The best gear of the year...

(or, what to stick in your bike lover's stocking?)

So, as an editor of Mountain Bike Tales (mountainbiketales.com) I get a lot of opportunity to see the best and the worst of products out there. So, being the holidays, it's time to come up with a couple things that I would classify as standout performers in 2008. Without further ado:

Best of season, 2008:
SRAM X.0 Drivetrain (Front and rear shifters, rear derailleur - ~$450)




Again, it comes down to the most important parts of the bike to fill in my best of the season slot. I'll be accused of being a fan boy, and that may be. I've been there with Shimano's drivetrain parts, but the simple fact remains that they are more labor intensive than SRAM's gear. Shimano even copied the SRAM design when they introduced the Shadow derailleur, so that has to say something, right?

Why do I perennially pick SRAM drivetrain parts as my best of the season? Because they just don't fail me. I've racked up a lot of miles on those parts this season, and they've taken a load of abuse (crashes are a way of life for me, and all these east coast hazards don't help any) through they year and still just keep on ticking. There's something grossly satisfying about not having to replace parts every season, and never having shifting problems. Best...of...season. Period.

Most underappreciated item of 2008:
Jagwire RipCord derailleur cable kit (multiple colours ~$30)

Me. No, really. Me. Or cables. Yeah, that's it. Nobody thinks cables are such a big deal, but when something comes along that keeps your shifting smooth for a full year without being touched, then it's something worth mentioning. Sure, cables do need replacing, but only just. Dirt, grime and crap just DON'T get into the Jagwire sealed systems, which is awesome for us east coast riders. For the $30 spent, not only does my bike look kick-ass, it now shifts perfect in every condition I can imagine.

Most frivolous but cool bike part in general for 2008:
Spank Lock On Grips (Chocolate, White or Black, ~$25)



Yeah, there's only so much to say about something like a pair of grips. (In this case) they're mocha/chocolate in colour, they have gold clamps, and they stay locked down on the bar through the most gruesome conditions. What more can you ask, except for a pair in your stocking?

Best "technogeek approved" item of 2008:
Garmin Edge 305 with Heart Rate Monitor and Cadence Sensor (~$275)



Who doesn't like to know their heart rate, cadence, average grade, current speed, lap speed, and even sunset time with a glance at their handlebars? Well, the old coots that rode with toe clips and straps may not approve, but those of us who know where the 'on' button is on the front of a PC will love this. Pair this gizmo with Sport Tracks training software and you're set to get a wealth of very usable information that will keep your training right on track throughout the season. It's amazingly handy to have a breadcrumb trail map (for full GPS navigation, consider the 705, but double the price, at least) should you get lost and need to return to square one. It's probably one of the most expensive bike computers out there, but to the right person, it's worth it's weight in gold.

Best "My Ass Doesn't Hurt" gear of 2008:
Tossup: AssMaster Chamois Cream and Gore Bike Wear Contest Shorts (~$10 and ~$85)

The AssMaster goes on your ass, and the Contest shorts pad that oiled rear end. Gore's shorts come in the bib and shorts variety (I prefer the bibs) and have an amazingly non-intrusive chamois. It doesn't feel like you're wearing a diaper and it provides cushioning in just the right places to keep you comfy over multiple hours in the saddle. And with a price under $100, you can't really go wrong. Unless of course, you prefer the baggy look to the roadie-weenie lycra look. In that case, buy them anyway and put baggies over them. You'll love me for it.

Best Safety Gear of 2008:
Uvex XP100 helmet (~$95)



With so many vents, it's cooler than a lot of road helmets and has the full coverage of a skate helmet. It's stupidly light and has a nifty-as-all-hell buckle/release system that I just love. Thankfully, I've not had to test its crash durability, but I can say for a fact that this baby is comfy and reassuring like an young lady's bed on a cold night. If you're a drunk college kid anyway...

"Most confusing parts catalog on the planet" of 2008:
Mavic

Really...what the hell? How many axle assemblies can you really HAVE? And how many times do you have to send me the wrong one before I find the correct model? Really...what the hell...


Well, that's it for another year. What can I say? It's been fun, it's been a wonderful ride, and now it's a ride that goes nowhere with the emergence of the trainer (who wants to ride in snow?) That being said, keep the rubber side down, and we'll see how these things shape up for 2009.

It was the best of the year, it was the worst of the year...

Well, it's almost that time again...

The worst of the year? Well, it has to be the significant down-turn in the economy that has put the squeeze on the wallet and everyone's spirits. 10-20% increases in all things bike related are definitely a killer, but what can you do? Luckily, there hasn't been any major breakages of anything horribly expensive since the downturn. Thankfully.

The best of the year? I've finally managed to get myself out of school and have my doctorate hanging on my wall. How nice is that?

Ok, so what does this post have to do with cycling of any kind? Nothing really, but I'll say that after treating a number of cyclists through my clinic experiences, it's definitely changed my view of things. It's so nice to be able to be relatively pain free and able to ride when I get the itch. There's so many of us out there that jsut have so much trouble doing what we love, riding a bike, that it makes me glad I'm able to put cleats to pedals and move forward. Cheers to that.

Coming soon, my picks of best gear of the year.

Welcome to December...

So it's been more than a month since my last update. Let me explain why...

I don't usually talk much about my personal life here, but this time I think it's relevant. I've spent the last 3.3333 (ad nauseum) years in a frozen wasteland known as Seneca Falls, NY. I've been spending most of my time attending New York Chiropractic College, working towards a doctorate degree. As of 11/24, I officially finished up and graduated as a Doctor of Chiropractic. All the final things I needed to do, job interviews, resume work, etc etc are all behind me. Now I need to seal the deal on a position and then I'll be set to move and start a new phase in life.

That being said, I've been doing little riding lately. I seem to have some kind of cold induced asthma (which can only be diagnosed after a ride in the cold, which it WON'T go down below 30 degrees here for me to do that) that has limited me outside. I've been riding the trainer while watching Giro d'Italia reels on cycling.tv, but that can only do so much.

Maybe some cross training. Yeah, that's it.

I'll be back later with my thoughts on the best gizmos of the year, for all you Mountain Bike Tales readers.

Peace.

And so it goes...

No, it's not just the title of a great Billy Joel song, one that extols the sadness of never letting yourself be heard (although sometimes mother nature forces that situation upon you), but it's also a simile for the march of time.

The past few weeks here in the northeast have been ultra-prime. Riding has been fantastic to say the least. With the fall leaf season, the soil has dried enough to become tacky and sticky, but not tire cloggingly thick, trails have been worn through piles of fallen leaves which now hide insidious roots, and a chill in the air forces the use of base layers, arm warmers, thermal gloves and long sleeved jerseys. Of course, the top of the first grinding climb is the place where everyone stops, strips and packs away their heavy layers before they start sweating too hard.

Yes indeed, fall is my favorite time to ride in these parts. While there is a hankering to get back to your favorite spots in the spring and see if you can still hit that kicker, ride that skinny or clear that rock garden, there's something absolutely magical about riding in the fall. The crunch of fallen leaves under the knobs of thick rubber, the brisk chill in the air that burns your lungs, stings your face and forces you to hammer just to keep warm, and the wonderful feeling of a season winding down, with no races or cares in the world is a nearly indescribable pleasure that's all too often unrealized until the fall ends.

In the northeast, we've suffered our first "nor'easter" of the season. Yes, that damnable word that brings chills to my very soul, the harbinger of winter, has slashed it's mark upon the fall season. Torrential rains, sticky, heavy, wet snow and gusting winds will quickly damp even the most dedicated fat-tired spirits. True, the snow won't linger and sunny skies follow a day behind, but there is a certain doom and gloom that follows the first storm of the year. Is it time to pull out the trainer? Is it time to send the bikes to their winter homes in the garage? That may well be the case, it may well not. Riding in the snow is great fun, if a little bit taxing on the body, and the easy access to studded tires makes light years of difference.

There is one positive thing about the winter's imminent arrival, though. Time to tear down the trusty steed, clean out the muck, lube everything up and shine it to a mirror finish, all in preparation of its next outing. When will that be? Who knows, but at least it'll be ready. And so...it goes...

What a long time...

...since my last posting.

Things have been busy since then. The road bike season has pretty much wound down. We rode our metric century, made it through most of it. The problem was all the riding was done in 80 degrees with 100% humidity, which made it very, very tough indeed. Besides, it came a little late in the season and I was of course a little undertrained for it, but it was still fun regardless.

That being said, it's now mountain bike season again. Ahh, I love riding in the fall. The fallen leaves, the crisp air, it's all so pleasant to be a part of. There's something to be said for coming back to fat tires in the fall. The mud is at a minimum, the trails are well ridden in, fast and thrilling, and the lungs and legs really enjoy the change of pace from the grueling constant effort of riding the road.

I have to say I'm really looking forward to getting some saddle time on my King and my Dawg. Hopefully my technical skills will make a quick comeback and I'll be able to put all the road training to use on the dirt.

Photos (hopefully) coming soon.

Has it really...

...been almost 3 weeks since my last update?

Well, yes. I've been terribly busy as of late. Unfortunately, I'm not doing as much riding as I am working, but I've been getting my fair share of time on two wheels. I've been spending more time on the road bike than on the mountain bike, mainly preparing for the end of season metric century that we have planned. Not only is it going to be a long day in the saddle, there's going to be more than a mile of vertical on the route. That's going to be tough, but there's a nice BBQ and bottle of wine waiting at the end of the ride.

Oh well, it's time well spent.

Back to my pizza, beer and movie.

Kingdom Trails adventure. Vacation is always a good thing.

So. Beth and I decided that work sucks and time off is needed (although she can't complain after coming back from 2 weeks in grand old Italia) to clear our heads. We booked a room at the Village Inn right there in the middle of East Burke and headed up last weekend. Yeah, I'm a slacker and haven't put pictures up yet, but that's the zen of me. Pfft.

Our balcony was just freakin' AWESOME. Yes, we had our own private balcony with Adirondack chairs and a bistro table. The view off the balcony wasn't too damn bad either.



Tap 'n Die was JUST cut last year when we were there, so we didn't get a shot at riding it. It's pretty f'in cool though.




Of course, I have to have the picture giving the illusion of awesome speed and the classic "Michael Jordan tongue hanging out" sickness:



And who can forget the view from The Inn at Mountain View Farms. It all makes sense now, eh?


Dude, that's a wicked big horse barn.



I wonder who lives in that big mansion on the hill. Surely not the plebeians who's bikes are napping in the shade of that big oak tree.



The sheer WTF-awesomeness of the new legs of Coronary Bypass just possessed my soul and turned me into the daemon of white jerseys and trail wickedness.



Coronary Bypass has nuclear cool berms to rail and mash.




There's also an unwritten obligation that you need to take a photo of all the bikes in your riding party chillin' under a tree at the start of Webs.




Dry Feet my ass. This is about as far from "dry" as you can get. Kingdom had about 6" of rain in the week proceeding our grand arrival, and this quagmire was the result. I'm so pissed I'm stomping a (literal) mudhole in Mother Earth. Unfortunately, the mud won (it was about 8" deep in places.)





More mud pits. There's slop and goop everywhere, and for some reason it smells like horse poop. Ick.



Yet another artsy bike shot, this time from the sick thrill that is Jaw.



And Jaw is just such a mother trucker, it throws some wicked fun at you. This looks like this could go badly...



Dude, I'm so hardcore I can not only go over the bars, but I can have photographic proof. Actually, this one isn't all that embarrassing in its complete awesomeness.




More awesomeness that is Jaw. Those rocks are slippery like a soggy dishrag on a freshly waxed marble floor.




More of those tire eating wet rocks. Whose idea was it to run a trail across a drainage ditch?




Oh, the drop in isn't so bad, but the step-up out of the place can be a real bitch, can't it?




Nothing like the smell of soggy pine needles, fresh pitch, and the squeak of a loose cleat while you're struggling mightily to unclip from stubborn pedals.



After all that fun, we played around in the stream behind East Burke Sports. It was ICE F'IN COLD!




Wash away your pain, wash away the mud. Or you could just numb every part that touches the water and forget that said parts exist.




The horse-poop-mud-slop always wins in the end. It also does a great job of annihilating a clean bathroom.



Badda-f'in-BING! This actually happened the night we got there, but why not close up with it.




All in all, who could ask for a better vacation. It could have been a lot longer, but who's counting?