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Mick Hannah + Tracy Hannah + Morewood = AWESOME!!

andre — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 04:30:55 +0000

Some may have seen a post on Morewood’s tumblr feed and Facebook page a little while ago with some bright pink frames in the process of powder-coating in the Morewood Bikes factory in Pietermaritzburg, there were a few rumbles as to what this could mean, some forum followers were on the money, and others way off. Those who have been following TeamRumors however may have put the puzzle pieces together:

Presenting Hutchinson United Ride:

Hutchinson United Ride – Team Announcement

RIDERS

Starting out as a conversation in the Morewood Bikes factory some years ago, the United Ride team was created and has come a long way since then. A diverse race team with riders hailing from France, South Africa and now Australia. For the 2012 season United Ride gains some great sponsors and continues to grow the team as we are proud to announce Hutchinson as our title sponsor and the signing of Mick and Tracey Hannah.

Mick Hannah is one of the most respected riders on the circuit known for his solid work ethic, toughness and training:

Mick Hannah

“I’m really excited to be joining with United Ride. We have very similar goals for the next 2 years and I feel like with the support of Morewood and Hutchinson and the great atmosphere within the team we can achieve all that we set out to do. I am also very excited about the opportunity to travel and race with Tracey. She is really focused right now and I think that together, along with the rest of the team, we will have a great season! Thanks very much to everyone that’s getting behind us! It’s going to be a great year!”

In the past Tracey Hannah has shown she could win by taking the Junior Womans World title. Her motivation and speed are still there as she will participate at select World Cup rounds in 2012:

Tracey Hannah

“It’s always been in the back of my mind!
Racing on the “World Cup Circuit” again! What is even more amazing, I will be racing right beside my big bro “Sick Mick” who taught me some of the things I know…… ha! I am so excited to be on the Hutchinson United Ride team, riding for Morewood bikes. Not only to be back racing but to be on a team that is going to help us achieve some of the goals that we have set out to achieve.
There is nothing better than feeling confident and ready going into a season, and because of United Ride we both can relax knowing we will be on one of the best teams out there, riding with some awesome new gear.

I am looking forward to the racing season. I can’t wait to see what unfolds in the up and coming months. I couldn’t be happier!”

We are also glad to welcome Guillaume Cauvin who finished 3^rd at the last Junior World Championship in Champéry. Guillaume fits in perfectly with the team’s spirit as he is motivated, relaxed and trains hard so it is a pleasure for us to help a young rider like him:

Guillaume “JR” Cauvin

“It’s a great opportunity for me to ride as part of the Hutchinson United Ride which is composed with such good riders. It will help me to improve my skills for sure! We’ve already done some training camp and there is good vibes. I love my MOREWOOD!”

Fabien “ CousCous” Cousinié / Team Manager-Rider

“In 2011, I’ve been in the top 20 during the first half of the season, I wanna do it again in 2012 but for the entire season! My study finally achieved, it’s going to be my first school free season, can’t wait for the PMB!
As a team manager, I’m really happy of the riders. More than the performance aspect, everyone has the same spirit which announce: good times!”

Tim Bentley

Our South African rider stays with the team for 2012 and will be racing the clock with style once again. After a solid first season on the World Cup circuit we are certain that he will keep improving and reach his potential.

« I am really excited to be on the team again this year! I had such a great time and i am looking forward to see what happens this season. I learnt alot last year and i hope i can use the experience to help me ! »

A NEW NAME GOING INTO 2012:

United Ride Team is very proud of its new partnership with Hutchinson (www.hutchinsontires.com). The brand has worked a lot on the development of some new tire compounds and profiles. The team has run some tests with the new tires and are confident to have them keeping their Morewood’s on track this season:

Arnaud Zumaglia / Hutchinson Marketing Director

“Genetically links to competition, Hutchinson built its success and reputation with the performance and quality of its products. On all kind of terrain and in all kind of circumstances, road ride or mountain ride, Hutchinson works for more than one century with the biggest names of this sport to improve its nowadays products and create the future ones.
With no doubts downhill is the more demanding discipline for the tyres, that’s why we are really proud of those new objectives with the Hutchinson United Ride. An cosmopolitan UCI team with a strong potential with whom we expect to see some international podium in 2012.
A few new tyres will equip the bikes : Dzo, Squale, Toro or Cougar which ones will lead our riders toward the best results.”

Richard Carter / Morewood Bikes (www.morewoodbikes.com)

“It is a great pleasure for us to be moving into our 4^th year supporting the United Ride team with bikes, even if not as title sponsor. They are effectively our factory team and with the addition of Mick, Tracey and Guillaume, we really believe that we have one of the strongest teams on the circuit. From its inception United Ride has worked tirelessly in the development of all Morewood products, and we look forward to their continued involvement. It will be great to have them in our home town of Pietermaritzburg for the first World Cup race in March”

Once again we would like to welcome as one of our main partners, the online bike shop ALLTRICKS. Alltricks’s team is passionate, motivated and really efficient and that aids us in functioning efficiently as a professional race team:

AllTricks (www.alltricks.fr)

“Alltricks.fr is really proud to be a part of the United Ride Team and to support each riders for the next two seasons. Its team manager’s energy and the strong potential of its pilots seduced us straight away. We were looking for a team to join and an international adventure to share and confirm our product offer competitiveness. The partnership represents for us a real showcase of what is our offer in Dh, Freeride, Dirt and 4X.
Working with all the team’s sponsors and selling their products will help us being able to advise better our customers.”

Our official 2012 team presentation will be held a few days before the first World Cup in March where we will unveil our gear sponsor and other news.

We would like to thank everyone from our sponsors to the media to our fans for their support. The future has never been so exciting and our adventure keeps going with the same core ideal : DREAM RIDE SHARE.

Christmas gift: The “Tug Toner”

andre — Wed, 14 Dec 2011 14:06:52 +0000

Looking for the “perfect” Christmas gift for your spouse? Looking to get into shape for the beach? Perhaps the “Tug Toner” is what you need… It looks like a floor pump, but isn’t ;)

Click here to view the embedded video.

Trans Provence “D-Day”!

andre — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 06:23:14 +0000

So today is D-Day for all of us who attempted to get entry to the 2012 Trans Provence. I’m not sure what time Ash and his crew will be sending out their email notices, but I don’t have any fingernails left… its been an exciting and stressful few days. Hopefully Christmas will come early this year ;) I’ve been doing my best to pass the time as quickly as possible and most of my evenings and mornings have either been spent working out the “bike”, getting in shape with the latest Bike James workout, or watching enduro video’s like this one:

Click here to view the embedded video.

Check out more of the Trans Provence video’s here

SRAM XX goes #Gripshift

andre — Fri, 28 Oct 2011 10:03:57 +0000

Yes, Singletrack Mag posted a “spy shot” of Jaroslav Kulhavy’s bike from World Champs with what appeared to be a modified X0 9-speed gripshift shifter operating his XX 10-speed rear derailleur. Looks like the originators of Gripshift, SRAM are getting back to their roots with the XX 2 x 10 Gripshift shifters…

Downieville: fuel for your Friday

andre — Fri, 28 Oct 2011 07:23:52 +0000

Autumn goodness:

Need some inspiration before you hit the trails this weekend? Take a look at this Yeti Cycles video from the Downieville Classic which took place a week ago on a perfect Autumn weekend…

Every 1 minute 47 seconds a Cane Creek headset is born

andre — Thu, 27 Oct 2011 18:39:13 +0000

Well… not quite, but nearly. Cane Creek cycling components, located at the feet of North Carolina’s Appalachians in amongst some of the best mountain biking and road cycling in North America, are a company who represent a dying breed: manufacturer’s. In 1991 they originated the design which still remains the industry standard in bicycle headsets, the “Threadless Headset”. Today this small company still manage to find areas to innovate with designs such at the “Angleset” and “AER” headsets, keeping themselves ahead of the competition and forging a healthy path for their business. However, this successful company are the epitome of an era in the cycling industry that whose days are coming to an end.

Visiting the international trade shows and speaking to people within the industry one quickly realises who is and isn’t moving forward, and there is quite distinctly a common denominator between the success stories and the horror stories. So what is is that Cane Creek and their peers are getting right that so many seem to be getting wrong? Simple; they ARE their products. They aren’t an innovative marketing machine, they aren’t the new slick logo or the hottest new colour-way, they are the guys with their ties tucked in, their t-shirts splashed with cutting fluid and their hands roughened by the hard, physical work they put into producing their products day in and day out. They are the people on the trail listening to their clients, and at the races backing up their products. They are the brave few who take an idea and shaped it with their own hands, and THEY are the people who we should be respecting and supporting.

Here is how a REAL company manufactures its products. In house!

#WhoIs: Tim Bentley

andre — Thu, 27 Oct 2011 08:06:58 +0000

Team Morewood United rookie, Tim Bentley didn’t get “Blinded by the light” this season as he made his international debut on the World Cup downhill circuit with team mates Fabien Cousinie and Michael Pascal. Racking up some seriously impressive results for his first season on the international circuit, young South African, and Pietermaritzburg local has more than proven himself amongst a field of head-turning young tallent. Check out his “Portrait” video below:

Some highlights from the season:

La Bresse World Cup

Fort William World Cup

Pietermaritzburg World Cup

Dream // Ride // Share

Turner 5.Spot and the worlds fastest mechanic

andre — Tue, 25 Oct 2011 07:19:53 +0000

Silverfish, the UK distributor for Turner Bikes put their chief mechanic to the test assembling a Turner 5.Spot in record time. Love the build. Love the bike. LOVE the colour!

Click here to view the embedded video.

Trans Provence

andre — Sun, 23 Oct 2011 15:27:40 +0000

I have found my challenge for 2012: Trance Provence. A 7-day mountain bike stage race taking place in the South of France, bragging the most single track of any mountain bike stage race in the world. A short, 300km race, with 10000m vertical ascent and 15000m vertical descent. It is truly a “mountain bike” event. With small entries [50 - 60 riders] and extremely challenging trails, there is nothing quite like it in the world. Entries open in December and providing I manage to secure an entry I will be getting my game face on as I prepare for what will undoubtedly be the most challenging event I have ever undertaken.

Wet your appetite on these awesome video’s from this years event:

Day 1:

Day 2:

Day 3:

Day 4:

Day 5:

Day 6:

Day 7:

Morewood Sukuma update

andre — Fri, 21 Oct 2011 12:02:22 +0000

Not a single day goes without me being asked by at least one Morewood enthusiast “Hey Andre… any update on the Sukuma?”. Morewood debuted the Sukuma at Eurobike last year, receiving a fantastic reaction from international media as well as local followers of the brand. Now, 14 months later, countless refinements, tweaks, nips and tucks, it looks as though this 150mm All-Mountain frame featuring Dave Weagle’s Split-Pivot suspension design may finally see some light. Even if it is just the glaring bright light of a photo studio…

Dave Weagle and I talk “Split-Pivot” circa Eurobike 2010:

Click here to view the embedded video.