chinamtb 08

The Stroker Ace features the company’s first four-piston, monobloc caliper and its biggest pads ever. All this is gives the Ace tremendous heat management capabilities. Hayes also designed a longer lever for increased leverage at the bar.

Mated to the proven Stroker master cylinder, this makes the Ace the most powerful brake ever in the Hayes range, while advancing the already unmatched Stroker modulation. At a system weight of 427g (including 6″ rotor and hardware), the Ace trumps all the other gravity-oriented brakes in the deck.

The Stroker Trail and Carbon were already capable across a range of applications, but Hayes was convinced it could make an even better brake for weight-obsessed cross-country racers and pedal-up/pedal-down all-mountain types. The result is the Stroker Gram. What sets the Gram apart from all the other models in the Stroker family is the removal of non-structural material from the master cylinder leaving behind a form that is as strong as it is sexy.

Hayes also dressed up both the master cylinder and the caliper in titanium hardware, and thrown in its lightweight aluminium-backed pads.
The Stroker Gram is targeted to cross-country and all-mountain usage and comes with 140, 160, 180 and 203 rotor sizes and weighs (with 160mm rotor) 357grams.

BE A PART OF ONE THE FASTEST GROWING SPORTING COMMUNITIES IN HONG KONG. THE HKMBA IS BACK. NEW PEOPLE, NEW ENERGY, AND A FRESH COMMITMENT TO PROMOTING MOUNTAIN BIKING.

For the past 16 years the Hong Kong Mountain Bike Association has represented the interests of mountain bikers in Hong Kong by lobbying for better trail access, as well as by providing information to visitors and residents on how they can engage in mountain biking and related activities. After a two-year hiatus we are back in the saddle and working harder than ever to get better trails for all riders of all levels. HKMBA is non-profit, all volunteer organization made up of mountain bikers just like you. We are always looking for help in order to keep our efforts moving forward.

As has always been the case our primary objective is to promote the improvement and expansion of the existing network of trails in Hong Kong.
In addition we are going to offer a better community interface via our newly designed web site www.hkmba.org where you can:

* Keep up to date with all of the HKMBA advocacy efforts and projects
* Locate legal trial networks in Hong Kong
* Join in or create discussions in our rider’s forum
* Buy and sell bikes & gear through our classifieds section
* Keep informed about what is happening in the world of mountain biking
* Plan your ride or race with our events calendar
* Participate in HKMBA group or social rides
* Download maps and screen savers
* Volunteer opportunity listings
* Plus much more

Our goal is for the HKMBA website to be the hub for all things mountain biking in Hong Kong.

Membership is free - take a look and sign up!

www.hkmba.org

ALSO

We are planning on attending the Action Asia Enduro Mountain Bike race at Tai Lam on September 21st. We will be handing out information sheets and talking about our plans and efforts. We are also going to ask for volunteers to man the water bucket stations to pour cool water over the head of the hot racers, compliments of HKMBA. Can you help?

COMING SOON

HKMBA also plans to host social rides for mountain bikers of all levels throughout the territory and beyond, so check out our website for more details of these upcoming rides.

Look forward to seeing you on the trails

Robert (Bob) Smith

Chairman
Hong Kong Mountain Bike Association
(more…)

Date: Saturday & Sunday Sept 20-21, 2008

Tianjin Adventure Club (TAC) is looking forward to show the MOB their
MTB backyard in the mountains North of Mount Panshan!

Date of departure: Sat Sept 20, 2008
Time to meet: before 0750 for a 0800 SHARP departure
An early and prompt start is essential

Where we meet: Agriculture Exhibition Hall (AEH)
400m south of the Sheraton,
opposite the eastern end of Dongzhimenwai

Tracks are all mountainous and situated North East of Mount Panshan.
Both days are loops - so we will start and end at the hotel,

Both days will make a combined trip following the MOB tradition: One
long trip and one shorter trip.

We will have lunch along the way - bring a lunch pack for Saturday

There will be a little pushing of the bikes now and then when the
tracks become too steep.

There will be some hard paved tracks, but most will be dirt track.

You will with guarantee meet local people who has never seen a MTB
before!

Estimated expenses/person:
Participation & transportation: RMB200
Hotel room:                             RMB170
Dinner                RMB  40
(RMB240/double room and 2 persons/room)
________________________________
Est TOTAL                              RMB410

We will go dutch on breakfast & dinner

Sign-up:
beijingmob-owner@googlegroups.com
Book best before noontime this Thursday Sept 18, 2008
Cancel before 4 pm on Friday noontime (Sept 19, 2008)
Still pay for the ride
if you cancel late or don’t show up on Sat morning
We need to book the hotel rooms in well advance.
Thank you very much for your understanding!

What to Bring:
Mobile (in the consideration of any case
may happen and in case you do not give your mobile number to the
organizer, please DO when sign-in), Mountain bike, HELMET
(compulsory), water (there should be some shops), sunglasses, snacks,
BIKE GLOVES, suntan lotion, spare tube, pump & basic repair tools,
toilet kits & good mood ( I’ll NOT complain & I’ll NOT discuss
politics.) & your passport/ID card; if you do not want Chinese
breakfast, bring your own corn flakes, milk and coffee & some RMB cash

If you need a rental bike, suggest to go to RockBike.
RockBike is located on the northside of Ping’an Blvd, a couple of
hundred meters from Houhai.
RockBike Tel: 64011183

Birkebeinerrittet in Norway is the world’s biggest MTB competition. It is a race with a history deeply rooted in the forests of the Scandinavian Peninsula, so it couldn’t be more perfect than to hold the Chinese version in the northern mountains of Changchun. You will cycle in the beautiful forest reserve Jingyuetan Park and experience the Chinese autumn and impressive nature while taking part in a traditional Nordic event. Birkebeinerrittet China is a mountain bike race for anyone who likes sports and outdoor activities. You don’t need to be a professional to be in it.

Birkerbeinerrittet China is also more than just a race. Participants will be staying at the five-star Shangri-La hotel which is located in the business and entertainment center of Changchun where they will be treated to a dinner banquet Saturday evening. This is the chance to enjoy a genuinely healthy and adventurous weekend.

Event organizer: Nordic Ways
Venue: Jingyuetan Park, Changchun, Jilin Province
Date:  11th October (The event will be held during the weekend with the race on Saturday 11th. With travel package, you can come on Thursday 9^th or Friday the 10^th and go home Sunday 12^th.)
 

Registration has already opened at our website! Travel packages for the race can also be booked online. Those who do not have a bicycle can rent one onsite, including helmet.
For more information about registration and travel packages, please contact Ellinor Axner Yin at ellinor.axner@nordicways.com, 010-65920545 ext 121 , or log on to our website: www.nordicways.com

Mountain biking, well biking in general, is getting more and more popular and the people involved here in China are willing to spend more and try new things. This is excellent news for us as it’s now even easier to pimp our bikes with the latest and greatest!

Rockshox Sid WC (Olympic Edition)

How cool is this? I’m not an XC rider myself but when I saw these I was pretty impressed. This fork is pretty much the same as your regular Sid, lightweight, air sprung….. blah blah….. but! these guys have Chinese writing on and cool decals especially produced for this Summers Olympics.

I’m not sure on availability however there are a few vendors claiming to have them. Prices are around 5000 RMB. Also check out the retro blue edition of the Sids, pricing is around the same.

Quad Disc Brakes

Designed by a leading British engineer and tested by some of the top UK magazines and riders, Quads brakes have impressed everyone who has ridden them. There are 4 models available here in China at the moment. Each model features a ‘flip flop’ style lever, meaning you can fit the lever to either side of the bar, and a split 2 bolt clamp (so you don’t have to remove the grips to fit them). Prices range from 800 RMB (pair !) to 1600 RMB and all models are available in either black or white. We hope to have a pair on test soon!

Quad also have a nice range of hubs, rims and complete wheelsets available at good prices too.

Big Cat 853 Team Issue

I’ve been feeling a bit retro recently (this might explain why I have just bought a 14 year old frame) so this Reynolds 853 steel XC frame really got me excited. Priced at an amazingly low 1300 RMB!! This skinny tubed XC frame is sure to have you whipping around your local singletrack in bright pink 90’s lycra in no time!

Sram have recently released news that they are planning to move in to the wheel sector. It looks like they’ll have both road and mounatin bike wheels in development soon.

To successfully enter this new segment, SRAM recently appointed Bastien Donzé as SRAM Wheel Product Manager.

Bastien Donzé is no stranger to the wheel and bicycle industry, as he has spent the last eight years working for Mavic in France. He will be working closely with Road Category Manager Charles Becker.

If the wheels will be anything like the rest of the components Sram are putting out there, I think we’ll all be in for a treat! Truvativ Freeride and Downhill wheels anyone?

Finally after months of speculation the Hammerschmidt is finally here!

Two versions will be available, a Freeride version and a lighter All mountain model. Both systems come with a Hammerschmidt chainguide and are designed to mount directly to the ISCG-03 or ISCG-o5 mounts on your frame (the bottom bracket face and guide tab faces need to be refaced before assembly. There is a special tool available for the ISCG tabs).

Hammerschmidt has 2 built in gear ratios a 1:1 ratio and an ‘overdrive’ 1:1.6 ratio. In 1:1 the chainring will turn once for every one revolution of the crank, and in overdrive the chainring will turn 1.6 times for every turn of the crank. The system is designed to be compatible for use with 1-9 rear cogs and also compatible with any width bicycle chain!

The shifter unit is very similar in looks to the Sram x.0 shifter, but works in reverse. The cable is pulled to downshift rather than upshift. The All mountain model will use a Hammerschmidt x.0 shifter, where as the Freeride model will use an x.9 shifter, hinting at slightly different price points.

No details have been announced on pricing yet, it would be nice to see it on sale at a reasonable price. Maybe for a similar or slightly higher price as a regular crank/BB, shifter and front mech would be nice.

For more info, pics and specs shoot over to the Hammershmidt site: www.magicmechanics.com

Hot on the heels of Sram/Truvativ’s Hammerschmitt, crank with built in gears, is news that German innovators Nicolai and Bionicon have joined forces to produce their own universal gearbox the B-Boxx!

So what is the B-BOXX all about? The B-BOXX is a fully enclosed, shiftable planetary drivetrain. It is mounted to the right hand side of the bottom bracket using a standard ISCG-fitting. A handlebar mounted push button allows the rider to choose between two gear ratios. The lower gear corresponds to that of a 22-25 tooth chainring; power is directly transferred. The higher gear multiplies every crank rotation by a factor of 1.65 and thus corresponds to a 36-41 tooth chainring. Shifting under power has been given close consideration throughout the development process. As with the G-BOXX-2 a patented magnetic activation of the freewheel teeth keeps B-BOXX shifting as smooth as possible.

To see the rest of this article pop over to MBR.com and check out this video for more info on the G-Boxx/B-Boxx revolution.

Watch out SRAM!

Thanks to DH Pete AKA MR. Pirate for the info

A group of U.S Olympic cyclists upset a few Beijingers when they arrived by wearing face masks to protect themselves from breathing in pollution. The team later apologized for their actions and stated that they were not making any kind of environmental or political protest and were sorry for any upset caused.

BEIJING (AFP) - Four US cyclists who wore masks over their nose and mouths over pollution fears when arriving in Beijing apologized Wednesday to Olympic organizers, US Olympic Committee chief executive Jim Scherr said.
Mike Friedman, Bobby Lea, Sarah Hammer and Jennie Reed were among about 200 athletes from an American delegation of 596 who were issued masks by their US sport governing body to combat pollution in Beijing.

“They’ve now seen how their actions have been perceived,” Scherr said, after footage of the four arriving on Tuesday was run prominently by international news channels.

“They were very eager to take the right action, which was to apologize to their hosts.”

You can read the full article here on Yahoo.

If you didn’t already know the 2008 Beijing Olympic games will be official opened today. I will do my best to keep you updated with the mountain bike and BMX results over the coming weeks plus any other interesting Olympic news. Luckily for me we are situated in Qingdao the Olympic sailing city, and have been fortunate enough to meet with Olympians from Australia, Italy, Israel, France and many others.

The picture above was taken last night just outside the Olympic Village in Qingdao and show the preparations for tonight’s opening celebrations.