Knob Magazine

Adam Craig ponders whether Giant will have its 650C prototype ready by next fall.

A cadre off Durango riders have stepped up to bring the 2009 Single Speed World Championships to Durango, Colorado on September 16th-20th.

The date, originally scheduled for late August was moved back have the event coincide with The Tour of Durango on Sunday, September 20th.  The result will be a multi-day event consisting several group rides and culminating in the World Championship race on Saturday.

Among the race organizers is the former world champ and longtime Durango resident, Travis Brown.  Brown has yet to comment on whether he will have a home field advantage.
Industry sources have suggested that Brown has been working with Trek Bicycles to debut a new course design technology tentatively referred to as Initial Radius Optimization and Neutral Inertia Cornering.  The new course design is said to be specifically engineered to maximize entry and exit velocities for bikes running differential wheel sizes. Taken with Durango’s typically dusty fall conditions, intial indications suggest the course will be well suited to alternative technologies such as big wheels and belt drive.  Sources say Trek already has a 69er version of Browns Belt Drive Cross concept ready to debut at the event.

The early news has already sent several riders into their garages to update their 26inch wheeled machines for the new course technology by sawing the arches of their forks.  For those a bit more timid with a hacksaw, Magura is offering a special SSWC edition of their semi-popular Durin Race fork with an automatic arch reduction technology.