Fort Rock Exeter, New Hampshire – Mountain Bike Trail Review

Brief:

Bring you’re A-game, no ifs, ands or buts. This is advanced intermediate – expert riding only. When you roll out to Exeter, you’re going to experience first hand all that stuff they taught you in grade school such as: Why is New Hampshire called the granite state? Why are there so many rock walls in the forests in New England? Can we ride on top of them? And you’ll understand why farmers fled New England for the great frontier known as the Midwest for farming – because they weren’t mountain bikers. Let Iowa grow the corn, and leave us with the most mouth-watering, technical, flowing singletrack completely enshrouded in dense New Hampshire old-growth forest. This trail system is at least 14 miles of flowing singletrack up, over, around, through and screaming down some highly technical rock gardens, some flowing dirt track, and features natural rock drops ranging from 2’ to 4’+, amazing man-made free ride obstacles (gapped ramps, planks…) sponsored by local riders and NEMBA – www.nemba.org and www.snemba.org , some dirt jumps with step-ups… (Side note: we still farm here in New Hampshire, and Exeter is home to fantastic local seacoast farms, apple orchards, pumpkin patches, and cornfields, so bring the family, let them do the apple picking/petting zoo dance, and get your ass to the rodeo at Fort Rock.)

Getting There:

From Route 101, take Exit 10 to Rte 85 south, park at the trestle parking lot, about .25 – .5 mile south from the exit – when you see the giant granite trestle, turn right up the hill. Begin your ride by heading up the dirt road past the auto entrance that is blocked off to autos. Continue up the hill a couple hundred yards, and prepare to duck in to either the first or second trail head on the right. It doesn’t matter because you’ll end up riding a loop that is equally fun both ways, and I think it’s best if you discover the loops on the South side both ways to see the drops and down hills available to you. One thing becomes apparent within seconds: this trail network is going to make you work. There are long sections of large stones and boulders on the entrance to the trails, requiring you to muscle through and around the rocks. You’ll hit a little of everything on this side of the network. As you push through the trails – and consult the trail map at www.snemba.org , you’ll find that you can cross under Route 101 and into another section of trails. This section, the North Side offers more of the same, and really helps stretch out the ride. Read more

Klondike Bluffs Mountain Bike Trail Review

In the wake of the extremely large shadows that both the Porcupine Rim Trail, Poison Spider, and the Slick Rock Trail (of course), the Klondike Bluffs Trail is often missed on a Moab trip. This is unfortunate, I have been going to Moab for 4 or 5 years now and this is honestly one of my favorite trails that I have ever ridden. What I think is the coolest thing about this trail is that about anyone can ride it. You do have to be in shape, it is a pretty long climb, but it is not super technical and scary for someone who is new to biking. Riding on slick rock (the substance not the trail) is one of the most interesting things I have ever done on a bike. When you climb it almost feels like asphalt, your tires grip and don’t spin out. What is nice is you can do a climb with much less energy than climbing on dirt. Klondike Bluffs I would say is at least 90% slick rock.

How to get to Klondike Bluffs is head north out of Moab, pass Arches National Park and there will be a sign on the east side of the highway about 15 miles out of town. There is a parking lot right there, but do yourself a favor and drive in on the dirt road. This road is not fun, it is mostly gravel and sand. Eventually you will come to another parking lot, this is the spot to park. The trail head is right there you can’t miss it. There are actually two trail shortly after the start, look for the higher one that is the one you want to take, you will bypass a HUGE sand trap by doing so. Once the trails merge there will be a small sand trap that you can navigate through. One of the best parts of the ride is to sit there and watch people ride through the sand and eat it. I was following my wife and she didn’t carry her momentum into the sand well, and she was still getting used to the clipless pedals, when she hit the sand it stopped her flat, paused her straight up, then just fell straight over on her side. I will probably be sleeping on the couch for the next two weeks for this, but once I realized she was okay, I laughed so hard that I almost did the same thing. So be sure to stop by the sand trap to get a few laughs.  Read more

The San Juan and Candy Store Mountain Bike Trail

It’s amazing the things that were around me, that I never realized were there, that is until the whole mountain biking bug got me.

The San Juan Trail, and the Candy Store Trail are just about 35 minutes from my house, and I never even knew they existed 3 months ago. But they have become two of my favorite trails. Now I am not a hard core XC rider, that said, we shuttle these two trails, they do have some pedaling mixed in with the downhill and it’s a pretty good workout (for me). Usually we go in a group and park one car at the bottom to bring the driver of the other car back to the top to get his truck. You need a forest Adventure pass to park there; the rangers do patrol the area periodically to check for them. A year pass is only 35 bucks, well worth it.

I ride with my 2 sons mostly and some of their friends, yeah, I know, my two sons! Yep, well I am 50, and have been doing the 2 wheel thing since I was old enough to push a pedal or twist a throttle. My 2 rides on the San Juan Trail, and 2 on the Candy Store section, have been in the best conditions, winter, cool temperature and 3 of the rides were after rain or during, making the sandstone like trails the perfect texture for some great riding.

This is single track riding, mostly between bushes and manzanita. That Manzanita will rip you right off your bike, shred your jersey, poke your arm, maybe draw a little blood, and then not even look like you touched it. There are some awesome switchbacks, fast narrow sections and some sections that weave under a canopy of trees, it is almost too beautiful of a scene to just bomb past.  Read more

Trek and Gary Fisher Demo Day at Big Creek Mountain Bike Trail in Roswell Georgia

Are you shopping for a new mountain bike or road bike or just interested in testing the latest and greatest bikes from Trek and Gary Fisher?  Weather permitting, here is a list of models/sizes that will be available to ride at the bike demo Sunday, January 4th, 10am – 4 pm at Big Creek mountain bike trail in Roswell, Georgia.

Road Bikes

Madone 5.5 Performance Fit 50,52,54×2, 56×2, 58×2, 60,62)
Madone 6.9 Pro Fit (54, 56)

Mountain Bikes

Trek EX 9.9 (15.5, 17.5, 18.5, 19.5, 21)
Trek Remedy 9 (small, med , large)
Trek 69er SS (15.5, 19.5)

Fisher Roscoe (med and 2 Large)
Fisher Pro Caliber (17, 19)
Fisher SuperFly (15.5,17.5, 19, 21)
Fisher HiFi Pro 29er (16, 19, 21)
Fisher HiFi Pro 26in Wheel (15.5,17.5, 19)

Trek Top Fuel 9.8 (17.5,18.5, 19.5)
Trek Top Fuel 9.9 (21.5)

Please Bring…

1) Helmet
2) shoes/pedals
3) photo ID

Are You “Over Skilled”?

I would have to say that 90% of the MTB riders and racers that I have met would be defined as “over skilled”. It sounds absurd since most feel that some aspect of their riding needs work, be it skill related such as gate starts or fitness related such as better power endurance (I define MTB specific fitness as a “skill”). However, when you really understand how the human body functions and best adapts to MTB specific skills and fitness you will see what I mean. First, though, I need to explain the OPP.

The Optimum Performance Pyramid (OPP) was first introduced to me by Gray Cook, a highly influential figure in strength training circles. It is probably the best explanation that I have come across describing how performance training should be viewed. Gray uses the OPP to explain the 3 distinct levels of performance training, their prioritization and how to best integrate them.

The first, and broadest, level is Functional Movement. Contrary to the current fitness trends, this does not mean standing on a wobbly doo-hicky, looking like you are trying out for the circus. Functional Movement simply refers to developing adequate mobility, body control and movement awareness in order to safely handle higher level movements.

Examples of exercises in this level would include single leg box squats, pistol squats, Bulgarian split squats, single leg deadlift, push ups and their variations, inverted rows and alternating DB shoulder press. Bodyweight and unilateral exercises make up the bulk of this type of training. However, bodyweight exercises are extremely humbling when challenging variations are used. Do not underestimate the power of this type of training.

The Functional Movement level should also address any imbalances in the body, both mobility and strength wise, as they are a huge red flag for a potential injury. An athlete without a strong base built in this level of training will be far more prone to injuries, have a harder time mastering new skills and techniques and generally find that their training efforts yield few and inconsistent results.

The second level of the pyramid is Functional Strength. This level focuses on improving your raw strength and power. As I have touched on many times, increasing these areas will effectively add to your raw potential. Riders without adequate time spent on this level will also find that they have a harder time mastering new skills and will probably feel as if they have hit a plateau with their progression.

Examples of exercises in this level would include deadlift, front squat, bench press, military press, weighted pull ups/ chin ups, and DB rows. Compound, core exercises for the main movement patterns make up the bulk of this level.

The last, and smallest, level is Functional Skill. Unfortunately, this is where most training that MTB riders undertake would fall. This includes trail riding, DH runs, dirt jumping, 4X track time, gate starts, sprints, intervals and high level strength training methods such as plyometrics and Olympic Lifts. These methods will only yield the biggest “MTB specific” gains if they are used by someone who has spent time developing the base levels of the performance training pyramid. Believe it or not, over use of training methods in this level can actually slow down and stagnate skill development and fitness progression.  Read more

Early Bird Registration Opens for the National Bike Summit, March 10-12

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The below was an email received on December 18, 2008 from IMBA
For Immediate Release
12-18-08
Contact: Drew Vankat, Policy Analyst
303-545-9011
drew@imba.com

Join IMBA and an expected 600 bicycle advocates at the 2009 National Bike Summit, March 10-12, in Washington, D.C. Hosted by the League of American Bicyclists, the Summit provides a unique opportunity for mountain bikers to interact with cyclists of all stripes, attend diverse informational sessions and lobby the halls of Congress. IMBA supporters who attend receive discounted registration, a private banquet dinner and tons of great swag.

An Extremely Important Year for the National Bike Summit

The sweeping administrative and congressional changes in D.C. make 2009 an extremely important year. “With so many new members of congress, it’s more important than ever to show them the human face of mountain biking and introduce yourself to their staff and your issues,” says IMBA Government Affairs Director Jenn Dice. “Mountain bikers have a golden opportunity to protect more land, influence public lands bills, increase funding for trails and lay the foundation for productive working relationships.”

Attendees will be treated to presentations and panel discussions on many important topics. IMBA is currently finalizing an exceptional line-up of speakers and sessions to cover the following topics: urban trails and jump parks, integrating trails and neighborhoods, small-group land protection training, funding for the National Park Service and integrating singletrack into the Bicycle Friendly Community program.

Sign up online to attend the National Bike Summit. Early bird registration is now open and available through Feb. 5.

Bolster Your Trails by Attending the National Bike Summit

The Summit is the perfect way to build a relationship with your member of congress. U.S. representatives and senators can be very powerful allies when the time comes to develop singletrack destinations. Just ask the Minnesota Off-Road Cyclists (MORC), who garnered $800,000 for new singletrack north of Minneapolis. “Your congressional office can help you find the right way to go after money for trails. The funding opportunities are there, but you have to go out and get it,” says MORC’s Tim Wegner.

Mike Dulin, of the Kentucky Mountain Biking Association, says, “Last year’s Summit was amazing. The combined knowledge of so many fellow cycling advocates is truly inspiring and the meetings on Capitol Hill are a fantastic way to get the ball rolling on new trails projects.”

Advocates looking to influence public lands protection also benefit from coming to D.C. “We’ve sent Virginians to the National Bike Summit the past few years and it’s undoubtedly helped us become better advocates for mountain biking and protected landscapes in the Jefferson and George Washington national forests,” says IMBA Trail Solutions Director Rich Edwards.

Resources to Get the Most Out of the National Bike Summit

IMBA pulls out the stops to make sure mountain bikers make the most of this event. Attendees are encouraged to register early so they can join pre-Summit conference calls and take advantage of IMBA’s online resources for comprehensive guidance on a variety of topics, including how to raise money to attend and finding lodging options. Limited scholarship money is available to help offset costs.

If you’re serious about taking your local singletrack to the next level, make sure the National Bike Summit is on your schedule.

Entry-Level Hardtail Shootout

Choosing your first bike can be tough. There are a lot of options out there and everybody has a different opinion about what is best. First let’s clear some things up: For the most part the name is the frame, that’s it. Almost all, if not all of the other components on a bike are made by another company that makes the same components for the other bike manufacturer. A lot of people get stuck on a name and think that a certain bike name means quality, but the real key is to try to get the best components for the buck. If you don’t know much about bikes this can be tough but I’m here to help. Here is a quick guide to few different hardtail bikes out there. The full-suspension shootout is coming soon. If you aren’t sure what you want check out the Hardtail vs. Full-Suspension article on MTOBikes.

2008 GT Avalanche 2.0 MSRP $629

Good value. Triple triangle frame is very tough but a little bit on the heavy side. This one is great for more aggressive or heavier riders.

GT Avalanche 2.0 Product Page

2009 Trek 4500 MSRP $689

This is a great entry-level cross-country bike. It is light compared to others in it’s class but not built for anything overly aggressive. Perfect for fast singletrack.

Trek 4500 Product Page

2009 Specialized Rockhopper Comp Disc MSRP $770

Usually I find Specialized to be overpriced, but this model is a pretty good value. It costs a bit more than the competition, but you get paid back with some better components. This will definitely outlast the competition by a bit. If you want a solid all-around performer with a longer life, this is it.

Specialized Rockhopper Comp Disc Product Page

2009 Mongoose Tyax Super MSRP $649

Not a bad combo. Uses a lot of off brand components like Promax and SR Suntour which means a decrease in quality but for $649 you get a decent hardtail with hydraulic disc brakes (they make a world of difference) and a remote lockout for your front fork (cool feature for riding on hardpack or streets).

Mongoose Tyax Super Product Page

2009 Kona Blast MSRP $699

Solid setup overall. Not much else to say.

Kona Blast Product Page

2009 Gary Fisher Wahoo Disc MSRP $659

I’m very impressed with this setup. Solid drive train including, nice mechanical disc brakes, and a decent wheelset. If you are looking for the best bang for your buck this is it!

Gary Fisher Wahoo Disc Product Page

Buying tips

Avoid buying online or used, I’m not saying don’t consider it, but be very wary.  Check out our MTOBikes article on buying used bikes for more details.

Look for last years models in bike shops, you can often get a great deal.

Ride before you buy. Different manufacturers use slightly different geometries and sometimes this is the most accurate measure of a good bike. Think of it this way are you buying a bike or are you buying fitness, a new hobby, thrill, etc.?

You will need a lot more than just a bike, plan a hundred or more extra and see if you can get a deal on some of your accessories (this is where bike shops usually have the most margin).

Ay Up Introduces the Gecko Lightset Mount

We wrote a review awhile back about Ay Up’s mountain bike and road bike light system.  Ay Up’s lights weigh under 60 grams and the battery a tad over 80 grams which enables users the ability to use the new Gecko Lightest Mount velcro mountain system.  This type of helmet mounting offers an alternative method of mounting your helmet lights and batteries.

The below is a press release from Ay UP

Above image shows the Gecko Lightset Mount …

Using very flexible plastic mountings that can be contorted and twisted into any shape along with Industrial Strength 3M velcro dots you can now mount your helmet and light mount in seconds.

Above image showing the naked Gecko Battery Holder, note the slots in the sides to allow cable ties through for permanent mounting. (featured on both the mounts)

Both mounts can be removed completely extremely quickly leaving behind 8 velcro dots on your helmet. Battery swap over is super fast for those ever shorter pit stops during epic races.

Daytime use helmet below…

With both Gecko’s attached less the Lightset which snaps into place …

Complete Gecko System, installed in seconds

The added benefit of the mounts being super flexible is you can mount these anywhere on any type of surface.

Below head on image shows the slim but strong profile of the Gecko Lightset Mount…

Round poles, walls, glass, skate lids, caving, hard hats and helmets with no vents whatsoever, no problem.

The mount weight is under 5 grams but these little guys are as tough and as strong as our current mounts. The plastic composite we use super flexible and UV protective. They will attach to any profile and shape, no worries …

Not Your Grandmother’s Wool—Smart Wool Socks Perfect for Cooler Riding Conditions

I promised myself this fall and winter would be different; I’d stop thinking of excuses to not ride and just start riding. So I piled up on winterwear: under-helmet beanie, tights, long-fingered gloves, and of course, warm socks.

As a winter sports enthusiast, I own plenty of wool socks of differing thicknesses. The problem is, when I slip my wool-covered feet into my Sidi Dominators, my feet feel restricted and confined by the lack of flexibility of most wool socks. This, coupled with the cold weather, numbs rather than warms my little piggies.

Enter Smart Wool Womens PhD Cycling Light Mini socks. These socks breathe, flex, and feel like cotton. They lack the mild abrasiveness of most wool socks. They kept my feet warm through biting forty-degree weather and twenty-mile-an-hour winds. I wore them biking on my home turf, Denver’s Front Range, and even took them on vacation to two of mountain biking Meccas, Moab and nearby Fruita, where they performed beautifully.

One caveat: I wore these socks trail running and because trail runners are bigger than regular sneakers, the socks had room to bunch up. Wear them for cycling or everyday use, but break out thicker socks for hiking or trail running.

Smart Wool: one less excuse to not ride.

Holiday Gift Ideas: What to get that Mountain Bike Lover or What to Ask for Yourself

Love it or hate it the holiday’s are here. The hardest part of all, I think is choosing the right gift. If your like me. you hate giving gift cards and gifts no one will really use. Well I’m here to help you with gift ideas for the mountain biker in your life; or if you are a mountain biker here are some things you might want to drop some hints about.

The Small Stuff: Make them a Kit

Pedro’s Tire Levers
Ok these aren’t a one gift item, but trust me, these tire levers will change the frequent tire changers life! In my shop time I changed A LOT of tires and the thin but extra-wide design made even the tubeless tires on Bontrager rims easy. A good idea with this is to combine it with a bunch of other smaller items to make a kit. So keep reading for more ideas.

Finish Line Citrus Degreaser (Spray)
Another piece of the kit. This is an amazing degreaser and it smells like oranges. This is a gift for the bike freak who is constantly doing overhauls and degreasing and regreasing everything. Pedro’s is pretty good too. Enough said.

Chain Cleaner and Degreaser
If they don’t have a chain cleaner yet they need one. A clean chain means a happy chain, and less drive train wear, longer chain life, less resistance, and quieter operation. They are very easy to use and you don’t have to take the chain off of the bike to clean it! Don’t forget to buy the liquid degreaser with it.

A GOOD Multi Tool
There is a big difference between a multi tool and a good multi tool. I prefer Crank Brothers or Topeak. They both have a few different models based on how many tools the rider wants. If they are very weight conscious or don’t ride extremely often go for the simpler models, but for the extreme riders the more expensive versions will have a lot of great extra tools to help with trail fixes.

Cleaning Brush Kit
It doesn’t matter much who makes it (Park, Spin Doctor, Pedro’s and Other do) but a cleaning brush kit makes cleaning the drive train MUCH easier. A great addition to a cleaning kit with orange degreaser and a chain cleaner with degreaser.

Floor Pump, Mini Pump or CO2
Everyone likes a good air pump. A good mini pump is a must for any mountain biker; CO2 pumps makes inflation a snap for the rider who craves simplicity; and having a dependable floor pump is always a good thing.

Nutrition Sampler
One cool gift is a nutrition sampler. Find a good bike shop or nutrition store and buy a variety of bars and gels to try. Put them in a basket or something and it is a great way for a mountain biker to figure out what they like and don’t like.

One Item Gifts

Camelbak
If they have one they probably won’t mind having another one. I have four and I still want a couple more. Camelbak’s are one of the coolest ways to stay hydrated and carry all of your stuff. Stick to the Camelbak brand hydration packs. The knock offs always lack some quality and cannot even begin to compare in comfort or features.

Nokon Cable Housing
This is the perfect gift for the rider that spends as much time buying stuff for their bike as they do riding it. Nokon housing has a very cool bling factor, not to mention it shaves weight and reduces cable friction. It is made of a bunch of small anodized aluminum segments. There are a variety of color options out there so do some background prodding first.

Fox Shorts or Jerseys
A nice jersey or a pair of great shorts always makes a great gift. For mountain bikers Fox is one of the best manufacturers out there. Search for the articles about them on MTO Bikes to get the details.

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