Just took delivery of the Turbospoke.
Here’s more info:
I’m looking forward to testing this bad boy out. It should be fun!
Popularity: 1% [?]
Category: Main
Turbospoke-Received
On February - 9 - 2012
On going Review – Specialized Carve Pro 29
On February - 9 - 2012
I have been putting in some serious miles on the Carve lately. Its hard to belive its the middle Of February, and 80 degrees out. First impressions, this is a lot of bike for the $2000 MSRP. Look for more info to come, and a full review in the next few weeks.
Popularity: 1% [?]
Southridge Winter Series: Super D Race Report
On February - 7 - 2012
We’re about halfway through this year’s winter series at Southridge in Fontana, CA with three of five races completed. Rather than doing the single-speed XC race this year, I decided to give the Super D a shot. Super D racing resides somewhere between down-hill racing and cross country. There should be enough pedaling and climbing to keep the long travel heavy DH bikes out of contention, but also is technical enough not to yield any advantage to hard-tail XC bikes. Super D is where the 5-6″ trail-bikes find their home. The definition and course content tends to change among different locals, but at Southridge it is downhill light.
Rounding the final turns.
Southridge runs (at least they have been this year) their races in a two run format for Super D, a short run and a long run. The times from both runs are then combined for a total time, and your placement is based upon that combined time. Obviously, the shortest time wins. The short course is about a 2-5 minute run depending on your speed and skill. This long course had been about a 5-10 run, but for this most recent race they cut the large climb out and it was much closer to the short run times.
Heading to the finish line.
For those who are familiar with the location in Fontana, the Super D starts at the top of the hill that had been used in the old national XC course. Both short & long courses start and end at the same place. The first 15 yards are so are shared by both courses, and then they split each going in opposing directions down each side of the hill. After dropping down the back side of the hill, the long course wraps back around to meet up with the short course and then they share the end and finish line.
Sliding through the soft stuff.
Having never raced Super D before, I started the series in Cat III to get an assessment of where I should be. For the first race, I didn’t make it down clean on the short course. I washed out in a sandy off-camber section, but was able to quickly get back on the bike and finish out the run. The second run came out a little smoother. This yielded me a second place finish. After that first race, it seems liked a good time to move up a class to Sport, plus for the next race I was going to be joined by fellow teammate Corey Pond.
The course for the second race was 85-90% the same as the previous race with just some small changes. One of those small changes, I forgot about during my run on the short course. On the outside of one of the turns was a small drop off a rock and the inside of the turn was a smooth roller. The drop wasn’t that big, but it is beyond my skill. I came in too hot and hit the outside of the turn. I had to plant a foot and kick the back end around to make it to the line I wanted. Definitely not smooth, but better than a full on crash. The second run come out cleaner, and I ended up with a 4th place finish behind Corey who took 2nd. I was able to shave about 30 seconds off my time from the previous race as well.
Looking to the next turn.
I did not fare so well in the latest race installment however. I was feeling good race day, and was able to get in three good practice runs. There had been a significant change to the long course in that there was no longer a major climb on the back side of the hill. This cut a good 40% of that run making much closer in length to the short course. I knew I was going to have my work cut out for me that day because I would not be able to make up any time on the climb. On the first run I cam around a turn to hot and washed out in the loose soil. While not completely off the bike, it definitely cost me time and momentum. I felt good on the switch backs on the top of the second run, but coming out of one of the rock gardens my steering was feeling sluggish. I kept pedaling for a bit till I realized my front tire was incredibly low and losing air even faster. I had pinch flatted through one of the rock gardens. Well, that ended up with a DNF for me for the third race. We’ve got two more to go, and two more chances to improve and try to podium.
Pinch flat coming out of a rock garden.
Popularity: 1% [?]
Chocolate #9 Review
On February - 2 - 2012
I received a small sample kit of Chocolate #9 to review. But to be up front, I really didn’t think this stuff would work nor taste good. You see, I’ve had various brands such as Hammer Gel, Gu, and the like in my stomach and most, if not all of them have always given me a stomach ache or made me feel more tired than energized.
Here’s their claim to fame:
Chocolate #9 is different because it:
is sweetened only with organic agave.
contains no refined sugar or other HIGH glycemic index sweeteners.
has been – tested and certified – as a “LOW” glycemic index (GI) item.
Chocolate #9 LOW GI gel reduces the negative effect of repetitive insulin “spiking” during sustained exercise.
won’t cause a sugar high or a sugar low – bonk.
is an excellent energy choice for endurance athletes.
is suitable for most diabetics – and used by Team Type 1.
is an excellent choice for those not wanting to eat refined sugar.
is vegan, low fat and gluten free.
contains no synthetics – no unpleasant aftertastes – tastes great.
contains no “mystery” ingredients, colorings, or preservatives.
is easy on the stomach.
best of all — Chocolate #9 tastes great.
The nutritional facts on the package, 70 calories per packet.
How it looks.
I bet you’re wondering how it tasted? Well…I gotta say this has to be THE BEST TASTING energy gel I’ve EVER HAD! No exaggeration! Chocolate #9 is not overly sweet, and not too chocolatey. In fact I thought it tasted just right. With other brands, their chocolate tastes like chocolate milk syrup, but with Chocolate #9, I thought it tasted like a mild cake frosting. It was simply good!
The texture was very smooth, just wash it down with a swig of water and within 15 or so minutes, you’ll start to feel it working. When you’re riding this stuff (see below) for a few hours, you’ll eventually need a snack or something to help keep you pedaling. With the Chocolate #9, it can fit into your shorts, jersey or hydration pocket and pull it out at your next snack break.
So does this stuff work? I’d say it did for me. Not once did my stomach hurt or feel like I crashed from the sugar rush. I guess that’s where the benefit of a low glycemic energy gel comes in handy. Basically the whole idea is to have a slow burn so it will last you through out your ride/work out. If you feel that you want a change in your energy gel, you should really consider Chocolate #9.
Popularity: 1% [?]
Torker Skookum Review
On February - 1 - 2012
The fine folks of Torker Bicycles came out with an entry level mountain bike called the Skookum.
A bit of background on how I tested this bike. Since it is truly an entry level bike (based on price and specs), I decided to take it through one of the best newbie trails there are, the world famous Fullerton Loop. Mind you, we say this is a newbie trail, there are more people that get hurt on this trail than any other that I know of. I think what it is, people just don’t expect it to be gnarly or challenging, so their guard is down and when they least expect it, BAM! The Loop strikes!
Before we go on, here’s the specs. The Skookum has an MSRP of $529.99.
Specs:
Specifications
• Lightweight alloy frame in 4 sizes.
• Suntour XCT 80mm travel fork.
• SRAM/SR Suntour 24 speed drivetrain.
• Reliable mechanical disc brakes.
• Low profile knobby tires-excellent for traction in all conditions.
Ok let’s get down to the nitty gritty. Though we consider it an entry level bike, the Skookum can handle abuse from a seasoned mountain biker. Not once did I ever experience ANY mechanical issues with the bike. From the time I assembled it out of the box to the last day of testing, the gears shifted precisely, brakes stopped on a dime and the wheels stayed true. The Suntour XCT 80mm fork lacks adjustment controls, it only has pre-load. But if the fork was upgraded to a type that has air/rebound and compression, then you’d be stepping away from $529.99 price point.
Unfortunately, the spec sheet doesn’t show much info about the tires. To my surprise, they are fantastic! They actually remind me of far more expensive tires, the Kenda Small Block Eight. The small knobbies provided great speed without sacrificing traction.
There wasn’t much information about the tires, other than the website name on the sidewall. But even after checking their website, I couldn’t locate the model.
As I mentioned, shifting is spot on with the SRAM X4. Not once did I have to adjust it.
As far as mechanical brakes are concerned, the Promax disc brakes performed really well! They never faded or did the rotors warp at all. They are even adjustable on both sides of the pad. If coupled with a set of compressionless brake cables/housing, you could totally make them feel like hydraulic.
Though it is a 24 speed drive train, it is pretty reliable.
The Alex DC19 wheels stayed true through out the testing period.
As I mentioned, the Torker Skookum is an entry level bicycle. So what does this mean? Well if you’re just starting out in the sport of mountain biking and you’re not quite sure if its something you’d want to invest too much money into, then this is where the Torker Skookum comes in. With its parts spec and low MSRP, the Skookum makes for the perfect bike for someone that is getting into the sport.
An ideal situation would be this, let’s say you’re an avid mountain biker, but your wife wants to “try” it. You and I both know that it would be foolish to get too excited and get her a $2000 bike without the guarantee that she’ll like the sport or not. The great thing about the Skookum, even if the newbie rider were to fall head over heels (no pun intended) with the sport, they can simply upgrade parts on it if they really wanted to. The Skookum frame is pretty tough and light enough that if you were to mate it with a lighter fork and possibly a wheelset, you could easily have a decent XC race bike. Overall, I liked the Skookum because of the fact it’s a gateway bike. A bike like this will help get more people into our beloved sport. One thing I may add, I LOVED the paint scheme! Black with Green looks pretty legit to me.
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