Brian Miller is from Mill Valley, CA, and he’s been dropping by the WTB office for years. After the first couple of visits a couple of things about him really stood out: he always had a great attitude and hardly asked for anything despite the fact that his bikes were always falling apart. Before long, we started to realize that his skills went well beyond “local ripper”, and we can’t say that we were surprised to see him claim third place at the AT Showdown dirt jump competition earlier this year.

It looks like Miller is really getting his act together. He has full support from Haro bikes, some kick-ass video segments on the web and a great profile on Pink Bike. Anyway, we’re proud of our local boy. Even though he’s now living in dirt jump Mecca Aptos, CA, he’s still our favorite local dirt jump rider.

WTB employee Mark Weir’s home was ravaged by a fire two days after Christmas. Weir was at home with his wife and son, but was unable to stop the flames. Fortunately the Weir family escaped without injury. WTB wishes the best to Mark, Suzie and Gus, the next few months will undoubtedly be a tough chapter in their lives.

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Katie Compton may be the most dominant American rider in the history of cyclocross, but that doesn’t mean that it comes easy for the 32-year-old. This past weekend, at the fourth round of the cyclocross world cup in Kalmthout, Belgium, Compton encountered a number of setbacks and just barely managed to remain the overall world cup leader. The course was blanketed in fresh snow, complete with ruts and frozen snow. Compton had a bad start, then suffered a crash trying to move through mid-pack traffic. By the end of the race, Compton moved up to third place. This race was a stark contrast to Compton’s dominant style, but illustrates the grit and perseverance needed to stay competitive at the top level.

Katie Compton has won every American cyclocross race she has entered this year. And her world cup track record is nearly as remarkable. Compton is currently leading the world cup series (she’s the first American in history to do so) and she is the heavy favorite to win the prestigious world champion title. It should come as no surprise that Compton easily conquered the U.S. cyclocross national championship this past weekend in Bend, OR, claiming her sixth straight national title. Compton took off from the start of the hour-long race and easily distanced herself from the rest of the field. As expected, the other ninety women were racing for second place. Meredith Miller took the second spot, crossing the line almost a minute after Compton.

In other news, WTB-sponsored junior prodigy Coryn Rivera claimed her 25th national title in Bend. The 17-year-old has been winning on the road, on the track and cyclocross. We can only wonder what the future holds for Rivera.

      
WTB’s own Kenny Burt (#386) placed 26th in the master’s race, Kona’s team saddles, Coryn Rivera’s victory salute in Bend.

WTB riders Jamie Goldman and Brian Miller took 2nd and 3rd at the Andrew Taylor Showdown, while gravity-racer grom Christian Wright (above) demonstrated his ability to throw down on the huge jumps. The event took place at the SF Bike Expo and competition was stacked with all the big names. Check out pictures in Marketing Intern Max Houtzager’s Photo Gallery on WTB’s Facebook page and coverage on Pinkbike and Vital MTB.

See the results from the event here.

Cyclingnews.com gives us a close look at cyclocross prodigy Katie Compton’s race bike. The attention to every little detail is incredible. Compton isn’t compromising a single component in her quest to become Champion of the World. We’re proud to see that Compton’s saddle of choice is the WTB Silverado. You can read the entire profile here.

Mark Weir participated in a back-to-back weekend of benefit events in October, finishing with more than his usual impressive results in both. After completing Levi Leipheimer’s King Ridge GranFondo ride that benefitted local Santa Rosa charities and the city’s bid for a stage of the Amgen Tour of California, Weir traveled to the Northstar at Tahoe resort where he placed third in the Race for Tara. Getting on the podium for the downhill competition was a greater achievement, knowing he was supporting the continued care and recovery of Tara Llanes, who survived a horrific crash at the 2007 Jeep King of the Mountain finale in Beaver Creek, Colorado.

Llanes was left with no feeling from the waist down after enduring a seven-hour surgery to her back and spinal cord. Race proceeds will be allocated to the Tara Llanes Road to Recovery Fund and the Christopher Reeve Foundation to find a cure for spinal cord injury.

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A call to ride for two good causes was answered recently by Team WTB/Fox/Santa Cruz at Levi Leipheimer’s King Ridge GranFondo ride on Saturday, Oct. 3. Mark Weir and Jason Moeschler joined thousands to give back in support of both the cycling and local communities.

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Described as a well-rounded rider who specializes in suffering, Mark Weir, 36, has remained a successful and dominant force in downhill and endurance racing throughout his career. In short, the Novato, California native believes in hard work and fair play without compromise—values he will undoubtedly pass along to the newest addition to the Weir household, son, Gustin ‘Gus’ Bradley Weir, born earlier this summer. In terms of mountain biking, having these values means developing the skills, fitness, and technologies necessary to compete against the world’s best mountain bikers under any condition or circumstance.

Weir’s comprehensive training program is a prime example. It involves a healthy diet of organic foods, strong coffee, an occasional frosty beverage or two, along with a brutal riding regimen and what some might consider an abusive amount of core strength training. Weir uses everything from the living room floor to his pump track and slack-line to improve his balance and body control. He also added RC off-road racing as a tool to increase mental focus, picking up new sponsor Traxxas RC Company along the way. He explained that when the body is worked, you can always train the mind. Add a little luck, and Weir significantly limits his time on the ground and any resulting injuries.

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