Showing us how it's done

This just in from a correspondent in the UP: the 2009 Ore to Shore was an overwhelming success, complete with a finish line sprint and a blue ribbon. Seriously folks, this guy does not mess around. Let's go to the tape...

That's James in the video, ripping up the trail with reckless abandon. Here's a quick summary of the event from his father Chris:

James decided to go with the single speed rigid trike by Radio Flyer, which seemed like a good choice based on the conditions. In the trunk he stashed a baggy of Teddy Grahams and a Brett Favre figurine (he holds no grudges I guess).

Eat your heart out Leadville riders. It might be kinda early to say yet, but I think that Andy Schleck might need to keep an eye on this guy for the future. Stateside, JD, it looks like you and Luke need to start thinking about your training program.

Really, there's not much that can to make you remember the joy of being on a bike more than to see how a kid's eyes light up as he or she is rolling around on two (or three) wheels. With that in mind, remember that our partner Trips for Kids - Triangle has another "Take a Kid Mountain Biking" event coming up in October. Past iterations have been a great success, so contact them now if you'd like to be a part of things.

The event will be held in conjunction with the TORC Fat Tire Festival on October 3rd. Mark your calendars!

TFKT's GrassRoots Bike Shop is up and running!

Never ones to let the grass grow underneath their feet (punny!), our partner Trips for Kids - Triangle and their fearless leader Andrea have their new, community-driven bike shop open for business. GrassRoots Bikes is not your regular bike shop: rather than focusing on profit, they're committed to the community, and will funnel any revenue back into the shop and Trips for Kids.


As if the cause weren't enough, they're also carrying some great boutique brands that you can't get at your average shop. Steel lovers will rejoice at the sight of Soma Fabrications and Surly on the roster, while BMX and 'cross freaks can get their hands on Redline. Perhaps most exciting is the fact that GrassRoots will be carrying the sweet-riding 29er steel of Vassago. Not only can I attest to the big-wheeled loveliness of the Jabberwocky, but they're approved by none other than the Professor himself, seen rolling here in full Jabber style:


Ah, yes, the sweet poetry of the Professor of Smooth ripping up the pump track in short-bus style: truly an example of the Kantian sublime if there ever was one (on two wheels, at least).

They'll also be carrying White Industries and the ubiquitous Park Tools, for those of you who need to get your bling or wrench on (respectively), as well as the usual array of hard-to-find parts and must-have accessories. In short, they're a fully functioning bike shop, albeit a super cool one.

This is certainly something for both our team and the community to be excited about, and congrats go to Andrea and the rest of the dedicated Trips for Kids crew -- not to mention our own Dave Bryan -- for making this happen.

Triangle Trips for Kids Fundraiser

Triangle Trips for Kids is holding a fundraising raffle for a brand new BMC TrailFox 2. Each ticket costs $20 and only 500 will be sold. You can order tickets online (there is a one dollar processing fee), or from our very own Dave Bryan, who has a handful of tickets with him.

Here's a pic of the TrailFox:


The specs on the bike look really nice: it's an XT-level component spec with 120mm of rear travel, a RockShox fork, and a DTSwiss shock and rims. Not bad for $20. (OK, so it really retails for something like $2300, but you get the point.)

Chris (aka Professor Smooth) bought the first ticket, but Dave assures me that gives him no statistical advantage.