Our Team news is dropping in the next couple days. Pretty pumped. Nothing better than fresh bikes to bring in the new year!!
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Levi Lavallee and Robbie Maddison are going for a massive tandem jump this New Years in SD. Best of luck to these two boys, takes some serious commitment. I'm sure you'll be watching them clear the gap side by side.
http://www.redbullusa.com/cs/Satellite/en_US/Sports/Motor-Sports/New-Year-No-Limits/001242797773354
WENTWORTH FALLS, NSW, AUSChristmas comes a day early in Australia! First real day sunshine since I've been back too, which is nice:) We started a tradition last year having a Holiday party at our house here in the Blue mountains. Starts with a Xmas ride or hike, followed by a little food, some beverages, swimming in the lake, then moto and more bike riding the next couple days, etc. This is our first full week off of training in awhile, so I think it's a free for all.
Bryn's mom and brother come up, plus a bunch of our good friends all kick it for holiday festivities. Real casual, just how I like it. Christmas in Australia is a different experience, it's summer time, so Santa is slightly overdressed, but it's all good. Have a happy holiday wherever you're at:)
Wentworth Falls, NSW Pretty nie to be back in Australia. Really peaceful where we live in the Blue mountains. Lots of space and epic scenery. We are surrounded by national parks and world heritage areas, so not bad. Still a bit cold, but I'm sure I'll be back to dealing with the heat in no time. Loving the long full days of summer once again.
Happy to see all our pals. We have a crew that we see nearly every day. BBq, hanging out, bike riding, moto days, etc:) pretty fun. I tried out a 250f for the first time ever, and had a good time. Was pretty nervous about the size and weight, but decided to finally trade in the little Honda 150r for some bigger wheels and proper sizing . Suspension is getting done this week:) Our new trainer has a MX background, so I've been getting all the hot tips with fundamental control. Will maintain my stand as a trail adventurer though:) Love missions.
Check out this breakfast spot right down the road. Hell of a view. Out the door are our running trails that go down to the waterfalls and canyons. Conservation Hut
Old Holden FC car. Australian Made
Our homie- Cillian Kennedy @ the job site. His bro Lockey owns- Kennedy Construction- Locky and his pup Rocky not pictured
Bryn getting after it. back up to speed:)
BMX track down in Lawson finally got a rebuild. Super sweet technical layout:) We just had a look, not finished yet.
Press release about the changes to Transition's Factory squad.
http://www.vitalmtb.com/news/news/Jill-Kintner-and-Bryn-Atkinson-Part-Ways-with-Transition-Bikes,399
I was sad to hear the news myself, as we had a great relationship with Transition, and a lot of success. 3 National Titles, 2 Pro GRT Overall titles, Undefeated in Slalom, US Open victories, and 9th my first year of World Cup DH after missing the first round.
When one door closes, another one opens.We are grateful for the support of Transition and our co sponsors over the last two years, and thank you to all of our friends and fans locally and beyond.
Been a crazy couple of days getting things done to leave for 4 months. Check and check. Can't wait to unleash some news about our program for next year. Been running double duty with training and business:) Really enjoying it though, things are clicking into place. Catch you on the flip side. Oz awaits...
Little hot tip for all you bar connoisseurs. Pure bar is one of my favorite snacks; fully organic, delicious, healthy. I have only seen em at trader Joes, so if you get the chance - scope them out. Rad company. http://thepurebar.com/pure-products/
SEATTLE, WA
The countdown till departure- 4 days left in Seattle. Permafrost has reared it's ugly head, and so it's time to roll out to sunny OZ. The trails in Washington are sooo good, gonna be tough to leave, but man, it is getting colder and colder up in this piece. freezing rain is the opposite of enjoyable.
Endless summer is not something I take for granted, but to be fair, Bryn only really gets 4 months home a year in oz, to my 8 months here in the USA:)
Think Bon Jovi said it best, " It's now or never, I ain't gonna live forever" . gotta live your dream while you can. Hope this blog, and my endless wisdom has inspired you.
This is my year -2012. It's on.
ABBOTSFORD, BC
Just wanted to say Thanks again to everyone who made our skills day a success at the Abbotsford indoor BMX!!! - Track organizers; Steve and Gary, Kat from Sweetlines (who is great to coach with), our helpers, and the ladies who attended. We had so many people wait-listed, that we ended up adding an extra class earlier in the day. Almost 30 ladies in one day, not too shabby:) Great groups too.
Think BMX tracks are perfect place just to really break down basic skills, and then add in more advanced stuff as the group progresses- like passing tactics, starts, manuals, etc. Then at the end get a few full gates of ladies battling it out!!
The building up there is pretty dialed; Heat, lights, sound system, restrooms, huge space for a track, grandstands, etc. Much bigger than our Port orchard indoor spot, but Port orchard has a little tighter turns and sections for technical skills.
Abbotsford also has an outdoor supercross track with a full sized SX ramp and sick rhythm sections just walking distance away from the indoor. They are going to have a World Cup Supercross next year. It was wet and locked up, but we got to check it out. That's more my style of riding. I have a hard time staying entertained on basic bmx tracks these days, but really enjoy creative lines at new locations:) Had a great time sharing my riding knowledge, helping people out, and meeting new lady shredders!!!
Guess they are going to tear this current indoor track down and rebuild it in january for more indoor racing excitement, so that'll keep em coming back!! The potential for this space is unlimited.
Kat and I will do more clinics in the future- Thinking about doing pump track ones next fall probably:) That will be real fun. I taught Pump tracks last year at Dirt Series:) I'll be back with those gals at Dirt Series again too - great program. C ya there-
Jill..
Bit of coverage from Vitalmtb.com. Fast 5 interview with yours truly........
Going to do an all women's skills day at the Abbotsford indoor BMX facility on Saturday- December 3rd. Get signed up quick if you want some instruction from Kat Sweet and I. Not far from Bellingham or Vancouver if you live near those places.
Having an indoor facility this time of year is a great chance to keep riding and work on fundamental skills! Awesome experience in an all Ladies environment as well!!
Here is the flier I made with all the info. Contact Kat to register. Will be limited entries. sweetlines.com
This is the fine print:) Learn from Olympic BMX Bronze medalist/4x World champion/ U.S.A. DH National Champion- Jill Kintner, and Instructor Kat Sweet of Sweetlines.com, the techniques involved to pump and flow your way around a BMX/4X course.
Skills covered: basic bike set up, Fundamentals of braking, Turning drills, pumping, gate starts, balance, line choices, passing moves and race tactics, etc. ALL ABILITIES WELCOME !!!
Recommend a HARDTAIL or BMX bike. Must wear full face helmets, long sleeves, long pants or shorts and knee/shin guards.
WHO: Women who ride bikes
COACHES: Jill Kintner & Kat Sweet
WHERE: Abbotsford Indoor BMX Track 32470 Haida Dr. Abbotsford, BC, CANADA www.abbotsfordbmx.ca
WHEN: Dec 3rd
TIME: 10am-1pm
COST: $50
TO REGISTER : contact Kat katsweet1@gmail.com www.sweetlines.com
Bellingham is its own world. Only there would they create something as genius as klunker races. All you need to do is pick up an awesome old steel bike with coaster brakes, 1 speed, put some bars on it and ride it hard- klunking on a klunker. Add a couple beers, dirt jumps, rock wall ride with no rear tire, and you got yourself a couple wild and crazy guys...
You're probably asking yourself, why all the bmx tracks lately? Well, because there is snow on all the good trails and it's dark at 4pm. I've been the biggest gym rat lately and need to get out and ride my bike. Will be fun to go check out what Canadian Bmx/4x is all about:). Abbotsford is right across the border to Canada, so google tells me to drive North 2.5hrs from home, and that is what I shall do. With Bryn gone, I will have a couple weeks of frozen snowy goodness left before heading into Australian sunshine. Bikes+ snowboard, check and check
These guys have a 4x series, which sounds like riding a hardtail on a flat BmX track, but I am excited to be going for practice, followed hopefully by a visit to Pinkbike HQ, and then some snowboarding the following day bright and early.
I have tried to rally a small crew, so it's on. The average BMX track doesn't take long to master these days, so I hope these guys have a sweet rhythm section,or a bit of time to ride backwards and do transfers, my favorite game. Roadtrip.
PORT ORCHARD, WA
Last night was pretty fun at indoor BMX with Kat Sweet, Daniel Mazuti, and the 10 ladies in our clinic on hardtails. I quite enjoy teaching these things, And always seem to get the best groups of people:).
Fundaments are so key, gives an appreciation for all the things I have learned over the years to help others. I have a pretty keen eye for cause and effect with biomechanics, so that helps. Got most everyone's timing better for pumping, form a little better, braking on point, gate starts, balancing on a gate, set up, cornering, etc:) Of course, can't learn everything in 2 hrs, but it was a good start. Think women learn best in a supportive all women scene. By the end of the night, we had full gates and full laps- racing. Lot of giggling and smiling faces from people who have never been to a bm track or ever raced 4x. Good stuff. Thanks to Kat for setting it up, and the Mazutis for hosting it. I even busted out my ol trusty bmx bike "Lady Killer" for some squirrely hot laps:) Girl Power? :)
Inside look at my 2011 set up.
Photo credit- Dirt.
As pro riders, we put hours and hours into developing a set up, tweaking out in the garage. Minor changes keep things evolving, but a proper set up is a thing of beauty. With Two full years on the TR450, got it pretty figured out what works for me, and what doesn't through trial and error.
As the years go on, and my speed increases on the DH bike, I still discover ways to keep pushing the equipment to get the most out of it. Helps having a bike company where the owners ride themselves. But as racers Bryn and I work together to talk stuff over- he's pretty quick and been at it awhile:) Companies that seek rider feedback are great too, like Fox, cause it's give and take for both parties, with the same goals.
On tour, nobody really shares their secrets cause it's so competitive. I look to learn from other top pros as well, but it's fairly specific and under wraps. Better to focus on you sometimes.
When teaching clinics or helping other people, set up is the place to begin. Can look at someone and see what's going on- kind of a diagnostic thing. Front end diving: forks could bee too soft, or bars too low, weight too far over the front. Stem length, fork pressure, spacer stack height, bar rise, lever position. All these things go into it.
I get a lot of questions from locals, that in my world I don't think about out loud. But even in my racing tuning is an ongoing process. We test everything. Tires in different conditions, lever position, stem length, tire pressures, gearing, stack height, seat height, bar bends, etc.
I thought I would give all our sponsors and the bikes a little more credit. They have been great to ride!! And hopefully you learn something that can help in your own set up.
FRAME: TR 450 size Small (I'm 5'6.5") - Middle chip suspension setting.
Suspension: Fox 40- Blue spring, Fox rc4 350lb spring . (this keeps evolving, started on purple, adjust height of stansions For steepness of trail)
Drivetrain: Shimano Saint- stock. Dialed.
Brakes: Saint. adjusted levers in.Takes awhile to get used to the power, but you will never go back. Lasted all year, good stuff, brakes are amazing, use saints for trailbike, slalom bike too) Shimano 203 Rotors- Icetech. They really do stop better and are quiet. lever position should keep you with a neutral wrist, not too far down so you can get behind the bike and keep your wrist strong.
Cables/Housing: Jagwire. Can never have enough of this stuff. Fresh cables mean snappy shifting.
Wheels: Crankbrothers- Opium DH wheels. Held up awesome!! Only small dings in rims from thrashing rocks. (Ran Tubeless most events where Marshy was) . New generation of wheels are even lighter and smoother hub body. Raced them at National Champs!! Iodine for xc , slalom, etc. Cobalt I have em on my hardtail and they have lasted well.
Tires/ Tubes: Maxxis. Best tires!! 2.5 Minions, Wetscreams, High Rollers, High roller 2. Minions are best for most courses. Only use High roller for a back tire because it brakes more aggressive and you can feel the edge, don't really like it for a front. Good on steep tracks for braking, muddy greasy tracks it clears good. UK racers use this tire for everything. High roller 2 is an amazing tire!! Has better rolling resistance, less of an edge, but corners and grips real well, good front tire and rear. Tubes- Freeride for rear, welterweight front, or Stans tubless if you have a new rim.
Pedals: Crankbrother Mallet. New version of their pedals have been awesome for me, bit smaller platform which is great for small feet. I found them easier to clip in and out than the old ones, especially in mud!. We have always taken the pins out of the pedals to make it smooth in and out, but a couple people told me to run pins. Dunno.
Bars/ Stem: Kore Torsion Bars- Red- 35mm rise, 29 1/4" width, Direct mount stem- 50 mm. Anything less than 35mm rise bars leads to a lot of spacers under the top crown. When going downhill, neutral is best, get the weight off the front end. Also we use quite a few spacers to get the bars high. I See a lot of bike park guys and Aussies with too low of a front end, but that works kinda for flat trails, I guess. Low bars and soft fork= goon position. Too high and your elbows will be down. That also has to do with lever position and where they are located from the grip. Mic Pascal is a prime example, he used to have awesome form, now runs 50mm bars and flat levers and his elbows are really far down. Think he did that because of his bike and the steep tracks he rides. Experimentation leads to insight sometimes.
Grips: Lock on ODI ruffians. Never any problems,awesome company.
Gears/ Guides: e.13 / Lg1 guides. 36T or 38T chainrings. 36T for clearance, only use a 38 when there is a big DH sprint. Don't want to run out of gear. Windham was also a case where a 36t wasn't enough for the last section of track. 38T is risky when there is a g out. This is why Specialized experimented with the smaller cogs, but in reality, there isn't enough chain wrapped around the cassette to lay down explosive power. Think only top guys should use that, if at all. They got mega clearance, and lighter set up, but probably didn't have enough spread in gears. 36t with an 11-21 cassette is average.
Seat/Seatpost: This has been a project for me. Getting the seat low enough that you can turn without the seat touching you, but still clearing the rear tire on g outs. Just a general thing with me being smaller. We ran a Kore T rail Torsion seat, with their post. Means no rails, just a beam, which is pretty good . I modified my saddle, adn they made a mini one part of their production, meant I could lower my seat about an inch. Fixed the problem. Like a little dirt jump saddle. Seems weird to have a long saddle for Dh that gets in the way.
Headsets: Cane creek. Quality gear. Their interlock spacers are pretty sweet. Tall top caps.
Shoes: 5.10 Minnaar. 2 spacers under the cleat, cut the overhanging plastic with a knife for clearance. These shoes got better with time. Pretty comfy.
Helmet: D3 is the only helmet:) Airtrix red bull paint job. Don't buy cheap helmets, it says all the wrong things.
Armor: Knee/Shin-Alpinestar Moab BMX, Mtb protector . These were the best looking pads that worked the best and stayed put. Comes with Knee covers. Great company makes modifications based on rider feedback. They have become lighter and more streamlined over the last two seasons. Elbow: TLD kiddy elbow guards, don't slip, fit my arms. XC: Use the lopes neoprene pads Full Body: Tld shock doctor stuff. Been the best I've found.
Clothing: Jett. based in Colorado, rider owned company. Their Lightning shorts and flight gloves fit great!! No complaints. For xc,ride short and raven short. Strike jersey with a base layer was the topI used.
Eyewear: Oakley Crowbar goggle. Clear lenses. used blue when it was really high contrast,but my optometrist just told me that you never want to wear blue, just clear, yellow, and rose colors. Fire iridium is my favorite, vr28, clear.
Tools: Park Tool- makes everything! Lezyne mini tool was in my pocket every day, crankbros tool in my pack. patch kit. Pressure gage. Trader Joes unsweetened Mango slices .
Insoles: Esoles- custom footbeds.
Red Bull: Last but certainly not least. Best company in the world to be sponsored by. Gives me wings.
Big Thanks to all our partners this year!!!
Kat Sweet from Cascade MTB Alliance put together a little 4x/bmx clinic next week (Thurs) Nov 17th at indoor bmx. I am going as a guest coach. Check it. http://sweetlines.com/2011/11/09/4x-clinic/
For some November is the time to grow a mustache , but for Bryn and I it is the final bit of cold weather we have to endure before heading into spring/summer time in Australia!! our double life of dirt bikes, driving on the wrong side of the road, looking at funny animals, riding through the gum trees, and eating sleeping and breathing improvement on bikes.
With a lot of changes on the horizon, things are looking bright in days to come. For now, daily life includes frost on the windshield, coffee, colorful trees, darkness at 4:30pm, lot of emails, and quite a bit of time in the gym getting ready to get ready, if you know what I mean:) Starting a bit early this year thanks to Perform X training! You will know more about this soon enough. Bit of a powerhouse line up of Athletes this year from one of Canada's finest Mtb and Moto trainers- Todd.
Few more weeks, then Adios,, off to see the wizard , again.
RENTON, WAYesterday was the 2nd annual halloween slalom event at Bermsled trail. Bunch of people chipped in to make it run smooth, but GHY Bikes, Phil Sunbaum, and Travis were the main players this year. Gibby, brough some smoked salmon, which was a welcomed alternative to spicy dogs. Thx gibby.
Trail was flowing real well, perfect conditions, Even some sunshine for a nice little saturday of slaloming.
The turnout was a bit bigger this year, think at least 40 riders. Which was good, but then the wait to do runs was massive. 30-40 min between runs. 1.5 min between people.
Bryn decided last minute to race. He rode this trail the other day on his trail bike with the seat kinda high and was ripping, but hasn't really done too much little bike stuff or standing up and sprinting.
Not surprising, he hasn't lost any skill, and took out the Victory!!! In two runs none the less!! He's doing really well with the rehab on his femur, working every day to get it back.
2nd-5th were all within less than a second. 1st Bryn 59.99, Keith 2nd with a 1.01.2, 3rd Lucas 1.01.5, 4th Jill 1.01.7, 5th Travis 1.01.9
Tons of prizes, snacks, and good times. Fun to be a part of again! Thx guys!
Costumes were pretty good. Travis, hands down won best costume as the count from sesame street. I went as Brent Pee Wee Lee, you have to be kinda old school bmx to get it. He is the ABA all time points leader, from Wa, and always wore a jofa, fanny pack, had crazy number plates with blinking lights, etc. Other noteworthy costumes; AJ was The Dude from the big Lebowski!! White russian in hand!! Couple goth blood bath guys, a Hipster, Wolverine, Black Swan, bumble bee, cow, party boy, jersey shore jailbird, and one sicko was a feminine product. All in the spirit fo the season...
RENTON, WA2nd Annual Halloween Slalom! Last year this underground race was so much fun.
It's a couple days before Halloween, but you get the idea, costumes n bikes. G.H.Y Bikes is hosting it, but my buddy Travis has put a lot of time into digging this trail. I was out there the other day helping too, Just before the rain, so we got a good base down. With Bryn not riding, Travis is the one to beat, unless Luke maybe shows up. I came a close third last year, so it's on. Travis has a double and some better tires this year, so I think it's gonna get wild. Community events are rad. Gibby, hope you got the smoked salmon again.