Hope Cyclery

The Inclined Plane Trail Project....IS RAD!

2018-06-25T19:52:00.000-04:00

I haven't written here over the last couple of years, but this is certainly noteworthy in the area, and for the time being some things may find there way here. So perhaps stay tuned. I'd really like to thank Mike for spearheading this project and doing so much for cycling in Johnstown in such a short time! YOU FUCKING KILLED IT!!!

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Over the Winter, Mike Cook organized a team of individuals to hand dig some trail. Specifically the Inclined Plane Trail Project. If you havent heard of it, its currently in development and has two separate trails that drape the hillside to connect towards the middle. The Inclined plane trail has good speed, some flow, but its raw, and fun as hell. Some of the perks of it being located downtown are that it is accesible, by public transport from Richland instead of driving, hitch a ride with CamTran and then finish your commute to the entrance, where you can get 10 rides for $20 up the hill and then ride home if you'd like or take transit. For me, as someone who wants to use my car only when I really need to this opens up a bunch of riding opportunity, afterwards you could even visit The Press, or Stone Bridge Brewing Company, definitely the best food and drinks in downtown right now! Stay tuned for an event incorporating the trails for a great time. Enjoy the photos below, but only for personal use.

No money was paid to Mike Cook for the development of these trails and they were built with 100% volunteer labor, something I'm proud to be a part of, especially with the current climate of paid trails and destroyed rock gardens.

DONE

FIXED

SHREDDER!

THANKS FOR THE SHOT MATT!

STONE BRIDGE

#RADBIKEOFTHEDAY: Shawn's Salsa Cycles Blackborow

2017-02-08T15:54:00.001-05:00

A while back, Salsa was closing out some Blackborow frames. If you know me, you know I love my Blackborow, it's so much more than just a fatbike. I feel like it can do so many things well, and was ahead of the curve with geometry when it was launched two years ago. A slightly taller bottom bracket and short chainstays, make for one hell of a playful bike that can tackle a lot of mixed terrain summer, winter, spring or fall. Shawn stopped by the shop to talk about what he wanted out of his new fatbike, we chose the Blackborow, for the reasons above, and went to work creating a build that would mix a low enough gear range with reliable shifting. Enjoy the bike Shawn!

#RADBIKEOFTHEDAY-Jason's Salsa Cycles Warbird Carbon

2016-12-20T23:26:00.001-05:00

Jason and I have been talking about a bike for a long time that isn't a slouch on the road, but can still fit really large tires, and is still extremely comfortable. That's a lot to ask of a bike, and Salsa knocked it out of the park with this bike. With through axles front and rear this bike is stiff under pedaling, but has fantastic compliance vertically, thanks to the class 5 VRS system that Salsa developed. I really don't think there is a gravel bike with such great tech out there right now. No fancy shake weight style suspension, no micro dampeners courtesy of soft tail tech from yesteryear, and most importantly none of those dumb ass Zertz inserts, because fuck that shit. Having spent some time on the Warbird it feels like a road bike when it needs to, and can handle some fairly gnarly off road stuff. Versatility means that if you want to take the beaten path you can, without hesitation. We handbuilt some Pacenti rims to North Carolina made Industry Nine hubs, as they have been proven to be tough as nails, but very light. Some minor tweak to fit came by way of a Thomson post and Brooks Camibum saddle, a shop favorite right now. Components are Sram Rival 22, which if a 1x is in the future the bike can be coverted fairly easily to a 1x11, Lizard skins DSP tape rounds off the goodness, and allows Jason to ride gloveless, most days (when its not 30deg). I really dig this bike, so much so I've got my own #projectwarbird in the pipeline. More info on bikes available at City Cycle here.

NICA X PICL Stop 4 Yellow Creek

2016-12-07T20:15:00.004-05:00

When I saw the event pop up on the radar I was stoked to see a NICA, and PICL race in our area. Yellow creek isn't too far from me, but Its really great in the fall! I chose to document some stuff on the course, and experience the hike in the forest while doing so.

#RADBIKEOFTHEDAY- Mike's Custom Trek Fuel EX Carbon Plus bike w/ Whisky, King, SRAM goes to 12!

2016-10-10T23:30:00.001-04:00

Plus bikes come in all sizes and shapes, well sort of, a real plus bike has a rim at least 35mm internal width with some of the best feeling bikes that Ive ridden closer to that 40mm mark. Shameful as it may sound some companies jumped on the bandwagon and released sub par products, early. Trek waitied to release a perfected product, with proper width rims. That being said we took a nearly perfect bike for Pennsylvania, but took it to 12 (spinal tap needs to get with the times). Starting with a completely blank canvas and building a bike from the frame up allow us to use the most perfected products for our riding local. If you're riding box bikes, and you've replaced parts, upgraded parts, or have a tendency to brake a specific part on a bicycle you may be a candidate for a custom or semi custom bike. Mike sought us out to build him his dream bicycle, one that is comprised of specific parts that have stood up well to abuse, yet are light and mechanically sound. Behold the bike that I managed to take a few frames of right before sunset the day he picked it up, I'm so into this bike!

For those that care, some, but not the full specs.
Trek OCLV Carbon Fuel EX Frame
Whisky 50 Rims hand built to Industry wheels with boost spacing front and rear
RockShox Pike RCT3 w/ Stikrd decal kit
Chris King Bottom Bracket
Whisky No. 9 carbon bar
Thomson 150mm drop, dropper post
Full SRAM Eagle 1x12 Drivetrain
SRAM Guide Ultimate
D.FENDER V3

IBIS CYCLES X CITY CYCLE DEMO

2016-09-18T19:54:00.005-04:00

I am personally stoked about this event, a long time in the making IBIS is joining us for an evening demo so more people can check out just how good they are. Great aesthetics, fantastic pedaling bike and super burly, I can't wait to take one for a rip!

We will be at Laurel MTN, Tuesday Sept 20th from 4-8 PM. Come try out some great bikes free of charge.

We will also have LHORBA memberships on hand if you haven't yet become a member or want to bring a friend along.

September 20th, Laurel MTN 4-8PM, bring helmets and ID if you would like to demo one of the bikes. Hope to see you all there.

#RADBIKEOFTHEDAY: Craig's IBIS Cycles Ripley LS w/ D.FENDER, Chris King, RockShox Etc.

2016-09-14T00:09:00.001-04:00

There's often a goal when building a bike, for this one it was to be the ultimate 29er trailbike. With minor changes from the absolute top of the line, while still retaining the best fork, and wheels currently on the market we did that and more! Chris King, Industry 9 and SRAM products where we could and added a set of XTR Trail brakes for the punchy lever feeling of Shimano. Also on the plate were IBIS' 941 carbon rims that are produced in their Taiwanese facility that Scot Nicol (founder of IBIS) has visited and shared a small story with me about just how good a Taiwanese rim manufacturer VS that of other Asian manufactured products are.

This bike is classy with just the right amount of flair, from the ENVE handlebars to the new RaceFace Turbine dropper post and Next SL g4 cranks this bike rips. RaceFace Next SL cranks are some of the most robust around and the lightest production crankset in the world. Did you know that they are also handmade in their domestic Canadian facility? Even though the industry is moving toward more overseas production we chose products from Thomson, Chris King, Industry 9 and ENVE to keep it stateside while using as many handmade products as we could on this bike. These things matter, even choosing the IBIS carbon rim kept that money in an American held company, and this, although small matters to me. This is by far the nicest IBIS Ripley build we have done so far. Enjoy the pictures. Demo these bikes Sept 20th, or here for more info on the build of your dreams.

#RADBIKEOFTHEDAY- Kevin's Salsa Cycles Warbird Carbon

2016-09-11T23:38:00.002-04:00

Kevin contacted us to build the bike of his dreams, after the initial phone conversation we figured out the right bike, spec for his usage and got to ordering. It's been nearly impossible for us to keep up with the demand for the Salsa Cycles Warbird, but by some miracle, we snagged one more in a 56 and away we went. Custom builds allow for some rather unique builds. Taking into account that this was going to get thrashed and ridden on everything we used Chris King hubs, HED Belgium Plus rims, SRAM Rival 1/x01 Mix. with a 10/42 cassette. 1x11 has even made its way to all road and gravel bikes. It just makes sense in most cases. The build didn't stop there, Thomson bits for the cockpit, Brooks Cambium saddle and a set of the new Terravail tires set up tubeless round off this build. Kevin swung by to finalize the fit and pick up his bike and is out there enjoying it now.

#RADBIKEOFTHEDAY-Mike's Ibis Ripley LS w/ D.FENDER

2016-07-24T12:33:00.001-04:00

Mike liked his other Ripley so much so that he went ahead and pulled the trigger on the New LS back in May. Like anything personal I'm a bit behind in catching up posting some of the eye candy that we have built lately, this being one of them. With a mix of XO1 shifters and an GX1 cassette, alloy Raceface Turbine cinch cranks this is setup great for local conditions. I really feel like the 1x11 and 1x12 eagle allow more than enough range while freeing up bar space and simplifying drivetrains. The bike remains mostly stock, which is a testament to how well IBIS specs their build kits. One addition was an Industry 9 wheelset ( not pictured). Fox's new CTD shock with their Evol cartidge keeps the real wheel planted on technical climbs and descents alike. You can even get the new 2017 Ripley LS 1x11 Special Blend build for $3999.99. Contact your local IBIS dealer for more info.

Ride Report: Showing People Around Saddle Club

2016-07-04T21:13:00.001-04:00

Saddle Club is an unmarked gem of Johnstown. With every up you are rewarded with a fun descent. I wish we could run laps on this place all day long. We started climbing from the lot and connected some trails to make it to the top for the first descent. Climb, descend, repeat. Even the flat sections of trail here are a blast, and with the recent rain there happened to be plenty of hero dirt. It was great having Dime and Sarah along as this place in unmarked, so getting around is nearly impossible if you don't know the trails. After the main ride we ventured to Satan's sidewalk to see how far we could make it. Imagine a 150ft single track rock garden, yep it was a blast. Here are some shots from the outing, I can't wait to make it to Laurel.

My Salsa Cycles PonyThief, Horsethief/Ponyrustler Teasers

2016-05-10T09:04:00.000-04:00

When I rode this bike for the first time I knew it was something special. I had to get one, I also wanted to do something unique with it and change the colors over from the turquoise accents to green. Heres where I am right now, just waiting for I9 wheels, and some other small parts.

Dear Maxxis...

2016-05-10T00:13:00.001-04:00

I just want a 27.5 x 2.8 Minion DHF before June thanks!

Salsa Demo: Highland Park May 23

2016-05-05T01:43:00.001-04:00

Come join City Cycle Supply for some dual suspension fun.

#RADBIKEOFTHEDAY: Rick's Salsa Cycles Ponyrustler w/ D.FENDER

2016-05-05T00:47:00.002-04:00

This bike is so good. Ever since I swung a leg over it for the first time at the product launch I knew it was something special. Its not just the true plus size wheels, the suspension is some of the best on the market. Dave Weagle developed the split pivot not too long ago. Plus bikes aren't just about jamming 3" tires on narrow rims and calling it a day. The Pony builds around a true fat rim, that has great cornering support, I really was blown away especially compared to some small rim/fat tire combos I've ridden on other "plus" bikes. As a package I don't know that there is another suspension bike I would want right now. Its like Salsa made this bike for Western Pennsylvania.

After hearing about my trip to Utah to check these out Rick and I were talking about his next bike, something that could climb with grip of his fatbike, but have the poise to bomb descents with cornering abilities unlike anything else out there. Voila the Ponyrustler, now just how to spec it. We went with a less expensive drivetrain to build with Industry 9 hubs for longevity and that little added nuance of the shared color palette between all of the parts. Next up a burly, lightweight, and stiff crankset that can take a beating, RaceFace has truly knocked it out of the park with their Cinch cranks (next SL, Turbine, Six C, etc) and thus we try to use them on most builds. Bonus fact the Next SL cranks are made by a real human in Canada :thumbs up: . Chromag saddles and bars are almost a heritage piece they seem to last for ever, so when I heard they were changing it up and adding orange highlights to the OSX bar and LynxDT saddle the final touches were born. The Thomson dropper was the last piece and should survive a nuclear holocaust. This bike is "mist approved" ;P

Enjoy the pictures.

Google you know

2016-05-04T23:45:00.001-04:00

deleted some stuff of the blog as it lay dormant for a while... when you're so busy that the side project to your side project doesn't see the time it needs, yes its sad, but it's only cause you've had so many great bikes come through the door.

#RADBIKEOFTHEDAY: Dave's Salsa Cycles Ponyrustler w/ D.FENDER

2016-02-16T17:34:00.002-05:00

One of the hottest bikes for 2016, the Salsa Ponyrustler was love at first ride for me, when I swung a leg over one in Utah. This bike climbs pretty damn well, and descended like my DH bike. I was absolutely floored when I rode one. Fast forward a few months, this time in Lancaster, which had some similar terrain as my home trails, rocks, logs, etc. I feel like Salsa really designed this bike for our local trails. A slightly higher bb than what comes on the new school I-ride-up-fire-roads-or-check-out-my-shuttle-rig-bro. This has the bottom bracket clearance I need for places like Laurel, or even Highland. It also happens to have the shortest chain stay on a 29er/27.5+ bike that will allow a 2x drivetrain. But numbers aside, this is the most fun dual suspension bike I've ridden in years.

The SRAM GX-1 drivetrain and Guide brakes are in it for the long haul. Salsa uses a high modulus carbon front triangle and seat stays, and an alloy chain stay for longevity and chain wear. Adventure by bike means that they spec'd real rims and tires (not the narrow rims/fat tire trend that keeps rearing its head). The Fox suspension combo on this bike is great and Im sure will stay running for a long time.

Dave was lucky enough to snag one of these bikes, which will serve as a replacement for his old bike, and a supplement to his Mukluk. Be sure to give him a high five if you see him.

Anyone interested in a D.FENDER as pictured they are available here.

#RADBIKEOFTHEDAY- Brian's Ibis Ripley 29er w/ D.FENDER, Pike, Chris King and MORE.

2016-01-21T15:06:00.003-05:00

A few months ago we set out aligning the stars on this bike. From becoming a dealer and securing one of the scarce new Ibis Ripleys, with updated bottom bracket, pivots, and the new Fox Evol shock. The wide 941 rims really transform this 29er. More campanies are understanding the benefits of wider rims, lower pressure, more sidewall support in turns etc. Below are more shots of this beautiful bike. The build is centered around the frame, the Chris King hubs and headset take it to another level, IBIS's 941 rims offer much more support in turns and a good bit more grip, the Pike is the best fork on the market right now, and offers a no compromise feel, combined with unrivaled stiffness. Hope brakes are an old favorite of mine and using them on this build was a no brainer. In all there isn't a part on this bike I think that I would personally change, save for the front tire, the Maxxis Minion DHF is still my favorite tire. Brian was able to snag one of the D.FENDERs for the Pike, and has said that it kept his face clean on the last mudfest before the snow hit. This is the nicest Ibis Ripley I have seen to date, hope to do more along this caliber of build.

Ride Report- Showing People Around

2015-12-21T23:38:00.002-05:00

Its not so often that I get out in the middle of a Monday for a ride. I guess today was the exception to that. Tori and Matt picked up some fresh bikes today (more on that later) and decided that they wanted to spend a few days camping and enjoy some of the local trails. We went to Highland due to the time constraints, starting at 2:00 doesn't leave too much sunshine these days. On arrival we were greeted with clouds, and a light rain. By the time we had our riding garb on, the rain died off leaving some glistening rocks to slip and slide on. Their freshly built Salsa Cycles Bucksaws left them smiling ear to ear after the ride, and with good reason, its like the bikes were designed for the local trails in mind. Even though I ride highland sometime 4 times a week with the fall ground cover and no fresh snow you can still easily get off of the trail at speed. The expert side of the park was much more navigable, and the rocks weren't nearly as wet as the other side of the park. It wasn't uncommon to hear "I can't believe how well this bike climbs" and other praises to their new bikes. It was one solid day! Don't be a stranger guys, next time I'll have to make it out to Ohio.

#RADBIKEOFTHEDAY- Dave's Intergalactic Surly Ice Cream Truck w/ D.FENDER

2015-12-21T19:25:00.001-05:00

I like the Ice Cream Truck, ever since I saw them at Frostbike last year, I was stoked that Surly released a symmetrical fattie, that had the clearance I loved from my Moonlander. Surly added some updates, geometry similar to their venerable Krampus, their MDS (modular dropout system), 44mm head tube, and 150x15 front end make this bike fairly future proof. Dave snagged a Salsa Horsethief last year, and had been wanting a fattie. Problem solved, Surly blew out some of their models to make way for new pricing and different specs. Their current run down of specials are:
Pug SS $799
Pugsley $899
Pug OPS $999
Moonlander $1199
Ice Cream Truck $1199
If you're looking for one I know a guy... Not much to say other than this bike is sure to rip, congrats, can't wait to shred.

Ride Report- Saddle In The Fresh Snow

2015-12-20T21:56:00.001-05:00

Sometimes you just need to get out. Call it stir crazy or what not, but for nearly 8 months I haven't had a Saturday off of work. I made sure to use this one wisely. I think one of the most underrated places to ride around town is Saddle Club. I like the feeling of earning my turns, small climbs with fun descents make this one of my favorite places to go. Even though Ive gotten to ride there a bunch its still pretty easy to get turned around. Some last minute planning and a small get out ride was born. Rob and I decided to enjoy the light dusting and do some #fatbikeshit. Since the weather has been all over, I mean seriously I rode in shorts last Sunday at Frick, getting my layering back is going to take some time again. Wool has been my go to for the last couple of years, and it seems that even if you end up too hot a sweat through it, you will still be warm, something that I remembered pretty quickly into the first up.

#RADBIKEOFTHEDAY- Halie's Salsa Cycles Beagrease Carbon

2015-12-16T20:45:00.001-05:00

If you've spent any amount of time on the internet, at this point you probably have seen this bike. As far as bikes go, this "broke this internet". We built this up for a very special client who wanted something much nicer than an off the shelf "special", we were happy to oblige. Personally the best gift to me is still getting to see someones face when they check out their bike for the first time. There have been some crazy bikes the last year, but this Salsa Beagrease still gets me stoked, and knowing its going to get ridden for a very long time makes me even happier. Enjoy your bike Halie, and Happy Birthday!

This Just In- Cannondale's New FAT CAAD w/ LEFTY OLAF

2015-12-01T17:33:00.002-05:00

I don't always get super excited, but it looks like Cannondale finally made the bike I had been hoping for. A 4.8" tire fatbike with the combination of the LEFTY this thing is sure to rip. As it sits speced with an X.01 drivetrain and SRAM's Guide brakes, I'm not sure that there is anything I would change, except maybe add a dropper post. I can't wait to swing a leg over this, and get some time on it.

If you are looking for one of your own you can check out >>>>>>>.......... HERE

#RADBIKEOFTHEDAY- Butch's Salsa Cycles Carbon Warbird

2015-11-30T16:15:00.001-05:00

An all arounder, gravel grinder, do it all, dirt drop, bike packable. Yep this bike checks all of those boxes. This Salsa Cycles Warbird Carbon was built custom, using Chris King hubs, Pacenti SL25 rims, SRAM's new Rival 1 with 10/42 XD Cassette, with red accents to match and keep it classy at the same time, this bike rips. I was extremely happy with the way this came out. The WTB Nano Raptors are 40c and set up tubeless. Ive had good luck even riding this tire on MTB trails so with versitility in mind we put these on it. I can't wait to get out on a ride with Butch to see how much he loves it.

Biketoberfest 2015 - QBP Rocks!

2015-10-31T21:48:00.000-04:00

Just some of the stuff I saw at Biketoberfest. Want any more info you can check out these guys.

Salsa Cycles X CIty Cycle Demo 2016

2015-10-28T14:52:00.001-04:00

Thanks to Rob and Edwin for helping to make this happen, Thanks to Ethan and Salsa Cycles for the demo. It was a rainy day but everyone had a blast.

Salsa Cycles Demo Day Highland Park, Johnstown, PA from Rob Dorchak on Vimeo.