ABA Unveils new iPhone App

Posted on August 31, 2010 by Jeff Moser

A news release I read yesterday:

American Bicycle Association Unveils new iPhone App

August 30, 2010 – Gilbert, Arizona

The American Bicycle Association (ABA) officially unveiled their new iPhone App today. “Over 13,000 downloads of the application occurred during the 90 days of beta testing and the feedback was incredible. With technology advancing at a rapid pace, we want to stay in the forefront,” stated ABA CEO, B.A. Anderson. “For some time we have been delivering moto sheets via our wireless network at National events. Now with the new iPhone App it will be even easier.” This application is an answer to the request of many of our members. With the weekly airing of the television show on Versus, a monthly print publication, and the new iPhone app, the ABA is reaching out to audiences outside of our membership base to make every effort possible to grow the sport of BMX racing,” continued Anderson.

ABA BMX for the iPhone

The iPhone App is available as a free download at the iTunes Store. “I am sure we will be adding even more features to the app to meet the needs of our members,” said Anderson. The new ABA iPhone App includes news releases, schedules, track directory with directions, points, a current rulebook, and a direct link to moto sheets at national events.

I found the app easily on the iTunes store under ABA and gave it a test. It looks like a great app for BMXers, and handy if you’re traveling looking for new tracks.

New at the Bike Habitat

Posted on August 29, 2010 by Jeff Moser

Fall is just around the corner, and that means it’s time for next season’s products to start hitting the bike shops! I was at the Bike Habitat this weekend, and here are some of the new items that caught my eye.

700c 3-speed Electra Townie

The Bike Habitat has recently introduced Electra Bicycles to their lineup. I took this 700c wheeled Townie out for a spin in the parking lot and was really impressed. It’s easy to touch the ground with the laid back geometry and forward pedaling, and the upright riding position combined with smooth and efficient 700c wheels make for a very comfortable ride. The 3 speed grip twist shifting is simple to use, and provides a wide range of gear options, perfect for the flatlands of Carson City. The brown seat and grips matched with the gloss black frame paint adds a lot of sophistication, and the rear rack is all ready for the luggage of your choice.

Endura Shorts

Endura has become my new favorite cycling clothing manufacturer with their perfect blend of styling, durability, and functionality. These new casually designed Endura shorts look like they’re made of durable cotton canvas, but are actually a specially made nylon fabric. The shorts don’t come with a liner, but are click-fast compatible. This means you can purchase Endura liners to snap into the shorts, or simply use the liners from a pair you already own.

Giant 29er

Giant is starting to put out some great looking 29ers. Twenty-nine inch wheeled hardtails are great for the trail riding that most of us do. The big wheels really smooth out the trail and allow you to get away with less suspension. Since much of the cost of today’s bicycles is tied up in suspension components, a hardtail can save you hundreds of dollars over a 26″ full suspension bike. This new 29er from Giant is very sharp and looks like it costs way more than it does. The frame design was very interesting with its massive down tube and much smaller tapered top tube. Like many of the offerings from Giant these days, it also comes with an internal, tapered headset, the bottom bearings being larger than the top bearings. This adds strength and stiffness to the front end without significantly adding weight, and also allows you to still run a standard 1 1/8″ stem.

Also worth mentioning, is the Giant Via 1, an around town bike for the ladies that mixes classic styling with modern technology. The sturdy front rack adds utility, and even comes with a flower holder! How cool is that? Photos of the bike on Giant’s website HERE.

Photos of the Week

Posted on August 27, 2010 by Jeff Moser

Welcome to another installment of the Bike Carson Photos of the Week!

Schwinn in Sepia by Bob Moore

Our first photo is from Bob Moore and is part of his Breakfast in Virgina City photo set.

End of a Long Day by Brent Ruybalid

Next we have End of a Long Day by Brent Ruybalid from his recent trip to Downieville, CA. I’ll be posting a video from this trip in the next few days.

Evidence by Jesse Richardson

Jesse recently got this photo of me coming down the Evidence Trail in Ash Canyon. An interesting perspective that really shows distance and height.

Jesse Richardson on the Creek Trail by Jeff Moser

Here’s a photo of Jesse Richardson coming down the rock chute on the Ash Canyon Creek Trail.

Bodie Bike by Scott Meikrantz

And an interesting photo from Scott Meikrantz, which I’m assuming is a bike in the ghost town of Bodie.

Trail Work by Jeff Moser

What looks to be Eastern Sierra Chainsaw Massacre is actually just a bit of friendly trail work.

Haro Mary 29er Single Speed by Kary Grabow

A photo of Kary Grabow’s Single Speed. A Haro Mary 29er, minus the Mary handlebars.

A Busy Day in Ash Canyon by Jeff Moser

When the weather becomes mild, such as it has lately here in Carson City, you’re sure to see many more riders up in Ash Canyon at the noon hour.

Road Riders by Jesse Richardson

This one is for Lester. Scott stopped smiling for 2 seconds for this picture. Just for you. Tom Price, Scott Russel, and Sandie Ruybalid out for a road ride, photo by Jesse Richardson.

Morning Commute by Jeff Moser

And finally, here’s a self portrait from a morning commute aboard my Electra Cruiser. When you commute on a cruiser, you can’t be in a hurry.

These pictures were selected from the Bike Carson Flickr Pool. Instructions for adding your photos to the pool can be found HERE.

August 21st-22nd Back Country Camp

Posted on August 24, 2010 by Jeff Potter

The backcountry camp this past weekend was a big success. “Bill the Ranger” invited Muscle Powered to help with the construction of the Hobart Link Trail, or “BCT” (Bill Champion Trail), and allowed us vehicle access to the Marlette Peak Campground.

The BCT will be an important addition to the Lake Tahoe Nevada State Park trail system. Linking Hobart Reservoir to the Tahoe Rim Trail (TRT), this new trail will provide a much easier ascent to the TRT by bypassing “Sunflower Hill”.

Jean B

With 2300ft of trail already completed, Saturday’s trail work focused on finishing touches the new trail needed, e.g., maintaining proper tread out-slope, proper radius to maximize the flow of climbing turns, flattening lumpy sections of trail, and removing overhead snags.

We started off Sunday morning with a little more finish work, moving forward in the late morning to constructing new trail. We then set up a “fire line”, the first person establishes the line removing the organic layer while the next person takes a little more, and so on until the the last person with the tamp completes the line. This method provides a great feeling of satisfaction, both of teamwork and of accomplishment.

Zuesa at the end of the line.

Cliff Bar added a delightful surprise to the weekend by donating three cases of delicious Cliff Crunch Granola Bars. Thank you Cliff Bar!

Thanks! to the Muscle Powered volunteers who donated 90 hours to this project.

Jason & Natasha Gardner
Oliver Lieder
Amanda Garcia
Toby Welborn
Jean Bondiett

Thanks to Bill Champion for this new trail!

We have another backcountry camp scheduled for September 18th and 19th. So mark your calendars and come out and join us for a trail building weekend.

Leadville Trail 100 Mountain Bike Race 2010

Posted on August 23, 2010 by Jeff Moser

On Saturday, August 14th, 2010 at 6:30 AM, the Leadville Trail 100 Mountain Bike Race got underway. According to the website, “The 50-mile out and back course is in the midst of the Colorado Rockies. Low point, 9,200 feet; high point is Hope Pass, 12,600 feet. Majority is on forest trails with some mountain roads.” Carson City’s Mike Williams was in the group of hundreds that started the race, but among the much smaller group that finished the grueling 100 mile race.

Leadville 100 mtb race 2010 from Kathy Williams on Vimeo.

Mike had been training hard for this race, often sprinting past us while we were up for our leisurely lunch rides up in Ash Canyon. On July 9th though, Mike was in a bicycle accident on Timberline Road that left his back broken in 3 places! I saw him a few days later, limping over to the city pool for some painful physical therapy. I don’t suppose anyone thought he’d make Leadville at this point. But Mike bounced back quickly, continued his training, and was able to make the race! This is a video from the race with some footage of Mike, and his wife Kathy’s words are below:

This video was created by our 13 year old daughter who was ‘race support crew’ for her dad in this years Leadville 100 mountain bike race. Mike (her dad) was forced off the road July 9th while training for this race, broke his back in 3 spots (L2,3,&4) lateral processes. We didn’t think he would be able to make the race – he did and he finished. This is just one of stories of this incredible race above 10,000 feet. She did a great job of capturing the ‘spirit’ of the event. The music is “Wishing Well” by The Airborne Toxic Event.

Some guy named Levi won the race. Here’s how Mike stacked up against the leader and another famous rider.

OverAll – Name – Age – Representing – Total Time – Back – Pace
1 – LEIPHEIMER, Levi – 36 – SANTA ROSA, CA – 6:16:37.2 – +0:00.0 – 15.9
27 – OVEREND, Ned -54 – DURANGO, CO – 7:56:39.4 – +1:40:02.2 – 12.6
268 – WILLIAMS, Michael – 48 – CARSON CITY, NV – 9:41:59.4 – +3:25:22.2 – 10.3

The Overall scores go down to 1022, and then there are pages of DNFs (did not finish). You could say Mike did rather well! Good job, Mike, and congratulations!

Yoga for Cyclists

Posted on August 20, 2010 by Jeff Moser

Although cycling is fantastic exercise, it is an activity that has limited body motion. We spend most our time seated, hunched over, spinning our legs in a 175mm radius. We rarely get the chance to stretch out our muscles on the bike, and our bodies can get really stiff. I’ve found a few leg stretches that really help me, but I’ve wanted more. It’s not just my legs that need to be soothed. I’ve always been curious about Yoga, but had never tried it.

Yoga for cyclists with Uma Kleppinger

I found a great Yoga for Cyclists article over on OregonLive.com. In the article, Heidi Swift talks about her experience with yoga and cycling and has a great video from Uma Kleppinger. Uma takes you through a short routine that lasts under 5 minutes and concentrates on one side of the body. It’s meant to be repeated on the other side, so just restart the video and mirror what you just did. I spent 10 minutes doing the routine, and really enjoyed it! It incorporated the stretches I’ve already been doing, but flowed through them smoothly. I typically had to stand up and change positions to do all mine. The routine also hits the rest of the body, including the arms, back, and neck, some very important parts that I was missing simply doing my leg stretches.

On her website, Uma Kleppinger says,

“As a life-long on-again off-again bicycle commuter, a long-ago bike messenger in New York, and having raced road, cross, track and mountain bike disciplines, I know all too well how cycling can cause musculoskeletal imbalances. It never ceases to amaze me how people who think nothing of lubing their chain after every ride, or performing routine maintenance on brakes, hubs and bottom brackets never stop for a moment to think of how all those miles are wear and tear on their own bodies.”

Give the video a shot and let me know what you think! Do it in your living room or in your cubicle at work if you don’t mind showing people how awesome you are. Uma makes some of the positions look very easy, so don’t be surprised if you can’t follow exactly what she’s doing. You want me to grab where? I plan to do the Bike Yoga Challenge, and do the routine for 30 days. I feel great after just the first day and am excited to see how I feel in a month.

Uma currently has one book out, Essential Yoga: A Simple Practice for Busy Lives, and it looks like she is working on another book, Uma’s Good and Awesome Yoga for Mountain Bikers.

Endura Hummvee Lite Shorts Review

Posted on August 18, 2010 by Jeff Moser

Tight spandex shorts are great for venting the summer heat, but I don’t care to wear them. I prefer baggie shorts that have pockets for utility, and have a fit that is less revealing. Most baggie shorts are two shorts in one, typically composed of a durable outer layer and a thinner liner with a chamois. Wearing two pairs of shorts in the heat of summer though can really store the heat, especially in the area of your body that is doing all the work when on the bike!

Endura Hummvee Lite Shorts

I recently visited the Bike Habitat to pick up some new shorts, and they turned me on to the new Hummvee Lite Shorts from Endura. Just as the names suggests, the Hummvee Lites are a much lighter version of the rugged Endura Hummvees. The outer shell is a lightweight stretch nylon, and there are mesh vents on the hips. The inner liner is also thinner than standard and allows increased airflow to your bicycle’s engine room.

Double Snaps and Adjustable Belt

Even though the Hummvee Lites are lightweight and breathable, they are still packed with features.

FEATURES:

Durable 4-way stretch light-weight nylon with DWR finish
Mesh rear sections for optimal breathability
Front hip pockets
Side cargo zipped flap pockets
Seamfree inseam panel
Fully elasticated waist band with integral stretch belt
Velcro hem adjusters
Reflective logos
Double layer seat
Compatible with all Endura clickfast liners
MSRP: $89

Clickfast Fastening System

The Hummvee Lites come with Endura’s ClickFast snaps. The inner liner easily snaps in or out of the short at the waist at four different contact points. This prevents the shell from sagging below the liner, a problem I’ve had with other shorts. To extend laundering intervals, you can purchase additional liners or use the liners from other Endura shorts you have in your cycling wardrobe.

I’ve had the Humvee Lites out for some hot rides. I do much of my mountain biking around the noon hour, and temperatures can easily climb into the upper 90′s. I’ve found these shorts to be much more comfortable in the heat than the baggies I was wearing, and I’m not ready to tear them off the second I get off the bike. And as I mentioned, I like the baggie styling and the utility of the pockets. The shorts look presentable when off the bike if I have to run into the store or walk through the office at work. I can also carry a camera, key, map, energy bar, or other trail necessities in the pockets, and get to the items easily and quickly when I need them.

Hummvee Lites help keep you cool out on the trail.

The Hummvee Lites come in black and light gray. I have the light gray color. Although they show the dirt more, the lighter color doesn’t absorb as much of the heat of the sun, further adding to the coolness of the shorts.

The chamois feels a bit awkward when walking around off the bike compared to other shorts I’ve tried, but it settles into place just fine when riding and hasn’t caused any comfort issues. I still need to get the shorts out for an all day epic ride to see how they do for the long hauls. With all the cooling features though, I expect them to do well.

I noticed that the Endura shorts run a bit small, and not just the Hummvee Lites. I tried on 3 different models, and found I needed an XL in all of them. Being 5’10″ and 160 lbs, this was a little strange to me. I tried not to get my feelings hurt and bought the XLs. And for the bigger guys that are actually an XL, don’t worry as they come in XXL also.

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Monthly Archives: August 2010