News Roundup - Week of December 2nd

Kids Ride Shotgun Launch Kids Pogies for Cold Weather Riding

Riding with little people is rad, but if you’ve ever ridden with your little one upfront when it’s cold, you’ll realize they act as your very own windshield on the trail.

What’s more, because you’re providing an unlimited up-lift service for your little person, and they’re not pedaling themselves, there’s zero chance of them warming up during the ride. But fear not – because today Kids Ride Shotgun have released their new pogies – designed to help mountain bike families shred the trails together, whatever the weather.

Inspired by a home-made oven-mitt glove that Kids Ride Shotgun team member Trev Worsey hacked together for his 3-year old son, the new pogies are the perfect digit warmer for riding shotgun during the colder months.

The new pogies are designed for kids 2-5 years (one size fits all), and are made from super durable 100% ripstop polyester, with 10,000mm waterproofing and 5000gm breathability ratings.

Once wrapped around your frozen solid Renthal Fat Bars (or your Shotgun Kids handlebars), they create a warm and dry, fleece-lined, micro-climate – and they’re suitable for use all the way down to -22°F / -30°C, thanks to their 3M Thinsulate filling.

The Kids Ride Shotgun Pogies are now available from your local bike store, or directly from Kids Ride Shotgun, MSRP $55 USD

New Biodegradable Chain Care Options from Effetto Mariposa

Effetto Mariposa has launched a new range of products featuring a sunflower seed chain lube, pine oil degreaser and a biodegradable cleaner.

Last year Effetto Mariposa launched the first plant-based tire sealant and now it launches multiple environmentally friendly products. The first new product is the Flowerpower Wax chain lube using sunflower seed wax content and avoiding fluorinated compounds (PFAS), graphene and sulphides. Effetto Mariposa claims that many competing products use around 30% wax-to-water ratio, but it has increased this to 50% (percentage by weight, dry residue after evaporation of water) for improved durability and efficiency.

Effetto Mariposa also claims by using sunflower wax there is a stronger adhesion to metal and more water resistance for better performance in wet conditions. The Flowerpower Wax is claimed to allow 300km of road riding on a single application although Effetto Mariposa says off-road riders may need more frequent use. Flowerpower Wax is available in 100 ml bottles for €11,99.

The next new product is the Allpine Extra chain degreaser. In the development of its degreaser, Effetto Mariposa wanted to create something effective and had a low ecological impact. Pine Oil is a natural solvent meaning Effetto Mariposa could make its new chain degreaser biodegradable and won't cause any damage to chrome, painted components and carbon. Effetto Mariposa also says Allpine Extra can be used to clean brake rotors.

Allpine Extra is available in 500 ml bottles for €15,99.

Finally, Effetto Mariposa has added the pine-scented Allpine Light biodegradable cleaner to its range. The Allpine Light cleaner has been created to be environmentally friendly and it doesn't require rinsing so it can be good for eMTBs in areas where you want to limit the use of water near electrical contacts.

Allpine Light is available in 1000 ml spray bottles for €13,99, or as a refill for €9,99.

You can find out more about the whole range on the Effetto Mariposa website here.

Fox Factory Launches the Trail Trust Initiative

FOX Factory, maker of premium performance products that are an integral part of outdoor adventuring, embarks on a new journey today with the launch of its signature community investment program, Trail Trust.

Together with nonprofit partners worldwide, Trail Trust aims to deliver sustainable adventure to everyone. This means promoting the conscientious use of land amongst outdoor enthusiasts and protecting our shared playgrounds. It also requires expanding opportunities within the outdoor sporting industry, diversifying the populations that participate in cycling and power sports — because everyone deserves the thrill of adventure.

As part of this launch, FOX has already awarded approximately $500,000 in Trail Trust funding to over 20 outdoor organizations including Grow Cycling Foundation, Santa Cruz Mountains Trail Stewardship, and Tread Lightly! to name a few. You can see the full partnership listing at www.trailtrust.com.

How to Apply

Trail Trust program information, eligibility criteria, and the application form can be found at www.trailtrust.com. Applications are accepted on a rolling basis and are evaluated quarterly by the Trail Trust review committee.

Canadian Enduro Series Announces 2022 Schedule

The Norca Canadian Enduro Series Presented by LEATT is pleased to announce its 2022 Race Calendar. Spanning an “Island to Rockies” geographic footprint, the series will include 8 tour stops in some of the most breathtaking resort locations, featuring some of the best Enduro mountain bike trails in Western Canada.

Commenting on this exciting calendar of events, Matt Holbrook, Managing Director of the NCES, stated “coming out of the pandemic, we realize that people are craving recreational pursuits and travel opportunities. Our 2022 NCES locations will provide exactly what Enduro racers across the country have come to expect from the NCES. Throw in over $20,000 of prize money and a new ‘presented by’ series partner in Leatt, along with lower registration fees for all riders, and this will be a year like no other”.

Starting at Harper Mountain in Kamloops, and weaving its way across BC while dipping into Alberta, one of the highlights that is new to the NCES will be a stop on Vancouver Island. And what a stop it will be, with 9 stages in total; 4 stages on day 1 at Mt Washington, followed by 5 stages on day 2 on the technical trails of Cumberland. Yes, 9 stages, the most ever for an NCES race weekend, and sure to be talked about for years to come!

With back-to-back weekends in June, Crowsnest Pass and Revelstoke are crowd-pleasers and always spoken of favourably by riders. July will not only bring the Island into the NCES fold, but also see a return to Panorama Mountain Resort at the end of the month. August will be a rest month for NCES riders, but September brings a triple whammy with Big White and Sun Peaks creating an amazing Okanagan swing to highlight the middle of the month. The series will then finish in Whistler in late September with the 2022 Norco Canadian Enduro Championships.

Registration for all races opens December 15, with extremely low early bird rates in effect for 30 days. All race dates and the planned events at each race weekend can be found on the website.

About the Norco Canadian Enduro Series

The NCES has become the flagship enduro series in Canada, and the preeminent enduro series
in North America. For 2022, the focus of the NCES will be once again; expert riders, technically and physically demanding stages, BIG days, with some new exciting venues thrown into the mix. While the current covid issues exist, it will take the NCES until 2023 to spread our wings back across the country, but for 2022 we will have a true “Island to Rockies” west coast series that will have amazing resort locations and even better racing opportunities.

Martin Maes and GT Factory Racing Part Ways

We consider our riders to be family, and no one exemplifies that more than Martin Maes. His father, Patric, rode for the brand in the 90’s which means Martin literally grew up in the GT pits. We’ve watched him grow from a shy kid who loved riding bikes to one of the fastest mountain bikers on the planet, all under the guidance of team manager, Mark Maurissen. 

"I’ve known Martin and his family since the early ’90s. Well, at least his dad and grandpa! Martin only showed up in 1997. What a ride it has been since then! I’m sad to see him move on, but I’m extremely proud that I’ve had the chance to work so closely on his side along the way. We’ve had ups, downs, many victories, hangovers that come with those, you name it! You’re only getting started in life. I’m convinced you will achieve many more great things in the (near) future and I’ll be cheering you on, no matter what! Cheers Martin, enjoy the ride!"  - Mark Maurissen, GTFR Team Manager 

We’ve shared countless memories with Martin over the past 9 years, from numerous podiums as a teenager, his historical back-to-back wins at EWS Whistler, and the DH World Cup in La Bresse, and of course just recently, when he put the new Force Carbon on the top of the EWS podium for the 1st time, and his last time with GT. 

"The time spent with Martin was more than a work relationship, it was a journey of growth and memorable accomplishments in so many aspects. Watching him race as a pro at 16 years old and seeing his pure talent was a treat and just knew he was on a path to accomplish great things. Though we shared in many tremendous wins and accolades the memories I will take with me are the talks we had about everything but bikes and racing. Martin is an old soul and cares so much about everyone and everything around him. It has been an honor to watch Martin mature as an incredible athlete but even more so as a man as he evolved from a shy, wide-eyed teenager into one of the sports role models and a doting father. It has been a hell of a ride that I will always cherish. Keep it pinned buddy and keep being you Martino!"  - Steve Spencer, GT Global Sports Marketing Manager 

Thank you for all the Good Times, Martino. No matter what logo is who’s on your jersey, you’ll always be a part of the GT family. Good luck, and we’ll see you at the races!