Fraser Britton has been covering this event for years and has an amazing photo report from day one up on Pinkbike.  They also have a course walk with CG.

The field of sport psychology is insanely expansive and covers just about every aspect of sport performance. With regards to the concept of confidence and preparation, you have to take into account the athlete’s mental toughness, cognitive appraisal of stress, and their goals. All of these psychological components combine to ultimately affect an athlete’s confidence with regards to their performance. Mental toughness can be understood as an athlete’s ability to stay focused, motivated, and unaffected by stimuli that would normally distract and disturb less mentally tough athletes. Mentally tough racers are people who can compete at their maximum level of performance even after crashes, losing their power balance bracelet, being jinxed, or calling “last run.”

Mental toughness is highly related to an individual’s cognitive appraisal of stress and their coping strategies. An individual will often appraise (or interpret) a situation as stressful if they find that their abilities do not meet or exceed the requirements to complete the task safely. For example, a skilled elite downhill racer will probably not appraise a 10 foot dirt jump as a stressful part of a downhill course. However, a novice rider who does not have the skills to clear the gap will likely define that same jump as stressful, and would therefore respond by being hesitant or unconfident. Whenever an athlete “appraises” a situation as stressful they must respond to that stress with a reasonable coping strategy. For most downhill racers the immediate coping strategy involves slowing down, which ultimately reduces the need for the advanced skills, and reduces the stress since the task has been made easier. However, in a sport where speed is of paramount importance, slowing down is not exactly the most effective coping strategy.

So how does this have anything to do with racing? Well to start off let us understand that every moment of our life is subconsciously assessed and evaluated for its level of threat to our well-being. Sitting in a chair reading a blog would usually score very low on the scale of our perception of stress. However, on

the complete opposite end, imagine flying down a hill on your bike and riding up the lip of a jump with a 50 foot gap. As your tires leave the ground your bike immediately starts to pitch forward. You fly through the air for what feels like an eternity. You are still in the air at the 55 foot mark and probably won’t land until the 65 foot mark where the ground is already flat. By that time your bike will almost be vertical, with your front wheel and handlebars forecasted to hit the ground first. Imagine the feeling you will have in your mind and body as your front tire is just about to touch the ground. Your hands are already off the bars and pointed forward to protect your head, your feet are still clipped into the pedals upon impact…

After reading the second example, you are probably experiencing some physical signs of stress such as elevated heart rate and blood pressure, as well as slightly clammy hands. Due to my presentation of the situation, most people would appraise the second example as much more stressful than the first. However, that doesn’t always have to happen. Remember my third paragraph where I compared the cognitive appraisal methods of an elite racer vs. a novice downhill racer with regards to a 10 foot jump? The same theory can apply to all types of situations. The fundamental concept of the theory is that a situation is ONLY stressful when we appraise it as harmful, disruptive, or threatening. Therefore in the same way that sitting at your computer is not stressful (since it is not appraised as harmful) an elite athlete is very good at training their mind to believe that dangerous situations are not actually harmful.

This same phenomenon occurs when we drive our cars on the highway. Most people are able travel at speeds in excess of 120 km/h with the same level of comfort that they would have while checking e-mails or making dinner. This is because we have been conditioned to believe that driving a car is “safe,” because of countless successful experiences we have had with driving, and speeding. This is all despite the fact that car collisions are among the most likely causes of traumatic death for individuals, especially when excess speed is involved. This shows us that “safety,” in its purest form, is merely an illusion that is created based on our comfort and confidence from repeated successful experiences. But do we have to have entirely positive experiences to keep stress levels low? The answer is no.

That being said, in the biking crash previously explained, an elite racer is much more likely than a beginner to almost entirely disregard the stress experienced in the crash. This is because they will see the crash as a momentary miscalculation rather than a devastating experience. They will look at the event as a learning experience and analyze the factors that could have caused it. The rider would ask questions like, did I go too fast? Did I preload too much? What was wrong with my positioning on the bike? Could I scrub the jump at that speed and not overshoot the landing? Was wind a factor? Is the dirt on the run in more packed than normal? What do I need to change for NEXT time?

From my experience, novice riders do not use this thought process very often. They will sometimes focus on the moment of impact and the crash itself, rather than the factors that THEY were responsible for prior to it happening. Therefore, since their attention is drawn to the lack of control, pain, and fear associated with the moments of the actual crash, they will exhibit a large stress response when approaching that jump in the future. Since the elite athlete, for lack of a better word “ignores”

the painful moment of impact (which they could not control once the crash started), their focus is directed to factors that could be controlled such as speed, preload, and body position. This makes their appraisal of stress much lower than that of a novice rider.

After reading this article you probably realize that downhill riding is more intricate and psychologically demanding than you had initially imagined. It’s not all about riding at blistering fast speeds, training hard, or being the most skilled rider on the hill. Although all of those components are extremely valuable, we cannot forget the importance of a rider’s mindset and their mental skills when on the hill. Always remember, those that fail to prepare will not only be defeated by their competitors, but can be physically and psychologically devastated by the courses on which they race.

General Tips- to help you take control of your own mind

Fyxation was founded in 2009 and is best known for their Session 700 tire which caters to the urban rider. The Accela is the long awaited sequel to the Session 700 up and while it caters to a similar rider, offers a few features that help differentiate the tire from the Sessions. Designed as a fast rolling and puncture resistant road and commuter tire, the Accela is targeted to a broader market of riders that are looking for a rugged and versatile tire that can be used for the daily commute, a training ride or logging loads of delivery miles.

The Fyxation Accela is available in 700x23c and 700x28c in both folding and wire bead. Unlike the array of colors Fyxation is known for, the Accela is available only in black and white. Each 60 TPI Accela incorporates a hard and tough tread compound for greater abrasion resistance and longer tread life. Underneath this durable top layer is Fyxation’s Street Guard puncture protection which is designed to help keep road debris at bay. US MSRP on the folding bead Accela is $36.95 and the wire bead Accela is $25.95.

“We are pleased to welcome the Accela tire to our growing family of urban cycling parts”, says Nick Ginster, Founder and General Manager of Fyxation. “Ever since we launched the company in 2009 with the Session 700 tire our customers and distributors have been asking what’s next. The Accela is a great addition to our line-up and is a fast and durable tire that is as great for city riding as it is the open road.”

More information is available at: http://www.fyxation.com/blog/accela-tires-its-about-time

About Fyxation

Fyxation was founded with a simple goal in mind. To bring urban riders pioneering components made from the best materials at a fair price. We focus on design, durability and style. We are a team of engineers and riders that strive to combine our knowledge of design and biking to bring to market innovative and affordable urban bicycle equipment. For more information, please visit us on the web at http://www.fyxation.com.

I was introduced to mountain biking by my husband Chris, in the fall of 2007. He explained that riding was an endless continuum and we do not stop riding… even when winter arrives …much to my surprise. Prior to my initiation to winter riding, I would recall seeing the odd cyclist on the snowy streets of Toronto. Whenever there is a major winter storm, the news media posts that ironic image of a lone cyclist battling the elements. Cycling just seems so extraordinary in winter. Back then I was puzzled: I asked myself: “how is it possible to ride?” “Aren’t those cyclists cold?” “Is it safe?” My questions and opinions back then were no different than what my colleagues at work, friends and even other cyclists express to me now. They are awe-struck when I tell them I ride all 4 seasons and especially in the dead of winter. They ask: “You mean you ride outside?” “In the snow?” “Is it safe?” I then begin to tell them that this activity is quite normal and fun providing you are prepared and have knowledge about the risks. As I excitedly describe how it’s possible, I soon realize my audience is not applauding. The skeptics remain unconvinced and the others mock me like I would make this up! As I reflect back on my winter riding experiences and I realize that this off the beaten path past-time is worth a review.

First and foremost, I am not an expert in the field of winter riding however I am a keen pupil and have learned to master the basics and I ride with highly experienced cyclists who know the terrain, conditions and know how to ride in highly unusual circumstances. Chris and I (and a few hardy friends) have ridden in the most extreme conditions of winter in our local stomping grounds and have applied techniques to ride under the best biking opportunities. The intention of this brief article is not to appear prescriptive (because everyone has built a better mouse trap) or to promote risk taking. I just want to share some of my experiences and hope the readers are curious and entertained. I should also add a disclaimer that riding on ice or in extreme cold should never be taken for granted. The people I ride with have been doing this for many years and know the weather and ice conditions intimately.

In 2007, our frosty group made it to the road. It was a very cold ride.

My first cold weather ride was December 2007. Our group spent the day exploring the frozen trails in Bolton. The temperature during the day was about -4C and the ride home was about -20C (with wind chill). What did we learned from that ride? I underestimated my attire. I froze my face, and my hands and feet felt numb. Two riders in this pic switched to platform pedals and hiking boots from SPDs for future winter rides. I also began an earnest hunt for the warmest and most pliable clothes and accessories I could find. Over the years I have tested dozens of products before finding the best ones for me: ski gloves and wool snow board socks, toque under helmet, Gortex (shells and even socks). Just to mention a few necessities.

Posing for the camera and wearing multiple layers. As the season gets colder, we usually ditch the camel back bladder and bring water bottles. Also switching from hiking shoes to light weight waterproof boots. This pic is from 2010

Every ride is different in the winter, snow (deep snow, slushy snow) vs. no snow. Damp cold vs. dry cold (cold is cold!) This pic was taken December 26, 2011.

This pic was taken a couple days later. The ground was frozen but the light snow dusting made the trails surprisingly tacky so studded tires were not needed… yet.

This pic was taken early March 2009. The ground was still frozen, so the pond had a solid bed

Riding conditions vary depending on the temperature and the amount of snow or ice. The best trails for riding are frozen or hard packed.

 Just the right amount of snow and ground frost makes it possible. When the trails are softer, the wheels go squirrelly however it’s good practice to learn to correct the bike in those conditions. Sometimes we go off the beaten path and have to hike a bike in the most extreme conditions.

Some winters have the most perfect conditions for ice biking. I ride only with the most experienced riders who know the depth of the river and all the currents. The temperatures have to be perfect for this. We ride only when it is solid and safe.

The sound of the top layer of ice crackling under the tires is initially unsettling but then it becomes awesome. After perfecting the technique : easy gear, keep pedaling, keep observing the changing color and texture of the ice and snow, riding where the animals walk, not going too close to the edges where it is soft and not riding too close to the rider in front especially when the ice may be thinner.

I remember the first time riding on the frozen river. After getting over my initial fear that the ice will crack-up and swallow me up, I was hooked. On a typical ice bike ride, we can cover 10-20 km on the river. In 2010 our greatest achievement was riding from Bolton to Palgrave (about +25 km). Some spots have trees downs, some spots open up and you have to ride around the obstacles or hike up on the shore.

I am amazed by the magnitude of animal tracks! I can’t get over how busy the forest is and how the animals use the river like a highway. We’ve heard coyotes howling nearby, and we have seen wildlife up-close (beaver, deer, muskrats, rabbits).

Sometimes you can see the different layers of frozen-ness. In this spot, the river is sandwiched between 2 frozen layers.

This was taken in 2008, too steep and too slick to ride, even with studded tires

I made it up this hill. Thank goodness for studded tires

Days are short and temperatures drop, building a fire and sharing body heat is a necessity

In 2010 the Humber River froze early and then broke up following a temperature spike, spilling massive ice cakes on its banks. It made for very diverse riding and changed the forest appearance. Some mighty big trees were plowed down by the massive ice chunks.

Chris found this cake to play on.

This year we had very little snow and we did not have a sustained deep freeze so our “ice rides” have been on frozen ponds.

Utah – Strength in Numbers Teaser from Anthill Films on Vimeo.

Green River, Utah is basically a modern day ghost town. It looks like it happened almost overnight once the I-70 was built to bypass the main strip through town. This is definitely one of those places people only stop if they’ve been driving too long and need some eats or a place to crash for the night. Empty streets and buildings are swallowed up by an even emptier desert stretching out in all directions. Nothing is “near” to here. Moab, the closest town worth mentioning on a map, is about an hour drive to the south. The rocky range of the San Rafael Swell runs off into the distance in the west. North of town lies what are known as the book cliffs, which just so happen to be the mother lode of freeriding terrain. This is why so many film crews have been here over the years and it’s why we’re here now.

It took us 2 days to drive here from BC. We have pickups, ATV’s, motos, shovels and picks and have been scratching away at the raw landscape with the goal of creating a progressive segment for our new film Strength in Numbers. The fact that we are even here has a sense of irony to it. We want to create a piece that will stoke people to ride and help push the sport forward but clearly very few mountain bikers will ever come to a place like Green River just to ride. Just like Alaska for skiers and snowboarders, or Jaws for surfers, these remote mesas seem reserved for the adventurous few.

Utah as a whole has shaped the face of freeriding as we know it today. All of the top riders, film crews and photographers have shot here. It’s a place with deep freeride history. Careers have been shaped and names have been made. It’s as gnarly or as safe as you want it to be. The scale is just right, not too big and not too small. Soft landings and hard lips. Ridges, ridges and more ridges everywhere you look. And the light…. clear desert skies and far away horizons are the ideal recipe for insane sunrises and sunsets daily.

It’s all here but it’s a war of attrition to pull a seggy out of an untamed landscape. It starts with wandering and scoping for days. Lots of staring and looking at things from different angles waiting for inner creativity to flick on the lightbulb. Lips, run-ins, corners and landings are everywhere but do they line up? What unfolds over the course of days is reminiscent of the scene in A Beautiful Mind when John Nash sees the mathematical patterns in everything. To a certain extent, the same thing is happening here. A world only mountain bikers can see. Riders have to visualize lines that have never been ridden and cross reference that with their own personal limits and that of their bikes. Is that dirt hard or soft? How steep is that? Is there enough speed or too much? Too much kick on the lip or not enough? Get it wrong and it can get ugly fast. Get it right and the sport inches ever forward. This defines freeride mountain biking and immense respect is due for the riders who excel at this process. It inspires and captures the imagination. It makes freeriding one the great communities within our world of biking.

Any freerider willing to go a little deeper than the last crew and willing to look at the landscape from a fresh perspective will never run out of new lines to ride. It could be in a small valley no one has set foot in or right in the footsteps of those who have passed before. New eyes and new bikes constantly open doors in a place like this. We spent three weeks in total working a couple small areas maybe the size of a few hundred acres. With shots in the bag and bodies battered it eventually becomes time to head home. As we pull onto the highway and head north we drive for a solid hour all the while passing a-grade rideable terrain. Every two minutes someone says, “I can’t believe this is still going, it’s endless, just absolutely endless”. Eventually it does end and the landscape turns back to plain rolling hills and shrub trees but the humbling feeling remains. It’s all laying out there somewhere, waiting for the right rider to come along at the right time of day to see something no one else has.
_____________________

Strength in Numbers is presented by the Red Bull Media House, Shimano and Trek, in association with Contour HD, Clif Bar, Pinkbike and PRO Components. Additional support for the film is provided by the Whistler Mountain Bike Park, Kona, Toyota Trucks, Scion, Oakley, Easton, Evoc, Big Mountain Adventures, Verbier St. Bernard and Ride Nepal.

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February 15th, 2012

Everyone at Norco would like to offer Duncan a warm welcome to the team and the best of luck in the coming season. We are looking forward to working with you and offering the tools in making 2012 your best season yet!

 ________

From dirt.mpora.com

We are pleased to reveal that there will be a new face in the Dirt Norco Race Team pits this year. Alongside Ben Reid and Stanny will be Duncan Riffle.

D Riff inking his allegiance to Dirt

That gold sure looks good…. (kn)

Snafu is predominantly known as a BMX company, but they’ve made a big push into bigger wheels, 26” and 700c, in recent years. Leading their charge is the bright gold Crenshaw complete dirt jumper.

You wouldn’t think it would be that hard to pump out a half-decent bike when all you need is one brake, one gear, and as few moving parts as possible. But recent years have shown us some truly uninspired efforts. Low seat and a lower price point do not a competent jumper make. Without naming names, two of the most prolific complete makers have seen their efforts go from solid bikes, pared down to spindly steel machines with one-piece plastic seat/posts, the smallest gearing possible, one brake, and rims better suited to hybrids. Which brings us to the latest entry in this crowded market, the Snafu Crenshaw.

The complete bike is tough to build. Not only does the frame and specs have to be up to the exacting standards of scrawny kids in tight jeans who see a few pounds as the only obstacle between them and superstardom, but they have to be serviced and maintained by those same kids. These bikes get thrashed day in, day out, and although the average complete buyer isn’t exacting pro-level abuse, chances are they aren’t getting pro-level mechanic support. Putting this bike to a realistic test consists of more than a few laps through a pumptrack and thinking about it. Running it into the ground, dropping it on the floor, then going out and doing it again for a month without even a cursory glance at bolt tightness, headset preload, or wheel trueness gets you a bit closer to the real thing. Giving the bike hell and seeing what’s still functional when the dust clears is just about there. So that’s exactly what I did.

A few months late to the skatepark. (kn)

The matching gold frame, cranks, and bars just plain look good. Those three gold parts are rounded out by all-black components, with the exception of the seat, which is bizarrely enough matched to a sticker on the seat-tube. While it could look worse, I can’t help but think a plain black saddle would’ve looked better. The paint itself was fairly tough, taking a few months for the cranks to show shoe rub and some fairly hard bails for the frame to get chipped up. Other than the appearance, people checking the bike out seemed surprised, confused, and somewhat stoked that Snafu would spec a gyro on a complete bike, BMX riders unilaterally loved the stem, older riders were impressed by how short the chainstays were (15.5”), younger riders wondered if it rode tolerably with chainstays that long, and everyone was surprised the stock wheels survived longer than a week.

This is a bike that got tested hard. (kn)

The first thing I noticed about the frame, after getting over the colour, was the tire clearance. Coming from an NS frame that had trouble clearing a 1.95”, this was almost overwhelming. You could basically taco a wheel with a 1.9” tire and still ride it home on this frame. It comes equipped with a massive 2.35” tire, and even so it took a fair bit of pounding away before I even had to think about truing. The rest of the frame was very nicely done, from the removable gyro tabs, to the non-integrated seatclamp, a wise decision in the age of plastic seatposts that require literally frame-cracking seatclamp tightening to stay put. Here Snafu supplied their aftermarket Cerrito clamp, which is low-profile, lightweight, and has a steel insert that lets ham-fisted mechanics tighten until their Allen key twists.

The top tube is a nice comfortable 22.5”, head angle is on the steep side at 71 degrees, and the BB height is neutral (13”, 0 rise). Snafu chose to spec a Euro-threaded bottom bracket, which is a controversial but ultimately wise decision: It lets the buyer run any crank from mountain to BMX, and the issue of bearing size is essentially nullified by the advent of external BMX bottom brackets. Some solid frame construction rounds out the package: at just over 5 pounds, it isn’t the lightest but by no means is it the heaviest and in the course of testing, it only suffered one microscopic dent in the chainstay, from the crank/BB area flexing, which is practically universal in steel frames. The only fly in the ointment is the chainstay length, which at 15.5” puts the wheelbase of the bike on the long side. If Snafu took even half an inch off, the Crenshaw would instantly be catapulted to the front of the pack of high-end frames.

It's like they gave it all that clearance just for snow riding. (kn)

No question, the Velour plays a big part in the Crenshaw’s overall very respectable weight of 28.82 pounds bone stock. Weighing in at less than 4 pounds, and looking every inch a lightweight piece, this fork is certainly not meant for the bruisers out there. The paper-thin arch (the main place DJ/street forks tend to crack) and dropouts reminiscent of a bird’s talons had me doubting it right off the bat. Contrary to the spindly exterior, the fork rides beautifully. Even nearing the outrageously high maximum pressure, the fork always feels smooth and doesn’t top out excessively. The one little issue is the one-piece topcap/bolt (doubtless taking a page from the BMX book). It was extremely shallow and stripped out almost instantly. Luckily, like some BMX forks, the starnut is threaded for a hollow bolt. So it’s a quick fix, and if you want to throw a front brake on and do barspins, that’s one less worry. Bottom line: It works beautifully, and it’s a nice enough item that if you’re a part-breaker you can easily trade one for an Argyle if it’s not for you.

Solid, thin, clean (dm)

Top points to Snafu in the drivetrain department. Rather than going the usual easy route, and throwing on either Truvativ Ruktions or 8-spline BMX cranks with a pinch bolt, which are doubtless the most horrid part you can put on a bike, they dipped into their aftermarket offerings and slapped on their Mayweather 48-spline 3-piece cranks, a nice solid 30t sprocket (more on that later), N.EXT external bottom bracket and Anorexic metal pedals. The cranks performed flawlessly, in my opinion the less you have to say about cranks, the more it says about them. The pedals, with a nice thin profile, sealed bearings, and a minimal presence on my scale (388g), single-handedly brought me back to the metal pedal religion. I managed to rip a few pins out grinding on concrete ledges, but amazingly most of the pins stayed in.

Finally, the bottom bracket might be one of my favourite parts about this bike. Solving the problem that’s been plaguing BMX cranks in Euro bottom brackets for years, Snafu did away with the tiny internal bearings and took a page out of Shimano book, slapping massive Spanish bearings into an X-Type shell that uses the Shimano HollowTech tool to install and remove. These bearings just would not die. One day at the dirt jumps I noticed the cranks came slightly loose, and sand was clogging my drivetrain. So I took the opportunity to see just how much the bearings would put up with. I haven’t cleaned it out yet some two months later, and the cranks spin like they’re new. To my knowledge only a few companies offer this bottom bracket aftermarket. All credit to Snafu for putting it on a complete bike, where you won’t notice it because it just plain lasts. Simple? Yes. Effective? Very.

The sticker does help the seat blend in. (kn)

Snafu aftermarket items abound in the cockpit area, like everywhere else. Snafu is a big proponent of the railed seat over the pivotal standard, and they’re one of the only companies to still make high-end BMX railed seats and posts. On the Crenshaw I found a 27.2mm J-Bar post. Far from the cheap, crude 2-piece seatposts found on many complete BMX and DJ bikes, this is a thick, solid, one-piece machined post. Atop it is a Love Seat in the Rainbow Bolts colourway. This combination is definitely solid and high quality, but light it is not, at 595g uncut, with what might be the longest seatpost I have ever seen. Lopping 9 inches off dropped the combination down to 430g with a 4.5” post. However alongside the Love Seat in Snafu’s catalogue is the Solo one-piece seat and post, at a mere 228g padded. It can’t possibly be less comfortable than the rock-hard Love Seat, and the 368g weight savings would drop the bike under the 28-pound mark, which is pretty remarkable for such a strong bike, to say nothing of freeing up some money in the budget for other goodies. Not to mention a black seat would make the gold paint pop that much more.

The bar and stem also take pages from the BMX book. The bar, a steel 31.8mm item with 38mm of rise and a 28 inch width…wait, steel 31.8mm? Yep, Snafu makes their handlebar in the oversized diameter, but out of steel. While the bar didn’t bend or snap while under my care, I’ve got to question the wisdom of that construction. Burly as it may be, it’s also extremely heavy at 469g, and not particularly large. While steel bars are a growing trend in the street/DJ world, the diameter of choice is 22.2 (which would be easy enough for Snafu, since they make a BMX stem already) and the rise of choice is 3+”, or twice what this bar has. My recommendation: Just make the bar out of aluminum. Oversized aluminum bars have proven themselves plenty burly, especially since there’s suspension in the equation. And the (31.8mm) stem included is just not worth passing up or changing. The stem ended up being one of the big surprises of the test. Low stack height, low profile rounded back without sacrificing clamping strength, and deep-headed sensibly-sized hardware mean it does everything a stem should, flawlessly. Shaped like a BMX stem, it’ll either raise your bars up or drop them down, while catching the attention of every 20” rider who looks at your bike (seriously). Weighing in at only 188g puts it at the very top of my street/DJ stem list. Perfection.

The brake might be the most controversial part of the bike. A large part of the attention the bike was directed at that thing dangling around the headtube. Does a complete bike need a gyro? Does the intrinsic radness validate the added complication and weight? Once again, the spec was refreshingly high-end. Using a Mobeus gyro, AstroGlide cables, and Snafu’s C-Lever, the set-up is solid. Another big surprise of this bike is the rest of the brake – No, Snafu isn’t the first or last company to spec a Tektro caliper and rotor, but they made an excellent choice in equipping the Crenshaw with a Tektro Lyra caliper, Tektro’s road disc caliper. For those out of the loop, road calipers match up optimally with BMX levers. Props to Snafu for doing that research. The brake worked well and not having to worry about cable tangling was nice. But I can’t shake the feeling that a straight cable would work just as well, save some time spent fiddling, some grams, and some money off the bottom line.

There’s something truly beautiful about a lack of disc mounts. (kn)

Burly. That one word is a breath of fresh air in the complete bike wheel stakes. To answer the number one question: Yes, these wheels held up. Admirably. Starting at the inside, they build on Snafu’s Zenith BMX front hub and Satellite MTB rear hub, laced up to no-name pinned rims that are grooved for pads (perhaps for those removable U-Brakes), and clad in Snafu’s own Rim Job tire in the rear, and Knob Job tire in the front.

The wheels are probably the most important part of a complete bike: the first part that will disappoint, be it wobbliness, axles snapping, or bearing death, or all three as is often the case. These wheels held up beautifully. They took everything I threw at them and laughed it off, from 360s down 10-stair sets to riding up 5-stair sets, to some good ol’ fashioned skidding. The tires were fantastic for the most part. They both roll very quickly, but the front has a slightly deeper tread to better handle dirt. Despite constant skidding, the rear kept is tread admirably. Despite riding up stairs, running 40PSI over the limit, and grinding, neither tire ever flatted.

When I pulled the hubs apart, I found sealed bearings, a very welcome surprise, concealed behind an 11-tooth driver in the rear, with big beefy 17mm bolts that seemed to be just begging for grinds. The BMX influence was definitely welcome in this department. However I really have to question wisdom of the gear ratio. The golden number for BMX and DJ/street mountain bikes is 55 gear inches, and with that big 30 tooth up front, the Crenshaw packs 71. Add in the considerable heft of the wheels (preferable to light weak wheels of course), and you’ve got a bike that just does not like to accelerate. A 25 tooth sprocket, easily found in Snafu’s warehouse, would give a nice stiff ratio that’s still practical for everyday riding.

10 stairs, 360, stock rear wheel. (em)

After a solid thrashing with the stock build, I was unsatisfied with my results. The Crenshaw had survived my reputation as a frame denter, weld cracker, wheel murderer, and crank stripper. So I decided to take a radical step: With a few choice component changes, I built the bike up to feel as familiar and burly as I could. With a solid fork (Fox 36) in place, some wider bars to make me feel more at home, and a 20mm front wheel, I went out to the killing field to see what the three crucial components (crankset, frame, and rear wheel) could take. I have yet to extract an answer, which speaks volumes about the sheer bombproof nature of the bike, but it’s certainly more than the average rider can dish out.

The stock build was solid, light, and has an obsessive, meaningful attention to detail. Smart little details like the selection of a road caliper, removable mounts, and different front and rear tires abound, and the sheer competence of unglamorous parts like the stem and bottom bracket are indicative of one special bike. No bike is perfect, but most of the issues are very easily fixed. Buy it.

Review by CR Shepherd. Photos by Ethan Mitchell, Duran Muminoff, and Kenneth Ngai. Thanks to Harold McGruther at Snafu for providing a fantastic bike to thrash!

All smiles and confidence hitting the pump track section surrounded by her peers at Joyride 150

The idea of Women’s Weekend at Joyride 150 started when cyclists Tanya Hanham and Kim Jones attended the Women’s Weekend at Ray’s Indoor Bike Park in Cleveland, Ohio. Knowing that Joyride 150 had just opened in their own province just north of the border, they got in touch with Shannon Bentley, one of Joyride’s owners, and suggested that an all-ladies weekend should be organized. In it’s first year, Joyride’s Women’s Weekend attracted about 130 ladies from Southern Ontario; that number increased to about 140 this year and will no doubt rise in the years to come, especially since Joyride 150 is the only facility of its kind in Canada.

Rachel Summers, just one of the many qualified instructors at Joyride 150

This year, ladies had the opportunity to try their hand at any or all of the nine stations set up: Learn to Joyride, pump track, XC loop, bike mechanics, sport skinnies, jump lines, foam pit, bunny hops, and the street park. Every half hour, ladies were able to visit a new station where coaches would be ready to teach proper skills and techniques, so that the riders could get the best possible experience out of their session. “It is so inspiring to see the progression from the green jump line on Saturday, to looking up and seeing Rachel with a group on the first blue line, Ty and some ladies on the second, and group of girls working together on the expert line,” said Trish Bromley, one of the weekend’s coaches. “That teamwork and push is what this weekend is all about.” Stations, coaching, and the park itself were set up for ladies only from 9:00am until noon, when the park was then open to the general public. Women who participated in the morning sessions were also treated to a hot lunch, and were entered into a draw to win amazing prize packs from various sponsors.

Joyride 150 Women’s Weekend 2012 RFG from Free Form Media on Vimeo.

The reason that Women’s Weekend is so unique is that you have ladies ranging in age from 10 to 69, coming from all disciplines of biking, who are trying things they never thought they’d do in a million years. Rita Vitols, a Markham resident who usually rides at Joyride while her sons participate in the park’s after-school program, was one of those women, conquering her fear of launching into the foam pit. “Half-kidding, I told my youngest son that if he tried going into the foam pit, then I would too–not expecting him to actually do it. When he told me he had done it a couple weeks ago, I had to live up to my word.” With such a relaxed environment and so much support and encouragement from one another, many women, like Rita, were willing to be a bit more daring than usual. Courtnay Romkey, 34, felt like she had been given the chance to bring out her inner child: “This is my first time riding BMX since I was 8! It’s also my first time at Joyride. I’m a road cyclist, so this is awesome.”

Overall, the Joyride Women’s Weekend was a great success. Everyone in the building was all smiles as experiences were shared and accomplishments were made. First time visitors were already planning their next visit, and the regular ladies, albeit a handful of them, were stoked to see so many other women having such a great time riding bikes. “There is so much respect for one another here, and there is such a good vibe”, remarks Bentley, noting that even when it isn’t Women’s Weekend, there is always so much positive energy that goes around. Without question, it’s that positive energy, and of course, love for biking, that keeps everyone, ladies and gents alike, coming back for more.

Photos courtesy: Steve Hayes
Video courtesy: Andrew Pierias, Free Form Media

This series is about getting to know the people that make Joyride such a success, as well as those who are there on a daily basis, progressing themselves so far that a few are starting to show up on the FMBA pro circuits as well as in UCI events.

Brayden Barrett-Hay was one of the first guys I ever shot with and got to know at Joyride. He is by far one of the sickest dudes out there, and one of the most modest as well. Brayden is always pushing himself to learn that one new trick, or to go even bigger on the box jumps. 2011 was a huge year for him, competing on the world stage at a select few slopestyle events. Over the holidays I got a chance to catch up with Brayden, and to shoot privately with him after hours one night at Joyride.
 

The Interview:

First off, welcome and thanks for taking time out of your schedule to talk about your last season and plans for this year! This year has definitely had some highlights for you. What did you get up to?
This year I road my first pro slope style event, witch was Claymore Challenge. I also rode AT’s showdown at the end of the year and made a few edits mostly filmed at my local indoor park Joyride 150. This fall I also quit my full time job to work part time at Joyride 150 and really focus on riding.

The Claymore Challenge was definitely a big step up for you, in terms of entering the slopestyle scene. What was the most important thing you took away from your time in New Hampshire?
I realized how much I love the feeling of big contests, there is so much pressure and nerves, but when you pull through an make it to the bottom in 1 piece its like the best natural high that your body could ever feel. Claymore Challenge really showed me that I can and defiantly want to get competitive.

How do you prepare for competitions like the Claymore Challenge? Does a place like Joyride150 help you with achieving your goals and improving your riding?
Joyride has helped me so much, without this park I definitely wouldn’t be where I am today. Having this park half an hour from my house has given me so much opportunity. I can learn or improve anything i want. Before I had Joyride all I had was a small local outdoor park and a shovel to dig jumps. Lots of motivation; but not alot of opportunity to improve my riding.

Joyride has been such a huge success since it’s opening just a few years ago, and has definitely changed the Ontario riding scene; what do you think Joyride means to our community? How has it strengthened the Ontario cycling family?
Joyride has made it so that everyone in the Ontario riding scene knows each other on a personal basis, and all of the young kids coming up are progressing so ridiculously fast. They can ride any day no matter the weather and their is always someone here to help them progress.

There are a lot of great things to say about Joyride. What would you say is your favourite thing (or feature) about the park?
I’d say my favourite thing about the park is that your can ride anything, From skate park to jumps, foam pit and resi, Skinnies and XC, pump tracks and even some street stuff. You can learn anything you want in this building, we even have a gym with spin bikes in it.

I’ve noticed that every time you drop in, you tap your helmet. What’s up with that?
Haha, it’s a bit of an OCD thing, I always use to knock on wood every time I thought of something bad. I started knocking on my head instead when I was a kid before I hit a jump every time and as I’ve gotten older it has just stuck. Now literally every time I do anything, I knock on my head for good luck haha.

Apart from having an awesome place to train, what/who else has been helping you out to get to where you are?
This past year I have really seen a lot more support. My family has really been there as much as they possibly can! When I was a kid my mom was always their to help me get parts or letting build jumps on our lawn. My sister has been the one person I knew I could count on; over the past few years she has done so much to get me where I am. Also this past year Keenan Gregor, helped me out with getting to Claymore Challenge and AT’s Show down. Another person who has helped me out a lot is Drew Bezanson. He has taught me so much on and off my bike. I was always so focused and motivated but I didn’t really believe I could make it. Drew taught me to believe in my capabilities, if you set your mind to something then nothing will hold you back.

Highlight of 2011?
I would say my Highlight of 2011 was flying to California and riding in AT’s showdown that course was crazy! That trip was amazing I’ve always dreamed of riding in Cali so to get that opportunity was a dream come true.

What bike(s) will you be on for the 2012 season?
For the 2012 season I will actually be riding 2 new bikes, I’m going to be riding the Morpheus Skyla slope style frame and the Morpheus Vimana dirt jump bike!

Setting goals is a key factor to anyone’s success. What goals do you have for the 2012 season?
For the 2012 season I will be competing in the FMBA world tour standings, so I’d like to participate in all the North American Events. I’d also like to compete in 1 or 2 events over in Europe. Also, I would like to hopefully make it into a lot of edits as well. And just as always, I want to focus on improving the way I ride my bike everyday.

Any shout outs?
I’d like to say thanks to Mike From Morpheus bikes for helping me out with frames for the 2012 season. Also I’d like to thank Eric from Deity for supporting me with components for my bikes. Last but not least I’d like to thank my friends and family for giving me so much support to get me this far, and hopefully much further.
I know I speak for most people when I say we are stoked to see you making a name for yourself in the big leagues! Good luck in 2012!

ExpoCycle Returns To Toronto & Condenses Show Dates For 2012

Wednesday, January 25, 2012 – The Bicycle Trade Association of Canada (BTAC) announces the return of ExpoCycle, Canada’s National Bike Show, to Toronto, Ontario. Managed and produced by BTAC, ExpoCycle is the largest and only show of its kind in Canada’s cycling industry. ExpoCycle will take place September 8-10, 2012 at the Direct Energy Centre located in downtown Toronto.

The 2012 show will also see a condensed number of show days, starting off with a Public Day on Saturday, September 8th, followed by two Industry Days on Sunday, September 9th and Monday, September 10th. Building on last year’s first Public Day, ExpoCycle will once again provide consumers with a one day exclusive opportunity to see firsthand the latest cycling products on display by over 800 brands.

BTAC is currently forming a local organizing committee to create awareness of the Public Day through Toronto’s cycling communities and to develop opportunities with local cycling groups. This committee will play a key role and work with BTAC Staff to develop features and events for the Public Day.

You may find these events in our Event Calendar here:  Public Day, Industry Trade Show