After just having skied the pow for the past 4 days and realizing it's my day at the ski shop, I can't help but think of this.
More as I recover from Christmas and freshies.
Saturday, December 29, 2012
Monday, December 24, 2012
Christmas
Damn.
The holidays are nipping at my heels like a cattle dog straight off the farm and WOW am I off the back. With most stores only open for "limited hours" today I still find myself in a position of being in need of more than a few items. I'm sure todays lunch break from the ski store will be an interesting hour of scrambling in an attempt at finding everything from playdough to powertools. I'm sure the streets of Truckee will be free of traffic and I'll just be able to "zip" in and out of a few local stores.... NOT!! Traffic in town the past few days is typical of what it's usually like in the Bay Area or LA... probably because most of the people in town right now are from the Bay Area or LA.
As is typical, utilizing a bicycle would normally help with my navigation through town but the 3 feet of snow that just puked all over the streets of Truckee limits my usual "bobbing and weaving" capabilities while aboard the bike. Although the streets are plenty navigable the normal bike riding options of cruising the sidewalk, cutting through the grass at the bank and passing cars stacked up at the stupid 3 way stop sign in Old Town just aren't possible with piles of head high snow in every direction. Meh. Whaddayagonnado?
Last but not least, Merry Christmas!! As Mighty Mobile Bike Repair is a unique service and business model, it's only appropriate that it send out some holiday cheer that's a little "outside the box". Enjoy.
The holidays are nipping at my heels like a cattle dog straight off the farm and WOW am I off the back. With most stores only open for "limited hours" today I still find myself in a position of being in need of more than a few items. I'm sure todays lunch break from the ski store will be an interesting hour of scrambling in an attempt at finding everything from playdough to powertools. I'm sure the streets of Truckee will be free of traffic and I'll just be able to "zip" in and out of a few local stores.... NOT!! Traffic in town the past few days is typical of what it's usually like in the Bay Area or LA... probably because most of the people in town right now are from the Bay Area or LA.
As is typical, utilizing a bicycle would normally help with my navigation through town but the 3 feet of snow that just puked all over the streets of Truckee limits my usual "bobbing and weaving" capabilities while aboard the bike. Although the streets are plenty navigable the normal bike riding options of cruising the sidewalk, cutting through the grass at the bank and passing cars stacked up at the stupid 3 way stop sign in Old Town just aren't possible with piles of head high snow in every direction. Meh. Whaddayagonnado?
Last but not least, Merry Christmas!! As Mighty Mobile Bike Repair is a unique service and business model, it's only appropriate that it send out some holiday cheer that's a little "outside the box". Enjoy.
Friday, December 21, 2012
the shortest day
So, not only did the world continue on with its ways today instead of coming to an end as was forecast by the Mayan calendar, but the sunrise from my bedroom window was amazing!
The Mayan calender world ending thing is also tied in with the shortest day of the year (aka; winter solstice). I'm usually one to maximize daylight hours but today I chose, instead, to sleep in and maximize sleepy time. Umm... sleepy time.
I spent all of Wednesday and the better part of yesterday morning at one of my distributors in Reno putting the final touches on a customers bike so he could load up and head to (hopefully for his sake) sunny Las Vegas. His plan is to maximize trail rides for the next four days leaving just enough time to get back for the act of tearing off multi-colored paper off of random sized boxes with loved ones (aka; Christmas). Smart guy. His next four days will be spent riding trail as he bobs and weaves his way through the desert, swooping turns and eating burritos after a long day on the trail. His weather looks like this:
Me. I'll be perfecting the act of snow redistribution as I shovel the deck, snow-blow the driveway, clean off the cars and try to keep the woodpiles from getting buried by old man winter. My forecast looks like this:
Meh. I'm not complaining. The skiing on the other side of this weather cycle will be off the hizz-O. (that's a good thing if you're keeping track)
People always ask "what's new" and instead of the normal "not much" answer you're probably used to getting, here's "what's new" around the shop at Mighty Mobile:
The Mayan calender world ending thing is also tied in with the shortest day of the year (aka; winter solstice). I'm usually one to maximize daylight hours but today I chose, instead, to sleep in and maximize sleepy time. Umm... sleepy time.
I spent all of Wednesday and the better part of yesterday morning at one of my distributors in Reno putting the final touches on a customers bike so he could load up and head to (hopefully for his sake) sunny Las Vegas. His plan is to maximize trail rides for the next four days leaving just enough time to get back for the act of tearing off multi-colored paper off of random sized boxes with loved ones (aka; Christmas). Smart guy. His next four days will be spent riding trail as he bobs and weaves his way through the desert, swooping turns and eating burritos after a long day on the trail. His weather looks like this:
People always ask "what's new" and instead of the normal "not much" answer you're probably used to getting, here's "what's new" around the shop at Mighty Mobile:
- We will O-ficially be going to electronic billing and receipts for 2013. Some of you have already experienced this in the "test phase" during December and things so far have been successful. Need a receipt, no worries... it'll be in your emails "inbox" next time you're at the computer. No muss, no fuss.
- We're running a sale on Schwalbe Hans Damph tires through the month of January. Yup, if you're hard core enough to be riding through the winter, you'll be rewarded with saving some of your hard earned "duckets" on one of the sweetest tires on dirt. I used this tire all of last summer and it's sick. Don't believe me, read this review. MSRP $89.99. I'm selling them for $69.00 through the month of Jan. (Caveat/disclaimer/other legal mobo jumbo): price is only good for 26x2.35 TLR Trailstar compound. (it's the one you want... trust me) Offer good while supplies last.
- Mighty Mobile welcomes Bicycle Technologies International to its lineup of vendors. I like these guys. They aren't afraid to carry the obscure, itty bitty parts that most people don't know what to do with. Let's face it folks, bombing through the woods on a sub 30lb bicycle is hard on parts. If you're bike's in need that little "doo-hickey" buried deep inside your hydraulic brake lever, I can probably get it from these guys.
Wednesday, December 12, 2012
Motivation
Rain finally stopped a few days ago.
While it was raining, I was seriously (not really) thinking about getting some more versatility out of the mountain bike. This was an idea I found early on.
But after thinking it through and watching the video a couple of times to see how the mechanics of the whole thing worked, I realized that I might want something with a little more speed.
Ahh. Here we go. This guy seems like he's got the velocity I'm looking for. Tahoe Lake is fairly large after all. Seems like he's got a surfboard for floatation while stopped or slow speeds and then some sort of hydrofoil deal-e-o when it's time to hammer. I'd probably rename it "hyd-brofoil" since I'm in California and all.
Then, this morning, I stumbled onto this:
While it was raining, I was seriously (not really) thinking about getting some more versatility out of the mountain bike. This was an idea I found early on.
But after thinking it through and watching the video a couple of times to see how the mechanics of the whole thing worked, I realized that I might want something with a little more speed.
Ahh. Here we go. This guy seems like he's got the velocity I'm looking for. Tahoe Lake is fairly large after all. Seems like he's got a surfboard for floatation while stopped or slow speeds and then some sort of hydrofoil deal-e-o when it's time to hammer. I'd probably rename it "hyd-brofoil" since I'm in California and all.
Then, this morning, I stumbled onto this:
This changes EVERYTHING! Realizing that if I'm actually going to do this series I need to start training. After racing the bike for so many years I've grown sort of tired of the same ole' training regiment I've used in the past. It usually starts with base miles, then intervals, then still managing to suffer like a stuck pig in the first few races with a reward of missing the podium by a couple of spots. Searching for a different training program that's "outside the box", I came across this and realized that it might just be the thing I'm looking for and give me some motivation.
Even though my family tree has some of my elders originally sprouting up in Germany, I do not understand the German language. I think, however, what the guy in the video is saying is: "don't be a sissy girly-man like the guy in the last video with a surfboard for floatation. Real men just hop off the dock and start hammering. You stop pedalling, you sink.... like a sissy girly-man. Sissy's sink. Real men that keep hammering stay a-float. Don't be a sissy." Yup. Pretty sure that's what he's saying.
This could be great training motivation. I rig my bike up with one of these, hop off a dock and pretend I'm Jan Ullrich for the next three hours. In fact, I think this is him on the west shore of Donner Lake training a couple of years ago.
I'm sure this will work. The motivation of not sinking is multi-faceted. First thing, if I can learn to make a face like this for an entire race, there's no way I'm finishing off the podium. Secondly, there's the obvious motivation of not sinking because the water is friggin' cold and will shrink up your "nether regions" at light speed. Then there's the fact that submerging the bike will require rebuilding all of the bearings, replacing of all the cables, water logging my foam grips and filling up my dinosaur horn with lake water.... and we can't have that now can we.
Even though my family tree has some of my elders originally sprouting up in Germany, I do not understand the German language. I think, however, what the guy in the video is saying is: "don't be a sissy girly-man like the guy in the last video with a surfboard for floatation. Real men just hop off the dock and start hammering. You stop pedalling, you sink.... like a sissy girly-man. Sissy's sink. Real men that keep hammering stay a-float. Don't be a sissy." Yup. Pretty sure that's what he's saying.
This could be great training motivation. I rig my bike up with one of these, hop off a dock and pretend I'm Jan Ullrich for the next three hours. In fact, I think this is him on the west shore of Donner Lake training a couple of years ago.
I'm sure this will work. The motivation of not sinking is multi-faceted. First thing, if I can learn to make a face like this for an entire race, there's no way I'm finishing off the podium. Secondly, there's the obvious motivation of not sinking because the water is friggin' cold and will shrink up your "nether regions" at light speed. Then there's the fact that submerging the bike will require rebuilding all of the bearings, replacing of all the cables, water logging my foam grips and filling up my dinosaur horn with lake water.... and we can't have that now can we.
Yup. After many a year of racing the bike, I think I'm finally starting to figure it all out. It's all about motivation.
Saturday, December 8, 2012
Rock Out!
Zappa.
Not gonna lie. The majority of Franks collection leaves most listeners scratching their heads wondering just what in the hell their listening to. It's not uncommon to have instruments out of sync and played along with other instruments that just don't (at least for me... and probably most folks) pair together. Sort of like toothpaste and orange juice. Sometimes things just don't work together.
Then, then there's the other stuff. The stuff that turns your pedal wrench into an imaginary air guitar as you play along with some of Franks above and beyond guitar solos. No lyrics, no weird xylophone solos, stuff that just flat out jams.
This is some of that stuff.
Not gonna lie. The majority of Franks collection leaves most listeners scratching their heads wondering just what in the hell their listening to. It's not uncommon to have instruments out of sync and played along with other instruments that just don't (at least for me... and probably most folks) pair together. Sort of like toothpaste and orange juice. Sometimes things just don't work together.
Then, then there's the other stuff. The stuff that turns your pedal wrench into an imaginary air guitar as you play along with some of Franks above and beyond guitar solos. No lyrics, no weird xylophone solos, stuff that just flat out jams.
This is some of that stuff.
Friday, December 7, 2012
Fat Chance Buddy
Some folks are gonna click past this post because they have more important things to do like clip their toe nails, sweep the front porch, or watch paint dry because they just don't know how rad this bike really is/was.
Others folks.... well, other folks are going to sit back in their chairs, sip on some coffee and let their mind take them back to a day when steel wasn't only real, it was almost the only choice a rider had while in the procurement stage of acquiring a new rig in which to ride through the woods with.
I never had one of these. Even though I worked in a shop in the early 90's that carried the brand, I was in my late teens and the thought of dropping that much cash on a bike was beyond me. After all, I nearly went broke just trying to get a Rock Shox Mag 21 on my (then) current bike. No, owning a Fat Chance meant that you were either sponsored or had a job that probably required you wear something other than a T-shirt and skate shoes to "the office".
As if ponying up for a Fat Chance wasn't enough, there's no way you would EVER build it up with anything other than XTR... something else that my status as "junior mechanic" wouldn't allow me to afford back then. Shit, come to think of it, I still can't afford XTR! No, all I could do with XTR back then was drool on it while adjusting its tiny bits and dream of a day when my bike would be adorned with such componentrial wizardry.
MMMM. XTR.
Ahh, cantilever brakes. I can almost hear dry leaves stuck in the straddle cable from here. Adjusting cantilever brakes is sooooo easy. (you can skip this part if you're not into dry humor, even though the following statements are completely true and legitimate) All you need to do is make sure that your brake pad angle is set so the brake pad posts are perpendicular from the rim and the trailing end of the pads contact the rim juuuussst before the leading end (known as toe in). Not doing this step means that your brakes will probably squeal as well as lack power which is important as canti brakes don't have a ton of power to begin with. The pads need to hit the rims braking surface in the center. If the pads are too high, you'll cut the sidewall of your tire. Too low and your pads will develop a "lip" on the bottom causing the pad to hang up slightly on the rim. Also, not having full brake pad/rim contact results in brakes that lack power. Don't forget to check for low spots on the rim while adjusting the position of the pad. A low spot on the rim means that the brake pad will hit the tire resulting in a cut sidewall (and probably lack of power). The angle of the brake arm in relationship to the rim is also critical and changes dependent on brand and style. On this particular brake (WTB) the arms worked best at a 45-ish degree angle. If your brake arms aren't set properly, the brake will lack power. Now that your brake arms and pads have been simultaneously adjusted, you need to have the straddle cable carrier (the piece that looks like a silver triangle thingy) positioned so the straddle cable itself is at a 90 degree angle with the brake applied. If the angle is too steep, the brakes will lack power. If the angle isn't steep enough, the brake lever will feel "spongy".... and lack power. So, now hook up your straddle cable and you're all set. That's it! Of course, this all changes after you ride through the first couple of mud holes and the brake pads wear down throwing off all of your angles.... resulting in a brake with a lack of power.
lack of power!
Last, but certainly not least, was the Nuke Proof hub. Ahh Nuke Proof. Something else that was (fortunately) out of my price range back then. This hub had aluminum flanges bonded to a carbon (yup... carbon) shell. Most of these puppies failed. Seems as though the glue that did the bonding of the flanges to the shell wasn't "gluie" enough. This always resulted in an interesting warranty claim requiring the wheel to be dis-assembled and the hub sent back to the manufacturer resulting in an unrideable bike for a couple of weeks. After a successful warranty claim, the hub would get sent back to the shop, a mechanic would re-build the wheel with new spokes, nipples and rim tape. Then the customer and shop manager would have an hour long discussion about who's financially responsible for what aspects of the "warranty" which usually resulted in a pissed off customer, pissed off shop manager and a remaining quantity of 267mm spokes that was just shy of a complete build. Ahh, Nuke Proof.
In closing, I'd just like to say.....
lack of power!
Thursday, December 6, 2012
I'm back...
... I mean... MY BACK.
Yup. Threw my back out again. Actually, it's just on the cusp of being throw out. I've been here before. Ordinarily I don't have back problems but on the occasions when I do, it's usually something I can feel coming on and don't do anything about.
It's something that goes like this: I'm busily doing (insert project here). I feel a tightness in my back while doing (inserted project). I stop for a second and think about the ramifications of continuing on with (inserted project), realize that if I stop doing (inserted project), take an Advil and relax for a few hours things will probably be fine. It's usually at that point that I grab (insert something grab able here) and continue on with (inserted project) and an hour later.... wah lah.... my back seizes up and I spend the next couple of days laying on the floor of the living room watching TV.
This time, however, was different. Don't get me wrong, I didn't stop doing (inserted project) which in this case were projects (plural). No. I'm way too stubborn for that kind of logical thinking. I continued on with getting a Cervelo restrung with new internally routed shift cables (a rant worthy for an entire post someday), revamping a sweet ass Fat Chance and installing new shifters and rear derailleur on an old Kona. Oh, I also helped the UPS man bring in a few boxes from an order I did a couple of days ago.
Yup, stupid.
Yup. Threw my back out again. Actually, it's just on the cusp of being throw out. I've been here before. Ordinarily I don't have back problems but on the occasions when I do, it's usually something I can feel coming on and don't do anything about.
It's something that goes like this: I'm busily doing (insert project here). I feel a tightness in my back while doing (inserted project). I stop for a second and think about the ramifications of continuing on with (inserted project), realize that if I stop doing (inserted project), take an Advil and relax for a few hours things will probably be fine. It's usually at that point that I grab (insert something grab able here) and continue on with (inserted project) and an hour later.... wah lah.... my back seizes up and I spend the next couple of days laying on the floor of the living room watching TV.
This time, however, was different. Don't get me wrong, I didn't stop doing (inserted project) which in this case were projects (plural). No. I'm way too stubborn for that kind of logical thinking. I continued on with getting a Cervelo restrung with new internally routed shift cables (a rant worthy for an entire post someday), revamping a sweet ass Fat Chance and installing new shifters and rear derailleur on an old Kona. Oh, I also helped the UPS man bring in a few boxes from an order I did a couple of days ago.
Yup, stupid.
Wednesday, December 5, 2012
Sleep...
Something I've not been getting much of lately.
I'm usually up early. It's not uncommon for me to be swerving towards the coffee maker in the dark at 6:00am for my daily fix of bean juice followed by a little interweb surfing and preparing for the day. I'm usually in bed by 10:00-ish, so I still get my "recommended 8 hours" of shut eye which keeps me alert and feeling "normal" throughout most days.
For the past week, however, the digital readout on little Ben has been spewing numbers more like 4:00, 4:13, 4:11... way before 6:00. After tossing and turning for the better part of an hour I give in and get up. Although weird, this didn't prove too much of a problem.... until yesterday. I think the lack of sleep finally caught up with me and yesterday was like walking around in a fuzzy cloud of funk making even the most common tasks seem like huge projects.
Meh.
This morning was better. Damn near 7:00. Let's hope this is a continuing trend.
Still remembering this is a bike related site, I'll tell you that although we've had some enormous amounts of precipitation here in Tahoe the snow levels have been high and the bulk of the moisture hasn't punched through too far to the east. This being the case, there's still some good riding to be had in the Galena area of Reno/Mt Rose. Info: here ya go. There's also Keystone Canyon, but CAREFUL!! The mud down there can be bike destroying.
As for riding in the foothills, I'm not too sure. Rain totals in the Auburn and Nevada City areas were somewhere in the "shit-ton" to "ass-load" categories and I'm sure the trails felt the effects. I'll head down there next week and see how things are. Stay tuned.
More: I've been way into the bike commuting thing for my days of working at the ski shop. There's something about 30 minutes on the bike that just make the rest of the day better. The therapeutic sound of the chain snaking through derailleur pulleys as I turn the pedals makes an already bitchin' sunrise seem more epic. Cold? You betcha'. But it's not like I'm commuting in Antarctica. I'm somewhat fortunate that my commute starts with a small climb which gets the blood pumping and my body temperature up to a more comfortable level. Within' reason, cold is just a state of mind. As is being happy, so I do what I do.
I'm usually up early. It's not uncommon for me to be swerving towards the coffee maker in the dark at 6:00am for my daily fix of bean juice followed by a little interweb surfing and preparing for the day. I'm usually in bed by 10:00-ish, so I still get my "recommended 8 hours" of shut eye which keeps me alert and feeling "normal" throughout most days.
For the past week, however, the digital readout on little Ben has been spewing numbers more like 4:00, 4:13, 4:11... way before 6:00. After tossing and turning for the better part of an hour I give in and get up. Although weird, this didn't prove too much of a problem.... until yesterday. I think the lack of sleep finally caught up with me and yesterday was like walking around in a fuzzy cloud of funk making even the most common tasks seem like huge projects.
Meh.
This morning was better. Damn near 7:00. Let's hope this is a continuing trend.
Still remembering this is a bike related site, I'll tell you that although we've had some enormous amounts of precipitation here in Tahoe the snow levels have been high and the bulk of the moisture hasn't punched through too far to the east. This being the case, there's still some good riding to be had in the Galena area of Reno/Mt Rose. Info: here ya go. There's also Keystone Canyon, but CAREFUL!! The mud down there can be bike destroying.
As for riding in the foothills, I'm not too sure. Rain totals in the Auburn and Nevada City areas were somewhere in the "shit-ton" to "ass-load" categories and I'm sure the trails felt the effects. I'll head down there next week and see how things are. Stay tuned.
More: I've been way into the bike commuting thing for my days of working at the ski shop. There's something about 30 minutes on the bike that just make the rest of the day better. The therapeutic sound of the chain snaking through derailleur pulleys as I turn the pedals makes an already bitchin' sunrise seem more epic. Cold? You betcha'. But it's not like I'm commuting in Antarctica. I'm somewhat fortunate that my commute starts with a small climb which gets the blood pumping and my body temperature up to a more comfortable level. Within' reason, cold is just a state of mind. As is being happy, so I do what I do.
Thursday, November 15, 2012
simple things
So, I spent the better part of last night looking into some sort of invoice/receipt generating software in an attempt to streamline the "paperwork" part of my typical day at Mighty Mobile. Deciphering features, reading reviews, weighing the benefits of this and that.... it's yet another one of those things that turned into a three hour time suck in front of the computer that made my brain hurt and got me almost nowhere.
The desire to do something electronically with paperwork hit me the other day as I was filling out a work order for someone. I like to get "wordy" on my receipts so you know what I did, and so I know what I did. It's not too often I need to go back and look at a work order for someone, but it's nice to know exactly what was done to the bike shall the need to know arise.
Will tracking this information be easier with some sort of electronic gizmo? Will I find the magical program that does exactly what I want it to? Will the gizmo save me enough time to fit in a quick ride at the end of the day, or just confuse the shit out of things and force me work into the wee hours trying to fix a computer "glitch". Well... I'm not sure yet.
I wish all of this was as easy to figure out as my last bicycle accessory selection. I recently installed fenders on my cross bike. The joy and satisfaction that was obtained by the installation of two rainbow shaped pieces of black plastic to my bike is amazing. It's nice to arrive at my destination with dry feet and no "skunk stripe" of water on my backside. Fenders give my bike an invincible feel as I can now approach wet roads and puddles with reckless abandon. Nothing makes you feel more like a kid again than bombing through puddles on a bike. Only difference is that now, this kid doesn't have to spend all day with a dirty ass and cold feet.
The desire to do something electronically with paperwork hit me the other day as I was filling out a work order for someone. I like to get "wordy" on my receipts so you know what I did, and so I know what I did. It's not too often I need to go back and look at a work order for someone, but it's nice to know exactly what was done to the bike shall the need to know arise.
Will tracking this information be easier with some sort of electronic gizmo? Will I find the magical program that does exactly what I want it to? Will the gizmo save me enough time to fit in a quick ride at the end of the day, or just confuse the shit out of things and force me work into the wee hours trying to fix a computer "glitch". Well... I'm not sure yet.
I wish all of this was as easy to figure out as my last bicycle accessory selection. I recently installed fenders on my cross bike. The joy and satisfaction that was obtained by the installation of two rainbow shaped pieces of black plastic to my bike is amazing. It's nice to arrive at my destination with dry feet and no "skunk stripe" of water on my backside. Fenders give my bike an invincible feel as I can now approach wet roads and puddles with reckless abandon. Nothing makes you feel more like a kid again than bombing through puddles on a bike. Only difference is that now, this kid doesn't have to spend all day with a dirty ass and cold feet.
Wednesday, November 7, 2012
Truckee....
Ah Truckee. Pretty neat spot really.
The past month has been a hoot here in the Sierra. Aside from a couple of cold snaps, the weather's had me donning shorts and a t-shirt most days irregardless of the fact that there's still evidence of a late October snow storm dominating the Truckee landscape. Although my first day on skis this year was officially October 25th, the weather has been warm enough that we've got some trails melted back out and I've been riding from the house every chance I get (which, unfortunately, isn't nearly as often as I'd like).
I'm sure the trail conditions in the foothills are getting really good but I won't find out for myself until we get REALLY snowed in locally, which could be happening as soon as tomorrow! Only time will tell, but "they" are predicting we'll get another 6-12" of the white and fluffy by Saturday morning.
The past month has been a hoot here in the Sierra. Aside from a couple of cold snaps, the weather's had me donning shorts and a t-shirt most days irregardless of the fact that there's still evidence of a late October snow storm dominating the Truckee landscape. Although my first day on skis this year was officially October 25th, the weather has been warm enough that we've got some trails melted back out and I've been riding from the house every chance I get (which, unfortunately, isn't nearly as often as I'd like).
I'm sure the trail conditions in the foothills are getting really good but I won't find out for myself until we get REALLY snowed in locally, which could be happening as soon as tomorrow! Only time will tell, but "they" are predicting we'll get another 6-12" of the white and fluffy by Saturday morning.
Friday, November 2, 2012
pump for joy
If you like bikes and beer (c'mon... who doesn't like bikes and beer) then get yourself a designated driver and head on over to the Cottonwood Nov 13th to party down and support our local pump track.
Pumptracks just don't happen people. The guys and gals that make this thing happen have shovels in their hands almost as often as handlebars. Utilizing shovels to make dirt into perfectly sculpted mounds in which to ride ones velocipede over takes more than an afternoon of digging instead of riding... it takes money. Without money, all shovels are good for is this....
.... or this
This photo was taken at the grand opening of the Truckee Pump Track earlier this summer. Opening day was HUGE! Safe to say there were more than a few people there.
And why not. The track was built by a group of people that live, eat and breath bikes. The track has enough variation to keep you busy all day long and irrigation to keep the dust down and the fun factor up. I've been told that this is only the beginning for the pumptrack. The crew has plans for expansion of the area with more lines and jumps in the future. So come on out and support something totally rad on Tuesday Nov 13th. See you there!
Pumptracks just don't happen people. The guys and gals that make this thing happen have shovels in their hands almost as often as handlebars. Utilizing shovels to make dirt into perfectly sculpted mounds in which to ride ones velocipede over takes more than an afternoon of digging instead of riding... it takes money. Without money, all shovels are good for is this....
.... or this
Looks fun. But not as fun as this....
This photo was taken at the grand opening of the Truckee Pump Track earlier this summer. Opening day was HUGE! Safe to say there were more than a few people there.
And why not. The track was built by a group of people that live, eat and breath bikes. The track has enough variation to keep you busy all day long and irrigation to keep the dust down and the fun factor up. I've been told that this is only the beginning for the pumptrack. The crew has plans for expansion of the area with more lines and jumps in the future. So come on out and support something totally rad on Tuesday Nov 13th. See you there!
Tuesday, October 30, 2012
fade to black
I'm still here people.
As much as it may seem like it, this site will not fade to black.
Been busy.
Real busy.
Wrenchin'.
Ridin'.
Skiin'.
More wrenchin'.
Been itchin to write. I swear. (I actually swear alot, but that's a differrent subject)
Hang in there folks. Meaninless stories are -hopefully- just around the corner.
G
As much as it may seem like it, this site will not fade to black.
Been busy.
Real busy.
Wrenchin'.
Ridin'.
Skiin'.
More wrenchin'.
Been itchin to write. I swear. (I actually swear alot, but that's a differrent subject)
Hang in there folks. Meaninless stories are -hopefully- just around the corner.
G
Wednesday, July 11, 2012
Carz
Wow. I swore a lot watching this.
In case you want the full version of the closing song. I think you really need the full song to fully appreciate the classic Styx jam. Hang in there. It takes 3 minutes or so for them to really get rocking.
What's this have to do with bikes?
Absolutely nothing.
In case you want the full version of the closing song. I think you really need the full song to fully appreciate the classic Styx jam. Hang in there. It takes 3 minutes or so for them to really get rocking.
What's this have to do with bikes?
Absolutely nothing.
Friday, July 6, 2012
Another great Craigslist ad
It's early. But my day has already been made.
I love Craigslist.
http://reno.craigslist.org/bik/3115996499.html
Enjoy.
I love Craigslist.
http://reno.craigslist.org/bik/3115996499.html
Enjoy.
Thursday, July 5, 2012
Tuesday, July 3, 2012
The Dude
Yep. This dude was cool.
Way cool.
Update: This post used to have an embedded video that would auto start every time the page was loaded... which was sort of annoying. The video in question was really cool. Shane McConkey. You should watch it.
http://www.redbullusa.com/cs/Satellite/en_US/Video/mcconkey-movie-trailer-021243183377378
Monday, June 25, 2012
Sundays Race
There was a race Sunday. Right here in my back yard!
Well, not actually in my back yard. The Tahoe Donner home owners association would never allow such things.
For me, the race went like this: I got out of bed just like I always do before a race. I drank some coffee and ate some breakfast, again just like all the other races. I did a quick prep of my bike, came back inside and packed my gearbag. This is where the similarities stop as the racer path of life zigged one way as I zagged in the other direction.
Right about the time of registration I had my feet up on my desk and was watching motocross. About the time where I would've been needing to get warmed up for the race, I headed out my front door and took the dog for a walk. At 10:00 the race started. Instead of turning myself "inside out" trying to be in the first group going into the woods, I was lazily loading bikes in the car. At the theoretical halfway point of the race i had just arrived at a distant trailhead with Megan for a ride. We rode for quite a while. Long enough, in fact, to miss the theoretical awards ceremony of the race.
We came back to the house and as I cracked a beer the theoretical racer path of life merged back together with the other choices and options we all make on our day to day navigation through the road map of life.
Not racing never felt better.
Well, not actually in my back yard. The Tahoe Donner home owners association would never allow such things.
For me, the race went like this: I got out of bed just like I always do before a race. I drank some coffee and ate some breakfast, again just like all the other races. I did a quick prep of my bike, came back inside and packed my gearbag. This is where the similarities stop as the racer path of life zigged one way as I zagged in the other direction.
Right about the time of registration I had my feet up on my desk and was watching motocross. About the time where I would've been needing to get warmed up for the race, I headed out my front door and took the dog for a walk. At 10:00 the race started. Instead of turning myself "inside out" trying to be in the first group going into the woods, I was lazily loading bikes in the car. At the theoretical halfway point of the race i had just arrived at a distant trailhead with Megan for a ride. We rode for quite a while. Long enough, in fact, to miss the theoretical awards ceremony of the race.
We came back to the house and as I cracked a beer the theoretical racer path of life merged back together with the other choices and options we all make on our day to day navigation through the road map of life.
Not racing never felt better.
Wednesday, June 6, 2012
Kids These Days
Now, I don't know who's job it is/was to come up with names for bikes at this company, but this one had me doing a little head scratching.
This bike had 16" wheels. Probably meant for someone around 4yrs old/young.
I'll zoom in a little bit so you can really see what's going on here.
I don't know what the word "Vaporizer" means to little Bobby, but to most of us here in Tahoe it usually suggests stuff like this.
Keeping with the theme here, I'll leave you with this.
Monday, June 4, 2012
Odd Requests
"Dude, can you help me with my sack? It's really sagging." This was my first repair request this past Sunday doing support for "Merica's Most Beautiful Bike Ride". Fortunately for him, and me, the "sack" in question was this:
This guy had about 10lbs of gear somehow crammed into this thing which proved too much for the single screw/plastic interface of the retention clip who's job was to hold all that crap up against the saddle rails. So, out came the duct tape. First job completed and I've yet to touch a tool. Nice.
Then, for the next two hours, there were a steady stream of riders with miscellaneous issues. It's common to see shifting issues and squeaky chains but this was the year of loose bars and stems. More than a couple of riders came in with handlebars twisted down at the stem. The issue on all of these was that they were carbon and had been put together with no carbon assembly paste between the bars and stem. I know this because I took the face plates off of all the stems in question and they were all dry as a bone in there. Carbon assembly paste is sort of like a light petroleum jelly with sand (or some similar small particulate) in it. The sand helps to grab onto the parts in question and give a solid grip on the components in question. This is especially important because the maximum torque on the stem face plate bolts are usually quite low in order to not crush or otherwise damage the carbon bars or crack the face plate of the stem.
Another thing I saw a few times was loose shift/brake lever assemblies. The bolts that hold the brake levers on the bars (and you on the bike while holding onto them) is concealed under the lever hood. I don't necessarily think the mechanic that "just tuned the bike last week" doesn't know where the clamp bolts are located, but he/she certainly didn't check them while "tuning the bike just last week".
This was also the year of the "cut tire". Damn. If you're riding Hwy 89 between Truckee and Squaw and you're not carrying a spare tube, you're setting yourself up for failure! Also carrying, and knowing how to use, some sort of tire boot can really save the day. Here's a youtube video of how to boot a tire. I actually didn't watch the entire thing, but the guy doing the video is from Pennsylvania so I immediately put my trust in him within the first 15 seconds and copied the link for your viewing pleasure.
Till next time. Keep it real folks.
This guy had about 10lbs of gear somehow crammed into this thing which proved too much for the single screw/plastic interface of the retention clip who's job was to hold all that crap up against the saddle rails. So, out came the duct tape. First job completed and I've yet to touch a tool. Nice.
Then, for the next two hours, there were a steady stream of riders with miscellaneous issues. It's common to see shifting issues and squeaky chains but this was the year of loose bars and stems. More than a couple of riders came in with handlebars twisted down at the stem. The issue on all of these was that they were carbon and had been put together with no carbon assembly paste between the bars and stem. I know this because I took the face plates off of all the stems in question and they were all dry as a bone in there. Carbon assembly paste is sort of like a light petroleum jelly with sand (or some similar small particulate) in it. The sand helps to grab onto the parts in question and give a solid grip on the components in question. This is especially important because the maximum torque on the stem face plate bolts are usually quite low in order to not crush or otherwise damage the carbon bars or crack the face plate of the stem.
Another thing I saw a few times was loose shift/brake lever assemblies. The bolts that hold the brake levers on the bars (and you on the bike while holding onto them) is concealed under the lever hood. I don't necessarily think the mechanic that "just tuned the bike last week" doesn't know where the clamp bolts are located, but he/she certainly didn't check them while "tuning the bike just last week".
This was also the year of the "cut tire". Damn. If you're riding Hwy 89 between Truckee and Squaw and you're not carrying a spare tube, you're setting yourself up for failure! Also carrying, and knowing how to use, some sort of tire boot can really save the day. Here's a youtube video of how to boot a tire. I actually didn't watch the entire thing, but the guy doing the video is from Pennsylvania so I immediately put my trust in him within the first 15 seconds and copied the link for your viewing pleasure.
Till next time. Keep it real folks.
Friday, June 1, 2012
Watch out folks
If you're doing the ride, great. Good for you. It's a bute. Personally, I'd suggest just sticking to the 74 mile loop around the lake and use the extra time for cocktails and hanging out. Adding the out and back on Hwy 89 just to make it a century is sort of a buzz kill if you ask me. Cars. Poor road surface. An almost garanteed headwind. Yik.
Regardless of the option you decide to pedal, please do the other bazillion people operating vehicles on the same roads as you a favor and ride single file. It's not a race, the roads aren't closed to traffic and there are bad drivers everywhere.... PROBABLY TEXTING!!! WTF!
Whatever you're doing this weekend, have fun, be safe and see ya next time.
Thursday, May 31, 2012
Dream Job
Someone told me the other day that I had a "dream job". And ya know what, most of the time I would say she was right. A typical day doing mobile bike repair sees me working on sweet rides in the fresh air as I work my way through the various neighborhoods of a cool mountain town surrounded by singletracks in every direction. My customers are rad. I bring my dog. I'm my own boss. Shit man... what more could ya want? I'M WINNING!!
Then, there are the other days. A heinous west wind is blowing paper towels off my work bench and testing the breaking point of the wooden dowels that hold up my sunshade (now acting as a sail) above me. All of this is happening while I'm looking for an incredibly small Mavic freehub spring which has accidentally fallen off my workbench and now hides camouflaged by the surface of a black driveway. Can't they make those things in some sort of day glow color? Then, while looking for another spring in the parts bin, I'll "find" that replacement hydraulic line cutter blade now embedded deep into the end of an eerily dirty thumb.
Yep. Dream job.
Then, there are the other days. A heinous west wind is blowing paper towels off my work bench and testing the breaking point of the wooden dowels that hold up my sunshade (now acting as a sail) above me. All of this is happening while I'm looking for an incredibly small Mavic freehub spring which has accidentally fallen off my workbench and now hides camouflaged by the surface of a black driveway. Can't they make those things in some sort of day glow color? Then, while looking for another spring in the parts bin, I'll "find" that replacement hydraulic line cutter blade now embedded deep into the end of an eerily dirty thumb.
Yep. Dream job.
Sunday, May 13, 2012
Wow! Things at Mighty Mobile continue apace. My status of being "busier than a one legged man in an ass kicking contest" has held true for almost a month now. I've been backed up with repairs about 5 to 7 days.
First off; if you've contacted me in the past couple of weeks and I haven't gotten back to you, I'm sorry. I had another iPhone die on me (I'm currently on my fourth one!) and with that being the case I lost some information that was stored in the phone. The info that I wish I still had included some phone numbers, my "wish list" (a list parts for an order) and some photos. The photos I could care less about, but the other bits I wish I still had. If it's been curiously long since you've heard back from me, you might want to give me a call.
Funny. I chose the iPhone because of their good customer reviews and low-ish SAR rating but have had anything but positive results on my side of things. As mentioned previously, I'm on my fourth phone. My journey in Apple land started Jan 17th making my experience with Apple products less than stellar. "Hardware issues" I've been told. They claim it's an "isolated issue". Right. I'm in the cycling industry pal. "Isolated issues" or "we've never heard of that" is the standard, bullshit response you'll get even though you've got a pile of the defective "what have you's" in the back with angry customers expecting some sort of resolution. Anyone remember the great GT I-Drive frame failure back in the early 2000's? 9 out of 10 frames would crack at the seatpost/top tube weld and it took most of the summer before GT would admit to there being a problem. This kind of shit really disgusts me. If you know something isn't right, put on your big boy pants, own up to it and get it sorted out. Anhyoo, is anybody else keeping UPS and FedEx in business with defective iPhones or am I really the only one? I'll stop bitching now... at least about phones.
Riding. How about the riding. In May. Yippee!! Although my previously mentioned work load has me mostly holding onto wrenches instead of handlebars, I have been out on the trails a couple of times in past weeks. As I was climbing up some local singletrack last night, I couldn't help but think back to last year at this time with snow still falling from the sky and the closest snow free trail being in Auburn. After last winter, I'm totally fine with the fact that the ski season wasn't "all that" and my front yard is currently free of snow.
I'll be "that guy" and throw out a friendly little reminder that this is the time of year when you'll encounter mud and snow on the local trails. Unless you want to ride ruts for the rest of the summer do everyone a favor and stay out of the friggin' mud! I know, sometimes this just isn't an option but most of the time - it is. If you find yourself riding through sections of muddy trail and hear that little voice in your head wondering if it's ok or not.... it's probably not. Same goes for snow patches. If you can't ride the snow pile, then walk it. If you can't walk it then go ride somewhere else. Riding around snow piles that are going to melt in the next three days is NOT ok. Stop it.
Ok people. Till next time. Have fun out there.
First off; if you've contacted me in the past couple of weeks and I haven't gotten back to you, I'm sorry. I had another iPhone die on me (I'm currently on my fourth one!) and with that being the case I lost some information that was stored in the phone. The info that I wish I still had included some phone numbers, my "wish list" (a list parts for an order) and some photos. The photos I could care less about, but the other bits I wish I still had. If it's been curiously long since you've heard back from me, you might want to give me a call.
Funny. I chose the iPhone because of their good customer reviews and low-ish SAR rating but have had anything but positive results on my side of things. As mentioned previously, I'm on my fourth phone. My journey in Apple land started Jan 17th making my experience with Apple products less than stellar. "Hardware issues" I've been told. They claim it's an "isolated issue". Right. I'm in the cycling industry pal. "Isolated issues" or "we've never heard of that" is the standard, bullshit response you'll get even though you've got a pile of the defective "what have you's" in the back with angry customers expecting some sort of resolution. Anyone remember the great GT I-Drive frame failure back in the early 2000's? 9 out of 10 frames would crack at the seatpost/top tube weld and it took most of the summer before GT would admit to there being a problem. This kind of shit really disgusts me. If you know something isn't right, put on your big boy pants, own up to it and get it sorted out. Anhyoo, is anybody else keeping UPS and FedEx in business with defective iPhones or am I really the only one? I'll stop bitching now... at least about phones.
Riding. How about the riding. In May. Yippee!! Although my previously mentioned work load has me mostly holding onto wrenches instead of handlebars, I have been out on the trails a couple of times in past weeks. As I was climbing up some local singletrack last night, I couldn't help but think back to last year at this time with snow still falling from the sky and the closest snow free trail being in Auburn. After last winter, I'm totally fine with the fact that the ski season wasn't "all that" and my front yard is currently free of snow.
I'll be "that guy" and throw out a friendly little reminder that this is the time of year when you'll encounter mud and snow on the local trails. Unless you want to ride ruts for the rest of the summer do everyone a favor and stay out of the friggin' mud! I know, sometimes this just isn't an option but most of the time - it is. If you find yourself riding through sections of muddy trail and hear that little voice in your head wondering if it's ok or not.... it's probably not. Same goes for snow patches. If you can't ride the snow pile, then walk it. If you can't walk it then go ride somewhere else. Riding around snow piles that are going to melt in the next three days is NOT ok. Stop it.
Ok people. Till next time. Have fun out there.
Sunday, May 6, 2012
Killer bike for sale
With my O-ficial retirement from the racing world, I've O-ficially got a super sweet race bike for sale.
If you're vertically challenged, such as myself (5'-6" or less), I've got a killer carbon 29er for sale.
http://reno.craigslist.org/bik/3000352014.html
I'd love to be posting things of other importance, information, or other newsworthy rigger-merole', but judging by my schedule for repairs these days, ya'll are an eager bunch to be out hitting the trails. Good on ya!
If you're vertically challenged, such as myself (5'-6" or less), I've got a killer carbon 29er for sale.
http://reno.craigslist.org/bik/3000352014.html
Saturday, April 21, 2012
I've got a hook
I've got a hook.
In the closet of my office.
It's where I hang my hydration pack I use for riding.
Been off the bike for a couple of months,
Damn it feels good to be using that hook again.
In the closet of my office.
It's where I hang my hydration pack I use for riding.
Been off the bike for a couple of months,
Damn it feels good to be using that hook again.
Friday, April 20, 2012
Sea Otter
No. Not going. People always ask.
Even before my status as "retired" from the bike racing world I still didn't go to this race. "Why?" you may ask. My excuses range from "too early in the season" to "too expensive in the wallet" but the biggest reason I never went to the Sea Otter to race was because I've always heard the course isn't all that exciting. It's one of those flattish, smooth-ish "power" type courses I always found uninteresting and unrewarding as a racer - at least for me. The course has to be good to be good, right?
But that doesn't mean that Sea Otter isn't cool! Or so I've heard. I've actually never been there. The Sea Otter hosts some fierce competition in most cycling disciplines at a world cup level just a few hours from Truckee. And that's just the racing.
The other reason Sea Otter is so popular is that it's almost like a mini bike show. The vendor list reads like a who's who in cycling. Fox, Shimano, Sram... the list goes on. If it's a component bolted to your bike, chances are there's an industry presence there. Sea Otter is usually the "launching point" for next years product. I just saw online this morning some new Fox goods that will be available before you know it. Like it or not, as far as the cycling industry is concerned, 2013 is just around the corner.
If you can't make it to Sea Otter but still want to keep tabs on cycling's current events, don't read by blog page! Good grief, this thing doesn't get updated near enough to be "hot", "current", or anywhere near "late breaking". I've got too many bikes to fix and trails to ride to be bothered with keeping my blog updated on a daily basis.
Want the latest "this & that" at Sea Otter? Cruise on over to BikeRumor and see what you'll be spending your hard earned $$'s on in the near future.
Stay tuned folks. I'll be doing some Truckee trail updates as things start melting out.
Even before my status as "retired" from the bike racing world I still didn't go to this race. "Why?" you may ask. My excuses range from "too early in the season" to "too expensive in the wallet" but the biggest reason I never went to the Sea Otter to race was because I've always heard the course isn't all that exciting. It's one of those flattish, smooth-ish "power" type courses I always found uninteresting and unrewarding as a racer - at least for me. The course has to be good to be good, right?
But that doesn't mean that Sea Otter isn't cool! Or so I've heard. I've actually never been there. The Sea Otter hosts some fierce competition in most cycling disciplines at a world cup level just a few hours from Truckee. And that's just the racing.
The other reason Sea Otter is so popular is that it's almost like a mini bike show. The vendor list reads like a who's who in cycling. Fox, Shimano, Sram... the list goes on. If it's a component bolted to your bike, chances are there's an industry presence there. Sea Otter is usually the "launching point" for next years product. I just saw online this morning some new Fox goods that will be available before you know it. Like it or not, as far as the cycling industry is concerned, 2013 is just around the corner.
If you can't make it to Sea Otter but still want to keep tabs on cycling's current events, don't read by blog page! Good grief, this thing doesn't get updated near enough to be "hot", "current", or anywhere near "late breaking". I've got too many bikes to fix and trails to ride to be bothered with keeping my blog updated on a daily basis.
Want the latest "this & that" at Sea Otter? Cruise on over to BikeRumor and see what you'll be spending your hard earned $$'s on in the near future.
Stay tuned folks. I'll be doing some Truckee trail updates as things start melting out.
Wednesday, April 11, 2012
I'm Back
Not that I really went anywhere.
Seems as though I was having a little battle with Tomi to see who could win the "who's gonna let their blog run idle" contest. And by damned... I won! It might have been a better contest had Tomi actually known he was in one. Meh. I celebrated my "victory" with a face lift to the look of this here blog thingy. Black... just like Johnny Cash would've done.
So, what's new? Well, not a ton really. As far as Mighty Mobile is concerned, the shelves are full of the goodies that we all need and require to make our bikes ride the way we want/need them to. Tires, cables, housing, brake pads, drivetrain parts, rims, spokes, fork seals.... everything's a go! There's not a ton new or changed since last year. I'll get more into the nooks and crannies of what's new in future posts.
If you've been thinking of getting some service on your ride, you're not alone. Mighty Mobile's been running anywhere from 3 to 7 days out on service as of late. Call anytime for an appointment.
Skiing. Yep. I did that a few times this year. But literally only a few. Lack luster snow on the days I had for skiing. The only records I broke this year for skiing were in the "least days" and "shitty snow" categories. Unless you count cross country skiing. Keeping a nice xc ski track in down the street from the house was easier than ever this year. Sure did keep the dog happy.
After not swinging my leg over a bike (other than test rides) for over a month I decided to head to the Bay area last weekend and do an underground ride in China Camp. As if 55 miles and 11,000ft of climbing (yes, this IS possible in China Camp) off the couch weren't enough to get my legs and arse into riding shape we continued the trip to Santa Cruz for two more days of single track bliss. Heads up if you're heading that way, I've never seen so much poison oak condensed into one spot. Bring the Tecnu!
As for riding in Truckee, it's juuuusssst starting to show signs of dirt. There's some snow in the forecast for this week, but with the suns long hang time these days, snow won't hang around too long on lower elevation and south facing trails. Get ready folks, mountain biking from your house is right around the corner. Get ready.
Seems as though I was having a little battle with Tomi to see who could win the "who's gonna let their blog run idle" contest. And by damned... I won! It might have been a better contest had Tomi actually known he was in one. Meh. I celebrated my "victory" with a face lift to the look of this here blog thingy. Black... just like Johnny Cash would've done.
So, what's new? Well, not a ton really. As far as Mighty Mobile is concerned, the shelves are full of the goodies that we all need and require to make our bikes ride the way we want/need them to. Tires, cables, housing, brake pads, drivetrain parts, rims, spokes, fork seals.... everything's a go! There's not a ton new or changed since last year. I'll get more into the nooks and crannies of what's new in future posts.
If you've been thinking of getting some service on your ride, you're not alone. Mighty Mobile's been running anywhere from 3 to 7 days out on service as of late. Call anytime for an appointment.
Skiing. Yep. I did that a few times this year. But literally only a few. Lack luster snow on the days I had for skiing. The only records I broke this year for skiing were in the "least days" and "shitty snow" categories. Unless you count cross country skiing. Keeping a nice xc ski track in down the street from the house was easier than ever this year. Sure did keep the dog happy.
After not swinging my leg over a bike (other than test rides) for over a month I decided to head to the Bay area last weekend and do an underground ride in China Camp. As if 55 miles and 11,000ft of climbing (yes, this IS possible in China Camp) off the couch weren't enough to get my legs and arse into riding shape we continued the trip to Santa Cruz for two more days of single track bliss. Heads up if you're heading that way, I've never seen so much poison oak condensed into one spot. Bring the Tecnu!
As for riding in Truckee, it's juuuusssst starting to show signs of dirt. There's some snow in the forecast for this week, but with the suns long hang time these days, snow won't hang around too long on lower elevation and south facing trails. Get ready folks, mountain biking from your house is right around the corner. Get ready.
Tuesday, February 7, 2012
are you out there.... winter?
Remember last winter? Sure you do. The endless shoveling, skiing and wondering just how sturdy IS the roof of a house. Well, what a difference a year makes. I don't know exactly, but I'm thinking this pic of the snow was taken in the beginning of March last year. As we close in on this photo's one year anniversary, I'll tell you it's quite the opposite scene in my front yard this year with only about 12 inches of the white stuff instead of 12 feet!
So, instead of skiing rock hard groomers at the ski area I've been keeping the pedals on the bike turning and getting after it on an at least daily basis. Big surprise, I know. The condition of the trails in the foothills are exactly what we dream about while riding in mid-summer with dusty shins and crusty boogers here in Tahoe. I managed to get a quick trip down to Santa Cruz around the time of my birthday and did a ride with the total mileage frighteningly close to my new age on this round little ball we call earth. 
And even here in Tahoe we've been able to ride stuff in January that last year was under many, many, many feet of snow. This pic is climbing to the rim trail towards Kingsbury Grade on "Nate's route" which Nate says he'll probably not be using again any time soon. Yea... no shit.
This photo is dropping the Vansickle trail off of the rim towards Stateline in early January. Crazy ice formations out there. This trail, btw, is pretty damn rad. If you're down there next spring it's definitely worth checking out. (map here)
There's still plenty of winter months left as far as the calender is concerned. As much of a bike junkie as I am, I'm still hoping for at least a few good storms so we can get out there and bounce down the mountainside on skis through those magical little frozen droplets of water that we call snow. That stuff sure is fun. Before we know it, it'll be summer once again and Mighty Mobile will be out and about doing what it does best. No, not eating doughnuts! Stuff like chasing the threads on bottom brackets...
Another reminder, Mighty Mobile is open for buiz all year. Get your bike in the stand now so it can spend more time on the trails later. Call anytime for an appointment.
.... telling people that this is probably NOT a warranty situation....
....explaining that NO, I can't "just true it out"......
.... and test riding EVERY repair I do.
Another reminder, Mighty Mobile is open for buiz all year. Get your bike in the stand now so it can spend more time on the trails later. Call anytime for an appointment. Monday, January 23, 2012
SSWC2012 and other stuff
So, I see that SSWC2012 is in South Africa this year. Feb 18th. No... I won't be heading down to participate, but if I did, I'd surely be taking this bike. It only has one gear. The video of the bike is sorta sub par, probably the exact opposite of riding the thing, but the description (0-60 in 3.6 sec) is what really makes the hair on the back of my neck stand up a bit and make me curious.
Onto other things; The 2012 mileage tally was coming along nicely until old man winter decided that it was time to finally get down to business here in Tahoe dropping a foot of snow at Mighty Mobile World Headquarters and counting. So, it'll be a bit before I swing my leg up and over the saddle again. It's time to strap some lumber on my feet and ski some powder for a while. However, with 11 rides under my belt (it's a nice lightweight belt made of lycra... and carbon fiber) the mileage total stands at 243.31. No, I'm not posting all the rides. You'll get bored. So will I. If you're really that into it, you can click here and surf my Garmin account till you're blue in the face... and arse.
Onto other things; The 2012 mileage tally was coming along nicely until old man winter decided that it was time to finally get down to business here in Tahoe dropping a foot of snow at Mighty Mobile World Headquarters and counting. So, it'll be a bit before I swing my leg up and over the saddle again. It's time to strap some lumber on my feet and ski some powder for a while. However, with 11 rides under my belt (it's a nice lightweight belt made of lycra... and carbon fiber) the mileage total stands at 243.31. No, I'm not posting all the rides. You'll get bored. So will I. If you're really that into it, you can click here and surf my Garmin account till you're blue in the face... and arse.
Another reminder; Mighty Mobile is open for business ALL WINTER. Call anytime to schedule a pick up.
Saturday, January 21, 2012
Whadda ya do in the winter??
A typical mid-summer day for Mighty Mobile Bike Repair usually finds me making house calls in the greater Truckee/Tahoe area adjusting shifting, replacing broken spokes and rebuilding suspension forks. In typical Tahoe fashion, the weather in the summer is mostly predictable and makes scheduling repairs days or even weeks in advance a fairly easy process.I'm often times asked what I do in the winter. I'm usually quick to answer that question in a caveman-esque style and simply say "ski" as I have a split second day dream of bike repair actually having the ability of providing my sole income as I take the entire winter off from working and spend my time skiing through the day and sipping warm brandy at night. Then reality sets and I give the more honest answer of "... and part time work at a ski shop" as I realize that the electric company isn't really interested in the fact that most people don't think about bike repair in the winter.
But I'm hoping to change that in "oh-12"! Mighty Mobile Bike Repair is O-ficially in the "pick up and delivery" business for the winter. If you've ever thought to yourself "I'm gonna have my bike serviced in the winter so it's ready to go for spring", or if avoiding procrastination is one of your new years resolutions then well.... you're in luck. The time is now folks. Get that leaky for seal fixed. Replace those worn out tires. Get that skipping chain issue worked out before you slam your knee into your stem again. Mighty Mobile is well stocked and can to get your "steed" in tip top shape so the next time you're ready to ride... your bike is too.
Call anytime to schedule a pick up.
Wednesday, January 18, 2012
your name here
crickets.
i know.
stuff going on.
work.
birthday.
santa cruz.
more work.
lots to tell...
...later though.
till then, i caught this while working away today. if you have 3:33 i'd check it out for your local chuckle.
i know.
stuff going on.
work.
birthday.
santa cruz.
more work.
lots to tell...
...later though.
till then, i caught this while working away today. if you have 3:33 i'd check it out for your local chuckle.
Monday, January 9, 2012
Ride #5
If the thought of hearing about yet another ride off hwy 20 has you rolling your eyes into the back of your head then you might want to stop reading this and just click here to navigate yourself into a different realm of the intraweb. (safe for all ages, genders and sexual preferences)
And with that... on with the show:
Using the knowledge gained after last Thursdays ride in the same area we set up the cars for a solid point to point from waaaay up on the ridge. Like most of my rides down there, this one might be a little hard to follow if you're loading the file into your personal GPS and attempting to recreate the route. If you do attempt this, just trust the navigation as it sends you trail-lessly bushwacking on a few occasions. There's a reason that you're doing this be it avoiding "blown out" motorcycle trails or hopping off one trail system to get to the better parts of another. In any event, be prepared for an adventure.... and bring a spare derailleur hanger just in case.
At this point I'm fairly certain that I'll be able to tie in some classic flume riding with a little more sniffing around... and more than likely quite a bit of hike a bike on my first attempt. In any event, if my hunch proves correct, the flume could be an exceptionally good way to loop back around to other trail options and sections. This exploratory mission will happen sooner than later as the needle on my curiosity meter is bouncing off the maximum position. Riding the flume is always a "special" kind of experience.
The stats at this point:
Rides: 5
Mileage: 111.69
Mountain bike rides: 5
Road rides: 0
And with that, I gotta go.
Till next time kids.
And with that... on with the show:
Using the knowledge gained after last Thursdays ride in the same area we set up the cars for a solid point to point from waaaay up on the ridge. Like most of my rides down there, this one might be a little hard to follow if you're loading the file into your personal GPS and attempting to recreate the route. If you do attempt this, just trust the navigation as it sends you trail-lessly bushwacking on a few occasions. There's a reason that you're doing this be it avoiding "blown out" motorcycle trails or hopping off one trail system to get to the better parts of another. In any event, be prepared for an adventure.... and bring a spare derailleur hanger just in case.
At this point I'm fairly certain that I'll be able to tie in some classic flume riding with a little more sniffing around... and more than likely quite a bit of hike a bike on my first attempt. In any event, if my hunch proves correct, the flume could be an exceptionally good way to loop back around to other trail options and sections. This exploratory mission will happen sooner than later as the needle on my curiosity meter is bouncing off the maximum position. Riding the flume is always a "special" kind of experience.
The stats at this point:
Rides: 5
Mileage: 111.69
Mountain bike rides: 5
Road rides: 0
And with that, I gotta go.
Till next time kids.
Friday, January 6, 2012
days 3 & 4
Ride #3
Ride #3 was a quickie on a local loop with my lady. We did have a slight "glitch" in the ride when Megan somehow snuck by me while I was shedding a layer and taking in a view looking south on the 89 corridor. This lead me to thinking she had flatted or laid it down on one of the icy spots on the trail. This theory would prove false however after I backtracked to a spot on the trail where I knew she was still up and running. So.... the chase was on.
Ride #4
Yep. More riding off the 20. I just can't stay away from that place. Why? Maybe it's because after riding down there for 10 years I'm still finding and riding new trail. Sure, some of it sucks, but when it all comes together... man can that shit be magical. I won't put this ride in that "magical" category just yet but the knowledge gained will make an epic soon... very soon.
So... where does that put me for miles in the season? I don't know and I'm too lazy to add up the numbers so early in the game.
Ride #3 was a quickie on a local loop with my lady. We did have a slight "glitch" in the ride when Megan somehow snuck by me while I was shedding a layer and taking in a view looking south on the 89 corridor. This lead me to thinking she had flatted or laid it down on one of the icy spots on the trail. This theory would prove false however after I backtracked to a spot on the trail where I knew she was still up and running. So.... the chase was on.
Ride #4
Yep. More riding off the 20. I just can't stay away from that place. Why? Maybe it's because after riding down there for 10 years I'm still finding and riding new trail. Sure, some of it sucks, but when it all comes together... man can that shit be magical. I won't put this ride in that "magical" category just yet but the knowledge gained will make an epic soon... very soon.
So... where does that put me for miles in the season? I don't know and I'm too lazy to add up the numbers so early in the game.
Wednesday, January 4, 2012
New for 2012
I'd say I haven't done this in a while but it's more likely I've never done this. The "this" in question is tracking my mileage for the 2012 riding season. I'm sure I'll forget my Garmin from time to time which has been the standard mode of keeping tabs on my rides and races in the past, but I'll do my best to have it with me on most outings.
It'll be interesting to see how things look throughout the season and I'll be doing my best to post stuff on here as things get underway. With that being said... here we go:
This was the first ride of 2012 for me. This ride started with the realization about half way to Reno that I had forgot my helmet. A quick side trip to a friends house in Glenshire fixed that little issue up and we were back on track.
It's been years (7?) since I've ridden Cow Canyon and I'd got word that there was some newer trail above the stuff I'd ridden previously. Always a sucker for new trail, I headed down there with some peeps to check it out. The new trail is a ridgline moto trail with some steep, fast sections. The climb to get to this part of trail doesn't come easy and you'll loose your hard earned elevation quickly as you rocket back to the "normal" section. The ride is ok, but for me I prefer the Keystone/Evans canyon sections just a bit to the east.
Ride 2:
For my second ride of the season, I managed to remember all of my gear as we headed to the South East corner of Tahoe Lake for some newer/rerouted sections of Rim Trail and the new Vansickle Trail. We had perfect weather for this one. Amazing to be riding well over 8,000ft in January with no snow!
The southeast corner of the lake is quite a drive from Truckee but rest assured it's worth it. The section of Rim Trail between Kingsbury and the bench at Spooner was as good as I always remembered it. Lots of decomposed granite, fast and swoopy. The rerouted sections of the Rim Trail are going to be great once completed (their close, we bushwacked) and the new Vansickle Trail is a great descent of almost 2,000ft of funloving vertical.
And for now... that's it. Ride today? Not sure, but it's likely.
It'll be interesting to see how things look throughout the season and I'll be doing my best to post stuff on here as things get underway. With that being said... here we go:
This was the first ride of 2012 for me. This ride started with the realization about half way to Reno that I had forgot my helmet. A quick side trip to a friends house in Glenshire fixed that little issue up and we were back on track.
It's been years (7?) since I've ridden Cow Canyon and I'd got word that there was some newer trail above the stuff I'd ridden previously. Always a sucker for new trail, I headed down there with some peeps to check it out. The new trail is a ridgline moto trail with some steep, fast sections. The climb to get to this part of trail doesn't come easy and you'll loose your hard earned elevation quickly as you rocket back to the "normal" section. The ride is ok, but for me I prefer the Keystone/Evans canyon sections just a bit to the east.
Ride 2:
For my second ride of the season, I managed to remember all of my gear as we headed to the South East corner of Tahoe Lake for some newer/rerouted sections of Rim Trail and the new Vansickle Trail. We had perfect weather for this one. Amazing to be riding well over 8,000ft in January with no snow!
The southeast corner of the lake is quite a drive from Truckee but rest assured it's worth it. The section of Rim Trail between Kingsbury and the bench at Spooner was as good as I always remembered it. Lots of decomposed granite, fast and swoopy. The rerouted sections of the Rim Trail are going to be great once completed (their close, we bushwacked) and the new Vansickle Trail is a great descent of almost 2,000ft of funloving vertical.
And for now... that's it. Ride today? Not sure, but it's likely.
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