General thoughts on mountain biking.
This is something that gets on my nerves during a lot of rides at local, loop style trails. If I come up on you at a fast rate, it is not a challenge to go the same speed I am. I don’t know what it is, but there are a lot of riders out there that will not let you pass!
he list can go on and on, but during every ride, cycling stirs emotions. I know after a long day at the office a great ride is a stress release and a way to get my head clear. On Pisgah epics, cycling is an adrenaline rush, exercise and a passion. For shuttle dh runs, it is almost all adrenaline rush (which is addicting). Somedays, cycling is just an excuse to get outside on a perfect day.
A post on our local board this week pointed in the direction of an article on Specialized Bikes. On March 16, 2008, CNN Money published an article of Mark Sinyard telling his story of Specialized Bikes. The article is a great testament on how one man can grow a company from a trailer to 500 million by overcoming diversity along the way.
The Industry Nine vs. Chris King hub debate is one rivalry that has gotten a lot of press over the last couple of years. The rookie, Industry Nine, has stepped in to try to claim the title. In every great match-up, the race is pretty close. I have owned or currently own both of these incredible hubs. How do they measure up?
Sometimes its larger, sometimes its smaller, but it is always there…the never ending pile of tires. For some reason I can never really get rid of it. There are always a couple of sets that I think I may use again and then there are the sets that are dry rotted and need a new home. A lot of times, I end up giving away the tires I didn’t like to friends and fellow riders.
The 650B wheel size has been drawing a lot of attention over the past year. Many see it as the compromise between 29″ and 26″ wheels, and also a way to get bigger wheels to longer travel bikes. The long travel market is not a great fit for the 29er market, but with the 650B wheel size, frame and component manufacturers can stay closer to the 26 inch wheel specs to get increased travel.
he paint jobs coming across the Specialized mountain bike line seem to be getting worse with every release. For me, it all started with the “candy corn” SX Trail. A fellow riding friend, APPBLING, sent his off to the powder coater straight out of the box to get stripped and re-coated silver.
After several failed attempts at getting local bike shops to do correct work on my bike, I decided it was time to start learning bike maintenance and wrenching on my own. In one specific instance, I was riding a local trail one hour after getting a new fork installed, and the front brake fell off during a downhill. It was at that point I realized that if I wanted it done correctly, I needed to learn how to do it myself. That next day, I went out and bought an Ultimate repair stand and several essential tools.
As the weather gets warmer, everyone starts preparing for the impending riding season. This means that business for bikes shops comes out of the usually slow winter season for a very busy spring. New and returning riders alike are looking for new bikes along with tuning up the old ones to get ready for that perfect sunny day.
Some time ago, on our local board we had a “discussion” on the pros and cons of square taper bottom brackets vs. external bearing bottom brackets. The mountain biking crowd has basically split into two camps.
1. Square Taper Devotees
2. External Bearing (X-Type) Riders