Hutchs Bicycle Shops Blog

Cross is hard. Don’t let anyone tell you any different. 

It seems to get harder every year. Four years ago I could show up at the last minute with my mtb and place top 15, EZ. Now, with 70+ fields, you better get there early, and you better be in shape, which I did not, and was not.  Not that I am complaining, I am totally STOKED that there are so many ladies lining up to suffer. And suffer we did last Sunday at PIR. It was a cornucopia of muddy conditions: thick greasy clay in some parts, brown puddles up to your knees in others, and tough PB (hold the jelly) pound the pedals and barely move mud in others.  It was a blast! The problem solving changed every lap, picking lines and picking modes of movement (do I run? do I ride?) was highly stimulating, and left me kind of wishing for one more lap, since it took me 35 minutes to get moving.  The best part, warming  my heart (did not work for the fingers), four of my best friends from college, all with babies in one hand, beer in the other, were there screaming and cheering me on.

photo by Jim G. Long

Am gonna do it again, this Saturday, in Bend. This time I will warm up. And get to the party early. Come join the fun!

Sorry kids, this is going to be all text until we get the bloggity tools upgraded. Don’t be upset, our computer guru has better things to do in the summer than sit around and fiddle with the interweb!  Of course, there are almost enough hours in the day right now to do it all. You could, hypothetically speaking, work all day, then go on a “quick spin” that turns into having to feel your way down a very dark Skyliner Trail, your only guide being your own nervous laughter as you put all faith in bike and primal body language. Followed by a glass of wine with friends, instant tipsy-ness, and a swervy ride home. Hypothetically speaking.

If you are looking for hard edged race-minded updates, maybe Rick will be compelled to update. This has nothing to do with tactics, training, or racing, and everything to do with that delicate balance between work and play (and a little civic duty interlude.)

Hutch’s Women’s Bike Clinic

Thanks everyone from Hutch’s, over 20 women came out to learn how to change a tire, clean and maintain drivetrains, get tips on what to take on rides, and network with other awesome ladies. We had a blast (and some Deschutes Beers!) We need to do it again. Everytime I go into Hutch’s it is a bustle with people getting all set up for the rides of their lives, which always makes me smile. Don’t forget to drop in and say Hi to the crew once in awhile!

Test of Endurance 50

OK, there is one race in this novella. The Test of Endurance is a 50 mile mtb race with 8000 feet of climbing and 8000 feet of rockin’ downhills. The first time I did this race was also the first year I raced a bike, second year riding. I bonked, I had mechanicals, I cried. I felt compelled this year with some experience and riding under my belt to create a new memory. Any real plans I had flew out the window once work and reality hit. I don’t know how people stick to training plans when they have jobs, teach me! Though I did not get to do all the preparation I had hoped, I did not bonk, I had zero mechanicals (amazing considering the muddy mucky duffy grassy then muddy again conditions, John Frey is an artist) and I did not cry. But I didn’t really race either. I slowly but happily made my way to the finish, smiling and feeling awesome. Thanks Janette for team support, it was very heartwarming knowing someone would be there to fill me up with food and laughs at the stations.

Viva Mexico!

Not twelve hours after the Test of Endurance I was on a plane on my way to Saltillo, Mexico to do some incredibly gratifying work in rural forest communities. That trip is a story in and of itself. Unfortunately, I brought approximately 1,000,000+ univited FREELOADERS home with me, and am having a heck of a time kicking the little viral buggers. So it’s a big round of rest and trying all sorts of herbs, cleansers, acupuncture, and (did I say rest?) trying to get some energy and strength back. If you see a slow girl on an Indie Fab on Skyliner Rd, it’s me, say hi as you pass.

It has also been a special summer for friends newly falling in love with the art and discipline of dancing to topography (i.e. mountain biking), and I have been honored to partake in some very spirited discovery rides. My cup spilleth over.

Not sure what’s in store competition-wise the next go around, but let me just say that I may be writing another lesson in the “Don’t ever Say Never” chapter of the “You Will Eat your Words Eventually” Manual of Life (PDX XTERRA 08/23/09?). I don’t know, I like the open water swimming and all, but running without a ball to chase is a special kind of mental torture for this ex-soccer player.

Hope the rest of your summer days are filled with delight and the people you care about …. anyone thinking about cross yet, just a little? 

Happy Trails! Nicole

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