MSC Stop Number 4 - Wildflower Rush

words and images by Devon Balet

(June 21, 2009) CRESTED BUTTE COLO.-The second stop for the gravity series brought on a brand new course in Crested Butte. Crested Butte has always been known for its "pedally" course, turning the toughest dh racers into crying girls with screaming lungs and legs.
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MSC Stop Number 4 - Wildflower Rush

words and images by Devon Balet

(June 20, 2009) CRESTED BUTTE COLO.—The Wildflower Rush kicked off its ninth year this past weekend. This year brought all kinds of new trails to the races. The dh course had a fresh start and mid section, there is now a mountain cross track, and the xc course was all new from years past.
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Szabo-Monroe Breck Epic Blog Enry 2

What’s this all about?

Inevitably at some point on every ride the conversation swings to food. For me, usually around the 3 1/2 hour mark, I start thinking about a good hamburger, preferably with cheese and bacon and salty french fries.
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Glenwood Omnium – Criterium Sweeps City Streets

(June 14, 2009) Glenwood Springs, COLO.—Sunday was bike mania in Glenwood Springs. Ride the Rockies was kicking off the start of its 24th year of the ride. With the high school exploding with cyclists and support vehicles it was hard to think the town could handle any more skinny-wheeled bike riders. Well, Sunday was also the Glenwood Springs downtown crit to top it off.
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Sand Creek International Brings Top Tier Mtb Racing to Colorado’s Front Range

(June 13, 2009) Colorado Springs, COLO.—For the first time in history the National mountain bike series made a stop on Colorado’s front range this past weekend with the Sand Creek International, the fourth stop of the USA Cycling’s Pro Cross Country Tour (ProXCT).
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Mountain Flyer Jerseys Are In!

Western Slope Classic Omnium – Friday Evening, Stage 1 Guest Appearance

Crit Specialists Rejoice

(June 10, 2009) FORT COLLINS, CO—Bicycle racing is coming to Old Town Fort Collins this summer. On June 2, the Fort Collins City Council approved an event permit that will grant its applicants the ability to use City-owned property to host a weekly bicycle criterium race.
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Flip and Spin in the Gore Range – Slopestyle at the Teva Games

(June 7, 2009) VAIL, COLO.—Paul Basagoitia knew his last run of the slopestyle mountain bike competition at the Teva Mountain Games was going to be sweet.
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Cash Call Draws Big Names–And Little Rippers–at the Teva Mountain Games

(June 6, 2009) Vail, COLO.—Colorado recently has seemed more like Oregon with all the regular afternoon rainfall. With all the bad weather the week prior to the Teva Games, people were fearful of a rain out. However, Saturday morning brought bright blue skies, mild temperatures and pro field near National Championship caliber. With names like Horgan-Kobelski, Wells, Trebon, Taberlay, Craig, Compton, Gould, Irmiger, Freeman and so many more, it was sure to be a great race.
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Racers Enjoy a Hardy Drink from the Original Growler

words and images by Brian Riepe (better late than never)

(May 26, 2009) GUNNISON, COLO.–At 7 a.m. on Sunday morning, a double-barrel shotgun blast rocked the quiet, rain soaked Main Street of Gunnison, Colo. and 225 bike racers flinched before embarking on an epic singletrack race dubbed the Original Growler.
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Pajarito Punishes Everyone but Calvert

(May 30-31 LOS ALAMOS, N.M.—The big question for this year’s Pajarito Punishment cross-country mountain bike race will remain the same next year: Can anyone beat Damian Calvert?
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No Walk in the Park at 2009 North Boulder Criterium

(May 17, 2009) Boulder, COLO.—The North Boulder Criterium goes back to pre Coors Classic days when the Red Zinger Bike Race began in 1975. It is still held on the same course around North Boulder Park.
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Breck Epic – Call to Action

Szabo-Monroe Breck Epic Blog Enry 1

What’s this all about?

Durango, COLO.—When asked to blog this time I realized that my mind is in a place of balance. Working, Mothering, Wifing, (cleaning, cooking), Loving, Training... Ing-ing. With that, I recently wrote a piece for the local newspaper and thought it would also work as a blog. Plus, if I have one less assignment, I could do more Ing-Ing…
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Breck Epic Blog Coming to You on MountainFlyer.com

Rains Don't Dilute Spice of Chile Challenge

(May 22-25, 2009) ANGEL FIRE, N.M.-The 21st annual Chile Challenge, stop number 3 in the Mountain States Cup series, could have been wetter-but it couldn't have been any hotter.
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Mountain Flyer Subscriptions Raise Money for Trails

12 Hours of Mesa Verde

(May 9, 2009) CORTEZ, Colo.—Judging from the smiles plastered on their faces, at least a few riders in the third-annual 12 Hours of Mesa Verde mountain bike race might have felt as though they could have ridden until the end of modern civilization.
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Fat Tire Bike Week Adds New 40-Mile Cross Country Race for 2009

(May 5, 2009) CRESTED BUTTE, CO – Since the 1970s, when locals started retrofitting old Schwinn paperboy bikes with multiple gears, Crested Butte has helped write the history of mountain biking and is home to the Mountain Bike Hall of Fame. This June 24-28, Crested Butte will host the world’s oldest mountain bike festival, the 29th Annual Fat Tire Bike Week.
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Rain and New Short Track Add to Torture in Santa Fe

(May 2-3, 2009) SANTA FE, N.M.— New Mexico’s capitol city drew hundreds of weekend riders to the annual La Tierra Torture mountain bike race. But this year’s competition had a little extra pain available for those wishing to partake in it.
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Tour of the Gila Stage 5 – Gila Monster Shakes up the GC

(May 1, 2009) SILVER CITY, N.M. – The 105-mile Gila Monster Road Race – the fifth and final stage of the Tour of the Gila – ended with spectacular heroics as Kristin Armstrong (Cervelo Test Team) reeled in and blew past a four woman breakaway to win her third stage – and clinch the overall title – all without the help of a team.
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Tour of the Gila Stage 4: Criterium Survival 101

Full report in process
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Tour of the Gila Stage 3 ITT – The Truth be Told

(May 1, 2009) SILVER CITY, N.M.—After completing the Stage 3 Dan Potts Memorial Tyrone Individual Time Trial today, Lance Armstrong called it ‘a classic, old school American time trial course: out and back with a hot dog turn around in the middle.’ He forgot to mention the 1070 feet of climbing, wildly fast descents and menacing crosswinds.
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Tour of the Gila Stage 2 - The Inner Loop Road Race

(April 30, 2009) SILVER CITY, N.M.–Big climbs early on, rolling terrain-and occasional tight, twisting, scary descents-followed by long stretches of wind-exposed flats of the todays Inner Loop Road Race made for another electrifying day of racing in the Gila.
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Tour of the Gila: Stage 1 – The Road to Mogollon

(April 29, 2009) SILVER CITY, N.M.–The 23rd annual Tour of the Gila kicked off Wednesday with its typical serving of arduous riding in the deceivingly steep and ruthless desert terrain of southern New Mexico’s Gila Mountains.
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Alien Run warps the space-time continuum

(April 26, 2009) AZTEC, N.M.—They invaded the high desert near Hart Canyon, fabled site of a 1948 UFO crash, hoping to prove something more important than even the existence of extraterrestrial life.
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Ranch Style Jump Jam Day 2 – Slope Styl

(April 26, 2009) GRAND JUNCTION, Colo.–Bar spins, one handers, no footed can cans, scorpion back flips, tables, no hand to x-ups, whip flips, and tail whips… how is your tricktionary?
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Ranch Style Jump Jam – A First Class, Grassroots Event

(April 25, 2009) GRAND JUNCTION, Colo.—Like water finding the fastest, easiest way down, racers blur-by in a flash. I hear the roar of cheers; a sign the racers are coming.
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Rabbit Valley Rally – Welcome Back to the Pain Cave

(April 18-19, 2009) RABBIT VALLEY, Colo.—As most of the front range of Colorado sat under several feet of fresh spring snow, the western slope was experiencing summer like weather.
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Tour of Socorro is an early-season suffer fest

(April 18-19, 2009) SOCORRO, N.M.—The Tour of Socorro Omnium—a diabolical duo that combines a hellish hill climb one day with a fast cross-country contest the next—is early enough in New Mexico’s spring riding season that it’s the first race of the year for many. But that didn’t stop some racers from riding like they’d never taken a break through the winter.
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Riders Journal: Get motivated - time to head for the desert

By Rob McPherson

With the smell of spring in the air Rocky Mountain folk are shifting their mood from big powder days and quiet evenings indoors to red rock mountain bike rides and starlit nights. Perhaps no place on the Colorado Plateau delivers that better, and sooner, than Moab.
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Cult Cross - Anything for a Good Time

(March 14, 2009) EAGLE, Colo. – It’s March, and there is a cross race? That's right! Larry Grossman with Squirt Lube wanted to bring more cyclocross action to the western slope so he created the answer for all of us, Cult Cross.
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SRAM, Community Bring Ailing Gila Monster Back to Life

(March 16, 2009) SILVER CITY, N.M.—“We were within one week of canceling the whole event,” said Jack Brennan, Tour of the Gila race director.
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Frostbite Time Trial - Cold, Grey and Lonely

(March 7, 2009) Fort Collins, COLO. - After a week of spring like weather along the Front Range, the morning of the 2009 Frostbite Time Trial turned cold and grey. The temperature eventually rose to somewhere in the 40's, which is not too bad considering what it could have been.
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Colorado Can Cup - Bike Polo: Durango takes it to Boulder in Lyons

Words and Images by Devon Balet

(March 7 and 8, 2009) LYONS, Colo. - The Colorado Can Cup was the first event in its kind. Bring together teams from Durango, Carbondale, Fort Collins, Casper, Boulder and even Salt Lake City. In short it was awesome. If you weren’t there we sure wish you had been.
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North American Handmade Bicycle Show 2009

Tour of California

Team Ouch and Lip Smacker shine at Valley of the Sun

(February 13-15) PHOENIX, Ariz.-Jonathan Chodroff (Ouch/Maxxis) and Amanda Miller (Team Lip Smacker) stood as tall as saguaro cacti at the wrap up of this year's 17th annual John Earley memorial Valley of the Sun stage race near Phoenix.
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Base Miles with Bobke

(February 1, 2009) Moab, UT - I was never one to be so enamored by celebrities or the famous - but when asked to go on an early season training mission, with Aspen Sports Productions and a guest appearance from Bob Roll, I couldn't pass it by.
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Sand Creek Sports and Carmichael Training Systems Bring UCI Mountain Bike Event to Colorado Springs

(January 14, 2009) Colorado Springs, Colo. - On June 13, 2009 the Carmichael Training Systems Sand Creek International Classic race the UCI C3 Cross Country race will bring elite level racing to Colorado Springs, Colo. as race number four on the new USA Cycling Pro MTB XCO Tour.
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Mountain Flyer/IMBA subscription drive raises over $1240 in just 45 days!

Pale Skin, Pale Skies and Pale Ale - Oskar Blues Cross Race Caps off the 'Cross Season

Do You Want to be The Man With The Golden Bicycle?

Cheerleaders, a pro mechanic and a carbon bike painted gold. What do these items have in common? And no, it's not Paola Pezzo's return to mountain biking.
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Mountain Flyer Back Issues Now Available Online

Colorado State Cyclocross Championships

(December 8, 2008) BOULDER, COLO. - Two days before the state 'cross championships in Boulder, Colo. the weather was doing its thing to bring on classic cyclocross conditions.

All photos by Shawn Lortie

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Brek Epic Online Registration Opens Friday, Dec. 5th

Coupla things that you should know:
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Action Alert - Famous Moab Trails Put at Risk by Drilling Leases

IMBA urges mountain bikers to help preserve some of Moab's most famous trails. A new Bureau of Land Management (BLM) plan would lease land parcels for oil and gas extraction near iconic trails such as Porcupine Rim, Amasa Back, Barlett Wash and Tusher Canyon, turning sections of trail into heavily used access roads.
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Mean Wet, Muddy and Slippery

Portland, Oregon is known for its bicycling culture. On any given day you’ll find countless cyclists riding throughout the towns relatively flat streets, across numerous historical bridges and in the many bike lanes that both the community and local government have helped create.
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Boulder Racing ‘Cross Series – Louisville Finals

It had been years since I had been to a Cyclocross race, actually any race for that matter! Images of mud caked riders on snow-covered landscapes danced through my head.
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2008 Rally of the Dead

Reader Photo of the Week

If you live in Boulder, you may know Zack Lee. The Mountain Flyer staff wishes him well and thanks him for his humility and for submitting this not-so-flattering image. This should remind everyone to be careful out there...-B. Riepe
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Field Report from La Ruta - Day 4: Ouch That Hurt

(November 15, 2008) Somewhere in Costa Rica – For those of you who have not been following our posts, Crested Butte resident and local dirt trooper Travis Underwood has been sending reports, astonishingly hand typed from an iphone, from the trenches of Costa Rica's hardest (Worlds hardest?) mountain bike race. La Ruta de los Conquistadores.

Today was one of the first last day starts in the sun. Turrialba volcanoe was visible and smoking which took the pain away which consumed my whole body.
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Field Report from La Ruta - Day 3: Is Travis Still Alive

(November 14, 2008) Somewhere in Costa Rica – For those of you who have not been following our posts, Crested Butte resident and local dirt trooper Travis Underwood has been sending reports, astonishingly hand typed from an iphone, from the trenches of Costa Rica's hardest (Worlds hardest?) mountain bike race. La Ruta de los Conquistadores.

Day 3 has come and gone. There are many different 'races' in this race. The winners were finishing as I was still just under 3 hrs from finishing. This puts me in the survival race just to keep the body working.
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Field Report from La Ruta – Day 2: Why We Do This

(November 13, 2008) Somewhere in Costa Rica - Crested Butte resident and local dirt trooper Travis Underwood reports from the trenches of Costa Rica's hardest (Worlds hardest?) mountain bike race. La Ruta de los Conquistadores.

Talking to Fred from velonews this morning had me pondering why would both of us come back to a race that destroys your bike, oppressive mud, climbing 30,000 feet or so in 2 days and 118 miles, hot and humid - the list goes on.
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Field Report from La Ruta - Day 1

(November 12, 2008) Somewhere in Costa Rica – Crested Butte resident and local dirt trooper Travis Underwood reports from the trenches of Costa Rica’s hardest (Worlds hardest?) mountain bike race. La Ruta de los Conquistadores.

3:00 am came very fast and I slumbered to breakfast trying to eat. 4:20 and was through rider check in sitting in the corral waiting for my slaughter.
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Boulder Cup - Gould, Wells and Johnson Set the Pace for a Weekend of Beer, Brats, Cowbells and Cross

(November 1-2, 2008) Boulder, Colo. –The bittersweet taste of suffering on a cross bike is always more palatable when shared with a crowd of screaming, moderately drunk fans shaking cowbells and cheering through bullhorns.
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New Colorado Trail Race Record Set

Sand, stickers and stairs: It’s gotta be New Mexico cyclocross!

(October 18 and 19, 2008) ALBUQUERQUE and SANTA FE, N.M.—Cyclocross season in New Mexico is well underway.

With the frost on the pumpkin, the New Mexico landscape dries itself into a series of sandy washes lined with garlands of goat heads—those awful rubber-piercing stickers that are the bane of bike riders everywhere.
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24 Hours of Moab 2008 – The Year of the Wind

(October 11-12, 2008) MOAB, UTAH- The fourteenth annual 24 hours of Moab started with clear skies, no rain this year. However racers and anyone else exposed had to deal with the hellacious desert winds. A steady 25-35 mile hour winds were made for miserable racing conditions, not to mention the havoc it caused my camera gear.
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Visitors Will Benefit From Rule Change in National Parks

New Course, Young Blood:

Seventeen-Year-Old Brandon Semenuk Wins Red Bull Rampage

October 6, 2008) Virgin, Utah - Brandon Semenuk was in elementary school when the first Red Bull Rampage was held, but for the legendary mountain bike event's triumphant return to Utah, he proved he was no child, grabbing first place and $10,000.
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Breck Epic Announced – Off Road Stage Racing Comes to Colorado in 2009

Crested Butte Classic 2008

Photo Gallery by Alex Fenlon www.fenlonphoto.com

(September 27, 2008) CRESTED BUTTE, COLO – Epic, Epic day. After 5 years in the running the 100-mile Classic finally got rained on, and it was real nasty for some. Soem got it on 401, some on Gothic road, me personally on the Dyke - but it came down.
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Last Day of Summer Gives Riders 12-Hours to Endure Gravity at the Red Bull® Burner

(September 20, 2008) ANGEL FIRE, N.M. – The promise of an endless day of gravity racing drew nearly 140 riders to this high-altitude venue on the final day of summer 2008 for what organizers hailed as one of the sickest gravity events to grace the Rockies in a long time.
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Livestrong Team Victorious at 12 Hours of Snowmass

Frontline Report by Devon Balet brought to you by Oskar Blues Brewery:

All Photos by Devon Balet

(September 14, 2008) Snowmass, Colo. - 5:30 am, my phone is ringing an unpleasant melody of chimes. Slowly my mind wakes up as I crawled off the couch I crashed in Aspen. It is not very often that I am waking up this early. Powder and biking is about the only thing that will get me up at such a dark time in the morning. Sep 14th 2008, today is the 12 Hours of Snowmass.
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Sol Squared – A Photo Journal by Devon Balet

Frontline Report brought to you by Oskar Blues Brewery:
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New Tattoos for Carl Decker and Rachel Lloyd - A Report from the 2008 Singlespeed World Championships

Frontline Report brought to you by Oskar Blues Brewery:

Words and Photos By Michael Riepe & Nanci Ivis

Additional Photos by Devon Balet Image

(August 24, 2008) Napa, Calif. – We were somewhere on 19th Avenue in San Francisco, heading north through rush hour traffic, one car per green, when the grande mocha began to take hold. I remember saying something like “I’m beginning to feel pretty anxious, maybe you should drive”. It was 10 till, the party had already been going for an hour, and the ride was advertised to start promptly at 5.
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Mountain Flyer Exclusive:

Leadville 100 2008

How it all went down, in the words of Dave Wiens

(August 12, 2008) Gunnison, CO - We made Wiens whip this up on short notice and wanted to get it to you quickly so please forgive any grammar infractions. It’s relatively raw: – Ed

The highway patrol car went really slow for the neutral start so that made the beginning a bit sketchy at times as we’d kinda surge then have to all put on the brakes as we crowded around the lead vehicle.
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If it's Not Dust at Snowmass, You Get Mud!

Frontline Report by Devon Balet brought to you by Oskar Blues Brewery:

(August 10, 2008) Snowmass, Colo. - The Mountain States Cup returned to Snowmass Village August 9-10 for the first G3 format race of the season.
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Leadville. Wiens!

Frontline Report brought to you by Oskar Blues Brewery:
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New Course Keeps the ‘Punishment’ in Pajarito Mountain Race

Race report and photos by James Rickman brought to you by Oskar Blues Brewery: (August 9, 2008) Los Alamos, N.M.—Even though the course for this year’s Pajarito Punishment mountain bike race had radically changed, the finish was strangely familiar.
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Sol Vista/MSC #6 – Colorado State MTB Championships

Frontline Report brought to you by Oskar Blues Brewery:
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Fisher Bikes Adds a Dose of Confidence with the 2009 Roscoe

(July 19, 2008) DURANGO, Colo.—The folks at Gary Fisher Bikes have upped the ante in the trail-riding market with the debut of the 2009 Roscoe, a harmonious marriage of the fleet-footed speed of a cross-country bike and the sure-footed ruggedness of an all-mountain rig.
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Breckenridge 100: Four Races and One Result - Josh Tostado breaks Record, Again. Kelly Cullen Tops Women.

(July 19, 2008) Breckenridge, CO - For the fourth straight year Josh Tostado (Breckenridge, CO - Bach Builders) has taken claim to the top spot on the Breckenridge 100 podium, this time with a winning time of 8:14:37.

Frontline Report brought to you by Oskar Blues Brewery:

Words and images by Liam Doran
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Ross Schnell Wins Downieville Classic

Blast the Mass – Mountain States Cup #5

Frontline Report brought to you by Oskar Blues Brewery:

Words and images by Brian Riepe, Devon Balet and Chris Hanna
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Firecracker 50 – Marathon Mountain Bike National Championships

Frontline Report by Liam Doran brought to you by Oskar Blues Brewery:
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OTB in Deer Valley – USA Cycling National Championship Frontline Report

Mountain Monkey Frontline Report brought to you by Oskar Blues Brewery:
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Best Beer Ad Ever

(Aug. 25, 2006) Road Rage Hotline OK'd for Bicyclists to Report Aggressive Drivers