Stuff you will need before you go mountain biking

I wish I could have had this list and information when I first started mountain biking.

Bike basics suggestions from Dan Foster: 1) “A first-timer should get a full suspension (shock absorbers on front and back).” 2) “Mountain bike (helmets) come down lower in the back…and gives a little more protection.” 3) A padded liner protects against chafing. 4) A hydration pack is “great for holding water. But it also holds a rescue kit: tire irons, a tube patch kit, a multitool and a pump. You must carry all this all the time, because you will get a flat. If you don’t know how to fix a flat, learn.”

Arizona, Bikes, cycling, Mountain biking

Black Canyon Trail

What a great day of singletrack at the Black Canyon Trail this past Saturday.

This trail is a mile after mile adventure.

We did the Table Mesa Trail head section and headed south.

We had a great turn out for this beautiful January ride.

The dirt was perfect. Can’t wait to get back before the heat hits the valley of the Sun.

I blew out a shoe about 10 miles into the 14 mile trip.

What a great day with a great crew.

http://www.bctaz.com/index.html

Bikes

Bikes I Ride

Spot Brand 29er Single Speed

I started riding a Spot Brand single speed in April of 2009 and so far I really like it.

Spot Brand bicycles in Golden, Colorado has spent over a decade perfecting the craft of the bicycle. The constant refinement to geometry, attention to detail, and the pursuit of the perfect tube set, has resulted in creating your ultimate off road ride. Not just for the big boys anymore. The larger wheels are proven to tame even the most technical trails. This bike is hands down the best single speed bike on the planet. Simple, light and fast! The 29er movement is here to stay in my biking world.

I love the simplicity of the SS.

Bikes

Bikes I Ride

Trek Remedy 5 full mountain

Trek Remedy 5

Frame: ZR 9000 Aluminium

Fork: Manitou Black Platinum Air with SPV rebound Lock Out 120mm of travel Gearing: Sram X-7 rear mech and Shimano Deore front Shifters: Sram X-7 Chainset: Bontrager Race 44/32/22 tooth chainrings Brakes: Hayes HFX-9 hydraulic disc 6 inch rotors Wheels: Bontrager Select Disc Tyres: Bontrager ACX folding Handlebars: Bontrager Race X Lite Carbon Stem: Bontrager Select Saddle: Bontrager Select Seatpost: Bontrager Select

This bike weighs in at 33 pounds.

Bikes

BIKES I RIDE

Trek Top Fuel 110

Frameset

Sizes 17.5

Frame OCLV 110 Carbon

Front Suspension RockShox SID World Cup w/carbon crown & steerer, Motion Control, rebound, floodgate, compression, LO, 80mm

Rear Shock RockShox MC 3 w/Poploc remote

Wheels

Wheels Bontrager Race X Lite Disc

Tires Bontrager Super X, tubeless ready, 26×2.1″

Drivetrain

Shifters Shimano XTR Dual Control

Front Derailleur Shimano XTR

Rear Derailleur Shimano XTR

Crank Shimano XTR 44/32/22

Cassette Shimano XTR 11-34, 9 speed

Pedals Shimano 520, clipless

Components

Saddle Bontrager Race X Lite Pro

Seat Post Bontrager Race XXX Lite Carbon

Handlebars Bontrager Race XXX Lite Carbon, 31.8mm

Stem Bontrager Race XXX Lite Carbon, 12 degree, 31.8mm

Headset Cane Creek S-8 w/cartridge bearings, sealed

Brakeset Shimano XTR, hydraulic disc, 6″ rotors

This bike weighs in at under 24 pounds

Bikes, Mountain biking, Prescott, SINGLE SPEED

Pre-Snow Ride With Buddy Schultz Today.

We are forecasted to get hammered with three major storms this entire week.
So I decided to get out before the single track gets buried for the next two weeks.
Had a great 10 mile pre-snow ride with pitcher Buddy Schultz today.
We did the Granite Basin loop from Iron Springs and back.
The sloppy soil gives you a little more opportunity for a work out.

Over the next few months I will ride with others from the baseball card collection that sits in a box down in the man cave.
Here are some baseball face on Buddy’s career.
Buddy Schultz was born on Tuesday, September 19, 1950, in Cleveland, Ohio. Schultz was 24 years old when he broke into the big leagues on September 3, 1975, with the Chicago Cubs.
He was traded to the St. Louis Cardinals in 1977 and was paid a salary of $25,000.00
Birth Name:       Charles Budd Schultz
Nickname:       Buddy
Born On:       09-19-1950
Place of Birth : Cleveland, Ohio
College: Miami University
Bats:       Right
Throwing Arms Chart Throws:: Left
Player Height Chart Height:       6-00
Player Weight Chart Weight:       175
First Game:       09-03-1975 (Age 24)
Last Game:       09-28-1979
Buddy did get a bit muddy on the back of the bike today.
Guess I will nick name him “Muddy Buddy.”

Bikes, cycling, Life experiences

TAKE OFF THE TRAINING WHEELS

I remember the first time my dad took the training wheels off my bike. Man that first moment was scary.

But a few weeks later I was riding around the streets of our neighborhood like a pro.

Isn’t it amazing how life doesn’t come with training wheels?

Are you facing a situation that feels overwhelming and you’re afraid to make a wrong move? Or maybe you’re saying no to something in your life that you’d really like to say yes to. A well-known counselor says, “For years I heard about hiking. It sounded elusive, difficult…and mysterious. When a friend asked me to go hiking…I began thinking…what if I couldn’t do it well enough? Or I didn’t know how to do it at all? ‘Don’t be ridiculous,’ I scolded myself. ‘You’re making this more complicated than it is…it’s just walking, and you’ve been doing that since you were a baby!’ We left…and I followed…as he started up a steep incline. ‘Just walk,’ I told myself…’Put one foot in front of another…like you’ve done all your life.’ I didn’t make it to the top of the mountain that day, but I made it halfway…Start where you are. Start poorly. Just start…if you already knew how to do it well, it wouldn’t be a lesson…and you’d never have the thrill of victory, years from now looking back.”

God has promised to “take the hand of those who don’t know the way…to show them what roads to take.” You say, “But what if I get into difficulty?” You probably will! But God says: “When you’re in over your head, I’ll be there with you” (Is 43:2 TM). But you’ve got to be willing to ‘go’ in order for God to bring you ‘through!’ In other words – you have to be willing to get your feet wet. Time to take off the training wheels and learn to ride on the wheels of life with God’s strength. The thing to keep in mind is: “God…goes ahead of you” (Dt 1:30 TM).

Here is a great scripture to let you know that when things get a bit shaky and you feel like you are going to fall.

“I’ll take the hand of those who don’t know the way…to show them what roads to take.” Isaiah 42:16 TM

I just rode my bike yesterday and am really glad I decided to take off the training wheels years ago.

Arizona, Bikes, cycling, Mountain biking, outdoors, SINGLE SPEED

I Love Singletrack

In the world of mountain biking there is no resource more valuable than singletrack.

Singletrack is typically a trail that is no more than 18” wide and requires you to ride in single file rather than side by side.

Whether you ride Downhill, XC or All Mountain the idea of a scenic, challenging ride in the backcountry is what many riders invest their time and efforts into this sport for.

Arizona, Bikes, Mountain biking

MORE ROCKS THAT TALK

Last Saturday morning some of the locals wanted to get a ride in before the hurricane hit Preskitt.

Yes, I said hurricane. Winds where clocked at 77 mph hour in our little Mayberry town up here in the high desert.

Any way we did trail 95 by Lynx Lake and we ran across some petroglyps. The other guys thought the lower drawing was a mountain biker but I’m bot sure about that.