Its Friday and you’re going on a weekend ride. What do you need to do in order to make sure your bike and you are ready to roll as soon as the sun comes out on Saturday?

Here’s a few tips, feel free to comment and leave your own suggestions.

1. Air up the tires-bring your tubes and pump

2. Clean your drive train. I usually degrease, and reapply lube.

3. Check your shifting. If needed make some adjustments to your derailleurs.

4. Check your brakes. Adjust them if needed, if the pads need to be replaced, you may have some time to go to the shop and pick up some replacements.

5. Get your hydration pack filled. Don’t forget to bring bars, gels, and tools.

6. It’s a good idea to bring a small first aid kit. Keep some items in your pack, and the bigger kit in your car.

7. Check your suspension air pressure. Get that all dialed in the night before so you’re not spending time working on your bike at the trail head.

8. Verify that all your riding buddies are still game for tomorrows ride.

9. If you’re driving to the trail head, fill up on gas the night before.

10. Set your automatic coffee maker to brew when you’re supposed to get up, that beautiful smell helps wake your butt up.

11. Get all your gear in one place, that includes your helmet, shoes, sunglasses, clothes, hydration pack, and cell phone. I normally have them by the door so I don’t forget anything.

12. Last but not least, get plenty of rest. Try not to drink alcohol the night before, it makes for dead legs the next morning.

Again, feel free to let us know of some useful tips that you currently do before a ride.

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First thing you want to do is get a clock kit from Walmart. They cost about $5. Then you’ll also need an 8″ rotor (used), and 2 (1 1/2″ washers).

I had to drill out the hole of the washer to a 1/2″ diameter so I could get it to fit the click fittings.

I then followed the directions on assembling the clock. But I placed one washer behind the rotor and another in front of it to secure it from moving. Now I could place the number for the clock.

I decided to only go with the 12, 3, 6, and 9 for a cleaner look. Voila!

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I’m a cost conscious shopper. In this economy, shouldn’t we all be? To help make your dollar, or whatever currency you use, go farther we’ve talked about a few different things you can do. We’ve previously discussed purchasing gently used equipment and also mentioned buying parts through other countries if the dollar is stronger than the other country’s currency.

Another little secret that I’ve stumbled upon is for buying new parts. Sometimes you have no choice but to buy new parts for your bike. A philosophy I’ve adopted based on the wisdom of fellow mountain bikers is to buy new drivetrain parts because by doing so I can prevent weird wear patterns and premature wear on those parts, but there is no reason to buy those parts at full cost!

Many times bike parts don’t change too much from year to year. Because of this it is always a good practice to be on the lookout for bike shops or websites that will sell you the 2008 part at a discount. Most bike shops have inventory that has been languishing on their shelves for a few months but you can guess how many times I’ve been told that what I bought was a previous year’s model… the answer rhymes with “hero”.

2008 model at over 20% discount from their original price.

With regards to websites I like how easy Pricepoint makes it to see the 2008 model. When I went to pricepoint.com last week I typed in “Sram 991” which is a popular chain. Up popped 6 versions of the chain with three of them being 2008 models that were discounted from their previous prices. Since the chain hasn’t changed much, if at all, from 2008 to 2009, I had no qualms purchasing the 2008 model for over 20% discount.

Looking for discounted 2008 parts, click here.

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Afraid of the new trail?

I noticed it the first time I did a shuttle ride. Normally I’m all about the XC trails: flowy, some tech, uphills, downhills, singletrack for miles. But the shuttle ride was decidedly not XC. It was definitely more AM-ish so much so that when the shuttle driver picked us up he commented on my bravery for going out there with a hardtail (80mm). Out of the 15 or other bikes on the trailer only two bikes were not full suspension. Mine and my friend W. But W is crazy and a freak of nature. He told me afterward that he he’d like to do it again on his rigid SS.

On the shuttle ride up the mountain I had to allay my fears of riding this trail. I couldn’t believe that I was nervous about what I had gotten myself into. In the end it turned out to be fine. I ate it a couple of times but it wasn’t because the trail was too much. I was ether being too lazy and not getting back or not attacking stuff with vigor. It turns out that I really liked the trail and can’t wait to get back out there.

Not knowing whats around the next corner adds to the fun of the new trail

Most people like to ride familiar trails. They know where the difficult parts of the trail are: the lung busting climbs or the technical descents, the rock gardens, the sudden blind corners that lead to a steep staircase… The familiarity of the trail makes the rider feel a sort of security blanket attachment to the trail. I would also venture to guess that most people also like to ride new trails as well. You don’t get into mountain biking without a sense of adventure, right.

But there are riders who are afraid of the big bad new trail. These riders are terrified of how long and/or steep the climbs could be. They get nightmares when they realize they have to go down that descent. They get so worked up mentally that they end up defeating themselves before they even begin the ride often to the point where they just don’t enjoy themselves out there.

Since you’re already out there, take in the unfamiliar scenery

Just to clarify: there is nothing inherently wrong with being afraid of new trails. But I know you didn’t get into mountain biking because you wanted to tell everyone that you’re the numero uno rider of the city bike path did you?

Time for a bit of self diagnoses: Are you afraid of the big bad new trail? When was the last time you hit up a new trail? Did you make it through the whole thing or did you have to ditch partway through because it was too much (insert: climbing, descending, steepness, exposure, dirt, flowers, pretty landscape) __________?

If your answers are not satisfactory to you read the solutions.

Solution: Man up, buddy. If you’re a newb and you’re reading this you get a pass but not for long. If you’ve been riding for a while and it’s always the same old, same old… I’m calling you out: it’s time to wean yourself from your blanky and hit some new trails.

Another suggestion is to get some friends who are at your level or slightly better than you and ride with them. When you’re riding with better riders you almost always get better. You also have the added benefit of someone to help you out with tricky terrain.

Don’t be afraid to walk. Walking sucks, falling sucks more, breaking something while falling sucks the most

Don’t be afraid to walk. Just because I’m suggesting you ride new trails doesn’t mean you have to go balls out on stuff that’s way over your ability level. Use common sense and walk stuff that is just too hairy. Yes, walking the bike sucks but getting injured sucks even more.

Embrace the walk. You’re not going to conquer everything out there like you do with your familiar trails

Tagging along with “don’t be afraid to walk”, Embrace the walk. There are going to be places out there where you have to walk. It might not be on every new trail but as you ride new stuff, you’ll realize you’re going to have to walk it at some point in time. I say “Embrace the walk”. Hating the walk only dampens the mood. Enjoy the walk, take pictures, take in the new scenery, remind yourself that at least you’re not seeing the same things you saw on the same trail you rode last week and the month before that and the years preceding that.

By the way, we’re riding a trail that is new to almost all of us. We’ll be there this Saturday morning, Feb. 28. Click here if you’re in the area and would like to join us.

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Came across this and thought I’d share. The Mountain Bike Dictionary.

After a quick perusal, one of my favorites:

Auger v.: to involuntarily take drill samples of the local geology (usually with your face) during a crash. See face plant. Also see “The Moe” below.

By the way, I vote we never let Moe live this one down… like “Hmmm… I think we need a sample of this back at headquarters… Hey Moe, time to auger!”

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Goodie but oldie, should I get it used or brand new?

As I gather parts for my frame build up I continually have to address the question: should I buy used or should I buy new? Unless you have an unlimited budget I’m sure you’ve probably asked yourself the same question.

Much of this answer will be determined by how much your build budget will allow and what level, or weight, you’re hoping to achieve. In my situation the bike I’m building up is a full suspension 29er and my budget is “really small” while also shooting for durable, weight conscious (not weight weenie) bike.

Sounds like an oxymoron right? Finding parts that are durable and weight conscious but are light on the budget are typically not compatible features in bike parts. But, I think it can be done or maybe I just hope it can be done. To help along this process, I had to consider buying used equipment. But what should I buy used and what should I buy new?

Durable and weight conscious, too bad it’s not cheap

For some advice on this, I turned to a friend who enjoys shopping for bike parts and asked for his thoughts. His rule for his bikes, of which he has many, is that drivetrain stuff like cranks/cassette/chain should be purchased new as to avoid weird wear patterns from prior usage. Control stuff like handlebars, stems, saddle, seatpost, can be bought used as long as they’re not too used.

Practical advice. Another piece of advice that I’ve learned is to be patient. A major factor I have on my side is time. I am not in a rush to build this bike up because I have access to other bikes. This gives me the option to wait for great deals to come along or to search the classifieds.

Score! Time permitted me to wait and I was able to nab this for cheap!

Having time allowed me to score a great deal on some gently used Easton Monkey Lite XC bars. Initially I had set my sites on any brand’s high end aluminum handlebars as this fit my “durable and weight conscious but also wallet friendly” budget. I figured that a manufacturer’s top of the line aluminum bars would be light weight and durable but not as expensive as carbon fiber bars. However, since I had time I was also keeping my eyes peeled on the used market which turned out pretty well, if I say so myself.

In the case of these bars I was able to achieve all of the parameters previously outlined for the build. Will this happen for all the bike parts? Probably not. But a man can hope, right?

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Many of you may have noticed that Eric “The Animal” Hunner has some might big GUNS!

So wanting to have guns that can make Priscilla swoon at the sight of them, I asked Eric what he does for his workouts.

Basically he said, he is his wife’s slave…He’s Tim the Tool Man Taylor when he’s at home. He does anything from building entertainment centers (into the wall), fix cars/trucks, unclog the sink and a whole bunch of other stuff. But when he’s in the gym he’ll get on the spin bike and he’ll lift 25lb dumb bells. This happens for about 45 minutes. You can just imagine that if you’re lifting something for 45 mins, your arms would be worn out. There’s a whole science behind body building in which you have to make small tears in your muscle via lifting weights to make them grow. But since I’m not schmientist…I can’t really quote on that.

He also has a pretty good diet of turkey legs, large chicken breasts, rice and diet cokes. Combine his workouts, single speed riding and food intake, then you get The Animal.

I’m hoping he’ll leave comments on actual specifics of his workouts….Eric?

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RL Policar-I had asked one of our friends, Quinton “Q” Spaulding on what he does to train for downhill racing. If some of you didn’t know, Q is the Team Director for the KHS Bicycles Factory Team as well as a Professional DH racer. Q races along side his team mates, Logan Binggeli, Melissa Buhl and (Priscilla’s favorite) Dale Holmes.

Q has some great tips on how he trains for his DH races. I’m telling you, he’s got some good advice and I’ll be making some changes to my daily routine just so I can incorporate what he’s doing.

Q and Dale Holmes.

I am going to give you an idea of what I do, but that is by no means what most pro’s do, they train harder and longer than me, I am old and lazy! ha ha.

I try to train 6 days a week, this is probably the most important thing for me to stay on top of my game, as well as motivated to to continually improve and increase my training “pain threshold”. Training can be boring and routine, so I try to change it up between XC, Road, DH, Slalom, Dirt Jumping and with some cross training… riding my moto either in the desert or on the track.

One days training should be (ha ha)

a) 1 hour cardio - either a hard climb on my XC bike at Bootleg Canyon or Cottonwood Trails in Vegas, or a road ride with the hammer down. On the road bike I will do intervals, stand up and sprint for a good 30 seconds then sit down and pedal for a couple minutes to recover, and repeat this for the entire ride.

b) 35 minutes anaerobic training, for this I use a Total Gym, the one that Chuck Norris always advertises, ha ha ha but that thing works, it is all cables so no heavy impact on the body. I try train most all muscle groups in a week.

c) Every other or every third day I will try to include a 1. Dual Slalom session, about 20 runs… 10 on each track or, 2. I will go do a dirt jumping session for about an hour or, 3. Do a desert or track ride on my dirt bike for a couple hours.

I have to manage the team which takes a lot of my time so this is about as aggressive of a training schedule that I can have, plus it is simply enough for my 40 year old ass.

Eating is very important, - NO JUNK FOOD - yeah right??? Lots of beer - Yeah!!!

Staying fully hydrated all the time is also very key, so that your body is always prepared for recovery and gives you the best every time you push it hard.

To hone your skills does take a lot of riding and practicing, but you can accelerate this process if you get some experienced tips. Turning and controlling a DH bike at speed is difficult, and takes a lot of mental strength and focus, but I think that the biggest keys are:

a) Look Ahead and control your breathing! Always look as far ahead on the track as possible, this allows you to make physical and mental corrections before it is too late. Always remember to breath, and breath consistently.

b) Breaking and Turns! Always try to do most of the hard breaking before the turn, and if you are looking far enough ahead in the turn you will be able to release your brakes sooner and exit the corner with more speed. Exit speed is so much more important than entry speed into, or out of turns. The more you can focus on what’s to come and not get caught up looking down at your wheel while in the moment, the more you will be able to control your lines and the less fatigued and under pressure you will feel, allowing yourself to ride more relaxed and confident. Relaxed and confident… sooo IMPORTANT!

The biggest bike setup tip I think I can offer is - suspension and tires, these are the two most key items. If you have good tire and suspension setup then you are halfway there. A balanced bike will always work well, and a semi low Tire Pressure will help the bike track better and bite the dirt harder, giving you more traction and control.

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Watch it in HD.

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This Thanksgiving morning I decided to take my trusty Sette Reken Single Speed and convert it to a 1×3. I’ve had this project in mind for a few months and decided to execute it this morning while the family was still asleep.

First step was to get a cassette and remove all but three cogs. I left on the 17,20 and 23t cogs.

I also mounted a Shimano Deore rear derailleur. I like how it matched the frame…hehe

I used an Ultegra chain…cuz that’s how I roll.

I also grabbed a Shimano Alivio 8speed shifter that I had laying around.

I finished it off with some hot pink Jagwire shifter cables/housing. It goes great with the black!

Here’s the finished product. I plan on using this set up at the next Tour De Tryptophan, also known as 24 hours of Fullerton.

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