Category: Mountain Biking

Specialized E-Bike Advertisement Debunks Proponents’ Low-Speed Claim

jimmymac

The Specialized advertisement that pits their Turbo e-bike against a bicycle has got to be the weirdest advertisement Specialized has produced since their high-speed police pursuit video. It sends a message that must have e-bike proponents gnashing their teeth. The bicycle is piloted by Peter Sagan, one of the fastest bicycle racers on earth. The Turbo e-bike is ridden by a rider identified only as Grandma Joan. The ad, that does not reveal Joan’s age, explains that her heart requires a pacemaker and she has had two knee replacements. The…

China’s Bicycle Graveyards Coming To America?

jimmymac

China’s bike share programs have been reportedly a ride-away success. Wired reports that the city of Hangzhou launched the $24 million bike share program to mitigate the vehicle exhaust choking the city. It was the first project of its kind in China. It recently won a sustainable transport award, and the city claims the bikes eliminate more than 110,000 tons of gas consumption a year. But there is an annoying downside to these “dockless” bike-share programs. Riders leave the bikes anywhere and if that “anywhere” is a popular destination, the…

Remembering Steve Tilford One Year Later

jimmymac

The following is a story I wrote shortly after Steve Tilford’s death. On the one-year anniversary of Steve’s tragic accident, I post it here for the first time to honor his memory. Like every person who had the privilege of meeting Steve, not a week has gone by that a Steve memory hasn’t crossed my mind. TILFORD TALES: The fast life of a mountain biking legend Mountain biking lost a beloved friend and champion (both race champion and vocal advocate of mountain biking) on April 5th, 2017 when Steve Tilford…

Cape Epic MTB Stage Race Best Kept Secret To American Mountain Bikers

jimmymac

Another Cape Epic Mountain Bike Stage Race is in the history books even if few America riders crack open that book. The Cape Epic remains a relatively obscure event to America’s top endurance mountain bike racers and that fact is puzzling. Sure, the event is held in South Africa and the entry fee alone requires more than $5000 of a racer’s budget, so the travel and logistical costs may put off more than a few American challengers. That’s too bad because the Cape Epic is a challenge that any self-respecting…

Chance To Win A Steve Peat Replica Helmet From Troy Lee Designs

jimmymac

I met plenty of great athletes while working for Troy Lee Designs and Steve Peat will always be one of my favorites. Even years later while I was working for Mountain Bike Action, Steve was one of the few athletes who would go out of his way to show appreciation for any coverage he got (and he deserved every word and photo). No surprise this guy has a legion of dedicated fans. Troy Lee Designs, the official helmet painter of Peaty’s lids for 21 years, is replicating Steve’s favorite paint…