As suspected, the 2011 Shimano XTR group has gone 2×10…but that isn’t all that’s changed!

Shimano recognized the changing mountain bike landscape, and the new XTR has a host of fresh technologies that let you tune the mix of components to suit your riding style, whether you’re riding trail and all mountain or racing your legs off on the XC circuit. Called “Rider Tuned”, the new parts mix offers different gearing ranges, types of brakes and pedals and settings on the components to tune their performance for the trail in front of you.

The most obvious change is the switch to Dyna-Sys 10 speed in both double and triple crankset options and the sharp edged new look, but there’s so much more to it than meets the eye. From all-new Ice Tech pads and rotors to a completely redesigned shifting mech called VIVID Index, XTR has broadened its reach.

Oh, and it also dropped weight. In its lightest configuration, it drops 200g (!) from the previous generation. In its heaviest, its still 60g lighter. The icing on the cake? All this new technology and lightweight goodness comes at you with no price increase over the previous group.

Check out all the goods after the break…

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How would you like to own a Specialized S-works Tarmac SL3 frameset? How about one with a team replica paint job, complete with your name on the top tube? Well, Specialized is making it happen with their In It To Win It Tour promotion.

For every 21 stages of the 2010 Tour de France, Specialized will award one lucky fan a Custom painted Tarmac frameset in either the Astana or Saxo Bank livery.

Contest scratch off tickets are only available at your local Specialized dealer, and time is limited! For every day from now until July 25, a new scratch off ticket will be available. The more tickets you get and enter online, the better your chances of winning a frameset!

Complete contest rules are available here. Limit one ticket per person, per day.

“Fargo_Adventure_Ride_2010-25” by GnatLikesBikes. Check out his cycling/photography blog.

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If you are looking for a few events coming up soon, here are a few to keep your eye on, including one good road ride in California and a Gran Fondo as well as a separate MTB race in Virginia. Click on the titles for links to the event websites.

Tour de Peninsula – August 1, San Mateo, CA

The Tour de Peninsula offers four fully-supported route options on beautiful courses, with built in shortcuts, designed to suit everyone from young children and first time riders to serious cyclists.  The rides – Kids, Beginner, Intermediate and Advanced – will take riders on popular Peninsula bike routes that visit numerous San Mateo County Parks, with breaks at rest stops and scenic sites along the way. Route options include:
* Kids/Family Route – 1-3 miles on bike trail in Coyote Point Park
* Short Route for beginner to intermediate cyclists – 20 miles
* Long Route for intermediate to experienced cyclists – 31 miles
* Metric Century for advanced cyclists – 63 miles, or take the Simon Says shortcut to make it 50 miles.

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Now that the UCI has legalized disc brakes on ‘cross bikes, the rush is on to find disc-equipped CX bikes, but one company has already beat most manufacturers to the market. Genesis Bikes has had their Croix de Fer ‘cross bike on the market since 2008, targeting the recreational cyclist and the oh-so-lucrative commuter.

The Croix de Fer comes equipped with Shimano Tiagra components, as well as Shimano BR-R505 disc brakes. But the bike isn’t legal right out of the box; the Croix de Fer ships with 25c Continental tires, so it would at least require a tire swap before being fully race-legal.The Reynolds 725 Cro-Mo frame comes in 52, 54, 56, 58, and 60 cm sizes.

It may not be the ideal racing machine, but at least you can be one of the the first on your area to race a ‘cross bike with disc brakes. The bike is currently only available through Genesis dealers in the UK, but some online outlets have them for sale and should be able to ship almost anywhere. The suggested retail price on the bike is £999.99. Check out the Genesis website for more info.

Here’s your first look at the all-new 2011 Scott 949 Scale 29er hardtail, the bike that claims to be the lightest production 29er frame in the world at a maximum weight of 949 grams!

It’s built virtually the same as their new 899 26″ hardtail, and it even has the same BB height. We get to ride them tommorrow, an I’ll post more details this coming week.

“Williams Lake Mountain Biking June 19,20 2010 -4” by Pat Mulrooney. Check out his blog on freeskiing called DogLotion.

To see more Pics of the Day, click here, and to submit your own photo to be shown to the world, go here.

Nice-looking T-shirt here, produced by bike clothing brand Morvélo and Retrobike, with the blessing of Repack race and early MTB legend Charlie Kelly.

It features a classic cover from the pioneering Fat Tire Flier magazine, of a pile of early mountain bikes after one of the Marin County April Derbies.

Only 100 T-shirts will be made… click ‘more’ for details from the press release, including confirmation of just how nice a guy Charlie Kelly is.

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Lance Armstrong can count on a strong team behind him as he attempts to win road cycling’s biggest prize for the 8th time.

Old stagers Levi Leipheimer and Andreas Klöden will be his lieutenants, and old mate Chris Horner backs them up (though he may be friends no longer, if the rumors of his imminent return to Astana are true). Lower down the order, Janez Brajkovic will be brimming with confidence thanks to his convincing win at the Dauphiné during which he held off repeated attacks on the Alp by Alberto Contador with seeming ease.

You may not fancy his chances, but something tells me that, one way or another, sparks will fly at the Tour because of Lance and Team Radioshack.

The team in full:

Lance Armstrong (USA)
Levi Leipheimer (USA)
Andreas Kloden (Ger)
Chris Horner (USA)
Janez Brajkovic (Slo)
Sergio Paulihno (Por)
Yaroslav Popovych (Ukr)
Gregory Rast (Swi)
Dmitry Muravyev (Kaz)

Austria's Markus Eibegger riding for Footon-Servetto at the Giro

Footon-Servetto-Fuji, perhaps the least known team among those selected for the Tour de France this summer, has surprised the cycling world by going for youth over experience and including eight Tour virgins in its nine man squad.

The move has caused a stir among cycling fans, who object to the numerous experienced, successful riders whose teams didn’t make the cut, and doubtless raised hackles at teams such as Vacansoleil, whose early season performances in Qatar, the Belgian Classics and the Paris-Nice led them to expect a fair shout at Tour de France inclusion.

Only Giampaolo Cheula, who rode the 2007 and 2008 Tours for Barloworld, has raced in la Grande Boucle previously.

The squad’s average age is 25.5 and Fabio Felline, 20, will be the Tour’s youngest rider.

The full line-up is as follows:

Giampaolo Cheuala

Alberto Benitez

Arkaitz Duran

Iban Mayoz

Rafael Valls

Markus Eibegger

Manuel Cardoso

Fabio Felline

Eros Capecchi

Aiming for stage wins, let’s hope the youngsters repay their DS’s faith in them – and he can therefore repay the Tour’s faith in him.

Stay tuned for the full line up of all 22 Tour de France squads.

Just a little video for your mountain-biking inspiration! Enjoy.

Via Jeff Kerkove: “Nice little loop off Blue Sky Trail between Loveland and Ft Collins, CO, called Indian Summer. Fun little trail to shred!”

Photo submitted by Brian Han. Check out his photography website.

To see more Pics of the Day, click here, and to submit your own photo to be shown to the world, go here.