CG's new color

As you may have seen in previous posts Cedric has got a new flashy paint job for his 07 Supreme DH. The bike was unveiled at the Urban Downhill Race in Santos, Brazil where he took gold. He was also seen on his newly designed Furious freeride bike during practice. Stop jockin!

Famous Ramp Owned By Some Kid

Behold the cellphone picture...

Local BMX tactician Ben Hittle, had Nate Wessel build him a spectacular ramp in his backyard. A few months back when Aaron Chase, Geroge Ryan, Adam Hauck and photographer Shawn Spomer came through they gave it a session. Being led by Jim DeChamp they hit up the ramp for hours and Spomer managed a great shot of Adam sailing way up above the coping. The pic made it into the first few pages of Decline Magazine this past month. If you find yourself in the magazine section of your favorite book store anytime soon pick it up and give it a flip.

If you have never seen Ben in action or wonder what a custom ramp by Nate Wessel would look like in your backyard, take a look.

Your TV will kill you.

Mon Feb 19, 1:50 PM ET
NEW YORK (Reuters) - Police called to a Long Island man's house discovered the mummified remains of the resident, dead for more than a year, sitting in front of a blaring television set.

The 70-year-old Hampton Bays, New York, resident, identified as Vincenzo Ricardo, appeared to have died of natural causes. Police said Saturday his body was discovered Thursday when they were called to the house over a burst water pipe.

"You could see his face. He still had hair on his head," Newsday quoted morgue assistant Jeff Bacchus as saying. The home's low humidity had preserved the body.

Officials could not explain why the electricity had not been turned off, considering Ricardo had not been heard from since December 2005.
Neighbors said when they had not seen Ricardo, who was diabetic and had been blind for years, they assumed he was in the hospital or a long-term care facility.

Now the real question is, what was he watching?

Photo of the Year

Well in Oregon maybe, this pic submitted by Kristen Muskat of a Zanzibar Mangrove tree was elected Photo of the Year. The Outdoor School in Portland puts a calendar together each year in an effort to raise money. This year they were able to raise 13,000 clams for themselves. Nice pic Kristen.

Beating around the Bush

No, seriously we are!

Ryan Jacob Smith is not the only artist expressing his frustration for todays current affairs through art. But lets face it, fucked up times give birth to some of the most beautiful art and music that we could ever hope to have. With the current situation, we should hopefully be reaping the artistic benefits for generations. If you squint you can see the silver lining?
Ryan Jacob Smith prints

More or Less

Talib Kweli has been lacing rhymes together for some time now, his videos are the visual representation of that.

CG wins the Santos Urban Downhill!

Aboard a green Supreme DH as well.

Dynamite Surfing

Crazy fu@$in surfers!

Bolt Check-----"Bearings"

So all you boys who enjoy your full suspension bikes, I hope you are of sound mind to maintain your trusty steeds. We all know how proper maintenance and cleaning can not only extend the life of your bike and its parts but it can also extend the life of the jackass who is piloting it. Lube the chain, run proper air pressure, bolt check, bolt check, bolt check. Have you seen the unfortunate soul trailside, cursing the heavens of the horrible bad luck that has been bestowed upon him by the cycling gods as the twisted metal of bike lies at his feet? If you haven’t, it’s probably because that has been you on more than one occasion.

This rant is not to school you on the art of bicycle maintenance but to shed light on a PIVOTAL part of full suspension bicycle operation. Bearings, yeah you read that right, bearings are some of the most inexpensive parts on your 6-G rig. Small and inconspicuous they are what give us the ability to travel over the terrain we do. They provide a fluid movement for the swingarm, linkages, fork, cranks, pedals, hubs and so on. That smooth operation that you may take for granted gets a lot of abuse. Mud, water, violent crashes and your “heavier than you” friend all play a role in killing your bearings. Buck up! There is good news for you. They are easily replaceable a local shop or yourself can perform the task. Shops will usually charge you a nominal fee for the labor. I am a big fan of “cutting my own steak” if you do it once you will never forget, it’s like riding a bike. You measure the outer diameter, the inner diameter and the thickness. You go visit your local friendly bicycle shop and say “Hello, I would like to order these small parts for my high performance mountain bicycle.” They will gladly order them for you along with a bearing extractor. You will take these parts home and you will replace them yourself. You will smile in satisfaction as the sense of accomplishment covers you like a warm blanket. I tell you no lie. Now go, get out a here. Take care of the bike and you won’t have to hike.

RUFF DRAFT

J Dilla’s rarely heard masterpiece "Ruff Draft" officially re-released as a deluxe 2-CD set with bonus vocal tracks, interludes and instrumentals March 20th 2007. For all the Dilla fans who have been trying to locate this album, your time has come. This was originally released in 2003 on vinyl. Now being remastered and sprinkled with some extra flavor this album has been simmering on low for a few years and is absolutely exquisite. Check out Stones Throw Records for more info and the current availability.

Defgrip on the loose!

Harrison over at Defgrip has been pulling his hair out. The site went down for a bit when the domain name expired. The company that currently owns the name need to invest in an answering machine. The site has moved to DefGrip.net so you can get your fix on all things 20 inch.

Damian, good or evil?

Click on the pic to see Matti in motion!

This Damian is actually quite good. Damian Breach is an Aussie picture taker. Splitting his time between the states and down under he can be seen at many of the East Coast races. His eye for action and his composition style make him a standout. If you have the chance, say "Hi" when you see him and take a peruse at his site (Link to the left)
He snapped a few pics of Matti gettin supa-loose.

Damian Breach Photo

I feel a need...

SYMPATEX BIKE Festival in Willingen announces Wheels of Speed World Downhill Challenge

For many years the SYMPATEX BIKE Festival Willingen has been an important highlight of the European mountain bike season. With 200 exhibitors, it is the place to be for all mountain bike enthusiasts. The World Cup may not be coming back to the Festival in Willingen in 2007, but Downhill pros like Minnaar, Gracia, Peaty and company will still be there!

The Festival is coming back to Willingen for the 10th time on June 1-3, 2007. This time, it will feature a huge downhill world challenge, dubbed Wheels of Speed.

The Wheels of Speed will feature two classes, a pro class as well as an amateur class. The world’s elite of downhill racing will be invited to the race, but also ambitious amateurs will get a chance to compete at the Wheels of Speed. In each class, 40 riders will get the chance to qualify for the final. Furthermore, the top 8 of the amateur class get the chance to compete in the pro-class on Sunday. Finally, 30,000 euros will be on the line for the winners of the pro class. The racers can be expected to do just about anything to be the first to cross the finish line!

In the past, there has been some incredible racing action during the festival, and the 10th year will be no exception. Big name riders have turned in some incredible times on the Willingen Mountaincross and Downhill courses and the 2007 festival will be another chance for them to race on the world championship-level track.

Famous riders who are expected to perform at the Wheels of Speed are e.g. Cedric Gracia, Greg Minnaar, Steve Peat and Nathan Rennie. They definitely won’t miss the chance to participate in this race, as the prize money tops any other race on the downhill circuit so far.

In 2006, Steve Peat decimated the field of pro men on the Willingen downhill course by nearly two seconds and Jared Graves took the MTX win in front of over 15,000 spectators. Greg Minnaar, the 2005 Willingen downhill champion, placed second in 2006. It will be exciting to see them all back in 2007 for another shot at the top of the podium.

Top 16 invited riders will be:

Sam Hill (AUS)
Steve Peat (GBR)
Nathan Rennie (AUS)
Greg Minnaar (RSA)
Marc Beaumont (GBR)
Gee Atherton (UK)
Michael Hannah (AUS)
Pascal Mickael (FRA)
Chris Kovarik (AUS)
Matti Lehikoinen (FIN)
Cedric Gracia (FRA)
David Vazquez (ESP)
Filip Polc (SVK)
Fabien Barel (FRA)
Julien Camellini (FRA)
Oscar Saiz (ESP)

Join the world cup athletes in Willingen on June 1-3, 2007 as they battle down the world’s most challenging race course for the glory and honour of standing on the podium plus a good chunk of the 30,000 euro prize money! The application procedure for all ambitious bikers in the amateur and pro class will be announced shortly on www.wheelsofspeed.de