Freerider Mountain Bike Magazine #16 by Freerider Mountain Bike Magazine

freerider mountain bike magazine

ISSUE 16 / JULY . AUGUST 2013 / FREE DOWNLOAD www.freeridermag.in

COVER | PHOTO: Vineet Sharma | RIDER: Andi Wittmann | LOCATION: Leh, INDIA

PHOTO: Vineet Sharma | RIDER: Andi Wittmann & Guido Tschugg | LOCATION: Leh, INDIA

Monsoons are not getting over and so is the list of famous riders visiting our country to ride! Here is our 16th issue with sick looking cover featuring Andi Wittmann in the Indian Himalayas, who was here recently with Guido Tschugg. We had a thrilling road trip with these famous European mountain bikers and the crew members. Complete action will be released August onwards and in our next issue. Famous BMX rider Yohie Uchino also visited the other side of the country and rode with some of the best BMX flatland riders from India. In our 16th issue, you will travel with the Bobby Root to Southern California. Bobby is one of the most enigmatic figures on the freeride scene and also holds World record for speed wheelies on the front wheel and back wheel. Our crew member and crash test dummy ‘Naveen Barongpa’ shows you the famous riding spot in the Himalayan town ‘Manali’ during the monsoons followed by some more action from the twenty inch industry. We are really happy to see how the riders and champions are rising from India and Nepal and we hope this will carry on forever. Enjoy reading our 16th issue.

Vineet Sharma

Founder | Editor-in-Chief Freerider Mountain Bike Magazine vineet@freeridermag.in

The Team: Editor in Chief: Vineet Sharma vineet@freeridermag.in Deputy Editor: Vinay Menon vinay@freeridermag.in

Contributing Editors and Photographers

BMX Agent: Dipak Panchal dipak@freeridermag.in

Fabio Schäfer, Ajay Padval, RedBull Media House,

Himalayan Trails Minister: Naveen Barongpa

Mandil Pradhan, Vojta Válek

Freerider Mountain Bike Magazine #410, Sector: 10 Panchkula (Haryana). 134109 - INDIA. ........................................................ This magazine is intended for free distribution and is only available through our web portal. E-mail us for more details. www.freeridermag.in ........................................................ Feel free to write or contribute. E-mail at: vineet@freeridermag.in | vinay@freeridermag.in

Words & Photography: Fabio Sch채fer | Gravity Mountainbike Magazine

CALIFORNIA DREAMING visiting Bobby Root on his home trails in the Golden State

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The Lyrics of the world famous song “California Dreaming” by the Mamas and the Papas could well describe Booby Roots mindset while he is spending time in Germany every summer riding for German manufacturer Rose Bikes. A typical German summer is very similar to the standard California winter: stormy grey skies and plenty of rain. We decided to check out the California winter for ourselves in Bobby’s off-season home in Southern California.

I jump of my bike and sprint towards the landing of the Trick Step Up. Bobby is not responding to my shouts. When I reach him he is clearly in pain and covered head to toe in dust. He is holding his ribs and grimacing under his full-face helmet. “I am okay.” he gasps and starts brushing the dust of his jersey. What just happened? After telling me nonstop about the awesome riding conditions and great weather in his home in California, he invited me over to check it out for myself. He lives about 90 minutes east of Los Angeles in Pinyon Pines. His house is about 15 minutes into the mountains outside Palm Desert and only accessible via the “Pines to Palms” Highway. It is one of the most dangerous highways in the United States, with numerous fatalities each year. This fact doesn’t keep Mr. Root from drifting through all the narrow turns with s creeching rubber on his way home. His full-on driving causes quite a bit of tear on the tires of his pickup, but he is somehow still surprised why they keep wearing down so fast…

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A large tract of land surrounds his house with lots of potential for outdoor activities. It is so remote that he barely knows his neighbors. He doesn’t really want to either, since most of them fall into the “Hillbilly” category. On the plus side, it is very quiet and a considerably cooler compared to the city. Bobby bought the place five years ago and moved in with his family and his dogs, which roam free on the property and occasionally start fights with the neighbor’s dogs. Most of the time, they just hang out and enjoy playing with Bobby’s two kids, Valeria and Noah. His wife Sara is originally from Mexico, which means there is always great Mexican food to be had at Casa Root. They have been happily married for twelve years.

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With a heavy heart, Bobby leaves behind his family for about four months each year to fulfill his duties as a sponsored Rider. During the season, he travels to various photo shoots and events all over Europe and also holds riding clinics in Germany. Bobby is mostly known for his world record wheelie stunts and his appearances in the â&#x20AC;&#x153;New World Disorderâ&#x20AC;? bike movies. I didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t realize until my trip that besides wheelie antics and freeriding he also has an untapped passion for dirt jumping.

Our first order of business after my arrival was a stop at the hardware store to buy some wood for a nice 12 ft radius ramp. After a few hours of work we finished up our project and Bobby was itching to try it out right away. We got going on a proper landing and after a couple more hours, it was go time! After quickly putting on some kneepads and skinny dirt jump jeans, Bobby guinea-pigged the jump and without warning-or previous experience on such jumps, he attempted a 360! Regular newcomers to dirt jumping would probably start out with a lot of straight airs and maybe a simple trick like a one hander, but apparently, Bobby’s approach to new challenges is a little different. Which brings us back to the beginning of our story… “I gotta try again!” Bobby proclaims after he picked up his Rose Slope style Bike. After crashing a couple more times, he nails the trick. Lots of hugging and high-fiving ensues, because that was his first 360 on a real dirt jump. Unbelievable! It wouldn’t be the last new trick Bobby would stomp during my trip.

The landscape in the southern California desert changes every few miles and there are countless single trails, which he rides regularly on his enduro bike. He spends even more time on the â&#x20AC;&#x153;Project Xâ&#x20AC;? downhill track, which is about 20 minutes away. The track is about 9 miles long and has some of the most diverse and challenging terrain I have seen. Some sections are definitely comparable to world cup dh tracks, so it is no surprise that Aaron Gwin and other local racers are riding there on a regular basis.

To ride this track fast, you need both endurance and mental toughness. Bobby knows the different lines and jumps like the back of his hand, he pins it all the way. Even the last part, which cuts through a super narrow canyon and has no margin for error, is a full speed affair for him. He hits every jump perfectly and even nails the 40ft doubles despite howling winds. While I try to remember his pointers on how to properly adjust for the side winds in the air, I keep wondering why he never gave serious racing a try. He certainly seems to have the skills for it.

Like most Americans inhabiting the desert, Bobby owns a big pick up with a trailer. This will be helpful for out next adventure, as we are going camping. We load up the truck with supplies and the big wooden ramp from our dirt session a few days earlier. We even manage to squeeze in his family plus his buddy Todd who tags along for the trip. Our destination is Ocotillo Wells, which is a big desert recreation area where Bobby and Todd usually go to ride motocross.

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When I say camping, I have to add that Bobby defines the word a little more “American” than I am used to. He doesn’t care much for the basic tent and sleeping bag affair, so we are stopping by a hardware store yet again to get a big generator for our trip. How else could we keep the Xbox and Beamer running for most of the night? That way we can always hunt down virtual zombies with our game controllers in case it gets boring at night. After our arrival in the stunning moonscape scenery of Ocotillo Wells, we decide to use the last daylight to find a suitable spot to put up our wooden ramp. Our virtual Zombie hunting session will have to wait a little. Finding a good spot turns out to be harder than I thought. After what feels like an eternity, I find the perfect spot with a big landing and a suitable run in. Somehow I forget to mention to Todd and Bobby that we will have to do a little bit of digging so the ramp will fit the landing. We find out soon that the seemingly soft ground turns into solid rock pretty quickly, so when we finally crawl into our sleeping bags with blisters all over our hands, it is well past midnight.

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The next day begins around 5.30 am. Bobby is already up and singing at the top of his voice. After a short breakfast and a longer struggle putting in my contacts with dusty fingers, we head out to the jump. It turns out to be perfect and we both session it for most of the morning. Bobby busts out his newly learned 360. After a few crashes he sticks it on this jump as well. Ocotillo Wells a popular destination for all kinds of outdoor enthusiasts, so several motocrossers and ATV riders stop by to watch us jump. After I get a few good pictures it gets windy. Really windy. Sandstorm-like windy.

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We head back to Ocotillo Wells for one more day of shooting, but then it is time to say goodbye. Bobby will head to Germany a few days before me, right into the rainiest spring in recent memory and a long way from his hot and sometimes windy winter home. When I arrive in Frankfurt, the lyrics “California dreamin’, on such a winters day” keep ringing in my head.

Our little camp is about to blow away, so we hastily pack up and throw everything in the trailer. When we head out, the ground underneath the car suddenly starts sliding. The truck is leaning sideways and about to turn over. It even makes those creaking movie noises that are associated with imminent disaster. The family carefully exits the car. I try to keep Bobby from slipping out the window. We all manage to exit safely and luckily, the truck stays in place. A short time later, two nice gentlemen stop by in their tricked out Jeeps and help us pull the truck back on the road. That was a close one! It stays stormy the next few days so jumping our bikes is out of the questions. With lots of time on our hands we decide to get going on a dirt line in Bobby’s backyard. Our goggles shield us from the howling winds while we scope out the terrain and decided on where to put the jumps. There is dense brush everywhere, but the ground underneath is nice and soft. We head back to the hardware story while Sara goes to the neighbor to borrow his little digger. It turns out one of his neighbors is a nice guy after all. The forecast calls for more stormy weather for the next few days so we get to work. After four days the storm tapers off and our little project is nearing completion. Instead of the dense brush, we are now looking at a complete dirt line and even a wooden start ramp. It is finally time to ride again and we start our well-earned dirt session. Once again, Bobby shows his talent. Despite never seriously hitting dirt jumps before my trip, he stomps tuck no handers, superman seat grabs and Tabletop one footers. Not bad at all.

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Words: Vineet Sharma| Photography: Vinay Menon

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MANALI. This Himalayan town has been on the hit list of mountain bikers in this country. This place has some ancient epics attached to it. We have been riding in and around this town for a long time and every time we end up riding a new trail. Our crew member, Local riding hero â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Naveen Barongpaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; tired after a long road trip decided to relax on the Van Vihar trail aka Nature Park located between Old Manali and the main town. After having Aloo Tikkis and Chat at the famous Delhi Chat Bhandar located near the mall road we start our 15 min hike towards Van Vihar.

â&#x20AC;&#x153;We are very lucky to have this kind of place connected to the town with so many trailsâ&#x20AC;? says Naveen gearing up for the ride while the rain starts and the fresh Pine and Deodar forest fragrance surrounds us. Naveen has been riding here for a while and rates Nature Park as one of his top three trails in Manali. The trails here are mixture of cement path and natural walking trails mixed with roots, stairs, small drops and much more.

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The ride starts with the local hero losing control on a tight turn which was enough for a warm up. That’s where Naveen says his favourite dialogue “Bas! Ab aa gya confidence!” (Now I’m full of confidence!). Soon Naveen was seen dropping in and drifting around on the wet soil on Nature Park. The smile on his face was like never fading during the entire session.

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The trails of Nature Park are pretty similar to the trails located in BC. Although there are no ladder bridges or obstacles but the local chaps with our magazines help are in talking terms with the local authorities to consider Nature Park for mountain biking purpose too. Things look positive so far and we hope for the best to come in near future. However, one can still ride there without worrying about the park care taker chasing you. The day was well spent shooting stills and GoPro videos with our crew (Me, Vinay, Naveen and Cephas). By evening we all were pretty drenched and were excited to check out the videos and photos at Naveen room which also serves as a pit stop for local riders. Check out the video â&#x20AC;&#x153;Desi Shoreâ&#x20AC;? on our official Facebook page for more action: https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=10152970239085352&set=vb.203210223032164 &type=3

Words: Dipak Panchal | Photography: RedBull Media House | Vinay Menon

I and Vinay Menon were always throwing ideas around to have a fun ride and film session with the Mumbai and pune clan together, nothing was concrete until we got to know that one of the biggest and most influential flatland rider from Japan was to hold a flatland workshop in pune for three days, yeahh!!!! Yohie Uchino “ucchie” travelled to India immediately after voodoo jam that took place in New Orleans Louisiana, where he took third place on the podium with fellow Japanese riders. Redbull had finally given a little hope to the Indian BMX community to move one step ahead to progression by organizing “Redbull street maharaja” where 11 Indian riders from different states were handpicked by ucchie himself via an online selection, who won a chance to go to pune and learn flatland from the master himself. After the despondency of not being in that list to meet n ride with ucchie we were still in high spirits to go see him ride and execute the initial idea of riding with the Punekars.

Ten of us were all set with our bikes and bags packed we got on a train to pune, and as my old friend Akshat had told me once “BMX,BMX’ers and trains” do not get along so well. We were flabbergasted with the crowd that just kept boarding the general compartment station after station, and it soon turned into a mosh-pit of bikers stuck in-between the daily commuters. We reached pune at around 10pm and got a hitch to Cephas’s house where we had special accommodations for the Mumbai clan.

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Day one was an early start with all the excitement to go and meet ucchie and ride with him, but all of it was shattered when we got to know that spectators were not allowed until the last day as it was a workshop only for the lucky few those were selected, what a bummer . we tried calling all the possible contacts that we could to just get in the facility and see him but no luck, it was like all the things we had imagined about this event were crashing down one after another, disappointed with the scenario we were riding around the neighborhood looking for spots to ride. With absolutely no luck in finding a dry rideable spot for flatland, we got a call from Vinay saying that his friend Hrishi has a great spot to ride a few kilometers away from where we were. So we headed to Hirshi’s place and we entered in this creepy restricted compound with a broken gate (was getting me spooked), and a lil walk ahead we were in front of this huge remains of an old factory, he took us on the roof where there was this tarred flat spot and the arched rooftop of the building surrounded by mountains covered with green. Hasu and Rajas easily got the hang of the not so even surface and turned the arched roof into a spot. All of us rode there until it started drizzling and we were escorted on a floor below, thankfully it was clean mopped for us by the kids from Hrishi’s colony. Everyone around the colony got to know we were filming and within a few minutes there was a crowd that was watching us in excitement. We finished the session as it was getting dark, and Vinay had got enough of footage of the day, we called it a day and headed back home. Day two we were going to ride with Piyush and Vinay at Dighi post lunch. It had stopped raining and the sun was out, we had seen a bus-stop that had a flat section in one corner and decided to go ride there. There were a few kids there and we did a small demo for the kids, and let them ride our bikes. We finished our session and called up Yusuf and Zubair who were selected for the workshop, they told us it was an intense training workshop, where ucchie had been training them from the very basics to expert level tricks, how to ride in and ride out of tricks and things that we generally don’t take in account. After hearing all this we were literally in pain, of not being able to see and be with one of our idols who was so close but still so far. Later we were picked up by Ajay and we headed to Dighi hills. We got to this big pit that looked like a crater to me, they told us the crater was formed by an army tank during a target practice drill. That was the spot for the big bikers Piyush showed up with his bike and was ready to shred while Vinay was pulling out some sweet suicide no hander’s , Piyush showed us some of his really neat tabletops and 360s jumping out of the pit. On the 20 inch bikes Hasu blasted a huge 360 in his very first attempt and nailed it, Satish was trying to get friendly with the takeoff and Papias was going higher than high like he was on fire power. Another day came to an end with some good riding hours spent with the pune mountain bikers.

And finally the day had come when we get to meet one of the biggest flatland riders in the world, see him ride and ride along with him it seemed like a dream come true for all of us flatlanders, we wouldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have asked for anything more than this. We left for the venue as it was quiet a distance away and everyone was getting eager as the time was going by.

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Finally we reached Sinhgad College of Engineering Vadgaon Pune, we were later for the event and we missed the final battle. The moment we entered we screamed our lungs out, ucchie ucchie ucchie was all you could hear. He came up to us and did some of his new bike flip tricks and we were blown away. Ucchie was the most chilled out pro rider that I ever met, and he knew how to keep his fans happy. We rode with him for a while and he did all the tricks that we asked him to do, without hesitation. He was so much pumped that he just kept going on, all of us were really amazed at the speeds and intensity he was spinning at.

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This was one of the best BMX events that have ever happened in India,

and we were glad to be there and see him live. We had a lil photo and signing session before ucchie left. Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m sure this is going to lead the flatland scene only towards progression. All was done and we headed back to Mumbai. Thanks to the very down to earth pune boys who helped us throughout the trip.

These were the riders that were selected for the workshop. Shahbaaz Khan, Mumbai. WINNER. Miller Biakrempuia Renthlei, Mizoram. Zubair Patel, Mumbai. RUNNERUP. Harmanjot Singh, Chandigarh. Yusuf Shaikh, Mumbai. Vipul Jain, Delhi. Gupta Mayanglambam, Manipur. Annul, Mumbai. Dame Wanki, Meghalaya. Akash Bhawal, Meghalaya. Justin Jackson Meghalaya.

This month we have yet another BMX rider from Mumbai whose riding is raising the bars of the sport in India, he is on a rampage to reach and beat his personal goals, I have been riding with him for a while now and this kid is full of energy and all positive vibes going on around him. He has shown me a new trick nearly every weekend, and with a smile on his face saying there’s more to come. I was really impressed with his commitment to flatland and the way he has been riding and taking things a step ahead. Yusuf Shaikh doing magic on flatland.

Name: Mohammad Yusuf Shaikh Age: 19. Hometown: Mumbai. Riding style: BMX Flatland. Riding since: 2005 – present.

FR MTB MAG: Hello Yusuf, what got you into BMX? YUSUF: Hello. I was always excited to watch BMX stunts on TV shows and XGames, but never knew exactly what it was. I had a bike that looked something like a BMX and I used to try some tricks that I cannot name lol. I used to ride alone and I was just happy that I’m riding a bike like the guys I see on TV, until I met this other guy who was my age and he was like me literally, but he could do so much more on a bmx that I could have only imagined then. I got good friends with him and he opened the doors to BMX for me and showed me so many tricks shared so much of knowledge, we rode together and we still do. His name is Hasu and this was about 5 years ago. FR MTB MAG: We saw you at a few shows and you have some killer moves up your sleeve, how difficult or easy is it to learn tricks? YUSUF: I ride flatland and it’s been 4 years now. It’s difficult to learn flatland tricks, and it’s all about how good you can balance, like balance at the tip of your toes. I ride for about 4 hours every day, of which I spend an hour on sharpening my already completed tricks and the later learning new tricks and variations. Flatland demands a lot of time, sometimes I learn a new trick in a few hours, and sometimes it takes me forever even to ride in a trick. It’s frustrating at times, but the feeling I get when I land a trick that took a long time is out of this world, the greatest sense of achievement. If I can’t complete a particular trick I come back to it another day, it takes time to get that balance point right.

interview and Photography: Dipak Panchal

FR MTB MAG: Are your parents cool with what you do on a bicycle? YUSUF: Initially they were not cool at all, they were worried id get injured and break my bones blah blah (all parents do that) I had to convince them all the time to let me ride. I did a few shows and events and it was then they got to know that this is a sport and not some kind of hooliganism that I do, I told them its also an exercise which has given me a very different physique. They are very happy with what I do and support me more than ever. FR MTB MAG: How do you learn tricks? YUSUF: I spend a lot of time watching videos of my favorite riders over and over again. I meet my friends on Sundays and ride together, they help me perfect myself guide me and motivate me.

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FR MTB MAG: Do you look up to any riders that you follow? YUSUF: Yes its Rajas Naik, Ronylee and Zuber Patel that I look up to, and I follow Matthias Dandois, he’s a flatland rider from France, I watch a lot of his videos. I want to be like him, I want to ride like him. FR MTB MAG: What’s your favorite trick? YUSUF: Cliffhangers, it’s a trick where the bike rolls forward on the front wheel with both your feet on the front pegs and your butt between the saddle and the rear wheel and your hands in the air. Generally people take a lot of time to learn it but I learnt it very easily, it’s my favorite trick. FR MTB MAG: Tell us about your bike? And why doesn’t it have cranks. YUSUF: I ride an Eastern Shock frame with mostly Odyssey parts on it, being crankless is because I don’t have a freecoaster rear hub (a different hub needed for flatland to keep the cranks from spinning) i ran jus the cranks without the chain for a while, with the BB super tight it just made it heavy so I took them off again. It’s not really “THE” bike but it works cause that’s what was easily available in India and a learnt all my tricks on this bike. FR MTB MAG: You were one of the contenders for “redbull street maharaja” workshop, which was judged by Ucchie. Has the workshop affected you riding in any way? YUSUF: Yes my riding has improved a lot after the workshop Ucchie is the coolest guy ever. He gave us so many tips and tricks to improve our balance and bike control, I was privileged to be there riding under his guidance. I learnt a lot of small things that matter so much that I had never focused on like the way I place my foot on the pegs and how close inside I hold my bars or the kind of exercise and stretching we have to do pre and post the practice sessions. Ucchie was teaching us while actually riding it was like how a teacher teaches a kid to write holding his hands. The ucchie workshop has shown me flatland in a different dimension, I have definitely come back home as a much more changed and knowleged rider. FR MTB MAG: How many girlfriends did you manage to get till now with those sweet moves of yours? YUSUF: HEHEHE!!! I had one girlfriend whom I loved a lot, but I couldn’t give her time at all because of my studies and my practice hours so she gave a me an option its either her or my bmx, obviously I chose my bmx (hahahahahah) and now I have so many girlfriends because of bmx. I like riding in front for girls showing off my skills, who doesn’t!

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FR MTB MAG: HAHAHA that’s neat, so what do you plan for the future. YUSUF: I want to improve my personal level so I can represent India and my team Sharptune on international platforms, I want the world to know that there is a flatland culture in India aswell and its progressing. FR MTB MAG: last words? YUSUF: Thanks to Hasu for getting me into BMX, thanks to my family and my friends.

“Flatland is not dead”

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2014 ROCKY MOUNTAIN Altitude 770 MSL Rally Edition Rocky Mountain bikes, better known for their freeride bikes are excited to launch their all mountain/enduro bike, Altitude 770 MSL Rally Edition. Altitude Rally Edition bikes are ready for any Enduro start-gate. Featuring premium race-tuned suspension, DH width bars, 1x10 drivetrain, and burlier wheels, Rally Edition bikes are ready to put power down between the tape and smash berm after berm. The race ready 770 MSL Rally Edition is tagged at $5599 and features a carbon monocoque front triangle assisted with hydroformed rear triangle, tapered head tube, internal cable routing, adjustable geometry and suspension rate. The 770 MSL Rally Edition is also available in wallet friendly aluminium frame version priced at $3299. More specs at: www.bikes.com

COMP

Knee-Shin Armor

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Review and Photography: Vinay Menon Rider: Ajay Padval

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AM-41 SHOES Shimano, better known for their quality components also got serious about developing topnotch flat pedal shoes for gravity lovers which resulted in the AM41 flat pedal shoes. These shoes feature a high inner ankle with padding which is helpful during those heavy landings and also protect your ankle from that evil crank. The AM 41 shoe also features a Vibram sole with fiberglass reinforced polyamide midsole plate. However the Vibram sole is not as sticky as the Five Ten Stealth sole which we are testing at the same time. We really liked the Velcro-shoe lace flap which also helps to keep the dirt out. Overall the shoes are pretty comfortable and can be worn all day and perform on trial rides at the same time.

Review: Vineet Sharma Photography: Vinay Menon Rider: Naveen Barongpa

By: RedBull Media House

June saw the release of the much anticipated ‘MacAskill’s Imaginate’ riding film from Danny MacAskill. A step away from anything before released by the world-renowned trials rider and his most ambitious project to date, the film sees next level riding coupled with a visually stunning backdrop. A project that has been two years in the making, sees Danny explore the depths of his mind, conjuring up incredible tricks and lines inspired by his childhood. Following on from four episodes of the ‘MacAskill’s Imaginate’ web series, the world has been waiting to see what was produced behind the doors of Kelvin Hall in Glasgow, a venue shrouded in secrecy until now.

MacAskill, who rose to prominence following the release of his ‘Inspired Bicycles’ riding film, has now had more than 65 million views of his three most recent edits. Of the new project Danny says, “I have had such a free-range to build the set ups that have allowed me to do the tricks that have just been in my dreams until now.” To see the ‘MacAskill’s Imaginate’ riding clip head to - www.redbull.com/imaginate

MANDIL AT

MEGAVALANCHE Mandil Pradhan is the first Nepali rider to compete in the Megavalanche race in France. It is perhaps the most famous mountain bike races in the world, a mass start down hill race, over 25 km long with nearly 3,000 m of vertical descent. Starting at 3300m on a high alpine glacier in the French resort of Alpe D’Huez, waves of 400 riders battle it out, shoulder to shoulder, over snow, technical single-track and an arm burning descent.

“Battling it out with 399 other riders, shoulder to shoulder, over an Alpine glacier, technical single-track and an arm burning descent, the Megavalanche was my ultimate test of skills, endurance, and speed. Alp d’Huez” Says Mandil, who has made Nepal proud with his participation in the Megavalanche.

One week after the Atherton siblings from GT Factory Racing won the opening round of the Downhill UCI World Cup presented by Shimano in Fort William, Scotland, the duo repeated in Val di Sole, Italy. Val di Sole is a very different track from Fort William. Where the first round was long and favoured physical fitness and pedaling ability, Val di Sole is steep and technical, full of roots and rocks that can catch a rider unawares, and require split second decisions. Rachel Atherton won the qualifier decisively and, barring a mechanical or crash, looked to be hard to beat. However, Val di Sole is a track where either can happen in an instant, so her victory was not a forgone conclusion. Canada’s Micayla Gatto set the first sub 4:10 time, which lasted until Myriam Nicole (Commencal / Riding Addiction) broke the four minute mark. Nicole’s time stood up until five riders remained, when her countrywoman Floriane Pugin (Gstaad-Scott) knocked another three seconds off the leading time. World champion Morgane Charre (MS Mondraker) slotted in just behind Pugin, and then Emmeline Ragot (Lapierre Gravity Republic) went below 3:50 to take the lead. However, Atherton was already on course, and her first split showed that the British rider was on a stellar run, beating Ragot by over five seconds at the finish line. “My Life! This track is ridiculous,” exclaimed Rachel Atherton. “I am so glad it is over. I think all the girls have been worrying about this race. I was coming into it very nervous. I am glad it is out of the way. I can’t believe I got the win. You need everything you’ve got up there to get down in one piece. To get down with a good run and beat these girls is awesome. I saw them this morning on practice and I thought: ‘Oh dear, they are going fast’.” Rachel Atherton now leads the women’s standings with a perfect 500 points, with Ragot at a distant 380, and Manon Carpenter (Madison Saracen) at 300.

The men’s race was considerably closer than the women’s. Josh Bryceland (Santa Cruz Syndicate) set the first sub 3:20 time, with 21 riders remaining. His time in the Hot Seat was brief, with Troy Brosnan (Specialized Racing DH) knocking over a second off three riders later. Brosnan spent a long time on the Hot Seat, as rider after rider failed to come close to his time of 3:16.306 . It wasn’t until eight riders to go that Loic Bruni (Lapierre Gravity Republic) set a new best time, however, he barely had time to try out the Hot Seat because world champion Greg Minnaar (Santa Cruz Syndicate) came through next over a second faster, with six riders remaining. Former world champions Sam Hill (Chain Reaction Cycles. com/Nukeproof) and Danny Hart (Giant Factory) both crashed and Brook MacDonald (Trek World Racing) was off the pace. Finally, with three riders remaining, Steve Smith (Devinci Global Racing) knocked a quarter of a second off the top time. The defending World Cup champion, Aaron Gwin (Specialized Racing DH) came down second to last, but was three seconds off the pace, so only Gee Atherton was left - the fastest qualifier and winner of round one. Atherton was a third of a second faster than Smith at the first split, half a second at the second split, and a full second ahead at the finish, to record his second straight win. “I am absolutely over the moon,” said Gee. “Everyone was flying this weekend and then I saw my sister take first place in the women’s before I left, so the pressure was on. Getting one more with Rach is an amazing feeling; two weekends in a row. Unbelievable. It was incredibly hard. Everyone is flying at the moment, on top of their game This weekend is the second World Cup I have raced the new bike and it is incredible to be fair. The track was so rough, so beat up and that bike made my job so much easier.” Gee Atherton leads the men’s standings with 490 points, followed by Smith at 352 and MacDonald with 262. In the new Junior men’s category, Dean Lucas (Australian National) won, and takes the overall lead in the World Cup standings. Phil Atwill (Madison Saracen) finished second and sits third in the standings, behind round one winner Noel Niederberger (Gstaad-Scott), the winner of round one.

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By: RedBull Media House

Simone Barraco, Anthony Perrin, Stefan Lantschner and Matthias Dandois team up for a special trip around Italy as they ride iconic locations and buildings in some of the countryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s most famous cities. The boys visited sites and locations in Turin, Milan, Bellaria, Riccione, Rimini, Pescara, Bologna and Potenza on the Red Bull Design Quest trip. Simone and his friends rode on the striking Palavela in Turin, the Piramide in Fiera in Bologna and on the Musmeci Bridge in Potenza. There was also some incredible riding sessions on the streets of the Adriatic Riviera (Bellaria, Riccione, Rimini and Pescara) and the public square in the Bicocca quarter of Milan.

Mad Moss Films is based out of South Bohemia in Czech Republic. The only part of the region without any major mountains but only countryside and dense forests. Here in their own words the crew shares their wicked times filming for the latest video: JČR – Document of South Bohemia

R Č ‘J k Vále a t j o By: V

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In winter between years 2011/2012 we made a decision to create something for our sport and our friends here. We are two young students who like mountain biking and the life around bikes, photography, filming, racing, trail building and more.

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We wanted to make a documentary style edit covering the action from biggest races here through the 2012 season, including one round of Downhill iXS European cup, one round of Czech cup, some other fun downhill races and a few Dirt jump comps. Rest of the video features our friends and other progressive riders. All the action is from South Bohemia (jižní Čechy in our language) alone, that’s why the name: ‘JČR – Document of South Bohemia‘ for the video.

It’s one of the bigger bike videos from our country after a long absense of four years. However this time we wanted to make the edit a little different than what can be seen everywhere over the web. We really wanted to show our local scene, hence we mixed the interviews with local riders explaining more about their lives. To start with, we had to arrange all the filming equipment ourselves as nobody was extending their support. All the things you‘ll see in movie are really homemade! We had only one camera, the Canon 550D with one lens and the whole movie and photos were shot with it. Inspite of trying hard, since we were unknown, the sponsor response was disapointing. However as you can see, it’s possible for everyone to make something like this without support if you really want to. The featured riders include some legends of our region, some racers, two National Championship title winners, some young guns and a girl. Working with these people was super awesome and we enjoyed the filming days. Here are some numbers from filming: 4330 kilometers what we drove only at South Bohemia 53 days with camera in our hands 42 days of editing 22 locations 530GB of material 68 minutes is a final lenght of movie

Thanks to all the riders and our friends for supporting us through the long 2012 season. We hope our video motivates you a little and helps in showcasing something new. Hope to share more action from our region next season, until then keep the rubberside down!

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Sharad is a dear friend, climber and an ace photographer, he found this tree while exploring the vast landscapes of Sanjay Gandhi National Park Mumbai and wanted to shoot a few shots with bmx around it.

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freerider mountain bike magazine Photo By: Sharad Chandra | Rider: Hassu