- American Classic is sponsoring their first Pro Tour team, putting lightweight hoops under Cofidis riders for 2012. They even have an early season win under their belts thanks to Rain Taramae at GP Marseillaise.
- Bespoked Bristol, the UK Handmade Bicycle Show 2012, will be held this year on March 23-25th. Over 70 independent bicycle builders from the UK, Italy, France, USA and Germany will be present for you to drool over their handmade wares. Click here for more info.
- Mark your calendars for the March 10th Autodrop Doubleshot to be held in Moore’s Springs north of Hanging Rock State Park in North Carolina. The combination 12 mile single track/ 13 mile road race will raise money for the Moore’s Springs trail system and campground.
- GT Bicycles adds Kyle Strait, freerider extraordinaire, and Kenny Baley, multi-time Trials World Champion, to their Wingmen team.
- Ike Tseng, founder of Merida, passed away January 30 at the ripe old age of 81. According to the brand’s statement, he served as a multi-term chairman of Taiwan Bicycle Exporters’ Association which helped turn the country into the powerhouse bike manufacturer they are today, and invented welding robots that guaranteed quality mass production way early in the game. Full story here.
- OnYerBikeSeat has introduced brand able rain covers (pic after the break) for your bicycle saddle. They also protect against dive-bombing pigeons and presumably baking hot sun. Eventually, maybe, we’ll run out of places to advertise.
- Wanna know what your riding buddies are really thinking? Well, at least the riding buddies that a) subscribe to Bicycling Magazine and b) took the time to fill in their reader survey? Download the Reader’s Choice results as a PDF right over here.
- The 2013-2014 USA Cycling Gravity National Championships have found at home at Angel Fire, NM. Exact dates are still rolling around. Official PR below.
PRESS RELEASE: Colorado Springs, Colo. — The location for the USA Cycling Mountain Bike Gravity National Championships in 2013 and 2014 is the Angel Fire Bike Park in Angel Fire, N.M., USA Cycling announced. The exact dates of the 2013 and 2014 events will be announced at a later date.
The event, which was held independently from the cross-country national championships for the first time in 2011, features dual slalom and downhill races. The 2013 and 2014 contests will use part of the downhill course ridden during the 2011 USA Cycling Collegiate Mountain Bike National Championships in late October.
“We’re very excited to bring the USA Cycling Mountain Bike Gravity National Championships to Angel Fire in 2013 and 2014,” USA Cycling National Events Director Kelli Lusk said, “Angel Fire has a long, illustrious history of hosting gravity events, so we’re looking forward to having the gravity national championships there.”
“Angel Fire Bike Park is extremely honored to host the most prestigious gravity event in the United States for 2013 and 2014,” Angel Fire Resort Bike Park Director Hogan Koesis said. “We look forward to showcasing the most exciting and challenging courses in the Rocky Mountains. Let the racing begin!”
The event this year will be held July 20-22 in Beech Mountain, N.C.
Other USA Cycling event locations announced here.
