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?)
Seems like this took a little longer than it should have but legendary downhiller Shaun Palmer is now a member of the 2023 inductee class of the Mountain Bike Hall of Fame. He joins Brittain’s Rob Warner, Germany’s Diddie Schneider in the Class of 2023. The mountain bike world of 1995 never knew what hit them as Shaun jumped in out of nowhere and dominated the scene. Changing pretty much everything about the sport along the way.
Palmer, a world-renowned Hall of Fame snowboarder, scored a breakout performance just one year after getting into the sport. Aboard one of the most-prolific downhill bicycle frames of all time, the Intense M-1, he scored the silver medal at the 1996 UCI Downhill World Championships, missing gold by just 0.15 seconds. His immediate world-topping results captured the immediate attention, and intrigue, of the entire mountain bike community.
Not sure what he’s been up to lately, but it’s great to see him getting a little more credit for all the things he’s done in his multi-sport career.
Just a reminder that one of the most fun road races in Southern California is quickly approaching. Sadly, the Tour de Murrieta no longer features their legendary half-gravel TT to kick things off, but the two-day (April 1-2, 2023) event still includes one of our favorite fast, flat road loops and a piping hot six-turn criterium with one of the longest finish straights in the western states.
The Downtown Grand Prix is a fast paced, 6 turn grand prix course. The course has a little bit of everything making it a challenge course even for the most talented and experienced racer. Teamwork is the name of the game as position is everything as you enter the last turn and exit onto a 500 meter, blistering fast straight away to the finish.
The Circuit Race is a challenging 4 mile circuit. On paper this course seems relatively docile. However, with lap speeds in the 25-30 mile per hour range the seemingly “mild” climbs begin to take their toll. Those looking for a break away will most definitely use the climbs as a launch pad while the sprinters’ teams will set a blistering pace in an attempts to discourage attacks. This course is a racer favorite and never disappoints its spectators!
We’ve never been fans of the big, clunky, clod-hoppers that most mountain bikers seem to enjoy riding it. They’re usually fugly as blackened sin. So that’s why we were surprised to see that Fox has done something rad with their new Union Clipless Shoes. The’ve created a sleek, smooth, attractive MTB shoe with BOA closures. And while they keep some of their flat pedal style, they’ve been streamlined for speed. No more laces tangled on the crank or chewed up in the chain ring. No more sloppy slippers that loosen up on the way down. They’re a little more expensive ($249.00), but damn, they look fine. Click the link for all the details.
Monuments of Cycling has partnered with Florida-based Mumu Cycling Apparel to create a new BWR collection for the 2023 BWRs and the Quadrupel Crown of Gravel. The BWR collection features shirts, hats, water bottles, caps, arm warmers, vests, hoodies, jerseys and bib shorts. And, the best part is they look great!
We are so excited about this collaboration! The collection took its inspiration from the Belgian National Team Colors but there are more options than ever before. . . Mumu will fulfill all existing pre-orders including those placed before January 8, 2023, and will reach out with further details. For any questions, please contact bwr@mumuapparel.com.
For for the full line and all the details, please click the link.
Coming from someone who didn’t ride The Whole Enchilada “clean” on the way down, it is amazing to think it is even possible to ride it all the way up. But, Braydon Bringhurst apparently has done all 8,600 feet of climbing. And here’s 100 minutes of proof of the process. Cheers to those who still like pedaling their bikes!
It’s great to see someone you ride with get the props they deserve from what’s left of the cycling media. And Road Bike Action’s interview with San Diego’s Phil Tinstman is a nice reminder of the kind of quality people cycling brings together.
Currently, Phil is a partner in Monuments of Cycling (the organization that puts on the Belgian Waffle Ride series), and in between planning races for the ever-growing gravel series, he also found the time to be a part of the eight-rider team that set the record for the fastest time in the arduous Race Across America (RAAM). And, as if that wasn’t enough pedaling, shortly after his RAAM effort, Phil flew to New Mexico and won big at the 45+ Master’s Criterium National Championships.
To read the entire interview, please click the link.
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.
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.
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.
