We don’t often plug technologies on this site but we recently came across one that we think is worthy of mention.  Columbia is a company that is reinventing itself in the outdoor clothing world.  We are testing a number of different technologies that they have developed but with all the rain that we have had [...]

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September for us means the annual pilgrimage to the hallowed halls of Eurobike, the biggest bike trade show in the world.  Everyone who is everyone is here and we will be pounding the floors to search out the latest info on all things two wheeled.  We will of course be updating here with all the [...]

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The Irish government has announced plans for a 2,000 kilometre cycling network which will connect the major cities, 500km of which will be on cycle paths that are separate to the road network.
Work has commenced on planning the first “interurban” route from Dublin to Galway with completion expected before the end of 2010.  Thirteen route [...]

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Over 1,800 cyclists took part in Ireland’s first ever closed road mass participation cycling event in County Clare on Sunday.

The inaugural Sky Ride Etape Hibernia attracted cyclists from all over Ireland and the UK, as well as from throughout Europe and USA. Participants cycled 82 miles of traffic free roads in some of West of [...]

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We just wanted to say a big thanks to all our readers for taking us over a new milestone.  There are now over 8,000 individual readers loging on to Spoke per month! Thanks a lot for reading guys.
Team Spoke.ie

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Coillte have been busy announcing plans for several new trail centres in Ireland.  Below are a number of releases on what is happening from MBI.
Ticknock
During the week the DMP held a public presentation at Ticknock, Dublin to outline their plans for permanent, waymarked mountainbike trails in the area.

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Bike legend Hans Ray, World Champion Downhiller Steve Peat and Trials master Danny MacAskill recently went for a bike ride in Scotland.  This little film shows you what they got up to…

Hans Peaty MacAskill Highlands from ResetFilms.co.uk on Vimeo.

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This weekend is one of the highlights of the Irish XC racing scene as EPIC MTB club host the National Championships in Djouce Woods, Co.Wicklow.

Djouce woods is known for its fantastic trails and the race course will not disappoint.  All those who have had a sneak peak have proclaimed it as a real mountain bikers [...]

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Sproc kids makes a return at the National Championships on Sunday week with a specially designed course to give kids the feel of a real mtb course.  Richie Byrne will be coordinating the event with things kicking off from 9.30am.  Don’t forget the event will be like no other in Irish MTB history with a [...]

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We are just hours away from the start of the 2010 Tour de France with the prologue stage around the streets of Rotterdam.  Tour fever is at its peak as we await one of the most hotly contested Tours in years - or is it?  Lets take a look at the teams and favourites for [...]

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The Beast of Ballyhoura takes place from 30th July - 1st August and is a uniquely Irish 36 hour non-stop adventure race across the ancient & magical surroundings of counties Cork, Limerick & Tipperary.

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The makers of two classic MTB films - 24 Solo and Off road to Athens - are back with a new film Chasing Legends.  This film shifts tack to road racing following the HTC-Columbia team in the 2009 Tour de France.

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In a major shift in branding policy Trek have subsumed the Gary Fisher brand under the main Trek banner and shifted them to a premium product section known as the Gary Fisher Collection.

The Superfly Elite from the 2011 Gary Fisher Collection
After 14 years as a separate brand the move comes as Trek seeks to consolidate [...]

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In a surprise move te UCI has allowed the use of disc brakes for competition in Cyclocross.  For mountain bikers this is a no brainer, the benefits of disc brakes in a sport that competes in the dead of winter with mud and snow is obvious to all.

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Icebreaker, the New Zealand company that pioneered the outdoor merino wool apparel category, will be taking part in this year’s epic 3,000-mile Race Across America (RAAM) bike race, June 12-21, 2010.

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Team Radioshack has been denied entry to the 2010 Vuelta Espana in an unprecdented move by the organisers Unipublic.  Team manager Johan Bruyneel was so surprised by the news when told by journalists that he called the event director immediately only to have the news confirmed.
A press release from Radioshack included quotes from Bruyneel - [...]

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A bike themed car boot sale will take place tonight at the Blue Light Pub in the Dublin Mountains from 7-9 with participants encouraged to stay behind for a beer or two afterwards.
Most of us have bits and pieces lying around a shed that we no longer use but that might be perfectly usable, some [...]

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Johann Bruyneel, the team manager of Armstrong’s team Radioshack has just posted on twitter that Armstrong has crashed out of the Tour of California.
The full text reads - Sorry to report there was a huge crash, with Chechu and Lance involved. Lance had to abandon and is going to the hospital for Xrays.
The [...]

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The eagle eyed of you out there will have noticed a certain quiet on this site over the past 2 weeks.  Fear not we have not dissapeared but are merely on holiday.  Normal service will resume shortly although has been somewhat delayed by the return of the ashcloud!  Stay tuned….
Meanwhile there is lots happening in [...]

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The Remedy is Trek’s All mountain machine.  Designed around a 150mm suspension platform the bike is destined for going downhill fast. 

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For 2011, the new XO returns as a complete product family, featuring the legendary XO rear derailleur, trigger shifters and an all new 2X10 crankset with front derailleur which promises amazing shifting performance. New Avid XO brakes provide the first XO specific brakeset to complete the family.

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This past weekend we were to be found racing the WAR (Wicklow Adventure Race) adventure race in Glendalough.  On our feet for the running leg were Columbia’s trail running shoe, the Ravenous.

Released as part of the revamped product line, the Ravenous is a new shoe from the ground up.

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Back at the start of March we brought you news of the new MTB film from the guys behind the Collective, now Anthill films. Following from that they have recently announced a European cinema tour with Follow me visiting the Lighthouse cinema on the 16th of June at 8.30pm.  Here is a reminder of [...]

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The XC Development Series has just been wound down for this year, with three rounds and three great weekends. With races all around Ireland, the development series was a great way for newbie’s to get involved in mountain biking. Biking.ie offered free Pre-Laps and top prizes of Private 1-2-1 training days at each round! Winners [...]

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Not cycling related but this put a smile on our faces.  Anyone fancy swimming with whales?

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WAR have just announced an extra 20 places in both the full event and the sorter WAR-Sport option.  You’ll need to be quick though as there are only 20 of each!
Go to the events website here to register.

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The Sinethesis is METs top end road helmet which adorns the heads of the Liquigas team including France Pellizzotti and Ivan Basso and it is now available in team colours.

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Drury street car park now includes an indoor bike park for 192 bikes in the heart of Dublin, steps from Grafton Street.

Opened in October it hasn’t exactly been widely publicised

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You can now view the February issue of Outsider magazine online here (or click on the image).  Lots of bike features and reviews this issue.

If there is anything you would like to see specifically from a mountain bike point of view between the covers of Outsider email us at info@spoke.ie.  As mountain bike editor we [...]

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Over the weekend European Masters Downhill Champion took possession of her new 2010 race bike from sponsor OC Tuning in KCR.  We were on hand for her first spin and spent most of the time with our fingers in our ears as she whooped with delight.

The bike is built around a custom Solid Mission 9 [...]

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