Wednesday, March 31, 2010

Pandas love bamboo, maybe you will too!

Bamboo wrapped in carbon fiber? Sounds like one expensive pair of chopsticks! I'm actually talking about Boo bicycles newest lineup consisting of a road and cyclocross frame, and yes, to make you non 26ers happy, a 29er complete with carbon fiber belt drive. Frames only will run you about $3k, yikes! Check out the pics here and the Boo Bicycles website. Gorgeous looking bikes I might say.

Matthias Dandois doing some bmx tricks

Check out this kid on his BMX, super graceful and crazy good balance. Wow, I'm lucky if I can pop a wheelie for more than five seconds!

Whip it with Matthias Dandois from BMX Freestyler on Vimeo.

Tuesday, March 30, 2010

Article discussing the ban of bicyclists in the Wilderness

There was a good article that I read in this month's Outside magazine about how bicyclists are banned from the 170k square miles of Wilderness through the Wilderness act of 1964. Bicyclists weren't included until 1984 and labeled under mechanical transport. Check out the article here.

Monday, March 29, 2010

Good article in the OWH about paralyzed BRAN rider

Caught a good article on the back of today's Omaha World Herald Midlands section about Larry Schroetlin who was paralyzed from a cycling accident the night before starting the 2006 BRAN. Check it out in today's newspaper or here.

Follow Me by Anthill films

Follow Me is the next film by the guys that did The Collective, Roam, and Seasons. I own all three and The Collective and Roam are by far some of my favorite mountain biking videos to watch. A little more freeride and DH, but they also showcase some good singletrack. Film is being shown in certain areas April 2010, can be bought on DVD in May. Check out Anthill Films for more info. Looks like once again blogger can't show the full width of the video, check it out here.

Dimpled water bottle can make you...

Faster? I've heard that is the reason why golf balls are able to travel so far. Due to their dimple like texture, they are actually more aerodynamic. It's physics baby! Anyway, check out this article, wind tunnel tested and approved. Shave some seconds off of that time trial this weekend!

Bikerumor All The Best Cycling News, Tech, Rumors and Reviews!

Sunday, March 28, 2010

Finally A Beautiful Weekend to Ride!!!

Trail conditions were great at Jewell despite this weekend's rain

I admit it! I was dreading today's ride at Jewell Park in Bellevue.  Last year's rides at Jewell were full of sucking air in 100 degree temps with 70 percent humidity, not good experiences. And that was after a full season of biking! Well today went much better than I could have ever imagined. Jewell was a good workout, being both physically and mentally challenging for all of us. Dave and possibly Dale plan to do time trials there next weekend, so this was a good day of familiarizing themselves a little more with the course. I might skip out and work on some race photography. We'll see.

Only one man down during today's ride, looked pretty painful by the way he laid on the trail for a good five minutes. Fallen rider I'm saving you from embarassment by not saying your name. Out today were Cory, Dave N, Paul, Dale, and myself. Thanks for the great ride guys, can't wait for the rides this year!


Dave was sporting the new Bike Masters threads. Looking good man!






Paul taking a quick breather after a big climb

Link to the trail, tracked by Dave's phone

Thursday, March 25, 2010

Jewell Park ride this Sunday at 2:00pm

Weather and trail conditions permitting, we are planning to ride Jewell Park this Sunday at 2:00pm. Come join us, it will probably be a slower paced ride. Dave wants to check it out before the Pyscowpath time trials in early April.

Recycled bike parts turned gifts and art

Been sick for the past few days, finally feeling myself again. Hit the gym hard tonight with no problems. Ready for the weekend! Anyway, check out this website. I bought a bottle opener from one of the LBS today and I guess this company makes a ton of cool clocks, frames, etc using recycled bike parts. Sounds like they've been around for awhile, but new to me.

This guy named Graham Bergh got the idea while bicycling to his recycling job in Portland, Oregon. He got a flat tire, and then eventually started Resource Revival selling objects made out of recycled bike parts.

Images are from their retail store.

Tuesday, March 23, 2010

Check yo brakes fool!

Check out this video. Got my heart racing just watching it! Sorry, silly Blogger won't show the video in it's full width. Just go to the link instead.

Some mt biking wallpaper

Not Yeti this time, but from MBAction magazine. You can download it either as a calendar version for your desktop or just the picture. Take a look at the March picture, gorgeous! Link here with other months available. And if you are running Windows 7, you can rotate your desktop wallpaper like a slideshow!

Get your desktop jazzed up with this image from MBAction mag.

SRAM X7, a more affordable 2X10 setup

So you've been wanting to run a 2X10 setup, but can't afford the XX, well here is your solution. SRAM is offering a new 2X10 line-up, the SRAM X7.

Ask RC: What will happen if I put 650b wheels on a 29er?

With all of this talk about 26 vs 650b vs 29, someone asked what happens if you put 650b wheels on a 29er frame. Here is your answer. And yes, KHS does have a production model 650b currently out.


Ask RC: What will happen if I put 650b wheels on a 29er? News mountain bike, mtb, mountain bike racing, freeride, Downhill MTB, bike tests, MBA, Mountain Bike Action, Ask RC, XC mountain bike, trek, specialized, giant bikes, mantis, ellsworth, foes, pump tracks,

Monday, March 22, 2010

Cannondale onBike

 
Photo from Cannondale.com 

Pretty funky looking bike considering that there is no rear triangle or seat stays. Cannondale's latest bike is ready for order. Only 250 will be produced and numbered. The bike has a 9 speed internal SRAM hub, and the casing around the chain is used as a structural component of the bike.  Won't be doing any sweet jumps with this bike, but more in city commuting. Lefty fork included! I can only imagine the price on this limited edition rig.

*update* Yikes! Pricing not set yet, but a bike shop had it priced at $7large. Shop photos here.

ESPN's Tony Kornheiser apologizes for boneheaded remark, gets to ride with Lance Armstrong

I hate riding on the street. Even crossing at a signal on my bike makes me feel unsafe. There a few times that I have been cut off by turning cars when I clearly had the walk signal. I just look at the driver and they look back at me, not even with a wave of apology.

That being said, this article I came across tells about how ESPN announcer Tony Kornheiser said, "I swear to you, it's all you can do to not run them down, like Wile E. Coyote, just run them over..."  The cycling community was in an outrage, and Armstrong tweeted about the remark. Kornheiser then went on to say how he was just joking, gave an apology with Lance on the show, then was invited to ride. Crazy publicity stunt? Or just another dumb, hateful comment by Kornheiser?

You can listen to the Lance/Kornheiser interview here.

Thursday, March 18, 2010

And then the sun came out...

I was surprised to hear that Tranquility would be open for riding so soon. The trail was great, a few muddy patches here and there in the low spots but not too bad! Todd and I showed up after the TNR group had already taken off. We managed to squeeze in 1.5 laps before it was too dark. Todd, good ride and glad you saw that TQ was open for business! Otherwise we would have been on the boring Papio getting shot at by kids with bb guns.

Let's just hope my buddies at the National Weather Service are wrong and the rain/snow mix skips us!
We weren't the only ones to hit Tranquility tonight!

Today was a good day...

The weather is amazing out, St. Patty's Day was fun, and best of all you ask? We got the go ahead to ride at Tranquility again! TNR at 6pm, Todd and I will be out around 6:30pm. See you fellow bikers out on the trails!

Saturday, March 13, 2010

Crazy mobile DJ station

Alright, this is going a little too far. I wonder if NFM would do a custom install like this one? Todd?
http://www.geekologie.com/2008/09/highly_questionable_the_dj_mob.php

Bikes, subs, a deafening good time???

I remember one time while biking I had passed a guy blasting the Flashdance theme song on his bike. Now if only he had one of these!!!
http://www.geekologie.com/2008/08/post_46.php

Friday, March 12, 2010

M5 Photography

I'm always watching out for ideas for my photography. This guy has a pretty keen eye on mt biking photography, I love the action close-ups. Also has some landscape, bmx, motocross, and people photos. Be sure to check out the images in the digital darkroom photography section, love the contrasts and sepia styled images.
http://www.m5photography.com/

Thursday, March 11, 2010

Google LatLong: It's time to bike

Check out a new way to bike with Google. Sounds like they are updating maps, trails, and even bike lanes to help you get around on a bike. Still in the beta phase, they have 150 cities going so far. Check it out Google LatLong: It's time to bike.

Wednesday, March 10, 2010

Skipping work to go biking?

I don't want to work...I just want to pedal on my bike all day. Come on, gotta sing it like Bang The Drum All Day by Todd Rundgren. Looking at people's blogs and the past few weekend rides that I've missed really makes me want to get out there. I guess I'm sick of the bundling up with multiple layers and having a runny nose for days after a cold ride. I've got an awesome new girl in my life too, makes it really hard to get out on the weekends (okay, now I'm just making excuses). Might leave work early today and do a few laps at Standing Bear before lifting at the gym. My legs are still sore from squats and hip sled exercises from Monday, so we'll see how it goes.

Saturday, March 6, 2010

AME hand warming bike grips

Yes, you read that correctly. Do you complain about cold hands while riding and have an extra $130 laying around? Well if so, maybe these bike grips are for you! MBA reviewed them, said they work. But then again, they weren't biking in 20 degree weather like we have been for the past few months. They supposedly have 6 temperature settings for your delight, all selectable by simply pushing a button. Looks like you need to buy a battery pack separately. Check them out here.
AME handwarming grips, photo from their website

Tuesday, March 2, 2010

Scott Spark RC

I'm all about a remote lockout from the handlebars to lock out the front suspension. Kinda wish my Fuel had it. But whether I need a button to make my seat height adjust while riding, that is another story. I just got the new issue of MBA, reading an ad for a 2010 Scott. Bike weighs in at around 20.93 lbs, complete full suspension bike. Here is the cool thing about it. Has this Twinloc, Scott calls it. Here is how it works. Both front and rear shock are active for full suspension in the first setting. When you click a lever on the handlebars, the rear shock automatically locks out. Then you just have an active front suspension.

Click the lever once more and it locks out both front and rear suspension, becoming a hardtail like/rigid fork bike. How crazy is that? No more taking your eyes off of the trail and reaching down to flip the switch on the rear shock. I could see this being more and more prominent in fullys in coming years. I'm sure Scott has the patents to it, but we'll probably see other variants popping up in years to come.