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Ibex Asta Expert-Review Initiated

Posted by RL Policar On January - 15 - 2012

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Check out the newest rig to be tested by MtnBikeRiders.com. This is the Ibex Asta Expert.

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Asta Expert Specifications
Frame: 6069 Aluminum
Fork: Rock Shox Reba RL 100mm Travel
Rear Shock: Rock Shox Monarch RT
Shifters: SRAM X-9 Trigger
Front Derailleur: Sram X-7 Low Clamp
Rear Derailleur: Sram X-7 Long Cage
Crankset: FSA Comet 175mm (42/32/22T)
Cassette: Sram 9-Speed (11-34T)
Chain: KMC Z99
Brakes: Avid Elixer R
Rims: WTB Speed Disc Cross Country
Hubs: WTB Laser Disc Lite
Tires: WTB Wolverine 2.2 Race, XC 60tpi
Headset: Cane Creek S-3
Cockpit Set: FSA
Saddle WTB Speed-V
Pedals: Wellgo Cr-Mo Clipless

Here’s some pit’chers…
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S’mo pit’chers…
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This bike is pretty. The white pearl is something that I rarely see on a bike.
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Here’s a video of me unboxing the Ibex Asta.

Popularity: 1% [?]

The fun side of racing.

Posted by RL Policar On January - 14 - 2012

Last weekend was the Team’s first race of 2012. We were all eager to perform at our best. Through out the course of the weekend, the team encountered some unique situations that affected some of the guys. For starters there were some fierce winds that hit Fontana. Saturday wasn’t bad at all, in fact, we were all doing pretty good. So good that even the our Speed Stars, Dan Burdett and Mark Tomas did great in their own races. Dan scored a 2nd place in Super D, Mark also a 2nd place in the 35+ Single Speed cat. Way to go guys!

What I really appreciate about the team is the willingness that each other has in wanting to help each other out during DH practice. One way or another, our top riders, Corey Pond and Art Aguilar took us under their wings and showed us the best lines. In this case, Corey showed Neal the best part of the day…sunset.
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On race day we were goofing around and Neal snapped this photo of Art and I…
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As I mentioned, the team camaraderie is awesome in the team. Check out how Art was cheering for me and how he’s got my back.
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By the end of the weekend, we had some fun times and great race runs. Art was taken out by the wind. He literally got picked up and thrown down by the strong winds, causing his chain to derail. This yielded an 8th at a time of 4:33. Corey Pond was succumbed by the strong winds as well. While en-route to the race, his bed liner lifted and threw his bike and belongings onto the freeway! Ya, he and the bike were ok. Neal Bryant came in at 8th place with a time of 3:32. Bryan Doney placed 12th (with 2 crashes) and a time of 3:54. Wes Castro placed 14th with a time of 3:35. Yours truly took 6th with a time of 3:17.

I would like to thanks Airborne Bicycles for their continued support. They have been pretty awesome just like the Taka!

Popularity: 1% [?]

Got back pain when you ride?

Posted by RL Policar On January - 4 - 2012

If you’re anything like me, we’ve got short arms like a T-Rex, so that means using stems longer than 60mm makes my back hurt.
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For the most part, bikes come stock with a minimum of 90mm stems. I usually recommend swapping out the stem before anything else on a bike. Not only does this help out your bike, but it also allows for better control. One of my favorite stems would be the Dirty Dog Reaper. This stem is only 50mm long and great on your back because you won’t be leaning so far forward.

Then again there might be other factors why your back might hurt such as proper bike fit, medical history and etc. But changing out the stem might be the quickest and possibly cheapest way to find out if it helps.

Popularity: 1% [?]

What time should we ride?

Posted by RL Policar On December - 15 - 2011

Usually when we set up rides, we’ll send out emails to see who can make it. At that time we’ll determine what schedule works out best for everyone. There have been occasions where we’ve had to roll out in 2 separate groups just to accommodate everyone. Well yesterday’s ride was no exception. We had Doc Thunda who set up the ride for 6ish but found out Cousin Joe was possibly going to ride around 4ish. So this created an internal battle within Doc because he really wanted to ride with the regular folks but he has really missed Cousin Joe, so he wanted to ride with him….he kept saying to himself…”Do I ride with the slow people or do I ride with Cousin Joe?! Ugh…FML!”

Eventually Doc decided to ride with Cousin Joe because he said, “I’ve got a very important chat room meeting at 6pm that I can’t miss. Our topic of discussion; ‘How to show affection to our cats.’ and I can’t miss that!” Priscilla and I were running late because we were getting a door way put into our ceiling so we can go to Narnia when ever we want. We ended up sticking with our 6ish ride schedule.
However, when we arrived at the trail, we saw Doc, Cousin Joe and Khoa waiting for us…aww how sweet they waited! I asked Doc how come he didn’t ride earlier with Cousin Joe, Doc said, “Well the chat room meeting was not what I expected, when they said CAT, I thought it was for my CAT…and nothing else. These sickos in the chat room were talking about….aye nevermind, I was so disappointed!”

Off to the trail we go and we’re riding at a pretty good clip. Doc kept on pushing us like a personal trainer by getting behind and saying, “C’Mon slow poke! Hurry up already! Let’s Go Let’s GO!!!!” This motivational speaking got us…uh…motivated to ride faster and harder.

Here’s a prime example of Doc giving us a speech. In this photo you’ll see he get’s behind a rider and starts motivating them. You actually won’t be able to see it, but on the right side of Doc, he’s got a mini bull horn in which he uses to bark out his encouraging words.
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Look how happy Cousin Joe is, that motivational thing Doc did was working.
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I rode the Soma Double Cross DC and I gotta tell you, if it wasn’t for Doc’s words, I never would have made it up the hills, thanks Doc for pushing us!
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Anyway, we ended our ride at our favorite taco-ish place and had much needed adult beverages…a Pepsi! Doc took this pic of me, I thought I looked like a gangsterish THUG but if anything I looked homeless.
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By the way, when I got home, waiting for me was a copy of Bicycling magazine. Inside was the dumbest ad EVER made. It’s an ad for an indoor stationary bike that supposed to mimic TDF courses…Cool, but my question is, why is the guy wearing a helmet? That in my book is what the young kids are now calling a…”FAIL”

Popularity: 1% [?]

How to protect yourself from thugs on the trail

Posted by RL Policar On December - 8 - 2011

In the unfortunate event that you are forced to protect yourself and your property from trail thugs, knowing how to do so properly can literally mean the difference of you going out for burritos after your ride or being taken away on a stretcher. Below we will demonstrate some basic Trail Thug Fighting Techniques…or TTFT. I will be playing the role of a Trail Thug since Thugs are known to wear flannel shirts and argyle socks. My buddy, Ben will play the role of Mr. Mountain Biking Victim.

1. Punch to the FACE (with the rear tire) This technique can be easily executed if you have some sort of upper body strength. A quick blow to the Thug’s face can either knock him out or at least give you enough time to get away and get some rocks or a stick to finish him off.

2.Nut Cracker. After applying the rear wheel to the face, your next move is to shove your front wheel into the Thug’s nuts. There’s really not much else to say, a shot to the nuts will stop anyone!
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3. Say Hello to my Lil’ Friend. After the nut shot, the Thug will fall down to the ground, and this is when you show him how heavy your bike is by repeatedly hitting him with it. This is also a great time to repeatedly say to the Thug, ” You want a piece of me?! Huh Punk?!!! You want a piece of ME!” Doing so will ensure that the Thug knows you now have the upper hand.
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4. Anaconda SQUEEZE! This move basically uses the front wheel to choke out the Thug. You only release a little bit of the pressure when he either says, “Uncle” or when he starts gurgling because he can’t breath.
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One final tip, if you’re wearing knee/elbow pads, use it to your advantage. While the Thug is down, throw a few elbows, and knees to his ribs. Just remember, you’re wearing pads, so you won’t get hurt! I sure hope you have enjoyed our guide for the TTFT, remember you can do all these things if you simply say, “I was doing it in self-defense.” (you may actually want to consult your lawyer about that.)

Popularity: 2% [?]

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