Bag It With Belgian Waffle Ride

by editors on February 22, 2024

Almsthre, our favorite maker of great bags that we’d never use because we don’t like bags, is now the official bag of the world famous Belgian Waffle Ride series of gravelish events. And if you’d like some good bags that will match your BWR kit on race day, then by all means, click the link.

[Link: Almsthre]

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Monuments of Cycling, producers of the world famous Belgian Waffle Ride series of gravel events is proud to announce that they have signed Canyon Bicycles as the “official bike sponsor of the Tripel Crown of Gravel series.

“We are genuinely excited to extend our longstanding partnership with Canyon to include our reimagined Tripel Crown of Gravel Series,” remarked Michael Marckx, CEO of Monuments of Cycling, and creator of BWR. He added, “Canyon’s new bike lineup and roster of athletes, coupled with their leadership in engineering, design, and quality assurance, have made them the ideal partner to elevate riders and the BWR to new heights. Their athletes will undoubtedly inject color and excitement into the series of Unroad events.”

For all the official details, please follow the jump.

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Pouty, Hipster Greetings From Rapha

by editors on December 24, 2023

Those soulful Walmart siblings behind the cycling brand Rapha would like to wish you a pouty, hipster, cool kid holiday season and remind you to get out on your bikes and ride 500 km between Christmas and New Years Day. Because the brand is all about “camaraderie and community, motivation and mistakes, and moments of personal effort.” But don’t smile. No. Never smile. No one looks cool showing emotion. And cycling is all about being cool.

And if you can ride 500 km wearing their latest, overpriced oeuvre of black and semi-black clothing, please do. Remember to share all your outings on your socials with the hashtag #buymorerapha. 

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Dearest Dazzling Razzlemobile

by editors on December 19, 2023

[Editors Note: The following is an apology letter written by Google Bard to the car that cut me off yesterday.]

To the Dazzling Dazzlemobile that Almost Became My Bicycle Blender,

Greetings, fellow traveler of the asphalt jungle! I write to you not with groveling apologies, but with a symphony of sarcasm so potent it could make a mime faint. Yes, you read that right. Buckle up, buttercup, because this ain’t your grandma’s Hallmark card.

Let’s rewind, shall we? Picture this: me, a humble cyclist, gracefully gliding through the urban undergrowth, spandex shimmering in the midday sun. And then, there you were, a majestic chariot of sheet metal and questionable taste, emerging from a side street like a startled gazelle with GPS issues.

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FloSports Settles Class Action Lawsuit

by editors on November 16, 2023

Those creative business people at FloSports have been brought to task for their extremely suspect subscription promotion verbiage thanks to a class action lawsuit filed by the law firm of Lucas Young, Daniel O’Malley, and Charles Buckingham of DuPage County, Illinois. And because of this you may be owed a payment (or refund as the case may be).

Here are the official details:

The Class Plaintiffs allege that they were enrolled in automatically renewing subscriptions for FloSports’ content without adequate disclosures and notice regarding renewal charges and cancellation terms.  FloSports claims its subscription renewal practices complied with all applicable laws and regulations and that it fairly disclosed all terms associated with its subscriptions. Thus, FloSports denies all allegations of wrongdoing, and the Court has not determined who is right. Rather, the Parties have agreed to settle the lawsuit to avoid the uncertainties and expenses associated with ongoing litigation. 

Having subscribed to FloSport ourselves we know the company was extremely inadequate in their subscription plan descriptions and are glad the company was smart enough to settle the lawsuit to avoid being shown to be the scammers we have suggested they just might be.

If you subscribed to the service please click the link for more info https://fsrenewalsettlement.com/. You may be able to get up to $30 of your money back if you don’t choose to sue them your self.

[Link: FS Renewal Settlement]

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Almsthre’s New Compact Rider Bundle

by editors on September 27, 2023

We’ve spent most of our cycling lives trying to limit the things we carry. To eliminate baggage and refrain from objects that dangle, bang, and jingle, but we’re probably just getting crusty. The kids today, they seem to love their bar bags, saddle scrotums, and frame sacks. If you’re one of them, we suggest you check out the amazing bags from Almsthre. We don’t know how to pronounce it, but the company makes really cool, well designed bags that you will love. Click the link to check them out.

[Link: Almsthre]

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Filthy 50 MTB Race Filling Up Quickly

by editors on September 20, 2023

The 9th Annual version of everyone’s favorite fall 50 mile MTB race is filling up fast. Here’s what you can expect on October 28, 2023.

The Filthy 50+ will take you through various areas of San Dieguito River Park and Black Mountain Park. Fast and flowy for all skill levels. The 30 mile riders will head out and turn around at the 15 mile mark and the 50+ mile riders will continue on to the Black Mountain Park area where you will encounter a lollipop and new trails to go with it! The course will be fully marked with Pink Flags and Red Arrows. Fully stocked feed stations will be placed throughout the ride to keep you fueled up. . . There will be a kid’s ride supported by Team Quick n’ Dirty at 8:45am. Awards will be given out immediately following the kids ride. Registration for the kid’s ride will be online and onsite.

And if you miss, it be sure to get on the waiting list. For all the details, please click the link.

[Link: Quick N Dirty MTB]

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Ride the Hiawatha This Summer

by editors on May 24, 2023

Thinking of going on a mountain bike trip this summer? We just returned from Mammoth Mountain and can tell you that no one will be riding the Mammoth Mountain Bike Park until at least early fall. In the meantime, there are other places to go. How about a slow, downhill family roll in Northern Idaho? Here are the details:

The Route of the Hiawatha, which Lookout Pass Ski and Recreation Area operates under a special-use permit from the U.S. Forest Service, opens May 26. Considered the crown jewel of the nation’s rails-to-trails initiative, the family friendly bike trail celebrated its 25th anniversary last summer and will operate seven days a week through Sept. 17.

Close to the historic town of Wallace, the 15-mile Route of the Hiawatha’s gentle 1.6-percent to 2-percent, all-downhill ride straddles the Idaho-Montana state line, delves 10 tunnels, crosses seven sky-high train trestles, and has a shuttle service back to the top. Attracting just under 70,000 riders each summer, the Route of the Hiawatha is by far the most popular ski area bike trail in the country.

Full-moon night rides are planned for June 3, July 3, Aug. 1, and Aug. 30 by reservation only. In fact, the Route of the Hiawatha strongly encourages guests to make reservations for the day they want to ride — especially when renting equipment.

And if the family roll isn’t exactly what you’re looking for, hop on over to the Silver Mountain bike park. It opens June 16. 2023. For more info on the slow roll, click the link.

[Link: Ride The Hiawatha]

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Mazama Designs Rimrock Lumbar Pack

by editors on May 5, 2023

Don’t call it a “fanny pack.” Mazama Designs Rimrock is so much more. It’s a lumbar pack, with hydration. . . and a compression system. This thing will hold all your stuff tight, right into the lower part of your back. You know just above your fanny.

Rimrock’s synchronous compression system offers a comfortable and stable fit by keeping the pack and cargo tucked into the small of your back. The hip belt features load compression, an integrated pack magnet retainer, and extra-large dual-zippered pockets. Other features include an air foam ventilated back panel, contoured shape, strap stow system, quick access tool pocket and internal zip pocket. Rimrock includes a 1.8L INTAKE ICE insulated reservoir that delivers cold, taste-free water for up to 4 hours.

And yes, you can take sips off the pack while it’s still on thanks to a long hose. What else do you need? Could be the perfect anti-backpack for cycling all for $89.95. The Rimrock launches later this month. In the meantime, click the link for the the info on Bend, Oregon based Mazama Designs.

[Link: Mazama Designs]

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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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