Freaks and GEAX

Over the last year I have become quite a fan of the Vittoria Tires bastard son GEAX. In case you are wondering it's pronounced G X, It was a play on words to symbolise generation X.  Well according to what I've read on the interwebs anyway. It seems the Italian brand decided a few years ago to make a go at the dirty side of things. I have to admit the tread pattern offered and the multiple types of casing including mountain tubulars is pretty impressive. 

What does this have to do with a blog post? I mean who cares what tires I am digging anyway. Well this week over at the Mountain Bike radio they had a pretty deep discussion of the said brand and all things tire geekdom. For me it was an awesome find, I really enjoy technical geek stuff. It's full of anything and everything you ever wanted to know about tire design, treads, casings and the like.

Listen to the chat with Ken Avery of GEAX

The best GEEK/NERD band ever

The Icemen Cometh...

Living in the midwest has it's share of challenges, the least of which is our manic weather. This winter hasn't really been too bad on the temperature scale, it's the constant stream of precipitation that has been our undoing. I have been trying to make the best of it either riding inside or putting miles in on the road. However with the first race four weeks from now I hardly feel ready. Much like last year it will be a game time decision for this Deathrider.

 

In true mass media weather panic fashion. The local outlets are hyping up a winter storm coming our way in the next twenty four hours. Predicting up to three inches of ice and freezing rain or snow. It's a virtual smorgasbord of suck, headed our way. Further killing any thoughts of the twisty single track I'm craving. Hopefully, the weather folk will get it wrong and things will just be a little damp. The thought of a slop fest trail workday on Saturday is none to appealing. Nor are another weekends of rides done in front of the T.V. ridding virtual races with the DVD player.

Don't get me wrong I'm not a winter hater I just like it on my terms. I enjoy snowboarding, this is true. However, I'd rather have to seek the snow out by going west and not have it at my door step.  Winter also reminds me of what I used to call 'Hardcore' Season. Something about brisk air, long sleeve shirts, and boots seem to go together. So what better band brings on the winter feel than a band who uses Hockey as a main theme. One of the original bad boys of Boston Choke and Slapshot. I have really been craving good old tyme hardcore the last few months. I have revisited bands of my youth and newer ones that carry on the same tradition. Hardcore found me when I really need something and I'm happy to still believe in the music and the message. 

I didn't choose Hardcore, it chose me.

My purse weighs a ton.

I am not one that enjoys seasonality.  I suppose there are things I enjoy about the changing of the seasons, like when it gets cold and you can enjoy heavy cuts of braised meat with a good imperial stout, and then when the weather gets warm again and the ladies wear jog-bras in the park.  For some reason I’ve always struggled staying motivated to ride or run when it gets cold.  At this point most people I know would throw down the HTFU card, which I fully deserve.  But even a well-placed HTFU often isn’t enough to make me put down the whiskey and layer-up for a ride or knock out an hour on the rollers.  However, today promised temperatures way up into double digit Celsius territory along with sunny skies and there was no way I was going to let something like my job get in the way of much needed mileage.  The last time my bib shorts high-fived a bike seat was a night-time twenty-ninering adventure at the SIUE trails back in October or some other month much too long ago, and this morning my legs were like two Labradors anticipating jumping into a lake.  The long winter hiatus off the bike has meant I’ve at least had time to maintain the stable so my CX bike-turned-gravel-grinder was ready to pull right off the bike hooks.  I was looking so forward to this, I even sheared my legs so I could use the tube of embro someone gave me for Christmas thinking I would need it over the winter….  I rolled out and headed toward what I hoped would be scenic roads not travelled by morning commuters.  My rough memory of North County navigated me through neo-ghetto and scenic conservation area alike.  50 windy miles later I rolled home on fumes having forgotten to eat breakfast with only the remnants of two cups of Goshen coffee and a GU in my stomach.  These are good days.  It makes me question why I let things like freezing temperatures and rain deny me the feeling I had today.  I could use more of that feeling, so thanks to J & K for providing a little inspiration to get out and pedal.

Embedding is disabled so you have to clique here for le video.

Podcast Malfunction

As silly as it may sound, I spend quite a bit of time listening to podcast. I guess it started a few years ago when I was doing a lot of traveling. Long hours on planes or in cars made me realise you can only listen to music for so long.

One of the first really good interview style podcast I found was Issue Oriented.

ISSUE ORIENTED is a podcast and website for thoughtful people with good taste in music. From across punk, hardcore, indie, metal and beyond, host Ronen Kauffman invites some of the culture industry’s most compelling personalities to have meaningful discussions on real topics. Unlike most podcasts, ISSUE ORIENTED is neither boring nor a waste of your time.

It's been put on hold for a few years but the old interviews are still great to listen too. They feature some of my personal favorite bands and people. H2O, SOIA, John Joesph, Chamberlain and Others.

A new found station of podcasts getting heavy rotation on my iphone is Mountain Bike Radio.

Mountain Bike Radio is THE voice of mountain biking. Mountain Bike Radio is a network of mountain biking podcasts and online radio shows, based at the edge of the Colorado Rocky Mountain Foothills, that is the place for all mountain bike talk. We discuss racing, current events, and anything in the mountain biking world. From the average joe to the top pro and from short track to multiday adventures, we aim to bring the world of mountain biking to you. It's mountain bike talk from mountain bikers, for mountain bikers.

  

I must admit my favorite show on the station has to be 'Just Ridding Along' 

As a former bike shop wrench I can fully appreciate the strong opinions and snarky comments they tend to make. It's just a few good friends answering questions from tuning shocks to the 'fat bike' trend. If it doesn't make you smile or laugh. Maybe you just don't get what being an angry bike shop wrench is all about.

with programs on racing and training to nutrition and fat bikes the offer something for everyone. Heck you might even learn a thing or two.

How can you not like a 'pop' cover of a Cro-Mags classic

 

Mean Season

I guess we have been paying for the dry spring we had last year. While the temperatures have been pretty mild this winter. We have been ridding a constant roller coaster of rain, snow, warm temps, freeze, rain etc

Thus, making off road ridding and even gravel a slim opportunity in normal daylight hours. Perhaps, that is what inspired me to get a set of rollers to play with this winter. It has helped break up the indoor cycling boredom a bit. I have been taking advantage of the gym at work as well. I may look lost in a weight room, that is for sure. However, strengthening my weak left knee has been most of my focus.

Along with"training' I have been getting all my ducks in a row and doing service on the quiver of bikes and picking up some parts for the coming season. One of the projects i need to tackle is doing a fluid swap on my Shimano brakes. Not really a big undertaking, just one that I'm not sure is necessary. I seem to do a fluid swap on my Magura Marta's once a year, not because they say I should. More so because I've swapped frames etc. So for what some Shimano Mineral Oil cost it's cheap insurance for future flawless braking.
Well that is what I'm telling myself anyway.

So how do you know when to bleed your brakes? 

As a very general rule, one should replace the fluid in their brakes at least once per year, even if you don't notice any degradation in performance. If you ride more than average, or spend a lot of your saddle time in a bike park banging out laps on the char lift, you may want to do a bleed more often. A quick check of the fluid by leveling the lever so it's parallel to the ground and removing the reservoir cap will allow you to see if the mineral oil in the system is cloudy or dark with contamination. Keep in mind that some mineral oil is darker than others, but if it looks hazy or you spot any floating bits, it is time to perform a bleed. Likewise, a spongy feel at the lever, excessive lever pull, or brakes that pump up (meaning the bite point changes when they get hot during use) all mean that it is time.

As a semi-extension of my last post...

 To acquire a bleed kit and some fluids for my big S brakes.

I went with a new start up company I had heard some good things about. 

To acquire a bleed kit and some fluids for my big S brakes.

 

With free shipping when you spend 10 bucks and every major manufacture taken care of. It's one stop shopping for brake and most suspension fluids as well as bleed kits. My pre 2012 Shimano bleed kit set me back fifteen bucks, arrived quick and the components look quality. I haven't had a chance to run it through the paces of a full bleed. That said, I think it should do the job just fine and the prices the have on genuine Magura, Shimano and Maxima fluids has made me a customer already. 

If you need fluids or bleed kits check them out.

Do Something

I've always been drawn to things on the fringe. Hells Angels, Punk Rock, Skateboards... The list is endless. I have been told I have a fascination with those sorts of things, maybe that is why I prefer small companies a bunch. Granted it's not a hard and fast rule of mine. However, when possible I love having something made from a niche market or in a DIY fashion. Over the last year I have been turned onto a few companies like this. Small businesses that do one or two things but extremely well. Since our biggest sponsors are our own checkbooks. I really like finding something at a reasonable price and that works well. Here are some of the Deathwish Riders favorites in that category.

 

CHOMPER BODY

Chomper Body makes products for people who love to play sports and strive to incorporate the healthiest possible choices for their active lifestyle. We use ingredients that are pure and simple. Ingredients that promote health and are good for your skin like moisturizing nut butters, lubricating oils and healing essential oils. Left out are potentially harmful ingredients – things that clog pores and pollute the body. And although our products won't save your life or your soul, they will provide hours of comfort and peace of mind for anyone passionate about living a healthier life.

I really enjoy both Muscle Butters and the Ballocks chamois cream. I haven't got to use my Crash ointment yet...Knock on wood. ~ k.rider. 

BBG BASHGUARDS

Are made in Portland, Oregon USA.
This is a light weight but strong bashguard that is designed to replace the big ring on your mountain or cyclocross cranks or you can cover the big ring. All bashguards are made from the same 5000 series 1/8 inch thick aluminum (except the superlights which are 1/16 inch thick) and are all anodized and laser etched for durability. It works great for single speeds, cross country and all mountain riding. 
This product has been tested over boulders and rocks for over seven years now and we have not been able to bend or break one yet. 

I use the standard MTB guard on the 'Chrimson Ghost' rigid single speed, just for added no chain drop protection. Great product, which is also cheap and light. ~ k.rider

BACKCOUNTRY RESEARCH

What we offer is an alternative cycling accessory designed to carry the essentials for race day repairs and backcountry excursions. Made from top-shelf materials with intensive attention to detail, there is no more secure, durable, and reliable way to keep your tube, tire levers, CO2, or multi-tool handy and ready to use in a matter of seconds. With multiple mounting options, our straps can easily adjust to hold as much or as little as you need to carry, anywhere on your bike. They are incredibly easy to swap from one bike to another, yet so reasonably priced that you can buy one for each arrow in your quiver.

Saddle bags are now obsolete. Bulky and clumsy, their mounting design can offer limited access to its contents when strapped to your seat rails. No more broken or fouled zippers, wadding your gear into cramped spaces, or jingling multi-tools and spare links wearing holes in your tubes.

Put that electrical tape back in your toolbox, give your old toe straps to a starving hipster, and toss that saddle scrotum in the trash. Our straps will hold with the tenacity of a honey badger while swaddling your setup like a loving mother.

j.rider hipped me to these fine folks and I'm now a super fan. I have Awesome Straps on all my bikes, TulBags in my jersey pockets and even a FonBag for the texting/talking device. ~ k.rider

Support the small guy... Do Something, Do Something and TRY!