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.]]> Thu, 05 Nov 2009 10:37:00 ESThttp://www.speedgoat.com/blog.asp?p=2071http://www.speedgoat.com/blog.asp?p=2071
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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.

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!

--- The Kenda Team]]> Mon, 02 Nov 2009 20:44:00 ESThttp://www.speedgoat.com/blog.asp?p=2069http://www.speedgoat.com/blog.asp?p=2069
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. ]]> Mon, 02 Nov 2009 12:52:00 ESThttp://www.speedgoat.com/blog.asp?p=2068http://www.speedgoat.com/blog.asp?p=2068
"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.

]]> Mon, 02 Nov 2009 07:24:00 ESThttp://www.speedgoat.com/blog.asp?p=2067http://www.speedgoat.com/blog.asp?p=2067guidelines 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!]]> Sun, 01 Nov 2009 20:09:00 ESThttp://www.speedgoat.com/blog.asp?p=2066http://www.speedgoat.com/blog.asp?p=2066Almost just in time for Halloween, I saw this sign just off of the trail today.