what to do during the winter months

One of the most superb businesses to be offered to the Midwest mountain biker is the indoor trail. Ray’s Indoor Park, located in Cleveland, is the first to offer riding for us in the frozen winter months and the sloppy spring and fall months.
This indoor trail is attracting riders from all over the Midwest and many bus loads from Canada.
The trail is housed in the old industrial section of Cleveland, which has long since been abandoned. The entire building has been gutted of its former factory tools and machines. This makes for a perfect palette for a trail designer to paint the trail to make a rider forget about what the lousy weather outside. The trail is as challenging as many outdoor courses. It does lack for distance, but it makes up for it in jumps, ramps, and obstacles to ride over.
There are several indoor trails in the US that are dedicated to the BMX rider. These trails are very short with many banked turns and jumps to clear several at a time. This type of trail requires much less floor space and less thought on how to lay it out. One of Ray’s continuing themes is to be on the cutting edge for the difficult obstacles to conquer.
The distance to travel to Ray’s is the biggest drawback. That is why I would love to see an indoor trail open up in the Fort Wayne area. When the winter blues hit and there are no trails to ride on, I am sure I will be on my way to Ray’s for some relief.

Ray's Indoor Park
Ray's featured on CNN

and for something completely different

I have made several references to a bike as “29er.” I will take out a blog entry to give a brief explanation of what it is.
The common mountain bike that everyone is use to has 26 inch diameter tires. The 29er uses a tire closer in size to what the typical road bike uses. This distance accounts for a 1 ½ inch rise in the bike height.
This distance would seem like much, but when riding over areas that you were use to on a 26er now seems much more different. The extra height allows for easier rolling over logs and other obstacles. It also delivers much lesser rolling resistance.
The 29er is not with out its critics. Many sight the extra weight as big draw back in using the 29 inch tires. They also say the 29er lacks responsive handling and maneuvering. The 29er requires special sized frame and front fork to accommodate the larger tires. It also requires a larger tire, tube, and rim. The availability of these special size components can end at a moments notice. This would be the biggest draw back of having a 29er.
I have been able to take a 29er out for a spin from Trail House in Winona Lake, service not provided from the web bike shops and one not offered from Summit Bikes. So far I have been avoiding purchasing a 29er, but I think my next bike will be a 29er.

29er explained
Q&A for 29er
More info on 29er
Niner Bikes

sponsorship $$$

Sponsorship for the road bike series has been long in place, but the companies are now starting to setup and sponsor the mountain bike riders and events. It is common place at the local level to see banners and prizes donated by major manufacturers. Companies are now even paying riders for to ride their bikes and wear their gear. It is good to see that these companies are stepping up.
The increase in popularity and with sponsorship money this should lead to better bikes and components. The more money that is involved with the sport, the more there will be placed in product development.

Price Point Sponsorship
Sponsorship Oppertunities
Fort William World Cup Sponsorship
Tips for Obtaining Sponsorship