We’re in the van on the way home from another successful NAHBS adventure, but I wanted to post today’s photos for your viewing pleasure. Sure is amazing to see that much raw talent under one roof. These guys really do represent the best of the best.

If you haven’t seen them, check out Friday’s and Saturday’s photos, too.

Without further delay, here are more pics from day number two of the 2010 North American Handmade Show. Look for in-depth coverage in both issues #148 of Dirt Rag and Issue #6 of Bicycle Times. Be sure to check out the additional pics from day one and day three.

Yes, the green trike is a pedal-powered lawn mower, courtesy of Ted Wojick.

As you know, we’re in Richmond for the 2010 North American Handmade Bike Show. After spending most of the day figuring out a work-around for various photographic issues, I finally got down to the business of shooting bikes. Didn’t get as many bikes shot as I’d like, but here’s a sampling of mountain bikes from Igleheart, Engin, Banjo Bicycles, Shamrock Cycles, Peacock Groove. Caelifera, Rich Adams, and Signal. More to come tomorrow.  Enjoy.

[Ed notes: Since this original post, Justin's added a day two gallery and day three gallery.]

USA Cycling has announced the dates and venues for the 2010 USA Cycling Professional Mountain Bike Gravity Tour (ProGRT). In its second year, the ProGRT series consists of five races in four different states across the United States.

The 2010 series will also feature an Amateur GRT which, like the Pro GRT, will give Expert-level Category 1 racers the opportunity to compete against each other for an overall series crown.

Each of the five stops will offer series ranking points to top finishers, resulting in overall individual titles for professional men and women. The racers with the most points throughout the five-race series will be recognized as the best gravity athletes competing on U.S. soil.

The leader of the Pro GRT overall rankings as of July 14, 2010 will be an automatic selection to the United States World Championship team. In addition, the Plattekill and Northstar-at-Tahoe rounds of the Pro GRT will be junior downhill qualification races for the World Championships.

2010 USA Cycling Pro Mountain Bike Gravity Tour (Pro GRT)

• April 24-25: Northwest Cup – Port Angeles, WA
• May 22-23: Plattekill Gravity Open – Roxbury Bike Park, NY
• June 26-27: Northstar-at-Tahoe – Truckee, CA
• July 31-Aug. 1: Trestle Bike Park (Crankworx Colorado) – Winterpark, CO
• Sept. 11-12: Whiteface 5^th Annual 5K Downhill – Lake Placid, NY

For more information on the series, roll on over to USA Cycling’s ProGRT webpage.

Have you ever been to a bike event that was jam-packed with women riders—not the typical dude ranch or sausage fest? Amanda and I have. This past Friday, we headed to Ray’s Indoor MTB Park in Cleveland for the third edition of the Women’s Weekend, which was bigger and better than ever.

Hanging out at the top of the ramps.

This year’s Weekend was organized by a top-notch team headed by Ray’s staffer and BMX pro Nina Buitrago and Mad March Racing coach Tamara Peloquin, and featured an impressive list of 16 gracious pros to lead clinics on everything from basic skills to ripping it up. Some of us learned the basics of bunnyhopping (without clipless pedals, mind you) from none other than DH racing legend Leigh Donovan. Current gravity podium-topper Kathy Pruitt was there showing how to catch air, some of Nina’s BMX colleagues were on hand to teach the finer points of barspins, and Tammy Donahugh, who was recently featured in the pages of Dirt Rag, came back this year as well to show how to get the most boost from the ramps. There was an equally impressive list of sponsors, who provided sweet prizes—including bike frames!—and some awesome demo opportunities.

What impressed both Amanda and I the most, however, was the number of chicks who showed up. Each year the event has grown by leaps and bounds, and this year’s total was well over 150! Quite a few women have come back each year. We noticed how many participants came ready to rock with their own jumping bike. There were also freeriders, Lycra-wearing fast types, and fairly raw beginners who came and expanded their skills. We marveled at a couple of really young girls—there was one who couldn’t be more than eight who was clearing the box jumps better than I was, on a 20”-wheeled Specialized Rockhopper. (Darcy Turenne speculated that the purple flowers help boost air.) [Edit: turns out the girl, Shelby, is older than eight, and her bike might have been 24"-wheeled... but still.]

Sadly, Amanda and I only got to hang out on Friday, and missed some party time and a movie premiere, but we know we’ll be back next year.

Check out our Gallery from the event, and look on our Forums for more photos and tales from the Weekend.

Just because you haven’t seen a brightly colored Subaru, emblazoned with the IMBA logo, roll into your neighborhood lately, it doesn’t mean that IMBA is napping. Quite the contrary. IMBA is hard at work on the front lines of the mountain bike access struggle—namely, Washington, DC. IMBA recently conducted several meetings with key congressional leaders and federal agency personnel.

IMBA reports that they’ve held productive discussions with Chairman Raul Grijlva (D-AZ), Congressmen Peter DeFazio (D-OR), and Congressman Jared Polis (D-CO), among other members of the House Natural Resources Committee. Congressman Grijalva pledged that he will not seek changes in Forest Service management strategies that would prohibit existing mountain bike access.

A similar view was expressed by Congressman DeFazio: “Bicycling, along with other non-motorized uses, has a de minimis impact on Wilderness values.” He elaborated, “The Forest Service should be prohibiting detrimental activities that have a significant and permanent impact on the Wilderness qualities of areas they recommended for Wilderness. I hope the Forest Service adopts this view and manages non-motorized uses like bicycling accordingly.”

IMBA also met with staff members of the National Park Service and Forest Service. “These meetings continued our important partnerships to build sustainable trails, repair eroded trail systems, manage recreation and get more people outside experiencing their public lands,” said IMBA Government Affairs Director Jenn Dice.

Read the full story at the IMBA website.