MTBikeAZ.com

The latest addition to my mountain biking gear…My wife really knows how to pick birthday gifts. I’ve been using a 1997 HAWG since, well, 1997 when I got it for Christmas. Since then it has endured the thousands of miles I’ve ridden, hiked and skied. I’ve only had to replace two things in nearly a decade - the bite valve and the chest clip. Both lost in crashes on the trail.

The 2006 HAWG is awesome. Nearly double the capacity for gear as the earlier model. The 916 cubic inches will come in real handy on those 50 plus milers I’ve got planned. Even though it is much bigger than the 1997 model, it still feels small on my bak. CamelBak has come along way since the 90s. The Dynamic Suspension Harness keeps the HAWG stable on my back…no more bouncing around side to side. The Air Director back panel really does keep my back cool, in Arizona a cool back is a dream come true. My favorite feature - the iPod pocket, it’s a solo pocket with a soft inner that protects your MP3 player of choice from the elements not to mention everyting else in the CamelBak.

The price tag hasn’t changes a bit. $100 then and $100 now. I’ve seen the HAWG at Sportsman’s Warehouse for $89.00 as well as PricePoint for the same. My wife shopped at REI, (she even used my membership number to get the dividend, Sweet.)

My simple review- the HAWG rules.

In Phoenix in the summertime, there is no such thing as a lunch ride. In the desert, from June through about the middle of September, the only kind of riding I do is the early morning wake-me-up ride.

That means a 4:30 AM alarm clock and a 5:30 AM trail time. This morning I was at the top of Javelina where it meets the Ridgeline trail on South Mountain before the sun decided to join me.

Javelina is a rough and rocky double-track that slowly turns into a wide singletrack with just a little forgiveness. The 46th Street parking lot is a good place to start if you want to do a quick ride up Mormon and then down the less ridden back side of Mormon. It’s a couple of miles of pretty gnarley singletrack that’s littered with boulders, shutes, steps, and some of the sweetest technical lines I’ve been blessed to decend. If Javelina was a little forgiving, the north side of South Mountain has never even heard of forgiveness. She’ll lie, cheat, and steal your soul right off your bike just to watch you bleed.

I went over the handelbars twice down the mountain. I got lucky on one landing and controlled the fall. The second endo threw me and my bike onto a a series of sharp rocks, but we caught ourselves just before gravity pushed us down further…both the Trek EX 9 and I are doing well, just a bit bruised and scratched.

When people say this trail is not recommended for beginners, they are not telling the whole truth. This trail is not recommended for anyone who does not want to fall. I never thought I would say that I could use more suspension, but on this trail it would have come in handy. Now I’m really thinking about the 5 and a half inches on the 2007 Trek Fuel bikes…

Mormon is an awesome challenge. It has just enough of the good stuff to keep me coming back again and again and again.

Mormon Trail Links

MTBR Javelina Trail Review

Mormon trail video: pete fagerline has excellent footage of the north side of Mormon trail - 50 MB

The trailhead sign for Pass Mountain says “Mountain Bikes not recommended”…just what I like to see…less riders on the trail more technical action…Pass mountain proves to be a sweet ride…

Read Full Review 

The 2007 Trek Mountain Bikes are making their way online. The Trek Bikes UK site has the 2007 models up for viewing.

The 2007 Trek Fuel EX 9 (featured at your left) is looking pretty sweet. The 2007 models are decked out in Fox suspension front and rear. A big change over last year’s Rock Shox suspension. I ride the ‘06 EX 9 with pleasure. I shouldn’t even be looking at the 07’s, but it’s fun to see what’s new…

Dirt Rag, Singletrack magazine and Cycling News each reviewed the 2007 line-up. Lots of photos and tech talk about the latest and greatest from Trek.

The US site still has the spec pages hidden, but available to view if you sleuth the URL…

2007 Trek Full Suspension Line-up:

Freeride
2007 Session 10
2007 Session 77
2007 Session 7

All Mountain
Remedy 66
Remedy 6
Remedy 5

Cross Country
2007 Top Fuel SL
2007 Fuel EX9.5
2007 Top Fuel 9.9
2007 Top Fuel 9.8
2007 Fuel EX 9.0
2007 Top Fuel 8
2007 Trek Fuel EX 8
2007 Trek Fuel EX 7

UPDATE

The 2007 Trek Bikes Preview is now online with the entire 2007 line-up - full specs and MSRP.

With an early ride on the The National/Mormon Loop this morning I beat the heat and the foot traffic on the trail. South Mountain defines the best mountain biking in Phoenix. It’s as simple as that. There are sections of trail on South Mountain that dare remind me of Porcupine Rim and the Portal in Moab. When I ride South Mountain I feel like I’m on vacation, me and by bike are right at home in Phoenix but my mind is all on the trail. South Mountain challenges even the best riders. I tried to follow one of them once. He cleaned a seriously technical ascent. I biffed it. But today I almost cleaned it too. The next time I ride I’ll make it even further.

I saw three other riders on the trail. One tacoed his front rim, another crushed a few too many spokes out of his rear wheel, the third was walking his bike. That’s pretty much the kind of beating National can dish out. I’m always up for a good fight. I had my share of spills too, but the machine I ride takes a whippin and keeps on spinnin. The 2006 Trek Fuel EX9.

South Mountain Links

YouTube Video - Waterfall Triumph on National Trail

Official Phoenix Website

Mtbr.com Forum poster Trail review of National

petefagerlin.com - excellent video footage and helmet cam of Arizona trail including National, Mormon, and Geronimo.

RideMonkey Forum: pictures from a group ride down “the waterfall”

SoCalMtB.com All the Dirt Story Board: A 2002 trip report of South Mountain trails, Mormon, National Telegraph, Holbert

National is one of America’s 10 Best Trails - bikemag.com