I suppose that I'm not really target group, since living in Finland. Somehow just feel sorry for North-America. I wonder when will you get your Enduro races "right". I mean that in Europe Enduro races do have some bit's of small uphills, or often there's none. Pedaling is much more on flat bit's or slight descents where downhill is not steep enough. Meaning that you don't have to be XC whippet fit, but also riding it on DH bike you'd lose too much time on pedaling bits. If you have that massive uphills as this post indicates it changes the game. Differences in uphill area always much bigger than in downhill. So it's always the fittest guy winning, not the all-around fastest.

That's a good article. We are really lucky here in Finland, in our law system there is "everyman's rights" that says by law that we are allowed to bike everywhere. The is few national parks that prohibit mountainbiking, but that's not a lot. I live downtown in Helsinki (capital) and it takes me 10minutes of riding on a road to get to endless amount of trails. More to the topic of the article, during the downhill skiing boom in the end of 70's and trough 80's even the smalles hills here got a t-bar lifts. Now there is lot's of places that are open during the summer for mountainbikers. So even a t-bar lift is better than nothing, but of course chairlift or gondola is much better. More about everyman's rights if you are interested http://www.environment.fi/default.asp?contentid=390532&lan=EN

Been riding with 2011 Abracadabra since may, and it's AWESOME. Even though I have other bikes, I always end up taking Abracadabra with me =), trail riding, bikeparks and Enduro racing. One of the best parts of it is the coil spring feeling in the suspension because of the magic link. If the new air-spring system doesn't lose that feeling it's warmly welcome.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v8qbtZNL0SQ

For me the dogs we the best part in this video

Good riding, but pants and hair are sickening

Amazing riding, where's the helmets???