Tag Archives: pivot

Pearl Izumi/Pivot Mountain Bike Team Announcement

Posted on by

The new season brings exciting new changes for the Pearl Izumi/Pivot Cycles Mountain Bike Race Team. A new team member and new title sponsor promises to make 2018 a special year for the team that’s been winning races across the country and now has teamed up with cycling gear superpower Pearl Izumi.

Pearl Izumi has come on board to provide the finest threads and performance gear to keep the team performing at the highest level. The 4-person team will be competing in the Team Training Jersey from Pearl Izumi featuring P.R.O. Transfer In-R-Cool fabric to keep the team cool whether racing in the heat of the desert southwest or thick summer air at Trans-Sylvania Epic. Italian nylon in the Elite LTD short will be keeping riders comfortable racing hundreds of miles of dirt and singletrack.

Pearl Izumi/Pivot team debuts new threads for 2018

For the first time in team history riders will be trusting Pearl Izumi with the single most important piece of equipment to any cyclist, shoes. The connection between a rider and their bike, riding shoes, are the most critical piece of riding apparel. Riders will compete in the X-Project P.R.O. shoe that combines a rigid carbon sole that stays stiff while pedaling and flexes while walking, this combined with dual BOA closures makes the Project X the best shoe for marathon and stage racing.

“I’ve never sought out a shoe sponsor for our team in the past,” team director Shannon Boffeli shared. “It’s such a deeply personal and significant piece of equipment. But the X-Project is such a unique and comfortable shoe I knew all our riders would love it. I can’t wait to get everyone in them.”

The team will also be using the Divide glove to stay connected to the bike as well as Pearl Izumi’s full line of performance baggies and comfort-fit riding tops providing the best blend of style and function.

Pearl joins a long listed of trusted sponsors including Pivot Cycles, producer of the most advanced mountain bikes in the US. Riders will be competing on the Pivot Mach 4 and Mach 429sl as well as the Les 29 and 27.5.

Stan’s NoTubes has been a team supporter since the very beginning. The team will be competing with only Stan’s sealant rolling in NoTubes’ Valor carbon wheelset, a lightweight wheel strong enough for the most punishing ultra-endurances races in the world.

The team will again be riding the Pivot 429sl spec’d out with help from Rotor, NoTubes, Ergon, Continental and Xpedo

Rotor bike components are providing the highest end cranks, powermeters, and chainrings. Riders will be racing and training with the Inpower Rex powermeter and groundbreaking, leg-saving, Qring oval chainrings.

Nutrition will be provided by Carborocket drink keeping riders hydrated with their stomach-friendly race hydration and Rehab recovery drink to keep racers strong during the longest events while Honeystinger great-tasting organic waffles, energy chews, and gel will power riders.

Ergon will be keeping riders comfortable and connected to the bike providing new innovative designs with their saddles and grips.

The team will be rolling on Continental tire rubber a proven winner with the durability to get their riders to the finish line.

Xpedo pedals will provide the platform for thousands of miles of racing from the Pearl Izumi/Pivot team this season continuing to produce some of the lightest and positive-feeling pedals on the market. Riders will be using the ti body and spindle of the Xpedo M-Force 8 ti for all their racing and training this season.

In addition to a change at title sponsor this year’s Pearl Izumi/Pivot race team is losing a longtime member and adding a new face. After 6 years on the team, east coast superstar Karen Potter is taking some time away from racing opening a spot that will be filled by 2017 National Ultra Endurance marathon series champion Jen Toops.

New Pearl Izumi/Pivot team member Jen Toops. Photo by: Jonathan Karol

Toops, from Marion, Ohio, had a phenomenal 2017 with wins at NUE events, and 3rd at the Ruta de los Conquistadors in Costa Rica. She’s excited to join one of the top ultra-endurance teams in the US and looking forward to taking another big step in her racing career.

Jen will again be tackling the NUE marathon series as well as trying her hand at some stage races including Trans-Sylvania Epic.

Toops will be joining returning team members Marlee Dixon, Jen Hanks, and Shannon Boffeli. All of whom are coming off successful seasons of their own including wins at bigtime events like Firecracker 50, Titan Tropic Stage Race Cuba, 12 Hours of Mesa Verde, and Hanks’ 3rd at the Rotor Big Race in Madrid, Spain.

Jen Hanks following the finish at the 2017 Rotor Big Race in Madrid, Spain. Photo by Jeffrey Juip

Together the Pearl Izumi/Pivot team will be conquering some of the toughest mountain bike events in the US and beyond. The team will be focusing on the National Ultra Endurance (NUE) series, Epic Rides events, and stage races including Moab Rocks, MITAS 4-Islands, in Croatia, Pisgah, Trans-Sylvania, and Breck Epic. And as always they will be publishing full reports of each event on MTBRaceNews.com. Please follow along with them as they embark on an exciting new season of mountain bike racing.

Enter to Win Chloe Woodruffs Olympic Bike

Posted on by

In following with the spirit of giving that goes along with the winter season US olympian and former national champion Chloe Woodruff is raffling off the Pivot Mach 4 she raced in Rio.

100% of each entry will go directly to the Arizona High School Cycling League, a non-profit supporting youth cycling. An entry costs just $10 and you can enter as many times as you like.

There are three ways to enter: visit Chloe’s website, send your entry by mail, or enter in person at the final Arizona High School Cycling League race of the year Nov. 6 at the Pivot Cycles Kid Zone tent.

Click here to visit Chloe’s site and learn more.

Even if you don’t bring home the bike, entrants can win one of many other prize packages from Stan’s NoTubes, Shimano, Kask, Clif Bar, ESI Grips, Castelli, and more.

You must enter to win before December 2nd.

Best of luck!

 

Chloe Woodruff's 2016 Rio olympics bike

Chloe Woodruff’s 2016 Rio olympics bike

chloe2 chloe3

Chloe’s Olympic Bike Specs

Frame: Pivot Cycles Mach 4 Carbon, size XS

Wheels: Stan’s NoTubes Valor, 27.5″

Fork: FOX 32 SC, 27.5″, 110 “Boost” axle

Drivetrain: Shimano XTR DI2 1×11

Crankset: Shimano XTR M9020 with Stages powermeter

Brakes: Shimano XTR Race, 160mm 6-bolt rotors

Handlebar/Stem/Seatpost: PRO Tharsis XC carbon

Saddle: PRO Griffon carbon

Tires: Maxxis Pace 2.1

Pedals: Shimano XTR

Grips: ESI Racer’s Edge

BikeFlights will provide shipping for the Grand Prize!

Stan’s NoTubes-Pivot Team Announced for 2016

Posted on by

National champions Woodruff and Grant partner up on pro mountain bike squad

The Stan’s NoTubes-Pivot Team is pleased to announce its roster of elite cross country mountain bikers for 2016. Returning rider Chloe Woodruff has been joined by new signing Rose Grant.

“This team turned some heads last year, and I’m looking forward to building on that momentum with the continuation of support from Stan’s NoTubes,” said Chloe Woodruff who is both the current U.S. Cross Country and Short Track Mountain Bike National Champion. “We’ll have a presence at international races as well as the biggest domestic events.

Photo 1-3New recruit Rose Grant, a two-time U.S. Marathon Mountain Bike National Champion, excels at both marathon and cross country racing. “I am grateful to be a part of this small, tight-knit team with its high level of support and hope to make 2016 my best season yet!” said Grant.

Stan’s NoTubes Creative Director and Sponsorship Manager Chris Currie said, “Two of the friendliest and most talented athletes racing today, Chloe and Rose, have shown the world what our impact-absorbing Valor tubeless wheels can really do. Each has been a great ambassador for us and for the sport, and together, they represent a true powerhouse team. We can’t wait for this season to get rolling.”

Pivot stepped up as the team’s new co-title sponsor in 2016. “As part of our ongoing, long term commitment to both elite cycling and to making the best women’s racing bikes, Pivot is proud to support Chloe and Rose as they compete at the highest level around the world,” said Chris Cocalis, President and CEO of Pivot Cycles.

Chasing the Olympic dream

Both Woodruff and Rose have been named to the U.S. Olympic Long Mountain Bike Team, a list of candidates for possible selection to the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio, Brazil.

“The strongest two American riders will make the U.S. Olympic team, and while of course I’m working to be one of those racers, I’m also working hard to be more competitive on the international level and to push my U.S. teammates a bit further,” said Woodruff, a seven-time member of the U.S. national team at the World Championships. Her career resume includes national championship titles at the junior, under 23, collegiate and elite levels.

“My hope is that we’ll have a stronger collective showing at the World Cup and Olympic level. This year is all about keeping opportunities in perspective and doing my homework.”

Best known for her achievements in marathon racing, Grant considers herself a long shot for the Olympic team, but she’s excited to have the chance to mix it up among the sport’s best talent.

“I’m filled with gratitude to be named to the 2016 U.S. Olympic Long Team. It is fuel for the fire and confirmation that hard work pays off,” said Grant. “At least for one more season, I’ll continue to focus on racing at the national level. With patience and proper planning, I hope I will find some success on the world level, too, when the timing is right.”

Photo 3-2Grant is one of the few pro female racers who juggles motherhood and racing. 2015 marked the first time that she was selected for and attended the Cross Country Mountain Bike World Championships, and in 2016, she heads into her fifth season as a pro, having worked her way up the ranks from being fully self-supported.

“I remember racing the Missoula XC in Montana in June 2013, my first true race of that season after giving birth to my daughter in March 2013. It was Chloe Woodruff, more than anyone else, who went out of her way to introduce herself, be encouraging and have a genuine conversation,” said Grant. “She has continued to be humble, noble and inspiring and works hard to be her best, and I’m proud to be her teammate.”

Woodruff also thinks highly of her new teammate. “Rose Grant is already one of the strongest racers in the country. She’s a make-no-excuses kind of competitor, and I’m thrilled that our team can give her the support and tools she needs to keep improving.”

Race calendar

The Stan’s NoTubes-Pivot Team will compete primarily in Olympic-style cross country races as well as the longer, more endurance-oriented marathon mountain bike races.

Both Woodruff and Grant will contest a mix of World Cup, US Cup and National Championship races. They’ll also target the Pan American Championships and domestic events such as the Epic Ride Off-Road Series.

Woodruff is aiming to build on her 2015 successes which also included a weekend sweep of victories at the Whiskey Off-Road in her hometown of Prescott, Arizona; a win at the Wisconsin Off Road Series (WORS) round of the US Pro XCT; a victory at the Iceman Cometh; and a bronze medal at the Pan American Championships in Bogota, Columbia.

Grant is looking to improve on top three finishes at the Missoula and Colorado Springs rounds of the US Cup as well as the Whiskey Off-Road.

Bikes and wheels

Woodruff and Grant will train and compete on four different Pivot mountain bikes, all equipped with Stan’s NoTubes carbon Valor wheels.

“The Stan’s NoTubes carbon Valor wheels are phenomenal. Coming into last season, I knew they were going to be the lightest wheels that I’d ever raced, but I was floored by their durability, performance, and ease of setup,” said Woodruff. “The wheels let me confidently run low pressures while knowing I have an edge over my competitors on ‘other’ wheels.”

Grant said, “You can really feel the difference the Stan’s NoTubes carbon Valor wheels make in absorbing impacts, and it’s nice to have the most reliable tubeless system out there when it comes to setting up tires. They have ‘fast’ written all over them.”

Woodruff will race Pivot’s Mach 4 and Les 27.5” frames. “With Pivot and Stan’s NoTubes, I had the choice between 29″ and 27.5″ wheel sizes, and after some testing, I decided to go with the smaller wheels,” said Woodruff. “While I believe I can be fast on either wheel size, the typically steep and technical characteristics of the World Cup courses may give an edge to the smaller, more nimble 27.5” wheel size. The ultra-low standover of the smallest Pivot frames is a huge advantage for a rider my height.”

“Over the past couple seasons, I’ve focused a lot on building up my confidence on the challenging World Cup-level courses,” said Woodruff. “I’ve reached a point where I’m a much more proficient technical racer so now we’re starting to ask: ‘what’s going to be the fastest?’”

Grant, on the other hand, made different choices, opting for the 29” wheel platform.

“I am lucky to have both hardtail and full suspension race bikes from Pivot in 2016,” said Grant. “I’ll race my Pivot Les 29er carbon hardtail at most events because it is a very lightweight and tight-handling, responsive cross country bike with all the benefits that naturally come with 29” wheels.”

“When I want full suspension for some of the more technically challenging courses, I’ll ride the Pivot Mach 429SL carbon 29er, it’s an ultra-fast full suspension racebike that handle whatever the race throws at it.”

Both riders will use the Pivot Vault bikes for training on the road or gravel or doing cyclocross.

Sponsors

The Stan’s NoTubes-Pivot Team is also sponsored by Shimano (drivetrain, brakes, pedals); Maxxis (tires); Castelli (custom clothing); Clif Bar (nutrition); Fox (suspension); PRO (components); Pearl Izumi (shoes, gloves); Kask (helmets); Feedback Sports (trainers); and Cassette Creative (design, marketing).

2015 Stan’s NoTubes-Pivot Team

Chloe Woodruff, 28, Prescott, AZ

Rose Grant, 33, Whitefish MT