As the Third Annual Gravity East Mountain Bike Series continues on at the pristine Attitash Mountain Ski Resort, Ben Moody narrowly edges out Specialized Team American member Neko Mulally by less than second for his second consecutive downhill 1^st place finish in the Series. From the hometown of New Boston NH, Moody is a ski-team instructor and a soccer coach when he is not charging down on a bike. The white knuckle race ran down the runs of Kids will be Kids, Hornets Nest, and Grandma’s House as the course was set up for advance riders only.

First and foremost, I need a ride! There are different categories of bikes, and I am opting for the hardtail mountain bike.  It has a front suspension that reduces the steering vibrations and is recommended for  casual trails (which I’ll start on) and a single track (check the glossary in the post before if you don’t know what that is).  Since I’m a beginner, I opted for the Novara Aspen Bike, which is on the less expensive end and is supposed to be great for the type of trails I’m going to tackle. Sizes of bikes range from extra small to large- I’m on the shorter side, so I’m going with an extra small. I also need a lock for my bike, and the recommended lock is on the same page as my bike.  REI’s website also has alot of other accessories to choose from like lights and racks. 

Now that I have a bike, I need the right gear! REI’s site has jerseys, shorts, jackets, footwear, and much more to choose from.  Safety is very important, so you might want to go with reflective clothing so you can always be seen! Speaking of safety, don’t forget to buy a helmet as well! 

Bike, check…gear, check…clothing, check…helmet, check…now it’s time to hit the trail! I live in Southern California so I found a great list of trails on www.SoCalMtB.com.  There’s a great index of trails in Southern California and is divided up by location.  I found one very close to where I live, so I’m off to hit the trail!!

GRANBY, Colo&hellipJune 25, 2009 – For the first time ever, Colorado will host the National Mountain Bike Championships July 16 – 19 at Granby Ranch. And for those planning to take in the country’s best mountain biking, you might want to give more than your bike a “tune up.” After all, mountain biking has its own lingo and if you’re not familiar, it could be difficult to keep up. For example:

Mountain Bike Lingo: An easy warm up on a fireroad can go bad when unexpected babyheads appear causing a pinchflat long before you reach the whoops and that can be a bigger hassle than an endo.”

Translation: A fireroad is a relatively easy dirt trail but if a pile of small rocks appear in the trail, you could get a flat caused by the tire compression on all the rocks which would make trying to ride through the dirt bumps really difficult and you might end up going over the handlebars in a visually spectacular fall.

The following glossary of mountain bike terms will help ensure a smooth ride at Granby Ranch. Event information and details are available at www.SolVistaNationals.com <http://www.solvistanationals.com/> .

Glossary of Mountain Bike Terms

Singletrack – A thin dirt trail one to two feet wide that winds through trees and
mountains.
Fireroad – Wide dirt road where passing can occur, not technically difficult.
Run – A ride down a course, usually referring to downhill.
Berm – A banked turn, which allows riders to change directions more easily.
Off Camber – A turn, which is cambered away from the rider, the opposite of a berm. Technically difficult to ride.
Whoops – A series of bumps, either man-made (as obstacles) or naturally developing in a course due to riding or braking.
Double – A jump with a take off and a separate landing, no dirt in the middle.
Tabletop – A jump with a take off and a landing joined by dirt in the middle, resembling a table.
Lip – The take off portion of a jump.
Hip – A jump that is incorporated into a turn. Riders should turn on the lip and land going in a different direction than they started.
Rock Garden – A section of trail that is filled with rocks, either man-made or natural.
Babyheads – Small rocks from a fist size to a bowling ball size that can move a bike unpredictably.
DH – A point-to-point downhill race emphasizing technical prowess and sprinting ability. One rider races a clock at a time.
XC – A cross-country mass start race with climbing and descending emphasizing aerobic fitness and endurance.
4X – A four-person race with jumps, whoops, off camber and berm corners emphasizing strategy, cornering and sprinting. The top two riders move closer to a final four race.
Short Track – A short (25-30 minutes) lap race with sprint climbs and short descents, which allow spectators to see entire races in a short span of time.
Super D – A downhill race with more of an emphasis on pedaling and fitness, with tamed down sections that are not as difficult as a regular downhill race.
Endo – A crash where a rider flips over the handlebars.
Kit – An outfit worn for riding, especially pertaining to downhill or 4X.
Clipless Pedals/Clips – Pedals that attach to a riders foot.
Flats – Pedals that do not mechanically attach to a rider’s foot.
Pinchflat – A flat tire caused by the tire compressing over rocks, logs, objects and
pinching a hole in the tube.

About Granby Ranch

Spanning 5,000 acres of sun-filled high alpine landscape, Granby Ranch is a ski and golf community offering an unparalleled combination of Mountain amenities, homes, and home sites where all owners are a member of The Connection at Granby Ranch, our all-inclusive homeowners association. The community is just 90 minutes from Denver and is a fully-amenitized, four-season community, including: SolVista Basin with, a completely remodeled Base Camp Lodge and new acclaimed Seven Trails Grille restaurant; the 18-hole Nicklaus Design Headwaters Golf; more than three miles of private fishing access on the Fraser River; and hundreds of acres of open space and trails for hiking, mountain biking and enjoying the high mountain summer vibe. www.granbyranch.com <http://www.granbyranch.com/>

ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) — Former mountain biking world champion Melissa “Missy” Giove was ordered held on $250,000 bail Thursday after federal authorities said they seized more than 200 pounds of marijuana from a truck she was driving in upstate New York.

Giove, 37, and Eric Canori, 30, of Wilton were charged Tuesday with conspiring to possess and distribute more than 100 kilograms of marijuana.

Nearly 400 pounds of pot were seized from the truck and from Canori’s home outside Saratoga Springs, 25 miles north of Albany, according to the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency.

Canori was ordered held on $500,000 bail at the detention hearing Thursday. Giove and Canori were also ordered to surrender their passports, attend all court appearances and notify authorities of any changes in phone number or address should they post bail. Judge David Homer also imposed travel restrictions on both.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Richard Belliss had asked for no bail, saying Giove and Canori are flight risks, but Homer cited the pair’s lack of criminal history and family and business ties to their communities.

Authorities learned of Giove and Canori’s plans last weekend when Illinois State Police pulled over a woman driving a truck and trailer loaded with about 220 pounds of marijuana, DEA spokeswoman Erin Mulvey said. Authorities completed the delivery to the Albany area, where Mulvey said Giove picked up the vehicle and trailer.

Giove is accused of then driving north and following Canori to his home, where some of the trailer’s contents were unloaded.

Giove was later arrested at nearby Saratoga Lake, authorities said. A search of Canori’s home turned up more than 150 pounds of pot and more than $1 million in cash stashed in a closet and the basement, the DEA said.

In court Thursday, public defender Tim Austin said the drugs and money were planted in Giove’s truck, possibly by police.

Giove, nicknamed “The Missile,” was the downhill world champion in 1994 and won World Cup season titles in ‘97 and ‘98, then captured national titles from 1999-2001. One of the sport’s first mainstream female stars, she retired from downhill racing in 2003.