2015, New Year, New Goals

         I feel like this is always the way I start all my posts but it has been awhile since I have been on here. One goal for this year is to write a few more times than last year. Maybe I should start with a little recap of last year's highlights...........that's it!

2014 Trek Superfly 9

First Podium

 It wasn't that bad but I have to say it wasn't a whole lot better. I did get to take one MTBing trip this past year. A few close friends and I drove down to Bryce Resort and ripped a day of downhill. Some of my riding buddies know that downhill is in no way an area of cycling I enjoy or excel at but I have to admit it was a good time! I borrowed a Scott Genius 650B from EPBC for the trip. I guess I did better then some, stayed on the right side of the bars and was never holding anyone up, even cleared a few of the jumps! Other than Bryce I also raced in the 9hrs OF Crank Monkey at Rocky Gap SP again this past year but in a different class then before; I raced solo Clydesdale. This class is set up for the heavies to ride as many of the 9 mile laps in a 3hr period. This race was my first podium ever! I placed 3rd amongst the big guys! my buddy Ralph beat me out for 2nd, I won't lie, I wasn't even close to beating him for 2nd. I guess looking back at those two events and all the good rides I did with friends as well as solo rides, even taco'd a wheel but it wasn't a bad year...Oh and I bought a new BIKE!

Out on the maiden voyage...got a flat!

A few goal I have set out for this year are:

• 2000 miles
• 3-5 races
• 1 podium 
• 1 Destination MTB trip (Bikation)
• A century (100 mile road ride)
• A canal century (100 mile gravel ride)
• Ride at Fountainhead SP (commute past it most days)
• Get at least one more person on a bike!

Well there was a little recap from last year and some aspirations for this year on the bike!

Park Tool Tech Summit 2013!

 Hello all, it has been quite some time since I have sat down to write a new post, but if I were honest, not too much has gone on as far as cycling in my life this winter until this past week. I mean I think I have logged just over 50 miles on the saddle this year...boo! I have been a part-time wrench down at EPBC for a little while now and Brian offered me a spot at the Park Tool Tech Summit. Naturally I jumped at that opportunity to learn about many different products and techniques from some of the best in the industry. There are only two of these events every year, one on each coast. Luckily the east coast venue happened to be just down the road in Chantilly Virginia. I was worried that we were not going to be able to make it to the Summit on time due to a last minute ice storm that conveniently started right before we left to drive down, but we made it. We even had an extra trip due to Brian forgetting his clothes at his house.

As you can see to the right, we had these cool guy badges with our names and class schedules on it, I changed mine around a little to get in the classes I wanted to take, one change I regret and another I am happy that I did. I opted out of the Campy class for Cane Creek, mistake, and also went to Fox instead of Park Tool. I wish I had swapped Campy for Fox and went to the Park Tool class but you know what they say about hind sight...

 Day 1

Our first class after the surprisingly nice spread for breakfast was the FSA class. It was a pretty neat class dealing with their new adjustable headsets but the rest of the class was spent talking warranty information, it could have been a 20 minute tops subject but went way longer. I want to say that the best part of this class was the practical part of installing their new headset but the rest almost put me to sleep unfortunately. After this class which seemed to drag on was lunch. You know the Hyatt does a pretty good job with their events they host. The food wasn't bad and the service was top notch. Found out that Brian is scared of meatloaf for some reason but the lunch was good!

Our second class was Cane Creek. I really don't want to take up much room on this class, I feel it was a waste of time to me. They also had us working their new headsets but the second half was all about how to take the outer cover off their Double Barrel shock. There may have been more but that's all I
came away with, kind of dry speakers those Cane Creek Reps...

Our third and final class for the day was close to my favorite. We had the Sram/RockShox class to wrap up day one. For this class we were tinkering with their new Sram Red group and learning to dial that drive system in, after a interesting company history lesson I might add. Sram definitely had us working on some nice stuff, S-Works Tarmac frames! Once we learned the set-up of Sram Red we moved to the RockShox portion of the class, rebuilding/servicing their new forks. I was really pumped for this part of the class because this was something that I hadn't messed with too much but always wanted to...(Side Note: Since the Summit I have serviced 2 forks in at EPBC) I was in a group with a guy that has a lot of experience so that was nice too. Not gonna lie, I was ready for the day to be over when that class let out!

*The Sram rep liked my Nalgene bottle, Fox rep didn't,  wonder why...


 
Park Tool put on a little party after the last class let out. All the brands represented had tables set up to display their new products and do a little sales pitching. A lot of the people in attendance were bike shop owners. this was also a time to get some time with the products and also ask questions to the reps. There was also an open bar for those who chose too have a few and some awesome little finger foods. They couldn't keep the appetizers coming quick enough for everyone! Park Tool also coordinated with all the brands represented to get some sweet product to give away. I was really holding out hope for the brand new Dura-Ace Wheelset but luck wasn't with me this year! Below are some pictures from the different booths set up. Doesn't that new Sram XX1 set look amazing!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Day 2

 Well after decent nights sleep in the grand canyon that was my beds mattress it was time for another sweet breakfast then off to the first class of the day, Shimano...



As I was eating I was hearing some different remarks from others about the Shimano class. I will admit I was a little nervous for this one going in. After just a little bit of instruction I could see why some may not have been getting it. The Shimano guys are very technical and thorough. I was really liking their presentation on the theory behind their new Dura-Ace 9000 11-speed groupset and new line of coated cable, housing, and new end caps. After a little time of instruction we were working on the set. I even caught Brian working some...(haha this will be a test to see if he reads my blog)...
The only bad part of this class was a guy that was in our work group. All I can say is he had one of those personalities that just gets to me quickly. I hope for humanities sake he works alone, and if for some reason you are reading my blog, I'm sorry. This class was neat because, besides the mounting we pretty much set up the whole Dura-Ace group, brakes, derailleurs, shifters, cables, housing, and adjusting/ fine tuning all those components. Some had said that the Shimano class was hard to follow and not very fun but I thought just the opposite! Honestly I can not wait for someone to come into the shop and purchase a bike equipped with the new Dura-Ace so I can put my new skills to the test and also ride the BEAST!

Well after the Shimano class was lunch, not much special here but I did snap a picture of the room to show the crowd that attended the Summit. Also to the right is just a space filler really, I just wanted to get all my pictures put up!






My second class of the second day was one of the ones I switched to get into. Brian and I were both scheduled for Park Tool but I wanted to get into Fox, Brian did too but he decided to stay in Park Tool. I didn't get any pictures of the Fox room or anything because we jumped right in and there was no stopping until the class was over. Also I was trying to take good notes. The Fox class was cool because they had three different stations teaching three different things, all of which had to do with their new line of forks and shocks. There was some pretty cool stuff taught in this class. One little cool thing they have coming out this year is a double trigger knob for your bars that has the ability to lock both the front fork and rear shock at the same time...I will say that there was a lot of information and too much for me to write about on here but I was able to tear down another fork and get some time with that so I was happy.

The last class I took was the Mavic class. I personally love Mavic wheels. I like the design of them as well as the functionality of them. We sell a fair bit of Mavic wheels at EPBC so I was pumped to get into the hubs and learn to service them. We also got to change a spoke on one of their carbon wheels. I would have been so nervous if one of those came into the shop until now. Still not gonna say that I am completely comfortable but at least I have a little time with it.

I think everyone in the class was feeling about done with all the classes and learning, even the instructors seemed ready to be done before our time was up but we held in there and finished all they had planned for us. While we where in our last class the instructors handed out our certificates. It was like high school graduation, people where out the door as soon as they got that paper. We definitely weren't too far off their heels either. I think we where both ready to get home. I was so much in a hurry that I left my jacket in the room when we left, only problem with that is I didn't realize that until Brian dropped me off at the Park and Ride were we met. Oh and in case your wondering the hotel has not found my jacket or keys, I am still holding out hope that they will be found but its not looking good...Well I guess that's it for now, I kind of wrote a novel here and if your reading down this far then thank you! I really hope I get the opportunity to do this again in the future as well as hit up some other biking related events!

Again Thanks for Reading!
-WVPedaler

"Take A Kid Mountain Biking"

This past weekend I was out helping EP/BC with their first ever "Take A Kid Mountain Biking" event down at Poor House Farm Park. This was an event sponsored by the bike shop but also largely sponsored by Specialized Bicycle Company and IMBA.(International Mountain Bicycling Association) The main purpose of this event is to spread the word about mountain biking and introduce this great sport to the children as well as their parents.

Trail Tools

Down at Poor House Farm there are a few trails cut throughout the Frisbee golf course in behind the fishing pond. These trails have not really been managed really well or taken care of so they are overgrown and not really that well known. I have ridden there a few times in the past and had not gone back due to poor marking and the confusion of the trails mixed with the course. I also have gotten flats every time I have ridden there, including this event but i can pinpoint my mistake this time. The trails are not kept up and ridden much so the trails hold a lot of hazards for your tires. With the success of this event I am hoping this will change. On Friday, myself and Brian Weber, the owner of EP/BC met up at the park and walked out about 1/2 mile of singletrack for the kids to ride the next day. Once we got the course marked out which included some existing singletrack as well as some new that we had to cut, the trail maintenance begun. After we had worked at the trails for a little over an hour a few more helpers showed up to help us finish. All in all we had about 2 hours into cutting in and cleaning up 1/2 of singletrack. After a few pre-ride laps around out beginner and intermediate courses we were set for the event the following day.

Singletrack out of the Intermediate Course

I showed up at the event right at the start. I was running a little behind but that's okay. Once I got out of my truck I saw the first 3 kids heading out with their father to ride our trail. that was neat to see. There was a pretty decent turnout for a Saturday considering all the things that go on in our area. I was pleased to see that we had a good mix or ages as well as young boys and girls. I had the pleasure to ride the course over and over kind of keeping an eye out and helping kids along the way. I think our beginner course was a little easy for some of them but I know they all found parts of the intermediate course to be challenging. I also rode with a young boy that wanted to try the intermediate course with me and he had a blast! He left wanting to do more and try different stuff and that is awesome! I think we may have hooked a few more mountain bikers in our area this weekend. With that being said many of the parents and kids were asking us when we are going to be building more trails. That is probably the second best thing that came of this weekend. Poor House Farm Park has potential to be a good spot to ride we just need volunteers that are willing to put in the time. I for one cannot wait to see the progress that is made at the park in the near future.

If you are reading this and want to help you can either drop me a message or stop in to EP/BC and sign-up and there will be organized work days in the future. Again thanks for reading this and I hope that many others will venture out in the woods and discover this awesome sport I love so much!

Part of the climb on Intermediate Course

Start of the decent on Intermediate Course

Looking up to the rock garden on Intermediate Course

Start of Beginner Course

Little obstacle and zig zag to finish

Greenbrier Challenge 2012

This past weekend I had the privilege to ride in the 9th annual Greenbrier Challenge put on by the Potomac Velo Club. This race really is a challenge. This course is only a 5 mile loop but there is close to 700ft of elevation gain in the first mile and a half of the race loop. There are some awesome sections to this course as well, rock gardens, roots, climbs, downhills, and even some open sprinting to the finish line. The venue is also amazing. The Greenbrier State Park has a beautiful lake as well as a beach and wonderful camp sites. The course starts and finishes right on the lake.

My main goals for this race were to beat my times from last year and do a little better in my category then I did last year as well. I am proud to say that I accomplished both of those goals. Last year I did a 44 minute lap then a 50 minute lap. I entered in the same category as last year, Cat3 19-29, which had more entries this year then last. Our group went off at 10 am and I have to say I was not ready!

When that whistle blew I tried not to over do it right off due to the climbs right out of the gate but excitement got the better of me and on the second climb I got overheated. I was pushing up this climb and watched more then half of my field catch up and pass me. I was really discouraged with myself. When I looked down at my Garmin Edge 200 on my first lap I noticed that I was coming in right at 40 minutes and hit my nice lap feature on the device and hammered for the second lap. I felt like I was doing everything better on the second lap besides climbing. I made better time on the few climbs that I always make but the monster climb a mile one kicked my butt. I ended my second lap at 44 minutes which awarded me the 12 spot out of 18.

All in all it was a great race at a great mountain biking trail in Maryland. I was also able to leave there knowing that I accomplished what I set out to do... (I feel like I could have done better, but the will be next year for that!) 

Just a side note, my buddy Brian Patton raced this race as well and I am proud to report that he is the Maryland State Champion for the Cat 1 Pro men 30-34. He raced an awesome race and won in the end even with mechanical issues! Awesome man, when you go pro remember me, I would love to wrench on your bikes, or even wash them for you at your races...haha!



*Sorry there aren't more pictures, I was all by myself for this race, none of my buddies made it out for this one!

First Upgrade To The Flash...

One of the things that I wanted to do right away to the Flash was to drop the 44T chainring on the front, add a bashgaurd and run it as a 2X10. Seeing as I already had a Sram X-9 2X10 set in my garage all I needed was a bashguard. Brian over at EP/BC ordered me an awesome bashguard and that was it, after a shifter and front derailleur change I was set! Here is a pic! I am pretty happy with the bike and its performance. I also got all this done just a day before my first of only two races that i am doing this season. Very soon I will do a write-up about the first race, the Greenbrier Challenge and in a few days i have the other race to be followed by a post.

Itch Has Been Scratched...

Well as I had said before the itch for a new bike and a 29'er got the better of me this year. I have been wanting a 29'er for a few years now but wasn't really ready to make the jump. I have been looking and researching as well as riding many different styles, and brands of 29'ers. As many of you may know I work part time down at EP/BC and they carry many brands and my decision came down to three bikes, the Cannondale Flash alloy series, the Specialized Stumpjumpers, or a Breezer Lightning. I had rode many of these bikes and decided to go with the Cannondale Flash 2...

Picture taken right when I brought her home...

I choose this bike for the way it felt mostly but I also like the styling of the bike as well. Cannondale doesn't go overboard on the designs of their bikes and I like that, I like the clean lines on the bike, nothing crazy about it. Oh...the Lefty fork was also a bike selling feature! That fork is awesome, not only is it unique looking it is light, stiff, and responsive. I got this in a medium frame and that is just perfect for me. I am not sure of the actual weight of the bike, I still need to weight it soon but this sucker is so much lighter then any other bike I own besides my roadie.

After the big climb at Greenbrier waiting for Rapsack to catch up!

Pic by the lake at Greenbrier

Pic from my commute home after 12:30 am...

I have only took it out once on the trail so far and commuted to work one night and did some XC type riding on the grounds of the base were I work. I only have 14.5 miles on her so far and I am itching for more. So far this bike rides like a dream, I climb faster and descend faster as well. I think this bike will make me a better rider and I can't wait to ride it more!

Setup:
Frame: Flash 29'er Medium
Fork: Lefty OPI
Tires: Schwalbe Rapid Robs 2.2
Wheels: Sun Ringle Infernos
Hubs: Formula rear, Lefty front
Shifters: Sram X-7 (I have X-9 to swap out)
FD: Sram X-7 3X10 (I have X-9 2X10 to swap out)
RD: Sram X-9
Crankset: Sram S1400, 3X10 44/33/22 (I have X-9 2X10 chainrings to swap out)
Brakes: Elixer 3's

Post ride pic at Greenbrier! Again waiting on Rapsack HaHa!

I Got the Itch...

I know that it is a bad time right now but I am wanting a new bike bad. Don't get me wrong I really like the way that my Titus turned out but I am really wanting a 29'er. I have been working in at the shop part time for a couple months and every time I take one on a test ride I want one more! I love the Cannondale product. They look nice and sharp. The one I want is the same paint scheme as the first bike I ever bought. They call it BBQ. As you can see in the picture it comes with a Lefty fork and a Sram X-9 2X10 set-up. Right now this is my dream bike. I have a few races coming up this year and I would love to get this bike to ride in those races. That means I have most of the month of April to figure out how...haha or I could just wait I guess. Hey do any of you guys want to buy my Titus? I may have to put an ad up in some different places.

New Garmin Edge 200-(initial review)

I recently left my roadie on my rack overnight and it happened to be a night with a heavy dew. Needless to say my cycling computer was no longer working. I was looking at a replacement computer and stumbled on Garmin's new product the Edge 200. I was surprised at the price for a cycling computer that was also a GPS unit. The Garmin retails for 149.99. This price was fairly good considering the cost of most cycling computers that are not GPS capable. The Garmin Edge 200 was a breeze to get started with, just charge, mount, and ride. There are many features on this unit such as auto pause, saved routes, split times, lap times, and others. I have only used this on one ride so far and love it. From what I can tell the battery lasts a long time too. It was also very easy to load my activity onto the Garmin Connect site as well as other ride tracking sites such as Strava. I will write a final review of the product after a few more uses. I want to take it off the beaten path and see how she does in the woods!As always EP/BC was the place for these awesome products plus the knowledge to keep your bike going...

Update: Titus remodel...

Well I got most of what I need for this project completed. Tonight during my break at work I mocked up the frame to get a good look at what I had going and I like it. Tell me what you think.

I really like the white powdercoat and I also got a clear coat done at Big K's to seal in my graphics. Now I need to order the remaining 2X10 components and then I will be on the trails. I can't wait.

Write a comment to let me know what you think. (If you want) Thanks for stopping by...