2013 Trek World Racing Adds Three New Riders To The Team

Trek World Racing is excited to announce its much anticipated line-up for the 2013 race season, a roster which sees a mixture of race winners, World Cup podium riders as well as up-and-coming talent. All the riders selected for the program have the same philosophy and clearly have youth, talent and massive potential as key ingredients.

Headlining the team line-up is the Kiwi duo of Brook MacDonald (pictured above right) and George Brannigan (pictured above left). Brook MacDonald is the 2009 Junior World Champion and has recently scored his first World Cup win at 2012s Round 6 in Val dIsere, France, bringing his World Cup podium tally to 4 so far. George had his first taste of the World Cup podium when he finished 2nd at Round 7 last year in Hafjell, Norway, just missing the win by 0.4sec. His current UCI world ranking of #9 is a testament to his 2012 season of consistent results.

These two riders join American Neko Mulally (pictured below right) who enters his 4th year with the program, and his 2nd as an Elite rider. Last year was his most successful to date seeing him break into the World Cup top 15 and knocking on the door of the top 10. Even though Neko is still the youngest rider on the program, turning 20 next month, he carries a wealth of experience for his age as he enters the new season.

Making his debut onto a pro-team ride is Scottish talent Greg Williamson (pictured below left) who has impressed a number people with his recent results, most notably a number of top 20 World Cup placings despite very little support. His 15th in Hafjell after qualifying 19th, and a 17th in Fort William, shows he has strength on different styles of tracks and can earn points for his team.

Brook MacDonald says: "Being on Trek World Racing represents a fresh start for me and Im looking forward to all the new things Ill experience. Im really excited to be joining this team for the next 3 seasons and working with my new team mates and new bikes. The combination of the Session 9.9 with Fox Shox and Shimano has been pretty lethal the last 2 seasons!"

George says: "I'm so excited to be a part of Trek World Racing. This feels like the opportunity I need to improve my results and still be consistent. I know any team run by 23 Degrees has produced real talent and I want to make the most of this opportunity to get where I want to be. The group of team mates will be great and Im sure the support will be top notch. I cant wait for this season!"

Greg says: "For me, joining Trek World Racing is a dream come true. Ive been working hard for a long time to get onto a professional team like this. The roster this year is awesome, theyre all hard workers and dont do anything half-heartedly, so Im really looking forward to learning a few things and stoked to get back racing."

The four full time downhill riders will be joining Justin Leov (NZL) who we recently announced as our Enduro rider. Justin will be doing selected downhill events as well as acting as a mentor to the team. At 28 years of age, 10 years on the World Cup circuit and entering his 5th year with our program, Justin is the perfect role model for the other 4 riders.

The team is proud to confirm the following sponsors who have committed to the program and the new line-up. Shimano (Brakes and Drive Train), Fox Racing Shox (Suspension), JBL by Harman (Sound Systems), Bontrager (Tires and Wheels), Royal Racing (Competition and Casual Clothing), Seven (Body Protection), FUNN (Handlebars/Stems), MRP (Chain Guides), DT Swiss (Hubs), SDG Components (Seats and Seat Posts), SRM (Power Measurement), Motorex (Lubricants and Cleaning Products), Ryno Power (Sports Nutrition), ODI (Grips), Cane Creek (Headsets) and Alpinestars (Team Baggage).

The team was recently informed by the UCI that it had successfully completed the registration process for 2013, and will be informed on February 7 whether it has been awarded one of the 15 Elite Team spots, something we are quite confident of achieving with our current roster.

The team website currently has the profiles of all 5 riders in the Downhill section of the site. In the coming weeks well be updating the site with a new Enduro section.

Fix It Sticks

APPLETON, Wis. - January 16, 2013 - One of the most trusted tools in any cyclist's workshop - the three-way hex wrench - inspired a radically redesigned multitool from Fix It Sticks, a new company currently raising capital on crowdfunding site Kickstarter.com.

The campaign on Kickstarter.com begins on January 16 and runs for 30 days to raise money required for a full production run of Fix It Sticks. Backers will also be a vital source of information for product testing prior to a wider market launch in the spring of 2013.
 
"Using a three-way wrench last winter while training in my basement I was struck by the simplicity of the design and the ability to gain leverage to tackle my suddenly dislodged front derailleur," said Founder Brian Davis, a Cat 3 racer in Wisconsin. "I kept thinking I'd love to have something like that on the road with me and the idea was born."
 
Fix It Sticks' minimalist two-piece design allows cyclists to customize the tools they pack in a lightweight, compact set that contains no moving parts.
 
Fix It Sticks underwent multiple rounds of prototyping to arrive at the current version, which will closely mirror the production tool, complete with eye-catching and durable anodized finish.
 
"So far, we've built and sourced everything in the immediate area of Appleton, Wisconsin," Davis said. "We'll be keeping all the production in the U.S. so we can ensure the best quality product."
 
Keeping with a local, low-impact ethos, Fix It Sticks will be shipped with minimal packaging and a carrying case made from recycled inner tubes.
 
"We wanted to create a simple case for a simple tool," Davis said. "If you lose the case, you can make a new one in about 30 seconds from an old tube."
 
For more information about Fix It Sticks, visit www.facebook.com/fixitsticks. To visit the Kickstarter campaign, visit www.kickstarter.com/projects/fixitsticks/fix-it-sticks-a-fantastically-unique-bicycle-multi.
 
About Fix It Sticks
A new twist on a cycling multitool, Fix It Sticks gives cyclists a lightweight, high-leverage multitool without any excess. The unique design uses two different sticks that combine to form a T-handle. Similar to a three-way wrench found in every cyclist's toolbox, except compact enough to ride with. More information can be found at www.fixitsticks.com.

Felt Becomes Top Level Sponsor Of The SoCal High School Cycling League

TEMECULA, Calif. – The SoCal High School Cycling League is excited to announce a sponsorship agreement with Felt Bicycles, whose contribution adds significant support to the continuing growth of high school mountain biking in southern California.

Felt, which has signed as a top SoCal sponsor, has been a sponsor of cycling programs ranging from professional mens' and womens' road squads to Olympic Time Trial Gold Medalist Kristin Armstrong to X-Terra and triathlon professionals to Olympic Track Cycling Silver Medalist Sarah Hammer to mountain bike and cyclocross professionals.

SoCal’s executive director, Matt Gunnell, said, “It is very exciting that such an internationally well known southern California based cycling brand has decided to join the high school mountain biking revolution by supporting the SoCal High School Cycling League in bringing cross-country mountain biking to high school student-athletes across the region. Our mission is to put cycling on the same footing as more established high school sports like football, baseball, and basketball so that years from now kids won't have a memory of a time when mountain biking wasn't a school sport. As we are a self-sustaining organization receiving no support from the schools it's critical that companies and individuals with parallel interests get involved. We know Felt will be a great partner moving forward.”

"The enjoyment and benefits that come from cycling have long been clear, and the emergence of mountain bike racing as a high school sport is something we fully support", says Felt Bicycles' President, Bill Duehring. "Since our inception we have been an organization steeped in the culture of racing, and to this day that holds true. Many of us at Felt, myself included, have children who participated in high school sports, so the choice to support the SoCal High School Cycling League was an easy one. The League represents an introduction to the sport for many of these kids and we are privileged to be associated with such a worthy effort.”

Look for upcoming opportunities to purchase two of the highest end Feld Edict LTD mountain bikes to support the League. Additionally, Felt and the SoCal League will be running an essay contest this spring in which the SoCal League student-athlete winner receives a Felt Nine Series bike for their efforts.

Silverfish To Distribute DVO Suspension

DVO, which stands for Developed Suspension, may be a new name on the circuit, but with over 80 years of suspension manufacturing experience they are a brand already head and shoulders above the competition.

Formed with a desire to do things a little differently, Bryson Martin and his team of engineers and racers aim to put quality, detail and customer service first and foremost, and to deliver superior suspension products to the market. All of the team at DVO bring with them years of suspension and production experience and knowledge, and between them they have masterminded and been responsible for some of the most iconic mountain bike suspension forks ever produced.

The first product to be released by the company will be the much anticipated Emerald DH fork which is currently in the testing lab and will be the first inverted DH fork to hit the race track for a number of years.

“DVO Suspension is very excited to be working with one of the UK's best distributors, Silverfish. Their passion for the sport equals our own and we could tell from our first meeting that these guys were a perfect fit for DVO in the UK” said DVO’s General Manager John Pelino who himself joins DVO with over 16 years of suspension fork production experience and is a key member of the team who will launch their first forks midway through next season.

“We are very pleased to be working with the team at DVO and to be bringing their products to UK riders. The experience, passion for the sport, and depth of knowledge within the company is mind blowing and we cannot wait to work with these guys” said Silverfish UK Marketing Manager Pete Drew.

Empire MX-6

So, the MX-6. This is the next generation product using the DNA of the AP-1: high single pivot point, needle roller bearings, use of precision castings and CNC machined components, and aggressive geometry. The MX-6 is an all-day-warrior, going up hill and down dale with ease. The MX-6 is the younger brother of the AP-1: the modified geometry and component construction produces a bike that offers killer all-day, all-mountain performance. The MX-6 is tough enough to be thrashed downhill but can allow a rider to sprint uphill without excess weight. In this sense, it is an enduro product that can be raced all day. Of course, the MX-6 is designed, tested and manufactured in the UK.

FEATURES OF THE MX-6

Construction

The MX-6 frame uses the same precision sand cast seat tower as the AP-1, because it is has proven to be invincible and timeless. The main frame and swing arm are of a different construction to the AP-1. The swing arm is machined from solid 6082T6 billet aluminium that starts life as a 40kg block. After many machining hours, the finished component emerges weighing just 1kg and has more in common with an aircraft component than your average mountain bike. This is, as far as we are aware, the only fully-machined swing arm in production anywhere in the world. This is a costly process but produces a unique component that has repeatable strength and performance characteristics. The headstock and back bone are also machined from solid billet aluminium. The aluminium box-section links the back bone and headstock together with minimal welding (four hand-welded TIG fillets). The frame components are blasted with aluminium oxide/glass beads and then anodised for a tough, durable finish.

Headstock

The headstock is the current tapered standard type: 55.9mm diameter bottom cup with a 43.95mm top cup. This allows the stiffest single crown forks in the market to be fitted. We have designed it to use flush fit headsets so that the most options are available for alterations to geometry with external headset configurations.

Shock Absorber Mounts

The lower shock absorber mounts are not welded to the swing arm. Instead, they are bolted on to allow for different geometry arrangements. For example, mounts with a rearward offset will produce a slacker fork angle more suited to downhill riding. The same MX-6 rider may later select an alternative mount for a cross-country route, simply bolting this in position. Additional mounts will soon be available via the ‘Spare Parts’ link.

Rear Wheel Mounts

The MX-6 is equipped to fit 135mm or 142mm rear hubs with a 12mm Maxel. This means you can take a standard wheel from any mountain bike that has a 12mm axle and fit it straight to the bike. This is perfect for upgrading to a frame purchase and offers further options for MX-6 users.

Bearings

The MX-6 utilises full-compliment needle-roller bearings, manufactured by INA. These bearings are the best available for the pivot because they are designed to take high loads in a reciprocating motion. The MX-6 swing arm rotates through 25 degrees in its action. The force from this movement is spread across all of the needles within the bearings resulting in precise, reliable service throughout their considerable life.

High Single Pivot

A high single pivot was selected for several reasons. It will yield a rearward wheel action for the first half of the suspension channel resulting in excellent high speed compression damping. Secondly, the position of the pivot results in a linear rising rate of the geometry (so it does not clash with the shock absorber tuning). Thirdly, the widest possible positioning of the bearings is obtained for a super stiff pivot arrangement. Finally, the rearward axel path of the rear wheel matches the rearward axel path of the front wheel thus maintaining the wheelbase dimensions. This results in increased stability.

1:2.7 Ratio Rising Rate

The geometry of the swing arm was specifically designed around a 1:2.7 ratio so that the rear shock absorbers can be optimally tuned.

ISCG 05 Mounts

The MX-6 is equipped with international standard chain guide 05 mounts allowing the user to fit their own choice of chain guide.

Empire Cycles MX-6