NEKO MULALLY JOINS THE YT MOB

The YT Mob is excited to announce that 23 year old Neko Mulally of the USA will be joining Aaron Gwin and Angel Suarez to make up our 2017 line up. After a successful debut season taking the YT TUES to a historic World Cup debut, the team couldn’t be more thrilled about bringing in this talented young rider to tackle our 2nd race season.
 
Back in 2010 Neko made his first mark in the world of Downhill racing by finishing 2nd at the Junior World Championships in Mont-Sainte-Anne, and then went on to make history in 2014 by finishing 4th at the Elite World Championships with his chainless run. He also made his first trip to the UCI World Cup podium that year by finishing 3rd at the Cairns World Cup, despite a crash!
 
Known as one of the friendliest and easy going riders in the pits, he’s a determined athlete on the bike and the team has every confidence that he will not only settle in perfectly with the team, but continue to build on the results already achieved in his career.
 
Neko said today: "The opportunity to ride for the YT Mob comes at an important junction in my career. The quality of the program has been proven and offers a dynamic where I have excelled in the past. On top of the excellent support, I'm thrilled to be surrounded by this group of people at the races. To ride alongside a teammate like Aaron in an environment that’s committed to success puts me in an ideal situation going forward."
 
Aaron says: "I'm really happy that we were able to sign Neko to the team this year, joining Angel and I. His work ethic, abilities on the bike, and overall positive attitude is exactly what we look for in a rider. We believe in him as he believes in himself and we'll work hard as a team to give him everything he needs to accomplish his goals of getting back to the top. It's going to be a fun year; the chainless destroyers are back together, watch out world!"

 

Team Owner Martin Whiteley says: “Of course it’s great to welcome Neko to the Mob, and in a way welcome him back home to the staff and support that worked alongside him for many years before. Neko was team mates with Aaron in 2011 and 2012 and learned a great deal during his time with him as Gwinny was racking up titles. I’m sure that he’ll welcome that opportunity again and enjoy mixing it up with Angel as well. Team chemistry is very important for us and this decision wasn’t taken lightly. Neko will be an excellent addition to the team.”
 
In addition to racing the World Cup and World Championships, the riders will compete in their respective National Championships, select Pro GRT and other events. Further images of the new race kits and bikes will be available in March.

Hi Neko. You are going to ride a TUES CF this year. How will your bike setup differ from Aaron’s and Angel’s?
I’ll run an XL frame, like Angel, to suit my long reach. My handlebars will be 20mm rise, lower than Aaron at 30mm and Angel at 40mm. I expect to run 170mm crank arms, and a 34t chain ring, which will give me a little extra leverage and less drag, but compromise from the clearance of a 165mm/ 32t set up like Aaron and Angel. I will have to put in the hours to decide whether the Coil or Air shock suits me better.

How would you describe your riding style?
I have always been focused on racing, so my style has been efficient and fast. Less flamboyant and more speed. Lately however, I have been pushing myself to learn new skills and ride harder lines that may not be faster in training. It keeps it exciting to look at a trail through a different lens sometimes.

Do you know your new team mates? Where did you meet first?
I have known Aaron for years as a teammate and fellow American rider. He's probably the guy who checks off the most boxes during his preparation and is a true professional. I can learn a lot from him. I met Angel 2 years ago, on the hot seat in Lenzerheide. I thought "who the hell is this Spanish kid that just beat my time!?" Since then I had the chance to get to know him at the races last season and I can't wait to spend more time together this year.

Who will be your mechanic? What is your brother gonna do in the next season?
This year I’ll be working with Ben Arnott, current Mob mechanic. Ben is an incredibly smart dude, a mechanical engineer with a ton of experience and a great rider too. I can't think of a better man for the job. My brother is pursuing his own goals at school and working as a shop manager this year. We had an awesome time traveling the world together these past two years and I hope we can do it again someday, but for now we are headed down our own paths.

Who else is going to sponsor you?
Personally I will continue with Oskar Blues Brewery, Bell Helmets, Royal Racing, Scott Goggles and Blue Sky Fuel. Oskar Blues is a local brewery just a few miles from my house who are involved in Mountain Biking at all levels. All of the employees ride and they are true fans of the sport.

Apparently, you are the only world cup rider with a beer company as a helmet sponsor. How does that go together?
Mountain bikers like to finish a great ride having a beer with their buddies. It's a fitting category to the demographic of our sport, and Oskar Blues takes pride in supporting cycling. They promote efforts to increase trail access and create events that truly benefit our sport. They are constantly stoked and a true pleasure to work with.

What are your goals for next season?
Ride inside the top 10
Push myself to new heights

Which races will you do?
UCI World Cup
UCI World Championships
Select Pro Gravity Tour Events
US National Championships

What’s going on at the moment?
Last month I transitioned from unstructured training to a dedicated schedule in preparation for the season ahead. This off season has kept me busy with a few projects I started along with moving into the house I spent the past year building. Together with some close friends I’ve built a year-round uplift access Bike Park in my region, and have organized a grassroots pre-season race series with 4 events in the southeast. Both have been really fun and a lot of work, and have been growing the sport hugely in my region. Now I'm all settled in and the projects are running smoothly, so training and racing are now my daily focus.

How is your training? Where do you usually train?
I like to train in the gym and on the XC bike during the week and ride downhill on the weekends. I am full time from now through to W/Cup round 1, and will maintain my fitness with a similar schedule between events this summer.

What does Good Times mean to you?
The feeling that you're stoked to be where you are. Usually on 2 wheels with good people for me.

What’s the difference between east coast and west coast riders?
East coast riders are tougher, we have to deal with all conditions haha :)

Who is your favorite riding buddy?
My brother Logan is the best person to ride with because his only goal on the bike is to have as much fun as possible!

What’s the most important thing in your life?
Waking up stoked to get out of bed and dive into the day ahead.

What makes you happy?
Being on the bike and feeling like you can do no wrong! Putting the tires exactly where you want them.

What makes you angry?
Being let down by my own mistakes.

If you could choose: With whom would you really like to party?
Stevie!

The best mountain biking video of all time?
Sam Hill’s race run at Val di Sole World Champs 2008

What are you doing when you are not riding?
Digging in the woods, or thinking about it!

Athlete Roster and Profiles can be viewed here: http://www.yt-mob.com/athletes/
 
Photo Credit: Callie Horwath

Brett Tippie Joins ROTOR Athlete Roster

ROTOR Bike Components is proud to add Freeride legend Brett Tippie to their roster of athletes. Regarded as one of the pioneers of Freeride mountain biking, Tippie’s infectious grin offsets his penchant for hitting the steepest terrain around. When he’s not dropping in on big lines, Brett hosts Redbull Rampage, Sea Otter festivities, opening day at Whistler Bike Park and the Crankworx event series. His social media offers his followers a glimpse of what it’s like to shred around the globe, while keeping a humorous slant. Growing up in Kamloops, BC, Tippie is known for bringing his hard-charging riding style wherever he goes. “There is no one else like Brett Tippie,” says North American Brand Manager Lori Barrett. “He rides the biggest, gnarliest terrain you’ve ever seen, and you always know where he is because of his laugh! He’ll be a great partner for ROTOR as we develop our focus on mountain bike product.”

"I am very excited to work with ROTOR and play a helpful role in advancing their presence in the North American market,” Tippie said. “I love that ROTOR has a long standing tradition of scientific testing and validation to support their technology. I will continue doing my own scientific testing riding the goods in BC (night and day) on the wet, rain forested, tech trails of the north shore and deserty, dry big mountain lines in Kamloops!"

Brett Tippie will be riding the new ROTOR RHawk & RRaptor gravity cranks & chain rings launching in North America this month. With the idea of creating a future-proof system, both RHawk & RRaptor are modular, meaning the crank, chain ring & axle all can be separated to allow for easy switches between bikes, as axle standards continue to evolve.

Bringing a North American presence to a roster that includes Cedric Gracia & Jordi Bago, Tippie will continue with long-time sponsors Rocky Mountain Bicycles, SR Suntour, Maloja & IXS Sports.

Keep up with Brett Tippie, Director of Good Times via Instagram: @bretttippie

Find ROTOR at www.rotorbike.com, Facebook: @Rotor Bike Components, Instagram: @RotorBike

Guerrilla Gravity Announces Two New Megatrail Models

"As a highly refined and extremely versatile trail bike, the Megatrail is built for everything from conquering high-alpine adventures to shredding bike park laps, or just slaying your after-work rides. And when it’s time to turn the Rad up to 11, Gravity Mode™ provides a 30-second, one-bolt geometry toggle that transforms the bike into a downhill dominator--it's like having two bikes!

The Megatrail's design achieves best-in-class pedaling, next-level cornering, and downhill authority. The leverage curve works well with both air and coil shocks, providing support while pedaling, small bump sensitivity, and progression for hard bottom-out resistance regardless of shock choice. Extremely well-tuned anti-squat characteristics and mid-stroke support create a very efficient pedalling platform.

We used our background in racecar engineering to create the Freedom Linkage, a versatile platform that allows you to dial in your ride characteristics based on local terrain and rider preferences via shock tunes; the base tune is designed with advanced riders in mind.

2017 Megatrail Changes

While we’d love to tell you that the new Megatrail platform is a groundbreaking, paradigm-shifting leap forward, the reality is the previous version was pretty damn good. So we just made everything a little better, notably:

• Freedom Linkage implementation

• Shorter chainstays

• More standover clearance

• Steeper seat tube geometry

• Updated Gravity Mode

• Improved aesthetics (who doesn’t want a few extra clicks of sexy?)

• Frame Storage system

Freedom Linkage

The Freedom Linkage is a proprietary Horst Link implementation that allows riders to tune the performance characteristics. In any configuration, the platform provides a supple top stroke for small bump compliance, mid-stroke support for popping off bonus lines, and ramp up for bottom out resistance. With engineered versatility, riders can adjust these characteristics based on local terrain and personal preferences via shock tunes; the base tune is designed with advanced riders in mind.

The Freedom Linkage also utilizes our approach to design that focuses on a high level of refinement to eliminate unnecessary complication. This creates a platform that's made for goin' fast, yet is easy to maintain and built to last.

Geometry

After listening to rider feedback on the previous generation Megatrail, we have shortened the chainstays by 13 mm and lowered the standover by 30 mm. The result is a playful ride that likes to party.

The new Megatrail also utilizes the same steep actual seat tube angle geometry found on the Pedälhead and Trail Pistol. It’s important to note that the actual seat tube angle is important because effective seat tube angles can be misleading. A steep actual seat tube angle allows for an upright, efficient climbing position and a cockpit feel that is consistent as the saddle is raised and lowered.

Updated Gravity Mode

The updated Gravity Mode gets a 5 mm travel bump over the previous version (now 165 mm), a slightly taller BB height, and more mid-stroke support. This lends itself well to those that like to “set it and forget it,” and prefer to run it full time in the full-strength mode. Gravity Mode is now even better suited for laps in the bike park, too (you can run up to a 180 mm travel fork).

Frame Layout

Taking inspiration from the Trail Pistol, the new Megatrail offers our custom tube set that reduces weight and improves aesthetics. It also includes our frame storage system to carry a water bottle and flat-change supplies with the NUTS bracket (Necessities Under The Saddle). We’re big fans of reducing the need for a backpack on the average ride and frame storage goes a long way to making that happen.

Made in America

The Megatrail, like all of our frames, was designed and manufactured in-house at our Denver, Colorado facility. This holistic structure allows us to maintain tight quality controls, have a short and efficient supply chain, and offer riders extensive customization options.

Pricing

Megatrail, starting prices

Frameset: $2095
Ride 2 build: $3295
Ride 1 build: $4295
Race build: $5295

Frame Features

• Trail Mode and Gravity Mode™
  • Trail Mode: 150 mm travel, 13.4" BB, 66.2º HA
  • Gravity Mode™: 165 mm travel, 13" BB, 65.5º HA
• Freedom Linkage using proprietary Horst Link implementation
• Steeper seat tube angle maintains consistent geo as the saddle is raised and lowered, improves climbing efficiency
• NUTS (Necessities Under the Saddle) Bracket keeps your flat changing essentials easily accessible (and lightens your load)
• Bottle mount in front triangle
• Premium Enduro Maxx cartridge bearings last longer (they have more balls)
• 6.6 lbs. (2,993g) frame with hardware (size Medium, no shock)

It also utilizes our approach to design that focuses on a high level of refinement to eliminate unnecessary complication. This creates a platform that's made for goin' fast, yet is easy to maintain and built to last. Plus, it's built right here in our shop. Those are pure American welds (f* yeah!)!"

Frame Fittings

• 30.9mm seatpost (34.9mm clamp)
• 49mm headtube, fits tapered steerer tubes
• ISCG05 chainguide mount
• 230x65 mm shock
• Threaded 73 mm BB spacing (no creaky press fit BB here!)
• 55mm chainline
• 12x148 rear axle, offset 3mm to the driveside for optimal chainline and clearance
• Universal Syntace rear axle and derailleur hanger
• ISO brake caliper mount
• Max fork travel: 180 mm
• Max tire size: 27.5x2.6

GG Megatrail Geometry

The Megatrail SS

"Turning your local trail into your very own slopestyle track, the SS lets you pump, jump, and weave through the woods. With an exceptionally lively platform, this is the bike for those that value playfulness more than smashing the super-gnar. Plus, with Gravity Mode™ available, you still have the downhill chops when going gets rough...er.

The shorter travel Megatrail sibling has 135 and 145 mm travel in Trail Mode and Gravity Mode™, respectively. It uses the same platform at the "full-strength" Megatrail, so you have the same frame stiffness and ride qualities, but with a "fun size" suspension package that allows you to run up to 27.5x2.8 Plus tires.

We used our background in racecar engineering to create the Freedom Linkage, a versatile platform that allows you to dial in your ride characteristics based on local terrain and rider preferences via shock tunes; the base tune is designed with advanced riders in mind.

It also utilizes our approach to design that focuses on a high level of refinement to eliminate unnecessary complication. This creates a platform that's made for goin' fast, yet is easy to maintain and built to last. Plus, it's built right here in our shop. Those are pure American welds (f* yeah!)!

Frame Features

• Trail Mode and Gravity Mode™
  • Trail Mode: 135 mm travel, 13.2" BB, 67º HA
  • Gravity Mode™: 145 mm travel, 12.8" BB, 66.3º HA
• Freedom Linkage using proprietary Horst Link implementation
• Steeper seat tube angle maintains consistent geo as the saddle is raised and lowered, improves climbing efficiency
• NUTS (Necessities Under the Saddle) Bracket keeps your flat changing essentials easily accessible (and lightens your load)
• Bottle mount in front triangle
• Premium Enduro Maxx cartridge bearings last longer (they have more balls)
• 6.6 lbs. (2,993g) frame with hardware (size Medium, no shock)

Frame Fittings

• 30.9mm seatpost (34.9mm clamp)
• 49mm headtube, fits tapered steerer tubes
• ISCG05 chainguide mount
• 230x57.5 mm shock
• Threaded 73 mm BB spacing (no creaky press fit BB here!)
• 55mm chainline
• 12x148 rear axle, offset 3mm to the driveside for optimal chainline and clearance
• Universal Syntace rear axle and derailleur hanger
• ISO brake caliper mount
• Max fork travel: 180 mm
• Max tire size: 27.5x2.8

Megatrail SS Geometry

Find out more at GG

* The Megatrail accepts forks between 150-180 mm of travel. Changing the travel +/- 10 mm creates a head angle (HA) change of +/- .4º and BB height change of .1" (3 mm).

** Please note that with a steeper seat tube angle reach numbers may seem longer compared to the "average" reach numbers of other bikes. For further sizing advice, please email us.

Cane Creek Announces The DB AIR [IL], OPT, and DROPT

FLETCHER, N.C. – January 10th, 2017. Cane Creek Cycling Components is very proud to introduce the newest product to the Double Barrel family, the DB AIR [IL]. Three years in the making, the DB AIR [IL] is the next evolution of the most advanced inline shock. Launched in 2014, the Cane Creek DBInline was a leap forward in mountain bike suspension technology that was revered as a game changer to the industry. However, we acknowledged the need for a big jump in reliability. With the development of the DB AIR [IL], we have brought forth great advancements in our design and manufacturing processes, all in an effort to make our shocks more robust compared to the previous generation of in-line Double Barrel technology. These successful advancements that were used to create the DB AIR [IL] have also been employed into the new 2017 DBInline and DB COIL [IL] shocks, ensuring increased reliability across the entire in-line Double Barrel shock family. For detailed descriptions of these advancements and added features please refer to http://www.canecreek.com/products/suspension/dbair-il . DB AIR [IL] is available for purchase and shipment now.

In addition to the DB AIR [IL], Cane Creek Cycling Components is also introducing two new handle bar remote systems for 2017:

The OPT climb switch handlebar remote – allows handlebar access and optimized control to the climb switch function of any DB AIR [IL], DB COIL [IL], and DBInline shocks. OPT’s mechanical cable design was intended to keep the remote simple and reliable. OPT has two different mounting options to cater to several types of shock mounting orientations. To learn more about the OPT climb switch remote please refer to http://www.canecreek.com/products/suspension/accessories/opt . OPT will be available for purchase and shipment February 1st.

The DROPT dropper seat post remote – designed with OPT in mind, is a universal remote that is compatible with any cable actuated dropper seat post. DROPT can be easily mounted on the same handlebar clamp with OPT to reduce handlebar clutter, and holds several adjustment features to create the ideal dropper post handlebar set up for all types of cable orientations and requirements. To learn more about the DROPT dropper seat post remote please refer to http://www.canecreek.com/products/suspension/accessories/dropt

Andrew Neethling Leaving Polygon UR Team

Looks like Needles is leaving Polygon UR for 2017. Any guess as to where he will go?