Exposure Eyes
Yes, it's true, I was planning on having this up last week. But... well, it didn't happen. That's the bad news. The good news is that I am posting it right now! With beam shots! On with the post...
Bicycle Gear, Bicycle Life
Yes, it's true, I was planning on having this up last week. But... well, it didn't happen. That's the bad news. The good news is that I am posting it right now! With beam shots! On with the post...
Posted by
James
at
7:47 PM
2
comments
Labels: lights
You've asked.
Posted by
James
at
10:08 AM
8
comments
Labels: lights
Last time we looked at NiteRider's new entrants in the crowded LED light market. This time we're going to look at Magicshine's latest.
Posted by
James
at
7:52 PM
8
comments
Labels: lights
As some of you have noticed, thus far there hasn't been a whole lot of talk about lights this Fall. There is a very good reason for this.
Posted by
James
at
6:58 PM
5
comments
Labels: lights
There's still so much talk about 29ers these days. Frankly, I was hoping they'd have gone away by now. Life was simpler with one wheel size for mountain bikes. However, being a professional, I wasn't about to let my misgivings get in the way of true investigative journalism. Therefore, today, part way through my ride on my 26er hardtail, I decided to give this whole "movement" a try. Did I switch bikes? No, that would possibly insert additional variables (such as a different frame and components) into the equation (and we all know how bad that would be). Instead, I swapped out the only component I could fit on my current set-up. I took out my front wheel inner-tube and swapped it with a 700c inner-tube.
(Okay, technically, it was a 700c x 18-25mm, but I believe the diameter--not width--is the key to 29ers.)
Now, I would have changed out the tire, too, but then I would have needed a new wheel. A new wheel, as you might suppose, wouldn't work with my existing fork. So, as you can see, I changed what could be changed without having to re-architect my whole bike. By doing this, I feel I've struck a balance between embracing a new standard and running my existing set-up so as to not introduce additional factors.
Also, technically, I was riding a 69er since my rear wheel's inner-tube remained the 26" variety.
How it rode
Well, I did the majority of the ride on this set-up (all the remainder, if you must know). To be honest, I don't know what all the hype is about. I mean, it worked, but the whole time I felt a little less confident. My wheel (the front) would squirm a bit around corners and going over obstacles. It felt as if it would roll off the rim quite easily. Now, perhaps this is what some proponents of 29ers have called, "rolls over obstacles more easily," but for me it really felt like it should be described as, "rolls right off the rim more easily." Now granted, I didn't actually try both wheels. Perhaps it would roll completely differently with two 700c inner-tubes. (Actually, I probably could have fit two in the front tire alone. Maybe 4 is the magic number.*
Verdict
I wouldn't go this route if I could help it. I mean, it's fine in an emergency**, but I don't think I would chose to run with this configuration on purpose. It _still_ remains to be seen if this will catch on.
* Okay, no one better run out and patent running four tiny tubes in your standard rims to use in a "run flat" setup. I thought of it/you saw it here first.
** Here's the type of emergency I could see it working for. Say, for instance, you're about to start a ride with a friend. He turns to you and says, "Do you have any 29er tubes? I'm all out." To which you respond, "No, do you have any 26er tubes? It looks like I don't have any of those, either. I'll just bring along my lone road bike tube in case I needed--but I'm sure I won't." You then pump up your skinny tires to about 30psi--wishing you had tubeless like your 29er friend.
After only a couple miles into the ride, you roll casually around a seemingly harmless corner and get a snake-bite puncture somehow. Good thing you have that road tube. You and your friend laugh as you put that tiny tube into your 26er tire. Then you pump and pump and pump until it feels like most of the tire is full of tube, but not down by the rim. No, the part down by the rim was empty. Huh. I guess that's what happens with a larger diameter tube.
Okay, with that in mind, what would you do? trace back the way you came or press on? If you're the inquisitive type, you'd press on the remaining 6 miles guessing that "It'll all work out." Corners are scary. Steep rocky descents are scary. It works in the end, though. "Not to mention," you say to yourself, "it's much lighter than before so it climbs with ease!"
A lesson you might learn from all this is, the wrong tube is better than no tube.
Posted by
Jon
at
2:17 PM
2
comments
Labels: components, gear, repair, ride report, wheels
Depending on where you live, you may have noticed that it is getting dark sooner. At my latitude, there is less than 12 hours of daylight and those 12 hrs are shrinking, by the end of the month, there will be only 11hrs between sunrise and sunset.
Posted by
James
at
8:19 AM
5
comments
Labels: editorial
Of our 5 senses (6 if you are extra special), smell has the most receptors and can pick up the greatest variety. Hearing is pretty good--until you are older--and I'll never scoff at sight. Touch is actually fairly limited--pressure, vibration, stretch--but smell... smell can pick up hundreds of thousands of primary scents. Nearly everything we smell is a bouquet of odors. Some of these we know well.
Posted by
James
at
2:50 PM
3
comments
Posted by
Jon
at
8:03 AM
1 comments
Labels: WIWTBT
Normally Jon and I get together to ride about once a year. You see, I reside in western Oregon and he does not. When Interbike rolls around, we make the time to ride together. This year, though, the stars aren't aligning very well, and Interbike is looking like a no-go for both of us. I cannot tell you how bummed this makes me, I'm trying my best to move on each day and not wallow in my despair.
He didn't like the bend--he prefers a traditional round bend--and he didn't like the bare carbon tops. I happen to like both, after all, the gigantic bar ends on my mountain bike are bare carbon, too. Because these bars are 31.8mm, I also needed his stem, my old stem was 26.0mm. I finally got out and rode on them today and I really like the shape of the bars. They fit my riding style perfectly. I found the flat bar tops to be just the right shape for climbing. I also like to rest my forearms on the bar tops while descending--somewhat dangerous, so I don't recommend it--and these are much more comfortable than round bars.
Posted by
James
at
12:36 PM
0
comments
There is one thing that I don't particularly like about fat-tubed aluminum bikes. They are sounding boards for every creak, rattle, or knock. This makes any sound amplified and harder to track down. I'll get my Jekyll silent for a short while, then after a dusty ride it'll be a cocophony of noise once again.
Posted by
James
at
10:50 AM
2
comments
Labels: editorial
As has been typical of my Summer, I didn't go riding this weekend. I was, however, up in the mountains with my children camping out. We were actually up in American Fork Canyon--significant on this day because both the Tour of Utah and the 1000 Warriors (successor to the 300 Warriors even I rode in last year: here, here and here) were to come through the canyon later in the day.
Actually, the 1000 Warriors (amateurs, of course), were to come through pretty early on in the day. I took the time to warn all those at the campsite with me that they'd be encountering lots and lots of cyclists on their way down that morning and that they ought to yield to the cyclists because they were racing and the cars couldn't possibly keep up with the cyclists' pace.
It turns out that my warnings were almost prophetic.
As I turned on to the road to leave with my three oldest children squished together in the back seat, a cyclist quickly caught up to me. Of course, being a cyclist myself, I found a place to pull off and allow the rider to go past. I tried to keep up with him, but he quickly dropped me.
This continued as we drove down the canyon until I reached some stopped cars in the road and saw someone waving us to stop. My worst fears were realized.
http://www.ksl.com/?nid=148&sid=7636047
After waiting in the car as cyclists coming down queued up around the area and cars stacked up behind me, they managed to get the cyclists off to a hospital and we were on our way.
Then, as we drove past the scene, I saw this:
Photo Courtesy of Dept. of Public Safety and pulled from the Gallery: http://www.ksl.com/?sid=7636047&nid=460&pid=5
For sure, that is a fast canyon to descend, but the force that was required to damage an SUV like that is shocking. My oldest child--knowing that I was in the same ride/race last year--told me she didn't want me doing it again.
As cyclists, we tend to ignore some of the dangers out there. (Otherwise, how could we ever get up the nerve to fly down a mountain pass wearing what essentially amounts to nothing--lycra doesn't count as protection.) I saw cyclists crossing over the centerline when there wasn't much visibility due to the corners up ahead. I saw cyclists following closely behind cars (which makes for great drafting, for sure).
People, we aren't pros. We can't take these kind of risks where cars are involved. The cars we're around aren't being driven by ex-cyclists used to driving through a race. These people (in the cars) don't know how to handle bikes swarming around them.
I wouldn't be surprised if the race were canceled next year, but I think the better move would be if UDOT stepped up to the plate and allowed us to close the road.
Oh, and 1 final note. There were no signs posted anywhere so no one knew there would so many cyclists coming through the canyon that morning.
Have fun out there, but please be safe.
Posted by
Jon
at
8:44 AM
0
comments
Labels: Crash
Tonight's ride didn't go like it should have. Frankly it was doomed right from the start. In fact, it was doomed since yesterday.
Both yesterday and today I found myself without riding partners, but needing a ride after dark. "No problem," I thought, "I ride in the dark all the time. Weekly, even. I ride in the dark more than in the daylight it seems." This is what I was thinking as I rode out. My loving, faithful, caring wife, said: "Don't let any animals get you." Or something like that.
Aside: Spouses, don't do this. I know that you mean well, but it's the wrong thought to have as one is heading into the dark alone. Thanks.
Last night was a windy night, so the forest wasn't exactly quiet. In fact, as I was slowly climbing up to a ridge, there was a pretty good crash to my right. At that point, I was no longer climbing slowly--inexplicably, my pace picked up--and I was reminding myself that the really dangerous things--like BIG cats--didn't make any noise. This didn't help.
As soon as the trail turned down, however, I lost myself in the ride and didn't have any further incidents.
Fast forward to tonight.
Again, my wife brought up cougars, bears and other forest baddies just as I was leaving. See the above aside. Please.
Since I didn't have much time, and was feeling a little tired, I decided to ride a fairly level loop.
Let me set the stage. I start the ride by climbing a gravel road. I make a left onto the upper section of the loop and make my way down to the lower section. The lower section skirts a neighborhood and eventually makes its way back to the gravel road I started on. The trail is gravelled, so it's not the quietest surface to ride on. My plan was to do two laps.
The first part of the first lap went just fine. As I was descending to the lower leg, I came across a forked horn buck and a doe. Since the trail was noisy, the doe took flight, but for some reason, the buck did not. Instead, it thought we should have a staring contest. Huh. I made noise, it took a few steps off the trail and the turned back to me. I made more noise. It took a few more steps. I shouted, it still didn't take off, but it did get far enough off the trail for me to get by.
Weird.
Not three minutes later I came around a corner and saw a nice tail in the air. A skunks tail. This was only the third skunk I've seen that wasn't flattened into a two-dimensional splat on the road. I didn't like my view. Again, I made noise and--happily for me--it moved off and let me by without any assault on my olfactory nerves. Tragedy averted.
Next up, not a minute later, as I neared the neighborhood, dogs started barking. I don't recall that happening before. Not only that, there was also some rustling in the weeds and ferns. I thought, "great, the dogs are loose."
Aside #2: One of my superpowers is making dogs crazy, to the point that I have been bitten by a dog that was still on its leash... and the leash was being held by the owner.
That was enough for me. I was done, I turned around and headed back the way I came, hoping that the forked horn was done showing off for its doe and had moved off.
As I was nearing the intersection with the upper leg of the loop, I came across another dear, a doe this time. Now deer eyes reflect orange-yellow. Behind this deer, and not very far from it, were a pair of green eyes. Cats eyes reflect green. These were near the ground. I'm pretty sure that the doe didn't know that they were there, and I didn't care to stick around and find out what was going to happen next.
If I was done before, near the dogs, I was over done after cat/deer combo. The wildlife was against me tonight.
My ride ended up being just 28 minutes, of that only 18 was off road.
Tomorrow, I'm going for a road ride. At noon. On roads with lots of traffic.
Posted by
James
at
9:53 PM
3
comments
Labels: ride report

I can be quite lazy. When you think cycling, though, and especially road biking, lazy just doesn't enter into the picture. Maybe that says something about the shape I'm in.
On Saturday, my sister-in-law's boyfriend came into town. (She came, too, but since she didn't go on a bike ride with me, I'll leave that part out.) The first words out of his mouth were, "I hear you like to mountain bike. We need to go riding today." Sure, I said. Perfect. In fact, both of my mountain bikes are set up and ready-to-ride right now.
As a side note, it's pretty rare for more than one bike of mine to be "ready-to-ride." Usually, I'll ride one bike until I get a flat or something goes out of adjustment and needs fixing. Then I switch bikes and leave that one to sulk and molder. (Is molder a word? Yes it is.)
Of course, since both bikes were ready, it only took me about 20 minutes to get them ready. Huh. That's weird. Bikes just require stuff done to them. Cyclists that don't do any maintenance on their bikes probably don't have rideable bikes very often. (Or they have better mechanics than I do. Sometimes I'm my worst enemy.)
When I got my first road bike--a Giant Cadex I bought off my oldest brother--I quickly found just how simple a bike can be. Road bikes are not only much easier to deal with than most modern mountain bikes (especially those with suspension), they also tend to stay adjusted longer. I love my road bike for that reason. Another benefit to riding on the road is the proximity to road rides. I am, literally, surrounded by roads. My house, being on a corner and all, actually butts up against two roads! However, as of yet, I haven't discovered any sweet trails in either my property or my neighbors'. (Which, I might add, is pretty disappointing.)
So, I am lazy. I ride the bikes that work. I ride the rides that are close. I know that I'm truly missing out on some great opportunities here, but I'm just lazy that way. Sure, I could point the finger to my busy schedule and fairly large family, but I know those are just excuses. I'm just lazy.
And speaking of lazy, I've found that if all I want to do is burn off the fat I consumed the day before, I don't need to pick up a bike at all. I can just strap on some running shoes and grind out a couple of miles of running around my neighborhood. (I say "grind" because that's the sound my knees make as I run. It's so much fun.) I mean, running sucks and all, but sometimes I'm just lazy that way.
PS. The ride, by the way, was great. We got out on what was probably the best weather for mountain biking of the summer. It was warm, but not hot (70s, I think). There was a slight breeze. The trail was a little dry, and the grass was super tall, but it was a blast. Additionally, my Sister-in-law's boyfriend was a lot of fun to ride with. I mean, I always like riding with people who come from lower altitudes, and this was no exception. Thanks for the ride.
Posted by
Jon
at
3:14 PM
1 comments
One of the disciplines of cycling that should have taken tubeless tires and ran with them is cyclocross. Because the tires are much skinnier than mountain bike tires, pinch flats are a common problem. As a remedy, tubular tires are still very present at 'cross races, though tubeless tires would have nearly all the benefits, without having to glue the tire to the rim, making tire swaps a piece of cake.
Now, if you aren't running discs, a person could use either Shimano's Dura-Ace or new Ultegra wheels, a tubeless-ready cross tire (like the Hutchinson's Bulldog cross) and some sealant. But what do you do if you run disc brakes?
Enter 29er wheels. Luckily, 29er wheels are 700C, and just a smidge wider. T. recently built up a set of Stan's ZTR355 29er wheels. These rims are just 2mm wider than the venerable Mavic Open Pro. In theory, this should open up the tire and make for a flatter profile.
Sitting right around 400g, the ZTR is similar in weight to the Open Pro, as well (claimed to weigh 435).
Frankly, when T. asked me if I wanted to try out these wheels, I said "yes" without a moment's hesitation. It's a well documented fact that I love tubeless wheels/tires. In fact, they rank third or fourth on my list of major innovations since I started riding in the latter half of the 80's. I feel that they are that good.
So how do these wheels ride?
In a word: fast!
They provide enough cushion to take the sting out of rougher trails. They provide enough traction to enable railing through corners, and enough traction that for the first time since owning my disc equipped 'cross bike, I want to upgrade the front rotor to a 7-inch. I'm riding trails faster than I have any business riding them. It really is amazing.
Despite the fact that they aren't the lightest wheels out there, they spin up remarkably fast. On back to back rides between my road bike--Dura-Ace wheels, Hutchinson Fusion tubeless--and my cross bike--the wheels I'm writing about, Hutchinson Bulldog Cross--I found that the road wheels spun up about the same, which I found odd. I have no explanation for this, but it has made riding my 'cross bike a whole lot more fun. And that's saying something.
Now, it's not all roses. There are some issues. It turns out that I can't run the tires as low as I want to (36-37psi). I need to keep them around 40psi. Still, that's about 5-7psi less than I normally run the Bulldogs when I use them with tubes, so that's still a gain. If I run less than about 40, I burp air a little. If I run less than 35psi, the tires are squirmy and too soft for hard cornering.
The ZTR rims, like all of Stan's rims, are designed to lock onto a standard tire bead. I found that this was the case, with the tire locking onto the rim very quickly and effortlessly.
All in all, I think that the positives outweigh the negatives with this wheel. In fact, if these didn't belong to a very good friend, I'd have a hard time giving them back. He knows where I live, though, so it would be rather hard to hang onto them.
Maybe I should move...
Posted by
James
at
10:03 AM
0
comments
Labels: gear
You know your Mom said it: "it's all fun and games until someone gets hurt." Well, last week, we had just such an occurrence.
The night ride started out like most. We rode out anticipating a fun ride. The plan was to ride two loops of a local trail, adding up to about 1500ft of climbing, total. The first loop went as planned. We climbed the trail--which for some reason seemed steeper than the last time I rode it, did the hill change?--and decided to alter our route a little. Rather than do two complete loops back to back, we decided to complete the first loop, climb a gravel road and descend the section we had just climbed, since the mountain changed and it was now steeper than it was before. Really.
The first loop went as planned. Everyone had fun and I got to have a good chuckle as the unexpected short, steep uphill near the end of the downhill caught many unawares. I'm twisted that way.
The gravel road ride was a nice reprieve from the now-too-steep trail and I, for one, was looking forward to enjoying the last bit of downhill.
As we dropped in, M. and I took the lead, followed by G., J., E., J2., and T. I think that was the order, anyway. I was riding my cross bike and really had to work to stay in front of M., narrowly making two of the three bridges.
As an aside, I've been running T.'s tubeless cross set up. I'll be posting about it in the very near future. I love them. I'm going to try and not return them. I hope T. isn't reading this post.
Upon completion of the descent, M. and I congratulate ourselves for having put some serious time on the others.
Then we waited. And waited.
It was clear at this point that something wasn't right. Considering the group we were riding with, there is no way we put this much time on them. They aren't a slow group.
Now we were worried. As we were discussing who should go back and find out if there was a rider down or if there was just a mechanical problem, G. comes riding up and lets us know that J. crashed. He informed us that he thought that J. injured his arm.
Now three of us were waiting.
Soon E. and J2. came riding down. J.'s arm is injured and he cannot ride out, so T. and J. are going to hike to the nearest access point and E. was going to ride to get J.'s car and meet them there.
After a trip to the ER, J's arm is in a cast. He has a dislocated fracture of his left radius and a displaced wrist. Today he went into surgery to have a plate added to his radius and a screw inserted into his wrist.
Mountain biking is fun. Night riding is GREAT fun. But, in the time it takes to blink, things can go awry. Stay safe out there. Wear a helmet--all of were, by the way. And remember, "it's all fun and games until someone gets hurt."
Posted by
James
at
7:59 PM
4
comments
Labels: editorial