Matti Lehikoinen Injury Update

4X Master Builder Phil Saxena Interview

Dan Atherton's Commencal Titanium 4X Bike

Lisbon Downtown Downhill

Andorra World Cup DH Final Analysis: Sam Hill vs. Gee Atherton

Animal Commencal Podcast 7

Athertons On a Roll at World Cup Andorra

Lucent Productions - Free Delivery
Full length video (Not all DH racing, but it's some good stuff!)

MTB Cribs - Cedric Gracia  Courtesy of Freecaster.tv

FluidRide Cup - Port Angeles   Courtesy of Leana Gerrard

The Port Angeles Fluid Ride Cup was amazing. Pretty much hero dirt all weekend due to strategically timed spring showers which watered the dirt just the right amount. The dual slalom course was prime, and a bit faster than the first time around.

The downhill course was the best track I've been on in a long time. I think everyone had permanent smiles on their faces it was that great. The top was fast and super tacky, the middle was tight and rooty and the bottom boasted a section dubbed "Justice" because every tough section needs a hard core name. We also had a good turnout with riders from Australia, Canada, Southern California, Nevada and all across the N-Dub making the trip.

 Maribor World Cup - Video Coverage courtesy of Freecaster.tv

Maribor World Cup - e.13 Tech Session with Cannondale

Maribor World Cup - Cedric Gracia Interview

T.I.A. (This Is Australia) Film by Sam Davies

Brian Lopes Interview

14th Annual Southridge Winter Series - Round 5 (Finals)

New Zealand Open

Open Men:
1. Justin Leov 2.22.86
2. Cameron Cole 2.26.06
3. Sam Blenkinsop 2.26.14
4. Kieran Bennett 2.26.58
5. Nathan Sharratt 2.26.97

Turtle Races
You know that guy that weaves in and out of traffic at ridiculous speeds only to be caught at the next light?  I love that guy, he always reminds me to slow down to get somewhere faster.  I was that guy for so many years.  Speeding super fast because it "felt" fast and it got my adrenaline pumping.  Going fast feels good...


 

14th Annual Southridge Winter Series - Round 5 (Finals)

New Zealand Open

Open Men:
1. Justin Leov 2.22.86
2. Cameron Cole 2.26.06
3. Sam Blenkinsop 2.26.14
4. Kieran Bennett 2.26.58
5. Nathan Sharratt 2.26.97

Turtle Races
You know that guy that weaves in and out of traffic at ridiculous speeds only to be caught at the next light?  I love that guy, he always reminds me to slow down to get somewhere faster.  I was that guy for so many years.  Speeding super fast because it "felt" fast and it got my adrenaline pumping.  Going fast feels good...

Leaping Lizards DH Race
Laguna Beach, California (March 1, 2008)

1. Brian Lopes
2. Kevin Aiello
3. Joe Lawwill

It was great to hear that Chris Powell participated in the event!  Chris is back in action & riding like a champ again!

Lopes had a great weekend on his NEW Ibis 6" travel bike, which resulted in two 1:59 runs!

14th Annual Southridge Winter Series presented by SHIMANO
Round 4 
FONTANA, Calif. (February 24, 2008) - The 4^th round of the 14^th Annual Southridge Winter Series, presented by Shimano, took place this past weekend.   I was honestly not anxious to attend this particular weekend, as southern California was going through a series of rainstorms.  I don’t mind the rain, having grown up back east, but knowing that you’re going to get wet & muddy… it just doesn’t get me into the mood to ride & set up the booth.   However, to my surprise, driving up the 15 freeway to the picturesque town of Fontana… yes, I said picturesque...  I was releived and had a smile on my face!  No, it wasn’t a jaw dropping view, but here in suburban southern California, when you see a somewhat descent sight of "nature” you don’t take it for granted!  The local, snowcapped San Bernardino mountains were quite a site, rolling into town, as the low lying clouds set up a rather beautiful setting.  With that said, I was in for a great weekend!
Read the report!

Southern California Bike Park?  Could be!    Let your voice be heard!
a message from Eric Carter..

"I've been working on this for quite a while now and it has taken a lot longer then I thought it would! I have been trying to keep it on the down low, but the owner has asked me to see what the response is.  I know what the answer will be, but we need to make it a group effort!
Read more on how you can make this possible!

New Zealand National Championships

MTX - Pro Men
1. Cameron Cole
2. Reon Boe
3. Sam Blenkinsop
4. Matt Walker

14th Annual Southridge Winter Series presented by SHIMANO
Round 4 - Quick Results!
DOWNHILL - Pro Men
1. Chris Kovarik (CRC - Intense)  2:33:93
2. Jason Memmelaar  2:42:07
3. Cody Warren  2:43:54
4. David KlassenVanOorschot (Soutridge ODI) 2:44:80
5. Waylon Smith  2:45:03

DOWNHILL - Pro Women
1. Melissa Buhl  2:57:11
2. Claire Buchar  3:02:25
3. Michelle Rivera  3:18:39
4. Lauren Petterson  3:39:59
5. Sarah Jansen  3:53:85

MTX - Pro Men
1. Dale Holmes
2. Eric Carter
3. Leo Garcia
4. Jake Kinney

*Yah, it's not DH, but it was GREAT to see Supercross Lites star Ryan Dungey (Makita/Suzuki) and SX/MX legend Johnny O'mara racing XC.   Dungey had a little easier day has he won in a class of 1 (Ex 18 & under).  Johnny had the last last as well, beating Ryan by just over 6 seconds

Mob N The Mojave
Boulder City, Nevada. (February 17, 2008) - Yah, yah, I know... I'm a little behind on this report.  My apologies.  Unfortunately, with a lot of rumors &  discrepancies, I wanted to see if I could get a clearer picture on what was going on at the event before I wrote my report.  With that said, I still don't have a clue what the hell went on!   Ha ha!
Read the report!
 

Jared Graves' new BMX
Yah, I know it's a little off topic (hence the "Off Topic" Feature), but this thing is just too sweet to pass up!  Could there be a more perfect bike for the '08 Olympics?!?! Check out what Jared will be racing on!

"Frame came in at 2kg on the dot for frame and BB (4.4 lbs) on my frame (21.5 Top Tube).  Complete build up as pictured, 9.1kg (20lbs exactly).  Were also trying something new on this frame. The new Shimano pressed BB cups, you can still run any normal external bearing cranks, so dont worry about that, its just a touch lighter and stiffer apparantly. Its going to be a pretty standard thing throughout the entire 2008 YETI range."

- Jared Graves

Mob N The Mojave
Boulder City, Nevada (February 17, 2008)

Men's Open DH Class
1. Jon Wilson  5:02:2  $500
2. Ryan Condrashoff  (Santa Cruz / X-Fusion / Nema) 5:02:4  $200
3. Aaron Gwin (Team Yeti)
4. Logan Bingelli (KHS)
5. Chris Heath
6. Brad Benedict ( Santa Cruz / X-Fusion / Nema)

Women's  DH Class
1. Lisa Myklak

*Fastest time of the day goes to JrX winner Kevin Aiello with a 4:59
Report & photos coming soon!

14th Annual Southridge Winter Series presented by SHIMANO -Round 3
FONTANA, Calif. (February 12, 2008) - This last weekend marked the 3^rd round of the 14^th Annual Southridge Winter Series presented by Shimano.  Shimano or event organizers must have added a little something extra to the mix, as the weekend was the first worry free race of the year. 
Read the Report

14th Annual Southridge Winter Series presented by SHIMANO
Round 3 - Quick Results!
FONTANA, Calif. (February 10, 2008) -  Can Kovarik be defeated?  For the third straight race in the Southridge Winter Series, Chris Kovarik proves that his winter training in southern California is paying off.  Even with an extra $100 offered to the person who could best Kovarik's time, no one could topple the speedy aussie. Stay tuned for event photos & race report.

DOWNHILL - Pro Men
1. Chris Kovarik (CRC - Intense)  1:47:64
2. Aaron Gwin (Yeti)  1:49:35
3. Waylon Smith  1:49:50
4. Ian Odom (Brodie)  1:49:51
5. Ryan Condrashoff  (SantaCruz/X-fusion/Nema)  1:50:12

DOWNHILL - Pro Women
1. Claire Buchar  2:02:60
2. Katrina Strand  2:10:58 
3. Gabriela Williams  2:14:33
4. Lauren Peterson 2:14:58
5. Jenna Kowalski  2:16:84

MTX - Pro Men
1. Chad Lorrain (Brodie)
2. John Hauer (Mongoose/X-fusion/Nema)
3. Ryan Condrashoff (SantaCruz/X-fusion/Nema)
4. Daniel Cortina (Cortina)

Australian National Finals - Mt Beauty, VIC

Word has just come in that Sam Hill has won the Mt Beauty round of the Australian National by 7 seconds!  Following Sam were Canada's Steve Smith & Australian Nathan Rennie.

Elite Men
1. Sam Hill - 3:10.98
2. Steve Smith - 3:17.78
3. Nathan Rennie - 3:18.09
4. Rick Boyer - 3:19.78
5. Liam Panozzo - 3:19.96

Elite Women
1. Tracy Moseley - 3:42.62
2. Tracey Hannah - 3:51.26
3. Caroline Buchanan - 4:11.50
4. Jayne Rutter - 4:15.19
5. Claire Whiteman - 4:23.86

Full results here (.pdf) courtesy of Farkin.net

14th Annual Southridge Winter Series presented by SHIMANO - Round 2
FONTANA, Calif. (January 28, 2008) - The 2^nd round of the 14^th Annual Southridge Winter Series presented by Shimano, kicked off this past weekend under surprisingly beautiful conditions!  While the rest of the country is under snow, and the majority of California is getting pounded by rain storms, it was surprising to see that the small town of Fontana be perfectly set up for some epic riding!
-Read More-

Australian National Downhill Championships - Final Results

Elite Men
1. Nathan Rennie (Santa Cruz Syndicate) - 2:37.95
2. Bryn Atkinson (GT/Oakley/DylanDeanDesigns) - 2:40.11
3. Ben Cory - 2:41.47
4. Steve Smith (CAN) - 2:42.74
5. Jared Rando (Giant)- 2:43.13

Elite Women
1. Tracy Moseley (UK) - 3:01.12
2. Tracey Hannah - 3:01.18

For a complete list of results, click here. (courtesy of Farkin.net)
 

14th Annual Southridge Winter Series presented by SHIMANO - Round 2
FONTANA, Calif. (January 27, 2008) -  Even though California is getting pounded by heavy rainstorms, that didn't dampen the sprits of those who attended the 2nd round of the Southridge Winter Series.  Luckily, for those who braved the "dreary forecast," the rains held off both days - resulting in some epic riding conditions!  Chris Kovarik took the men's win again, although by a smaller margin (1 sec).  Melissa Buhl drove in from Arizona to get some riding in, and doubled up for her efforts... taking the DH & MTX victories!  Here's a quick rundown for the weekend, stay tuned for a full report & photos!

DOWNHILL - Pro Men
1. Chris Kovarik (CRC - Intense)
2. Eric Carter (Mongoose)
3. Ryan Condrashoff (SantaCruz/X-fusion/Nema)
4. Waylon Smith
5. Ian Odom (Brodie)

DOWNHILL - Pro Women
1. Melissa Buhl (KHS)
2. Claire Buchar
3. Michelle Rivera  2:52:67
4. Jenna Kowalski  2:53:56
5. Lauren Peterson  2:54:02

MTX - Pro Men
1. Eric Carter (Mongoose)
2. Logan Binggeli (KHS)
3. John Hauer (Mongoose/X-fusion/Nema)
4. Ryan Condrashoff (SantaCruz/X-fusion/Nema)

Australian National Downhill Championships - Qualifying

Elite Men
1. Bryn Atkinson (GT/Oakley/DylanDeanDesigns)- 2:41.06
2. Nathan Rennie (Santa Cruz Syndicate)- 2:43.25
3. Steve Smith (CAN) - 2:43.86
4. Jared Rando (Giant)- 2:44.96
5. Amiel Cavalier (Giant)- 2:45.81

Women
1. Tracey Hannah - 3:00.04
2. Tracy Mosely (UK) - 3:01.94
3. Julia Boer - 3:21.23

DH Free Agents!
San Marcos, Calif. (January 15, 2008) - With 2008 now officially here, and the "silly season" nearly over, it's surprising to see a few names still available in the FREE AGENT market.  A former US DH Champ, New Zealand DH Champ, & many other fast riders.  In order to help some deserving riders find a good home, PINNED has decided to post up a few names of riders who could use a ride in '08!
Sponsor Me!

14th Annual Southridge Winter Series presented by SHIMANO - Round 1
FONTANA, Calif. (January 14, 2008) - Southern California kicked off 2008 with packed crowds for the 14th Annual Southridge Winter Series presented by SHIMANO.  Riders throughout the southwest traveled to the small california suburb to test out their winter fitness... little did they know, they'd be challenged to the best of their ability just to make it down the hill!
Read the report here!

14th Annual Southridge Winter Series presented by SHIMANO - Round 1
FONTANA, Calif. (January 13, 2008) -  After a beautiful day of riding & MTX racing on Saturday, where we saw EC take a fairly easy win over the competition, winds picked up overnight & HOWLED!   In the Downhill, it was a roll of the dice whether or not you got a head wind, tail wind, or a hurricane in your run.  Chris Kovarik didn't let mere hurricane winds slow him down!  Here's a quick rundown for the weekend, stay tuned for a full report & photos!

MTX - Men
1. Eric Carter (Mongoose)
2. Rich Houseman (Yeti)
3. Logan Binggeli (KHS)
4. Carter Holland (Black Market Bikes)

New Zealand National Round - Nelson
NELSON, New Zealand. (January 13, 2008) - A brief report & photos can be found here.

DOWNHILL - Men
1. Justin Leov  3min 2.58sec
2. Nathan Rankin  3min 3.07sec
3. Matt Scoles  3min 10.09sec

*"Top qualifier Kieren Bennett looked to be on target to threaten Leov's time, until he crashed at a jump near the bottom of the coruse, losing about 10 seconds before finishing 3min 11.03sec."
 

'Access Hollywood' Inspiration: Tara Llanes
LOS ANGELES, Calif. (December 26, 2007) – Olympic mountain bike hopeful Tara Llanes has an important story this holiday season because it represents struggle, triumph, tragedy, determination and hope.
-Watch the Video!-

The Gravey Compound - Phase 1!
December 16, 2007
Ever thought about building jumps in your backyard?  Jared Graves did!   ...but he's on a total different level!  Serious to his training & the commitment to do it right, you could say Jared's having a little fun!
-more-

Australian National DH-3 / MTX-4 - Thredbo
December 16, 2007
"Heavy rain forced the cancellation of the final runs in the national series downhill mountain bike round in Thredbo today. Heavy rain overnight and again throughout the day caused track conditions on the famous Cannonball run to deteriorate.  With elite riders aware that their qualifying run could be the final run of the day many took advantage to get their best time." continue reading the press release here

 full results (courtesy Farkin.net)
 

New Zealand National DH Series -Round 1
Napier, New Zealand

courtesty of Kieran Bennett

Pro Men DH
1. Sam Blenkinsop (Gravity Group)
2. Justin Leov (Yeti / Fox)
3. Wyn Masters

Pro Women DH
1. Amy Laird

* Cameron Cole made his return to racing on a borrowed bike.  In his own words, he was "just going for a ride."   Great to see him back regardless!
 

NEMA Dual Slalom Course at Chamberlin Ranch
Thanks to NEMA International, Chamberlin Ranch was able to enlist one of the sports best Dual Slalom builders, Landon Taylor, to come down from Lake Tahoe to construct the new permanent Dual Slalom course on "NEMA Hill".
-more-
 


 

Megavalanche - Reunion
The time had come, no turning back now. I was set for a front row start of a race format I had never entered before. 120 riders all starting at the same time on a 50 minute downhill.
-more-










 

Semi-Pro
by Heath Sherratt
What is the dirtiest word in all of racing? Hmmmm..... could it be cheater?  Maybe.  How about, doper? That's a good one.  But what about the word..."Sandbagger"?
-more-

Australian National - Illlinbah
Elite MTX #3 Men
1. Jared Graves (Yeti/Fox)
2. Richard Levinson
3. Bryn Atkinson (GT, THE, Oakley, Dylan Dean Designs, CTI, Crank Bros)
4. Tom Hubert

Elite MTX #3 Women
1. Caroline Buchanan
2. Danielle Beecroft
3. Jess Millett (*Jared Graves' Girlfriend - 1st MTX Race!)
4. Sarsha Huntington

Full Results (.xls)  courtesy of Farkin.net

Elite DH #2 Men
1. Nathan Rennie 3:13.74 (Santa Cruz Syndicate)
2. Bryn Atkinson 3:19.95 (GT, THE, Oakley, Dylan Dean Designs, CTI, Crank)
3. Mitch Delfs 3:22.96
4. Amiel Cavalier 3:23.42 Giant Bicycles, Spearman Cycles
5. Ben Cory 3:25.58

Elite DH #2 Women
1. Tracey Hannah 3:49.33
2. Emma McNaughton 4:16.19 Kona Mt Buler Adidas Gamut Shimano Mavic
3. Claire Whiteman 4:19.62

Full Results (.xls)  courtesy of Farkin.net
 

16th Annual Southridge Challenge
Fontana, California
With the rest of the country starting to settle down for the winter, southern California is still going strong with their final race of the year.  The 16th Annual Southridge Challenge took place this past Sunday..
-more-





 

Competition vs. War
by Heath Sherratt
Racing...it's there to lay all opinion aside. It's there to gauge your performance versus the rest of the world.  No guessing.  No argument.  Just results.  Just the elapsed time between the last beep and the finish line.  Do you have what it takes?  To be the best?  Can you beat the competition?  That raises an interesting question that has taken me to different places than I expected...  
-more-




 

Tara Llanes Video Coverage on CBS 4 - Denver
You've gotta check this video interview out about Tara.  If it makes you tear up a little, you're not alone!  She's a true fighter!  cbs4denver.com


Support Tara!

Cedric Gracia Back In Action!
CG dropped us a line to let us know ... "I got my cast of yesterday... Training today!"

More wrist photos







 

X-Fusion PROTOTYPE DH Air Shock!
Dubbed the "H3 LT," X-Fusion is working on a lightweight DH shock made for the rugged courses of the NMBS & World Cups?  The susupension world has a legitimate contender!
-more-

DMR Now Selling Complete Bikes in USA
DMR Bikes, th undisputed kings of 24 & 26" jump and SLALOM bikes in the UK, are now selling complete bikes in the USA through BTI.
www.dmrbikes.com






 

The Original DH Race
What better way to launch a downhill race specific website, than to pay hommage to the FIRST downhill race in histroy!

"A strange bicycling event called "Repack" changed my life, starting in 1976, when the first downhill off-road race took place on a road a few people called "Repack" road, just outside Fairfax, California..."
Read more about Repak Riders





 

DEAN Optics?!?!?!
So..."a little birdie" told me that the man who's got his hands in just about everything these days, Jeremiah Dylan Dean, might be working on a new optics brand.  If it's a go,... expect to see some big names supporting JDD in '08! 

Stay Tuned!