Projekt Roam Chasing Gravity

The familiar feeling of butterflies in our stomachs strikes us every time as we travel to

new destinations. With excitement and anticipation, we forge ahead into 2012.

The year already seems charged with promise as sunshine and balmy weather have

brightened the majority of our days. As good fortune would have it, we stumbled upon

this little known riding spot in Los Olivos, CA hosted by the S.G. Dirt Club.

Cows lull off in the distance as mile after mile of barbed wire fence stretches as far as the

eye can see, sporadically dividing acres upon acres of pasture throughout the rolling hills.

Single track threads it's way throughout the countryside and mellow All-Mountain and

Cross-Country trails guided us through the knolls and valleys of the coastal foothills.

The flowing trails, tall, sweeping grass and sunshine will put a smile on anyone's face.

Be warned though, these California cows leave behind the perfect recipe for an unsavory

disaster: cow pies!!

Los Olivos is an ideal place to spend one of the weekend days exploring on your all-

mountain bike. The beginner friendly trails provide a welcoming atmosphere for the

entire family.

Just a short jaunt north lies San Luis Obispo, a town crawling with college kids, flashy

cars and hip downtown eats and shops.

Groves of eucalyptus trees harbor wooden features and hard pack dirt, offering variation

from the many rocky descents found in the area.

From jagged, loose, rock-laden paths with sweeping ocean views, to California's staple

manzanita shrubs adorning the mountain side trails, San Luis Obispo provided some

unrivaled backdrops and entertaining rides.

Projekt Roam was founded by husband and wife, Colt and Jessee Maule in 2010. It

has been their mission to travel North America in search of places that celebrate the

unparalleled beauty and freedom of not only the bike, but the terrain we ride as well. Plan

your own trip to Los Olivos or San Luis Obispo and check out more photos, film, and

riding locations throughout North America at http://www.gravityrideguide.com/

Thanks to our sponsors for some great product and to all of our new friends who have

helped us out along the way, ride on.

Words: Colt & Jessee Maule Photos/Film: Colt & Jessee Maule

For more work by Projekt Roam:

projektroam.pinkbike.com

http://www.projektroam.com/

http://www.gravityrideguide.com/

http://www.facebook.com/projektroam

With a smile on our faces, we embark on our next journey to the extreme yet distinctive

topography of Virgin, UT. Stay tuned for our next webisode - PROJEKT ROAM: Virgin,

Nukeproof Launches Proto DJ Frame

Less than a month after the release of our Rook slopestyle bike we’re excited to bring you news of our prototype dirt jump frame which will be unveiled at this week’s iXS Dirt Masters Festival in Winterberg, Germany.

An ongoing development project with newly signed Nukeproof rider Jack Fogelquist, the frame uses custom triple-butted steel tubing with a 44mm headtube, gold anodised alloy chain tension adjusters, an integrated gold alloy seat clamp and removable cable guides.

The frame, available in regular and long, is designed around a 100mm travel fork and uses geometry based on Jack’s personal setup. Priced at around the £350 mark we’ll be unveiling the full production model at this year’s Eurobike show.

You can get a sneak peak of the prototype version of the frame at this week’s iXS Dirt Masters Festival in Winterberg, Germany. For more information head to the

Dirt Masters website.

Neko Mulally Wins Inaugural Duryea Downhill

Racing just minutes from home, Trek World Racing's Neko Mulally took another win for season 2012 by taking the victory at the Duryea Downhill, an event held in Neko's hometown of Reading, Pennsylvania, and an event he help put together. Here's what he had to say about the weekend.

"One of my side projects this year has been helping to organize a downhill race in my hometown. The race was very enjoyable for all who participated. The Duryea Downhill is unique because it finishes in Reading's City Park which is in the center of town. There were a lot of spectators and for that reason and it was cool to race on a track that's a little different to the ski slopes we're used to. This race was awesome for me personally because it was so clo se to home and being able to race on my home trails in front of all my friends from school and my family was really special.

The whole weekend was great. Saturday evening I had a BBQ in my yard where a lot of the riders came to hang out and ride my pump track. Ray Waxham from Trek's Race Department was with us all weekend and he is always great to have around. My bike was set up perfectly for the track as the race was held on the mountain where I do all my home testing. The new Shimano Saint components were very popular because most of the guys here hadn't seen them yet. I ran the Bontrager G4 tires again which I believe gave me a big advantage on rolling speed. I won the race by over 7 seconds, and it was awesome to see all my friends and family waiting at the finish line. I am really glad that I was able to help make this race possible and I hope it can become an annual event."

Race results are here: http://duryeadownhill.com/Results.html

2012 Duryea Downhill Race Results

Devinci Pursuing The Trail Of Craftsmanship

Pursuing the trail of craftsmanship | Founded in 1987, Devinci (devinci.com) had a modest start, building bikes by hand. The vision of its president, Félix Gauthier, led this Chicoutimi-based company to become a leading Canadian bike manufacturer. Devinci did not stop there; the company now manufactures about a hundred models of road, mountain and hybrid bikes priced from $459 to $8 399. Its goal is to produce high quality bikes for enthusiastic, serious cyclists. 

Félix Gauthier has stated that innovation is the driving force of his company, which has a research and development team composed of five technicians and engineers. These bike experts use avant-garde methods similar to the automobile and aeronautical industries. The designs, tests and pilot projects and all stages of development are conducted at the factory in Saguenay. The company is so confident in the quality of its products that it offers a lifetime guarantee on all bike frames. 

The frames and all other high quality parts are made in Quebec, but “it’s the market that determines the price, so we have had to rely on Asia for manufacturing bikes priced at less than $800 in order to compete with big players like Trek, Giant and Specialized.”, explains David Régnier-Bourque, the director of marketing. Devinci president Félix Gauthier believes that it is possible to do business in Quebec and to be part of the international market, but it is important to be open to outsourcing production. “There must be a balance between manufacturing in Quebec and abroad in order to provide the best value for money.” 

“Working for Devinci isn’t really a job, it’s a passion. The vast majority of our employees love biking!” observed David Régnier-Bourque. With flexible hours and 60km of beautiful single tack trails within a kilometre of the factory, enthusiastic cyclists can go out for a ride on their lunch breaks. 

Devinci employs between 60 and 100 staff working in the engineering, sales, marketing, accounting, welding, painting and IT departments; there’s something for everyone within the company. 


DEVINCI LEO SL 

The Leo SL 2012 is equipped with the new DCF technology (Dual Core Fusion) that combines elements of speed, stability, and intuition. The frame features an asymmetrical geometry that not only provides improved performance but also enhanced lateral rigidity and vertical compliance for a better power transfer that will leave other cyclists biting the dust. The Leo SL is available in three different sizes: the Leo SL X with Ultegra Di2 ($4,599.99); the Leo SL R with SRAM FORCE ($3,899.99) and the LEO SL K with standard Ultegra ($3,399.99).

Magura MT8 Disc Brakes Win 2012 Red Dot Product Award

MAGURA's MT8 Wins "red dot award: product design 2012"

Mountain Bike Disc Brake MT8 Wins Award

The bicycle components manufacturer MAGURA has been awarded the "red dot" quality seal for trailblazing product design in respect of the MT8, the top model of its new MT generation of brakes. The "red dot" jury adjudication criteria are such as degree of innovation, functionality, ergonomy or ecological soundness. MAGURA's new MT8 is notable for its extremely lightweight construction, high performance, ergonomic shape and flip-flop design.

MAGURA's objective was to create the lightest disc brake in the world whilst at the same time providing top design, functionality and ergonomics. The newly developed generation of brakes, MT, is a breakthrough for the initiative "MAGURA on the move", which also aims to create innovative product solutions and strengthen the MAGURA commitment to Germany as a location for business. In particular, the top model MT8 caused a furore in the bike industry at its introduction in 2011. "We have the highest standards in terms of functionality and ergonomy of our products. The 'red dot design award' serves as confirmation in our constant endeavour to develop the perfect bicycle components", Götz Braun,
MAGURA Head of Marketing, says. For the MT8, MAGURA developed its own carbon fibre material Carbotecture SL, which is considerably lighter than aluminium, yet extremely strong under tension. With the MT8, MAGURA provides the first brake in the world with master cylinders on the brake lever to be constructed entirely of carbon. The new material allows a slim and ergonomic brake handle developed in collaboration with the Ergonomics Department of the Technical University of Dresden (Germany). The brake was constructed with ease of maintenance in mind. A practical flip-flop design allows the same brake lever to be installed on the left or right. MAGURA Royal Blood Mineral Oil is used as braking fluid, an environmentally friendly material.

Facts on the "red dot design award"

The "red dot design award" is one of the world’s largest design competitions. It is comprised of three fields "red dot award: product design", "red dot award: communication design" and "red dot award: design concept". A 30-strong international jury of experts selected 2012 the winner in 19 different competing categories from 4,515 applications. Further information at http://en.red-dot.org/

About MAGURA (Gustav Magenwirth GmbH & Co. KG)

The MUNZ-MAGENWIRTH Group, headquartered in Bad Urach, Germany, has four internationally operating divisions: Bicycle Components, Powersports, Controls and
Injection Molding. In Bicycle and Motorbike Components, MAGURA is among the pioneers and has a global monopoly in the field of hydraulic rim brakes for racing cycles. The traditional company looks back on over 100 years of experience in hydraulics and materials. Alongside brakes and suspension forks for bikes, the company also develops and manufactures controls for industrial use as well as injection moulds. The name MAGURA (established 1893) is comprised of the name of the founder Gustav Magenwirth and the location of the company's headquarters Bad Urach.

Further information at www.magura.com

www.facebook.com/magurapassionpeople