D HELNH
road and mountain bike riders a way to stash them on their bikes in clever ways so they are readily available but not weighing down a saddle bag, backpack or jersey pocket. Topeak’s Ninja series includes three tools: a bike
Topeak showing sneaky ways for bringing tools along on the ride T
opeak (Todson Booths 220, 222 and 224) is going stealth with many of its new tools, offering
pump that fits inside seatposts, a multi-tool that integrates with a bottle cage, and a chain tool that fits inside the end of handlebars. The Ninja P pump weighs 62 grams and includes
indicators so riders can get their seat back to its original height after using the pump. The Ninja TC multi-tool fits inside a protective
case that attaches to the bottom of a Topeak bottle cage. It can be removed with a 90-degree twist for quick adjustments. It includes 2/2.5/3/4/5/6-mil- limeter Allen keys and Phillips head and T25 Torx wrenches. The bottle cage also holds two tire levers. The Ninja C chain tool is, hopefully, something
that rarely gets used on the trail or road. It fits inside the end of a road or mountain bike handlebar, is 11-speed-compatible and includes a chain pin com- partment and chain hook. Topeak is also showing off its JoeBlow Booster
pump, which makes it easy to mount tubeless tires without an air compressor. The floor pump includes an integrated 1-liter air chamber that can be pumped up to 160 psi for a quick blast to seat tires on tube- less rims. The aluminum barrel pump has a 0-160 psi gauge and Topeak’s SmartHead, which fits Presta and Schrader valves.
The Ninja P pump (left) is designed to fit inside seatposts, while the Ninja TC multi-tool (right) fits inside a case that attaches to a Topeak bottle cage.
9LVLW (92ȆV )DFHERRN SDJH GXULQJ 6HD 2WWHU (QWHU WR ZLQ DQ (92 HELNH
established leagues in 18 states, and that effort has helped get more high school kids riding and racing mountain bikes. Besides attending NICA-sanctioned races, many of the young rid- ers show up to events like Sea Otter to compete in a broader field. And the number of kids ages 15-18 racing at
Sea Otter has grown every year since 2009. “We wondered if NICA had an impact on the numbers in the junior fields at Sea Otter since the first programs were established,” said Austin McInerny, NICA’s executive director. “So we compared 2009 Sea Otter cross-country race numbers with 2015, and in those six years, the number of 18-and-under riders has definitely grown.” According to McInerny’s estimates, youth
&RQWHVW HQGV DW SP 6XQGD\ $SULO
2SHQ WR 86 DQG &DQDGLDQ UHVLGHQWV RQO\ :LQQHU UHFHLYHV FKRLFH RI RQH ELF\FOH FKRLFH RI PHQȆV RU ZRPHQȆV
PRGHO 2IILFLDO FRQWHVW UXOHV DQG UHTXLUHPHQWV DYDLODEOH RQOLQH DW IDFHERRN FRP (92ELF\FOH
6HD 2WWHU %RRWK APRIL 14-17, 2016
(age 15-18) male participation at Sea Otter grew 46 percent while youth female race registra- tions grew by 64 percent in 2015 compared with 2009. Jeff Frost, who handles athlete services and risk management for Sea Otter, said that
12
NICA programs increase youth race participation at Sea Otter S
ince its inception in 2009, the National Interscholastic Cycling Association has
while racers in all categories and disciplines are traveling from 35 states and 10 countries this year, the majority still come from Northern and Southern California. Both regions have strong NICA leagues, currently with about 1,700 high school students participating. “Youth racing has mirrored some of the
growth seen at NICA,” Frost said. “We have grown about 10 percent over the last five years — and we started with large junior categories to begin with.” But it’s not just the off-road categories
that have grown at Sea Otter. Junior road racing categories have grown twice as fast in five years, and Frost attributed it to the growth of youth road racing programs in Southern California. The California NICA leagues purposely do
not schedule high school races on Sea Otter weekend in order to give kids the chance to race at Laguna Seca. “Those kids are fully primed and racing
Sea Otter comes right in the middle of their season,” McInerny said. “And it’s an easy event to get to for our California leagues.”
SEAOTTERCLASSIC.COM
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44