- QBP & co. announce 2017 Women’s Bike Mechanic Scholarships – QBP, together with SRAM, Park, Michelin & UBI have named the 16 women that will attend UBI’s Pro Shop Repair & Operations Workshop in Ashland, Oregon later this month. In the 4th year of the scholarship program, it’ll be the 2nd all-women class of this two-week mechanics training. The program was created with two goals in mind: to develop the careers of talented women already working in the cycling industry and to aim to better serve & promote growing women ridership. These women come from 13 states all across the US to join the 28 who have already gone through the program. QBP.com/WomensScholarship
Check out how to keep up with where to ride, racing, and staying motivated through the colder months after the break…
Where to ride
- Tales On Tyres: riding the Baja Divide – In 2012 German couple Franzi & Jona quit their jobs and went for a global hiking tour starting in New Zealand before crossing to India and Nepal. They got tired of walking, got ahold of some bikes and continued on two wheels through Iran and Mongolia. Then after a year working in Canada to refill the coffers, they started their current trip zig-zagging from Alaska to Patagonia. After completing The Great Divide they realized the bikes they were using weren’t up to the challenge, and in came a deal with Bombtrack.
Bombtrack met Franzi & Jona in the Sierra Nevadas last September and put them on a couple of Beyond+ bikes. Then the two got loaded back up and headed south, to ride the famous Baja Divide, the off-road bikepacking route down the length of the Baja peninsula where we also have a couple testers working over some bikepacking gear from Revelate and others. Tales on Tyres will premier a video of the trip at the Berlin Bike Show in March, until then you can read the trip and scope some pics over on Yumpu’s e-magazines.
- Save the date: 4th Annual Moots Ranch Rally this coming June – It’s still a ways of at 17 June 2017, but set it aside in your calendar if you are a dirt & gravel aficionado and lover of titanium. It’ll be run again in Moot’s Steamboat SPrings, CO hometown and will take in some of the excellent off the beaten path roads in the area. The fundraising event hit 50 miles of dirt roads riding last year, but is limited to just 150 participants. Keep and eye out here and over at Moots.com for registration and more details soon.
Racing news
- MTB legend José Antonio Hermida and road star Joaquim Rodríguez will tackle the 2017 ABSA Cape Epic together – In a unique pairing of a couple of power houses from very different disciplines, the recently retired & former XC World Champ and current Pro Tour Bahrain Merida road pro will riders will take on the race together where Hermida has taken a number of stage wins over the years. The Spanish pair have been training partners for years and the combination of their physical abilities, friendship, and undeniable will to win should make them an interesting pairing to watch over the duration of the Cape Epic.
- Norco Factory Racing Team announced – Norco Bicycles announced continued support of their Norco Factory Racing team for 2017, adding Joe Smith and Henry Fitzgerald to the new roster along with returning rider Sam Blenkinsop. They’ll compete internationally with a full race schedule, including the UCI World Cup DH circuit, Crankworx series, and select Enduro World Series events. They also work together as part of the Norco Race Development program to help design and test the next generation of Norco bikes. Norco.com
- Freeride legend Brett Tippie rides Rotor cranks and rings – Rotor Bike Components has added Brett Tippie to their roster of sponsored riders. Regarded as one of the pioneers of Freeride mountain biking, Tippie’s infectious grin offsets his penchant for hitting the steepest terrain around. When he’s not dropping in on big lines, Brett hosts Redbull Rampage, Sea Otter festivities, opening day at Whistler Bike Park and the Crankworx event series. His social media offers his followers a glimpse of what it’s like to shred around the globe, while keeping a humorous slant. RotorBike.com
- Team Sky selects Stages as official power meter supplier for another season – Stages Cycling is now heading into their 4th season supplying Team SKY with their power meters, handling the team’s most important performance tracking for the 2017 season. The team will ride the new Stages Power Dura-Ace 9100 production model as well as the previous Shimano 9000 models and even some exclusive prototypes, as they continue to partner with Stages on product R&D. “We took a chance on Stages Cycling four years ago,” said Carsten Jeppesen, Head of Technical Performance for Team Sky. “We proved their product meets our needs and they offered us really great support. Even in the worst conditions the Stages meter was reliable, consistent, and accurate. We couldn’t ask for more as we head into the 2017 season.” StagesCycling.com
Training
- The Sufferfest Podcast is Here: Listen to “Everybody Hurts” from Radio Free Sufferlandria – Grunter von Agony is always looking for new ways to spread his message of Suffering. Now GvA is taking to the airwaves (and your earbuds) and is proud to announce the launch of Everybody Hurts: A Radio Free Sufferlandria Podcast, featuring interviews with cyclists, athletes, and inspirational figures. The show will explore the theme of Suffering – not for suffering’s sake, mind you, but as a means through which people confront their fears, challenge their limitations, and gain a better understanding of themselves. There’s already three episodes available to get started available through iTunes or Soundcloud.
