Pro-35 Stickers Available for Purchase

4 styles available- Black M, Blue M, Green M or GTI.

M stickers are 2.5 inches tall x 5.5 inches wide.

Car (GTI) stickers are 2.8 inches tall x 5 inches wide.

Stickers available for purchase through eBay for $.99 each including shipping via USPS mail.  Can ship international as well- please contact me before buying.  

Swiss Cross Update- Dirt Road Mods

With my 'cross season over after a single race I've made some changes to the Swiss Cross setup.  'Cross bikes are often praised for their versatility and I have to say I have mixed feelings about that.  Yes, their ability to go on and off road is pretty cool, but as I've said before I don't think fender mounts or rack eyelets have a place on any self-respecting race bike.  Purpose-built Ridley race bikes have only a single water bottle mount and Richard Sachs 'cross frames have none.


You can see here that I've wavered a bit on my fundamentalist position with two bottle cages (or bidons if you prefer) but the rest of the bike is entirely as I...well, as I intended to race it anyway.  I only have so many jacket pockets so as much as I'd like to be a purist about the bottle cages it's just not feasible when it's below 50 degrees and I need to carry some additional layers.  

Since I first built it up I've swapped out the stem and post for the Ritchey WCS wet red models you see here.  I had misgivings about getting red components as they're likely to stick out on any other bike in the stable but since they match the Swiss Cross perfectly I felt it was completely appropriate.  The more I look at them the more I like them, and with minimal fiddling I've been able to run the stem in the downward position although it's still pretty far from being slammed.  
 

I've also swapped out the tubular EA70's for the Ritchey WCS Zeta clinchers.  So far those wheels have been great with both the 33 mm 'cross tires and the Clement Strada LLGs pictured here.  Although there's a lack of quality pavement around here there are miles upon miles of dirt roads.   I was looking for a wide, lightly siped tread for exploring said dirt roads and found the Strada.  After a few rides it's proven to be a solid performer and although it's claimed to be a full 28 mm width it only measures out to 26 mm on a standard 19 mm wide rim.  That means there's the added benefit of being able to use this same wheel/tire setup on my road bike without any additional fiddling.  

I'm still not a fan of cantilevers, but if you're going to run them I suggest giving the Avid Shorty Ultimates serious consideration.  They're a modern machined aluminum version of the classic mid-90's mountain bike cantilever and offer the best feel and stopping power of anything I've tried.  The setup is unique but straightforward after you read the instructions- they don't take long to setup but they are quite a bit different from the TRPs and Shimanos I've ridden recently.    

 And of course there's plenty of clearance.  My experiments with getting the Redline setup for dirt road duty were a horrendous failure mainly because the frame was so stiff but also because I used 23c tires.  The Swiss Cross is a notably smoother ride, but the wider tires at significantly lower pressure also deserve some credit.  The extra tire width also makes the massive clearance slightly less obnoxious. 

More red.  I'm really getting into this bike, and the white cables/tape/hoods combo is really growing on me next to the all red frame/fork/stem/post.  There was an internal struggle about where to put my Pro-35 decals so I opted went for the more subtle finishing tape accent and non-drive chainstay placement.   

Fading Light- Weekend Ride Pictures

Interesting Random Bikes

Here's an assortment of stuff that's caught my eye recently.

First up is the integrated custom carbon awesomeness that Ergon put together for their team rider Irina Kalentieva for the Olympics and World Championships this year (from the Ergon fb page).  It's a an integrated bar/stem/barend/grip combo with special clamp mounts for her brakes, shifters and fork lockout already molded in.  There's also a cool integrated Ergon GS-shaped grip with some thin padding attached.  Nothing actually clamps around it- all of her controls have molded mounting points or are totally integrated into the design.  

Next up is the carbon Zaskar that Cecile Ravanel raced in the first Eliminator World Championship race.  Standard 26" wheels, singe ring up front with an MRP guide, dropper post and American Classic tubeless wheels.  Nice setup.

This one is from the roadie-centric slam that stem.  Not sure what's so captivating about this, but I really like the simple 1 x 10 drivetrain with the two color paint, Reba and Thomson post.  Looks understated and put together- not to mention fun to ride.

And since I put together my Moots Divide I've been checking to see how other guys are setting theirs up.  This one is a 26" wheel version built up by one welders at Moots as featured on their blog.  It's a pretty sweet and versatile setup with a Fox up front, wide Answer carbon bars and sweet matching Answer Rove XC stem.  This is the second one I've seen with a dropper post, and since it's a 30.9 you've got plenty of options including...

The new dropper post from Thomson.  This looks like the usual Thomson fare- well made, machined aluminum pieces that use their existing mounting bolt and clamp configuration.  I don't have a dropper post, and at this point I would wait for this one.

And that would be a cool addition for non-racing outings on my MX Divide.  It's pouring right now or I'd offer a better image than the shitty iphone/dishwasher shots featured here.  I'm still deciding on how I want to dress it up, and since Tomas just sent me the Race Space SDG kit it's now looking pretty dope in green and blue.  The new Moots kit is navy with some green accents so if I can stay on the program next season (please?) I'll likely run it like this.  I'm really digging it right now with the blue topcap, blue seatpost clamps and blue Pro-35 sticker next to the green/white saddle and very vogue green grips.

Here's another angle.

Stickers

I've added the blue "M" logo to the sticker collection.  If you're interested in any drop me a comment or email me.

The last few weeks post-Hampshire 100 have been nuts, but I'll have a full race report (with words) and some more reviews posted soon.

Stickers and an Update

Things have been up and down on the racecourse over the last few weeks, but the good news is that I think I'm figuring it out.

Today my new stickers arrived.

I promptly wasted most of lunch break sorting out how I'd best display them.  They're a little taller than last year's version so they don't lend themselves well to round frame tubes.  So with a little creativity and a pair of scissors I came up with this- bumper cutout on the right leg, url around the left below the SID decal. 

More news to come including some details on riding with Wayward and look for a great post called "How I Spent My Summer Vacation, or Why I Got An Inhaler."

Yeah, really psyched to be one of the cool kids now.

Shirts, Qualifying and Complaining

Last week I picked up this year's Pro-35 shirt order, and once again Cris did an incredible job.  He was able to take my vision from a photograph I'd taken last summer and turned it into exactly what I wanted. 

So what's with the car?  It's been a recurring image throughout the last year, and has become a sort of  allegory for my effort to turn pro.  After all of last year's events I felt like I still had the same potential but had some work to do to get back to being race ready.  The same engine is still under the hood.  

I've been tweaking my position over the last few days and think I've gotten it pretty dialed.  The only problem is that it's not the same position I've been using for the last few months of training.  By all accounts changes as major as the ones I made should be made in the off season when there is time to adapt slowly, but really I didn't have a choice.  My back injury from a late May has been flaring up and I couldn't steer around a sapling to save my life.  Fortunately the tweaks I made address both, but the bad news is that my body isn't used to handling torque with the more upright posture.

The Wilmington 100 is this weekend and although I'm excited about it I'm trying to set realistic expectations.  My heart isn't set on qualifying, it's really just about experiencing the race so that I can prepare for next year.  My back is either going to hold out or it isn't- and there's no amount of worry that can change that.  

Fortunately I have one of these on order and I really hope it arrives soon.

Detail oriented readers will note that I had a 2012 Mooto X YBB in-hand and may be wondering what happened to it.  After waiting for the 2012 version updates (from the warranty replacement from my 26" YBB) I realized that if I was going to run suspension that I wanted some real travel.  My original YBB was a great one bike option for every ride and race I threw at it, but now with the RSL there wasn't enough difference between the smooth 29er hardtail and the slightly smoother short travel YBB.  My recent back issues have only reinforced that going for a longer travel option was the right decision.  Delivery is still a few weeks away but I've been dutifully readying the components so that I can be ready to build once it does arrive.

For now it's taking it easy and getting ready for the weekend.  

Off Road Classics

This winter has been widely publicized for being rather mild, but there's still snow on the ground and I'm getting the jones to ride.  I guess it's not really a surprise that I happened upon these bikes on the retrobike.co.uk site and found them particularly captivating.

First up is a classic Yeti ARC.  The custom painted Rockshox Judy SL fork, matching ano turquoise
Ringle stem/post/bottle cage and deep section HED carbon wheels make this really look like every bit of the mid-90's racer it is.

This Yeti is a little more modernized and looks like it's ridden fairly regularly, unlike the previous bike listed in this post.  I'm not sure how they got disc tabs on the rear dropout without an ungainly adapter, but the paint-matched rigid fork and subtle but high end build kit means this bike gets ridden periodically and isn't just for show.

Any retro race bike post would be incomplete without a nod to the GT Zaskar.  Growing up GT was sold by a rival shop across town and so I'd developed a natural resistance to them.  It wasn't until college when I saw some up close (including Wayward's Xizang) and developed some respect and even a mild affinity for them.  Sometime during my college years GT fell on hard economic times, changed hands and then bumped their way along for a while.  Recently they've make a bit of a comeback and since sponsoring World Cup racers Todd Wells and Burry Stander have been making inroads back into the racing community again.  This particular model predates all that, and I think the Zaskar was one of the best mass produced race bikes of its time and truly represented GT in their hay day.  

This Merlin XLM is another throwback.  Many of Merlin's key employees survived the transfer of the original company and followed Rob Vandermark to Seven.  This was one of the Massachusetts-made ti frames that was undisputably one of the best options available in that material at the time.  There weren't many of these floating around back then, but given their durability (and the fact that mainly doctors and lawyers could afford them- there I said it) many of them are still in service.  I'm not sure how I feel about the "Afterburner" finish on the M960 XTR crank, but the rest of the bike looks pretty dialed with the cool for the 90's red ano parts treatment.  

Last is one of my favorites, the Fat City Shock a Billy.  I've mentioned these in previous posts, but I have say I think they're very cool.  I have no idea how well they ride or how durable they are, but the suspension concept was way ahead of what Trek and Cannondale were running at the same time with their unified rear triangle Super V's and Y-bikes.  Those things sucked.

SDG saddle, XTR 940 build kit and what looks like a Rock Shox Mag 21 painted to match.     

Ah bikes.  They're always fun to look at.  I can't wait to actually be able to ride again.  It won't be long.

New Stuff- Enzo's

Last season I started using Enzo's chamois cream and found it to be to my liking.  It's domestically made from all natural ingredients and reasonably priced, and in my mind those attributes make it an appealing option.  I'm not going to offer a chamois cream review, but I will tell you that I log a lot of miles and this has become my new favorite. 

Recently Enzo's has expanded their product line to include some embrocations which I'll also be using this season.  The small white jar is a sample of their medium embrocation, and in addition to smelling awesome it provides some solid heat.  So far I've only used it in some limited indoor tests in my cold basement while riding the rollers, but I'll definitely put it through its paces when I start riding outside again.

If this winter continues to be mild I might slather on some embro and get a jump on my mileage.  June isn't that far away.

For more information visit www.enzoscyclingproducts.com.

2012 Sponsor Announcement- Ergon

This year there will be some slight changes to my sponsors, and among those changes I'll now officially be riding for Ergon.  As you know from my posts I've been running Ergon grips exclusively for the last few seasons and this makes it official.

Currently I have the GX1's on the RSL and I have yet to decide what to run on the YBB, but I have both GA1's and another set of GX1's at the ready.  There's also the new GS1 which is replacing the GX1 as the top race-oriented grip so I'm sure I'll find myself giving those a shot at some point over the season as well.

Ergon is most known for their innovative line of grips, but they've also introduced some interesting gloves that are starting to pop up at races, and new this year a line of mountain-bike specific saddles. 

What's cool about Ergon is that they are a high-performance accessory brand that makes effective and sleek mountain bike products and are among few companies that offer a Euro-cool factor exclusively for the offroad set.

How could you not get excited about a company that ran this as their 2011 Christmas card?

New Gear- Fischer RCS Skate

You may recall that on my last day out last winter I broke my Madshsus Hypersonics.

So this season I picked up a set of Fischer RSC Skates.  They're only available with the NIS binding plate, so my Salomon setup means drilling through it- but really that's no problem and the Hypersonics were mounted the same way. 

Up close they look like this.  They were just ground and treated with base prep, so now I have to run a few warm wax cycles on them to get them ready for the weekend.  If I can make an effort to spend some time on them and the conditions improve or at least stay stable I might even get out on them in the next few days...

2011 in Pictures

Through some incredible highs and lows this blog has been a cathartic creative outlet for me.   Thank you for reading, and stay tuned for more rambling posts, random images and self-deprecating stories in 2012.