Poachers Need Not Apply

With the election one week away, it is not politics as usual here in Fort Collins, Colorado. The sun shines brightly through the cloudless sky onto the mountain bike only trails of Bobcat Ridge Natural Area (well, we do allow hikers as well).

Originally ranch land that was left exposed by a forest fire in 2000, Bobcat Ridge was bought by the City of Fort Collins and turned into a natural area, complete the with the Ginny trail. “Horses not allowed”, reads one sign. Another reminds us to yield to uphill traffic—imperative to keeping those cranks in motion as you climb the five miles of technical black diamond, switchback to the top. Cross country lovers delight as you stand at the top admiring the panoramic view of Rocky Mountain National Park, knowing that they earned their turns to the bottom. Apparently the rangers have come to realize this mountain biker’s delight as they frustratingly removed yet another self made alternative route put in place by a mountain bike poacher. The pitch, slope, and natural objects make it almost impossible to not build your own jumps, ladders, and bridges.

Their patience had run thin about the time when they consulted Greg Mazu of Singletrack Trails. A part time resident of Fort Collins and part time resident of his truck and trailer, Greg is known around the area west of the Mississippi for his trail building. He in turn looked to Diamond Peaks Mountain Bike Patrol as his man (or woman) power.

Together we-Diamond Peaks, the City of Fort Collins, and Greg-loaded up trucks and trailers, then later our hands with picks, Pulaskis, rock rakes, chains, and chain saws to hike up two miles into the Ginny Trail. Flags, blue with thin metal spikes, marked the spot on the trail and the only directions given were “be creative.” Greg had divided us into two groups each with a crew leader of his choice and two city workers to main the chainsaws. He had only marked out the path that he knew was sustainable enough to hold alternative routes. The question remained where to start. The crew leader began by having us haul as big of rocks as we could without hurting ourselves into a pile that grew quickly. We had the city workers cut down what looked like two solid trees, hard telling as most of the land was ravaged in a forest fire 8 years ago. We laid the logs along the path of the blue flags, making sure that they were solidly in place and shimmying in rocks where needed. We connected the two logs with large flat boulders that would have you gain the perfect traction as you rolled over.

The ladder bridges turned out to be more tedious. I myself was on the log crew, but in between breaks of heavy lifting I would head uphill to check out the crew that from a distant resembled Keebler elves; one marking 8 inches on a log, another sawing at the marks and tossing the logs to a splitting crew, all forming a perfect assembly line. Somehow the end product was a twisty, turny roller coaster of riding fun.

In six hours we had hauled rock, split trees, and carried logs to build the new ladder bridges and log rides alongside the trails. The city had the chainsaws and workman’s comp and we had the knowledge and expertise of riding- Discussing lines and angles that we would be able to keep our bikes on.

In a time when the general population is still waking up to the idea of mountain biking downhill and not across hills, the City of Fort Collins is realizing that they can’t beat the Mountain Biking Man, but rather they can work with them in creating a safe environment for people to have fun. Did I mention that Bush might open up the national parks to mountain biking before his term is up? Politics is not as usual.

AY-UP Light System Review: The Light System You Have Always Wanted – No Joke!

There is a lot to complain about these days: Work, the economy, gas prices, elections… One of my biggest complaints in the bike world is light systems that don’t deliver. Through my time in retail I spent many hours checking out the latest and greatest, yet each one was lacking in one department or another. It seemed like most manufacturers were just out of tune with the market. All of a sudden I get a box delivered to my doorstep, a ring of light glowing around it. I open it up and I find Ay-up. Ay-Up sells several different lighting systems and I received the MTB version. It includes two three hour batteries, one six hour battery, a dual battery charger, a 12v DC adapter for the car, a wide beam light for the handlebars, a narrow beam light for helmet mount, and several different pouches straps and zip ties. After unpacking everything I decide do some research; check out the company and see their claims.

One of my biggest complaints with light systems is awkward batteries with miserably slow charging times and a lack of a smart charging system (you have to unplug the battery when it is fully charged otherwise it can be damaged). Ay-Up claimed to solve it all, but not one to be satisfied with manufacturer claims, I wanted to see for myself. The charger was indeed a smart charger and allowed you to charge two batteries at the same time. Later I discovered they had another version which allowed up to six batteries to be charged at once, and you can mix batteries of different charge levels and hour ratings with no problems. In just a few of hours I had all three batteries charged and ready to go. A lot of the other light systems on the market can take six, seven, even eight hours or more to completely charge! Combine that fact with the lack of a smart charging system and you have some battery headaches on your hands. But the Ay-Up batteries also feature built-in short circuit protection, do not suffer the dreaded memory effect (so you can recharge them without fully discharging them), are water proof to 1 meter, and can withstand a drop 5 meters to a concrete floor! That’s pretty hard to beat. I was already very impressed! The other thing that immediately struck me is the battery size: They were small and light. The 3 hour versions weighed in at just 70 grams (.15 lbs.) and were 1 3/4 inches, by 3 inches, by 1 inch in size; the 6 hour weighed 130 grams (.29 lbs.) and measured 3 inches, by 4 1/2 inches, by 1 1/2 inches. Each one has an integrated switch and a little pouch to make mounting easy.

Then I looked at the lights: The stylish anodized housings were available in 12 different colors, and the MTB kit included one wide beam and one narrow beam light. I examined them carefully and though at first glance I questioned their durability, some close examination and accidentally slamming my helmet mounted set into the wall proved they were darn near bullet-proof. Not to mention Ay-Up says; “You break it… we want it back. A new set will be delivered to your door as soon as physically possible.” I haven’t heard of any bike light manufacturer that stands behind their product to that extent… amazing! That being settled I installed the lights, plugged in the batteries and hit the trail. As I blazed down the trail I started to wonder why they had dual beams if they both pointed to the same spot, then an epiphany. I rotated one of the beams slightly above the other and viola, a longer beam. What a concept, a longer beam to see more of the trail in front of you… no need for a brighter light that sucks down you battery juice twice as fast just to see more of the trail.

A lot of people look for the system with the brightest and widest possible beam, but because the Ay-Up system uses a helmet and handlebar mount light together, you can see the area on the trail immediately around you, as well as details in the terrain, and use your helmet mount to scan further up the trail. Ay-Up does not offer the brightest or the widest beam on the market, but you don’t need either with the combo of head and handlebar light. That is not to say the system lacks power; the handlebar light or headlamp alone are enough to easily find your way on the trail. And because of the compact super-light design, you can barely tell the weight difference with a battery pack and light on top of your head.

Some other things to note, besides the if you break it they replace it warranty, is a 1-year full replacement guarantee for any failures during normal use. Ay-Up has a commitment to spreading innovation, so they soon plan to offer a discount upgrade program so current Ay-Up users can get the latest gear without paying the full price. Who else does that?

Staying on the subject of complaints this article was very hard to write. Every time I finished a paragraph I remembered another great bit of info from Ay-Up. There is so much thought and effort not only in the design of the system, but in the warranties and support. Below I put together a quick feature list with some of the main points:

Huge Variety of Mounting Options
Helmet Light and Handlebar Light for Most Versatile Platform Available
Dual beam adjustable lights
Stylish Look

Cuyamaca Rancho State Park Mountain Bike Trail - San Diego County, California

Just east of San Diego is an astonishing feat of nature in an area called Cuyamaca Rancho State Park with over 26,000 acres of oak woodland forest, mixed with a smattering of pines and charming meadows with playful creeks. There are over 100 miles of trails which offer hikers, bikers, and equestrians ample stomping grounds. Within the Park are two great places for mountain bikers to establish base camp and spend the night, one of which is called Paso Picacho camp, which is nestled between Stonewall Peak elevation 5,700’, and Cuyamaca Peak elevation 6,512’, both peaks present spectacular views of the deserts to the east, the coast to the west, and Lake Cuyamaca at the base. The other campground which I prefer is Green Valley because it has a refreshing stream that runs through camp replete with waterfalls. Both camps are great base camps because you can start your ride to anywhere in the park from either one of them. Cuyamaca is just a maze of trails and if you are like me then you will want to mountain bike as much of the 100 miles of trails as possible. Cuyamaca is in fact so popular with mountain bikers that they have annual bike events held there. The popularity of the place does have its draw backs though as you shall soon see, some riders are caught off guard by the beauty and relative ease of the trails succumbing to hell bent egos of tearing the trails up.

On a beautiful rainy day three of us went to ride in Cuyamaca, conveniently, just 50 miles east of San Diego off sports car blistering highway 79. We parked at the day use Green Valley campground and saddled up for a three hour tour along Cuyamaca peak and around middle peak via several kind fire roads.

Dennis my good friend and normal riding partner who always wakes me up early on the weekends considers himself to have the balance of a cat and likes smoking cigarettes. He brought his friend Willie who just bought a used mountain bike and was itching to get to try it in the Cuyamacas, he had never done any serious riding. Cuyamaca is almost all intermediate to beginner riding; the trails are wide fire roads and not very technical. They are however fun and fast. More of the technical riding can be done on the hiking trails throughout the park which I often go on and fake ignorance if stopped, so far no problems. This could be a debate for another time that I would like to get into with any dire hard hiker protective of his precious trail if that is the problem or is he just worried I might come careening down a hill and hit him?

On this particular wet rainy day with the green horn Willie along, I opted to stick to the regular designated mountain bike trails, in this instance Fern Flat, Azalea Springs, and Middle Peak fire roads. The trail along Cuyamaca Peak and Middle Peak is a vast woodland forest with the occasional pleasant out looking vista. This is the type of playground where at one point going down hill a buck snorted fiercely at me, yes I did fear for my life, and pranced right along side of me for a good 50 yards then cut right in front of me and disappeared into the woods; fun stuff, even for the animals apparently. I have yet to run into the elusive Mountain Lion but there are plenty of posted warnings and several reported human stalking and killings. Yes indeed fun stuff.

I enjoy all kinds of inclement weather so riding in the rain on this day was a treat, first we went along Japacha Spring Creek, then the wide base of Cuyamaca peak. Watching the trinkets of water flow down the trail during a rain storm is amusing and after about an hour we came to a clearing which opens up to middle peak. The trail goes around middle peak and takes about an hour. The fork in the road goes left starting with a down hill or right leading into an uphill.

Dennis and I were doing what we normal do during these easy types of rides and were talking and enjoying nature. Not paying much attention, the green horn Willie, who apparently loves speed, instantly took off left down hill, obviously he wanted to get a feel for his bike on our first downhill of the trip. Keep in mind this is a wet rainy day and he is new to the sport. Dennis and I looked at each other and thought alright lets go, we peddled for a few feet and began our downhill decent.

As we followed after Willie who was now way ahead of us and not just going down hill holding his bike in line like most riders, he was all over the place and oddly, still peddling at a ferocious rate. I start out this section with a few hard turns of the crank but it is steep enough that you pick up speed and follow your line, not Willie. He was well down the hill and still peddling wildly. He had to be crazy I was thinking and wondered if he was so green that he didn’t realize he had free wheel and could stop peddling. Even now I can see him peddling, flying down hill like some speed demon, swerving out of control, careening off the trail, flailing into a sharp ditch, bike and body flying, and Willie going over the handle bars flying like a man shot out of a cannon.

Dennis and I stared at each other in disbelief hoping for the best but expecting the worst. Not that that wasn’t scary enough but when we caught up to him he was not moving but talking and was sprawled out inches from having collided head on with a nice sized boulder. I’ve seen this before, dare devils just missing catastrophe by a mere fraction, perhaps there are angles out there protecting some of us. At the speed he was going hitting that rock most likely would have broken something and possibly put him lights out. Not wanting to think about it, we made sure he was alright and I went back to get his bike about 20 yards back up the hill. Willie starts talking about how he’s fine and we should continue on the ride. I’m still baffled at how nonplussed he is when I pick up his bike and quickly discover that the bike was not so lucky. The front rim majorly bent and will not rotate, along with brakes and levers that need to be adjusted.

Obviously the ride is over and we decide to turn back much to Willies dismay, I think he was trying to man up and didn’t want to ruin the rest of our ride, out of the question, I’m not going any further into the forest with Willie in this condition we must get back to civilization. In order to get Willies bike in some kind of working condition we disassemble the front brake taking off the front tire and hammer away on the rim trying to bend it back to some semblance of straight. This technique does not work well but we do manage to get the wheel to go around without getting stuck on the front brake. Now the hour to get back takes two hours of slow riding through the rain but tragedy has been averted so all is well that ends well.

Lessons learned; any senior rider in a group with a green horn or for that matter any rider not familiar with the terrain, has a responsibility to the pack. I believe the experienced rider should keep a fairly constant dialogue about the trail and trail safety. When we came to the fork in the road I should have minutes before talked about it and had us all stop and at that point talked about the trail and certainly instructed Willie to follow Dennis or myself. I can still see Willie just screaming out of control down that hill and of all things constantly peddling when he was clearly out of control. When I saw him go flying over his handle bars will nilly, I seriously thought he was going to be messed up. And when I saw how close he was to hitting a serious rock obstruction I think we all realized how lucky he was. So all experienced rides keep your group informed and don’t let any green horns lead the pack even if they have a new bike. It’s similar to someone getting a new sports car they think they need to floor it and speed around.

Needless to say, Willie never fixed his mountain bike; he sold it and joined the Army.

Raging Red Green Chile Salsa Review

On Saturday I made a trip to The Bicycle Doctor in Norcross, Georgia to have a wheel trued (my friend Matt’s) and to drop off the Sun Demon/Equalizer wheelset for my Mountain Cycle Rumble freeride bike buildup.  It only took Scott a few minutes to true Matt’s wheel, during which time I browsed throughout the store.

I noticed a jar of salsa for sale on the shelf in front of the register.  I decided to buy a jar, assuming that the salsa must be pretty good because it was being sold at a bike shop.  However, when I brought it to the register Scott told me I could have it free of charge so long as I wrote a review of the salsa on this website.

Raging Red Green Chile Salsa is distributed by Bicycle Technologies International (BTI).  BTI is a global wholesale distributor located in Sante Fe, New Mexico.  BTI stocks 300 unique brands of bicycle components, parts, accessories, and clothing…over 15,000 items to choose from.  Because of the relationship with the biking industry and myself being a salsa connoisseur, I agreed to write a review.

What better day for chips and salsa than on a Sunday to accompany watching NFL football.  I had an abundance of different salsas in my refrigerator, but no chips.  After a quick run to the grocery store to pick up some Tostitos chips the testing began.

As I poured the salsa into a serving dish I noticed that it was very thick, not necessarily a chunky salsa, but thick.  I prefer salsa to be thick…this enables for easy scooping and distribution on the chip with reduced risk of salsa dripping off of the chip staining a shirt or sofa.  A hint of chile could be smelled while pouring the salsa.  I noticed myself starting to salivate at the feast I was about to partake in.  I prepared myself for the first bite, loading a chip up with a good amount of salsa.  The first bite was very flavorful and the salsa had just enough kick to it, making it pleasant, yet not overpowering.

I am partial to habenero type salsas, but when entertaining for the masses this would make a great salsa for all to enjoy.  Using a rating scale of 1-10 with 10 being the most amazing salsa ever and 1 being V8 juice, I would give Raging Red a 7 and I would recommend it to others.

Truvativ HammerSchmidt: Shifting Into the Future

The concept has been out for years, internal shifting. We have seen it in internal hubs and even on Honda’s prototype downhill bikes. Now Truvativ has stepped into the game and brought internal gearing technology to the mountain bike masses. The Truvativ HammerSchmidt replaces the normal front derailleur with a completely internal drive system.

There are two versions to be available, one for all mountain and one for freeride. Truvativ discovered that the majority of riders in these categories used only two chainrings, so the system offers two selectable gears. It also provides chain retention to eliminate the need for chain guides, and a shifter, which is a near clone of SRAM’s X.0 shifters. That makes one think about the possibility of using it for single speeds/dual speeds.

One of the benefits to the HammerSchmidt is seamless shifting, even while shifting backwards or under load. The compact design also increases the ground clearance substantially, as well as eliminates the potential for bent and broken teeth on chain rings without a bash guard. Furthermore a constant chain line means you can use your full rear gear range with either of your front “chainrings.” No more worrying about cross chaining with the Hammer! For compatibility the HammerSchmidt offers a variety of bottom bracket sizes and crank lengths, but it does require the frame to have ISCG tabs. Adaptors won’t work.

It is a breakthrough in design, and at an expected $700-$800 it seems the adage you get what you pay for holds true. But keep in mind this is the whole package; cranks, bottom bracket, and shifter. Plus you can kiss that wimpy old front derailleur goodbye. One negative to the HammerSchmidt is weight. Compared to similar crank and BB combos the HammerSchmidt runs anywhere from 100-500 grams heavier. Nevertheless an extra pound may be a worthwhile sacrifice for all of the benefits the Hammer offers. In the near future you can bet on seeing this technology become lighter, cheaper, and much more prominent in the MTB world. Watch out cuz’ the Truvativ HammerSchmidt is just the beginning!

Cool Places to Ride in Colorado – Winter Park, Colorado

The first time I rode in Colorado was about 10 years ago in the Winter Park Resort Area. We were renting a cabin for a family re-union and I rented a bike for a week. My older brother, Mike a committed biker, also rented a mountain bike.

Winter Park is just up I70 to Route 40 and up straight over the pass to a piece of Heaven.

What is cool about Winter Park is that in the summer, the main chair lift operates for Mountain Bike Kamikaze’s and you know whom I am talking about; that’s right: “YOU!!” You take this lift straight up the mountain; tie your bike on and then it slows down for you to take it off at the top of the lift. It’s a nominal fee for the day.

Ok have to stop. Did you know that they make these bikes called “Down-Hill” bikes? They aren’t meant to ride for speed; they are meant to RIDE downhill like a maniac….ok ok ok, It helps to have suspension and steel frames. Carbon Bikes tend to crack when abused. Ask the good folks at MTOBikes.com. to help you pick one out.

Ok, so, you take the lift to the top and then it’s all down hill from there. Make sure to have elbow pads, kneepads, and full gloves. Do I have to say a good Helmet? You can get in about 10 rides in one day. Its called downhill “technical” riding by the purists, but I think its just about the most fun you can have mountain biking.

Drawbacks? Well, a few, one is altitude sickness, its easy to dehydrate at 12,000 feet and the symptoms are flu like; stay well hydrated and no beer the day you fly into Denver. The other is that it is damn dangerous; easy to break arms and legs and necks, but the views are spectacular; heaven on earth is in Colorado. Also, your shoulders and hands will feel like you are an arthritic old man after about 5 rides, but man is it fun; take your Camel-backs; water is a requirement.

There is also an attraction at Winter Park called the “Alpine Slide”. It is basically a concrete track that goes down the fall line under the afore-mentioned chair lift. You get a car that has a rubber brake and down you go. There are no safety rails and broken limbs are an every day occurrence. Here’s the link: Winter Park, Colorado Summer Activities - RockiesGuide.com

Ok Winter Park for Mountain Bike Riders is the place to go in the summer. I have a good friend who bought a summer cabin in the area; not for his kids, or for the skiing, but for the Mountain Biking. His bike costs 10 times what mine does…sigh. Check out Winter Park for some of the best Mountain Biking in the world!

Mountain Bike Cable Tension

Many of us have the experience when we are on the trail and are transitioning into the big climb. Your fingers are poised over the shifters ready to rapid fire into the appropriate gear to ascend to the top of the climb. As your momentum starts to decrease your finger fires off a few clicks on the shifter you begin to pedal so the derailleur will shift your chain to your desired cog or gear and BAM! Your chest is thrown into your bars just before your front tire folds over and you are thinking “I hope I can get out of my clipless pedals before my bike hits the ground.” Your derailleur did it again, it missed your desired gear, didn’t shift, your chain came off, or…something else similar. The bottom line is your derailleur let you down. For years I rode under the assumption that if my derailleur was on the fritz then this is a task for a licensed professional and I either toughed it out with a bike shifting poorly or I did the hike a bike out. For all I knew a derailleur is not something that you can fix on the trail like a flat tire. However I was wrong.

When you encounter a shifting problem on the trail a lot of time it has to do with cable tension, which can be a very simple problem to remedy enough to get you back in the saddle to finish the ride. The cable in question is the one that runs from the shifter to the derailleur. On most mountain bikes there is a knob where this cable meets the shifter. This knob is one of the ways that you can fine tune cable tension on your bike. So if you are on the trail and you are having problems with your bike shifting properly simply identify which derailleur is having the problem. Then locate the cable for the corresponding derailleur and turn the knob no more than about 45 degrees. If problem still persists then go another 45 degrees in the same direction. Continue with this until you are able to shift your bike well enough that you can comfortably finish your ride. If the problem gets worse return the knob the original position. Once you are back at the original position turn the knob opposite of the way you originally turned it. I have found this to be a quick fix about 85% of my on the trail shifting problems. This is just a band-aid and if it works, I do strongly encourage you to seek out a professional to tune your bike. This is just some advice that I learned to pick up along the way to share with you to help you out when you are on the trail. Most of us do not ride with our bike mechanic to fix all our problems when they happen.

If this does not work for you another antidote that I have used more than once on the trail is to use an Allen wrench to manually adjust the cable tension at the derailleur. Sometimes I was able to adjust it so it would shift just fine. Most of the time, at least when it was a problem with just my front derailleur, I had to either adjust the tension so I could only use my bottom two sprockets. Occasionally when my cable tension was so bad (because I was too cheap to take it to a shop, I know this is my bad) that my chain was constantly falling off I had to adjust the cable tension at the front derailleur so it would not shift on the front derailleur at all. I was still able to use the rear, but my front derailleur was so out of tune that nothing else could have been done on the trail other than rigging it to stay in the smallest sprocket just to get back to the trailhead. This makes for a frustrating day of riding, do not let your bike get as out of tune as I did, but if you do, which I know some of you will, you will know what to do WHEN not if disaster strikes.

Cable tension is a regular problem with mountain bikes, and you are not alone in the problems with shifting world. It is a problem that plagues both full suspension and hardtails alike. However I have found full suspensions to be more problematic with cable tension than the hardtails. Some of the things that cause cable tension problems are:

1. Riding: mountain bikes take impact and abuse and this causes movable parts to move.
2. Shifting: when you shift your cable moves and pulls your derailleur in one direction or another.
3. Transport: we are all guilty of being too over zealous and throwing our steed into the back of a truck to hurry and get to the trail head as soon as possible and this can push your derailleur into a position that stretches your cable beyond where it is properly functioning.
4. Storage: improperly storing your bike can make components shift and move and cause cable tension to be thrown off.

So take care of your bike and have it serviced by a professional regularly so you can minimize on the trail catastrophes. Because problems don’t occur in the parking lot or just after your ride is over. They happen when you are too committed to return the way you came or right before you get to the good part of the trail.

Trail Tested - 26 vs 29er Single Speed Mountain Bike Comparison - Which is Better?

The post below originally appeared on Steve Zdawcynski’s website, The Steve Z Photography Photo Blog and has been posted with his permission.  Enjoy!

A lot of my singlespeed friends are riding 29ers these days. The idea of wheels that roll over terrain more easily is quite attractive. But what about all that rotating weight? Won’t the bike still be slower and harder to pedal up these tough Colorado climbs? I set out to find out the answers myself with an informal little shootout. In this article I will comparison test two somewhat similar steel hardtail singlespeed bikes. I will outline the component spec on each, describe the course they were tested on, and detail my on trail impressions. Finally, I will give my personal thoughts and conclusions, followed by recommendations on which bike might be the best for you. Keep in mind this is a 26 vs. 29er article, tested in single speed configuration. Why single speeds? Why on earth would you want to climb mountains with only one gear? Lets not get into the why’s, pluses, and minuses of singlespeeding, that is another story entirely! This story is already way too long as it is, so let’s get started!

THE COMPARISON

I drove both bikes up to the Betasso Loop outside of Boulder. I rode each bike over a set loop and timed myself, meanwhile making notes in my head, comparing the bikes over the same terrain on the same day. I wanted to compare the bikes one right after another. It can be hard to compare bikes on different days, as my energies and motivations vary day to day. I did not wear a heart rate monitor. I did not have a power meter. I did not set the bikes up exactly the same way. If you want a totally scientific comparison, check out CyclingNews’ Tech Feature: 26 vs. 29 inch wheels. Unfortunately, that project has been in the works for well over 6 months with no final results published, so I decided to conduct my own. While the CyclingNews comparison is all about science and performance, I want mine to be all about fun and feel. With a little bit of numbers; because getting dropped is no fun at all!

The subjective nature of this test is of course the biggest limiter towards any sort of validity relating to my course times. I just tried my best to go the same speed on both runs. I did not go all out, rather, “comfortably hard”, which is around 80%. Well, except on the Canyon Link, because on a singlespeed that trail is an all out event, but more on that later. I have ten years of heart rate race training experience, as well as a season on a PowerTap under my belt. I’m pretty confident in my ability to monitor output and effort. Plus I’m a bit of a wimp these days; I don’t like to suffer too badly, so I’ll generally ride as fast as I can without really suffering too much. I’ve had enough of the pain cave. I like to smell the flowers a bit more these days. On to the 26 verses 29 inch wheel trail review.

THE BIKES

Bike #1: On-One Inbred 29er Single Speed. This bike to me is kind of like the British Surly: Economical, Image-conscious, bombproof, but not particularly light or high tech. The sliding horizontal dropouts are cool. This bike can be built as either a geared or a singlespeed without derailleur. There is pretty good tire clearance, and a lot of standover. Unfortunately the Rock Shox Lockout knob does hit the frame, thus the piece of rubber stuck on there. This is a common 29er problem. The seatstay tubes and yoke are a cool design, although not a particularly weight efficient one. The bike has Avid Juicy 7 hydraulic disc brakes, a Rock Shox Reba 80mm fork, and XT Hubs laced to WTB Trail 29er rims. Traction is controlled by Maxxis Ignitor 2.1 29er tires. The rest of the parts are reasonably light components. Gearing is a 32×20, which on a 29er is 47.2 gear inches.

Bike #2: Curtlo Single Speed. I bought this bike cheap and used at VeloSwap two years ago. I don’t even know the year or the model. This bike was hand made by a small builder in Washington State. It has True Temper Platinum OX steel tubing, butted and ovalized at the bottom bracket. The S bend seatstays have monster tire clearance, 2.5’s are no problem. I love this bike; it is very smooth and very stiff. It still steers pretty quickly even with the 120mm Fox Talas Fork I have on the front. It has Paul’s Components V-brakes, which are the best V-Brakes that I have ever used. The brakes grab ceramic rim surfaces on my 1st generation Bontrager Race Light wheelset with Chris King Hubs. Ceramic rims make a huge improvement for rim brakes. They are a whole level of performance increase over regular machined surfaces. The front tire is a WTB 2.5 Weirwolf and the rear tire is a WTB 2.4 Motoraptor. The rest of the parts are a small bit lighter than the On-One, but the spec is similar. Gear is a 34×19, which on a 26er is 47.4 gear inches, which is almost identical to the On-One gearing.

Comparing the bike builds: I have a detailed list of all the parts on each bike, and their approximate weight IN A CHART CLICK HERE. The frames are functionally pretty similar. They are both steel hardtails weighing approximately 5-ish pounds. The On-One has a distinct braking advantage with the hydraulic discs. This should not affect the test since there is only one downhill with a lot of braking on this course, and it is not very long. The biggest discrepancy is in the wheelset. The XT/WTB wheels weigh 2400 grams for the pair while the Race Lites are only 1435 grams! Some of this weight is due to the larger size, but most of it has to do with the performance. The Race Lites were $800 retail in their day, have 400g rims, 24/28 DT 15/18 Revolution Spokes, alloy nipples, and top of the line Chris King hubs without discs. The XT/WTB wheels are price point, do-it-all-for-everyone, 32 3 cross 14g spokes with brass nipples, plus disc brake rotors (weight not included above). In order to balance the weight a LITTLE bit, I put my biggest and heaviest 26 inch tires on the Curtlo, the fatty WTBs, along with heavy tubes. The tubes and tires on the Curtlo actually weigh more than the 29er’s, which should balance the inertial drag by a bit. Gearing on both bikes are essentially the same. When all is said and done, the 29er is 26.2 lb and the 26er is 23.3 lb. Exactly two pounds of that weight is in the wheels. Wow. There is also a difference in fork suspension travel. I made the Curtlo’s suspension a little stiffer than normal, to compensate for the 50% increase in travel of the 120mm Fox over the 80 mm Rock Shox.

RIDING THE COURSE

The course consists of 2 distinct parts: The Betasso Loop and the Canyon Link. I know these trails like the back of my hand, so riding order shouldn’t matter from a technical sense. I planned to ride the Loop once, take a split time, then ride down the Link to Boulder Canyon, then back up the climb and stop the clock. The Betasso loop itself is 3 miles long, and is generally rolling, fast, and hardpacked, like a BMX track at times. It is very NORBA race course style, and it is perfect for a singlespeed as none of the climbs are very steep for very long. That changes very quickly when you plunge down the Canyon Link. The Link is straight down, then straight up, maybe a mile each way. This part of the course would be the real test for climbing performance. The lower part of the trail varies from barely rideable to unrideable on a single speed bike. The upper half is steep, but poses no real threat of getting knocked off the bike. Also, the Park Service alternates bike riding direction once a month on the loop. On this day the Loop was ridden clockwise.

26er VERSES 29er ON THE TRAIL

I had been planning this test for a while, but I really have things that I should be doing other than spending my time writing this for fun. But God do I love bikes.

So I woke up Thurs morning, and saw the sunrise peeking in my bedroom window. It was already hot in my room at 5:45. I laid there for a minute, then decided it would be a great day do get up early and beat the encroaching heat. I didn’t find out until that afternoon that it was the Summer Solstice! Cool.

I decided to ride the On-One 29er first. It is only fair that I ride the heavier bike when I am fresher. I headed out on a warm-up lap of the link. Since it was early there was no one was out on the trail yet to get in the way of my blazing speed. Haha.

This was my 4th ride on the On-one, and I’m getting quite used to it. The cornering traction is amazing. Hey maybe it could be the Maxxis Ignitor tires, but I kinda doubt it. It feels to me like the gyroscopic action of the big wheels helps to keep you upright and pointed forward. I can definitely two wheel drift more securely and predictably with the longer contact patch that the 29er wheel offer. The Loop does not have too much in the way of rough terrain. There are a few patches of rocks and roots here or there, but you can blast over most of them without slowing down. The big wheels surely roll over these obstacles smoother. In really rooty terrain such as East Coast riding I’m sure this is even more predominant. I have the wheel moved quite forward in the dropouts, I find that manualling (wheelie-ing) this bike with 17.3 inch chainstays is no problem. Finishing the Loop portion of the course (I actually only did a partial loop before heading down the link); my 29er time was 16:01.

Downhilling is where big wheels get really fun. All that spinning inertia between your legs is confidence inspiring. I feel more secure with the big wheels, like it will take a bigger obstacle to knock me off my line. I rode a prototype Ellsworth Evolve full suspension 29er in Moab back in October. I noticed that on the rock drop offs and ledges that Moab has to offer, that big front wheel made it feel like I could nose dive bigger without feeling like I was going to go over the handlebars. Back to Boulder, I finished the descent without much fuss. Now the work begins, 15 minutes of singlespeed pain, here we go! Summer is here and the trail is drying out quick. The dirt is getting loose and sandy, and rear wheel traction is the difference between cleaning the section and walking. Oh, I should mention that the second pitch is unrideable on a singlespeed; it is just too steep. (Disclaimer: I’ve heard that Travis Brown has cleaned this section on a single. Olympians don’t count!) After a short push up the second pitch, there is another very steep and painful but not technically hard third pitch. Then, a VERY short flat spot, followed by the crux of this climb, a 4 tiered maximum output section that is rocky, loose, and rutted. The rear wheel traction of a 29er is wonderful. I’m able to grind away at 40 rpm and still hook the rear wheel up into the dust. I cleaned the rest of the climb without any real close calls. Make a left at the picnic table, to the top of the next short climb, second split was 19:02, for a total loop time of 35:03.

Now, I’m out on the Betasso Loop on the Curtlo Single Speed mountain bike with 26 inch wheels. I’ve been riding 26 inch wheeled mountain bikes for 16 years. Four rides later and now I feel like I’m on a kids bike! The wheels are just so LITTLE! Into the first high speed corners, whoa, almost lost it trying to drift as fast as the other bike. I felt like I had to take the corners a tiny bit more carefully than I did on the 29er. OK, but the 26er should feel more nimble, more flick-able, a better jumper, right? Yes, it does. A little. But not much. On the rough patches I could feel the wheels packing up in the ruts more than the 29er, but I didn’t feel like I was going any slower. It was just felt a little more choppy. On the short and steep climb that finishes the Loop I could feel the lighter wheels. I could definitely hold a seated position more easily while grinding away at 50rpm. I held the more efficient power position for longer on the 26er, which was fortunate since out of the saddle traction was greatly reduced compared to the other bike. As it was getting later in the morning, I had to slow down twice to pass hikers this time around the Loop. I tried to sprint spin back up to speed to make up for lost time. I finished the loop in 15:47, 14 seconds faster. I’m certain that much of it was gained in the steeper uphill portion where I remained seated. Or maybe I was just riding faster after my previous warm-up laps?

On the upper parts of the Link downhill I felt like I was riding exactly the same speed this second time. Both bikes maneuvered the twisties and the turnies equally. The bottom quarter of the run features steep loose and rocky high speed sections. This bike maybe felt a little twitchier and nervous, but I’ve ridden this trail so many times that I’ve got it pretty down. I DID notice the decreased power of the V-brakes, and these Paul V’s with ceramic pads are the best V’s that I’ve ever used. I was getting noticeable forearm pump on the descent which I did not encounter at all on the previous run. So I may have lost a little bit of time on this bike, but I doubt that it was more than a handful of seconds.

Turning around to come up the link, I realized that the first Link run took more out of me than I wanted. I’m not quite fit enough to maintain maximum anaerobic efforts with repeatability. On the first pitch I could feel the lactic acid built up in my quads. Oh crap, the rear tire is spinning out, A LOT! I dismounted for the hike a little earlier than I did last run to try and save my legs a little bit. On the 3rd steep pitch I was glad that I had wheels that were two pounds lighter because I needed to stay seated to keep that rear wheel hooked up. On the small recovery spot I started having nightmares about the lactic acid that was going to pack through my body over the crux. And what if I don’t clean it? That will throw off my times! Well, my lapse of mental focus bit me in the ass, and I missed the very first small root and rock section for the first time in a couple years. I had grown used to those big wheels rolling over the section smoothly and forgot to slam the pedals as hard as I could. I lost maybe 7 seconds and remounted. 20 seconds later while grinding up the hardest part of the section I accidentally pulled my worn right cleat out of the pedal and had to dismount a second time. Bummer. This bike is definitely more difficult to clean these maximum traction technical sections. Once I regained my composure on the more moderately graded upper half I felt like I was going a little faster on the lighter bike. Maybe it was mental. Maybe I just thought I was going faster because the light wheels are supposed to be faster. I can’t say for certain, but once traction was no longer a concern, it just seemed easier to keep the pedals turning over while staying in the saddle. Final time for this split was 18:53. So even with 2 dismounts I was still 9 seconds faster. Total time was 34:40 which was 23 second faster than on the 29er.

THOUGHTS AND CONCLUSIONS

It doesn’t surprise me that my times were very close to being the same. 23 seconds variation over 35 minutes is a difference of only 1%. Since I only had one gear it makes sense that I rode roughly the same speed! What I wanted to find out is which bike made that 35 minutes more enjoyable.

Riding around the loop, the 29er had superior cornering capability due to a larger contact patch. The larger wheels lessen the angle of attack that the wheels hit obstacles on the trail, thereby rolling over them with less jarring. On this loop I was not bothered by the longer wheelbase. There is only one real switchback on this trail, and this bike negotiated it without problems.

On the steep downhill, the larger wheels are confidence inspiring. The bigger bike feels more stable at high speeds. Flicking small kicked out tabletop jumps off of waterbars may have been a little easier on the 26er, but not much. On previous trails I have noticed an increased level of confidence on drop offs with the bigger wheels.

Steep and technical climbs on the limit of singlespeedability (Yay, new word!) are where the big wheels really shine. Cleaning the Canyon Link was undoubtedly easier on the 29er, despite a 3 pound weight penalty.

So far I’ve been mostly promoting all these benefits of the 29er. I’ve listed; a less jarring ride, better cornering, stability at speed, increased rough terrain performance, and better standing climbing traction. Yet, it was still slower. When you look at the stopwatch, when it comes down to steep high altitude climbing, VO2 Max is King, and light makes right. This is why I want to get a custom 29er wheelset that is very light, so I can have the best of both worlds.

WHICH BIKE IS RIGHT FOR YOU?

Well how tall ARE you anyway? Not in Internet Inches, like, I mean for real. I am 5 foot 11, so the big wheels fit under me quite nicely. I would imagine that the threshold for 29er sizing is around 5 foot 7. At that point toe overlap with the front wheel begins to become a concern, and the frame head tube angle needs to be slackened to increase front center distance, all of which are all trade offs that lead to a less nimble bike in the singletrack. This is a *rough* guideline for around the point where size becomes a consideration. Can you be shorter and ride one? Sure! But it *may* not give you the best performance possible. Conversely, if you are a gi-normous 6 foot 2 or above type, well, don’t even think about it. Airplane seats were not made for you and neither were 26 inch mountain bikes. That said, flame away.

Secondly, where do you live? If you live in flatter to rolling terrain then go for the 29er! The rougher the trails the more you are going to like one. If your terrain finds you keeping more of a constant speed on average then you are not going to be spending a lot of energy spinning big wheels up to speed. In fact, that inertia that you put into the wheels is going to help you maintain that speed when you encounter something that is going to try and slow you down. On the other hand, if you spend a lot of time on long climbs, then maybe you would be better off with the lightest option that you can find. And that is going to be the smaller wheeled bike.

Thirdly, what is important to you? Are you a go fast at all cost racer? Do you just ride trails for fun with no other agenda? Do you like cleaning climbs on a singlespeed while geared full suspension guys walk? Do you have every part of your bike weighed and calculated in a spreadsheet? If you are a racer, you still might go faster on a 26er depending on your racing discipline and location,. But then again, maybe not. 29ers make a lot of sense to me for endurance racing, where the race is more about conserving energy and maintaining a high average speed than it is reacting explosively and powerfully. And that is what big wheels are good at.

After 16 years of riding wheels of one size, to try something new is just fun, plain and simple. Feeling a bike that rides differently is fresh, interesting, and exciting. Additionally, I find that riding a 29er makes me feel more of a man. Ooooh, Big Wheels (insert Tool Time Man Grunt). Does this mean it can also make a female feel more like a woman? I guess all you 29er riding ladies will have to blog us and let us know. There is one thing that do know for certain. Last week I went up to Nederland and did my first highly technical ride of the year (too much photo and computer time . . .). I was on the 29er and I cleaned a section up there for the first time of my life, on my first attempt of the year. I was on a 29er; was it coincidence?

Shimano Yumeya: Discover Kabuki Beauty. Be Enlightened. 夢のワークショップ

夢のワークショップ

Journey to a sacred land where Kabuki Beauty rules. It is a place of forgotten relics and the home of Shimano Yumeya. Yumeya is Japanese for “dream workshop.” It is the thoughts and dreams of cyclists; the desire for lighter, more exclusive products. For the elite who are not satisfied with XTR, Yumeya is the final touch, the ultimate in performance. It is comprised of several aftermarket upgrade parts, finished in gold and white for flash factor. It also offers slight weight savings and a couple other benefits.

Rumors have existed for a while now, yet there has still been much mystery surrounding Yumeya. Yumeya was first introduced into Shimano’s fishing world, to add performance and extra flash to their high-end reels. Recently it has surfaced at Eurobike and Interbike and despite mixed thoughts, it looks freakin’ cool.

Yumeya will grant you wings of the dragon with a total weight savings of 71.2 grams. Some of the parts offer no weight savings, just extra wow factor; but Yumeya has a few other advantages over the standard XTR. The Titanium bolt upgrade features molybdenum coating to prevent seizing which is never a bad thing. The new Yumeya chain boasts more durability and resistance to chain stretch, as well as better oil retention. Lastly Kabuki Beauty brings purity to hydraulic brake hoses giving the world a 35% increase in rigidity. Altogether it is nothing very substantial as far as performance goes, but it is a cool upgrade to brag to your buddies about. Granted Yumeya is certain to have a steep price tag. It is not for the general masses, but the elite who seek to spread Kabuki Beauty to the world.

The total Yumeya parts line-up is as follows:

• Carbon Rear Derailleur Plate
• Disk Brake Lever Lid
• Shift Lever Bracket Band
• Greased Outer Casing (Cable Housing)
• Titanium Bolts
• HG Chain
• Outer Adjust Plate for Shifters (Barrel Adjusters)
• Rear Derailleur Jockey Pulleys (They’re White!!)
• Fixing Bolt for Left Crank Arm
• Cassette Sprockets
• Brake Hose

Take a journey into the land of Kabuki Beauty and discover Yumeya for yourself: Be enlightened. Just remember patience is a virtue in the quest for Yumeya.

平和

Fox Clothing - What Are You Wearing?

I remember when I first started riding, I’d throw on a T-shirt, a pair of basketball shorts and some running shoes and take off down the trail. Things are quite a bit different now; what once was a struggle down the easy trail has turned into all day epic adventures. I’ve bought new bikes, new gear, and new clothing to match my growing skills. If you find yourself moving into the next level, taking on that climb you used to think was impossible, or blazing through bone breaking descents, maybe it’s time for a clothing upgrade. Well I’ve got the perfect prescription for that diagnosis… FOX!

Almost everybody knows Fox racing from the dirt bike world, but many do not know what they offer for mountain bikers. Fox has taken their vast knowledge and finely tuned technology and applied it to us. I’m not here to talk about all of the details because that would be a very long article. Their product selection is huge! I’ll spell out the main points for you.

Fox gloves are some of the best mountain bike gloves on the planet! They offer full-finger, half-finger and modified finger styles (with a full thumb) depending on your preference. The product line ranges from the ultimate in simplicity, the $20 Fox Incline with a simple breathable mesh back and reinforced palm, to the $35 Sidewinder with multiple reinforcements all around, special ventilation inserts, and the ultimate in comfort. Their gloves are tough and built to take spills. Reinforcements protect your hands from blisters while your riding and serve as armor when you crash. If you aren’t riding with a pair of Fox gloves yet, buy yourself a pair already!

The Cotton T-shirt is great for casual rides, but if you are getting serious treat yourself to something better. Fox jerseys range from racing style with intense graphics and wide pored fabric, for unparalleled breatheability, to simple designs and color schemes for the more down to Earth rider. They come in long sleeve, no sleeve and short sleeve. If you have never worn a biking jersey the benefit is huge. With Fox each model is different, but they all offer moisture wicking to get the sweat off of you and keep you cool. Certain models have mesh sides and arm pits for improved breatheability. With models starting at 30 bucks you won’t have to save up to buy one.

A lot of mountain bikers still have not discovered the joys of padded shorts. Usually when you think of padded shorts the first thing that pops into your head is diapers and roadies with spandex (no offense to the roadies out there). Padded shorts can dramatically change your mountain biking experience. If you find yourself with a hurtin’ derrière after a ride, it’s time to think about picking up a good pair of padded shorts. Surprise! Fox has you covered there too. They offer a wide range of shorts with different levels of padding, breatheability and design. Shorts like the $120 Attacks have a finely contoured chamois (pad), a bullet proof exterior, plenty of cargo space, and strategically placed mesh vents for the ultimate breatheability. If you don’t feel like spending that much, 50 greenbacks will get you a pair of Fox base shorts which offer all of the same features of the high-end shorts, just not as finely tuned.

Fox also sells outwear, socks, helmets, hydration packs, guards, seat bags, eyewear, shoes, and of course their legendary shocks and forks. They also have specific gear lines for Women, BMX and Motocross (could of guessed that one). Get to your local bike shop or favorite web retailer and pick up some new Fox gear today. You won’t be disappointed!

P.S. The Fox store often has amazing deals on older models and limited sizes.

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