The Weekly Dirt: US Pro Cup, more jorts, bikepacking, and BWR
A weekly roundup of what's happening in the off-road.
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Bit of a slow week over here at The Weekly Dirt, but I’ll take it because things are gonna ramp up soon. My email inbox is overflowing with invites to meet with brands at the Sea Otter Classic in a week and a half though, so it’s nice to have a little calm before the storm.
(I HOPE IT DOESN’T STORM AT SEA OTTER).
What we lack in dirt-centric news this week, my colleagues have more than been making up for with their excellent coverage of the spring classics. I hear those are the most gravel-ish road bike races anyway, right?
Later!
Haley Batten and Riley Amos win US Pro Cup Vail Lake
Haley Batten (Specialized Factory Racing) and Riley Amos (Trek Factory Racing) took top honors at last weekend’s US Pro Cup in Vail Lake, California. The event returned to the race calendar after a three-year hiatus, and most of the country’s top XC mountain bike pros were in attendance to gather precious UCI points ahead of the World Cup season.
Haley Batten proved that she will be one to watch in Europe this year, with masterful wins in both the short track and XCO races over the weekend. She was joined on the podium by Gwendalyn Gibson (Trek Factory Racing), who raced to solid second place finishes both days. Ruth Holcomb (Bear National Team) was third in the XCC, and former world champ Kate Courtney (Scott-SRAM) was third in the XCO.
Amos walked away with the overall win after finishing ahead of Bradyn Lange (Scott p/b Orange Seal) and Carter Woods (Giant Factory Off-Road) in Sunday’s XCO race. On Friday, the Trek Factory Racing rider narrowly lost the short track in a sprint with Woods; Andrew L’Esperance (Maxxis Factory Racing) was third.
Ripton & Co x Cosmic Dirt jort collab
Irreverent performance denim purveyors Ripton & Co have collaborated with Bellingham, Washington-based Cosmic Dirt in a feline-inspired jort collab.
However, the Cosmic Dirt jorts are more about a vibey design — they’re another stanza in Ripton’s ode to doing whatchawant in denim, which pairs well with Cosmic Dirt’s mission to subvert the messaging that you’re not good/fit/cool enough to be on a bike.
Ripton’s apparel designer Tory and Cosmic Dirt’s founder Ashley are buds in Bellingham and teamed up to design the jorts, which are black with a leopard print right side panel and contrast print pockets.
Most importantly, however, Ashley spent months helping Tory refine the fit at the top of the extended size range. The pockets fit proportionally, and the size grading works for everyone, no matter if they wear a 24 or a 38, which is the size range on offer in the Cosmic Dirt jorts.
“I spent a lot of time trying to hide myself with my clothing,” Ashely said. “Then, I realized I could do whatever the f*ck I wanted, so I started wearing leopard print to stand out, and now my hair is neon yellow.”
Pannier.cc launches Roamer, a hosted stage bikepacking series
For those who want the best of bikepacking — exploring a new place and sleeping outside — but who don’t want to deal with logistics like route planning or carrying a bedroom’s worth of equipment, Pannier.cc has just the adventure.
Roamer is a new supported bikepacking event that will be held May 21-23 on the Italian island of Sardinia. The distances are manageable (75, 100, and 30km), and the entry fee covers bag storage in Olbia, two days of breakfast, lunch and dinner, and two hosted overnight camps. Guide services, as well as camp transfers and set-up are optional add-ons.
The event, says Pannier.cc’s Stef Amato, lies “in the hinterland between a race, rally, and tour (dare I say holiday?!) Roamer rendezvous roll our favorite bikepacking findings into one: a wonderful mix of wild and mild places, unhurried, social, and autonomous yet with the support of a herd of like-minded folk and hosted event infrastructure. Roamer is a movement, a chance to be part of something bigger’.”
Belgian Waffle Ride California seeking volunteers
For those looking for a front-seat view of the action at BWR California on April 16 but who don’t want to ride, the event has plenty of volunteer spots open.
The weekend kicks off on April 14 with an expo and other activities. Saturday is for shakeout rides, and Sunday is the main event. BWR is looking for help on all three days.
There are several ways to be involved, including on-course positions like marshals and crossing guards, and off-course positions like set-up/tear-down, registration support, packet assembly and more.
All volunteers will receive a swag bag, t-shirt, waffle breakfast and lunch, beer ticket, and discounted participation in another BWR event. Full day volunteers get 40% off, and half day volunteers get 20% off.
Those interested in volunteering throughout the weekend can register here.