tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-142277202024-03-19T17:27:30.970-05:00mtbracerThe chronicles of a slow (but determined) endurance mountain bike racer...bsetliffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17565187741353870224noreply@blogger.comBlogger51125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14227720.post-18549545437834913742007-06-17T13:10:00.000-05:002007-06-18T16:02:00.426-05:00Three days of pump track fun!Got a chance to ride on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. The main loop is pretty much dialed now and I've been riding it a couple times a week for the past month or so. When I first started I could barely get in 2 laps, now I'm up to about 5 laps before my ticker is redlined and I have to recover for a minute or two. Lap time is about 14-15 seconds depending on how dry and packed the surface is. I'm having more dirt delivered this week so I can add a couple transitions inside the main loop.<br /><br />Here's a couple videos...<br /><br /><b>Two laps on the Kona...</b><br /><object width="425" height="350"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/u39lJiMO-G8"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/u39lJiMO-G8" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="425" height="350"></embed></object><br /><br /><b>Two laps on the DK Dayton...</b><br /><object width="425" height="350"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/HIXb2R_yWVU"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/HIXb2R_yWVU" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="425" height="350"></embed></object><br /><br /><b>And from a slightly different angle...</b><br /><object width="425" height="350"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/0S3hb7eQy5E"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/0S3hb7eQy5E" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="425" height="350"></embed></object><br /><br /><b>A couple more clips...</b><br /><object width="425" height="350"> <param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/oMQdnBjUCow"> </param> <embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/oMQdnBjUCow" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="425" height="350"> </embed> </object>bsetliffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17565187741353870224noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14227720.post-35852048698417516492007-06-12T14:18:00.000-05:002007-06-12T14:34:48.762-05:00BMX bike = excellent pump track bikeThis past weekend I spent Saturday and Sunday tearing around my pump track on my DK Dayton BMX bike. Wow, what a huge difference from the bike I normally ride, a Kona Cowan. 20" bikes are a TON of fun for this type of riding... its a lot easier to "pump" with the smaller/lighter bike and rigid front fork, plus its just so damn easy to throw the bike around. Who knows, I may start riding this bike more than my Kona. <br /><br />Here are a few pics...<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhF6Ox_DU-GCuJIICBrrUSozfFwQ8qZv9pFK-6Bacum_I72yebqysI0GnTcDv9sDOrF-yEwJBtgWxuiOeq7agp4RxCS7TcNtqdZWENZB32HUuq2pI3WBeyvv-1Em26iC0sw_4V3Vg/s1600-h/2007_0611_pump_track_dk_2.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhF6Ox_DU-GCuJIICBrrUSozfFwQ8qZv9pFK-6Bacum_I72yebqysI0GnTcDv9sDOrF-yEwJBtgWxuiOeq7agp4RxCS7TcNtqdZWENZB32HUuq2pI3WBeyvv-1Em26iC0sw_4V3Vg/s400/2007_0611_pump_track_dk_2.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5075260140238427122" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6jzRcJrtyyPxPAJ94gRL1weql6a8J0CmuG094L4uLYJfhjjH-5cdYll5hFkgxiW3ZobnLdTohwBs96thUPdHYciLJzbjBcLGnbHrCAaGCmeXOjv2uRTnCZkipeLaZ7hGep-EiAA/s1600-h/2007_0611_pump_track_dk_1.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6jzRcJrtyyPxPAJ94gRL1weql6a8J0CmuG094L4uLYJfhjjH-5cdYll5hFkgxiW3ZobnLdTohwBs96thUPdHYciLJzbjBcLGnbHrCAaGCmeXOjv2uRTnCZkipeLaZ7hGep-EiAA/s400/2007_0611_pump_track_dk_1.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5075260230432740354" /></a>bsetliffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17565187741353870224noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14227720.post-55678077594724034382007-06-04T09:40:00.000-05:002007-06-04T09:43:00.554-05:00Excellent "How To Pump" video...<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpuuhrNq5h4PoP5f76Bg5wzQPPg0Zh7Bn_qa9wPObQMlg3DJWSrWjUcF-l_cAG9HE9Gwmhyphenhyphen8wGUqGmTsB8vkK4oFwStStiCWcuCCgg_lcwLsqEFapW5CJMXsxmcbr0SCiW4fsJLQ/s1600-h/how_to_pump.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpuuhrNq5h4PoP5f76Bg5wzQPPg0Zh7Bn_qa9wPObQMlg3DJWSrWjUcF-l_cAG9HE9Gwmhyphenhyphen8wGUqGmTsB8vkK4oFwStStiCWcuCCgg_lcwLsqEFapW5CJMXsxmcbr0SCiW4fsJLQ/s400/how_to_pump.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5072219393451009442" /></a><br /><br />This is pretty sweet... <a href="http://mpora.com/tv/mountainbiking/mountain-bike-how-to/1451_mpo_0011/" target="_blank">http://mpora.com/...</a><br /><br>bsetliffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17565187741353870224noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14227720.post-55206764067693412362007-05-23T14:32:00.000-05:002007-05-24T11:36:39.676-05:00An hour on the pump track...I got a chance to ride for about an hour today. The berms are packing in nicely, although still a little soft in spots, especially the top edges. The large berm around the tree is FAAAAAAAAASSSSSSSSTTTTT. I'm starting to carry some pretty good speed and can get a little air off the roller at the exit of the berm....eventually that might be a great spot for a double since the exit speed is really high.<br /><br />I think the straightaway with the 5 small rollers needs some work. I emailed Lee at LeeLikesBikes.com and he recommends a 1:10 ratio for rollers, meaning if the rollers are a foot tall, space them 10 feet apart. That being said, I think I'm going to remove 2 of the rollers and build the other 3 up a little and see how that works.<br /><br />A few pics from tonights pump session...<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcJ5VlC1WUyUiQXc3z_a2Kfjtpe1MYPXtHqVdmnKh-U4ggnVw4EKQTyUIF55Rftlm8L1uaxq3J5qWUNHC-VC48o5YfHF5CJ1aRPbI8EM9CJbyQ02UJt2ri5ZQQ2cdOLPs0lLNoRw/s1600-h/131-3165_IMG.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcJ5VlC1WUyUiQXc3z_a2Kfjtpe1MYPXtHqVdmnKh-U4ggnVw4EKQTyUIF55Rftlm8L1uaxq3J5qWUNHC-VC48o5YfHF5CJ1aRPbI8EM9CJbyQ02UJt2ri5ZQQ2cdOLPs0lLNoRw/s400/131-3165_IMG.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5068166498276302338" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi18eolwxLpRI29EYFOnd71cmkj9hGFQeWuEEu2Hr3yoKkSLUcRhe6DewuC5jkW5EfbwsrEH_8QDcZQSAD4C9X92WYUWLQylMPj8EZ1lmQacMmF1susieOP5uENnWWvaI5B2JnuHA/s1600-h/131-3166_IMG.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi18eolwxLpRI29EYFOnd71cmkj9hGFQeWuEEu2Hr3yoKkSLUcRhe6DewuC5jkW5EfbwsrEH_8QDcZQSAD4C9X92WYUWLQylMPj8EZ1lmQacMmF1susieOP5uENnWWvaI5B2JnuHA/s400/131-3166_IMG.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5068166614240419346" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifXybJ4G6CTj-1Pa0guT6Fw23_P8wDcrKxuoXEF40mPKVISgscSJqMtkv4w4w7jde3xGm0SViNaUa-1T5hcDg9GTAkMqXsI_lsMjmT5wYqZW1M9SZ0hQrwZqityK7p88PgTVsfjw/s1600-h/131-3167_IMG.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifXybJ4G6CTj-1Pa0guT6Fw23_P8wDcrKxuoXEF40mPKVISgscSJqMtkv4w4w7jde3xGm0SViNaUa-1T5hcDg9GTAkMqXsI_lsMjmT5wYqZW1M9SZ0hQrwZqityK7p88PgTVsfjw/s400/131-3167_IMG.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5068166730204536354" /></a>bsetliffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17565187741353870224noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14227720.post-36215799693700544302007-05-20T21:33:00.000-05:002007-05-22T09:47:29.585-05:00Another weekend of pump track work complete....Worked Saturday and most of Sunday moving about 10 yards of topsoil. If you compare the photos below to the ones I posted above (from last weekend) you'll notice how much taller the berms are now. I also added a few more rollers. The basic layout is now complete, just waiting for it to dry so I can ride on it. Over the next few weeks I'll be getting more topsoil so I can add some new sections inside the main loop. Here are a few pics...<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Front view looking back from the house...the section on the far right is the only thing remaining from last years attempt at a pump track. I need to add quite a bit more dirt to get the berms up higher so I can really rip thru there...</span><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4C2JibuU-0e8uHm8cNhxb-ugHn_KV6GFGVFBMah3wu_ztf5cJu3PtiUL1Ycs6RvKLY3Tr5B9mnoOlE6kEaRi_qvGxrMxZco7DSqKRSFy1VpSq4OfBnQZrnduDdO7JtxX2fb6Uow/s1600-h/131-3152_IMG.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4C2JibuU-0e8uHm8cNhxb-ugHn_KV6GFGVFBMah3wu_ztf5cJu3PtiUL1Ycs6RvKLY3Tr5B9mnoOlE6kEaRi_qvGxrMxZco7DSqKRSFy1VpSq4OfBnQZrnduDdO7JtxX2fb6Uow/s400/131-3152_IMG.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5067394804322360722" /></a><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Rear view looking toward the house...</span><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxgxo5tka0f0h7dd30mtttF-3lmmp0QxsnJKndxsH7H3mbZhqJFGqXLuNIEZM9NDc8MQeT-CAm_8f_4apWQwiJY7LXrDY00ESbQLY4jmRRp0B_ff3GRvAQ9n0unQzfbQ6ik2OQdw/s1600-h/131-3144_IMG.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxgxo5tka0f0h7dd30mtttF-3lmmp0QxsnJKndxsH7H3mbZhqJFGqXLuNIEZM9NDc8MQeT-CAm_8f_4apWQwiJY7LXrDY00ESbQLY4jmRRp0B_ff3GRvAQ9n0unQzfbQ6ik2OQdw/s400/131-3144_IMG.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5067395302538567074" /></a><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">My favorite section of the track...just after the first berm, its slightly down hill so you go thru the two small rollers pretty fast before hitting the next berm...</span><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-Qn0_cersvgEXffrzCcpdN6K74AoHc89RdyXAuBdYVaK9yiYgVE10f6ia8hVodakRta-ae9vTpnxtvuerItrKoy1SWl0MZ0Y-sFOhz1suTt7kuqWhNb6_r-dD-ULZ1F3fXATrUA/s1600-h/131-3139_IMG.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-Qn0_cersvgEXffrzCcpdN6K74AoHc89RdyXAuBdYVaK9yiYgVE10f6ia8hVodakRta-ae9vTpnxtvuerItrKoy1SWl0MZ0Y-sFOhz1suTt7kuqWhNb6_r-dD-ULZ1F3fXATrUA/s400/131-3139_IMG.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5067395860884315570" /></a><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">I've put a ton of work into this berm....added quite a bit more dirt to build it up taller and also watered and packed it a lot to try and get it hard. Earlier today I blew thru the top of it again and augered my shoulder into the ground...guess it wasn't packed good enough LOL...</span><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQp5V73qTIIohE6drxdZVd08G2V9SMCXOohvm7xpfeXACico9tUSXGp0u0TiNtRKqdbovuvEmqhEAzDLv4ORxodAfl8yURDwXzrj5KWQp-1pyGsuCGGYH-rZJquvU3kd4MUYirfg/s1600-h/131-3142_IMG.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQp5V73qTIIohE6drxdZVd08G2V9SMCXOohvm7xpfeXACico9tUSXGp0u0TiNtRKqdbovuvEmqhEAzDLv4ORxodAfl8yURDwXzrj5KWQp-1pyGsuCGGYH-rZJquvU3kd4MUYirfg/s400/131-3142_IMG.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5067396084222614978" /></a><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Right after the berm above there are five rollers that lead to a sharp left hander. This section is tough because its slighty uphill and its taking me some time to get the pump down just right to maintain speed...</span><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0wOz8iQM3nJrLE3CUK-SBgf-s1Mx4QNlpJdJi0lpFEEZkC6hCnBkvdHgtY8jfdf-EQ_xlkeDmSdVgOi93nIoI1MO1TCXDsSr_mhL2fcqWZzWNTwC8hWtlOWI1Zo67PkuZ_iVkvw/s1600-h/131-3141_IMG.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0wOz8iQM3nJrLE3CUK-SBgf-s1Mx4QNlpJdJi0lpFEEZkC6hCnBkvdHgtY8jfdf-EQ_xlkeDmSdVgOi93nIoI1MO1TCXDsSr_mhL2fcqWZzWNTwC8hWtlOWI1Zo67PkuZ_iVkvw/s400/131-3141_IMG.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5067396316150848978" /></a><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Another view from the rear of the track...there is a crapload of dirt in that berm...and I might have to add more...</span><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt6b8HWEOJe7bu4xPaJVDXB6wxjadYfqAH-gjovPyUNgmiJIROff2EUu8MrPVLoPJ9e6E-wt3HQEDBHtM_zMZuGub2Jfxn9_7qYRvMszMakCMqGpHkMN8oSfg8HkcJdghS_JIBlQ/s1600-h/131-3162_IMG.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt6b8HWEOJe7bu4xPaJVDXB6wxjadYfqAH-gjovPyUNgmiJIROff2EUu8MrPVLoPJ9e6E-wt3HQEDBHtM_zMZuGub2Jfxn9_7qYRvMszMakCMqGpHkMN8oSfg8HkcJdghS_JIBlQ/s400/131-3162_IMG.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5067396518014311906" /></a><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Obligatory shot of the Cowan...</span><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFWaGaFaUqlgaffAOYK6lizKvSWXM0ssk6spzwfdG31f82t051VTsmUx3nQjTBBlMCSa3-opQGOtiA9VW6XRNOIedTMxT6uiUB6txN-eNZBEmVcmvH8fJZgObRDyNjaK-P6brhfA/s1600-h/131-3147_IMG.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFWaGaFaUqlgaffAOYK6lizKvSWXM0ssk6spzwfdG31f82t051VTsmUx3nQjTBBlMCSa3-opQGOtiA9VW6XRNOIedTMxT6uiUB6txN-eNZBEmVcmvH8fJZgObRDyNjaK-P6brhfA/s400/131-3147_IMG.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5067396694107971058" /></a><br /><br />Thats all for now... possibly more next weekend...<br /><br>bsetliffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17565187741353870224noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14227720.post-18142704483618778142007-05-18T07:18:00.000-05:002007-05-18T07:26:21.444-05:00Some good pump track linkage...A few good pump track links...<br /><a href="http://forums.mtbr.com/showthread.php?t=266255" target="_blank">http://forums.mtbr.com/showthread.php?t=266255</a><br /><a href="http://www.bikepasa.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=1909&highlight=" target="_blank">http://www.bikepasa.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=1909&highlight=</a><br /><a href="http://www.ridemonkey.com/forums/showthread.php?t=174083" target="_blank">http://www.ridemonkey.com/forums/showthread.php?t=174083</a><br /><br>bsetliffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17565187741353870224noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14227720.post-20845107030631534562007-05-14T09:13:00.000-05:002007-05-14T09:24:46.939-05:00Making progress on the pump track...Late last fall I started on a pump track but ran out of good weather and didn't get much done on it... fast forward to spring of 2007 and I'm finally making some headway..<br /><br />Last year I didn't really know what I was doing so I basically made an oval with 2 big berms and a couple rollers. Bad idea. My berms had WAY too large of a radius (about 15' ) and I had to pedal thru them to maintain speed. Not good, considering this was supposed to be a pump track where pedaling is minimal. So, this year I've torn out a few of the berms and re-worked the shape of the track into more of an "L" shape instead of an oval. This weekend I made some progress on a new section that features a couple tighter AND faster berms with a bunch of rollers thrown in to maintain speed.<br /><br />Next weekend I'm having more dirt delivered so I can make the berms TALLER and hopefully finish the rest of the track. Here are some pics...<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">The view from the back edge of the track...</span><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3MUQ-5AxwLAmpcoLrFditSMG2TZ-Az4M2AvJt1cMWzx-3Y5tu86xYXan5xwPfYsQyge7bAln82szMZmpRVjMNVlYQqyrXgbIF8Yti2b3692qTP1McvMfD8x1q3Ur2-MCmKBzdCg/s1600-h/131-3125_IMG.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3MUQ-5AxwLAmpcoLrFditSMG2TZ-Az4M2AvJt1cMWzx-3Y5tu86xYXan5xwPfYsQyge7bAln82szMZmpRVjMNVlYQqyrXgbIF8Yti2b3692qTP1McvMfD8x1q3Ur2-MCmKBzdCg/s400/131-3125_IMG.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5064420946406624434" /></a><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Here's the section I worked on this weekend.... takes a lot of riding, digging, watering, and packing to make sure the flow works, the rollers are spaced correctly, and the berms large enough...</span><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6SLue2QUwRdn8PChtD9reXjZaOiIOzntra-VLLQ2t2B2t-_qqgQJToXMYxvxowNN-pqLeU7YgAEjgfZgq8vCpweutViMLlA3yB3cxhmwv_5ppdIz6zVfkZ7JwLDyMFS3gVc84eQ/s1600-h/131-3122_IMG.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6SLue2QUwRdn8PChtD9reXjZaOiIOzntra-VLLQ2t2B2t-_qqgQJToXMYxvxowNN-pqLeU7YgAEjgfZgq8vCpweutViMLlA3yB3cxhmwv_5ppdIz6zVfkZ7JwLDyMFS3gVc84eQ/s400/131-3122_IMG.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5064421186924793026" /></a><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Rider view of the section shown above... I need to make both berms TALLER and packed more firmly so I can maintain more speed... I thought I dislocated my shoulder when I blew thru the top of the second berm and abruptly face planted...</span><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAyZArXTDY9GR8CiePMCe5LdlqhYBupm2PD6uVfh9bzXLSqI4A9ld9JnH7jVBjVfhO7IUXyKOKAnqxQQOxfTfuU5i1KgfIob1Ci6T8tYIPT-5yxCaV4CoKE8p88yPb_XE413RBRw/s1600-h/131-3126_IMG.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAyZArXTDY9GR8CiePMCe5LdlqhYBupm2PD6uVfh9bzXLSqI4A9ld9JnH7jVBjVfhO7IUXyKOKAnqxQQOxfTfuU5i1KgfIob1Ci6T8tYIPT-5yxCaV4CoKE8p88yPb_XE413RBRw/s400/131-3126_IMG.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5064421577766816978" /></a><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">This berm has been a pain in the a$$ to get right. And its still not quite right. I'm hauling azz into this thing so I need to make it taller and pack it a lot more firmly....</span><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjktZQVJTkBRgm6M1DnD2YQcPzq67oYNbAO2MEuJwxFsppXWTA6tutvIb6ajrtIa3iqX1n7Zs3aPv4WN26VIP3frAqN0W9E7TRk8dB9rbdBmhK3WvzyW-Vtka4bI4ZsH8wqeY4U8Q/s1600-h/131-3128_IMG.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjktZQVJTkBRgm6M1DnD2YQcPzq67oYNbAO2MEuJwxFsppXWTA6tutvIb6ajrtIa3iqX1n7Zs3aPv4WN26VIP3frAqN0W9E7TRk8dB9rbdBmhK3WvzyW-Vtka4bI4ZsH8wqeY4U8Q/s400/131-3128_IMG.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5064421766745378018" /></a><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;"><br />Here's the straightaway that comes right after the berm shown above.. It currently has 6 rollers spaced about 7.5 feet apart...at the end there will be a sharp left hander leading to another straightaway with more rollers... </span><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDQTgw9GLLwm2OAkZz8e5sa4LH3rmdqW15P_hhSaomfxOtmz0l7b1eHIt5oavU5wTH1JECi1ESdXJ7yxB11eBeBZhb4vojpXfdLU7gF_mCihLrCT4nP0piv9H-2T93KQkBq7-wyQ/s1600-h/131-3127_IMG.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDQTgw9GLLwm2OAkZz8e5sa4LH3rmdqW15P_hhSaomfxOtmz0l7b1eHIt5oavU5wTH1JECi1ESdXJ7yxB11eBeBZhb4vojpXfdLU7gF_mCihLrCT4nP0piv9H-2T93KQkBq7-wyQ/s400/131-3127_IMG.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5064421947134004466" /></a><br /><br />More to come as I make more progress. Once I finish the basic "L" shaped layout I plan to add more sections so I can ride multiple layouts. Not sure how long its going to take to accomplish all of that because this is a pretty time consuming process AND it involves a tone of dirt, which I will need to have delivered. Stay tuned...bsetliffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17565187741353870224noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14227720.post-1166716731724411932006-12-21T10:46:00.000-05:002006-12-21T11:02:53.073-05:0012/21/2006 - Shopping for a cyclocross bike (pt 3)OK, so now I'm looking at some pretty high end cyclocross bikes. These are all going for close to $2000, but have real high end components, carbon fiber forks, and carbon fiber seat stays. I probably shouldn't be spending this much money on a bike, but I'll probably be spending the majority of my riding time on this particular bike, so it might be worth it...alteast thats how I'm justifying it ;-)<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/8081/1280/1600/433090/jamis_supernova.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/8081/1280/400/688453/jamis_supernova.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a>Of all the bikes I've looked at so far, I think the one shown above, the <a href="http://www.jamisbikes.com/usa/bikes/07_bikes/supernova.html" target="_blank"><span style="font-weight:bold;">Jamis Supernova</span></a>, is my favorite. Retailing for around $1825, it features a Kinesium Triple butted main frame with carbon fiber seat stays, an Easton EC90X full carbon cross fork, Shimano Ultegra/105 drivetrain, and Easton/Velomax Vista wheelset. Wow, pretty sweet stuff. According to Jamis, the bike weighs a feathery 18.25 lbs. If I decide to spend this much money, I think this will be the bike I go with. Love that orange/white color scheme also!<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/8081/1280/1600/9653/kona_major_jake.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/8081/1280/400/812870/kona_major_jake.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a>Another contender is the <a href="http://www.konaworld.com/bikes/2k7/MAJORJAKE/index.html" target="_blank"><span style="font-weight:bold;">Kona Major Jake</span></a> (shown above). At about $1900, it features an Easton Ultralite aluminum frame with Carbon Seat Stays, an Easton EC90X Carbon cross fork, full Shimano 105 drivetrain, and a Ksyrium Equipe Wheelset. Its pretty comparable to the Jamis Supernova and probably weighs about the same. I like the fact that the Jamis has its cables routed along the top tube though, wheras the Kona's are routed on the downtube. I also like the orange/black color scheme on the Kona, but the Jamis is a bit sexier.<br /><br />One other bike in this price range that I've been looking at is the <a href="http://www.vandesselsports.com/gnt.php?bike=8" target="_blank"><span style="font-weight:bold;">Van Dessel Gin & Trombones</span></a>.<br /><br>bsetliffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17565187741353870224noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14227720.post-1166715663527465382006-12-21T10:30:00.000-05:002006-12-21T11:11:32.513-05:0012/20/2006 - Shopping for a cyclocross bike (pt 2)So I'm really getting into these research on cyclocross bikes. Today I decided to look around and see what bikes are available with a STEEL frame. My Ibis Mojo is steel and I really love the feel of that frame. I figure a steel cyclocross frame will be a little heavier than one made of aluminum, but it will probably ride much better. So, this is what I've found...<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/8081/1280/1600/164604/lemond_poprad_disc.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/8081/1280/400/96850/lemond_poprad_disc.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a>I remember looking at a <a href="http://www.lemondbikes.com/bikes/cyclocross/classic_steel/poprad_disc.php" target="_blank"><span style="font-weight:bold;">LeMond Poprad</span></a> (shown above) last year at one of my LBS's. These are priced at around $1600, which is a bit higher than what I've been looking at so far. The Poprad has a True Temper OX Platinum (steel) frame, Bontrager Switchblade Elite Carbon fork, and a Shimano 105 drivetrain. In 2006 they offered the bike with both canti brakes AND Avid mechanical discs...but this year they are only offering it with discs. I'm not sure why they did this, but for me this is the biggest drawback on the bike. I have Avid Mechanicals on my Ibis, and love them, but on a cyclocross bike I think they are a bit overkill and add unecessary weight to the bike. Other than that though, this is a very sweet bike... love the red/white paint scheme and the specs on the bike are top notch with all Shimano 105 stuff. I will definitely keep this bike in mind.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/8081/1280/1600/152025/jamis_nova.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/8081/1280/400/473885/jamis_nova.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a>Another steel bike I came across is the <a href="http://www.jamisbikes.com/usa/bikes/07_bikes/nova.html" target="_blank"><span style="font-weight:bold;">Jamis Nova</span></a> (shown above). This bike has a Reynolds 631 air-hardened chromoly frame, carbon fiber fork, and Shimano 105 drivetrain. The bike retails for around $1275 so its VERY well equipped for the price. I can't really find any drawbacks to this bike and its probably the best bang-for-the-buck bike I've found so far. Only problem is that I can't find one locally, so if I were to go with this one, I'd be taking a bit of a chance that I'd like it.bsetliffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17565187741353870224noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14227720.post-1166644576371519622006-12-16T14:37:00.000-05:002006-12-21T11:03:58.550-05:0012/16/2006 - Shopping for a cyclocross bike (pt 1)Since most of the training rides I do are on paved or dirt bike paths and gravel roads, its kind of overkill to ride a mountain bike like my Ibis. That being said, I think a cyclocross bike would make a perfect training bike, so this weekend I started doing a little research and even test rode a few bikes.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/8081/1280/1600/925683/raleigh_RX1.0.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/8081/1280/400/133685/raleigh_RX1.0.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a>The first bike I looked at was the <a href="http://www.raleighusa.com/items.asp?deptid=5&itemid=352" target="_blank"><span style="font-weight:bold;">Raleigh RX 1.0</span></a> (shown above). One of the local bike shops had one in stock so I stopped in and took it for a test ride. From the short ride I did, it seems like a GREAT bike for the money... $1199. It has a very high end Easton EC90 X Carbon Cross fork and some pretty good components for this pricepoint. My main concern is that it comes with 9 speed Shimano Tiagra shifters which I wasn't too excited about. They seemed to shift OK, but you had to move the levers quite a bit to make them shift...and this was one of the complaints I had heard from people. Not a big deal if you could easily upgrade to Shimano 105 shifters, but since it comes with 9 speed, that wouldn't be too easy now that Shimano is only making 10 speed stuff in the 105 and Ultegra. So, I'd have to look around on eBay for some 9 speed 105 shifters if I ever wanted to upgrade shifters....might be a pain.<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/8081/1280/1600/379476/redline_conquest_pro.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/8081/1280/400/764001/redline_conquest_pro.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a>My LBS also had a <a href="http://www.redlinebicycles.com/adultbikes/conquest-pro.html" target="_blank"><span style="font-weight:bold;">Redline Conquest and Conqest Pro</span></a> (shown above). I really like the Conquest Pro but only the regular Conquest had pedals, so thats the one I got to test ride. Pretty comparable to the Raleigh, although not as light and the front fork was aluminum so its a little more harsh ride. The Conquest Pro has a carbon fiber fork though, so it probably weighs less and rides better than the standard Conquest. I also really like the component spec on the Conquest Pro... it has 105 derailleurs and Ultegra Shifters...very high quality stuff. Its also decked out with Ritchey and FSA components that push the price up to about $1499.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/8081/1280/1600/885870/felt_f1x.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/8081/1280/400/689706/felt_f1x.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a>Stopped by another LBS to look at the cyclocross offerings from Specialized and Trek, but they also had a <a href="http://www.feltracing.com/products/product.asp?pid=28&catid=18,22,52" target="_blank"><span style="font-weight:bold;">Felt F1X</span></a> (shown above) which is really sweet. It was priced at $1449 and had better components than any of the bikes I'd looked at. It had Shimano Ultegra derailleurs, 105 shifters, Mavic wheels, etc. I didn't get to test ride the bike, but read a few reviews from owners who commented that the aluminum frame was pretty stiff and had a harsh ride. It does have a carbon fiber fork, although its not an Easton like the less expensive Raleigh.<br /><br /><b>Summary:</b><br />Overall I'd have to say the Redline is the one I liked the most, followed by the Felt, and then the Raleigh. If the Raleigh had 10 speed components with 105 shifters, i think I'd put it right there with the Redline. I'm sure the 9 speed Tiagra shifters would be fine for me, but I tend to look for higher end components on my bikes so I'm a little leary of the Raleigh only because of how difficult/expensive it might be to upgrade. Its a shame really because Raleigh did a great job with this bike, especially that trick Easton front fork.<br /><br />I'll be doing some more research this next week, possibly at some more high end bikes in the $2000 price range...bsetliffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17565187741353870224noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14227720.post-1165708816287161892006-12-09T18:58:00.000-05:002006-12-09T19:00:16.300-05:0012/09/2006 - Now this is a pump track!!<a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/8081/1280/1600/1857/dream_pump_track.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/8081/1280/400/966211/dream_pump_track.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a>Hopefully this is what my pump track will look like by middle of next summer! Thanks to <a href="http://www.LeeLikesBikes.com/" target="_blank">LeeLikesBikes.com</a> for the pic.bsetliffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17565187741353870224noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14227720.post-1165701388686744512006-11-01T16:50:00.000-05:002006-12-09T18:25:54.113-05:0011/01/2006 - My new DK Dayton BMX bike<a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/8081/1280/1600/227410/dk_dayton_right_side.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/8081/1280/400/922544/dk_dayton_right_side.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/8081/1280/1600/164609/dk_dayton_side.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/8081/1280/400/152613/dk_dayton_side.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a>I decided it was time to add a BMX bike to the stable and after shopping around a little, I decided to go with a DK Dayton. This is DK's high end street/park BMX bike and it suits me just fine. I've already made a few changes to the bike though, replacing the seat, seatpost, pedals, and handlebar. Hopefully thats all the money I'll be spending on her!!<br /><br />Why did I buy a BMX bike? Just wanted something I could mess around on when I get tired of my other bikes. I doubt I will ride it a lot, but who knows. I really should take it up to <a href="http://www.raysmtb.com/" target="_blank">Rays MTB</a> and see if I can embarrass myself.<br /><br />For more info and all the specs, <a href="http://mtbracer.blogspot.com/2005/06/bikes.html"><b>go here</b></a>.bsetliffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17565187741353870224noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14227720.post-1165708055735503382006-10-29T18:41:00.000-05:002006-12-09T18:47:35.736-05:0010/29/2006 - More pump track work<a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/8081/1280/1600/598288/pump_track_riding_4.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/8081/1280/400/887775/pump_track_riding_4.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/8081/1280/1600/277552/pump_track_riding_3.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/8081/1280/400/564021/pump_track_riding_3.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a>Did some more work on the pump track this weekend. Added more dirt to the berms on each end to build them up higher. I was hoping this would help me keep my momentum thru the corners without pedaling, but it really doesn't seem to help. As I eluded to in a previous post, I think these berms are just too large and I will need to tighten them up next spring. I also added more dirt to each of the 6 rollers and that seems to make them easier to pump.<br /><br />I probably won't be riding much more this year because we're getting more rain all the time. I've got some major plans for next year, including almost a complete redesign of the track layout. I will probably need to rent some equipment (Bobcat!) next year to help move the dirt around and lay more track.bsetliffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17565187741353870224noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14227720.post-1165707532348616892006-10-08T17:29:00.000-05:002006-12-09T18:38:52.350-05:0010/08/2006 - First ride on the new pump track<a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/8081/1280/1600/858983/pump_track_riding_1.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/8081/1280/400/174525/pump_track_riding_1.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/8081/1280/1600/944464/pump_track_riding_2.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/8081/1280/400/666374/pump_track_riding_2.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a>I've had another 5-10 yards of dirt delivered and the pump track is coming along nicely. I've ridden on it a few times now and the berms and rollers are beginning to pack down nicely. <br /><br />So far its a lot of fun. I think I've built the 2 berms with too large of a radius though and I'm having to pedal hard thru each one to keep my momentum up. Did a little research and discovered that the ideal berm for pump tracks will have a 6-10 foot radius...mine are 15 feet!!! Next spring I will tighten these up!!<br /><br />Additionally I'm dealing with a couple spots that seem to hold water and are not drying out very quickly. I have finally figured out the problem...one of the berms is only exposed to sunlight for a few hours each day because of the trees in the neighhors yard. Not sure what I'll do about this, but I've got some drainage ideas rattling around in my head.<br /><br />Now that fall is upon us I'm running out of nice weather to work on the track. Its been raining a lot and things have been pretty muddy. I will be making some major changes in the spring... lots more dirt will be getting delivered!bsetliffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17565187741353870224noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14227720.post-1165697148225806652006-09-05T14:44:00.000-05:002006-12-09T17:23:31.450-05:009/05/2006 - My new Kona Cowan pump track bike!<a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/8081/1280/1600/117758/kona_cowan_right_side.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/8081/1280/400/540289/kona_cowan_right_side.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/8081/1280/1600/412536/kona_cowan_left_side.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/8081/1280/400/824934/kona_cowan_left_side.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a>Finally got the Cowan back from Jim at Wheel & Wrench. She's built up and ready to go. <br /><br />For more info and all the specs, <a href="http://mtbracer.blogspot.com/2005/06/bikes.html"><b>go here</b></a>.bsetliffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17565187741353870224noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14227720.post-1165699097774142632006-08-26T15:15:00.000-05:002006-12-09T16:18:17.776-05:008/26/2006 - the pump track starts to take shape<a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/8081/1280/1600/859626/pump_track_3.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/8081/1280/400/328471/pump_track_3.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/8081/1280/1600/714274/pump_track_4.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/8081/1280/400/4730/pump_track_4.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a>This weekend I managed to have 5 yards of topsoil delivered and got started on the berms. Whoa, this is a lot of work!! Hopefully it will be worth it. Over the next few weekends I will be finishing the berms off and adding more rollers. I figure I'm going to need another 10-15 yards of topsoil. Whewwwwww.bsetliffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17565187741353870224noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14227720.post-1165696549496657822006-08-20T14:33:00.000-05:002006-12-09T15:57:42.346-05:008/20/2006 - New project bike.... Kona Cowan<a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/8081/1280/1600/782758/kona_cowan_frame_fork.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/8081/1280/400/815699/kona_cowan_frame_fork.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a>My new Kona Cowan frame and Manitou Gold Series 2 fork are in. This will be a dedicated pump track bike.<br /><br />Stay tuned...bsetliffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17565187741353870224noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14227720.post-1165698448742251762006-08-12T15:02:00.000-05:002006-12-09T16:07:28.743-05:008/12/2006 - Lets build a pump track...<a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/8081/1280/1600/88394/pump_track_1.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/8081/1280/400/902784/pump_track_1.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/8081/1280/1600/745692/pump_track_2.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/8081/1280/400/935135/pump_track_2.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a>Decided a few weeks ago that I was going to build a pump track in moms backyard. We recently had some work done in the backyard and what was once a garden is now an empty patch of dirt about 30' x 50'. What better place to build a pump track!! So, today I took the Mojo out and just started riding around in circles to see what sort of track design I could come up with. Ended up with a figure eight type layout with 2 large turns at each end.<br /><br />Next weekend I'll be having some topsoil delivered so I can start building the berms and eventually the rollers.bsetliffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17565187741353870224noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14227720.post-1165696074414773152006-04-28T07:21:00.000-05:002006-12-09T15:57:26.756-05:004/28/2006 - My Mojo gets a professional bike fit<a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/8081/1280/1600/197224/ibis_mojo_right_side.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/8081/1280/400/702871/ibis_mojo_right_side.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a>Now that I've got all the upgrades done to the Mojo I figured it was time to get the bike professionally setup for my body. I should have done this when I first started getting serious about riding, but didn't, and had some knee pain last year probably as a result of poor bike fit. I looked into a couple different fit systems, but decided to go to <a href="http://www.bikeauthority.com/" target="_blank">Bike Authority</a> in Broadview Heights (Ohio) and have them setup the bike.<br /><br />Well, they did end up making quite a few changes, and the photo above shows the new setup. They raised my saddle quite a bit (over an inch), moved it forward a little, and also raised my stem a spacer or two. Also had them adjust the cleats on my Sidi's.bsetliffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17565187741353870224noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14227720.post-1165694605628273272006-04-10T14:00:00.000-05:002006-12-09T15:57:04.430-05:004/10/2006 - Finally, some upgrades for the Mojo<a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/8081/1280/1600/886326/ibis_mojo_drivetrain.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/8081/1280/400/809100/ibis_mojo_drivetrain.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a>Finally got a few of the upgrades done on the Mojo. On the drivetrain I've replaced the Shimano XT rear derailleur with a SRAM X.O and the Shimano LX cranks with new Shimano XT cranks. While I was at it I put a new SRAM rear cassette and chain on. So far this setup is awesome.... love the new XT cranks and the X.O rear derailleur shifts awesome.<br /><br /><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/8081/1280/1600/947651/ibis_mojo_front_wheel.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/8081/1280/400/497768/ibis_mojo_front_wheel.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a>Up front the biggest change was ditching my old Rock Shox Duke XC fork for a new Rock Shox Psylo fork. I also replaced the Avid V brakes with Avid Mechanical disc brakes. Since I replaced the old V brakes with discs, I also needed a new disc wheelset... so, I replaced the old Mavic 517 rims/XTR hubs with Mavic XC717 Disc Rims/Hope XC disc hub. Jim at my local bike shop (Wheel & Wrench) built the wheels for me and these things are awesome. Also love the new Avid Mechanicals...awesome stopping power!!<br /><br /><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/8081/1280/1600/743596/ibis_mojo_rear_wheel.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/8081/1280/400/596512/ibis_mojo_rear_wheel.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a>Out back I also replaced the old Avid Single Digit Ti brakes with Avid Mechanical disc brakes.... and for the wheels, I replaced the old Mavic 517 rims/XTR hubs with Mavic XC717 Disc Rims/Hope XC disc hub.bsetliffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17565187741353870224noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14227720.post-1129477728018352752005-10-16T10:43:00.000-05:002005-10-16T11:42:59.363-05:0010/16/05 - New Crank Brothers Egg Beaters pedals<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/8081/1280/1600/crank_bros_egg_beater_c.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/8081/1280/400/crank_bros_egg_beater_c.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a>I've been using Time ATAC pedals on both my bikes for the last few years and thought it was about time (no pun intended) to try something new. At the last few races I noticed alot of people using <a href="http://www.crankbrothers.com/eggbeater.php" target="_blank">Crank Brothers Egg Beaters</a>, so this morning I headed out to my local bike shop, <a href="http://www.eddys.com/" target="_blank">Eddys</a>, to see if I could find some. Sure enough they had one set left, the least inexpensive model dubbed the <a href="http://www.crankbrothers.com/eggbeater_c.php" target="_blank">Egg Beater C</a>. If I like these I'll probably splurge for the <a href="http://www.crankbrothers.com/eggbeater_3ti.php" target="_blank">Ti model</a> and put them on my race bike. Check back for a quick review later in the week as I hope to be riding these at Poto very soon...<br /><br>bsetliffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17565187741353870224noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14227720.post-1129314880061291962005-10-14T13:14:00.000-05:002005-10-14T15:53:31.193-05:0010/14/05 - West Branch State Park, Ravenna Ohio<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/8081/1280/1600/west_branch_8.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/8081/1280/400/west_branch_8.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a>Having just got back from 3 days of riding/racing in Michigan, I wasn't quite ready to go back to my routine of road and bike path rides, so I decided to head out to <a href="http://www.camba.us/pn/modules.php?op=modload&name=Reviews&file=index&req=showcontent&id=1">West Branch State Park</a> for some "real" mountain biking. I had read about the trails on the <a href="http://www.camba.us/pn/">Cleveland Area Mountain Bike Assoications (CAMBA) website</a> several months ago, but just never made the trip out there. The park is located about 30-40 minutes east of Akron.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/8081/1280/1600/west_branch_1.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/8081/1280/400/west_branch_1.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><a href="http://www.camba.us/pn/modules.php?op=modload&name=Reviews&file=index&req=showcontent&id=1">CAMBA's website</a> has a lot of good info on West Branch's trails, including a very nice map and some point to point directions. The trail is very well marked, but I'd still take the map just in case you miss one of the sign posts.<br /><br />I had planned to ride the entire trail, but instead just did two laps of the trails closest to the water (between the water and Cableline Rd) for a total of about 10 miles. These trails are really nice and CAMBA has done a great job with them. My only gripe is that there are so many roots and rocks. I don't ride this type of terrain very much, and tend to stay away from it for fear of crashing and breaking bones LOL. I just got back from riding the Poto and Boyne Mountain trails in Michigan, and much prefer those types of trails because they have fewer roots and rocks....they still have them, but just not as many, and the trails seem to flow better because of it. If you don't mind roots and rocks, West Branch is a blast. <br /><br />I didn't get around to riding the trails on the other side of Cableline Rd, but some are labeled "more difficult" and "most difficult", so I can only imagine what they look like. My guess is lots of roots and rocks and steep climbs. I will eventually come back to ride those trail, but didn't really want to ride them alone. Speaking of which, I probably wouldn't recommend riding the trails at West Branch by yourself because there are a few tricky spots that can get you into trouble, and if you take a header when you're by yourself, it might be awhile before somebody comes by to help out.<br /><br />Did I crash? Yup. And you guessed it, I was riding up a climb on a section of very rooty trail. Luckily I was going pretty slow, but still ended up taking a pretty good fall on my left elbow. Yeoch!<br /><br />A few more pics...<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/8081/1280/1600/west_branch_3.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/8081/1280/200/west_branch_3.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/8081/1280/1600/west_branch_5.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/8081/1280/200/west_branch_5.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/8081/1280/1600/west_branch_6.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/8081/1280/200/west_branch_6.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/8081/1280/1600/west_branch_7.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/8081/1280/200/west_branch_7.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><br /><br>bsetliffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17565187741353870224noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14227720.post-1129168919184803192005-10-12T20:29:00.000-05:002005-10-13T12:26:36.753-05:0010/09/05 - Boyne Challenge Cross Country Race<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/8081/1280/1600/boyne_xc_race_02.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/8081/1280/400/boyne_xc_race_021.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a>Sunday was the <a href="http://www.funpromotions.com/boyne_state_championships.htm" target="_blank">Boyne Challenge Cross Country Race</a>, which is actually the Michigan Mountain Bike State Championship event. I was racing in the Sport Class and we were doing two laps of the 10.5 mile course. I knew I'd have no problem with the overall distance, but was a little concerned about the tight, twisty, and technical nature of the course. I love that type of riding, but I'm simply not used to it, and wasn't sure if I could keep up with these guys who ride it everyday.... I would soon find out.<br /><br />The Pro, Expert, and Sport class racers were going off at 10am, so around 9:30am I started to get warmed up. It was probably 50 degrees out so I couldn't decide if I should wear tights and a long sleeve jersey OR go with typical summer race attire. Even though most of the racers were wearing tights and long sleeves, I decided to go with shorts and regular jersey. I'm glad I did.<br /><br />They lined us up by age group and sent my group (35-39) off just after 10am. Just as I expected the pace was VERY fast right off the bat. I stayed near the back of the pack only because I basically just race for fun and didn't want to be holding up the fast guys in the tight singletrack that started about a half mile into the course. The pace was pretty damn amazing. These guys were flying. I kept up for a mile or two, but once the real tight singletrack started I just couldn't hang and began to drop back. I settled into my own pace and for awhile was riding by myself, but eventually caught a few guys and rode with them. About halfway thru the lap was the long climb up the golf cart path. I grinded up it pretty easily and actually caught and passed a few riders along the way. Once at the top I slammed down some PowerGel and headed for the singletrack that would take me back down the mountain to finish off the first lap. I think my time for lap 1 was about 55 minutes.<br /><br />At the start of the second lap I felt pretty good. I knew I was pretty far behind the leaders, but just wanted to finish the race well and not really worry about my overall placing. For the first part of the lap I was riding with one other guy and we were setting a pretty good pace. I was leading him thru the tight stuff at a pretty good clip when IT happened. I felt one of my contact lenses pop out. SHIT!! All of a sudden I only had one eye to see, which made things real, um, interesting. It was tough to see all the roots and rocks, so I told the guy behind me to go on ahead because I needed to slow down a bit. A few other guys passed me, but I finally made it to the golf cart path climb without any major problems, although I did brush a tree or two just because it was hard to see some of the smaller ones. On the golf cart path climb, I caught one of the guys that passed me, then all of a sudden I heard the strangest sound coming up behind me...sorta like somebody having an asthma attack. It turned out to be the lead Pro class guy LAPPING me. He was flying up the climb and had some sort of strange breathing technique going. It didn't sound good, but it wasn't really slowing him down either. After the climb we headed back into more tight singletrack and the guy I was riding with pulled away again. Two more Pro/Elite guys passed me just before the final descent down the mountain. I came through the finish at 2 hours and 5 minutes. I figure I probably lost 5-10 minutes because of the contact lense issue, but at any rate I was still pleased with my results.<br /><br />The <a href="http://www.mmba.org/trails.php?trail=39" target="_blank">trails at Boyne Mountain</a> are truly amazing, and I really gotta hand it to <a href="http://www.funpromotions.com/" target="_blank">Fun Promotions</a> for setting up such an AWESOME race course. I don't think I've ever raced a course that flowed as nicely as this one did. There were several sections that required 100% concentration with not much time to rest or relax. It was pretty much constant up and down thru the trees with lots of tight turns and banked corners.... awesome stuff. Not only was the course great, but the overall organization of the event was first rate. I will be back next year!!<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Race Details</span><br />Distance: 21 miles (two 10.5 mile laps)<br />Start Time: 10:00am<br />Temperature: 55 degrees!!<br />Class: Sport Male (35-39 age group)<br />Finish Time: 2:05<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Race Day Food/Hyrdration</span><br />Pre-Race:<br />7:00am: Bagel, waffel, etc (Continental breakfast at Best Western yo)<br />7:30am: Met-RX Big 100 Nutrition Bar w/16oz water<br /><br />During Race:<br />Water (Camelbak with about 40oz water)<br />PowerGel (4 servings mixed w/water)<br /><br />Post Race:<br />Endurox R4 (18oz bottle)<br />Clif Bar<br />Pringles <br />Miscellaneous other stuff...<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Bike Setup</span><br />Bike: Ibis Mojo<br />Front Tire: Kenda Nevegal (45 psi)<br />Rear Tire: Specialized Fast Trak Pro (45 psi)<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/8081/1280/1600/slingshots.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/8081/1280/400/slingshots.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><center><b>The Slingshot Factory Team was at Boyne and had a few of their very cool bikes on display.</b></center><br /><br>bsetliffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17565187741353870224noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14227720.post-1129165825550162612005-10-12T19:54:00.000-05:002005-10-13T08:32:04.716-05:0010/08/05 - Boyne Mountain Resort, Michigan<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/8081/1280/1600/boyne_preride_01.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/8081/1280/400/boyne_preride_01.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a>On Saturday we arrived at <a href="http://www.boynemountain.com/" target="_blank">Boyne Mountain Resort</a> around noon. I wanted to get there a day before the Boyne Challenge Cross Country race so I could pre-ride <a href="http://www.mmba.org/trails.php?trail=39" target="_blank">the course</a> and checkout the rest of the resort. This place is incredible. I was expecting a few small ski slopes and maybe a lodge, but instead found several huge (for midwestern standards) slopes, lots of condos, luxury homes, golf courses, and so on. Several people have told me that Boyne has the best mountain bike trails in Michigan, and now I have to agree with them. Having done several other Michigan trails, including Poto and a few in the UP, I would now rank Boyne as my favorite.<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/8081/1280/1600/boyne_preride_02.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/8081/1280/400/boyne_preride_02.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a>On Saturday we pre-rode the cross country race course, which was a 10.5 loop around the resort. It started out with lots of tight and technical singletrack with several really tricky climbs mixed in. About halfway thru, there was a long and steep climb up the mountain via a golf cart path. This thing was a lung buster, but actually a nice break from the very tight singeltrack which required constant attention. After the climb, the trail headed back down the mountain thru more tight and twisty singletrack before it spit you out on a fast descent down one of the ski slopes to the main road that goes thru the resort.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/8081/1280/1600/boyne_preride_041.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/8081/1280/400/boyne_preride_04.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/8081/1280/1600/boyne_preride_03.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/8081/1280/400/boyne_preride_03.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a>bsetliffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17565187741353870224noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14227720.post-1129163685122484512005-10-12T19:31:00.000-05:002005-10-12T20:21:18.346-05:0010/07/05 - Potawatomi Trail, Pinckney Michigan<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/8081/1280/1600/poto_1.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/8081/1280/400/poto_1.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a>Since we were on our way to <a href="http://www.boynemountain.com/" target="_blank">Boyne Mountain Resort</a> for a race on Sunday, me and my cousin decided to stop along the way at Pinckney Rec Area and ride the infamous <a href="http://www.mmba.org/trails.php?trail=17" target="_blank">Potawatomi Trail</a>. This was my first trip back to "the Poto" in close to 10 years. Awesome is about the only word that describes this place. Where I live in Ohio, we just don't get to ride trails like this. <br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/8081/1280/1600/poto_2.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/8081/1280/400/poto_2.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a>Poto has a little bit of everything... technical climbs, fast dowhills, and lots of sweet singletrack. One thing I did notice on this trip is how well the trail is marked. On my last trip to the Poto, I got lost a few times and had to backtrack. I had a map to go by, but the trail wasn't marked very well. This has all changed. Many of the intersections along the the trail now have signs that are numbered and each one has a map posted so you know just where you are. I wish every mountain bike trail was marked this way. The <a href="http://www.mmba.org/" target="_blank">MMBA</a> has done a great job of maintaining and improving this trail.<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/8081/1280/1600/poto_3.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/8081/1280/400/poto_31.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a>In addition to the 17 mile Potawatomi Trail, you can also do the 5.1-mile Crooked Lake Trail and the 1.9-mile Silver Lake Trail. All three of these trails are accessible from the same parking area.<br /><br>bsetliffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17565187741353870224noreply@blogger.com1