Photo by Mike Breen of rider Timo St Anton.

Afroman, Banannas in Pajamas, and Indian Chiefs are only a few of the characters that are sure to gather at this year’s Single Speed World Championships in Rotorua,  New Zealand. Coming off of the 2009 SSWC that were held in Durango, CO, SSWC 2010 promises to be one for the ages with over 900 competitors from over 30 countries! To put that in perspective, the previous best was SSWC04 held in Berlin which saw riders from only 17 different countries.

Rotorua is nicknamed the “Spiritual home of mountain biking in New Zealand,” and looks to be a great fit for a mountain bike race on such a grand scale. The actual race will be held on the primo single track of the Whakarewarewa Forest. If you’re not quite sure what SSWC is all about, just image 900 or so mountain bikers, all on single speeds, and most of them in costume. It is a giant part, with a race somewhere in the middle. Oh, and the winner doesn’t get a trophy, they get a tattoo. Rad Ross Schnell and Heather Irminger were the lucky recipients of some fresh ink from last years single speed riot.

How do you get to host the SSWC? You can start by hosting your own single speed championship race, and if all goes well and no one gets arrested then you can show up at the SSWC and plead your case. While at SSWC09, Rotorua Single Speed Society members Vicki Butterworth, and John McCartney laid the groundwork to secure NZ’s place in hosting this years event, with two very successful races already hosted by the RSSS.

The race is to be held on October 23, 2010, now less than 60 days away.

(PS- photo cred to Mike Breen, who mentions that the titanium ‘Cruiser’ bike Timo is shown riding is his creation: it’s a “Bad News” and the brand is Zone 3.)

Check out the video after the break!

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Yesterday’s stage three was the first of two stages to take us over 12,000 feet, and the only one where we cross the continental divide. Twice. Shown above is some of the backcountry single track as we joyfully ride through the fields, unaware of the massive climbs to come.

Check more photos from stages three and four, including some of the leftover mining equipment and more great trails after the break…

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Find out tomorrow night, Thursday August 26th, at the Rapha Cycle Club in New York City. 352 Bowery, 6:30pm.

Ever pick up a hitch hiker and have them know exactly who you were? That’s the life of an Atherton, that and racing, practicing, racing some more and having a bit of fun in between. Check out the latest episode of the Red Bull Atherton Project now.

This website, BunchRideFinder.com.au, claims to help you find a group ride in your area. You can choose a road ride, mountainbike ride, or track session on the menu bar and then select which country you are interested in riding. There is also a world map selection that lets you see rides pinpointed allover the world. The only problem with this site is the lack of group rides to choose from. It’s a nicely designed site, pleasant on the eyes and pretty easy to navigate. If you’re interested in putting your group ride on this site, you can click on the ‘add a ride’ button at the top of the screen and submit your regular group ride. Who knows, it could become a sort of “exchange program” for cyclists to find a group ride while away from home.

Perhaps one of Norco's best known bikes, the venerable A Line.

For 2011 Norco is showcasing perhaps their best line of mountain bikes yet. Not a single category has been left out of the mix with everything from 24″ to 29″, XC to DH, cheap to expensive, you name it – Norco has the bike for you. Not only just a bike, but killer graphics, nice color schemes, and above all else great component specs. While there might no be a Norco dealer near you just yet, keep your eyes open as I wouldn’t be surprised if there will be one soon.

Click through for all the models including the all new Norco Range!

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So far this week, we’ve given you the details on the Felt F, AR, Z and ZW road bikes; today we’ll be taking on their full MTB line.  The Edict LTD, shown above, is their no-holds-barred 100mm travel full suspension bike. Using the same manufacturing technology as the carbon road bikes keeps the weight down and stiffness up and it comes fully outfitted with SRAM XX components, including the Rock Shox SID XX World Cup, and Mavic Crossmax SLR wheels. Check out the price tag and rest of the 2011 Felt mountain bikes after the jump and remember to check back tomorrow for the last of our series; Felt’s cyclocross, track and time trial/triathlon bikes.

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“DSCN0003” by brado1, “Drinker With A Riding Problem“

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

Press Release - August 24, 2010  – Mayor Antonio R. Villaraigosa today joined cyclists and city officials to unveil the City’s winning bicycle safety awareness slogan and poster.  The poster slogan “Give Me 3” encourages drivers to maintain a 3-foot passing distance when passing bicycles.   “California law currently requires drivers to give a ‘safe passing’ distance, but drivers may not know what safe means. 3-feet is a safe passing distance and will help keep bicyclists out of the door zone,” said Mayor Villaraigosa.

Click ‘more’ to view the rest of the press release.

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Bikerumor has reported on a bunch of cycling Apps for the iPhone– not to leave out Android fans, Andreas over at LondonCyclist has composed a list of cycling Apps for their platform:

I was actually surprised at the sheer number of apps available for cyclists on the Android. You can track your GPS position and route very easily to be shared with others. Some of my favourite apps are Runtastic which has a really nice and simple interface. The Cycle Hire Widget which shows the position of the new London cycle hire docking stations and BreadCrumz which is an amazing way of sharing a route with a friend and I’m surprised there is nothing quite like it for the iPhone. With 200,000 Android phones been activated every day I’m sure this will be of interest to a lot of people.

Check out his full list of Apps here.

CatEye is introducing a new light that has both motion and optic sensors that turn the light on (and off!) automatically when it senses motion and darkness (or lack thereof) so you don’t have to remember to do it. The new Reflex Auto front and taillights will be available in late August with an MSRP of $30 for the red rear light and $33 for the white front light.

Click ‘more’ for the press release and product features.

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The LDN Bike from Biomega, a true "Urban Tool"?

Press Release: Biomega once again combines groundbreaking design with strong urban references and technical features to accommodate modern city lifestyle. The result is two striking city bikes for effective commuting in style, bringing the feel of something unique while moving through the cityscape.

The LDN bike, designed by organic essentialist Ross Lovegrove, and the NYC, designed by Danish design group KiBiSi, both follow the Biomega philosophy of “furniture for urban locomotion”. Classic and honest in their style and function, they meet the specific needs of city dwellers.

Click ‘more’ for the rest of the press release and to see the NYC bike by KiBiSi.

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