2013 Banshee Prime Geometry

Here are the updated Geo. numbers for the new Banshee Prime.

Features

29" Wheels	The frame is designed for 29" wheels and can accommodate 2.5" tire widths
Adjustable geometry	3 positions with a flip of the chips - Trail, Mid, Aggressive
Short Chainstays	To help the handling of the 29" wheels on this 130mm travel bike
Taper Headtube	Strength and versatility to use zero stack or adjustable head angle cups
Hydroformed 7005 AL tubes	Gusseting formed into the tube for added strength with less weight
ISCG2005	Run single ring up front
New KS Link suspension	KS Link virtual pivot suspension for great wheelrate characteristics
Configurable dropouts	Choose 10x135, 12x142, or 12x150 to match your riding style
Front derailleur Compatible	Use Srams S3 direct mount system
Full length seat tube	Lower the seat without shock interference and designed for dropper posts
Internal ribbed stays	increased stiffness for railing burms and sticking landings
Aggressive geometry	Slack angles paired with frame anti-squat keeps, speed going down and the front end planted on steeper climbs
Full compliment bearings	For lower maintenance and robustness
Warranty	2 years [original owner]
Crash replacement	Lifetime [original owner]

Red Bull Rampage Rides Again

Back in 2001, the Red Bull Rampage concept was conceived to serve one of the fringes of the blossoming mountain-bike movement. There were riders -- courageous, driven and a little crazy -- who were at once exploring new terrain, testing their own limitations and defining a new genre of the sport, and their riding style was not represented at all in competition. Freeride mountain biking was rapidly evolving with every insane drop and first descent, and Red Bull Rampage was on board to help push it even harder.

The inaugural event was a landmark in the sport's history and was followed by three more through 2004. If you won Red Bull Rampage -- or even survived the weekend with all your bones intact -- your reputation as a bad ass on two wheels was unassailable. Unlike events with a defined course and familiar obstacles, Red Bull Rampage let the riders determine their own route down treacherous cliffs; the more creative and risky the line, the better the score.

After 2004, the event went on hiatus, but the memories -- and the reputation -- grew in scale. The mountain-bike contest scene did evolve to address the changes in the sport, but in general it still lagged behind what the most progressive riders were capable of. As contest riders began to get pigeonholed into separate disciplines -- downhill, slopestyle, dirt jumping -- it was the freeride ethos that leveled the playing field. You needed skills in every aspect to survive a true freeride run, and the time came once again to prove who had the balls to get it done.

Red Bull Rampage made its return in 2008 with yet another epic gathering of the best mountain bike riders in the world. Anyone who believed the sport couldn’t progress further would have eaten their words on that dusty ridge near Virgin, Utah. Man-made “enhancements” graced the venue for the first time, but the main objective remained: find the most challenging lines down the mountain and ride them with style. Regardless of their background, the riders were all equal at the top of the mountain; equal in the challenge they faced to get to the bottom of it.

The next event was held in 2010, punctuated by Cameron Zink’s jaw-dropping 360 off a 40-foot drop. Every time Red Bull Rampage takes place, individuals push themselves like never before, collectively progressing the sport to a new level. The time has come again: On October 5-7, 2012, mountain biking’s best will return to southern Utah to climb the next -- or the next few -- rungs of the ladder.

Athlete selection criteria has been announced, and the aim has been to collect the best of the best, the top riders in many disciplines who own the skills to survive in the desert.

Zink and Brandon Semenuk, the 2010 and 2008 champions, will automatically be placed into the October 7 final. The top 12 finalists from 2010 are pre-qualified, excused from competing in the October 5th qualifying battle. Invites to the qualifier will go out to the top 12 ranked riders from the FMB World Tour, as well as the top two finishers at the Chatel Mountain Style in France in July. Red Bull Rampage serves as the final stop on the 2012 FMB World Tour.

More details will be available soon; outside of the actual event dates, clear some space on your calendar on Saturday, December 8 from 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. ET to watch all of the best action from Red Bull Rampage on NBC as part of the Red Bull Signature Series.

2013 Transition Carbon Covert Announced

Transition Bikes unveils the new carbon Covert. See the bike in action as well as some of the new features and design inspiration that went into creating Transition Bikes first carbon bike.

The 2013 Carbon Covert is Transition Bike’s first carbon frame offering. The 160mm travel Covert was the perfect candidate to bring to carbon as it allowed the bike to shed weight, improve strength, add new features, and update the look at the same time. 

“In my mind, this bike really represents the ultimate no holds barred quiver killer. It's really everything I would want in a single do-everything type of bike and we've tried pretty hard to ensure all the right features are there without including things that don't really matter. A big goal of ours with this project was to develop something with very unique lines that you don't often see in bicycle frame design...and we feel we've really accomplished that. This was a long development effort so we're pretty pumped to finally unveil our first carbon frame.” Says Kyle Young, Transition Bikes owner.

Transition Bikes took the essence of the previous Covert but started from the ground up to produce something all new and extremely exciting. For design inspiration they looked outside the bike world towards Italian super cars. The carbon material allowed a no compromise design approach that allowed them to achieve exactly what they envisioned; powerful lines and a unique bold look. The frame uses some exciting new materials and an evolved suspension platform for the best possible performance on the trail.

The 2013 Carbon Covert is the first bike on the market to offer both C.O.C.K. and B.A.L.L.S. technology. The Completely Optimized Carbon Kinetics utilized in production of the carbon structure are an industry first; only available on Transition Bikes. The careful use of C.O.C.K. makes the Carbon Covert one of the strongest frames on the market today. The Basically Aligned Linear Leverage System suspension works with the shock making the suspension incredibly easy to tune; once again, only available on Transition Bikes. Our B.A.L.L.S. are only there to make sure you have fun on the trail. Unlike other suspension systems, our B.A.L.L.S. aren’t overly complicated, it’s just the right suspension technology to keep the ride smooth and predictable.

“When we first met in the lab to develop these new technologies, I didn’t realize just how big they would become. I am proud to see this bike released so everyone can experience the ultimate package.” Says Sam Burkhardt, Transition Bikes product manager. 

Working in conjunction with the B.A.L.L.S. suspension system, the 2013 Carbon Covert features a longer 8.5” x 2.5” custom tuned Fox CTD Adjust rear shock. The longer shock helps contribute to improved suspension performance and easier shock setup for riders of any size. The rear travel has been increased from 150mm to 160mm further expanding the performance in gnarly terrain. For riders looking for ultimate downhill performance, an optional Fox RC4 coil shock is available as well. The B.A.L.L.S. suspension system uses a higher main pivot placement for improved pedaling performance with modern 2x10 and 1x10 drivetrain setups. An all new hardware system, with single allen key tightening, has been developed to keep the pivots tight. While the front triangle features full internal cable routing, including the Reverb Stealth routing for clean looks and integrated performance.

FEATURES

• Carbon Front Triangle with Carbon Seatstay and Alloy Chainstay and Rocker
• 160mm Rear Travel
• 8.5” x 2.5” Fox CTD Adjust Custom Tuned Rear Shock
• Optional Fox RC4 Coil Shock Available
• All Front Triangle Cable Routing is Internal
• Reverb Stealth Seat Post Routing
• New Pivot Hardware System
• 12 x 142mm Dropouts (10 x 135mm Dropouts Sold Separately)
• Press Fit 30 Bottom Bracket Shell
• Frame Weight 6.75 lbs (Including Rear Shock and Rear Axle)
• PRICE: To Be Announced
• C.O.C.K & B.A.L.L.S Technology (Only Available From Transition Bikes)

GEOMETRY 
Head Tube Angle: 66.5 Degree (Fox 36 160mm) / 67 Degree (Fox 34 160mm) 
Chainstay Length: 430mm 
Seatube Length: Sm 563, Md 593, Lg 623mm 
Reach: Sm 378mm, Md 406mm, Lg 431mm 
Wheelbase Length: Sm 1106mm, Md 1137mm, Lg 1169mm 
Bottom Bracket Height: 349 mm

"This is definitely the most exciting bike we have ever done. It took much longer than we anticipated but when doing full suspension carbon you can't rush anything. Seeing carbon bikes being produced in person really makes you appreciate the massive amount of work that goes into each frame. I think there is a misconception that these bikes just pop out of molds and are good to go and that couldn't be further from the truth. Each frame is like a sculpted work of art.” Says Kevin Menard, owner of Transition Bikes. 

The 2013 Carbon Covert will be available in three colors (Lemon Lime Metallic, Stealth Black & Matte White) with multiple build kit options to meet different rider preferences and price points.

• TRANSITION BIKES
• 2641 Delta Ring Rd.
• Ferndale, WA 98248 USA
• (360) 366-4960

Ian Morrison And Steve Smith

World Cup racing takes DGR ripper Stevie Smith far afield. He’s sampled Pisco in Chile, kangaroo in Australia, explored game reserves in South Africa, seen the fjords of New Zealand, and crisscrossed Europe from boot to mullet. While abroad, Stevie constantly hears about all the amazing riding at home, in British Columbia. Early in the 2012 season during Devinci Global Racing team discussions, he mentioned B.C.’s epic terrain and trying to sneak in some sample time. 

Because there is no time like the present to re-experience B.C.—and with a one-month break in the World Cup schedule—it was on. Springtime in Pemberton is the time. Tacky hero dirt is out and ready to be hit before it expires and desert-like conditions sink their teeth in for summer. 

With Whistler Bike Park opening on the Canadian May long weekend, local shredder and Devinci ambassador, Ian Morrison, was looking to sharpen his skills—preparing to wreck dreams in the upcoming Wednesday beer league races. Ian is known as the “scrub master.” He finished 6th in the 2011 Crankworx A-line event, solidifying his reputation as a force. At home he’s a style-driven rider focused on beer league race scene domination… and holding his own at one of Gold's famous GLC after parties. When Ian was asked to do some early-season riding with Stevie, it was time to detonate the bomb. 

Some words from Mikey Goldstein at Goldstein Productions: 

I met Ian Morrison close to 10 years ago working at a golf course together in Whistler. There was never a dull day. Ian found countless ways to turn tedious tasks into fun. He hasn’t changed since. Shooting with Ian and Stevie was hands down the best time I’ve had shooting yet. Stevie may be one of the top racers in the world, but stick him with Ian and just like any young guys in their early 20s, they can't pass up the chance to roll a big rock down a hill. We all knew that Devinci’s Gabe Fox always wants to see the footage as soon as possible… of course we had to mess with him a bit. While shooting, we decided to make our own joke version of a rough cut for Gabe to preview, and got him good. 

VP Components Dirt Club Enduro Date Change

Due to the demand from top level riders and out of town riders for whom date conflicts were a big bummer, we have decided to move the VP Components Dirt Club Enduro to a new date- JULY 7 & 8 2012.

The prize list stays the same (lots of prizes) featuring $1,500 in cash plus prizes to Open Men.  As always, we are planning a great time with accurate and fast chip timing, on-site camping, a bonfire, a pump track to hit if you get bored, and raffle prizes from our great sponsors.

Meanwhile, trail building continues with more and more features being built in to our trails to make this event one to remember.

We hope to see you there!

For more info go to www.vp-usa.com/enduro