Welcome to this week’s roundup of news from the world of mountain biking and beyond.
DirtyBikeBits.com website launched
You know how your garage fills up with strange and weird bits of cycling kit that were state of the art or incredibly niche when they were made but now languish unused? Well, imagine how much stuff a bike shop gets over the years, especially one with four shops and a mail order business. With that in mind, JE James have launched their DirtyBikeBits.com website which is packed full of new old stock, oddities and bargains. Well worth a look if you’re missing something for a retrobike build or looking for a bargain to finish off the commuter bike…
O’Neal introduce magnetic helmet closure
The protection company have come up with a ‘revolutionary’ magnetic closure system called Fidlock for their new Fury RL helmet. It uses neodymium magnetic slidable poles which are 10 times stronger than normal magnets to secure the helmet straps and promises to be a quicker and easier way to get a full face helmet one and off with just one hand. It’s also going to be featured on their children’s helmet range. O’Neal said: “The closure is a super fast, comfortable and most importantly – a safe innovation. We strongly believe this closure is the future, especially in the freeride market where helmets are taken on and off frequently… …And, for sure, it is EN-1078- certified!” The Fury RL will be brought to the UK by 2Wheel Distribution.
New freeride and downhill park with uplift for North Wales
Building has started at The Revolution Bike Park in Llangynog, near Bala in North Wales. With 106 acres of woodland and 300m of height drop to play with, they plan to build two black graded downhill runs, a black freeride run, two red downhill runs and a red freeride run. There will also be a skills area, downhill pump track and green ‘Fun Run’, all with a vehicle uplift to the top. If you’re wondering why that area sounds familiar it’s because it’s where the Athertons call home, which understandably means there’s quite a lot of good riding in the woods around there, including the private Rhyd Y Felin (or Bala) downhill track. The more on the planned park, see their website here or have a look at their Facebook page.
Date set for London 2012 Olympics tickets sale
If you plan to get yourself along to one of the Olympics 2012 cycling events when the Games kick off from the 27 July 2012 then tickets will go on sale on the 15th March 2011 until April 26 2011. Tickets for the Paralympic Games will be on sale from the 9th September 2011 and applications can be made at any point during the 6 week application period. It’s not a first come, first served process and any over subscribed tickets will be allocated by ballot. To register your interest then you’ll need to go to the website at www.tickets.london2012.com and fill in your details.
Chromag release new lightweight Moon saddle
Super cool niche Canadian brand Chromag have lightest and lowest profile saddle to date. They say the new Moon is perfect for XC and as a lightweight option for DH and Freeride, with a firm platform and has a gentle scoop toward the rear with a roll away nose for control while climbing. The Moon features Titanium rails, a seamless leather top and weighs in at 240g and is available in black or grey at £91.99. A synthetic top version called the Moon DT will use the same firm platform and extra low profile but comes with Chromo rails. The Moon DT will be available in black or white, weighs 255g and will cost £84.99. Both saddles are available in the UK from Shorelines.
Max Bikes PR to expand work with Surf Sales
The Bristol based PR agency will be working on an exciting new range of brands imported and distributed by Surf Sales Ltd, including SB3 components, POW Gloves, TrickX, Electra bikes and Kali protective wear. Keith Jepson, Max Bikes PR Creative Director commented: “Following a successful year working on the PR and Marketing for Transition and Dakine, we are extremely excited to be developing our partnership with Surf Sales Ltd. Despite difficult economic conditions the bike market remains resilient and there are a great number of excellent brands who need promotional support. We look forward to ramping up the activity we have with our existing clients and also creating opportunities for new products”.