This isn’t the first full-suspension BMX frame we’ve seen, but WeThePeople Swamp Master may be the first proper production BMX fully to come to market. WeThePeople describe it as a bike inspired by gravity mountain biking, but never forgetting how much fun it can be to ride a bike on 20″ wheels. And fully embracing what it feels like to throw a BMX into the air, whipping tricks off some dirt jumps…

WeThePeople Swamp Master full-suspension BMX bike

We got a little tease that a prototype Swamp Master existed last winter, when sister brand Éclat launched their disc brake Exile cassette BMX hub. And we’d already seen WTP taking a bit of MTB inspiration with their Chaos Machine. But this now takes it to the next level. And to 100mm of BMX suspension travel.

OK, so a quick refresher on 20″ fullies. We’ve been watching Fingers Crossed hacking together sketchy full-suspension with BMX legend Ruben Alcantara since early 2020. But those prototypes always scared us. A year later we saw UK custom BMX frame builder DeathPack offering to convert your current bike for a reasonable price. That looked a bit safer, but the name still scared me a bit. 😉

Now, WeThePeople’s new Swamp Master is a full-on production bike, engineered in Germany. Combining a burly 4130 chromoly frame with legit air suspension, and monster 2.6″ wide tires to create a tiny bike meant to send huge jumps. Take it to the bikepark, or shred some local singletrack, or hit the dirt jumps on the edge of town.

Wait, who are WP again?

Based in Cologne, Germany WeThePeople, or WTP, has built a name for themselves on the back of street-style 20″ BMX bikes, with a number of larger wheeled cruisers and klunkers that have also caught our mountain bikers’ attention. But as a part of the larger WeMakeThings company, they also cover tons of other disciplines with brands like Radio racing BMX & dirt jumpers, Éclat with cool BMX components, Bombtrack MTB, CX, gravel & commuter bikes, and Seido gravel & MTB components. So really, they’ve got their hands in every kind of bike. So, it not too surprising to see product designers from one brand blurring discipline lines.

Swamp Master Tech Details

OK, let’s look a bit closer. The WeThePeople Swamp Master is a full 4130 chromoly steel frame with big welded plate chainstay yokes for mega tire clearance, and a tapered 1.5″ headtube with top & downtube gussets.

It’s a 66mm travel single pivot rear suspension design with its main pivot concentric around the 22mm PressFit bottom bracket. It is a single speed with classic rear-facing horizontal track end dropouts that feature built-in chain tensioners. And of course, concentric pivot so no chain growth.

WTP builds the bike up with wide 20″ x 2.6″ Kenda Kaos tires on the 38mm wide Éclat alloy rims and Éclat’s Exile cassette hub. And 160mm hydraulic disc brakes to bring it to a stop.

It gets a 100mm travel 20″ Manitou Machete J-Unit Expert fork. That’s typically a kid’s fork, but here with a special tune for adult rider weights.

Rear suspension is handled by a RockShox Monarch RL shock, with a lockout for the pedal back up the hill.

WeThePeople Swamp Master – Pricing, availability & options

So first, no options. It’s a full-suspension BMX in one size – with a 21.5″ toptube.

And it comes in any color you want, as long as you want black. Price-wise, the Swamp Master sells complete for 1700€ in Europe or $1950 in the US. Getting will probably be a bit tricky, as they didn’t make a ton of these. Who could guess why? Officially the first batch is available in WTP retailer shops since last week. But many of those might have already sold out. The next batch is expected to land in early January, though. So if you missed out, talk to your WTP dealer now to lock in one of the next run.

Rumor has it, a separate frameset, perhaps even a Signature-series Swamp Master, may be available in 2024 for your own custom bull-suspension BMX build.

WeThePeopleBMX.de

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Get the hot sauce ready! Arizona’s own State Bicycle Co. is announcing a fun collaboration with the iconic Taco Bell to produce a limited edition State “DGAF” Klunker for you to drool over.

State Bicycle’s retro-inspired Klunker seems like a good platform for this type of delicious collaboration, as it seems to be the perfect kind of bike to ride to your local Taco Bell. This unique collaboration series includes a limited edition, on-the-bike handlebar, and frame bags, along with a full kit and t-shirt as well.

State’s Taco Bell Klunker Details

State’s Klunker is a homage to the glory days of the Repack and the birth of mountain biking. Not unlike the Klunkers that were raced down Mount Tam, the DGAF Klunker is all at once a beach cruiser, mountain bike, and BMX bike.

Equipped with a coaster brake rear hub, the Klunker eliminates all the pesky complications of modern bikes to focus on the simplicity and joy of riding your bike like a kid again.

Taco Bell’s iconic logo and signature brand colors of purple, pink, and yellow are tastefully placed throughout the frame and accessories.

The lucky owner of this tasty steed will also receive a complimentary, custom-fit Taco Bell x State Bicycle Co. branded frame bag that has a retail value of $69.99 if bought separately.

Some more spicey details include a seat tube bottle opener, custom bike grips, and bar ends that are embossed with the Taco Bell logo. And a Brooks-type saddle with both State’s “SBC” branding and Taco Bell’s logo.

Plus, consumers can choose from a range of apparel, including a fully monogrammed kit (jersey and bib), t-shirt, and a limited-edition handlebar (dare I say) “burrito” bag.

Taco Bell’s history of collaborations, across many different industries, is pretty impressive. This collaboration with State Bicycles, however, is Taco Bell’s first between food and transportation giving people a new perspective on riding a bike while sharing their love of both brands.

State Bicycle x Taco Bell Klunker Retail

Retail: $420.69 (with frame bag)

Check out all of the fun at the links below.

StateBicycle.com

TacoBellTacoShop.com

The post Live Mas! State Bicycle X Taco Bell Klunker Turns up the Heat appeared first on Bikerumor.

“I was mountain biking up this horrible hill behind my house. It was a beautiful day – blue sky and pure sun. A thought popped into my head – ’imagine riding a floating skatepark up in the sky.’

Kriss Kyle

Don’t Look Down

Press Release

Malmsbury, UNITED KINGDOM: “Imagine riding a floating skatepark up in the sky.” When BMX pro Kriss Kyle first dreamed up his Don’t Look Down project, little did he know the level of aeronautical engineering that would be required to turn his fantasy into a reality.

Don’t Look Down sees Kyle wearing a parachute and riding his bike in a Formula One-engineered BMX bowl suspended 2,000 feet in the air under a colossal hot air balloon.

By joining forces with Red Bull Advanced Technologies, Kyle is challenging conventional BMX boundaries by elevating the sport to staggering heights and aspiring to motivate up-and-coming generations to embrace BMX riding by demonstrating the sport’s endless possibilities. Here’s what you need to know:

Revolutionary BMX Bowl Design: Kriss worked with Red Bull Advanced Technologies, the tech arm of the Oracle Red Bull Racing Formula One Team, to create a cutting-edge BMX bowl. Utilizing the same composite materials as a Formula One car, the team employed world-leading aerodynamics, simulation, and modelling expertise to bring this vision to life.

Giant Hot Air Balloon: Cameron Balloons, a leading hot air balloon manufacturer, designed and built one of the world’s largest operational hot air balloons to lift the 1.7-tonne BMX bowl into the sky. This colossal balloon is six times larger than a standard hot air balloon.

Overcoming Challenges: The size and swing of the BMX bowl presented significant challenges for Kriss. Using his unique riding style, Kyle expertly navigated the compact space. Wearing a parachute was essential as he balanced on a metal rail over 2,000 ft above the ground in -12 degrees Celsius conditions.

Facing Fears: Despite his fear of heights, Kriss has never shied away from aerial feats. In past projects like “Dubai Drop” and “One from Copenhagen” he demonstrated his fearlessness by jumping out of a helicopter onto the Burj Al Arab skyscraper and paragliding with his bike, respectively.

“I’ve been dreaming of this project for so long, but the height factor has always felt like a massive weight on my mind. I’ve had to push past my fears several times before, but nothing has compared to this. Having to climb over the edge of the basket to get down to the skatepark underneath was such a crazy experience. I wouldn’t have been able to do it without the help and encouragement of my friends, who helped me down. At over 2,000 ft you’re so high up it almost doesn’t feel real anymore.”

Kriss Kyle

You can follow more of Kriss Kyle’s unmissable antics on his Instagram account @krisskyle

redbull.com

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Berlin, Germany’s Moto Bicycle Innovations has released the MOTO Pedals – unique pedals that are super flat, have no bearings, and are actually made of wood. MOTO says they are perfect for the urban rider, like the commuter, fixed gear rider, or even the flat land BMXer.

The Moto Pedals are “dead simple, super comfy, and provide unrivaled grip under urban (non-muddy) conditions”.

The Classic and the Colour are both constructed of a waterproof, multi-layered wooden frame. The Reflex is made with a fiberglass composite body with high-quality reflective tape that is available in white, yellow, orange, pink, blue, and green.

Moto Pedals Classic

The Classic Pedal is MOTO’s original and most premium pedal, which they feel are the best option for daily city commuting. It also includes their lightest, CNC machined and hollowed chomo-steel axle, an exclusive for the Classic Pedal.

Underneath the grip tape are two “ultra-thin, fiberglass-composite pedal platforms which are decorated with “beautiful, weather-sealed and lacquered wooden frames”. These allow your foot to rock naturally with the pedal.

Classic Pedal Details, Specs, and Retail

• Hollow CNC-machined and nitrocarburized chromo-steel axle, corrosion-free with reduced friction and weight
• GFK-composite pedal platform shells that are high impact grade, designed to eliminate dirt and debris in the bearings
• Zinc-coated steel fasteners for corrosion resistance to ensure easy serviceability
• Weather-resistant coarse grit grip tape to optimize traction with all daily footwear
• FSC-certified and CNC-machined and sealed wooden frame to add stability and style
• Adjustable width positions between axle and pedal platforms for individual comfort

Total profile: 15 mm
Weight: 346 g per Pair
Pedal thread: 9/16“
Packaging scope: 2 Pedals, Allen key 3 mm

Retail: $170

Moto Pedals Colour

The Colour Pedal, which comes in Red, Balck, or White is built around the hardened and machined, solid stainless steel axle that is encased in the “high impact strength reinforced composite platform, allowing it to rotate as needed”.

The color-matched grip tape is applied to all 70.3 square centimeters of flat surface. The sturdy wooden frame is uniformly stained to match the other outer surfaces. It is “weather sealed in the same fashion as a premium wooden boat”.

Colour Pedal Detals, Specs, and Retail

• CNC-machined hardened-steel axle that is corrosion-free and sturdy with reduced friction
• GFK-composite pedal platform shells that are high impact grade, designed to eliminate dirt and debris in the bearings
• Zinc-coated steel fasteners for corrosion resistance to ensure easy serviceability
• Weather resistant and pigmented coarse grit griptape to optimize traction with all daily footwear
• FSC certified and CNC-machined stained and sealed wooden frame to add stability and style
• Adjustable width positions between axle and pedal platforms for individual comfort

Total profile: 15 mm
Weight: 376 g per Pair
Pedal thread: 9/16“
Packaging scope: 2 Pedals, Allen key 3 mm

Retail: $126

Moto Pedals Reflex

The Reflex is MOTO’s “newest, lightest, and best-selling pedal to date”. It helps to increase visibility with high-quality reflective tape that you can get in a wide range of colors.

The Reflex is both reduced in weight and price compared to the other two models, but still keeping true to the unique advantages of the higher-end pedals, like the machined axle, a thin, high-impact resistant platform, and premium weather-resistant grip tape resulting in the same smart and simple form.

Reflex Pedal Details, Specs, and Retail

• CNC-machined hardened-steel axle that is corrosion-free and sturdy with reduced friction
• GFK-composite pedal platform shells that are high impact grade and designed to eliminate dirt and debris in the bearings
• Zinc-coated steel fasteners for corrosion resistance to ensure easy serviceability
• Weather-resistant coarse grit grip tape to optimize traction with all daily footwear
• Reflective tape to increase visibility

Total profile: 15 mm
Weight: 336 g per Pair
Pedal thread: 9/16“
Packaging scope: 2 Pedals, Allen key 3 mm, 4 reflective stripes

Retail: $61

Check out all of the different styles of pedals to fit your specific needs at the link below.

MotoBicycles.com

The post MOTO Pedals are Ultra Flat, Shin-Friendly, and Made of Wood appeared first on Bikerumor.

Sure, there aren’t a lot of BMX bikes running disc brakes at the moment. But just like we’ve all seen on mountain then cross, gravel & road bikes… once disc brakes start to creep in, they tend to take over.

Éclat Exile Disc brake BMX cassette hub

Éclat’s standard Exile BMX hub has been around for a while for good old rim brake and brakeless bike setups, already with uniquely quick cassette-style engagement. But when they were developing the chromoly WTP Chaos Machine freestyle bike with Tyson Jones-Peni, it was clear they would need a tough but lightweight BMX disc brake hub, too. And one with super-fast engagement!

Enter the Éclat Exile Disc BMX cassette hub, at just 403g with a 9T cog, 4130 chromoly axle & bolts.

Why a BMX-specific disc brake hub? Tech details

From a mountain biker’s perspective, you might just think, “why not use an existing MTB hub?” But the trick is, 20″ BMX uses narrower 110mm hub spacing, 10mm or 14mm bolt-on axles, generally a lot more spokes, and just 1 gear for the most part. Plus, BMX is always a struggle between building something small and bulletproof, that’s also light whenever possible. So, finding an existing compatible hub was pretty much a dead end.

Starting with the existing Éclat Exile hub, this new disc brake version shares the same 6061-T6 alloy hub shell construction and its original cassette-style driver with 6 x 3-tooth pawls for super-fast 120 points of engagement. That’s just 3° of freewheeling play before you put your power down. Those cassette pawls are attached directly to the one-piece machined 7075-T6 aluminum driver that incorporates the 9t single-speed cog. A separate 10t driver cog can also be swapped in, both compatible with standard 1/8″ singlespeed chains.

The new Éclat Exile disc brake BMX cassette hub features ISO 6-bolt rotor mounts, and spins on 2 high-quality sealed bearing inside the hub shell and another 3 bearings packed in-a-row into the driver itself.

Éclat Exile Disc hub – Pricing, availability & options

The Éclat Exile Disc hub is available now in 36-hole drilling only, and in black or bronze for 190€, or in super shiny polished silver for 197€. For now the WTP Chaos Machine is the only production BMX bike being built up with the new Éclat Exile Disc hub. But word on the street is that there are plenty of custom disc brake BMX bikes out there that this will fit. And rumor also has it that a few more companies are working on similar disc brake BMX bikes at the moment, which are expected to be released very soon.

As for whether there’s going to be a matching front hub…

For now, Éclat are pairing the Exile Disc rear hub with their regular rim/no-brake Exile front hub. They see this mostly for the trail & dirt jumping scene where there’s little need for a front brake, but…

Éclat did already make a matching 15mm thru-axle Exile Disc front hub for their Swamp Master project bike, above. So don’t rule that out in the future, either. What’s that Swamp Master you say? Rumor is that’s a full suspension 20″ dirtjumper with a Manitou Machete fork.

Until then, hit some dirt jumps…

EclatBMX.com

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A few months ago, we were invited to the Scottish Mountain Bike Conference in Aberdeen where we had the pleasure of listening to Trudy Lindblade as she set out her plans for the Cycling World Championships of 2023. Trudy is the Chief Executive Officer of the 2023 UCI Cycling World Championships, set to oversee 13 Cycling World Championship Events hosted in Scotland next August. It is the first time in the UCI’s history that the World Champs for all UCI-recognized cycling disciplines (with the notable exception of Cyclo-cross) will be held together in what organizers are calling a Mega Event.

Trudy spoke with great enthusiasm about the enormous task she and her team have ahead of them, making it very clear what an incredible opportunity this World First event is for the sport of cycling and everyone that’s part of it, as well as everyone who is not yet part of it but will most definitely be thereafter.

Showdowns for BMX Freestyle Flatland, BMX Freestyle Park, BMX Racing, Gran Fondo, Indoor Cycling, Para-Cycling Road, Para-Cycling Track, Road, Track, Trials, Mountain Bike Cross-Country and Mountain Bike Downhill will all take place over August 3-13, a time during which myself and my Bikerumor colleagues will wish we could be in several places at once. Also… and this is pure conjecture from me, but given EDR-Enduro’s (formerly the EWS) recent call-up to UCI World Cup status, it wouldn’t at all surprise me to see a 14th event added in due course. Again, pure conjecture, but i’d probably bet at least half of the £1.26 in my back pocket on it.

We sat down with Trudy to learn more about specific plans for the World Championships, and what kind of legacy she hopes will remain after the dust has settled, and the medals awarded.

Interview with Trudy Lindblade, CEO of 2023 UCI Cycling World Championships

Bikerumor: 2023 will be the first time in the history of the UCI that 13 Cycling World Championship Events will be hosted in the same place. Can you tell us why that decision was made, instead of having the Championships spread out across multiple countries and continents as has traditionally been the case?

Trudy Lindblade: When the UCI President David Lappartient came in for his first term, this was part of his manifesto, coming into his presidency to try and bring all the World Championships together. And it was just to create an event of size and scales, so cycling could have that moment where everybody in the world can see what a great big sport cycling is. And it’s not just, you know, the Olympic sports that you see on TV every couple of years, whether it be the Commonwealth Games or Olympic Games.

Bringing it together, they can put cycling front and center every four years, because the event will be held every four years prior to the Olympic Games. It helps with that sustainable future of cycling. So again, showing the depth and breadth of cycling.

People who might traditionally have not considered a discipline might go, “Well, I might give that a go”. And then there’s a new audience piece. So, by bringing them together we are mixing the audiences as well. Cause if you think about cycling, it can be quite tribal in a way.

Um, so we’ve got an opportunity to say “Well come and explore something a little bit different”. And then hopefully by doing that we are providing that new audience opportunity to grow people, and bring people into the sport. And that bringing people into the sport can be more people riding bikes. It can be commercial revenues, you know, any of those types of things, which sort of goes back to that sustainable future of the sport.

How does cycling keep up with the other big sports in the world to make sure that it has a long-term future. And there’s lots of other things; obviously the UCI and cycling are doing, but for this and our purpose, you know, bringing an event of size and scale together in one spot allows you to hang lots of other things off it.

Bikerumor: Forgive me. Are there cycling disciplines that will be in the World Championships that aren’t an Olympic Sport?

Trudy Lindblade: That’s okay! So, there are some non-Olympic Sports. So, um, some of the BMX and Urban are not Olympic sports.

So, Trials and Flatland. Um, you’ve got Indoor Cycling, so Cycle Ball and Artistic Cycling. Um, not all of the mountain bike events are Olympic Events. So, you’ve got quite a range of disciplines that are in the World Championships that are not necessarily seen on that big stage every day.

And I think particularly for some of those emerging sports, and I love to use the example of Artistic Cycling because when I describe that to people, they are intrigued by it because it is very different. You know, Artistic Cycling… gymnastics on a bike, Soccer Ball… soccer on a bike, or football on a bike. The indoor worlds were just actually held in Belgium last week [5^th November].

You know, it is different. I sent a couple of our team out there for a reconnaissance because we need to learn a bit about it, you know, it’s not something we’re familiar with and they’ve just come back raving about it. They said it’s a really a good event.

Bikerumor: It’s amazing, and about as far removed from cycling as you can go while still involving a bike.

Trudy Lindblade: Correct. It’s just, it’s amazing what they do. That’s the other thing we sort of talk about, you know, the bike, the humble bike. I call it the humble bike because it is just a humble bike.

And you know, it, there’s just so many things and elements that it can do for you in your everyday life that’s different. And that’s part of the broader messaging of our event is, you know, the bike is not just something you can win World Championships on – there is so much more. So, we can use this event to give those broader messages.

Bikerumor: I suppose with the Indoor Cycling as well… like you say, it was held in Belgium. I think like parts of the sport have different levels of following in different regions of the world. So, I guess it’s gonna raise the profile of every single discipline all at once.

Trudy Lindblade: Exactly. And, and our challenge is to make sure that we do that; it’s to give each of those disciplines in each World Championship its appropriate moment. And we are really conscious of that because we want to make sure that this is an inclusive event and that inclusive means not just making it accessible to people to attend or to watch or to participate, but it’s also, you know, we want to be able to tell people about your blue-ribbon events, and then you’ve got your emerging events or your lesser-known events. And so, we want to tell that whole story of cycling. And that’s really important to us.

Bikerumor: So, we’re interested in knowing what the costs are going be, and also what the cost would’ve been for you guys to put the bid together for Glasgow in the first place.

Trudy Lindblade: Yeah, so this was not necessarily a traditional approach because it came through the UCI president’s original manifesto.

He was talking about it with my Chair, who’s also the Director of Events in Scotland, and some of our funding partners at Sport Accord. It’s where all the sports come together each year. So, we went into an exclusive negotiation period with the UCI to bid for this event.

During that period, we had obviously the opportunity to work with the UCI on demonstrating how we would be able to host. And the great thing is that we had, in Scotland, recently hosted the European Championships in 2018 which was a brand-new event. You know, it was a multi-sport event based in Glasgow. The difference here is our event is Pan-Scotland, and that’s really important for us that we are engaging with as much of Scotland as we can.

We had just demonstrated that we had the ability to run an event – a brand new event – to take it on and run it successfully. The bid was done through Event Scotland, Glasgow City Council, UK Sport, the Scottish Government and British Cycling.

So, we couldn’t be doing this without them. It was a really collaborative approach from the beginning because this event hasn’t been done before. So, we have a shared vision with the UCI about what we would like to see, and I think that’s a really nice way to start your bid where we are coming at it collectively.

We’ve taken this idea and we are creating it together and we’re essentially creating together the UCI’s blueprint for the future. Now, probably that will look slightly different in France in 2027, but at least we’ll have the functional model that will help them take it forward and then each country there on in, as happens in any major event, will add their bit to it.

So, we’ll put our Scottish Kilt over it, and France will put their, whatever the equivalent is, over it and we’ll do it that way. Events of this size and scale can’t be delivered without principal funders, which are our government funders, but without also the support that they bring as well.

And Scotland’s got a ready network of major event credentials; from transport to, you know, their local councils – they’re all experienced in event delivery.

Bikerumor: And what are the expected costs of delivering the event next year?

Trudy Lindblade: Yeah, so with our funding partners, it’s around £45 Million. That is the expected delivery cost. So, you know, we’ve got an opportunity to deliver a terrific event. And we need our funding partners and other partners to help us do that. So, you know, we’ll also be bringing on a range of commercial partners to supplement that.

Bikerumor: You mentioned during your talk at the [Developing Mountain Biking in Scotland] conference that certain facilities were already under development in advance of the event. I’m wondering whether there will be funding available after the event to keep some of those facilities open. Like, for example, just down the road from me at Glentress, they’re currently building the Start and Finish arena for the Cross-Country.

Trudy Lindblade: Yeah, definitely, that’s the purpose of the Facilities Fund. So, the £8 Million Facilities Fund wouldn’t have happened if we hadn’t had this World Championships. It was a bit of a catalyst. So, we are really proud of that.

And that was all about, you know, inspiring a nation for cycling about, you know, building facilities. Because we’ve got all of these people that are wanting to cycle and we’ve got to make sure Scotland’s got those facilities to enable them to do that.

And that could be from creating a pump track to making sure toilets and bathrooms are available within facilities. There’s a range of things that that can go toward. So, for us, absolutely part of the creation of these facilities is so that they have a long-term use afterwards. So, for the funding that goes out, you know, there needs to be a plan that’s submitted with that funding.

And, it’s not just about creating it for the event. It’s actually about, you know, for us it’s about the before, during, and after. For us, that after piece is really important because there’s no point us doing this if we don’t have the after piece. Um, and that is really important now. Once we’ve got the funding it’s up to the local authority or the agency has been issued that funding to then make sure that they do that upkeep post. But certainly, that’s all considered in the early stages when we’re assessing the bids for funding.

So, for us that’s really important. Regarding the XC Track near you [Glentress], we’re working really closely with Forestry and Land Scotland to develop the new trails in Glentress Forest. As you know, they’re building that to a Master Plan. We are adding on some extra trails. There’ll be some very limited temporary infrastructure. What we tried to do is limit the amount of temporary infrastructure because we want to keep what we can. So, the timing for us is really good to be hosting this down in the Tweed Valley. You know, Forestry and Land Scotland had that Master Plan ready to go, so we were able to capitalize on that.

So absolutely, we’ll be hoping to leave as many trails as possible there so that people can ride them afterwards. And in fact, for many of our events, um, you can actually, at the moment, ride at many of the facilities; parts of the Mountain Bike Downhill, for example.

You can ride in the Tweed Valley Forest. You might not know the trail yet because they haven’t released the trail, but there’ll be parts that people can try and explore. You know, you can go to the Glasgow Velodrome on a Saturday or after work. Um, you know, the Velodrome is open and I think that’s a little-known fact that the Velodrome is open nearly every day of the year. And you can go in and ride it. You can do a taster session, you can get your track license, you can take your kids on a Saturday morning. That’s a bit of a legacy from the [2018] Commonwealth Games.

So again, you’ve got another major event legacy that we are able to use, you know, just under 10 years on. Um, so really important that we get people to experience what we can, and, you know, emulate their heroes to create the heroes of the future.

Bikerumor: Can you tell us much about what the event at Fort William [Downhill] will look like? Will any new trails infrastructure be going in? Will the downhill track be modified in any way for the event or is it too early to say?

Trudy Lindblade: It’s a little bit too early to say, but we are definitely working with Nevis Range and with Rare Management, our event delivery partner, on what we can do to make the World Championships special.

Because we know how special the World Cups are. I had the pleasure of being there this year and just, Wow. What an event. It bucketed down with rain. And it did not change how people behaved. Do you know what I mean? Like everyone’s still engaged. It was still brilliant. It had great racing. My son watches that downhill video, I reckon every second night.

So, our challenge is, how do we make it that bit better? How do we make it into a World Championship?

So that’s the challenge we’ve set our team, the challenge we’ve set Rare Management, and the challenge we’ve set Nevis Range. Um, and part of that is looking at the course. So, um, there will be more to come. Yeah, we’ll definitely be looking at how we can make it just that little bit different.

Bikerumor: Maybe some legacy features to remind everyone of the World Championships?

Trudy Lindblade: Absolutely. And you know what? We’ve got really ready and willing partners in Nevis Range and also Sports Scotland and the Scottish Government who would help. If we can make those changes, we’ll make sure that we do that. So, we’re in those discussions at the moment and hopefully we’ll have something exciting to share soon.

Bikerumor: For the events themselves, will there be funding to help athletes from disadvantaged backgrounds to make the trip to Scotland compete?

Trudy Lindblade: Yeah, so this event is an opportunity for the UCI and for us to look at things a little bit differently.

So, it is an objective of the UCI and, and with our support, to have as many countries as possible compete. Um, we talk about 120 nations of the 202 member federations of the UCI. If we could, we’d have every member nation compete and we’d work out a way of supporting the UCI to make that happen.

Obviously, the role that we’ll play as the event delivery partner is that we will try and make, particularly for some of those nations that do not have the resources that some of the bigger nations have, we will provide some on the ground solutions to support them. And, I think a really good example there is the para-athletes.

Um, so making sure, because you’ve got para-athletes that compete in road and track, we’re looking at how we can help them move between the venues. So, we are working to find options to work with them to make things easier because we know, and particularly as the first edition of this event, we know how people will move around the event and the competition schedule helps us with that planning.

Um, so we are talking to all the federations and finding out what works, what their questions are. Is there anything that we need to think about as an organizer and how can we help them? And then obviously the UCI will play its roles through how it uses its Solidarity Fund and other things that they have in place for how they support member federations that might need additional support so that. But once they’re on the ground, we’ll certainly do what we can for those nations that do not have not the same resources as the others. In fact, even for the big nations, we also want to make it as simple as possible for them too.

So, it’s just striking the balance to be honest, because we can’t do everything for everyone. We’ve got an amazing event to run. But we want everyone to come to Scotland and experience a great time. So that’s our objective.

You can keep up to date with 2023 UCI Cycling World Championships news on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook, and plan your trip to Scotland to watch the action in person at cyclingworldchamps.com

The post Interview: Trudy Lindblade on the 2023 UCI Cycling World Championships – a £45 Million Mega Event appeared first on Bikerumor.

WeThePeople are making waves in BMX with their new chromoly WTP Chaos Machine frame, making it the first-ever freestyle bike to get disc brakes. Or rather… a disc brake, since this is freestyle BMX so you only need a rear brake anyway. Save weight & complexity up front with foot jams, right?

WTP Chaos Machine disc brake BMX bike

 

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The rim brake vs. disc brake debate raged for years first in MTB, then cyclocross, and still hasn’t entirely died down on the road with some retro grouches and old-school roadie holdouts. But while there are a few BMXers experimenting with next-gen bikes like these mini full-suspension sleds, or Olympic BMXers having even paired carbon, discs & gasp… a derailleur! there hasn’t really been any push to bring disc brakes to BMX on a real scale.

But WTP figures if you are going big off the dirt jumps, maybe you need big-powered brakes too!

“We worked with Aussie trail boss and BMX lifer Tyson Jones-Peni on an all-out trail and bowl roasting machine. The Chaos Machine Frame features long and stable geometry, combined with Wethepeople’s legendary frame building technology making it one of the meanest and toughest rigs in the game.“

“Tyson isn’t scared to go fast and hit the mainline with some serious speed so we equipped his signature steed with mounts for a disc brake (and a regular u-brake) making it the first frame of its kind and perfect for riders needing some upgraded stopping power. From the super long 14″+ chainstay to the unique detailing on the seat stay bridge and head tube, the Chaos Machine frame is one of the most “signature” frames we’ve ever made.”

Tech details

The 20″ wheel WTP Chaos Machine is a burly BMX bike frame welded from seamless butted Japanese chromoly steel tubing. It features WTP’s signature extruded chainstays with extra thickness on their underside for extra strength & durability, a variable thickness bottom bracket shell, plus top & downtube gussets.

It gets a 74mm mid-sized BMX BB, integrated headset cups, low-profile 6mm-thick CNC’ed track end dropouts with integrated chain tensioners, an alloy seatpost clamp, and clearance for up to a 2.4″ tire.

The Chaos Machine can run either a traditional U-brake (with removable posts) or an IS-mount rear disc brake, compatible with rotors as small as 120mm or up to 160mm.

WeThePeople sell the 2.4kg frame on its own. You’re not too likely to find a 20″ freestyle BMX fork with a front disc brake, so take advantage of all the breaking you can get when you land a big dirt jump line.

Tyson’s signature Chaos Machine Bike Check

Tyson’s signature WeThePeople Chaos Machine was built up with a 32mm offset WTP Patrol fork, 9.15″ oversize clamp Buck Bar on a Logic Topload stem.

His bike gets a Radio Raceline hydraulic disc brake with a 140mm rotor, and killer Éclat carbon wheels with Carbonic rims laced to Exile front & Exile Disc rear hubs, and wrapped in 2.4″ front & 2.25″ rear Vapour tires.

Then it gets a full Éclat finishing kit…

Wave integrated headset, Sean Burns grips, Exile MTB-style alloy seatpost, Exile hollow chromoly rail saddle with Tyson limited edition graphics…

175mm Spire tubular chromoly cranks with a 33T machined Exile chainring, a 4 Stroke hollow-plate half-link chain, and alloy prototype Surge XL flat pedals.

WTP Chaos Machine – Pricing & Availability

The disc-brake-ready WTP Chaos Machine sells as a frame-only for A$680 in Aussie Dollarydoos from Tyson’s own Back Bone BMX shop in Canberra. WeThePeople developed the frame back in Germany though, so that compares to about 450€. It comes in either black or glossy clear over raw steel, and in three sizes with long & stable 21″, 21.35″, or 21.7″ toptubes.

Check your local WTP dealer to get a local price and find out how quickly they could build up a disc brake freestyle BMX for you to take off some sweet jumps.

WeThePeopleBMX.de

The post WTP Chaos Machine Brings Disc Brakes to Freestyle BMX Bikes appeared first on Bikerumor.

Wahoo Fitness is bridging the gap between virtual and personal training, allowing athletes to peek behind the curtain to see how the world’s best train at the UCI World Cycling Center.

In collaboration with UCI World Cycling Center’s coaches, riders, and staff, Wahoo creates an immersive training experience. The new Wahoo X series, “A Week With the UCI World Cycling Center,” is available to watch and train with the Wahoo SYSTM training platform.

The training experiences cover a multitude of cycling disciplines, including; track, road, mountain bike, and BMX. The series examines what these different athletes do for training and the discipline-specific work needed to succeed at their craft.

Wahoo X UCI World Cycling Center Program

• UCI World Cycling Center – Tour: Ride and tour the UCI World Cycling Center with its Director, Jacques Landry, where he and others share its mission, stories, and insights into what the center offers.
• UCI World Cycling Center – Track: Get face-to-face with legendary track coach Craig MacLean at the UCI Velodrome. The workout includes a Scratch race and a series of high-intensity efforts with the track athletes.
• UCI World Cycling Center – Road: Join the UCI Women’s Continental Team as they take you out on a team time trial up the infamous climb of Torgon, a UCI rite of passage, before finishing up with a race simulation and long descent back home.
• UCI World Cycling Center – BMX Racing: UCI World Cycling Center Performance Manager Liam Phillips takes riders through an introduction to the sport and five flat-out laps of the track.
• UCI World Cycling Center – Mountain Bike: riders will join the trails in La Thuile, Italy, with the Mountain Bike Team Coach Charlie Evans and will do two laps of the race course, attempting to master the highly technical features, demanding climbs, and aggressive competitors.

Jacques Landry, UCI World Cycling Center Director, commented: “The A Week with the UCI World Cycling Center series is a great way for the Wahoo X members to get into the daily lives of athletes. These athletes come to us from many parts of the globe to improve their physical and mental development and acquire important technical and tactical knowledge to help them reach their goals in cycling. Participants in this series will be put through the paces of our athletes’ training and racing routines. Get ready to have fun, work hard and learn a lot with our talented riders and staff!”

Wahoo X UCI World Cycling Center Program — How does it work?

Anyone who completes the new Wahoo X UCI World Cycling Center series by Dec 23rd, 2022, will earn the UCI World Cycling Center badge in Wahoo SYSTM. The UCI World Cycling Center will offer exclusive prizes for these dedicated holiday cyclists.

How to sign up

For those looking to train/compete/win in the all-new Wahoo X UCI Cycling Center experience. You’ll need a subscription to the Wahoo X platform (only for those looking to ride). The membership is $14.99 per month, delivering two apps; Wahoo RGT and Wahoo SYSTM.

Wahoo X is available for US$14.99. For more information, visit: Wahoofitness.com

The post Wahoo X UCI World Cycling Center Program Lets You Train Virtually & Win Real Life Prizes appeared first on Bikerumor.

If you drink as much Pacifico Clara as I do, there’s a reason why you do it. Maybe it’s the beer itself, with its extremely reliable clean and refreshing profile. Or maybe it’s the branding, with the cool ring buoy, bright red mountain, tattoo-style anchor insignia, and unflinching yellow.

In fact, if that’s the part that turns you on about Pacifico, you’ll want to check out GT’s new collab bike.

The Pacifico Performer lays the yellow-clad Mexican beer’s aesthetic on thick with a Pacifico-branded frame, fork, and saddle. Maxxis tires look carefully chosen for their yellow lettering, and five-spoke mags help draw attention to contrast.

For Pacifico, it’s an ad spot, but for GT, it’s a callback to the American company’s roots. The bike builder introduced its first bright yellow bike, the Pro Performer, in 1985.

GT most famously made BMX bikes, and the Pacifico Performer’s black mags salute that heritage in the first time the company’s adapted the structure to a full-size wheel. BMX bars set it off with a playful touch.

A custom Pacifico number plate, GT Mallet stem, GT Power Series Alloy cranks, and plenty of yellow and gold leaf embellishments round out the single speed build.

Next year is GT’s 50th anniversary. I don’t know if the Pacifico Performer is a sign that the brand is celebrating or not, but I’ll raise an ice cold cerveza to it regardless.

MSRP: $1,015, and as the brand says, when it’s gone, it’s gone.

gtbicycles.com

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Grips, a dropper post, and now… pedals. Wolf Tooth Components has been extremely busy lately with a number of big product launches. Now they’re putting their manufacturing spin into flat pedals with the new Waveform Aluminum Pedals.

As you’d expect from most products from Wolf Tooth Components, the Waveform pedals are designed, machined, assembled, and shipped from their headquarters in Minnesota. The pedal bodies are machined from 6061-T6 aluminum and then assembled with 17-4 PH stainless steel axles which are also manufactured in-house.

The Waveform comes in two sizes, Small and Large with the design proportionally scaled to the particular size. WTC is certainly not the first company to offer multiple platform sizes, but it’s good to see more options depending on your needs. The Small measures 105mm x 99mm at 373g per pair, while the Large is 112mm x 106mm and 384g per pair.

The platform uses a dual concave design, with the center measuring 12.5mm thick and 14mm thick at the edges.

Each side of the pedal features 11 stainless steel traction pins which drop in from the opposite side of the pedal for easy removal. Six replacement pins are included with each pair, but all of the individual components are also available as replacement parts.

Waveform pedals spin on three bearings plus an Igus bushing with seals at both ends to keep them spinning freely in all conditions.

Available in four colors and two sizes, Waveform pedals sell for $199.95 per pair and are available now with a five year warranty.

wolftoothcomponents.com

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