Tomorrow’s Dirt Scream DJ/pump comp at Lyons Bike Park
Details are hard to come by (uninformative site and unreachable promoter), but Glenn at Bitterbrush Cycles just gave me some approximate times.
Archive for year: 2009
‘Cross bike: drop bars or flats?
Hey gang. I’ve been riding a cyclocross bike with drop bars for about a year, and it’s been fun. I’m about to do a real build (good parts and “ideal” setup) on the Mighty S-Works Tricross, and I keep vacillating between drop bars and risers.
Pump track design: A fun little side trip
Yesterday we added a mini detour to the Lyons Bike Park. The resulting option is faster, flowier and funner.
Dig. Dug.
Today was sunny and seventy. A perfect day to ride. Or, I suppose, to work on the Lyons Bike Park.
While hundreds of riders rolled past on their way to sweet trails, Glenn, Chad, Ron, Ian and I placed the wooden takeoffs for next weekend’s jump comp, and we started sprucing up the pump track. We return tomorrow to dial in the pump track — and hopefully to ride.
Seat tube angles on DJ bikes!
Lee, was checking in and read How seat tube angle affects bike character. Have you ever ridden a Cannondale Chase 1 DJ? Both small and med frames have a 77 degree seat tube angle and 69 degree head tube angle. What would be the purpose of such an extreme ST angle unless perhaps it does not matter if you don’t use the seat as a peddle platform. BTW love my Chase!!!
Enjoy those kids- they grow up too fast.
Mike
Lyons Bike Park: Dig this weekend, rip next weekend
Lyons Bike Park is hosting a DH/pump comp on Oct. 25. To make that happen, we need to dig and ride this weekend.
How seat tube angle determines bike character
This bike comparison shows how seat tube angle can influence your bike’s purpose in life.
Part of the continuing seat-tube-angle saga.
Hopping the dreaded bucking log
Hey Lee,
First of all, congratulations on the twins, man!
I found your site and got your book near the beginning of summer. I’ve only been mountain biking for about 4 years, but I have improved tremendously this summer with your help! I’m no where near an expert, but I’m really enjoying the new found flow.
Anyways, this is probably a MTB 101 question. There are plenty of “large” logs on the trail. I haven’t dialed in a good bunny hop, so “large” is any log I can’t hop. At first I walked these. Later, I bashed the chain ring over them. Now, I can pull a quick manual, compress down when the front wheel is on the log, and hop enough to get the back wheel on the log (without bashing the chain ring – woo-hoo!).
To do that, I have to slow down and I decided that was ruining my flow. So, I decided to attempt it a bit faster. I kept getting bucked until one flipped me over the bars…
What is the technique for these “big” logs? How can I hit them faster without cramping my flow?
If you ever need advice on changing dirty diapers, please feel free to ask 😉 Braaaap!
Thank you sincerely,
– Eric
Jumping technique: Help, I’m tilting sideways
Hi Lee,
I’ve been mountain biking for years, but I just generally ride xc. After a trip to Whistler (I’m from New Zealand), I’ve got the DH bug, but I find I have real trouble jumping. Well, it’s getting sideways when jumping that’s my problem. I feel like I am hitting the jumps nice and square, but sometimes when I jump the bike starts to drift sideways in the air. I don’t feel like I do anything different when this happens, and it’s not constantly to one side or the other. The fact that I don’t know when it’s going to happen makes me nervous to try and progress to bigger jumps as the longer I’m in the air, the more sideways I’ll get. It seems to happen when I pop off the lip as well as just letting the bike drift off so to speak, but I think it happens more when I try to pop.
I know it’s hard without seeing me, but are there any things I should look for when jumping that may be causing me to drift sideways?
Thanks for any help you can provide. Cheers, Mark.
Race for Tara 3: Oct. 10-11
The third big benefit race for Tara Llanes is coming right up, and it’s a major upgrade in venue, format and purse. The MEGA DH at Northstar at Tahoe should be sweet. Go to NorCal and get some!
Here are more details from Mike Stewart at Giant Bicycles.
The Twins: They’re heeee-eeerre!!!
As of this morning, everything is different. Something in my heart got unlocked. It got shaken loose, and now it’s flowing through me. I’ve heard parents say it, but I never understood. So this is love. That unconditional, universal, unbeatable love of a parent for his baby. Make that babies.
Ladies and gentlemen … meet Finley and Fiona.
Fixin’ her hair and runnin’ the stairs
Today I took The Wife to Denver to get her hair done (the last essential task before tomorrow’s double C-section), and I got in a pretty cool workout. It’s rad how much you can accomplish — and how much you can learn — with just a flight of stairs.