Protour.. Flat pedals for Gwin in these conditions? I tried switching over to them for two practice runs and I will never do it again. Clips for racing are unbeatable, regardless of the conditions. Anytime I have ever raced on flat pedals I have always regretted it. They have their place, but in my opinion it's not on the race course. Most people who will say otherwise probably just aren't comfortable in clips and should get out there and practice with them in the mud.

He was fast as hell in Qualies, which even though it was a bit drier it was still a bit muddy then too. I guess killing everyone by 11.3 seconds doesn't mean too much to you though... Crashing as hard as he did in the rock garden and still getting second place is quite a feat. Lines change with that much mud and he was going fast as hell. Props to him for getting up as quickly as he did and for still ending up second. The two inches of rain the night before finals didn't help anyone out and it was a battle for everyone just to stay on their bike, pros included. Super cool dude with a bright future ahead of him.

Gwin took qualifying today by 11.30 seconds. Looking buttery smooth and effortless in the rock gardens. Raining again tonight and promising to be good and muddy.

If you look hard enough you'll find the letter explaining their decision.. it was either keep Gwin and scrap all the development programs, or to do what they've always done and continue to develop world class riders like Gwin.

My thoughts as well.

Handmade here in Asheville, NC and some of the best wheels on the market. Industrynine.net

If anyone needs a ride from the South East (Asheville, or along the way) send me a message. Would be cool to have someone to split gas with.

Don't forget to have a drink of water with that meal. You might get thirsty...

The thing about them being more efficient really depends on the riding you do.. sure you can carry more speed and all, but it really only shows if you're able to be out there (like on a road bike) for sustained amounts of time and not if you're starting/stopping a lot. If you're starting/stopping a lot, they do have more rotational mass that you need to get moving up to speed.