On Sunday I had the chance to get out on the trail and give the new Avid XO Trail brakes a try. Here are my first impressions of the new brakes:
The Ride:
-El Moro, Newport Beach Ca
Trails:
-Bommer, Red Tail Ridge, Rattlesnake, Mach One, I Think I Can, Moro Ridge, Missing Link, Fenceline, Bommer.
We started out on Bommer, a fire road with a hill right at the start. I have noticed my old brakes sometimes took a couple hills to get warmed up and really work, but the XO Trails were grabbing right off the bat. From Bommer we rode Red Tail Ridge out to Rattlesnake. Rattlesnake is a single track that has a technical downhill section in it. Through the technical section I had more control of how the brakes grabbed than I have ever had. I have ridden this section with Tektro mechanical disk brakes, Avid Elixer 3, and both Shimano SLX and XT brakes. None of these felt as smooth or had the ability to modulate the braking force in this section that the XO Trails had. The thing to these brakes have been the Shimano XT's (which are awesome). The XO Trails lever pull is the smoothest I have used. After Rattlesnake we went down Mach One which is a steep fire road that you cn generate a ton of speed coming down. I was able to let the bike roll and still had plenty of power to slow down when I needed to. We then climbed up I Think I Can and Moro Ridge to Missing Link and Fenceline. I used the brakes in these flowing single tracks to really control my speed into and out of the corners and once again felt like I had superb control and flow. The whole ride took about an hour and a half and in that entire time the brakes did not make noise once. They were silent, strong, and offer great control.
I will continue to test and review the Avid Trail XO brakes over the next few months so stay tuned!
Tuesday, December 11, 2012
Thursday, December 6, 2012
Avid XO Trail Brakes
Today I showed up at the shop and sure enough the Sram rep was there and he was changing out brakes. I spoke with him for a while and to my surprise my bike ended up on the stand getting Avid's brand new XO Trail brakes installed. I had to leave before he was finished, so I thanked him and headed home.
The XO Trail is Avid's brake that follows close behind the XX model. It is a four piston dual diameter caliper with their innovative lever pivot bearing. Weighing in at just 340 grams they are a 50 gram improvement per brake over my Avid Elixir 3's. As Avid says, "the new XO Trail was born to climb and engineered to descend." Here are the spec's:
MSRP
USD: $290
USD: $290
I can't wait to get these out on the trail and give them a good test!
Sunday, December 2, 2012
New Rubber
Saturday, December 1, 2012
Ryders Eyewear
RYDERS EYEWEAR
By
Jeff Morgan
These are the Caliber Polarphoto sunglasses provided to me by Ryders Eyewear. These glasses are specifically made with mountain biking in mind. They are light weight, comfortable, and look great. The lenses are shatterproof to protect your eyes. They are also photochromic so the lighten and darken to instantly adjust to lighting conditions and on top of all this they are polarized to cut down on the glare.
Check out www.thedirtywheel.com in the next few weeks for my in depth review of the Caliber Polarphoto glasses, and check back here for my first thoughts on the Ryders Eyewear Shore Goggles!
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| I love my Shore goggles!!!! |
Friday, November 30, 2012
Giant Trance X 29er 1
2013 Giant Trance X 29er 1
By Jeff Morgan
Recently
I have had the opportunity to check out Giant's 2013 Trance X 29er 1. This is the second tier model for this bike
but it still retains the high standards set by the previous Trance models. The main difference between this bike and the
old Trance is that this is a 29er. Giant
has taken their proven Trance X and adjusted the geometry to offer it as a big
wheeled bike with 5 inches of suspension.
Here is how it comes equipped:
-FRAME
Sizes XS, S, M,
L, XL
Colors Black/White/Red
Frame ALUXX
SL-Grade Aluminum, 5" Maestro Suspension
Fork Fox 32
Float 29 CTD w/ 15QR thru-axle, OverDrive 2, 120mm Travel
Shock Fox Float
CTD Boostvalve
-COMPONENTS
Handlebar Giant
Connect SL, Low Rise, 31.8
Stem Giant
Connect SL, OverDrive 2
Seatpost Giant
Contact Switch w/ Remote, 30.9
Saddle Giant
Performance MTB
Pedals N/A
-DRIVETRAIN
Shifters SRAM X7, 2x10 Speed
Front Derailleur SRAM X7
Rear Derailleur SRAM
X9 Type 2
Brakes Avid Elixir
3, [F] 180mm, [R] 160mm
Brake Levers Avid
Elixir 3
Cassette SRAM
PG 1030 11x36, 10-Speed
Chain KMC X10
Crankset SRAM
S1000, 24/38
Bottom Bracket SRAM,
Press Fit
WHEELS
Rims Giant
P-XC29er 2, Double Wall
Hubs [F] Giant
Tracker Sealed/CNC w/ 15mm Axle, [R] Giant Tracker Performance, 32h
Spokes DT Swiss
Competition, 14/15g
Tires Schwalbe
Nobby Nic, 29x2.25 TL Ready Evolution Folding
And here are the numbers:
SIZE HEAD
ANGLE SEAT ANGLE TOP TUBE HEAD
TUBE CHAIN STAY WHEEL BASE STANDOVER HEIGHT
Inches Degrees Degrees Inches Inches Inches Inches Inches
XS/14.5 69.5 74.0 21.7 4.1 17.8 42.9 25.2
S/16 69.5 73.0 22.4 4.1 17.8 43.1 25.4
M/18 69.5 73.0 23.4 4.1 17.8 44.1 26.4
L/20 69.5 73.0 24.1 4.1 17.8 44.9 27.2
XL/22 69.5 73.0 25.0 4.3 17.8 45.8 28.1
The Bike:
The Trance X 29er 1 comes loaded with some pretty nice
componentry. It is equipped with a Sram
X7/X9 2x10 drivetrain. The 2x10
drivetrain is a solid addition to this model, it provides you with all the
gearing you need to get to the top of any trail that your legs can make it up,
and even a few that you might think you can’t. The X7 shifters are not the flashy bling parts
that we all love, but they are solid and get the job done. Giant has put the Sram X9 type 2 rear
derailleur out back and it provides crisp shifting with very little chain slap. This combo shifts quickly and quietly and has
held up very well with little adjustment needed.
You will also find this bike equipped with a full
complement of Fox Float suspension. Up
front it has the Fox Float 29 CTD with a 15mm quick release thru-axel. Out back is the Fox Float with CTD boost
valve. The suspension on this bike gives
you five inches of travel, not bad for a big wheeled bike, but it actually
feels closer to six inches as you flow through the trails. Both the shock and fork feature Fox’s new CTD
technology. CTD stands for Climb, Trail,
Descend and is activated by a three position switch located on the shock and
fork where you would normally find your lockout or pro pedal switch. In climb mode the shock and fork are locked
out and the bike becomes almost rigid and it works great on paved or fire road
climbs. The trail mode is where I
usually found myself riding. In trail
mode the suspension is set so that you have some travel while climbing which
helps out with traction on those loose, steep singletrack climbs but still
gives you plenty of squish to rail the fast flat and light downhill
trails. In the trail mode the bike felt
like a five inch bike, fast and fun. The
descend mode really opens the suspension up and gives the bike a bottomless
feel. In this mode you can bomb a
downhill section, feel it was easy, then look at you travel ring on the fork
and you realize that you used every inch of travel and did not even notice. But, remember to switch back to trail mode
for the climb out because the bike will wallow while you grind your way
up. The way I found to climb on the
Trance X29er was to put the fork in climb mode and the shock in trail, setting
it up this way made it fly up everything.
For most descents I left the fork and shock in trail mode and found that
it worked great, but for the really nasty descents nothing beat the descend
mode.
The braking is handled by Avid in the form of the Elixir
3. I have never been a huge fan of Avid
brakes, most of them I have used make a lot of noise and in the hottest part of
the summer I saw Avid Elixer 3’s coming into the shop where I work frozen
closed. That said, I had no problem with
these brakes. The Elixers were able to
stop the bike when they needed to and made less noise than any Avid’s I have
used in the past. While I would rather
see this bike equipped Shimano XT brakes (my favorite brakes) I really can’t
say anything bad about the Elixer 3’s, they worked great!
Schwalbe and their Nobby Nic tires have been tasked with
traction. This bike is the first one
that I have used this tire on and I found it perfectly up to the loose, dusty
conditions of my local Southern California trails. There was always plenty of traction while
climbing, not a lot of slipping and sliding.
They seemed to grab really well in the turns when the bike was laid over
to one side or the other. The Nobby Nics
were a great choice for this bike, their grip gave me plenty of confidence to
really push hard into the corners and go for it on the descents. Great grip, great tire, great choice.
All in all the Trance X 29er is in my opinion an almost
perfect trailbike. It has a great array
of components, a comfortable cockpit, and great handling. There are some changes that could be made,
but most of them could be taken care of by getting the Trance X 29er 0 model
which comes fully equipped with Shimano XT components. The MSRP on the Trance X29er 1 is listed at
$2,775 and is a good match for the value that you get from this model. I you want a 29er but also want more than
four inches of travel then this might be the bike you are looking for!
Monday, November 12, 2012
Ride Like a Kid 6
Ride Like A Kid 6
By
Jeff Morgan
Saturday October 6th
2012 was the International Mountain Bicycling Association(IMBA) Take a Kid Mountain Biking day, this is a worldwide
event that last year had 13,000 parents and kids participating in countries
such as the United States, Canada, Italy, Australia, Mexico, South Africa and
Malaysia. 2012 marks IMBA's 8th year
promoting this event that is aimed to get kids out on the trails with their
parents. In the words of IMBA,
"Besides being good, healthy fun, the goal is to develop a connection
between kids and the natural world around them. Today's children are tomorrow's
land managers and politicians — future decision-makers for important matters
like recreation and access to public lands." While IMBA is the main promoter of this
event, it is much too large for them to run worldwide so what they have done is
offer resources for local grassroots
organizations to host their own events under the umbrella of the IMBA Take A
Kid Mountain Biking Day. IMBA aimed this
event at groups like the Boy/Girl Scouts of America, local riding clubs, race
teams, local bike shops, or any other group who can get kids out riding. For the people organizing the rides they
supply commemorative number plates, and Clif Zbars for the kids
participating.
 |
| Adam Davidson running the show! |
The local event in
Orange County California has adopted the name "Ride Like A Kid" and
is in its 6th year and is held at Irvine Regional Park. This is the first year that I have been able
to make it and after having attended "Ride Like A Kid 6" with my
three kids, I am sorry that we have missed out on the previous five
events. The RLAK event is not put on by
any group, but by an amazing guy named Adam Davidson. Adam started this event, like the name says,
six years ago and it has grown exponentially since the first one. They even had online registration this year. In past years Adam has put this event on
mostly by himself, but this year he had a great staff of volunteer to help him
and a huge amount of sponsors that put in money and products to make this the
best Ride Like A Kid to date.
For my family the
event started at 7:00am when I went in to my kid’s room to wake them. My youngest son was up and ready in a matter
of seconds, my daughter, the middle child, was a little slower but still
excited to go, my oldest son was nudged in an attempt to wake him and he told
me,"I don't wanna go.". He was
then reminded that we were going riding and he was out of bed quicker than he
has ever moved in his life. Breakfast
was a combination of Clif bars, bananas, and orange juice that was eaten while
I loaded 4 bikes, filled hydration packs and water bottles, gathered pads and
helmets, loaded fruit for the after ride potluck BBQ, made sure that the
helmets donated by the shop I work at were loaded, and that everyone had shoes
on. We were loaded and we were off!
 |
| Shoe are important if you want to ride. |
We arrived at the park
at 7:45am and there were already people there.
My oldest son and I made ourselves available to help set up. The set up was very smooth and well
organized. At 8:00am they were checking
families in. Once again the process was
smooth. You signed your waivers, told
them your names, the kids were given color coded wrist bands. Each color corresponded with a different
level of ride. Then you stepped to the
end of the table where each kid was handed a giant swag bag and a T-shirt. By 9:00am they had checked in over 100
kids. At 9:30am they gathered everyone
up, explained how the different rides would work, got everyone for each ride
together and got rolling.
 |
| Awesome goodie bags |
 |
| Organization was top notch |
 |
| Ryan, Jake, Ryan, and Vincent ready to roll |
 |
| Small group |
 |
| the rest of the group |
I had volunteered to
help lead or sweep a ride so my two oldest kids and I were placed with the
"Groms" group 1 which was for more advanced riders. My youngest was riding with my mother in law
in the "Cool Kids Crew" for kids who could ride in the dirt but were
not ready for singletrack action. Groms
group 1 was led by a guy named Kevin and swept by me. We had 18 people big and small in our
group. We rode our planned route once,
but it was not enough for the kids in the group so we did it again and then
added a couple more trails to total 9 miles of dirt. At each regroup Kevin did a great job of
educating the kids on trail rules and courtesies, riding techniques, safety,
and environmental impact. I counted and
made sure we were all together.
 |
| Kevin in the lead |
 |
| Me bringing up the rear |
On our groups return
the BBQ was well underway and the huge raffle was about to start. We got our food and the kids turned in their
wrist bands for two raffle tickets each and the raffle was under way. Adam had a table full of raffle prizes that
had been donated by local bike shops, bike companies, and individuals that was
unbelievable. In the raffle they gave
away several bikes, helmets, gift certificates, clothing, riding shoes, cycling
accessories, and many other items. There
was a push up contest for a pair of Teva Links shoes, that my oldest son won,
and a tube inflation contest for the adults (the winner walked away with a
brand new set of riding shoes). There
were kids at the raffle, there were kids riding everywhere you looked, and the
best part was that they were all smiling!
Every kid (and adult) at Ride Like A Kid 6 had a great time at an
excellently run event.
 |
| The big rig |
 |
| When she races Ryan is never far from the front, it was the same here |
 |
| Big Kids! |
 |
| Alyssa and Ryan |
 |
| A kid named RL Policar follows another kid |
 |
| Group1 |
I was able to hit Adam
up with some questions about his event and here is how that went:
-Surfcycles-
This is an event you
have been putting together for the last six years. What is it and how did you
get started with it?
-Adam Davidson-
I had been mountain biking for years when my
son was born. As most dads know, ride time comes at a premium when you have
kids. So while my ride time dropped, my
whining about not riding increased at an exponential factor. One day while I was on the IMBA website
fantasizing about riding like I did before my son and I noticed they were
promoting a “Take a Kid MTB Day”. I
thought the idea sounded cool and decided to post up a similar kid’s ride on a
local ride board and to my surprise people actually joined in. My guess is I was not the only sniveling
whining no ride loser...as they saying goes misery loves company, right?. Obviously I am kidding as the sole motivation
was to share our love of dirt with our kids and have them experience riding
with other kids their age
-Surfcycles-
How have you seen this
event grow over the years?
-Adam Davidson-
While the event has
seen dramatic growth over its 6 years the “recipe” hasn’t changed much. We meet, ride, BBQ and kick into the off the
hook kids raffle. The first year we had
15 kids (30 peeps total) rising to over 100 kids this year (200+ total). What’s amazing is in the early years I knew
most all those joining in; clearly not the case these days. That said, it’s pretty cool to routinely meet
new riders and their kids as well as see some of the same faces each year many
of which I only get to see and ride with at this event
-Surfcycles-
What were the stats
this year? (how many attended)
-Adam Davidson-
This was our biggest
ride event to date with over 200 participants but most noteworthy 112 kids!
-Surfcycles-
This year it looked like you had a good amount
of help with the event. Who is this mysterious staff of volunteers? And why are
they so dang good? Don't be afraid to shower them with praise, they did great!
-Adam Davidson-
In prior years I can candidly say I did most
all the planning and organizing while others would step up and volunteer the
day of. This year however was quite
different. I knew there was no way I
could do this on my own and sent out an open invite to anyone who wanted to
help out and plan the event. We had a
chill “meeting” and discussed what we liked about the event and areas of
possible improvement. They all had great
ideas. We divided up the key
responsibilities and I trusted them to get the job done and indeed they
did. While many helped out throughout
the day of the event the key folks included Dan Sands, Colin Ip, Roxanne Soto,
Kevin Gaffney, Steve Larsen, Ken Rands and Lyndie Bradshaw. They took on coordinating the registration,
BBQ and the rides. All of which took a huge
burden off of me. Simply stated there was no way I could have done this year’s
event without all those listed above.
While I have told them all multiple times they did an amazing job! I guess I should also give props to Andy
Lightle, who you can consider one of those cherry pickers loitering around the
goal and slamming it in while everyone else does the hard work. This guy shows up on the day of the ride,
says gimme the megaphone, does his thing and gets all the cheers. What’s up with that? Kidding aside, while Andy and I sort of know
each other from the local ride community (in which he is a legend) I didn’t
know what to expect when I asked him to help out...and more than help out is
what he did. He did an amazing job of
keeping the smiles on the small and big kid’s faces throughout the day. Thanks Rut!!!
-Surfcycles-
How long does it take
you to get RLAK in motion, do you start a month ahead or are you getting ready
for the next one as soon as you are done the current one?
-Adam Davidson-
Well for the most part
the date is “dictated” by IMBA as it is always the first Saturday in October
(hold the date brah!). Prior to this
year the hardest part was soliciting and getting the donations. The rest of the stuff is a lot of work but
mostly in your control. The problem is
if you start too early everyone says call me when it’s closer. Unfortunately, as it gets closer all the
industry trade shows lick in and these very generous companies have real
business to deal with as opposed to a talking to a non-industry poser like
myself. Trust me after this year’s event
was done, my last plan was to reminded peeps to hold next year’s date. As soon as I am done responding to your
questions, I’ll put RLK on hold, ride more and kick back for a bit. By the way did I mention next year’s ride is
October 5th :)
-Surfcycles-
RLAK 6 had a ton of
sponsors this year who it seemed helped out quite a bit. Tell us who they
were?
-Adam Davidson-
The Sponsorship
continues to grow which has been highly fortunate as the grom count seems to
increase at a mind spinning rate. This
year we have record number of supporters. Some have been involved from year one
and many more jumping in for the first time this year. Listing them in no special
order they include Share Mountain Bike Club, REI, The Path Bike Shop, Fullerton
Bike Shop, Orange Cycle, Rock N Road Cyclery, Jax Bicycle Center, Two Wheels
One Planet, Jenson USA, Decline Magazine, Dirt Rag Magazine, Camelbak, RokForm, Road ID, Pearl Izumi,
Osprey Packs, Injinji, HydraPak, NiteRider, CatEye, Speedplay, Sock
Guy, Over The Hump, Enduro Stuff, Wheels 4 Life, Niner Bikes, Black Market Bikes, Intense
Cycles, Ellsworth Handcrafted Bikes, Jamis Bicycles, Tykes Bykes, Giant
Bicycles, Focus Bikes, White Industries, Ibis Cycles, Santa Cruz Bicycles, Clif
Bar, InterBike, & of Course IMBA
-Surfcycles-
Who were your biggest sponsors?
-Adam Davidson-
As I believe you
witnessed at the event and even before I am very vocal in promoting ALL the
vendors irrespective of what they donate and the value. We receive all forms of donations in the form
of stickers, gift cards, clothing, gear, components and even bikes. Trust me
the kids get as much stoke from a hoodie as a bike (well almost?). Anyway, while I truly don’t consider any
sponsor above the others, this year in particular REI and SHARE mountain bike
club who have been sponsors since the first year stepped up in a major way both
in financial support and hand on in planning and organizing the day
-Surfcycles-
What is your favorite part of this event? Why?
-Adam Davidson-
While so much gets
talked about in regard to the raffle/giveaways for the groms, from my
perspective this is on the periphery of the days relevance. Yes, it’s cool to see the anticipation and
excitement on the kids’ faces during the raffle, but for me and I honestly hope
all the kids and parents joining in; the ride is their favorite part. I honestly love seeing all the kids tearing
it up. While I know my son has a blast
riding with tons of other kids his age, challenging himself and others, there
is no way he has as much fun riding as I have riding and watching him. I can only expect this is the same for any
parent who rides. If there is a very
close second place favorite it would have to be anything Colin brings/cooks to
the BBQ whether it is ribs, pulled pork, brisket you name it!
-Surfcycles-
RLAK 6 was a lot of
fun, it ran smoothly and every kid (even the big ones) had a smile on their
face, is there anything you would change for next year?
-Adam Davidson-
Each year I see things that can be
improved. This year was huge for
us. For the first time we reserved a
group site, got a permit and insurance.
It’s an expensive proposition as I carried most all the costs in the
past but it was obvious we needed to do it as the event has grown so fast over
the years. That said, as alluded to
before a few sponsors really stepped up and also made monetary donations that
were extremely helpful in absorbing added costs. as far as improving the event
for next year, similar to prior years I will solicit feedback from others and
address what can be improved. one idea I
already thought of was to bring a close hander or slim Jim to the event in case
anyone gets locked out of their truck :p
-Surfcycles-
Was there a kid out
there who really impressed you this year?
-Adam Davidson-
Ha, I think this is a
loaded question. I guess the PC response
is my son continues to amaze me each time we ride together but all the kids did
great today. Can I stop there? Honestly, the hardest part for me is not
getting to see all the kids ride. I see
the pictures after but since I always ride with my son, I don’t get to witness
the kids in the other ride levels big and small ripping it. That said, this year on our ride there was a
grom named Conner who was rocking a 12.5” bike but keeping up with most all the
kids even through the sandy sections. He
charged each steep and pointed it down fast on the descents. His desire and attitude was absolutely
killer. My guess he will be riding
better than his old man in a few years.
-Surfcycles-
Conner happens to be
my youngest son! What can we expect for
RLAK 7?
-Adam Davidson-
No real secrets here,
as the primary goal is to continue to make it more fun and safe for all the
kids no matter the age or skill level.
This year we had a bit more representation from the “sponsors” and it
seemed to work out very well. In the
past we have had a few professional riders join in. As you might expect the kid stoke factor was
super high. I wouldn’t mind getting that
going again
This year’s Ride Like
A Kid was a great experience! The kids
had a blast, made some new friends, and saw that there are other kids out there
that love the dirt as much as they do.
If you missed it this year I would highly recommend that you keep
October 5th 2013 clear and make it to Ride like A Kid 7. If you are not in the area check out the IMBA
website at www.imba.com
to find an event near you, if there isn't one then take a page from Mr.
Davidson's book and start one, you won't regret it.
 |
| Raffle!!! |
 |
| Andy "Rut" and Adam |
 |
| Push up contest for Teva Links shoes, Jake won! |
Saturday, November 10, 2012
Conners Got A New Bike!
My youngest son Conner is turning 7 this weekend and since he has been riding a 12" wheeled BMX bike we thought it was time to get him his first mountain bike. Here he is racing on his old bike:
Ad here is his new bike, a Giant 20" XTC:
Tuesday, November 6, 2012
Twenty Eleven Films
I just found these guys and they have some rad little films! Check out my favorite:
Thursday, October 25, 2012
So Much New Stuff, It Is Slowing Me Down
I've got a lot of new stuff to post, but I have been doing so much testing that I have been a little slow lately, also some of it is going to start appearing on another Website. Stay tuned and I will let you know when and where! Until the her is a pic of Jake starting to get some air.
Saturday, October 6, 2012
Ride Like A Kid 6-The Pictures
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| The Entry |
 |
| Add caption |
 |
| Add caption |
 |
| The photographer |
 |
| SWAG!!! |
 |
| Check-in |
 |
| Some familiar face, Left to right-Ryan, Jake, Ryan, Vincent |
 |
| Getting Ready |
 |
| Rollin out |
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| Ryan |
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| Duke |
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| Sim |
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| Groms Group 1 |
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| Jake using his down in the dirt photo taking position |
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| She crashed, but she's OK |
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| Grom Group 1 without Jake |
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| Groms Group 1 with Jake |
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| Raffle Prizes |
 |
| The Man!!! |
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| Jim and Grego |
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| Push up contest for Teva Links, Jake won!!! |
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| Jake walking with his new kicks, I think he is going to sleep in them tonight! |
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| Pumping up tube for shoes! |
 |
| Defeat! No shoes for you. |
 |
| Raffling off one of the helmets provided by Two Wheels One Planet |
 |
| The people who made it happen! |
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| Thanks for a great day Adam!!! |
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