0 points (view top contributors)
Forum Replies Created
-
Posts
-
I think it’s very dangerous to start generalizing that "all people" are a certain way. There are just as many wonderful people that ride road bikes as MTBs, and also just as many jerks. We need to stop hating one another just because we are different. Lots of people from all over the world enjoy road biking/racing, and some enjoy MTBing just as much! The fact is that there will always be dopers in just about every sport. Some people can’t go about it without looking for a shortcut or advantage. All we can do is make sure that WE train and prepare by the rules and let the people who cheat get caught, and they all eventually do. Now, let’s go outside and ride! 😃
Congratulations! You have done an amazing job, keep going! I’ll follow you on Strava too so I can see how it goes. Way to go!
It’s like Disneyland for bikers! Awesome!
@trouttrunnell — Raising Arizona is one of my faves. My riding buddies and I quote it constantly.
@fleetwood – Nice! I was wondering if anyone would get the reference! +1!I’ve been using a GPS app on my iPhone called "Cyclemeter" for about a year and a half now and I love it! It does everything I want it to do and more, and it’s totally customizable which rocks. I can’t recommend it highly enough to anyone looking for a ride tracking app! I have wanted to try Strava, but with so much time and energy invested in Cyclemeter I couldn’t justify the change. Well, thanks to Singletracks I just figured out how to easily upload all my Cyclemeter data to Strava, and let’s just say I’m hooked! I live in Colorado Springs and we have tons of great riders using Strava on the roads and trails that I ride. It is really inspiring to see where I stack up against other riders(even though I won’t be getting any KOMs any time soon around here!), and I find myself going out to try to break my own PRs on different segments all the time. It’s also fun to follow some of the pros and see what they do to train and how fast they really are! If you are looking for motivation or a great way to keep track of all those rides, I can’t say enough good things about Cyclemeter and Strava!
Not letting 46 slow me down. I feel this is the year to push myself and my abilities…can’t wait!46 rocked this year for me and 47 is going to be even better! I’m going to keep riding hard and having fun in 2013! Happy New Year to all of you out there, and have a blast reaching those goals! 😃
Awesome job! That’s a great achievement, way to go!
This is all great advice. The thing that will help you the most is practice, practice, practice! Just remember that you’ll be slower both up and down, but you’ll also have the trail to yourself and get a great workout to boot! I love how the snow quiets everything down and makes even normal scenery much more beautiful! Listen to mr frosty111 and watch that front brake and front wheel to start. I like to move my butt back an inch or two on my seat when climbing to give me better traction with my rear wheel, and then move my weight forward to help my front wheel bite in when descending. I definitely can’t do either as fast as I can on a dry trail, but I love snow rides anyway! Don’t be so hard on yourself and just go have fun! 😃
You’re going to need more than just plain water if you are cramping up. Start hydrating yourself the day before your next race, and use a sports drink that has some sodium and electrolytes in it. Your LBS should have some good options you can try. I prefer GU Brew myself, it comes in packages of 12 tablets that you dissolve in your water bottle. It’s actually cheaper than Gatorade when you figure how much you get from those 12 tablets, and it tastes pretty good too. If you want to use Gatorade, Powerade, etc… that you can get at the grocery store, that will work well for you too. Drink some more during the day of your race and bring a bottle of it with you on the bike. You don’t have to get carried away, you don’t want to be so full of liquid during your race that you feel sick or have to pee, just getting those electrolytes and sodium in your system will really help. Congratulations on riding a great race despite your cramping issues! Keep it up!
Another thing to consider: Are you sure your rims are made for Presta tubes and not Schraeder tubes? Schraeder rims have a larger hole for the valve stem to come through, and if you use a Presta tube with them the edges of the hole can really cut into your tube. Like TrOgdOr said, check the hole for any burrs or sharp edges too. The nut setup on Presta tubes should keep your tube from being able to shift inside the tire, but the larger Schraeder sized hole will allow the nut to slip partially inside and the tube will shift. I use Presta Slime Lite tubes that have a longer valve stem and I have zero problems with them. They also keep me from getting flats from cactus, thorns, etc… Good luck!
I did a 24 hour race last year and put in 45 miles, half of them in the dark!
I looked around at everything out there last spring while looking for a good MTB for my 8 year old daughter. She is very tall for her age, so we needed a 24" bike for her and found lots of similar bikes as far as weight, quality frame and components, etc… If your sister is big enough, another really good option is to buy an XS 26" frame and then build it up with the components you want from there. We ended up getting her a Specialized Hotrock AS F1 which cost a little more than some of the others ($380 new at my LBS) but it has really been worth it. It is lighter than most of the other quality bikes and it has a bit better fork, better frame geometry, and as good or better components. But the best thing about it by far has been the granny gear. It has an extra large sprocket on the rear cluster(34T) that has made it possible for her to spin right up stuff she would never have had a prayer to do before. Consequently, it has been so much more fun for her to ride and her confidence has skyrocketed. By the end of the summer she did her first real MTB race in the under 14 age category. She had to ride 7.5 miles, all on singletrack with some technical sections here and there, and she did great. She has come farther than I ever could have imagined when I bought the bike.
Bottom line: Get the lightest, best quality bike you can afford, and then give her the time and space to get comfortable and confident on it. A cheap, heavy, crappy bike will just frustrate her and she won’t want to ride it at all after a short time. Ebay and Craigslist have kid’s bikes all the time if you watch for them which can save you a bundle too. Good luck!
Hey cubanchurchill – I can think of a few things you can do that will really help.
#1 Keep your weight on your outside pedal to really dig your tires into the ground. If you are taking a right turn, come around with your body weight on your left pedal, if it’s a left turn, keep your weight on your right pedal. Keep your outside pedal in the down position while your inside pedal is up. This will keep more weight on your outside pedal, while keeping your inside pedal up and out of the way. As you start to get into the turn, push down on your inside hand grip as hard as you can to amplify the pressure on your tires. Unless you are on a really steep uphill or downhill, always try to keep your weight centered over your bottom bracket at all times. This technique really works but it takes some practice to perfect it.
#2 Look out ahead at where you want to GO as you go through the turn. Don’t watch right in front of your front tire, look out ahead at the line you want to take as you roll through the corner. This sounds kind of obvious, but it’s trickier than you think and makes a huge difference.
#3 Enter the turn wide and exit the turn wide. Don’t try to cut the corner too much. Use the whole trail to maximize your momentum as you roll through the corner.
#4 Brake before the turn, not during the turn. If you check your speed before you enter the turn and then let off the brakes, you can use the "slingshot effect" to accelerate through the turn without pedaling at all. This is another technique that takes some practice to perfect, but makes a huge difference in your speed.
You’re on the right track being aware of how much front brake you’re using through the turn. Like joetutt said, try a little less air pressure in your tires. I ride 25psi rear, and 20psi front on the deep Pikes Peak granite gravel we have around here, and it really helps my tires spread out and get maximum grip on the terrain. Deep sand and gravel are just part the deal here in Colorado Springs so you learn how to surf through it and actually enjoy the ride!
Hope this helps you shred some sandy turns next time! 😃
This is awesome! That kid can really ride! 😃
I’m lucky to live a mile from The Chutes/Stratton Open Space. I usually do 2 laps from Cheyenne Mtn High School up to Gold Camp Rd. I go down The Chutes on lap #1 and then down Arroyo Grande on lap #2. It makes for a little over 9 miles and 1500ft of climbing. I am still discovering new side trails in Stratton all the time. Great stuff!
I’ve ridden a lot with both and I personally like the Egg Beaters better. I need a lot of float and the SPDs were too rigid. I had to balance how much float I got vs how easy I was coming out accidentally, and it was a tough balance to find. I ended up with a sore knee so went back to the Beaters and haven’t had an issue since. I love that there are no adjustments to fiddle with endlessly, they just work. I also like the brass cleat CB uses vs the steel SPD cleat. The brass cleat wears down a little and makes it super easy to get out when you need it, and it doesn’t rust.
I ride all year long in Colorado Springs and here is a list of the gear I use:
#1 You need layers. You want to stay as dry as possible even though you’re going to be working hard. I use a wicking type t shirt or long sleeve shirt depending on the temp as my base layer. Then I use a fleece sweatshirt for my mid layer, and finally a windproof shell. I can unzip the shell when I climb and not overheat too bad, then zip it up when it’s time to head down. I’ve ridden in temps down to 10 degrees with this setup and it works great. You are going to be expending lots of energy so you will stay plenty warm unless you stop for long breaks. It’s a great idea to throw a dry base layer shirt in your pack for longer rides.
#2 You need some sort of pants to keep your legs warm. I got a pair at REI that are windproof on the front side and really breathable on the back side. They keep me warm and protected from the wind, but let the excess heat escape so I don’t overheat.
#3 You need a good pair of winter riding gloves. Any decent LBS has them.
#4 I wear a windproof beanie under my helmet to keep my head and ears warm. I also have a helmet cover that works well when it’s not quite as cold, it keeps the wind out without the beanie.
#5 On really cold days you will be happy if you have a decent pair of shoe covers to keep the cold wind off your feet. They make a huge difference.
The key element to all this stuff is that it’s windproof. Once you start sweating it gets really cold if the wind can get through. If you can afford a breathable shell that’s a big plus, but I just have a cheap windproof one and it works just fine. Your 1st two layers are what will make you feel warm.
As far as trails go, unless they are wet, everything is good in the winter. We are blessed/cursed with tons of Pike’s Peak granite that has decomposed and created a gravel base layer that is actually better to ride on when it’s wet. Your tires won’t tear up the trails and the gravel seems to stick together better when it’s wet. The Cheyenne Canyon area is full of the stuff,(Columbine, Stratton, Buckhorn, Cap’n Jack’s, Jones Park, etc…), and is ridable almost 365 days a year. Stay away from Red Rocks Canyon, Cheyenne Mountain State Park and Palmer Park if it’s wet, the mud will make it impossible and the trails really take beating too. The beautiful thing about COS is it snows way less than people think, and when it does it melts and dries out fast. Most of my favorite all-time rides have been days where I almost bailed because the weather was nasty, but went out anyway. There is no-one on the trails and the mountains are really magical when they’re covered in snow, "first tracks" aren’t just for skiers! As long as you have decent gear, you’ll love winter riding. Hope to see you out playing in the snow!
I can vouch for the Skyway neighborhood. I’ve lived in Skyway for over 6 years and absolutely love it! You don’t even need a bike rack here because you have so many places to ride right out your back door! I don’t know if you are looking to buy or rent, but there are lots of nice rental homes available now with the soft housing market. Skyway is beautiful too, right up against the mountains, tons of wildlife, and nice and quiet. Yesterday we had a big black bear going from house to house checking out the garbage cans for snacks. He was harmless but it’s pretty cool to see stuff like that up close. You might also consider the Manitou Springs area. I would highly recommend looking on the west side of town though and try to avoid the congested NE neighborhoods. Good luck!
Congratulations! You are moving to MTB heaven here in the Springs! You definitely need to go check out Palmer Park right in the middle of town. It has trails of all different skill levels and some really awesome technical riding. Cheyenne Mountain State park is right across the road from Ft. Carson. They have lots of fast, flowy trails and some fun technical stuff too. On the west side of town are Stratton Open Space, Cheyenne Canyon, Red Rocks Canyon, Section 16, etc… You have to check out Buckhorn, Captain Jack’s, and the Chutes. All these areas are only about 15 minutes away from you too. We have a fantastic cycling community here in the Springs. Any LBS can give you tons of advice on where to go too. Welcome to Colorado!
I spent last summer as one giant scab. I had road-rash on some part of my body at all times and usually on many different parts. If I didn’t come home with blood dripping from my knee, shin, elbow, hip, etc….I considered it a great day. But, I stuck with it and finally learned to clip out really well all of the sudden. I wasn’t even paying attention, but all of the sudden I realized I didn’t have any fresh wounds anywhere! I can ride injury free nearly every time out now and not even think about it. I personally gain a tremendous advantage when I ride clipped in. I’m a converted roadie, and my pedaling style uses a lot of pull up as well as pushing down, and clipless allows me to do that really well. I have so much more power and endurance with them it’s amazing! One thing that surprised me though. I used to clip out and stand on my pedals as I came into a hairy technical spot, just in case. Now, if I can’t get clipped in as I come into one I’m freaking out that i’m going to slip off my pedals and do the old top tube smash! I tried the SPD on one side/flat on the other side pedals and it just made everything harder. They were always flipped the wrong way and I was looking down and fumbling with them. Not good. I use Crank Brothers Egg Beater style pedals and I love them. They don’t have any tension adjustments to fiddle with and you have tons of float from side to side which helps my knees immensely. My SPD pedals held me in a fixed position too much for me and I had lots of knee and hip pain that didn’t even exist before I used them. I guess what I’m trying to say is this: Depending on your pedaling style and riding style, you may find that the short term pain is worth it in the long run for the advantages you gain from being locked in with your bike. Or you may decide that it isn’t for you and you like flats better, and that’s totally cool. Do what feels right to you and don’t worry about what anyone else thinks. You are the one who has to pedal up that damn hill!
