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This is just a quick update on the Raxter Rack (a full review will be forthcoming). It’s been a little over a month since we took delivery of the Raxter rack and it is time for a quick update on where it’s been and how it is doing.

About two weeks ago Moe took the Raxter rack on a 2,000+ mile trip from southern California to Boulder, Colorado. On this trip Moe decided to take along his brand new (purchased the weekend before) Trek Remedy. Moe was confident that the Raxter Rack would be able to take the abuse dished out over such a long trip and bring his bike back in one piece. The Raxter Rack performed perfectly and did in fact bring the bike back in mint condition.

Interestingly enough, Moe did have other hitch mount racks to choose from yet none of them seemed as sturdy and well designed as the Raxter was. Hence Moe’s choice of the Raxter rack to take his brand new bike on a very long trip.

Nylon strap fray

We have run into one small issue over the short time we’ve had the rack. One of the straps used to secure the bike started to fray at the end. A simple (and fun) fix was applied by utilizing a lighter. Yup, fire! I used the lighter to burn the end of the nylon strap and this resulted in a clean fix. In fact it was such a nice fix that I proceeded to do this to all 8 straps. No more straps fraying for our Raxter rack.

Easy fix, just apply fire!

We’ll be putting more miles on the Raxter Rack to give you a full review. Continue to check back here for that review coming soon.

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The rebound dial is what slows your shock or springs extension after taking a hit. If you didn’t have rebound dampening, your rear suspension can buck you off the bike like a mechanical bull.

Too much rebound can result in your shock not being able to fully extend after taking a hit on a bump or jump. If your taking a bunch of hits your shock starts to what they call “pack� and it pushing your shock in causing you to not have enough travel. It also makes for a harsh ride.
If you have too little rebound, your bike will bob like a pogo stick.

Here’s a tip, set your rebound as fast as your shock can take without it feeling too springy. If its too bouncy for you, then adjust it one click at a time. You’ll have to play around with it until you find what’s right for your riding style.

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I started reading Mastering Mountain Bike Skills by Brian Lopes and Lee McCormack. In the first few pages it talks about picking the right bike. I was surprised to see that they recommend taking it easy on the upgrades and just go ride your bike the way it is.

But they do give a list of things to consider when upgrading.

1.Saddle “its hard to have fun sitting on a plastic anvil.�
2.Stem “they should fit your body and riding style.�
3.Tires “Choose ones that match your riding conditions.�

They basically said for you to ride your bike until something breaks or wears out.

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My buddy just got a new ride, a KHS XC Team. This bike is fully tricked out with the sweet Shimano XTR groupset, Rock Shox Reba Race fork and Rock Shox MC3.3 air shock.

Here are the specs from the KHS website:

Frame: AL 7005 super lite w/4-bar Horst bearing linkage, 100mm travel w/Rear Shock: RockShox MC3.3 air shock w/motion control, floodgate w/3 position switch
Fork: RockShox Reba Race 100mm air shock, motion control, PopLoc bar mounted remote adjustment
Headset: FSA Orbit IS Integrated
Rims: Sun XC Flea, disc specific
Hubs: Sun XC Flea, disc specific
Tires: Tioga Red Phoenix, 2.0f/1.9r
Spokes: Sun XC Flea, disc specific
Front Derailleur: Shimano XTR
Rear Derailleur: Shimano XTR
Shifters: Shimano XTR Trigger
Chain: KMC X9
Crankset: Shimano XTR 44/32/22
Bottom Bracket: Shimano XTR
Cassette: Shimano XTR 11-34, 9 Speed
Pedals: N/A
Seatpost: Q2 Pro
Saddle: WTB Devo
Handlebar: FSA 31.8 XC-190 riser
Stem: FSA 31.8 115, 3-D Forged
Grips: WTB MotoTec clamp on
Brake Levers: Shimano XTR
Brakes: Shimano XTR, 6″ rotors
Color: Team Satin Silver
Frame: Size S, M, L, XL

Some pictures for your enjoyment:

Side view

Cockpit

XTR Brakes

XTR Cranks

Congrats on the new bike, Jake. Mtnbikeriders.com wishes you many happy miles on your new ride. Now when are you going to race that beaut?

For more info on the KHS XC Team, click here.

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I’ve decided to incorporate some road riding in order to get in better shape. So the night before my first road ride, I pumped up my front tire to about 40psi. Normally I run them in the low 30’s, but I didn’t need the extra traction so out came the pump.

After pumping up the front tire to 40psi, I moved to the back tire to pump the rear up as well. I pushed the tire to 40 psi and I took a step back to admire the change. Then… BOOM!

To put it mildly, it scared the crap out of me. My wife, who was in the kitchen, said it scared her too. I immediately looked at the rear tire since I just finished pumping it up. It looked fine. I checked the front tire and it was completely flat. After I took the tire off, I found this mess:

Yeah, that used to be my front tube.

I began to consider if I could patch it up … j/k.

By the way the 29er did a good job on my ride. I tell you there is nothing the 29er doesn’t do well.

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