Hey guys, I just got back from Orlando dew tour last night, I drove down there from NC which wasn't too bad. I was going into the comp with a bit of a hurt wrist so I wasn't too excited. I rode dirt on Thursday and my wrist wasn't holding up too well. I ended up in 24th place. Saturday was park prelims and I still could hardly pump around the course, it was real annoying cause I was looking forward to this contest but couldn't even give it my all. I ended up taking it easy and took 30th place.

I went to the doctor this morning in Greenville and had some xays. Everything looks normal but it does not feel like it. I have a MRI appointment tomorrow at 4:30 to get it checked out more.

I'm flying to Cali Friday morning for the ride bmx video "Range Of Motion" premiere that I have a full section in. The premier is Friday night at the ride offices in Orange county. Then I will be in Cali for the weekend. Back home Monday and then to the doc Tuesday to see the results of the MRI. Hopefully nothing too crazy going on in there. Until then I will keep you posted!

Dillsy

Mike Day:

AA Pro - Saturday:  6th (semi final)

AA Pro - Sunday:  DNQ

Mike had a really tough time this weekend in Lancaster.  His first straight pull wasn’t what he was hoping for, and with the track being a bit on the “easy side”, there wasn’t really anywhere for him to make up ground.  He signed a ton of autographs, took a lot of pictures with the fans and even did some TV interview stuff for an upcoming BMX program.  All things considered, he did a fine job representing GT Bicycles.

AA Pro - Saturday:  DNQ

Eric Rupe:

Vet Pro - Saturday:  7th
Pro Cruiser:  6th

Vet Pro – Sunday:  5th                                           
Pro Cruiser:  7th                               

Bubba Gonzales:

10x - Saturday:  7th
10 cru – Saturday:  1st

10x – Sunday:  1st
10 cru – Sunday:  1st
                                                                                                
Bubba was on fire this weekend and his results sure showed it.  He ripped his way to wins in three out of the four classes he entered.  If it wasn’t for a crash in the 10 expert main on Saturday, he most likely would have won that as well.  Looks like his wrist is doing just fine.  Way to go Bub!!

Mike Day:
Elite Men: 5th 

The announcer was calling the Chula Vista facility “Mike Day’s House”, as he was the winner of the only other race ever held here before… the Olympic Trials in 2008.  Mike continued his winning ways here by taking first place in the time trial over current World Champion Donny Robinson and Olympic Champion Maris Strombergs.  Day won every lap he was in and looked like a shoe in for the main event win.  Unfortunately for Mike and all his fans, he hit the gate in the main and had to come from dead last, only to finish fifth.  An impressive showing overall but a disappointing finals lap.  

If Joey had any luck at all in this event, it was mostly “bad”.  Like he usually does, he looked to be one of the fastest guys on the track.  A crash in turn one of moto one gave him a seventh.  He was winning moto two when he had a horrible crash in turn two.  The crowd was just happy to see him even get up, much less watch him ride away.  The crash was so bad looking, one would have thought he was gonna need an ambulance for a ride to the hospital.  He actually got up there and raced moto three and finished a strong second place.  Unfortunately, he had too many points and didn’t move on in the program.

Arielle feels right at home on the Chula Vista SX track and did really well at this event.  She was runnin’ hot in the motos and made it to the final with a strong third in the semi.  She picked lane eight for the main.  She had a great start and was first or second to the first jump, but was stuck on the outside and couldn’t get over.  She rode a good race and finished 3rd.  Getting on the podium at any SX event is quite an accomplishment, so GREAT job and congrats to Arielle.

GT proudly represents the following partners: Kenda Tires, Shimano, Alienation, Fly Racing, SDG Saddles, Snap BMX Products and Champion System.

Team GT Bicycles was in Mammoth Mountain, CA on September 4-6 to take part in the California Golden State Mountain Bike Championships.  GT's gravity ace Eric "EC" Carter and his mechanic John Canepa were both in attendance to enjoy the weekend at one of mountain biking's most influential locations of all time. There has not been a major event held at Mammoth Mountain since the 2005 U.S. National Championships, and it was great to return to such a fun venue! 

Friday started with practice runs down the legendary Kamikaze DH, which has gained a reputation of being one the most wide-open, all-out, fastest downhill courses in the world. Racers have tried their luck on this unique course since the early '90's, and it's common to see speeds of 50mph+! The Kamikaze differs from most downhill courses due to the fact that it is one long fire road with no technical sections. This type of course allows riders to go fast as they wish, which depends on overall fitness and having the proper bike and gear choice. After taking a few practice runs down the course, EC realized that his 42T chainring wasn't going to be enough to allow him to gain the speed he desired. He discussed the issue with Team GT mechanic John Canepa and a large chainring was going to be mandatory to achieve a worthwhile result.

To start the mission to overcome this hurdle, EC had a 56T chainring from the '90's, that he brought with him specifically for this race. But there were many problems facing this scenario: The chainring was a 5-bolt design, whereas all cranks/chainrings nowadays are a 4-bolt design. Even if an old 5-bolt crank was used, it wouldn't match up to the wide 83mm BB width on today's DH bikes. Secondly, a chainguide would be needed to accommodate such a large gear, and most current chainguides will only accept a maximum of 44T. How could the big 56T possibly work without a compatible crank and chainguide? A little thought, fabrication, and confidence provided what was needed to tackle the job.  John buckled down and got crafty with a few E-13 chainguides, a drill, some miscellaneous nuts & bolts, and the end result was a strong and reliable 56T chainring mounted on new cranks with a custom-built chainguide to ma tch. The setup fit perfectly on the GT Fury downhill machine.

Below is a youtube clip of the first official Flow Country Trail in Livigno, Italy, which I built with legendary trail builder Diddie Schneider.

Flow Country is a new term I have coined, for a purpose built mountain bike trail with lots of flow. Nothing steep nor dangerous, with small berms and rollers, predominantly downhill. This trail is designed to accommodate all skill levels and all styles of mountain bikes. In my opinion it bridges the gap between free-ride and cross country. Every town or resort worldwide should offer Flow Country trails.

This first official Flow Country trail and the concept has generated a lot of interest and support by riders and the industry who have ridden it or seen the presentation at Eurobike.

It’s been a seemingly long comeback for Bubba with the wrist injury, but he sure looks like all is now 100%.  He was absolutely UNSTOPABLE this weekend in Louisville, KY at the NBL Grands.  He won both 10 expert and 10 cruiser and earned the number one plate in both classes.  Great job Bubba!  Your 29 year-old mom must be so proud!
 

GT proudly represents the following partners: Kenda Tires, Shimano, Alienation, Fly Racing, SDG Saddles, Snap BMX Products and Champion System.

Afterwards we packed our backpacks and rode our bikes to the Carosello
lift to catch the last ride of the day with the telecabina to the
mid-station. From there we rode our bikes to the Baitel dal Canton
mountain hut, where we spent the night. Those Baitel's or mountain huts
are super cool, everybody can sleep there, first come first serve. There
are blankets, firewood and a small hut for shelter with all the
essentials.

A presto

Hans

Joey Bradford:

After returning from last week’s World Championships, a lot of US riders, including Joey & Mike Day, came down with a pretty heavy illness.  Joey was in bed most of the week trying to recover while Mike stayed home and skipped this event all together.  Joey said, even though he felt like he should stay in bed, there was no way he wanted to miss a national event on his local track.  He was actually going really fast and made the Elite Men’s main event both days despite feeling really weak and powerless.  He was running in third on Sunday when he accidentally took a detour and shot off the track into the infield.  Get better Joe and we’ll see ya at the next one.

Eric’s biggest challenge these days seems to be the tracks themselves.  They seem to be getting more difficult and technical all the time which really seems to be the main part of his focus.  He did okay in the main events, but was disappointed with his level of aggression “on” the track.  The next event for Big Daddy is the NBL Grands in Louisville, KY.  Another tech track.  Oh Boy!

Bubba Gonzales:
10 expert -  Saturday:  1st
10 cruiser - Saturday:  1st

10 expert-  Sunday:  1st
10 cruiser - Sunday:  1st

 


The Manzanita track in Prunedale, CA is Bubba's local track and with
that, most other riders don't stand a chance at beating him.  Well,
Bubba didn't disappoint as he won all but one lap the entire weekend.
He destroyed the competition, taking the win in both classes each day.
Nice job there Bubba!  Let's not forget that this was Bubba's first race
back after having wrist surgery.  Looks like the doc did a good job, as
Bubba is back on track and winning again.

GT Bicycles is proud to be supported by:
SRAM, Kenda, Champion System, Mavic wheels, UFO, SDG, Funn and e.thirteen

GT came through big with t-shirts for the girls, Cytomax threw in some bottles plus some stickers from FLY and GO211. All the girls were super psyched on it, special thanks to my sponsors for pitching in to the girls’ development program. I've had lots of requests to start doing more of these in the future so keep your eyes out for the next All Girls Clinic.