2012 Reaper Madness Registration Opens

Registration is now open for the first USA Cycling Downhill qualifier for the 2012 Gravity Nationals. This State Championship Event will take place on February 18/19, 2012 at the infamous and challenging trails of Bootleg Canyon in Boulder City, Nevada.

Downhill Mike & the rest of the crew from the Whiteface Mountain Bike Park will once again be heading out west to put on the Reaper Madness Downhill & Super D races. Event organizers will be putting up a $2,000.00 pro cash purse and sponsors will have plenty of prizes. Those that place 1st thru 3rd will surely be taking home some sweet swag or cash!

Bootleg Canyon Racing/Whiteface Mountain Bike Park - Bootleg Canyon Home is the official event web site where you can easily find online registration, many very different videos from last years race (including one shot from a remote control helicopter), last years race results, this years course maps and even where to stay in Boulder City!

The event promoter has made some changes to this years pricing structure: Basically, the earlier one registers the more that is saved! Online pricing from the official event web site states: November cost is $75.00 for 1 race or $120.00 for both, and will increase by $5.00 each month until on- line registration closes on February 12. On-site registration will cost $100.00 for 1 race or $150.00 for both races. Save up to $30.00 by registering early!

Pit Pass: Danny Hart's World Champ Glory

You’ve probably heard about Danny Hart’s scorcher gold medal downhill run at the 2011 Mountain Bike World Championships in Switzerland.

Maybe you’ve also read a bit about the bike Danny has been riding during his rapid rise through the ranks of the downhill elite. It’s called the Giant Glory. The latest version of the Glory, the one Danny rode to that big win last month on a stormy, mud-soaked day in Champéry, Switzerland, was created this year for one purpose: to help Danny win races.

Those who have been following Danny have witnessed him redefining the possibilities of what downhill mountain bikes can do. With his signature no-holds-barred style, he’s blasting through boundaries and throwing in a whip just for fun. With riders like Danny leading the charge, the sport’s progression has suddenly sped up. This unassuming yet immensely talented 20-year-old from the seaside town of Redcar, in the northeast of England, is part of a new generation of riders who demand more. From themselves, and from their bikes.

A former BMX racer who regularly trains on a motocross bike, Danny knows exactly what he wants in his bikes. And before his second pro season he sat down with Giant engineers, product developers and Factory Team mechanics and articulated his ideas.

Giant is unique in its capabilities to fine-tune the ride qualities of professional-level bikes. It’s the only major manufacturer that literally builds its bikes from scratch—including producing its own aluminum frame tubing. Giant’s formula is simple: It brings together athletes and bike-builders, linking craftsmanship and performance.

With one season of racing the Glory under his belt—his rookie 2010 season—Danny knew exactly what was working for his attacking style on the world's most challenging DH courses. The super-strong, lightweight ALUXX SL frame material formed the perfect foundation. The Maestro Suspension gave him confidence and control. And going into 2011, he had a major new team sponsor, SRAM, that promised the lightest and most dependable components.

At that point Danny was looking for small adjustments that could make a big difference.

Over the following months, Giant engineered a modified race bike for Danny and his teammates Andrew Neethling and Duncan Riffle. The prototype Glory bikes were quietly unveiled at Round 2 of the World Cup series in Fort William, Scotland. The very first time he raced it, Danny scored a career-best second-place finish.

The rest is history: Danny went on to have a breakout season, getting on three World Cup podiums and laying down the run of a lifetime to win the World Championship in Champéry. Not bad for a second-year pro.

Here are the specs for Danny’s prototype World Championship Giant Glory, which will continue to be refined throughout the 2012 racing season. For more details on some of his race-day set-up secrets, click on the photos above.

Build Kit

Model: Giant Glory Prototype, size Medium
Frame: ALUXX SL Grade Aluminum with 8-inch Maestro Suspension
Fork: RockShox Boxxer with BlackBox internals and stanchions
Shock: RockShox Vivid R2C, custom-tuned for Champéry course; 350-pound RockShox Ti spring
Handlebar: Truvativ BooBar, 20mm rise, 780mm width
Grips: ODI Ruffian, non-locking type. Glued and wired
Stem: Truvativ Holzfeller direct mount 50mm
Seatpost: Truvativ Holzfeller straight
Saddle: Fi’zi:k
Pedals: Crank Brothers Mallet
Shifters: SRAM XO 10-speed trigger shifters
Rear Derailleur: SRAM XO DH 10-speed short cage
Brakes: Avid BlackBox Code calipers, 20mm disc front and rear
Brake levers: Avid BlackBox
Cassette: SRAM PG1070 11-23
Chain: SRAM PC 1091, hollow pin
Crankset: SRAM XO DH prototype with 38-tooth chainring, 165mm length
BB: Truvativ GXP 83mm
Rims: DT Swiss EX1750 white
Hubs: DT Swiss 240 red
Spokes: DT Swiss Competition
Tires: Schwalbe Danny Hart, custom labelled and custom compound (Dirty Dan)
Extras: Full titanium bolts (except stem bolts), RRP Fork splash protector, Carbon Kevlar caliper mud cover

2012 DH1 Dates Announced

DH1 race dates announced! Venues remain to be announced in the coming days. 3 races will take place in Europe and 3 in North America. As promised DH1 doesn't conflict with UCI World Cup. When DH1 takes place at the same date as an iXS cup that has been cleared both with UCI and iXS as DH1 will then be in North America. More information on the registration process will follow in the coming days too.

2012 FMB Tentative Schedule

With the Red Bull Rampage and the Red Bull District Ride, the past two FMB World Tours had two truly spectacular final events. Of course, we would like to continue that run and from the way it looks right now, we just might. Our goal is to have another grand finale but before anything can be confirmed, there are still several details that need to be worked out. We'll keep you in the loop! Beside that, all other Gold and Diamond events of 2011 have already confirmed their dates for 2012 and it remains to be seen what shape the World Tour will take coming season. Below you'll find the preliminary schedule for 2012 but keep in mind that we are still talking to several other events so the number of stops is bound to increase. Among other venues, a number of FMB World Tour athletes are taking up the challenge to follow in Darren Berrecloth's footsteps and are planning to hold their own events. Grant Fielder, for example, is putting together a new event in the UK, which would put Great Britain back on the FMB World Tour map after they were missing from it this year. If those new events manage to meet the criteria of an FMB World Tour event, this will definitely make for an interesting addition to the 2012 FMB World Tour.

2012 DH1 Race 1 Announced

Maribor, Slovenija will host the first DH1 race on 12th - 13th May 2012.