Sparks

yea - sparks!

MTB Crash - Fake or Real?

Gerald - "Stay down until you know everything is connected!?!?!?!"





----------------
Now playing: Dave Matthews Band - Satellite
via FoxyTunes

Colorado Pass

yea yea - I just got mine... what about you? I use the hell out of mine last season (until I had a baby) and fully plan on racking up the days this winter. There's no way I'd be able to afford to ski if it weren't for the Colorado Pass. And since you can only buy it in Colorado - it's a great "locals" discount.

Thank you Vail!!!!!!!!!!

Bravo Condoms at the US open

it's another one of those posts - pointless, I know.

I've recently run across this little tidbit of wonderous glory, most notably from Decline Magazine

"Bravo Condoms is putting up $1,000 to the fastest qualifier at this weekend's US Open Of Mountain Biking at Diablo Freeride Park. This is a great thing that we need more of!"
For more info, visit bravocondoms.com

Zero Electric Motocross

yea - they are saying motocross - but it's a MTB. Who are they kidding?
That being said - I'd ride one in a heartbeat. Seriously - I've love to take this thing trailriding.
The originals even had Fox 40 forks... they have a bot more suspension now -

good ol movies

----------------
Now playing: Ben Harper - Morning Yearning
via FoxyTunes

Ricky Bobby Interview

Giant and DW-Link?

the rumors have been spreading... and with Dave Weagle not having a 2009 manufacturer for a DH implementation of his DW-Link, this looks like a realistic effort by Giant.

Dave has been quoted saying that some of the Maestro design bleeds into his DW patent, and that after speaking with Giant - they are close to inking some kind of resolution (deal?).


Sources -
Blog
MTBR Giant Post
MTBR DW post

2009 Commencal Supreme

yea yea -
here's a vid of the new commencal supreme mini dh - you can see that the modified single pivot design is still in play, but with a different shock positioning. This should improve shock stroke length as well as give better handling charectoritics.

can you speak French?

Supreme V2 sélectionné dans Sports et VTT

special brownies

yea - people are dumb....

Bike to Work Day

Do you have a bike to work day story? Let's hope so! Here in Boulder, CO - almost everyone has one... but here's an excerpt from Ryan at Timbuk2 -

It was an incredible day for Bike to Work Day—according to the SFBC there were twice as many bicycles as cars headed downtown on San Francisco’s Market Street on the 14th annual Bike to Work Day. Bicyclists made up 64% of the eastbound traffic at Market St. & Van Ness Ave., while motorists comprised 32% between 8am and 9am today. (The remainder was transit vehicles and taxis). This is a nearly 31% increase over the number of people biking last year on Bike to Work Day. The counts were taken by the Municipal Transportation Agency.

Ostrich Racing

For those of you who aren't iJustine readers - you might not have seen this wonderful piece of entertainment...

Sam Hill Goes Fast

Crazy Spring Weather

Jeez - 4 inches of snow yesterday, and it's prime riding weather today.

Looks like the newest bike park in colorado is also going ot be the one to open first this season.
SolVista bike park looks to open up on May 23rd.

More to come shortly!

Magical high tech toilets

I love it - do you?

Another Double?

This is starting to become my saturday theme - Ride Hall And Heil back to back. I haven't gotten to the point where I'm riding from one to the other... but that can't too far off in the future.
I'm also having a sunday tradition - riding with no legs... it sucks.
My sunday rides have turned to crap because of my long saturday doubles.... hopefully it'll payoff sometime soon.

I'm not any thinner that last season (disappointing)- but I am riding DH faster, and I'm getting my sprint back. I need to get back to running a few days a week too - I've been good about lifting weights and riding.. but now I need to loose some fat.

Update again later...

Weekend Riding

I got in a few rides this weekend - put in a double on Saturday, Hall Ranch and Heil. Sunday was supposed to be an easy ride (recovery) but I ended up riding super hard at Walker Ranch.
And I bonked. At Walker. It was embarrassing.

Colorado Whiskey

Man - when was the last time I talked about this stuff? Maybe about 5 minutes ago...
http://www.blogger.com/img/gl.link.gif
I've been fully embracing all that Colorado has to offer before reaching out beyound this bountiful state, and one of my favorite finds is Colorado Whiskey

Thanks to Gerald, I've gotten a taste for Whiskey once again. I suspect one of the reasons that it's so good is that they may use mash from the Flying Dog Brewery (same owners). This would create a much easier and consistent ingredient list to work with...

Go to your local liquor store and buy a bottle. Yes, it's expensive - but you'll love it

Race Bikes

I'm getting my race bikes finalized for the race season... I'm hoping to race in 2 disciplines this year. Super-D and DH.
I had given some serious thought to DS, but there's only a couple of races in Colorado that are DS this year and I didn't want to buy a bike for 2 races. I am planning on getting a DS bike this year to race next year. Anyway - onto the bikes.

Super-D bike,
I am riding the almighty Commencal. This bike hasn't become a Super-D specific bike yet - but it's on it's way. I've got a couple of wheelsets, a light one and heavy one. I've also got quite the tire line up, Kenda has definetly hooked me up. I'll be rocking Nevegal's for most conditions but have a pair of Cortez's and Blue Groove's for alternate soil types. I'm still on the fox suspension setup from last season because I love it. Vanilla RC2 and Float RC. I'm running some nice wide Sunline Carbon Bars (28 inches) and Formula Oro Brakes. If you haven't ridden the Formula's - you are really missing out. These are the best things I've ever used.

DH Bike
I'm rocking a Giant Glory DH this season. I was considering a Sunday, but ended up with the Glory cause I got a screaming deal (leftover team frame and parts - Thanks!). Ive ben riding a lawwill suspension setup for years - and a 22.5 inch top tube. This setup is a dual link, and the top tube is 21 inches. The setup seems to be working jut fine, but only time will tell. Fox 40, Truevativ, Kenda Tires, WTB Wheels, 30.5 inch Sunline Bars, Easton flat pedals, and no brakes yet. I'm anticipating the Formula Dh brakes called "The One" but they are super pricey. My backup option is the Avid Brakes "Code".

In case you missed it (and know me) I did say I'd be running flat pedals this season. I've been a hard core Clipless Addict for years - and I'll probably still race in them, but I've decided on doing 75% of my riding on Flats. Why? I took a little trip to Seattly in February and got in some riding on a DH bike with Flats and realized how much skill I've lost over the years... I need to get it back. I need to stop using my clipless pedals as a crutch and use them like an advantage (like I used to).
Don't forget the 5/10 shoes.

Aight - so what races am I doing?
MSC - Crested Butte, Aspen, Sol Vista
maybe a national or 2 - but nothing serious
I also plan on heading up to Boise in September for an Hour long Super-D. i guess it runs from Bogus Basin to DT Boise. Sounds like it's right up my alley!

Since I have a newborn, and my wife is not a big fan of injuries - so I've promised her no podiums. That being said, I fully expect to have some top 10's.

I'll be posting up my 2008 Event Schedule soon, as well as my sponsor list for the season.

I suck

I know, I know...

I'm back now - should be for real this time.

I love budweiser commercials!

MIchelin 32 DH tire review

Aight - if you know me, then you know my fondness for tires.
I live and die by the rubber - and i'm about as picky as you'll ever get.
To quote EC "I can live with bad geometry, I can even live with bad suspension - but I won't ride or race without great tires!"

I'll try reviewing most of the tires that I ride this season... I do have my tire hookups open again, So I'll be getting a fair amount and variety of tires.

Let's start with the infamous Michelin 32

I've been riding on this tire since it's inception... and have seen some small improvements along the way. Over all the charector and style of this tire hasn't changed at all, and you'd ride today's version the same way as you would the first generate. This is the tire you throw on for high-speed outdoor motocross style riding. When I'm on a mixed conditions course where I'll be charging the whole run - this is the tire I grab. Back in the day - i used to race for michelin, and this was the team's fav tire - and was always the tires we ran while we figured out the course, we'd adjust tires for the conditions later.

The tire is completely predictable - i feel comfortable drifting, and letting the front end break loose (not fast, but fun!). for big, rocky and rooty gnar sections -this tire is definetly the one. It'll take anything and rarely flat - infact, I run regular tubes in this tire.

The knobs don't appear to stick off the sides of the tire as much as some of the other tires out there, but honestly, I've never lost my front end with this tire (unless I really deserved it). It WILL hold you all day long.

Break in time is significant. When I was racing, I'd sometimes tear up the tire before I'd break it in (I used to ride like an a$$). nowadays - I get significant time out of these tires as I'll take 4-5 runs before I really start to push the tire hard. I notice that this helps me to achieve a longer lasting and more predictable tire. NEVER race on one of these without breaking it in first! You really need to have the tire starting to wear a bit before you get optimum traction and predictability.

So - for high speed, rocky and mixed terrain (including roots) - reach for this tire.
When does this tire suck? really flat courses when you need to pedal. or really smooth courses. I guess the tire doesn't suck on the smooth stuff - but you've got better options out there.
Avoid this tire for muddy conditions also. It'll work in a pinch - but you'd want to cut the "inside" outer knobs off for optimum shedding (I've done this many times). The tire is just too dam fat to be good in slop - so look for a spike or the 16 in sloppy conditions.


Aight - more reviews to come! I've got all the michelin dh series - the all mountain extreme, panaracer cinder, panaracer rampage, maxxis high rollers (3 sizes), minion (DHR and DHF), and possibly some schwalbe tires!!

I'm Back!

Ok - I have a little baby, but that doesn't mean i can't get back to my blog right?

The collective is putting out a new movie soon called "Seasons" -
check it out here


More Mountain Biking Videos >>

I'm a DAD!!!

Wow - sorry for the lack of posts, but at the same time - not so much.

I hope to be posting full time again soon, but until then -


http://www.blogger.com/img/gl.link.gif

Sam Hill 1:04

Seasame Street Music

If you're into musicians... this might your bag.
Compliments of "JohnnyBiker" who sent me this gem over the weekend.

My Lottery Ticket

ya ya -
I've got it in writing... so it must be true!



>From Desk of Robert Kenolly
Principal Attorney
Supreme Chambers


Attn: Sir/Madam.

Compliments of the day to you. I must solicit your confidentiality and assure you that I am contacting you in good faith and this proposal will be of mutual benefit. I am Robert Kenolly (Esq.), a legal Practitioner. My client late Mr. Andrew was killed with his entire family in fatal auto crash, sparing none of their lives, some years ago.

Before his death, I assisted him in the deposit of some funds with a bank for safekeeping. The funds have remained unclaimed since his death, and such unclaimed funds are appropriated and returned to the treasury as a matter of policy. Considering the lack of success in my bid to locate any of his relatives for over a year now, I hereby solicit your consent to enable me present you as the Next of Kin to my deceased client.

I am contacting you for this sole reason and strongly believe that the bank does not deserve to inherit the funds. These reasons led to my resolve to claim the funds, which was why I contacted you. With your permission, I will proceed to establish you as the next of kin/Beneficiary to my late client. As soon as this is done, you will then give instructions to the bank, to transfer the deposited funds into another account you will provide, after which we shall then share the funds upon agreed terms.

When I receive your response, I will provide you with further details.

I await your reply,

Robert Kenolly Esq.

Bad Day at the Office

Big Johnny over at Drunk Cyclist posted this bad boy - made me think of the good ol' days, working at CDW-G in Chicago.
Then again - I still hate technology as much as I use it (and sell it).

glumbert - Bad Day at the Office

Microsoft to buy Yahoo?

Less than 2 hours ago, word came down that Microsoft execs met with Yahoo's Board - and offered them $31 per share. For those of you keeping the math - currently, Yahoo is trading athttp://www.blogger.com/img/gl.link.gif $28.5, and an offer of $31 puts the deal at about $44.6 Billion dollars.

Yahoo's profit in 2007 declined to "only" 206 million.... yea


Here's the story from AP on Yahoo

F1rst

Click HERE to see the original



Dammit - now I want to ride the lifts...

new camera

got a new point and shoot Canon - would love and SLR... but too many toys on the list before that one happens.

Editors

Saw this gem of a player on DrunkCyclist - the music's not bad... but the player is pretty cool

Drunk Woman Laughs about killing cyclist

Via Drunkcyclist Blog and my boy Dan's blog -

WTF is wrong with people?????

This woman get 10.5 years (thanks judge!) for getting drunk, driving into a bicycle lane in Tuscon, and killing the cyclist.
As it turns out... she got caught on tape laughing about killing the guy - and the judge got to hear it, so he made sure to give her the maximum.

Bitch

Story from Tuscon
Video from CNN
Tuscon Lawyer Blog Post

WTF is going on???? This just ain't right...

http://bicyclecolo.org/page.cfm?PageID=330

DENVER POST EDITORIAL ON FORT COLLINS ATTACKS

The Denver Post, Wednesday, February 12, 2003

Bicycle 'boxing' no kids' game

Denver Post Editorial

Sue O'Brien, Editor of the Editorial Page



A series of attacks on bicyclists by teen hoodlums on wheels in northern Colorado cannot easily be dismissed as youthful indiscretion: These are vicious, potentially lethal assaults that should be punished severely.

So far, three male teens from Windsor have been arrested in the case. One, a 17-year-old, has been charged with felony assault, reckless endangerment and underage use of alcohol. Authorities say the boys come from comfortable, middle-class backgrounds.

Beginning in December, police in Windsor and Fort Collins received reports of about a dozen incidents with the deceptively innocuous-sounding name of "bicycle boxing." The reality is anything but sporting: Participants in a four-wheel-drive vehicle apparently rolled up next to unsuspecting riders and one teen struck victims with an aluminum baseball bat. Sometimes, bike riders were forced off the road by the motor vehicle.

That there have been no fatalities is just pure luck. A rider hunched over the drop-style handlebars of a touring bicycle traveling at moderate speed is extremely vulnerable to a serious, disabling injury or death, even when wearing a safety helmet.

Fort Collins and Windsor police haven't learned of any similar attacks elsewhere in the United States, so this appears to be homegrown Colorado product.

Windsor Police Chief John Michaels said he's heard only vague rumors of how the term "bicycle boxing" came about.

Charlie Henderson, president of the Rocky Mountain Cycling Club, said the attacks in northern Colorado are "the first we've heard of." "It's something they've got to squash," Henderson added.

Patrick McCormick, spokesman for the American League of Bicyclists in Washington, D.C., also said the Colorado incidents are a first.

Both Henderson and McCormick say bicyclists often encounter hostile motorists, and most long-time riders have been targeted for road-rage of one kind or another. But those usually are chance encounters. The "bicycle boxing" teens allegedly sought out their victims.

For now, the attacks are being handled as a juvenile case, and the Larimer County district attorney's office hasn't decided yet whether to charge those involved as adults.

Given the assailants' apparent depraved indifference to the potential for death or serious injury and the large number of attacks, adult felony charges might be an appropriate way to discourage wannabe copycats.

Meantime, the teens' parents should ask themselves what kind of monsters they've raised. They may not like the answer.

Peanuts Bicycle Ride

I've got a baby due any day now... this reminds me of the many conversations about how I can continue to ride when I have a kid. Mostly, that means our baby gets to go for a ride with me.

Texans in Telluride

These 2 kids are lucky to be alive...

Who loves Subcultures?

If you are into cycling subcultures... this will def be entertaining!
Messenger fixie types having fun in the streets and catching it on tape. And selling it.



Click HERE to go THERE

How Far Can a Biker Fly?

Click Here to find out!

Colorado Whiskey

Simply stated - this is the best US based whiskey I've ever had. I'm not a whiskey person (love my tequila), but you should try this stuff!

Women in the News

Seems like there's been a bit a of bad streak of luck lately for women in the news

First, there's the Colorado Native who go's missing in Georgia while hiking (dog found 50 miles away in a grocery store). That asshole's going away for a long time.
Click here for the story

Then - they found the body of the missing pregnant marine. Some butwipe buried her in his backyard. Genius.... With that kind of intellect, it should be some time before he's found (maybe another 30 seconds).
Click Here for the Story

And there' the cyclist in Minnesota who somehow ended up underwater in the Mississippi.
No evidence of foul play - but I'm sure if you Follow the story, some will appear shortly.
Click Here for the story

Nissan Independant Front Suspension Ad

Nissan has a new ad out for their independent front suspension,

Enjoy!

Pregnant Basketball

My wife's pregnant, due is a very short time (and she's a personal trainer) and is a strong sporting type.....

Wow! Skateboard movies rule

That's it - I'm changing my profession today. I'm walking out the door, buying an HD camera or two, some mad mac with tons of memory, and some sweet video editing software.

It's on... alternative sports video's are real - finally! The first HD Mountain bike video was launched recently (in widescreen format), and we are finally seeing some crazy good production quality lately.

http://www.lifelounge.com/Best-Skate-Video-Intro-Ever.aspx



Check out more at The Life Lounge

Tazor, but in style

New tazors - with MP3's and leopard print....

Want to watch a Wall Street journal reporter get taz'd?

Downhill Race on Snow

Man - I remember doing this kind of stupid crap when I lived in the midwest and didn't have anything better to do.
Now I live in Colorado and own ski's and snowshoes. That means I have lots to do.


=================
Downhill daredevils
Mountain bikers pit their skills against a ski slope in eighth annual Bikercross.

By Sam Kennedy | Of The Morning Call
January 6, 2008


Imagine going down a steep, jump-studded ski slope -- on a bike.

Sound dangerous?

It was, as evidenced by the medical helicopter dispatched to Blue Mountain Ski Area in Lower Towamensing Township on Saturday afternoon to fly 20-year-old Gregory White of Boyertown, one of the contestants of the resort's eighth annual Winter Bikercross.

The event, essentially downhill mountain biking in the snow, is more of a novelty than an established sport.

Most of the 29 participants were local daredevils who do most of their biking on weekends during warmer weather. They wore ski gear and even jeans.

But some were highly experienced professional mountain bikers, decked out in heavily padded shirts and pants. They came from as far away as Virginia.

The bikers went down the mountain in heats of three or four. Skiers and snowboarders gathered along the sides of the track, cheering when somebody hit a jump and caught air.

Dave Serfass, 26, of Lehighton was eliminated from the competition after he came down cockeyed and spun out.

''Not bad…my elbow cracked a little,'' he said after brushing himself off. He'd be back to give it another go next year, he said, explaining the draw: ''Oh, it's the rush!''

White, unfortunately, came down a lot harder, with an audible thump that silenced nearby onlookers. Mid-air, his front wheel tipped so far forward that his bike was nearly vertical. He flew over his handlebars, driving his head into the snow.

Ski patrollers rushed to his aid, finding him unconscious and bleeding from the mouth. They lifted him onto a toboggan and whisked him down the mountain to the helicopter pad.

Later in the day, a spokesman at Lehigh Valley Hospital-Cedar Crest said White was in stable condition.

No sooner was White removed from the course than the next heat was under way.

''In my years of doing this race, I've seen a lot worse,'' said Bikercross director Jason Boris. The event, organized by the Eastern Schuylkill Recreation Commission, averages about one helicopter evacuation a year, he said.

Among the youngest competitors were the Mulally brothers -- Neko, 14, and Logan, 12 -- of Reading, Berks County.

Their mother, Carolyne, said she was unfazed by all the wipeouts. ''I'm used to it by now,'' she explained, because her boys compete in mountain bike races year round.

If anything, she added, the event at Blue Mountain was easier to stomach than normal races. ''This is a soft landing,'' she said, referring to the snow.

Neko would go on to win the competition and a trophy.

The other three finalists, in the order they finished, were:

Lars Tribus, 36, of Milford, N.J.

Scott Cooper, 24, of Cranford, N.J.

Marvin Scanland, 34, of Upperco, Md.

sam.kennedy@mcall.com

610-820-6517

Tara Llanes Benefit - Earthed 5 Premier

Earthed 5 AND a benefit for Tara -

What: Earthed 5 - The Law of Fives, premier and benefit for Tara Llanes' Road to Recovery
When: Saturday, January 5, 2008
Where: Wahoo's Fish Taco, 1521 Blake Street, Denver, CO 80202
Time: Doors will open at regular Wahoo's time, the movie will start at 9PM.
$: $5 minimum donation suggested, but you are free to contribute more

BMX Skilz

This guy's a ripper

Britney Spears moving to Colorado?

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA -

breaking news?

DENVER - Our partners at the Denver Post are reporting that pop-star Britney Spears may be coming to the Mile High City.

The Post sources a "former Spears security guy" as saying she has been here already and may be coming back.

During her mid-December trip to Denver, the Post says, she and John Sundahl, who is rumored to be her boyfriend, looked at a Cherry Creek North house and put down a $2.2 million deposit, according to their source.

The paper goes on to say the couple visited the rehab treatment center Harmony Foundation in Estes Park.

A Harmony Foundation employee would not comment to the paper on anyone who may or may not be at the facility

Cost of the War in Iraq

uuhhhh -
holy shit

Hello Kitty AR-15 Assult Rifle

Hurry, buy one of these California Legal AR-15 Assault Rifles before your local WalMart runs out!

Seriously - this is a real gun (AR-15, post Clinton Ban production, with California legal grips). It's not sold in Walmart, but is an example of some someone trying to make their Assault rifles less "Assault looking"

Hope you enjoy!

Frozen Dead Guy Festival

Be there in March 2008, or be square...

it's real, and it's tons of fun. I'll have a newborn by then - so I doubt that I'll make it up there.
if you have a chance to go for the weekend, I highely suggest it!

For the background story

Anthony Bourdain

Who watches Tony's show, No Reservations?
I'm not a big TV buff - but I think that Anthony may be my long lost brother. oh yea - the show's pretty entertaining too.
Here's 2 clips -





BTW - I'm working on my "portfolio" today, and I'm pissed that hedge funds are only available to the extra rich wacko's that don't need a monetary vehicle as bad as the rest of us.
The rich get richer....

Tara Llanes

Tara Llanes has a clip on Access Hollywood today - be sure to check it out.

http://video.accesshollywood.com/player/?id=198604

Please don't forget to donate to her overwhelming medical bills.

Tara's the strongest and most determined person I've ever met, and there was not a single person who ever met Tara who didn't immediately want to be her friend or spend more time with her.

http://www.tarallanesroadtorecovery.com

http://www.tarallanesracing.com

Tara's Myspace Page

Here's a shorter clip on the Denver news channel - the above story is better

Where's Santa?

MapMyRide.com

Looks like there's another fun service for us cycling folks. MapMyRide.com provides a service where you can upload your map, and allow for mile markers. there's even a calorie counting function for you concerned types...

Town Production

Last night, we headed over to a local youth production. It was a dance/play put on as a charity for a local foodbank.

It was fun seeing kids of all ages (from just 3-17) in the production as our first child is expected in February. Kind of puts things into perspective... all the kids on stage and their families in the audience, it was fun to see all the interaction.

Energy Drinks Rule

Loving your bike

Some people take their bike love a little too far -
Click Here for the story

Mountain Bike Buyers Guide

Big Props to the boys at Decline for putting this together...
it doesn't have everything - but it comes pretty close!

http://www.mtbbuyersguide.com/

Working From Home

I love working from home -

Right now it's 70 degrees, the leaves are falling, and the skies are blue.
And I'm working on my Deck in the Backyard.
And a leaf just fell in my tea.

Life is good,

I'm out

What to do in case of encounter with Cougar

Please click on the image to read all the detail.








Courtesy of your friendly Front Range Mountain Bikers.... I hope I'm not riding with these guys when it's time for the showdown.

Bud-weis-er

ReSkin

wow -I couldn't make this up if I tried

protect the taint

• ReSkin® is applied to the perineum. The perineum is the piece of skin between the anus and the genitals. The perineal area contains sweat glands,hair follicles and sebaceous glands that can often become irritated by rubbing,leading to an infection.
• We advise ladies to cut the strip off along the dotted line marked on the product for enhanced comfort while using ReSkin®.

Rap Chips

Yo... playa
www.rapsnacks.com

Corsair

Looks like these guys have an innovative idea -

I encourage you to check out their frame designs at http://www.corsairbikes.com/
If you have no other reason - they have a cool "animate suspension" feature built in to some frame pages.

They have a unique linkage system (called an Iron Fly, but looks like a true scissors link, and a low leverage ratio (2:1 on the DH bike).

The bikes are definetly oriented towards the technical and burly riders - one look at the geometry and you'll be thinking about gravity. The head and seat tube angles are all pretty slack - but I bet their all mountain frame would make a hell of a Super D bike - or VERY good at megavalanche events...

Also - check out the DH frame with their optional "blow off shock". I've seen some successful custom builds with this concept, but never in production. It adds some travel and some weight, but maybe be the added cushion needed for those extremely diverese trails, where a race setup won't work, but neither will a freeride setup.

Tomac Primer 220

Many people have been anticipating a release like this for some time - myself included. Tomac's bikes have always been very, very nice... and the new lot look to be on par.

Can I explore some suspension with you?
Some of you may remember the days of old - when Tomac Bikes originally released their 204. It was a Lawwill design, also used by Schwinn (I have a customer built Schwinn Lawwill DH rig) and now by Rotec.

Schwinn's Design (they had 2 vesions) was by far the most inferior from a frame design standpoint, but given the rear shocks available at the time - was the best implementation for the day and thus was th best performing.
Tomac had a much better design (front traingle AND rear neo-floating shock), but the dampening was always overwhelmed due to poor shock design.
Rotec's got it nailed - almost. The frame uses a concentric bottom bracket, floating shock, and a stiff front end with low clearance. Rotec should also offer a version that sheads a few pounds as well as offering a frame that will accept multiple shock types (now limited to 1 choice)

Tomac did see their shortcoming and envoked a simple single pivot later (no real leverage problems here) - but still ran into shock limitations.

I digress - on to the new shizzle

Tomac's latest offering looks to be similar to Commencal (single pivot, with modified linkage to lower the leverage ratio) - but I haven't seen a pic that shows the non drive side of the bike.

The photo's that Tomac released show a full build - but their site details frame only info. No Smalls? WTF?



The geometry seems to be "race" specific - and thank god. I thought Devinci was the only company out there that understood DH race geometry.


Some spy shots up in Whistler show a differnt build - with a craptastic crapitou at the helm. Manipoo has failed many of my friends and fallen to the wayside.... I hope they get their act together... back to the bike. The pivot looks a little high for my taste... but who knows. Maybe that kind of placement is working better these days.


I'm toying with the idea of getting one... but the Devinci design is spot on - and very light this year...
single crowns are cool too - and they are getting more attention from manufacturers lately.

Whatever I decide - I'll have a nice little rant for all my dedicated fans

Today's Words of wisdom -
Don't poo where you sleep

Very Cherry

Has anyone else noticed a disturbing trend with canned fruit?

No one makes Fruit Cocktail with extra cherries anymore. It's now called "Very Cherry" and it uses Cherry Flavored Syrup.

I'm being ripped off.



New bar called the Waterloo opened in Louisville, CO - They have great Chicken and Apple Sausage (goes well with a brown ale).

Beer Bike

I'll take 2

Searle Pass, Kokomo Pass

Riding and riding... I didn't think that the ride was ever going to end. Or the climbing...
I'll post some pic's soon (Dan's got em all - so I'll blame him)

Some of the best views I've ever seen... some fun, but well earned delirium at altitude

Props to my boy Dan for the pics and for riding way to much.
Please visit his blog by clicking here - good content, if you're into that kind of thing

Searle Pass, Kokomo Pass

.


Sorry Folks -
post removed...

Alternative post to follow



.

Breckenridge Oktoberfest

Tons of fun this weekend!!!



Breck had a good little festival this weekend. Tons of men dressed in funny shorts, W dressed in funky skirts, lots of funny hat's, Brats, Schnitzels, and LOTS and LOTS of beer.



Sat and Sun mornings were dedicated to epic singletrack riding - but the rest of our time involved Oktoberfest. They had great bands (very German/Austrian), and some very good food booths. I'd recommend this trip to anyone... they even had a huge "kids" section to make this a family type event. It wasn't unusual to see babies and little kids running around with parents in tow.

Having a festival like this in an "old" Colorado mountain town was the perfect setting. I'm sure that some other areas (like Vail) may have more architecture dedicated to the Swiss alps feel (overlapping into Austrian and German styles) - but this town gets the celebration right. Vail's been faltering a bit in the summer festival department in the last couple of years (maybe due to the construction?), but I'm sure they'll be back on track soon.
The mountains, with good festival beer, lots of smiles and lots of German polka music playing made this one of the better mountain festivals that I've been to in a while.


Today's words of wisdom -
Drink beer, be merry, and pass it on

James Brown

I love the music... but guns, lead pipes, alcohol and drugs just seem like too much love.

Panaracer Tire Review

I've been getting a fair about of questions regarding my current tire setup on my "All Mountain" Commencal (much more than on my DH rig). Seems that the time is right to post a review. Tires are finally broken in, I put in some miles on diverse terrain, and I've got them pretty much figured out.

From a tire standpoint, people look for different things. To give you some perspective on my (tire and tread) views, I'm pretty picky (tires are the most important item on your bike). I generally look for a very predictable cornering tire (different than a tire that grips like hell) and I look for something that allows me to run lower pressures. As a DH'r, I like to rip corners and love tons of grip... but as a mature gravity and technical rider - I know how to corner faster than most and can decsend faster than most as well. This leads to me an evolving viewpoint that I have, which is to say that I need more help keep up with my friends on climbs while still having a tire that will allow for me to ride some pretty techy terra and have fun doing it.

I'm running a Panaracer Razor MX (2.3) and a Panaracer Rampage (2.35) These are two hugely different tires and I'll run through my opinions on both. My current setup has one Rampage in the front and a Razor in the rear.

These tires took a significant amount of time to break in, and were unpredictable the whole time. Once broken in, then became very solid and sure footed.

Panaracer Rampage
Many people compare this tire to the Kenda Karma because of the tread pattern being similar - but don't be fooled. These are hugely different tires with hugely different characteristics. My time on Kenda Karma's revealed a sticky tire tire with moderatly heavy rolling resistance (slow for a XC tire) but pretty good cornering grip. My probablem was that the tire felt lathargec unless it was gravity bound. The sidewalls felt unpredictable and the tire would HOLD HOLD HOLD a corner, but tsuddenly, just let go. By contrast - the Rampage doesn't have a sticky rubber compound, has a much livelier feel, low rolling restistance, it doesn't hold a corner as tight as a Karma - but breaks slowly and predictably (more important to me), and the sidewalls are more predictable.
You'll notice the use of my word "predictable". For me, it's more important that a tire be predictable through a corner and AFTER it breaks loose than a tire that will hold really tight, until it breaks loose. This might have something to do with the outside knob config AND the sips on the inner knobs. Karma's are great until they break loose... then it's a disaster waiting to happen. They are SOOO unpredictable in even the slightest of slides or drifts. I can hold a Rampage in a drift for any amount of time without fear of highside'ing or stacking up. It also breaks loose AFTER the tire tells you it will. Predictable also applies to the sidewalls. These are LIGHT tires and require more airpressure than I'm used to due to the thinner sidewalls. The upside is the light weight - and that the Rammpage sidewalls will let you know when they need more air or when you have too much. The Karma's are too disconnected from this, almost numb.
All this talk about grip is not to say that the Rampage's don't have grip. I was surprised at how much grip they have! I would be willing to argue that outside of sticky rubber - these tires have the most grip of any tire I've run to-date. DH and sticky rubber is a different story, and require different handling skills.

The Razor is a wholey different tire. It's got ultra low rolling resistance and great off camber grip - but it doesn't hold at 30mph speeds as well the Rampage. That being said... it does hold better than any other small knob design that Ive ever ridden at 30mph+. As a front tire - it would be great for buff singletrack, and riding on rock. When the trail gets really loose, the soil break often, or the ground is unstable - I'd opt for some more knobs and some more sidewall. This tire is a 2.3 and weights in at 537 grams (claimed at 530 grams). For a 2.3, that SUPER light. You'll definetly need to pay attention to your air pressure - but like the Rampage, the beauty of this tire is it's predictability. Mostly ridden as a rear tire - i have flatted once (not enough pressure) and have had NO grip issues. It's light, corners well, hold off camber, accelerates great, and has no rolling resistance.


How would I compare these tires? Who would I reccomend them to? Well - If you know me, I'm pretty picky about my tires. I feel like this is a near perfect setup. I've not hit a speed limit with my current config (Rampage in front, Razor in rear). I've ridden this setup on extremely technical terrain with NO confidence issues (Vail DH and Golden Gate State Park), and on buff singletrack (colorado trail, high county rides) and I love it. My High Roller 2.1's have a speed limit and aren't great on really techy terrain at any speed, but climb really well and have great sidewalls. The Karma's are great tires but need to be more predictable in the corners and need to feel a bit more alive (like comparing the to K2 Skiis - they feel dead, but Volkl's are alive and rip). My Michelin Al Mountain Extreme's have GOBS of grip - and INCREDIBLE sidewalls but are like riding on Velcro.

Current Setup
9/10 for grip
8/10 for sidewalls
10/10 rolling resistance
9/10 confidence

My only wish is that the rear tire had slightly thicker sidewalls - but i don't care enough to change it out. I'm hooked.

Check out Shiggy's site for some great tire reviews as well

9/12 edit
beware of high speed impacts in square edges when running the razor on the rear

Spread the word, fight the power

Don't give in and be a slave. Fight back - be an individual.
If you are liberal... this is a huge infrigment ofour rights and privacy.
If you are evangelical - the bible metaphorically warned us about this, recieving the mark of the devil... jut like Hitler marking Jews or the devil's right hand man marking with 666.

This is for real, and it's scary.

Today's Joy's and Tomarrow's Entertainment

Another big day at Vail... forgot my camera (I'm an Idiot).

I've had a few requests for a review on my current tire set up... I'll be posting something this weekend about those.

Some Entertainment until then...

Unemployment Bliss - In Vail

I've been unemployed since Thursday... and loving it.

Today was trip to Vail. Rode from the base of the mountain (8,300 ft) to Benchmark (11,818 ft) then down the backbowls (9,100 ft) and up to Two Elk Pass (11,710) - then back down the valley, up the the back of the mountain, down the front side and straight to Subway.
I ran through 100 oz of water (could have used an extra 20 oz or so), 3 cliff bars, 1 cliff shot, 1 bag of cliff blocks. Subway was a foot long meatball sub doin the math - my ride burned about 3850 calories (5.5 hours at 700 calories an hour). I think that i need to eat more during these long rides.

Breckenridge Singletrack Festival

Be There - or be Square

Breckenridge Singletrack Festival

Don't be a poser - show up. It's the first Carbon Nuetral Festival in Colorado - and one of the first in the world that doesn't have anything to do with eco-politics.

The Riding is not going to suck
The Beer isn't going to suck

Now you are out of excuses.... IM me for more details....

Max Roach

Max passed away yesterday in NYC - this was a big loss to the world of Jazz.
I grew up in a music oriented family and was a music major in college - and of course, I am a Drummer.
I can say that in percussion - there have only been a select few individuals how have been able to influence my playing. Mostly, I find inspiration from a song, a riff, a style, a group, or even listening to natural patterns found in both rural and urban areas. The individuals who were able to shape my musical perceptions and development were my Father, Buddy Rich, Dave Weckel, Chad Smith, Carter Beauford, Louis Bellson, Gene Crupa and Max Roach.
Max's contribution would have been great without his solo efforts, his place in immortalized jazz history would have been solidified. His work starting in the 40's and into the 50's defined what modern drumming has evolved into today - and his solo efforts helped to stretch what was possible. His album revolving around 3/4 time showed me that there are no restrictions, and that you can always do something different and even in the world of music - out of the box thinking is still possible. The style of playing was something that I was never able to create an internal comfort level with - but layed the groundwork for my now infamous 6/8 latin jazz efforts.
Innovation, constant change, constant re-definition, new standards. These are all values that I live by, and are all values that I learned from music. This is what Max did for Jazz, and how he influenced me.

Rest in peace Max, you've earned it.

OMG

there are no words,

Cycling Race Nutrition

Yea... good ol' midwestern race food.

Frogs?

Here's a good one... click each pic as it appears -

Frogs

Formula ORO Brake Review

Howdy all -

sorry about my absence (again) - but I've got a whole file of reviews that I'll be posting for you to read!

Today's review is on the new (for 2007) Formula Oro Brakes. I've got a pair of the k18's on hand, these have 99% of the functionality of the k24's - but cost a bit less.

Short and Dirty review of the Formula Oro Brake Family

Most people use power, modulation, adjustability,weight and ergonomics as their evaluation criteria - so I will too.

Modulation - yup, these things feel good! It's nice to have a brake that allows you to feel what's happening at the wheel and on the ground. I've ridden lots of high end brakes in my day - and the only other brakes that I've found with a similar feel were the Juicy 7's... but even the Juicy's fall short when it comes to the brake's feel

Adjustability -
So here it is - the base model is missing what the other models have - an "FCS" system that allows you to adjust the pad's contact point (pull). As I own the base model, but have ridden the other models - I can tell you that I don't feel like I'm missing out. The Juicy's adjustable system is too adjustable and doesn't much power - the Hayes adjustable system blows... so there's no real comparison out there. All of the models include a reach adjustment for the lever. High amount of adjustability here - top ratings for this!


Ergonomics -
This is the only area where the brakes fall a little short. The clamping placement is a little funny. It just happens to get in the way of most folk's shifter placement. This is no reflection on the brake itself - but shows that they didn't use racer's to test out the model... As a former pro racer - it were these kinds of details that we would be able to give as feedback (other than "this sucks" or "can I have another one"). Luckily, new Sram and Shimano shifters are offering more adjustability that they have in the past (being able to place the clamp into multiple spots on the shifter). This took care of the issue for me (90% of where I like my placement)

Weight -
well under 1lbl for every model, including rotor, bolts, hosing, caliper and lever. It's light, and it works good.

Power -
By far the strongest 2 piston brake I've ever ridden. Maybe the 2nd or 3 strongest brake I ever ridden (including 4 pods). Magura's DH brake and Formula's DH brake take top power awards, although I haven't tested Avid's Code DH brake yet.



Summary?
They are crazy strong - Super light - feel great - and are crazy reliable.
The drawback? they aren't cheap.

My Advice -
Drop some coin - you won't regret it!

What's wrong with me?

more posts shortly...

in the meantime - enjoy this

New Belgium Brewery has their tour up and running cross this here 50 states.
Click here for more info

I'm moving - check it out yo,

Tour De France

dopers rejoice! The tour is here... so if you dope - we've got your gig.
We'll be watching it on versus - and wouldn't you know it... Comcast is gonna have all the showings "on demand". Looks like we are going to have a a few visitors over the next month.

2008 Commencal

The 2008 Commencal's are here!! Well, not quite - but I've got some pic's!!

Looks like the big changes are the graghics and the rear swing arm. The rumor mill is saying that the headtube's will be 1/2 a degree steeper - I guess some people thought the 07's were too slack? (I love the slack headtube)

Rear swingarm is a real arm these days, not a flying triangle... supposedly stiffer.Meta 666



2008 also introduces the Commencal Meta 666. This bike will have an adjustable headtube sleeve and will come stock with through axle wheels (the meta 5 comes with hardware for both quick release and through axle).



Commencal Meta 4

Commencal Meta 5.5

DH Goodness...

Gary Busey

Once again - I'm speachless...