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Another good Chris Cocalis interview!
01.19.2012
On a semi-recent trip to Australia, our very own head honcho and company founder Chris Cocalis, was interviewed by the folks at Mountain Biking Australia.
Click here to read the full article... it's worth the read.
And, the next time you see Chris... ask him about the ride up that rock and ride back down.
Christmas Angels
12.16.2011
The holiday season is in full swing and the year is drawing to an end. Many of us are preparing for time with our families and- hopefully- some much needed time on our bikes. The holidays are supposed to be about happiness and joy, though some families face more challenges than others to experience that joy.
Even during a strong economy, there are families across the nation- and the world- who struggle to be able to provide much of a holiday experience for their children. Even families that can provide something of a Christmas struggle to do so as they balance “wants” and “needs”.
Chris Cocalis, the President and CEO of Pivot Cycles, and his wife Cindy have been working to help make Christmas better for less fortunate kids for nearly 15 years now. Chris and Cindy, along with their two sons Cam and Cage, have donated bicycles and helmets over the years to various organizations, but recently have been working with the Salvation Army and their Christmas Angel program. Last year they donated 10 bikes, along with Pivot Cycles, and this year they’re donating a baker’s dozen, 13 lucky bikes and helmets. Over the years, between personal and company donations, about 40 area children have received bikes!
Even during a strong economy, there are families across the nation- and the world- who struggle to be able to provide much of a holiday experience for their children. Even families that can provide something of a Christmas struggle to do so as they balance “wants” and “needs”.
Chris Cocalis, the President and CEO of Pivot Cycles, and his wife Cindy have been working to help make Christmas better for less fortunate kids for nearly 15 years now. Chris and Cindy, along with their two sons Cam and Cage, have donated bicycles and helmets over the years to various organizations, but recently have been working with the Salvation Army and their Christmas Angel program. Last year they donated 10 bikes, along with Pivot Cycles, and this year they’re donating a baker’s dozen, 13 lucky bikes and helmets. Over the years, between personal and company donations, about 40 area children have received bikes!
This yearly tradition has grown to become a big part of the company’s holiday season, with employees donating time and money to help with the cost of the bikes and helmets, as well as pitching in to get all the bikes built and ready to donate. Since Pivot Cycles does not produce children’s bikes, the bikes are purchased by the company, along with the helmets, with the contributions from employees and Chris and Cindy.
Many of us remember our first bicycle with agonizing detail and for some of us it was the most formative event of our lives. Those first rides on a bicycle are often the first whiff of freedom and independence for a child. Hopefully it serves as the beginning of a lifelong love of cycling- much as it has been for those of us at Pivot Cycles.
Chris and Cindy recognized long ago that they were lucky enough to be able to share their love of cycling with others. They’ve grown something that was just one or two bikes a year from themselves into something the entire company gets passionately behind. The office comes together each year to assist with the “building party” and takes great pride in what they are able to give back to the community.
With Christmas still a little over a week away, if you have the means, take a moment to see if there is a way you can help facilitate a similar program where you are. You never know what your donation might mean to a child- creating memories for a lifetime.
***
Our very own Chris Cocalis- The Boss- profiled!
12.14.2011
Check out this great interview with Pivot Cycles' main man, Chris Cocalis, on Bikerumor.com!
Kyle Strait and Cam Zink in action!
12.13.2011
Here's the Director's Cut version of the previously released video for Casio G-Shock watches with Cam Zink and Pivot's Kyle Strait. It's always a blast to watch these two good friends have fun doing what they do best... ride bikes way better than the rest of us!
Happy Holidays from Pivot Cycles!
12.07.2011
Pivot Cycles wishes you a fantastic holiday season and we thank you for your support this year- and every year. As our way of saying "thank you", we're giving you a 20% discount on all items purchased through our webstore until December 31st! When its time to check out, simply enter the discount code PivotLove and receive 20% off on your purchased items. If your discounted goods total drops below $100 after the discount is applied, you still receive the usual free shipping for all orders of $100 or more*.
All items in the webstore apply for this discount, so grab a few t-shirts, a hat, or anodized parts kit for yourself or any Pivot fan on your shopping list (which really should include you).
Our growth and success has been due to your support of our products, a point that we never forget. As the holidays descend on us- almost as fast as a Phoenix DH- we want to very simply say thanks for helping us to become one of the fastest growing small brands on the market.
We look forward to riding in 2012 with you all!
Pivot Cycles
*No shipping outside of the US, unless to APO/FPO addresses or Puerto Rico.
Pivot Phoenix wins in Peru!
12.06.2011
Our friends and distributor for Pivot in Peru, Inkas Adventures, sent us this short note about their Pivot sponsored rider grabbing the Peruvian Masters National DH Championship aboard his Phoenix DH!
Dear friends
It is a pleasure for us to announce that yesterday, Wayo finished first at the Peruvian DH National Championships in Masters class using a Pivot Phoenix DH bike. At the sime time he won the last race of the DH series in Peru.
Once more, thank you for putting your trust on us and for your support and care. This title belongs to all of us.
Pretty cool!
Thanks for the note and keep the wins coming- congrats to Wayo!
Picture of the Day!
12.05.2011
Our Picture of the Day comes courtesy of our very own Ken Bennet; Kenny is one of the nicest dudes you'll ever meet and can flatout ride a bike! His official title says he's involved with QC, Production & Prototyping... and smashes things into little bits. He's a brutal animal on a bike- don't let his mellow manner fool you.
Kenny is also quite handy with a camera- whether for images or video. He nabbed this gem of a shot on one of the regular Wednesday night rides many of the Pivot crew get out on every week. The guys stopped for a little mechanical adjustment and Kenny caught this great shot in the dark, looking out over the city from the top of Mormon Trail.
Not only is this a beautiful shot, but an excellent reminder of the beauty and fun of night riding. Just because the days are getting shorter, it doesn' mean it's time to put the bike away or just ride on weekends. Thanks for that reminder Kenny!
M4X in DIRT magazine!
11.30.2011
DIRT magazine is ready to put the M4X through its paces!
"With just 4" of travel, which is designed to be set up fairly stiff, there's just enough movement to keep you out of trouble, and not so much that the bike feels like a dog."
Light, nimble and built to shred! The M4X is Kyle's go-to bike for slopestyle riding... and he knows a thing or two about that.
Pivot wins in Chile!
11.14.2011
Here are some pictures of our latest race (Transandes Challenge Preview) this weekend. We did very well and Team Pivot finished #1 in it's 2 categories (80 years and more and 60 years and more for teams of 2 racers) and our team for the 80+ CAT finished #2 in the overall ranking!!!
This is a very important Marathon event that precedes the Transandes Challenge that takes place in the South of Chile every year, and it's the 4th race in which our Team has made it to the podium in the past 2 months.
Congratulations on the great results and keep'em coming!
Picture of the Day
11.09.2011
Frank Bosma from the Netherlands sent us this picture and this short note;
Best regards!
I love the bike...... Also like to see people checking it out because they have never seen it before in the Netherlands.
Frank
Thank YOU Frank for being a part of the Global Pivot family and for sharing this fantastic picture! Between the smile and the sun-dappled trail... the itch to ride is driving us nuts!
Happy Halloween!
10.31.2011
Happy Halloween from all of us at Pivot Cycles!
(Pumpkin carving courtesy of special Pivot fan Brandon Bruschke.)
Awesome Phoenix video from Mountain Flyer
10.28.2011
The folks at Mountain Flyer magazine had a bit of fun on the Phoenix downhill rig and are releasing an in-depth report in their next issue... but they also created a really great video preview.
Check it out and enjoy!
(WARNING; You're REALLY gonna want to go for a ride after watching this!)
Pivot Custom Parts Lunch Boxes IN STOCK!
10.19.2011
Add a little extra personalization to your ride with these custom anodized hardware kits. Be the envy of all of your riding companions when you hit the trail with the sexiest looking bike in the group. The custom lunch box is even perfect for transporting your favorite food and beverage items to and fro, or simply keeping your valuable baseball card collection safe and sound. The kit contains a custom color-matched Chris King Inset tapered headset, custom ODI Lock On grips and matching pivot pins, links, bolts and derailleur hangers to make sure that your aluminum Mach series (Mach 4, 429, 5, 5.7) Pivot frame is top dog on all your rides!
Available in Black, Blue, Green and Gold!
Timari Pruis 24HR Solo Championship report.
10.17.2011
WOW.....where to begin! I was admittedly A LOT nervous coming into the 24 Hr Solo National Championship race this year with so many factors running round, like hamsters through my head (little suckers were on OVERDRIVE!)......first off--I hadn’t raced a 24 hour solo race since February (Idyllwild was supposed to be the “judgement” race for me, but got cancelled last minute), second--had a really bad last day at work leading up to the race, third--the 19-20 hours of DRIVING to Colorado for the race, and fourth--the women’s roster for the race was a TAD intimidating.....not gonna lie! No matter how many years I have been doing these races, it never gets easier, or less intimidating. To say that this race, in particular, is done and off the books for the year is a "relief" is a HUGE understatement.......
Pretty sure I made some land speed records on the drive out to Colorado Springs (not a shock for any of those out there who have witnessed my driving......I know, shoulda thought about a career in NASCAR), yet it was still exhausting. Thursday night involved a sketchy stay in a Motel 6 in Pueblo, CO......can we say dead bolt, lock, chair, desk, and ANY other piece of furniture in front of the door???? Luckily, I got some sleep. Friday was spent taking care of registration, food shopping, and marking off my pit area on the course (about ALL that we were allowed to do....but hey, I still think that is bigger than my bedroom at home.....).
Woke up Saturday to a beautiful day, yet still felt sluggish......and nervous, and was really wishing my mom had been able to make the trip out to help. Instead, I was left in the hands of my mechanic (Michael) who had helped my mom pit for me during my 2nd place finish at 24 Hrs of Old Pueblo earlier this year......all I had to do was hope he had watched, and learned! I sent him over to the venue early to meet up with friends of mine who had a spare Kenda EZ-Up in their possession (couldn’t weight down the Rav4 any more than neccessary, if I wanted to hold the land speed record!) and to set up my home-away-from-home for the next 24 hours. I literally felt like I had to drag myself to the venue, and since all the waiting around for the race to start REALLY is the worst part, I couldn’t wait to get the party started (as well as rock my new Pivot team clothing!) and just be pedaling away.....me and my Pivot Mach 429.
Rumor had it that the course hadn’t been marked well for pre-riding, so no one knew what to expect. First lap of the race proved to be what I had heard in regards to the course.......LOTS of twisting and turning, and doubling back on each other.....and LOTS of techy stuff, including several “drops” that would prove to be, let’s just say “tricky” at night! Was definitely going to be a race for survival, and being that I am still on blood clot medication.....I kept having bad visuals of “blood baths” on the course if I messed up (always an encouraging thought!). My first two laps, true to form, didn’t feel so great. Lap 3, it was “game on”, as that is typically the time at which I have FINALLY warmed up! I kept myself focused on pacing myself, but at the same time, I spent each lap chasing down the female racer who edged me out to take 3rd place from me last year. Nothin’ but a little friendly competition......or being out for redemption....hahaha.........
Night time finally rolled around and I had anxiously awaited the cooler temps that came with it. Normally, I am not super stoked on riding at night, even though I can usually still keep my pace similar to that of my day laps. For whatever reason, my body decided to FULLY kick in through the night......yes! The moment I had been waiting for! This was where I was going to finally make my move and gain some ground. Unfortunately, the timing for the race had already had some major “issues” and going into the night, none of us TRULY knew where we stood in the rankings......so we pedaled on. I figured with the way I was finally feeling I could at least make up some of the ground I was pretty sure I had lost during the day. All went really well for the first 3 night laps.....I was cruisin’, and I finally felt like I was in full swing. Disaster managed to strike at 5am, when I came in from lap #8. There was concern from the pit crew that I had not been drinking enough water earlier in the day. At one point, I upped my consumption and thought I was in the clear........NOT the case. Five o’clock brought on the early signs of OVER hydration......all I kept thinking was “WHY now????”. Unfortunately, I had to sit out for a bit, to let my body reset itself.....UGH!
Daylight came around, and it was back on to the course for this girl. I only had to make it through 4-5 more hours (sunlight ALWAYS = you are ALMOST there!). It was all I had in me to get back out there and finish a lap.....but I KNEW I would regret it, if I didn’t finish 2 before the race ended. I BARELY scraped by with a last lap, finishing with a mere 5-10 minutes to spare! Wasn’t sure why I was out for that last lap, but SO glad I did it......THAT was the lap that helped me gain that advantage, to take the 5th, and final podium spot for the day!!!!!!! I had done it for a second year, I was on the podium at the US 24 Hr Solo National Championships!
Thanks to all my sponsors who have stood by me over the years and for helping me finish out a solid year (even though there MIGHT be one more race this season!): Pivot Cycles, Kenda Tires, Hammer Nutrition, DT Swiss, Magura, FSA, Sheila Moon, Ergon, Sidi, Beljum Budder, and Dakine.
I am already looking forward to 2012!
Timari Pruis
Mach 5.7 Carbon gets first magazine cover!
10.13.2011
The all-new Mach 5.7 Carbon is such an attention getter, it's on the November cover of the UK publication MBR- Mountain Bike Rider.
We're sure that this first cover is far from being the last one!
Help us pick a new shirt design on Facebook!
09.29.2011
We're lucky to have a pretty talented design team to work with... so lucky, in fact, that making a decision can sometimes be pretty hard. That's where you come in!
Visit our Facebook page and check out the photo gallery of potential new designs. "Like" your favorite design and you might even be one of ten lucky people to win a free t-shirt... all for just sharing your opinion with us. The shirt design with the most "likes" is most likely the next design we'll offer.
Pivot Cycles- making Democracy fun... and stylish!
Timari Pruis and the 12 Hours of Temecula
06.22.2011
The 12 Hrs of Temecula. It seems like it has been a while since I have raced (really only a month, but that was a duo co-ed team at the 12 Hrs of Mesa Verde, in which only bad memories of a shredded rear derailleur will come to mind for my teammate....), and thinking about it, my last endurance event solo was 24 Hours of Old Pueblo back in February. A few Xterra Triathlons mixed in there, and I now find myself in JUNE already!? Where has the year gone?
Needless to say, after my legs felt good at Mesa Verde, I was anxious to test my fitness in a solo event once again. I always jump at the chance to do the SoCal Endurance series events, mostly because the promoters (Jason Ranoa and his wife Heather) rock!!!! Always a great and well-run event, and it is growing in numbers of participants with every event!
The weather looked to be nice for the weekend—perfect riding weather, and I was ready to go. Fortunately for my mechanic/pit person, there were four women signed up in the Pro/Expert field. Earlier, I had told him I would not race against myself, and that he should be ready to race the duo co-ed category at the last minute. He got lucky...this time!
I got on the start line, and it was go time. I rode most of the first lap (or should I say that I paced myself) with a fellow SoCal racer friend of mine (Christine). My legs felt amazing, and I was hanging with Christine...a positive sign because she tends to be faster than me in shorter distance stuff. Also, she was pacing herself for the 6 hour portion of the race.
Two laps into the race, 1st place ( adventure racing queen, Karen Lundgren) was only 15 minutes ahead. I say ONLY, because last year, she had a MUCH larger gap on me at this race by the end of lap two! My lap times proved to be consistent throughout the entire event. My pit person kept telling me that 1st place was coming in and doing a TON of stretching after each lap, so there was a chance she might slow down.
I gotta say, I was secretly hoping she might crack...so I figured if I just stayed consistent, at some point, 1st place could be mine. Third and fourth place lingered behind me for about 30 minutes for a while.
At about the half way mark, I almost had a full lap up on 3rd. I still couldn't "let up" knowing that anything could happen, at any time, to any one of us. I can't quite remember at what point Karen lapped me, but it happened. Again, I was still stoked to have not gotten lapped as quickly as I did last year. I was having a good race, and was just in the "zone" riding my Pivot Mach 429, I had no reason to complain (except MAYBE about my butt being sore from sitting on the bike!!!!).
I rolled through the start/finish at the end of lap #8, and Heather told me that I could safely get away with only doing one more lap if I wanted to. Part of me WANTED to hit the 10 lap mark, but the voice of reason (and the tired body) kicked in and was going to settle for 9 laps. The course was getting torn up, and I had a minor crash on lap, which resulted in a small MOUNTAIN of dirt being stuck in my shorts.
I had already secured 2nd place (with no chance of catching 1st), and I figured I would spare myself (as well as the medics on site) the potential blood bath that could occur if I had a serious crash (gotta love racing on blood thinners...).
So, in the end, I came in 2nd, and added to my nice list of 2nd place finishes this season. Now if I can just make it to that top step once again! Oh, and I lived to ride another day!
Next up, either 8 Hours of Tahoe...or Xterra Tahoe City...stay tuned!
Photo by Art Ranoa from Art of Fotografi
Luke Hurley Race Report: EFTA NECS #3
06.15.2011
Round 3 of the EFTA NECS series in Auburn, NH is a 28 mile dirt crit, on flat, fast, nontechnical, double track and rail trail. I had a chance to pre-ride the course and do 4 quick laps earlier in the week, trying to get an idea as to where the best lines through the corners were and where some good potential attacking spots were.
There were competing series races this weekend: this and one for the other series I do, Root 66, but as I am vying for points in the EFTA series, and it was only a half hour from my house, I chose this one.
Again this is a flat-out dirt crit for 28 miles, where we averaged 19 mph for the entire 7 laps. Laps times were just about 12 minutes, per 4 mile course. Yep they were that fast.
There were 12 of us in the Vet 1 class, all riders with whom I was familiar. The start was fairly relaxed as there was no need for a hole shot, just pace and hold on. A lead group broke off of about 5 riders on the first lap. Knowing this was going to be a fast 1.5 hour race, I was not one of them. I backed off a bit and ended up alone for the second lap, then got caught by a second group of 5. I jumped on, learning from last year, to ride alone is totally not motivating, but will also kill your results. So I jumped on the back, figuring I would work in a group for a few laps. I did some pulls with another few riders, and we picked up the pace for a bit and caught a couple in the lead group and they latched on.
At the start of lap 4, another rider and I were feeling pretty good so we moved to the front and traded pulls and gassed it for a bit to put in some time. Turns out he kept overshooting the corners, taking them all wide and washing out in the loose sand, where the firmer, better line I kept taking was on the inside. We chuckled every time. I think it was his ploy to get me in front to pull. It worked for a bit and we backed off and rejoined the group.
Seeing additional riders up the long flat sections, I jumped back on the lead and picked the pace up again for the last three laps. I was feeling strong on the last two laps, so I attacked several times in all of the right places, where I knew I could make up some time, especially on the last lap.
Or so I thought.
NOTE TO SELF "YOU ARE NOT A ROADIE".
Apparently my attacks were working to an extent, but had I looked behind me I would have noticed that the rest of the bunch letting the 5' 6.5", 150lb guy to do all of the work (me), no matter how low I crouched, latched back on, via the train of a couple elites coming up on the last 200 yards before the finish shoot.
They had this all taped off like a cyclocross course to slow everybody down. I was cooked and tried to out-sprint the bunch to get into the tape first, knowing that passing wasn't going to happen in there. My right quad didn't think that was good idea and started to cramp up.
In the end I finished 8th…10 seconds out of 4th place. It was that close. I did take 6 minutes off my time from last year, though. Looking back, I was irate that the others hung on, but now I get it. XC racing is not a team sport. The group all came up to me individually after commended me on the ridiculous pace I was putting in.
Up next week: Root 66 Pats Peak.
Race Report: Luke Hurley: Coyote Hill Classic
05.31.2011
Another crack at one of the Root 66 New England series yesterday in West fairlee, VT at the Coyote Hill mountain bike camp. A great race last year on dry technical trails, that while challenging, were fast and pretty much 100% rideable. They were turned into technical, not so fast and 75% rideable trails after a night of pouring rains and thunderstorms this year.
It looked like it was going to rain at the start, but actually turned out pretty nice with some sun. The course quickly got greasy and slick as the Expert/Cat 1's were the last to go...the beginners and sports, Cat 3 and 2's had the course pretty beat up.
I kept it kind of easy on the first lap of 3, so as to not blow up on the climbs and try to make up some time on the faster, drier spots. I took advantage of a few slip-ups and mechanicals by others, and finished 4th.
One more lap may have helped me finish better, as I've found I feel stronger towards the end. Plus...I think we were spoiled by the ridiculously dry year in 2010 making for perfect race weather and courses.
Ride your Pivot. Take photos. Get famous.
05.05.2011
We already know how you love your Pivot, but we want you to prove it. We're looking for your action photos of you on your Pivot. Race photos, ride photos, big air photos, sick drop photos, whatever you think is worthy enough to make the pages of our 2012 catalog. We want to make you famous, so take your best shot and send it to us!
If we choose your picture to run in our 2012 catalog, we'll send you a Pivot SWAG package including: Pivot Cycles Jersey, Pivot Cycles Logo T-shirt, Pivot Cycles Sticker Sheet, Pivot Cycles Socks & Pivot Cycles Cap!
Some of the photos that don't make the cut will wind up on the Gallery page on the Pivot Cycles web site. The only prize for that is the glory of having your picture on the Pivot Cycles web site...which is pretty cool, actually.
For more information on how to submit photos, please follow this link.
We look forward to seeing what you send us!
Kyle Strait with his new Pivot M4x Slalom Bike
04.25.2011
VitalMTB.com has posted a cool gallery of Kyle Strait and the new Pivot Cycles M4X.
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Pivot Cycles M4X
04.22.2011
You've probably already seen a number of articles and photos of a super-new black and gold Pivot Cycles model making the rounds out at Sea Otter Classic. If not, take a look here, here and here. The bike is so new, that we were decaling the bikes in our hotel room the night before the start of the Sea Otter last weekend.
So here's the official skinny on the bike. The bikes Kyle Strait, Will Rischbieth and Hans Lambert of Team Pivot had on display...and rode...at Sea Otter were the first models of our soon-to-be-released dual slalom/four cross bike: The M4X.
The M4X features a 100mm (4") travel dw-link suspension design that's tuned for aggressive pedaling performance. It stays up in the travel, while railing corners and pumping up jump faces and over rollers—all while maintaining excellent, progressive big-hit performance.
Designed for use with a single chain ring up front, the M4X frameset includes integrated ISCG tabs and a threaded 73mm-wide bottom bracket shell. Because the bottom bracket and lower swingarm area does not need to accommodate a front derailleur, we are able to radically maximize stiffness while reducing weight on the frame design.
The new lower (dw-link) design is based off of the Pivot Cycles Phoenix DH bike, featuring wider and larger outer bearing placement to further increase the frame stiffness. Additionally, the tube set for the M4X is based on that of the Pivot Cycles Firebird. However, many of the M4X tubes are custom-formed in order to keep the weight low, and increase the stiffness of the frame.
Here are a few more details:
- Tapered headtube
- 30.9mm seat post size
- 142mm x 12mm through axle
We haven't specified a price for the bike yet, but it will be available in November.
Despite it being a brand new bike, Kyle Strait piloted the M4X to a 5th place finish on only his second ride on the bike...his first was the qualifying run for the race. He also rode the M4X on the downhill race, finishing 12th.
Mach 5.7 Review in Mountain Bike Action
04.01.2011
We strongly suggest you head out to your local Pivot Cycles dealer, or any other place that sells magazines, to get a copy of the latest Mountain Bike Action magazine. In it you'll find a fantastic review of the Pivot Cycles Mach 5.7!
If you're too far from a shop or newsstand, you can get a preview of it here.
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Team Pivot Cycles grabs 5th in Australia
03.21.2011
Will Rischbieth finished 5th this past weekend in Oceania. Here's what he had to say, in his own words:
I drove over to the dusty country town of Shepperton in Victoria on Thursday, very excited to ride my Pivot Phoenix downhill weapon. Every time I ride this bike I feel faster and it puts a smile on my face.
Practice went well on the rocky hard-pack Australian soil. I had lots of fun trying heaps of different lines, riding with friends and putting down a good consistent pace.
Qualifying was on Saturday, and I was again super excited to see where I stood as I knew I was riding good.
I Qualified 3rd, just 0.7 seconds behind 1st place. This was good to know and reassuring for the finals. I knew I could find a few more seconds on Sunday's practice and keep my pace consistent throughout the weekend.
Sunday's race went great! I just knew I had to back my time up from qualifying, and now was the time to do it. I was really well warmed up at the top, and worked hard on staying relaxed and focused. I knew I had the speed and skill to win, just putting a full fast but smooth run together under pressure was going to be my challenge.
I finished up in 5th place on the podium, 1.5 seconds faster than qualifying. There were sections I didn't ride as fast as I would have liked, but I was happy to stay consistent throughout the weekend and get some quality time in testing the Phoenix race bike and dialing in my RockShox suspension. This bike is fast!
I am happy with where I am at right now, after recovering from my back injury and scoring a podium finish on my second race back in under a month...I am ticking the boxes towards a strong World Cup season. Things will only get better from here, and I am stoked.
A big thanks to Dylan and Hyson at SRAM for the whole weekend, plus a huge thanks to my team, Pivot Cycles for their support, and all our sponsors: Pivot, ODI, Dainese, SRAM, RockShox, Avid, Truvativ, Fox clothing, Mavic, Cane Creek, SDG, E13, Maxxis, Jet Black.
Friends With Benefits
03.20.2011
The people over at Zoic mountain bike clothing are some fine folks. And they seem to like Pivot Cycles a lot. Here's an excerpt from their most recent posting on their web site.
"I've now ridden 4 out of the last 5 days on a variety of trails alternating between the 5.7 and Firebird, interrupted with a brief demo of Ellsworth's Moment (solid but uninspiring). My business partner Eric has gone out 2 of those days, swapping models with me at liberty as we hit our usual haunts. We can't stop marveling at the performance of these bikes. One word he used to describe the Firebird was the same thing I uttered at Deer Valley 7 months ago – Cadillac. It's plush and indulgent riding without the hardware and weight of a DH bike. But we both find the 5.7 better suits our style of riding."
Check out the rest of the posting right here!
Demo a Pivot!
03.18.2011
Josh and Allison will be putting some serious miles in on the roads around the country this year. They'll be hitting all corners of the United States with a full stable of Pivot Cycles bikes...all for your riding pleasure.
Stop by to see them, and they'll set you up and out riding any Pivot you've been jonesing to ride!
The Demo Tour will be hitting tons of shops around the country, and we'll be at all sorts of bicycle races, festivals and other events.
We invite you to keep an eye on our Demo page...we'll be updating it almost daily with new Demos and other events.
And we'll see you out there!
Spoke Magazine Preview of Mach 5.7
02.23.2011
The cool people over at Spoke magazine in New Zealand recently did a review of the Pivot Cycles Mach 5.7. Along with that review, they also did a very cool video preview, which you can see right....here:
Spoke Magazine: Pivot Mach 5.7 Review from firstfloor on Vimeo.
Wind, Rain, 24 Hours and Wins in the Desert
02.22.2011
Nearly two thousand racers braved windy, rainy and cold weather in Tucson this past weekend as they battled for glory (and fun) at the 2011 24 Hours in the Old Pueblo.
Despite the adverse conditions, Pivot Cycles had a great showing on the 17-mile course in the desert.
The Pivot Cycles men's duo team of Brian Bennett and Ernesto Marenchin won their category after a hard fought battle with Trek Bicycle Store. In the end, both teams completed 20 laps, but Pivot Cycles reigned victorious with a 27-minute advantage over Trek Bicycle Store.
Riding atop her Pivot Cycles Mach 4 for Pivot Cycles/Kenda, Timari Pruis grabbed the second place trophy in the solo women's category by completing eleven laps.
Anyone who's ever participated in a 24-hour race understands such events are part competition and part celebration. As such, the Pivot Cycles staff and friends also took part in the race this weekend.
Team Pivot Cycles, stacked with the likes of Brien Gonzales, Sean Kennedy, Kenny Bennett, Micki McKay and Lynette Klien, grabbed sixth place in the 5 Person Co-ed 200+ Combined Age category, with 17 laps completed.
The Pivot Cycles corporate team, appropriately named Team Gnar Shred and the Rad Riders, and starring Grant Kruft, Chris Cocalis, Cindy Cocalis, Allison Baker, Bill Kibler, Daniel Limburg, Joshua "Demo Ninja" Baker and Stanton Kibler enjoyed a fun race with a 14th place finish.
Congrats to the whole Pivot Cycles family for a weekend of great results and lots of fun!
(Thanks to Kenny Bennett, Ernesto Marenchin and Carmen Bastek for the photos)
Pivot Cycles UK Signs Bernard Kerr
02.17.2011
Upgrade Bikes, the exclusive Pivot Cycles distributor for the United Kingdom, are excited to announce that 20 year old Elite Downhill rider Bernard Kerr will be riding for 'Pivot Cycles UK' in 2011.
Bernard will be riding the new Pivot Phoenix DH Frameset and will be supported by DMR Bikes for parts including the new Valut pedals. He will be focusing on the UK Nationals as well as all the World cup rounds.
"Having recently added Pivot Cycles to our portfolio of brands we felt we needed to get a high profile rider on board to help promote and launch the brand in the UK. We are super stoked to have Bernard on the bike for 2011, he is a very talented rider and is focused on making a big impact on the UK and world circuit this year, and we hope the partnership will work out very well for all involved," states Tom Varkala, Pivot Cycles UK Brand manager.
"I'm so stoked to be on Pivot Cycles UK as the bike is just blowing me away every time I ride, its making me feel more and more like a hero!! They are just such a cool bunch of guys which I'm really looking forward to working with, along with the new DMR pedal + parts I genuinely couldn't be more pumped and ready for the season to start so I'll see you at the races!" says Bernard Kerr.
Pivot Cycles Online Merch Store Now Open!
02.04.2011
It's been a long time coming, and you've been asking a lot recently...so we're very excited to announce that we now have an official online store where you can buy all kinds of good Pivot Cycles goods!
The Pivot Cycles Merchandise Store is your source to easily order all kinds of Pivot Cycles merch like t-shirts, race jerseys, Kyle Strait posters, derailleur hangers and more! We've got more cool stuff in the store, and there's even more awesome stuff coming later this year.
The site is secure, and it's very easy to use. Hop on over to http://pivotcycles.clvmerch.com/ to see what we have.
All orders over $100 receive free standard shipping, and we accept Visa, MasterCard and American Express.
Pivot Cycles Expands Inside Sales Staff
01.27.2011
Pivot Cycles welcomes Travis Erwin to the family. Travis fills the role of inside sales specialist, joining Brien Gonzales and Brock Boynton. His territories include Arizona, Utah, Pennsylvania, Delaware, West Virginia, Virginia, Maryland, Tennessee, North Carolina, South Carolina, Alabama and Georgia. As an inside sales specialist, he will be responsible for managing outside reps, providing customer service and handling dealer relations.
"Travis will be a great asset to the company. We are excited to have him on board, and expect nothing but the best level of customer service from him," says Daniel Limburg, Terrestrial Sales Manager
Originally hailing from San Jose, California, Travis majored in Philosophy at the University of Florida. He comes to Pivot Cycles from GlobalTranz where he worked as an Operations Coordinator. Prior to that, Travis worked for a number of shops around the country.
Travis is a competitive cyclist, loves fortune cookies, once ollied three skateboards stacked on their sides, and lives in Fountain Hills, Arizona with his wife Sarah and four year old daughter Ella.
With Travis, Pivot Cycles now has a complete team of three inside sales specialists. Brien Gonzales has been with the company for two years, and is the lead inside sales specialist. He has worked as a lead sales position and purchaser for multiple bikes shops in the Dallas, Texas area. Brien handles the territories for four outside sales reps, California, Texas, Indiana, Ohio and Kentucky. Brien also works with accounts where there is no outside sales rep available.
Brock Boynton has been with the company since July 2010. A former outside sales rep, his insight and ability to talk with our customers is above excellent. Brock handles the territories for three outside sales reps, Alaska, Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, Colorado, New Mexico, Minnesota, Wisconsin, New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine.
Pivot Cycles and Kenny B Get Sexy in the UK
01.10.2011
But you already knew Pivot Cycles, the Phoenix DH and Kenny B were sexy, right? Here's the article, in detail:
Ken Bennett
Production and prototyping, Pivot Cycles
What's big in 2011 for you?
Our new Phoenix DH bike is probably the biggest thing for us this year. We wanted to make it an extremely durable bike. Downhill bikes are so expensive – what's the point in dropping so much money on a bike that'll only last one season? The World Cup team each got two frames at the start of the season and none of them haave had to swap their frame yet – I think that speaks volumes.
How long did the design to production process take?
We worked really hard on this. We had a few rough prototypes for a year or so, then we went in ad the deep end, pretty much worked at nothing else for eight months. That doesn't sound like a lot, but we put every second into this bike.
Are you excited about having a bigger UK presence this year?
Yeah, we've signed with Upgrade Bikes, and they're excited about the bikes. Hopefully the UK can be a healthy market for us, in particular with the Phoenix.
Pivot Cycles Wins 12 Hours of Papago
01.10.2011
Tim Louis and Leroy Walters , also known as the Big Ring Flyers team, piloted their Pivot Cycles Mach 5.7's to first place in the male duo team division at the Four Peaks Brewing 12 Hours in The Papago on Saturday. Tim and Leroy completed 22 laps in 11 hours, 41 minutes and 48 seconds in a brutal but fun race in the desert.
Meanwhile, Brian Bennett, riding his Pivot Cycles Mach 4, finished second in the men's solo division with a whopping 21 laps in just under 21 hours!
Congrats, guys!
Pivot Cycles Downloadable Instructions
01.07.2011
We've got a whole pile of PDF directions, instructions and guides on the Pivot web site to help you care for and maintain your Pivot Cycles bike. You can see the whole list here: http://www.pivotcycles.com/tech
We've got a lot more coming, but here are some of the highlighted PDF's we currently have. You can download these PDF's right now:
dw-link Bearing Removal Instructions
Instructions for the removal...and installation...of the bearings of your dw-link.
Mach Series Washing & Maintenance
It's important you properly wash your Mach 4, Mach 5, Mach 5.7 and Mach 429 to keep it running smoothly for a long time!
Suspension Set Up Guide
Proper set up of your suspension is vital to maximize the performance of the best suspension in the world!
Sag Indicator Set-Up Guide
Our handy Sag Indicator allows for foolproof accuracy of setting up your suspension.
Pivot Cycles Supports the Clause
12.29.2010
After a long day of work on Thursday, December 16th, everyone in the Pivot Cycles office shut down their computers, turned off their machinery and took the Pivot Cycles bikes out of the work stands. We ordered several pizzas, bought a bunch of sodas and set to work on assembling a colorful arsenal of kid's bikes.
After a few hours of eating, talking and turning wrenches, our party sat and looked at ten bikes that were sure to make some children very happy this Holiday season.
The bicycles were donated to the Toys for Tots program. We delivered the bikes to the organization, who then turned the bikes over to the parents. On Christmas morning, the parents presented the bikes to their excited boys and girls at home.
We're happy we were able to brighten the day for some families in the Phoenix area this holiday season.
We hope you and your family enjoy your time this Holiday. Here's to a great 2011!
See you out on the trails!
Kyle & His Phoenix DH Featured a Commercial
12.28.2010
Thanks to the fine folks over at Bike magazine, we're able to embed the video for you right here!
New Paint for the Mach 429!
12.22.2010
We're excited about the new paint options for the Mach 429, and judging by how quickly they're selling, we're going to bet you're excited too! Without further editorializing, we'll just cut right to the photos:
Pivot Cycles Gets Social
12.07.2010
The new Pivot Cycles Facebook page is up and running. Have you “liked” us there yet? If not, you really ought to head over there right now. Aside from Pivot Cycles news, event announcements, special deals and other fun stuff, it’s also a great place to interact with other fans of Pivot Cycles. Check it out here: http://www.facebook.com/PivotCycles
Twitter limits posts to 140 characters, but that won’t stop us from using it as another channel from which we can keep the Pivot Cycles family informed with happenings, news and other meaningful conversations. It’s a great way to quickly stay connected with Pivot Cycles. http://twitter.com/pivot_cyclesUSA
Kyle Strait Answers 17 Questions
12.04.2010
Revo Cycles Lake Forest Grand Opening!
11.24.2010
11.26.2010 | Revo Cycles | Lake Forest, CA
Your favorite Pivot Cycles bikes are now available at Revo Cycles in Lake Forest, California. Pivot Cylces bikes are available at many stores around the world, so why are we particularly stoked about being in Revo? Well, Darrin and the staff at Revo have created a truly unique bicycle-shopping experience.
The Pivot Cycles Store is a dedicated room at Revo that exclusively features the whole Pivot Cycles line of bikes in an atmosphere we designed ourselves. This is a great chance for you to get to know all the Pivot Cycles models in a classy and comfortable atmosphere.
Come to the Grand Opening for the Revo Cycles Store-Within-A-Store on November 26, 2010...also known as Black Friday. We've worked hard to get our Pivot Cycles room dialed, and you're going to love it. The First 100 visitors get a free Kyle Strait Poster!
In addition to a celebration on a grand scale...which includes coffee and special promotions...you'll have the chance to actually ride Pivot bikes! We will be there with the Pivot Cycles Demo Tour truck and trailer, offering all visitors the chance to ride all Pivot Cycles models. This is your opportunity to hop on a Pivot to see what everyone's been talking about: fantastic performance, amazing climbing ability and dialed handling.
We'll see you there!
Visit the Revo Cycles web site for more info such as directions, etc. (http://www.revocycles.com)
Pivot Cycles 2010 Mach 4 & Mach 5 Sale!
11.23.2010
For a limited time, we're offering very special pricing on remaining 2010 models of Mach 4 and Mach 5 frames (with 2011 FOX rear shock) and complete bikes! (Prices are for US customers only.)
| PIVOT CYCLES | MSRP | Sale MSRP |
|---|---|---|
| MACH 4 SRAM XX (DT TRICON TUBELESS WHEELS) STOCK | $6,699 | $5,359 |
| MACH 4 SRAM XX (DT 240 WHEELS) | $6,399 | $5,119 |
| MACH 4 XTR ULTRALITE (DT TRICON TUBELESS) | $6,299 | $5,039 |
| MACH 4 XTR ULTRALITE (DT 240 CUSTOM WHEELS) STOCK | $5,999 | $4,799 |
| MACH 4 XT - (DT 240 CUSTOM WHEELS) | $4,999 | $3,999 |
| MACH 4 XT - (DT 340 CUSTOM WHEELS) STOCK | $4,399 | $3,519 |
| MACH 4 XT/SLX | $3,699 | $2,959 |
| MACH 5 SRAM XX (DT TRICON TUBELESS WHEELS) STOCK | $6,699 | $5,359 |
| MACH 5 SRAM XX (DT 240 WHEELS) | $6,399 | $5,119 |
| MACH 5 XTR ULTRALITE (DT TRICON TUBELESS) | $6,299 | $5,039 |
| MACH 5 XTR ULTRALITE (DT 240 CUSTOM WHEELS) STOCK | $5,999 | $4,799 |
| MACH 5 XT (DT 240 CUSTOM WHEELS) | $4,999 | $3,999 |
| MACH 5 XT - (DT 340 CUSTOM WHEELS) STOCK | $4,399 | $3,519 |
| MACH 5 XT/SLX | $3,699 | $2,959 |
| PIVOT FRAME KITS / FRAMESETS | MSRP | Sale MSRP |
| MACH 4 Frameset (includes shock & BB) All sizes | $1,999 | $1,499 |
| MACH 4 Frameset (includes shock & BB) XL Only | $1,999 | $1,399 |
| MACH 4 Frame Kit (XT fd/Fox F-RLC 15mm, CC XX/44 HS) | $2,750 | $2,200 |
| MACH 5 Frameset (includes shock & BB) All sizes | $1,999 | $1,499 |
| MACH 5 Frame Kit (XT fd/Fox 32 Float 140-RLC 15mm, CC XX/44 HS) | $2,750 | $2,200 |
Though these are 2010 frames, complete bikes will include 2011 suspension from FOX and the XT or XT SLX bikes will include 2010 3x10 Shimano parts!
2010 Mach 4
There's a reason the Mach 4 won MTBR's 2010 award for Best Full Suspension Cross Country mountain bike. People around the world have been raving about the Mach 4's performance. Its dw-link® suspension is tuned to deliver instant acceleration on steep, out-of-the-saddle climbs, while its 100mm of rear travel attacks rocky descents with efficiency, stability and comfort.
People have also been winning on the Mach 4. Jason English rode his Mach 4 to become the 24-hour Solo World Champion. Twice. Many other racers have also enjoyed podium spots after stepping off the Mach 4. This bike rules them all: 100-mile endurance races, 24-hour competitions and every other sort of races in between.
2010 Mach 5
The Pivot Cycles Mach 5 was made to perform during long days in the saddle. With a full 5.3" of travel, the Mach 5 is positioned right between our Mach 4 and Mach 5.7, making it the ultimate trail bike with the soul of a cross country rig. It's meant to cover the spectrum of 24 hour racing and all-day in-the-saddle rides, with the ability to devour technical descents.
Wherever and whatever you ride, the Mach 5 will make your experience much more enjoyable. With 5.3" of precision-tuned dw-link® travel, unparalleled frame stiffness, and our custom-tuned Fox suspension with Boost Valve technology, the Mach 5 delivers an incredibly efficient, balanced feel. Descend with confidence as your Mach 5 soaks up everything from small bumps to the biggest hits, delivering superior plushness and control. As the trail turns up, the Mach 5 exhibits exceptional climbing traction. If you had to own only one bike, the Mach 5 is it.
Order Now!
Contact your local Pivot Cycles dealer to take advantage of this screaming deal. Don't know where you can find Pivot Cycles near you? Consult our handy Dealer Locator found here. (http://www.pivotcycles.com/dealers)
As we mentioned, supplies are limited. So order early to get your choice of color and size. When they're gone, they're gone! Remaining inventory: Large and XL Mach 4 frames; S, M, L and 1 XL Mach 5 frames.
24 Hour Win for Motorcycle Racer
11.10.2010
Think motorcycle racing is an easy sport? Think again. Throttle-twisters and mountain bikers share a love of playing in the dirt, and many of the technologies found on your mountain bike were born from the motorcycle side of life. While motorcycles have... well... motors, there's no denying it takes a lot of physical effort to maneuver those bikes along trails or around a course. For one thing, they're obviously heavier than mountain bikes so moto riders also require a lot of strength to control the bikes.
Thus, it shouldn't come as a surprise that many motorcycle racers fare well on the mountain bike trails. Case in point... motorcycle racer Kevin Schwantz, who races motorcycles for Suzuki, and his team recently won a 24-hour race atop his Pivot Cycles Mach 429.
Cyclingnews.com reports: "Ben Bostrom isn't the only motorcycle racer making news with pedal power. A day after Bostrom won the Singlespeed World Championship in Rotorua, New Zealand, Kevin Schwantz, the 1993 500cc World Champion, was part of the four-rider Team Cycle Progression/Brand 34 squad that won both their class and the overall victory in the 24 Hours of Rocky Hill, at Rocky Hill Ranch in Smithville, Texas."
A Mach 4 Proposal
10.20.2010
Here's the story in Robyn's own words:
How can I say thank you and really express how excited and grateful I am for your role in Dan's amazing engagement gift? I'm really just so overwhelmed that he's been working on this and that you generously got involved.
It's true; I am in love with the Pivot Mach 4. I had a spreadsheet with the dimensions of every full suspension bike on the market and what I thought of those I rode. After meeting your team at White Ranch and taking the Mach 4 out on the trail, a trail I couldn't have done on another bike, I knew there was no turning back and any other bike would just disappoint me. Great strategy with demo days because you realize your riding potential with a higher quality bike and you just can't imagine going back!
I'm also head over heels in love with Dan; and it's so overwhelming to know he loves me so much that he would ask me to marry him with not only a beautiful ring but also my dream bike! He was very sneaky because I never suspected he was researching and planning all this.
So here's how he proposed.
It was our anniversary and we started the day with a hike in Nederland. We went off trail and discovered some amazing views, all of which were perfect for a romantic proposal. Well, the hike ended and we headed home. Randomly, Dan announced he had to run an errand and headed out the door (apparently, he had received an email earlier in the day from Chris Jacobson letting him know the bike was ready). I was somewhat suspicious but assumed he was picking up a card or small anniversary gift (I mean, it wouldn't be a proposal because we just got back from the most romantic hike and if he hadn't proposed there, then it wasn't going to happen that day); so I also left to run some errands.
When I got back home Dan asked me to go out to the shed with him so he could show me something. I opened the door, stunned to see the most amazing and shiny black Pivot Mach 4! I couldn't and still can't believe anyone would be so generous to get me such an amazing gift. Speechless, I immediately turned around to give Dan a hug and almost started crying. As I was saying words like, "oh my gosh", "I can't believe you got me a Pivot Mach 4", "How?", "Why?", Dan suggested I check out the bubble wrap that was in the frame. Still in disbelief, especially that there was more surprise to come; I opened the bubble wrap to find a pretty little black box with a beautiful ring inside! Wow, this is the type of proposal every Colorado girl dreams about but never really thinks will happen. He asked me to marry him and I immediately (with absolutely no hesitation as if the question was far more important than the bike or ring) said yes! And if this story isn't mushy enough, after Dan shared with me the planning he had done to pull all this off, he said, "Babe, the bike was more important to me than the ring because it symbolizes all the fun we're going to have together for the rest of our lives."
So that's the story you helped make happen. It's only the middle of the story because Dan and I have a life of fun to experience together: I'll be on the trails riding my Pivot by next spring, we have a wedding to plan, and we're going to have a baby who will no doubt grow up on bikes and skis.
Thank you so much for your part in helping to make this happen! I would marry Dan with no bike or ring; but you have to admit, he set the bar high for all those other men who are thinking of how to propose to their girlfriends.
Happy Trails,
Robyn Fugett
24 Hours of Moab Race Report
10.18.2010
Pivot Cycles team rider Timari Pruis reports on her 4th place finish at the the 24 Hours of Moab US National Championships
After taking the last few days to "attempt" to recover from Moab, I am finally getting around to writing my update for the 24 Hours of Moab, which this year acted once again as the US National Solo Championship (might I add, having the race here in particular was bittersweet. I LOVE it in Moab, but the course is nothing short of BRUTAL). I have to say I honestly came in to this race 100% prepared - both mentally AND physically, and I'm sure many other solo racers can attest this is hard to do. Just three weeks prior to Moab, I had raced the 24 Hours of Adrenalin race in Idyllwild solo as well, and killed it with a win at that race. Having been my first solo race all year, it gave me a good idea of where I was at physically, and needless to say, I wasn't disappointed. All the hard work was definitely paying off! So I was physically dialed, and winning it gave me the mental edge I needed going into Moab.
My mom and I arrived on Friday afternoon, and met up with Josh (Pivot Demo Guy extraordinaire) so we could set up "home base" for the weekend. Josh rolled in the Pivot demo trailer, and we set up camp around it yup, I got to feel "important" for the weekend considering we had the complete set up. This would be the pit area for myself, as well as fellow Pivot sponsored rider Erick Auger for Saturday through Sunday. I must say it was pretty sweet, plus I had any Pivot of my choice to ride if I so desired, or if necessary. Saturday morning arrived sooner than I would have liked, and pre-race nerves were in full effect (what the heck had happened to ALL the confidence I had earlier in the week?). I just wanted to get the show on the road. "Just get me on my bike, and let me pedal." After getting a back-up Mach 429 set up, and making sure my own Mach 429 was ready to go, it was almost time for take-off.
I lined up for the LeMans running start. The gun goes off and, like a herd of cattle, we are off and running. The run felt like forever, and when I arrived to where I KNEW I had set my bike up NOTHING!!!!!! Not only was my heart rate already sky high from the run, now my bike is GONE! I scramble around and finally find it. Someone, at some point, had laid it down on the ground about 10 ft. away. Momentarily I had thought. "Seriously, someone actually stole my bike prior to the race?" I tried to erase the panic from my mind, and pedaled my butt off to make up ground. No way was I going to get stuck walking behind those who couldn't manage to ride up the first climb. Mission accomplished, and the first lap went smoothly. I came across the transition area in 3rd place. I was happy...only 22.5 more hours to go. My 2nd and 3rd laps were "Eh". Those 2 laps always seem to haunt me in any race, but I still hung on to 3rd place. As long as I could hold on to 3rd, I was stoked. I just hoped to bank on my consistency, and move up later in the race. The first 12 hours were pretty uneventful. Jari Kirkland was out in first by A LOT (and out with a vengeance from last year, but who could blame her?). I focused on holding on to 3rd, and plugging away at 2nd.
Around 10pm to midnight, I noticed my left knee acting up, but decided to ignore it heck, I could ignore it for 12 more hours (so I thought) because I was having an amazing race. Fourth place passed me once in the middle of the night, but I quickly caught her back, no worries. Night laps were going good, and I had NO desire to sleep. But my knee kept nagging.
I was still in 3rd as daylight broke. 4th place passed me again (on what would be my 2nd to last lap), but I passed her and cranked on the downhill-ish sections to gain ground on her. I knew I was going to have trouble climbing at this point since I could not even stand up and pedal. Stabbing knee pain tends to do that to a person.
I got to the last climb of my 10th lap, and kept looking back for 4th. Nothing. As I got near the top of the climb, I looked back, and there she was. All I wanted to do, honestly, was cry. Between the pain and the thought of losing 3rd place at this point in the game, all I could do was hope that she was WAY more exhausted at that point than I was.
Sadly, my legs felt amazing. It was just my knee that couldn't hang. She passed me and I tried to go with her. I caught her on the descent, but once it came to pedaling again...nothing. There it was, I was now in a fight to hang on to 4th. The hardest thing to have to do in these races, or any race, is to feel like you are "handing over" your position to your competition.
I finished out my 11th lap, which kept me in 4th place in the end.
On the up side of things, I thought only the top 3 finishers would have podium spots, but I was pleasantly surprised to find otherwise. It softened the blow a little. So there I was 4th at the US National Championship race!
So, is this the end of the season for me, you may ask? (because I can guarantee that I was telling myself it was this entire race...) The answer is no. I'm shooting for redemption, and doing the 12 Hrs of Temecula race in November! Update to follow! Special thanks, as always, go out to ALL of my sponsors who have supported me throughout the season: Pivot Cycles (Chris, a HUGE thank you for letting me race the Mach 429 this season!!! It has performed beautifully!!!), Kenda Tires, FSA, DT Swiss, Hammer Nutrition (thanks Steve for bringing me ALL the product I needed for the race), Magura, Sheila Moon (thanks for supplying me with a bunch of awesome new clothing that kept me warm and toasty at night!), Sidi, Ergon, Beljum Budder, Dakine, Thule, Zeal Optics,and my local shop Win's Wheels for dealing with the mess that I always seem to bring you last minute!
Pivot Wins Big This Weekend
10.11.2010
Canberra, Australia was the scene of the 24 Hours of Adrenalin World Solo 24 Hour MTB Championship this past weekend. And it's where Australian Jason English pedaled his Pivot Cycles Mach 4 to victory. Not only is this his second consecutive 24-hour championship, but Jason was the only rider to complete 24 laps of the course. You can see the full results here.
Back in the United States, a few hundred people put tires to the red dust, rocks and technical trails at the 24 Hours of Moab. In the Women's Solo category, Timari Pruis laid down 11 laps in the desert to finish 4th while riding her Mach 429 Ernesto Marenchin and Eric Auger each knocked out 15 laps. Ernesto came across the finish line in 5th place, while Eric finished close behind in 7th. Full results for the 24 Hours of Moab can be found here
Big congrats to all our racers!
English Returns to Defend Title at 24-hour Worlds
10.07.2010
CyclingNews.com is currently running an article about the event:
"For the first time since its inception in 1999, the 24 Hours of Adrenalin Solo World Championships will happen outside of North America. It's set for this weekend, October 9-10 in Australia. 411 solo athletes and 15 countries will be represented while another 2,300 racers will participate in the 24-hour racing this weekend as part of teams."
"In the men's contest, British national champion Matt Page, Canadian national champion Cory Wallace and Australian national champion Jason English are the favorite riders to watch along with Thomas Widhalm, the winner of Europe's largest 24-hour event."
Read the whole article over at CyclingNews.com by clicking here.
MTBR.com Awards and Virtual Tradeshow Booth
10.01.2010
We here at Pivot Cycles are stoked to let the world know our award-winning bikes are garnering yet more awards. Two of our bikes recently received "Best of MTBR" awards from MTBR.com.
Voted on by the riders that make up the large community over at MTBR.com, these awards are truly representative of what everyday mountain bike enthusiasts see as the best products. These are the people out there riding the bikes without any industry-insider influence, and their votes speak loudly.
The Mach 429 won in the category for best "29er Bike." We're very excited about this bike. It can go from the racecourse to the trail, and give up nothing in between. We're amazed by the number of people being converted to full-suspension 29ers just so they can own a Mach 429.
In addition to being piloted by the 24-hour World Champion, Jason English, our best-selling Mach 4 was awarded best of category for "Full Suspension - XC" The Mach 4 has been updated for this year. In addition to a bunch of updates, the highlight is that we made it a 5/ 8ths of a pound lighter, yet stiffer for an even more efficient riding experience.
Speaking of industry insider influence. Interbike is the annual bicycle industry circus where all the new bikes, products and ideas are out on shiny happy display. It's an industry-only event, which means the only way a consumer can get in is if he or she hassles their local bike shop long enough for the owner to throw down an entrance badge which happens more often than you might think.
Fortunately MTBR.com offers non-insiders and the humble types a good view of the new loot thanks to the Virtual Tradeshow Booths. You can find the Pivot Cycles booth here http://reviews.mtbr.com/interbike/pivot-cycles-interbike-2010-virtual- tradeshow-booth/ Every bike in our line is shown with great photography, and there's also a good video of Chris Cocalis (Pivot Cycles owner/president) explaining each bike.
Head on over to get some good info and details on all our bikes!
Kyle Strait to Sign Posters at Interbike
09.16.2010
Team LEX/Pivot rider Kyle Strait will be signing posters at the Pivot Cycles & BH Bikes booth (#1961) at the Interbike tradeshow in Las Vegas on Wednesday (Sept 22nd) from 4:00pm to 5:00pm; and again on Thursday (Sept 23rd) from 11:00am to 12:00pm.
Interbike attendees are invited to come by the Pivot booth for a free poster of Kyle (seen below), a chat with him and maybe even a photo opportunity. While there, visitors will be able to check out Kyle's personal Pivot Cycles Phoenix DH bike, on which he's competed in several World Cup events this year.
The Kyle Strait Pivot Cycles Phoenix DH poster will be free at the signing, and will also be available for sale on the web site within a few weeks.
Upgrade Bikes Brings Pivot Cycles to United Kingdom
08.09.2010
Pivot Cycles has chosen Upgrade Bikes as its exclusive UK Distributor. With Pivot Bikes having already received excellent reviews from several UK magazines, this new relationship will allow UK bike shops and riders access to the brand. Upgrade will be able to supply the whole Pivot Cycles range, and offer the same exceptional product and customer support it provides for the rest of the Upgrade Bikes range of brands.
Pivot Cycles was founded by legendary bike designer Chris Cocalis in 2007. Cocalis is known in cycling circles for having set-up and fronted Titus cycles for some 17 years prior to the creation of Pivot. In the short period of time they have been around, Pivot has already become well-established amongst Enduro, XC and now Downhill disciplines in many countries around the world. All Pivot bikes and frames utilise the multi-world championship winning dw-Link patented suspension design. Pivot Cycles is based in Tempe, Arizona where they test and develop all their frames.
Part of Pivot's commitment to developing the best mountain bikes available is their team testing programme, including the Lex-Pivot World Cup DH Team which boasts Kyle Strait amongst their team roster. Pivot also sponsors several top endurance mountain bikers such as 24-hour world champion Jason English.
"We're all true mountain bikers at Upgrade and we're so impressed with Pivot's ethos and quality. Were very pleased that we now get to use that passion and make them available in the UK," says Tom Varkarla, Pivot UK Brand Specialist
Chris Cocalis, president of Pivot Cycles states, "We are extremely happy to be working with Upgrade as our exclusive UK distributor for Pivot. We feel they share our same passion for the sport and dedication to excellent customer service and support. We receive a lot of e-mails from the UK and are excited we now have the right partner to supply our products and grow Pivot in the UK."
True to their word, Pivot is always improving its class-leading frames. As such, Pivot has made several improvements to its 2011 range details of the new range will be available shortly. Follow @PivotUK on Twitter for the latest Pivot Cycles product, rider, demo and event news. Also, watch out for the Pivot Cycles tents coming to race and demo events near you during 2011.
For more information on Pivot Cycles and Upgrade Bikes visit www.pivotcycles.com , www.upgradebikes.co.uk or email pivot@upgradebikes.co.uk .
Delfs Attacks Val Di Sole World Cup Downhill
08.05.2010
The Pivot Lex racing team went into the Val Di Sole World Cup this past week down to one rider. Team member Mitch Delfs (AUS) was the sole representative, as both of his teammates are out with injuries; Kyle Strait with a broken hand suffered in Champery, and Will Rischbeith with a back injury he received at the beginning of the season.
Hoping to follow on last week's success, Delfs was charging hard down the steep Italian track all week. It features only a few changes since the 2008 World Championships, the largest of which was the weather: sunny and hot all week. The dirt was deep and loose, and riders were keeping speeds upwards of 40km/h.
Delfs stopped the clock in 23rd place, after a sketchy but clean run that started to worry him near the end. "Safely down the hill on such a gnarly track, good to just get down really. Practice was scary, so I'm pretty happy." The Australian was happy with his placing, and couldn't help but give credit where credit was due. "I credit my moustache. It's coming back again, living the dream!"
Mitch will now head to Bromont, Canada to train before the next World Cup stop in Windham, NY and the World Championships in Mont Ste Anne Canada. Kyle Will head to Crankworx Whistler with a special cast for his hand hopefully to keep his title of Dual Slalom champion. -- Mathieu Dupelle Team Lex/Pivot
Pivot Cycles Unveils Mach 5.7 and Totally Redesigned Mach 4
07.29.2010
Mach 5.7
Pivot Cycles has enjoyed wild success with the original Mach 5—a mountain bike with the perfect combination of incredible pedaling efficiency and frame stiffness with a controlled feel throughout the stroke and enough travel to keep people grinning from ear to ear in even some of the most technical terrain.
With the introduction of the Pivot Mach 5.7…the best pedaling trail bike on the market…just got better. For starters, we lowered the bottom bracket height on the 5.7 almost a half inch, relaxed the head angle and made changes to the overall suspension rates to allow the rider to sit more into the bike. Also, as the Mach 5.7 name suggests, we increased travel by 12mm (almost a half inch) over the Mach 5, which allows the bike to get into the middle of the travel much more easily on steeper descents, which makes for more stable handling and better high speed bump absorption. Finally, as all Pivot bikes are known for, the new Mach 5.7 maintains the best pedaling performance in the trail bike category with the versatility to handle everything from endurance XC racing to the roughest super D events and everything in between.
Click here for more information on the Mach 5.7
Mach 4
The Mach 4 is a light-weight cross country and marathon race bike with the performance and versatility that everyone from the world cup rider to the average racer can appreciate. It's been a very successful bike for Pivot Cycles, and with the 2nd generation Mach 4, it's a whole new ball game!
For starters, we removed weight from the top tube, shock tabs, bottom bracket forging, lower yoke area, drop outs, brake bridge, upper yokes, lower link—dropping the weight of the bike more than 5/8ths lb! We've also moved to a tapered headtube and dropped the stand-over heights to make for a more compact frame with a lower center of gravity and an overall increase in frame stiffness.
We also revised the direct mount front derailleur to accommodate upcoming XTR. It's also fully compatible with SRAM (S3) front derailleurs, and the direct mount design ensures perfect front derailleur location, easier set up and a more rigid mount for the most efficient front shifting possible.
The Mach 4 features a dw-link suspension design with position sensitive anti-squat giving the rider 100mm of rear travel that's fully active under braking. A new shorter shock length with a higher leverage ratio and increased shock pressures allows for a more usable range of tuning and adjustments, especially for lighter riders.
Click here for more information on the Mach 4.
Crashing, Broken Hands and 14th Place in Champery, Switzerland
07.27.2010
Team LEX / Pivot cycles turned the torrential rain and pedal deep mud to their advantage this past weekend in Champery, Switzerland for the 4th round of the World Cup series. Team rider Mitch Delfs (AUS) finished 14th, just 15.91 seconds back in a run that included a crash. Teammate Kyle Strait (USA) was 67th, after taking a trip over the bars and getting caught up in the tape and course netting.
The track in Champery is one of the steepest on the world cup, dropping 560m over 1.5km. Only the strong would survive to make the podium on a track littered with large jumps and incredibly steep, technical corners. Finals were a bit more calculated than the qualifying round, held in torrential rains. That had turned into a battle just to stay up, with all but the top 5 qualifiers going down at least once in their runs.
Delfs was happy about his run under what could only be called terrible conditions, even for a World Cup in Europe. "I went over the bars in the steep bit. I hung onto the grips to keep them clean and keep riding. I mosey'd on down into another bit and caught my bars in the net and then just tried to kill the rest. The one thing going through my head as I went over the bars was I absolutely have to keep my grips clean. I made a few mistakes after but made my way down to boost the jumps at the end, it was sweet, my bike worked great and suspension and tyre really worked well despite the conditions!"
Strait ended up with an injured hand after smashing it into a rock ledge on the side of the course. "I had a few wild times like everyone else. My hands hurts! I was pretty charged at the top. It's a hard track, it happens. If you stay up you do well. Hopefully next week goes better." But Coming back from the doctor today, we got the final diagnostic that a small bone is broken in his left hand, The doctors says it will take 3 to 5 weeks of recovery. Unfortunately he will miss the next round in Italie and hope to recover in time for Crankworx.
The team now travels to Val Di Sole, Italy for the last European World Cup this weekend on another extremely technical track, which bodes well for the Lex/Pivot racing team. -- Mathieu Dupelle Team Lex/Pivot
Kyle Strait Finishes 4th at US National Championships
07.20.2010
Kyle Strait found the podium, finishing 4th place at the USA Cycling MTB National Championships at Solvista Bike Park in Colorado.
Here are a few video clips from the weekend.
http://www.vitalmtb.com/videos/features/Top-to-Bottom-at-the-US-National-Champs,3175/bturman,109
http://www.vitalmtb.com/videos/features/2010-US-National-Championship-DH-Finals,3157/sspomer,2
http://www.vitalmtb.com/videos/features/2010-US-National-Champs-Day-1-DH,3119/sspomer,2
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