Stand up and be counted

The worlds a fast-changing place, the United States of America has re-elected a mixed heritage person (is he black? everyone keeps saying he's black but his mum is white and his dad is black so surely that means he is just as non-black as he is black, I dont get it?).
What does that mean for us? well it might mean that the yanks are not all that stupid anymore, after the Bush family tried to start war with anyone who wouldn't sell them oil they seem to have learned about crackpot religious megalomaniacs. If so that means that the US might start to regain some of its recently lost international respect and that has great implications for the world of mountain biking.
You have to be a dead earthworm not to be aware that the US has, and continues to be, the worlds greatest mountain biking nation. As much as many of us would like it to be different, thats the way it is. Maybe its because the sport arguably was invented there and all the first heroes were americans. Anyone not seen the Red Bull Rampage? thought not,'nuff said.

America has one thing that the rest of the world craves, sheer vastness. Not only geographically but also in the scale of product ranges and we all know that most things are cheaper there than they are Here (wherever you are too probably). I never heard of anyone who flew to the states and decided they only needed hand luggage for the return journey.

I need a few new bits for my bike - dont worry, this entry will not feature the ongoing saga that is my full-susser, its too upsetting - and if I could nip to the states I would get everything I need at a rock-bottom price, not to mention many more calories than I was needing.

As the US improves its reputation for the economy and foreign policy (from "kill 'em all" to "run") trade can only improve. For the mountain biking world that is great news, not only because the Asian and European brands could do with more vigorous competition but also because so many excellent innovations come from the US, innovations that we all want to play with.

Yes I did go out this weekend, a short blast on a favourite trail. There was plenty of water around and my rear wheel bearing blew, Oh and I took a bit of a tumble too which is quite amusing to see on the GoPro I had on my helmet. One of those fallen branches across the track that whipped out my front wheel, ayah.