Hutchs Bicycle Shops Blog

Do you get a little nervous when you have to go to the bike shop? Do you think you know, but have not really ever had to change a flat, or how about two? Want to meet more ladies to go out and ride with? I guarantee you are not alone. 

One of the best parts of cycling is the community. That said, it can be a tad intimidating to get into cycling in this town of 1.3 professional rockstars / square block.  And I think there are better ways to learn about riding than suffering while you eat lots of dust trailing behind a group of strong dudes.

So come join us for a little bike love, a little beer (if you are of age) and a lot of fun! Questions? Want a pdf of this flyer? email Nicole at swndve2@yahoo.com 

A couple weekends ago when I was recovering from my first cold of the season - as opposed to the second which I am enjoying right now - I was riding up Redmond direction. Maybe it was the mud, maybe it was the snow or maybe it was just the foggy twenty something degree weather but I got this idea that a nice hot cup of coffee would be a tasty treat. So I set a course to drop by our regular Redmond watering stop - the one we always stop by on the Lower Bridge route - Coffee Depot at Rimrock and Highland. As I got closer an unwelcome thought crossed my mind, “what if they’re not open anymore?” Considering our current economic times it was a realistic possibility.

Fortunately, as I rolled up I was cheered by the welcome glow of the open sign. While my coffee was being prepared I struck up a conversation with one of the people - who turned out to be the owner. First of all there’s something that strikes me as particularly appropriate when a coffee stand owner is named Joe. So it turns out that while Joe doesn’t ride a bike his son is a regular road rider who cross trains for basketball by riding McKenzie Pass and Three Creeks. Last summer the son convinced Joe’s wife to give McKenzie Pass a try and she made it all the way to the top. Joe said it was a very difficult accomplishment but that she was super excited and proud that she made it.

Then our talk turned to how business has been. Joe said he’s doing ok but income is definitely down. Joe only has that one location and it’s a bit sobering to see seven other coffee stands in Redmond close down. I made sure to let him know how much we appreciate being able to stop by and get water during our rides and that I hoped he’d continue to be there. It sounds like he will but if any of you happen to be in the neighborhood it’d be nice to support his business whenever you can - just to help a little. Be sure to ask about things other than coffee, Joe’s got bagels and other snacks there too.

RJ

It is officially still winter, my cross bike has spent more time parked in front of the Deschutes Brewery than in motion, but as evidenced by many Twitter-pations, blogs, and race results, Oregon cyclists are ready to get back into it. Maybe you are one of those people who raced this weekend (my hat goes off to you!). You might be building base miles on the road or your new wheels in the garage. Many of you have picked your A races, and are diligently downloading data from your power meter. Some of you may have had your VO2 max, lactate threshold, and body composition analyzed, or you are just aware that your favorite pants don’t fit the way you would like.

Or maybe, like me, you are still enjoying snow and socializing, and the idea of suffering in a bike race, along with having to do things like choosing Recoverite over whiskey, seems far far away, but is putting a little glimmer in your eye.   

Regardless of your preparatory rituals, don’t forget to pay some attention to the Mind/Spirit (or whatever you want to call it) part of the equation. You can have all the fitness and gear in the world, but if you are not in a good space mentally and emotionally, you are going to have a Crap season. Catch up with yourself, maybe when you are working on your bikes, skis or motorcycle in the shop, or out on those long quiet rides. How the hell are ya? Is your job going to be stressful this year? Is money tight? How are your personal relationships? If your Significant Other is not a Bike Geek, how is he or she going to feel about another season of you being away all the time or lying around with your legs propped up on something? If any of the personal aspects of your life are going to be aggravated by a full on racing season, should you realign your priorities? Is there something you can do now to prevent burn out, or break up in July? Think about it. Talk about it.

Why all this sap? For one, it is just silly to think this time commitment does not affect the people around you. Include them in the planning. For another, racing with lots of stress and poor focus makes not only for potentially bad results, but endangers yourself and those around you.

Personally, I am in the process of defining some goals and assessing racing potential. Yesterday I went for my first real mountain bike ride in seven months, finally recovered from a big crash and surgery.  Skate skiing and spin classes have provided me with some fairly good fitness; I felt great pedaling. The minute I hit a rock section though, I hesitated. I got scared.  I unclipped and put my foot down.  The crash last summer coupled with time off the bike had killed my confidence, and what used to be fun and smooth was stilted, awkward and stressful. Instead of loading and floating over sections, I tried to micro manage each and every rock. Then I got worried that I was going to crash because I was riding like such a ninny. Not cool. By the end of the ride I started to get the feel of it again, and every section I cleared reminded me that I was not going to die, and that I LOVED riding trails. On the drive home I came to the conclusion that I was going to have big work ahead of me to get back into the mental and emotional state needed for mountain biking. It is my first priority to get that in order, knowing that competitive motivation and physical fitness will follow, along with all the good times with amazing people I have come to associate and readily anticipate with this crazy cycling passion/obsession.  

I wish you all a successful and safe season, whatever your goals, whatever your passion.    ~ Nicole

After years of just imagining the possibilities of having a cyclocross bike I have finally realized having one. And I have to tell you I’ve been having the most fun riding I’ve had in a long time. The freedom, sense of adventure and open possibilities remind of being a kid with my first 10 speed.
I have to thank a couple Hutch’s people publicly for helping out with this. Mike McMackin for going the distance in finding the perfect frame for my needs to compliment the pile of parts that had finally reached critical mass in my garage. And John Frey for giving his personal and expert attention to putting it all together in a perfect package. The sum is truly greater than it’s individual parts and John knows exactly what it takes to build a sweet riding cross bike. My hopes and expectations were exceeded in every possible respect. Thanks guys!

I was enjoying myself so much today riding around in a fog bound inversion I hardly noticed five hours had passed. Along the way I thought of a Top Ten List of things that makes winter CX riding a whole lot of fun. So without further ado:

The Top Ten Things I Love About Winter CX Riding
#10 Chip seal? What chip seal?
#9 My CX bike is supposed to be dirty.
#8 Inversion means hard frozen ground and fast off road riding.
#7 Hundreds of miles of roads and trails to choose from - all on the same ride!
#6 On hike-a-bike sections it’s easier to carry than a MTB.
#5 Still finding places I’ve never ridden.
#4 Not caring at all about cinders on the road.
#3 The look on motorists faces when they see a rider out in such “horrible” weather.
#2 Water bottles stay nice and cool.
#1 Simply riding any where, any time baby!

RJ

The Hutch’s Masters Team just returned from our January training camp in Santa Rosa, California. We’ll have some photos up soon that will make those of you that were fog bound back here at home drool but for now I’ll just get up some information about the rides.

No doubt epic stories will follow. It was a great weekend!
 
 
 

Day One:

Jumping out of the car after nine hours of travel and into our gear we did a quick out and back to Pine Flat Road. This presented us with our first taste of the climbing to come.
 
 
 

Day two:

The best views of the weekend in my opinion. River canyons, rolling over green ridges and out to the Northern California coast. “Stunning scenery” is an overused term these days - but it was invented for these kinds of rides.
 
 
 

Day Three:

Riding inland in even warmer temperatures we followed a canyon full of geothermal hot spots. To get out we had to get over “the wall” but were rewarded with some bomber downhill sections.
The “random cool” moment came as we rolled away from the final descent - ten strong - and came upon the BMC Pro team going the opposite direction in equal numbers. Enthusiastic greetings were exchanged from both sides.
 
 
 

Day Four:

Ahh, finally something flat to recover on. And none too soon!
 
 
A truly fine weekend of riding. A BIG thanks to Hutch’s, Clear Choice and Bend Dental for making it all possible. And special thanks to Greg Bruce for organizing all the details - you the man!

RJ

So you’re sitting around looking at the thermometer as it hovers well below freezing when someone rides their bicycle past. “Hey,” you think to yourself, “isn’t that dangerous?” Naturally, as a dedicated cyclist yourself, your next thought is “I wonder if I can do that?”

In short the answer is yes you can. But you should have a good understanding of this different medium before you set out. Since I know a bit about riding on ice and snow having enjoyed 14 winters in Central Oregon I thought I’d share a few key bits of knowledge. It also helps that I’ve raced our local Twilight Ice Criterium a half a dozen times.

Part One: Understanding Ice

While it’s easy to think of ice one dimensionally – as simply frozen water – it’s important understand the process of its formation. Like life, it’s the journey and not the destination that determines its quality. First let’s consider the most key factor, temperature. Obviously you must have freezing temperatures to have ice. There are several reasons for you to pay close attention to the temperature. The first is the formation process. Let’s go through three typical scenarios that result in ice.

• Snow derived ice results from cold temperatures aloft and to the ground. As the air temperature looses its ability to hold moisture crystals form around nucleus particles (dust, etc.) and snow results. It layers to the ground where it can be compacted. In this process the resulting surface will have texture and, if the individual crystals are allowed time to bond together, very good strength.
• Freezing rain derived ice results from warm moist air above cold ground level air. As the precipitation falls there is no crystal formed and the rain freezes on contact with cold surfaces. This results in a very uniform paint-like surface. There is very little surface texture and it easily becomes polished from vehicle traffic. This can be the most slippery ice to ride on.
• Melt-Freeze cycle ice results from any water sitting on the surface when temps drop sufficiently low enough to freeze. This is the most inconsistent ice to ride because low spots will have a very smooth low traction surface while other better drained areas will have a nearly bare surface. Complicating things further is sun exposed areas will freeze later than shady spots making your traction calculation continuously variable.

Part Two: How Do Your Tires Grip?

Okay, here’s where the rubber meets the ice. Remember that an ice skater is not gliding on ice actually. What is happening is that the ice is turned to a thin film of water between the blade and the ice in response to the pressure the skater places on the blade. This makes for amazingly low friction. The same phenomenon can happen with your tires and it is another reason why it vital that you pay close attention to the temperature. Between about 28° and 34°F you can pretty easily create this condition under your tires (or shoes for that matter, especially when you first exit a warm environment). So between those temperatures be very careful, you might have very little traction.

However, when it’s less than 28° it’s time to rally Ice Rider! The ice is hard and you won’t be creating any water film under your tires. All you have to do is be accurate in predicting the available traction in your particular kind of ice. This is where understanding the ice formation process comes in. If you’re on snow derived ice the surface imperfections – and embedded cinders or sand particles – will give you some pretty good grip. If you’re on freezing rain or melt-freeze ice it’s going to be less grippy but perhaps still ridable, you’ll just want to keep good balance and practice very smooth braking.

Part Three: Tire Choice

The best tires for ice and snow riding combine an open tread and lots of edges across the direction you need to generate grip. The open blocks grab snow wedges and bumps like little fingers. The corner edges are like little squeegees gripping the smaller imperfections (this effect is enhanced by sipes). Studded or spiked tires are only necessary if the ice is very smooth. The cost you’ll pay is they are heavy and roll slower due to the constant flexing of the studs or spikes.

Part Four: Prepare Yourself

Don’t forget that just because you’re now mentally prepared to go out on the ice the rest of you - and your bike – must be as well. Obviously dress warm. Beyond that consider things like:

· Shoe cleats – adjust them looser and spray something non-stick to the cleat and pedal to keep ice and snow from jamming up the works. The last thing you want to happen is not be able to unclip. Also remember those plastic shoe bottoms are almost useless if you have to put your foot down. Consider using less high performance shoes with rubber soles.

· Cables – if you’ve done any riding at all in the wet be sure your cables and housings are completely dry and well lubed before you set out. That wetness will freeze - paralyzing your shifting and perhaps even your brakes.

· Chain – in very cold weather you will actually feel more drag as all your lubricants stiffen up. Wheel bearings are hard to do much about but you can help yourself by using the lightest, thinnest chain lube you can.

· Handlebars – consider that your aluminum bars will be very effective at transferring heat from your hands. If you don’t use carbon bars for fear of damage then at least use thick bar tape or grips.

As soon as I have a bit more time I’ll update this post with some pictures and layering tips. In the mean time get out there and ride. Until the temps get back above freezing – and start that nasty melt-freeze cycle – the ice riding is sweet!

Be safe and have fun!

RJ

Hutch’s riders Greg Bruce and Scott Seaton recently competed in the epic mountain bike race “El Reto Del Quetzal” in Guatemala placing solidly in 2nd place in spite of numerous challenges. The story is quite a tale - you can read more about it here:

http://trailboss.livejournal.com/

Great job guys - it sounds like it was brutal!

RJ

I’ll admit upfront that I never drank the 29er Koolaid. As many of you know I have quite a bit of engineering background with things that have wheels - especially two wheels. And while the concept of a larger wheel - and therefore a larger radius and longer contact patch - on a MTB has merit I believe that the 29″ wheel is taking it too far for many situations. There are just too many compromises - in geometry, rigidity and rotational weight just to mention a few. In the back of my head I was thinking “too bad there’s not a MTB wheel size that’s in between 26″ and 29″.

Actually it turns out there is - 27.5″, or in metric sizing the 650B. Recently I discovered that bicycle manufacturers are stepping up and it is looking increasingly like 650B will be the next big thing. I have the impression that the 29er market took a long time to develop because the folks building the critical parts were slow to come around to the belief that people would buy into the concept of a big wheeled MTB. And they may have learned their lesson as 650B specific stuff is popping up left and right. I’ll detail some of my finds later in this post.

So, even though the bicycling community has largely embraced the big wheel MTB wheel concept there are a couple opinion trends I’ve noticed. One is that a lot of people like the way 29ers roll smoothly over the trail. That’s the good part. On the other hand some of the more demanding riders I know are disappointed with the handling characteristics of the 29er when the trail is more technically demanding. Paul Thomasberg summed it up something like this: “Sure I like my 29er. But is it my ‘go-to’ bike for my everyday rides? No, it’s best for really long days where I am just rolling over relatively mild terrain.” He went on to describe in more detail the feeling having to put a lot of energy into repeatedly reaccelerating wheels with high rotational mass and the significant difference in turning radius when compared to a 26″ wheel. But he thought that the 650B could be an ideal wheel size and was interested to try it out.

Another opinion comes from a long time bike retail guy, Mike McMackin. He said that the first time he tried a 29er he thought it was going to revolutionize the MTB industry, that soon everyone would be on one. He has since realized that the biggest fans of 29ers are larger riders looking for a physically bigger bike. But many others that are in the not-so-big category are not as enthusiastic about such a tall ride.

That brings us back to the 650B - Goldilocks would like it, “this ones too big, this ones too small. And this ones just right!” 650B wheels work with the tried and true geometries developed around 26″ wheels (in fact two of my current frames will handle 650Bs no problem). The biggest issues with getting going with 650B are what you’d expect: tires and forks. And that problem is quickly being addressed. There are currently two tires available and no less than five more soon to be released. There are four MTB specific rims to choose from. There are four fork models and others are rumored in be in development.

Here’s a recap of the 650B options I’ve rounded up as of Interbike:

Tires:

• Pacenti Neo-Moto, 650B x 2.3, 740g, tube type
• Pacenti Quasi-Moto, 650B x 2.0, 550g, tube type
• WTB Wolverine, 650B x 2.2, (shown at Interbike, available spring ‘09)
• IRD Fire650B, 650B x 2.1, 600g(?), (shown at Interbike, availability TBA)
• Schwalbe Racing Ralph, 27.5 x 2.25, (shown at Interbike, availability TBA)
• Kenda Nevegal 2.35, in development (drawings released)
• Kenda Nevegal 2.1, in development (drawings released)
• Kenda, 1 other model?

Rims:

• Velocity Blunt rim: 32 hole, 28mm wide, Black or Silver, 459g
• Hayes Sun Ringle EQ27: 27mm wide
• Stans Hope Pro II / NoTubes 355: 24.4mm wide, (lightest current option)
• WTB Laserdisc Trail: 27mm wide

650B Specific Forks:

• White Bros 650B Magic 80 A/C 464mm - QR or 20mm
• White Bros 650B Magic 100 A/C 484mm - QR or 20mm, 3.9lbs/1770g
• White Bros 650B Fluid 100 A/C 484mm - QR or 20mm,
• White Bros 650B Fluid 130 A/C 517mm - 20mm axle only

So, if you’re interested in learning more the following sites are excellent sources of information on all things 650B.

http://650b.com/

http://650bpalace.blogspot.com/

Happy Trails!

RJ

Thanks to everyone who has sent well wishes, stopped by, offered to help, and kept the laughter quotient high. Even if it is at my expense. Due to forced one handedness (adding the insult of right handedness to injury), I have thus managed to dump an entire pitcher of beer on an Oregon Public Broadcasting display, pour a bottle of water on myself in front of a crowd at Juniper fitness center, rock some really terrible hair (try washing, brushing, or putting YOUR hair up with one hand!) drop 1000 items, and force dozens of people sitting next to me to cut my food. I still don’t have knife privileges.  My photo taking stinks as well, so this post will be prose intensive.

The first half of recovery has flown by, as I spent a few days in a drug-induced stupor and the following three weeks stumbling about constantly tired and taking lots and lots of naps. I’m just getting up to speed and starting to get antsy. I think that whenever my body notices something wrong it makes me sleep, thus avoiding the redundancy of crazy pain. My Dad does the same thing.  What should be viewed as a miraculous act of physiological defense seems to have confirmed in my surgeon’s mind that I am a loose cannon (or was it the finishing a race with a shattered arm part?).

“How is the pain?” he asked gently this morning. “It really doesn’t hurt, not since a few days after surgery” I said, with a one armed shrug.  Certain that I am “abnormal” (he used that word), he has interspersed our conversations with “it IS pretty shattered” to prevent me from doing something stupid, like trying to ride down Flagline, reach for a mug, or go swimming. I have listened and do Nothing as ordered, though I would prefer the phrase “dashed to arm rubble”. His prognosis is 4-6 more weeks of only active assisted range of motion. No strengthening, no bike riding, no shenanigans.

In my life B.S. (before shattering) I would optimize off the bike time to play guitar, kayak, swim, knit and dance.  A.S.S (after shattering + surgery) I am left with limited time-passers. I Walk. I Read. I go to dinner with friends, the ones I usually neglect all summer because I am riding. I spin a bit. Getting on your trainer on a beautiful sunny day is really the most demoralizing thing you can do to yourself so I try to keep it to a minimum. All in all I know I am lucky. I could have just as easily have landed on my back, my head, or shattered a leg. I can’t imagine maneuvering through the grocery store on crutches! This should be (and is) a time to reflect, to empathize, and to learn from it all. I am just not quite sure what it is all going to amount to. Time will tell. And according to my surgeon (aka Jefe), there is plenty of contemplating time to come.

Greg Bruce reports on the Hutch’s Masters team:

Better late than never! I have been quite busy and traveling since High Desert, so this is long overdue.

We had an absolutely successful weekend at the High Desert Omnium.

The race started out with the Summit High School Criterium and everyone rode really intelligently and safe and when the dust settled, Rick Johnson finished 3^rd and picked up some valuable omnium points.

Later that afternoon, was the 9 mile Skyliner Time Trial. Scott Seaton scorched the course and was the top finisher picking up the 16 points that came with it. Also turning in good TT’s were Gregg Strome and Ambrose Su who finished 7^th and 9^th respectively.

Speaking of TT’s, Andy Su also won his TT that day in the 13-15 year old age group.

Sunday was the Road Race and it was on a new course up at the mountain. We staged and finished at Edison Sno-Park. We went into the day with the goal of launching Scott from his second place overall position to first place by the time we were done. He sat 2 points back at the start. The math can get fuzzy with these omnium’s, so the bottom line was that we really needed for him to win to be guaranteed and at the least, he needed to score points and finish ahead of the guy who was ahead of him by 2 points. The guy ahead of Scott was on a very strong team (De Salvo) with a number of riders represented and there to help him. Our best strategy was going to be and offensive one. We needed to put on the pressure - make them work, chase, suffer and eventually tire them out.

So, Jurgen went to the front from the start and kept a very high pace for the first 10 miles. After we rolled over the first climb of the day, Rick Johnson launched the first attack on the descent, as others of us patrolled the front and kept the pace moderate and allowed him to get a good gap. After 4 miles, the De Salvo team realized the threat and marshaled there team to the front to bring the break back. They eventually did, but it took them 6 miles or so and they were looking spent. So, as soon as Rick was brought back, Ambrose launched off the front and got a gap. This caused the De Salvo team to keep chasing and working. Ambrose got caught and then Scott tried his hand, testing the waters to see what would happen. This caused the guy who was ahead of Scott on GC to have to react, as his team was exhausted. I sat on his wheel as he tried to bridge up to Scott and witnessed his pain and torture first hand. He was really hurting to get across, but eventually did and brought all the rest of us with him. Scott reintegrated into the peloton and just as he did so, Gregg Strome launched his attack. He got a nice gap and extended it down Cascade Lakes Highway. The De Salvo team was hurting and they were lucky to find an ally in John Slawta from Team Landshark who was on his own that day (without teammates). John was desperately wanting to get away himself and not leave it up to an uphill sprint. So, he started chasing Gregg down and the De Salvo guys did what they could to help. Gregg was eventually brought back before the turn back onto Trappers Road.

We still had cards to play, so when Gregg was brought back, James Wellington launched his attack and John Slawta went with him. This looked quite promising and was going to really make the De Salvo guys work. Eventually, they too were brought back ½ way up the Trappers climb. When they were brought back, Scott went back to the front to test everyone out over the last mile of the climb and kept the pace just hard enough to keep things interesting going over the top. As we began the descent, Scott’s De Salvo adversary, together with Jon Slawta and Turner Waskom (from Half Fast velo/BBNS: we weren’t sure who Turner was riding with that day, he had a jersey from one and shorts from another) got a jump on the field from the back and got a good gap. This was potentially very dangerous, so I bridged across and got into their rotation. I slowed it down by not pulling through and sitting on the wheel of the De Salvo guy as he rotated off the front. This disruption was enough to nullify the move and bring the peloton back together. They attempted 2 more times to get away and we chased it back both times.

As we turned the corner and began the climb back up to Edison, Rick Johnson and I went back to the front and set the tempo that would keep things together until the right time. We didn’t want to see any further attacks from other teams that had been sitting in all day. With about 5K to go and at the steepest pitch of the climb back up, Gregg Strome launched off the front and started pulling away. No one reacted - no one could react! Gregg got a good gap and started moving up the road. With 2K to go, Scott attacked the field and began bridging up to Gregg. Again, everyone was too wasted and Scott was too strong for anyone to do anything. Scott made his way to Gregg at the 1K to go sign and Gregg then put his head down and broke the wind for Scott toward the finish. Scott got the win and Gregg got second. The rest of us rolled in at the back of the peloton having done our work for the day. Mission accomplished!

I can’t tell you how many guys from the other teams came up to me after the race and even in the last couple weeks since the race to say how impressive our team was that day. They were really in awe and extremely complimentary of our tactics and execution. Things do not always work out the way you plan them, but on this day they did. A big congratulations to everyone and to Scott for winning the Omnium overall.

Greg