optics with the addition of a cycling helmet collaboration. Same great Smith helmets, but with a head full of DDC flavor. Click the link to check out the collection.

[Link: Smith Optic]

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Santa Cross Is Back at Lake Casitas

by editors on December 16, 2021

Used to love doing SoCal Cross races, but that was way back when the races were actually in SoCal. Now, they’re so far North that we’ve lost the drive to get to them. But please, don’t let us stop you from getting out and racing the 2021 Santa Cross in Ventura, California December 18-19, 2021. For more info, please click the link.

[Link: SoCal Cross]

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Garmin Brings Power To MTB Pedals

by editors on March 28, 2021

For those of us who ride mountain bike pedals ALL THE TIME, the new Garmin Rally XC200 power meters solve a power problem we’ve had for a while: double-sided SPD power with left and right metrics. Here, look at all the specs that Garmin is so proud about:

Rally power meters have undergone rigorous testing to increase reliability. Featuring a superior design with sensors housed inside, these sleek pedals install like any pedal. And they’re quick to transfer between bikes. . . In addition to total power and cadence, Rally XC200 measures much more. These metrics help you identify your strengths and weaknesses, so you can work to improve. . . Measure power from your left leg versus power from your right leg to get a better look at how symmetrically you’re producing power. . . Track the amount of time you spend in each position, and gauge position effectiveness. . . From road to gravel to cyclocross and much more, keep riding year-round with a transferable spindle that can be installed in the Rally™ RS/Rally RK road pedal body kits (each sold separately).

The pedals are for sale (in limited quantity) on the Garmin site right now and will only set you back $1,199 at the most (or $699 for one side). The pedals come in Shimano SPD, Look KEO, and Shimano SPD SL flavors and the pedals (can be swapped on the spindles). They really have thought of everything. (Pedal tops sold separately.)

[Link: Garmin]

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BOA’s New Li2 Dials In Style & Function

by editors on August 24, 2020

Our favorite cycling shoe closure company BOA is announcing and even better, smaller, more durable dial for perfect fit on cycling shoes. It’s called the Li2. Here’s what they’re saying:

Li2 is the ultimate in fast, effortless, precision fit. The lightweight and low-profile dial platform offers unprecedented durability against impact, abrasion, and contaminants such as dirt and debris. Compact in size but packed with power, Li2 offers benefits designed to meet the needs of cyclists at every touchpoint during a ride. Multidirectional tightening and loosening allows for incremental adjustment to accommodate foot swelling on long rides, or a tighter fit for steep climbs and sprints.

Better is better, right? This dial is showing up on shoes from Fizik, Scott, Rapha, Gaerne, Lake and DMT this fall, with Bontrager, Giro, Louis Garneau, and Specialized jumping in for 2021. For all the official details from BOA, please follow the jump.
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Every Cycling Event Is Cancelled

by editors on July 1, 2020

Editors’ Update: United States of America Cycling announced today (July 1, 2020) that all the following National Championship events have been cancelled for 2020: Pro and Am road, mountain, Grand Fondo, and elite, junior, and masters track. If you have a title from last year, lucky you. You get another year to hold on to it!

May 13, 2020

Rather than post a growing list of events that have been cancelled thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic take this as an reminder that EVERY SINGLE CYCLING EVENT that you were looking forward to riding, racing, watching live, or streaming online has been cancelled.

And while many event promoters have optimistically moved their events forward a few months, we’re going to guess that there will no mass start events going down for at least a year. Time to figure something else out. . . TTcross? TTmtb? TTcrit? TTgravel? Maybe? If anyone is hosting any solo racing events, please let us know. In the mean time we’ll be here tickling our keyboards.

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Cyclocross Will Not Be In The Olympics: The 2019 USA Cyclocross National Championships Get Muddy In Lakewood

by Miki Vuckovich on January 9, 2020

Click here for a gallery of Miki Vuckovich’s stunning images from Lakewood.

On the Thursday evening before the Elite racers took to the battered course in Lakewood, Washington, I stood in the Trek Store in Tacoma with about 50 cross fans, also in town for the 2019 USA Cycling Cyclocross National Championships. And, like them, I was listening intently as Katie Compton, the fifteen-time (consecutive) National Champion and the most decorated American cyclocrosser ever, addressed my spontaneous question (“Should cyclocross be in the Winter Olympics?”) with all the sincerity and thoroughness of a PhD candidate defending her thesis.

I honestly didn’t mean to provoke such a detailed response—her live interview with Cyclocross Radio podcaster Bill Schieken had concluded (you can hear the whole thing right here) and the rest of the crowd awkwardly hesitated when he invited questions from the audience. So, I opened my big fat mouth.

Part of their discussion covered the lack of sponsorship for cyclocross racers and races. So, a little Olympic coverage, it seemed to me, could change that. And, gee, wouldn’t it be cool to have just one bike race in the Winter Games?

Cyclocross doesn’t need the Olympics, she said. It thrives on a participant fan base, and that distinguishes American cyclocross from the European sort. And we Yanks deserve to make cyclocross our own. That seemed to be the theme of the evening.

The Olympics would bring in a less committed fan base, she continued, and that would change the nature of cross events and culture. We can grow it, organically, and continue to build it from a solid base. We’ve been doing great, so far. And she should know, she’s been National F’n Champ fifteen times! On Sunday she’d be defending her title and going for number sixteen. Unbelievable.


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Gravel Stoke’s Most Influential Grinders

by editors on January 7, 2020

The crew at Gravelstoke.com have compiled an amazing list of the 12 most influential gravel races of 2020. From the looks of the schedule it’s enough to keep even the hungriest gravel racer well fed all year around.

Sure, Dirty Kanza is on there, so is the Rock Cobbler and the Belgian Waffle Ride, but there are nine more that you might not have heard of. Click the link for the entire list. Read the whole thing, because they’ve also listed 29 other rides that look just as good. 

[Link: Gravelstoke.com]

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