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This past weekend I ventured down to Loudonville, Ohio for the Mohican 100, race #2 in the NUE Series. The Mohican course is really diverse. It has really fun single-track, lots of grassy double-track, paved roads and some KILLER climbs.

Danielle Musto

I chose my favorite tire set-up (2.1 Karma in the front with a 1.9 in the back) and opted to ride my Tomac Type X. We lined up at 7 a.m. in downtown Loudonville and the start went directly up a paved climb. I warmed up quickly and found myself entering the single-track directly behind Betsy Shogren (Cannondale). Even though we were in the lead I knew that there were a lot of really strong females chasing directly behind us.

The competition at this race was tough! My legs felt absolutely great and I was having a ton of fun riding my Type X. The bike can climb like a machine! I did have a spectacular crash on a pile of wet roots that cost me a few minutes but I wasn’t worried. There were many miles to go with lots of climbs to make up time. After my crash I caught up to a group of about 10 guys who were going at a really good pace.

We flew down a ton of fun switchback climbs and the pace kept picking up. Little did we know that we were no longer on the race course. Someone had knocked down a course marking at an important intersection and we rode 13 miles of single-track before we realized our mistake. After that it took us another half hour to find our way back to the spot where we had gotten lost. Mentally it was a little hard to deal with. Going from the front of the pack to being absolutely last of the Mohican racers is not a good feeling.

By this time a good hour and 15 minutes had passed, so I was also out of water and food. But there was nothing that I could do but begin to chase down the entire field! For the rest of the race I just focused on catching as many people as I could. When all was said and done I ended up catching a ton of racers-including most of the women’s field. I ended up in 6th place. Definitely not the result I wanted, but given the circumstances I’ll take it. At least the extra 15 miles I got in were all fun single-track!

Next up is the Lumberjack 100!!! This race is one of the most popular of the NUE series because 99% of the course is single-track. The pressure is on since it’s in my home state and I have high hopes of winning the AXE!

Thanks again, Danielle Musto.

To read the full report, go to: www.daniellemusto.blogspot.com

See what punishment our reservoir can go through during some real world testing from our warehouse/office in Oakland, CA.

Hydrapak is pleased to be participating in the 19TH Annual Sea Otter Classic taking place on April 16-19, 2009 at the Laguna Seca Recreation Area in Monterey, California.  This four day weekend, also known as “The Celebration of Sport,”  is filled with races, demonstrations, and the worlds largest consumer expo areas.  With over 50,000 attendees watching 9,000 racers speed through various courses, this is the cycling industry’s grand season kick-off party.

Sea Otter offers cycling enthusiasts, of all persuasions, something to get excited about.  “Roadies” can take part in various races from Circuts or Criteriums around the Laguna Seca Race Track and long distance races for all categories of racers.  Mountain Bikers can participate in Cross Country, Short Track, Downhill, Dual Slalom, Super D, and, new this year, a Dual Stunt course with water and bridge hazards.

Not Racing?  Take advantage of the area and sign up for a road or mountain bike tour that are ongoing throughout the festival.

The expo and demo areas attract top vendors displaying cycling merchandise for attendees to check out.  The area is centrally located near all the action happening on the track and downhill courses and adjacent to the food and beer gardens.

Additional activities include   kids bike rodeo and other races, Trials Show,  GT Airshow Team performances, and live performances by Jeff Jones and The Ressesions.

Come on down and visit the Hydrapak booth (826).  We’ll have all our new gear and offer some awesome show specials.  We’ll also have some Nuun samples  if you need to fill your new hydration pack or gel-bot with premium electrolytes.

More information can be found at www.seaotterclassic.com.

When Lance Armstrong and Team Astana recently passed through northern California on a training session, Hunter Ziesing decided to try to ride along.  Having some inside information on the route he thought he’d slip into the group and see what it was like to hang with the best.

Hundreds of potentially harmful chemicals known to produce Estrogenic Activity (EA) are combined to create plastic bottles.  Recent awareness of the nature of these chemicals has prompted manufactureres to remove some of them.  The most common chemical removed is BPA.  But BPA is only one of many potentially dangerous elements and does not entirely remove the risk of EA exposure for the consumer.

However, with the introduction of the Pur-bot, Hydrapak is the first and only manufacturer with a certified EA Free bottle.  Now there is no better choice for  people concerned about their health.  The Pure-bot is the one.

For more information click: http://www.pure-bot.com/

Chute

Flume

Gel-Bot

Gel-Bot Belt

Reversible Reservoir II

Softflask

Hydrapak becomes a supporting sponsor for the Mohican 50K trail race on April 19th.

Hydrapak will provide prizes to the winners and all racers will receive coupons for Hydrapak or Gel-bot merchandise.

For more info: http://mohican50k.blogspot.com/

Good Luck Racers!

Kenda Presents Team and Sponsors for 2009

Ann Arbor, MI December 16th, 2008 Kenda USA has announced that it is renewing their sponsorship of the US based mountain bike team for the third year after assuming titles sponsorship from Ford Motor Company in 2007. Jim Wannamaker, Kenda USA North American Marketing Director – Bicycle Division says that continued sponsorship for the team is not only important for Kenda, but also for the continued success of the sport in North America. “We made a conscious decision to support our flagship team of athletes who are as committed to the sport as we are.” Wannamaker said. Indeed, in addition to the team sponsorship, Kenda will play an important role in all of the major US races next season with sponsorship of the US Cup series of races being held across the country with a finale in Las Vegas coinciding with Interbike.Sponsors.

Joining Kenda this season will be HydraPak and GelBot hydration products, Tomac Bikes. Athletes will have the option of riding the Type-X carbon hard tail or the Carbide full-suspension bike. “This partnership brings full circle the relationship between Kenda and Tomac as a new generation of athletes ride the bikes of a mountain bike pioneer and legend.” said Joel Smith, Tomac Bikes COO. Hayes Bicycle Group, back for a second season with the team. They will showcase products from all their divisions including Hayes Brakes, Manitou suspension, Sun Ringle wheels and Answer bars and stems. Other sponsors include: Voler team clothing, WickWerks cranksets, KMC Chains, Specialized helmets and shoes, Crank Brothers pedals, Ergon grip and packs, Finish Line lubricants and cleaning products, Genuine Innovations inflation products, Kinesys sunscreen products, Joan C. Banfield Foundation, and Mighty Good Coffee.

Athletes:
The team has several returning athletes along with two new recruits and will focus on a mix of endurance and ultra-endurance racing. “This diverse group gives us the flexibility to compete in a broad range of events from the US Cup and the NUE Series to single day epics like Leadville and stage races like the American Mountain Bike Classic.” says team director David Myers. Several members of the team also plan on competing at the two World Cup races in Canada. The team will also be present at the Kenda Fest in Hancock, MA2009 Team
Zephanie Blasi, Frenchtown, MT
Colin Cares, U23, Colorado Springs, CO
Amanda Carey, Victor, ID
Heather Holmes, Salt Lake City, UT
Danielle Musto, Grand Rapids, MI
Andy Schultz, Tucson, AZ
Kathy Sherwin, Heber City, UT

David Myers, Director
Ted Bentley, Mechanic and Event Manager
Wendy Caldwell, Community Programs

November has been the best month in the team’s 7 year history. First off, the team took 6th at the World Championships in the 120F temperatures of Northeastern Brazil and a week later won the US National Championships in significantly colder Georgia. Both races had beautiful and extremely tough courses (as most championships do) against the best in the world and the nation. We’re extremely proud of our accomplishments but know we couldn’t have achieved such amazing results without the continued support over the years of our amazing sponsors. Thank you! (Team Captain and Navigator – Cyril Jay Rayon)