As we posted last week, the 2010 installment of the 24 Hours of Big Bear has been canceled. A lot of people were looking forward to that race. If you’re one of them, and already have your calendar clear that weekend for racing and/or riding your bicycle in West Virginia, we have a few possible options for you.

I must say now that none of these events are completely confirmed yet. While Dirt Rag will do its best to keep you informed here, we encourage you to use the links associated with each event to confirm before you make your drive to Wild and Wonderful West Virginia that weekend.

Big Bear “Pow Wow”
As mentioned in our original posting, Granny Gear Productions (promoters of the 24 Hours of Big Bear) are working on revamping the event for next year. Part of that planning/healing process is inviting everyone down to Big Bear the same weekend the race was supposed to happen, and have everyone ride the trails, hang out and participate in an optional, informal “pow-wow” about the future of the event. They also plan on having a potluck dinner, camping and the famous 24 Minutes kids race. The event will be free, but there might be a small fee for camping. Keep an eye on the Granny Gear web site for more info as it comes available.

The same sort of event is planned for the 24 Hours of 9-Mile (also a Granny Gear event) as an alternative to that race, which was also canceled. Again, check the Granny Gear web site.

Big Bear 4×24
Big Bear’s general manager, Mark Schooley is planning a unique kind of race at Big Bear Lake Family Camplands on Saturday, June 12th. The format of this particular race is that all racers will compete on a 24-mile loop of lovely technical singletrack. Solo racers are required to do four laps, while duos and teams won’t have to do all four laps. Schooley elaborates: “All other classes will compete in a relay style race for a total of 4 laps. Expert classes would be duo teams in age brackets and would ride 2 laps each.  Sport classes would be 4 person teams in age brackets and would ride 1 lap each. Essentially solos ride 100 miles, experts ride 50 miles and sports ride 25 miles.” More information is on its way, and readers are urged to visit the Big Bear Lake Family Camplands web site often for more info.

24 Hours of Creek to Peak
We only have a couple details on this event as of right now. We know it’ll be held in Eleanor West Virginia and it’s on the same weekend. We’re told to watch the iPlayOutside web site for more info, or to contact Larry Perkins.

There you have it. Plan on attending any of these events? Or do you have more info on them? If so, leave a comment below to let us know.

News broke yesterday that THE pioneering 24-hour mountain bike race, the 24 Hours of Big Bear, is canceled for 2010.

Granny Gear Productions, based in Davis, West Virginia, points to an un-friendly economic climate as a major factor in the decision to cancel the race this year. Laird Knight, founder and head of Granny Gear Productions, also stresses that the event is not finished for good. Knight plans to simply “reset” the event by taking some time to assess things and see how it can be improved for the future: “By taking a breather, I can set up a good marketing program to grow the event for 2011.”

Granny Gear Productions’ 24 Hours of 9-Mile, scheduled for July 31 and August 1, 2010 in 9-Mile Forest, Wisconsin, has also been canceled. However, Knight wants everyone to be sure the cancellation of Big Bear and 9-Mile will now allow him and his staff to devote even more energy to the 24 Hours of Moab, set for October 9th and 10th. The 24-Hour National Mountain Bike Championships were originally going to run along side of the 24 Hours of Big Bear. As a result, the Championships will now run concurrently with the 24 Hours of Moab.

The 24 Hours of Big Bear was to be held over the weekend of June 13th and 14th. Since the race is canceled, Knight is tentatively planning on inviting anyone who’s interested to the site of the race for a weekend of riding the trails and course, and to participate in a very grassroots and informal feedback session about the race. Check the Granny Gear web site for more info in the coming weeks for that.

The 24 Hours of Big Bear began life in 1992 as the 24 Hours of Canaan, the original 24 hour mountain bike race in the United States. The event remained in the Canaan Valley, albeit in a couple different venues, until 2000 when it moved to Snowshoe Mountain Ski Resort in Snowshoe, WV. In 2005, the event moved to Big Bear Lake Camplands near Hazelton, WV.

Along with Granny Gear staff, Knight grew his 24-hour mountain bike racing empire to include events all over the country: Georgia (24 Hrs of Conyers), Vermont (24 Hrs of Killington), Utah (24 Hours of Moab), California (24 Hours of Temecula, 24 Hours of Tahoe, 24 Hours of Donner Pass) and Missouri (24 Hrs of Landahl), among others.

Here’s a gallery of photos from the 2008 24 Hours of Big Bear.

Dirt Rag and these events grew up together, and we have a lot of memories from the races over the years. Leave a comment below to share yours.

Last year we had a great time at the Cascade Bicycle Club’s Bicycle Expo in Seattle. Read more about it here, here, and here, and look at pages of photos here. For 2010 the event moves closer to town into the Smith Cove Cruise Terminal 91.

Seattle is a very pretty town, and I think you should visit if you are in the area:

Anyway, stop by the Dirt Rag/Bicycle times booth and visit our fearless leader fresh off the plane from the Bike Summit in Washington, DC.

Sign up for a subscription and get yourself a premium gift from one of our sponsors. This stop sponsored by Panaracer and Klean Kanteen.

Beer. Bikes. Big Wheels.

Three awesome things, aren’t they? Especially when they come together, as they will for this year’s installment of New Belgium Brewing’s Urban Assault Ride.

As in years past, the Urban Assault Ride series will roll through thirteen cities around the United States between April and September this year. If you don’t know, the Urban Assault Ride is part party, part competition, part effort to “promote sustainable bike-loving lifestyle” and all fun!

Participants will pair up to form teams setting out across the city on bicycles in a scavenger hunt-like competition…sort of like an alley cat, but more fun, with more cool prizes and with less attitude. There will be various checkpoints throughout the city, at which you’ll be required to complete some zany obstacle courses. The team that completes all of the checkpoints in the shortest amount of time wins.

But we’re all winners because as you finish the race, you’ll dismount your bike and stroll right into a “massive celebration of bikes and beer” with music, plenty of tasty suds from New Belgium Brewing and all of your friends having a good time.

If you attend the Austin, TX Urban Assault Ride, you’ll also get to trade stories and share drinks with some Dirt Rag & Bicycle Times staffers. That’s right. We’re the media sponsors this year, and the Austin event is one of our World Tour stops…you’ll be hearing more about that (and a cool contest) in the weeks to come.

For your planning purposes, here are all the dates for the New Belgium Brewing Urban Assault Ride Series (along with our humble plea to bring the series…and the beer…to the northeast sometime soon):

4.18.2010 – Tuscon, AZ
5.2.2010 – Berkeley, CA
5.16.2010 – Seattle, WA
5.23.2010 – Portland, OR
6.20.2010 – Charlotte, NC
6.27.2010 – Austin, TX
7.18.2010 – Ft Collins, CO
7.25.2010 – Denver, CO
8.8.2010 – Minneapolis, MN
8.15.2010 – St Louis, MO
8.23.2010 – Des Moines, IA
9.12.2010 – Chicago, IL
9.26.2010 – Madison, WI

(Thanks to Urban Assault Ride for the photo!)

Have you, or do you plan to, attend any of Urban Assault Ride events? If so, leave a comment below and tell us about it!

As the calendar flips to March, the action in the Dirt Rag online event schedule is heating up. One can only hope that spring-like temperatures are not far behind.

We invite you to join us as the Dirt Rag / Bicycle Times 2010 World Tour rolls into the Seattle Bike Expo on March 13-14th. Or scan the list and find an event near you and roll your own tour.

If you’re a promoter and you’re wondering why your event is not on this list, it’s probably because you did not send the information to our Vice President in Charge of Event Listings. If that’s the case, then click here to email the V.P. with the details on your upcoming events, so we can list them in the future.

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.