Happy riding in 2012!

It was a good year this year, not just for riding, but also for creating, dreaming, winning and grinning. May it be the same in 2012!

Happy holidays to everyone!

The missing link

There is supposed to be an off season for riding bikes. In this period of five months you are supposed to store your bike in some dark corner of your basement or garage and focus on some other activities, like watching the TV, go skiing, celebrating during the holidays etc.

Or are you?

The photo above was taken yesterday, in the fog, while enduring almost sub zero temperatures. The ride itself was nothing special by the usual standards. Add some fog, dampness, cold and slippery roots and it becomes an epic adventure. OK, I hear you say, but that is still nothing unusual. True, but there is one very important thing to mention still; after a long, warm season of riding in the area, looking for a connection between two shorter trails, we discovered the missing link; a new part that connects two existing local loops and thus making one epic ride. Somehow, we forgot the damp and the cold. The scenery made it all just a bit more special as well, while the slippery roots, stones and leafs contributed to the fun factor.

So, back to the previous statement: Sure, the off season makes it hard to stay motivated, but the rewards can be so much bigger. The fact that the Edelweiss RS Bikebag makes life easier when you bring the muddy bike back home just makes it all that easier to just go out and ride. Still need proof? Ask these guys. They seem to be able to find the sun even in these cold and foggy days.

Off season is in fact the missing link.

I went on an epic ride today and all I got was this crappy photo. Thanks Luka Z.! :)

Hot Stuff.

Sometimes bad things happen to good people. When the main honcho from Imbbus Bike Shop called us today to tell that his car burned up almost completely in the parking lot. As you can imagine, I really didn't know what to say. To make matters worse, he said his bike was in the car as well... What a way to start a day.

But something good always comes even from the worst of things. You see, his bike survived the fire almost unharmed. Why? He kept it in the Edelweiss RS bikebag. Now, we were well aware that the materials used are tough, but only in this unfortunate incident did we find out just how tough is "tough". The Bikebag did not catch fire, thus preventing the bike to be engulfed in flames and remain relatively stable. Unfortunately, the Bikebag deformed quite badly and did not survive. The bike, however, did.

So here you go: More proof, that our products are tough as nails. They are made from the best stuff currently available, by the most skilled and capable people.

P.S.: The aforementioned burned Bikebag will be replaced with a new one by the end of next week, just as the next batch of our products will come to Bike Shop Imbbus. We sincerely hope that its durability will never be put to such a test again.

Photo credit: Zdravc Božnar Sebanc, Bike Shop Imbbus

Warning: epic trails ahead!

To most of you, the 2011 riding season reached its end. But for those of you who really love riding bikes no matter the weather, the season has just begun. The trails are less crowded (empty almost), the terrain more challenging and the rewards bigger. This is the Edelweiss RS season.

It was at this time of the year two years ago that we put our mud resistant, dirt defying products on the market. After a seemingly slow start, people from all over the country and from abroad started appreciating what we do and how we do it and the word of mouth started to spread. Our Bikebags have reached many happy costumers that couldn't be happier. Alas, we are constantly thinking of ways to improve our products and also to translate our core values to other areas as well. The fact that all our products  are locally made helps this to no end.

Keep the wheels rolling!

Edelweiss RS hardtail frame

The dream of making our very own bike frame seems to be of a reoccurring one. Publishing the previous post stirred some debate with people whose opinions are appreciated greatly. Here is a summary of the brainstorming we had so far:

- the geometry of the frame should put the bike in the "aggressive hard tail" category. This means a slack bike, able to tackle the downs with minimal fuss. How slack you say? The head angle somewhere around 67 degrees, with a relatively steep seat tube angle for efficient uphill pedaling. this would also result in a short cockpit, making the bike nimble.

- the material choice is still up for discussion, but we are definitely going down the steel is real route. So chromolly or Reynolds steel are our favorites so far.

- the 29" frame will definitely be an option, but for all of you that do not like wagon wheels, a 26" frame will probably be the default choice.

- to give the frame some identity and also to improve its function, you will notice the bent top tube. This, of course improves stand over clearance. Since the devil is in the details, the rear drop outs have been modified, some gusseting has been aded to the rear triangle etc. This, of course is still just theory so far, but...

- ...last but not least, there is a "but". So far we all agree that we would really want to make this happen. So we are still very much looking forward to your feedback, which will help us bring this to reality sooner rather than later.

So, does anyone know a good frame welder?

Comments of any kind still welcome below or via Facebook. Thanks!

Pipe dreams

A question to all you guys out there, near or far:

Would you like an Edelweiss RS bike frame, made out of steel, with slack geometry and built to survive a EMP strike? Would you prefer such a bike in the 29"or a 26" flavor? Do you like what you see below?






We are gauging interest here. if it proves to be sufficient, then we might decide on making this beast. We would be very glad to hear your thoughts on our Facebook page or in the comments on this blog.

Thanks!

Val Di Sole and some Q&A

As you might have heard, the 2011 UCI DHI and 4X racing season is over. Unior Tools Team, made quite an big impact; It was the team's second season, which makes their achievements even more significant. UTT keeps getting better and better, from one race to the next, a positive trend, proven again in Val DiSole. All in all, a great season in every respect.

That doesn't mean that the riding season is over for all of us though. Trail conditions are as good as ever and we take advantage regularly with a lot of like-minded individuals day in, day out. The plan for this year is to keep riding throughout winter, because we don't fear mud. Mud makes us happy. Snow and mud makes us even happier. If you plan to do the same, we have a solution for muddy bike storage and transportation solution. See details here.

Last but not least, this is our second season running and we were recently asked a couple of good questions and here are the answers:

No1:

Q: How durable are your products?

A: The first prototype, used by yours truly has stood up against two full years of use and abuse without any damage to its structure, function and, to a reasonable extent, appearance. In fact, I just broke it in.

No2:

Q: Do you plan to make any other products, based on the same principles as the Edelweiss Bike Bag?

A: Why yes, yes we do. We know that you guys are not transporting only bikes. We also know that life is not just about bikes and riding (as much as we would maybe like it to be). More details will be announced in due time, so watch this space.

Happy riding!

Ride first, work later

Disclaimer: Due to excellent trail conditions, great riding company and a bad need for a vacation our blog has been a bit neglected recently. Alas, we are sure you'll understand.

It hasn't been just riding and no work though. We got word from another happy costumer the other day, who found the perfect solution for storing his bike in the apartment with our Bikebag. To quote the email: "Congratulations dude. This is outstanding. Thanks a lot!" That made my (our) day and all we can say is that we are glad to help out.

On another note, the Unior Tools Team is supposed to be resting, but Nejc Rutar is currently holdin the 4th overall spot in euro IXS DH championship, followed closely by Ziga Pandur in 10th place overall. Harry Heath and Maria Michalogianna achieved great results as well, with Harry finishing 27th in Mount Saint Anne and Maria being 17th in Leogang. Our products played a part on the logistics front, enabling the team to have their steeds in pristine condition no matter how long the journey to the race venue was. Again, glad to be of service.

Last, but not least, going riding with the Imbbus guys and girls is making the weekends even nicer. This clip shows just one example.

Ride first, work later? If work is as fun as it is at Edelweiss RS, it doesn't make sense to make the distinction.

Happy trails everyone!

Our gear in action

After Fort William, it was time for an Austrian doppelganger. Unior Tools Team went to Leogang for the world cup first, and returned the next weekend for more. On both occasions they had a great race, with Nejc finishing 6th overall in the European championship race. You can see the full report here. The team are leaving for Mt Saint Anne this week and we wish them a great race!

Meanwhile, here are some pictures from Austria, where our products' full potential is very clear. How to pack the whole team's racing gear in one van? Easy.:)

On another note, tomorrow marks the 6th birthday of Slovenia's first and biggest mountain biking website, mtb.si. To mark the occasion, a very special celebration will be held. Looks like a lot of fun, riding with friends old and new, so we hope we'll see you there!

Edelweiss Ride Support at Fort William with Unior Tools Team

Edelweiss RS Bikebags went racing to Scotland this past weekend. Full report after the photo gap!

Unior Tools Team in Fort William, 2011

Žiga Pandur, finished 67th

Nejc Rutar, Finished 81st

Maria Michalogiannaki, finished 24th

Harry Heath, finished 44th

As I am sure you know, the UCI DHI and 4X race event was held in Fort William, Scotland. Of course, Unior Tools Team, supported also by Edelweiss Ride Support, went there and came back with some great results in the bag. It was the most successful race weekend for them ever, with Harry Heath and Žiga Pandur finishing 44th and 67th in DH respectively and Neža Knez finished the 4X race in 11th spot. Nejc Rutar missed the finals by only a tenth of a second, consequently finishing in 81st spot. Maria Michalogiannaki, the team's female DH rider finished in 24th, also failing to qualify for the finals. The team put up a great show, not only race-wise, but regarding logistics and management as well. For that, big props to the riders, team manager and mechanics. William Wallace should also be mentioned, although I'm not yet sure why.

We are also very happy with the team's feedback regarding the Edelweiss RS Bikebag. In short, they were very much impressed with the Bikebag, which enabled them to pack all the gear in the vans for the long haul up north and protected their race machines the entire way there and back. To quote the team's manager: "Dude, I could't imagine so many bikes could fit in our van. It was like packing paper envelopes instead of big racing rigs (remember, the team uses Trek Sessions with double crown Boxxers and extra wide bars, so your precious steed will fit as well)!"

This is exactly what we set out to do with our core product; make life easier for riders of the world.