Posts Tagged ‘ned overend’
The Caveman Cometh (and he’s on a 29er)
So, you are a trail mashing mofo; gnarliest of the gnar. Yes, you are a fit machine and can ride. You have skills. Skills, eh? How about swimming, mountain biking and running — as in consecutively… in one day… at race pace?
Whaddya say? That off-road triathlon stuff — Xterra — isn’t for true mountain bikers? It’s so easy even a caveman could do it?
Straight-up fact: The Caveman does make it look easy. And the Caveman will make it look easy as he smokes you out on some technical singletrack — on a big-wheeled bike, no less.
He isn’t racing Xterra — yet — on a 29er, Conrad Stoltz rides his Specialized Epic 29er the rest of the time. CHECK OUT MORE PHOTOS IN THE SLIDESHOW BELOW Photo by Seth Lightcap
A couple of weeks ago I did an interview and shoot with Singletrack.com editor Jamie Bate (and photoman Seth Lightcap) in Truckee. We talked 29er, kicked some ideas around and I have to say I’m quite stoked with the result. This website has some real meat to it. Informative, technical material for the serious trail rider.
Here is the complete article from SingleTrack.com
Visit Stoltz29.org for my 29er manifesto
Riding with the champions, NorCal High School racing league & Specialized.
Northern California has a booming High School racing programme. It is run a by a non profit organization and Specialized enthusiastically pitched in with a huge truckload of demo bikes for the kids to try out, and 3 World Champions on loan. Hence “Riding with the Champions.” Ned Overend, Rebecca Rusch and myself.
The kids could choose between the Specialized Epic, Stumpjumper, Stumpjumper 29er and the
XTERRA World Champs- XTERRA.TV Highlights
Despite the snow outside, I’m drenched with sweat. No, I’m not riding the stationary trainer in preparatory revenge for XTERRA Worlds 09. I just watched the highlights of this years’ race. I lived the race again. Sitting at the table, adrenaline pumped and my senses were abuzz with racing fever. Go to Xterra.tv for 2008 Worlds highlights. There is no commentry, you dont see me flat, (it will probably show up on the full length TV show) and it looks like I’m off the bike 1st, but I relived the race in Technicolour.
You too can relive (or just “live”) this season’s XTERRAs. Watch the whole season’s XTERRA races from all over the world and most notably Jamie Whitmores’ (she is fighting cancer) XTERRA Warrior Award 2008 on XTERRA.TV
My XTERRA.TV favourite is 1996 Worlds with Jimmy Riccitello, Mike Pig, Ned Overend, Michelle Jones and Mark Allen as commentator.
Photo by Nils Nilsen 2008
Bike porn from Interbike 2007
The Avia bike drew a lot of attention and explained bike show goers why there’s running shoes at their “bike show”. Triathletes!
Interbike- Last Vegas. Dirt Demo
The Dirt Demo takes place in the desert outside Vegas- Bootleg Canyon. The trail system is amazing. Lots of everything- singletrack from mild to quite hairy, jumps, ladders and big drops, a small BMX track and even a huge shuttle for the boinga boinga guys.
I spent the day at the Specialized “village”. Hundreds of 2009 bikes were in stock- ready for potential customers to ride and hopefully order for their stores.
I went on a ride with Ned Overend, Rebecca Rusch and a few Specialized Riders Club guys. Its always great being in Ned’s company. He rode a Specialized aluminium 29er hard tail and I had to have my wits about me to keep up. Not sure if he got faster or if it was the 29er… Ned is such a legend.
Most people recognize Ned from far away (and many calls me “Christophe” (Sauser)) because of the rainbow jersey, but “Hey! Christophe put on 40 pounds!”. Speaking of Christophe, he test rode a new (still nameless) Specialized tire that weighs 330g with hardly any knobs at all. Susi is in weight weenie heaven.
Chasing Ned Overend (on a 29er?!) down fun single track. Lake Mead in the bacground. (Yes, I did take this pic while riding…)
