New Year's Resolutions

2006 is about to come to a close, and I've been reflecting upon this year and thinking ahead to all that I want to accomplish in the upcoming year. One of the things that I'm most proud of for 2006, was sticking to most of my New Year's Resolutions.

One of my resolutions was to ride, outside, every month of the year. I live in Vermont, which is not generally known for it's year round riding - but in '06 I managed a ride in every single month of the year, from January straight through to December. The year of riding culminated in a very satisfying Christmas Eve ride.

In this spirit, I'm hosting a little raffle. Simply post a comment with your 2007 resolution(s) or send it in an email to georgew @ bike29.com (no spaces) and you'll be entered to win a freshly inked Bike29 t-shirt as well as whatever other goodies we have lying around the shop and anything we feel like regifting.

We'll draw for the raffle on January 5.

I look forward to seeing some great resoultions for 2007.

The Upside of our Current Weather...

...means warmer than usual temperatures, which translates into more time on two wheels.


This Christmas Eve, the weather was just right for a nice ride in Jim Thorpe Park, an old mining town in eastern PA, now made over into a tourist haven. It also features miles and miles of old mining roads, railroad beds, and lots of rocky singletrack connecting them all together. We've been coming here for a few years, and I know we haven't even scratched the surface of what is really out there. Maybe someday a local will hook us up with the secret locals only goods, but until then, we will continue to have lots of fun exploring.

Sunday's ride was one we had done a couple of times before, only this time we changed it up a bit, so instead of a big loop, we did a figure 8. Lots of climbing. We made it so we got to do the tricky descent called Bob's Option twice.



I was riding Kermit, set up as a fully rigid singlespeed. I will say that I was totally amazed at the Niner fork. For the most part, it felt buttery smooth. Steering was right on, and with the Mary Bars, it was super comfy. Even on the long rocky descent of Bob's Option, the fork was amazing. Steering precision was good, but I wish I had put the 185mm rotor up front. My arms felt like rubber by the time I got to the bottom, but having great control allowed me to be really choosy when it came down to finding the best way down the leaf strewn trail.

On more level ground, the fork absorbed bumps in a way that only those that have ridden a good rigid fork would understand. It almost feels like there is a suspension fork up there, only there isn't. When flying over the rough stuff, the bike sucked up the bumps with aplomb. Very reassuring.


I was also using the WTB Weirwolf 2.55LT tire, which was an excellent choice for the day. Large volume, fast rolling, and plenty of grip. I ran about 28 psi front and rear, and despite the way they become slicks in the mud, I never broke traction. There were a few spots on the shore of Mauch Chunk Lake that were really greasy with red mud, but they worked for me. There wasn't a lot of mud, but it was super sticky. Maybe the consistancy was thicker than our New England mud, maybe I had the pressure right, who knows. It was probably just luck.
I even managed to keep traction when the guy on the 26er full suspension in front of me didn't.

29ers rule!



You see the funniest signs in PA.







The ride was probably about 18 miles in total. We were out for a good chunk of time, and I had the best ride food of all. One of the benefits of cooler weather riding, is that you can bring snacks that would otherwise get rancid in the heat of summer.

What could I possibly be talking about? Why, MEAT of course!

Meat Bag came down from VT, the remenants of our first Xmas BBQ. There was a lot of leftover fould and swine. We couldnt let is all go to waste. There is nothing better than cold BBQ chicken after a long grind up a steep hill.

Deee-licious!

I remember a very cold and blustery trip down Porcupine Rim in Moab in November, where delicious meat sandwiches saved the day.

They'll keep you warm, and if you forget your gloves, the bags come in handy.

Holy Cow!

I just spent an entire day in New Jersey against my will!

I was stuck in Newark due to bad weather around the major hubs, which was a ton of fun.
The holidays were great, although short.

I do have some fun shots of a very un-Christmassy ride on Christmas Eve though.

Come back tomorrow!

Finally...

After what has seemed like forever, the Bristol Flyer is going to fly.
With the lofty goal of 20 lbs, we set out to make a bike that would be as functional and durable as possible, with the least amount of excess material.

Well, we fell a bit short.

Because the bike industry is convinced that the "new" external bearing bottom bracket is the "way to go", we lost 100g in the crank and BB. Thanks to Magura having a million front brakes and zero rear brakes, we made a slightly heavier choice so we could actually ride the bike.
I have always loved Magura brakes. They are light, and have plenty of power and feel at the lever, but they are slowly being eclipsed by Avid. The big problem, is that you just can't get them.

It seemed as if we had to make all sorts of concessions, but the final result is in.

21lbs, without pedals.

I think that if we were able to build the original spec, we would be right on target.

Oh well, what is a pound between friends anyway?

So here are the pictures.





Cheers Patrick!

Old Shoes

First ride on snow.

I got my Stowe pass today, one of the perks of my moonlight adventure. I drove to the mountain blasting NOFX at top volume, just like I used to 10 years ago. Another post on this tomorrow...
It's been 2 years since I've strapped my feet to a board. It felt great.
Despite the fact that really, only 2 trails were open, most folks stuck to the one trail that had the most sunlight on it, making for some seriously good and uncrowded turns on the other trail.

Lots of folks don't realize that while sunny turns are great, that sun will go away, and when the run is crowded, it all gets pushed off and turns to our famous New England Boiler Plate. Good for me!

The shady runs has consistently good snow all morning.
My legs are killing me.

I really had to control myself.
I've been riding at Stowe off and on for about 15 years, ever since I began snowboarding really.
I know about 80% of that mountain like the back of my hand. Out of the other 20%, 10 is only good if certain conditions prevail, and there is another 10 that I know nothing about.
On any maintained trail, and some of the unmaintained woods, I know where every feature is located. It's great to have had the chance to learn where they all are.
Which is why I had to be really careful today.

See, it's a lot like slipping on a pair of old shoes. Familiar. Comfortable. Only old shoes generally don't have the capacity to kill or seriously maim you, or others nearby (except for maybe the smell). It look me about 100ft before I started digging into my very rusty bag o' tricks.
I kept it simple. Ollies. Straightline air only. Tail grab. Shifty. Nothing spinny. No super old school moves like the Method, Japan, or Stalefish, or Roast Beef, or Chicken Salad. Nothing that, should I forget myself, would result in anything more than pants full of man made snow.
No, my big move of the day was the Heelside Cutback. It's very satisfying to have a plume of snow errupt from your board 10ft high. Especially when there isn't that much snow play with.
It's the snowboarding equivalent of having a good time driving an SUV while there is a gas crisis and a war...

Restraint was the operative word. A friend who I was with, suggested I should pretend that I was hurtling down some singletrack to get over my apprehensions. It made sense, but I pointed out, that while hurtling down singletrack, trees don't suddenly change direction or stop.

Sobering.

Another friend had related that he had done some product testing using a GPS device, and had recorded an average speed of 45 mph! Topping out at 65!
Snowboarders often wreck at these speeds. Next time you are on the highway, jump out of your car...

Any way you look at it, snowboarding is as fun as it is dangerous. It's as comfortable to me as mountian biking.

And it feels like my favorite pair of old shoes.


...of which I have a lot of...

Busy Busy Busy

Wow.
It's been forever since I put a post up.

What on earth have I been up to? Well, this week I have been helping out at an old place of employment who needs it. It's actually pretty nice to see all the old familiar faces again. It's what some might call "moonlighting", but what it really is, is insurance. By burning the candle at both ends, the shop will be ready for greatness this spring.

The web site has been taking a lot of my time as well. We have had some issues with certain parts of it, which basically created a lot more work than it ultimately needed to. It was really frustrating.
It looks as if we are on the other side of it now. Whew! It's just the little annoying problems to contend with now...

We are now sponsoring the 29er forum on Dirt Rag's website. Dirt Rag is regarded my many, myself included, as the "last" good bike magazine. They have always had an avant garde style that is truly unique, in a way that could only be described as analog. There is always something pure about analog. To me it seems real. I'm really stoked to be working with them.

We've also had a banner week at the shop. I'd like to thank any and everyone who reads this blog who is a customer. Without you guys, my dream has no wings.

And most importantly, a personal goal has been reached. I have now ridden in every month in 2006. While it may not be a big deal to some, 78 rides and counting is good for someone with my schedule. Starting a business takes time. Having a family takes time, and sometimes it's nice to let your partner have fun, while staying home and watching a 3 year old destroy your livingroom. Sometimes you get to work while your friends get some epic riding in. Sometimes it rains for 2 months straight.

And today, we got the sore all gussied up for the holidays. It took me about an hour to wrap the early 80's vintage Motobecane that adorns the front of my store with the tackiest Christmas lights I could find. I think it could use a few more strands...

More than anything else, it will be funny to see how long before someone asks me to take it down.