Singletracks Mountain Bike Blog

What an awesome week of PODs we have had! A big thanks to all of the photographers that have been kind enough to submit their hard work for recognition as a Photo of the Day!

Keeping with our diverse international theme, we again featured photos from around the world with locations including Italy, Mexico, Georgia (US), Idaho (US), British Columbia (Canada), and Nepal. It’s so awesome to see riders from all across the planet getting out on the trails and just enjoying the simple pleasure of two wheels on dirt!

In case you missed any of them, here are the 7 photos from this week:

It’s hard to believe that just last year RaceFace closed their doors. Judging by the comments on the forum at that time, there were a lot of disappointed mountain bikers out there. Fortunately the brand lives on under new ownership and many of the new products that were under development at the time survived. I recently got a chance to test the latest 2×10 Turbine crankset + bottom bracket and I’m happy to report RaceFace is back!

Construction & Finish

RaceFace is known for their I-beam crankarms, a design profile that provides exceptional strength and stiffness (I-beams are also used to construct massive buildings so there ya go). The crankarms are first forged from 7050 aluminum then machined to remove excess material while adding signature styling. According to the company, the Turbine cranks are “are light enough for XC yet strong enough for AM use” which means these parts are designed to take serious abuse without weighing down your rig.

I took a minute to weigh the Turbine crank parts before installation and found the whole set tipped the scales at 822 grams. That compares pretty favorably to the carbon SRAM X0 crankset which weighs about 65 grams less. In fact, the RaceFace Turbine bottom bracket shaves about 15 grams off the weight of the SRAM.

The Turbine chain rings are completely CNC-machined from 7075 aluminum and out of the package they are GORGEOUS. These chain rings just feel dialed with crisp edges and an airy weight in your hand. All the parts are available with a neutral gray finish (shown) or black (officially, “bad ass black”) or you can go with the flashier red version.

Installation

Beautiful Turbine packaging.

Installing the RaceFace Turbine 2×10 on my Santa Cruz Tallboy was a snap. The bottom bracket screwed in smoothly and I was done with the whole procedure in less than 15 minutes. I did have an issue with the Turbine chainring bolts – they’re Torx bolts, not hex (I realized this after I stripped the first bolt or two). On my first test ride one of the bolts came loose and I lost it on the trail; fortunately replacement bolts aren’t hard to find. Call me old-fashioned but I chose hex bolts for the replacements.

Pedals went on smoothly and held firm throughout testing. The Turbine features a self-extracting crank bolt cap for easy removal with an 8mm hex wrench.

On the trail

I swapped out my SRAM X0 crankset for the Turbines about mid-way through my Cohutta 100 training which meant TONS of miles on the Turbines in a short amount of time. All told I easily clocked 500 miles, including the 100-miler itself at the end of April. The SRAM set-up I replaced featured a 26/39T configuration while the Turbine sports a 28/40T which was noticeably more tiring – but it forced me to ride faster! Not to worry though, RaceFace offers 26/38T and 30/42T options.

The Turbine cranks produce ultra-precise shifting – noticeably quicker and smoother than my X0 cranks. The expertly machined inner ramps and perfectly scooped teeth produced snappy shifts and solid engagement, even in panic-shift situations.

The RaceFace bottom bracket is holding up well with no noticeable creaks or added resistance, even after dozens of dusty, maintenance-free miles.

The aluminum crank arms have lived up to their all-mountain-capable billing with few noticeable scratches or gouges. I’m actually very surprised considering how many miles I’ve ridden on these cranks, completely exhausted. I tend to make a lot of mistakes toward the end of long rides and the rocky trails of north Georgia can be unforgiving. Even the teeth on my big chain ring have held up incredibly well – not a single chipped or missing tooth.

The bottom line

RaceFace has earned a great reputation for high performance parts, especially among those looking to upgrade the stock components on their ride. The Turbine 2×10 offers exceptional shifting and durability in a package that won’t weigh down your bike or your credit card bill ($320 MSRP). Looking to modernize your drivetrain? Look no further than the Turbine 2×10.

Thanks to RaceFace for providing the Turbine 2×10 crankset for review.

Wanna look like a pro out on the trail? Here are 9 tips and tricks for getting dialed this spring.

Tip #1: Line up the tire label with the valve – makes the valve easier to find.

Centering the valve stem with the tire logo(s) makes it easier to find the valve when you’re in a rush.

Tip #2: Friends don’t let friends ride with kickstands.  They’re heavy, and dangerous.

Tip #3: I don’t care how cool you are, how long you’ve been riding, or how easy you’re taking it on your ‘recovery ride’ – wear a helmet, dummy.

Tip #4: QR Lever goes on the disc/non-drive side of the bike.  Don’t ask why, it just does.

Quick release levers go on the disc-brake side of the bike.  Thru-axle forks will only let you put them on the correct side. 

Tip #5: Protect your spare tube – put it in a ziplock bag or an old sock to prevent your multitool from rubbing/poking a hole in the tube.

Tip #6: When photographing your bike, make sure the chain is in the big ring.  It looks faster.

Proper bike photo.  Chain is in the big ring, rim/tire labels are in the proper places.

Tip #7: Gorrila tape.  Keep a small roll in your saddle bag/hydration pack, or wrap some around the frame or seatpost.  It has many many uses: keeping a broken spoke from flopping around, booting a slashed tire sidewall, or even taping up a broken finger.  Gorilla tape is stronger than duct tape, so don’t substitute.

I keep some gorilla tape wrapped around my seatpost.  If you’re clever, you can place it so it’s hidden by the saddle bag’s strap.  If you’re lazy/in a hurry like me, just put it anywhere.

Tip #8: Fenders.  Get some.  They’re cheap, light, easy to install and remove, and work really well.  Combined with waterproof shoes or shoe covers, they turn your bike into an all-weather adventure machine.  Stay off the trails when they’re wet, but ride paved and gravel roads to your heart’s content in the rain without getting mud in your eyes or spray up your crack.

All set up for a long ride in the rain.  Note the improper gear selection for photographing however.

Tip #9: Sunglasses go UNDER your helmet straps, that way you can take your helmet off while wearing the glasses.  The roadies will tell you they go outside the straps, but, that’s stupid.

Photo: element22

Which tips and tricks would you add to this list?

There is nothing scarier than hearing about all the injuries that have been happening lately when people really send it. Having progressed through different styles of mountain biking and finding I love gravity riding, I have also had more than my share of near misses. Having broken both my clavicles (separate crashes), torn my right ankle, broken both my wrists, and chipped a fragment off my left ankle, I have also encountered many a near miss with head injuries.

Not wanting to tempt fate any more, I decided to get some heavy-duty protection. One major upgrade to my gear was a new set of leg braces from FOX called the POD. But the other, and even more important, piece of equipment is a Leatt Brace.

So why is the Leatt so important? Well for one thing the Leatt brace represents a piece of technology that’s geared directly toward the rider’s safety in every way. With 360° of protection around the neck, it reduces the chances of whiplash and also prevents the following conditions:

• Hyperflexion: extreme forward head movement (displaces vertebrae and can snap the spinal cord)
• Hyperextension: extreme rearward head movement (can also damage or snap the spinal cord)
• Lateral Hyperflexion: extreme sideways head movement (can twist or snap the spinal cord)
• Axial Loading: compression of the spinal column due to a powerful vertical force on the helmet
• Posterior Hypertranslation: rearward movement of the head and helmet on the neck

Designed in 2001 by neurosurgeon Dr. Chris Leatt after witnessing the death of a motorcyclist from a severe neck injury, the Leatt Brace went through three years of R&D and testing to maximize its protective abilities and comfort without hindering range of motion or peripheral vision. In 2004, after giving up his medical career to focus on the brace, Dr. Leatt devoted an additional two years to bringing his invention to the marketplace.

Specs

The latest rendition of the Leatt Brace is the DBX Pro, which I decided to run–not because I am a Pro, but because I decided on the simpler, lighter version over the DBX Comp, which has a few extra adjustments that I decided I could do without. The Pro model is all-carbon and comes in at a scant 650 grams.

On the Pro you get cool-looking red anodized CNC-sprung hinges on both sides of the brace–perfect for either left or right-handed riders. Cleverly placed vent ports also act as stations to hold the padding, making for a velcro-free replaceable pad (no need to worry about the velcro wearing out any more).

In the box you also get a high-quality bag to carry the Leatt, as well as a tool kit and extra spare clips that allow you to tune the brace to fit you perfectly.

The picture below basically shows a breakdown of all the parts on a Leatt Pro. With only 7 major parts, it is easy to service, replace parts, and clean (when needed). The pads come out easy enough once you get the hang of it, and as mentioned above they don’t lose their ability to hold in place after repeated attempts at setting up and tuning.

Speaking of tuning, the thoracic member is adjustable as well, along with the spacing pins. I ended up using the middle-size set of spacing pins, and the stock positioning on the thoracic member for proper support. For added security, I am also using the additional harness to keep things in place.

Out on the Trail

I didn’t need to make many adjustments to get used to the Leatt Pro. Other than one or two times when I had to fumble around with the double “D” rings on one of my lids, the Leatt barely felt like it was on–a true testament to its great design.

Not even the plate in my right clavicle came into contact with the brace, which confirms the brace is designed to avoid contacting the clavicles. This is very important as the clavicle is one of the most sensitive bones in the body and the easiest to break.

The jump right after the photo above saw me eating dirt–hard enough that I was out for a few weeks with a bruised quad and shoulder. I landed hard and had my bike toss me off and into some trees, basically head first but sideways, causing me to flex sideways along my leg, then strike the ground with the head. Pain in the leg… yes. Pain in the neck… no.

So do I think the Leatt Pro works as advertised and is worth the investment? I would have to say yes.

I am not one to shy away from devices that make your ride safer. In fact, having come from a motorsports background when you never know what could happen, I was always concerned about safety, so this fits right in. Is the Leatt Pro worth the $699 price tag? Well, if it saves you from a life in a chair or a lengthy time in a hospital, you tell me.

Now if $699 is too spendy and you still want protection, then check out the DBX Comp III for $399 or the Ride II for $299. Both work as well as the DBX Pro but are a bit heavier and are made of different materials.

Overall, a person who rides gravity should really consider spending their dollars on a device such as this one.  In fact, many of the manufacturers today are making provisions on their cheek protectors and pressure suits to accommodate the Leatt. It seems they have seen the benefits of the Leatt in action as well.

I would like to thank the folks at Leatt for sending down the DBX Pro for a review. Check out Leatt’s website for more information.

The western half of Colorado has more to offer in the way of mountain bike trails than just Grand Junction and Fruita. Further south, in and around Durango, there are several great networks of smooth flowing singletrack. For a long weekend in May there’s nothing better than heading south and exploring some new trails.

This year we made our first stop at Phil’s World in Cortez, Colorado. This gave us an excuse to travel down over Lizard Head Pass instead of the ever-terrifying Red Mountain Pass (aka the Million Dollar Highway). Unlike other bike areas, Phil’s World is on private land and there is a recommended donation of $3 per person. It’s worth it.

Head across the doubletrack from the parking lot to enter Phil’s World and begin your ride.

The trails here are meant to be ridden clockwise.  Don’t deviate from this or you’ll probably end up in a head-on collision.  The longest ride possible at Phil’s World is 28 miles.  If you want to do that, just keep turning left at all signed intersections.

There is a lot of sweet, smooth, flowing single track to be had here.

Trails like “Elbow” are marked with a skull and crossbones and have some slightly technical spots.

Every major intersection includes a laminated map.  When you are approaching intersections there are bright yellow “caution” signs.  Each trail is marked with a great sign like this:

This is the cushiest bike park ever.  Maps, wood-carved signs, and single track…

A note about the “Pass on Ribs” trail:  At this intersection you can turn left and head up a trail called “Abajo” which will take you to “Ribs.”  Ribs is like riding the Scream Machine at Six Flags over Georgia on your bike. The whoop-de-whoos will make you do this:  omigosh omigosh omigosh don’t brake don’t brake don’t brake! Followed by:  Whaaaaaahoooooooooo!  Wheeee!  Whooooooo! 

Still, some sections are steep and could be intimidating for beginners and early intermediate riders.  If this might be an issue for you or your fellow riders, then take the “Pass on Ribs” trail and save “Ribs” for next time.

Our last few trails of the day, “Abajo,” “Ribs,” and “Here for More” led us to awesome vistas.

Sleeping Ute mountain (on the right) watches over Cortez, Colorado

We bombed down the final hills and back to the car for an aprés bike libation.  What a great way to start the weekend!

Heading towards the end of our ride at Phil’s World

We left Cortez and drove the 45 miles to Durango to camp at Junction Creek campground. We’ve stayed here before and really enjoy it in the early season.  This was actually the first weekend (May 4) that they were open this year.  The “D” loop is best for tents but some of the C and E loop sites have tent pads as well.

Saturday we headed south on Hwy 160 to the last trailhead of the Telegraph Trails in Durango.  The “Salebarn” and “Big Canyon” trailheads are located on a frontage road behind the Home Depot.  You’ll turn left at the red light right near Wal-Mart and once you turn you’ll see the Ford Dealership almost right in front of you.  Bear right.  You’ll head down a frontage road and you’ll see a dirt road leading straight up a hill ahead.  Go up the hill and you’ll see the sign for Salebarn.  I recommend starting here and ending at the Big Canyon trailhead which comes out just behind the Ford Dealership.

Sale Barn trailhead – part of the Telegraph Trail System in Durango, Colorado

Big Canyon trailhead behind the Ford Dealership.  Exit here, bear left, and ride back down the frontage road to your car.  This is a much better trail to bomb down than to go up.

Like the trails at Phil’s World, the Telegraph Trails are well-marked with maps.  We like to go up Sale Barn to the Cowboy trail and ride it just past the junction with the Big Canyon trail.  At the next “triangle” we turn right and head up to a double track.

It’s so crowded out here on Saturdays.

We ride this up, up, up until we eventually intersect with the Sidewinder trail.  From here we bomb down Sidewinder and Big Canyon with almost no pedaling!

An example of the awesome maps offered at the Telegraph Trails.

Smooth singletrack on the Telegraph Trails

We left the Telegraph trails and headed straight down the frontage road towards town to the HomeSlice Pizza place located at the corner of College and 4th by the gas station.  You need to go there.  Really.

On the last day, we headed to the Horse Gulch side of the Telegraph Trails.  Head south on 8th street and, just before the Sonic, turn left.  There is a solar business here.  If you get to the Sonic, just turn around and take the first right.  You’ll see a gravel/dirt road and random parking ahead.

Ride up the double track for about 10 minutes.  It’s not too much of a grind.  You’ll come to the very obvious start of the Horse Gulch section of the Telegraph Trails.

Looking out towards the Horse Gulch area; just to the left are several benches and a map of the area.

The rides here are shorter than the other side, but you can do laps or make a loop as strenuous as you like.  We like to head up the Telegraph trail until it intersects with the Meadows trail.  We take this to Stacy’s Loop, ride Stacy’s to the first Cuchillo intersection and then ride up one side of Cuchillo and down the other.  That takes between 1.5 and 2 hours.  Stacy’s has some climbing, but it’s all ridable and fun!  The switchbacks going up are smooth and well-banked.

If you’re looking for something even more strenuous, head up Mike’s trail.  This climbs higher than Stacy’s and contains many many more switchbacks.

The Horse Gulch trails tend to stay lower in the valley than the Sale Barn trails.

The flowers are pretty.  No vegetation was harmed in the taking of this photo.

If you really want an epic ride, you can ride the Telegraph trail up and over the ridge and drop down into the Big Canyon/Sale Barn area, ride there, cross BACK over the ridge and come down the Anasazi Decent.  I’ve never done it, but I’m sure others have!

Of course, once you reach the trailhead again, you get to bomb back down the doubletrack to your car.

If you’re tired of pizza (like that ever happens) check out Serious Texas BBQ and get the Serious Texas Taco.  You’ll crave them for the rest of your life.

Durango has a great, fun, well-maintained trail system.  The next time you’re in the area, head out and show those trails some love.

This is a continuation of our series on spring bike maintenance. Click here to read Part 1: Washing, Fork Maintenance, and More.

Drivetrain Maintenance

After cleaning your bike and maintaining your fork, it’s time to tackle the drivetrain, frame pivots, and brakes.

Carefully remove the crank arms. Most cranks are self-extracting using an 8mm Allen key. Older models (square taper) may require a crank arm puller. Whichever model you have, remove the arm and get ready to check the condition of the bottom bracket bearings and cups.

Once the arms are off you have a better view of the bottom bracket and the bearing condition. If the bearing looks rusty or feels crunchy, it’s time to start up a list of replacement parts, and bottom bracket bearings or a complete cartridge may just be the first on the list.

Remove the bottom bracket using proper tools (depending on which bottom bracket you have) such as the Park BBT#19 used on this bike. Once that is off you can clean up the threads and individually check each bearing for lube and condition.

Not all bottom brackets let you access the races, but some will allow you to carefully pry a dust shield off. If that is the case, cleaning it up with solvent and re-greasing could be an inexpensive alternative to complete replacement. When reinstalling the bottom bracket or bottom bracket cups, clean then lube the cups to prevent them from galling or seizing up in the future.

The key here, besides adding the correct spacer(s), is to carefully align the cups to prevent cross threading when installing, and to ensure you do not over torque them (follow the manufacturer’s recommendations).

I hold off on the installation of the cranks until I finish the rest of the frame work.

Frame Maintenance

While the frame is nearly naked with just the bottom bracket in place, I can work on the rest of the frame with unrestricted access to the pivots.

Remove the rear derailleur (without disturbing any of the settings) and brake, so that the rear triangle has nothing attached to it.

On this Yeti 303 we had to inspect all the bearings. Start by removing the rear triangle from the frame. With the triangle off you can now feel for any grinding or roughness in the main pivot.

Since this is a downhill bike and has been ridden hard in both dusty and muddy conditions, I knew it was necessary to check individual bearings and links. So starting at the top and cleaning things as I went, I worked my way down and started to remove the rest of the linkages and the rear shock.

With each link removed, check individual bearings by spinning them and feeling the smoothness (or lack thereof). I use a small pick and pry the dust shields off to visually check for contamination. Then I add a high-quality grease by injecting it into each bearing, and seal it up again. After each pivot I re-torque it to factory spec.

Apply a side load to check for play (no play and you’re good; if there is play then you need to replace bearings).

In the event that one or two bearings are beyond your help, start a list of what is bad, call up your local LBS (or manufacturer), and get price quotes on new bearings. Replacing a bearing takes specialized pullers, which is a bit beyond this article. It’s best to leave that to the experts.

After all the bearings were done, we inspected the 303′s slider arrangement for wear and play.

After a cleaning and some fresh grease we’re ready to re-install the rear shock. Before the shock is bolted down, check the DU bushing and hardware for wear. If there is any, now is the time to get it replaced.

Torque down the shock and install the rear derailleur, but not the cables or rear brakes.

Brake Maintenance

First, find the plastic hardware that came with your brakes (the pad spreaders that most people throw away). With the pads still on the brake, cycle the brakes a few times to check for operation. Note the amount that each piston in your caliper moves with each stroke. Both sides of pistons should move the same distance per stroke of the lever (approximately 1.5mm). If for some reason there is uneven movement you need to cycle each piston to free itself.

Start off by removing the brake pads and then cleaning the caliper with bike wash, removing any trace of dust and debris. I then (with the aid of a friend) cycle the brake lever while holding back one side of the caliper with a wide screw driver (be careful not to cycle too much as to push the piston right out of the caliper). Then push the extended piston back into the caliper body. Do this to each piston, until the pistons moves equally and freely. The purpose of this whole task is to lube the seals of the piston. This is one of the most essential service tasks a rider can do to his bike to ensure good braking. After talking with many people from Avid, Hayes, and Formula, they all agree that this is something that people forget to do.

Once the calipers are free, install a new set of pads. In the example here we inspected the pads, which had a bit more than 1mm left on them, so we cleaned them up with 400grt sand paper and tossed them back on (a few more runs are expected from these, but not a whole season). Having the calipers removed with the adapter makes for an easy installation when we are ready to replace the bar.

The key difference with Shimano brakes is the use of Shimano’s brake fluid, which is NOT compatible with other brands.  Shimano uses mineral oil in their systems.To bleed the brakes on this bike, it is best to first move the levers on the bar so they are parallel with the ground, then remove the reservoir caps with a Phillips screwdriver. Now remove all the oil in the reservoir.

Prepare a second syringe with fresh brake fluid and bleed the brakes, as described in this article. What you’re doing here is basically a reverse bleed which pushes the fluid from the caliper body into the lever reservoir. Once the reservoir is full again, suck out that old stuff, and top it off with new fluid.

Close the bleed port at the caliper, slowly cycle the brake lever, and check the feel of the brakes. You should have a solid feel to the lever. If not, reopen the caliper port and push a bit more fluid through, this time tapping the brake line to ensure that no air bubbles cling inside the brake hose. Close the port off and check again.

Once you’re happy with the brake feel, ensure the reservoir is full and then install the top cap again. Wipe off the brake levers and you’re good. This extra work on the brakes and making sure everything is fresh is essential for good brake operation and modulation.

(See our comprehensive disc brake service article for more info.)

Stay tuned for Part 3: Headset Maintenance, Component Reinstallation, and Final Details.

I love watching videos of urban trails riding, because really, who can’t help but love Danny Macaskill? But personally, I think trials really reaches its ultimate application when it is done in a natural setting. When I’m out on the trail, these are the skills that I wish I had in my possession to really turn the world into my own personal playground.

Since most of us are not nearly this gifted on a mountain bike, I guess we will all just have to enjoy this video of Jeremy VanSchoonhover turning the boulders and cliffs of Moab into his own unique interpretation of a mountain bike trail:

We have a fantastic batch of PODs this week, with an amazing showing from the mountains of Idaho! Be sure to drop us a comment and let us know which one you like the most!

Also, several commentators have noted that we seem to regularly feature photos from the same photographers. We do this because those photographers are constantly shooting and submitting photos–and the ones that they submit are generally exceptional! I’d like to thank all of our regular photographers for all of their hard work–keep it up guys!

If you’d like to see a more diverse set of photographers featured, you need to do two things:

1) Start taking photos that outshine the ones below.

2) Upload them to Singletracks.com!

It’s that easy! (Or is it? ) Now head on out, start shooting, and start uploading!

Cheers!

Titan Desert race, Morocco. Photo: Titan Desert.

“Ridgeline singletrack high above Champery” Trail: Champery Via The Col Du Cou, France. Photo: Sian_Hughes.

“Selfless volunteers doing trail improvements during the 2012 Disco Hill Trail Day.” Trail: Discovery Hill, Salmon, Idaho. Photo: chukt.

Lago della Caccavella, Italy. Photo: Sergio Barboni.

“Loading up for a Sage Creek shuttle. Tons of shuttles end up at North Fork. Stop in to the store and ask the boys for Beta.” Idaho. Photo: chukt.

Titan Desert race, Morocco. Photo: Titan Desert.

“Looks like hunting season has started. Shuttle Hunting Season that is. North Fork, Idaho.” Photo: chukt.

Hydration packs must be catching on because just about every accessory company has added them to their product lines, and women’s specific models are starting to become more common.

Dakine is no exception and they have added a number of models to their line-up of packs. This review is for the Girls Amp 8L pack.

Since I’m obviously not a girl, I had my daughter test this out for me. However I’m the one who fills and packs everything, so I got a good perspective on that aspect of things.

The Dakine Girls’ Amp hydration packs employ the same basic design as the men’s version, but are sized to fit a girl’s (usually) shorter torso and narrower shoulders. My daughter is 5′ tall and the pack fits her well, albeit with the shoulder straps cinched all the way down. This model ships with a waist belt, but she does not like to use one and fortunately a quick pull of two velcro tabs allows easy removal. The shoulder straps are wide enough to sit comfortably without twisting or digging in, and the back panel is perhaps the best I have ever seen. Even on 80° days, she had no sweat issues with it.

The pockets and cargo area are simple and well thought out. Starting at the top there is a fleece-lined pocket perfect for sunglasses, a GPS, a smartphone, or an MP3 player (just not all at the same time.) Next is a smallish quick access pocket suitable for keys, a CO2 inflator, and other small items. The main pocket unzips all the way around for wide-open access. There is an elasticized pocket that holds the water bladder, a dedicated tire pump sleeve, and several mesh organizer panels for stashing a spare tube, snacks, maps, etc. Across the bottom of the pack there is a a dual access outside pocket that works for quickly stowing empty snack wrappers, arm warmers, or even a light jacket. I was initially dubious about how much it would hold, as it’s fairly tight, but it works surprisingly well for the above mentioned items.

I have to admit that the the hydration  system threw me for a loop initially. I guess I’m just so accustomed to the ridiculously simple operation of that other hydration pack. The 70oz bladder is the type with a fold-over top and plastic slider. This style is great for fast fill-ups from pretty much any water source, and it is easy to dump ice into. The slider closes securely and we experienced no leaks from it. The hose is detachable and the valve sports an on/off rotating ring. For drinking, the valve actuates easily and has a very good amount of water flow. However, due to this feature you MUST turn the valve to ‘off’ before stowing the pack or you may arrive at the trailhead with an empty water bladder and a wet car.

Even though the lining sports a girly flower motif, it isn’t all roses with this pack. I already mentioned the ease of valve actuation leading to leaking if a another item ends up on top of it. Another issue is that the water has a very noticeable plastic taste. This doesn’t bother me, and I assume it will fade after several uses, but this may be a show stopper for some people. Overall the hydration system functions as advertised, but in my opinion it could be a little bit simpler to operate. In reality though, these are nit-picky details, and the pack works pretty well, all things considered.

Bottom line: This pack is perfect for after work rides or short weekend excursions. The 70oz bladder is plenty, and the pack easily holds the essentials for non-epic trips. The size and fit are very good, even for shorter women, and the vented back panel is excellent. In addition to mountain biking, with the waist belt in place, this pack works just as well for hiking or skiing/boarding. Assuming the plastic taste abates over time, or if that doesn’t bother you, then this is a great little pack. Oddly enough, it’s not listed on Dakine’s site, but an internet search shows it available from $44 – $60 at a variety of online retailers.

Thanks to folks at Dakine for sending over this pack for review.

Mountain bikers often take for granted the fact that we’ll return safe and sane from our jaunts into the backcountry—even those that take us twenty miles or more from the nearest town or main road. I think we get this false sense of security from the fact that long distances can easily be covered on a bike in a matter of a few hours, as opposed to hiking or backpacking where the time involved reinforces the reality of the seclusion and distance from help should some unforeseen event occur. The truth is, the further you get from your car, a road or a town, the greater the likelihood you’ll end up spending the night in the woods if a serious injury or breakdown occurs. Traveling with the appropriate gear, however, greatly reduces not only the discomfort and danger inherent in an unplanned-for night in the woods, but also the chances of that ever happening in the first place.

There are, of course, vastly divergent philosophies regarding just how prepared for the unforeseen one should be when venturing into the wilds. When I go mountain biking, I tend to be well prepared. My level of preparedness is directly proportional to the distance from civilization I will be, as well as the likelihood of encountering low overnight temperatures and/or precipitation. Wet and cold conditions can lead to hypothermia, and hypothermia is the greatest real danger one faces in a temperate zone wilderness.

My checklist of emergency equipment and supplies includes:

• A warm fleece sweater and beanie
• A water-proof, packable jacket and pants
• Bicycle repair kit
• Emergency kit
• First-aid kit
• Map & compass
• Extra food
• Water filter/pump
• Headlamp

On a short trip near town in the summertime, I might only take a patch kit & tire pump. For a longer ride in the winter, I take everything on the list.

In addition to the gear I pack with me, I carefully consider what kind of clothing I wear when I go. There’s a saying among hikers and mountaineers: “Cotton kills!” Cotton, although very comfortable, is one of the hardest fabrics to dry out once it gets wet. As noted above, hypothermia is hands down the greatest threat to one’s safety in the wilderness of the temperate zones; that includes most of the continental United States. The last thing you want when the sun is going down and the temperature is dropping is to find yourself wearing wet cotton clothing. Fortunately for us, there is now a wide variety of comfortable, fast-drying, moisture-wicking fabrics available at prices to fit almost any budget.

One of the items on the list above that few mountain bikers carry is a water filter/pump. Next to hypothermia, dehydration is probably the second greatest threat to a person stuck in the wilderness. In a true emergency, if I had no alternative, I would drink water from nearly any source. Barring such circumstances, however, I’ll never again take so much as a sip from the clearest mountain stream. Several years ago I became violently ill from drinking what appeared to be clean, fresh water. The truth is that even the most pristine looking creek may be contaminated upstream with an animal carcass, feces, or other pollutant. Giardia and Cryptosporidium are the two leading illness-inducing microorganisms present in the water supplies of the US and Canada. Fortunately, these are easily removed from drinking water using any of the readily available filter/pumps on the market.

In terms of preparedness there is no substitute for knowing what to do in case of an emergency. All the gear in the world won’t help you unless you know how to use it properly. Before travelling any significant distance from help in the wilderness, educate yourself on emergency and survival techniques.

Undoubtedly there are people out there reading this who think all this preparedness is overkill. I am the first to admit that I have seldom had to use the emergency gear I pack with me on my outings, and that it is somewhat of a burden to lug it around with me. However, the times I have had to use my water filter, or put on my water-proof layer due to an unexpected downpour have made it all worthwhile. Besides, 10 million Boy Scouts couldn’t possibly be wrong every time they recite their motto: “Be prepared.” Could they?

I owned the first version of the Contour HD helmet cam., and if I was to use one word to compare the new Roam model to the original it would be: refined.

While the original Contour captured great video, it was a bit of a chore to use and it didn’t react well to changing light conditions. Contour definitely listened to their users and they have provided some seriously upgraded features with the design of this latest model, while still hitting a decent price point of $199.

The Roam includes two double-stick camera mounts that are suitable for a skate or snow type helmet, but these don’t really work for mountain biking. The Roam also comes with a sheet of paper that emphatically insists you will need to get a MicroSD card before using the camera, however mine shipped with a 2GB card installed. Either way, before you hit the trail you will want a larger MicroSD card and a decent mounting option for biking. I purchased a 32GB SanDisk card and this mount:

The mount is a little pricey, but it more than makes up for it with the various mounting options it allows. It consists of two rubber straps–one short, one longer–and a beefy base that can rotate 360° and lock into place with the push of a button. The long strap is perfect for helmet or top/down tube mounting while the shorter one is great for attaching the camera to handlebars, seatpost, or even a fork leg. One BIG improvement in the mounting department is the addition of a standard threaded tripod socket. When combined with a mini tripod or Gorillapod you can easily grab your own “ride-by” shots to edit in with your POV footage.

Fork Mounted Video

As I mentioned, Contour refined almost everything about this camera. On the old model, you had to hold a button down for three seconds and wait for the beep to know it was on, then you would slide the recording button forward to start recording. The camera would also shut itself off after a preset amount of time, requiring you to do that again, usually too late to grab the video you wanted. Now all you do is slide the record button forward to start recording, and slide it back to turn off. There’s zero guess work, and it’s easily accomplished while riding. Another nice feature is you can disable the beeping when turning the camera on and off. I found the loud beeps to be annoying in general, and disabling them allows you to grab ‘stealth’ footage of your friends.

The back of the camera seals with an upgraded hard door with a locking latch. This feature, combined with a built-in gasket, helps keep the camera waterproof to a depth of three feet. While I don’t have any plans to take it snorkeling, it should help out in the occasional rain storm on the trail.

Since the camera can be mounted in a variety of ways, the lens rotates 180° so that you don’t end up with sideways or even upside down videos. Pushing the button on the back of camera twice activates a laser beam that projects a solid line for fine tuning the alignment.

Camera settings are managed via an application installed on your Windows PC or Mac. You can choose from three resolutions: 1080p, 720p, or 960p which is a tall and narrow field of view. Another new feature is the addition of “time lapse” mode where you can grab a 5 megapixel still frame every 1, 3, 5 or 10 seconds. You can also adjust the mic gain and lighting settings, but I left both of these on default and the camera sensor’s light and sound sensitivity is greatly improved over the old model. Here is a video I shot with lots of transitions between bright sun and fairly dark shade and it handles it seamlessly (sound has been edited out).

Inside the back door, the Roam has an internal battery, and a single, included, USB cable handles charging and file transfer. The MicroSD card can be removed and used in a card reader, but unless you have long fingernails is is a pain to get it out. Up top there is the large on/off slider button, as well as two status LED icons: one for battery and one for the memory card.

Out on the trail this camera has been great. The new on/off switch is easy and I can quickly move the camera between a variety of mount points. So far the rubber strap setup is holding up well. Back at the PC, charging and copying the videos is a snap over USB, and another neat new feature is a thumbnail image that accompanies each video file, making it easy to identify which clip you’re looking at.

My only complaints so far are that the camera will sometimes turn itself on inside my duffel bag. (Once out on the trail though, the recording switch has never moved from where I put it.) The red laser line for aligning the camera is pretty much invisible in bright sun, and it would be nice to be able to change the video mode without having to connect to a computer.

The Countour Roam may not include GPS or Bluetooth compatibility like it’s fancier siblings, but what it does include is a respectable set of features at a competitive pricepoint. If you’re the type if rider who wants a simple, durable camera that captures great video and you don’t want to spend a ton of cash, this is the model for you.

Thanks to the folks at Contour for sending over the Roam for review!

Last week I met up with Greg and Jeremy near Chattanooga, TN to check out a couple mountain bike trails. Chattanooga was recently named “Best Town Ever” by Outside Magazine thanks to the miles and miles of fresh singletrack in the area – and local trail builders aren’t done yet. The weather was great on Thursday – sunny and warm but not too humid.

White Oak Mountain

I had ridden Raccoon Mountain a couple times and Greg and I recently checked Five Points off our trail wishlist so we decided to ride White Oak Mountain on Thursday. Jeremy has ridden pretty much all the trails near Chattanooga but not White Oak Mountain so none of us really knew what to expect.

The trails are located on the Southern Adventist University campus just east of Chattanooga and for some reason I imagined the 15 or so miles of trail would be a network of old hiking trails that happened to be open to mountain bikes. That may have been the case at one time but last week we found well-groomed bike trails with excellent signage and maps. In fact, I scanned a QR code on the map at the trailhead and downloaded a system map PDF directly to my phone. Welcome to the 21st century!

We headed up Krebs Cycle trail and to be honest the climb didn’t flow very well with several short steep climbs punctuated by awkward turns and descents. Continuing on to Mid Range and Points Unknown (those are trail names) it was clear that machine work had been done recently, resulting in fast, smooth tread with better flow.

The Points Unknown trail lead us to the double black diamond White Oak Ridge trail and I have to admit I was a little nervous. All three of us were on hardtail 29ers and a guy in the parking lot seemed to think we needed trials bikes to attempt White Oak Ridge (or maybe he meant trail bikes, I don’t know).

Rider: me. photo: mtbgreg1.

As soon as we hit the ridge things got gnarly with rocks and boulders littering the trail. We all stopped at the first boulder and sessioned a bit. Ok, I sessioned until I was able to clear the rocks. Greg rode straight through the first time and made it look easy. Jeremy tried an alternate line that nearly panned out – but didn’t.

For the next mile or so the rocks were a constant, though I found everything rideable thanks to expertly constructed lines. In a few spots we stopped to scout the best lines but once we realized there was always a way through, we got into the rhythm of the trail. In the end I felt a real sense of accomplishment for riding the ridge trail pretty cleanly. The White Oak Ridge trail certainly fits my definition of a double black diamond, though Greg didn’t agree.

We continued on to explore trails like Southern Mission and Big Red. These trails had great flow with well placed whoops, jumps, and bermed turns. By the time we returned we had clocked about 10 miles on all but the beginner-rated trails.

Enterprise South

I had heard good things about Enterprise South so I was stoked to hit these trails after a quick BBQ lunch in between rides. The Enterprise South trails are built on the site of a former ammunition storage facility near the newly constructed Volkswagen assembly plant. After driving for what seemed like several miles within the park we arrived at one of the bike trailheads.

The first trail we hit was a short one-way loop that was fast and fun! Near the end of the loop we found a skills area with a few jumps, an air bridge, and one of the longest log-skinnies any of us had ever seen. I made a couple attempts but never got past the first of three massive logs. On his second attempt Greg cleaned the entire skinny – and he has video to prove it!

Immediately after Greg’s performance his rear derailleur cable snapped so we rode back to the car where Jeremy had a spare bike waiting (his Trek Fuel). After an absurdly difficult pedal swap, we were back on the trail. Everything flowed well and the moderate climbs seemed to fly by. Aside from the first loop we rode, the loops at Enterprise are directional by day and we were riding clockwise.

photo: mtbgreg1.

Near the middle of the final loop we hit a pump track at the entrance to one of the dozens of ammo storage bunkers on the property. This bunker’s doors were open and stepping into the underground dome the sound of my cleats on the concrete reverberated like a mortar launch.  It’s surprising no one has filmed a post apocalpytic / industrial themed MTB video here yet!

The descent from the pump track was fast and full of jumps. It reminded me of a narrower, less steep Green’s Lick with dozens of opportunities to get big air. I nearly lost it after a series of bumps but thankfully recovered before hitting the next set.

We rode every inch of trail at Enterprise South and clocked nearly 11 miles. Thursday was one of the best days I’ve had on the bike in months with buff trails, technical challenges, and good friends. I’ll definitely be back up to Chattanooga again soon!