Dream Test Ride at the Gardasee Bike Festival 30.04 - 02.05.2010

We are offering one rider a chance to ride and race an Independent Fabrication Ti Deluxe 29er during the Gardasee Festival. Those interested may submit their name, contact information, their sizing information (height, inseam and weight), and why you would like to ride and race our Ti 29er.

If chosen, you will get fit to the Ti Deluxe 29er on Friday during the festival at out booth F5 in expo area before going out to ride it on Friday and then racing it in one of the Marathon distances on Saturday. You will also receive a team kit (short sleeve jersey and bib shorts) which you can keep after the race. Not too mention you will get to hang out with the rest of the IFBRT Racing Team in our team area, sip some great espresso and be the envy of the rest of the competitors.

Requirements: must be 18 years or older, you have to sign a waiver/ liability form, provide a valid passport for security, be registered for the Marathon, provide us & Bike Sport News with feedback on your experience. You must bring their own pedals, ride with a helmet at all times, and we will also need your current bike setup dimensions.

The winner will be selected on Tuesday, 27. April 2010.

Bike specs:

Ti Deluxe 29er (58.5 cm virtual toptube/ 46 seat tube center to center)
FOX F29 90mm 15 QR
Chris King/ EDGE wheelset w/ Geax Suguaro TNT tires
SRAM XO
Magura Marta SL Mag Discbrakes
Thomson bar & post
Fizik saddle
Syntace bar
Ergon GA1 grips
Rotor Agilis 2x9 cranks

Münsingen

Having been on the DL for a few weeks early this year, I benched myself and took the roll of waterboy for Sandi at this weekends first round of the Bundesliga MTB Series, the German National Series. Really it was a no brainer to take up the supprt role, still trying to build some sort of fitness following my surgeries, and the fact I like to support Sandi at events like this, Colin and I gladly handled hand-ups in between watching the racing, feeding lamas & horses, and gathering rocks.

Münsingen has been the first round of the German series for some time and typically draws top riders from around Europe, as was the case this year. The top ten in attendance here could easily be the top 10 at any World Cup event, and to top that, Münsingen is an autobahn course...fast as hell and void of any technical sections (at least in the dry).

The speed on display was impressive to say the least, the girls were drilling from the start and hardly faded through the race. Sandi played it conservatively going into the race, knowing that she was out powered, had only a fraction of the training that these girls have and it just wasn't her style of racing, she still found her groove out there, and hung tough with the World's elite.

After a rough couple inital laps, ASandi began to flow more with the course, and while she couldn't emulate the top-end of the other girls, she was able to clean, and do so at speed the short techy sections peppered throughout the course. Her own little triumph. Best of all she had a lot of fun out there, and actually faired quite well against some girls she will be facing later this season at some marathons.

We love going to races and the whole experience around it, having Colin around and seeing his enthusiasm for it made it even enjoyable. While our days off top level racing are numbered, if not already behind us, we can take solace in still being competitive at regional events and finding pleasure in the process.

Next up is Gardasee for us and some mountain style riding.