Chasing Gravity Episode 5

Bike parks...feet dangling, the gentle swaying of the lift as it carries you upward. There
is just something about being sky high, surveying the runs below from a bird's eye view
that gives my heart a little extra flutter. It's almost as if my senses are heightened with
anticipation, just knowing the moment I hop off the lift, it's time to shred.

The month of June found us in New Mexico and Arizona, exploring a couple of bike
parks nestled in the mountains of these southwestern states.

The journey to Angel Fire Mountain Resort gave us a bit of a sense of pseudo-isolation.
Absent was the feeling of the hustle and bustle, the rush that mainstream cities can often
inflict you with. In it's place, the solitary town of Angel Fire welcomed us with relaxed
vibes and a small town feel.

Angel Fire's slopes offer numerous run options. Divergent terrain gives the resort a
unique characteristic, as well as providing any rider with a choice of numerous trails and
varying levels of technicality to challenge themselves with.

Remnants of volcanic activity from eons past are present still to this day in the form of
porous rocks littering many of the trails across the mountain.

A call of an elk resonates periodically through the air. The austere beauty of the
surroundings and contented atmosphere of Sunrise Mountain Resort makes for a prime
riding area to escape the searing heat characteristic of the lower lying Arizona cities in
the summer months.

Dense patches of forest had us dodging and weaving through the pines, opening up from
time to time into high speed, chunky ribbons of singletrack.

In some ways, we found riding at Sunrise similar to taking a step back in time. The trails
are raw, and generally seem to follow a natural course of their own down the mountain.

For the most part, Sunrise Resort lets the naturalness of the mountain challenge the rider,
only helping to complete or enhance the existing terrain with manmade additions when
the need calls for.

2013 Dirt/Norco Team Announced

We are very excited to announce that Team Dirt Norco has signed 2 new DH riders as well as an Enduro rider for 2013.

Ben Reid: (Rider/Team Organiser)

I think 2013 is going to be the most exciting year yet for team Dirt Norco, I feel we are working with some of the best companies in the industry (2013 sponsors soon to be released) and for me this makes riding my bike so much more enjoyable. I have made a great start to my training in preparation for the new season as well as working with Stanny on our new plans for the team.

In 2012 we had Duncan Riffle on board the team and we had a great season together and had lots of fun on the way, unfortunately we will not have the pleasure of D Riff on board the team in 2013 and we wish the big guy all the best for his future plans.

It has always been our goal to use the team as a platform to help out new talent and we are pleased to announce our new team mates for 2013. For DH we have young George Gannicott joining us who we are keen to help out going into his last year as a Junior, George was on a roll at the beginning of this season and proved himself a contender before breaking his collar bone weeks before the Worlds in Leogang, we also have Casey Brown who is set to have another great season in the Women’s Elite field, both these riders joining myself and Stanny on the DH circuit. As well as this we have Greg Callaghan who will be taking care of business on the new Enduro World Stage as well as in the UK and Ireland. I have been personally impressed by each of these riders by there skills and achievements on different occasions during the 2012 season and I am delighted we have been able to bring them on board.

Dan Stanbridge: (Rider/Team Organiser)

As Ben mentioned, it has alway been our goal with the Dirt Norco Race Team to support some young new talented riders. We are really excited to be able to do this in 2013 and even more pleased to have found some great riders to represent the team. Casey had an incredible debut world cup season in 2012 finishing on the podium at the finals in Norway, George already has some impressive wins to his name in the very competitive Junior class and Greg has shown his strength in the relatively new Enduro race series so 2013 is looking to be an exciting year for the team.

Casey Brown:

“Super stoked to be on a new team this year, Dirt Norco is well-established and has awesome riders who I’m sure I’ll learn a ton of good things from, right now I’m working hard and getting prepared for the next few months of training. I have some big plans for 2013 and am really excited to be on Norco!”

George Gannicott:

“I am really excited about joining Dirt Norco for 2013! It is a great opportunity to be part of the team and be with experienced riders. I’m keen to prove myself in 2013 and signing with the team will help me loads!”

Greg Callaghan:

“After first being introduced to the world of Enduro racing less than a year ago with the Irish Gravity Enduro series things have really gone well for me, it’s been a hell of a year and to go from my first season of racing Enduro to now being on a team as well supported as Dirt Norco for 2013 it is a great boost for me.

Having looked up to Ben as the top Irish rider since I started mountainbiking it’s awesome to now be on the same team as him and is super cool to see him passing on the love to another Irish rider by bringing me on board. I’m really looking forward to getting my hands on the Norco bikes and flying the flag next season, hopefully it’ll be a good season for everyone involved. This is definitely my most anticipated race season to date, I can’t wait to get going!

I’d also like to say a massive thanks to the people who have helped me in previous years, especially James and Natalie from OC Suspension who have treated me like a rockstar for the last 4 years.”

Caroline Buchanan Signs With Airborne Bikes

Airborne is proud to announce our newest DH and 4X team member, Caroline Buchanan.

Caroline hails from Canberra, Australia and currently resides in sunny California. She started racing in 1995 when she was 5 years old. With a huge list of accomplishments since then, she’s claimed over 12 national Australian titles, 2 World Champ 4 cross titles, 5th place at the 2012 Olympic games with a 1st in the time trial, 7 time Australian Cyclist of the year.

“We’re extremely proud to have Caroline on the Airborne team. She’s an excellent representative of her brands, and always carries herself as a true professional on & off her bike. We’re looking forward to supporting her goals for the 2013 Gravity season.” –Trevor Gay, Marketing & Team Manager, Airborne Bicycles For more news and updates, be sure to visit:

For more news and updates, be sure to visit:
www.airbornebicycles.com
www.carolinebuchanan.com

Sam Hill Signs With CRC/Nukeproof

Team CRC/Nukeproof are proud to welcome legendary Australian rider Sam Hill onto the roster, joining Matt Simmonds and Joe Smith as they look forward to success in the upcoming 2013 RockyRoads UCI Mountain Bike World Cup season. A five time downhill World Champion and with numerous World Cup podiums under his belt, Sam Hill is widely regarded as one of the most skilful riders on the circuit, often showing disregard for and picking apart the most loose, steep or gnarly courses in the world.

Matt Simmonds and Joe Smith, who both had their most successful professional season in 2012, are hoping to push themselves even further this year with the help of their new teammate. Matt said: “To have a rider of Sam’s calibre on the team will be awesome for us! Placing 16th overall in last year’s World Cup was great for me and gives me the perfect platform to improve my times this year and get closer to podium finishes.” Joe Smith, who took 19th overall in last year’s World Cup rankings, is stoked on what the future holds for the team, saying: “Finishing seventh at Fort Bill last year was a definite highlight, and to end up in the top-20 overall was fantastic. With the help of the team and some tweaks to my riding, this year should be amazing for us all.”

"I'm very excited about riding for team Chain Reaction Cycles/Nukeproof. They are very positive towards downhill racing and I know they are going to put in 100% just like me. I'm really looking forward to getting to the races under the Chain Reaction Cycles tents and hanging with the team. 2013 is going to be a good year." Sam Hill

"I'm delighted Sam has decided to join our team! I have been a big fan of Sam throughout his successful downhill career. He's had amazing results in the past winning five World Championship titles and is a fantastic ambassador for any company involved in downhill and mountain biking in general. We have worked hard on developing a great team and great bikes over the last five seasons and I believe having a rider of Sam's pedigree will step the team up to that next level and also bring on the results of Matt and Joe, who had very promising seasons in 2012. We are all really looking forward to having Sam on board helping the development of new Nukeproof products and hopefully helping Sam achieve his goals in racing in the next stage of his career. I can't wait for the 2013 season to begin!" Nigel Page

2013 Pro Gravity Tour Announced

Racing into its fifth year, USA Cycling’s Pro GRT will feature ten events from coast to coast, an increase over the six events that made up the 2012 calendar.

The tour kicks off in March with three new additions. Reaper Madness Downhill & Super D leads things off in Boulder City, Nev. Riders will then head west for the Fontana City – California Golden State competition a few weeks later. In April, the popular Sea Otter Classic in Monterey, Calif., will host the Pro GRT’s third stop.

Racing resumes in May with two east coast favorites: the Mountain Creek Spring Classic 2013 in Vernon, N.J., followed by the 2013 Plattekill Gravity Open in Roxbury, N.Y. Both events are also part of the POC Eastern States Cup.

Another race familiar to Pro GRT riders, the Chile Challenge, marks the start of the second half of the calendar. The June event takes place in Angel Fire, N.M., less than two months before the venue will host the 2013 USA Cycling Gravity Mountain Bike National Championships.

Riders will head to the China Peak Ski Resort for the California Golden State event later that month before crossing the country for the Windham Downhill in Windham, N.Y. on June 30, which is a UCI C2-inscribed race. July’s sole event is the Snowshoe Mountain Pro GRT in West Virginia. The Pro GRT concludes in early September at the Mammoth Kamikaze Bike Games in Mammoth Lakes, Calif.

Series points are given to top finishers at each event and used to determine the individual men’s and women’s standings that rank the best downhillers competing in the U.S. The 2012 men’s top ranked rider was Logan Binggeli (Saint George, Utah/KHS Factory Racing), while Jacqueline Harmony (Sedona, Ariz./IXS-510-Smith Optics) finished first in the women’s standings.

2013 Pro Mountain Bike Gravity Tour

• March 15-17   Reaper Madness Downhill & Super D — Boulder City, NV
• March 30-31   Fontana City - California Golden State — Fontana, CA
• April 21           Sea Otter Classic — Monterey, CA
• May 19           Mountain Creek Spring Classic 2013 — Vernon, NJ
• May 26           2013 Plattekill Gravity Open — Roxbury, NY
• June 7-9        Chile Challenge — Angel Fire, NM
• June 22-23    California Golden State — China Peak Ski Resort, CA
• June 30          Windham Downhill — Windham, NY
• July 13-14      Snowshoe Mountain Pro GRT — Snowshoe, WV
• Sept. 4-8       Mammoth Kamikaze Bike Games — Mammoth Lakes, CA

Four Events Make Up Pro UET

Now in its third year, the 2013 Pro UET will consist of four events offering series points to rank the top male and female endurance mountain bikers in the country.

Returning to the Pro UET from 2012 are two US Cup series races: the Sagebrush Safari 50 in Lake Morena, Calif., in May, and the Big Bear Classic in Big Bear Lake, Calif., in June. The Pro UET picks up again in August with the Galena Grinder Whit Henry Memorial at Galena Lodge in Idaho. Concluding the series is the brand new Templeton Cache XCM in Colorado Springs, Colo., on August 17.

The final standings of the 2012 Pro UET saw David "Tinker" Juarez (Whittier, Calif./Cannondale Factory) and Monique "Pua" Mata (Anaheim, Calif./Team Sho-Air Specialized) top the men’s and women’s rankings, respectively.

2013 Pro Mountain Bike Ultra-Endurance Tour

• May 19          US Cup – Sagebrush Safari 50 — Lake Morena, CA
• June 2           US Cup – Big Bear Classic — Big Bear Lake, CA
• August 10     Galena Grinder Whit Henry Memorial — Galena Lodge, ID
• August 17     Templeton Cache XCM — Colorado Springs, CO