Myriam takes 2nd in Italy and moves to 3rd overall

Congrats to Myriam who not only took second at today's World Cup but moves into 3rd in the overall. More exciting news is that Unique Sports Co. has been named the Commencal distributor for the USA.  Keep your eye on this blog for more information.  Congrats Myriam!

Myriam at PMB  Stay tuned for more images.

1st Rachel Atherton 3:39.436
2nd Myriam Nicole 3"53.921
3rd Emmeline Ragot 3:57.519 


Full results HERE

Steve Peat, Guy Martin & Joe Barnes: Mojo Trail Diaries in Scotland

A bit of Orange love on PinkBike today, check it out HERE!  When Steve Peat says you (Joe Barnes) are one of the best 140 riders...that is a huge compliment.

Jared Hobbs at the NW Cup#2/PRO GRT/MTB GP/UnderWorld Cup

Jared Hobbs at the NW Cup#2/PRO GRT/MTB GP/UnderWorld Cup

     Downhill Mountain Bike Racing...  It's challenging, frustrating, dangerous and expensive. But It's all worth it when we get to ride a track as good as the one in Port Angeles Washington. A sprint out of the gate into high-speed slick turns, deep braking bumps years in the making, roots, rocks, ruts and tight narrow berms in the trees, it has it all. And then there is a new section of trail I haven't ridden before, Chunder Dome/Ninja Falls, it's wide, steep and raw. This place is called Dry Hill partly because no matter how much it rains, you just don't seem to need mud tires. The combination of the hard packed dirt with slick-rock mix and those narrow berms at almost every turn keep everyone on their dry tires. Thankfully the rains held off which makes the whole weekend nicer too. No one really wants to sit around a campfire in the rain. A thick fog eventually rolled in on Sunday morning just to keep things mysterious.

    When I get to any race venue my plan is the same. Walk the track and memorize it. Get up to race pace then stay there. Full runs top to bottom, trying to squeeze out any problems or mistakes from my run. This system works well for me, using limited practice time to build speed, confidence and consistency. And on Friday a problem did arise! Somewhere in the Chunder Dome I went too far to the left and rode right over this large-slick-parallel-stump-thing. Causing me to really hit the next turn wrong, and sent me off the drop-to-flat all over the front of the bike. It was obvious I was going over the bars and proceed to cartwheel down the steep chute. The whole time hoping my Morewood Makulu didn't crash on top of me. Another one of those 'Did my Leatt Brace save me?' I'll never know...later the shuttle truck slid off the road and for a second we thought we were going to roll down the hill. My next pass down the trail I hit all my lines, feeling quick and in control, time to call it a day.

    Saturday was spent fine tuning the track as a whole in preparation for that afternoons' seeding runs. Trying some alternate lines and pushing my comfort level in a few key spots. Remembering where to down shift and where to to pedal hard out of the turns. Getting the Cane Creek Double Barrel Shock tweaked just right and testing the boundaries of tire pressure. All Racers have their own strategy for qualifying/seeding runs, but the way I look at it is, I'm on the clock and I want to see what I can do. Maybe not 100% but somewhere in the 90% range. That said, my run was solid, not perfect but no major mistakes. Everything just kind of fell in place, one section after another, and it was over before I knew it. I think I ended up 40th-ish out of over 100. Considering the level of competition, with about 20 World Cup Riders and almost all of the best racers from America and Canada, mid-pack here isn't too disappointing. Knowing I had some more speed for tomorrow, I went back to my campsite for dinner and fireside track meditation.

    It's Race Day, time to get down to business. A thick fog hung in the air Sunday morning, making me wonder if it will rain for finals? After waiting-out the crazy-long lift line for the mornings practice run, I caught one of the last trucks up and was suprised by how saturated the dirt was. The top half of the track seemed slick, so I started out easy just going with the flow. We battled with soft dirt, big holes and deep ruts all weekend. This heavy fog was going to slow down the track for sure. Later I ran back up the hill to see some of my friends in the Cat 1 race, and to watch the trail conditions evolve... everything was looking good. The riders and spectators were definitely enjoying the day. The next few hours back at the Team iXS Unique pits were occupied with preping the bikes, eating some food and staying relaxed yet focused. Talking about the track,seeding runs and bike set-up with my teammates Mikey Haderer, Dante & Jackie Harmony, kept our heads in the game. It was great to have the Unique Sports crew at this race, and thank you for all of your support!  After some spinning on the trainer and more visualization, I took one last pass down the old 4x track to loosen up, I was ready. Now up on the start ramp I hear a few short beeps, and I attack. Hitting turns faster than in practice, throwing in extra pedal strokes, staying low and riding aggressive. I have to admit, the top half of my run was very good. Then after skipping over the moto-whoops I get to a flat root filled left turn and lose some speed. Momentum I really needed for the next kind of flat, rolling section. But I get on the gas and try to recover.  Then the next big right, I swing wide getting close to the trees and have to fight to get back on line. All at a spot I should have been pedaling and that caused me to drop into the real steep gnarly section a little slow. Maybe that let me compose myself because the hardest part of the track I ride smooth and precise. Sprinting hard every chance I get, I slam a couple more berms and cross the line. 2:48.46 Slightly slower than my seeding run which is frustrating, but with track being a bit slower that Saturday afternoon, I guess it's not too far off my pace. Race runs are rarely perfect and those three mistakes in my run were pretty minor. 53rd place was where I ended up, but in a field this big every little thing counts. Five seconds faster and I would have been 30th. There were 18 riders within +/- 1 second of my time. And Top 30 of the Americans at a big national level race sounds pretty good to me. That's one of the best parts about Downhill Racing, there is always a way to go faster and chasing after that elusive, perfect run is what brings me back year after year.

Jackie and Dante - Port Angeles Race Report

The latest from Jackie Vadar...

The entire trip to Port Angeles was awesome!  I traveled with the iXS Unique team, Lewis Hollingworth (Driver of the Death Star), Lance Tueller (The Wookie), Dante Harmony (Hans Solo) and Mikey Haderer (Storm Trooper of the year).  

We had our mishaps, such as not having a place to park the Death Star at the venue and we had our good times, such as eating the greatest BBQ around at the Blue Flame BBQ.  The race venue was quite big, there were somewhere around 500 racers and lots of spectators.  There was a delicious Gypsy Espresso wagon and BBQ, along with a big bonfire that kept everyone warm.  

Out of 3 shuttle trucks, only one fell off the road into a ditch scaring the crap out of some racers inside including Mikey.

Jackie converting Carter over to the Dark Side of the force.

Dry Hill was not so dry for the first Pro GRT/MTB GP race of the year.  Throughout the weekend it sprinkled, rained and misted, keeping the track moist and a little slippery on race day.  The track was super fun to ride and amazingly hard to race.  

I got in some very successful practice runs and seeded 3rd out of 20 women.  I knew there were many spots where I could make up some time and win this race.  It turns out I was not so successful in making up some time on my race run as I immediately blew a turn at the top of the track causing me to go off course and lose a bit of time.  On a track this short there is no room for error and I had just made the error that cost me the win.  I still had a whole race track to go down so I charged on, making one mistake after another.  I shoulder checked a few trees and missed almost every line I had been practicing the whole weekend.  I still charged on and crossed the finish line a bit disappointed in myself for the terrible run I just had.  

There is a time when a race run does not go as planned and you must learn from it to go forward.  So as I have learned from my mistakes at this race I take that forward to the next race and continue my quest of always having the most fun, successful run of my life.

Dante's Report...

Port Angeles, Washington was the venue for the teams first MTBGP, Pro GRT, NW Cup, etc, etc.  I had just fitted my new Cane Creek Double Barrel shock on the Orange 224, along with a slick new stem from Diety and fresh Piranhas from Hutchinson. I spent the morning on the first day of practice making suspension adjustments and when it came time to ride I was blown away by the consistency and confidence of the fresh rear shock. The new tires were really predictable and the new stem was solid.

I was excited to see what condition the track was in and test my desert rat racing skills in the traditionally sloppy northwest muck. It turned out that the top half of the trail was the exact same as I remembered it from two years ago and they had thrown in some new stuff towards the bottom with a few steep chutes and a trick right hander into a gap jump. There was no real sneaker lines to deal with so for the most part it was all about sticking to the main line and not making any mistakes.

I felt comfortable with my bike setup and line choices and I just needed to put down a clean run for qualies on saturday. That is easier said than done, however, and I wound up on the wrong side of a tree towards the bottom leaving me with a lackluster qualifier time and a bit of a dent in my ego.

Sunday was a hurry up and wait affair as there were about 500 riders that needed to get in a morning practice run and then the racing action kicked off early for the non-pro classes. We had to wait until after 2:00 in the afternoon for our action to start and having that much downtime between practice and racing can really eat away at your nerves. When it finally came down to it, I was good and warmed up, got to the start with a few minutes to spare, new what need to be done, and then started to throw it all away by blowing a couple of key lines up towards the top.  

I managed to stay on the track and really nailed a few of the tricky corners with exposed roots and slippery rocks but the damage had already been done.  When you are competing against a World Cup level field of riders there isn't any room for mistakes and I knew that even though I felt much faster on my race run than in qualies, it wasn't going to be enough for even a mid pack result. I did manage to shave a few seconds from my qualifying time which is definitely an improvement and I felt much quicker overall, but the northwest muck was rolling way slower.

The crowds were awesome, the racing action was pretty intense, the race promoters did a great job of keeping the spectators fired up with split times and despite the lack of anyone on our team getting the result they were looking for, I still say the weekend was a success. 

A huge thanks goes out to Unique Sports for facilitating our weekend of racing, iXS for the fresh kits and protective gear, Cane Creek suspension for giving me back the confidence to smash into things, Hutchinson tires for keeping the bike glued to the ground, Diety for the bling, and thanks to the fans that make even crappy race runs fun!

Read Mikey's report HERE.

Now, go here and click "Like": Facebook.com/UniqueMTB

Mad Haderer at Port Angeles...

Sea Otter was over and it was a quick trip home to stop by work then off to meet up with the Harmonys and the boys up at Unique in Oregon so Steve and I jumped in the van and headed up to Central Point. Got in right around breakfast time and rearranged some seats and bikes and we caravan-ed with the DeathStar North towards Port Angeles. A whole bunch of the big guns from Sea Otter decided to come up to the venue as well. The Syndicate, Brendan, Steve Smith, Team Yeti, Norco, KHS, DRD Intense, Mick Hannah, and Trek World Racing were all on the same road as us to ride the first real DH of the year. Long day of driving and a camp out in the local Walmart parking lot and we were at the venue ready for a course walk.

Steve the Official Pit Wolf.

Track was a good mix of everything the northwest had to offer. Some highspeed slick rock and turns up top with some rooty rutted turns in the middle that we have raced on before going on to a whole new wooded section with lots of fresh loam and BIG holes. They finished up the track with another new steep and loose section nicknamed the  "Chunder Dome" and with waist high braking and suspension bumps the name fit quite well. the team had just bolted up some of our new rear shocks from Cane Creek so it was time to do some tuning and testing on the first day of muddy practice. Put on the fresh new IXS Pants and hopped in the first shuttle truck for afternoon practice. The track rode fairly slow with the early morning rain so it was going to be a struggle to keep speed up. After a few practice runs it was time for some good old fashion BBQ for dinner. The motley crew headed out to the Blue Flame BBQ joint in town and was fed entirely too much dead animal. Back to the deathstar for the nights rest going into seeding day on Saturday.

Saturday morning woke to some light showers overnight which actually helped keep the track from getting to sticky but made it a bit slick. We all decided to go with dry tires and the Hutchinson Barracuda was the tire of choice for the weekend. A few clicks and turns on the Double Barrels and the bikes felt great. Now it was just time to keep speed up and try to stay out of the holes that were growing bigger every run. I hoped in the truck to grab one last practice run before seeding when near the top the truck started to shake and move and before we all knew it the Uhaul van started to roll. Being inside of the box we really had to reference to what was going on other than the floor was now at nearly a 45 degree angle I felt as though i was going to flip over and land on top of Mick Hannah who was now below me. After the were finally let out of the truck we could tell that the driver must have been facebooking while driving and slid us off the side of the raised shuttle road and had it not been for all the logging recently done on Dry Hill we might have kept rolling down the side of the mountain. After this little incident the track didnt seem at all scary anymore. Seeding runs came around and lets just say I did my best impression of a full motion Sunny Bono and smacked right into a tree coming to a stop. Ran a time somewhere in the top half but knew I had a LOT more to take off for finals the next day.

Finals day. Woke up early to find the whole hill Socked in completely with fog as well as a fair amount of rain which turned the already scary fast top section into a small stream and extremely slick at speed. We are allowed one practice run on race day with nearly 500 racers going off that day it became a day of HURRY up and WAIT. Sitting around the pits for about 5 hours before finals really took a bit of a toll on me and i dont think i was really ready for my race run. Finally it was time to ride and headed up the hill just in time to roll into the gate. Set off on my run and just couldn't quite get my rhythm in the first few turns. I tried to get things back under control but after about half the run I was still struggling to ride smooth. Overbraking in turns and having some very interesting encounters with roots it was probably my worst race run in memory without coming off the bike. Finished in the same second and my qualifier with a whole lot of disappointment on my mind.  All and all it was a good learning race for me and gave me some new fire to spend alot more time just on my DH bike. On to the next one. Stay tuned for some new bike news!

Read the Harmony's Race Reports HERE.

Now, go here and click "Like": Facebook.com/UniqueMTB

This Week in Orange...

Pan American Continental DH Championship

Jackie Wins on a 224!!! Pan American Continental DH Champion!  

Top 5 

Downhill Womens Elite

1. Jacqueline Harmony (USA) 2:40.88

2. Lorena Dromundo (Mex) 2:43.18

3. Diana Maggraf (Ecu) 2:43.24

4. Bruna Ulrich (Bra) 2:47.84

5. Veronica Miranda (Chi) 3:01.17

Photo: Monster Energy

Irish Enduro
Joe and Hannah headed off to tackle the Irish Gravity Enduro.

Joe Barnes said, "I've done the Megavalanche and a few other mass start races, but this my first gravity enduro. I really enjoyed it, for a days riding in the woods it was great. The special stages were longer than I expected, with some uphills. But longer is good, I don’t mind putting in the effort to get a longer stage. There was a good mix of terrain with tight turns, pedalling and technical stuff. I like the way there was no rush to get about, it was nice to wait in between stages. Riding all day with the Scots and the local riders we met in the last few days was brilliant. The timing was reliable, I like that its up to the rider.  It was new for everyone, but it's fair and by the end of the day you get the hang of how it works . Compared to DH and XC races, it's way more sociable, I'm excited to come back for the next round, it's only a ferry trip away." Source: Vital MTB

Joe topped the podium and Hannah scored a 3rd.  Congrats guys!  Nice work!  Check out all the photos on Vital MTB.  Here of course are the Oranges...

Rider: Joe Barnes Photo: Victor Lucas

Rider: Hannah Barnes Photo: Victor Lucas

Rider: Joe Barnes Photo: Victor Lucas

Check out this video from Through The Roots:

Trek Gravity Enduro Ireland Round 1 - Djouce Woods, Co Wicklow from Gravity Enduro Ireland on Vimeo.

Hannah Barnes Poster

This is a cool 5.10 poster featuring Hannah:

New Five Build

 Chris sent us in pictures of his brand new Orange Five.  Freshly built and ready to rip trails in Southern California. 

While we are updating our new Orange online catalog both dealers and consumers can call +1 541 201 8798 for information and pricing on the latest from Orange.