VooDoo Cycles

Bokor 29

2010-12-08T13:29:00.001-08:00

Built up one of our new aluminum 29'ers last Saturday with our new steelZombie 500 fork. Fits the fatty Surly Larry tire nicely mounted to a Alex DM24 rim. (Doubt it will fit using a Surly, Vicious, or Speedway Uma rim though...).

It is a super fun ride! Too bad all of the snow melted!

From Bokor 29

Zombie 500 fork available now!

2010-12-03T11:03:00.001-08:00

500mm axle to crown
45mm offset
good ol' steel!

Shown with Surly Larry tire mounted to Alex DM24 rim. Fits "like a glove!"

Nakisi super monster cross

2010-11-01T12:00:00.000-07:00

Ready for all terrain and fun as hell! The new fork is 430mm long so I decided to try the Surly Pugsly fork I had on my Phogsley touring 'fat bike'. The SUrly fork is 447mm axle to crown so it definitely slackened the head angle below 71 degrees. But honestly, it rides great! With a bit more offset it would be even better I think. May have to customize the fork....

Anyway, thought you all would like a peek at my all time favorite 'Frankenbike'! ~jb

Message from James

2010-10-28T13:51:00.001-07:00

Hi,

Proud and happy owner of a Soukri here... Would love it if you posted my bike in your Blog! Thanks for allowing me to enjoy riding again. Big smiles every time I throw a leg over my Soukri!

Jim White
Mesa, AZ

The Canzo cares about tata's!

2010-10-28T07:07:00.000-07:00

Interbike 2010

2010-09-27T11:57:00.001-07:00

Thanks everyone for stopping by our booth at Interbike this year. VooDoo is coming back strong with the support of you and our distributors! Special thanks to our US distributor BTI for making this booth look fantastic!!

Captain Balljack's House

2010-08-29T20:54:00.001-07:00

Just got this image from Capt. Balljack himself....

My shred shed. Sick! ~ CBJ

Nakisi

2010-08-27T17:05:00.000-07:00

First ever production Nakisi Monstercross going to Eurobike.

Zobop headed for Eurobike

2010-08-26T19:13:00.001-07:00

That was one long XC race!!!

2010-08-23T13:57:00.000-07:00

So this past weekend, I competed in the 9th annual St. Marry's Food bank race, in the Ft. Valley loops of Flagstaff. I got to the Venue around 8am to get ready for my 9 O'Clock start, and I was surprised to see a bigger turn out then i remember in the previous years. I am quickly on the bike warming up around 8:30, and boy was it hot out!! I saw my competitors riding to the line, and they were definitely intimidating for my 16 year old self! I got to the line and there were about 30 Expert/Pros,(they combined Expert and Pro category), We were also going off with all the singlespeed class adding about another 16 guys making our total start line of about 45+ people!

So they gave us the start call and we were off. I knew I had to pace myself for the 32.9 mile race so i decided to just try and get a good start position, where I could just sit in and try and flow with the pack.. I got off the road and onto the singletrack in about 9th position. I quickly learned that the hard tail might have been a bad choice, but i was still crushing it through all the rough sections. I got to pipline and knew I had to make up some time on Lower Moto. I came through the lap zone with a 50:02 minute lap, again through with the second lap at 53:01 minutes, and i was in about 10th position at this time. The second lap was a bit more difficult, our class was faced with the obsticle to pass the sport and beginner riders. Then came lap #3 and my bike decided that It wanted to make me run! Right as I got onto the singletrack i needed my gears but something was stopping me from actually getting into an easier gear, forcing me to run through all the tough sections, which made up about.. well.. all of the climb to pipeline. Once I got to pipeline I cranked in a couple hard pedal strokes and my bike started to shift! It was shifting just not well! I flew down Moto and my legs were just about to fall off, "good thing its downhill" I said. I finished at a time of 2:43:38 and still managed 14 or something?? Overall! I was happy with the race, especially after experiencing the run of a lifetime! That was one long XC race!

Next stop is Tucson for a painful yet I think fun... TT!
-Tyler

Taylor House Century Ride

2010-07-26T08:25:00.001-07:00

So this past Saturday i rode in the 10th annual Taylor House Century ride, doing the 90+ mile distance.. on my wonderful Bondye! All I have to say is wow! This ride was thrown off because of flooding in the traditional route of going through Wupatki national park. The fire left enough damage to cause a terrible flood, not only in peoples houses but in main roads. Therefore we were left with riding to Leupp, the views were still amazing! We started off with about 300 people and each climb was dividing the group more and more.. at about mile 35 we had ourselves the main peleton.. at this point they started attacking and i managed to stay at the front the entire time! We quickly filled our waters and before much of us were ready they were off. I sprinted to catch the group and slowly fadded with a lack of nutrition on my part. Overall i finished the entire ride in about 3hours and 58 minutes. I would say a success for bonking on mile 50! Hope everyone is riding and enjoying their summer days.
-Tyler

2010-06-29T21:05:00.000-07:00

Well...the forest is closed and so are the trails. A fire broke out in the Schultz pass area burning over 11,000 acres of wilderness. To take precautions they have shut the forest down until July 21st. To avoid possibly getting a 2,000 dollar fine we decided to drive down to Sedona. Sedona doesn't have a fire but it sure is hot! After suffering a flat tire on the way down there we managed to still get in a good ride with some great shredding. You never get bored with the trails down there, its either slick rock, tacky goodness, or the little loose rocks that let you rip corners! The Sobo like allways handled everything like a champ. When your out of the saddle the stiffness just lets you charge climbs and when it comes to decending the carbon seat stays flex so it makes for a smoothe ride. Anyways the riding is great and am still stoked to be training for next season.

Fwd: 18 Hours of Fruita - Champion!!

2010-06-02T13:49:00.000-07:00

From: gearexchange@comcast.net
Date: June 2, 2010 8:31:56 AM PDT
To: info@voodoocycles.net
Subject: 18 Hours of Fruita - Champion!!

Hey all,
Just competed in my first solo race ever a few weeks back in the 18 Hrs. of Fruita. I have to let you know that I have never ridden my bike for 177 miles and almost 18,000 vert, all on singletrack!! Anyway I raced it on your fabulous Zaka and I won!! The Zaka may be the "Earth Guardian" but it was my guardian for the race, Thanks for making such a kick ass ride, makes me want to ride for very very long time!! thanks again, darin binion

The Gear Exchange
212 6th St.
Glenwood Springs, CO 81601
970-945-8500
thegearexchange.blogspot.com

It's Final Curtain for Captain Balljack!

2010-05-19T15:41:00.001-07:00

We have ALL of the final batch of Captain Balljack framesets available direct on closeout. Right now you can get a frame, fork, and handlebar for $295.00. If you are interested email us at info@voodoocycles.net. For more information click this link: CBJ.htm. Frames are dark blue with matte finish. Fork and handlbar are gloss black. All forks have canti bosses.

Fwd: Soukri Fan

2010-05-17T08:31:00.001-07:00

> I would love for you to post a pic of my new Sourki on your website.
> - Josh
>

Soukri SS

2010-05-06T13:10:00.001-07:00

Shred-dy for dirt!

Zobop Returns

2010-04-27T17:19:00.001-07:00

Last month Joe and I brought a prototype full suspension frame back from Taiwan called Zobop. The new design shows great promise as an all around trail bike using a floating pivot design to resist pedal induced bobbing and be plush over rocks, bumps, and drops. Floating pivot bikes are gaining a lot of attention and popularity for riding on all types of trails.

Our friends at BTI joined me for a ride in Sedona recently and here is what they said:

Earlier this month we took a trip to Sedona's red rock country to pay a visit to Voodoo Cycles. We took the opportunity to test ride ah prototype of the new Zobop, Voodoo's replacement for the venerable Canzo 26.

The Zobop is an all purpose XC trail bike with five and a half inches of travel. Aside from the terrific new lines, the most noticable feature of the Zobop is its new Floating Pivot Point suspension (FPP) designed by Joe Murray. Differentially pivoting links constantly adjust to pedaling forces, rider weight distribution and bump frequency. For a full suspension bike, the Zobop has very little sag, but offers tons of usable travel while remaining very active. The ride was plush, so plush in fact that we couldn't help checking the tire pressure every so often. This is a 2011 bike with an expected release of July/August 2010. Can't wait for this bike to hit production.

Zobop Ride Impression

2010-04-05T11:15:00.000-07:00

I haven't ridden a 26" wheel bike on dirt in at least 8 years. I have now had two rides in Sedona on our new Zobop full suspension prototype and have been blown away. The new frame uses a floating pivot point linkage and Joe's legendary geometry to make one hell of a bike. It did take me a bit to get used to the smaller wheels and the 67 degree head angle (with the Talus set at 140mm) but once I got into the flow of the trail the bike was superb.

Riding in Sedona is such a challenge, it has tight windy singletrack with short steep climbs, 4 foot drops, slick rock, and lots of cactus to dodge. This floating pivot really makes this terrain manageable: stiff suspension on the climbs transmitting all your power, and soft supple active suspension for all the bumps, drops, and descents. I had no idea how well this could work!

So from my first impression you can say that I am stoked on our new frame. Joe has done a great job indeed. With just a few more tweaks we should have these available by mid-Summer this year along with the new Bokor 29"er, Nakisi, and Maji.

Bondye Badness

2010-04-02T16:35:00.000-07:00

Well.. after 4 hours of J.B. showing me how to build up a road bike its done, and sick. Weighed it and it came out to be just over 17.5 lbs. The new Ultegra grupo looked really nice with the Bondye frame. Rode it out lake Marry the next day on a 60miler and the geometry could not of felt better, everything was perfect! The Fi'Zi'k saddle was also amazing! So anyway here is a picture, and thanks again Benson for the help building it up....

Breaking out the new Hotness

2010-03-30T08:16:00.001-07:00

We are just back from the 2010 Taipei Bike Show where we unveiled our new FPP Full Suspension called Zobop: Secret Society. Joe Murray worked long and hard designing this frame to be our new flagship. My reaction of the first ride: bitchin! I went for a ride in Sedona with a couple pals from BTI the other day and we all agreed the bike climbs great and eats up the twisty singletrack like it knew the trail better than we did! I have only ridden 29'ers for the last 8 years so it was an adjustment for me to ride this 26"er with a much slacker head angle (67 degrees) than I have ever ridden. But after just a few minutes it felt totally normal. Descending and riding off drops and jumps became second nature. I have to say that 5.5" bikes seem like the best all around trail bike when they climb and handle this well!

Here is a pic of our first production sample. There are still a few tweaks to be made but we expect these to be available through our distributors by September this year. ~jb

Racing Ralph

2010-03-03T15:28:00.001-08:00

Update 4/5/2010: These tires stretched so much that the rear will no longer pass through the seatstay brace. Look for an update to Canzo 29 in 2011 to fix this! ~jb

Just mounted some Schwalbe Racing Ralph 29x2.4" tires on my Canzo 29
and they fit! Though I'm sure the small rocks will get caught in
there at times. Good to know they will roll and we will put -more tire
clearance on the list of updates for the 2012 model! ~ jb

Update: The Ralph's stretched and would no longer roll past the seat stay bridge. This tire will not work on the back of a Canzo 29!!

Soukri Photo

2010-02-09T12:11:00.000-08:00

Feast your eyes on this!

Balljack is back!

2010-01-14T12:48:00.000-08:00

We are bringing the last 14 Captain Balljack framesets here to sell direct to you VooDoo fans! We will sell frame, fork, and handlebars for $295! Email us at sales@voodoocycles.net for more info or to order.

2009-12-30T14:06:00.000-08:00

Been having fun with my helmet cam down in Sedona. Single track down there is absolutely amazing! Perfect terrain for our bikes! ~jb

Fwd: Voodoo Bizango Video

2009-12-29T10:41:00.001-08:00

Got this email from VooDoo Fan Raymond Howard today. Video is posted below. This reminds me I should post some helmet cam vids I have taken while riding in Sedona... ~jb

Begin forwarded message:

From: Raymond Howard

Date: December 28, 2009 6:58:24 PM MST
To: info@voodoocycles.net
Subject: Voodoo Bizango Video

My brother and I both purchased Bizangos back int the late 90's and we still love them and ride them today. Here's a video of us riding that you guys should put on your site. I get a few close ups of the bike as we're racing up our local trail. Thanks for making a sick steel steed. It's the only part on my bike that still from the 90's. Oh yeah, you have my permission to use on your site. Raymond Howard.

Soukri - Sacred Temple

2009-12-03T11:34:00.001-08:00

Check out the new graphic style of our new 29'er due out Spring 2010. The name Soukri is a 'sacred temple' in the Voodoo religion. This frame should have no problems becoming the temple of your daily trail worship! We decided to route the cables under the top tube and improve the gusset under the down tube. And it will be made from Reynolds 631 tubing. Run it with either a 100mm or 120mm travel fork. Single or geared. Disc or linear pull "v-brake". Don't run it rigid unless you can find a fork that is at least 490mm long from axle to crown though!!

Hopefully we'll have more new stuff to show you early in the new year. Until then... ~jb

Friends from Malaga!

2009-10-08T10:01:00.000-07:00

From: José
Date: October 8, 2009 4:04:23 AM GMT-07:00
To: <info@voodoocycles.net>

Hi.

Just wanted to send you all some pictures of our bikes. We are fans of Voodoo. In southern Europe there is a small city (Malaga) where we enjoyed the Joe Murray design by our mountains. The bikes are fantastic and fun.

We would like to show our Voodoos.

Thanks Voodoo's team and especially to Joe Murray for making us happy with their bikes.

Cheers.
J.M.-

Fwd: voodoo bakka pic

2009-10-07T13:47:00.001-07:00

Just wanted to send you all a pic of my bakka that i picked up from milewide about a year ago.. I built it up as a 96r with the rigid voodoo fork.. Im running a 1x9 drivetrain. Its a great bike in the rock gardens and the frame lent it self well for the 96 conversion.. the bottom bracket is nice and high (13.25) and great for all the logs and rocks here central maryland. I work part time at a local shop and have had all sorts of custom and high end stuff, but this is by far the most fun I have had on a mountainbike in a long time..This bike is a keeper.. If you want some more high res shots for the sight let me know..Any new jerseys avail to the public any time soon.??

keep up the good work.. I like reading the blog as I am from the left coast

greg

High on Victory at the High Cascade 100 (Bend, Oregon)

2009-08-27T21:26:00.000-07:00

It’s been five days now, and I’m still coughing up the dust I swallowed last Sunday, August 23, while competing in the inaugural High Cascade 100 endurance mountain bike race in Bend, Oregon.

The air I had been breathing for half the day was suffused with tiny particles of sand, kicked up by nearly a hundred riders spinning their wheels thousands of times to complete the epic century distance and rack up 11,000 feet of climbing. Whether I was leading the charge, hot in pursuit of another racer or riding a segment of trail all by my lonesome, there was a constant cloud of dust hanging suspended in the air like a layer of smoke. My lungs protested, of course, but after winning the women’s race and finishing in the top half of the men’s field, a little sand on the lungs didn’t seem all that bad.

The Course
The race began in Wanoga Sno-Park 11 miles west of Bend and featured 70 percent singletrack, 10 percent ATV trail and 20 percent doubletrack across high-desert terrain. My lungs held up through the first 45-mile loop around Mt Bachelor, where racers climbed up well over 7,000 feet and dropped down through threatening lava rock fields. Next came two 20+ mile loops around Old Swampy (the dry, dusty singletrack proved the name a misnomer). The last 11-mile loop brought riders back to town for some fun technical descents down such popular trails as “Tiddlywinks” and “Funner,” followed by a seven-mile ascent to the finish line. Throughout the day, the soft sand sucked our wheels, making us work absurdly hard to power through even the smallest patch of momentum-stealing soil. It also made for some quite scary, nearly-out-of-control descents at speed. But that’s not the half of it.

The Race
We began early—at 6:15am—and we began cold, amid near-freezing temperatures. But once we started spinning our wheels on the slight-incline up the dusty doubletrack toward Mt. Bachelor, we forgot the chill and concentrated on the long, long day ahead. Chris Sheppard was an early leader, attacking from the start and taking only a few pro men along with him. Sheppard would go on to win the event handily, with Sloane Anderson taking second. I settled into a manageable pace, concentrating on having an efficient race, fueling well and keeping myself out of trouble. Of course, the harsh desert conditions (wheel-sucking sand, choking clouds of dust, tube-puncturing lava rock, etc.) took out nearly a third of the entire field. We racers were warned about the “über-technical” Kwol Butte section ahead of time, but to be honest, I felt far more at ease riding the rocky sections to bombing down the miles of sandy trail that never failed to surprise with sporadic, traction-less slides atop soft sand. But at least it’s soft sand, right? It could be worse. . .

Doh! Mechanical.
Mid-way into the race—at 45 miles—my free hub began to act up. And by “act up,” I mean, every time I began to descend, my bike would make the sound of a swarm of angry bees—or of a prop plane coming in for a crash landing. My bike would shake like it was falling to pieces, and the rear hub would begin to seize up until I slowed down. And I still had 55 miles left to go.

The volunteer mechanics at each of the three aide stations assured me that my bike would not explode, though they could not fix the loose bearing in the hub on the fly. So I kept riding, albeit at half-pace on the descents. I did "Big Ring" it on the less steep descents, pedaling for as long as the terrain would allow me on my hard tail. But when the trail got steep and I had to coast, the angry sound returned. I surely must have scared several riders half to death as I passed them on my deafening bike.

I may have lost tons of time on the descents (descending is my riding strength), but I still managed to cross the line in first place out of the women’s field at 11 hours, 55 minutes. I finished thirtieth overall. I was also thrilled to win a pair of DT Swiss wheels at the post-race raffle. Extra wheels—exactly what I could have used during the race!

Many Thanks
Mike Ripley and Mudslinger Events put on a great show, as always, and they raised $3,500 from the inaugural race to help support COTA (Central Oregon Trail Alliance) in future trail construction efforts. Thanks to all for putting on a well-organized event on a challenging course—and thanks to all the other racers who suffered along with me. It was great to play in Oregon’s biggest sandbox with you.

You can read other coverage of the event on cyclingnews.com and singletrack.com.

Until next time—see you on the trail!
Angela + Sobo = :)

Angela Sucich,
Freelance Copywriter
http://www.angelasucich.com/

Voodoo Kids’ Series: Cascade Bicycle Club’s Dirt Camp ‘09

2009-08-17T18:54:00.000-07:00

Don’t you wish you had learned to mountain bike when you were kid instead of in your mid-to-late 20’s? I do! By the time I finally learned to ride, I was already somewhat breakable. So when I was asked to be a guest speaker at Cascade Bicycle Club’s Dirt Camp ’09 a few weeks ago, I jumped at the chance to help kids learn and hone the skills I didn’t acquire until a more “mature” age.

Led by instructors Kat and Jay Sweet and two assistant instructors, the CBC Dirt Camp was a week-long play date on two wheels at Saint Edward State Park in Kenmore, Washington. The curriculum included bike handling and survival skills, covering everything from Negotiating Obstacles 101 to Special Topics: Fixing a Flat.

The camp also featured guest speakers, such as trials rider Joel Moreland, who inspired the camp kids with trick riding and general coolness. The kids took Joel’s energy and intrepid spirit to heart as they themselves rallied over ramps, teeters and small jumps. The kids even practiced manuals! You can check out their accomplishments in filmmaker Jay Sweet’s Dirt Camp ‘09 movie.

My task as a guest speaker was to talk about XC and endurance racing. As a Voodoo Cycles rider, I was thrilled to share some of my racing experiences and teach the kids about the equipment, training regimen and racing strategies that are part of those disciplines.

We played a fun game of name-that-racing-accessory: “What’s this? “A tube!” “What’s this?” “A chain-breaker!” “What’s this?” “CO2!” “What’s this?” “Electrolytes!” (Okay, so they didn’t get that one). As it turns out, a couple of them had already jump-started their young racing careers this year at the local Indie Series. Ah, can you imagine how fast those racers are going to be when they’re our age?

All in all, we had a great time together, fixing flats and riding through the park. Then we finished the day with cookies. I tell you, it's good to be a kid again!

Until next time, see you on the trail!

Angela Sucich,

Freelance Copywriter

www.angelasucich.com

Voodoo Race Report: Feeling Born Again at the White River Revival (Greenwater, WA)

2009-08-11T21:22:00.000-07:00

For all you former mountain bike racers out there disillusioned by fire-road racing that passes for “mountain biking” these days, or the easy, buffed-out singletrack that makes even an 80-mil-travel fork overkill, prepare to have your faith restored.

At the White River Revival in Greenwater, WA on Saturday, August 8, the course took mountain bikers down trail they’d actually choose to ride for—get this—fun. Now I know there’s burley XC racing in our sister cities to the north in B.C.—I love ‘em, too—but last Saturday’s race in the shadow of Mt. Rainier is as close as one gets to technical XC racing in Washington State, and I was happy to be there to enjoy it. I think I even heard myself giggle on some of the downhills.

The Place: The White River Revival, 10 miles east of Greenwater (an hour and a half drive southeast of Seattle). The race began and finished on the Ranger Creek airstrip just up the dirt road from the Buck Creek Recreation Area off HWY 410.

The Course: 30+ miles in two laps (Trail 1194 to Road 7160 to Fawn Ridge section of Suntop Trail 1183).

The Race: The open/pro race got underway around 2:30 when the afternoon was cool with a slight breeze—perfect conditions for climbing up the fire road (yes, I guess there was a fire road, after all) and dropping into the lower (and bermier) portion of the popular Suntop Trail. The climb was long but not too steep, and I settled into a constant quad-and-hamstring burn for countless turns, until the singletrack trailhead thankfully appeared before me. I was in second place, and as I dropped into Fawn Ridge, I was determined not only to use my descending skills to catch up to the woman ahead of me and put more distance between me and the riders behind me, but also to revel in the unadulterated fun that was the lower Suntop Trail.

Fawn Ridge was aflame in pinkish-purple fireweed and alive with racers snaking down the exposed, dusty slope, switchback-style. As the course descended deeper into the forest toward the Buck Creek and White River areas, the mist rising from the valley hung over the trail like a ghost. The course dropped all the way down to hug the river bank, and it was this final section of trail that me feel as if I were channeling a deer in flight—bounding over every rock, root and stream in my path. Then I turned my bike uphill and rode the second lap, urged on by the dangling-carrot promise of a second, thrilling descent.

As I whipped my bike around the last couple of miles of what can only be described as a hacked-out trail, it finally registered that much of the lower trail meandering along the river was cleared or at least widened for us racers’ benefit. In fact, as I heaved my bike over stumps, roots and rocks that plugged up the path, it pleased me to think that this trail—our red carpet—was rolled out just for me and the other happy racers who came out for the White River Revival. When I crossed the finish line in second again (ah, always the bridesmaid!! but a much closer second to Kari Studley than last race, and far ahead of Melanie Lewis in third), I felt more revived than tired. Faced with proof that the kind of XC racing that tested bike handling skills as well as fitness did exist in Washington, I felt born again.

On the men’s side, Benaroya Research Institute rider Russell Stevenson claimed first, and teammate Toby Swanson came in second.

For visitors and locals alike, I highly recommend Suntop. Whether you shuttle or climb it, you will enjoy this ride. Believe it.

Until next time, enjoy the ride!

-Angela Sucich,

Freelance Copywriter

angelasucich.com

Craaazy 88

2009-08-10T18:41:00.001-07:00

This past Saturday was the Crazy 88 race here in Flagstaff. The brutal but very fun course included dirt roads, fast descents, and some amazing singletrack. I decided to just do the first 44 mile loop because I didn't want to destroy my knee since it is still in some pain, but had a great time and was the first to finish from the second group that left at 9:00. The first loop included a new section of the Arizona Trail on the back side of the peaks, which may be my favorite new trail. The weather was great, a lot of people showed up, and the Aizan worked perfectly. But I think one of the best parts of the race was all the cookies, beer, and twizzlers you could eat at the finish. Huge thanks to Nathan Friedman who put on this awesome race, and congrats to Adam for taking the overall win with a super fast time of just over 8 hours.

Get free photo software from Windows Live Click here.

It's all Black and White with the Canzo

2009-07-30T15:47:00.000-07:00

The black frame sure looks nice with all the white parts! Just got
these new wheels from Stan's using their new hubs. Pretty sweet so
far. Also running 2x9 with a 26t-36t front rings. So far it is just
right for the trails in Flagstaff.

Racing Gets Hot in Roslyn, Washington

2009-07-29T17:10:00.000-07:00

Brutal. I’m talking about hot, muggy, end-of July central Washington weather. I’m also talking about how I felt by the end of my last lap on the Roslyn MTB Festival course this past Sunday (July 26): brutalized.
With proceeds from the race going to benefit the Roslyn Library, sweating a bit for only 18 miles (22+ if you count the practice lap) seemed like a minor sacrifice. Ah, the blissful optimism that gets crushed and kicked around by hindsight.
The place: Roslyn is a tiny town (population ~1,000) near Cle Elum, Washington (also a tiny town). Primarily known for its cameo in the "Northern Exposure" television series’ opening credits, Roslyn was hopping with cross-country mountain bikers this weekend.
The conditions: By 2 pm Sunday afternoon, the arid terrain was radiating heat. It was a mere 94 degrees, but in the thick of the woods, it felt like a stifling 110. By the time the pro/open categories got underway, the switchback descent portion on the backside was “technical” by virtue of it having become a dustbowl. But we aggressively-hydrating riders were game for it.

The course: Everywhere you looked, and everywhere you rode, there was dirt, dust and sand. Riding behind someone won you a lungful of fine dust, which you were sure to be coughing up later in the day. The first half to two-thirds of the smooth-rolling course traveled in the Up direction, but after the steep climbing sections and an intermission or two of snaking descents, you found yourself flying downhill, the dust flurries gusting off your wheels. One lap down. Repeat.

The race: After feeling strong for the first half of the race—maintaining the lead for most of the first lap and settling into a close second for another lap or two—the sun pointed its blazing finger at me and said, “Die.”

By the final lap, it was all I could do to keep making little circles with my feet while trying to convince my stomach it really didn’t feel that bad. I kept it together and finished the race in second—not as strongly as when I began the race, but stronger than how I felt when I began that last lap. Grimy and dust-covered, I sped down the final express descent, knowing my Sobo and I had put in a solid day’s work together. On the men’s side, Toby Swanson of Benaroya Research Institute placed first, and BRI teammate Eric Atwood came in second.

Post-race: On the drive back to Seattle, a friend and I stopped for dinner at Rogue Brewery in Issaquah, and my friend ordered one of the special brews called Brutal Bitter. As I tasted it, I felt quite satisfied. A brutal ride isn’t all that bad, once it’s over:)

Until next time: Angela + Sobo = :)

Angela Sucich,
Freelance Copywriter
angelasucich.com

Summer is Racing Along

2009-07-20T13:30:00.000-07:00

Photo courtesy of Adam Leahy

Here’s how to start the week off right on your Voodoo Sobo:

· Sunday: a 15-mile race through wooded groves in Bellingham, Washington

· Monday: a 30-mile, get-lost adventure in central Washington’s West Fork Teanaway wilderness near Roslyn

· Tuesday: a climb up above 5,000 feet on Sun Top for a scenic photo shoot overlooking Mount Rainier.

On Sunday, July 12^th, the 17^th annual Padden MTN Pedal race at Lake Padden in Bellingham, Washington, brought out the local talent to frolic in the blustery, surprisingly cool weather. The half hard-pack, half-loamy course was roller-coaster fast, and the few short but steep climbs made this race a “roadie” fave—except for a few surprise technical sections. Thanks to all the nice men who pulled over to let me pass on the downhill side, and thanks to Mark Peterson and the course designers for including a few crucial sections of technical trail punctuated with roots and small drops, not to mention a thrilling sequence of switchbacks carved like smiles all the way down the mountain foothillJ

Photo courtesy of David Waugh

Local pro Russel Stevenson of BRI won the open men’s race, with Eric Tonkin riding into second place for Kona. The women made up a small but fast field, and after five undulating laps my hot, fire-truck red Sobo steamed in second, just a minute or so off the lead.

Then on Monday I took my Voodoo and went exploring near Roslyn, Washington, with some friends. Here we are, bushwhacking through a mountain meadow. Don’t let rainy Seattle fool you; central Washington is way drier than the Seattle side of the Cascade Range.

Although it doesn’t look like it from the hike-a-bike pics, I did, in fact, get on my bike during our ride. Here I manage to pick my way from stone to stone over one of several creek crossings without getting my feet wet. Surprisingly, neither of the gentlemen I was riding with offered to carry me across. Ah, the chivalry...

Finally, on Tuesday I headed south from Seattle toward Mount Rainer to climb Sun Top (over 5,000 feet) for some photo ops. Is this gorgeous or what? Just don’t look down.

Until next time—Angela + Sobo =J

VooDoo Nakisi Monstercross Spy Shots!

2009-07-02T16:30:00.000-07:00

Here is the first look, we haven't even had a chance to build it up yet!!

Nakisi first frame sample. Similar to 2009 Agwe, Nakisi (and 2010 Agwe) has larger TT and more tire clearance. Also keeps horizontal TT for classic look with standard drop bars.

From Nakisi - Sacred Medicine

Nakisi front view. Will fit the WTB Stout 29"x2.3 tire front and rear. 50mm offset fork as well with a 430mm axle to crown.

From Nakisi - Sacred Medicine

Nakisi horizontal dropout with disc tabs.

From Nakisi - Sacred Medicine

Nakisi dirt drop specific stem with 100mm (4" rise) and 60mm reach. Sits on top of steer tube and has headset adjuster bolt stop welded in place. This stem looks goofy on the bike, but feels great when your hands are in the drops riding single track!

MSRP $399.00 frame and fork. Stem price TBD. Available late Summer / early Fall at BTI - Bicycle Technologies International in the USA. www.bti-usa.com.

Back at it

2009-06-03T21:46:00.001-07:00

Last February a knee injury kept me off the bike for a few months, but after a slow recovery I can finally ride again and the trails here in Flagstaff have never been better thanks to lots of rain. It's been hard not training or racing, but I'm super excited to ride my new VooDoo Aizan 29'er, and hopefully be back racing by July or August. It's amazing how much bigger wheels can help, and the bike can fly up hills like nobody's business. Today I borrowed a downhill bike and rode some of the crazy trails on mount Elden. Jumping strait into downhilling after only a handful of cross country rides in the last few months may not have been the best idea, but it was still awesome. Can't wait to ride lots more.

Kevin

I <3 Bike Racing

2009-05-04T07:39:00.001-07:00

I <3 Bike Racing

Its official, race season is here. For some it has been here for a few months, but for me it started this Sunday. I was not sure that I even wanted to race. It has been almost a month since I rode my mountain bike, and I spent the last 2 weeks on the road for work. Getting shelled seamed like the only thing that could happen. I was pretty sure that I was just going to go watch the race and hang out and see everyone and wait till I had a little more training under my belt before I started racing again. My girlfriend Ms, Lauren Browne had some good words for me and reminded me that the reason that I go to bike races is because I like it. Win or loose racing is something I enjoy. So I raced. I was even kicking ass till I got a little flat and dinged my rim to the point where it wouldn't hold a tire. Not a bad day, a bike race and a little hike back to the start finish. Could be worse. I still did not do that bad, even with the unplanned hike I still did not finish anywhere near last. Can't wait to race again!
-Raney

Fruita

2009-04-23T21:14:00.001-07:00

Oh man. Made it to Fruita Fat Tire Fest in 7 hours and met several
cold beers as soon as we hit town. The buzz here is amazing and people
are so psyched to ride bikes! It is a who's who of the bike world as
well as a
Yearly reunion for tons of people. This is an event for every
mountainbiker! ~ jb

Canzo 29ner

2009-04-21T13:43:00.001-07:00

So this year for my Voodoo team bike I elected to
go a little different direction. I've already got my Ti 29 Zaka frame
from last year which is still my dedicated race bike, so I needed
something to expand my quiver. John Benson has been raving about his
Canzo 29 for the past year, so I figured I'd give it a try for this
year. I have to admit that I was a little hesitant about a full
suspension 29, considering the size that I ride and the potential for
frame flex and pedal slop. I built the frame up with a XT groupo and
some sick new Shimano 29ner wheels, which are a must for anyone who
owns a 29ner. I tried two different forks a 100mm fox which the bike
was designed for and a 130mm Manitou. Once again I am amazed at Joe
Murray's ability to design a bike. It has been a few years since I
have ridden a full squish and I have to tell you that this bike is
like nothing I remember. The first couple of rides took place in the
red rock nar of Sedona, a proper proving ground. I had the 100mm fox
fork installed first. The bike handled like it was on rails. It sailed
through every loose turn without the slightest hesitation. The wheel
track was spot on and this was only in the first few minutes of the
ride. I began to notice that I was going faster through rocky sections
then I would normally, I would see the rocks, prepare for the bike to
bounce around and then re accelerate out of the rock garden, uh wait,
there is no bike bouncing around and I felt like I was getting shot
out of a cannon rather then leaving an otherwise speed sucking rock
section. Ok, so the bike flows like water on the DH and rocks but how
is it on the technical up hill? Once again i amazed at the design work
here, the rear shock and suspension work perfectly to provide you with
what you need when you need it. Getting the traction for the steep ups
was no problem weather you were in the saddle or over the front of the
bars. The bike was effortless on the big pick ups and rock moves, but
still had positive enough steering that you didn't feel like you were
playing ping pong with your handlebars while you were climbing. The
adjustability of the Rock Shox monarch eliminates any pedal bob
issues, making it feel in a sense like a virtual hardtail. I mounted
the Manitou 130 minute just in time for some of the Fagstaff trails to
open up. The adjustment in steering to the new fork was minimal, the
bike was able to climb some of the most technical trails in flagstaff
like a goat. Now keep in mind this bike already railed on the DH with
a 100mm fork, it was like a beast was unleashed with the 130mm
Manitou, a few that have ridden with me have been jealous. Bottom line
this bike lays to rest any notions that a full suspension 29 is
lacking stiffness, stability and ride quality up or down. This is one
of the most enjoyable bikes I have ever ridden.

Back to Blogger

2009-04-21T11:26:00.001-07:00

Well, after using a WordPress blog for a few years we decided to mosey on back to Blogspot... so update your RSS and all that crap!

Busted.

2005-12-30T14:42:00.000-08:00

My man John Sessa just busted me saying we don't update this very often. Which is true....

So Happy Holiday's and Happy New Year! We'll have a new website and a new blog site happening next week, so check back and let us know what you think!

-JB

VooDoo Power

2005-11-02T16:27:00.000-08:00

Just got this from our UK Crew. A gal name Sue Thomas is kicking ass on one of our Limba scandium cyclocross bikes.

So cool. Check it out here.

Great job Sue!!

Surviving Vegas

2005-10-06T09:04:00.000-07:00

The Vegas fog is lifing and Joe and I are enjoying some peace and quiet now that Eurobike and Interbike are behind us. I am backed up answering email from our website so be patient, I'll get to it.

29"er fans, check out this website: twentynineinches.com. There is a pic of our Dambala one speed and a you can see the Aizan behind it. By the way, Aizan will be in stock at our distributor soon so keep on the lookout. - John

Eurobikin

2005-09-11T01:17:00.000-07:00

Don't believe what John said about nothing interesting at Eurobike. I found alot of cool stuff. We are heading home, so give me a few days to get my shit together on a report. Here's one photo for now.

Later,

Joe

Lost In Europe

2005-09-09T02:47:00.000-07:00

After Eurobike I wanted to go to Italy. So Garda seemed like a reasonable choice.

Riding in Garda, Italy was pretty cool. The Dolomites are EXTREMELY steep and rocky. The mountains were not to be under estimated, they are really fuggin big.

We grabbed the first campground we saw when coming into the town of Torbole at the north end of Lake Garda. Not really a mistake, but probably the busiest campground in all of Europe. Fine for people watching and we were right next to the bar.

There have been some World Cup DH events in Garda and the local shop Meki's has a wall of famous chuckleheads autographs on it. Lopes, HB, Gary Fisher and so on. There is a nice cafe and bar that is part of the shop. Of course you can get a good espresso which is standard in Italy there.

Going it self-serve, we grabbed some map and headed up the mountain. Climbing the steep rocky trail beat me down so we stayed on the road which was fine. Not much traffic and alot of other cyclists to ride with. After about two hours, steeper by the kilo and a half dozen sucker summits and some gravel road we reach the summit. The view over the lake was like from a jet plane. The panorama was entirely kick ass.

We had 4500 feet of climbing and two or so hours into it and more or less cashed, so we headed back down. At one point we got on the single track. Rock, solid rock, rock ledges and rock kitty heads, baby heads.... basically rock. All of the Dolomites are rock. Bitchen. John surprised me on his steep rocky decending cajones. He says it the scandium Aizan 29er. (plug) Watch out for sleepers on 29ers is all I can say.

We are over the crowded scene at Club Med Garda we headed south.... maybe to a detour to the San Pellegrino terme near Milano? (Juan lives on Pellegrino.)

Ciao fer now,

Joe

VooDude's in NC

2005-09-09T02:08:00.000-07:00

Here we are in Ashville, NC...

Mojito's in Ravensburg.

2005-09-03T01:22:00.000-07:00

Another day in paradise? Met up with the boys at USE yesterday. They are coming out with a carbon wrapped suspension seat post and some kick ass new lights. They also have a left side front suspension that is super stiff and makes a normal looking bike look... bitchin' is the word I'd use.

We tried to see Jan Ullrich and Jens Voigt race yesterday but couldn't stay in Ravensburg long enough to see the start. Jet lag is rough when you're on your feet all day walking around!

Still nothing super duper cool that I have to have here yet, but tons of really cool people. Tonight is the big party here at the expo. I am sure there will be great stories tomorrow. Stay tuned....!

Day one in the books...

2005-09-02T00:31:00.000-07:00

So far nothing too exciting at Eurobike. But the beer flows free and the women are beautiful which sort of makes up for the lack of A/C and the constant state of sweat my body is in. I have seen 3 out of 11 buildings and nothing all that amazing to report yet. Jan Ullrich will be around today sometime as will Jens Voigt. I'll try and get some autographs if I can remember what time to be there...

Looks like we might go to the Czech Republic next week to ride for a few days. We'll meet with some potential new distributors from there later today and see what's up.

Until tomorrow... -jb

Dambala = Victory!

2005-09-02T00:26:00.000-07:00

Thanks Joe for a great bike another win on the 29er Dambala…

The Coach

A1-Zero

Wasted on a jet.....

2005-09-02T00:01:00.000-07:00

...flying over the Atlantic ocean to.... who cares. The point is - BYOB. You gotta bring your own booze on the plane. Jose and I bought a bottle of Tanqueray at the ol' Duty Free shop and we are drizzunk! This is by far the best way to fly for 8 hours. Why pay $5 for each drink when you can spend $20 on a bottle??? Just order lots of free Sprite and club soda while you can...

And they are off...

2005-08-25T21:27:00.000-07:00

We are blowing out of Flagstaff for awhile to check out some good boys and girls in North Carolina and then on to Germany for Eurobike - the european version of Interbike, but cooler because it is in Europe. Hopefully this year will prove as fun as the last. Last year: I met Jan Ullrich, Paola Pezzo, and Hans Rey; danced and drank myself silly to a bad ass euro-cover band that played everything from 'Rock around the clock' to Evanesence tunes including a rendition of 'Total Eclipse of the Heart' that played out like 'Phantom of the Opera' on stage. Evil Kim and I were laughing histerically the whole time!

So here I sit with my Tall-boy Tecate in a hotel in Phoenix. Hoping I remembered everything. Can't wait until that wake up call at 3:30 am... - jb

Aizan is coming...

2005-08-17T08:55:00.000-07:00

Big Jonny's Aizan 29"er from Leadville.

How about...

2005-08-17T08:46:00.000-07:00

These new jersey's? We also have a few pairs of socks and a few coolmax t-shirts available. Check it out at: VooDooCycles.net

Check up on the racers...

2005-08-10T12:44:00.000-07:00

Head on over to the VooDoo Racing blog and see what those foolios are up to...

liveWRONG

2005-08-10T11:44:00.000-07:00

Here's a little bit of the 'liveWRONG' mania for you. Got this photo on a tip jar at the Pay 'n Take, our local watering hole here in Flagstaff. liveWRONG is sort of a town motto these days. T-shirts are all over the place as well as black bracelets. There are even rumors of girls taking photos of themselves wearing a liveWRONG thong...

That's so cool.

Send us your favorite liveWRONG moment and I will post it here. Better yet, send a photo. I'll post it and make you famous.

Can't we all just...

2005-08-03T15:31:00.000-07:00

Big Jonny just brought this to my attention: http://just-riding-along.typepad.com/just_riding_along/2005/08/voodoo_starts_a.html

Admittedly, linking DC is a bit risque but then so is our ad in the August issue of Bike Magazine. Haven't received one email about the voodoo doll in that ad yet... anyone with a brain knows that drunkcyclist.com is not really a porn site. He 'links' to porn sites. Those links pay for that website. Not a lot of money in having a website with just a bunch of words on it. I also agree with Big Jonny that linking to Starbuck's is repulsive. But its cool to someone.

Don't sweat the small stuff. This is about riding bikes and stating opinions. We are off to a great start! Thanks for the comments on both sites! - John

Ramblings...

2005-07-29T15:55:00.000-07:00

It's Friday July 29th at 4PM. I'm looking out the window and it's been raining pretty steady for about an hour. Our much appreciated Southwest monsoon is doing it's stuff today....finally. Here in Flagstaff we bikers all know what a good mid-summer afternoon soaking means: the best single track riding conditions the next morning. So meanwhile, my VooDoo Canzo full suspension is pretty thashed and in need of new derailler cables and some other things. I'll be working on it while it rains.

Flagstaff is far south in the United States that the monsoon thunderstorms form by the condensing moisture that flows northward usually from the heated waters from the Gulf of Mexico. You can see the clouds appear in what once was a completely clear blue sky, balloon and expand to a where everything turns black and then all hell breaks loose. There's flooding when at times a couple of inches will fall in less than an hour. These storms are typically from July through August and sometimes into September. Six to Ten inches of our total yearly average of twenty-two inches of precipitation occur during the summer monsoon. The other precipitation is from snowfall in the winter. Last year our little ski area received about 300 inches of the white stuff. That was some awesome skiing for Arizona.

When I first moved to Flagstaff in 1994, I seem to remember that pretty damn close to noon everyday in the summer, you could count on alot of thunder, lightening and a good dump of rain. Today, it's not so regular I think. The monsoon has come later than I've ever seen it this year and then it's been spotty. Makes me wonder about Global Warming and what's in store for us in the coming years. I've noticed that it's pretty much become accepted that the warming trend is reality and more and more of us clever apes realize that all the CO2 we've been pumping into our atmosphere is actually causing this. You would think that how can there not be some affect by all the carbon emissions! Some people think the planet can take anything we do to it without any negative affects. It's time to get real.

The level that we use energy to do so many things in our lives is huge. It's much more than when our great-grandparents cruised around in horse carts and sailing ships yet generally stayed put growing wheat, hemp and potatoes. Now we are extracting, building, manufacturing, shipping stuff everywhere and travelling in cars and jets all over the planet. Everything we eat and use from the computer I'm writing this on to an apple requires a surprising amount of petroleum. The apple is produced with about one to two times it's weight in fossil fuel. The computer is hundreds of times it's weight in the dead dinosaur stuff and every gallon of gas burned is alot of that good old CO2 pumping into the air. I could go on of course, yet for those who are interested, some my rant was enspired by "The End of Oil" by Paul Roberts. It's a brisk yet sobering read. Basically we've got 10 years off gasoline left and we have to find other energy sources if we want to keep up our living high on the hog lifestyles, not to mention the change in climate that I would bet my favorite grey cat is happening big time.

The rain's still coming down and the sun is out at the same time. It's a beautiful rainstorm. The summer rains are one of many reasons I love it here. During a hard rain up here in the pines at seven thousand feet the problems with the world don't seem to matter nearly so much as they usually do. And I look forward to kick ass single track shredding tomorrow.

-Joe

Joe's 1st blog post

2005-07-21T16:38:00.000-07:00

You must be like the wolf pack, not the six pack.