Although the snow has everybody (myself included) laden w/ a heavy case of "ski fever", this is the ultimate time to get your bike in for some service. Mighty Mobile is up and running all winter long with quick turn around times and parts inventory is at an all time high.
I don't like being backed up 5 days out on the schedule any more than you do and if you wait until the trails start to melt out, that's exactly what I'll be telling you for a timeframe for scheduling.
So get your bike wrenched on now so when the opportunity to go for a ride comes along your bike will be ready.... even if your legs are not.
Friday, January 8, 2016
Sunday, January 3, 2016
Epic Thanks
It's usually around this time of year that I take the opportunity to thank all my customers who keep Mighty Mobile Bike Repair up & running and out & about providing me with my big dream of running a small business.
To all.... a thousand Thank You's!!!!
This year, however, I'm also going to send out some thanks to all the people I get to ride with during the summer. Thanks for all the memories, good rides and good times. Past experiences bring a smile to my face and the thought of future rides keeps me motivated for the days to come.
I should also throw out a little thanks to some of you for understanding in the simple fact that sometimes you have to break a few epic ride eggs to have an epic ride omelet. For all of you that keep coming out to ride knowing that today will likely take longer than expected, we'll get home later than anticipated and we'll probably run into at least a few things we didn't account for.... Thanx.
But.... isn't that what it's all about.
Jesse
Upper Pioneer Trail
The unexpected.
Aaron Breitbard
Spaulding Lake Trail
The unique experiences.
Dave Pasewark
Fordyce Dam
The memory that sticks because it trumps all others....
Aaron Breitbard
Doolittle Trail
To me, these pics remind me that sometimes it's not all flowy singletrack through fresh blooming wildflowers.
Mark Chavez, Geoff Rocky, Matty Larsen
Burlington Ridge
FTR 2009
But it can be.
Justin Scharp
Warren Lake Trail
Epic rides materialize most times by accident. A rides mileage alone doesn't necessarily qualify it for an epic (although it usually helps). I've done some 60 mile mountain bike rides that were simply just long rides. I've also been at the far end of a 23 mile out and back in an unexpectedly blinding snow storm while riding huge sections of catwalk on the NID water supply. For a relatively short ride w/ almost no climbing, it certainly gets catalogued in the "epics file" of my mind.
Nikki Wagner
NID Water Supply, on a nicer day
Throw in a wrong turn, inclement weather, or some major mechanicals and you only have the ingredients for an epic experience. For an epic to take its true form, it also needs to have the right people with the mindset to process the current adversity into a positive direction. Sometimes you have to push the envelope of comfort and normalcy beyond the usual experience to make the event stand above the others for years to come.
Aaron Breitbard & Mike Nunes
Pioneer Trail
Riders who understand that just because there's a trail on the map, doesn't exactly mean there will be a trail.
Sako Kapano & Nate Arnold
West Shore, Tahoe
Think you're immune to dealing with underestimated or unexpected trail conditions just because you're my girlfriend. Ha... think again.
Megan Reeves
Bullards Bar Trail.
These two guys. Always up for an adventure. I usually don't even have to ask these guys if their into some "bonus" trails.
Aaron Breitbard & Nate Arnold
Nevada City, Ca
"This is my spare tube."
Mechanicals can often turn a standard ride into a trailside group discussion with resources getting pulled from all sides. This is when it's good to have people in the group with a combination of ideas, ingenuity and some spare parts.
 |
| Trouble on Fordyce Creek Trail Sierra Nevadas |
No Shawn. It'd suck if there wasn't a ladder.
Shawn Whitney
Foothills, Sierra Nevadas
So. Thanx again.
Will we get lost again in 2016? Probably.
Will we come out of trails in the dark? Likely.
Will we have fun? Most definitely.
Sunday, September 13, 2015
Fat 55 Mountain Bike Race, Oakridge Oregon
Dust.
Good.
Figured that would happen.
I'm 24 miles into a 45 mile race and the dust that hangs in the air is surely from one (or both) of the guys that had "put the hurt on" on the previous 3 miles of rolling pavement. Currently, I'm in 5th place.
Rewinding an hour and a half to the start of the race is typical of most other races with lots of suffering as riders jockey for position on a fireroad climb before hitting the first section of singletrack. I've done this enough times to know that I'm pushing way too hard way too early. My view of the seven riders up the road ahead of me is akin to watching the Tour De France race on TV. Tall, skinny riders in matching team "kits" turning the pedals in perfect circles with astonishing authority. As I look to my left, I see Karl Decker (pro Giant Factory rider) and realize that if I'm going to have any chance at a decent result, let alone finish this damn thing, I'd better back off my rapidly diminishing power supply.
Back at the 24 mile mark, with dust hanging in the air.... I'm psyched to be off the pavement and back on trail. Although I haven't ridden his trail in a number of years, I do know that my last trip down the Middle Fork Willamette trail was nothing but fun with its tight, twisty, rolling tread. With 20 miles of racing left on the day, I've got myself into a nice solid tempo that I figured I could hold for the remainder of the race.
Moments later, I'd learn that the dust hanging in the air was from not one, but two riders. SCORE!! As I topped out on one of the many rollers on the trail, I was stopped by the two guys, one of whom was perched precariously off the side of the trail on a VERY steep hill side sandwiched between his bike and the thick manzanita bushes that were keeping him from a 30ft fall down to the river. After helping out the guy who's name turned out to be Jeff (from Reno) we were off again. The guys let me go ahead of them (tanx guys!) and I got back to the business of getting back to business.
I'd chase hard for the next hour and a half, but to no avail.... I wasn't going to catch the two guys in front of me without one of them having some sort of problem.
So, at 3 hours and 26 minutes I crossed the finish line. About 4 minutes off the winner and a minute and a half from second place.
Good times man.....good times.
Wednesday, September 2, 2015
The "I can't help you" calendar
Wow. Been lagging on the bloggity thing. No time to write. Only time to fix bikes. And if I'm lucky, I can actually get out and ride the damn things every once in a while.
One sure fire way of guaranteeing that I get to ride my bike is leaving town w/ my favorite steed loaded up and ready to ride.
And that's exactly what I'm going to do in the upcoming month/months. With that being the case, I'll get on w/ my "I can't help you" calendar.
Sept 10-15. You can call me, but I won't be around. I'll be in Oakridge Oregon racing the Fat55. This race will definitely push the envelope of strength, bike handling and just how good chamois butter protects my nether regions.
Sept 23-Oct 6th. I'll be heading back to the great state of Pennsylvania to visit friends and family. Also while I'm there, I'll be doing a "bonus" race in the way of the Terror of Teaberry. My friend Buck recommended this race to me. And Buck's never wrong. Ain't that right Buck.....
Ok. So maybe Buck occasionally makes some poor choices in terms of garment selection, but the dude is usually spot on when it comes to fun places to ride the bike.
Monday, May 4, 2015
Closings and such
News you can use:
Although I'm typically only closed Sundays, the next two weekends will see Mighty Mobile NOT answering the phones or spinning the wrenches on Saturdays as well.
First off, May 9th is the Battle Born Enduro in Reno where I'll be zip tying a plate containing numbers and timing chip to my bike for race #1 of 2 of my race "season". I did this race last year and the event is awesome. The promoters are on top of their game and the entire day ran without a hitch.... until I drank too much water which depleted my body of all nutrients and I spent the entire evening puking my guts out. Guess I'll stick to beer this time.
Next, Saturday May 16th is the Hangtown Motocross Classic. This is the first of 12 rounds of the AMA pro motocross series. If you're a moto fan, this is your best/easiest chance to see some of the best riders in the world battling it out. Going to this race is great. It's one part sports spectacular and another part classic people watching. Nothing brings out a "mixed bag" of spectators like a motocross.
Otherwise, average scheduling times for service are running between 3 and 5 days out.
No.... Hole in The Ground is NOT open yet.
Although I'm typically only closed Sundays, the next two weekends will see Mighty Mobile NOT answering the phones or spinning the wrenches on Saturdays as well.
First off, May 9th is the Battle Born Enduro in Reno where I'll be zip tying a plate containing numbers and timing chip to my bike for race #1 of 2 of my race "season". I did this race last year and the event is awesome. The promoters are on top of their game and the entire day ran without a hitch.... until I drank too much water which depleted my body of all nutrients and I spent the entire evening puking my guts out. Guess I'll stick to beer this time.
Next, Saturday May 16th is the Hangtown Motocross Classic. This is the first of 12 rounds of the AMA pro motocross series. If you're a moto fan, this is your best/easiest chance to see some of the best riders in the world battling it out. Going to this race is great. It's one part sports spectacular and another part classic people watching. Nothing brings out a "mixed bag" of spectators like a motocross.
Otherwise, average scheduling times for service are running between 3 and 5 days out.
No.... Hole in The Ground is NOT open yet.
Wednesday, April 1, 2015
obsolescence and other stuff you should know about
April 16th. Mark your calenders. It's Sea Otter Classic time again.
To some, Sea Otter means bike racing. To others, it's the time to see just what's new in the cycling industry as many companies use Sea Otter to unveil new product. So.... that shiny new 2015 cutting edge 27.5 enduro rig you just ponied up two pocket fulls of hard earned cash for last October..... yup.... after April 16th you'll learn that it's 17% less stiff, 13.5% less efficient, 10% heavier and the spring rate curve won't be near as effective as what's going to be available in 2016. That's what they'll tell you anyway.
I wonder at what point bikes will surpass the computer industry in regards to how fast something becomes "outdated" or "old" making it's value instantaneously drop like a bag of wet rocks? Re-dic-u-lous.
In other news that actually effects us, it's time to remind ya'll once again about broken rear derailleur cables. Without trying to sound too much like your mom harping on you to "clean your room", I will say that I've seen three cables broken this week and the five seconds it takes to have a quick look at your cable will save you from a potential "bummer situation" on your next ride. Instead of re-spewing pics and info again, you can just have a look at this post I did a while back to get an idea of what to look for.
Also of note: Mighty Mobile will be closed this Saturday and Sunday. We're always closed Sundays.
To some, Sea Otter means bike racing. To others, it's the time to see just what's new in the cycling industry as many companies use Sea Otter to unveil new product. So.... that shiny new 2015 cutting edge 27.5 enduro rig you just ponied up two pocket fulls of hard earned cash for last October..... yup.... after April 16th you'll learn that it's 17% less stiff, 13.5% less efficient, 10% heavier and the spring rate curve won't be near as effective as what's going to be available in 2016. That's what they'll tell you anyway.
I wonder at what point bikes will surpass the computer industry in regards to how fast something becomes "outdated" or "old" making it's value instantaneously drop like a bag of wet rocks? Re-dic-u-lous.
In other news that actually effects us, it's time to remind ya'll once again about broken rear derailleur cables. Without trying to sound too much like your mom harping on you to "clean your room", I will say that I've seen three cables broken this week and the five seconds it takes to have a quick look at your cable will save you from a potential "bummer situation" on your next ride. Instead of re-spewing pics and info again, you can just have a look at this post I did a while back to get an idea of what to look for.
Also of note: Mighty Mobile will be closed this Saturday and Sunday. We're always closed Sundays.
Monday, March 30, 2015
A Day In The Life
"What's a typical day of work like for you"? I often get the question. So.... here goes.
It's early season, so there's plenty on the schedule. Before any actual work on bikes takes place, there's the ritual of prepping "Steve" (the van). Prepping Steve entails emptying the trash, restocking supplies, plugging in the compressor and loading the dashboard storage area w/ cookies.
Work has me in Tahoe City. On the drive out, I catch up on some news while driving along the Truckee River and ponder things such as; at what temperature does something become "damn hot" and what is the hokey poky all about? A glance in the mirror reveals the driver of the Lexus is tailgating me (my pet peeve) while simultaneously digging deep into the left nasal cavity with her finger buried to the 3rd knuckle. Awesome.
9:30am. Arrival at first job. The 5 bike tunes turn out to be a little closer to 8. Hmm. The estimating begins. Pretty normal stuff. Air in the tires. Lots of lube. A couple of cables and housings. Some misc parts swapping between bikes. I save the most complex jobs for last. One of which involves overhauling a coasterbrake hub on an ancient tandem that pushes the weight limits of my workstand. It's now 1:30 in the afternoon and my stomach has been demanding a burrito for the past two hours. I pack up and head to town for lunch.
2:30pm. Next. I'm two hours late for this appointment. Two bikes on the schedule turns out to be just one. The wife's out riding the other bike....good for me. Fork and shock service. Front shift cable. Loctite some pivot bolts. Straighten brake rotors. Measure chain (bad). Top off tire sealant. Sag suspension for customer. Re-schedule the other bike. Pack up,. high five and I'm out.
4:30pm. Next. RockShox Reverb install. Sag suspension. Couple of minor adjustments to brakes to eliminate rubbing. Clean up the drivetrain. Lube chain. Customer adds kids bike that involves replacing shift cables and housing front and rear. It's 6:00. I've managed to get myself almost back on track for scheduling.
6:15pm. Next. I stop by a customers house that I'm shipping a bike for. The job's all done. Just need paid. I could've just had him mail a check, but the guy's super cool and I want to stop for a quick visit before he heads off to Hawaii for the summer. I'd say he's a lucky bastard... which he probably is. But we do have it pretty good here in Tahoe during the summer. At least I think so.
6:30pm. I need to stop by the first job again. Customers have decided to reward my efforts w/ beer and cookies. I like both and I'm close by so I stop. An assortment of IPA's and chocolate chip goodness await my arrival. This was a good move on my part.
7:15pm. Arrival back at Mighty Mobile headquarters. It's time to drag myself in the house and wash off the work w/ a nice long, hot shower. Then get some sleep.... 'cause we're gonna do the same thing all over again tomorrow.
It's early season, so there's plenty on the schedule. Before any actual work on bikes takes place, there's the ritual of prepping "Steve" (the van). Prepping Steve entails emptying the trash, restocking supplies, plugging in the compressor and loading the dashboard storage area w/ cookies.
Work has me in Tahoe City. On the drive out, I catch up on some news while driving along the Truckee River and ponder things such as; at what temperature does something become "damn hot" and what is the hokey poky all about? A glance in the mirror reveals the driver of the Lexus is tailgating me (my pet peeve) while simultaneously digging deep into the left nasal cavity with her finger buried to the 3rd knuckle. Awesome.
9:30am. Arrival at first job. The 5 bike tunes turn out to be a little closer to 8. Hmm. The estimating begins. Pretty normal stuff. Air in the tires. Lots of lube. A couple of cables and housings. Some misc parts swapping between bikes. I save the most complex jobs for last. One of which involves overhauling a coasterbrake hub on an ancient tandem that pushes the weight limits of my workstand. It's now 1:30 in the afternoon and my stomach has been demanding a burrito for the past two hours. I pack up and head to town for lunch.
2:30pm. Next. I'm two hours late for this appointment. Two bikes on the schedule turns out to be just one. The wife's out riding the other bike....good for me. Fork and shock service. Front shift cable. Loctite some pivot bolts. Straighten brake rotors. Measure chain (bad). Top off tire sealant. Sag suspension for customer. Re-schedule the other bike. Pack up,. high five and I'm out.
4:30pm. Next. RockShox Reverb install. Sag suspension. Couple of minor adjustments to brakes to eliminate rubbing. Clean up the drivetrain. Lube chain. Customer adds kids bike that involves replacing shift cables and housing front and rear. It's 6:00. I've managed to get myself almost back on track for scheduling.
6:15pm. Next. I stop by a customers house that I'm shipping a bike for. The job's all done. Just need paid. I could've just had him mail a check, but the guy's super cool and I want to stop for a quick visit before he heads off to Hawaii for the summer. I'd say he's a lucky bastard... which he probably is. But we do have it pretty good here in Tahoe during the summer. At least I think so.
6:30pm. I need to stop by the first job again. Customers have decided to reward my efforts w/ beer and cookies. I like both and I'm close by so I stop. An assortment of IPA's and chocolate chip goodness await my arrival. This was a good move on my part.
7:15pm. Arrival back at Mighty Mobile headquarters. It's time to drag myself in the house and wash off the work w/ a nice long, hot shower. Then get some sleep.... 'cause we're gonna do the same thing all over again tomorrow.
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