“Trick or treat?” Hmm, let’s see…should I take the Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup, the weird, homemade popcorn ball, the candy apple with the razor blade in it, or…the Independent Fabrication Titanium Factory Lightweight with its new script decal, integrated seat-mast, and “Iftop” saddle adjustment device? Tough choice. The latter option has a few attributes that make it slightly more appealing than the former three. For one thing, it has a 44.5mm down tube (a Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup doesn’t even have a down tube) made possible by the combination of a BB30 integrated bottom bracket and large diameter head tube, which is designed around the new 44cm inset headset standard.

This isn’t just another IF with a pretty paint job either (not that there’s anything wrong with that); it boasts many brand new features, more on that and a bunch more pics after the break…

(more…)

“DSC03010” by boedie cycles. Check out their website here.

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

Awhile back we touched on the wind surfing company NeilPryde teaming up with BMW design works to create a new line of high performance road bikes. Well, the new bikes are out and it’s time for NeilPryde to give their Diablo a fitting introduction…

Apparently, while playing host to a quickly growing gravity scene with downhill racing at it’s forefront, the legality of DH mountain biking in Tasmania is being called into question, especially in the Capitol city of Hobart. The threat of losing the ability to ride DH on some of Tasmania’s best trails is so great, that a petition has been created and is being circulated by the Hobart Mountain Bike Masterplan Consultative Committee.

A word from Nathan Sidney, a member of the Hobart Mountain Bike Masterplan Consultative Committee:

You probably will not have heard of the Greater Hobart Mountain Bike Masterplan, currently being drafted under the purview of the Hobart city Council.  Hobart, as you may know, is the capital city of the state of Tasmania, a beautiful island off the south coast of mainland Australia.  DH MTB is rather popular down here, as you can imagine, being the only Australian capital city located on the foothills of a mountain of any considerable height (Mt Wellington).  Despite the sports popularity, the legal status of DH on many of our best trails is dubious at best.  As part of my role on the Masterplan Consultative Committee, I and a few others have drafted a petition, calling for some quite serious overhauling of the current situation vis a vis DH MTB .  There are hard copies floating around in my community as well as an online version.  A significant show of support from the international community can only help our cause.

If you’d like to help out, all you need to do is sign the petition as a show of international support.

The URL for the petition is:
http://www.gopetition.com/petition/39078.html

Background on the Masterplan can be found at:
http://www.wellingtonpark.org.au/greater-hobart-mtb-masterplan/

The DH population of the State of Tasmania thanks you.

Photo submitted by Eduardo M.: “This is a picture taken this past 10/23/2010 during the CORA party and night ride at Harbin Park in Fairfield, OH. Good friends, good riding…”

CORA is the Cincinnati Off-Road Alliance–”making Cincinnati a better place for mountain biking.”

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

Every year bike companies come out with lighter, stiffer, faster and more comfortable bikes. It seems impossible to engineer something that has such opposite qualities, but stiffer and lighter, but still comfortable to ride, it the ultimate goal. With the 2011 Tarmac Expert Specialized has created a bike with an impressive mix of these qualities. It’s no wonder that Team HTC-Columbia has chosen to ride the big S for 2011. Read after the break to find out more about the newest offering.

(more…)

Independent Fabrications has taken their sweet carbon Corvid frame (check these photos from NAHBS) and created a cyclocross variant.

The ‘cross version uses the same carbon lug and tube construction as their Corvid road bike, and the tubes will be sourced from ENVE Composites (you know, formerly EDGE) in IF’s Somerville workshop. Detail photos and specs of the yet unnamed model after the break…

(more…)

In addition to their new shoes, Giro had a few other new goodies on hand at Interbike’s Outdoor Demo.

Above is the new Surface helmet, designed for urban, dirt jump, bmx and related activities. The graphics are subtle (note the floral in the white, more detail shots behind the jump), and vents seem minimal, but compared to some other similar style helmets we’ve seen, these have pretty good holes on top and in back.

For the mountain bikers, we grabbed a photo of all the first run colors available on their new Xar helmet, and for the roadies there’s a new aerodynamic time trial glove worth peeping, among other things. Hit ‘more’ to see ‘em…

(more…)

Photo submitted by Kerry W.: “Cycling Jack-o-lantern inspired by Twin Six’s ‘commuter’ T-shirt.”

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

Caught on camera at the 2011 Giro d’Italia route unveiling, the electronic Campagnolo group has been a hot subject of late.  Well, rather than sit idly by, Campy has decided to tell us exactly when they’ll, uh, tell us about the group:

Press Release:

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, in cooperation with the firm named below, today announced a voluntary recall of the following consumer product. Consumers should stop using recalled products immediately unless otherwise instructed. It is illegal to resell or attempt to resell a recalled consumer product.

Name of Product: Bicycles with 2010 EC90 Zero seat posts

Units: About 200

Importer: Easton Sports, of Scotts Valley, Calif.

Hazard: The carbon top clamp of the seat post can crack, posing a fall hazard to the user.

Incidents/Injuries: None reported.

Description: This recall involves bicycles with 2010 EC90 Zero seat posts. The EC90 Zero seat posts are black with red and gray graphics. “EC90? is printed on the post.

Sold at: Turner Suspension Bicycles, Ibis Cycles and Security Bicycle Accessories retailers nationwide from April 2010 through August 2010 for between $150 and $200.

Manufactured in: China

Remedy: Consumers should immediately stop riding the bicycles and contact any authorized Easton Sports for a free replacement top seat clamp.

Consumer Contact: For more information, contact Easton Sports toll-free at (866) 892-6059 between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. CT Monday through Friday or visit the firm’s website at www.eastonbike.com

The Sufferfest, which without a doubt makes the best, most rewatchable and unapologetically difficult trainer videos, has another new one coming out this November called The Hunted.

We’ve reviewed a few of their videos here and here, and are embarrassed to say we haven’t yet tried Angels, their climbing specific vid…partially because we’re afraid and partially because it’s actually been pretty nice out ever since we downloaded it.

What’s that? Downloaded it? Yep, his videos are download only, saving such things as packaging, shipping and money…they’re just $10.99 a pop. And well worth it in our opinion.