Bike Cave

This is draft two of this blog. What happened to draft one? It got too long and boring. Bike tools are something I could ramble about for a long time. So I've decided that rather than discuss the list of tools every home bike shop should have, it now about two items every shop should have but may not.

With the growing popularity of carbon parts proper tightening is important. Over tightening can crack the components sending your blingy new part to the scrap bin. A good set of torque wrenches is crucial for proper fastening of carbon parts. I started with the Ritchey Torque Key but it is limited to a 4mm bit at 5Nm. I moved on to a Pedros Demi. It's a nice wrench but slightly inconvenient. The next move was a set of CDI Torque Keys. These are three t-grip wrenches preset to 4,5, and 6Nm and have interchangeable bits for a variety of fasteners.

The other issue with carbon bits is they tend to slip. Whether its a carbon seatpost in an aluminum frame or vise-versa carbon friction paste fixes the slippage issue. I use it on the bar to stem interface, seatpost in frame, and even when using lock-on grips with carbon bars. Its uses go beyond carbon. I had a seat the would always slip in the seat clamp and friction paste cured the problem.

So there it is. Two items any carbon fiber owning cyclist should own.

Just for good measure, heres a picture of our cat jumping for a treat.

Onward and Upward

Somewhere around 7 years ago I walked into a Damascus, VA bike shop with a busted SPD pedal. We talked about different pedals a few minutes before the mechanic offered to sale me his used Time World Cup pedals. Over the years they have been on at least five different bikes, ridden in rain and snow is below freezing temperatures, and always survived to the next ride. Lately they have had slight problems staging engaged so I started looking for a rebuild kit. Parts for pedals that are over 7 years old are hard to come by.

Since most of my friends ride some version of Shimano's SPD pedal I gave in and made the switch to SPDs. My main justification is that we can switch bikes if needed like the Tour de France riders do. A byproduct of the switch is dropping 66gr. After some searching I settled on Shimano PD-M540 pedals. Published weight has them 9gr heavier than XT and 40gr heavier than XTR. They are also $50 cheaper than XT and $170 cheaper than XTR. It's hard to justify that cost for the weight savings.

I have debated what to do with my old pedals. My first instinct is to put them on eBay. After a little thought I realized 7 year old worn out pedals would bring in their listing fee. So for sentimental reasons I'm taking them to be bronzed and put on a plaque to hang on the wall. Goodbye old friends, the trails will miss you.

Last Year's Resolutions

I've been thinking about my Last Year's Resolutions today. Last Year's Resolutions you ask? With the Mayan calendar ending 12/21/2012, this looks to be our last year of existence, hence Last Year's Resolutions.

My first, which is really two parts, is to increase my watts/kg ratio. Part one is to lose weight. As of this morning I weigh at least 30lbs heavier than I should, and have in the past. In order to do so I have to get my diet under control. With a family history of weight related health issues, this is really why I need to get my weight down. Part two of increasing my watt/kg ratio is to ride more. The great Eddy Merkx had a great idea for training, "Ride lots". In 2011 my mileage was one of the lowest since I started riding regularly in 2004. Not breaking the 3000 mile mark this year was sad. In past years I've had 1500 miles in the spring. This year I'm aiming at 5000 miles. I consider myself a cyclist, not a mountain biker, not a roadie, but a cyclist. I enjoy both disciplines and plan so pile the miles on in the dirt and pavement.

One reason I feel my mileage is down is the amount of time I spend driving. Which brings the third Last Year's resolution, stay home more. Given our geographic disposition, driving to even the closest trail system uses a minimum of two hours of the day. Factor in eating, stopping for gas, etc., a quick ride goes from two hours of travel and two hours of riding to a six hour trek. This means more road miles but it also means joining more of those rides it seems we always miss and hear the stories about. It won't be an end to all road trips but will cut back on the number of them.

Already on our 2012 agenda is a trip westward to the mountain biking mecca of Moab, the Boone Roubaix, Burnsville Metric, Mule Hell Roubaix, and 12 hours of Tsali. I'm sure there will be camping trips and other events added but that is the short and early list.

Happy Last Year!!!

Knocking out the cobwebs

A few cobwebs have taken over here on my blog but I've felt like doing some writing lately so here we go. I have a few ideas for things I want to write about but those will wait. I'll start with the exciting part.

Earlier in 2011 I picked up a deal on a hardtail 29r. With a plan of doing longer races on relatively smooth trails, it seemed like the bike to have. For those conditions it still is. I sold my full suspension bike leaving myself with just the hardtail. After a trip on the rocks and roots of Iron Mtn my body took a beating and I felt the urge for a full suspension bike. I started the search for the new bike looking at the offerings of the local shops but none had the appeal I was looking for. I narrowed the choices down and had come to either a Yeti ASR5 Carbon or an Ibis Mojo SL. After a little more research I read too many stories of failures on the Yeti so I devoted my bike lust to the Ibis. A few were available online but I don't like the idea of buying a bike online.

On Black Friday Scott and I made a trip to Brevard for a ride at DuPont. On our way we stopped to take a look at the Mojo SL and SLR. The guys in the shop were extremely helpful. Changing out stems and seatposts to help the fit just for a parking lot demo. After some deliberation, we took home our Christmas presents. Scott the SLR and myself the SL.Spec'd with a full XT drivetrain, Forumla brakes, a Thomson seatpost, and wheels featuring Stan's Arch rims, the bike was nicely built ready for the trails.

While I've enjoyed the 29" bike, nothing handles the tight woods like a nice lightweight 26" bike. Weighing in at just over 26lbs isn't too shabby for a 140mm bike.Where this bike really shines is in the rocks and roots. The DW-Link suspension soaks up the bumps and makes you want to go faster. On one ride I rode a section over and over seeing how fast I could push into it. After three tries I still don't think I hit the limit.

This was also my first time riding a mountain bike with a 10spd drivetrain and also a Shimano drivetrain. While I've been a Sram user for several years, I can say nothing is wrong with either setup. The big difference I notice is the 11-36 cassette. On previous 26" bikes I had use a 34/22 chainrning setup but with the 11-36 cassette I'm tempted to try a 36/22 or 26/24.

Any bike will require a little customization to fit your setup. Whether it be different bars, grips, and saddle or just putting on some pedals they all need some tweaking. For me and this bike it involved a Thomson setback seatpost, which the guys at The Hub traded out at purchase, adjusting the saddle position and angle, putting my ancient pedals on, and converting the wheels to tubeless. The stock WTB Mutano tires are some of the easiest to setup tires I've ever used. They are a non-UST version and sealed on the first try. Now for my only gripe on the bike. In what I assume was an attempt at shedding some grams, I found super thin tubes in a 26x1.5/1.7 size inside the 2.4 tires. I'm lucky I hadn't flatted in the previously mentioned rock pounding. Adding Stan's sealant actually added weight to the wheel. It's a small trade off for the flat protection Stan's provides.

This weekend will be the Mojo's inaugural Iron Mtn trip and I can't wait to see how it goes.

ps... don't bother commenting "Where are the pictures?". You're lucky enough to have found new content on the blog. Want to see the bike? Let's ride.

ATMO

Recently I've been hearing lots of people complaining about gas prices and the economy. So here's my 2cents...

People often say the President has done nothing to fix the economy. The problem isn't in the current President, the problem is in us. After WW2, we were told to spend money to help our economy grow, so we did and our economy grew. What also grew was our greed. We wanted more and we wanted it now. This along with the ease of getting a credit card or loan made us start spending more than we make. Once this happens people start defaulting on their credit and the banks take the hit. The banks also have a hand in the problem. They offer large loans to people who really can't afford it. Of course the greed of these people to buy the biggest house or car makes them use everything available to them. When the payments start going out, they end up in trouble.

Gas prices are a direct reflection of supply and demand. The oil and gas companies know that regardless of the cost, we will consume their product. As we demand more gas the oil companies raise rates, not due to manufacturing problems like they claim, but due to the fact they can. If we really want to lower gas prices, we all have to change our lifestyles. I see neighbors that drive less than 100yrds to another neighbors house. Why not walk? Lots of people drive vehicles that get low gas mileage because "they need a large vehicle since they have kids". Does that 12mpg SUV really seat your kids better than a 25mpg mini-van? No, but they aren't willing to give into the fact they aren't cooler than cool anymore but they are parents now. Think about the function of your vehicle, not about if it's a status symbol.

Many of these people in these situations want us to feel sorry for them. They complain about having to work 2 jobs to pay for their house, car, electric bill, etc. You got yourself into the situation, not me, now get yourself out of it. If you don't like paying $50 to fill your gas tank, sell it and get something more fuel efficient. One of my favorites is when people say they are out of work and broke. They go to the government looking for handouts but they don't go out looking for a job. The best part is when they then start complaining about government spending when they are the ones directly benefiting from it. I also see these people who are in debt over their heads get windfall money (tax return, gifts, etc) and rather than paying bills off, they go on a huge vacation or buy fancy TVs.

To really fix our problems, we need to stop overspending and consumerism. If we stop spending everything we make then our personal lives and country would benefit. I battle with it myself and do spend more than I should. It's one of my 2011 goals to put a stop to it for myself and hope others will too.

Ok, I'm stepping off my soapbox now.

Quarterly Report

As usual, it's been awhile since I've blogged. Why? I just don't take the time to put my thoughts into type. Sure plenty of random thoughts cross my mind from time to time but Twitter would be better for that. My last blog was about my attempt at weight loss. With the holidays around things got bad. From the looks of that post I was 202lbs. Through the holidays I hovered closer to 215 again. I'm back on track, hopefully, again and on a decline.

Riding miles feel like they haven't accumulated like they did last year but I feel they have been quality miles. So far this year I've focused on climbing but need to switch to some endurance stuff. With my riding focus this year being on some endurance races, I'll need to start gaining some bigger mileage. The climbing will come around with weight loss.

The first race for the year will be April 2 at the 6 hours of Warrior Creek. I've done this race it's first two years and plan to continue doing it every year. Usually this is a duo race with Abby but she'll be vacationing with her sisters. Rather than finding another duo partner, I thought I'd rather give a solo effort a try. My goal is to survive 4 laps of the tasty singletrack.

Warrior Creek starts off a streak of busy weekends and lots of riding. Following 6WC on April 9 will be the Assault on the Carolinas, April 16 the Ocho 8hr, April 30 the Burnsville Metric, May 7 the Mull Hell, May 14 the Bike at Bays/NTMBA picnic, May 21 the 12hrs of Tsali, May 28 the Wilderness Road Ride, June 4 is Collie's Duncan Double, and June 11 will be the H8R 8hr. I'm tired from just typing that. With all those races, June-August will be some rest and rebuilding time to get ready for another series of races starting in September and running through December. Racing is going to be a good mix of mountain, road, and cyclocross. Of course the fun part is the camping trips and hanging out that go along with several of the events. There will also be camping trips thrown in there just for fun.

Until next time...

Back on track

For those that haven't known me too long, there was a time I was 265lbs. At 5'10" that is way over weight. After trips to the doctor and medication for asthma, I realized the best treatment was to shed some weight. That was sometime around 2004. I started in the gym and 15 minutes on an elliptical trainer wore was all I could take. I stuck with it and pounds started coming off. Eventually 60 minutes of cardio was the norm with a weight regimen that included 3 sets of 100 sit-ups. After awhile weight loss began to slow and I realized a dietary change was in order. Once I got that figured out weight kept coming off. Between my time in they gym and time on the bike, I lined up for the 2005 Benges Revenge at 179lbs.

As time has gone on that 179lbs has increased. It seemed each year I wasn't quiet able to lose all my winter fat. In the spring of 2010 I was around 215lbs and hovered there most of the summer. I've already started dropping some pounds and have hit 202lbs. Winter seems to be the hardest time for weight loss with the holiday gorging but I'm going to make it happen. The goal is to be back at 180lbs for the April races I always like to do. Eventually I'd like to see that dip into the 170s. Sweets are my weakness, it's hard to pass up even the most basic piece of candy.  I gotta make this happen