Showing posts with label General. Show all posts
Showing posts with label General. Show all posts
Sunday, September 30, 2012
Stay Tuned!!!!
In the next few weeks there is going to be some big things, at least to me, that at are coming up. I will have several reviews of new products that will include the Fox Flux Helmet, several offerings from Ryders Eyewear, a one year review of the Shimano DX spd shoe, and at least one 2013 bike review for the Giant Trance X 29er, maybe one for the 2013 Giant XTR and some of Treks 2013 offerings if I have the time to put in some miles on them. I am also going to try to put together a maintenance tip every month with one of the excellent mechanics I know. In the next week I will be covering the 6th annual Ride Like a Kid mountain bike ride that is our local IMBA event aimed at getting more kids riding their bikes. So, stay tuned!!!!
Thursday, March 8, 2012
Hanger Repaired!!!
Last weekend on the Family ride my Derailleur hanger broke, and while I got to enjoy a long walk back to the truck, I was still disappointed because I had wanted to rip some single track with the young gentlemen we were riding with. I was told that at the top of Missing Link the boys took off and no one saw them again until the trail head, but I digress... to day my new hanger arrived in the mail and it is now back on the bike. I put on the hanger and derailleur, adjusted every thing and did a little wheel truing. I am back in business!!!!
My advice to everyone is to buy a spare and keep it in your pack, it might save you some walking and let you enjoy the rest of your ride!
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| So much trouble for such a little part!!! |
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| Ready to roll.... |
Saturday, February 25, 2012
Hard Work Pays Off!!!
This morning I woke Jake up at 6:30 am and we headed to my fathers glass shop to strip aluminum and take it to the scrapyard, I do this every couple of months when I have free time to get a little extra cash. Usually I will get some upgrade to my Marauder or a piece of equipment (helmet, shorts, gloves, pads, etc...) that I want and the rest of the money goes to bills. Lately Jake has been riding with my old road helmet because he lost his good helmet. Has also been riding more advanced trails in recent months. He was told that if he helped he would get $20 and he agreed, but today he worked harder than I have ever seen him work so instead of giving him the $20 I took him to the Fullerton Bikes and got him a full face helmet. He picked out a flat black Bell Sanction. It is a sweet looking lid and makes me feel better when we take more gnarly trails, but most important (at least to him) is that he looks rad like Aaron Gwin (who also wears a Bell, but he did not mention dear old dad who wears a Bell Drop).
Here is the info on the lid:
The Sanction is Bell’s all-new lightweight, recession-busting full-face helmet. Weighing in at 950 grams, the fully-ventilated, low-profile helmet was designed with the younger rider in mind. Its sizing skews smaller than both its predecessor (the Bellistic) and the more robust Bell Drop, and is squarely aimed at BMX, Super-D and all-mountain riding. The moto-inspired style lines and graphics are youthful and contemporary, adding to the Sanction’s aggressive attitude.
Bell Sanction Specs:
Here is the info on the lid:
The Sanction is Bell’s all-new lightweight, recession-busting full-face helmet. Weighing in at 950 grams, the fully-ventilated, low-profile helmet was designed with the younger rider in mind. Its sizing skews smaller than both its predecessor (the Bellistic) and the more robust Bell Drop, and is squarely aimed at BMX, Super-D and all-mountain riding. The moto-inspired style lines and graphics are youthful and contemporary, adding to the Sanction’s aggressive attitude.
Hand lamination is still the best way for our helmet builders to orient the fiberglass weave to create a shell that is both strong and lightweight in full face helmets.
Bell Sanction Specs:
- HAND LAMINATED FIBERGLASS SHELL
- CAM-LOCK LEVERS
- CHANNELED VENTILATION
- FUSION IN-MOLD MICROSHELL
- IN-MOLD BOTTOM WRAP
- INTERNAL REINFORCEMENT
- REGISTERED GRAPHICS
- TWIN AXIS GEAR (TAG)
- VARIABLE POSITION VISOR (VPV)
- WEIGHT: 950 G / 33.5 OZ
- VENTS: 15
- CERTIFICATIONS: CE EN1078, CPSC BICYCLE
Sunday, January 1, 2012
Happy New Year, What's up for 2012
What did 2011 bring? What was I able to accomplish this past year?
1. I got back on a bike and out into the dirt.
2. I got my two oldest kids out there with me.
3. Work got busy again, finally made some cash. (2009-2010 were really bad in Land Surveying)
4. I had straight A's for two semesters in a row. (Yes I am 33 and still take classes)
5. Paid off a ton of credit card debt.
6. I put together the first Backpacking trip for Troop 106 in six years.
What didn't I do or accomplish, that I would have liked to?
1. I didn't win the lotto, but then again I also didn't play.
2. I have not surfed since June.
3. I did not build another longboard.
4. I did not take my LSIT test.
5. I did not play hockey once this year.
What do I expect out of 2012. I will start with the things that I am sure about.
1. I will be 34 in July. (my son told me that 35 is officially old, so I have one more year.)
2. My truck will be paid off by the end of the year.
3. I will start racing, I am going to start with Super D, I will not make it to every race but will try to ride in as many as I can.
The things I will really work hard towards,
1. Get my son to finish his homework in under 8 hours.
2. I want a downhill bike, money will go in the seceret fund until I have enough.
3. Get in better shape. By the end of 2012 I would like to be able to ride any trail with anyone and not feel like I am slowing them down.
4. Cut back on the soda, probably won't happen, but I will try, I don't drink coffee and need caffeine.
5. Get the Boy Scout troop out on the trails hiking and biking.
I am looking forward to a great 2012 and every thing that will happen. I would like to believe that business will continue to grow or at least stay where it is and not slip backwards. I look forward to watching my kids grow in the coming year, Ryan gets her new bike in two weeks so watch out she likes to ride fast. Jake will continue to develop his skills and by the end of the year will conquer what he fears now and be able to ride anything. Hopefully Conner breaks the shortest kid at school curse, but I don't think he cares or even notices that everyone is bigger than him, he still holds the record in 5 year old soccer for penalty minutes. We will keep riding and getting stronger, but most importantly we are going o ave more fun in 2012 than we did in 2011.
I hope everyone has a great year!!!
1. I got back on a bike and out into the dirt.
2. I got my two oldest kids out there with me.
3. Work got busy again, finally made some cash. (2009-2010 were really bad in Land Surveying)
4. I had straight A's for two semesters in a row. (Yes I am 33 and still take classes)
5. Paid off a ton of credit card debt.
6. I put together the first Backpacking trip for Troop 106 in six years.
What didn't I do or accomplish, that I would have liked to?
1. I didn't win the lotto, but then again I also didn't play.
2. I have not surfed since June.
3. I did not build another longboard.
4. I did not take my LSIT test.
5. I did not play hockey once this year.
What do I expect out of 2012. I will start with the things that I am sure about.
1. I will be 34 in July. (my son told me that 35 is officially old, so I have one more year.)
2. My truck will be paid off by the end of the year.
3. I will start racing, I am going to start with Super D, I will not make it to every race but will try to ride in as many as I can.
The things I will really work hard towards,
1. Get my son to finish his homework in under 8 hours.
2. I want a downhill bike, money will go in the seceret fund until I have enough.
3. Get in better shape. By the end of 2012 I would like to be able to ride any trail with anyone and not feel like I am slowing them down.
4. Cut back on the soda, probably won't happen, but I will try, I don't drink coffee and need caffeine.
5. Get the Boy Scout troop out on the trails hiking and biking.
I am looking forward to a great 2012 and every thing that will happen. I would like to believe that business will continue to grow or at least stay where it is and not slip backwards. I look forward to watching my kids grow in the coming year, Ryan gets her new bike in two weeks so watch out she likes to ride fast. Jake will continue to develop his skills and by the end of the year will conquer what he fears now and be able to ride anything. Hopefully Conner breaks the shortest kid at school curse, but I don't think he cares or even notices that everyone is bigger than him, he still holds the record in 5 year old soccer for penalty minutes. We will keep riding and getting stronger, but most importantly we are going o ave more fun in 2012 than we did in 2011.
I hope everyone has a great year!!!
Friday, September 9, 2011
New Old Bike
Today after work my buddy Rich brought over his 1996 Giant ATX so that we could get it ridable. We spent a couple hours on it which resulted in a rebuilt fork, mounted derailleurs, mounted fork, mounted stem and handle bars, and of course wheels and tires. He is supposed to finish it up tomorrow so that we can ride Sunday. Pictures will be coming on Sunday, I hope. The bike is bright yellow with an anodized purple rear triangle and accents. It really is a sweet looking bike, I love the old paint jobs.
Wednesday, June 29, 2011
Why have I not posted?
I have not posted anything recently because my bike has been in the shop so I have not been riding. This is extremely frustrating to me because it has brought any progress I had made to a screeching halt. Why is my bike in the shop? Because the cables were installed wrong and they were pulled apart and cut to fit, so really all I need is new cables and housings. I could have done this myself but since Airborne was paying and I really did not think I would have time to mess with it I left it at the shop. It turns out that I actually had a ton of time this week and could have ridden almost everyday. Hopefully it will be done tomorrow.
Thursday, June 9, 2011
This week
I have been slow in posting this week, so here it is
Sunday Jake and I rode the Fully Loop again, the group was smaller with only 10 of us riding. The two boys rode out in front of some cars and got a good scare and a good talking too by all of the adults.
Today I rode the single track in Laguna that I crashed on last monday and did it with out losing any skin!
I have been having some problems with my rear Deraileur it keeps slipping hopfully I can work this out before sundays ride at the Loop.
Sunday Jake and I rode the Fully Loop again, the group was smaller with only 10 of us riding. The two boys rode out in front of some cars and got a good scare and a good talking too by all of the adults.
Today I rode the single track in Laguna that I crashed on last monday and did it with out losing any skin!
I have been having some problems with my rear Deraileur it keeps slipping hopfully I can work this out before sundays ride at the Loop.
Tuesday, May 17, 2011
It's Here
Today I heard a knock at the door and found a Fed Ex guy trying to carry a box that was 5' long and 4' wide, he was only about 5'2" tall.
I could not wait to open the box, my wife left the house so she would not have to see me make a mess.
And make a mess I did.
And make a mess I did.
It took a little while but I got it all together. It looks great, but I still have to adjustthe shifters, the front brake has a bracket on the wrong way and the brakes need to be adjusted, and one crank arm was on wrong. I will fix it tomorrow and hopefully get to ride this weekend.
Sunday, May 15, 2011
Bike Ordered
Yesterday I ordered my new bike from Airborne Bicycles. I got the Marauder. Now I just have to wait until it ships.
Saturday, May 14, 2011
Decisions, Decisions
I am ready to buy my bike but now I cannot choose between two models. Both bikes are from Airborne Bicycles (I have not been able to find bikes spec'd like these at anywhere close to their prices) one is the Marauder and the other is the Zeppelin Elite.
The Marauder
The Marauder is a All Mountain/ Freeride bike with six inches of travel, a sram x-5/x-7 drive train with FSA 22/32 crank with bash guard, and mechanical disk brakes.
The Zeppelin Elite
The Zeppelin Elite is a 5" trail bike that is spec'd out nicely with sram x-7/x-9 drive train with FSA 22/32/42 cranks and tektro hydraulic disk brakes.
I like both of them to start and I can see possible upgrades to them both in the future. If I get the Marauder eventually I see an upgrade in the suspension to a heavier fork and a rear shock that has some adjustment in it. The mechanical disk brakes would probably have to be changed to hydraulic eventually. When I say eventually I mean when they break. In the Zeppelin I see less need to upgrade, it is spec'd pretty nice.
The Marauder is $699.95 with tax and shipping it would be $807.95, The Zeppelin Elite is normally $799.95 but they have one listed as a demo from Sea Otter at $649 and I figure tax and shipping will be about $100 bringing it up to around $750. The cost on either will be within about $50 of each other.
The big question is what can each do. Both of them should be able to handle all of the trails around this area and even the trails up in Big Bear. The Zeppelin should have the advantage in climbing and the Marauder should have it descending. Being that I am more drawn toward the gravity side of riding the Marauder will probably win, I would rather have to push a little harder going up so that I can ride harder and faster on the way down.
The Marauder
The Marauder is a All Mountain/ Freeride bike with six inches of travel, a sram x-5/x-7 drive train with FSA 22/32 crank with bash guard, and mechanical disk brakes.
The Zeppelin Elite
The Zeppelin Elite is a 5" trail bike that is spec'd out nicely with sram x-7/x-9 drive train with FSA 22/32/42 cranks and tektro hydraulic disk brakes.
I like both of them to start and I can see possible upgrades to them both in the future. If I get the Marauder eventually I see an upgrade in the suspension to a heavier fork and a rear shock that has some adjustment in it. The mechanical disk brakes would probably have to be changed to hydraulic eventually. When I say eventually I mean when they break. In the Zeppelin I see less need to upgrade, it is spec'd pretty nice.
The Marauder is $699.95 with tax and shipping it would be $807.95, The Zeppelin Elite is normally $799.95 but they have one listed as a demo from Sea Otter at $649 and I figure tax and shipping will be about $100 bringing it up to around $750. The cost on either will be within about $50 of each other.
The big question is what can each do. Both of them should be able to handle all of the trails around this area and even the trails up in Big Bear. The Zeppelin should have the advantage in climbing and the Marauder should have it descending. Being that I am more drawn toward the gravity side of riding the Marauder will probably win, I would rather have to push a little harder going up so that I can ride harder and faster on the way down.
Sunday, May 1, 2011
New Bike
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