here it is on a 5lb Santa Cruz Tallboy frame. Yes, it clears. Seatstay clearance is pretty much a non-issue, given the lack of a cross brace on the Tallboy, and there's room down below, too. Plus, these tires just look mean:
But, you know, there are things you can do, and things you should do, and sometimes--like here--there's probably an ocean of difference between the two. When you think about it, and even if you don't, 1400g is a little heavy for a tire.
Still, we suspect these tires may be bought by the rigid steel crowd, and we suspect this because, after riding them only briefly, that was exactly what we wanted to do. Huge advocates of tons and tons of tire clearance, Niner helpfully built not only their R.I.P. and W.F.O. but also all of their hardtails as if they knew that one day they'd help WTB make a beast of a tire like this. While we haven't tried them all, here's the Kodiak in a Scandium Air 9.
It fits. Significant? Compared to the end of the Mayan calendar and Google Wave, maybe not. But consider this: while you probably can't get quite as much float out of Kodiak as an Endomorph, you're going to be able to fit a Kodiak in a lot of hardtail frames--particularly all Niners. And with a big squishy tire like that, you're less compelled to bother with a suspension fork. You might even eschew the decadence of gears. And what you'd be left with is a super simple, borderline indestructible, bicycle-shaped grin machine. Talk about a revolution. Permalink
Posted by Jim on 11/17/09
GET YOUR MILRAM FIX
Have you ever wanted to own a frameset produced for a ProTour team, but didn't think you could afford the genuine article? Well, now you can get your hands on a Focus Izalco Team Milram Edition--and you're buying more than just a paint job here. Focus built these as backup frames specifically for the Milram team's 2009 campaign. In this case, we're happy to pass Milram's luck on to you. Because Gerdemann, Ciolek and company needed hardly any replacement frames the entire season, these backup frames are now available.
We have both the frameset and a Signature complete bike available. Quantities are very limited and once they're gone, they're gone for good.
The lucky winner of our 2009 Purple Bike, Rob, drove down from Ontario with his wife this past Saturday to pick up the bike. Rob, a self-professed "guy who never wins anything" is going to have to come up with a new way to describe himself, and we'd suggest "really nice guy." Rob's primary goal was to donate, but his description of realizing he was actually the winner was just great. From assuming that initial notification email was just another "thanks for playing" note, to realizing it was addressed only to him, to trying to convince his family, one by one, that he'd really won, Rob's journey from being "a guy who never wins anything" to being "a guy who wins a $6900 Lynskey R230" was epic. Nearly every member of his family not only refused to believe him at first, but quoted the long held family axiom "but you never win anything." Well, we debunked that theory and then some. Congratulations again, Rob, and thanks again to everyone who donated. We raised nearly $8000 this year, and 100% of it is on the way to the Breast Cancer Fund. Permalink
Posted by bill on 11/13/09
ANDY'S BLUR LT CARBON
Our friend, Andy, sent us a pic of his long-awaited Blur LT Carbon. He was extremely patient and got on the preorder list early to secure his spot. We really appreciate bike photos from our customers, especially when they include scenery like this.
We love building bikes for our friends, but we also enjoy putting packages together for folks that enjoy building their own bikes. One of your photos might be worth a $1,000 gift certificate, so remember to take your camera when you hit the trail. It's a great reason to take a break that could payoff big! Permalink
Posted by Jim on 11/13/09
2010 BH BIKES ARE HERE!
The new 2010 BH road, cyclocross, time trial and triathlon bikes are here and shipping now. BH has been busy and the new bikes look great!
PHILLY MTB ASSOCIATION ELECTS EWR'S RYMDEKO AS PRESIDENT
EWR Bikes' COO, Kenn Rymdeko, joins the board of the Philadelphia Mountain Bike Association as its new president.
One of the hotbeds of mountain bike advocacy, Philadelphia seems to have struck one of the most harmonious synergies between mountain bikers, equestrians, hikers, walkers, and runners who all flock to Philly's Wissahickon Park by the thousands every day. Still, there's a delicate balance to maintain between trail users and the work of Philly's MTB Association is far from finished.
As president, Rymdeko encourages mountain bikers (and not just Philadelphia-based ones) to join their local cycling group to help ensure the future of great riding. Permalink
Posted by Chris on 11/11/09
WE WANT YOUR PHOTOS
Speedgoat has always been built around you and your riding. The new Speedgoat.com will be launching in early 2010, and we want your photos to be featured there. Every photo we use on the new Speedgoat.com will be entered for a chance to win a $1000 gift certificate.
We're ordering every frame with tapered forks, too (and Cane Creek mixed taper and King mixed taper InSets are also in stock) so special frameset packages are also available. Up to date availability and more information is available at support@speedgoat.com. Permalink
Posted by Jim on 11/10/09
SKINNY TIRES?
Q: How do you confuse a Niner Bikes rep when he's visiting your shop?
A: Tell him you're taking him out on a road ride while he's in town.
Mike from Niner Bikes was nice enough to stop by the shop and we thought we'd throw him a curve ball by going for a road ride early this morning. Mike's spent more than his fair share of time on most things you can pedal so the skinny tires didn't throw him off too much.
We want to pass along a big thanks for the visit and promise that we'll get him out on some of the local trails the next time he rolls through. Permalink
Posted by Jim on 11/10/09
DO YOU LIVE IN L.A.?
Comments Needed for L.A. City Bike Plan
The draft Los Angeles City Bike Plan was recently released and mountain bicyclists should be concerned with the direction it has taken. We need comments not only from L.A.-based riders, but from anyone who has positive stories about relationships with equestrians and other trail users on California trails.
Public comments can be submitted online or via postal mail, and are due before Jan. 8, 2010.
Here are some suggested talking points:
1. Somewhere in L.A. City Parks there should be opportunities for mountain bicyclists -- it's bad public policy that all dirt roads and trails are closed to bikes.
2. Bicycling is a positive, safe, health-promoting activity for people of all ages and should be encouraged with both natural-surface and paved riding opportunities.
3. The 2009 plan should incorporate the 1996 bicycle plan language that called for pilot projects and a gradual increase in mountain bike opportunities in the parks.
4. Bicyclists safely share trails with other trail users, including equestrians, all around the globe.
5. Mountain biking is a sustainable, manageable and appropriate activity for L.A. parks -- it works in dozens of other cities so why not ours?
Additional Information
For several years, anti-bike groups have mobilized to perpetuate the bicycle ban in LA City Parks. An older 1996 bike plan proposed a gradual increase in mountain bike opportunities, but they were never enacted. The new plan abandons those proposals and focuses instead on studies and research.
An analysis of the plan (PDF) published by the Concerned Off-Road Bicyclists Association (CORBA), is available online.
At public meetings related to the plan, anti-bike equestrians have testified that bikes and horses simply don't mix and that even separate trails for bikes and horses won't work because bicyclists won't follow rules. Most of the opposition has been from equestrians who ride in Griffith Park, many from the nearby cities of Glendale and Burbank. Griffith would be a great place to bike, especially for locals, but bicycle advocates have not asked for Griffith specifically. We've asked for some trails somewhere, but the anti-bike groups' response has essentially been, "No, nowhere, never."
You can submit comments online via the link at the top of this page, or by mail on or before Jan. 8, 2010.
City of Los Angeles, Department of City Planning
Attn:Jordann Turner
200 N. Spring Street, Room 721
Los Angeles CA 90012
jordann.turner@lacity.org
For further information, contact Jim Hasenauer at imbajim@aol.com Permalink
Posted by Dave on 11/09/09
TAKE CARE OUT THERE ON YOUR BIKE
So many times I've heard those words and then soon forgotten them. Tonight was different.
I got a call Sunday morning from a friend asking about details regarding the cyclist who was struck and killed in Butler last Friday. I didn't have any details at all until a couple of hours later when Lisa and I saw a memorial flyer on a phone pole about a block away from our house.
Well after dark tonight I stopped at the store to buy a birthday card and the cashier told me: "Take care out there on your bike." I replied with the usual "I'm cautious" and "I wear lights and reflective clothing." She said, "My baby brother was killed last Friday night (while riding his bike)."
I don't think I've ever been at such a loss for words.
I didn't know Jayson, and I've only met his sister twice as she's been the cashier at the checkout. From what I gathered, he used his bike for transportation. I'm pretty sure he wasn't riding much more than a Next or a Huffy at the time of the "accident". He probably wouldn't ever have been as popular as even a single tweet by his Lanceness.
Somehow I still feel a connection. His sister shared a few details about his memorial. Young's Funeral Home here in Butler, PA will have viewing hours this Thursday the 12th from 2-4pm and 7-9pm. I've heard there's going to be something established to help his family cover costs.
Bicycle car "accidents" happen all the time. I still can't believe it happened in my town. Permalink
Posted by Dan on 11/09/09
SOME PHOTOS OF AN ORANGE TALLBOY.
Some people have been asking "how orange is the Tallboy?"
The bike photoed is sporting Santa Cruz's R XC kit with a 100mm Rock Shox Reba SL fork. Permalink
Posted by Chris on 11/09/09
RIDING IN LEAVES, NOT DYING, AND A NEW SHOCK FOR THE TALLBOY
We enjoyed an incredibly warm and dry weekend here, after a pretty wet and cold October, meaning the riding in Pennsylvania this November has been excellent--particularly if you're a fan of riding through leaves.
I am myself indifferent to leaves. By this I mean I'm not among the larger percentage of the riding public incapable of taking even three pedal strokes with a leaf buzzing along against one of my tires. I just don't care. To be fair, I've never put playing cards in the wheels of my fixed gear or tried to make a King hub's buzz even louder by running minimal fluid (yes, I know someone who's done that), but if the noise is there, I don't freak out. I could be pedaling along with a bobcat gnawing on the back of my neck, bees in my helmet, and porcupines stuck to each thigh, and my ride would still the quietest and most peaceful part of my day, so a little leaf buzz? It'll go away . . . and then come back . . . and then go away again.
I'll get questions about the tire clearance on the Tallboy from mentioning this, and I should mention it's very good. But yes, when you're riding in 3-5" of heavy leaf fall for miles, you're going to have some stowaways. I tended to collect leaves on the chainstays, just behind the lower linkage.
But the thing about leaves is that they cover up the trail, and when the trail normally has gray, immovable objects that are about the size of a toaster oven and three times harder than my kneecaps, it's a pretty sure bet that they're still hiding under that new blanket of leaves. Here I have to hand it to the Tallboy, as a lot of potentially awkward moments were overcome by just yanking the whole bike out of wherever we seemed to be sliding, and aiming it in a completely different direction. This was particularly noticeable on a notoriously rocky climb with an unavoidable step near the top. Having slid into probably the worst possible position from which to attack this last step, I was able to generally wrench the whole ship back on course while throwing some weight into scooting up and over the rock. This bike is good at the floating like a butterfly thing.
Another November Pennsylvania factor (no photo available, as he didn't look entirely "photogenic") is the presence of men with firearms all over the trails. Not a hunter, I'm never entirely sure what season it is, but from what I could tell today, it's muzzleloader time, and that's the most terrifyingly ironic of hunting seasons for me, as the idea of getting killed by a weapon from the early 1800s while riding a bicycle made from space shuttle materials and computer programs smart enough to beat Gary Kasparov while stealing his wallet, is just plain funny. And the fear of dying there in the woods while unable to stop giggling like Beavis at the absurdity of it all, is enough to give me funny nightmares.
Anyway, I've bolted a Monarch rear shock on the Tallboy, and it's made the ride completely different from the Fox. I'll spare you the diagrams and such, but suffice to say that if the Fox RP23 on the Tallboy tends toward a more active midrange, the Monarch is all about ramping up through that middle stroke. I didn't bother with the lockout at all. We still need more time riding and assessing both rear shock options, but for now we can tell you that the Monarch is definitely the firmer of the two shock options. We'll keep riding and ducking.
CHRIS KING'S 'PRETTY AND STRONG' SERIES DEBUTS CX CALENDAR
In 2004, Chris King Precision Components launched a limited edition series of pink headsets and hubs in an effort to raise awareness for breast cancer research and to raise funds for the Oregon & SW Washington affiliate of Susan G. Komen for the Cure®.
That first limited edition series of Pretty and Strong was a success and led to the return of the program in 2005 with an expanded lineup of products while still limited to just four months availability. Based on the success and positive feedback it received, Chris King Precision Components extended the Special Edition Series' availability to year-round as of September 1, 2006.
New for 2010, the Pretty and Strong program will present a calendar benefiting Komen for the Cure in partnership with the talented photographers of PDXCross.com.
"Our shared effort with this calendar is more than an intimate look at the joy and tenacity of the women we see racing cyclocross each weekend during the fall. It's a call to awareness for early detection because breast cancer still doesn't care how fit or fast you are on a bike."
In addition to supporting Pretty and Strong, via its website Chris King Precision Components urges women to "Please make an appointment to see your doctor and circle the date on one of these great calendars." Permalink
Posted by Wendy on 11/09/09
ONE 'BÄR' (BARRY) WICKS TO ANOTHER BEAR
Upon the discovery of a bear living in his backyard, Barry "Bär" Wicks takes aim at the lessons his neighbor, Ursus americanus, might have to teach him.
Wicks, who is probably better-known as the towering Kona-FSA pro mountain biker with a proclivity for bold clothing choices and even bolder dance moves, possesses a command of the English language that's at once resonant of the characteristics that amuse us most about Wicks but which is also more penetrating as prose belongs to a scholar of literature:
"But then I start to wonder, what is the bear concerned about? Walt Whitman wrote that he could easily turn and live with the animals; they are so placid and self contained. They do not sweat and whine about their condition, nor is a single one dissatisfied nor demented with the mania of owning things. They do not lie awake in the dark and weep for their sins."
Wicks occasionally lends his talents to VeloNews through his diary entries, the most recent one can be read here. Permalink
Posted by Jim on 11/08/09
ARE YOU CAT EYE COOL?
Are you as urban hipster cool as this guy? Not if you don't have your own Cat Eye Loop and Orbit lights. Check out this video to get your cool on...
Very interesting spin on blending the motto of "safety first" with a little on-bike style. Permalink
Posted by Dan on 11/05/09
LIVE FROM THE SPEEDGOAT SHOP.
The first Tallboy complete bike to be built. (I guess it's really the second if you count the one from the dirt demo.) The Tallboy completes come very well packed from Santa Cruz, like all of their bikes. Here are a few pictures after all the goodies have been pulled from the box.
For Immediate Release: 11-4-09
Contact Mark Eller
IMBA Communications Director
markeller@imba.com
303-545-9011 ext. 115
The International Mountain Bicycling Association (IMBA) and the National Interscholastic Cycling Association (NICA) recently signed a partnership agreement. The agreement states that IMBA and NICA will work together to cross-promote their efforts and engage the broad cycling community.
"The success of the Northern and Southern California High School Mountain Bike Leagues has been truly remarkable," said IMBA executive director Mike Van Abel. "When I learned about the plan to replicate those successes on a national scale under the NICA banner, I hoped IMBA's club network might become a useful resource," said Van Abel. He noted that the partnership would help expand IMBA's demographic diversity and compliment existing youth programs such as National Take a Kid Mountain Biking Day.
NICA executive director Matt Fritzinger said, "We are very pleased to formalize our partnership with IMBA -- the continued growth of high school mountain biking depends on trail access." He added, "Riding bikes is a freedom all youth should enjoy, and parents greatly support their kids riding on trails away from the dangers of traffic. IMBA does an incredible job of working with communities to build and maintain sustainable trail systems that work for all trail users."
* The IMBA/NICA partnership agreement points to several areas where the organizations plan to support each other:
* Seek opportunities for board and staff members to interact, discuss, and develop mutually beneficial opportunities.
* Take advantage of cross-promotional opportunities in print and electronic media and at relevant public events.
* Recognize the IMBA/NICA partnership as we communicate with our respective constituents, corporate supporters and media.
* Work in concert to promote responsible riding practices, sustainable trails and healthy competition for young riders.
* Prepare and update an annual workplan detailing specific activities for collaboration.
More About IMBA and NICA
The International Mountain Bicycling Association (IMBA) is a non-profit educational association whose mission is to create, enhance and preserve great trail experiences for mountain bikers worldwide. Since 1988, IMBA has been bringing out the best in mountain biking by encouraging low-impact riding, volunteer trailwork participation, and cooperation among different trail user groups, grassroots advocacy and innovative trail management solutions.
The National Interscholastic Cycling Association (NICA) is the National Governing Body for grades 9-12 interscholastic mountain biking. NICA provides leadership, governance and program support to promote the development of Interscholastic Mountain Biking Leagues throughout the United States. Permalink
Posted by Jim on 11/05/09
BAMBOO, YES - WE SAID BAMBOO
So you think you're in the market for something a little different for your hands to hold onto? Well, now we have you covered with some new Bamboo wood, leather and rubber grips from Portland Design Works.
Stephen Meyer started racing on the track four years ago, at age 15, when – conveniently – a track opened up near his home in Ontario, Canada. As the stars would have it, just when Canada turned the spotlight brightly on track cycling, young Meyer siezed the attention of the Canadian Cycling Association, which recruited him to the national team.
With Olympic gold the main focus, Meyer has embraced the training and sacrifice demanded of an Olympic athlete. This fall, in between his studies as a mechanical engineering student at McMaster University, Meyer has attended training camps in Los Angeles and Victoria, British Columbia with the singular goal only to become excellent in the sport of track racing.
Here Meyer reveals a bit about Canada’s track program and what it takes to be a “complete” athlete:
“Canada has definitely taken some enormous steps in improving its track cycling program. This all started with the hiring of the National Track Coach, Richard Wooles, in the summer. He is from Wales, and was a big part of Great Britain’s success on the track. At the 2008 Olympics, they took home seven of the ten gold medals available in track cycling.
Canadian Track Cycling now has a much larger budget for both training and racing. This means that there are National Team camps at least once every month, and we are sending large teams to the last two World Cup events of the season.
The camp in Victoria was dedicated to changing our lifestyle to becoming one of a professional athlete. This including cooking classes, sports psychiatry and psychology, yoga and stretching, sleep and recovery, and anti-doping. Every presentation was delivered by an expert in the field.
The camp in Los Angeles was also a National Team Camp. The goal of this camp was to get in more high quality track training as a team, and to select the riders for the Cali World Cup. We had several new training tools at this camp. The Canadian Cycling Association recently purchased a new electric motorcycle that was used for motor pacing drills. We also had video analysis. We would review every training session, analyze body position, team pursuit exchanges, standing starts and the like. We also had access to physiotherapy and massage throughout the camp.
Canada will be entering a team pursuit at the Cali World Cup for the first time in a few years, but unfortunately, I was not selected for this round. I will be returning to Los Angeles for another camp in late November, where the team for the final World Cup in Beijing will be selected. Having a deep team pursuit squad is very important to a country’s development on the endurance side. Almost all of history’s best endurance track riders came up through a team pursuit program.
About the bike: I received my Focus Izalco Pista a few months ago and it is a beautiful ride. I rode it for the first time on the Forest City Velodrome (my home track) in London, Ontario. It is much lighter than my old aluminum frame, but more importantly, it’s extremely stiff and aerodynamic. The first true test of this bike was at the training camp in L.A. I was devastated when my bike didn’t make it to Los Angeles with me, so I had to use a rental bike for the first day of the camp. When my bike did arrive, I had some pretty surprised teammates. The bike definitely has a “wow” factor that comes with it. After the first drill on the track, I noticed a huge difference compared to my old bike. The Focus is much more responsive and just plain faster at top speed."
Bottom-bracket:FSA Plantinum ISIS Crankset: FSA CK-816 Carbon 49 Track
Frame:Focus Izalco Pista
Handlebars:FSA Wing Pro Road RD255 Pedals:Shimano Ultegra
Saddle: Fizik Arione K:IUM
Seatpost: Focus Carbon Aero Time Trail
Stem:FSA Vision
Tires:Vittoria Corsa Evo Slick
Wheelset: Zipp 900 Tubular Rear, Zipp 404 front Permalink
Posted by Jim on 11/03/09
10 TIPS FROM KENDA TIRES
Here are 10 tips from the crew at Kenda tires designed to provide you with a better ride!
Tip one: Always run tires in the direction that the arrow on the sidewall indicates. Running a tire backwards may gain traction when climbing, but it often sacrifices braking and cornering performance.
Tip two: If you're going to run two different sized tires, we like to recommend running the larger tire in the front and a smaller tire out back. This way you can shave a little weight while still retaining traction and cornering performance up front where it matters most.
Tip three: Sticky compounds are great for traction, cornering bite and posses a slower rebound rate. But they give up a bit in durability to achieve these traits. Super sticky tires work really well, but they should be used by someone who knows the limitations and is willing to replace them. The softer rubber compound simply does not have a long life span and is less resistant to cutting/punctures when compared to harder durometers.
Tip four: If you pinch flat often, check the air in your tires. We would all love to run 20 psi with a tube but it’s probably going to lead to trouble - unless you are riding 'buffed' trails and the obstacles are light.
Tip five: You can also avoid pinch flatting by learning how to ride light and skimming over obstacles rather than slamming into them. Pre-loading is your friend - try to un-weight the bike over gnarly sections, look ahead and pick good lines. Your tires (and wheels) will appreciate it!
Tip six: Check your tire pressure with a gauge before every ride. Yes, we know many of you do the pre-ride ritual of grasping the tire and squeezing to determine the status. While this is quick and convenient, we urge you otherwise. Carry a pump in your car with an accurate gauge so you can easily do this. At home keep a hand held "test" tire pressure gauge. Periodically compare the gauges on your items against the one used by a pro shop. That way you will be able to catch a unit on its way out.
Tip seven: Different trails require different pressures, all the whilst considering your riding style. Higher pressures work better for some trails and for heavy riders. Lighter riders can use lower pressures, although there are always limitations due to rocks, bumps, trail texture and speed.
Tip eight: Adjusting the air pressure in tires is probably one of the most overlooked tuning tips, plus, it's easy and cheap! Many riders pour countless amounts of dollars into their bikes for suspension components, drivetrain items, expensive wheels, etc. but overlook a very simple item like proper tire pressure. If you’re unsure of what pressure to run, start high and air down while on the trail. You'll know when you hit the sweet spot in pressure because your tires will conform to the trail and provide ample grip but will have enough air to ward off pinch flats. We're sticklers for repeat performance, so we keep a journal of what pressures work best in which model tires.
Tip nine: If you're glancing off obstacles chances are your pressure is too high. We've heard some XC racers brag of using upward of 80psi in their set-up! Too much air will take the performance out of your tires and falls outside of many rim manufacturers specs for safety. Conversely, if it's too low the tires will fell like mush and roll off to the side in turns. Plus, denting rims starts to become a concern - especially in rocky conditions. The main point here is performance will suffer at the the extreme ends of the air pressure spectrum, so be aware.
Tip ten: Know the effects and limitations of rim width on tires. Just because you can mount a 2.50 tire on a narrow XC rim, doesn't mean you should or that it will perform well on the trail. Big tires on narrow rims usually cause more side wall squirm, give an unsettling feel while cornering and aren't the best application. Check the rim manufacturer's specs for sizing guidelines.
BONUS Tip: At the risk of sounding like sales pitch, there is no ONE tire. What you gain in traction you give up in speed. It’s a delicate balance that comes down to what is most important to you as a rider. There is no such thing as a “really fast mud tire” (or at least one that approaches semi-slick performance). That is why you should own several tires for various trail conditions.
That about sums it up. If you have specific or further questions, hit us up with an email at bicycle@kendausa.com. Thanks for reading!
A while back, we mentioned that the 39-26t version of the XX crankset fit the Santa Cruz Tallboy just fine, which seemed to surprise a bunch of people, and touched off a quest to see just how many XX cranksets really fit on Santa Cruz carbon fiber frames, in contrast to the original verboten decree on the SC website. Here another piece of the puzzle goes into place.
A big thanks to Garen at Santa Cruz for sending us this photo of the Blur XC Carbon sporting a 42-28t wider stance (SRAM calls it "166mm Q-factor") XX crankset with extra room (though looks like the stainless guard isn't there).
We're still pretty certain a narrower (conventional) 39-26t XX crankset will play perfectly nice with a Blur XC Carbon frame, just as it does the Tallboy, and we have a build hitting the stands soon with exactly that combination, so we'll verify soon. Permalink
Posted by bill on 11/02/09
HALLOWEEN MOUNTAIN BIKE CROSS RACING
While most people get dressed up for Halloween parties, Speedgoat Racer Chrissy Buerkle dressed up for two races as a Jackie O'Lantern the past few weekends. She had a first place finish at the Month of Mud at Moraine State Park despite coming off an injured knee, and some setbacks at the start.
"My knee is starting to finally cooperate with racing again… Last weekend dressed in what my boss referred to as "festive" black and orange Speedgoat attire, I won the Month of Mud race at Moraine. I dropped a chain at the start of the race, gave everyone a 3 min head start and still finished a couple minutes ahead of the 2nd female.
Chrissy had an impressive third-place finish at the Marilla Cross Race in Morgantown, WV over the weekend.
"This past weekend, Jackie O’Lantern appeared at Marilla Cross in Morgantown, WV… finished 3rd in the women's race behind Betsy Shogren, and Traci Rodosta.. My guess is a 'cross bike would’ve been much faster on this course, but it was great workout nonetheless and collectively, I think we crushed the rest of the field"
She managed to podium at a 'cross race on a Mountain bike dressed like a pumpkin! That costume had to be hot, especially with the intensity level at a cross race. Congrats and keep up the good work, Chrissy.
NEW FTC GUIDELINES GOVERNING BLOGS FEATURING PRODUCTS
We thought you should know that the Federal Trade Commission just published new guidelines about - among other things - blogs that feature product endorsements.
That sure caught my attention.
The Guides, which have been around since 1980, have been freshened up to "specify that while decisions will be reached on a case-by-case basis, the post of a blogger who receives cash or in-kind payment to review a product is considered an endorsement. Thus, bloggers who make an endorsement must disclose the material connections they share with the seller of the product or service."
Then I breathed a huge sigh of relief.
See, there's a seedy underbelly to media where some journalists - crappy, amoral journalists for sure (there are many names for these people: swag hags, freebie queens, whores, shills) - but still journalists, who too enthusiastically accept gifts (like bikes and components), giveaways, expensive meals, all-expenses-paid trips and the like in exchange for editorial coverage. If you're a keen reader, you can probably already spot this perversion, aptly called "advertorial." So far it has flown silently under the radar because the FTC has no authority to regulate speech unless it's specifically commercial speech.
The new guidelines surfaced due to a recent spate of bloggers trumpeting the virtues of a product that they were either given or were paid to endorse.
As a rule, Speedgoat does not engage in this distortion of product promotion. In fact, if we see something worthy of review, like SRAM XX for example, we'll gladly pry open the company wallet and plunk down the money in order to assimilate a user experience in the most objective way possible. We hope you've noticed.
Ethics in editorial is becoming an increasingly slippery slope, especially with the financial hemorrhaging of traditional media (whose journalists are getting more "creative" in closing personal budget gaps) and the resulting evolution of social media. Cultivating your trust has been a company goal since day 1 and part of the process has been honest product assessments without any outside influences.
Now for the scary part: the new Guidelines have abolished the safe harbor, "which allowed advertisers to describe unusual results in a testimonial as long as they included a disclaimer such as 'results not typical.'”
So the next time you're in a post-race fog watching infomercials on late-night TV and there's a product that illustrates miraculous abilities to heal road rash and sunburn PLUS get stubborn stains out of your race kit, buyer beware! Permalink
Posted by Chris on 11/01/09
NO TRESPASSING
Almost just in time for Halloween, I saw this sign just off of the trail today.
And right below it . . .
I'm not suggesting that's a hasty grave, but I'm also not going to mess around with the local country club. Permalink
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