Nema Tees Are Here!

Our first Nema products arrived today. We received the Brite T-shirt and the Phoebe T-shirt. Nema's downhill pants, freeride jerseys, and shorts will get here in a few months. In the meantime, enjoy the tees and check out Nema's 2009 gravity Contingency Program.

Holiday Bash at the SDGC This Weekend

Not ready to put away the downhill bike yet? Join the Stump Grinder Dirt Club in Los Olivos, CA this weekend for their Holiday Bash race. There's a dual slalom on Saturday and a downhill race on Sunday! Click here for more info.

Australian National Series #2 Results

The downhill and 4x crew came together in Illinbah, Australia this weekend for the second stop of the Australian National Series. Claire Buchar has moved her winter training from SoCal to Down Under, and took the downhill win in super muddy conditions. Caroline Buchanan continues to rule 4x, taking her second win in the series.

Downhill
Elite Women
1. Claire Buchar
2. Leigh Douglas
3. Caroline Buchanan
4. Claire Whiteman
5. Sarah Booth
6. Cara Smith
7. Emma Lewis
8. Shannon Chugg
9. Jayne Rutter
10. Samantha Gambrill
11. Leonie Picton

Women Under 19
1. Emily Hockey
2. Danielle Beecroft
3. Bec Kirss
4. Jaz Rosa

4x
Elite Women
1. Caroline Buchanan
2. Sarsha Huntington
3. Kylie Maduna
4. Cherie Simpson
5. Tanya Bailey
6. Vanessa Thompson
7. Danielle Beecroft
8. Shannon Jobson

We found these results on CyclingNews.com.

Tracy Moseley Signs with Trek

Tracy Moseley is officially off of Kona and onto Trek!

Here's a blurb from the press release on Trek's website:

Today the speculation on the six-rider line up for the new Trek-sponsored World Cup program reaches a conclusion with the announcement that 29-year old Tracy Moseley from the UK has signed up to ride a Session 88 in 2009.

Tracy is one of the greatest downhillers in the sport's history and has a place in a very exclusive club of only five downhill riders, male or female, to have won 10 or more World Cup races in their career. Tracy has won her 10 World Cup races between 2002 and 2008, with two of those victories taking place in the past season at the Fort William and Canberra rounds.

Tracy joins World #5 Justin Leov (NZL) and South African Andrew Neethling, as well as XC teammates Lukas and Mathias Flueckiger (SUI), and fellow countryman (and near neighbor), Liam Killeen.

On the announcement, Tracy said today: "I am really excited to have this great opportunity to ride on a new exciting bike from 2009, and with a great team around me to give me all the support I'll need to further improve. I'm also really happy to have two great guys to ride with as I believe that is really important for my ongoing development as a racer. These three things combined, the new bike, the team support and my teammates, will make a big difference to me."

Click here to read the entire press release on Trek's site.

This Week Only: Free Domestic Shipping on All Orders!

To kick off the interweb shopping season, we're offering free US shipping on all orders placed during the first week of December. Just choose the Free Shipping option at checkout. Expedited shipping rates will be offered as well. Also, you'll see increased discounts on many items throughout the site. Click here to start shopping and building your riding kits for next season!

This Week's Gift for Gravity Girls: Twin Six Tops and Socks

Are you gift shopping for your BFF (Best Freeride Friend)? Maybe you're sending subtle hints to your significant other about which goodies you really, really, really want? Or perhaps you're that significant other and you're desperately looking for the perfect gift? What really matters is that you've come to the right place. Each week we'll post a new No-Brainer Gift for Gravity Girls. Not only will these packages make shopping quick and easy, but they'll also save you a few bucks in the process! Joy!

This week's addition to the Gravity Girls' Gift Guide is the Twin Six Tops and Socks Gift Pack. This package lets you pair a Twin Six Masher or Two Wheels for Life t-shirt with the Skull or 3-inch Argyle socks. You'll save more than $4 when you buy these items together.

December's Featured Rider: Katrina Strand

It's hard to discuss Canadian downhill riders without mentioning Katrina Strand. She's a Whistler, BC local who has dedicated her career to gravity riding. Katrina and Claire Buchar are the Candian DH Girls, and the two were ranked 19th in Decline Magazine's 26 Most Influential People in Mountain Biking earlier this year. When Katrina's not racing World Cups or Canadian Nationals, she coaches other athletes through her business, Katrina Strand Fitness Coaching. Oh, and can someone get this girl a frame sponsor?--FF

Name: Katrina Strand
Home: Whistler, BC
Age: You can only be young once, but you can be immature forever?!
Favorite type of riding: Downhill! But there isn’t any type of biking that I don’t like – you’ll see me at the dirt jumps and the velodrome, riding cross country, all mountain , BMX, and road
Why you ride: Challenge, adventure, fun
Sponsors: Oakley, Maxxis, Shimano, Mavic, Fox Shox, Crank Brothers, Syncros, Dakine, e13, Giro, Fizik, Whistler Bike Park, Evolution Bike Shop, Peak Performance Massage Therapy
Website: CanadianDHGirls.com

On a rainy summer day in 1997, my best buddy Lisa Lefroy and I grabbed her dad’s cruisers and brought them up the Whistler Mountain Bike Park. We were the only people out there, slip and sliding the whole way down. At the end of the day, we were scrapped, bruised, muddy and happy. Shortly after I bought my first mountain bike!

When I first started mountain biking, my intentions were %100 genuine. I loved being outside with my friends, riding trails, going on adventures, and challenging myself. Ten years later, I have traveled all over the world with my bike – from South America to Jamaica, Europe, Australia, and New Zealand. I have represented Canada at the World Championships, had top-three finishes at the Canadian National Championships, and top-15 results at World Cups. I have written several media and editorial projects, been in countless marketing campaigns and magazine articles, coached thousands of people and co-created the only women’s-only freeride event in existence, The Gala.

Through all of this, my intentions remain the same – I ride because I love to ride! All of this came through being passionate about mountain bikes. I work hard because I want to work hard. It has not been glamorous in any way. I have, for lack of a better expression, worked my ass off! But, I love it. I am so lucky to have found my passion – so when the hurdles get big, it doesn’t scare me away, it only makes me jump higher.

I’m starting off 2009 with a trip overseas to Australia and New Zealand. As for the rest of the year, I’m not so sure yet. I am still working on a frame sponsor so we’ll have to see. But whatever happens, the future looks bright. I’ll always be a rider and I will always be out there, riding in the woods, looking for the next adventure, pushing my limits and laughing with my friends.

New Twin Six Jerseys and Tees Are in Stock!

We just received Twin Six's latest jersey design, The Masher, as well as their new Masher t-shirt and Two Wheels for Life t-shirt. In addition, we've restocked quite a few of our best selling Twin Six classics, which are currently on sale. Click here to check out the entire Twin Six line on Freeride Foundation!

17th Annual Southridge Challenge Downhill Results

Maxine Irving set her camera down and rolled into the start gate to handily win the 17th Annual Southridge Challenge downhill race this weekend. This race, which was held at Southridge Park in Fontana, CA, was the final event on the Soutridge USA 2008 race calendar. The Winter Series downhill and 4x races start January 10-11, 2009.

Pro Women
1. Maxine Irving
2. Kim Hard
3. Joy Martin
4. Christine Hirst
5. Sarah Jansen
6. Vaea Verbeeck
7. Jill Hamilton

Expert Women 34 & Under
1. Francine Johnson
2. Erika Noel

Expert Women 35+
1. Laura Noonan
2. Nancy Harris
3. Erica Phillips

Sport Women 34 & Under
1. Margaret Gregory

Sport Women 35+
1. Carla Bray

Beginner Women 35+
1. Lala Mijares

2009 Sea Otter Road Trip!

Allie and I are always looking for ways to get to more races and save money while doing it. We figure that there are more people out there like us. So, we're putting together a 2009 Sea Otter Road Trip.

Save money by traveling with a fun group of riders! Save time by letting us work out the travel and lodging details! Rooms are already filling up, so we'll guarantee you're not sleeping in the dirt. Tell your friends. Boys and cross country or road racers are welcome too!

• You'll get a ride to the race from Park City, or various points along I-80, 5 nights of lodging at Holiday Inn Express, rides to and from the race venue every day, and a ride back home.
• 12 spaces are available.
• The fee includes gas and full insurance coverage on the rental van and drivers.
• The van will leave early in the morning on Wednesday, April 15, 2009 from Park City, UT and arrive that evening in Monterey, CA.
• The van will leave early in the morning on Monday, April 20, 2009 from Monterey, CA and arrive that evening in Park City, UT.
• If you live outside of Park City or Salt Lake, you can travel there and then hop in the van!
• Each rider may bring a maximum of 2 bikes.
• The $385 rate is valid through Dec. 31. On January 1, 2009, the fee will increase to $475 to account for increased room rates.


• Compare the $385 to camping at the venue for $70/night ($280 for 4 nights), $319 to fly from SLC to Monterey (travelocity.com), or putting more than 1,800 miles on your own vehicle.

Click here to find out more and/or to reserve your spot!

Springy Thingies: Learning about Suspension

Not only do we want you to look hot when you're riding your bike, but we also want you to look (act, and ride) like you know what you're doing out there. Most experienced riders have learned the ins and outs of their bike's suspension. However, it takes a bit of tinkering to figure it all out. Tinkering with your ride can seem like a sketchy operation, and so we've enlisted some guidance.

We've consulted with Fox Racing Shox's Elayna Caldwell about some suspension basics. This article is the first in a series. Once you pass the online quiz, we'll move on to more in-depth material. (Ha! There's no quiz, but there will be a follow-up article!).

Elayna Caldwell is the Marketing Manager at Fox Racing Shox. She's been riding bikes since 1991 and she has some mad hot-dog-eating skillz too.

"I love all kinds of riding, I really love my Swobo Folsom cruiser for around town, it has a coaster brake and I can skid." She says. "I love singletrack of any kind. 'Extreme cross country' is a term I like, little bits of air here and there but I am not really rad. I’d rather not be in body armor and a full face, would rather be in baggies and a t-shirt. Yes, I said T-shirt."

FF: Even though suspension is the main reason we love riding downhill and trail bikes, it seems like this component is often overlooked. Maybe we set up our suspension when we pick up the bike at the shop, but then never touch it again. How can riders benefit from properly adjusted suspension, and at the most basic level, how can you tell if your suspension setup needs some adjustment?

EC: Suspension is the most important part of any bike. You are lucky if the shop sets it up for you. Most women I see have improperly set-up suspension. It is usually far too stiff. Whenever I give a clinic, I like to reinforce to women that they should "play" with their suspension. You won't break it.

A properly set-up bike allows greater rider confidence. Your wheels will track better and your bike will respond appropriately. For example, if you have too much air or too stiff of a coil spring in your fork or shock, when you hit a bump, it will not absorb it as well and it will feel harsh. A properly set up bike will absorb the bump and feel smoother.

FF: Is basic suspension adjustment something that the average rider can do themselves, or should riders visit a shop to make these changes?

EC: Yes, you can do it yourself and please do. Every suspension company should have a ‘how to’ set-up guide in the owner’s manual. If you can’t find your owner’s manual, it is all on the website. Set-up is explained very well on Fox's service site.

FF: There are a lot of terms that apply to suspension. What does each term refer to, and how does it affect the feel of the bike?

Travel – The amount of (inches or centimeters) a fork or shock can move. For example our F120 RLC has 120mm or 4.7 inches of travel.

Rebound – All suspension does two things: it compresses (when it goes down) and it rebounds (when it comes back up). I know that is super over-simplified, and not very technical. All of the adjustments on a fork or shock control the speed at which those two things occur.
Compression (High vs low?) – This is my easy way of explaining and how I understand it when the engineers explain it to me.

High Speed Compression means the speed at which the fork or shock is moving is fast. So, you could be going fairly slowly off of a big jump, and when you the ground and your fork and shock compress very quickly, you just experienced High Speed Compression.
Low Speed Compression means that the speed the fork or shock is moving is slow. You could be riding pretty fast over some tiny little bumps, but your suspension is not moving very quickly. That is Low Speed Compression.

Damping (or is it dampening?) – Oh, thank you for asking. It is Damping. Dampening is to make something wet. That reminds me of my favorite sticker: "your stupid" [get it?]. Anyway, damping is what controls the speed of a fork or shock's rebound and compression. For example, our 40 RC2 downhill fork has a cartridge in the right leg called the Damper. You would not believe how much time the engineers spend working on this. Good damping is what separates a good fork or shock from a mediocre one. However, if improperly set up, it won't feel good.

Other important terms?
Sag – And no, we are not talking about boobs. This is the most important thing about set-up and how to set up. Sag is the amount your suspension moves when you sit on your bike in the garage. Typically, and this varies from bike to bike, so check your owners manual, you want about 25-30% of the available travel to sag when you do the garage test.

So you have a 6-inch travel bike like a Nomad, for example. the fork probably has about 160mm or 6.3 inches of travel. When you sit on your bike with your full weight and put your feet on the pedals, you want it to compress about 2 inches. If it does not move that much, you need to take air out or change the coil in your fork, depending on if you have an air spring or a coil spring. If it moves too much, you need to add air or change to a firmer spring. You will need a friend to help you with this. They need to hold the bike while you are on it, and they can mark the stanchion (fork's upper tube) with a Sharpie to see how much sag you have. The same goes for rear shocks.

We'll get intimate with the bits and pieces that make up your suspension next month! Oooh!

A Sweet Deal: BetterRide and Freeride Foundation

Freeride Foundation has teamed up with Gene Hamilton's BetterRide mountain bike camps to offer special pricing for the Women's Downhill Camp, February 27-March 1, 2009 at Bootleg Canyon, NV.

The 3-day camp normally costs $599, but if you sign up by November 30 and mention you're with us, you'll get a 15% discount ($90). If you can't make it work by the 30th, sign up by January 5th and get a 10% discount. Click here to sign up!

The El Rancho Motel is the recommended lodging, and we'd like to help everyone attending to share rooms to save even more cash! If you'd like to bring a friend or three along, don't worry--you can all get the discounted Freeride Foundation clinic rate!