A Successful Sea Otter for the Hayes Bicycle Group

The Sea Otter Classic marks the beginning of the consumer event and racing season in North America. Hayes Bicycle Group (HBG) enjoyed a very successful 2008 edition with new product releases, podium results, and an always busy tech service area.

HBG displayed and demoed three exciting new competition-level products that will be released in 2008. The cross-country crowd was treated to the all-new Hayes Stroker Gram brake system with its titanium hardware kit, 5" rear rotor, carbon lever blade, aluminum backed pad set, and sculpted master cylinder body. At a system weight of just 357g (including 6" rotor and mounting hardware), the Stroker Gram will lightening up a wide variety of bikes this year.

For the gravity gang and big descent junkies HBG rolled out the eye-catching Hayes Stroker Ace brake system. Although Sea Otter isn't known for a gnarly downhill course, all of our top sponsored riders outfitted their bikes with the new Ace. Chris Heath, a Hayes Test Program rider, stopped by at least four times to tell us how powerful the brake is, and Cody Wilderman, 2007 collegiate national champion, was giddy after his first run on them. Chris Kovarik, a man of few words, let his results tell us how he felt - 2nd place in the Pro downhill event on the new Ace. The heart of the Stoker Ace is a new forged monoblock four-piston caliper housing our largest pads ever - all mated to the Stroker radial master cylinder and a longer, more aggressively hooked lever blade. All this big power goodness weighs just 427g - a full 30 grams less than the Avid Code.

The big hit crowd got one last treat for the weekend - the all new Manitou Dorado MRD was on display at the Hayes rig and was also featured on the new Intense M6 team edition downhill race bike over at the MS Intense Factory Racing tent. The Dorado MRD sets an entirely new standard in the downhill racing market with bi-directional carbon outer legs, 36mm stanchions, lightweight air spring technology, and a new hydraulic bottom-out circuit. This 8-inch fork weighs in at an astonishing 2.8kg.

The HBG race program continued its early season success, putting a large number of riders on the podium. On that front there was some exciting news after the Pro Cross Country when race winner and Olympic Gold Medalist Miguel Martinez stopped by and asked if he could have a Manitou R7 MRD fork to ride for the rest of the season - sure Miguel, no problem!

Dual Stunt Expo
1st - Kyle Strait (Hayes, SUNringle')

Pro Men XC
1st - Miguel Martinez (Manitou)
8th - Pierre Facomprez (Manitou)
20th - Manny Prado (Hayes, SUNringle', Manitou)
22nd - Robert Marion (Hayes, SUNringle', Manitou)

Pro Women XC
7th - Amanda Carey (Hayes, SUNringle', Manitou, Answer)
10th - Jen Gersbach (Hayes, Manitou)
11th - Krista Park (Hayes, SUNringle', Manitou, Answer)

Pro Men Short Track
2nd - Ryan Trebon (SunRingle)
5th - Andy Schultz (Hayes, SUNringle', Manitou, Answer)
8th - Miguel Martinez (Manitou)
10th - Mike Phillips (Hayes, SUNringle', Manitou)

Pro Women Short Track
9th - Amanda Carey (Hayes, SUNringle', Manitou, Answer)
14th - Heather Holmes (Hayes, SUNringle', Manitou, Answer)
15th - Maureen Kunz (Manitou, Hayes)

Pro Men Super D
9th - Manny Prado (Hayes, SUNringle', Manitou)

Pro Women Super D
11th - Amanda Carey (Hayes, SUNringle', Manitou, Answer)

Pro Men Downhill
2nd - Chris Kovarik (Hayes, SUNringle', Manitou)
9th - Andrew Neethling (SUNringle')
12th - Eric Carter (SUNringle')

Pro Women Downhill
1st - Melissa Buhl (Hayes, SUNringle', Manitou)
6th - Joanna Peterson (Hayes)
8th - Anneke Beerten (Hayes, SUNringle', Manitou)
12th - Mio Suemasa (Hayes, SUNringle', Manitou)
14th - Miranda Miller (Hayes)
15th - Rebecca McQueen (Hayes, SUNringle')

Pro Men Dual Slalom
3rd - Andrew Neethling (SUNringle')
5th - Brian Lopes (Hayes)
8th - Kris Kovarik (Hayes, SUNringle', Manitou)

Pro Women Dual Slalom
2nd - Melissa Buhl (Hayes, SUNringle', Manitou)
6th - Mio Suemasa (Hayes, SUNringle', Manitou)
9th - Anneke Beerten (Hayes, SUNringle', Manitou)
10th - Joanna Peterson (Hayes)

Semi-Pro Men XC
1st - Ty Kady (Hayes, SUNringle', Manitou)

Expert 45-49 XC
2nd - Johnny O'Mara (Hayes, SUNringle', Manitou)