Lily the Trail Dog Who Rips!

Filmed by Rossimo37 in Utah…nice camera work and riding.  Dog’s pretty good too!

All signs point to YES!

Finally...a flow chart that makes sense to me

2012 Norco Sight 1

Looks like it’s a done deal.  Here is my new bike for next season – Norco’s brand new Sight 1.  This is an XT/XTR 140mm trail bike (27.2lbs) that is designed to handle most, if not all, the trails I can throw at it.  The Sight is a modern mountain bike in every way.  Tapered head tube, 15mm front hub, 142 x 12 mm rear axle, dropper seatpost and an active rear suspension via Norco’s A.R.T design.  I also happen to think that it is the BEST looking bike that Norco has ever made.  Murdered-out just like the cool kids would order it.  Mine is on its way.

2012 Norco Sight 1

Here’s what Norco’s marketing team has to say…

“There are so many places around the world where you can ride your bicycle. With a seemingly infinite number of trails to discover and new lines to explore, this is the one bike that every adventurer needs on their search for the perfect trail and the perfect ride. Designed to epitomize climbing efficiency while maintaining descending prowess, the SIGHT has a chokehold on versatility in the all-mountain trail market. With 140 mm of smooth, precise A.R.T. travel, refined geometry and a great component spec, this is a bike you have to ride to believe.”

The guys at Oak Bay Bicycles in Victoria, B.C. got a hold of one and here is a quick review:

http://oakbaybikes.com/reviewed-norco-sight-1/

And here are the full specs for the number crunchers:

2012 Norco Sight 1 Specs

http://www.norco.com/bikes/mountain/trail/sight/

ridethe780 Gear Review – Schwalbe Racing Ralph Tires 2.25 TR

In every mountain biker’s garage they sit…the worn out, the unloved, the unwanted and the seldom used.  The tires of season’s past; knobs torn and missing.  The new “next  big thing”, the tires your buddy recommended or those you read about in a magazine and then hated.  They are all there.  Some you put back on in the hopes that with the right conditions, they’ll perform as advertised.  Others, you have given up on.  My tire stack is dominated by one brand of worn out tires – SCHWALBE.  German engineering, good rubber compounds and lots of choices in tread patterns and widths.

Schwalbe Racing Ralph 2.25

On my Norco Faze SL I am running an MTB classic with a bit of new bling, the Racing Ralph 2.25 Pacestar.

If you haven’t been paying attention in class, “fat is where it is at” for MTB tires these days.  Don’t believe me racer-boy?  Think that 1.9 at 50psi is faster?  Check out this link for some science behind the hype.

http://www.schwalbetires.com/wider_faster_page

The 2.25 works awesome for the trails that I like to ride on.  This size gives the tire extra flotation and the low profile knobs on the Racing Ralph are a little bigger for added confidence in loose, rocky terrain.

Schwalbe Racing Ralph Tread

The PaceStar compound is one of Schwalbe’s newest.  The triple compound mixes an easy rolling base under a fast/harder center compound with softer, grippier side knobs.  What it aims to do is allow for a faster rolling tire with more cornering grip.  While the Racing Ralph has always been a fast tire, with this new compound and in a larger size, it really expands who and where this tire can be ridden.  On my 5″ travel bike it is awesome for anyone with decent bike handing skills and desire to have a tire that rolls really well.  There is always a trade-off between traction, grip and speed.  With the Racing Ralph you can have it all for most trail conditions.

Schwalbe’s Tubless Ready  worked great.  The tires have a specially formed and coated bead.  This seals the rim very well and also provides safe seating.  The tires slipped on to my Mavic Crossmax ST rims with out tire levers. With the recommended 60 ml of Stan’s tire sealant and a good floor pump I got the back tire to seat no problem.

Tubeless Ready

The front one would not go, so I had to use a compressor (not uncommon for tubeless tires) to get it to seat.  Once inflated they held air really well.  A quick rotation and shake to make sure the sealant was well-distributed and they were almost ready to go.  I dropped them down to 29psi and let them sit over night.  In the AM and with the same reading on the digital pressure gauge I was ready to ride them.

 

 

ride780 Trail Review Racing Ralph 2.25 PaceStar TR (530 g weight)

The Racing Ralph has long been one of my personal choices for tires.  For hard pack, fast-rolling conditions, there are few tires that can match the RR.  The most noticeable difference is the softer shoulder knobs and their U-Shape  (sipe pointing in the direction of travel) and the increase in size in the 2.25.  I have thousands of KM’s on the 2.1′s but the bigger size was an eye-opener.  Bigger is better!  I know that I can go even lower with tire pressure to increase traction with the lager casing.  These are the tires I ran at the Bow 80 with mud, slippery roots, loose rocks and screaming fast descents with no problems.  If conditions were really sketchy (80-90% loose rock) I would consider putting on something with bigger knobs on the front for some go-fast peace of mind however.  Overall, a great tire that was easy to set up for tubeless and delivers as promised as a great race tire or trail tire.  ride780 approved!

For 2012 Schwalbe has revised the Racing Ralph yet again.  Modified tread profile and 127tpi sidewall have decreased the weight and rolling resistance again.

http://www.schwalbe.com/gbl/en/produkte/mtb/produkt/index.php5?flash=1&ID_Produktgruppe=41&ID_Produkt=177&ID_Land=38&ID_Sprache=2&ID_Einsatzbereich=5&tn_mainPoint=Produkte&tn_subPoint=MTB

Light and fast!

2011 Bow 80 (ish?) Results

Results are up for the 2011 Edition of the Bow 80 (ish) .  This year’s course was mix of old trails around Sulfer Springs and some new ones with over 6000 ft of climbing (overheard from a racer with a GPS).  On a scale of 1-10, I’d say this race goes to 11.  It was a hard day.  Congrats to all the racers and a huge thanks to the team at Bow Cycle and their volunteers for putting this event on.

www.bowcycle.com/bc11/documents/2011Bow80.pdf

Jasper, Alberta – The Overlander Trail

The Overlander Trail in Jasper, Alberta is a “classic” in the true sense of the word.  This hiking and mountain bike trail is part of a historic route that had been used, starting in the mid-1800′s, by the “Overlanders” – gold seekers heading to British Columbia to hopefully find their fortune.  For more history lessons class, check out:

http://www.jaspernationalpark.com/overland.html

As such, this is point-to-point ride that can be ridden in either direction (east to west or you can switch it up).  Arranging to have a shuttle vehicle will save your legs for the ride or you can, in the spirit of the Overlanders, ride out to the trailhead located right beside the Cold Sulfer Springs on Hwy 16 (18 KM that is mostly pavement with a couple km of singletrack).  A short hike-a-bike from the highway will get you to the start of the trail and some amazing views of the valley, Pyramid Mountain http://www.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pyramid_Mountain_(Alberta) and the Athabasca River.

West vew from Overlander Trail

The trail has a mix of rolling singletrack, loose off-camber shale sections and a few technical rock-strewn climbs just for fun.  This Overlander is a mountain bike ride that every one of intermediate-level should do once.   Bring your camera for photo ops along the route.  You’ll even see the ruins of the Moberly cabins along the way.  Quite a nice setting for a mountain retreat but no cable or running water!  Don’t forget that bears like to frequent this area especially in the spring.  Pack the pepper spray and ride in bigger groups if you can.

Rocky climb on the Overlander Trail - Jasper, AB

One Less 29er

“In the hands of a competent rider, the 26-inch wheeled bike is more fun than a 29er.  All thinks being equal (meaning comparing similarly priced bikes, the 26er accelerates faster, pumps the trail with more authority and is more laterally rigid.” – Mountain Bike Action May 2011 Issue  

Yes it’s true.  I am a 26er for life.  I have ridden 29ers and…ummmmm….well, how can I say this…I hated them.  For my riding style, the terrain I like to ride and for my own FUN factor, 29″ wheels never did it for me.  I know the advantages – bigger contact patch for the tire, improved cornering and grip, better angle of attack for the wheel over obstacles.  Yep, heard them all.  But what about wheels that have more flex, more rotating mass, increase the gyroscopic effect on steering and have a lack of “flick-ability”?  We’ll, it’s those same 29er wheels dragging you down!  So, will I recommend a 29er to a friend?  Yes, if they are serious racers who want to go fast or if they ride rolling terrain with lots of flow with no tight single track.  For the rest of us, especially riders on 5″-6″ travel suspension bikes where it’s difficult to incorporate long travel with big hoops, its got to be the 2 to the 6.  Long live the 26er!

ride780 Tire Review – Schwalbe Racing Ralph vs. Kenda Karma

Dug this review up that I did for WesternCyclist a couple of seasons ago.

http://content.yudu.com/Library/A1hgim/WesternCyclist/resources/26.htm

Check it out.  Product shots and all.  Trying to think Spring while I look at my yard buried in snow.

I hate March.

Season in Review – Why do I Ride?

The snow has finally hit  and it’s -2oC right now.  The bikes are waiting for some service work, photos and videos of my last trip need to be posted and plans for next year are in the works.  After a riding season, I often think about what it is that makes a person want to get out there every day.   When I heard through my wife that pro surfer Andy Irons had died,  I checked out some of his surf videos and his thoughts on why he rode really hit home.

“I surf because I am always a better person when I come in.” A. Irons  r.i.p

True words whether you paddle out or pedal out.  If you are still riding, enjoy it.  If you are buried under winter, keep the faith.

 

 

 

 

 

Best Bike for Moab?

The riding in Moab is very unique and riders travel from all over the world to experience it.  Tons of sandstone (slickrock), big drops, high-desert terrain and aggressive rock-strewn lines are on the menu.  Let me first say that you CAN ride almost any bike there.   After all, back in the day (80′s) riders were hitting these trails with cro-mo hardtails with no suspension.  This doesn’t mean you WANT to however.  You are going to ride slow and are missing out on what  modern technology can do for you and that’s let you have more FUN!   So, with that said, what is the best bike for Moab?  I usually look to what the locals are riding. 

Giant Reign X0 in it's natural habitat

Brand loyalty aside, you will see lots of the following:

2.3+ tires.  More rubber = more float, less pinch flats and more grip.  Tubeless with sealant  if you can.  There are thorns everywhere. 

Bigger brakes –   Lager rotors make for better stopping on those long descents.  7″ on the front for me.

Wider handlebars – The trend right now is W     I     D     E.  Bars over 700mm are common and give you more leverage to work the bike.    Wider bars also help reduce the “tiller effect” and make for more precise handling.  Check out the pro DH guys if you still are doubter.  I run a Sunline V One OS in full 740mm.

5″ + Travel - Increase the travel and hang on!  I have never ridden a bike there with less than 6″ of travel and always wish I had a little more.

Height-Adjustable Seatpost – Thought this was a gimmick until I tried one.  WOW!  Full saddle height for pedalling and as soon as you hit a descent – DROP IT LIKE IT’s HOT for BMX-style handling.  Can’t think of riding in Moab without one.

What can you do to make your bike Moab-ready?  Even on a budget you can still make your bike work better out there.  Make sure you get the biggest tires you can fit on your bike.  Some XC bikes will not take a big tire, so check for clearance.  If you don’t have a quick release on for your seatpost, you might want to put one on.  You might not be able to adjust your saddle height on the fly, but at least you can lower your seat for those super-long descents.  Have your bike tuned up and get ready to ride! 

You can also rent bikes like the Yeti 575 or Giant Trance X or Reign from the LBS in town.  These are great bikes for the terrain in Moab and will make you feel like a pro for the day.   Check out www.poisonspiderbikes.com or www.chilebikes.com for more info.