The Turner Sultan is a 120mm travel 29er, one of the few big wheeled bikes out there sporting over 100mm of travel. I’m happy to be riding one for the beginning of the summer. My size large tester came built up with some interesting parts including a 2010 Fox F29 RLC with the 15mm QR and new FIT damper and very diminutive Formula R1 disc brakes.

I’ve made a few parts swaps, namely to the tires, bars and stem for fit and local terrain.  It is feeling pretty dialed now.

The weather is getting hotter, the trails are getting drier and this bike is looking for rocky trails to stretch its legs. I’m happy to oblige. Not a lot of saddle time yet, but so far the Sultan has been quite adapt in the tight singletrack that has made up the majority of my time in the woods.

 Want more info? See the geometry and spec on the Turner website.

As spring rolls into summer, this season’s new test bikes are rolling into the Dirt Rag World Headquarters at a feverish pace.  Allow me to introduce my trusty steed for the next few months: Gary Fisher’s new 140mm travel Roscoe Two.  For testing purposes, we settled on the middle-of-the-road Roscoe Two which retails for $3,850, slotting in between the $4,950 Roscoe Three and the $2,970 Roscoe One.  Frame is the same for all Roscoe models and they all use Fisher’s new Dual Rate Control Valve (DRCV) rear shock (RP23 on the Roscoe Three, RP2 on the Two and One models) which uses two air chambers to create a more linear spring rate.   Additionally, Trek’s ABP rear pivot has migrated over to the Roscoe.  Our Web Editor Karl Rosengarth attended the press launch of the Roscoe last summer, you can see his thoughts here.

The Roscoe is an awfully good-looking bike with the extensive use of highly shaped hydroformed tubing.  This if one of the first bikes in a while that simply looks right to me.  Beefy swingarm and all of the tube shaping just looks like it is perfectly suited to the way each tube is loaded–at least according to my armchair engineering evaluation.

After a handful of rides, I’m really starting to get the Roscoe’s suspension setup to my tastes and coming to terms with just how the Roscoe likes to be ridden.  The 140mm of travel on this bike is obviously quite capable, and is encouraging me to go faster, hit things harder, and leave the ground as much as possible.  Fortunately the best is yet to come, as now that I’m getting comfortable with the Roscoe its time to start pushing the limits…

Stay tuned for further web updates and keep yoru eye out for the complete Roscoe review in an upcoming issue of Dirt Rag.  Check out the full spec for the Roscoe Two, and get all the tech info on the DRCV rear shock and ABP rear end on the Gary Fisher site.

The adventure continues. Issue #2 of Bicycle Times, our sister publication, is hot off the presses and in the mailboxes of subscribers from coast to coast.

In issue #2 we review the Raleigh Clubman, Manhattan Green and Dahon Mu Uno. An old bike is made fresh and useable again, a closer look at bike lanes is taken, and a hill climber confess his addiction. We also give the lowdown on some super-bright blinkies.

That’s just for starters—you’ll find plenty of additional information, inspiration and motivation in Bicycle Times #2.

What are you waiting for? Get yer grubby mitts on issue #2 via our online merch shop. Better yet, subscribe to Bicycle Times and save some shekels compared to the single-issue price.

It’s Bicycle Times 24/7 at www.bicycletimesmag.com, so clickety-click and sample the flavor of our  new publicatioin.

Have you had your eyes on a Dirt Rag Woolistic wool jersey or super comfortable Voler cycling shorts? How about a pint glass set or an organic cotton Bicycle Times T-shirt? Well, now’s your chance to order and save a nice chunk of change.

From 5/29 to 6/14/2009 we are celebrating our 20th Anniversary and offering 20% off Dirt Rag or Bicycle Times products in our online merch area.

To score the 20% discount on your online merch order, simply enter the coupon code at checkout: Summer2009.

Offer is limited to stock on hand, so order before your size is gone. Click here to shop.

The Squamish Lillooet Regional District (SLRD) announced that the Squamish-Whistler section of the Sea to Sky Trail is the newest registered section of the Trans Canada Trail (TCT).  The TCT Foundation has committed $300,000 in funding support for Sea to Sky Trail development.

At this time the Sea to Sky route from Whistler to the south has become part of the TCT. The route north through Pemberton and Mt Currie on to Lillooet may be eligible for future consideration.

Canada’s TCT is a 21,000 km national trail which, once complete, will be the longest trail network in the world. For more information about the TCT visit the official TCT website.

“The Sea to Sky Trail is a magnificent addition to the Trans Canada Trail. With its mountain vistas, pristine lakes, old growth forests and dramatic rock formations, it will be a highlight of the Trail for both Canadian and international visitors.” said Valerie Pringle, Trans Canada Trail Board Chair. “We applaud the Squamish Lillooet Regional District, the Sea to Sky Trail Steering Committee and the local volunteers who have dedicated years of work and energy towards this project. We are delighted their team is joining the national TCT endeavor.”

More information on the Sea to Sky Trail is availabe at  www.SeaToSkyTrail.ca.

The best things in life rarely come quickly or easily.  Such is the case with the newly opened Allegrippis Trail System at Raystown Lake Pennsylvania.  This 30-mile trail network, which has been in the works since 2003, is the first, and surely not the last, project resulting from a partnership formed between IMBA and the US Army Corps of Engineers.  The beauty of this partnership comes in the form of a mutually beneficial outcome; mountain bikers now have 30 additional miles of sustainable trails, and will be contributing a projected $1.2 million to Huntington County in the first year alone.  There’s a whole lot more to this story, and IMBA’s new Mid-Atlantic Regional Director Frank Maguire will fill us in on all the details in the next issue of Dirt Rag.  Be sure to pick up issue #143 of Dirt Rag to read the inspiring back-story of this 6-year project.

Matt, Maurice, and myself loaded up the World Tour ensemble and headed out to Raystown for the grand opening of the Allegripis trail network.  We were obviously stoked to check out the new trails, but it was also highly encouraging to hear representatives from local, state, and national government, IMBA’s Executive Director Mike Van Abel, and representatives from the Army Corps of Engineers, speak with such a positive outlook toward promoting trail development and economic development as a package deal.  This is the future of sustainable partnerships and sustainable trail development.

Speaking of trails, I’m sure your wondering how they are?  Well, I’m happy to report that the machine-built trails held up wonderfully to nearly an entire week of rain prior to the event.  Since the trails are so new, you can see where the machine has been run, but within a year or so the natural lines will burn in, the trail will tighten up, and it will take a trained eye to see any leftover traces of machine building.  One of the best aspects of this trail system is that it is wholly unlike most anything we have in Central Pennsylvania.  Most of Central Pennsylvania’s soil is more rock than dirt, but around Raystown Lake there are very few rocky sections.  This lack of rocks, combined with the well-designed trail drainage makes for a system that feels like a combination pump track, BMX track, and mountain bike trail.  Seriously, you spend nearly equal time pumping rollers and pedaling–think swoopy and fun.  Just be sure to stop for a few minutes and take in the scenery.

Whether you’re local to the area, just passing through, or making the Allegrippis Trail System a vacation destination, I guarantee you won’t be disappointed.  Check out our gallery for more photos.