MOAB, Utah (September 8, 2005) For nearly eleven years, the 24 Hours of Moab has attracted racers from less trendy mountain bike locales like New York City and Tokyo to compete on one of the most scenic and challenging courses in the world. Citing 24 Hours of Moab's prestige as the "ultimate in 24-hour race venues," NiteRider Technical Lighting Systems recently introduced its new MOAB light.

"Moab is the Mecca of 24-hour races," said NiteRider's Kevin Lunau. "The MOAB is what we consider the ultimate 24-hour race light. This light will run 12 hours off of one charge."

Also an acronym for "Mother of All Batteries," the MOAB features both an HID lamp and a bank of three LED lamps. Burn times for the HID lamp range from eight to 12 hours and a whopping 720 hours for the LED lamps. Among the longest courses in 24-hour racing, the 15-mile 24 Hours of Moab requires a lighting system suitable for Moab's rugged, desert conditions where lap times range from 54 minutes to three hours. Many racers may opt for the MOAB's handlebar mount, which will throw a beam capable of piercing dusty conditions typical of desert riding. Others will choose a helmet mount, which will enable them to cast light in the direction where they plan to head next. Either way, the MOAB will throw enough light on the course to help guide racers through turns and over obstacles without slowing them down much at all. Should a racer suffer a mechanical problem, the LED feature provides an ideal trailside beam for working without threatening the sightlines of other racers on the course.

"We're honored to have the 24 Hours of Moab name linked to this great new technology," said 24 Hours of Moab Race Director, Laird Knight. "This kind of battery technology is very desirable, especially for soloists. It's not surprising to see NiteRider continue to push out the limits of lighting design. They've been at the forefront from the earliest days of 24-hour racing."

Better yet, while the MOAB burns twice as long as other HID+LED lighting systems, it weighs in at a trim 720 grams (compared to the 830 gram Rage, also by NiteRider). Visit www.niterider.com for more information about the MOAB.

The official grand finale to the 24-hour race season and Association of Mountainbike Team Relay International World Championships of 24-hour racing, the 11th Annual 24 Hours of Moab begins October 15 when more than 4,500 dedicated mountain bike racers and thrill-seeking support crew descend on mountain biking's most revered destination in Moab, Utah, for a legendary celebration of cycling. The 24 Hours of Moab hosts an international field of racers who will compete for bragging rights and $63,000 in cash and prizes. An approved increase in entries for this year's solo category raises the total amount of prize money up for grabs for soloists to $15,000, easily the largest cash purse offered since Granny Gear Productions created 24-hour ultra-endurance solo racing with John Stamstad in 1996.

Read about the BLM-approved increase for solo entries here: 24 Hours of Moab Delivers Largest Solo Cash Purse in History of Sport

The largest mountain bike race west of the Mississippi, a weekend of world-class competition and fat tire camaraderie, and an opportunity to race on some of the most stunning terrain in the U.S. earns The 24 Hours of Moab its status as one of the most celebrated mountain bike races in the world. Supporting Sponsors include NiteRider Technical Lighting Systems, BIKE Magazine, VeloWear.com, and The American Lung Association. Contributing sponsors include Shimano USA and East-West Printing.

Granny Gear Productions, a sports marketing and event production company, has earned a reputation as the industry's most innovative and successful event organizer. With more than 23 years as a mountain bike race organizer, Granny Gear President and CEO, Laird Knight, created the 24-hour racing format in 1991. In 2001, Knight became West Virginia Tourism's Person-of-the-Year and in 2002, Knight was inducted into The Mountain Bike Hall of Fame.

AMTRI, Association of Mountainbike Team Racing International is the international governing body for 6, 12, 18 and 24-hour team relay racing

AMTRI provides event insurance, sanctioning, technical consulting and marketing assistance to all AMTRI sanctioned events.

AMTRI is a division of Granny Gear Productions, Inc.

For more information, visit: www.grannygear.com

For photographic material, press credentials, or to set up an interview with racers from your area, call Wendy at 617-308-2500.