New Mountain Bikes for 2014

Well folks, we are well into 2014 already, so I thought that I need to take a look at what are someo of the new and promising mountain bikes for this year.  My usual recommendation still stands — if you want to buy a new bike, you can research quite a bit on-line, read postings on this and that forum, check out blogs like this one, but at the end of the day, it is best to head to your local bike shop and test ride the bikes you are considering.

Why?

Because no advice and review will come close to the experience you will have test riding the bike by yourself and then once close to the decision, getting the recommendation and adjustments from the pro-shop….

OK, so with that in mind, lets look at the new bikes – in this posting, let's look at the best options for a 29er all around bikes — for those of us (me included) that want a bike that can ride well on the trail and downhill….

  • Specialized Camber 29

Specialized Camber 29er Solid built bike from Specialized.  The price tag has gone up with the entry point for the Camber 29 being at $1850 but for that you get a dual suspension 29er with hydralic brakes and very good Shimano shifters — which could be very important when on the trails.

  • Kona 111 DL

Kona 111 DL This Kona bike appears to be a very good all around bike

Cannondale Trigger 29 And this is the best of the bunch — very solid bike with a good option availabe on the front fork – the ability to select between 80mm and 130mm travek on the fork availabe to you on a flip of a switch;

For the more versatile, cross country 29er – please check out the recommendations:

  • Scott Genius
  • Santa Cruz Tallboy:  this is definitely a bike to consider!  Why?  Becase you wll make it to the big league with such a proficient bike – period!
  • Niner RIP

 

Evaluating Mountain Bike Rack Options for SUV

With the start of a New Year I think most of us jump head first into resolutions on how to get more exercise and outdoor activities in our life.  The intent is for more hiking trips, more gym memberships and training sessions, skiing trips for those who live close to or can visit often the ski slopes…..and on and on.  For us, the mountain biking enthusiasts – the same holds true.  Now is the time to tune up (if you have not done so already) your favorite bike, make sure it operation is as smooth as possible and make the plans to hit the trails.  

If you are wondering where those trails may be in your target geographic area, do not hesitate and proceed to the Bike Trails section on this blog.

Once you have decided where to go, you will need to figure out the option for how to transport your and potentially your family's bikes.  This is where I am now.  Need to figure out a new solution for my bikes given the SUV we have.  

Over the years I have used bike racks that are rear door or trunk mounted – using straps and the weight of the bikes as a way to secure the system.  Those racks are low cost BUT are not an option for many bikes –  I finally hit that problem with our 29ers.  The frames – especially that of my wife's bike, does not allow to use those racks.

On my previous vehicle (a station wagon) I had gone with the Thule roof rack – which was able to handle up to four bikes, but now with the SUV, that option went out as the vehicle is too tall which makes it very difficult to put bikes on the roof.   So now I had to search for new options.

There are a couple of those it appears:

  • rear mounted bicycle carrier that is specific to BMW and attaches to the towing eyelets on the rear bumper.  Here is an image of what I found on the web — still have to talk with the dealer on what options they can offer

rear mounted bike rack      

  • The second option I am considering is the hitch mounted Thule bike rack — shown in the Amazon box above.  This is more versatile from standpoint of being reusable to multiple vehicles with a hitch and also being able to expand to 4-bike carrying option

Well, I will be checking these two options out in the next few days and will report on the results as soon as possible.

Adding Bicycle Events and More How-To Articles

Bicycle Events Worth Considering

Events – is another significant aspect of this blog.  Two weekends ago we went to check out the winter version of the Walnut Creek Municipal Park biking trails (located in Austin). When we got there (late Saturday afternoon), we saw that the Trek company together with the Bicycle Sport Shop of Austin had organized a demo event.  The bad news was that we were late!  Sorry, no test rides for us…!

With that in mind I decided that it will be good to start listing on this blog some of the events I find of interest to the amateur riders…So I started it today — the link is accessible via the Blog Menu – please click on Events, or just follow this link to the events page

Another topic I wanted to highlight in today's post is that of "noisy brakes" — that is what my bike has developed so I have been searching for answers sa a do it yourself approach.  While searching for that I came across — in my email mind you — a video article from the Fezzari Newsletter – on how to adjust your disk brakes.  Doing that regularly will also prevent your disk brakes rubbing into to the rotors – thus reducing the likelyhood of getting squeaky brakes.   

 

Big Bend Park – One of the 7 Great Parks for Mountain Bikes

Big Bend Park

Big Bend Park (both the National and State parks) are great for mountain bikes and great rides.  The park is located in the south west corner of the state of Texas – right on the border with Mexico.  Actually in many places in the park you will encounter the Rio Grande river which is the border demarkation between the US and Mexico.

So here are my experiences and suggestions for making the best possible choices in a limited amount of time to visit and experience the park.

Accomodations wise about the only hotel which is really close to both the National and State parks, is the Lajita Golf Resort.  The hotel is an interesting one — it attempts to recreate an old Western town – complete with the board sidewalks, etc. 

As you can see from the photos below – it is portraying successfully a picture of the Old West!  (Where are the gun slingers you may ask yourself….? Luckily those have been replaced with the modern day golf amateurs and pros….)

Biking wise — the Big Bend National park aparently offers over 160-miles of dirt roads to explore (on top of the 100-miles of paved roads).  So obviously, the park offers some intense options for the biking crowd.

Here is a link to some earlier postings I had done in the section on bicycle trails and courses in the US.

 

Google My Tracks Navigation App

Well, my husband has an IPhone, so he likes to write about all the neat IPhone navigation apps for biking, but being an Android girl, I thought I'd write a quick review of an excellent GPS app for Android–Google My Tracks.  This simple app allows you to record your route, and then overlays the result automatically on top of Google Maps Street View, so you can replay your bike ride and see, more or less accurately (depending on the age of the satellite images) the route you have just ridden.  Uploading your data to Google Maps is extremely easy, and you can make your record either public or private.  Very neat!  Check out our recent ride in the Barton Creek Greenbelt:

 


View Barton Creek Greenbelt in a larger map

Specialized Jett–Review after 1st Week

I thought I'd write an update after my bike buying posts.  After finally settling on the Specialized Jett as my ladies' bike of choice, what are my impressions after a week of use?  To put it simply…wow!  I'm very happy, which I should be, considering all the time and effort and money that I put into this.  (Okay, I know that $1100 for a bike is not much for you $4000 carbon fiber fancy bike folks, but it is a lot for me!)  From my other two bikes, a Giant Iguana, circa 1993, and a Giant ATX750, circa 2006, this is a huge step up.  The Specialized Jett (baseline model) is light and maneuverable, and its 29 inch tires allow you to cover a lot of ground quickly.  The bike feels stable, and the brakes are powerful without being so sensitive that they might throw you off your bike if you overbrake.  Oh, and the saddle! I upgraded on that a bit, to the Specialized Lithia Comp Gel Saddle.  The standard saddle that the bike came with was good, but this baby was really an improvement.  One of my biggest discomforts when biking has always been the saddle.  I've tried various super-squishy soft gel seat toppers, but they never seem to help much, and they tend to shift about when you ride.  This Lithia Comp Gel saddle is pretty firm, despite the word 'gel' in its name, but the ergonomic and overall construction of the seat are such that it is overall the most comfortable saddle I have ever use.  It is specially designed for a woman's anatomy, and you can really tell the difference.  A comfortable ride translates to a longer ride for me, and that is key to my fitness goal, so I was able to rationalize the extra cost of the saddle.  Oh, and one last thing that I really like about the Specialized Jett are the handlebar grips.  They flare out, giving you a large padded area to rest your hand on, and I find them exceedingly pleasant to put my hands on.  All in all, I am very happy with my new bike purchase.  Now, I just have to keep up my riding commitment 🙂

 

 

One of the Tough Competitions in Texas is Happening This Weekend….

There are plenty of exciting events in Austin and surrounding areas and throughout Texas this weekends.   One of these events is the Texas Water Safari.  Good friend of mine has been participating for several years now, so I thought to give him some visibility via this blog and audieance.

 

 

The map above will allow us to track his progress and also give you a view of how tough the competition is…!