On my last ride I noticed my rear derailleur was hard to shift. It’s probably time for some maintenance, so I made a pit stop on my why home last night at West Liberty Cycles (WLC). The shop looks great and was pretty busy. WLC is one of my favorite shops. Don’t get me wrong there are other great shops like Dirty Harrys, but I’ve been a long time customer of WLC. I needed some basic supplies, shift cables, housing, ferrules, organic Juicy 7 brake pads, etc…
I could probably just pull the cable out squirt some cleaner in the housing and put it back together, but I figured it’s been a while since they’ve been replaced. It is pretty inexpensive to do. Learning how to tune your shifters is a skill everyone should know. It’s as important as fixing a flat tire, as both can ruin a ride quickly.
The late Sheldon Brown has one of best guides here.
It looks like a great weekend to work on the bike vs. riding and for me more painting of the house too. Wrenching on your own bike can be a little scary at first. I started by assembling a separate bike tool box with some basic tools, then I bought tools that I needed here and there. I still don’t have everything, but I have enough for most stuff. Lora gave me a nice repair stand which makes working on the bike pretty nice. I also try to keep old parts, even if I just strip them down and keep the screws, which has saved me more than once.
Peace…
Friday, July 31, 2009
Thursday, July 30, 2009
BH & Pivot Cycles Demo Day - New Shop
Celebrate the new shop in town by joining Top Gear Bicycle Shop's Pivot Cycles and BH Demo this weekend!
Stop by North Park's Sharon Pavilion near the swimming pool this Saturday, August 1, from 10am to 4pm and test ride the sleek BH road bikes and tried and true Pivot mountain bikes for free!
Top Gear Bicycle Shop is Pittsburgh's prestigious new cycling and multisport center on RT910 in Wexford Pennsylvania. Catering to road cyclists, mountain riders, and triathletes alike, Top Gear is proud to announce a full line up of BH road and cyclocross bikes and a wide range of Pivot xc and all-mountain cycles featuring DW-Link suspension!
So grab your shoes, pedals, and helmet to visit the crew of Top Gear Bicycle Shop and check out our exciting demo trailer this Saturday!
WHAT: BH road and Pivot mountain Demo Day
WHERE: Sharon Pavilion, North Park Swimming Pool
WHEN: August 1, 10am-4pm
TopGearBicycleShop.com - Web site under construction.
724.799.8796
Monday-Friday 10-8
Saturday 9-5
Closed Sunday
936 Wexford Bayne Road
Wexford, Pennsylvania 15090
Stop by North Park's Sharon Pavilion near the swimming pool this Saturday, August 1, from 10am to 4pm and test ride the sleek BH road bikes and tried and true Pivot mountain bikes for free!
Top Gear Bicycle Shop is Pittsburgh's prestigious new cycling and multisport center on RT910 in Wexford Pennsylvania. Catering to road cyclists, mountain riders, and triathletes alike, Top Gear is proud to announce a full line up of BH road and cyclocross bikes and a wide range of Pivot xc and all-mountain cycles featuring DW-Link suspension!
So grab your shoes, pedals, and helmet to visit the crew of Top Gear Bicycle Shop and check out our exciting demo trailer this Saturday!
WHAT: BH road and Pivot mountain Demo Day
WHERE: Sharon Pavilion, North Park Swimming Pool
WHEN: August 1, 10am-4pm
TopGearBicycleShop.com - Web site under construction.
724.799.8796
Monday-Friday 10-8
Saturday 9-5
Closed Sunday
936 Wexford Bayne Road
Wexford, Pennsylvania 15090
Friday, July 24, 2009
Hartwood Trail Maintenance Saturday
From Maurice
"Meet at the Hartwood MANSION parking lot off Saxonburg Blvd at
10:00a.m. and we will work together to improve the drainage and fix
troublesome wet spots on the trails. Bring work gloves, eye protection
and wear sturdy boots. All necessary tools will be provided.
Thanks to J.D. and Friends of Hartwood for supporting the Hartwood
volunteers with free and discounted stuff! Plan on enjoying that again
after we get some work and play action under our belts!"
Sent from my mobile phone
Allegheny County Buys Land Next To North Park - News Story - WPXI Pittsburgh
Allegheny County Buys Land Next To North Park - News Story - WPXI Pittsburgh
It's supposed to be a buffer against development.
It's supposed to be a buffer against development.
OTB Urban rides move to Tuesday
Email from OTB
"After further review and by public demand, OTB Urban Rides will be moving to Tuesday evenings starting July 28th.
The ride still leaves OTB at 5:45 and a Mt Bike is recommended.
Hope to see you all there Tuesday!
Mike"
The OTB urban rides are very social rides. It's not about doing crazy stunts. We have a great time, some play and some just ride.
Try it you'll like it!
Sent from my mobile phone
Tuesday, July 21, 2009
Monday, July 20, 2009
Could this really be The Right Stuff?
The people over at Wellness Brands were kind enough to send me a few samples of the new hydration drink developed by NASA called “The Right Stuff”. They've licensed the product from NASA.
Here is a little background on my hydration experience.
When I first started riding, like most, I had no concept of what to drink or what was good for you. You see I remember when nobody used hydration packs and everyone just had water bottles, we wore spandex back then too. I think the first thing I ever put in my water bottles was ice water. We’d ride all day and I maybe drink 2 bottles and I usually ended up feeling horrible. You see the commercials and think I’ll just drink a sports drink. I learned quickly that drinking 64 oz of Gatorade on a ride was not the right thing to do. I would develop serious stomach problems, not to mention the cramping and trips to the bathroom, again I would end up feeling like crap. I went back to water and not consuming enough. I developed frequent kidney stones, which were determined to be caused by dehydration.
I with information from my doctor I seriously started thinking about pre-ride hydration, hydrating during the ride and after ride hydration. I tried various products over the years, some tasted horrible, but for the past 4 or 5 years I’ve been drinking Cytomax and it has probably worked the best for me. I’ve learned how important pre-ride hydration is for me and watching what I eat. I still feel the effects of dehydration from time to time. As much as I rely on Cytomax there are some things to consider. A serving (1 scoop of the powder) has 22 carbs, 120 mg of sodium, 12g sugar. One serving is supposed to be mixed with 8oz of water, which means if you fill your 100oz bladder you would be taking in 150 grams of sugar. That’s why we mix our Cytomax weak. After this weekend I’m seriously considering changing my sports drink.
The Right Stuff. When I first received the package I was shocked to see about the only ingredient was sodium. It’s a blend of sodium chloride and sodium citrate. It comes in plastic vials that hold .55 fl oz of the solution, which is to be mixed with 16 oz water or your favorite drink.
The first sample I had was after I led the ride at South Park on Friday. I had week old cytomax in my camelback and was in a rush so I just put some additional water in with it. It was pretty gross. I really didn’t drink that much. It wasn’t a long ride, but we did do some pretty quick riding at times. Afterwards, I didn’t drink anything at Barely and Hops when we stopped at leaving the park. On my long drive home I started to get the oh too familiar headache, I knew it was going to happen. I remembered the samples and as soon as I got home I squirted a vial of the unflavored fluid into a glass of water. I could see the cloud of salinity as it hit the water. A quick stir and I drank it down. It was a little salty, of course, but not bad at all. It didn't taste like you put a table spoon of salt in a glass and drank it. It was milder. It was late so I went to bed. I woke up feeling pretty good. There was no sugar or carbs to keep me awake.
I decided it was time for a real test. The bike fest ride at Bavington would be perfect. I started my day by hydrating. I drank about 32 ounces of water and a glass of FRS, something else you should check out. Preparing my camelback bladder for the ride I squirted one of the citrus blend vials into my bladder and added about 80 ounces of water. It was pretty warm and the sun was out most of the ride. I frequently pressed my helmet to my head to squeeze the sweat out of the pads and my skull cap. I really couldn’t taste the citrus flavor, and I We did about 15 miles and I think I had one of my better rides. I didn’t quite drink all of the liquid, but I didn’t feel thirsty. No headache, no burping Cytomax and no cramps. I felt pretty damn good. I was pretty surprised at how I felt, honestly.
I’m really anxious to continue using The Right Stuff to see if I have the same results on other rides. For the moment I’m pretty impressed.
When I first started riding, like most, I had no concept of what to drink or what was good for you. You see I remember when nobody used hydration packs and everyone just had water bottles, we wore spandex back then too. I think the first thing I ever put in my water bottles was ice water. We’d ride all day and I maybe drink 2 bottles and I usually ended up feeling horrible. You see the commercials and think I’ll just drink a sports drink. I learned quickly that drinking 64 oz of Gatorade on a ride was not the right thing to do. I would develop serious stomach problems, not to mention the cramping and trips to the bathroom, again I would end up feeling like crap. I went back to water and not consuming enough. I developed frequent kidney stones, which were determined to be caused by dehydration.
I with information from my doctor I seriously started thinking about pre-ride hydration, hydrating during the ride and after ride hydration. I tried various products over the years, some tasted horrible, but for the past 4 or 5 years I’ve been drinking Cytomax and it has probably worked the best for me. I’ve learned how important pre-ride hydration is for me and watching what I eat. I still feel the effects of dehydration from time to time. As much as I rely on Cytomax there are some things to consider. A serving (1 scoop of the powder) has 22 carbs, 120 mg of sodium, 12g sugar. One serving is supposed to be mixed with 8oz of water, which means if you fill your 100oz bladder you would be taking in 150 grams of sugar. That’s why we mix our Cytomax weak. After this weekend I’m seriously considering changing my sports drink.
The Right Stuff. When I first received the package I was shocked to see about the only ingredient was sodium. It’s a blend of sodium chloride and sodium citrate. It comes in plastic vials that hold .55 fl oz of the solution, which is to be mixed with 16 oz water or your favorite drink.The first sample I had was after I led the ride at South Park on Friday. I had week old cytomax in my camelback and was in a rush so I just put some additional water in with it. It was pretty gross. I really didn’t drink that much. It wasn’t a long ride, but we did do some pretty quick riding at times. Afterwards, I didn’t drink anything at Barely and Hops when we stopped at leaving the park. On my long drive home I started to get the oh too familiar headache, I knew it was going to happen. I remembered the samples and as soon as I got home I squirted a vial of the unflavored fluid into a glass of water. I could see the cloud of salinity as it hit the water. A quick stir and I drank it down. It was a little salty, of course, but not bad at all. It didn't taste like you put a table spoon of salt in a glass and drank it. It was milder. It was late so I went to bed. I woke up feeling pretty good. There was no sugar or carbs to keep me awake.
I decided it was time for a real test. The bike fest ride at Bavington would be perfect. I started my day by hydrating. I drank about 32 ounces of water and a glass of FRS, something else you should check out. Preparing my camelback bladder for the ride I squirted one of the citrus blend vials into my bladder and added about 80 ounces of water. It was pretty warm and the sun was out most of the ride. I frequently pressed my helmet to my head to squeeze the sweat out of the pads and my skull cap. I really couldn’t taste the citrus flavor, and I We did about 15 miles and I think I had one of my better rides. I didn’t quite drink all of the liquid, but I didn’t feel thirsty. No headache, no burping Cytomax and no cramps. I felt pretty damn good. I was pretty surprised at how I felt, honestly.
I’m really anxious to continue using The Right Stuff to see if I have the same results on other rides. For the moment I’m pretty impressed.
Peace....
It's the last day of bike fest.
Today is the last day of the PTAG 4th Annual Mountain Bike Fest. Tonight's ride is at Boyce Park.
Meet at 6pm at the Soccer Fields/Pack Shelter.
So far the fest has been a success. Friday was the first ride at South Park. It was pouring when I got to the park to lead a ride. It stopped before the ride started. The trails were wet, but still hard packed. We had just rode up to the model airplane road entrance, it started to rain again and we heard thunder.
We took off down a great little downhill section to find some shelter in the valley. There was a heavy down pour and some thunder and lightning for a few minutes. We were able to continue our ride, but we had some pretty slippery conditions. The best crash of the night has to go to Josh. He was going across the small bridge up near the golf course, he was in front of me and all the sudden his bike shot out to the right and his body was flying left, like an atom splitting. All in all it was a good ride. We had about 12 -14 people.
I shot some good video that I’ll try to get up soon. There are some more pictures here.
Meet at 6pm at the Soccer Fields/Pack Shelter.
So far the fest has been a success. Friday was the first ride at South Park. It was pouring when I got to the park to lead a ride. It stopped before the ride started. The trails were wet, but still hard packed. We had just rode up to the model airplane road entrance, it started to rain again and we heard thunder.
We took off down a great little downhill section to find some shelter in the valley. There was a heavy down pour and some thunder and lightning for a few minutes. We were able to continue our ride, but we had some pretty slippery conditions. The best crash of the night has to go to Josh. He was going across the small bridge up near the golf course, he was in front of me and all the sudden his bike shot out to the right and his body was flying left, like an atom splitting. All in all it was a good ride. We had about 12 -14 people. I didn’t make it to the North Park ride on Saturday, but Bob told me they had 80 people!
Yesterday was the Bavington ride and Ben, the trail steward, has been doing so much work. Even I was shocked at how well the trails were cut back. I think the head count was 42 for the day. Several groups went out, Lora and I haven’t really ridden together in a while so we kind of headed out on our own ride. It was an amazing day. We helped out some slower riders that got dropped from one of the groups, but then Lora and I were able to pick up our pace. We had a great ride. The weather couldn’t have been any better.
Yesterday was the Bavington ride and Ben, the trail steward, has been doing so much work. Even I was shocked at how well the trails were cut back. I think the head count was 42 for the day. Several groups went out, Lora and I haven’t really ridden together in a while so we kind of headed out on our own ride. It was an amazing day. We helped out some slower riders that got dropped from one of the groups, but then Lora and I were able to pick up our pace. We had a great ride. The weather couldn’t have been any better.
The after ride social in the parking lot was pretty nice. We did have a guy on a dual sport motorcycle come in and he was obviously looking for trails. A few of us told him it was illegal and he pretty much told us to mind our own business. Dave had to walk over and have a little chat with him. It is posted all over the place that no motorized vehicles are allowed. The guy wasn't very happy.
I shot some good video that I’ll try to get up soon. There are some more pictures here.
Here are two newspaper articles about the festival:
Thursday, July 16, 2009
PTAG Bike Fest Starts tonight!
The PTAG 4th annual Mountain Bike Festival kicks off tonight with a party.
- Thursday 7/16 - OTB Bicycle Café – 5 pm to 9 pm(?) – Free Troegs
- Friday 7/17 - South Park Skating Rink Lot – 6 pm – Free concert, Steve Earle "Cooperhead Road” at 7:30
- Saturday 7/18 – North Park – noon – Meet at the McCandless Shelter – party to follow
- Sunday 7/19 – Bavington – noon – Meet at the Old Model Airplane Field – Gathering to follow
- Monday 7/20 – Boyce Park – 6 pm – Meet at the Soccer Fields, Pack Shelter
Wednesday, July 15, 2009
Monday, July 13, 2009
Great South Park Ride Sunday
A few of us had a great ride at South Park on Sunday. The trails were so dry, you could really fly. John led us around and we hit some great trails. I shot some video with the GoPro Hero Wide camera with the optional chest mount.
I'm leading the medium ride on Friday night for the BikeFest.
Trails were so fast.
We had some tasty pizza at the Italian Village Pizza. A great way to end a ride.
I'm leading the medium ride on Friday night for the BikeFest.
Trails were so fast.
We had some tasty pizza at the Italian Village Pizza. A great way to end a ride.
Wednesday, July 8, 2009
We did another OTB urban ride Monday night. We started with 8 and lost one. We cranked down to the end of the trail towards the Glenwood Bridge, this part of the trail isn’t complete yet so it just ends in a turn-around.
Then we took the trail back to Station Square and then across the Fort Pitt Bridge. Around the Point, we found a nice beginner drop and a burnt to the ground golf cart. Over to the north shore. We stopped at Bettis’s for a drink, which took way too long to get. We might have to reconsider wearing our OTB jerseys. Down to Heinz field to play on the steps, a favorite spot. I made it up the side walls this time, after a few tries. To the 6th street bridge and then some more trails, caught the jail trail to the Hot Metal bridge and then back to OTB for a free round and some good food.
I think the next ride is Monday the 13th.
Some more pictures on my photo stream. I also shot a little video.
Then we took the trail back to Station Square and then across the Fort Pitt Bridge. Around the Point, we found a nice beginner drop and a burnt to the ground golf cart. Over to the north shore. We stopped at Bettis’s for a drink, which took way too long to get. We might have to reconsider wearing our OTB jerseys. Down to Heinz field to play on the steps, a favorite spot. I made it up the side walls this time, after a few tries. To the 6th street bridge and then some more trails, caught the jail trail to the Hot Metal bridge and then back to OTB for a free round and some good food.
I think the next ride is Monday the 13th.
Some more pictures on my photo stream. I also shot a little video.
Thursday, July 2, 2009
OTB urban ride Monday July 6
The next OTB Urban Ride is scheduled for Monday July 6th leaving OTB @ 5:45pm.
If it is anything like the last ride it will be a good time.
If it is anything like the last ride it will be a good time.
4th Annual PTAG Mountain Bike Fest 2009!
Here it is folks, the 2009 PTAG Mountain Bike Festival Schedule.
July 16-20 - click on the image for the details.
July 16-20 - click on the image for the details.
Wednesday, July 1, 2009
Black and Gold Sprints at OTB July 2nd.
Black and Gold sprints returns to OTB Thursday night. Looks like a pretty crazy time!
9 PM.
check out this awesome video showing you what it is all about.
9 PM.
check out this awesome video showing you what it is all about.
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