After a great amount of hemming, hawing, considering and reconsidering, I have decided to pull out of my bid for the 2012 Breck Epic. Due to bio-mechanical setbacks and lack of time for proper training I just wasn’t feeling like I’d be adequately prepared to go out and take on this monster of an event.

I think I’d probably be able to do 2 or 3 stages with my current abilities, but I know that I would not be able to finish. And because Breck is so far away and expensive to get to, I couldn’t rationalize going and not coming home with this:

it says "Bad MotherF***r" on the back

image poached from Jeff Kerkove’s blog

It’s the finisher’s belt buckle. If I don’t finish, I don’t get one, and I’m not going to not finish. Instead I will work on getting my dilapidated self back towards some sort of fitness level that will allow me to ride my face off at altitude for 7 days, and set my sights on next year’s race.

I’m very bummed about it, but sometimes you just gotta be realistic.

This pretty much means my “racing” season is over after the DH40, which will leave me the rest of the summer to enjoy my time on the bike.

You know exactly the ones I’m talking about. The kind where you wake up in a foul mood and very little goes right. And it’s raining cats and dogs. And I’m writing out all the bills for the end of the month. Meh. At least I can pay them.

Air 9 RDO

After reaping the joys of business ownership, I set about the task of building JayPro’s new hardtail, a Niner Air 9 RDO. It sure is a svelte looking frame.

cramped rear caliper mount

It wasn’t smooth sailing though, the aesthetically pleasing yet impossible to reach with any kind of a tool rear brake mount had me cursing up a storm for about an hour while trying to line it up properly. I had to do a line swap too, as this new design runs a lot more line under the down tube. I eventually outsmarted it, but only just.

do the cables and BB fit? yes, but barely

I knew I was going to fight a pitched battle with the internal cable routing too, so I took a minute. I ate, so I wouldn’t fly into a low blood sugar rage, then I made a plan and stuck to it. With only a few miscues, I had successfully run the cables in relatively short order. This design uses full housing from shifter to derailleur, which is easier to instal than the cables on the A9C, but not optimized for ease of use.

And now I’m going to say my piece on internal cable routing now. BAD IDEA. Changing cables still requires the removal of the crank and BB, which is time consuming, and a huge pain in the ass. I’m not sure if whoever was in charge of this feature has ever had to replace a cable in a parking lot, or in the pits at some race, but it sure as hell is not race day convenient. That and the location of the rear brake are the only two problems I have with this bike.

fast AND light

It is otherwise a beautiful machine, weighing in at just 20.5lbs as you see it here. Despite my little mechanical niggles, I think this will be a very capable race rig, provided you bring it to the start line ready to go. It’s stiff, light, and is sure to strike fear into the hearts of those that line up against it.

 

I snuck in a quick ride on Friday and Saturday morning before heading to the shop, I knew it was going to get hot later in the day, and the poor dog has been jonesing for some quality rides. Friday took me up the new trails in Adam’s Camp area, Hardy’s Haul and Kimmers. It’s a nice 6 mile loop and is good for something quick. Saturday I rode Pipeline.

I’ve been dialing in Jay’s GoPro camera over these last two rides. Unfortunately, the chest mount he has seems to be upside down, but I figured out that I can rotate the footage in iMovie. Getting the position correct has been a bit of a chore, but I think I have it figured out. Friday’s ride was almost perfect, especially if you like dangly nylon Camelbak straps in the frame. Oh well, I made some adjustments, and fixed my strap for Saturday’s cruise down Pipeline.

I produced this video on the desktop at work, which does not have all the same awesome editing features that my newer laptop does, but what the hey? I haven’t done a video in quite some time, so my skills are poor anyway. I do have to say that I prefer the aspect the camera delivers from the chest mount, despite it’s ungainly look.

Sunday had me with a free morning and perfect weather, so I decided I’d make my first trip to the Kingdom of the summer. I was terribly unmotivated to ride anything local. I was in need of something different to do, and this seemed like a good fit.

My head wasn’t really in it though, which was a bit of a bummer. I rode pretty well, put on decent mileage, made good time etc, but for whatever reason it didn’t pull me out of my funk. Maybe I was having a low blood sugar morning. I probably would have felt even worse if I had not ridden, so I guess it’s good that I at least tried.

Monday, there were no bikes at all. I took K to the Memorial Day Parade in Vergennes, where we sat on my cousin’s front lawn and enjoyed the floats. K especially enjoyed the candy. Then it was back up to Waterbury for a cookout with the gang. Kids everywhere, sunshine and lawn games. This is what summer is all about.

 

Retail is a tough business. I’ve always tried to offer the best products possible, at least according to me. Let’s face it, I have high standards and impeccable tastes, so everyone wins really. Finding that fine line between what is cool and what sells is the trick. It has to be cool and sell. One of the things that has always done well for me is the $30 glove.

Jett Flight

I got a set of Jett Flight gloves to try out. The fit is spot on, and they are very comfortable. No pinchy fingers like the Ergon gloves I’ve been riding, although that is becoming less and less of an issue as I use them. There is no stitching on the thin palm at all which is nice, as I like my gloves as minimal as possible. The back is stretchy, and the fabric looks like it will breathe well. The fingers are pre-curved, and there are little silicone gripies on the picker and bird fingers.

4/10, but no beer spilled

Unfortunately, they do not score high marks on the beer test, despite eventually wrestling the can open. It required far too much effort and strategy to pop the tab one handed. One might accidentally drop or spill the beer while riding, so extra care will need to be taken to keep your beverage safe. This doesn’t detract from the performance of the glove though, even my old favorite gloves, the Oakley Pilots failed the beer test miserably. In fact, the only gloves to pass this test I’ve come across are the Ergon HA-2s.

I’ve brought in a size run of these gloves for the shop, based on my initial impressions. Affordable, well made and good looking.

I know everyone was all bummed out about not reading my diet-tribe about my breakfast habits yesterday (get it?). So here is another breakfast sandwich of note.

fuel for fastness

The Panera Bread “Power” Breakfast Sandwich. Yes, for just $3.89, you too can have this sandwich dreamed up by some corporate goon. Egg, cheese and ham, between 1 slice of multi grain brad. It’s small, but does pack a pretty decent punch. I only eat these twice a year, at the Panera Bread in Newburg NY, before SSAP and DH40. While it is nowhere near as awesome as my local bagel shop, it does provide a good value, decent taste and something that does not backfire on me while I’m racing my bike in the woods of Stewart. I got one for Dough this year, and he liked it.

I’m somewhat of a creature of habit, so finding a place to have a predictable pre race meal is godsend. Plus a Starbucks just opened up on the other side of the parking lot…

Your regularly scheduled breakfast sandwich report has been postponed to bring you this special announcement. Weather permitting, Sunday June 3rd will be the day of The B,S,R.E. Or, the Biggest, Stupidest, Ride. Ever. The plan is to ride bikes all day. My schedule permits this sort of nonsense, and to be quite truthful, I have no idea how long it will actually be. I don’t think the battery on my phone will not support Strava for as long as I think I’ll be out there.

There will be stops for breakfast, coffee, beer, lunch, shots, snacks, repairs, naps and more beer. Maybe even dinner. We’ll see…

Rock of Doom

This is an open invite to anyone who might want to ride their bikes all day. And also for those that might not have all day, but can tag along on a leg or two. The pace will be leisurely, and hopefully, the weather will be nice. If it isn’t, then a rain date will be announced as I can find a window in my schedule.

You have been warned.

primary colors

What a fantastic weekend for riding bikes! If only I wasn’t so woefully out of shape. I guess when you don’t ride for over a week, it disappears quickly. On the plus side, it kept all my rides socially paced.

Sofa King Awesome

So about them tires. The Continiental Trail Kings were mounted, holding air and ready to go. I was nothing short of amazed. As I suspected, the weight of the tire was a non issue. I set the pressure at 28psi front and rear, and left them there. The big blocky knobs have a slight ramp to them, and and shaped in such a way that eases the rolling resistance, while allowing them to grab on to what ever you are rolling over. I would even consider this tire “fast”, especially in it’s class. I’ll continue to play around with the tires , as they impressed me enough to leave them on Weapon X. I’ll be providing more feedback as the summer ontinues.

The Jett shorts also lived up to their name of “Raptor”. They were pretty impressive. The fit was good, they didn’t ride down, and provided plenty of support and comfort in the chamois department. I never once snagged them on my saddle, but then again, with the Reverb dropper post working, there was  a minimized chance of that happening anyway. I found the hand pockets to be of a useful size and dept. I had my phone in there on my first ride, and actually completely forgot it was there. It made no effort to escape, and was there for me when I decided to update my Facebook status on how much I like the tires.

I can't text and ride at the same time

Plus I look good in them .

The Ergon gloves are continuing their break in. They get more and more comfortable with every ride. They are no longer leaving seam line prints in my hands after a ride, which is nice, but the stand out thing i must say about this glove that I’m really into, is that they don’t bunch up under my fingers. Big plus there.

into the green room

There is fantastic weather on tap all week, so there will be much riding!

 

It’s a constant process. I have 3 bikes that do different things, and they all need love. Rambo has been stealing the spotlight lately, but now it’s time for Weapon X to make another appearance.

I’ve made a few tweaks.

shorter, yet higher

The stem has been switched from a 100×0° to a 90×10°. Pay no attention to that tumor sticking out above the stem, that’s left over from the Angleset days. It will be removed once I’m certain I’ve found the sweet spot.

finally fixed

I have finally outsmarted that Rock Shox Reverb height adjustable post! It is now armed and fully operational.

big meats

And I have pulled the Hans Dampf tires off to try the new Continental Trail Kings. I grabbed a set of 2.4s, which I have affectionately dubbed “The Sofa Kings”, as they have unfortunately crossed over into uncharted territory for me. Four digits. 1050g/1020g F/R. Yes, Sofa King Heavy. But initial parking lot tomfoolery assures me that they roll pretty darn quick, and like almost every other Conti tire I’ve used, I did not notice the extra weight. These tires give me good feelings.

...almost there...

I somehow misplaced my scale, so I have no idea what Weapon X is weighing in at these days, but I’m guessing around 32 lbs. Suffice it to say, once I cross 30 lbs, I don’t really give a damn about bike weight anymore.

measuring up

Also I’ll be testing the Raptor short and continuing my test of the Ergon HA2 gloves. They are really growing on me after 4 rides. With almost perfect weather on deck this weekend, I’m hoping for a lot of trail time. Check back Monday for my findings!

Have a great weekend y’all!

 

Some would consider a black cape with a big cowl to be the perfect addition to their wardrobe, I don’t disagree, but they are pretty impractical for bike riding. You could easily get it snagged in your rear wheel unless you were going fast enough for the cape to flow behind you. Also, the hood could restrict your vision to the point where you might hit low hanging branches.

Good for dominating the galaxy, bad for riding

I’m super happy riding in my tight and bright Bike29 leotards. And my METAL kits from Twin 6, but sometimes, I don’t always feel that speedy. And sometimes, being all trussed up like a sausage isn’t cool in certain social settings. This is where the baggy short has saved the day. I’m somewhat of a coinesseur in this department.

A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away, when I first started to ride with padded bike shorts, there were only a few companies making baggies. The two that I remember from back then was Zoic and Nema. I had a pair of each. The Zoics quickly fell apart, leaving me with the Nemas, which were my go to brand right up until the company exploded in early 2007. I made the leap to Oakley, who at the time, was producing an overbuilt, feature rich short that was a) comfy, b) fit, c) really expensive.

Since the demise of Nema, I have yet to find a baggie short that has lived up to the Oakleys. Unfortuantely, Oakley is a sunglasses company based out of Southern California, which means that it wasn’t really grounded in the needs of real world mountainbiking. At least for us riders in other parts of the country. The shorts became more about fashion than function, and what was once a truly awesome short quickly became a poorly executed tribute to the whims of Cedric Garcia and Brian Lopes, who seem to be the only people that can ride a short with a 28″ inseam. Didn’t we do gangsta pants in sports already, like in 1993?

Anyway, I’ve been on the hunt for a suitable replacement. Fit has always been a problem for me. Unfortunately, I’m built like a gorilla with long legs. It’s genetic. My first set of Oakley shorts were a struggle to get on, I needed a pant horn to get them over my huge ass, but once they were on, they felt really good. Except that trailside nature breaks were a bit of a problem. The issue is that if the short is baggy enough to get over my ghetto booty, then the waist is not tight enough to keep them up. Saggy shorts are no good, as they get caught on the saddle, and that can be a big problem when riding technical trails. Imagine being off the back of your bike on a steep loose descent, and having your pants come down half way on your way back over the saddle. That’s a fail in my book. Plus trail crack is not pretty.

my faves

My OG Oakley bagies are long gone, but these have been my go to shorts for the last few years. Now even these are starting to show signs of aging.

Jett Raptor

I’ve tried Fox, Bontrager, Club Ride, Endura, you name it, I’ve been in them. Now I have some Jett Raptor shorts to try out. Jett is a company out of Fort Collins CO, one of my favorite towns out west. The Raptor is their flagship short, constructed of a ballistic nylon, with a removable liner. They feature your standard hand pockets, plus zippered cargo pockets so you don’t loose stuff like your lunch money or trail maps etc. They also have vents on the front and rear of the shell, which hopefully will provide a bit of cooling. The fabric is a little on the heavy side (hopefully durable too), so some relief there would be appreciated.

the Chuck Norris of trucks

the Chuck Norris of planes

Like everything else named “raptor” , I fully expect nothing less than total baddassery out of these shorts. I’ll let you know how it goes.

MMMMMMMM!!!! I love me that new tire smell! After what, like 14 months, my Continental preseason order is starting to show up. I received the X-Kings about a month ago, which have proven themselves amazing. And now the stragglers are finally beginning to arrive.

Mountain King

Up first is the Mountain King, available in 2.2 and 2.4. I received the 2.4, the 2.2s are still on the way. The tread is completely redesigned from the previous version. The tread is quite a departure from the angled wedges of the old design. I was never a fan of the old tire, I felt the hard pointy knobs on the soft casing made the tire very squirrely. The new tire has an open, blocky, squared off tread. Weight is in the high 700g range, which is respectable for a tire with this much rubber on it.

Trail King

And then we have a tire that I’ve been excited about trying out, the Trail King, also available in a 2.2 and 2.4. Featuring more blocks than the MTN King, this looks to be the sort of tire that competes against big grippy tires like the Hans Dampf. The casing on the 2.4 is huge and round, and the squared off knobs are deep, making me think this might be a good tire for wetter and/or looser conditions. I’m going to mount a set of these up on Weapon X to see how they fair on our now wetter than dryer trails.

Both tires are meant to be run with the rear tread reversed. I do not expect fast rolling characteristics out of these tires, but I do expect lots of grip. I’ll report back with my findings later. It has even ben suggested that they might even be run as a combo, the Trail in the front with a reversed Mountain in the rear. Could be cool… Meanwhile, if you want to try these new tires from Continental for yourself, you can find the Mountain King here and the Trail King here.