2011 Australian National Downhill Championships

Hey all, I have just returned to Brisbane after competing in the Aussie National Champs at Eagle MTB Park in Adelaide South Australia. This was a fantastic week away with Team Banshee Australia members and support crew all staying in the same rented accommodation at a former railway station now converted to accommodation in the Adelaide Hills.

We arrived on Tuesday mid morning and commenced practice that afternoon on a track that had been changed slightly to make it even more technical. The dry conditions had the track running very loose with powder like dirt and small sharp rocks creating a few issues with flat tires. Once again I managed to break a Hope Pro2 hub axle (that's now 7 in about 12 months!!) but fortunately we were carrying a spare and managed to get going pretty quickly. Seeding for Elite and Under 19's was held late Friday afternoon and I managed a clean run to take out 4th position for the following days race.

Racing commenced at 4pm on Saturday and the dark rain clouds started to roll in but fortunately, not much rain fell during the races. My race run was clean however; the track was not running as fast as predicted and times were only slightly improved (if at all). I finished the race in 4th place and was very pleased given that the 3 riders in front of me included current Junior World Champ - Troy Brosnan.

The final round of the Aussie National Series takes place in Shepparton Victoria on 20 March in conjunction with the Oceania Championships and I will be keen to do well to secure a top 5 finish overall. I would like to give a huge shout of thanks to sponsors Banshee Bikes, NSDynamics.com.au, Chunked.com.au, KWT-Maxxis, Summer Harvest. Special thanks to Darren & Carol Boman - Barspin Imports (Banshee Distributor Australasia) and Team Banshee Australia team mates Ryan Hunt, Cody Eichorn, Lachlan McLaren, Cam Rouch, Jane Rutter and support crew Dave Hunt and Harvey Power for a fantastic week away!

Matej Charvat - pre season training.

Matej has been living the good life doing some pre season riding in the beautiful area around San Rena in Italy.

Hey Guys!

Another short video edit from Matej Charvat's training in south Italy.

„I just came back from sunny south of Italy. Due to a freezing cold here in the middle of EU I had to travel about 13 hours to the coast of Mediterian sea. It is really popular place for training in the stack field of worldcup riders. High concentration of DH tracks around San Remo gives you pretty good training options in pre-season.I’m really looking forward for the season already.“

Matej is one of the guys, who will ride for Banshee Bikes World cup team with Adam Brayton. Both will use their brand new Banshee Legends Mk2 to achieve the best results.

Here you can find the video:

http://www.pinkbike.com/video/183451/

If you like our video or you want to know more about Matej, you can also follow him on his Facebook FAN page: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Matej-...28079093896638

or our Pinkbike.com: http://charvatbros.pinkbike.com/

Please feel free to share it if you want to.

Thanks for watching!!!

Nic Genovese VOD

We did not see much from Brandon in 2010, he is in today's Pinkbike VOD thanks to Nic Genovese.



Good luck to Brandon and the new LamaCycles/NS Bikes Canadian Team in 2011. But in the video above it is straight Banshee Amp footage ...

Keep Riding.

Rob Dunnet

Brayton Segment in DirtTV's Finally2

Some good race footage in this video overall, but this section has a segment showing Adam Brayton ding what he does best... going fast and loose on his Legend MkII! His segment starts around 9mins 15 seconds, so check it out.


More Mountain Biking Videos

Prime Time

We currently have a front page post about the Prime on Pinkbike.com. Head over to Pinkbike.com and check it out.

http://home-team.pinkbike.com/blog/prime2.html



Last week we had a post showing some of the CNC goodies that you will find on the Prime. Check that out too ...

http://home-team.pinkbike.com/blog/prime1.html

Keep Riding.

Rob Dunnet

New year, New goodies

Just received a delivery from the amazing people at Hayes Bicycle Group. I'll be running there products Manitou,Sun Ringle and Hayes brakes. Couldn't be more happy, I have heard a lot of great things about the new Manitou Circus fork and cant wait to ride it and see how it feels. I am also running the Dorado on the Dh bike which looks amazing. For wheels i am running A.D.D lite wheelsets on both my jump bike and DH bike. I tested the Hayes Stroker brakes a month ago and am super stoked to now have a set of my own on both bikes, they feel amazing. I will have a Bike check soon once i've finished chucking all these goodies on the Banshees :)

TLBF - March 31st Ormok Philippines

http://www.tlbf.org/

Went 2 years ago and had a blast. I expect this year will be just as much fun and I look forward to taking my Prime through its paces in the Philippines.

A little ride on my Rune, My First GoPro Edit by Pedalhound

A buddy who does not bike found a GoPro 960 floating at the beach a few months back, he turned it into lost and found for a month or two and then after he got it back decided he had no real use for it...but he offered it to me....not knowing I have been wanting one for a while now, it came as a total surprise. To say the least I was super stoked, I just wanted to get out and start some filming, but I have no other mounts...so I go out and pick up a tripod mount and my little gorrillapod and go out filming, this is the result.

Self edits are kind of hard..it's a lot of drop the bike...run down the trail to find a good shot, turn the camera on and then run back to your bike to get the shot, now as I don't have a chesty, frame or helmet mounts I had to do the whole thing like this, when all you want to do is flow down the trail it makes it a bit hard, but I think it came out OK for my first try.

In the future I will edit it a bit tighter and make a few other little changes, but I had a lot of fun doing it....so expect more videos in the future.

The Fat Butchers Club! by Niko

Last Saturday!

I took off for a little ride and ended up finding a lost trail!

I spent 3 hours pedaling up to the top and after 5 hours found myself home late for dinner!

The Rune has a great balance between xc like climbing and DHing!

Fat Butchers MTBing! from Nicholas Poetker on Vimeo.

Thank you Mate!
The Fat Butchers shirt is feeling awesome!
RidEOn!

I was commending a buddy who sent me a T-shirt from his home team, The Fat Butchers!

RidEOn! SamJam!!

Niko!

Test one Legend for your race !

Here a nice built of the island of Reunion !
About 17 kg!

Banshee Legend M size
Boxxer Fork with Elka Cartridge
RC4
Deemax
Atlas FR stem and handlebar
Sram descend crank
Elixir R
KMC chain
...........

For the record, the rider (a friend) who has ordered a Frame of another brand ..... shitttttt ....Tran ...... which has still not arrived ! when he has his first race this Sunday, February 20th!

I agree to lend him a Legend Frame : So he can make his race and test a real bike ! ha ha ha !

That's the spirit Banshee

Shreddin' Home Trails

Allen Stoddard in Monterey, Ca. from Brian Damschen on Vimeo.

Rider: Allen Stoddard

Filmed and Edited By: Brian Damschen

A New Adventure by Niko

A morning ride in the back country!

As the snow is still melting on the top of the mountains,

I took my Rune out to explore the lower half of my local trails.

Entering the temple's gates to my surprise I found a new little path way.

I rose the saddle on my Rune and started pedaling away.

With a decent climb and the Runes awesome suspension,

I was able to grunt up the newly discovered single track most of the way.

Then the trial got steep and rocky.

Here in Japan most of the trials are steep, twist and lots of fun!

Perfect for the Rune!!!

RideOn,

Niko

Prime Time

if you want to see prime bits click everywhere ...

or here ...

or http://www.pinkbike.com/news/banshee-prime-cnc-bits-2011.html

or even on my name ...

Keep Riding.

Rob Dunnet

Tara Llanes

A lot of you know that I had a bike crash in July and broke my back. I had surgery shortly after my accident and returned home after 10 days in the hospital. The day after my surgery I stood up, I can not describe the feeling I had in knowing that I was going to make a complete recovery. I can not describe the pain of my accident or the pain I felt after surgery. And for the last several month I have lived with some form of pain. But thank God that I can walk, thank God that I can turn my pedals ...

This accident was the second time I was loaded into an ambulance not knowing if I would walk again. This was the second time that doctors would not tell me what was wrong with me, this was the second time that I would walk out of the hospital ...

I am writing this with tears fresh on my face after watching this video ...



I am so lucky that I am able to walk, ride ... so let's support those who are not so lucky.

Keep Living.

Rob Dunnet

Dean's Mean Machine (Legend MkII Build)

Some of you guys will nodoubt remember Dean (trail builder from BC and all round nice guy), from videos we have posted before of him riding his rune hard in the Woodlot, but he was also one of our Legend MkI testers who gave me some great feedback over the years, and just recently he got a Legend MkII frame to get him through the next few years...or more!

Dean always puts a lot of thought and effort into his builds, and this Legend build is certainly no exception, and comes in at a featherweight 34.50lbs.

He sent me across these photos of the pretty pimpin' build, as well as a video of his first ride. Check it out.

(Dean shows off his artistic streak)

Keith Scott

Downmall Prague 2011 - Matej Charvat

Hey guys,
maybe you catched the post about the live coverage on freecaster from a unique Downmall race.

Here you go a few words, pictures and a video:

A really unique race right through the shopping centre was held in the centre of Prague (the capital of Czech Republic - EU). The 4 floor shopping mall provided a few sets of escalators, 180 turns, slippery waxed floor and a final drop/gap to the finish line.

40 riders were invited including World Champ in 4X Tomas Slavik, Guido Tschugg etc. - really stack field. There were 3 rounds which were making the field stacker. 1st round - all, 2nd round - top20, 3rd round - top10(finals). It was pretty hard not to slip and the times were pretty close. I did about two mistakes in the finals and finished on 5th.

Picture gallery: http://on.fb.me/f6zEaw

Don't forget to use subtitles in youtube player (click on CC).

The Rune by Niko

2011 is here and as winter passes a new season will appear!
I just pick up a new Banshee Rune ...

This is a short video of my new 2011 Banshee Rune build!
The frame build came together great!


http://vimeo.com/18392854

Rune banshee 2011 from Nicholas Poetker on Vimeo.

Just before the build I had a bad crash smashing 3 ribs.
So, I was out for a short while and finally got out for my first ride on,
January 20,2011!
RidEOn.


http://vimeo.com/19057127

Jodoji hour from Nicholas Poetker on Vimeo.

RideOn,
Niko

Mike - COC Head Coach

"How stoked are we? Mike Montgomery is our new head bike coach. Mike got 2nd at Crankworx and invents new tricks like I drink Slurpees." Camp of Champions

Mike with another easy trick, come on who can't do this?

I am pretty stoked, for the riding adventure of a life time check out Camp of Champions website, not only will you get the chance to ride the Legendary Banshee Legend MKII, you will also get a chance to ride with Jack "Fogel" Fogelquist, Alan "no nickname" Hepburn (though we all know that is not true ... right Alan) and of course new head coach Mike "i dream of tricks" Montgomery.

Jack with a heal clicker, I can not do this sitting in a chair.

Good chance I will be hanging out for a good portion of Camp so you will also get a chance to ride ahead of me while I eat your dust or watch you ride away while having the best time of your life.

Alan goes no hands. Alan takes it up and throws it down. Takes a rest and does it all over again.

Keep Riding.

Rob Dunnet

oh i googled "hot girl pinkbike" into google images and this image was on the first page ...

Camp Coaches Casey Groves and Brett Tippie ... two of the hottest girls I know ...

Dustin Greenall 2010 Video

Mike Rides Bikes

Fogelsode S2 #8: Fun Week in Santa Cruz

It’s been an awesome week around here, with the sun shining and friends like Christian in town.  We took advantage of the weather and trail conditions to get in a fun day of riding big bikes.  Another day, Jeff and I had a cool little sesh at the step-up, before heading over to Post Office.  The classic sundown-seshes have become routine this time of year, but what’s new are some of the younger riders like Jared, Simon, and Fin shredding with us.  Just a week ago they were doing run-ups into the line and now they’re flowing through with style and even throwing a few tricks!  Stuff like that always gets me stoked to see!

Down Mall - Four Floors of Downhill

The third happening of DownMall “devastation” of chosen shopping centre by crazy group of bikers is quickly approaching. It became a tradition that this unconventional and in the world unique race right inside the shopping centre, full of madly shopping customers, moves its happening from year to year. After the shopping centre Delta and Plaza in Liberec there is not just the change of shopping centre but the town too! DownMall 2011 is heading to Palác Flora in Prague this year!

Palác Flora offers again very attractive and challenging mall of 4 floors just perfect for the race. If you remember, the last race in Plaza shopping centre took the start at the local discotheque club. This year the start will be in the vestibule of the Palace cinema on the highest floor of the shopping centre. The race will then continue by the passage round the inside gallery on each floor of the shopping centre. The very popular escalators and the finish drop won’t be of course missing. For the audience there is prepared 5 cameras shooting the whole race that will be aired through LCD screens placed throughout the whole shopping centre.

Not very popular custom of this DownMall event is that the whole race is very limited with the number of participants so it is only for 40 invited riders. Thus we can again be looking forward to the top international and local DH and 4X riders.

This year DownMall is not intended for the DH and 4X riders only but there will be also introduced totally different MTB branch by our top dirt and slopestyle riders! The prize money in height of 30.000,- CZK will be surely the good motivation for all the participants so we can all be looking forward to the great show.

And what about you? Will you come to Palac Flora to see this great and exciting event on 12th February 2011? Or you want to participate itself in this great and mad race by taking the wild card? And is it even in your powers to win? Can Michal Prokop win for the third time in a row? Come and you will know it all!“

For More Information Click Here ...

For Race Video Click Here ...

Cheryl Moore

Totally poaching this from another site, for complete story click .... here ...

Nicknames: Chucker, Chuckerdoo

Age: The big 30

Riding Since: Well I have always had a bike as a kid and a teenager. Then somewhere in my teenage hood I took up skateboarding and didn’t really play with bikes again till I was able to afford my first “big girl” bike. I got a Rocky Mountain Element XC bike and played on that till I realized I was gonna need a much burlier bike to play on the trails I wanted too! And basically for the last 5 years riding as played a big part of my life.

Current Bike(s): Banshee Scythe, Banshee Rune and a Banshee Morphine and a Legend on the way!
Riding Style: I play around in a bit of everything. Mostly downhill but I like a good xc adventure and spend some time playing on the dirt jumps and pump tracks.

Racing Highlights: Finishing all 7 BC Cup races in my first season of racing without major injury.

FOR THE REST CLICK HERE ...

Fogelpod

Today's Pinkbike POD is what I like to call a Fogelpod. Much like a Fogelsode, packed with as much Fogel goodness as you can get from a single image with out the extra calories.


For those of you who want to ride with Jack and make your own Fogelmoment ... then sign up for Camp of Champions.

Keep Riding.

Rob Dunnet

Steve mathews' Legend MkII beat down test!

Hey guys,

So the other day I did something I should have done a while ago - full thorough inspection of the Legend MkII frame. This frame has seen a full season in Whistler, including 70+ days in the park and probably another 10 outside the park, plus riding as much as I can for the last 3 months since I've been back in Aus. I'm ~90kg (200lbs), ride reasonably fast and am certainly not easy on my bike.

So what did I find? Absolutely nothing wrong. Still on the original bearings, they're probably rough to the touch by now but there's no play and when you move the swingarm from the axle you don't feel anything unusual. There's no play. Nothing is cracked, despite my best efforts, including some really f#*king hard landings (like the kind that broke the Mk1 haha!).

So Keith, full points for the structural work. In the meantime I've watched mates write off numerous other frames, and I'm pretty stoked that the MkII hasn't let me down in the slightest. I look forward to seeing whatever you come up with for the Mk3, whenever that may be!

cheers,

Steve

-All Photo credits go to Ross Dunlop, thanks for the great shots!

Island Winter - Loken and LaRocque

Aaron and Strahan teamed up for another video that will be VOD on Pinkbike ... just not yet.



Keep Riding.

Rob Dunnet

Lear Miller Going Slowwwww

Lear just got back from another epic desert trip. Here's the video:



Can't wait to get this guy on a Legend!