Friday, August 24, 2007

Friday News and Views

Too much cycling goodness out there to not post about. Some of it is big wheel related and some not. It's all bicycles. It's all good....................

Something Spicy This Way Comes: While I can't say much, I can say that by this time next week you will know about a cool new rig I got a look at last night. I hate it when friends show me pictures of new bikes coming out that I end up falling in love with. Dang! (Yes, it's going to be that good) All I can say now is, "perfect Trans Iowa rig" Hold on, you'll see it here when it's time for the unvieling.

Classy Cruising: It was leaked on an industry web site the other day, and now Masi Guy has posted some actual pictures of a super classy cruiser bike. Called the Speciale Soulville, it's a way cool way to motivate yer fine self around town. 8 speed internal geared hub, cork grips, sprung leather saddle, and a panel paint job are some of the highlights here. I think it's even got 700c wheels, but I don't see any referance to the wheel size. The only problem I can see with this bike is that I can't put Nanoraptors on it, but that's just me!

A New Kona FS 29"er: It has appeared on mtbr.com in a recent thread that Kona is releasing a new design (for them) 29"er to be available as an '08 model. Called the Hei Hei, it's made from Scandium enhanced aluminum and has 3.5" of rear travel. Check out the threads link to catch my take on the bike's spec. (No, this one's not "on the radar", per yesterdays post)

The Kids Get Lighter Rigs: One of the things I forgot to mention from Trek World was that the kids line up actually recieved some long overdue attention for the '08 line. Arleigh Jenkins, who now contributes to Blue Collar Mountain Biking, was there and captured some of the highlights for you all out there with kids. I will say that cutting over six pounds out of a kids 20"er bike is HUGE! I mean, can you imagine how much easier it would be if your kid could ride a bike over six pounds lighter than his current rig? That's insane! Then you get Fisher's line up of real kids mtb's. Very nice! These bikes are crazy light too. Trek/Fisher really hit a home run with the new kids line up this year. (Even if they are a bit more expensive, it's well worth every penny if it encourages a kid to ride versus play video games!)

Trans Iowa V4 Gets Thumbs Up: Well, if you haven't heard by now, I announced that Trans Iowa V4 is a go and the response has been overwhelmingly positive. With new help from co-director David Pals, a T.I.V2 and V3 veteran, I am hopefull that we will live up to the expectations. Look for some tweaks and news to come in the near future. We'll announce registration dates and protocol in the next couple of months. In the meantime, we'll be working dligently on a course, which my goal is to have all reconned and cue sheeted before winter.

Take a bike out and ride it with a kid this weekend. Pass on the heritage, save gas, stay healthy, and have some fun too!

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