Tires

disclaimer: this shit doesn't matter.

now that that's out of the way, I did a race today. Montgomery Bell, home court, if-you-will. I'm fixin' to smash another win when out of nowhere, Kyle, the new mechanic at Bikers Choice (therefor, our team mechanic) shows up with his National Ultra Endurance Race Series legs and crushes my soul. he followed me around then straight-up rode away from me when we hit the climb. couldn't even begin to think about doing anything about it. it was completely awesome.

to elaborate:
we started, six of us. I ended up first, because I'm nervous and impatient. Kyle was right behind me and we started getting a gap. by the time we got halfway around, we had a big gap, but I was pushing too hard. I was trying to figure out how to get my heart-rate under control before the climb when we hit the climb. Charlotte's Ridge is not the steepest climb on the course but it is far and away the longest. I knew Kyle would make a move but I had no idea he was going to literally just ride away from me. at first, it broke my heart. but then I got my shit together and kept pushing. he went faster on the second lap, eventually breaking the unofficial course record prior to lining up for the 3 lap category 1 race. totally badass. totally inspiring.

so what was the difference? couple things. Kyle was using a lower gear, a 32x19 as opposed to my 32x18. he was having a much easier time getting the pedals around going up the hills. more than that, Kyle couldn't possibly weigh 140lbs soaking wet. I tipped the scale at 192 this morning, post-dump. Kyle's bike is sub-19 lbs (I'm guessing), mine must weight 23 lbs and most of the over-weightness is in the wheels (the worst place) which brings us to the topic of this conversation (that I'm having with myself).

I've run the same tires since I started riding SS 29 4 years ago. WTB Exiwolfs, 2.3 in. I ride them till the rear wears out, then I move the front to the rear and buy a new one. it's a highly efficient system that produces minimal waste (since I can run a rear tire till it's bald so long as I've got tread out front). unfortunately, these tires are exceptionally heavy for a kevlar (foldable) tire. 825 grams claimed weight. I love the feel of a big tire, it floats over everything, I never break traction, I can run super-low pressure, it has a beautiful round profile. but it's super heavy, and a bigger wheel and single speed exacerbates the main issues with heavy wheels: slow acceleration and difficulty keeping the wheel rolling at low speed.

when it was time for me to choose my prize, a Bontrager Team Issue tire caught my eye. I had a set of Bontrager's years ago and loved the round profile. This tire was listed as a 2.0 and I hadn't ridden anything that small since the 90's, but it only weights 510g... so I picked it up, and mounted it up. turns out it really small. I measured the new tire and my old tire and found that the WTB is actually a 2.25 and the Bontrager is a 1.75. a 1.75! that's like cyclocross size. I watched the World Championship XC race on Freecaster and those guys are all using super small tires, so it can't be crazy... but it looks pretty strange paired up with the balloon on the front. I'm going to take it for a spin, see if it might work as a race tire, if it does I'll find something like a WTB Nano or a Maxxis Ikon to put on the front, match it up a little and hopefully save some weight.

look at that clearance!

back in the day, we always ran a smaller rear tire. we thought it was the best of both worlds; faster acceleration on the rear but a fat front tire for ripping (fatter is faster when you head down, don't argue). I got away from that when I started riding SS 29er but I'm starting to think I may be missing something... like I said, doesn't matter. the main reason Kyle beat me was because he's really really fast. and strong. I might also add he's proving to be a damn good mechanic, free of attitude and ego, meticulous and concise. good to get beat sometimes, especially by someone like Kyle.

comparison:

before

after

Speed

Speed. with a capital S. Time Trial today at Monkey Bell. came in first in my category, Single Speed, with a time of 10:34. third fastest overall. XC tomorrow.

speaking of speed, mute the volume, the commentary is lonesome, but the riding is spectacular.

Accidental Bounty

any time I hear someone claim they don't have the time to garden or they don't have a green thumb, I just smile. I've already harvested 20 pumpkins and I have another 20 on the vine. all volunteer from the compost. I also just pulled three large bowls of tomatoes and a fistful of okra inside. the 'maters are also all volunteers.

 

I'm usually gone. for weeks at a time. good soil and occasional deep watering are all that's necessary. lovin' this.

Other People's Bikes part 2

borrowed a Surly Crosscheck when I was in Charlottesville.   took a little ride through the country.  considering a move to Nelson County, if we do it I'll definitely need a road bike to tackle the country roads and brutal hills.

the bike was a little small, but the swept handlebars were really cool and the brooks saddle was like a hammock for my balls. 

The next day I flew to Denver and picked up my friends Ti Single Speed Rabbit and proceeded to rage around my childhood trails in the Work Service area beneath Mt. Herman.  Totally awesome.  here's a shot of that bike from last winter when I did the same thing.

gorgeous.  headed east after a show in Flagstaff this afternoon.  28 hours and I'll be home for the first time in a month.  local mountain bike race this weekend.

Other People's Bikes

Last few weeks I've had the opportunity to do some riding in some beautiful places. In Park City/The Canyons I rented a 26" BMC full suspension bike:

I flipped the stem, adjusted the seat up and back, moved the brifters inward and put on my pedals. This was the first time I've been on a 26 in a couple years and it wasn't bad. The riding at the Canyons was superb, the tires on this bike were a liability and the weather was beautiful.

A couple days later we arrived at Grand Targhee Resort to teach a music camp for a week.  Fortunately I had afternoons off and I made friends with the guy at the Activity Center who loaned me his Santa Cruz Tallboy.  For those of you who don't know, this is probably one of the highest user-rated bikes in history.  It's carbon and it's magic.  It climbs like a hardtail, rails rolling singletrack like you'd expect a full-suss 29er and when you point it downhill it rides like a downhill bike.  I was seriously amazed. 

The next day we got out on some of the resorts downhill bikes and ripped up the downhill-specific trails there.  I didn't take a picture of the bike, it was a Rocky Mountain with 8 inches front and rear.  We started on the easy stuff, then I ditched the band and hit Sticks and Stones complete with 15-20 substantial jumps and a few serious 4-8 foot drops.  It was really ridiculous.  I was tempted to rip the downhill again the next day but I knew I dodged a bullet coming out of the day unscathed, so I borrowed the Tallboy again and explored the remaining trails on the mountain.

I was able to squeeze in one more ride yesterday in my hometown of Palmer Lake.  There's an epic ride, called the Airplane loop that takes you way way out to an old airplane crash from the 50's.  I'd only done the ride once, back when I was 15 (that's my half-life) so I was going out on a limb thinking I could find my way out and back on my own.  To add a little difficulty I accessed it via Limbaugh Canyon, my old haunt.  It ended up taking just under 6 hours of solid riding.  Fortunately my friend loaned me his Specialized Stumpjumper 29er.  It should have ridden a lot like my 'Hopper, but I had a hard time steering it on the steep climbs and the tires were crap (I'm spoiled by my big 2.3 balloons).  the bike felt great and the 2x9 drivetrain was brilliant once I figured it out.  the bike:

Added my pedals, moved the shifters and brake levers, per usual.  Here's the crash site:

It's been nice shifting gears a little.  I wouldn't have been able to do yesterdays ride without them. 

Colorado

Spent last week in the High Country in a little cabin with the band, sleeping in a loft, drinking lots of beer and writing music. Saturday we came down out of the mountains for a show at the Red Rocks Amphitheater.

Great review and pictures of the show here.

When you're in Colorado, you tend to stay there, so we've been hanging out the last three days. Tonight I'm going to squeeze in a ride in Palmer Lake. Tomorrow I'm going to watch the US Pro Cycling Challenge as it passes through Buena Vista. I'll get a quick ride in before they roll through then I'll drive down to Salida and ride again before getting some sleep for a 6:45am flight to Charlottesville, VA, home of The Festy Experience. The crew and I will be meeting, riding, and working on the grounds for a couple days prior to my return to CO for more riding and a couple shows including my 11th year at 4 Corners Folk Festival in Pagosa Springs, CO.

4 months to the day

I might, MIGHT, be picking this thing up again. not sure. can't decide.

been itching to hit the BMX track in light of my new passion for the pump. headed out there last night to hit up gate practice. turns out it's extremely hard. one lap and I was huffing like a fat kid trying to catch the bus (late again?). spent some time working out the rhythm section, though I never was able to rock it as hard as the first time. like I said, it's really freakin' hard. consider BMX added to the plate. I was looking for something fun to work the guns and this is definitely it. kiss my ass swimming.

we have a killer ABA track here in Nashville, apparently it's the fastest, scariest first straight out there:



on another note, hit a car/got hit by a car a few days ago. absolutely ripped the mirror off this van. still nursing a bruised left bicep area. 'twas bound to happen eventually.

Best Mountain Bike Video I've Ever Seen. gorgeous cinematography, beautifully crafted lines and killer riders obviously having a blast.



if I keep doing this blog thing again, I'll bring the pictures, don't you worry. coffee's ready!