Crankzone

Admittedly when we first posted our list of the top 100 mountain bike trails in the world it was a bit of a gimmick. Obviously we haven’t ridden every trail on the planet so we had to automate things a bit with a “super secret” trail ranking algorithm to build the list.
Of course our list isn’t perfect and frankly it never will be – computers don’t know how to mount…

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The second annual Handcycle and Adaptive Mountain Bike festival was held at Keystone (see link for pics) this past weekend and this year’s turnout was about double that of last year. Physically disabled riders got a chance to try downhill adaptive mountain biking where bikes can cost upwards of $10,000 and the learning curve can be steep (pun intended).
I’ve always been amazed at peopl…

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In response to my “You be the judge” post, someone from Orbea USA left a comment pointing toward an open letter that was written jointly by the top executives at Orbea and Kestrel. Both companies feel that any similar elements on the frames are just coincidental. With the letter, they want to let the cycling public know that neither company believes that any copying took place. Also, it is wor…

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A commenter on a recent blog post asked an interesting question: what makes a mountain bike trail a distinct trail? That is, if a single area (like Tsali in NC or Buffalo Creek in CO) has multiple trails, is each trail a distinct trail worthy of its own listing on singletracks? This is a question that we’ve struggled with for years and it’s one that mountain bike guidebook writers have…

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As a final year design student at the University of Derby in England, Paul Smith designed a bike trailer that doubles as a generator. “It’s a pure concept in sustainable transport” explains Paul. The trailer concept, called Navitas, is the first to create its own renewable energy. The rear wheel splits 3 ways to become a vertical axis turbine. In addition to the wind power, a compact solar …

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Via recent IMBA email:
The Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA), a major landholder in the Southeast, is revising its management policies at several sites with popular mountain biking trail systems. Affected trails include those at Fontana, Hiwassee and Tanasi, an IMBA Epic. Specifically, TVA is soliciting public comment on appropriate recreation uses on public lands along nine reservoir sites in Geor…

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I was planning to post another student concept today, but I am taking a short lunch and don’t have time to pull it together. In the mean time, you can check out an interesting Australian student design concept over at Spinopsys.I mentioned recently that I am seeing bikes a lot more often in design and shelter magazines these days. This morning, I was flipping through the July issue of House and …

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Here’s a new one (to me anyway): valet parking for your mountain bike. Apparently the Iowa Outdoor Wellness Adventure (I.O.W.A.) offered valet bike parking at their debut event last week. Bikers exchanged their bikes for a claim ticket while volunteers “parked” the bikes in a secure area. I dunno, for some reason I would still feel more comfortable giving my car to a valet than m…

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First I want to thank all of you who have emailed me with design submissions in the last month or so. I really do enjoy seeing conceptual designs from students or from anyone for that matter. I have quite a few submitted designs in the queue to post, but I just have been insanely busy lately with work and other projects. If you did submit a design to me, I probably have it in my “to post folder�…

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Mountain bikers looking to add a mental challenge to their rides should check out mountain bike orienteering, a sport that is popular in the UK and Australia. I just came across some info about an upcoming event and I found out there’s even a national governing body for mountain bike orienteering in the United Kingdom.
So here’s how it works (at least my understanding). Riders are give…

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