A little birdy sent us some spy shots of the upcoming Niner carbon fiber rigid 29er mountain bike fork.  The fork has been in development for about a year, and Niner’s top racers have been testing it recently…they even mention it in our recent interview with them.

It’s full carbon, tip to tip, steerer tube to dropouts.  Shown above on a testing machine, click “more” for pics of a painted version on what I think is Niner founder Steve Domahidy’s bike…

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 Rollapaluza’s Kingspin 2 is capped out at 80 racers, with a record 23 female participants, but spectator tickets are still available for the January 30th event.

Racing starts at 7pm and goes until 1am.  Check out the event website here, or watch some video here.  Click on the poster at left to see full size image.

Read “more” for pics from recent events…

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GT Bicycles today announced it will recruit 35 mountain bike racers nationwide for its new grassroots mountain bike program: the GT Dirt Coalition. Each member will race and represent GT Bicycles and the International Mountain Biking Association (IMBA) at a minimum of six mountain bike races during the 2009 season.

“Amateurs are the unsung heroes of mountain bike racing,” said Jenni Cathcart, Director of Marketing for GT Bicycles. “The GT Dirt Coalition rewards their competitive spirit and commitment to cycling”

Read “more” to find out how to apply…

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After an impressive racing season in the Pacific Northwest with sixty-three wins in 2008, the Veloforma/ZYM Women’s Professional Cycling Team has its sights set on the 2009 National Racing Calendar (NRC). As early as next year, Veloforma/ZYM hopes to become a UCI registered team. With a successful racing season and returning talent, the team is on track for an impressive 2009.

With Oregon emerging as a cycling mecca, the region is the ideal environment to produce a high-caliber program such as Veloforma/ZYM. Even so, the team is looking to branch out from the Pacific Northwest. “We plan to be at bigger races this year in preparations for our future,” said team owner Mark Duff. “This has been our goal from the beginning. In 2010 our goal is to add a European sponsor in order to help us set our sites on becoming a UCI team and having Europe on our racing schedule.”

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Pua Sawicki, 28, came out of Mililani, Hawaii, and hit the endurance mountain bike scene pretty hard in 2004, and from seemingly out of nowhere is now at the forefront among racers. She’s since bagged NORBA Marathon and 24 Hour Solo National Championships and wins at legendary events like the Baja Ultra Endurance 100K; Dirt, Sweat & Gears; Now she’s gunning for a spot on the U.S. Olympic team.

After our group video interview at the National Mountain Bike Oktoberfest didn’t turn out too well (no audio came through!), I decided to check in and learn a little more about how she rolls…

BIKERUMOR: You left Hawaii for California in order to race mountain bikes…did you have a job or team gig lined up when you moved, or did you just figure it out when you landed? How old were you at the time?

PUA: When I left Hawaii in August of 2002, I was 22-years-old and had just graduated from College. I had no plans, no job and no thought of racing bikes at that point. All I knew is that I had island fever and it was time to see what else was out there. After being in California for 2 months, I went on my first mountain bike ride in a year and met Ron (now my husband). Eventually he helped to intensify my itch of racing again and in 2004 I took my first pedal stroke in the Nationals and now I am here.

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Intense Tyre Systems has announced the arrival of its Super Lightweight Foldable Beaded Micro Knobby Tires.

Making the most of the Micro Knobby trend in BMX, these tyres feature a foldable Kevlar Bead and a single ply ultra light weight casing.

The weight of the tyre has dropped approximately 50 grams according to the firm, with the new ITS foldable Kevlar Bead reducing the rotational weight of the product.

Featuring over 5,000 knobbys per tyre, the Micro Knobby is made from a C3 Homegrown Rubber Compound.

Weights:

20 x 1” = 190 Grams
20 x 1 1/8th = 230 Grams
20 x 1 3/8th = 265 Grams
20 x 1.5 = 280 Grams
20 x 1.75 = 375 Grams
20 x 2.0 = 465 Grams

They also offer a 26 x 2.25″ version for mountain bike Dirt Jump applications, but it’s hardly lightweight at 710g.  Read “more” for a close up picture detail of the micro knobs, you know you want to see them…

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Joining the previously announced eight ProTour teams, nine additional Pro Continental and Continental teams have been confirmed for the 2009 Amgen Tour of California by AEG, presenter of the professional cycling race.  The nine-day stage race will feature 17 of the world’s top professional teams, including world-renowned riders Lance Armstrong, two-time defending champion Levi Leipheimer, three-time World Champion Oscar Freire and 2008 Olympic gold medal winner and world champion Fabian Cancellara, racing more than 750-miles from the state’s capitol, Sacramento, to San Diego County.

Hit “more” for the full team roster…

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Come one, come all, to the Athens Bike Pentathlon, this weekend in Athen’s, GA.

Featuring a Log Pull, 200m Sprints, Messenger Races and Team Bike Polo. What’s the 5th event, you ask? The Winter Bike League training ride. The catch is, you have to finish with the lead pack to get all the points earned by doing the ride…and apparently, it’s a little more than just a “training” ride.

Click on the image to see full-size flyer.  Early registration opens today, with events starting Friday, January 23 and continuing on through the weekend.

Power Cordz has just released their new 1.2mm derailleur cables weighing in under 3g each for normal length applications.  A typical steel cable weighs 12g to 17g, making this at least 75% lighter.  For a full bike kit (front/rear brakes and derailleurs) the savings can add up to an ounce or more.

Power Cordz has offered 1.5mm derailleur cables for a while, but some reviews and comments complain that they have a hard time fitting them into normal housings or fittings.  The new, slimmer diameter aims to solve that problem and is compatible with SRAM, Shimano and Campagnola shifters.

The cables are made of PBO fibers (about 9,000 to 10,000 of them per cable) encased in a nylon coating to reduce friction.  They claim to last up to three years, and you can get them in full sets with housings, just the cables or cables plus a Nokon-specific liner if you use Nokon housings.

MEMBERSHIP:

2009 racing licenses are now on sale! As memberships are renewed, notice that the fee structure for 2009 is mostly unchanged and the price of an annual license is still the same as it was five years ago! However, a significant increase in insurance claims and premiums has forced a $1.00 increase in the insurance surcharge. Also, mountain bike members are reminded of the new category structure for 2009. Click here for more on purchasing a 2009 USA Cycling racing license.

MOUNTAIN BIKE:

The Pan American Continental Mountain Bike Championships will be held in Santiago, Chile, March 17-22. USA Cycling will be offering start positions for both cross-country and gravity riders. A petition process will be used to select all discretionary members of the squad which includes a majority of the gravity competitors. UCI points will be offered to the event’s top finishers. Riders should note that team sizes will be limited. Click here to view the complete selection document and to learn more on contesting the Pan American Continental Championships. Elite gravity athletes interested in being considered for a spot on the 2009 Continental Championships Team must submit a petition to Marc Gullickson at mgullickson@usacycling.org on or before Wednesday, February 11.

Click “more” for BMX, Mechanics and Coaches info…

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Applications for the 2009 Alison Dunlap Junior Mountain Bike Series (ADJ-MTB) are now available. Entering its 10th year, the ADJ-MTB provides racing opportunities for aspiring junior boys and girls across the United States.

The series serves two primary goals – to grow and support mountain bike racing opportunities for juniors across the country and identify and recognize potential world-class cycling talent at the junior level. The application deadline is June 1, 2009. All promoters wishing to contribute to the growth of junior mountain biking in the United States can click here to download an application.

A while back, SKS sent us these two mini bicycle pumps to review…and for three months, I had only one flat, and of course, I didn’t bring either on that particular ride.  So, finally, I just decided to deflate some tires and give them a whirl.

From a technical standpoint, both pumps are great.  The Puro (left) twists open to review the valve hole, and when you open it up, it has a built-in pressure gauge that measures both Bar and PSI.  It’s a fine example of German design.  The Sub-40 is a ridiculously light pump, with our model weighing in at just 38 grams!

Both are Presta-only and are intended for avid and elite cyclists; they’re not really for the novice or casual rider.  They’re very cool, but do they work?

Read on for pics, details and video of the Amazing Exploding Pump!

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