2008

The Archives

Pushing Yourself on the Clark’s Trail Time Trial
07.03.08 | Author: Jason Mitchell | 1 Comment

While some people choose to eat during lunch, I prefer to ride on the nearby singletrack trails in Draper, Utah. With the Bonneville Shoreline Trail, Oak Hollow, Corner Canyon and Clarks Trails all within a mile of my office, it's the perfect lunchtime snack... on singletrack, that is. A few weeks ago, a friend keyed me in on the Clark's Trail Time Trial. There's a section of the trail that's used as a self-timed time trial for those willing to partake in the fun. While I'm no XC racer, I thought I'd give it a go. Having ridden the trail several times ...
Rocky Mountain Slayer SXC 70 Mountain Bike Review
07.01.08 | Author: Jason Mitchell | 1 Comment

I still remember the very first Rocky Mountain bike I ever saw. It was the URT Pipeline at a local bike shop back in 1999. At that time, the purple-colored Pipeline was the lightest and burliest all-mountain/freeride bike on the market--I wanted one! So, in 2000, I began my love affair with Rocky Mountain as I bought my first full-suspension bike--a Rocky Mountain Element Race. After getting my feet wet, I then upgraded to the first-generation Rocky Mountain Slayer in 2001. That bike got me hooked on more travel and was the beginning of my big bike movement in 2002-2004 ...
WTB Prowler XT 2.3 Tire Review
06.25.08 | Author: Jason Mitchell | No Comments

One of the unsung heroes of mountain biking, tire options are as plentiful as flavors of ice cream. Whether you like skinny and slick or wide and knobby, there are enough choices to fill your every need. Over the years, I've gone from riding 2.1's up to 2.7's, and have now settled in on the current crop of 2.35-ish all-mountain tires. My favorites have been the High Roller and Minion tires from Maxxis and the Kenda Nevegal--all in 2.35 widths. But, I have yet to ride many bikes equipped with WTB tires, until the Rocky Mountain Slayer SXC 70 that I've ...
Trek Remedy 9 Mountain Bike: Full Suspension Bliss?
06.24.08 | Author: Jason Mitchell | No Comments

There are many variations on the two of the most common suspension designs: Horst-link (owned by Specialized) and the standard 4-bar. Both camps have some major players with Specialized, Ellsworth, Norco, Titus and others using the Horst-link design and Kona, Turner, Jamis, Transition, Ventana, Rocky Mountain and others using variations on the standard 4-bar (which is really a single pivot with some extra linkages). What's the difference, you might ask? Well, boiled down, it is as subtle as the rearward pivot location... seatstay or chainstay. The Horst-link places the pivot and brake mounts on the seatstay, thus removing braking and pedaling ...
MSP Announces “CLAIM, The Greatest Ski Movie… Ever!”
06.23.08 | Author: Jason Mitchell | No Comments

Yeah, I'm smack dab in the middle of one of the most epic mountain biking seasons ever. The trails here in Utah are outstanding and I just can't seem to get my fill of that little brown ribbon in the woods. However, I just got word of the release of the trailer for MSP's new film, "CLAIM, The Greatest Ski Movie... EVER!" While the title seems a bit outlandish, it just may be the greatest ski movie ever... who knows. I honestly haven't been to an MSP film in years... well, with us promoting the TGR films here in ...
American Fork Canyon: Finally Open for Mountain Biking
06.21.08 | Author: Jason Mitchell | 2 Comments

After a long ski season (I'm not really complaining), the upper-elevation trails are taking their own sweet time to thaw. Thanks to a cooler-than-average Spring, the snowpack has remained intact. So much so that if you drove up to Alta or Snowbird, you'd swear it was November or December up there. We needed the snow and I loved the ski season, but I'm ready for some high-altitude singletrack... American Fork Canyon style. After pinging the crew on UtahMountainBiking.com for trail beta, I quickly received first-hand confirmation that the intended trail route was 100% rideable and getting drier by the day. "Wow," ...
Yakima King Cobra Long-term Bike Rack Review
06.20.08 | Author: Jason Mitchell | No Comments

When it comes to carrying your bikes on your car, you've got three options: 1) on your roof and 2) on your trunk lid or 3) on a hitch rack. While my preferred carrying method is on a hitch rack (because everyone has a roof rack horror story), that's not always a feasible option. So, if you're going to go for a new roof rack, consider your options and I'd suggest looking long and hard at the Yakima King Cobra upright bike rack. There are other great options, but this rack is one of the easiest to use and should be ...
Iron Horse MKIII Elite Mountain Bike Review
06.18.08 | Author: Jason Mitchell | No Comments

Iron Horse is truly one of the sleeper bike brands in the industry. Though their low-end bikes are more at home at big box sports superstores, their high-end bikes are in high demand by mountain bike connoisseurs--mostly due to the amazing ride quality provided by the DW-Link suspension design. With World Cup champion, Sam Hill as their ambassador, Iron Horse has gained a huge following in the DH crowd. The use of this suspension design has been a home run for Iron Horse as they have utilized it on the DH-specific Sunday, the freeride 7Point, long-travel trail 6Point, MKIII trailbike and ...
Introducing the Kastle MX108 Big Mountain Fat Ski
06.17.08 | Author: Jason Mitchell | 2 Comments

Back on the scene with the likes of Chris Davenport and Hugo Harrisson driving product development, Kastle Skis is introducing a new fattie for the upcoming season. Yeah, I know it's June, but it's never too early to bring on the stoke for the white stuff--even if I'm in singletrack mode right now. Kastle skis are built rock-solid, but they do come with a hefty pricetag. It's the price you've got to pay to play, I suppose. This is a no-nonsense big mountain ski that's built to handle pow, crud and just about anything else you could throw their ...
Keen Voyageur Mid Hiking Boot Review
06.16.08 | Author: Jason Mitchell | 2 Comments

With hundreds of hiking boot choices on the market, it becomes difficult to determine which one is just right for your hiking activities, foot size and terrain. Drop on top of that the Gore-Tex, eVent or unlined dilemma and your head starts spinning. While most folks don't need a heavy mountaineering-style or burly backpacking boot, the majority of us can make do with a lightweight and supportive hiking shoe or boot. There's no need to slog around your local trails in a 2 lb. 8 oz. pair of Garmont Dakotas when a pair of Keen Voyageur Mid's will do at a ...

2008

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