Strong Attendance on Day One at North American Handmade Bicycle Show

INDIANAPOLIS — Some 1700 tickets were sold for Day One of the North American Handmade Bicycle Show (NAHBS) at Indianapolis, Friday 27th February.  This figure is a new record crowd for Friday.

View images of fixed gear bikes from the show below.

Dakine AMP 12L Hydration Pack Review

The 2009 Dakine AMP pack gets a makeover including the all new reservoir making it a great backpack for mountain biking.  DaKine makes a huge improvement by teaming up with HydraPak to include HydraPak’s Reversible Reservoir II Hydration System with the 12L Amp.  The addition of the new reservoir automatically increases the stock value of this unit.  If you are unfamiliar with this hydration system, read our review of it…hands down, one of the best bladders on the market!

In addition to the Reversible Reservoir II Hydration System, the pack comes complete with XC helmet carry straps (works using helmet’s chin straps), quick access mesh pockets, fleece sunglass pocket, tube/pump sleeves and a molded back panel with air channel ventilation.  Although we didn’t use the helmet carry straps in our testing, we really loved the numerous zippered pockets included the fleece lined sunglass pocket, tube/pump sleeves and padded MP3 player pocket were a huge plus.  Commuters and night riders will appreciate having a small loop located at the bottom of the front of the bag specifically designed for a reflector or flashing light.

The pack uses a light weight nylon material and integrates a breathable mesh material on the shoulder and removable waist strap as well as on the back panel.  We found that the tube sleeve was large enough to fit up to two tubes which we thought was a nice feature for long epic rides over challenging terrain. We used the large tube sleeve to our advantage for stuffing our multi-tool and CO2 cartridges in with 1-2 tubes.

The padded MP3 player pocket is well situated inside the large compartment of the pack and shares the same opening as the reservoirs tube for the headphones leading to an elastic strap on the should strap opposite the shoulder strap with the reservoir tube.  This was a very noticeable feature compared to other packs that fail to include either a designated pocket for an MP3 player or those that don’t take into account the headphones of such devices and leaving them unsecured.  Read more

HydraPak Reversible Reservoir II Hydration System Review

If you are familiar with the traditional hydration reservoir like the bladder found inside of a CamelBak you are well aware of one major problem, the inability to easily clean the bladder.  After a ride a year ago or so I said the following to my girlfriend, “it’d be great if there was a bladder that sealed like a Ziploc so it’d be easier to clean.”  My thought was that if the opening at the top was larger it would be easy to clean the inside of the unit without using the “hanger” or “freezer” method and eliminate the need for something like the ZeroGoo unit that we previously reviewed.

HydraPak took my simple idea and made it far better with their Reversible Reservoir II Hydration System.  We first became acquainted with this reservoir hydration system when we tested the Dakine AMP backpack, however the reservoir was first introduced in 2008.  We quickly stopped using any other reservoir we had on hand.

The Reversible Reservoir II Hydration System features a 36″ Drink Tube, 90deg. Bite Valve, Quickdraw Tube Attachment, Plug-N-Play Connector, and Straight Bite Valve Base.

We loved everything about the HydraPak Reversible Reservoir II Hydration System

The reservoir itself is ingenious.  The opening of the reservoir folds over itself and is secured in place by the easy on, easy off, Slide Seal, a sliding  plastic clip which slides across the top of the reservoir.  Think of the bladder as a Ziploc bag that gets folded over itself and then you slide the white little plastic piece across the top…it is very similar.  When it is time to clean the bladder you simply slide the plastic clip off, unfold the reservoir, reach inside and turn it inside out.  Amazing!  Read more

Brent Thomson – R.I.P.

Industry Legend Leaves – PayPal Donations Still Needed

Las Vegas, NV – February 18, 2009 - -  Brent Thomson, Mountain Bike Industry Legend and Trail Master of Bootleg Canyon (trail used for the Interbike Dirt Demo) has lost his battle with complications from the Quadruple Bypass surgery he underwent in January.

While surgery went well and Brent was coherent and talking after recovery, a series of post-operative strokes took him back to the Intensive Care Unit where he eventually succumbed to complications from the surgery.

Brent’s son Barret was at his side with relatives as his condition worsened. “Brent appreciated and was aware of all of the love and support that the mountain bike industry has shown through this difficult time” said Barret. “There’s been an outpouring of emotion and support from all of his friends and the industry, and we’re making plans for a memorial event to be held at Bootleg Canyon over St. Patrick’s Day Weekend (March 14-15.)”  Read more

Last Day to Support Bikes in National Parks

Action Alert – Deadline for official comments is Feb. 17.

For Immediate Release
02-12-09
Contact: Drew Vankat, Policy Analyst
drew@imba.com
303-545-9011

Ask all of your riding friends to take action and support improved mountain biking opportunities in U.S. national parks. We’re down to the final week for public comments — this is your last chance! Please forward this alert to everyone who rides; we need their support to create better trail experiences in America’s most treasured parks.

Take Action!

IMBA’s online form makes it easy to send your letter to the National Park Service (NPS).

This important rule change will let individual parks — using established processes for public comment and environmental review — decide whether to expand mountain biking on dirt trails. This is a monumental change that benefits mountain bikers in several ways:

More Great Riding Near You

NPS properties can be found in rural, suburban and urban areas throughout the country. With 391 park units, there are NPS lands you may not even know about.

Increased Park Visitation Fosters Environmental Stewardship

As a “gateway sport,” bicycling attracts new people to outdoor recreation in national parks and provides them an ideal way to appreciate the natural world.

Bicycling Will Gain Momentum

With the NPS rule change official, trail users, land managers and public officials will receive a strong message that bicycling is a positive form of outdoor recreation. Picture the impact this will have on state and regional parks, as well as future environmental planning and recreation across the country.

Want to learn more about the proposed rule change? See our comprehensive analysis, including NPS issues mountain biking can alleviate.

IMBA has been asking for this change since 1993. The time is upon us and we need you to support the NPS in their efforts to improve mountain bike access in our national parks.

By joining IMBA you demonstrate your support of national parks and bicycling.

The advances this decision will make for the parks, environment and your riding lifestyle are truly remarkable. But the clock is ticking – we urge you to become a member today. If you care about mountain biking and national parks, you belong with us.

Roll Faster

I typically run Kenda Nevegal tires because of their strong gripping characteristics ideal for tight switch backs.  I ride in terrain that varies quite a bit so these are my “all-purpose” tires.  When rolling through mud the Nevegals maintain their traction and gripping abilities while also cleaning themselves out quickly through puddles or dry terrain.  With any tire with an aggressive and bold tread comes rolling resistance.

When terrain was dry and hard I felt the tread pattern was actually holding me back and slowing me down, yet they still provided the sense of security when cornering.  I wanted to be able to decrease the rolling resistence without sacrificing much traction.  My mission was clear…I contacted Kenda.

The Solution

I connected with Jim at Kenda and he and I hashed out some ideas.  We decided it’d make sense to run a Nevegal in the front and a Small Block 8 tire in the rear.

The Outcome

After a few rides utilizing the Small Block 8 I’m able to provide some good feedback.  Running a Nevegal in the front helped stabilize steering and maintained the integrity when cornering as it paved the way for the Small Block 8′s that seemed to want to go faster and faster.  It did indeed enable me to roll faster.  Read more

Polar RS800CX BIKE in for Review

If you follow us on Twitter or belong to the our Facebook group, you were probably already aware of the Polar RS800CX BIKE that we received for review.

Finland-based Polar Electro is one of the very few companies giving Garmin some competition in the category of GPS devices for mountain bike enthusiasts.  The new RS800CX BIKE sports wrist watch is the do-all personal trainer from Polar.  Polar strives to help people get fit and improve their physical performance.  The RS800CX BIKE is their top of the line training system specifically for cyclists.

What does Polar have to say about the RS800CX BIKE?

From PolarUSA.com

Get the most out of your performance with the RS800CX. With its professional training software you can effectively plan and analyze every detail of your ride. See your route profile and total meters climbed with the altitude, ascent and descent features, as well as uphill or downhill steepness in percentages and grades to help you to track your efficiency effort while training.

• Comes with the wireless CS speed sensor™ W.I.N.D. for interference-free cycling data
• Synchronizes with the Polar ProTrainer 5™ software for guidance, analysis and creating individual training settings
• Determines if your training program and recovery time are optimally developing your performance
• Measures incline and adjusts your efforts accordingly

We will be testing the RS800CX BIKE with the following accessories: G3 GPS sensor W.I.N.D., CS cadence sensor™ W.I.N.D., and the Universal Bike Mount

Have you used a product from Polar?  Do you currently use a similar device?  We’d love to hear from you, please respond in the comments section below.

True Beauty Comes From Within

One of my most favorite people to converse with online is Keith Scott who is the design engineer for Banshee Bikes.  Keith is a wealth of knowledge and has helped me understand the design and mechanics that go into mountain bikes.  From time to time (when he finds time) he will be contributing articles to this site.

Today I asked Keith to explain Banshee Bike’s internal ribbing design for their seat and chainstays.  To my knowledge (and Keith’s) Banshee Bikes is the only bike manufacturer using an internal rib.  So what is it?

Internal ribbing makes the rear end of Banshee Bikes very laterally stiff meaning all your pedal power goes to the wheel rather than frame flex.  Frame flex is something that most riders overlook.  They think a lighter bike will always accelerate faster.  However, a heavier and stiffer bike is much more likely to beat a lighter one off the line.  Frame flex is probably equally as important as suspension design because it accounts for a lot of the efficiency when pedaling.

The process used to manufacture internal ribbing on bikes is cold form extrusion. Cold form extrusion is a process in which the material is drawn and pressed through a die which creates the shape by aligning the material.  The nice thing about extruded tubes is that the grain structure of the metal is all aligned in the process which makes the material stronger than it was before extrusion.  Similar to how forged parts are stronger than CNC machined parts for the same weight.

The rib not only increases the second moment of area and structural rigidity of the tubes, but it also makes the bikes much more quiet.  You’ve probably ridden a big hollow monocoque frame and have noticed the really loud and hollow sound made from chain lap or objects clashing agains the metal surface…with internal ribbing this noise is significantly reduced.  Not that noise when riding is really important…  Read more

IceToolz Xpert “Click” Torque Wrench Review

A torque wrench is a tool used to precisely measure the amount of force applied to a threaded connection. It is usually in the form of a socket wrench with special internal mechanisms. A torque wrench is used where the tightness of screws and bolts is crucial. It allows the operator to measure the torque (rotational force) applied to the bolt so it can be matched to the specifications. This permits proper tension and loading of all parts.

A good torque wrench is an essential tool for even the most basic mountain bike maintenance and repair. It’s important to ensure that all of the fasteners on a mountain bike are tightened to specifications for reasons of safety and to maintain its original design integrity.

The lightweight alloys used in mountain bikes make it very easy to over-tighten and strip a screw or bolt. Don’t guess! Know the correct torque settings for every screw and bolt and use a torque wrench.

The IceToolz Xpert “Click” Torque Wrench kit comes in a fitted case a contains bits of Hex, Pozi, Phillip, Slot, and Torx…32 bits in all, and a 1/4″ adaptor.

We recently used the IceToolz Xpert “Click” Torque Wrench when Installing the cleats of my Shimano SPDs on my new SixSixOne Flight cycling shoes.  For instance, Shimano recommends a tightening torque of 5-6 Newton Meters (N-m) {43 – 52 in. lbs.}.  Read more

Rays Indoor Mountain Bike Park Time Trials

Rays Indoor Mountain Bike Park in Cleveland Ohio held the “first in the world” indoor XC mountain bike time trials. The informative video below will give you an idea about how the day turned out.

Ray’s Mountain Bike Park Indoor Time Trials – Click here for this week’s top video clips

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