The Windham World Cup was doap. We got to see a ton of great racing on courses that were gnarly, fast and sketchy in a lot of places. So many blown tires. Both in the DH races and in the XC races. Really cool to see riders just blasting through a race blown tire and all.

We left Baltimore at 5:30am. It was me, Big Jim, Patrick and our buddy from way down south,Toshun. All of us are avid riders but Patrick is the only one with roots in DH. He’s a former semi-pro racer with Commencal. Coolest part of the trip was that Patrick knows a ton of of riders and support people in the DH scene so we got to meet ‘em and hear all the conversation first hand.

I used this trip to test a new camera I bought. A Nikon Cool Pix S8000. Left my Nikon D500 SLR at home. Kind of a mistake. The S8000 takes sick low light pics, indoor pics and even good (still) outdoor pics. But it when it comes to action shots, its just another point and shoot. Really wish I had my SLR on me cause Sam Hill, Steve Peat, Greg Minnar, Gee Atherton, Rachel Atheron and Aaron Gwin were all jumping over my friggin head on the road gap. I could have had some sick-ass shots. Sorry yall. Below is a run-down off what I was able to salvage of the booty-ass S8000.

Citizens Downhill Practice

As we arrived, we came up on the citizens DH practice. Some of these guys were good, others so-so. Here are a couple shots that came out “decent” near the bottom off the ramp.

Mens’ Cross Country Cat. 1 Race

We positioned ourselves about 1/4 of the way up the mountain near the rock garden for the mens’ XC category 1 race. This was a great spot as we could see into the eyes of the riders. Many were totally gassed. Some were flying. I counted at least 3 blown tubes. Check out the photo below. The guy on the inside is getting smoked and just sitting there watching the dood smoke him. RACE YOU BASTARD. QUIT GAWKING!

The guy in the photo below (pink shirt) was a total prick-face. Kind of funny, but mostly a dick. He was standing on the inside of the turn straight-up yelling at the riders and shaking his fists. He kinda pissed me off only cause it seemed disrespectful to a bunch of guys who were blowing out their bodies to win this race.

Mens’ 4X Race

As primary content developer and writer for the online blog Traction Mag, Patrick got himself a media badge. Totally should have gotten one myself but didn’t even cross my mind to do so cause I don’t think of myself as “media.” All I wanna do is sell some frickin’ shirts. That said, I snagged Patrick’s media pass and got way down on the high side of the 4X burm. Two cool shots came outta those high-jinx.

There a nice set of doubles near the bottom third of the 4x track. Here you see the larger of the two. About a 40 foot gap. There was some really good air going on here.

Mens’ Downhill Practice

We took the chairs up to the top of the DH course and walked the entire length down. Patrick raced the course before so he knew all the spots to check out. The course was sick. Steep, loose rocks in lots of places, and lots to huck / gap. What you see below is an elbow of the course that pops out from the woods. Riders could choose to transition the rock ledge in one of three places. The outside line was cleanest with nothing to huck. The center line was about  a 5 foot huck. The line to the right was about a 7-8 foot huck.

The road gap. So many good shots of mine got screwed in here. The gap was long. I would estimate about 35 feet. You can see in these shots just how high there guys where.

Womens’ Downhill Podium

One of the coolest things to see at this race was Rachel Atherton come back from a broken bone to podium at this event. As you can see in this shot, she was super stoked to win.

Mens’ Downhill Podium

Not much to say about these photos. Gee had a great run. Won by .37th of a second. These guys are so sickly fast and close to one another.

The Pros After The Race

Greg Minnar After The Race

Gee & Rachel Atherton After The Race

Why An Adjustable Seatposts

If you’re an all-mountain rider, chances are you find yourself changing your seatpost height multiple times during a ride. Frankly, it’s a pain in the ass. You have to get off your damn bike, open your seat post clamp, guess at what height will work for the section of trail ahead, and re-tighten the clamp. If you guessed wrong at the height, chances are you just ride it that way. You might even leave it there for longer than it’s comfortable just for the sake of not getting off again. The cycling industry has answered this dilemma by creating posts that allow riders to remotely raise and lower their seats, on demand, as trail conditions dictate. Word.

About Adjustable Seatposts

There are lots on the market. Far fewer if you ride a frame that requires a 27.2 post diameter. But if you’re in the more common post diameter of 30.9mm or 31.6mm, there are a bunch of adjustable seat posts to choose from. The issue with so many of these choices, however, is that some posts work differently than others. Many develop millimeters of side-to-side play over time. Some release from their lowered positions when the bike is picked up from the saddle. Some are just plain fuckin’ ugly. And others do not allow the post to insert 100% of the way into the tube. The post I’m reviewing today has no side-to-side play, allows you to pick it up buy the saddle without changing position, offers variable positions within its travel, and can be slammed to max insertion into the frame.

Kind Shock i950-R

SNAPSHOT
…..Color Avail. – Black Post, Tan Stanchion, Red Ano. Remote /Collar/Rear Lever
…..Operation – Hydraulic w/ Handlebar Mounted Remote
…..Seat Clamp – Set Back (the KS i900 offers no set back)
…..Sizes – 30.9mm (reviewed), 31.6mm
…..Length of Time Used – 2 months & one 27 mile race
…..Price Paid – $229 at PricePoint.com

Installation

Couldn’t be easier. Remove your old post, swap seats, insert new post to desired height. The measuring units on the back of the post make it a snap to get it right back to where you had it when you need to remove it for cleaning. To determine the max height, you simply extend the post all the way and clamp the base in the seat tube at the highest possible point. This model post can be adjusted 5″ inches in total and at any spot in the travel – there are no preset positions. So after adjusting the post in the highest possible position, you’re left with a wide range of lower position options.

The cable and housing used (which comes with post) is standard shift cable. If you have free cable guides, you can cut and install the cable just like a derailleur cable would run. In my case, I run a 1×9 set up and had free cable guides being that I have no front derailleur. If you go this route, make sure you measure your last run of housing long enough to accommodate the post in its highest possible position.

As seen in the photo above, the cable is locked behind the red lever by a collar containing a small allen screw inside. I was careful not to over tighten the tiny allen screw as I got the impression it might strip making reuse difficult. I also pulled the red lever seen in the photo above down slightly as to take out the slack in the actuation thereby making the remote more immediately sensitive. There is a barrel adjuster on the remote for this, but I expect the cable to stretch over time so I plan on using the barrel adjuster at that time. After a few rides, this actuating lever did get a bit sticky (perhaps from mud) but it was fine after a little drop of Tri-Flow.

The Remote

I mounted my remote as the first item after the left grip — close enough for my thumb to reach it much like a trigger shifter. The remote comes with a metal housing for the cable to run through. The metal housing is designed to run right into the remote’s barrel adjuster in place of a housing end cap but I tossed this hunk of crap as it wasn’t needed in any way and made the run of the cable look like ass. Furthermore, the metal housing could get damaged in a crash rendering the remote ineffective.  I’ve had zero problems with the remote’s housing set up the way I have it.

To ensure good operation, I did check the tension on the remote lever via the allen screw seen in the photo above. This is a really decent remote in my opinion. It is all metal. To further ensure it would not stick, I hit it with a drop a Tri-Flow.

Operation & Reliability

I’m able to adjust the post on-the-fly even while going downhill. That surprised me and was a huge perk to using the remote version of this post (as opposed to the lever under the seat version). When siting on the post, all you need to do is remove the bulk of your weight, hit the remote, and the seat immediately extends to where your rear end is. If you extend it too far, all you need to do is put your weight on it and squeeze the remote trigger. Simply let go of the trigger when you find the position you want. With the post in the highest possible position, you’re in optimum cross country mode. At half way down, you’re in optimum all-mountain mode. Slam it completely, and you’re ready to shred downhill.

To date, this thing has been reliable as all hell. I can pick the bike up by the seat – hard – and the post stays where it is set. When I store the bike, I make sure to keep the post fully extended. Something in my gut says this might be best for the seals as it keeps them under the least amount of long term pressure. When I am done riding, I make sure to wipe the dirt from around the seals, just like you would on your suspension fork and rear shock. The only time the post extended unwillingly was when I got pissed by getting stumped on a tough climb. I picked the bike up by the seat and spun it wildly as if to throw it. The centrifugal force I created made the post extend. Aside from that, this post has no side-to-side play and has remained 100% reliable under some pretty extreme conditions. I even competed in the Fair Hill Classic in a 27 mile single speed race where I literally changed the position of the post over 100 times. Solid.

Overall Impression

This thing is money. I feel like I have three different bikes on the trail and which one I need is up to me and how I feel. Being able to adjust my position for the upcoming terrain is the only way to ride. Not to mention, if you suffer from a soar back on extended rides, I’ve noticed that being able to change seat positions lessens the localized tension your back experiences. I do not want to ride any of my other bikes until I put drop posts on them. All this said, the only hesitation anyone should have in making this upgrade is reliability of the post they choose. That said, I would recommend the Kind Shock i950-R to anyone looking to get a drop post. It’s simply a great product. It even comes with a booklet that explains how to completely break it down for self-service. To date, this is the greatest upgrade I have bought, the best money I have ever spent on my bike and I have no idea why I waited so long.

Suggested Improvements

It would be great if Kind Shock offered this post in various anodized colors. That’s it. That’s all I have to complain about on this one. This drop post is awesome. Can’t wait for the 27.2 version so I can outfit my Ellsworth Moment.

To read reviews of all the options in adjustable seat posts available, check out this threat at MTBR.com.

Respekt to All You City Cyclists

Aight well after riding bikes in Brooklyn, NYC with my brother, I fell in love with pedaling shitty bikes in the city. And seeing how I founded this clothing company to be mainly mountain bike focused, I was inspired to open my mind a little. City riding is a passion, an art form and a super efficient means of transportation. So I want to send a shout out to all you vintage bike / city bike / urban cycle / commuters with a Spoke Apparel Co. original.

Introducing The Gangster Lean T-Shirt

There’s nothing like pimping your favorite bike through the streets of the city – just leanin’ back, relaxed and chillin.’ And that’s what this urban bicycle t-shirt is all about. So rock your fenders, your Mary bars, fixies and skinny tires. Spoke Apparel’s got mad love for ya.

About Gangster Lean

This urban bike t-shirt is available in heather grey with blue, green and black print. Printed front only. 5.5 oz weight cotton, this Gildan brand T is pre-shrunk, light and comfortable. Featuring a 5.4 oz. seamless collar, taped neck and shoulders, double-needle sleeves and bottom hem. Click here to buy Gangster Lean now.

Why I’m Reviewing An Urban Bike

I’ve been riding my Schwinn S95.6 around Baltimore City for years now. I’m finally tired of riding a 26″ 16 year old mountain bike in the city. Three weeks ago I began searching for a proper city bike. I was looking for something I could easily lock up with one U-lock (ie – had to have bolted wheels and bolted seat post). It was also important to me that the bike I picked had character.

I needed to find a whip with flavor that was cost effective, on the shelf and ready to go.

I looked at buying a frame and custom building the bike. I considered the Surly Steamroller and Cross Check. I also considered going boutique via Independent Fabrications or Bishop Bikes. The only problem with these solutions was that each would require an abundant amount of time in picking out parts and “doing it right.” All for a bike that could one day get ripped off. Too much effort. I needed to find a whip with flavor that was cost effective, on the shelf and ready to go.

Trek’s 3rd District – Why It Speaks To Me

Plain and simple – this is one stunning bike build right off the factory line. While the components aren’t “high end,” the finish and the design detail on the bike certainly are. If you’re looking to cruise in style, Trek’s entire District urban bike series has you covered. Trek has clearly picked up on the trend of anodizing and bike bling that was established at Interbike 2009.

If you’re looking to cruise in style, Trek’s entire District urban bike series has you covered.

3rd DISTRICT DETAILS

FRAME
…..Color – Bright White
…..Material – Alpha Black Aluminum (hydroform)
…..Chain Gaurd – Dark Blue (not shown)
…..Sizes – 50, 54, 56 (reviewed), 58, 60cm

Fork
…..Material – Carbon, Bontrager Satellite Plus

Wheel Set
…..Hubs – Alloy sealed bearing track hub
…..Rims – Aero alloy color matched rims, Bronze

Drivetrain
…..Cranks – Bontrager Nebula SS 44T Chain Ring w/ Gaurd
…..Pedals – Tioga Platforms
…..Bottom Bracket – Square Taper
…..Cassette – Shimano 17T Freewheel

Brakes & Rubber
…..Calipers / Levers - Alloy Dual Pivot w/Tektro Road Levers
…..Tires – Bontrager Race, All Weather, 700×25c

Cockpit
…..Bars – Bontrager Urban
…..Stem – Alloy, 15 degree, Bronze
…..Post – Bontrager Satellite Nebula
…..Saddle – Bontrager Race (style only available on 3rd District)
…..Grips – Bontrager Leather Wrapped (white) Lock On
…..Headset – Cane Creek, Bronze

Price Point
…..Retail – $709.99
…..Price I Paid – $649.99

Rock a Fan Belt Instead of a Chain

The 3rd District is a single speed. Geared well for city riding, this frame is also ready for use with a belt drive. The rear drops offer the “slit” to slide the belt through and the higher end District series frames actually come stock with a belt drive. To convert the 3rd District to belt drive wouldn’t take much, but why bother? It looks and works great as-is. I will say that the flexibility of being able to switch to belt drive was an attractive selling point for me. Having the flexibility of going with a belt drive is just another way to separate from the pack with something unique  AND useful (no greasy pants on your commute to work and no need for a chain guard).

The rear drops offer the “slit” to slide the belt through and the higher end District series frames actually come stock with a belt drive. To convert the 3rd District to belt drive wouldn’t take much.

The "Slit" Allows A Belt To Slide On In

Frame & Fork

All of the District series bikes are made of aluminum (aside from the District Carbon). I chose aluminum specifically because almost all city riders I know prefer to ride steel. Why be like everyone else? So steel flexes more than aluminum. Who cares. This bike is pimp and I think it looks great with fatty tubes.

A carbon fork at a $650 price point for a complete build is a nice feature.

The fork is carbon and probably one the nicest features you get on this bike considering the price point. The bike is very light. I haven’t weighed it, but carrying it in and out of my city row home is really easy. The fork lends to that while also providing a really nice seamless look from head tube to fork transition.

How The Bike Feels Under A Load

Really comfortable. The positioning of your body is upright and relaxed, just as you’d expect from any good city bike. But the pedaling responsiveness on this whip is nothing short of smooth and immediate. When sitting and pedaling or standing and grinding, this bike has a solid feel from a build standpoint. Not a single creak. It’s construction ensures confidence. For me, I like this a lot. I do not like my bikes making any kind of noise.

When sitting and pedaling or standing and grinding, this bike has a solid feel from a build standpoint.

Braking Power

The brakes on this bike work extremely well considering the price point. The levers do require a firm “two finger” pull, but you get a tremendous amount of stopping power for that effort. Honestly, I was surprised two fingers were all you needed. The brake levers do feel and look a tad cheap at first glance. After knowing they work well, their simplicity in not pulling away attention from the bike’s clean lines is much appreciated.

The brake levers do feel a tad cheap and at first glance. They do not offer much braking confidence (from an appearance standpoint).

The Feel of the 3rd District’s Cockpit

Amazing. The seat is very comfortable. I’m 6′ tall and 180 lbs. While the seat itself is small, it’s shape is well contoured for my frame and I find it quite comfortable. The leather wrapped lock-on grips are both plush and eye pleasing. They absorb sweat while remaining dry and come with really nice end caps bearing the Trek logo. A nice touch that makes this bike feel more custom than the price point typically allows.

On Trek’s web site, the stem is shown mounted the opposite way that I have it set up. Trek’s site also shows the 3rd District with the bars swept up instead of back. I prefer my set up as it keeps me more upright and comfortable as opposed to hunched in a race-like position. Flexibility in the bar / stem set up is a good thing, however.

The bars, when set up the way I show them, become what I would consider “half Mary” bars. They do not bend all the way back like a full set of Mary’s. However, they come back far enough to keep the bike’s lines extra clean and to provide the comfort found in Mary bars for city riding.

Stem & Seat

The stem is a Bontrager 120mm (15 degree rise) riding on a Cane Creek headset. Each are custom anodized to match the wheel set and decal set. They really set the bike off. The seat post is a Bontrager single bolt custom anodized bronze to match the kit.

Gold anodizing, white cable housings and a one-of-kind seat bring this bike home.

The seat itself is a Bontrager R1 custom design that, from what I am told, is available only on the 3rd District. The seat, along with the white brake cable housings work well together to help set the bike off. Good bling (but subtle) and put together with a fine eye for detail. Exactly my taste.

Wheels, Tires & Drive Train

Really like the wheel set on this bike. I’m big on fancy wheel sets and was excited to see the matching rims on this bike. I’ve wheelie dropped this bike off curbs and so far so good. They don’t seem to flex under a load but what the hell do I know – it’s not like I have sensors built into my body that can feel wheel flex.

The crank set is a little weak from a look/feel standpoint but it is highly functional. Remember, this a true city bike. It’s built for commuting; even when wearing long pants. The guard on the cranks keeps your pant leg out of the front ring so I’ve decided that keeping it is the smartest move considering the way I am going to be using this bike (the crank guard is bolted on and removable). I did remove the chain guard and that helped make the bike look a bit more street smart.

The crank set is a little weak from a look/feel standpoint but it is highly functional.

The tires are all weather tires and seem to corner really well on the pavement (so far). I’m running them at 110 psi (highest recommended is 120 psi) and I’ve run into lips and curbs as well as stones and larger objects on the road without an issue. No rips or failures to date. Have yet to ride on wet / slick roads so no feedback to share there.

What I Really Like About Trek’s 3rd District

• Excellent color coordination and design aesthetics
• Carbon fork makes the bike that much lighter
• Very comfortable, relaxed feeling in the cockpit
• Good braking power

Suggestions For Improving Trek’s 3rd District

• It can take a drive belt but doesn’t come with one – it should
• More powerful brakes – single finger pull would be awesome
• Ditch the stock chain guard and crank set for a more respectable set up

We’re proud to announce the latest addition to Spoke Apparel’s mountain bike lifestyle clothing line. We call this one The Bunny Hop. It was designed as our little way of throwing some respect to the guys in our sport who have sick bike handling skills.

The Bunny Hop is available in a sand colored tee with brown and white silk screening.

New T-Shirt Availability

The Bunny Hop t-shirt is online and available now. Click here to check it out.

Baltimore Bike Jam 2010 took place this past weekend in Patterson Park, Baltimore. Spoke Apparel had booth space there as did our friends from Mobtown Velo Roller Racing. The rain held out, but it was cloudy and overcast all day long. It hurt attendance but the racing went on without a hitch and the crowds did show up none-the-less.

About Baltimore Bike Jam

Bike Jam is an event thrown by Corrigan Sports. Corrigan specializes in setting up and promoting various sporting events throughout the state of Maryland. Bike Jam is their only cycling related event. It’s a road event that takes place in one of Baltimore’s largest parks. The course is entirely within the park. The park roads are pretty rough. Lots of gravel, lots of broken pavement. While plenty of Category 5 riders attend, it’s a relatively small event compared to other races. There are also a handful of serious cyclists in the Baltimore area that feel the event could be better organized in terms of course preparation and emergency response. One rider I spoke to mentioned this and it apparently keeps a good bit of riders from entering the race themselves. A local shop owner even mentioned that his girlfriend raced Bike Jam in 2009 and wrecked badly due to the course conditions. She broke a rib and for some reason, it took 45 minutes to get an ambulance to her. Ouch.

The Peloton at Bike Jam 2010

Victor Running the Mobtown Velo Roller Racing Booth

Gary Lessner Trials & Matt Gilman, Blind Trials

My good friend Gary Lessner demos trials every year at Bike Jam. This year, he was able to partner with his friend Matt Gilman, blind trials rider, for a dual demo. The night before, I helped Gary assemble the platforms and we built two new triangle ramps that were set up for Matt to be able to use as well.

The day of the event, Gary & Matt put on three great shows. They were really entertaining. The crowds got larger and larger for each show as the day went on. At one point, the crowd was even lined up waiting 15 minutes before start time. For Bike Jam, this is sort of unusual, especially when it’s cloudy out. The trials demos always get a good crowd, but the crowds were especially dense this year. At one point, Gary even blind folded himself to show the crowd how polished Matt’s no-vision trails skills really are. It was entertaining and a great crowd pleaser. The Baltimore Sun even came out to cover the event. They wrote a nice piece on Matt and Gary’s demo.

Watch Matt Gilman’s Blind Trials Demo

Watch Gary Lessner’s Trials Demo

Still From The Baltimore Bike Jam Trials Demo

Gary Preparing for the Trials Demo

Matt Gilman Dropping Down

Matt Setting Up for a 180

Matt Gilman Pulls Off a Nice 180...Blind

The Walking Stick on the Ground Speaks for Itself

Gary Lessner, Matt Gilman and Louis Gingher Announcing

Matt Showing the Crowd a Basic Hop

Matt Taking Off for a 180

Gary Blindfolded, Showing the Crowd How Tough it is Without Vision

Gary Setting Up For a Six Foot Drop

Gary Dropping To Flat

Nice Balance, Lessner

Gary Doing His Thing as Matt "Looks" On

The Details

My brother, Stefan, was hit by a livery cab while on his city bike in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. He is badly injured. He blacked out and cannot recount how the accident happened. All we have is the cab driver’s statement, which naturally states that Stefan ran a red light. I have ridden the city with my brother before and I know he isn’t the kind of guy to barrel into oncoming traffic. I am looking for witnesses that might be able to recount what happened from a third party perspective. If this accident was my brother’s fault, so be it. But if the cab driver is at fault, we have one hell of a case to press.

My Brother Is Busted Up Bad

He broke a shit load of bones. Five ribs, shoulder, foot and even his lower vertebrae. He is talking and eating like normal, but may require surgeries on his neck, foot and back. We will not be sure until tomorrow.

The Flyer

Here is the flyer we made up. We are posting this thing everywhere we can. We currently have a street team posting this flyer throughout the Brooklyn area. If you know anything, please contact me. I am sorry the details here are so brief. I actually have a lot to say about this nightmare. I am just too busy getting his medical taken care of and trying to put this whole thing together, backwards, like some kind of bike detective. I will write more later. Thank you so much for your help.

You Voted and We’re Listening

The overwhelming winner in the t-shirt poll was Pedal Hard. What surprised me about this MTB t-shirt winning your votes is that it was at the very bottom of the poll – which means that you guys had to scroll all the way to the bottom to vote on it. That tells me it’s a bonified winner.

The Results of the MTB T-Shirt Poll

Pedal Hard received a total of 279 votes with 135 of those votes rating it as a 5 out of 5. The runner up wasn’t even close with 179 total votes. That’s a gap of 100!!

Well say no more. We’re printing up 60 Pedal Hard mountain biking T’s in size medium, large, and XL. However – I felt as though I had to tweak the design a bit. I didn’t feel like the t-shirt (as seen in the poll) was as polished as it should have been. The intent behind the design was that it appear retro (circa 1979-1985), but it almost looked dated as opposed to retro. We spent some time today and updated the look / feel. Check it out. Hope you like it.

New T-Shirt Availability

The Pedal Hard t-shirt will be online and available circa May 15th and I will blast out an email to those on the mailing list letting you know when this new MTB t-shirt is online and ready to order. If you aren’t on the list, please take a minute and sign up here.

Thanks for your voting everyone! We will change up the poll soon and more cycling t-shirt fashion is on the way too so stay tuned.

Pedal Hard Mountain Biking T on White w/ Orange & Black Print

I Finally Finished The Build

For those reading this post for the first time, I began planning for this bike many months ago. This post is the second post in a series that finally completes this build saga. I originally finished this build weeks ago. But with all the snow in Baltimore, I could only test ride it in the city on a night ride with some of my boys. I let my friend Zach try out the bike – a long-time fixed gear city rider (not a mountain biker). He asked me how to shift it. I should have known right then and there. In what seemed to be one continuous motion, he shifted from the middle cog to the highest, while cranking down on the pedals as hard as he could. He managed to tear the derailleur hanger in two and carry the loose derailleur – still on the chain – through the rear wheel. Four Industry Nine spokes sheared in two and the derailleur was managed mess like none I’ve ever seen.

The Fox Talas 36 RLC Debacle

So after I got the wheels back from Industry Nine, and replaced the chain and derailleur, I had to send the 2010 Talas 36 RC2 back to Fox. No rebound after several test hucks in the city. Fox replaced the upper portion of the TALAS. I got it back 3 days ago, and it works great.

About the Build

I’ve ridden a Moment for a long time and absolutely love the bike. Nothing I have ever tested comes close in the all mountain 6″ category. My only gripe with an Ellsworth is that you can never get a matching frame and chain/seat stay color (unless you go with all black). Furthermore, a lot of the colors offered are pretty heinous (Why would you zebra stripe a high end bike? Ever see a zebra striped Ferrari? No.). Not to mention, your fork is most likely going to be a different color. When I found out that Ellsworth was willing to custom anodize using any color from their line, current or past, I jumped all over the chance to get something uniform and clean. With the ability to mute the bike, I took advantage of making the accessories pop using anodized blue. A big shout out goes to the guys at Ellsworth on this. They were great to work with and turned the bike around in under 8 weeks.

BUILD SPECS

Custom Paint
…..Frame Color – Gun Metal Grey, Anodized
…..Chain & Seat Stay Color – Gun Metal Grey, Anodized
…..Rocker Color – Anodized Blue

Wheel Set
…..Rims – Loaded USA AmXc
…..Hubs – Industry Nine, Freeride
…..Spokes – Industry Nine, Machined Aluminum

Drivetrain
…..Cranks – Raceface Atlas
…..Pedals – Straitline Platforms
…..Bottom Bracket – Hope Ceramic
…..Cassette – Sram PG-990
…..Rear Shifter – Sram X9
…..Rear Derailuer – Sram X9 (1×9 set up)
…..Outer Bash Guard– Race Face 32t
…..Inner Guard– BBG 32t

Brakes & Rubber
…..Calipers – Hope Moto V2, Machined
…..Levers – Hope Moto V2, Machined
…..Rotors – Hope Moto V2, 203mm, Floating
…..Tires – Maxxis ADvantage 2.4″

Cockpit
…..Bars – Raceface Deus XC
…..Stem – Hope (90 degree ride)
…..Post – Thompson Masterpiece
…..Saddle – WTB Laser V
…..Grips – Steve Peat Signature Lizard Skins w/ Ellsworth Caps
…..Headset – Hope

Suspension
…..Fork – 2010 Fox Talas 36 RC2
…..Shock – 2010 Fox DHX Air 5.0

More Pictures

Anodized Rockers w/ Matching Straitline Flats Pedals

Hope Moto V2 Rotors w/ Matching Machined Caliper

Maxxis AdVantage 2.4 Tires, Hope Moto V2 203mm Rotors & Calipers

Loaded USA Skur

The Cockpit

Hope Moto V2 Handle and Reservoir

Chain Stays & Loaded AmXC Rim, Industry Nine Hubs

Hope Headset & Braided Hope Brake Line, Straigtline Spacer

Hope 90 Degree Stem

Chris King Top Cap w/ Anodized Headset Bolt

Steve Peat Signature Grips w/ Ellsworth Caps

Hope 90 Degree Stem

A German Shepherd Mountain Biker

Alaz rules. He’s my German Shepherd Dog and he loves the woods. We ride together about once every other week. He hammers single track. Stays right by my rear wheel. And on command, he will haul ass down the trail ahead of me.

If you’ve ever ridden with a dog ahead of you like this, you know the feeling is cool. When I give him the command to run in front of me, I chase him. He is trucking full speed and all I can see are his hind quarters compressing and extending. It’s like I am part of the pack. I could never keep up on foot, but the bike allows me to. For those that know, it’s one of the coolest feelings in the world.

Below are two photos we took on a ride this past Sunday in Patapsco State Park that I cannot stop thinking about or looking at. I love this dog. He’s my MTB pal.