Fluidride

8 year old Zachary McCracken shows how it’s done!

Simon Lawton — Sun, 18 Jul 2010 16:57:43 +0000

I had a chance to work with long time NW ripper Jim McCracken and his son recently. We worked on corning and footwork, and even talked about using foot work to pull the bike across the trail off a jump. We worked specifically on the jump shown at second 23 in this video. Jim sent this video to me a week after the session to show how much Zachary had improved. Watch how he uses his right foot to transfer him to the left side of the trail off the jump at second 23. Amazing footwork at the age of 8…the sky is the limit for Zachary!

“TURN” In Post Production

admin — Wed, 23 Jun 2010 14:53:26 +0000

Our follow up to our first instructional film Fluidride: Like a Pro is now in post production. We finished up our last day of filming on TURN yesterday with Awesome Land’s Mark Brent and Miles Sullivan. TURN gives riders an in depth breakdown of how top riders use footwork to elevate their riding to amazing levels. “I’ve had great success with students recently using some new ways of teaching I’ve discovered over the last year, and am really excited to bring my ideas to riders around the world” said Fluidride founder and head coach Simon Lawton. TURN is about more than just cornering well says Lawton. “What we’ve really discovered is that there really is a way to teach riders to flow, and it comes from the way they use their feet”. Even seasoned riders and Pro’s who have benefited from Lawton’s coaching recently have been blown away by the changes they have been able to make to their riding with their new understanding of footwork. TURN is for riders of all levels in all disciplines of cycling. Expect to see TURN available for purchase at the beginning of August.

Fluidride Racing Series Info Added/Whistler!!

Simon Lawton — Wed, 24 Mar 2010 20:14:31 +0000

We’ve updated a bunch of info about the Fluidride Cup Enduro DH and Fluidride Cup Technical DH series, including the recent addition of the Whistler Mountain Bike Park in the schedule. Check it out here!

Honduras DH Camp is Full!!

Simon Lawton — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 23:52:24 +0000

Well the day of reckoning has arrived. I fly out for Honduras tonight with MTB Sherpa Legend Greg Norman. We’ll arrive in Tegucigalpa tomorrow afternoon, get the bikes built, then spend Friday riding various tracks in the Valley de Los Angeles. We are teaching a DH camp over the weekend, and have 15 riders from Honduras, Guatemala, and El Salvador ready to show us how it’s done in the Valley of Angels. The following weekend of we’ll be doing an All Mountain/XC Camp. There are still several spots available for that camp, but it’s booking up really fast – so if you are reading this, and live in Latin America, we’d love to have you join us!
We’ll do our best to update the site with photos and videos as we experience the vast landscape and many ecosystems of Honduras. The riding looks epic. I can’t wait to experience it first hand!
Local NW riders looking to sign up for instruction can email me anytime while we’re gone. I should have email access, but will not have my phone.
Happy Trails!
-Simon

NW’s Dr Freeride in the spotlight in ‘The Season’

Simon Lawton — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 23:25:38 +0000

Anyone who knows Dr. Scott Petett, knows he loves to ride his bike! ‘The Season’ recently did a great episode about Scott to showcase his love of bikes and his passion for healing. Check it out!

The Season Episode 5 from Fitz Cahall and Bryan Smith on Vimeo.

Private Instruction at Duthie Hill

admin — Sun, 24 Jan 2010 23:44:18 +0000

I’ve been out teaching at Duthie Hill a lot lately, and I have to say it’s the most complete setting for it’s size that I’ve ever taught in. Duthie offers all kinds of riding from pure xc loops, to flow lines and even some North Shore Style stunts. There are jumps and drops of all sizes and trails for all levels/disciplines of riders. The dirt drains amazingly well in the Park, and has been perfect lately. Now is a great time to get your skills sharp with some private sessions before the season really ramps up. Hit me up via email at simon@fluidride.com to book a session, or simply sign up here and email me to let me know what days and times are good for you. You can share a session with two other riders ($63.33/pp) or have the time to yourself.

A BIG THANK YOU to all the great people at Evergreen and to all the riders who have volunteered their time to make this park so sweet!

Maps/Directions/Information

See you at the Park,

Simon

Fluidride Racing 2010!

admin — Sun, 27 Dec 2009 18:08:38 +0000

Hello Racers!

I’m pleased to announce that we’ve finalized our racing dates for 2010, and have expanded our series to include a couple of new multi-day format gravity races which we are calling the Fluidride Enduro. The Fluidride Cup is also back with a new course on Schweitzer Mountain in Idaho which boasts over 2,000 feet of vertical per run. Anyone who remembers racing there can tell you that this mountain is the real deal with terrain that just keeps coming.

Our 2010 season will kick off with a Fluidride 2-Day Enduro in Hood River on May 1st and 2nd. We’ll be racing the Dog River Trail just outside of town on Saturday, and returning to Hood River to race down Post Canyon on Sunday. Each stage of this race will be about 20 minutes in length, with the lowest combined times in each category deciding the winner of the event. We’ll be announcing specific details and posting videos of the race courses shortly. Riders will be required to ride the same frame and fork in each stage of a specific Fluidride Enduro event, so choose your bike wisely. For the Hood River race, 5 and 6 inch bikes will likely rule the weekend.

The Fluidride Cup (Technical Downhill’s) will begin in June and July, as riders will return to Mt Hood Ski Bowl to ride one of the toughest tracks around. Winner of the first round at Mt Hood last year, JD Swanguen had this to say of the track “This is a manly track that deserves a lot more recognition”. Look for some track changes and updates for 2010 at Mt Hood.

August will bring new challenges to Fluidride Cup racers with the re-introduction of Schweitzer Mountain to Downhill Racing the weekend of August 20-22nd. Schweitzer has a quad chair with Whistler style bike loading which takes riders up 2200′ feet to the top of the track. This track will be a be brand new for 2010. With such a large vertical, Schweitzer may make a great future Fluidride Enduro location as well.

Mt Hood 3 Day Enduro: The Mt Hood 3 Day Enduro will take place in September the weekend of the 10th-12th and will serve as the final for The Fluidride Enduro Series. This is going to be the mother of all gravity stage races, with Stage1 starting one mile above Timberline Lodge at the base of Palmer Glacier at 7000′. The stage will drop over 4,000′ in 20 minutes and has a mix of warp speed roads and rocky singletrack during the first half, and ends with 10 minutes of perfectly buffed, dreamy single track. There are no real climbs on this circuit, but fitness is sure to be key in this stage. Stage 2 will be contested on the Technical DH tracks of Mt Hood’s Ski Bowl on Saturday the 11th. Courses here are fast, rough, and very physically challenging with times around 5 minutes. Pro Riders will tackle the extremely technical Pro DH track, while Category 1 and 2 riders will ride the “Sport” Course during this event. Stage 3 on Sunday morning will once again start high up above tree line where riders will repeat the first half of Friday’s Track (with a few changes likely thrown in). The course will end just before the “Cross Town Trail” section of Friday’s course, taking riders into Government Camp for a warp speed urban ending. Stage 3 will have fast times around 10 minutes. There is not a lot of pedaling required on this course, so hang on for a wild ride down the hill! As with our Enduro Season opener, riders will be required to ride the same frame and fork on each day. Full faced helmets will be required for ALL stages of this event for ALL categories. We understand that having a race starting on a Friday is not optimal for everyone, and hope riders will plan in advance in order to attend. We have very limited opportunities for permits for racing on Forestry Service Lands, and as such, had to schedule this event in September. A BIG THANKS goes out the US Forestry Service for their help and support in making this race a reality.

The Fluidride Cup Technical DH Series will wrap up on Mt Hood the last weekend in September (September 24-26th) where the new Series Champions will be crowned. There are currently four races scheduled for The Fluidride Cup Series, with the best three (including the final) counting toward the overall series.

We are hoping for more lift served opportunities here in Washington State soon, so keep an eye out in the future as we hope to bring more racing closer to home for Washington based riders. I want to take this opportunity to personally thank the guys at N’Dub Productions in Port Angeles for helping make the Fludride Cup such a success over the past two seasons. N’Dub has decided to put on their own series in Port Angeles, which is due to kick off with the Pro GRT opener April 23-25th. Thanks Guys and Good Luck!

I’d also like to welcome Integrated Project Group (IPG) to our organizational team. IPG has partnered with Fluidride to help keep NW racing going strong. IPG has put together a new website for the series called FLUIDRIDE RACING in order to make your racing experience as smooth as riding your bike. Look for online registration for both series’ to start on February 15, 2010.

We’ll be busy completing the site over the next month, so look for course preview videos and other great stuff to come soon.

Racing is alive and well in the NW!

-Simon Lawton/Owner/Fluidride

Sylvestry/Kintner take Finals – Sternberg takes Men's Cup

admin — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 17:58:12 +0000

Another season has come and gone and new Fluidride Cup overall Champions have been crowned.

Nearly 250 gravity addicts gathered at Mt Hood Ski Bowl for the 2009 Fluidride Cup Finals September 25-27. After two days of practice with perfect weather, mother nature showed her force with high winds on race day by blowing several bikes off the top chair. Due to the wind, it was decided racers would ride only the bottom half of the track, shortening the race times from just over 4 minutes to right around 2 and half minutes.

After months of back to back blue bird days, the circuit was as rough as I’ve ever seen it, with huge rocks, holes and ruts battering bikes and their pilots. The Evil Pro Men’s Qualifier saw Michael Silvestri (Santa Cruz/All Ride Academy) post the fastest time, followed closely by 2009 Fluidride Cup Series Champion Bart McDaniel (Fluidride/Evil) and Maxxis/Rocky Mountain world cup shredder Luke Strobel. Only two seconds off the pace was Mt Hood legend Jim Johnston aboard a 2002 Intense M1. Race favorite Bryn Atkinson fell victim to the pitted course during the qualifier, bouncing off the track and into a tree cutting his face, which ended his day early. From the sound of it, Bryn will make a full and speedy recovery from the fall.

In the Junior Expert Qualifier, Evan Powell (Yeti/Fox Regional) set the stage for the final run with a very quick 2:42, followed closely by Luciano Worl (Fluidride/Evil) 3 seconds back. Evan would go on to victory in the final round, posting a 2:40, putting him squarely in the mix with the pros. Caleb Doane (Legion of Dirt) took the runner up position with Tyler Gilsdorf (Downhill Zone Racing) rounding out the top three. The podium was book ended by Michael Nash and Luciano Worl in 4th and 5th respectively.

The Kona Pro Women’s division had a surprise visitor in the form of gated racing super star Jill Kintner (Red Bull/Crankbrothers/Intense), who handily posted the fastest times in both the qualifier and the final. Dawn Fidler (Speedy Beavers Racing) took the runner up position, locking up the series overall in the process.

Huge thanks go out to all the riders and sponsors who made the 2009 Fluidride Cup such a great series. We’re already looking forward to another great year in 2010.

For a full report – pictures – videos – and general radness from Mike Estes – CHECK OUT THE PINK BIKE SUPER POST HERE!!

Fluidride Cup Finals – Fox Video Preview

admin — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 03:25:29 +0000

Take a ride down the infamous Mt Hood Ski Bowl Pro Course with Fluidride/Evil’s Nathan Riddle. Nathan rode (not pushed) his dh bike up to the top of the downhill after winning the Super D across the highway (note big mountain across road at beginning of this video). Thanks Nathan!

Mt Hood Momentum Super D Recap

admin — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 17:18:16 +0000

While this race was called the Momentum Super D, it probably should have been named the Momentum Enduro DH, as there were no real climbs involved in the race. All categories rode the same track, which started at 6,000′ at Mt Hood’s historic Timberline Lodge and ended far below Ski Bowl giving riders a 4,000′ descent in 15 plus minutes!
The weather was great all week with sunny blue skies and near perfect dirt after some rain showers early in the week.
The Pro Men’s division was handily won by Nathan Riddle (Fluidride/Evil) with a course record of 14:58. Nathan was followed by Jared Hobbs (Fluidride/Evil) who came in with a very fast 15:31. Simon Lawton (Fluidride/Evil) rounded out the top three with a 15:38. Phil Wiering (Fluidride/Evil) narrowly edged out a hard charging Joel Armstrong (River City) for 4th place.
In the Women’s Division, newcomer Lindsey Harper (unattached) took the surprise win over Cannondale rider Leanna Gerrard (Monavie/Cannondale) and Kathy Malvern (Luna Chix). Lindsey was the only woman to break the 20 minute barrier with a smoking 19:14.
All in all this was a great event. Stay tuned for some great things to come from this race in 2010.

Big Thanks go out to the guys at Momentum for sponsoring the event. Thanks also go out to Dakine and Shiloh Cyclery. This race could not have happened without the help of Steve Kruse from Timberline – Petr Kakes from Ski Bowl/Hurricane Racing – and of course the US Forestry Service for giving permits for racing on Forestry Service Land. Thanks to all the riders who came out to make this a truly memorable and special event!