By Konarider
Aaahhhh, the smell of new shoes. Not much can compare, especially when you're used to a pair that are over a year old and well worn!

Rheal Jaillet of Fitworks in Moncton supplied me with a pair of Louis Garneau Ergo Grip mountain bike shoes. Louis Garneau is a successful Canadian company specializing in many cycling products from shoes, gloves, helmets, pannier bags, clothing and even bikes... Louis Garneau has you covered!

Posted by O9man at 12:47 PM

By Konarider
So you're thinking that the cycling season is just too short and you don't want to expose your expensive bike to the mud, salt, snow and ice of fall, winter and early spring. There is a solution my friend, build a beater.

Building a beater not only allows you to extend your cycling to year round in most areas, but it also challenges you to build a bike. Isn't it expensive you ask? Not at all. If you're smart and know where to look a beater can cost less than $200.00. My two beater bikes cost me less than 200 and I ride them year round on trails and as commuter bikes. You say you're less than mechanically inclined? Ask a friend to drop by, make a night of putting together a bike. It doesn't really take that long with all the parts. Make sure to throw in some beverages, maybe a mountain bike movie and you've got a cheap night of entertainment with the end product being a working bike.

Here are the six steps I take in building my beater bike:

Posted by O9man at 09:22 PM

A Review By O9Man
Sometimes on very special days you ride perfectly. Your legs and lungs co-operate with the rest of your body and mind in a performance that leaves your heart pounding more out of excitement than exhertion. For most of us those days are few and far between, and the idea of having one on an unfamiliar bike just isn't a reality. I suppose that makes the 2007 Norco Faze One unreal. I'd also go further and say that my special day was more due to the Faze than the concert of my being.

Posted by O9man at 11:19 PM

By Konarider... er... um... Devincirider?
It's not often that someone gets the opportunity to ride a 2009 model before it hits the floors in the shops. I have had just that opportunity in riding a 2009 Devinci Remix SL5. Please note that this is the pre-production, prototype version of Devinci's top of the line all mountain bike. Jeff of Sportwheels was kind enough to loan me his personal ride for a couple of weeks so I could give it a review for good old ECMTB!

Posted by O9man at 04:38 PM

By Replicator
Panaracer is a name that has been around the mountain bike scene for quite a while. If the Cinder tire is any indication of the product they continually produce, then it'll be just one more reason for Panaracer's longevity. Read on to find out!
The first thing you'll notice when looking at the Cinder are the aggressively spaced knobs. On closer inspection you'll see that the knobs themselves have two levels. The highest point of the is made of a softer rubber that flexes under torque 'giving' a little bit when needed. The lower, more dense section of the knob provides stability to propel you and your bike over rooty sections and rock gardens.

Posted by O9man at 11:05 PM

Sette is a brand of high-quality, value-priced cycling gear, exclusively available at Price Point. Price Point set us up with some products from Sette so that we could put them to the test on the East Coast. Sette carries a full line of products, we got our hands on a hydration pack, some gloves and a carbon fiber handlebar.

Posted by O9man at 12:14 AM

By Jaymcneil

There are many general "guidelines" or "rules to follow" when taking pictures. The purpose of taking a photograph is essentially to capture a moment in a way that pleases the photographer or other viewers. This means that although for the most part, when these guidelines are followed the results are usually better, it is not necessary to live by the rules. A large portion of photography is creativity and taking risks to create a unique result. Essentially there are no "right" and "wrong" ways to take a photograph, only methods that have proved to be appealing.

Generally the most important parts of a photograph are the composition, subject, and exposure / lighting. For example, a photo wouldn't be a keeper if: half of the rider's body was accidently cut off, the photo was a boring ugly trick, or if the photo was taken at 1:00 a.m. and hardly anything was visible.

Posted by O9man at 10:29 PM

By popular demand we've ordered a new set of die cast ECMTB stickers. Supplies are limited so act now!

Posted by O9man at 09:46 PM

by Nobalance
Spending hundreds if not thousands of dollars on a bicycle while the power bill goes unpaid and your kid plays soccer in Crocs is not exactly what some would call responsible. And I have a bike already - in fact I have two. But I wanted a road bike. In my easily obsessed mindspace, I had become convinced that my very life depended upon acquisition of a road bike. At 38, and after far to many days lugging the typically sized east coast adult out of their home on a stretcher, my back and fitness screamed for non-pounding miles accumulation. Throw into the mix that the days of hopping on my bike on Herbert Rd and a full 5 minutes later dropping into Wrandee's for a quick spin are dead, as I now must drive, at minimum, 15 minutes to the trail head; and that a full life revolving around three kids and blessed partner and a big ole dog is sweetly time consuming. Not whining; love my life; just not the fleshy middle, burning lungs and dead legs that has come as part of the package. A road bike would fix everything, commuter, fat burner, back-saver, leg hardener; a road bike - the salve for all that ails.

Posted by bikergrl at 11:28 AM

Press Release
November 2nd, 2005 - One of the first obvious signs that a person is maturing is when they develop a sense of style; the same can be said about a sport. It used to be that the 'best' freeriders were the ones most willing to huck their meat off the biggest drop, and the best freeride bikes were designed to endure the most abuse.

Well, times they are a-changin'. To be 'pro' today means you have style, as well as cojones. It's not enough to just go big. You need to go big, trick it out, and make it look so smooth and easy that your grandma will want to give it a try.

Posted by bikergrl at 04:28 PM

by Nelly

It started as a courtesy. As the sport of mountain biking took off in the late 80's media stories in the mass media and indeed the cycling media as well had been pointing to a growing number of complaints from non-cycling trail users that mountain bikers were ripping around trails and scaring the bejesus out of everyone. Cycling advocates and activists made the case for sharing the trails and showing respect to fellow trail users by installing a sonic advance warning system. A bell. So I decided it would be best if I got one.

Posted by bikergrl at 10:00 AM

Written and worn by: Bikergrl

That's right. Gone are the days when being the bearer of ample bosoms meant riding in a t-shirt that came down to my knees and breathed about as well as a 90-year old addicted to Export-As. Spring is here in all its wet glory and so are two pieces of clothing that are going to make my riding experiences in the sloppy Atlantic woods WAY more fun

Posted by bikergrl at 11:21 PM

by: Mike Lawrence

Nearing the end of the 2004 season, the new Norco catalogue comes out. Different pictures are being posted on the site, and everyone is commenting on them. I come across one picture, the 2005 Evolve. I've been eyeing a trials bike for a few years, contemplated getting one last season, but money just didn't seem to happen. Upon seeing this picture, I knew I wanted it.

Posted by bikergrl at 10:35 PM

By: Bikergrl and the Staff of ECMTB

Mountain bike products over the years have ranged from stoically practical to outrageously ridiculous. Although the manufacturers constantly try to innovate new "improvements", there have been some hits along the way that have stood the test of time. I asked the staff of ECMTB to put together some of their favourite mountain bike things along the way and here's what we came up with.

Posted by bikergrl at 04:53 PM

Authors: Gilbert Rossignol, Sue Earle, Adam Shore
Photos: Sue Earle
Stan's No-Tubes system is an easy to install solution to many trailside nightmares. It converts a regular wheel setup into a tubeless system with relative ease. Why would you want to do this? Well, Stan's No-Tubes system is more than just a tubeless system. It's a puncture and pinch flat-resistant system. It allows you to vary your air pressure greatly and not have to worry about pinching tubes. This is great for almost all forms of racing and riding - it almost guarantees that you will spend lest time on the side of the trail fixing flats.

Posted by nimzie at 10:47 PM

March 25, 2004, Port Coquitlam, BC-Norco Products Ltd, one of North America's leading distributors of high quality cycling components, products and accessories is proud to announce that it will be distributing Goodridge Hydraulic Brake Line Kits in Canada.

Posted by Chris Marks at 09:06 AM

Most hydration packs on the market today compromise on either fit, tool storage or water carrying capacity. Axiom is proud to say that its approach to hydration is completely compromise-free. With 6 different packs to choose from, there’s definitely one to suit your kind of riding.

Posted by Chris Marks at 02:14 PM

December 8, 2003, Port Coquitlam, BC-Norco Performance Bikes, one of North America's leading producers of high quality mountain bikes, components, and clothing, is proud to announce that it is releasing a new addition to its already critically acclaimed Variable Point Suspension (VPS) line-up of high performance mountain bikes. The all-new VPS B-Line is designed for all those grommets out there ripping it up on the Shore, or at their local mountain bike park.

Posted by Chris Marks at 09:33 AM

Each year bike product managers spec more suspension forks on more models than the year before. The problem is that accessory companies are not keeping up with these changes. The new patent pending design of the 2004 Axiom Odyssee Suspension Low Rider Rack allows this unique front pannier rack to be mounted to front suspension forks up to 42mm in diameter, and even to newer generation suspension forks that don't come with traditional, brake-boss mounts.

Posted by Chris Marks at 09:38 AM

Author: Bikergrl

I've always said that if you can't be fast you should at least look good while you're trying. True, speed is great, but style is EVERYTHING! While guys have gazillions of choices when it comes to solid technical wear for mountain biking, women are often faced with having to decide between plain and frumpy or more flowers than you can sneeze your head off at. Well, things are finally changing. So guys, read up, here's what WE want for Christmas.

Posted by bikergrl at 10:22 PM

Mace Apparel for 2004

The big story in Mace's apparel collection this year is the addition of the more hard-core pieces of body armour and helmets.

Posted by Chris Marks at 09:15 AM