Tuesday, January 31, 2012

TEAM DUMPED! 3rd edition.

Quality vs.Quantity

http://www.vitalmtb.com/news/press-release/Santa-Cruz-Syndicate-Thanks-SRAM-for-8-Years-of-Support,459

So Sram lost one of the biggest marketing tools they had.Well,one of the biggest in my little world of DH,anyway.I'm glad they lost the foothold they had with the Syndicate."Why?" you ask me.I hate Sram.Plain and simple."Well,why do you hate them?".Why...here's why,I feel like Sram is single handedly bringing down the quality of bicycle components.Example one would be any brake under the banner of Avid.I'm constantly seeing these things come through my doors leaking,not holding a bleed,or just down right feeling like shit.No matter what you do to them,they'll return in a timely manner with either the same issue or a whole new boat of problems.Not to toot Shimano's horn anymore then I already am but i've been on the same pair of Saint brakes for nearly 4 seasons now.They've been on 4 different bikes,2 seasons of DH,2 seasons of trail bike duty.2 bleeds and a set of pads is all they've asked for in all that time.And mind you i'm an overweight hack who typically is a passenger on his bike.So they've seen plenty of rotor-turned-blue runs at Northstar and over braked steep sections on my trail bike.

Example number 2 would be pretty much anything under that ever known red and black logo of Rock Shox.Semi open bath damping?Really?It's fucking 2012 and your flagship DH fork still uses this?Fox has this shit down.Seperate the damping oil from the bath oil,keep contaminates out of the internals,and specially formulate certain viscosities of oils for both.Instead of adding an elastomer cone on a dial to the bottom of your fork and calling it "bottom out control",create a cartrage damper,quit using oil seals,and add more bath oil.Also,the Reverb is something else huh?Already on revision number 3 and the thing has been out for just about a year.No matter what you do the main air seals are still blowing,people are still ripping the barb off,and they still need bleeds at random intervals.Scrap that turd and let Gravity Dropper do what they do best.Make the everlasting gobstopper of seat posts that go up and down.

And we reach example number 3,the ever lovely products of the company people can't pronounce right most of the time,Truvativ.From the wallowed out left side crank arms,to the oddly shaped Boobar,to the $20 stems.It all sucks.Howitzer BB's?Come on...those are a joke right?You made a BB and crank arm set that rivals the weight of most boat anchors yet has the durability of most bruised bananas.Finally example number 4,the house branded products of Sram.The drivechain.I really don't know what peoples obsession with this shit is.Personally,I couldn't keep a chain in one piece and if I did she typically reached the great 1.0mm mark in the sky far before anyone elses offering.Shoddy knuckle bushings in any level of their derailers kept me from down shifting when I wanted to.Now,not to toot the Shimano horn again,but i've had the same Saint derailer getting it's teeth rattled out from being bolted onto the back of my DH bike for 2 seasons.3 seasons on my hardtail...with both shifters going on a record 4th season this year.Not to mention the loud and usually extremely flexy cassettes Sram puts their name on that keep me from up or down shifting.

I just hope people will finally pull themselfs out from the warm,cuddly blanket that is the Sram warranty department and step barefoot onto the cold wood floor that is constantly having to have your bike down for a week or 2 multiple times a year and realize that their products are shit.Absolute shit.

San Fransisco

So last Sunday I went down to the city for the day with Brett and Jake to ride street for the day. I just got a fresh new fork and front wheel on the hardtail and im jazzed as hell to be riding it. Took the good old GoPro and filmed various parts of the day. Check out the little edit and cruise around on a beautiful January day in California.

Untitled from Camden Bos on Vimeo.

Friday, January 27, 2012

TEAM DUMPED! 2nd edition.

Basically.

Goldie Locks.

http://www.bikerumor.com/2012/01/27/650b-mountain-bikes-coming-backed-by-rockshox-wtb-schwalbe-more/#more-39327
Oh fuck me.
I guess it's pretty offical now.650b is comming.The so called "middle child" of wheel sizes.It blows my fucking mind that i'm even talking about a "middle" wheel size.If you got a time machine,went back to whenever Fisher and his homeboys were pitchin' drifts on beach cruisers down Mt. Tam and told him that eventually there would be 3 wheel sizes in the sport he invented,he'd probably tell you you're an idiot.And that would be comming from the future Mr.29'' himself.

Now,the last thing I want to deal with is more people shoving why this wheel size blows mine out of the water down my neck.I don't wanna hear how this bike is still flickable(whatever the fuck that means),but can still roll over stuff and keep the speed up.I don't wanna hear about the lugged steel frame you just had -INSERT NICHE HANDMADE FRAME BUILDER-custom build for you.I don't wanna figure out spoke length for your King to 650b wheel set,nor do I wanna lace them.I don't wanna order you a pair of 650b Schwalbe Nobby Nic's,and I absolutely don't wanna hear you elaborate why said custom built,single speed,lugged steel frame rides so smooth and how your 650b wheels are sooooo stiff through the corners.Your average speed is 6,and your top speed is 14 on your weekly XC route.I don't value your opinion,now let me by when i'm stuck behind you on the fun part of said XC route.

All I know is I expect to see these all over my local trails within the next year.I also expect the usual that comes with a new wheel size.The arguments of wheel sizes,the "this is the future" people,and a new size of the Kenda Nevegal.I can only hope and pray that the "industry" won't try and talk this wheel size up for DH use.It's not gonna happen.26'' will always be the wheel size of my bike of choice.Don't try and tell me why it's better,because I won't believe your wild claims,guy with visor down and hardsheel elbow/forearm guards on.Oh,and before you steal it "industry",i'm trademarking the company name "Twentysevenpointfiver" bikes.

P.S.-If you look nice and close at that screen grab from Rock Shox it says the axle size of that fork is 15x110 and that it can accept up to a 215mm rotor.New standards?I fucking hope not.

Tuesday, January 24, 2012

TEAM DUMPED!

Oh,yeah...I forgot something.
I'll just leave this here,for you.



Various limited shirts and stickers comming before Sea Otter,I swear.Watch this space.


Products I can't live without,Vol.3.

Chain guides.
The slient solution for your double or,god forbid,triple ring set-up.I don't really care if you think you still need more than one chainring up front or not.Truth is,you don't.I'm lazy,have the shittiest diet ever,and ride maybe 3 times a week if i'm lucky and I am,and have been running a 1x10 set up on my pedaly bike for close to 2 years now."But what if I climb alot?",you ask me?Take about $60 out of your bank account,invest in 2 chainrings,then take 10 minutes out of your day and switch them if you plan on climbing or doing a long ride.It's really that simple.Now,when you go single ring you're clearly going to need some sort of chain retention.There's plenty of options out there now-a-days.Paul has their seat tube mounted joke of a "chainguide",MRP and e13 both have seat tube,front derailer,and BB mounted half guides,and Gamut,MRP,Sram,and a couple of others have traditional full guides,bottom roller and all.But there's always one specific brand,with one specific guide that's always my go-to.The e13 Lg1.She arrived in the mid 2000's under a bit of hate from certain frame companies.They said impacts on the "Taco" would put the ISCG tabs on their frames under too much stress.Also,she was somewhat more difficult to set up then your standard issue of old,the MRP System 2,and took a bit more time and effort to take apart in the case you needed to get to your BB or chain ring.But alas,the Lg1 was here to stay.Mainly due to the looks and weight,not to mention performance.A few years after the original a redesign took place.They made it easier to install,easier to access your BB area,and surprisingly enough made it even lighter.At that moment they created,what I believe to be,the ultimate chain guide.I've had roughly 8 of these ingenius little devices scattered across my bikes of the past 4 years or so.Currently every bike I own is outfitted with one.My hardtail still has the first gen. still bolted to it because the thing just works.Packed with mud,ran bone dry cause I lost my bottle of lube,or cross chained up a climb for 40 minutes straight.It just fucking works.

So may you live a long life,Lg1.I'm looking forward to many more years of race runs being finished,rides not having to be stopped,and my bikes running silent and clean.



The e13 Lg1+.Keeps your shit legit.


Round and round.

Ah,long time no see.
Apparently the bike "industry" ran out of stupid ideas for a little bit.That is,untill this http://www.bikerumor.com/2012/01/23/absolute-black-claims-95g-raven-sl-is-lightest-centerlock-brake-rotor-in-the-world/#more-39158
Now,let me tell you a secret of mine.I fucking hate aftermarket rotors.I have never seen any up side to them.All i've ever seen them do is eat brake pads like they're Skittles,overheat,be noisy,and quickly turn your pretty new brake fluid into thick grey death.So let's dive into the finer point of this "world lightest Centerlock" rotor.First off,as you can see from the pictures,the brake track is bolted onto the carier.Yes,BOLTED,you know...for ultimate stiffness.They then claim the rotor expands when it heats up,which supposidly helps keep it from warping.It also changes how far your lever throws and the overall feel of your brake.Two vital points they forgot to mention,because I know a good selling point when I hear one and constantly varying brake feel due to rotor surface tempature is something everyone wants.They go on to give you all the dirty tech details like how many hours of CAD and FEA it took to make this thing and what outlandish form of steel they chose,and then they drop something i've never heard in my life.The weight limit on this rotor.Yes weight limit.On a brake rotor.Pretty much the only major part of the current mountain bike that's still made out of steel,and these fuckers have the balls to make one that has a weight limit.Oh,and here's the real kick in the jeans.You can have all this "litewait" goodness for roughly $250 PER rotor.

I've got two words for you,Absolute Black.Fuck and off.Ice Tech rotors work better then your pieces of white dog shit and cost somewhere around 1/3rd the price.

Now,enjoy this picture of K-Dub flat tracking a corner from this past weekend...



No comment needed.Just soak up the badass-ness.


Tuesday, January 17, 2012

Sponsored

One of the things that pisses me off the most in our modern day of mountain biking is all these cat 2 18 and unders who say they are "sponsored" because they paid to be on a shop "team" and receice 10% or they went on sponsor house and get like 25% off. You are NOT sponsored, you got a coupon. Your 12th at Sea Otter doesnt mean you are fast either. Just ride your damn bike and have fun with it. You arent a sponsored racer, your a kid with coupons and free advertising.

This is a sponsored rider, bikes, kits, parts the whole deal. You know why? Because he has real results.

Matt Beer 2011 Video - More Mountain Bike Videos



So just have fun and stop telling all your friends your sponsored, no one believes you anyways.

Friday, January 13, 2012

Across the pond.

Apparently the London Bike Show is happening currently.I had no idea.Luckily Pinkbike did.

http://www.pinkbike.com/news/London-Bike-Show-Update-1-2012.html
Hey Pivot,i'm gonna be honest.That new 5.7 carbon looks like shit.With all the beautiful curvy shapes carbon can be formed into that's what you come up with?What in the fuck is happening down there by the bottom bracket,that whole area where it connects to the linkage is fucking awkward.Also nothing pisses me off more then flat top tubes.Nothing.I hate that that seems to be the going trend in carbon mountain bikes currently.Keep that shit round so I don't sever some sort of testicular nerve.Also,having a bike with that much travel and have it showing no signs of dropper post cable routing or chain guide tabs is foolish.I will give you this,Pivot.If that Point has up-to-date 4x geometry and not skatepark MTB street gnar geometry you have created my dream hardtail and I will purchase one.Steel frame forgiveness+ideal gemoetry=boner.

Rose bicycles,the little I know about you is enough for me to tell you that you should abort that DH bike and start over again.Why is it it's 2012 and companies are still producing so-called "downhill" bikes that have that high of a standover,with the shock placed that high in the frame,and a backend that looks,and I can guarantee is,that flexy?How about this Rose...keep the shock where it is since you already have your linkage all nicely set up,lop about 3'' off of the seat tube and remove that ugly top tube to seat tube brace,weld the down tube lower onto the headtube and follow suit with the top tube.Square up and enlarge the chainstays and add a whole hell of alot more dropout.Then and only then I will deem your bike to just barely sit in the category of "downhill".Cause right now you have a freeride bike sans front derailer cable routing.



A lesson to both companies.How carbon should look and how downhill bikes should look.

Wednesday, January 11, 2012

World Wide News,Vol.2

More news from the interwebz of bicycling...

http://www.pinkbike.com/news/X-Fusion-Signs-Multi-Time-World-Champ-Brian-Lopes-2012.html
Oh,great.More people paying Lopes money.I once read somewhere that Lopes will continue to take steps down the ladder of shittyness in terms of sponsors.I guess they were right.Leaving good ol' Zoke for the stoned middle agers out of Santa Cruz.Maybe now each X-fusion fork will ship with a pair of Oakley Jawbones and a shirt for you to always have off after a race.

http://www.pinkbike.com/news/Mike-Hopkins-Signs-With-Norco-Bicycles-For-2012.html
I'm just bummed on this one.Hopkins is one of my favorites,so is Knolly.Not psyched to see those two part ways.Once again,paycheck prevails.

http://www.vitalmtb.com/news/press-release/GT-Bicycles-and-Atherton-Racing-Join-Forces,443
The Atherton's left Commencal for GT,and per usual in the world of MTB,due to a better paycheck.Maybe they can make the Fury ride and look as good as the Supreme v3?Cause it's one ugly fucker right now.What's with Beaumont being the 4th wheel?Had a year left on his contract so they said "fuck it,keep him on."?Dan's racing enduro stuff only?Sad to see one of the most talanted riders in the world say goodbye to big bikes.Also,I can't be the only one that thinks Rachel=lanky hotness.

http://www.vitalmtb.com/features/Brendan-Faircloughs-SCOTT-Voltage,276
Brendawg's Scott.According to that article,that isn't gonna be his World Cup steed.Pretty weird to see that fellow on basically the complete opposite of every other bike he's ridden.Must be quite the learning curve with all that new 'spension,too.Also,check the last years helmet...Monster and Funn stickers.LOLZ.

http://www.bikerumor.com/2012/01/11/magura-sponsoring-team-garmin-barracuda-cervelos-to-have-hydraulic-braking/
Magura possibly making a hydro caliper brake for road bikes?The last things I feel like doing on a Wednesday at 5:26pm are this-bleeding your hydro calipers with specific purple mineral oil,and warranting the fork on your Super Six Evo because it got ripped from the mounting hole and took your steertube with it because you have hams for fists.No thanks Magura.

http://www.bikerumor.com/2012/01/09/found-14-37lb-scott-scale-sl-with-pedals-bottle-cage-bar-ends/
Fuck this thing.600mm bars?Lame.Why don't you lose some weight and make it single ring up front,too?You have a girly-sized double anyway.What,is 14 pounds too hard to push with a 36 tooth chainring?





Pretty much sums it up.


Tuesday, January 10, 2012

Overweight.

http://www.bikerumor.com/2012/01/10/salsa-teases-prototype-full-suspension-fatbike/
Fat bikes.The bike of choice for somebody who absolutely must be different.

Fat bikes are begining to overtake cross bikes on my list of hatred.Now,I understand their use in snow.The reason they're slowly killing me with anger is the fact i'm now seeing these things on my local trails.I can assure you,there is no deep snow anywhere near my Northern California based ribbons of singletrack.Why are people riding fat bikes on hardpacked,manicured pieces of trail in 60 degree weather?That's what's killing me.Why would anyone want to lug around 4'' tires when you could be zipping along quite nicely on your standard issue 2.somethings?The people I see on these bastards are all of the same breed to.You can tell they've been riding mountain bikes for awhile,seem pretty salty,and have a beard.You know they think that hunk of steel and rubber between their legs is just the fucking shit,too.They can't be bothered by the normal "I give up on bikes that take skill to ride." trademark of a 29'' wheeled bike,so instead they opt for a 26'' wheel and 4'' tire.To me,the fat bike enthusiest is the recumbant rider of the dirt world.

Then there's the bikes themselves.Normally made by a "niche" Taiwan catalog company,or some high zoot asshole from Oregon.Typically out of steel or Ti and always have an "understated" look.Most are paired up with one of the like,3,fork choices you have.Of which all are rigid.No,wait sorry...the Jones ti fork "feels" like a suspension fork and only costs twice as much as the highest end DH dual crown.Don't even get me started on the choice of handle bars most used by fatbike riders,because you know what makes sense when you're descending down some midly rough terrain...low rise beach cruiser handle bars.And no,Jeff Jones,I will not pay $300 for your shitty bars that are "hand wrapped" with Brooks leather bar tape.

I hope this fad dies off quick.I pray that a suspension manufacturer dosen't make a 4'' wide tire compatable,135mm spaced,disc ready 3'' travel fork.We don't want to feed the fire,industry.If you quit tending to it,it will burn itself out.So Kenda don't make a 4'' wide Nevegal.CST,you better not even think about making 4'' tubes,and Trek,you fuckers in Wisconsin better not mass produce one of these shitboxes...remember how well the 69'er went over?Yeah,it'll be like that times a 100.

Remember the motto kids-
-8'' of travel.
-Coil suspension.
-Chain gudie.
-Gnarly brakes.
-Gnarly tires.

Sunday, January 8, 2012

Futurecast.

http://www.pinkbike.com/news/Pinkbikes-Predictions-for-2012.html
Oh,Pinkbike.Why do you do this to yourself?
It's time once again for "What I think about the shit in this article."...

The Comeback-Will Hill comeback and dominate?Nope.Why?He doesn't have the whole package.He's fast.Fucking fast,but the consistancy,smoothness,and ability to put it all together in 3 minutes isn't anywhere near the level of Gwin.Plus Hill doesn't have Johnny T and Ryan Hughes behind him.Two full fledged 'Murican badasses right there.

More Flow-Really,you're bummed you have to sit down for a split second right before you hit the good stuff?Is it really that much of a hassle?Dropper posts need to get more reliable before we start cramming more shit into them.It'd probably be easier to drop your post down if you got rid of your sticky ass Reverb too,Levy.Do yourself a favor and snatch up a Gravity Dropper...but then again,Sram's dick is probably too deep down your throat to pull that off.

Hard to Beat-Yup,derailers are hard to beat.Espically with Shimano fully on fucking point with their + line of derailers.Although those crafty little buggers from the land of Kiwi have made a mighty push in the world of DH with their beautiful G1 gearbox bike.Zerode also has the much lusted after full carbon gearbox trail bike in the works.Prove me wrong Zerode,prove me wrong.

Less is More-Stop shoving trail bikes down my neck,everyone.Yeah,I ride one.Mile for mile,more than any of my other bikes,too.But I don't need to hear about how they're "worth more for the money","the most fun you can have" and all that other shit.I'm sorry but the fun factor of my DH bike will never be replaced by anything.

Will 650's re-emerge in 2012?-God I fucking hope not.The last thing mountain bikes need is another group of people telling me why my "outdated" wheel size sucks as they finally catch up to me after I blew their doors off on something with a slight downhill gradient and a couple of corners.That and we don't need Kenda to make another size of the Nevegal.

Will 4x return to World Cups?-I wasn't bummed to see it go.A bunch of washed up Euro BMXer's on weird ass bikes constantly getting beat by Graves isn't something i'm gonna miss.Replace it with slalom and the world will once again be correct.Actually replace it with anything that isn't Eliminator XC or any other event that keeps Brian "BL55" Lopes a star.

Will Enduro Racing Gain Traction in 'Merica?-Nope.We don't have the terrain or the people willing to put the events on.Yeah, sure Merica' could probably produce some race they call an "Enduro" race that would end up being won by some XC dork on a carbon 29'er hardtail because it would be some 100 mile slog through the mountains with 10,000' of climbing and 700' of fire road descent.If enduro racing happens over here or not one thing will be forsure,Weir will continue to be the posterboy of the "too slow for DH,too lazy for XC"crowd.

Will the UCI Enfore Dress Codes in DH?-No.They really don't right now,besides in France.But I get psyched seeing Ben Reid cut up cereal boxes and tape them inside his jersey to fake out "Le Officials".Let the riders wear whatever they want.They're fucking professionals.

Will Slopestyle Plateau?-Not if Cam Zink has anything to do with it.




Derailer killer? Maybe.Dream boat? Absolutely.


Wednesday, January 4, 2012

World wide news.

Here's some shit that caught my eye from around the world wide web of cycling...

http://www.pinkbike.com/news/Scott-Sports-Buys-Syncros.html
Oh,Scott bought Syncros?Cool.So a poor selling,boring bike company bought a poor selling,boring parts company?Wait,wait...Fairclough is on Scott and will obviously be on Syncros crap so it will be the best stuff in the world according to 15 year olds.Give it 8 months and all you will see at races is Voltages plastered with rebaged Taiwian catalog parts.

http://www.bikerumor.com/2012/01/03/trp-parabox-hydraulic-disc-brake-converter-unboxed-weighed-changes-coming/
What.The.Fuck.I don't even understand what that monstrosity is.All I know is it's some sort of cable-to-hydro disc conversion for cross bikes.Where the fuck does it mount?How the shit does that thing make your brakes work?Why would I want that attached to any part of my bicycle?I hate cross and everything that has to do with cross.

http://www.pinkbike.com/news/Kintner-and-Bryn-join-Norco-Bikes-2012.html
One of my favorite DH riders and the fastest American woman signed onto a company that pulled themself out of the grave.Also,holy shit did you read that sponsor list?I'd be walking around constantly at full mast if my bikes were assembled with all that goodness.Minus the Crank Brothers wheels.They couldn't pay me enough to run those underspoked,overthought out pieces of horse shit.

http://www.vitalmtb.com/news/press-release/Trek-World-Racing-DH-Team-to-Race-Bontrager-Tires,437
Ummm.Ok,cool.You decided you didn't need Maxxis anymore.So you stole one of their tire designers,went to the same factory that produces Maxxis(cough,cough CST),reversed the side knobs of the benchmark DH tire,added some siping to the benchmark wet sloppy shit tire,and put your DH team on them.I still won't buy them.

http://www.vitalmtb.com/news/news/Kyle-Strait-Joins-Fox-Head,409
Leaving TLD for Fox?Would I do that?No.Would I do that if the paycheck he got was as large as it probably was?Yes.Well,maybe Fox will make some gear with American flags,eagles,and monster trucks all over it now.One can only hope.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Pov8-PtODc
This has nothing to do with bicycles.Just some good instrumental metal that I enjoy.

Tuesday, January 3, 2012

Triple 5.

I was pleased to awake this morning to this http://www.pinkbike.com/news/Palmer-The-Miserable-Champion-Movie-Trailer-2012.html .

Now,I don't give a shit how you feel about Palmer.He's always been somebody i've looked up to.I remember being a kid and seeing his pictures in the magazines.A few still stick to my memory to this day.One of which,in my mind,sums up why I love riding mountain bikes.I don't remember the exact year or the exact race,but there in the pages was a picture of Palmer during practice in jeans,a t-shirt,and black Vans half-cabs going full-tilt boogie down the course.On the side of one leg of his jeans "Specialized" was written in sharpie.I just remember thinking how badass that was.Looking at all the Euro gooners in their skin suits,and then there's Palmer blowing their doors off wearing jeans.The other one that's burned into my brain is a picture of Palmer in a slalom race with the number 32 plate on.The caption said something of this sort "Last place qualifer,podium finisher".So fucking rad.Barely squeaks into the big show and then puts the screws to everyone else.

Needless to say,I was psyched beyond all belief when I heard the Palm was going to be making a comeback in 2009.He decided he was going to get into the Olympics and to do that he was planning on using DH racing to cross train.After not riding a DH bike for nearly 10 years he made his comeback,and i'm sure pissed a few people off.He qulified for a World Cup round,and took up a spot in the finals that some young hopeful thought he was fast enough to get.Nope...you were beaten by a 40 year old who hasn't raced in 10 years.He raced National Champs,not in the Vet class like he could of,but in the pro class and took home a top 20 finish.Palmer's a mystery man to me.He just has that thing in him where he accels at whatever he tries.Wether it be snowboarding,skiing,mountain bikes or motocross he'll race it and he'll probably do fucking good too.I don't really know why Palmer is a rolemodel to me.Maybe the punk rock attitude,maybe because he has that "be good at everything" power,maybe it was the moto kits and flat pedals when everyone else was skin suits and Sidi's.I don't know.All I do know is that reguardless of anything,he'll always be a dude I look up to.


Palmer.On my local mountain.On a rock i've dropped 1,000 times.Making it look better then anyone else.