Bike29

Vermont Mountain Bike Festival

2008-07-01T09:59:00.003-04:00

Today is the first day of what will be a busy month for us.

Preparations for the Vermont Mountain Bike Festival are going well. We have had a lot of support from the local community, their generosity has ensured that the weekend will be one to talk about for years to come.

DJ and Fuzzy from Niner Bikes will be there with the demo fleet.
There will be lots of rides. We'll be organizing rides at trails in Stowe, Hinesburg, Waitsfield and Underhill. Sugarbush will also be a destination for folks that want to try the gravity scene.

The Alchemist will be brewing a special beer that will be tapped on Friday night, Waterbury Wings will be throwing a party on Saturday with great food, live music and prizes.

To ensure the quality of the event, it is only open to registered attendees, so if you are interested in coming, you will need to sign up.

The weather trend is improving, and the trails are drying out nicely.
Hope to see you there!

Whoops

2008-06-30T23:12:00.003-04:00

Can anyone see what is wrong with this picture?

Seems I forgot to tighten a couple of bolts.

Needless to say, I was very rattled from this experience, I had just completed a pretty high speed descent on part of the Perry Hill Trail System, and was on my way out, when my handlebars slipped in the stem.

I was riding a section we call "ZZ", a section of switchbacks that trail through a pine forest . The name of the game is momentum. I always play the "no pedal, no dab" game on this section. If you are unfamiliar with the trail, you will most likely dab once, or crank 1/4 of a pedal stroke to keep you going. It is a very BMX'y trail that requires a lot of body english to keep you rolling. I found that my handlebars were loose during a high speed manual through a dip, and lost control of the bike. In the picture, the bike points left, but the trail goes right...

After that, I was completely unable to get back up to speed.

I had lofty goals of getting the rest of the data for the Jet vs. Spider shootout, but today, I just had to get out of the woods safely.
With only my pride bashed up, I will regroup and try again in the morning.

Upgrades - Cake and Eating It

2008-06-26T21:50:00.006-04:00

I didn't think it was actually possible, but I managed to find another upgrade to my RIP9.
I have been ecstatic with every change I have made to the bike, which I like to think is a good thing. I recognize it as progression.

It began with the fork upgrades, I went from the ubiquitous Reba, had a brief stint with a Maverick, then settled on the Fluid 135 from White Brothers. Not only did the fork feel great, it virtually eliminated a whole range of nitpicks I had with the bike.

Then, about a year ago, I took off the Juicy Carbon brakes and replaced them with the Avid Code brake. This was another good move, I could brake later into turns, and count on them grabbing hard when needed. For those that do not know, the Juicy is a 2 piston brake, perfectly adequate for all around riding, the Code is a 4 piston DH brake, which incidentally, are only about 42g more per side (non-rotational weight folks, totally acceptable) than the Juicy Carbon. Big kids take note - this is an upgrade worth considering. I'm still running the 180/165mm, front/rear rotor combo. Plenty of power.

With the new fork, I was beginning to really push the limits on my RIP. With the new brakes I was able to get away with a lot more.

Then I got a pair of the Ergon Enduro grips. Weird as they look, they make a huge difference to my paws, which would often get sore and beat up on rough downhills.

And now, just when I thought I had the bike all figured out, one of these found it's way on the bike.

For a long time I have poo-pooed the adjustable seatpost thing. 'Set and forget' and 'Run what ya brung' had always been my mottos, until about 4 hours ago.

This is the Crank Brothers Joplin post, a design licenced from the Maverick group. I can't see myself without this gadget on my RIP now. I was able to ride sections of trail so much faster, just because "the boys" were not in any danger. I have the Remote version of the post. The total travel range is about 3", which you can change at will with a weird, but cool and well thought out lever. You can literally adjust your saddle height within a few mm if you are talented enough.

But just imagine, if you could drop your saddle height 3" for just a few seconds on a trail, and then have it right back up for when you need to climb....

Oh yeah.

An unfortunate side effect for me, has been the amount of time I am no longer "on" the trail. With the family jewels safe, I can loft the bike higher up in the air without fear of retribution from the saddle. For the longest time, saddle height has kept my speed in check, but now, I'm beginning to find the limitations of the brakes....
...maybe time to get bigger rotors...

Why would you buy this post? If you are like me, you aren't getting any younger. My knees hurt from years of "splitting the difference". Our trails are technical, and have intermittent and sometimes long and technical climbs. I and others like me have set their saddle height in a spot where strong seated climbing is still possible, and out of the saddle BMX style flow through the flats and downhills can still be achieved.

Now, I can have the correct saddle height for climbing, and the right saddle height for wailing the crap out of my bike on the downhills! Woo Hoo!!!!!

What a Weekend - Part Deux!

2008-06-23T20:36:00.005-04:00

Let's go back to Friday shall we?

Keller "Hey, I think I can get Maiden tickets for tomorrow night, do you wanna go?"
Me "ummmm, YES!"

Saturday marked Catamount's 30th anniversary. Nat and I showed up with his truck full of 11 of our demo bikes. We were able to get some new folks a taste of what the big wheels are all about. The weather was beautiful, trails were fun, and turn out was great. After packing up, I had time to head home and get ready for Maiden.

We were able to go to the show in REAL style.
Just recently you see, Keller bought an 81 Z-28 Camaro. Beasts like this were the most coveted things for males our age back in the day (high school). I mean, who gets to drive to another country to see Iron Maiden in a Camero? With T-tops?

We do.

So we left on Saturday evening for Montreal.
Awesome!

Thank goodness for the internet, as we found a place to park right outside of the venue, just one stop away on the Metro. We rolled right up to the ticket booth and got our passes. We were at the headlining act of an all day metal-fest in Montreal, a beer in each fist, enjoying our favorite band, after spending 3 hours in some of Detroit's finest steel getting there, just in time for the band to go on.

The set list was the same as the last show, which was EVERY song that you need to see live. This time, instead of the second row, we were at the back end of 60,000 screaming Maiden fans, and I'll have to say that I really enjoyed the show. For one, I was not being crushed into the first row, and I could see the whole stage. They put on a very good show, lights, fireworks, explosions, and a giant Eddy.

To us, it was well worth the trip.

Sunday was spent lugging huge rocks around the forest in the rain, as we still have a lot of work to do on the new re-route. The trail is taking shape, and we got a lot done on some of the more difficult sections.

I need a week off to recover from the weekend!

The Spider - Some Thoughts

2008-06-19T21:06:00.006-04:00

It's been my goal to make a solid effort to get the Intense Spider on all of our local trails when weather and time permit. While conditions are less than perfect, the window for riding has been open. I'm having a ton of fun on this bike, but now that the newness of it has passed, I'm beginning to experience some of the bike's capriciousness.

I've spent a fair amount of time fiddling with the rear shock, trying to get the pressure /sag just right. I eventually wound up with 200psi, with the ProPedal set on 2, and leaving it on. This seems to do the rear end of this creature a lot of justice, especially since that once it's set, no more fiddling (yay!). It climbs amazingly well, and has a springy snappy ride. To me, this is the perfect setting. Funnily enough, a customer from out of state came in with a Spider he had bought elswhere, and I set it up for him. Just one ride later, he also agreed this was the best setting.

Me, 230lbs, sag at roughly 2o%, which is Intense's recommended setting. I found that the sagged angles of the bike feels far more relaxed than you would imagine, as steep as it's static angles are. The bike will still steer through just about anything at any speed. This can also somewhat of a drag, as the BB drops as the suspension sags. On my very first ride, the first thing I noticed was sporadic pedal strike. Now that I have it set up in "the zone", it is far less pronounced, but my feet still tag the ground from time to time.

It's on sustained high speed rutted downhills however, the bike seems to lack progression in the rear shock. The rear shock has a very short stroke for the amount of travel it has, which leads me to the first thing I would change about the bike (if I were to a> have that power, and b> have only one bike).

I'd do whatever it took to get the shock travel ratio to 2:1. The rear shock seems over worked on big hits, and I have now noticed that the back end seems to wind up on any of our regular local Waterbury rides. Seems to me that a longer stroke shock could handle different types of bumps at varying speeds, which leads me in to the second thing I would change...

...which would be to update the design with the new fancy 15mm axle pivots of VPP2, as seen on new Santa Cruz Blur LT bikes. It would be a welcome addition to the construction of this bike. Our local stuff is quite ledgy, and there were a few times that the rear of the bike felt like it was going a different way than the front.

Despite these gripes, I have no doubt in my mind though, that Intense achieved what they set out to do, which was to create a lightweight race bike, that is dependable enough to get the job done. While this bike is slightly less adequate for our local trails, it shines on others. I'll be riding it this Saturday on our local race loops, and will hopefully be comparing it to a couple of other bikes.

BTW, I'm totally going to race this bike on Wednesday at Catamount, which will be the first time I get to do so this year. Nat has gotten fast (and cocky!), and needs to be put in his place!

Post Father's Day Ride Syndrome

2008-06-17T08:04:00.004-04:00

A group of us dads headed out for a ride on Sunday morning. It was beautiful and sunny. It had rained all night. Needless to say, riding was very interesting indeed. Our normally technical trails took on a new note of difficulty. While the mud made things interesting in the turns, it was the slick wet rocks that were the real problem.

We have a lot of exposed rock in Waterbury. We chose to ride 6 Flags and Joes, and there were several visits to the ground among our group. I took 2 rather spectacular tumbles on Joes. I chose to ride a couple of rocks that I should have taken the alternate route (around) on, and paid. I really should have known better.

I will say that I'm impressed with the paint on my RIP9. I dragged the non drive side about 10 feet down a steep rock, leaving marks in the rock, but found no damage to the paint. It's been a while since my last visit to the ground, and I hope to not go back any time soon.

I'm pretty banged up, but the ride was totally worth it.

Intense Spider - First Ride

2008-06-11T09:09:00.003-04:00

While the rocker issue on the Jet 9 is truly frustrating, I've decided to take the opportunity to get to know one of the other bikes we sell, the Intense Spider. These bikes are similar in that they are both geared towards XC riding and racing, so the comparison should provide some interesting results.

This bike is one of our demo bikes. It is a large frame, with a Fox RP23 rear shock and F29 100mm fork, SRAM X9 shifters and derailleur, an old but perfectly good set of XTR M960 cranks, a sweet looking set of Bike 29 Royale wheels (pewter hubs, black spokes, red nips on Arch rims), Easton EA 70 stem, Monkey Lite carbon bars and EC90 seatpost, and a white WTB Deva saddle. I originally had the white Juicy Ultimates on the Jet, but since it is grounded, I pulled them off to replace the Juicy 7s I had on the Spider. The bike has a lot of white on it, which I hear is the new black, so I have decided to name it "The White Shadow".

This weekend's weather was perfect for staying indoors next to an air conditioner, high 80s, and the air so thick you could eat it with a spoon. I'd been as sick as I've been in a long time all week, and I was certainly not in the mood to push it. It seemed as the most logical choice would be to head to Stowe Town Loops, which is ironic, as this is typically my new bike proving ground.

So how does it ride?
I will preface this by saying I am not really in any condition to "push" a bike to it's limits, but I was able to get a good measure of the bike's qualities, based on my familiarity with the terrain.
The ride starts with a gradual climb that will make you suck wind if you are out of shape, so I spun up in an easy gear. The hot muggy air didn't help either. I did all of the sustained climbing with the ProPedal on, and was rewarded with a firm ride that moved on only the biggest obstacles. I rode a the medium Spider way back in 06, which was definitely too small for me, but I was impressed back then at the climbing prowess of this bike. Perhaps there is something in the name...?

Once the hill crests, the trail rolls down some rocky double track, before turning into rooty rocky single track through a pine stand. This is where it gets fun. It's relatively flat, but still rolly, you can really milk your momentum. There are some large decomposing shale outcroppings to negotiate your way up, which can end up in disaster it you fall the wrong way.
Ont the right, there are hard rocks and tree roots, on the left, about a 70 tumble down a steep ravine into the Little River. Well, I did not make the first big outcropping. I had to put a foot down about halfway up. I attributed this to the back end being too firm.m I used this opportunity to turn the ProPedal off, and ran the shock wide open for the rest of the ride (with the exception of the last climb out).

That was much better. The biggest thing I noticed, is the the bike took on a slightly different personality. With the ProPedal off, the bike sank a little deeper into it's travel. It pedalled very well in the rough stuff, bumps large and small disappeared and the bike seemed to levitate over the trail. I was expecting a fair amount of feedback from the ground, but was pleasantly surprised to find it was minimal. The VPP suspension design does a very good job of soaking it all up, and the F29 was dialed in. Not once did I feel a hard bottom out, despite how deep into the travel I was sitting.

Climbing with the ProPedal off was no problem, the back wheel stayed on the ground for the short techy climbs that are sprinkled throughout the ride. This was a relief, as I seldom have the presence of mind to flip the switch when I need to. As we climb up to the "upper" Town Loop, there are a series of bridges that take you over some very mucky ground, and the terrain becomes a little more difficult as the root and rock population increases.

It was here that I found the single thing that I found to be a negative on the bike. Pedal strike. While not a persistent problem, it is enough to get your attention, and on one instance I came right out of my right pedal at a time that was less than convenient. As I spend more time on the bike, I will likely adjust my riding style by timing my pedal strokes a little better. Like I said before, I was definitely not on my game, so some of it could have been attributed to that.
With my one gripe out of the way, I must say that I thoroughly enjoyed the ride.

The suspension is very plush, and handling is very predictable. It almost has a playful feel to it. While last minute course corrections are a snap, it isn't quite as fractious as the Jet. This was appreciated, as I was on the edge of control on the fast single track descents.

The crucial piece of hardware I attribute the playful handling to, is the Chris King Tall Baseplate. It adds 5mm to the axle to crown height, thus slackening the head angle by about a degree. The Spider is renowned for it's aggressive 74° head angle, which some find too twitchy. This baseplate and correct sag on the rear shock makes the bike very manageable.

All in all, I'd say that if you were in the market for an XC bike you can race or ride all day, this bike would certainly get the job done, and is well worth a good look.

Updates

2008-06-07T15:20:00.003-04:00

The most important thing to report on, is that Niner has requested all dealers to halt all sales of the Jet 9, due to an issue with the upper rocker links. In some instances there have been failures, IE breakage of these links. They are quickly determining a solution to this problem, but in the meantime, for liabilities sake, they have asked that Jet owners keep their bikes grounded for the time being. Not one of the breakages have occurred from a bike sold from Bike 29.

Anyone that would like to know more specific details about the Jet 9, should contact me directly.

I haven't been able to ride my Jet in a while anyway, my work schedule and the rainy weather has kept me off the bike, up until early this week, when it was being horrendously sick that kept me on the sidelines. I don't often get sick, but when I do, I come down hard. I'm still trying to peer though the fog as I write this.

And on a positive note, the shop got it's new sign. It is absolutely killer. More details about the install can be found on the Five Hills Bikes webpage. It's water jet cut aluminum over a painted plywood background. The light is from an LED rope light that is mounted to the back of the aluminum. It looks awesome. A big thank you goes to Dr. Jones is on order for making the sign everything it is.

I hope to get out on the bike soon, I'm starting to get stir crazy!

My first Ti or the Lynskey Review

2008-05-29T11:08:00.004-04:00

I'm not afraid to admit, I've never ridden a titanium bike before.
I've always wanted to give it a try though so I was very stoked when George said that we'd be building up the small Lynskey Pro29 in my size. And if it wasn't enough that I'd get to test out this cool new bike, George also got it into his head that this would be a Ridiculight build. What started as a straight part swap from my Niner EMD to the Pro29 - became an exercise in shaving grams.

He weighed every Schwalbe Racing Ralph in stock to find the lightest pair in stock. The front was a not very heavy 551g, the rear 547g. All in the pursuit of Ridiculight.

The Mother's Day Royale wheels were deconstructed and rebuilt to go tubeless using the 355 rim.

Every part was carefully considered for it's weight contribution. Of course, in order to have it ready to roll up at the Kingdom Trails over the weekend, we had to make a concession or two. For example, the new Easton bars and stem didn't arrive in time to make the initial build.

Completely built, with Speedplay Frogs but without a water bottle cage, the bike weighs a respectable 22.6 pounds.

But how does it ride?

Fantastic.

It's light and zippy. Very responsive - but not twitchy in any way. It handles like a dream on singletrack. I was very pleased with it's ability to scale technical steep sections, and since it hardly weighs anything, you feel like you're just flying up the hill.

The curved top tube offers a lot of standover - I've said it before, although 5'6" isn't that short, I have short legs. This frame has plenty of standover and could definitely accommodate a much shorter rider than myself.

The Ti frame is stiff, but soaks up a lot of the trail chatter, making this bike inherently more smooth and pleasant than aluminum hardtails that I've ridden recently.

The only negative for me is occasional toe overlap with the front wheel. This is probably peculiar to the small frame, and happened only randomly on tight switchbacks, but nonetheless it was a little disappointing for a fame of this calibre.

Other than that, this bike is fast and solid. It would be a fantastic choice for racing and I hope to be able to test it out at some off-road tris, one of these days.

Jet 9, Long Term Update

2008-05-27T22:51:00.003-04:00

I've spent the last couple of weeks really getting to know the Jet on my local trails. It is by far one of the most "flickable" bikes out there, but it can come at the expense of mental comfort. By flickable, I mean it has the ability to go wherever you point it at a moment's notice, whether you are ready for it or not. It can be challenging at times, especially when you are feeling rusty. It has been my primary ride, although I do change it up for the RIP from time to time. That comparison is forthcoming...

There is no better way to describe it, the Jet is an animal. Definitely a race bike.

I have mine set up with a 100mm Fox, and it is still a very quick handling bike. It shines in the really tight stuff if you are on your game. If you are slightly off your game though, it will quickly wake you up.

It is very capable. It is very fast. Stand up on the pedals and it goes. I have not found even the most minuscule amount of flex in the rear end. Power up and you go. Mid turn course correction at any speed is not a problem.

It is most certainly a Jet, the sort that should have controls and devices that "dumb it down" for us mortals, similar to the way an F-16 has to be reigned in so the pilot doesn't die for blinking. I spent the weekend up in East Burke VT riding the Jet and a few other bikes, and, much like an F-16, I'm convinced that you should not be hungover while riding it.

While it is a demanding ride, you will be rewarded with speed, agility and quickness you've never thought possible.

I'm working on the grace part.
I would imagine, that if I was in the sort of shape to put this bike to real use, I'd be winning a couple of races...

Lynskey Pro 29er

2008-05-24T14:01:00.003-04:00

(Mandy, guest blogging for George who is really doing his best to take the whole weekend off of work)

So, the size small Lynskey Pro29 is built and ready for it's first ride this weekend. Royale tubless wheelset. XTR cranks and front derailleur. x-0 rear. Magura Marta SL brakes.

22.4 lbs with pedals.

There aren't many days off when you're a small shop, especially when you add in the internet business. But finally, after a crazy two months of opening up the new location and getting everyone's bikes set for the season we have a couple days off for the holiday. We're headed up to the Kingdom Trails in East Burke for a weekend of riding and camping. Hope to see a lot of folks we know and meet some new folks as well. Lynskey ride report to follow when we return.

Wow, more than a week now...

2008-05-22T21:27:00.005-04:00

It isn't that things aren't happening, I assure you.
Many great things are currently in transition. New 09 Fox Forks are coming, Jet 9s, I9s, the Lynskey factor, it's a lot to keep in check.
I have a very sweet Lynskey build on deck that will make your mouth water. I wish I could ride something like it.

I am taking a DAY OFF!

I am taking the whole Memorial Day weekend off as a matter of fact, but I will be up in East Burke riding bikes. Wanna come? Look for the B29 banners at the Burke Mtn campground. My plan is Sunday and Monday rides, punctuated with meals laden with bacon, cheese and beer. If you show up Saturday night, I may even make you a pre-ride breakfast on Sunday...

Titani-yummm!

2008-05-13T19:43:00.003-04:00

This just in...
I received our first batch of Lynskey Pro 29 frames today. All productivity in the shop ground to a halt the moment I opened the box, and we all held out breaths as the first frame was carefully removed from it's packaging.

oooooohhhh!

Amazingly beautiful.
The first one I grabbed was a small, satin finished frame, weighing in at 3.39lbs, with the Paragon style dropouts (both drive side types are included). The second was a beautiful brushed finish, size large, that came in at 3.59. I imagine that the medium will arrive at 3.49. Very respectable indeed.

The brushed finish does come at an upcharage though, but in my book is worth it. I'm a shop monkey at heart, and I got the satin finish printed up in no time at all. The brushed finish seems to resist grubby hand prints, and has some sort of a machine like hue to it.

Both finishes come with die cut decals, which are available in a variety of colors to match any build. If you want to go all the way, you can have your graphics laser etched. If you are a techno dork like I am, this is worth the extra coin. I had one of these in the shop last week that was finished in this way, and I was immediately smitten.

matte finish behind the brushed

run it a single speed

or geared!

This is no doubt a very versatile frame.

Rolling with the Squadron

2008-05-11T20:39:00.007-04:00

Mother's Day.
Three guys, out in the woods. The spouses had first dibs on the singletrack for the day, and fortunately, they were kind enough to leave some scraps for us.
Trail conditions were awesome. Dry as dry can be.

Nat, JayPro and myself headed up Perry Hill for some great riding today. Nat logged some flight time on my RIP, while Jay and I spent some time fine tuning our Jet 9s.

While the shop continues to be very busy, I did manage to get out for a ride last week, and I actually rode my RIP. I had a great time riding it. With any luck, I'll be able to spend a bit more time on trail, and now that both bikes are set up just the way I like them, I ought to be able to get a good comparison between the two. They are very different bikes.

I thoroughly enjoyed my Jet today. However, I took some time pre-ride, and swapped the Conti Mountain King tires for the Schwalbe Racing Ralph (2.4s). I think that I will go back to the Contis when it is a little colder and wetter, but for now, I am enjoying the high volume and very round profile of the Schwalbe much more. The tire swap was a good move. Cornering is very predictable, rolling resistance is lower, and I dropped .5 lbs in overall weight.

It was nice to let the Jet loose on some familiar, yet rugged terrain. I maintain that it is a quicker bike than the RIP. While not as sure footed at times in certain scenarios, it more than makes up for in maneuverability. You can change your mind at any point and switch lines at will. It outclasses the RIP in it's ability to climb technical sections with ease. We made the climb to the top of Joe's in no time at all.

I remain steadfast in my thinking that the Jet is a race bike. There have been some folks out there on the interweb that have complained about the weight of this frame, but I built Jay's bike at a respectably raceable 24.6lb (with pedals and bottle cage folks - real weights here). Take weight out of the equation, and what you have is a bike that can outclimb, out corner and straight up out perform the competition. The rest is up to the rider...

Lack of Posting = Too Much Work!

2008-05-06T07:24:00.004-04:00

As some of you may have noticed, it's been a while since I posted. Over a week!

The shop has hit ludicrous speed. Repairs and sales are way up, and I mean WAY up. The new location has already proven itself as a good move, and continues to perform in a way I couldn't have imagined.
In addition to our screaming retail business, Bike 29 continues to gain momentum. Last week I filled our Outback wagon with packages just to go to the post office. That's a lot of boxes.
The weather has not been the best for riding, so we've been keeping our head down and grinding on.

Here are some important updates.

Schwalbe Racing Ralphs are in stock in both sizes.
Niner Jet 9s continue to arrive, but I am almost sold out of my entire order, not just the ones I brought in early.
09 Fox F29s are here, update soon.
Several sets of I9 wheels have arrived, with more on the way. Call for details.

Bike 29 is proud to announce the addition of Lynskey to our catalog. The Lynskeys are the family that originally brought you beautiful titanium frames under the name of Litespeed. While what happened to Litespeed was truly tragic, and out of the Lynskey family's hands, they pulled themselves up by their boot straps and rose from the ashes under the Lynskey Performance Designs name.

And guess what?
They have a 29er that will blow your socks off.
Look for more on that very soon.

Product Review - Twin 6 Messenger Bag

2008-04-27T08:46:00.005-04:00

I have a lot of messenger bars. I seem to attract them the way that light attracts moths.
I have several examples of Timbuktu, Patagonia, Crumpler and more, and most of them do get used fairly regularly. In current use, is my T6 Sack, which is a large basic Crumpler back with some very cool graphics. I scored this pack from my friends at Twin Six when I was out in Minneapolis for QBP's Frost Bike.

It is a no frills pack, it has one large main compartment with 3 pockets, a flat zippered front compartment. There are pockets on both sides that easily fit water bottles. Anyone who has seen a Crumpler Bag knows how well they are built.

I've been using this bag for hauling my laptop, a change of clothes and some shoes back and forth to the shop whenever possible. The rising cost of gas sucks, and frankly, I'd much rather spend my money on something more fun. I've not had to fill my car up in over 2 weeks.
Riding a bike is far much more enjoyable too. I've been towing the boy to daycare in his trailer, so I'm using it as an opportunity to spend some time outside with the kiddo, and get a bike ride in too.

It was yesterday though, when the bag really proved it's worth. I was charged with picking up dinner. I didn't have the car, so I grabbed my biggest bag, the T6 Sack. Well. We had some of the ingredients at home, but still needed a few things. We were going to have burritos.
I was able to fit 4 limes, an orange, a lemon, a loaf of bread, a big flat of chicken, a bag of rice and a 12 pack of beer. Not bad eh?

The loaded pack was heavy, but fit snugly to my back with the help of the stabilizer strap. It was also pretty comfy too, despite having huge box of beer in it. I managed to get it all back to the shop safely, without crushing the bread even.

I'm not sure, but I think that if pushed, I might even be able to get 2 12 packs in there!
I give this bag 3 thumbs up (if I had 3). One for top notch construction, one for the excellent graphics, and one for being able to haul the beer home.
Cheers!

JET 9, First Flight

2008-04-24T20:50:00.003-04:00

Thanks to planetary alignment, good planning or just plain dumb luck, I was able to take flight on my Jet 9 tonight. My regular test loop is dry and riding very well right now. I ride every single one of my bikes on this loop, and I know it like the back of my hand. This is what makes it the best proving ground.

The Jet, well, this is some sort of awesome.

My initial impressions are that this bike delivers. It is quick!

I put a lot of new components on this bike. The brand new brakes aren't yet up to the task of slowing my 230lb carcass down fresh from the box, which made for some exciting cornering. Nonetheless, the bike was able to go where pointed despite my subconscious efforts to attempt low earth orbit.

I forgot about "taking it easy" many times, and often pushed it way over the line. When you are having fun, you just have to run with it. I made some tricky sections my first attempt tonight that often take me weeks to work up the gumption to even try.

This is the first bike I've built in a long time where the bars have been lower than the seat. It threw me at first, but this bike was originally marketed to be a "race" bike. I sort of have it built up as one, with the exception of the wheels. I built identical wheels to my RIP, knowing that I was going to wail the crap out of this bike right out of the gate.

My Fox fork was riding extremely saggy tonight, but that was entirely my fault. Over the winter I had the fork Push'd, totally re-valved and dialed in just for me and my ham fisted riding style. Tonight I felt the need to let some air out of it Fortunately, I remember it's Push'd settings, so I'll be fixing that IMMEDIATELY.

There are a lot of NEW (for me) parts on the bike; Ergon grips, narrow EC90 SL bars, and the rubber, Continental's Mountain King 2.4. What a weird tire! More on this in an upcoming post. I really like this tire, but not in a way that I can easily talk about at the moment.

It's very hard for me to be precise about my initial thoughts on this bike. It's not often that I am stymied when trying to find fault in something. Sure there are things that I wish may have been different with this bike, but wow, it I like it! It's impressive to be able to throw down on a brand new bike, the same way one might on a bike they may have had for years.

bling!

Internet Free Zone

2008-04-22T17:42:00.003-04:00

Not by choice either.
So much of the work I do goes on after store hours, and since the internet has decided not to work at my home, I'm forced to reduce my work load slightly. Apparently, I'll be waiting until they can get a technician over to sort it out. What is even more annoying, is that my Crackberry has also decided to stop receiving emails, so I am in true radio silence.
Stupid technology...

So the Gravel Grinder was a huge success, we have a great post on the Five Hills Bikes blog with pictures, and a video of the descent down Loomis Hill that someone was brave enough to film one handed. Next year, we'll have more room. We had to turn away a bunch of folks, which was a huge shame, but we had planned for a certain number. A huge thanks goes out to all of our sponsors.

I've been building Jets and shipping them out furiously. What an amesome bike. I should be able to get mine dirty this weekend, if I can ever get caught up in here!

The Plane has Landed

2008-04-17T23:34:00.002-04:00

After what seems like FOREVER, I finally have my Jet 9.

I'm not even going to talk about what it took to get these 10 frames here, but rest assured, they are here. Everyone that pre-ordered the Jet before 1.31.08, will get their frame before the rest of America. I just need a chance to do final QC before getting them packed up and on their way again. They will leave on Monday.

All I have to say is WOW!

What a beautiful machine. Everything is well thought out and executed to perfection. Typical of Niner. I had a really hard time deciding between the Kermit frame and the ano black, but I eventually chose black. I already have a Kermit, and he has been very good to me. I plan on holding on to my original Kermit for a long time, so it's best not to piss him off. In fact, Kermit gets the nod for the big ride this Sunday.

The Jet is a different beast. For my personal ride, I chose to bling out on the lightweight components, yet go with a beefier wheelset. I'm a trail rat, not a racer, but I wanted something I could duel with at Catamount if I needed to. With my "stock" set up, the bike rolls at 27.6lbs (with pedals and bottle cage). A full 2 pounds less than my RIP. It's set up with a "PUSHed" Fox fork, and an all mountain double (on a sweet set of cranks arms too!). I have a feeling that there are a great many things to be learned about this Jet...

An absolutely gorgeous beast this is.
I have a handful of medium and large frames that don't have homes on this run, but I have another 10 coming. I have a small amount of small and XL frames unspoken for.

Want one?

Call!!

1 Week to Go

2008-04-13T18:16:00.010-04:00

This was the scene today.

Sideways snow on the climb up Perry, rain on the back side, and lots of wind.
DA and I checked out the first and last climb of the big Gravel Grinder. The roads are in really good shape and the weather is supposed to be in the 60s and somewhat sunny all week. I think the ride will be really fun. The super-duper long range forecast is calling for good weather next weekend. I had fun riding in the snow today, so whatever the weather, I know I'm ready.

I'm pleased to announce that Pop Soda VT is going to be providing some of their delicious micro-brewed soda for the event. These guys are a small operation on the south end of Waterbury, and they make the best soda you will ever taste. I'm a big sucker for the lemon lavender with ginger, mmmmmm...

The start point will be in the parking lot of the Pilgrim 5 building, just behind the newly refurbished Train Station. The original start point was Rusty Parker Park, but it is going to be used for a wedding. An outdoor wedding in April? Good luck to the bride and groom.
This will not significantly change the route however, as all the aforementioned locations are within spitting distance of each other.

Important things for participants to know:
1. The big hills are all paved, and there are only a couple of spots where poor unpaved road conditions may put the big hurt on you.
2. This is not a race, it is a social event. Be supportive of your fellow rider.
3. The ride is on rural roads, expect to see cars, trucks, and possibly hostile rednecks who are mad that they can't ride their 4 wheelers or snow machines. Obey all traffic laws, and ride single file when encountering any vehicles.
4. This is not a race! TAKE YOUR TIME. Enjoy the scenery.
5. There will be a sag wagon at Hope Davey Field in Waterbury Center. There will be recovery drinks, PB&Js, and for those that can step up, maybe even a few PB&Rs. This is the halfway point. Anyone not feeling up for it has the option of peeling out, but they will need to ride back to town under their own power. It is a flat ride, so if you've bonked, you will easily be able to make it after refueling.
6. We'll have a couple of trucks patrolling the route, making sure that no one gets left along the way.
7. The last hill (Blush) will be optional to those who are not feeling it. It is a steep bugger.

There will be a pre-ride meeting at 8:45am. Participants are asked to be at the start point at 8 for registration, and the following pre-ride meeting. We'll be going over the finer points of the event, so you'll want to be there.

The Monkey Rides Again

2008-04-10T20:09:00.001-04:00

After a prolonged absence, the Monkey has been rebuilt to ride again.
It was decommissioned at the end of 06, and it hung in the shop in a place of honor. I felt bad about it's state. I mean, without this bike, I never would have discovered the joy of the big wheels. If I had never discovered 29ers, I probably wouldn't have opened the shop.
Funny how it all works out.

In the process of moving the shop, I found a whole bunch of parts in random boxes that I could use to get the Monkey rideable again. I set it up as a 1x9 with Mary bars and cable disc brakes. I'm going to use it to commute to the new shop, as well as drag the boy to daycare. It's built up with a set of Foundation wheels, shifting coming courtesy of a 10 year old SRAM 9.0SL rear derailleur mated to a new X7 shifter. Also coming out of retirement is a pair of similar vintage SRAM 9.0 brake levers, the ones with the faux carbon print on them. It's pretty cool to have this stuff out getting used again. To keep the vintage theme going, I'm using the first set of Time pedals I ever owned.

I climbed Barnes Hill on the shakedown ride. For the most part the dirt roads are doing well. They had dragged the road smooth today, so it was a little rough going. I imagine that by the time the Gravel Grinder happens, the roads will be fine. Sweet Road on the other hand, is not doing so well. I actually crashed when the front wheel washed into a deep car tire track. Once I picked myself up, I could smell a big animal. It had to be a moose, it kinda smelled like a horse, only really pungent. As I pedalled along, I noticed not one but two distinct moose tracks in the muddy road. Boy, I was getting close, the smell was getting stronger, and those tracks were very fresh.
Alas, no moose sighting for me. I didn't have my camera anyway, but I did come across a couple of people who had actually seen the two moose walking down the road. I must have just missed them. I did see 6 deer though. I also hit 44.7 mph going down Loomis Hill.
More Gravel Grinder updates tomorrow.

Gravel Grinder

2008-04-07T21:04:00.003-04:00

No, it isn't really this bad...

Red 5.1 and I took a spin out on "the course" yesterday to see how things are shaping up. Due to time constraints, I only rode hills 3 and 4 (Barnes and Gregg). I was surprised to see that there were some other tire tracks on the road, somewhat fresh too.

Hills 3 & 4 make up roughly 13 miles of the overall ride, and have 1430ft of climbing. It took me 1hr 17 minutes to do on my singlespeed. I averaged 10 mph, and my max speed was a hair under 40mph. Not bad eh? The weather was beautiful, low 50s, no wind. I'm hoping we get some of that for the main event.

I plan on getting out again to check out the conditions on hills 1 & 2 (Perry & Loomis) this week. Hill 5 (Blush) is completely paved, so we're all set there. I also want to see if I can do Perry on Red 5.1. The 35-21 gearing makes climbing certain pitches quite painful, but I've been thinking all along that I'd be riding the single speed. Most of the big climbs are paved, so just about any type of bike will be suitable. I have a feeling we'll be seeing lots of 29ers and cross bikes.

Yesterday's conditions were quite variable. It was really dry in the sunny areas, but quite treacherous in the shady hollows and cold spots. With warmer temps in the forecast over the next few days, I anticipate that the roads will be in pretty good shape by the 20th. I will admit that for the most part, I was surprised at how good the overall conditions were. The bad spots were pretty bad though. There was one nasty part while climbing Gregg Hill where I sank deep into the road and almost came to a dead stop in mid pedal stroke. Shortly thereafter, while coasting down another hill, I sank the front wheel and almost did an unintentional McTwist. Fortunately I held it together.

If you are still on the fence about joining in, just step up! It will be fun. Once again, proceeds go to benefit the Waterbury trails. If you would like to ride, but just can't make it, consider a donation. All contributions help make our trails better and safer.

Jabberwockies!

2008-04-06T09:49:00.003-04:00

The newest batch of Jabberwockies are beginning to arrive. Aside from the hot new colors, there are no major changes to this single speed specific steel hardtail. The colors are None More Black (think Spinal Tap), Snuffalupagas Orange, and Bone White.

The Jabberwocky is made from Vassago's proprietary butted 4130 tubeset. It is a comfortable ride, lightweight and completely capable of devouring any trail you point it down. Vassago's Wet Cat geometry puts you "in" the bike, lowering your center of gravity, allowing you to climb technical sections of single track the way a wet cat climbs grandma's curtains.

Vassago's price will not, however, put you in the poor house. The Jabberwocky frame is $439, add the rigid O.D.I.S. (Oh Damn It's Smooth) fork is available painted to match for just $100 more.
These beasts don't stick around long. If you were thinking of trying to snap one of these up, now is the time to pre-order. We will be shipping all of our pre-orders later this week.

In other news...
Wheelset delivery is a bit delayed due to stock at the moment. DT is out of spokes, and Stan's is out of the Arch rim, although I'm told the spokes should be arriving any day now. Arch rims are somewhere between the factory and Stan's HQ. I have plenty of rims on back order, so when they arrive the wheel building will resume it's furious pace...

Niner Jet 9s are going to be here soon! They have left the factory, and are on a boat headed for California. If you haven't already ordered one of these, you may not get one til the next production. I still have a few sizes and colors left available from my pre-order.

We are continuing to settle into our new digs. The showroom is open Monday thru Friday 9-6, and Saturday 10-4. If you are up in the area, come on by! We have lots of 29er goodness to check out, including Fisher's amazing arsenal of 29er hard tail and full suspension bikes.

Think Spring!

Regret

2008-04-01T23:15:00.003-04:00

"Daddy, what does regret mean?"

"Well son, the funny thing about regret is,
It's better to regret something you have done,
Than to regret something you haven't done."

I regret not buying more of these...

The Fisher Superfly is one of the best values out there. $3299 gets you an X0 equipped race rig with a G2 Fox F29 RLC. At 23 lbs, it's competitively spec'd and priced against just about anything out there.

These have been very hard to come by, and I imagine that having two side by side, will be a rarity this season.

"And when you see your mother this weekend,"
"Be sure to tell her...."

***lyrics by Gibby Haynes, we still love you!

Moving Right Along

2008-03-31T16:19:00.004-04:00

DA and I spent a good portion of yesterday getting all the last bits and pieces out of the old spot.
When we had finished, washed up, last minute checked and locked up, we were walking away from the end of a pretty important era. After 2 years, the shop where I started out became too small. I hope I never have to move shops again. What a pain! Stuff has a way of accumulating, especially in dark seldom used places like the back alley and the basement. Needless to say, I found all kinds of stuff I'd forgotten about over the last two years.

Oh well. That chapter is closed, and we are working on making the new spot a big success, now that we are "officially" open. We had a soft opening on Saturday, which was great. We didn't exactly break any sales records, but we did manage to let folks know we're here. The weather has yet to cooperate. Still in the 30s, and still snowing. All I can say is, I hope spring comes hard and fast. We won't need rain until August at this point....

Here are a few shots of the new place from Saturday.

There is still a fair amount of unpacking to do. I'm also expecting quite a bit of product to arrive too. Before too long, it will look like a real bike shop...
...except without the clutter!