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Archive for December, 2010
Funkier Update
On December - 30 - 2010
So I’ve had some Funkier items for a few months now on a long term test. You can find their website here. The guys at Funkier were kind enough to send a few items our way; here is what I’ve been testing:
* Funkier Men’s Winter Jacket
* Funkier Men’s Boxer Shorts
* Funkier Men’s Sort Sleeve Jersey
The Jacket has come in really handy the past couple of months as the temp has dropped here in So Cal more than a few times. It was really put to the test when a few of us went to Big Bear to ride SART on a cold and rainy Saturday. You can read about our ride here. The day started out very cold and wet which required at least 3 layers with the Funkier Jacket taking the brunt of the elements. The jacket performed flawlessly and the lined and sealed rear pocket was perfect to hold my cell phone and keys, the rain never penetrated the pockets nor my valuables. The jacket is finished at the bottom with a silicon gripper to keep the jacket in place at all times, it works. A couple of observations: the jacket is very warm and the sizes seem to run a little small, other than that, the jacket was the perfect necessity on more than a few occasions.
Midway through our SART ride the sun broke out!…..enjoying some coffee before the long ride back to the car
Here I am after a tough Single Speed ride on a nice cool day…Warm and toasty in my Funkier Jacket
The Men’s Boxer Short was something I’ve been wanting to try out for a long time. I’ve had this idea to wear some road cycling shorts under a board short or baggy instead of a dedicated MTB short/liner. When we received the Boxer Short, I was very excited. The Boxer Short is perfect to wear under a loose top layer of your choice. It is definitely lighter than a dedicated road short so it breathes allot easier but is still amply padded. I have really loved wearing the boxers under various shells such as: board shorts, Dickies shorts and old gym pants. I found the Shorts perfect in every way except: They need the silicon gripper at the bottom of each leg, they had a tendancy to ride up a little during my rides. I’m not gonna take a picture of me wearing the shorts (this is a family friendly site) just know that they are under the layers in all these pics.
The mesh of the boxer shorts keeps you cool while under your shell….
The Funkier Jersey performs as advertised. Wicks sweat, zipper worked flawlessly, pockets for your stuff and my favorite feature….the sealed waterproof pocket! It is made of a Quick Dry Polyester and effectively kept me cool during my heated rides.
Funky Jersey, functional, stylish and effective.
On the way back to Angeles Oaks….
In conclusion, Funkier is a solid player and definitely and well thought out brand that will compete with the well established brands. I would suggest just a few alterations as noted above and then this reviewer would quickly assign all 5 stars. Funkier has won awards for some of their designs and I can definitely see why. If you are looking to stand out from the crowd but not look like “Ricky racer”, then you should certainly consider Funkier for their understated but highly effective and functional style.
From head to toe: Sidi shoes, SWOBO wool socks, LG Leg Warmers, FUNKIER Boxer Shorts, Rivendell MUSA shorts, Funkier Jersey, Funkier jacket, SWOBO Wool Hat
FTC Disclaimer HERE.
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Riding with MTNBikeRiders.com racers
On December - 28 - 2010
So I had the rare fortune to ride with a couple of local heros Monday afternoon. I got to ride with Mark “the Polish” Hammer and Dan “Super B” Burdett. Both Mark and Dan are great riders and all around good guys to hang with. I know that there is a certain “air” that comes with being a celebrity and a local hero but with these guys none of that is apparent on the surface, what you see is what you get; on our ride I even witnessed these guys speaking with the common trail user!
You can read more about:
Dan Super B HERE
The Polish Hammer HERE
We set out Monday afternoon at one of our favorite trails, Marshall canyon. With all the recent rain, we weren’t real sure what to expect but we had a hunch. Our hunch proved to be correct and the trail was pretty beat up but totally ridable. We were warned up front about a huge mud hole that would sink bike and rider up to 10 inches. We found the mud hole but there was a work around, no problem. We did however discover sections of the trail that were totally wiped out (just plain gone), down trees and more water flowing down the numerous water crossings than I have ever seen.
The Day was beautiful and it seems others shared the same sentiment as I. We ran in to numerous other trail users, horses, bike riders, hikers, basically the usual for Marshall Canyon. The trail was not crowded and everyone ended the day safe and no real mechanicals other than Mark losing a little air from his rear tire, a Specy S-Works Fast Trak 2Bliss set up. you guessed it, tubeless with Stan’s. These tires seem to be pretty vulnerable on the side walls as we have both experienced small tares that happen more easily than they should.
Here is Mark charging the last hill of our climb.
We decided to make this a Single Speed only ride and boy did I pay for it, Dan and I were on 29ers and Mark was on a 69er. For one, I have not been riding after having the “big V” in November and secondly, I chose to ride with 2 of the team racers from the site. They were accommodating to say the least but I could sense they were chomping at the bit to be set free of shackle they called me.
Dan Super B charging the last hill of the day.
Team riders were set free….
We worked our way up to a mid-point rest spot that includes a comfy old bench, plenty of tree cover and flowing water, lots of flowing water. From there, 3 options are available to ride not including turning around and heading down hill.
1) Climb to a fire road, back down single track to climb again and back down more single track, to the car
2) Climb to a fire road, turn around come back down, climb again and back down more single track, to the car
3) Climb to a fire road,down some single track and to the car
I chose #3 and waited at the top of the last descent while Mark and Dan chose #1, they were finally set free of their buddy and bike anchor! When they finally met up with me after climbing a ton in only a couple of miles, Dan says to us after resting a few seconds “the feeling like I’m gonna puke is starting to go away” — Ya, I’m not ready for that feeling just yet after being off any bike for 6 weeks.
Gotta LOVE Marshall Canyon….it’s absolutely beautiful
This was me at the end of our ride….another victim of Marshall Canyon
We had a great time and ended up very muddy….but this was totally expected and this is why we ride…good times!
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My Man Cave
On December - 25 - 2010
One of my favorite places to hang out in is my Man Cave. It’s not like some that are out there with TV’s, couches and etc, but my man cave doesn’t share its space with cars, its designated purely for my bikes.
Here’s a few shots that I took earlier while I was wrenching on a bike.
Do you have a man cave? If so, leave a comment with link to your photos.
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Merry Christmas!
On December - 24 - 2010
On behalf of everyone @ MtnBikeRiders.com and the Race Team, we’d like to wish you and your family a very Merry Christmas!
In honor of Jesus’ Birthday, here’s a little clip that I love dearly…
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