Over the weekend watched Daron Rahlves take home the gold in skier X at the Winter XGames. Strange seeing some of the guys which I raced with still throwing it down the mountain. Nice to see a guy like Daron come out on top. If you have not seen this style of racing check it out at http://sports.espn.go.com/broadband/video/video?id=3217861.
Stopped by the shop tonight to check out the status of the new 29er. Well there is good news and bad. Good news I still have not sold last years bike. Bad news is I might not see the new Fisher before the middle of May.
Roller coaster weather has made for crummy training. Birkie is around the corner and I have not broken out the CX skis. Time to brush off the boards and get a few laps in before it is too late.
Monday, January 28, 2008
Tuesday, January 22, 2008
Food for Thought - Rant
If you have yet to read this http://www.velonews.com/race/int/articles/13939.0.html it might be worth looking at. Floyd is definately pissed off. Does not matter if you are for or against him he does make some good points.
I have read more than once that officials are not welcoming any riders which have served their time. Riders such as Hamilton (and more cant think of them right now) have been banned by officials from competition. Riders which have been linked to doping and not been banned are being excluded or threatened exclusion from races. I am not saying I support riders what they did in the past but if they have rules in place they should be followed and riders should be able to have another chance. Otherwise institute a lifetime ban.
Pretty messed up. The french and Dick Pound seem to be fueling the fire. I must agree with Floyd on all of this. Treat everyone the same and follow the rules. Has everyone forgotten riders Christophe Moreau, Laurent Brochard and Richard Virenque. Here is a refresher on the subject. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_Virenque. French riders convicted and admitted of doping and served bans. Heck Moreau is still riding. The french need to look a little closer to home before pointing the finger at everyone else. How does Moreau still ride. David Millar of all people. What is the difference between Moreau, Millar and Hamilton?
Moreau and Millar doped and confessed. Tyler doped and did not confess. I am not supporting Tyler however, the rules are written and bans are based on doping not confessions.
I have read more than once that officials are not welcoming any riders which have served their time. Riders such as Hamilton (and more cant think of them right now) have been banned by officials from competition. Riders which have been linked to doping and not been banned are being excluded or threatened exclusion from races. I am not saying I support riders what they did in the past but if they have rules in place they should be followed and riders should be able to have another chance. Otherwise institute a lifetime ban.
Pretty messed up. The french and Dick Pound seem to be fueling the fire. I must agree with Floyd on all of this. Treat everyone the same and follow the rules. Has everyone forgotten riders Christophe Moreau, Laurent Brochard and Richard Virenque. Here is a refresher on the subject. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_Virenque. French riders convicted and admitted of doping and served bans. Heck Moreau is still riding. The french need to look a little closer to home before pointing the finger at everyone else. How does Moreau still ride. David Millar of all people. What is the difference between Moreau, Millar and Hamilton?
Moreau and Millar doped and confessed. Tyler doped and did not confess. I am not supporting Tyler however, the rules are written and bans are based on doping not confessions.
Tubeless Materials List
I have been requested to provide some further instrucitons regarding a tubeless setup on my Bontrager Race XLites.
You will need:
- (2) NoTubes rimstrips for 26" mountain bike wheels
- NoTubes sealant
- Scissors
- Dish soap
- Core remover
- CO2 or Air Compressor
1. Trim 1/8" off both edges of each rimstrip to accomodate thinner diameter of a road wheel.
2. Streach rimstrip around wheel. Be sure to center rimstrip so bead of the tire can seat in the rim properly. Work/streach the rimstrip slowly making sure it streaches evenly round the rim. If you do not streach it out evenly the rubber may be too thick in some areas to allow room for the tire. If there is not enough room for the tire to seat inside the rim you can do one of two things (1) take rimstrip off and apply soap and water to inside of rim so rimstrip streaches more evenly or (2) trim the rimstrip more to get a better fit.
3. After getting the rimstrip to fit properly put the tire on the rim.
4. Use soap and water around the bead so it slips into place easier.
5. Remove core on valve stem and inject 1 1/2 oz of sealant. I probably used more than needed but wanted to error on more than less for this first time.
5. Use an air compressor or CO2 to force the bead into place. This is important. I have found with using tires which are not tight to the rim you require the use of an air compressor or CO2 to blast the tire into place.
6. After the tire is aired up to about 80 psi shake solution and work the tire to close leaks which may exist. You may not experience any leaks. Each tire setup is different.
You will need:
- (2) NoTubes rimstrips for 26" mountain bike wheels
- NoTubes sealant
- Scissors
- Dish soap
- Core remover
- CO2 or Air Compressor
1. Trim 1/8" off both edges of each rimstrip to accomodate thinner diameter of a road wheel.
2. Streach rimstrip around wheel. Be sure to center rimstrip so bead of the tire can seat in the rim properly. Work/streach the rimstrip slowly making sure it streaches evenly round the rim. If you do not streach it out evenly the rubber may be too thick in some areas to allow room for the tire. If there is not enough room for the tire to seat inside the rim you can do one of two things (1) take rimstrip off and apply soap and water to inside of rim so rimstrip streaches more evenly or (2) trim the rimstrip more to get a better fit.
3. After getting the rimstrip to fit properly put the tire on the rim.
4. Use soap and water around the bead so it slips into place easier.
5. Remove core on valve stem and inject 1 1/2 oz of sealant. I probably used more than needed but wanted to error on more than less for this first time.
5. Use an air compressor or CO2 to force the bead into place. This is important. I have found with using tires which are not tight to the rim you require the use of an air compressor or CO2 to blast the tire into place.
6. After the tire is aired up to about 80 psi shake solution and work the tire to close leaks which may exist. You may not experience any leaks. Each tire setup is different.
Monday, January 21, 2008
RoundOne - Tubeless
This is my first attempt of a tubeless system on a road wheelset. I used a Stan's rimstrip with a Mavic Locust tire. Knowing rim diameter would be an issue I chose to use rimstrip for a 26" mountain bike wheel. I trimmed 1/8" off each side of the rimstrip and streached it over the 700cc wheel. This thinned out the rimstrip giving more room for the tire to seat inside the rim. Pretty simple setup and took less than an hour. I pump up the tire to 80 psi to get it seated and work/shake the stans fluid to fill the gaps. I still have some small leaks around the rim but should be solved soon by working the tire a few more times. If that does not work I will change the setup a little. Most likely a new tire which may seal better.
Thursday, January 10, 2008
Panning for Gold
This was a picture taken yesterday at Afton Alps...Well not really but close. Alta. They have been enjoying fresh snow. Nice to see since last year was not a good year. Should call in sick and get a couple of quality days of skiing in. These days I am more of a wannabe skier. Have all the new equipment and never use the stuff. Where can a guy use a pair of B4s around here? Is there even such a thing as a good powder day at Lutsen?
Remember when the UP was the hotbed for skiing in the midwest. Indianhead, Blackjack, and a couple of other areas were booming in the late 70s and 80s. Now they are either out of business, for sale or struggling to make it. I skied at a little known area near Rodchester called Steeplechase last year. Good veritcal drop and a couple of chairs which served about 10 runs. I heard it went under and is up for sale. Too bad. Anyone interested in buying the place? Buy the resort, develop $1M+ homes around it and make it into a private ski area for members only. Private areas or clubs have been popping up. A couple of private areas in the US that have been successful courting members are the Yellowstone Club and recently the Mt. Holly Club. I can not imagine the cost of membership.
Did a little panning for gold last night trying to find that winter form. Sammy and I made it out for 2 hours. Perfect night ride. Departed from Sam's and rode the Greenway trail throughout Mpls. Some slick spots but managed to keep the bike upright. Sam was sporting his new studded tires. Definately the way to go out there. I hear Doug needs a set as well. Doug how is the ass feeling today? Remember rubber side down.
It is nearing the middle of January and I have yet to strap on the skinny skis. With the Birkie coming up I should at least attempt to skate around Baker Park a couple of times before the race. If you have not experienced the Birkie it is one event to check out. Some race it. Others just try and survive. I am there just to have some fun. Entertaining to watch terrified nordic skiers navigate downhill. Imagine Chequamegon then multiply it by 3 times. Unbelievable.
Reader question. Does a lighter bike make you ride faster? What is a pound worth? Keith Bontrager once worked out that one per cent off the total weight of bike and rider was worth 52 feet per mile on a climb, assuming constant power output. Now factor in how much you weigh and the amount of climbing we do here in the midwest during a race like OS2 or Chequamegon what are the gains of dropping a pound or 2. After analyzing finish times of these races it could be significant. 1-2 minutes during one of those races can mean up to 25 - 30 places. Now add up the savings from dropping 10 pounds of body weight. What do you think?
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