The Road to Valloire was a windy one that turned out to be its own kind of enduro. With bikes and a baby on board, the team needed to find the most direct route, which meant driving over the Col du Galibier or the Col du Gal-e-bare?

On the Road with Weir and Moeschler from WTB on Vimeo.

Once in Valloire, the guys managed to maintain their leads on the Bronson tires, with an anticipated top finish on the last and longest run of the day. Despite coming off the bike somewhere in the 5,500 ft. descent, Weir finished second in the day’s fourth run with an unofficial time of 30:38.0, putting him in third place overall that day. His finish was just three seconds off the leader (Remy Absalon) with third place (Jerome Clements) 22 seconds behind the leader. After three strong runs, Moeschler’s fourth was compromised by his first flat of the trip. He rode it out and managed to finish with his wheel intact and still remarkably true. Although, he chalked the flat up to rider error, Moeschler decided to change it up for the next day’s runs, putting a WeirWolf 2.3 in back, keeping the Bronson tire up front.

On the second and final day of the 2010 Enduro Series Championship, both riders pushed their bikes and bodies to the limit. They were looking at four runs, five miles each with approximately 2,560 feet of descent on the rocky, extremely fast, and aggressive “no trail” courses (as in no established trail or line, they take ribbon and make a new course out of raw mountain side). In the end, a broken derailleur and derailleur hanger cost Weir at least 20 minutes and put him out of the race. Moeschler finished the day in 12th and 23rd overall, while Weir was off the chart (literally) for the day and 34th overall.

It was a challenging day that grew more challenging by the minute as they contemplated getting themselves, their gear, families and bikes from France to Switzerland in the world’s smallest tin can van. The answer: pawn the back two seats of their rig off to the greatest guy around (Robert Hamilton-Smith) who, after competing all weekend, agreed to lug the things to Switzerland in return for lifetime gratitude and an open invitation to Weir’s. What a guy! Thanks again Rob! And special thanks to Frank with Shock Therapy, Fred with Tribe Sports Group, and Momo with The Race Company for the great hospitality while we stayed in Germany and France. You guys can stay at Weir’s too!

Now that the trip is over, everyone is home, back to work, getting ready for the big trade shows. “Just a short time ago, we were on top of the world on some French Alp peak,” Moeschler explained. “It is amazing how being in the mountains can make you forget about everything. It is why we go to the woods…to get away from it all. We need to do it more—like every day.”

Cheers to that! You don’t have to be in the Alps to find a sweet ride this summer. Just head out the front door and take it from there.

After a quick stop in Germany, Team WTB piled themselves, two bikes, two wives and a baby for a nine-hour van ride to Vars, France—a few days before the French Enduro race was set to begin. And because French Enduro races strictly prohibit pre-riding the courses, the team resorted to hiking and riding some of the nearby trails to get a feel for the terrain—an important factor for guys with one set of wheels! Check out this link to see how the guys built their TCS wheels on the fly with only a hand pump, a tire lever, and a hotel cup. Maybe Gus helped a little too…

TCS with Moeschler and Weir from WTB on Vimeo.

French Enduro Series—Vars

Weir and Moeschler competed as individuals on three different courses that took roughly 15-20 minutes to descend depending on the course: 2,738 feet (morning course), 3,162 feet (afternoon course), and 1,332 feet (evening course). Because they needed an all-around good tire for varying conditions that could perform on rock, shale, wet grass, as well as hard pack, the guys opted to run the Bronson 2.3 All Mountain TCS tires. With no flats, the Bronson turned out to be the go-to tires that held their own on both days of the race that involved 11 runs (seven on Saturday and four on Sunday).

With the bikes and bodies in check, the guys were primed for a good race. However, after their first run, it appeared they were following the course a touch closer than the competition and it was reflected in their finishing times. The locals promptly advised them about not “cutting the course enough.” That in mind, the next run was faster, despite the magically appearing course tape in sections where there hadn’t been on previous runs. By Sunday, Weir was riding fast and finished the day in second place (sixth overall) with Moeschler in the top 20.

See you tomorrow with Part Three of our tale…

From the Sierra Nevadas to the French Alps and a few mountains in between, Team WTB rides again…

Just two days off the podium in Downieville, Mark Weir and Jason Moeschler packed up their bikes for a three-week, three-country tour that would eventually lead them to some of the most aggressive riding around, otherwise known as the French Enduro racing series. Checkout the footage from Tribe Sports Group to see what we’re talking about.

2010 French Enduro Racing with Weir and Moeschler from Tribe Sports Group.

Our story begins in London, where Moeschler and Weir found themselves in the good hands of our WTB Europe team as well as our UK distributor (Hotlines). They were promptly let loose in the muddy hills of south Whales (Monmouth), where they rode in the muddy, wet conditions of the trail center followed by the rugged terrain of the English countryside near Todmorden.

Traveling light was imperative, and with little-to-no time to pack, the guys landed with only one set of wheels each, and for Weir it was the same 1,460-gram, tubeless ready “gently loved” Stryker wheel set he won the Ashland Super D and the Downieville DH on.

Using his hotel room and the lobby as a makeshift workshop, Moeschler built his Nomad up with the Laser TCS All Mountain wheel set with WeirWolf 2.1 TCS tires. Weir put Wolverine 2.2 All Mountain TCS tires on his Nomad and called it good. A few epic rides later, the guys got the bikes “properly” muddied but enjoyed the good spirit of the rides and people they rode with. Thanks to the good people at Singletrack, MBR, MBUK and Dirt for their hospitality and mean coffee…(especially you Chipps!)

Stay tuned for part deux tomorrow…

From Downieville to Europe, Team WTB Competes across the Globe!

After taking last year off, Mark Weir made a triumphant return to the 2010 Downieville Classic Mountain Bike Race and Festival. He finished first in the longest (17-mile) downhill race in the nation with a smoking fast time of 44:01.5. This is the eighth year Weir has won first place in this event! Jason Moeschler took fifth place in the Downhill with Kenny Burt one minute behind in eighth place. Despite riding with an injured knee from the previous day’s XC race, Moeschler’s combined times in the 29-mile XC (1:58:52) and Downhill events (44:57.1) secured him a spot on the podium for third place in the All Mountain event. Ben Cruz rounded things out for the team, finishing in 13th place, one position ahead of Team Giant’s Carl Decker, who won the previous day’s XC race and the All Mountain event.

“To come back after two years and regain the Downhill title was a moment that will forever warm my soul,” Weir said, after explaining that he had literally spent about half his life in the town where he credits the race and the trails for bringing him the best things in his life—his friends and the lifestyle that makes him who he is.

Weir went on to thank everyone from his wife, parents, friends, sponsors, to the people of Yuba Expeditions and the Downieville Classic, who have become his family. He added a special thanks to his teammate Jason Moeschler, who he says is everything he inspires to be. “I am truly his biggest fan,” Weir said, explaining that without Moeschler this adventure would have ended two years ago.

Besides just being really fit, fast and exceptionally talented bike handlers, here’s what Weir and the WTB Pro team ran on race day that helped get them on (or darn near close) to the podium.

• Mark Weir – Stryker XC Wheels; Wolverine 2.2 All Mountain TCS tires; Valcon Carbon saddle

• Jason Moeschler – Stryker XC Wheels; Wolverine 2.2 All Mountain TCS tires; Silverado Carbon saddle.

• Kenny Burt – Stryker XC Wheels; Wolverine 2.2 All Mountain TCS tires; Silverado SLT saddle.

• Ben Cruz – Laser TCS XC rims laced with Laserdisc Lite hubs; WeirWolf 2.3 All Mountain TCS tire in front and Wolverine 2.2 All Mountain TCS in back; Rocket V SLT saddle.

In the Expert Master’s category, Team WTB’s Fred Falk finished strong with a second-place finish in the Down Hill (51:41.0) and All Mountain events, just 20 seconds off the leader. In the Junior Expert category, Max Houtzager (high school student and WTB intern by day) swept the field and took home first place prizes in his category in the XC, downhill (49:20.0), and all mountain events. Team WTB junior riders Thomas Ravina finished in second (52:43.7) with Chris Ravina in 9th (1:13:45.8).

All in all, it was good to be riding WTB if you were in Downieville for the race, and it is always good to be in Downieville if you are up for the challenge of all-mountain, technical riding with some of the best people around!

Speaking of best people around….so where was Bobby? That was the question the team heard all weekend in Downieville. The answer—Bobby McMullen was racing the Super Enduro in Sauze D’Oulx, Italy the weekend of July 3-4, and the Mega Avalanche in Alpe d’Huez, France last weekend. Check out some of Bobby’s Euro adventures beginning with an interview from the Super Enduro in Sauze D’Oulx, Italy.

Between the SuperEnduro, the Mega Avalanche, and the Downieville Classic, Team WTB had it covered over the last few weekends as the team divided to expand its global perimeter. Next stop: Weir and Moeschler will take a turn in France to compete in the Enduro Series in Vars on July 24 and 25, and in Valloire from July 31-August 1. Keep it here for more updates.

Team WTB Goes to Ashland to Dominate the 12 Mile Super D!

12-Mile Super D first-place winner, Mark Weir takes son, Gus, to the podium with second-place winner, Jason Moeschler (right), third-place winner, Adam Craig (left), and fifth-place winner, Nathan Riddle with son, Ripley, (far left). Photo by Forrest Arakawa.

Mark Weir (WTB/Fox/Santa Cruz) nailed another first-place finish with teammate Jason Moeschler (WTB/Fox/Santa Cruz) finishing in a close second at the 12-Mile Super D event, held June 12-13, 2010, in Ashland Oregon, home of the Oregon Shakespeare Festival.

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Our friends over at Pink Bike posted a great review of the new Weirwolf tires. It is by far the most thorough review to date. Check it out here.

Oh, and a little bird told me that the Weirwolf 2.1 TCS just won the Spring Thaw DH race under the pedals of Mr. Mark Weir.

Did I say Weirwolf 2.1 TCS? Yes, I did.

Fast.

Real fast.

Course record-setting fast.

Ten feet or ten miles, whatever it takes.

On May 13th — bike to work day — Take some time to appreciate the natural world around you. Whether it’s the path through the park or some ripping single-track, make sure to seek out some dirt on your way to work.

When you do, post a photo on our facebook page

There are no prizes or grand finales. Just the glory of sharing your local dirt with the rest of the world.

Download the Dirt to Work flyer here.

Hey! If you’re going to be at Sea Otter, make sure you keep an eye out for PixieWolf aka “P-Wolf”. If you can track him down and get an autograph, bring it over to the WTB booth and we’ll give you a free pair of Weirwolf grips.