[Bigwheel]

Spent the day at Snowmass yesterday taking in a NORBA point series race. When the circus is that close to town it is good to go see it! However I will say right off that Snowmass is a pretty lame venue, even for a ski area, for a mtb race.

Anyway there was plenty of action at the start/finish.

The Maverick Maiden was sporting a very she she outfit I thought, subtle sublimation.

Here's Wiensy doing his best as RLX team manager.

Jimena won the race and Shonny came in 2nd with Willow 3rd. Not sure where the Specialized rider came in but my buddy that is working the circuit said she was one to watch....I concur.

There was a kill hill up the area and these ladies were rubbing elbows as they went by!

And there were some guys racing too....Todd Wells 1st and JHK 2nd so the Olympic selection process for the men at least seems to have worked.

It was Travis Browns 42nd Bday (just saw on VN that it was his 35th, could have sworn they said 42 though..) and Ned Overend raced at the ripe old age of 48, Travis was in the top 10 and Ned was top 20. As to 29"er content I saw one GF rider pretty far back in the pack on one of the new blue Supercals but I couldn't find the bike to get a picture when I cruised by the GF pit.

Oh yeah, the bad news. I went by the Kenda tent and Jim W. showed me the 2005 catalog that they are working on and there is no 2.3 tire in it. There is going to be a 2.2 Kharma however which is one more tire on the pile at least.

 

[Cloxxki]

Thanks for the report!

A 2.2 Kharma might not be what the SS and big mountain riders long for in terms of big meat, but something very usefull for an Olympian going for gold. A 2.2" would offer some nice volume for fast cornering, and the Kharma tread has a good rep as a race tire, in terms of rolling resistance, at least that's what I've heard. I must say it does look promising. Can't wait to try some!

 

[Cloxxki]

Today was the day of the Dutch XC Nationals in Zoetermeer. On this third consecutive tropical day (30+ºC), the course ran over the hills of a former waste dump location, otherwise everything would have been below sea level.

-23 National Champion (since last may) Jelmer Pietersma was 4th on his 29" Nishiki Bigfoot. He ran a Pace rigid fork and WTB Nanoraptor tires. Same basic setup for his teammates Micha de Vries (7th) and Bram van der Wal (dropping back from 10th to 18th due to cramps). Bram sometimes posts on here.
National Elite champion, for the 7th time, became Bart Brentjens who already escaped on the first lap and never let his lead come under 30 seconds. 2nd was Maarten Tjallingii, 3rd Erwin Bakker. Brentjens (35, and the '96 Atlanta Olympic gold winner) left his rumored 29" test bike at home, or in his huge T-Mobile Giant trailer. I'm hoping, but not putting money in it, that he'll try it as a surprise-action in Athens, for what will probably be his last Olympics.
Hmm, a 29" Giant MCM carbon, that'd be tempting! Or will Trek beat them offering the first carbon 29"er, with a surprise OCLV in the Olympics or on Eurobike? I wonder who those Olympians were, that the Fisher website reported asking Rockshox for a 29" fork to try.

 

[Kolo]

Man, that big Kona boy needs a 29"er - who is he? Looks to be about 6'6". Unfortunately my email to Kona asking for an explosif 29"er came back with a friendly but resounding no.

Sam

 

[Bigwheel]

Man, that big Kona boy needs a 29"er - who is he?
Sam

That is Geoff Kabush. He ended up coming in third after experiencing a broken chain on the first lap which pushed him well off the pace. He charged the second lap hill climb and passed all but the top two finishers. I saw him ride by before staging and thought the very same thing myself, he looked like he was on his way to a circus act, not a bike race!

 

[nightfire]

29" Giant MCM carbon

I would have one of those straight away. Even if I have snapped one of those before.

Can't blame giant for that. Most bikes would be wrecked by the crash that did it.

P::..

 

[ssmike]

That is Geoff Kabush. He ended up coming in third after experiencing a broken chain on the first lap which pushed him well off the pace. He charged the second lap hill climb and passed all but the top two finishers. I saw him ride by before staging and thought the very same thing myself, he looked like he was on his way to a circus act, not a bike race!

Actually, Kabush is in the Maxxis jersey. Next to him in the Kona jersey #36 is 6'5" Ryan Trebon. The other Kona rider, #20, is Barry Wicks who also looks to be well over 6'.

 

[Bigwheel]

Actually, Kabush is in the Maxxis jersey. Next to him in the Kona jersey #36 is 6'5" Ryan Trebon. The other Kona rider, #20, is Barry Wicks who also looks to be well over 6'.

Thanks Mike, I guess I wasn't paying that much attention to the mens class obviously.

 

[cursivearmy]

welp...

Thanks Bob for the Pics..

you should have gone by the Man-a Two trailer and given my two best pals and old roomates Lance and Clarke, the two head race techs, a hard time about no fork and general ribbing from me. they need it, Nerds.

Ryan and Barry definetly need 29"ers, and as a Kona dealer, i'll continue to give them crap about no 29"er Explosif frame. shouldn't be that tricky to do. i'd take on for sure, and some for the shop.

anyone needing a pair of kevlar Nano's give me a shout.

abby from American is a friggin great racer eh.

over and out
nate

 

[ssmike]

Thanks Bob for the Pics..

you should have gone by the Man-a Two trailer and given my two best pals and old roomates Lance and Clarke, the two head race techs, a hard time about no fork and general ribbing from me. they need it, Nerds.

Ryan and Barry definetly need 29"ers, and as a Kona dealer, i'll continue to give them crap about no 29"er Explosif frame. shouldn't be that tricky to do. i'd take on for sure, and some for the shop.

anyone needing a pair of kevlar Nano's give me a shout.

abby from American is a friggin great racer eh.

over and out
nate

Could have talked a bit of vintage with Lance from Manitou as he has a sweet Potts.

 

[never_was]

Thanks Bob for the Pics..

you should have gone by the Man-a Two trailer and given my two best pals and old roomates Lance and Clarke, the two head race techs, a hard time about no fork and general ribbing from me. they need it, Nerds.

Ryan and Barry definetly need 29"ers, and as a Kona dealer, i'll continue to give them crap about no 29"er Explosif frame. shouldn't be that tricky to do. i'd take on for sure, and some for the shop.

anyone needing a pair of kevlar Nano's give me a shout.

abby from American is a friggin great racer eh.

over and out
nate

Being from Vancouver, where Kona is, it's not really 29" country. I'm one of 3 people I know that ride them here. It's just night and day from more southern terrain.

 

[Kolo]

Being from Vancouver, where Kona is, it's not really 29" country. I'm one of 3 people I know that ride them here. It's just night and day from more southern terrain.

Well that was pretty much their response when I mailed them. However, they do sell some bikes outside the Vancouver area don't they?

 

[DeeEight]

Thanks for the report!

A 2.2 Kharma might not be what the...

that's if its a REAL 2.2" width tire. I've found Kenda often overstates their tire sizes. Maybe they changed their measuring system and correctly relabled all the 2.35s as 2.2s cause that's what they've always seemed to have been anyways.

 

[Cloxxki]

Almost everyone overstates their tires. So a 2.2" should end up like a pretty fast and light race tire. It almost seems like Bontrager made their Jones a 2.2" to have it wide enough for the demanding 29" crowd.
BTW, DeeEight, you here? Working on some cool 29" project perhaps?