I’d say so. In fact, the last day of 2012 was pretty darn good. The saying goes “out with the old, in with the new”, and this was the case for me in terms of my vehicular transportation. Face friends know that my car was backed into and dented pretty badly, enough for $1200 worth of repairs to the door. Well, the Saab was a good car, by far the best I’ve ever owned, but she was getting  a little long in the tooth. 8 years is a long time to have a car, I’d say I got  my money’s worth. With insurance check in hand, I decided it was the time to make my move. On Dec 31st, I bought a 2006 Toyota 4runner. I am stoked.

Also got my first good trundle of the year in. Mandy and I headed out on the VAST network near the old homestead, our goal to see how close to Middlesex Notch we could get in the amount of daylight we had to work with. Conditions were pretty good, a little soft, but manageable. The snowmobile tracks are definitely packed down enough, save for a few spots that required some walking. The terrain was rolling, with a few rotten fall line climbs, but hey, these trails aren’t designed with bicycles in mind.

cheers big ears

It was a pretty grueling slog on the way out, mostly uphill, but we stopped at a nice little clearing and hoisted a couple of PBRs that I had stashed min my jersey pockets. The trail kicked up pretty sharply just beyond, and with an hour of daylight left, we figured this was a good turn around point. As it was mostly up on the way out, it was mostly down on the way back. Riding the Trundleraptor fast is pretty exhilerating. You never really can be sure that you will have grip at any given time. The best practice is to have a good attitude, and be totally OK with ending up in a pile on the ground (I did).

dropping in

when I says woah, I mean woah!!!

All in all it was a good outing, and the ride definitely fueled some winter bike stoke in me. My brain got to thinking about some sort of ridiculous snow bike enduro… Oh yes… I’m hatching some sort of hair brained, night time, point to point race, involving bacon, booze and likely, fire. After all, you have to do something in VT in the winter to stay sane.



 

It’s amazing how little effort it takes to fuel the stoke.

I’ve spent the last couple of days in my storage unit, after spending entirely way too long trying to print out shipping labels at my kitchen table. What was I doing? Putting labels on boxes. Being busy never felt so good. Even if my efforts took 5 times as long due to an “IT” issue.

the first carload

I also made a bit more room in ye old “warehouse” by passing on a couple of items that I had built for the shop: my old workbench and my craptable. I call it a craptable, but really it’s where the bench vise, bench grinder and several hundred steerer tube ends used to live. It’s a sturdy little sucker. I was able to bequeath these items to my good buddy Joe (of Joe’s Trail), who also helped me stuff boxes. Without his help, I would still probably be there shipping orders in the snow.

hazy shade of winter

Oh, yeah, it has snowed. Several inches fell up high, and we’ve had a dusting to 1″ on the valley floors which means that winter will very soon be upon us. That didn’t stop me from getting in a ride in the Loops. While many of the locals were out hiking the snow capped mountains in search of their first ski turns of the season, Seamy and I had the woods to ourselves.

snowy singletrack

keepin it METAL

Now I don’t know if the ambient air temperature had anything to do with it (28°!) but I had a real hard time getting my bike to move. I felt weak like kitten, a far cry from the strong like bull I felt on my last ride. It probably had more to do with the fact that my last ride was well over a week ago. Or maybe I need a lighter bike…

I’ve been riding Niner bikes for a really long time. They work for me. I’ve owned at least one of just about every model, with the exception of the EMD and the MCR. I’ve owned and ridden other bikes, there was a time when I had an Intense Spider 29er, and all of last winter I got to spend some quality time on the Spot Brand Rocker. But let’s face it, I’m a Niner guy.

The good news is that Niner makes a variety of bikes that work for many riders, but my one niggle is that they are a little slow to develop bikes in what I consider the “growth” category. Sure the RDO bikes are fantastically beautiful race machines, but not everyone races. In fact, the ratio to recreational riders to racers is a pretty big difference. I am referring to “trail” bikes. The bikes that people just want to ride.

Now, I’m a little different in that I’m a semi-weight conscious nerd, but there is one thing that I don’t like and that is heavy bikes. My WFO is not heavy by any means, but it is a 32lb bike. All things being equal, it is a beast of a bike, but there are similar bikes out there that are lighter, because they are made of carbon. Carbon is where it’s at, and Santa Cruz is currently singing my song with their Tallboy LTC.

mmm carbon

My friends up at iRide had just gotten one of these in, and offered me the opportunity to take one for a spin a couple weeks ago. I rode it back to back against Black Sunshine. Unfortunately, I didn’t have the opportunity to get all nerdy with the weights and numbers as I was nowhere near my shop, plus the bike was a medium. I’d ride a large. The bike was set up with a 3×10 Shimano XT group, WTB Frequency wheels, Hans Dampf tires, Rock Shox Revelation fork and Reverb dropper post. A pretty legit build if you ask me. My course was to be 1 lap on each bike around the Adam’s Camp trails.

I rode Black Sunshine first, and it had ben a while since I had hauled my fat ass out on a bike. The DH40 to be exact. Ugh. Obviously, the climb up hurt a little, and I needed a minute or 2 to get myself ready to descend Kimmer’s. I wanted to concentrate on a nice smooth ride down, something I’m nit super capable of when I’m all blown up. But, I had a nice run down, not pushing it too hard, but also working the corners and keeping the speed up. Kimmer’s is a hard trail to ride fast, it pays to be smooth than speedy.

I got back to the car and swapped bikes. I set up the rear shock per the recommended rate of body weight minus 10psi or so. It felt really really firm. But climbing was fine, the 3×10 gearing allowed me to find a gear to get a good spin on, and I motored up to the start of Kimmer’s once again. I decided that I would drop some pressure in the rear shock. A lot actually. JayPro had ridden the bike the day before, so when I got my hands on it it had been set up for him. I dropped the psi form 200 to 170, and the back end felt immediately better. I left the ProPedal off, dropped the seat a couple inches, and also let some wind out of the tires. I like my Hans Dampfs around 22psi.

Well, it was a giggly good time, that’s for sure. The bike felt very agile and quick, but I’m willing to bet that had more to do with the size of the bike than any other factor. Still, it sliced and diced through the woods like nobody’s business, and I was hooting and hollering all the way down. The VPP suspension was great, very snappy and responsive, but in a different way than Niner’s CVA design. It had a bottomless feel that I really like, and did very well pedaling out of the saddle when exiting corners at speed. The frame was stiff and tracked with surgical precision. And it felt light. Flickable. Quick. Carbon. Love it.

Well, I gave the bike back with a big smile and thanked iRide for the chance to play with their new toy. I’d own one.

I tracked my laps on my Garmin. I knew there was going to be a little inconsistency in my lap times because I was farting around a lot longer on my first lap before dropping in on the downhill, but what I found is that the Santa Cruz was actually a tad slower in terms of overall speed. The WFO felt like driving a baddass truck by comparison, exhilarating but requiring careful attention to stay on line. Think of it like the difference between a Ford Raptor vs a Tacoma TRD.

Well, Interbike is coming, and Niner put a sneaky picture of something on their latest newsletter. I wonder what it might be…

…now where was I..?

heading back out

Oh yeah, the DC aid station, where those that did not stop were heckled to “come back and get their aids!”

Well, with the front of the pack making such ludicrous time on the course, I didn’t have a lot of time to hang out. It was time to get myself and the kegs to the finish line and get set up before they got there. With my army of volunteers in tow, we hauled our butts to the end of the line, with a small pitstop to grab a sandwich. A good thing I did too, because it was pretty much all I would have had to eat, with the exception of the 2 doughnuts I was able to yoink from Dough before finally making it to dinner.

It seemed that no sooner did I get the banners up at the finish line, that the first guy blazed through with an improbable gap between 2nd place. I was at first questioning wether or not he had cut the course in some fashion, but T-hom assured me (also comng in at a scorching pace), that this dude was no joke, and his time was legit, although he probably did not stop and get his aids. Shortly thereafter it was a steady stream of riders for the next few hours.

how fast? 2:38. really fast

At first people didn’t know they had finished, they were expecting another evil rooty climb, and didn’t stop until they were chased and yelled at. We, the course organizers decided that a nice easy finish was a just reward for all the ridiculous climbing. But after a while, enough had finished and it made it that much easier to corral the riders, where the race turned into a keg party in the woods.

just like high school

In a spur of the moment decision, Mandy and I decided that we would give out the awards and have the derby for the belt, lest we be stuck out there after dark  As there are only 3 awards in singlespeeding, first man, first woman and DFL, this didn’t take long. First place male was Paul Simoes, and first place female was VT’s own Kim O’Connell, who had raced an old converted Fat Chance Yo Eddy! How awesome.

The derby for the belt was held, and although there were a good amount of people hanging out, not many of them seemed to want the belt. The rules are simple: ride any bike but your own, hands on the bars, and keep your feet on the pedals. Foot comes down, and you are out. There was a little pushing and dirty derby happening, but it came down to Dejay Birch winning the mens belt for the second time, and Kerry Montgomery taking the ladies. As the host for this year’s event, I was not allowed to participate, but I can tell you that I will be hopping on the bike for some derby next year.

getting belted

After some prizes were dispersed, it was time for the hosting shenanigans. Of course it was a good old fashioned VT syrup chug! Seven toed the line, but it was a neutral party, or actually an anti AZ party, that put down a pint of Grade B in an alarmingly quick manner. So fast in fact, that I didn’t even register, as I was watching a very close race between AZ and PA. Ultimately, it was the fastest chugger’s choice, and he chose Minnesota. There was a bit of protesting from the PA crew, but it was decided.

There were a few more folks to come through, including the DFL. I had a call from our sweeper, Scott, who said that he was close by, and that everyone was accounted for. We started to break down the party, many folks had left to take naps or get some grub. And lo and behold, VTer Wil Blanchard finally crossed the line to win DFL. According to ScotT who escorted him across the line, he had the best attitude the entire time, which is always great to hear. The course was rugged, and it was nice to have someone earn DLF for a change, instead of “winning” by taking naps or slacking off.

Sadly, my camera ran out of batteries right after the belt derby, but there are more than enough images and even some video on the FB page. Go “like” it if you are so inclined.

My summary, and the credits, will follow tomorrow.

Since none of us were around or free for Father’s Day, we had all agreed to postpone our annual ride until a time more convenient. I spent Sunday with the usual suspects at Sugarbush Resort. We thought it might be fun to hurl ourselves down the mountainside at hight rates of speed on bikes with gobs of suspension.

enjoying the view

It was fun.

Except I was the first one to remember why full face helmets are such a necessity for this aspect of cycling. Being on a strange rental bike that wasn’t set up for me was only part of the problem. The other part was poor piloting skills, but the result was swift and severe. I lost the front end exiting a turn, and my face hit the ground at alarming speed. My hands never even left the handlebars. It took me a minute to get up, and when I did, I found that I had ripped my shirt, scuffed up my belly, and scared the crap out of myself. Not literally, but it did take me a few minutes before I could pull myself together and hop on the bike again. In retrospect, it was probably a good thing I had my confidence shaken so early in the day, as I kept the rest of my runs on the conservative side.

Besides being a banged up rental bike, the Banshee Scythe was actually a blast to ride. It was equipped with a Boxxer, and some sort of Marzocchi rear shock which had about 4 different knobs on it that did precisely nothing. The brakes were a 4 piston Hayes something or other that had terrible lever feel, and barely adequate stopping power. The front end was too firm, the rear to gushy but it didn’t stop us from riding some of the steepest and gnarliest stuff we’d seen in a long time. It’s amazing what these bikes will allow you to do.

Reveling in the trails we were riding, we all agreed that we could each use a new bike, something big slack and heavy, and most importantly, set up correctly for it’s pilot. Of course, downhilling is an expensive sport. Not only do you have to have the bike and equipment, you also need access to lifts. And the time to ride it, which is something that none of us really have much of.

Still, off in fantasy land, I picked myself out a real nice bike.

I used to race DH on a GT STS back in the day, before upgrading to an Ellsworth Dare. But I had always wanted a Schwinn Straight 8. I always thought that thing was pretty boss. These frames were made in Colorado by Yeti, and Yeti made some of the nicest stuff on earth. So I decided that my fantasy DH bike would be a no holds barred 303.

my birthday is coming soon...

It comes in black.

 

It’s tough to get everything done that needs to be done sometimes. Shop, home chores, chicken watching, dog sitting all required my attention this weekend. The weather was supposed to be foul, so I grabbed Weapon X and snuck in a ride first thing on Friday morning before heading to the shop. It went a little something like this:

Then it was rain, rain, rain on Saturday, making it a great day for doing things off the bike. Like clean my apartment. Only I’m a wicked procrastinator, and I took a nap and watched baseball on TV instead, knowing full well that the weather tomorrow was going to be more of the same.

Except it wasn’t. No. Instead, it was nice and sunny, and the perfect temp to go out and ride my road bike for a long ride, something I had tried to get on earlier in the week but got shut down 4 miles out by some big scary looking clouds. I barely made it back before the skies opened. Well, darn it. I had a boatload of laundry to do, my apartment to clean, and was kid free, so I tackled the impossible catastrophe that is my home. It literally took all day, and I was actually able to stay surprisingly focused and didn’t crack my first beer until I put the vacuum cleaner away.

Seems like the rain was waiting until nightfall, and now everything is wet again. But at least my laundry is done and my apartment is clean.

The experiment in headangle nonsense continues.

After much geeking around with M2 with various angleometers and plumb bobs, I had decided to try the WFO with a standard inset. I popped out the Cane Creek Angleset, and pushed in a Chris King, the last black one they had in stock. I had some other minor tweaking to do to the bike while it was in the stand, so I took the opportunity to take care of these niggly little adjustments.

new headset

My schedule had me free in the afternoon, which was right about the same time the nasty weather was supposed to arrive. It was cold and windy when I loaded the bike onto the car, but I was pretty sure I was going to be able to sneak in a ride up at the Loops. While passing past the old shop, I saw the rather nasty sight of snow falling up on the Worcesters. Meh. I was going to ride anyway.

My knee at this point is still recovering from last Saturday’s attempt at a ride, so I had to take it pretty easy. Out of the saddle pedaling was not an option, so I ended up not being able to climb up the things the way I wanted to without my leg buckling. Double meh. But that is not what this ride was about. I could afford to take it easy on the climby parts.

I had fiddled with the fork some more, and I felt like I was getting close to the sort of performance I had been expecting. I’ll have to keep playing with it, as a phone call to PUSH learned me that they do not yet service the new 34 platform. With that out of the way, I can now focus on getting the rear shock more to my liking. The Monarch feels plush, but I’m still having fits getting the air pressure right.

I like big tires and I can't deny...

The Schwalbe Hans Dampf tires continue to amaze. They have now grown a little beyond their 2.35 designation, and are approaching 2.4. Grip is amazing. So far 20 psi seems to be a good pressure. Not the fastest rolling tire, but that isn’t what it is about. It simply hooks up, on any type of terrain, wet or dry. Possibly my new favorite aggressive tire.

storms a comin'

In the tight and twisties, the bike has taken on a new level of lethatlity. The steering is so much better with the standard inset. In fact, it sort of surprised me a little, I was expecting the bike to be heavy handed through certain spots, but I actually felt I had better control and speed through some of the tighter sections. In fact, there is one particular turn on Squirrel Land that has a long perpendicular root right in the middle of a turn, which you normally hit at speed. My normal line is to the outside, but for some reason at the last second I thought I’d get after the inside line. The bike obliged with no hoohaw, and I was able to set myself up for the next series of roots rocks and turns.

Super awesome.

The weather was deteriorating the whole time I was out there, but I decided I would ride my test loop in it’s entirety. Besides, Seamus was having a good time, and he doesn’t care about getting wet. It hadn’t started raining in earnest, but the wind was picking up, and it was DARK. I finished my ride and got back to the car just in time.

deluge

Haha! Snuck that one in!

Here in New England, it is clear that winter isn’t coming. At least not in the way it traditionally has. I’m sort of semi OK with it. While I’m hopeful that the minimalist snowstorms continue to be the trend, there are always checks and balances. I just know that there will be a major snow event that will set the bike riding season back for weeks. It’s how it works here.

I have forseen it

But, in the off chance that this is result of global warming, well, maybe we will be riding in the woods up here soon. I remember in 2010 we were riding Town Loops in mid March on dry trails. Judging by what is out there right now, it might be early March. What little snow there is, is rotting fast. Most likely because I got a snowbike. You can thank me later.

going... going...

This is the view from my apt. Look at the bare spots. Incredible. Now you can also hear the cacophony of birds as well as the constant flow of traffic from my deck. Overnight temps have been above freezing, and long term weather says above freezing temps all next week.

I’ll be headed down to Mass this weekend, and will be riding the Spot Brand Rocker in the woods, where is no snow. I hope that wherever you are, that you get a chance to go out and ride this weekend. See you on Monday.

 

Finally, after a two week build process, I have finished the assembly of the Trundleraptor. That is what I have decided to name this bike. I ended up having to order a crankset for a Moonlander, and substituted the spindle with one for a Pugsley. Somehow, I managed to make it all work the first time. Only a couple more months of winter, and I want to put some miles on this beast.

it's trundle-icious!

The result is a pretty fun machine, and one that I can’t wait to get all snowy. Amazingliy enough, after a brutal few days well below zero, it has started raining here. I’m not afeared though, this ought to help the snow pack down a bit for when it gets cold and stays that way during the day, which should be later in the week. My parking lot test ride was enough to let me know that the components will work well. The Nates seem to have a very tenacious grip, even on the icy pavement. They almost sounded like a studded car tire as they rolled along. I think they will do just fine on trail.

trundle-tastic even

The build out is as follows:

Large Pugs frame and fork, King headset, DT 370/Surly 135mm front hub laced to Rolling darryls with DT SuperComp spokes, Surly Nate tires, Thomson seatpost and stem, Ritchey 10D crabon flat bars, Avid Elixir CR brakes (185/160 rotors), Ergon GE1 grips, WTB Vigo saddle, Jagwire Rip Cord cables and housing, X-9 trigger shifters and mid cage rear derailleur, Shimano SLX E-type front derailleur, Surly Mr Whirly double offset cranks w/22-36  rings, 11-34 cassette, and my vintage KORE DH flat pedals that are about 15 years old.

All together, this bike comes in at an impressive 34.6lbs. I’ve got a flask cage on it for “warming” drinks, and I’ve also added a couple of Knog Frog silicone LED lights on the front for marker lights, and a Knog Beetle blinky on the back for a little extra visibility.

Now I get to learn about what to wear while using one of these machines. I have a pile of old softshell jackets and pants from my days as an apparel brand manager, which will hopefully come in handy. I’m very much looking forward to this process.

 

 

bike parking

There is now an official SSUSA website, that will feature all the info you need to make your plans. The date is still Saturday, July 28th. I have however just been informed that the very fun Eastern Cup race will be held at Catamount on the 29th, so folks that can’t get enough racing might think about doubling down and hit both events.

I’ve been daydreaming of were the course might be. There are so many good options packed into this little area, it’s going to be tough to pick which ones to feature, but rest assured, participants will get a good dose of our local stash. July seems so far away right now, but I know it will be here before I know it, and probably long before I am ready. In 2 weeks, I’ll be in AZ, and when I get back, registration is on. Keep your eyes peeled…