Thanksgiving Bike-fest

Thanksgiving tradition runs deep in my family. Not in the black friday shopping, or learning about the first feast where Americans decided to stay indefinitely. Instead, I can sum up my Thanksgiving traditions in three words: Family, food, biking. Biking has been relatively new, since my re-introduction to the sport occurred two+ years ago. Each year, I go home to the Valley to bike with my brother. I will remember Thanksgiving 2008 as the weekend where I took to the mountains for the second time ever. The ride left me feeling exhausted, dizzy, defeated, nauseous, but ultimately inspired. Three Thanksgiving later, nothing has really changed. Three straight days of biking and the familiar feeling has returned. Riding with brother always pushes my physical limits. This week has been ~40 miles and ~4,000 feet of climbing.

Thursday, 11/25/2010
Steve Tames Chumash (sort of)
Distance: 5.2 miles
Elevation Gain: 1100ft

The last Chumash posting involved a superman-esque OTB, torn gloves, and a shattered confidence about my downhilling ability. This time, I avoided injury and made it through with minimal walking. I still have a while to go before I can skillfully climb and descend this trail.

Orbea 29er ready to roll


Painful uphill


Ensuing reward


Virgenes Jump Park
After riding Chumash and some lunch, brother and I dropped by Las Virgenes for a quick loop. With time running out, we decided to play around the jump park. I'm very new to jumping, so it took a while to even ride a double. It would have been nice to see some newbie-friendly tabletops.

Prepping for the "jump"


Okay, no jump. But some fast over-the-top riding!


Barely made the smallest double jump in the park


Friday, 11/26/2010
Las Virgenes-Chesebro Loops
Distance: 19.9 miles
Elevation Gain: 2,400ft

With the whole day ahead of us, we embarked on a long-ish ride through the Santa Monica mountains. A lot of climbing, very rocky downhills, and one decent jump shot.

Middle connector kicks my ass


Yes, continuing to kick my ass


Happy the climbing is done (for now)


Got in a little jump on the Chesebro side


Saturday, 11/27/2010
Los Robles East-West
Distance: 13.7 miles
Elevation Gain: 2800ft

In our first trip out to Thousand Oaks, Los Robles provided some tough climbs, spectacular views, and flowy singletrack downhills. This ride will definitely make the rotation. I loaded a geoladders route that covered the West in-and-out, and the East loop. The westward climb up Space Mountain is painful, but we were rewarded with a beautiful view and an exciting downhill to the street. Not one to return on the roads, we headed back up the hill to descend Space Mountain. Two hours into it and three days of riding on my legs, I was ready to give up. I couldn't quit on the geoladders route, so we continued eastward through Sherwood Forest (Los Padres). Tough, but doable, uphills. Fun and fast downhills. I was happy to finish this ride, utterly out of energy, strength, and water.

I hate climbing switchbacks... because I can't do 'em!


More failed switchback climbing


I actually made this one, so the camera decided I shouldn't exist


So that was my Thanksgiving, at least from a biking perspective. Not to get too sentimental or mushy, but here is a list detailing what I am thankful for:
1. God and his continued blessing on me, my family, and my friends.
2. A girlfriend who loves me in fatness and fitness, patiently deals with my quirky behavior, and supports me in my life adventures.
3. A family that's always welcoming, always comfortable, and always there.
4. A career that allows me to work from home and doesn't require me to travel very much.
5. 29er HTs, carbon fiber, 15QR, and 160mm 26ers.

Looking to Sell

So with the Yeti ASR 5 on order, it's time to part ways with the Turner Flux. It's been a good little project, but ultimately not the right bike. The 4" of travel was enough, but the suspension design was built for speed, not for comfort. The ASR 5 has a more active travel and should bolster the girlfriend's confidence through steeper and more technical downhills.

I still flip through pictures during the Turner build. I remember keeping the build a secret, ordering parts and hiding them until it was time to build everything.

I couldn't wait to unveil the bike, so I actually showed it to her mostly complete (front derailleur was the wrong kind).


Here's a picture of her installing the pegs on her Tioga Surefoot 8 platform pedals.



The Flux is for sale now as a complete bike ($1900obo), rolling frame ($1400obo, no drivetrain or brakes), or as a frameset ($1050obo, frame, CK headset, Fox F100 fork).

Spec List:
Frame: 2008 Turner Flux XS, Red color (copper)
Shock: RP23 with newly installed HV air can. Standard air can also included, along with 1 seal kit.
Fork: 2008 Fox F100 RL, 9mm QR
Headset: Chris King Nothreadset, black
Seatpost Clamp: Hope 31.8, Gunsmoke color

Wheelset: DT Swiss 4.2, 1638g (actual measurements 759/879 front/rear)
Front hub is 9mm through axle stout hub, with hadley axle
Rear hub is 10mm through axle DT swiss hub with 240 internals, with hadley axle
Taped for tubeless, but currently set up with tubes

Front Tire: WTB Mutano Raptor 2.4" Folding Bead 600g
Rear Tire: Panaracer Fire XC Pro 2.1" Folding Bead 580g (127tpi japanese version)
(Also have two Maxxis Crossmark 2.1" tires, if that's more to your liking)

Seatpost: Thomson Elite 27.2 no setback, silver
Saddle: WTB SpeedShe OR Specialized Avatar 143mm
Stem: Thomson X4 90x10, 31.8 OS clamp, black
Handlebar: Truvativ Stylo, brand new
Grips: ODI ruffian or Ergon GP1

Brakes:BRAND NEW Avid Elixir 5 brakeset, 160mm. Magura Marta SL, Avid G3, or Ashima AirRotor
Drivetrain:
- BRAND NEW X7 10sp x-glide crank, front derailleur, shifters
- BRAND NEW X9 10sp x-glide rear derailleur
- 10sp chain, 12-36 10sp cassette
Pedals:SPD, SPD + Platform, or Time ATAC pedals

Yeti Demo Day

I set out to ride the Fullerton Loop with Mark. To my surprise, this is what awaited at the trailhead.

The Yeti truck was setting up for a free demo day. The demos were not officially being released, which gave Mark and I a good hour to do the loop. An hour later, I returned to the parking lot to chat with Nick and Sarah from Yeti, and to demo ASR 5C for a quick second loop. I have to say the bike was impressive for 5 inches; it took the little jumps without hesitation and pedaled like a champ. However, it rode very similar to my 575. Though it wasn't what I was looking for in a clyde-worthy XC racebike, I did leave with one important piece of information. The Yeti ASR 5 comes in x-small.

I tracked down the Yeti demo truck a few days later near Whiting Ranch, but this time had girlfriend in arm. Sarah was reluctant to take a bike out for a demo, reluctant as always from buying more bike toys. With a few test rides around the parking lot, she seemed determined not to take the bike out. It didn't feel right. It's too big. It's too expensive. But with a bit of persistence, and some A+ help from Nick @ Yeti, we finally got the fit dialed in. Nick swapped out the 90mm stem for a 70mm, put on brand new carbon bars, and then cut the new bars (!) for our use. Still, the bars were maybe 1/2" too wide on each side, but Sarah said they felt much better.

We rode Whiting with vigor and excitement. With every trail section, Sarah seemed to enjoy the bike more and more. She said things like, "The bike is just so smooth," and "This trail is actually a lot of fun." Being that it was her first time at Whiting, we hit the same trail the next day on the Turner Flux for a direct comparison. Here is how the bikes fared in a back-to-back trail comparison.

Our ride began with Borrego, as per the usual Whiting loop. The ASR5 suspension is much more active than the Turner Flux, and Sarah says she feels like she's gliding through the terrain. I can visually see the rear triangle actuate over bumps, something I never really saw with the Turner Flux. Even with the high volume air canister and 50psi of pressure, the Flux didn't look quite right. The Yeti looks spot on.
Small bump compliance - Yeti: 8.5/10, Turner: 4/10

Climbing Mustard proved to be physically strenuous, but the bike characteristics were apparent. Even though the suspension was moving, the ASR 5 didn't seem to exhibit any pedal induced bob. Though it goes against traditional thinking, suspension movement while climbing isn't always a bad thing. Less slipping, more traction, minimal power loss through pedaling. You could argue that a stiffer, less active rear suspension is more efficient, but a novice needs more rubber on the ground. As long as pedaling doesn't cause the suspension to actuate, there really isn't much efficiency lost. Perhaps if the climb was a stand-up-and-smash climb, the Flux would have the edge.
Climbing Efficiency - Yeti: 8/10, Turner 7/10

Top of Four Corners. Yeti Tribe!!

Our descent from Four Corners took us through Whiting Ranch Road and Serrano Cow (no Cactus/Sleep Hallow yet). I call out the upcoming downhill sections, but Sarah just plowed through. The rest of the trail has somewhat steep, non-technical fire road downhills, some flowy singletrack/doubletracks, and a few dips. Though there were some squirrely parts on the dips and rutted downhills, the ASR5 floated through it all. The Flux performed much better with the high volume air canister vs standard volume, but it wasn't even close to the ASR5. Yeti all the way. Stable, 67d headtube angle. Longer wheelbase. Superior suspension design.
Downhilling "Fun" - Yeti: 10/10, Turner 6/10

In the end, the Yeti wins hands down. Is it worth the $$$$ to upgrade Sarah's bike? Hell yes. Sarah and I discussed the particulars and have the exact bike we would like to purchase.


Yeti ASR 5 Alloy
X-small, blue with white rear triangle
2011 Enduro Build
(Fox Float 140mm fork, 3x10 SRAM X9/X7)
Eventually, the bike will get the Thomson/Ergon/Shimano Dyna-Sys treatment.

Unfortunately, I haven't seen any 2011s in the right color/build combination. I have a few calls out to my LBS, so I am hopeful. I have the specific frame, fork, build, and price point. Let's make a deal!

Lethargy

It's been a while since my last blog post. It all started when I couldn't make it into Counting Coup. I was traveling for business on registration night and the hotel internet was too slow to handle. I put in all my information around 12:12am, but it had already sold out (I heard Counting Coup sold out in under 8 minutes). I really need something to train for, or I'll start getting soft. I'm teetering on 250lbs at the moment, so I need to kick it into gear. With fall approaching and daylight fading, it's been hard to get out of the house. Good thing I have my rollers to keep me active.

I head off on vacation tomorrow for 5 days; no doubt my activity-to-eating ratio will be out of whack until I get back.

We'll see what my winter training looks like, especially without any solid events to train for. Maybe OTH 2011? Maybe Durango to Moab? Who knows. But I do know my thirst for biking adventures continues...

Counting Coup 2011

It's been 3 weeks since the end of Over the Hump. I continue to ride 4-5 times a week, but not with nearly the same intensity as OTH. That said, I've gained a few lbs. Still under 250lbs, but I fear I am getting complacent. That is why I will commit myself to racing Counting Coup 2011! I'm not sure I can get a spot, but I'll sign up as soon as registration opens on Oct 1.

For those who don't know, Counting Coup is a race put on by the Warrior Society. It is arguably the easiest of their three races, but still requires 40+ miles and 8,000+ft of climbing. The first checkpoint is 4 hours into the race at the bottom of Silverado and Maple springs. That's 18 miles and approximately 4500ft of climbing (thanks to Weyland for the stats!). As a test run, I tried to make the first checkpoint last Saturday. I made it halfway to the first checkpoint in 2h and 20 minutes before failing and turning around (9 miles and 2100ft climbing). By my estimation, I was 20 minutes behind the minimum pace, and I gotta keep it up for another 30 miles! I'll continue to pound through Blackstar until I can get my half-to-first-checkpoint time in the 1h 45m range. Sounds "unpossible" at the moment, but with 7 months left, I'm hoping to drop 5lbs and shave 5 minutes per month.

In The Books

Over the Hump 2010 is in the books! 12 races, 15 weeks, hours of countless fun. Instead of rambling on in an essay-style post, I will deviate from the norm and go with a list of notable events over the last 12 races.

- It is very dusty.
- DFL to 16th is a big win.
- I wonder if @Mark will place today.
- Keep my heart rate down.
- Can't nose breath through anything!
- HR=170. I don't feel terrible, though.
- HR=184. Getting dizzy...
- Did Tinker Juarez already lap me?!
- ANY race for a clyde is an endurance race...
- Hydrate!
- Don doesn't seem to like gears.
- Keep it rollin' on 29ers!
- Where is Adam B.?
- Vs. Adam: WLLWWLLLL.
- A B1 clyde class will be exciting and close.

A Pint's a Pound...

"A pint's a pound the world around."

Why quote a cooking maxim? Well, I have been losing weight these last few months. A lot of it was sweat and dirt, but some of it was water weight. Water weighs 1lbs per 16 fl oz (16 oz = 16 fl oz of water).

Two months ago, I weighed a consistent 263 lbs. My routine 11.5mile road ride took 41 minutes. As of Tuesday morning (day of OTH), I weighed 247lbs. 16 lbs loss. However, the same routine 11.5 mile ride actually dropped to 42:30. Consistently. I lost 16lbs of weight and recorded worse times? Something had to be wrong. I started weighing myself before and after every ride, tracking my food and water consumption, and determining how much water I lose per hour of riding. It turns out that I was dehydrated. I used to drink about 1.5 gallons of water per day, plus 1 liter per hour of cardio. My water consumption has been woefully low, so I've been drinking 6 more pints of water per day (read: 6lbs). I weighed in this morning at 253lbs and logged a 39:40 ride. That's more like it. So even though I can't look at my weight and congratulate myself, I'm feeling faster, stronger, and more energetic.

Moral of this post: Drink more water.

Crankbrothers Eggbeater 3

Here is what happens when a manufacturer supports the local races:


There are three words every clyde rider wants to hear. "No weight limit." I heard it on my Specialized Roubaix, and now I hear it on the Crankbrothers Eggbeater 3 pedals. During one of the Over the Hump races, Tim @ crankbrothers mentioned that there's no rider weight limit on any pedals except the 11s. At a published 278g, I couldn't resist the upgrade. Actual measured weight is 281, but ~1% variance is acceptable to me.

Review:
Compared to my previous pedals, I lost 80grams and tension adjustment. While I do miss the tension adjustment, it isn't really a big deal. I got used to the release fairly quickly, and the engagement is positive - once you get positioned correctly. I am having a bit of trouble finding the pedal cage, but a few more weeks and the pedals should be ubiquitous to my ride.

Highlights:
Cromoly steel spindle - I asked Tim @ crankbrothers about the change from stainless steel spindles on their SL line to the all cromoly in their current eggbeater lineup (except the 11s, which sport titanium spindles). He said the cromoly is stronger and the later productions of the "SL" were not stainless steel, but cromoly. Good enough for me!

Needle inner bearings - An upgrade over the eggbeater 1s and 2s. Should have higher load limits with smaller bearings.

Body and construction - The eggbeater 3s sport a full cast stainless steel body/wings over the stamped steel on the 2s and 1s. A slight weight penalty, but should be more durable in the long run.

Clyde Causalties

Being 250lbs has it's strains on bicycles parts. Cranks, chains, and brakes are prone to faster wear. Seatposts, handlebars, stems, saddle rails, wheels, and frames are subject to snapping catastrophically. Yes, just about everything on a bicycle needs to be carefully picked out for a clyde. I will start cataloging parts that fail and fare well with clyde abuse.

So I posted about the first one...

Item in question: Hope aluminum freehub
Length of use: Jan 2009 to June 2010
Failure: Cracked freehub body
Cause of failure: Typical use
Analysis: It's fairly well understood that an aluminum freehub is prone to cracking under heavy load. This doesn't seem to be exclusive to clydes.
Result: Hope sent me a steel freehub body that's been rock solid so far. It's nearly 50% heavier and made of steel, so I doubt I'll have any problems with it.


So beyond the actual bike itself, I recently found another casualty of my clyde-ness. My shoes.

Item in question: Shimano M122 Clipless Mountain Shoes (2 bolt)
Length of use: November 2008 to July 2010
Failure: Torn sole. Loss of shoe stiffness. Walking with bike introduces gobs of sand in my shoe.
Cause of failure: Hike a bikes, typical use.
Analysis: I never thought of shoes as a consumable part. In the waning rides leading up to the failure, I noticed my shoes lost a lot of stiffness. I guess this is typical, but tearing the shoes apart is not a normal occurrence.
Result: I ended up with some Sidi Dominator 5 shoes. 1 year 8 months of use out of a pair of shoes is decent enough. I hope the Sidis will last at least 2 years. Still, upgraditis has me eying the Dragon 2 SRS already...

What the Q?

I've been selling off as many parts as I can. My garage is getting cluttered, and I need to recover something from this money pit of a sport. However, sometimes there are items for sale that make you pull out the credit card, whatever the circumstance. Last week, I pulled the trigger on some used Rotor Q Rings. My brother has raved about them, but I've found their $260 price tag ridiculous. I found a set of used rings on mtbr.com. It didn't include the big ring, but I don't really spend much time in the big ring. At a huge discount, I had to just try them out...

... and they feel amazing. I installed the Q rings on the Orbea and headed out to Peters Canyon. The difference in the 2nd gear was immediate. I felt smoother and faster from the get go. The granny felt a bit jerky for me, but I'll give it time to smooth out. For the first time ever, I cleared the reservoir climb, and for the second time ever, I cleared Big Red. Two monstrous climbs in one ride! I know these climbs are just normal training rides for you athletic types, but I'm not the athletic type =). Anyways, the Q rotors will prove to be a big help when trying to catch Mark at the Over the Hump races.

Anything You Can Do

In lieu of the Tuesday Over the Hump race, Mark and I decided to do a little training at Whiting Ranch.

A Little Background...
Two weeks ago, I rode Whiting on my 26" Zaskar. It was the first time I could clear the Mustard climb on 1-2. I kind of cheated by using an 11-34 cassette instead of 11-32, so my gearing was kind of 1-1.5. Whatever. Big win for me. In my mind, clearing Mustard on 1-2 with the Zasky showcased the improvement in my physical fitness. If I can do it on 1-2, I surely can granny it on my 29er. I need to do it on my 29er. I need to validate buying the Orbea 29er. Today's the day the Orbea meets Whiting.

Oh The Pain...
Even before the ride, I sensed some pain in my future. It all started with a quippy, "Let's do Whiting twice" comment from Mark. To understand the gravity of the comment, we have to rewind to last Thursday, when I decided it would be a good idea to do some resistance exercises at the gym. I think I dislocated my shoulder when bracing my body to do some standing leg lifts. Since then, my shoulder has been popping in and out of the socket resulting in sharp, blinding pains. So doing Whiting twice didn't really appeal to me. Still, we ride on.

Anything You Can Do...
The ride starts out as well as can be. High 60s, very light rain in the morning packing down the loose sand. Borrego doesn't pose that much of a problem, and my shoulder is in good condition. I just have to take pressure off the bars. Then we hit Mustard. I start out in 1-2 thinking I'll shift down when I hit the really steep stuff. To my surprise, I started climbing Mustard in 1-2! All throughout the climb, I had a mental musical playing in my head. It went kind of like this:

Orbea 29:
Anything you can do, I can do better.
I can do anything better than you.

Zasky 26:
No you can't.

Orbea 29:
Yes I can.
Anything you can climb I can climb better.
Sooner or later, I'm climbing better than you.

I can smash a steep incline,
without the resulting supine.

I can roll through a rut,
with out much fuss.

Zasky 26:
=(.


Ok, so I'm not the best lyricist, but the music kept me going. I ended up killing mustard on 1-2. A very proud day for me and my 29er. On the second go around, I did Mustard in 1-1, but I still didn't stop. All said and done, the 29er felt faster on the climbs, felt less like I was going to flip backwards, and navigate through sand like nothing. On my Zaskar, I did mustard in 15:38. Orbea 29er did it in 13:03 and 13:56. Not exactly the same bike or the same test, but a very marked difference.

On another note, there was a downed tree on Serrano. It kind of sneaks up on you if you're the type to push it.


The big branch is a bit under eye level when I'm on the bike, so it required quite a bit of squatting to get under it.

Over the Hump #6

So Over the Hump race series is in its mid season break. Today's race was on my new-to-me Orbea Alma 29er. In truth, I've had this bike for about two weeks, but I didn't make any mention of it. I wasn't sure if the 29er thing is for me, but I am pretty convinced. I am fat (and riding), so I do feel the pain on some of the climbs in granny gear, but it's not as different as I thought. Solution: Get stronger.

Onto the race report...
Unlike last week, I started in the first two rows. Man, the pace is ridiculously fast up front. It was disheartening to see so many B1s and B2s pass me up, but I felt pretty strong up the climbs. The downhill to right turn still makes me pause. Fear of falling again, not looking through the turn, or just plain obstinacy. I finished 14th of 25 with a time of 50:39. Goal for the second half of the series is to finally break the top 50% and stay there. Maybe break top 30% once to get a friggin pint glass.

Final thoughts: I really need to control my warm up. I tend to have just two modes - stationary, and pushing hard. My trusty Garmin 305 logged a heart rate of 170+ during my warm up lap, so I made an effort to keep it under 140 this week. I felt better today, but my time wouldn't show it.

Over the Hump #5

So mere days after going OTB at Chumash, I had a bit of a spill at Orange County's only mid-week mountain bike race, Over the Hump. I ended up 14th of 23, which isn't terrible, but I expected so much more this week.

The first collision was in the very beginning. After the initial paved climb, there's a singletrack where a lot of bottlenecks happen. One individual came bombing through and got through "on your le--" before he smacked into my bars. Since I am significantly bigger, I barely moved off course and the rider went down. I stopped to ask how he was doing, but then a flurry of riders rushed past me.

The second collision was entirely my fault. There is a short, but steep, downhill that transitions to a right turn. On the last lap, the course marshal was screaming "it's just dirt." My mind focused immediately on the dirt at the apex of the turn and I low sided. Not too bad, but I did take off some skin.



So the first order of business was dinner at Shik Do Rak, and then I patched myself up with second skin.

All in all, I like the new course. I can't seem to manage some of the downhills, but it's just a matter of a skill.

Chumash Kicks My Ass

So for this father's day weekend, I went home to the San Fernando Valley to grab dinner with my family. I always use opportunities like this to go riding with my brother. So the day begins with the car ride to the trail head. Conversation goes something like this:

Brother: You'll like Chumash. I've been riding it for the last few weeks, even during the week day.
Me: Oh yeah? It's not too intense, is it?
Brother: It's 3 miles.
Me: and?
Brother: 1,000 feet of climbing.
Me: Doesn't seem like I can do it.
Brother: It's very flowy, and very doable.
Me: ... (expecting some pain)

So the trail has been split up into three one-mile segments.

Mile 1 (Climb)
The first mile is not so technical, and requires a decent amount of climbing. I dismounted once, but it was a lapse in concentration on a short, but steep, uphill. The last part of the mile consisted of a single/double track climb my brother calls "breathless agony."

Mile 2 (Climb)
The second mile had more of an uphill/flat flow to it. I was told to keep in granny and use the flats to recover. Good advice. The trail did get a bit more technical, and there was one uphill that I sessioned 5+ times with no success.

Mile 3 (Climb)
Holy crap. Lots of rocks, very technical climbing. I walked probably 75% of this.

Mile 4 (Mile 3 descent)
I had a few dismounting moments on the downhill. They typically came on rock switchbacks with the cliff side in my view. I get scared of the cliff and the unknown, and I'm terrible at switchbacks (uphill or downhill).

Mile 5 (Mile 2 descent)
This was a lot of fun, until I rounded a switchback too tight, hit a big rock, endo'd for a split second, stared down the side of a cliff on my front wheel, and then supermanned to the mountain for safety. I banged up my palms and my legs a bit, but no skin bleeding and hopefully no bones cracked.

Mile 6 (Mile 1 descent)
With my confidence shaken, I didn't attack the downhills. Probably a good idea since I was totally unfamiliar with the trail. This is when my brother lost control of his bike and ended up wiping out into the bushes. He had some skin scrapes on his forearms and smacked his shoulder up pretty good. We ended up finishing the ride in good order, but not without some battle injuries.

Weight Weenie Clyde?

So I am a self-admitted weight weenie. I am also well within the clyde range at 5'10", 255+lbs. So how do the two mix? I've prowled countless forum threads where cyclist bash "fatasses" for buying and rockin' carbon, or concerning themselves about bike weight. The final argument tends to be a statement about how weight savings would be negated by the rider losing some lbs, or that the durability is always worth the extra grams. While both arguments are indeed true individually, neither really address the issue of why someone is a weight weenie.

I hate being the last in a group ride. I've been on many rides where I'm stuck in the back with an irked and frustrated sweeper. Isn't the only functional reason to be a weight weenie is to be faster? So since most clydes tend to be on the slower side, why wouldn't we want to lighten up our bike? I'm not discounting the weight limits of certain parts, but lightweight materials like carbon, scandium, and titanium can drastically improve speed, and maybe keep us clydes involved in the sport. Perhaps we won't be clydes for much longer.

So all in all, a weight weenie is good for the sport, whether clyde or not. It keeps our interest in the sport alive and well, stimulates the economy, and creates demand for lighter, stronger parts.

This blog will eventually evaluate weight-weenie-for-a-clyde products. Probably won't be the lightest products, but certain items can be clyde worthy, and "clyderized" for big boy use.

Hope Pro II Freehub Failure

I've been loving my Hope Pro II wheelset. Laced to Mavic EN521s with double butted spokes, my wheelset has seen probably a thousand miles. On my second time servicing my freehub, I noticed a crack running alongside the splines.



The crack had gone through the spring cavity as well and shown on the inner face of the freehub.


Though disappointed, I somewhat expected such from an aluminum freehub that gouges from cassettes with individual cogs.

I emailed Hope on Thursday, received a response on Friday, and received a new steel freehub on Monday. Big thanks to Hope for keeping me rolling. The freehub was just on time for the Over the Hump race #4.


The only gripe is about the weight. The steel freehub comes in around 168 grams, about 90 grams heavier than its aluminum counterpart (79g). That puts my wheelset at around 2150g without skewers. Hardly race worthy, but the Hope Pro II/Mavic EN521 is my trail/AM, everyday workhorse wheelset.

Over the Hump #4

Over the Hump #4 is in the books. Finished 15th of 22 with a time of 55:16. Not an impressive day, but I'm glad I'm still getting faster. Shaved about 30 seconds off my time, which I am very happy with. The conditions were drier and tougher to breath with my asthma. I looked like I was dying after the race (or so my girlfriend said =P).

I'm really enjoying the Over the Hump series, and I've gotten comfortable enough to ride the hardtail throughout the races.

Last, a big congratulations to @Mark for his 5th place finish! I am very jealous of the beer mug.

More Introductions

Introductions: To cycling

At the creation of this blog (and this entry), I have been riding for about a year and a half. Though I biked throughout my childhood, I never really got into mountain or road biking. I just went through a series of mountain/hybrid bikes that were used to get me from point A to point B. I never did any tricks, jumped any curbs, or rode without hands (I still can't!). Growing up in suburban Los Angeles, just about all my bikes had been stolen. When my college bike got stolen from my dorm building, I gave up on the idea of ever riding. Then 7 years later, I got back into it in a real and serious way (more on that in a later post).

Introductions: My rides

2008 Cannondale F7 Disc - Bought around Aug 2008 after a 7 year haitus from biking. Sold in 2009 to my friend Mark, who now rocks it at the local races.

2008 Santa Cruz Superlight - Bought the bike used, but soon found it to be too flexy, too big, and entirely inappropriate for my 260lbs body. There was also an annoying click that worried me too much, so I sold it in 2009.

2007 Felt F1x - Bought the bike used in Jan 2009, about a size or two too small (49cm, cx sized). This cyclocross was my "road" bike, since I had an irrational fear of destroying actual road bike frames. I ended up selling this one to my friend Mark as well.

2009 Yeti 575 Carbon - So with several iterations of new/used bikes, I had enough experience to figure out what I wanted. I bought the frame and fork from Adrenaline Bikes in Nov 2009 and put it together in the coming months. I built it up with a 2010 Fox Talas 150mm 15QR fork and a Hope Pro II wheelset laced to Mavic EN521 rims. SLX/XT components, ergon grips/bar ends, thomson/hope/easton controls.

2009 GT Zaskar Pro Carbon - This was an impulse buy at a great price from a local racer. Can't say much about the bike except that it's much faster than I am. I use this on less technical trails, and for XC racing.

2010 Specialized Roubaix Expert - To complement my mountain biking, I decide a proper road bike was in order. With a healthy Velosport discount, I ponied up for the Roubaix with Ultegra 6700 groupo. I really had a hard time with the carbon-breaking-under-my-weight aspect of it, but Specialized's no weight limit and warranty replacement program reeled me in.

Rides for my Girlfriend
2008 GTw Avalanche 2.0 - Bought in Feb 2009, sold in May 2010. I initially bought the bike to upgrade my girlfriend's 40lbs Walmart bike. While it was a big step up, it still weighed in at around 28lbs for a hardtail. After a year and change of riding, and various upgrades, I decided to splurge and properly equip my girlfriend...

2008 Turner Flux - Bought used from mtbr with a Fox F100 RL fork and chris king headset, this bike gives 4" of tunable, usable travel to my very svelt 95lbs girlfriend. Full XT drivetrain and brakes, DT Swiss 240 wheelset, Easton EC90 carbon bars, ergon GP1 grips, and the Thomson treatment. 24.75lbs of awesome.

First!

I'm a 27 year old IT consultant with a passion for food and riding. Unfortunately, my affinity for food has caused me to weigh as much as 285lbs (2006). While I flirted with 250lbs a few times, I still have a long ways to go to be healthy (currently 256lbs). This blog will serve as my public outlet for all things biking, weight loss, and nutrition.