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.

 

Back again with another episode of breakfast sandwiches. I don’t always have time to make my own, and so I have to rely on the offerings of others.

mmmm.... bagel

This is probably my most purchased breakfast, egg and cheese bagel and a large cup of French Roast. I get it from the bagel shop just across from the shop. Like a wise man once said, give me convenience or give me death, and this is as convenient as walking across the street and coughing up $5.25. I’ve definitely relied on this breakfast before rides and road trips alike. Very dependable, consistent, and pretty tasty. Plus you have a choice of the different kinds of bagles. The one pictured is a sunflower one, but I’ll bounce between everything, sesame or poppy depending on my mood. If I’m feeling like I need that extra boost, I’ll get bacon on it.

No, not me, this guy:

lining up

K-Dog decided he wanted to do his first race ever this weekend at Catamount. It was the annual season opener, the Flower Power race, which Bike29 has sponsored in years past. He lined up with about 8-10 other kids, also racing the cadet 1/2 lap category. At go time, he didn’t get the holeshot, but he powered his way past the bigger kids, and showed his strength climbing the first steepish grade to make second place.

cranking the climb

He did a good job of following the course, even making the Cadet Cutoff, made famous by Bob Parker (inside joke). After that, the kids disappeared into the woods, leaving us parents wondering how they were doing. After a little bit, the lead kid came trucking out of the woods, so I was hoping K was not far behind. I had no idea what the course was like beyond the big field, so I was hoping it wasn’t too difficult for him, but before I knew it, he came rolling out of the woods. “I’m in second place!”

pew! pew!

He was looking good, and seemed pretty happy to be out there giving it everything he had. Then he disappeared over the hill again. He reappeared a few minutes later at the bottom of the course, and he had caught the lead kid. Unfortunately, he wasn’t able to make the pass, but he did stand up and give it full power up the hill to the finish line for a solid second place finish.

strong finish

Atta boy!

It became pretty clear to us that he is ready for a bigger set of wheels, the kid that beat him was on 24s. He was very fired up about riding after the race though. Looks like we’ll be regulars at Wednesday Night Worlds this summer.

 

Remember folks, not only is it Mother’s Day on Sunday, it is also Cylofemme. So go out and buy some flowers and a nice present for yer mom, and then take her for a bike ride. She put up with a lot of your crap as a child, so go ahead and make her feel special.

We’re having our ride on Sunday at 4, meeting at the shop. Come ride with us! Families, kids, moms, dads, grandmas, but no doggies please. Hope to see you there, you’ll be joining in on 147 different rides in 13 countries!

It was going to be “Flava in your ear”, but that really doesn’t make any sense, considering this post has nothing to do with your ears. It does have a lot to do with hands though. More importantly, gloves. I’m picky. And I like new stuff. And I need new gloves. For the last couple of years, it had been in my best interest to get my gloves from one place.

TREK

But now, I can do whatever I damn well please, and I’ve resumed offering the products that a) I like, and b) are good. One of the reasons I started my own bike shop was so I wouldn’t have to sell mundane, ill conceived “me too” products. Let’s just say I’m getting back to my roots.

So, I’ve been in the market for new gloves for about 2 years. I still wear my trusty Oakley Factory Pilots, when I can find them, which have provided 4 years of faithful service, but are now showing signs of giving up. Not bad for a $20 glove. I like my gloves to be simple. I don’t need padding, extra seams or frills. They need to be light, comfy and above all, fit. I’ve had some craptastic gloves in my past, so my tolerance for sub par shit is less than 1 ride. I’ll peel them off and ride bare knuckle if I have to.

I first became aware of the Ergon gloves last year, when I crashed the Topeak Ergon Training Camp. The gloves that everyone (except me) was wearing looked spiffy, and my interest was piqued, but I had to wait a full year before I finally got to get my hands into a pair. That isn’t important. But this is. I bought a pair of HA-2 and HE-2 gloves to try out. Yes, I bought them, which allows me the privilege of being completely honest about them. And we should make clear right away, that I don’t waste my money on crap when I could get it for free. These are not $20 gloves though, so my expectations are going to be a bit higher. These gloves are $40, which is still quite reasonable for a good pair of hands, only if they hold up.

So let’s have a look shall we?

HA2

HE2

Both gloves have nearly identical palm construction. Minimal fabric, silicone brake grabbies on the pointer and bird finger, with a bit of extra padding under the heel of the palm. I’m guessing that this little bit of extra material is designed to work with Ergon’s paddle style grips, I’ll let you know how that is. Visually, the most obvious differences between the two are the way the thumbs are put together, and the closures at the wrist. The HE has a more textured thumb, while the HA is perforated.

Shockingly good fit

The HE fits amazingly snug, yet very comfortable right off the bat.

funny fingers

The HA was a little tight at first. The silicone application over the fingertips of these gloves  made my fingers feel like they were being pinched  I’ve had these gloves on and off my hands a few times, and the fit seems to be improving. The silicone seems to do a good job of keeping the glove from bunching under the fingers when you make a fist, making them suitable for punching dogs right in the snoot.

POW! Right in the kisser

The one true test of a great bike glove, is one you will never see in any bike magazine glove shoot out. The pull tab test. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve had to open a beer with my teeth while riding my bike. There are few things more disturbing than metal on teeth to me, but when you need to open a beer, dammit you need to open a beer. All of my future glove assesments will include this test.

slip and fail

purchase! winning!

So far, funny fingers aside, the HA is showing it’s merits early….

So, one of the things that I feel is necessary before a bike ride of any length, is a good breakfast. Being properly fueled is very important. One of my favorite breakfastes is a sandwich. Egg, cheese, maybe bacon.

mmm... sandwich...

I think I make a pretty darn good breakfast sandwich. I use good local-esque ingredients, and I generally eat one of these every day, but sometimes I run out of ingredients, or don’t have time to make one. I have become somewhat of a connoisseur of breakfast sandwiches, I have my spots that I like to go to, so I’ll be doing a breakfast sandwich shootout, on which I’ll judge the meal on presentation, value, and most importantly, tastiness. Mine is obviously the best, so we’ll use that as the “control”.

Damn. I’m hungry now.

Finally! Some nice weather. I had made my very best attempt at getting out and riding during the week, while still taking a much needed couple of days after SSAP. I had been having some issues with the outsides of my feet falling asleep, which was quite uncomfortable, especially after 26 or so miles blasting around Stewart. Something was to be done. After some consulting with M2, a little cleat position fiddling, everything seemed to be OK.

My first ride was an out and back up Camel’s Hump Rd, a little jaunt from the shop, featuring a stiff climb after a good warm up. This road had been nearly washed away during Irene, and the rebuilding process took a while, finishing up in early winter. They seemed to have managed to find a way to make it steeper and longer. The good news, foot pain gone, the bad, post race tweaks to the bike need to be made. The rear wheel is no longer straight, and the dust coated chain sounds like a Sherman tank. Still, it felt good to get the legs going again.

I also bagged another climb mid week, which was awesome because Seamus got to go with me. He loves riding bikes. I headed out to Cotton Brook on a chilly damp morning, and made the ascent, about 3 or so miles of elevation gain with grades ranging from “this isn’t too bad” to WTF?”. I figured out that Seamus’ top speed is around 25 mph on the descent, so I had to keep it reigned in on the way down. He found a big mud hole towards the end, and came back another color.

into the clouds

Then Saturday came, and it was glorious. Blue skies, and perfect riding temps. My schedule had me free for 2 good rides over both days of the weekend, and my mind was racing trying to figure out where I would go. And then I got a text from Mandy saying I had a package at the house, which happened to be the one I had been waiting for the last half of the week. I needed a part for JayPro’s Niner RDO, which was necessary for it’s completion. Seems that they forgot to include the BB cable stop/guide at the factory, making running the cables impossible.

RDO Speedwagon

Instead of riding, I cranked up some tunes, and spent the afternoon finishing the bike. It came out super nice, full XX build, Stan’s ZTR Race wheels, Fox Talas 120 fork. 22.55lbs. No joke. This is the bike Jay will be slaying on at the BC Bike Race.

waterfalls are pretty

So Sunday, I spent my morning on my own RDO, which I had also mounted a Fox Talas on. More on that in a future post. I pieced together a nice little ride from my place, hitting some of the local favorite spots, plus a few that I hadn’t been to in a number of years. About halfway through the ride I became really hungry, so instead of forcing a bonk, I called it and went home and made a big pile of steak egg and cheese tacos. Mmmm, tacos…

 

 

Here is a little something that is picking up momentum, and is poised to become a big something. My friend Sarai, owner of Girl Bike Love, is starting a revolution of sorts. May 13th is the inaugural Cyclofemme. It’s a movement to get more women on bikes. As we all know, cycling is a very male dominated sport. I for one would like to see the balance shift towards the other way, if not for the sole reason of seeing less sweaty dudes in spandex.

Cycling can be intimidating for any beginner, and Sarai’s goal is to level the playing field in a way that includes everyone. Register your ride for Sunday May 13th, bring the whole family. Have a great time.

If you are so inclined, come ride with us in Waterbury! Meet at 4pm at Five Hills Bikes in Waterbury, Vermont for an easy going mountain bike ride. We’ll cruise the in-town trails, climb up for the gentle loops on Perry Hill and stop for some champagne to celebrate the day.