NorCal Bikers

An Interesting Two Wheel Ask MetaFilter Question

2009-10-26T23:07:00.000-07:00

realpseudonym asks: Is it safer to do a 5 mile commute on city streets on a bicycle or a motorcycle? on Ask MetaFilter.

Let's say we have a 5 mile commute along fairly busy 4 lane city streets. Cars are parked on the curbs on both sides of the streets. Some of the streets are very commercial with cars coming in and out of driveways. There are city buses.

Assume that I am a perfect driver, and that accidents only happen because somebody doesn't see me or sees me and misjudges how close they are to me.

Am I safer riding a motorcycle with full safety gear (going up to 35 mph) or riding a bicycle with only a bicycle helmet (up to 15 mph)?

My first thought was that the bicycle is obviously safer because of the lower speeds involved. On the other hand, I thought the motorcycle might be safer because you move at the same speed as traffic; whereas on the bike, angry drivers will constantly be trying to pass you.

All other things being equal, it is an interesting question and one that I don't think has a perfect answer.

I'm both a biker and a cyclist. I ride a streetbike and an off-road bicycle primarily. Yes, I do ride my bicycle on the street but not as a general rule. I either ride to a trail or am crossing a road to get back onto a trail.

My quick response to this is the motorcycle because I have far more control over a less controllable environment on my motorcycle on the street than I do with my bicycle. In the woods, I have yet to see a tree jump into my path. I have yet to have a branch suddenly appear and knock me off my bike.

I think a motorcycle is probably going to be safer on the commute. Now keep in mind that this question doesn't ask about total cost of ownership or anything but the factor of safety in doing one or the other over the same stretch of road.

If the question were framed differently, say that the commute was the same length but the bicycle was able to make the journey through a park system without other vehicles then the bike wins hands down since it is far harder to get run over when there aren't any cars around.

I'm interested in what other cyclists might think about this question given the framing. Please reply in the comments.

A Dozen Deadly Motorcycle Safety Myths Busted

2009-10-20T17:21:00.000-07:00

A Dozen Deadly Motorcycle Safety Myths with my comments for flavor..

These are all expanded upon in the link above but here's the rundown:
Myth 1: Other Drivers Don't Care About Motorcyclists - Actually, other drivers don't care about other drivers either so its not really any big news.
Myth 2: Loud Pipes Save Lives - The only way loud pipes would work as a safety feature is if they faced forward and then the bike would look ridiculous, breathe like crap and probably still offer no greater safety. Loud pipes annoy people, period.
Myth 3: Motorcycle Helmets Break Necks - And seat belts break sternums if the impact is hard enough. If your neck is going to get broken by your helmet whipping around then you have almost no chance of survival in the first place.
Myth 4: Helmets Block Your Ability to See or Hear Danger - You can hear a car that's about to hit you? No, you can see them and that's why situational awareness is so important. Keep your head on a swivel and know what's going on around you, your helmet is no impediment to using your senses at all.
Myth 5: A Helmet Won't Help in Most Crashes - Um, what? I've been three motorcycle accidents over the last 20+ years of riding. If I'd not had a helmet on in any of them, I'd be a vegetable. At best.
Myth 6: A Helmet Will Leave You Brain Damaged in an Crash When You Would Have Simply Died - More likely you will be paralyzed and alive instead of being dead because your head will not have been crushed.
Myth 7: A Skilled Rider Should Be Able to Handle Almost Any Situation - A skilled rider is prepared, a skilled rider is dressed properly, a skilled rider wears a helmet because he/she knows that you can't control every situation. Accidents can and do happen and it is far, far better to be prepared for the worst than to hope for the best.
Myth 8: If You Are Going to Crash, Lay It Down - If you lay it down then you have crashed. Simple as that. Bike brakes slow you down far more effectively than sliding on your side.
Myth 9: One Beer Won't Hurt - Legal limits mean nothing, if alcohol impairs your senses then it can be the difference between crashing and having your wits about you enough to avoid it in the first place.
Myth 10: It's Better to Stay in Your Lane than Split Lanes - If I couldn't split lanes then I might as well drive my car for all the good it does.
Myth 11: I'm Safer on the Street than on an Interstate - The interstate has everyone going the same direction, streets have side streets, traffic entering and exiting and all kinds of other distractions and obstructions. This one is just stupid.
Myth 12: A Skilled Rider Can Stop Better with Conventional Brakes than with Anti-Lock Brakes - Anti-lock brakes pulse far, far faster than any human could ever think to pump their brakes. There's a reason every single test shows anti-lock brakes annihilate conventional brakes. Not only for braking distance but maintaining control during the hard braking.

Ibis and Fat Cyclist Work Together To Fight Cancer

2009-10-15T18:06:00.000-07:00

From today's Ibis Cycles Newsletter:

We've got a lot of Ibis news coming at you very soon, but we wanted to send this news as a stand-alone newsletter so it doesn't get lost in the shuffle. It has a lot to do with bikes and Ibis, so please read on.

Many of you may know about our good friend Elden Nelson. He writes a very popular and funny blog called Fat Cyclist. Unlike many blogs, Elden's has a purpose, and that is to fight cancer.

Elden lost his wife Susan to cancer this year. It was a very long and difficult, tear-jerking battle that he chronicled beautifully in his blog. She was young and they have 4 kids.

However, Elden spent no time feeling sorry for himself. Even before Susan's death, he put his energy into fundraising efforts that benefit cancer research. As we write this, this year "Team Fatty" has raised $695,290.00 for the Lance Armstrong Foundation -- a record amount. We think that's an incredible accomplishment.

Last year Ibis helped him raise $40,000.00 by raffling off a Silk SL road bike. All of that money went to the Lance Armstrong Foundation. Every penny. This year we're doing it again, but a little differently.

We at Ibis appreciate your attention to this. It's for a very good cause, cancer affects all of us.
Raffle Details

* Winner chooses any complete Ibis he or she wants. Choose from:
o Mojo SL
o Hakkalügi
o Tranny
o Silk SL
* Choose your size and color too.
* The winner also gets a ride with Elden "Fatty" Nelson, Scot "Chuck Ibis" Nicol and our super duper special guest, Andy Hampsten.
* Winner then gets a plane flight from wherever they are to wherever we collectively decide we want to ride, as long as both are in the US of A.
* This raffle is only open until midnight (Mountain time) Tuesday, Oct 20.
* Raffle tickets are $5 each. That's all. The more you enter the greater your chance of winning.

You can read a lot more (and funnier) information about the raffle on Elden's site.

Chuck even spewed a bit about it.

If you could (after you personally donate), please spread the word to your friends, co-workers, fellow slackers and maybe any websites, twitter, facebook, blogs or wherever else you feel people might like hearing this story and be willing to help.

Don't leave it up to others to donate. Do it yourself and pass along the word.

DONATE

Not Convinced? Look at the Bikes the winner will get to choose.

MTB: The Ibis Mojo SL

Road: The Ibis Silk SL

MTB: The Ibis Tranny

Cross: The Ibis Hakkalügi

Convinced now?
DONATE

Which is to say, for a mere $5 that you were probably going to waste at Starbucks, you can enter into a raffle for a fantastic cause with a chance to win a fantastic bike of your choice. This is what is called a win-win situation. I know what bike I'm hoping to be able to choose with my donation. What about you?

Cycling for change: After-school program helping thousands of Pajaro Valley children get fit

2009-10-06T23:21:00.000-07:00

Cycling for change: After-school program helping thousands of Pajaro Valley children get fit.

Stephen Alfred seems to be making the most of some forced downtime from his racing career by working to impart some of his love of the sport of bicycling to local kids.

Regardless of his suspension, the program he is working in the Pajaro Valley Unified School District is a good one.

While the linked article may make some data mangling conclusions about the rates of obesity here and elsewhere, the underlying fact is that kids these days do not get enough exercise. And many kids don't grow up riding bikes as we did when we were young. Two things that add up to unhealthy children.

Not only is it long term cost effective to get kids healthier now, it is better for their mental and emotional development as well.

I wish I had some extra time to volunteer to work with him and his program.

Update: As BicycleDudeGuy points out, the linked article above is out of date and, about one year after the first article was published, Stephen Alfred received a lifetime ban from the sport of cycling. Regardless of the professional issues he has faced, I really like what he is doing in the school system and hope he is able to instill some of the passion for cycling that he has had.

The Cruzbike Silvio - A Racing Recumbent with Standard Parts

2009-10-04T23:34:00.000-07:00

The Cruzbike Silvio - form and function in a front wheel drive

For many, the words “recumbent bicycle” conjure the image of a strange-looking vehicle with the rider set low to the ground achieving less than remarkable speeds. That perception could well become a thing of the past with the Cruzbike Silvio, the world’s only recumbent racing bike that is not only fully compatible with road bike components, but aims to eliminate many health problems associated with standard cycling.

Um yeah, this thing may alleviate genital numbness but is not going to, in any way, shape or form, going to alleviate the image of recumbents as strange looking vehicles. This looks stranger than most recumbents. I do like that it works with standard off the shelf parts. But I'm not going to be running out to get one anytime soon either way.

2009 Sacramento Cyclocross Race #1 Report

2009-09-29T19:44:00.000-07:00

From Sacramento CX Race 01 - Del Paso Park

First of all I'm glad my race (Men's C) was at 9:30AM yesterday, as it was a scorcher by mid-morning. Decided not to bring the trainer and just warm up on course. The course was at Renfree Park just off I-80 & Watt Ave exit. Starting stretch was all hard packed dirt with enough room for 2 maybe 3 bikes wide. I was in the 2nd row on the starting line, should have been in 1st row. After the start it was a mad dash and a huge cloud of dust (think Northstar). Couldn't see a damn thing in front of me for about 1 minute until it got strung out a bit. There was one long straight dirt section, a decent left hand turn that you could pedal through, or drift a bit, depending on how fast you entered.. Then a long flat straight stretch of dirt heading back toward the grassy area of the park. There were a few sandy areas 1-2" deep that you could easily avoid or just plow right through. A sharpish left turn over a small wooden retaining block onto the grass. Then two sets of barriers to hop over, a bunch of tight switch backs in the grass. I went down quickly in one turn where a guy on a mountain bike couldn't quite make one of the sharp turns. I rolled up on his back wheel, buzzed his tire then tipped over. He had pretty much come to a complete stop. So I just hopped off and pushed my bike through the remaining turns and quickly remounted and headed back into the dirt section. The dirt was pretty much all about maintaining your speed and not letting any one pass you, big ring hammering! The then grassy sections was where guys were starting to hurt, and you could easily pass them as their momentum slowed. Tire pressure was key on Sunday. Started off high, then after a few practice laps lowered it down to about 55 front 60 rear. I ran the WTB Cross Wolf tires, which I was very happy with. They hooked up well, and rolled really fast on the hardpack. Everyone kept saying the Michelin Mud II's were the tire to run around Sacramento, but my buddy ended up with 2 flats on them, so dunno... I ended up 19th out of 50. Not too bad for very little training over the past month. Next race is October 11th. Oh and in some of the photos, it may look like I'm missing some teeth. No I haven't gone full redneck, it was just dirt crusted on to them...

Great race course! Thanks to Team BEER and SacramentoCX for putting it all together!

Gary Fisher Interview at Interbike

2009-09-29T10:15:00.000-07:00

Great interview from The Fredcast with Gary Fisher at Interbike 2009!

fivefivenine magazine Premiers

2009-09-24T11:38:00.000-07:00

Check out Issue 1 – fivefiveninemagazine which features some of the top mountain bike photographers in the world displaying some of the photos that make them the best.

Some really inspiring photography, makes me want to go hit the trails with my camera!

James Martin is a TOTAL DOUCHEBAG!!!

2009-09-14T12:08:00.000-07:00

I read this article and was pretty much appalled, pissed off, whatever. If you're going to write an article about a cool new electric car (which by the way the Tesla surely is), then let's not try to hurt or kill anyone in the process ok? I'm surprised that his employer would allow such rubbish to be published. Why would you intentionally try to run cyclists off the road well knowing that someone could potentially get hurt or even killed? It shows a total lack of respect for life in general. Just because you live out in the country does not mean you own the country roads asshat.

I've already sent my letter to the editor: editorial@dailymailonline.co.uk - and expressed my feelings. Take a moment and please do the same.

Metisse Motorcycles Makes the Steve McQueen Desert Racer

2009-09-13T09:31:00.000-07:00

Metisse Motorcycles - Steve McQueen Desert Racer, a replica of Steve McQueen's 1966 motorcycle. It is a beauty, that's for sure.

Complete bikes are ready to order now utilising a fully reconditioned period Triumph TR6 engine complete with a single Amal carburettor.

Faithfully built encompassing the ideals employed by Steve McQueen all those years ago. These include styled footrests made to his original design, 35mm Ceriani forks, with seven inches of travel which he found to be the optimum. The yokes are from BSA being his preference because of the handlebar position, set behind the steering stem for better control.

This Desert Racer faithfully adopts a Mk III chrome-moly, nickel plated, oil bearing frame. Chromed steel wheel rims, period chromed exhausts, scramble rear tyre, trials front tyre, Amal competition levers & twist grip. A period Triumph front hub with BSA rear, along with an authentic colour coded tank, seat and panels complete the specification.
This bike is sold in its original form as a thoroughbred competition racer.
Price: £13,999
(+ VAT where applicable)

That's around $23k for a bike with 1966 technology. But each bike is signed by Steve McQueen, somehow.

So You Think You're Fast?

2009-09-06T21:52:00.001-07:00

Watch this and tell me whether you still think you're fast going downhills on a mountain bike. Daaaaaamn!

Bicycle Movie “Freedom Riders” Benefit Show in Santa Cruz on 9/17

2009-09-04T13:29:00.000-07:00

Bicycle Movie “Freedom Riders” shows in Santa Cruz: Mark Davidson, President of the Mountain Bikers of Santa Cruz wrote to Spin City to announce the club is presenting one showing of the film “Freedom Riders” at the Rio Theatre in Santa Cruz (corner of Soquel Avenue and Seabright) at 7 p.m. Thursday, Sept 17. For ticket information and details about the movie, keep reading!
- Karen Kefauver
MOVIE DETAILS:
“The film is about an unauthorized trail system which became legitimate through a partnership between local riders and land managers. This is a story which could be repeated in Santa Cruz County if there is a willingness for both sides to work together. We plan to invite land managers from the State Parks district and BLM to see the film.” - Mark Davidson

BENEFIT FOR STATE PARKS
Proceeds from the movie raise will support the local State Parks district to replace the sign at the entrance of the Wilder Ranch back country (~$4000). Any leftover funds will be given to the district to pay for capital maintenance costs.
RAFFLE
A list of items will be hosted here in a week or two.
TICKETS
$10 at the door and available here (cash only):
* Another Bike Shop (ABS)
* Scotts Valley Cycle Sport
* Family Cycling Center
* Sprockets
* Bicycle Trip
* Spokesman
* Trailhead Cyclery (in San Jose)
* Passion Trail Bikes (in Belmont)

New Mountain Bike Race at Henry Coe in Gilroy

2009-09-04T13:10:00.000-07:00

New Mountain Bike Race at Henry Coe – by Karen Kefauver

Race Director Gary Richards announced that the South Valley Bike and Run Club is presenting the Henry Coe Mountain Bike Challenge on Saturday, Sept 19, 2009. It is now USA Cycling-sanctioned. “This is the first race held in Henry Coe in many, many years. Enjoy it,” wrote Richards in a press release. Keep read for more information! — Karen Kefauver

RACE DETAILS:
*** Pre-riding will be guided on the 12th and 13th. More information is on the website.
Beginners (Cat3) doing a roughly 15 mile loop with tons of climbing.
Sport (Cat2) and Experts (Cat1) will do a 24 mile loop.
LIMIT: 150 riders and is selling quickly. We fully expect this one to sell out.
PARKING: please carpool, space is limited
COST: Registration is $40.00 for non members, members are $35.00. Registration goes up $5.00 on September 10, 2009. Please register as soon as possible so we can setup your awards, swag bags, and food.

I'm seriously considering giving this race a shot. I've been wanting to start racing and this is close enough (and short enough) for me to give it a shot. Anyone else up for a little bike racing action?

Dirt Jumping on SF Bay!

2009-09-04T08:48:00.000-07:00

Not much to say, just watch the video! Cool how they pulled the barge right up next to a SF Giants game!

http://bikemag.com/av/flash/red-bull-kona-riders-san-francisco-barge/

Tried to embed the video here, but Blogger doesn't like their HTML code, so just click-through to the video.

Submitted for Specialized's Approval

2009-08-21T15:21:00.000-07:00

Okay, this post is my official entry into the Specialized Trail Crew contest. Why I should win and all that good stuff.

My first mountain bike way back in 1987-88 was a Specialized Rockhopper. I went away to a boarding school in Vermont where I started to learn how to ride on trails. I'd already done several long biking trips, tours through Maine and across sections of New Hampshire and Vermont. But it was an entirely different experience riding my bike through the woods, shushing my way down a pine needle padded fire road or grunting that bike up sharp hills.

And in the winter, I made my own ice tires by screwing wood screws through a tire and mounting it on the back. I wasn't smart enough to make a front right off so I spent a lot of time just cruising down frozen streams with the studded back tire as my only lifeline to something resembling control.

I rode that Specialized as hard as I could. I treated it badly because I didn't know any better and it really never let me down. Sure, I flatted out but the bike never just flat out broke.

Since then I've owned a good number of other bikes, mostly Ibis Cycles but with a Fisher, a Diamondback and Mongoose in there too but I will always fondly remember what a great fun bike that Rockhopper was.

Nowadays I get to ride in some of the finest areas in America. My regular trail is through the redwood trees in Nisene Marks. In the next year we plan on doing an epic Nisene to the Demo Forest and back down.

I also have outfitted my bike with a handlebar mount to shoot video while riding which has resulted in a few good videos. I'm very interested in mountain bike photography as well.

www.flickr.com

Here's what it boils down to. I love to ride my bikes. I would ride everyday if I possibly could. I write a bicycling blog (yes, with motorcycles too because I love riding my motorcycles). I am in the planning stages of a new and much more specifically bicycling dedicated website/blog. Being part of the Specialized Trail Crew would be great fun, I'd love having an awesome excuse to go out and ride my (well, your) bike, tweet about it from the trail and then come home and write up some sick trail tails.

If I don't win then no worries, I'll still be hitting the trails as often as I can and doing an awful of grinning along the way.

Here are some videos and photos I've created, videos were shot from a homemade handlebar mount with a Canon pocket camera.

Donate Your Mileage

2009-08-10T09:19:00.001-07:00

Ever since the Sea Otter Classic I've been donating my mileage through a cool site called Plus 3 Network. You select a charity to donate to, I'm donating to the IMBA (International Mountain Bicycling Association) and, because I don't have a swank GPS unit to do it for me, I enter my rides in by hand.

But if you've got a supported Garmin GPS unit, the system does it all for you AND donates triple the amount of a hand entered ride.

It isn't hard to do either way though and it makes the rides that much more worthwhile.

I am Erik Orgell on the site, join up and we can become pals. Or just join up and put your mileage to better use. And, oh yeah, free to join, free to be a member of and free to donate, as in someone else makes the donation based on the number of miles that you ride, run, swim or walk.

Get to it!

What if a Motorcycle has 4 Wheels?

2009-08-03T15:53:00.000-07:00

That title could have just as easily been, Is a 4 wheeled motorcycle still a motorcycle? What makes a motorcycle a motorcycle, is it the number of wheels or the way that it moves on the road? If it is the latter than the 4MC is definitely a motorcycle and maybe even a game changer of a motorcycle at that.

Gizmag does the 4mc test ride and reports that this crazy contraption has much to offer the traditional two wheel motorcyclist. The short answer is that it has a ton to offer, as in, nearly impossible to lose traction and wipe out. The four tires offer a crazy amount of contact patch with the road and the mechanical system makes it full leanable even at a standstill without falling over.

It is a pretty amazing machine and I'd love to check it out first hand by giving it a test ride. It could very well change the face of motorcycling and make it way safer. The other interesting bit in the story is that it is classified as a trike (despite the clearly visible fourth wheel) which opens it up to operation by people with regular car licenses.

Now imagine this motorcycle with a big old screamer engine like a Hayabusa or V-Max in it! It could cook like nobody's business! Coolness indeed!

Asheville Firefighter Shot Bicyclist - Greenville News Story - WYFF Greenville

2009-07-28T10:38:00.000-07:00

Police: Asheville Firefighter Shot Bicyclist because the cyclist was riding on a busy with his child. I'm not sure what lesson he thought he would teach him by shooting him in the head but it was lost in the gun blast and now this firefighter is going to go to prison for attempted murder.

The cyclist? Well, the bullet penetrated his helmet but didn't make it all the way to his head so it can truly be said that helmets do save lives.

Wow, this story just blows me away and I'm going to go out on a limb and guess Mr. Charles Alexander Diez has some mental problems.

Tahoe Mountain Biking - June 2009

2009-07-28T09:25:00.000-07:00

Chris put together this great set of photos from our mountain biking trip in June 2009. Most of the photos were from two rides we did in North Lake Tahoe. One ride was near Northstar / Truckee area, the other was on the Tahoe Rim Trail and various other trails near Tahoe City. We had a great time despite a couple of early crashes. I will have a scar on my shin to remind me of this trip for the rest of my life. Probably should have gotten a couple of stitches, or at least a couple of butterfly stitches. After my two crashes I lowered the air pressure in my front tire as it kept washing out in the loamy decomposed granite on some of the trails. The weather was perfect and it was a nice little mini vacation for me. We enjoyed many fine cocktails, excellent lasagna prepared by Matt and a nice bottle of Malbec!

Ibis Unveils the New Mojo HD

2009-07-27T14:52:00.000-07:00

From my Ibis newsletter just received in the last half hour...

Big Ibis News

Mojo HD Hits the Slopes
It's time to let the "HD" out of the bag.

Over the last couple years, we've been working on a new 160mm travel big brother to the Mojo Carbon and Mojo SL (each with 140mm travel), we're temporarily calling it the "Mojo HD". And now we think it's about time to tell you about it.
Introducing the Ibis Mojo HD
Before we tell you about what nitty gritty details we're willing to divulge, we want to let you know that we've already been putting this bike through the paces, some of them rigorous.

Already a Race Winner

Brian Lopes spent the last week in Vars France, getting ready for and then competing in the Enduro Trophy des Nations. This is an enduro style race, becoming quite popular in Europe these days, where riders compete in a number of stages over a two day period with "beaucoup" downhill. This particular event had 10 stages over two days and featured over 10,000 M of descending. If you're bad at math (or don't like the metric system) that's 32,808.4 feet of descent. Or 6.21 MILES straight down, measured vertically! This race also had a bonus stage at 10PM on saturday night that didn't count for the overall time, but the winner got an extra 500 Euros of party money.
Brian teamed up with WTB's Mark Weir and Jason Moescheler to form Team USA 1. Brian notched the first win for his prototype Mojo HD on its first day of racing by winning one of the stages on Saturday, propelling the team to second overall on Saturday night.

Brian is very happy with the bike, and told us a couple things in text messages received over the weekend.

"bike is awesome"

OK, we understand typing is not that easy on a Blackberry.

Brian's Sunday Night Report
Seriously though, here we we have an extra long Blackberry missive from Monsieur Lopes:

"The Enduro race was a lot harder than I expected. The toll it took on everything: wheels, tires, brakes, suspension, the body, and of course the frame were beyond what I imagined. The new "HD" Ibis never missed a beat. For only getting the frame one week ago & with only one ride on it before packing it up for this race, it couldn't have gone through any more of a test than the abusive one I gave it here in France. With 10 demanding races, 3 of which ended with flat tires, the French won all but one race (which I won!). It was hard to beat them on course they knew better than all the rest, basically they were on their home track at times, where knowing the course saved them time.
It's hard to believe that this bike isn't much heavier than the standard mojo, as it was eating up courses that were worthy of full-on DH rigs. The added travel, stiffness, clearance for larger tires and a 8" rotor allow you to take on the toughest terrain you can throw at it, but it's still efficient and light enough to pedal up any hill. Another weapon is added to the ibis line up...

Wow, so there you go. The only non-French winner of any stage was Brian, and they ended second overall. We think that's pretty impressive. Without further fluff, here's a bit more about the bike.

Mojo "HD" Prototype Specifications

* Price and delivery date are both to be decided.

* 160mm of rear wheel travel.

* DW Link Suspension.

* 26" Wheels.

* Target weight for the frame and shock: 6.2-6.5 lbs. (we're not there yet but are fine-tuning the layup).

* 67 degree head angle with a 160mm fork (Brian was running a 170mm fork this weekend, you can also run a 180mm).

* Chain stay length: 17.125".

* Top tube lengths are the same as regular Mojos.

* 12 x 135mm Maxle rear axle.

* Post mount magnesium left dropout, carbon right dropout.

* Compatible with the new tapered steerer standard: 1 1/8th hidden upper, 1.5 traditional lower.

* Compatible with both Chris King InSet and Cane Creek Frustum headsets.

* If you want to run your current straight 1 1/8" fork, we've got you covered too. We will have an adapter available, and you will be able to use a King headset top and bottom.

* 2.35"-2.5" rear tire depending on brand and height of cornering knobs.

* Dual row angular contact bearings in the front of the lower link that have less play than standard sealed bearings. Preload adjustment is not necessary. Large 28mm x 15mm x 7mm radial bearings in the rear for stiffness and long wear.

* The leverage ratio, like the Mojo and Mojo SL is designed for air shocks. The Mojo HD comes with a 8.5" x 2.5" Fox RP23. A DHX air will work on all but the small size. A coil shock is not offered because the linkage rates weren't designed for it. We lowered the top tube to get slightly better standover than the regular mojo while having a higher BB because of the longer travel (we managed to retain the DHX air compatibility in 3 of the 4 sizes).

* The Bottom Bracket height is 13.8"-14" depending on tires.

* Chain guide development is well on its way, we'll announce compatible brands soon. The frame will not have ISCG mounts so it will not be Hammerschmidt compatible.

* The HD runs full cable housing. Rear brake and rear deraileur run on the down tube, with hidden swingarm housing for the rear derailleur.

* Front derailleur (if you use one) and adjustible seatpost housing (if you use one) run along the top tube.

* And once again, just to make sure you got it, price and delivery date are both yet to be decided.

Stay tuned for more.
Ibis

Looks like its time to start saving my pennies for another amazing Ibis ride.

Cue the Tron Music

2009-07-01T23:08:00.000-07:00

Peraves Ecomobile, Monotracer, E-Tracer and X-Tracer Cabin Motorcycles

A cabin motorcycle is a fully enclosed cabin two wheel vehicle. These things are motocycles but with full bodies, full rooflines and trunks and A/C and outrigger wheels that pop down at stoplights and low speed.

They are funky and curious and not for most bikers I know but they might be a good machine for someone looking to commute more efficiently, with less impact and with the ability to split traffic.

Unless I was putting on serious miles I can't see myself really wanting one of these but they are definitely their own brand of cool.

Um, You Pedal Bikes

2009-06-20T22:19:00.000-07:00

Elmoto: Stylish and economical electric biking in one lightweight package however it isn't really honest to call this thing a bike, you can't pedal it. Also, I'd have to say stylish is in the eye of the beholder because I find it pretty well butt ugly.

That said, its kind of an interesting concept that could be quite useful for people who have short commutes in crowded cities.

But it definitely ain't a bicycle.

Mix It Up to Keep It Fresh

2009-06-17T10:20:00.000-07:00

The trail that I ride most often runs through a portion of Nisene Marks State Park in Aptos, California. The trail goes out of the park and then back in after a steep and tough climb up to Sand Point which looks out over all of Aptos and out into the Monterey Bay.

It is a fantastic trail with very technical sections, singletrack along the edge of a hill with occasional hundred foot drop offs a few inches away, wide redwood lined trails and some high speed bomber run areas. There are even water hazards, bridges and the occasional wild donkey braying somewhere off in the deeps of the woods.

It is, in just a few words, some of the best riding I've had the pleasure of being able to hit regularly.

But even filet mignon gets tiring if that's all you ever eat. So, yesterday, I mixed it up a bit and reversed my normal course. I opted to climb up the backside of the mountain, a sinewy track with carved in berms, single, double and even triple jumps. Coming down this trail is phenomenally fun even though I'm not really much of a jumper, I do rather enjoy hitting a nice berm and ripping around a corner sideways.

The ride down is lots of fun but I found that the ride up affords a very, very different perspective of the trail. I saw so much more, saw numerous new routes, shortcuts, alternative tracks and tons more. It was also damned hard work because of some of the steep sections and other sections criss-crossed with roots at all angle.

I also made sure to keep my ears and eyes open not only for the occasional mountain lion but for other bikers bombing down the hill at speed. But today I saw no one until I was just about out of the woods entirely at the end of my ride. I toiled my way to the top, having to climb off and push my bike a few times.

At the very top, I took a break, drank a whole bunch of water, soaked in the magnificent view and, for some reason or another, put my bike on the swinging bench and took some pictures of it.

From there, I kept on my reverse course and dropped down the hill in the bright sun. Its an old access road that's gotten badly rutted out and I nearly went tumbling after getting a little out of control. After getting things back into a more stable state, I headed back into the park and down from the Mesa Grande trail head.

The ride back down from there is pretty familiar territory as its part of the original loop I've ridden for many months now. Its well overgrown right now and there are prickers growing out into the trail all over the place. But it is still pretty fast and always good fun. It doesn't hurt that there are rarely other people out on the trail away from the parking lots.

I also got a chance to stop near the bottom of the trail to photograph one of my favorite derelict cars. I love seeing this car slowly be absorbed back into the earth over the weeks and months and years. I was also sorely tempted to go for a quick swim in the really cold creek but was running a little tight on time so that'll have to wait for next time.

All in all, a great and refreshing ride with a new perspective, a new appreciation for the bombing run downhill on the backside of the mountain and a really good sweat.

Lance Armstrong, Levi Leipheimer and Chris Horner to race the 2009 Nevada City Classic!

2009-06-16T15:33:00.001-07:00

Just saw multiple tweets come through on Lance & Levi's twitter feeds,
that they along with Chris Horner will indeed be racing the 2009
Nevada City Classic this coming Sunday. This is very cool news to
have them racing here in NorCal again! I assume they will be wearing
the Mellow Johnny's kits again like they did at the Tour of the Gila.

http://twitter.com/lancearmstrong

http://twitter.com/Levi_Leipheimer

http://twitter.com/hornerakg

Cycling Bolivia's World's Most Dangerous Road

2009-06-14T13:51:00.000-07:00

Biking down the World's Most Dangerous Road though that billing could be called into question now that there's another road nearby that drastically cuts down on traffic. Even so, it isn't the road itself but the sheer 600 meter drop off a skid away.

But the views are pretty spectacular and it would be pretty cool to say you did bike the most dangerous road in the world.

Might just have to add this to my bucket list.