INDUSTRY NEWS
News Roundup - Week of March 27th
Durango Derby Brings Elite MTB Racing Back to Durango in Fun-Forward Format
With the recent decline in mountain bike races across North America, Durango Derby brings both elite level racing and good times for all riders back to the legendary cycling community of Durango, Colorado. The unique race format delivers a fun new challenge for the modern mountain biker, featuring four amazing stages, in one day, that showcase Durango’s premium in-town singletrack.
“Durango deserves a spot in big time MTB racing and the format of the Derby will showcase why,” says Dave Hagen, former FLC Cycling Team Director and Durango Derby Co-founder. Hagen, who is a long time Durango cycling community superhero, is joined by FLC Cycling Alum and bike industry professional, Dylan Stucki. Together, the pair of long-time Durango locals are invested in the Durango Derby vision of delivering both professional, and leisurely racing to the MTB community.
Professional and hardened racers will compete in the solo division and will take on all four stages and 3 untimed transfers totaling 50 miles. Pro racers will be competing to stake their claim in Durango MTB history and a yet to be announced cash purse. With no shortage of local legends and young talent, Durango Derby has already attracted riders like Payson McElveen, Sarah Sturm, Stephan Davoust, Ellen Campbell, Howard Grotts, Todd Wells, and many more.
It’s not all about elite racing though, for those looking for some “serious-ly” friendly competition amongst riding buddies and families, the Durango Derby will also have 2-person and 4-person team categories. With a goal to be more inviting and inclusive, team categories provide riders the opportunity to divide and conquer, competing for bragging rights and awesome prizes.
Just up the hill from town, Durango Mesa Park will be the main venue for the event. Showcasing Durango’s incredible mountain views and hosting the start / finish for the race, vendors, expo area, live entertainment, Durango DEVO Jr. fun race and more.
Marking the start of fall riding season, Durango Derby’s official race day will be Saturday, September 23rd 2023. With limited availability, race registration will open Monday, April 3rd at 9am.
FIND OUT MORE
Visit durangoderby.com for more information, sign up for the email list, and follow along for race updates and more.
Liv Introduces Their Lightest and Most Powerful Carbon E-MTB to Date
Liv, the company dedicated to getting more women on bikes, introduced the Intrigue X Advanced E+ Elite, its first performance carbon trail E-MTB with mixed wheel sizing featuring a 29-inch wheel front wheel and 27.5-inch rear wheel. Designed to be nimble and make easy work of rowdy descents and technical climbs, the Intrigue X Advanced E+ Elite also includes an impressively capable, slim in-tube battery, flip chip adjustable frame geometry and a powerful motor allowing riders to go farther.
“The Intrigue X Advanced E+ Elite delivers the ultimate trail E-MTB for riders who want to push their limits and perform their best,” said Cassandra Chou, Liv E-bike Category Manager. “The lightweight carbon frame, powerful motor, sleek battery and mixed wheel sizes are a perfect balance of design and technology and deliver an incredible ride experience.”
Lightweight and Nimble
Made with Liv’s highest grade advanced composite and featuring a short chainstay, the Intrigue X Advanced E+Elite is engineered to provide an ultra-light, efficient and responsive ride. The mixed wheel configuration, 29-inch front wheel and 27.-5-inch rear wheel, paired with 150mm front suspension and 140mm of rear travel, give riders the ability to charge through rock gardens and fast, open terrain with confidence and control.
Powerful Motor with All New Battery and Advanced Controls
A potent 85Nm of torque delivered by the lightweight SyncDrive Pro 2 motor on the Intrigue X Advanced E+ Elite series provides a natural, yet powerful E-bike experience and ensures riders can easily ascend even the most difficult climbs. Featuring assist modes up to four times a rider's effort, the SynchDrive Pro 2 motor also leverages proprietary Smart Assist Technology that replicates a natural riding style using six sensors to add a seamless acceleration and power boost exactly when needed.
The all new EnergyPak 400 InTube battery is hidden in the down tube which minimizes weight and provides the perfect balance of efficiency and range. Co-developed with Panasonic, the robust 400Wh battery uses 22,700 cells exclusively used by Liv E-bikes. It's the first E-bike-specific battery cell in the world and results in a full-power motor in an ultra-slim battery. It also has an optional 200Wh extender and offers one of the best ranges in the industry to take riders farther faster. Range variation depends on a number of factors including terrain, elevation, acceleration, and weight.
Designed For Women, By Women
Liv is the only comprehensive cycling brand that is committed solely to women. By investing 100% of its resources, focus and commitment into engineering bikes and gear that optimize the ride experience for women, Liv is creating more product options for women who ride.
To deliver the ideal geometry for most women, Liv relies on the decades of experience of its engineering team. Every size of the Intrigue X Advanced E+ Elite is custom-designed using only women’s body dimension data and riding experience. Liv selects components that complement each frame size and match the bike’s intended use to offer as close to a perfect fit as possible from the first ride.
The Intrigue X Advanced E+ Elite is available in XS, S, M and L sizes. Learn more at www.liv-cycling.com.
Chris King Announces the Return of 6-Bolt Mountain Hubs
Chris King Precision Components is offering 6-bolt, Boost mountain hubs, and complete wheels again. These will be available in 15mm axle variations, and orders will begin shipping on April 2nd. The 6-bolt versions of the industry-leading King hubs have the same internal components as the hubs found on the World Cup downhill circuit and at trailheads worldwide.
King General Manager Kirby Bedsaul said, “Like most manufacturers, we were capacity-limited during the pandemic. We had to make a hard choice about our mountain hubs then, and since there were Center Lock to 6-bolt adapters available, we opted to produce only Center Lock hubs for a time. But there’s no demand quite like popular demand, so we’re really happy to be able to bring 6-bolt back. We know a lot of our riders have been waiting for this.”
All of King’s boost hubs feature their patented RingDriveTM system with 72-points of simultaneous engagement, the most efficient power transfer system on the market today. And as ever, all of the components of King hubs are manufactured domestically, in their Portland, OR factory.
“What’s important to us,” Bedsaul said, “is getting riders who prefer 6-bolt rotors going again. We know there were some shops and riders who were disappointed when we paused production on these, so it’s great to be back with them.”
Chris King’s Boost 6-Bolt Front and Rear hubs will be available in all current King colors and available to be built in all current mountain wheel sets, including King’s proprietary MTN30s.
Cannondale Welcomes Anita Naidu to Athlete Roster
Today, Cannondale is thrilled to welcome gravity athlete, acclaimed mountain bike coach and anti-racism consultant, Anita Naidu, to its athlete roster for 2023. A pioneer in diversifying the outdoors, Naidu was the first professional mountain biker of East Indian heritage. She brings her coveted experience as an award-winning international humanitarian, engineer, and skills as one of mountain biking’s top coaches to put anti-racism and climate justice education at the forefront of the cycling industry, working towards a more equitable future.
“Not only was Anita one of the first females of color to compete on a global level, but she is now using her platform as a professional mountain biker to drive the race equity conversation for generations of cyclists to come,” said Jonathan Geran, Cannondale global director of sports marketing. “Using mountain biking as a conduit to create lifelong anti-racism advocates, Naidu is making serious strides in diversifying the industry and we could not be more excited to support her and her upcoming endeavors.”
Naidu is hosting a series of upcoming mountain bike skills clinics that are centered around anti-racism, equity, inclusion, and climate change education. These workshops welcome woman-identifying riders of all ages and skill levels and include an extensive scholarship program. Participants will learn about anti-racism and its relationship to society’s most pressing issues such as environmental mitigation and sustainability, and work together to create a toolkit for navigating today’s modern day social climate, all while building confidence on the bike. The clinics also provide coaching opportunities for women of color to become leaders in the mountain bike industry.
Anti-racism clinics will be held across North America. Clinics will kick off in the United States in May in Omaha, Nebraska, in partnership with the International Mountain Bicycling Association (IMBA) and the IMBA Local Partner in Omaha.
Additionally, Naidu will lead a virtual comprehensive anti-racism industry training session on March 30, partnering with IMBA to train its nationwide team. The session titled “Achieving Anti-Racism in Mountain Biking and the Outdoors: What It Looks Like and the Path Forward” offers practical guidance and concrete actionable steps for making tangible progress towards an anti-racist landscape across the industry.
“One of the greatest opportunities that comes with being a sponsored athlete is the platform it provides to make a meaningful impact on the world and the point of getting a seat isn’t to preserve it, it’s to use it,” said Naidu. “These anti-racism bike clinics are an avenue to offer expertise and knowledge in service of creating more capable and educated lifelong advocates, not just in the outdoor community but society at large. With the right backdrop and set of efforts, together we can build over doubt and resistance to create a world where more people can live their passions free of discrimination.”
Off the bike, Naidu is widely regarded for her work in the global refugee crisis, human slavery, environmental impact strategies, peace and security, and anti-racism. Her humanitarian, engineering, and athletic exploits have garnered her numerous accolades including being named as one of the planet’s 15 Most Adventurous Women and 100 Most Provocative Cultural Catalysts.
She is currently being filmed for a feature series as one of Canada's most impactful young people shaping the conversation on race equity. Follow her on Instagram to learn more about her initiatives.
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