You are currently browsing the archives for the 'June 2006' category.
TBH Content
It was another kind of a haphazard week around here and all of these things — nice weather, lots of work, new toys — have cut into my computer time. I’m running some new gear for testing — Hayes El Caminos, SRAM X0 twist shifters, some new Camelbak product — and I know that most of the others have new gear reviews in the pipe, so expect to see those things in the coming weeks.
This week, we posted up a piece by Guitar Ted that argues for the adoption of a new standard for wheel over lock dimensions (over the current 135mm setup). Dan followed that up with a preview of the 24 Hours of Summer Solstice race that is going down this weekend; if you haven’t checked it out, there’s also a good gear checklist you can use when preparing for your own 24 hour event. Yesterday, Ashwin posted up a quick gear shot of WTB’s Moto Tec clamp-on grips.
Elsewhere around the ‘net
This part of the summer is kind of a slow time for new gear news; most of the 2007 component stuff has been ‘leaked’ at places like Sea Otter, the various UCI events around the world, and upcoming events like Crankworx in Whistler. People with quick eyes can see product from most of the major bike manufacturers at local events but the ‘official’ announcements are usually saved for trade shows like Interbike and Eurobike. That being said, there’s still news out there…
2007 SRAM lineup. SRAM unveiled a bunch of its gear at a media camp down in Utah last week and other new stuff was spotted at Saalbach in Austria. Singletrack was in Austria and delivers the goods on the 2007 Rock Shox products and the upcoming releases from sister company Avid, including the 4-piston Avid Code and the xc-racer Avid Juicy Ultimate. NSMB.com has some shots of the Truvativ Noir crank, as well as some scenery pictures taken in Utah.
Others. NSMB also posted up a long-term review of the Norco Fluid 1 — the reviewer knows what he’s talking about, so an endorsement from him means it’s a solid ride! Hot on the heels of the bulletin board posting that looked at the ‘07 Kona lineup is BikeMagic, which has a better look at next year’s batch of Konas.
It’s the last full week for our Sette cockpit giveaway. For whatever reason, many of you are hesitant to drop your name in the box so those of you who have are in good shape! I’ll announce the winner’s name in the first week of July.
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Here is a quick look at some WTB Moto Tec clamp-on grips.
Specs and construction
I’ve been on gripshift for so long I’d forgotten how long normal grips are and these grips seemed to be on the long-ish side, even for regular grips.
The grips are constructed with a plastic skeleton that goes on the bottom of the grip and completely covered by the rubber grip.
Each grip and plug weighs 49g.
There are two clamp-ons at both ends of the grip that require two-allen head wrenches to tighten. Read the rest of this entry »
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22 June »
Events »
Dan
There are two, maybe three events on my annual calendar that I really get stoked for: the first is Christmas (yes, even big kids get excited); the second is my anniversary (yes my wife is sitting next to this as I write); the third is the 24 Hours of Summer Solstice (yes you’re right…It’s really first on the list).
Yes it’s that time of year again when the camping gear gets dusted off, the HIDs get charged up, and the vat of pasta salad gets stirred up. I’ll probably do around 30 races this year, but none get me giddy like a school girl as much as the 24-hour race. Read the rest of this entry »
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The wheels on your bicycle have been going through some fundamental changes in the last five to ten years. These changes have pushed the limits of bike wheels, as far as strength and function are concerned, and the design compromises that manufacturers have made are forcing them to develop stronger materials to keep us all rolling happily off road. However, I think it may be time to make a change that would benefit all cyclists, a change that could become reality simply by increasing the length of our axles slightly.
Too much stuff, not enough space
The current rear wheel over lock dimension of 135mm is just too short. There are two things that have compromised the strength of mountain bike wheels. The first is the fact that most cassettes are being built with more cogs than they were when 135mm hubs became standard industry fare. At that time, we had six cogs on our cassettes whereas now we are dealing with nine cogs, all crammed into the same amount of space.
To make 135mm hubs work with changes in the numbers of gears on modern bikes, hub designers had to make freehub bodies that were longer, shrinking the distance between the hub flanges. The addition of disc brakes into the game forced designers to push the flanges even closer together so their designs could accommodate rotor mounts and provide adequate clearance for the brakes’ calipers. Read the rest of this entry »
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Short and sweet this week. Real world demands have wreaked havoc on my days…
TBH Content
Dan started us off this week with a review of the Magura Marta SLs, followed by Guitar Ted’s opinion piece on the recent round of 29″ - 26″ comparisons. Adrian added an interesting writeup that looks at balance and offers a couple suggestions that should help you out.
Elsewhere around the ‘net
NSMB.com has a two-part look at SRAM’s 2007 lineuup, starting with ‘07 Rock Shox freeride forks. That writeup is followed by a closeup at the new Avid Code disc brakes and some new cranks from Truvativ and derailleurs by SRAM. Pics of the Intense Socom have been floating around the ‘net for a while, but MBA has a good shot and some basic spec info for you to drool over. Some photos of newer-looking Kona bikes surfaced on the NSMB forum but I’m not sure they’re full-on 2007s. Niner Bikes updates their website with information about the soon-to-be-ready R.I.P. 9.
Don’t forget that Price Point’s Sette giveaway is still open for entries — feel free to add your name to the list for a chance at some decent gear.
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Ed. note: In this writeup, semi-regular contributor Adrian Howard gives us the lowdown on balance, how it influences your riding, and how you can work on balance training to improve your bike-handling skills.
I want to give you a little more insight into the key elements that influence an individual’s ability to balance, something that is an ‘under trained’ and misunderstood area of performance. And it’s also something that’s very relevant for the mountain biker.
Balance is the ability to maintain your centre of gravity over a base of support. If this base of support grows it should be easier to balance and, if the base of support decreases, balance becomes more difficult. This is a very basic definition of balance and as we explore the elements of balance you will understand why.
The original model of balance suggested that balance was purely a reflex-based system, which meant that if you lost you balance your body would react and you would regain your balance. If you were unable to regain balance you would fall. This model required little input from the individual, as automatic reactions were taking care of keeping you upright. Recent research has shown that balance is not, in fact, a reflex-based system and is instead an extremely complex interaction involving many of the body’s systems. Read the rest of this entry »
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The advent of the 29 inch wheeled mountain bike has brought about a heated debate the likes of which hasn’t been seen since the dawn of front suspension forks in the early ’90s. This debate is now being taken up over at cyclingnews.com, where two mountain bikes with identical specs were prepared, with the only differences being the wheel sizes and the frame-specific considerations needed to fit each to a frame and fork.
This versus that: a flawed premise
Something strikes me as being quite strange about this whole endeavor, that being the differences between the two types of bikes. They are not just any old differences, but probably the most important ones about any bicycle.
In fact, I would go so far as to say that since the differences are so radical, the comparison is ludicrous. I have ridden both style of bikes; 29 and 26 inch, and I can say that they are different enough that you have to ride each in a different way. If you do not, the full potential of both is lost. They are different tools for different jobs.
The premise that one or the other is best, as the test is formatted for, is a misguided effort. Rather than that, they should endeavor to find out which wheel format works best on certain types of terrain, something that would be far more useful than a blanket “this versus that” which-one-is-best kind of angle. Read the rest of this entry »
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12 June »
Reviews »
Dan
Recently, I was given the chance to take a set of 160mm Marta SL disc brakes out for a good thrashing in the field. Thanks to our good friends over at SpokeWrench.com, an online shop based in Ontario, for hooking me up with this stuff. These are the same guys who are making preparations to run the TransRockies later this summer.
If you want a lightweight disc brake for cross country use there are only a few really good options. In many of the head to head tests on disc brakes, the offerings from Avid have come out as being the standard that other companies have to live up to. The Avid BB7 mechanicals are simply the best and most powerful cable-actuated disc brakes on the market, and the Avid Juicy 7s are among the best hydraulic disc brakes available. When SRAM/Avid unveiled the Juicy Carbon with a lighter weight and the same ease of use, it gave competitors another bar to try and clear.
But at the same time Avid was working on the Juicy Carbon, Magura was already tweaking and refining it’s Marta SL brake. For 2006, the Marta SL offers a gorgeous setup that performs as well as it looks.
The Marta SLs were installed on my Cannondale Rush 1000, which is now sporting a SRAM X.0-dominated drivetrain with Shimano XTR cranks. Prior to installing the Maguras, I had been running Juicy 7s and the Avids fit perfectly with the X.0 triggers; they were highly adjustable, powerful and, generally, just a fantastic brake. So the Martas had a lot to live up to. Read the rest of this entry »
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Living on BC’s West Coast, it sometimes seems like we’re stuck in a state of perpetual spring. The weather’s never really that cold, but it can go from nice and sunny to cold and damp overnight, and then go back to the way it was a few days earlier. This week was one of those weeks, except we were stuck in the ‘nice and sunny’ mode for a few days. Schedules were adjusted accordingly.
Original content
On Monday, I announced a giveaway — there’s a complete Sette cockpit for your xc ride up for grabs — that will run until the end of this month. If you haven’t entered yet (and I know a bunch of you haven’t), give it a go. You don’t need to sell your soul with it, just come up with something interesting.
For Tuesday, Guitar Ted unleashed his passion for crashing and I thought about his entry as I was sliding out on a loose corner earlier this week. After I’d stopped, I realized that I might not have the same enthusiasm for bailing as some of this site’s fine readers. Ashwin followed up with a good introduction to your bike’s gears, how it effects your ride, and how analyzing your gearing can have positive effects on the way you ride.
Elsewhere on the ‘net
BikeMagic was busy this week, with a review of the 2006 Giant Reign, a closeup look at Felt’s new full suspension trail bike, and a very nice interview with Shaums March, in which he discusses riding, coaching, and his working relationship with Marin. And, speaking of Shaums March, the Singletrack website has a good writeup about the type of coaching that goes down at Mad March skills camps. CyclingNews built up two bikes — a twenty-niner and a 26″ mountain bike — with identical specs and is set to compare them on the trail. Even if you have no interest in the comparison, check out the article for the closeups up the frames, carbon and titanium beauties from Seven Cycles. Guitar Ted posted up a criticism of CN’s method that many of you might get a kick out of.
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The gearing combinations you use on a mountain bike can have a serious effect on the way that you ride. Most times, people take the gearing selection that come stock on their bikes for granted, but by taking a close look at how you ride and how you shift, you might find that a different gearing selection may work better for your pedaling style, terrain, and application.
Gearing basics
There are two wonderful resources I found that discuss gearing for cyclists. You should check these out first, and I’ll just summarize a few points here.
- Cycling Site Gearing Tutorial
- Sheldon Brown’s Gear Ratio Calculator
In a nutshell, mountain bikes typically have three chainrings up front and between seven and nine cogs in the rear. A gearing selection is made up of the combination of the front ring and a specific rear cog. So if you have three rings up front and nine in the back you (theoretically) have 27 different speeds. Read the rest of this entry »
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