iRide

I was reading somewhere that 29ers do better with flat bars instead of risers. Something to do with the headtube being higher. This made sense to me, as the cockpit on my 29er has always felt a bit off. I thought flat bars may help.

So I was at work today seeing what we had in the way of flat bars when I ran across these:

I didn’t know Niner made bars. These things are also 710mm wide!! I was running 675mm bars previously. I didn’t notice too much of a difference in that regard. It did feel very stable though.

Anyway, I went for a pretty good ride at LPQ after work and the new bars were sweet. They definitely helped make my body position feel more natural.

Here’s a before and after:

Before–Mid-rise bars, 100mm, 5 degree rise stem:

After–Flat bars, 100mm, 0 degree rise stem:

As you can see in the first pic, the grips (where my hands are) are up by the very top of the stem/steerer tube top cap. They are also swept back a bit–which caused me to sit up even more.

In the second pic, you can see the grips are well below the top cap and out in front–due to no sweep. It may not look like a huge difference to some, but I can see a big difference.

Anyway, I’m slowly kicking this cold. I rode for the first time in almost a week at LPQ with J and Mark last night. I got up at the butt-crack of dawn this morning and rode with a couple guys at Hodges before I had to go to work at Beyond. Then after work, Mark and I hit up LPQ again and I tried out the new bars. 3 rides in 24 hours–always a good thing!!!

I’m hoping to sneak in a ride tomorrow afternoon (I have the day off work). Rides for Wednesday, Friday and next weekend are pretty much a sure thing. Until then, seek your bliss.

Ride lots…

…and the prescription ain’t More Cowbell!!

I was able to make it through all of Winter without getting sick. Now that it’s consistently nice and sunny and warm, I got it bad. I woke up yesterday with a bad sore throat and was slightly congested. It got worse throughout the day and by last night, I had a high fever, a super congested nose and felt like I had an elephant sitting on my chest.

Today isn’t much better. I had to cancel off today’s ride and at this point, Friday’s ride is in jeopardy as well. Why couldn’t I have gotten this out of the way when it was raining?? AAAARRRGGGHHHHH!!!!!!!

I called Yeti today and talked to Seth the Warranty guy and the new rear triangle is on it’s way–no hassle at all. I know other manufacturers’ Customer Service is top notch as well, but Yeti’s CS is right up there with the best of them. I dropped the bike off at the shop today to have it “stripped and shipped” and I should have it back by this weekend.

Being that my ride Saturday was cut short, I’ve been seriously Jonesing for a ride since. With yesterday bring Easter a ride was out of the question. I had to stay home from work today because one of the kids was sick and I had to take them to the doctor–so no ride today. Tuesdays are not a ride day, which means I have to wait until Wednesday–and it’s driving me CRAZY!!! It seems like not too long ago (January I think) it didn’t bother me too much if I didn’t get a lot of rides in. I guess that was just a faze, ‘cuz not riding these past couple days is killing me!! It doesn’t help that I’m sitting here on the computer with the SS and the Haro sitting RIGHT next to me!!

Since I’ve had nothing to do today but sit around and look at “bike porn”, I’ve been dreaming about my next project. I’d love a full suspension 29er rig and this is what I’ve been dreaming of:

It’s a Niner Cycles JET9. http://www.ninerbikes.com/jet9.html

It comes in Black as well as the Green pictured above. I was all about the Black frame until I saw the Green. Just about every bike I’ve owned has been black or silver or grey or a combination of the 3. I figure it’s time to break out of it and throw some color in there. Plus, the paint glows in the dark–I kid you not!! The shop is a Niner dealer and my Pro Deal/Employee Purchase price is insanely cheap. I can also just switch all of my current 29er parts over and Voila–new bike!!

So, Moab is just a few weeks away now–like 32 days!!! Man I can’t wait. I ordered up a fresh pair of Oakley goggles from Oakley.com, to wear with my full face helmet for Porcupine Rim and future trips to Noble Canyon. They’re real fresh, real sweet:

I also FINALLY got a T-Shirt in the mail that I ordered awhile ago. I saw it on a T-Shirt website and just had to have it. I made a copy of the pic of the shirt off the site and have been using it as my Avatar pic for quite awhile on SoCalTrailriders.org. Of course, I had to put it on and model it like the bad @$$ I am (NOT!!!!) LOL. Who am I kidding. I’m harmless, or at least that’s what I’ve heard.

Of course, I had to open up for the pic so you can see the shirt. I know a couple of my instructors read my blog, so please know–I would never stand like that if it was for real!!! LOL.

So, rides coming up on Wednesday, Friday, Saturday after work and Noble Canyon again Sunday after church. Until then, seek your bliss.

Ride lots…

A few of us hit up Noble Canyon today and we had our share of carnage. A dented seatstay on Evan’s Santa Cruz Heckler, a broken derailleur hanger on Matt’s Turner 6-Pack and a broken frame. The broken frame happened to me.

It happened a few miles into the downhill section. The rear-most weld on the left chainstay snapped and when it did, it took the carbon seatstay lug with it. Well, I’m just guessing the weld went first. The carbon lug is a faux-pivot and made to flex. Those typically only snap when you run an 8″ rear brake rotor and subject them to too much braking force.

Needless to say, I had a long walk back to the car. Just a nice romantic stroll through the forest with my bike. J was nice enough to walk back with me, so it wasn’t too bad.

I have yet to call Yeti of course, but I’m sure they’ll be cool about it. They have a solid reputation for taking care of their customers. Plus, they were really cool and prompt when they warrantied my front triangle in October last year— http://www.statmtb.blog.com/2247128/. I’m going to call them first thing Monday morning. Hopefully I’ll have it back by next weekend.

It was a major bummer though. This was my first ride on my new Fox TALAS 36RC2 fork. I got in some decent mileage on it looping the Big Laguna Trail at the top of the mountain–before the descent. What I did experience I was very impressed by. Unfortuantely, I was really looking forward to putting it to the test on the downhill the most. Oh well. What are you gonna do? Here’s a few pics of the new fork hotness:

At least I have the SS and the 29er to take its place until I get it back. I should be hitting up Hodges on Wednesday. I know I’ll ride Friday and Saturday too, I just haven’t decided where. Until then, seek your bliss.

Ride lots…

Mark and I hit up Noble Canyon today and boy was it cold!!! We had an absolute blast though. Definitely an awesome ride–thanks for the idea Mark. I had no idea the ride was going to turn out as fun as it did.

We rode around the Big Laguna Trail at the top. I was on my 29er and had the Haro in the car for the DH to the bottom. It was fun but very cold up top and the wind howling through the meadow was a killer. The 29er did awesome though. I had a blast cruising BLT on it. I would sure like to upgrade it to a full suspension frame one of these days. I’m thinking of either a RIP9 or JET9 from Niner bikes. Anyway, back to the ride report…

Mark and I geared up back at the car and started to head down. I was loving the Haro’s super plush ride. I also wore my new full face helmet–primarily for warmth. Man it was COLD!! We had a good flow through the beginning section and I finally sacked up and jumped the log instead of just rolling it. I also finally cleaned Widow Maker. I have always walked it in the past. It is a bit techy and I have seen people get hurt there, so I was always leary. I was feeling good today though and went for it. Mark cleaned it too and I went back a second time so we could get the proof on film.

Cleaning Widow Maker:

Hitting the log

We ran into Steve/Aquaholic (an awesome rider, Noble Canyon legend and all around cool guy) at the beginning of Stairway to Hell and was the lucky recipient of his expert coaching. He offered tips for descending Stairway and Mark and I both cleaned it on our second attempts. I was so stoked. I had hoped to clean it someday but never thought today would be the day.

He hung with us for the rest of the ride and even helped us clean the final section of trail called Extra Credit. It has LOTS of rocks and can be very difficult. We sessioned a lot of it to get the lines down and I was amazed at what a little bit of coaching, a little bit of determination and a positive vibe/atmosphere can do. I cleaned sections of Extra Credit that have totally shut me down in the past. I ended up cleaning ALL of it, albeit broken down into sections.

Mark even hit a section called “The Roman Wall”. It is very techy and he nailed it. I was so impressed. I wanted to but the Haro’s 42 lbs were working me over and I was pretty tired, so I figured I’ll attempt it next time. I took the “easier” line around it. I would have to say that the sessioning of Extra Credit was the highlight of my day.

Here’s a pic of just a very small section of Extra Credit. The pic doesn’t quite do Extra Credit’s technicality justice. All the rocks are taller than they appear and are square edged for the most part–very hard to roll over. But, it gives you an idea. Imagine this spread out for about a mile:

Steve is such a gifted rider–it is truly something to see. He rides a custom Titanium, rigid, 29er singlespeed at Noble. We got to see him hit some amazing stuff, including his new Razor’s Edge/Psycho roller. The pics do it NO justice. The line you have to hit is only a few inches wide:

Here’s a series of him nailing the the rock roller at the hairpin turn leading into Stairway to Hell. After he rolls it, he “trackstands” and hops his bike 90 degrees and continues down the trail without putting a foot down. As he says–it doesn’t count unless you make the corner. Just for clarification, few people take this line. There is an alternate line, as this one takes incredible skill. I walk the alternate line by the way, not trying to act like I’m that skilled:

After we were done, we loaded up in Mark’s car and headed back up to the top of the mountain where we left my car. As we drove, the sky got darker and darker. We wondered if the forecasted storm was hitting early. We got to my car and as as soon as we started transferring my gear over, the snow started. Like, a lot of snow. A strong sense of urgency to get the heck off the mountain became the theme and we loaded up and high-tailed it out of there. It was crazy for a few miles but we made it down without incident.

I really want to hit up Noble again in the same fashion. The full “Tour de Noble” (climbing up from the bottom) is fun, but I’m so tired by the time we get to the DH back down, I just want to make it down in one piece. Forget trying stuff over and over. Having the energy to play around was a lot of fun and made the ride that much better.

I do think the Haro was more of a hinderance than a help though. Don’t get me wrong, it’s super plush and the DH was nice, but Noble has a lot of pedaling sections and I got pretty tired. Next time I go, it will be on the Yeti. The difference in travel isn’t much–1.25″ in the rear and only 10mm in the front. More importantly–it is about 12 lbs lighter than the Haro!! The Haro is more like a wrecking ball you point downtrail. I can do a lot more with the Yeti and am looking forward to the next trip back.

Speaking of the Yeti, it will be the recipient of a new Fox 36 TALAS fork this week!! I finally sold my P.O.S. Marzocchi AM SL1 and used the money to get the fork I always wanted for the Yeti. Thank goodness for EP pricing.

OH YEAH!!

We plan on hitting up Noble again real soon. It’s also less than 6 weeks until Moab!! WOOT WOOT!! Until then, seek your bliss.

Ride lots…

I went for a solo ride at Lake Hodges today after I got off work at the shop. I realized I have never ridden Hodges solo before. I guess there really is a first time for everything. I wasn’t really by myself. I had a few friends along:

The Tunes

The trusty SS

Despite being by myself, it was a great ride. I felt strong the whole way. I put the Crank Bros Acid clipless pedals on before my ride on the SS yesterday and left them on today. I think they help a little bit. Since I don’t do any hardcore riding on the SS, the clipless pedals do fine.

I also made one more change to the SS at work. In the pic above, you see a black and white “bashguard” on the crankarm. The actual chainring is behind it. I run a bashguard on all my bikes, but like I said– I don’t do any hardcore riding on the SS, so I got to thinking that the bashguard was unnnecessary. It was never spaced correctly anyway (my own fault) and the chain did rub against it. I noticed less resistance while pedaling today and I’m glad I took it off. Singlespeeds are all about a clean appearance too, and it definitely looks a lot cleaner with just the chainring.

Spring has defintely “Sprung”. The warm weather we’ve been having is sure pushing it along. Th snakes are out already–as well as the flowers. It is sure nice to see after the fires in October. Here’s a few pics. Considering it looked like a charred, black demilitarized zone after the fires in October, I’m really diggin’ it.

If you look closely in this one, you can see the dead/burned leaves on the trees–burned in the fire in October.

Tomorrow my nephew is getting baptized and we are having a small party after, so no riding. I also have a dentist appointment Monday morning, so I’m thinking my next ride won’t be until Wednesday. Crap. Oh well. Until then, seek your bliss.

Ride lots…

So I am actually starting to enjoy going to the gym. It’s a lot nicer since J is going with me and I don’t have to do it by myself. It sure makes the time go by faster. Two weeks in and I’ve lost 6 lbs. Not bad at all. If I keep it up at this pace, I should be at a nice weight for Moab.

J and I hit up Hodges today. The weather was outstanding and the ride was a hoot. I went out on the SS for the first time since….since….wow, I think the last time I rode that thing was in October before the fires.

I forgot how fun and rewarding riding a SS is. It was hard at first. The first couple hills really sucked. But, after just a few miles I really got back into the flow and was killing it.

I’m going to try to ride after work tomorrow, but it will likely be a solo. Everyone is either busy or out of town. No worries. A ride is a ride. Until then, seek your bliss.

Ride lots…

Today was my nephew’s birthday, so the family and I made the drive up to Burbank for the party. I was dreading the drive but looking forward to the party.

It’s cool he is celebrating his first birthday. Not to get into too much detail, but he was very sick when he was born and spent quite awhile in the NICU at Cedar-Sanai. He is doing world’s better now, and it’s cool to see him as he is now, 1 year later.

The party was awesome. I ended up playing Party Paparazzi with my bro-in-law’s Nikon SLR. Wow!! What a camera. I REALLY need to get one of those. I knew those SLR’s were cool cameras, but I had no idea they were that awesome. I’m serious. I’m not much of a camera buff, but I really want one of those things. Amazing doesn’t even begin to describe it.

My sister’s friends are all real nice too, so that was a plus. I had no idea she is friends with a lady who stars in a popular TV show, who came to the party. This actress was super cool and down to earth. She and her boyfriend arrived promptly on time and were just about the last one’s to leave–no late entrance/early exit bit. She was very easy to talk to, complimented me on how cute my kids were, joked and cracked up with everyone there. She was talking about how tomorrow is her first day back to work now that the writer’s strike is over and that she was happy to start filming again. When she did leave, she hugged everyone good-bye and was just super cool.

I wasn’t really “star struck”, as I have never watched the show she is on (I don’t really watch much TV) but I know it is pretty popular. I was more impressed with how nice she was. Being a popular actress in LA, it would’ve been very easy to be aloof, snobby and rude. But she wasn’t–not even a little bit. In fact, from what I can tell after “YouTubing” some stuff just now, she appears to be very similar to her likable TV persona. Anyway, Tonya and I agreed we are now going to set the TiVo and start watching her show.

My nephew pulled in an unbelievable haul of goodies–and several of us grown-ups were sure to “test” some of them for him. As soon as I get the pics CD from my bro-in-law, I’ll post a few pics.

I’m going to attempt a ride in Fallbrook tomorrow. It’s been awhile since I’ve dared try it, what with the crappy trail conditions. But, I’m interested to see how it’s doing. Until then, seek your bliss.

Ride lots…