Riding rigid not for me?

Last week I took the Monocog on my usual weekday grind but instead of sticking with the paved bike path, I went on the dirt trails that I usually ride on my full squish Hi Fi.  The trail is flat and the terrain is loose rock/gravel over hard pack.  There’s even a short stretch of the trail that looks like a gator’s back.  The 29er rolls on through but I have to take it slower and really pick my path, riding rigid was really harsh.  I even have the tires aired down do about 38 psi (minimum is 35) to get some bounce and absorb the shock.

Once I got home I felt the usual aches associated with riding single speed and rigid; aching knees, back, wrists and shoulders.  I just took some aspirin and slept it off.  Next day when I woke up my right elbow was hurting.  Probably the result of locked elbows getting jarred by the unforgiving rigid fork.  The pain was enough to keep me off the bike for 3 days as I didn’t want my elbow to get aggrevated some more than will result in some sort of injury.

This has seriously put me in a quandry.  Should I even continue to ride my Monocog 29er as rigid?  I love the simplicity of the rigid-single speed set up (and the anti-gear / tough guy biker appearance) but my bike has beaten me good.  I’m beginning to think that rigid isn’t for me.  The cons have outweighed the pros and I think I’m going to start saving up for an entry level 80mm 29er fork.  Fingers crossed, I hope I can do this by the fall riding season.

The fork plus front disc brakes (the Redline Monocog 29er came with Tektro v-brakes) will most likely cost more than the whole bike itself.  I’ll have to chose my fork and other parts wisely so that when I do build up a geared 29er hardtail I can move the parts over.

For now for my weekday fitness rides I have to stick to the paved bike trail and avoid the call of the dirt.

Looking back: Louis Garneau Knee Warmers

Another Looking Back article:  Louis Garneau Knee Warmers

Right before winter I bought a pair of LG knee warmers from Performance Bike and I haven’t had the chance to post up a review about it. 

My Louis Garneau knee warmers are part of my favorite biking kit.  Even now in spring I still carry my arm and knee warmers with me though most of the time the arm warmers stay inside my pack.  The knee warmers still see frequent use.

Image courtesy of Performance Bike

 Fit with the LG knee warmers are perfect.  When I first wore them, I noticed that they had a tendency to creep down on my legs and I had to keep pulling them up.  After a couple of times I figured it out that I had to wear them a lot higher; bottom hem at mid-shin and upper at mid-thigh.

Leg movement was unhindered and non-binding, its very comfortable to wear and in a few minutes you’ll actually forget you’re wearing them.  The tags do poke the inside of the thigh and are bothersome so I have to make sure the tags are flat against my skin.  Maybe LG should make a tagless version in the future.

The LG Heatmaxx (sic) fabric is good enough for the typical Southern California winter weather and not once have I felt cold.  And once the day warms up, the LG knee warmers rolls up without much bulk and fits easily in a pack or shorts pockets!

So far I have no issues with the LG knee warmers, the leg elastic has held up fine with no signs of being overstretched and the fabric itself does not look like its wearing thin, especially at the knee.  The Louis Garneau knee warmer looks like its a quality product that will last for a long time.

Hits:

Fit is great, just make sure you try them out first.

Price.  Great value for the money

Quality.  No loose threads, elastic and material has held up so far.

Miss:

Nothing really to complain about, just make sure you try it out.  Sizing maybe decieving.  I thought I would fit with a large but it turned out way too big for me and got a medium instead.

I found my sock!

I found my missing sock!

For months I was left with one sock and it happened to be my favorite pair of biking socks; my DeFeet Air-E-ator D sock. 

The Air-E-Ator was my first bike specific sock and I trully love them.   At first I was turned off with the idea of wearing black socks, even my sister made fun of my ‘fashion sense’.  But after a while I realized why why dark socks are best for trail riding; white or light colored socks get really dirty fast on a dusty trail!

The fit is great and the elastic retained its shape and hold even after over a year’s worth of laundering!  The color has not faded either.  The material dries out quickly thanks to CoolMax fabric  and the top of the sock is vented to allow feet to get air.

While I was looking for the aforementioned missing sock, I even bought another DeFeet Air-E-Ator pair to fill in that missing void.  I do have other pairs of biking socks (2 pairs of Fox) but my DeFeet are hands-down my favorite.

Spring is here!

Spring is here and that means for Southern California, warmer riding weather.  While the rest of the country is thawing out, Southern California has been enjoying year-round great riding weather except for some rains. 

Not really looking forward to the hot upper 90′s to low 100′s but just enough to get a good sweat going while riding.  Another thing to think about with the changing of the season is that snakes will up and out.  Having almost ran over a rattler last year, I have to keep an eye out again.

I haven’t been able to update this blog in several weeks since I have been busy.  I have some articles still to post like my review of the Jelly Belly Sport Beans  and post some pics of my last ride at Chino Hills State Park; just waiting for the ride video to be sent to me.

Still haven’t recieved my Brooks Saddle either and I quit expecting for it to arrive in the mail.  Oh well…

More posts soon!

Back tracking: Looking back

This is a write-up I wrote a little over a year ago when I first got my Trek 7100 hybrid bike, looking back.

The 2 inch front suspension; good for smoothing out pavement gaps.

Trek headbadge

The chainstay

Saris Bones 2 bike rack. I really like this carrier; lightweight, very stable and will fit almost any car.

Active lifestyle Element?

 

My review of the Trek 7100 Hybrid

First off, I am no expert here.  The last time I was on a bike was 1997 and my last bike was a Target bought $99.99 Magna mountain bike.  This Trek is my first ‘serious’ bike.  I wanted a good beginner bike that isnt too expensive, something like the same cost of buying another gun. 

 

Compared to my old Magna, the Trek are worlds apart.  The Magna didt feel like a well put together bike.  Although the frame is aluminum, which Trek calls Alpha White Aluminum, its still on the heavy side.  My guesstimate its about 30 lbs.  Because of the upright riding position and upright handlebars on risers, the Trek 7100 is easy to ride.  Pedalling, it almost feels like a tall cruiser bike.  The front suspension and wide seat with suspension gives it a plush ride and soaks up the minor road imperfections.

The 21-speeds are selectable via grip shiters.  Because these are not those rapid shifters, shifting isnt precise,  The rider will have to make minor adjustments, usually just a click below the indicated gear.  During quick spins, the sweet spot seem to be in the middle gears.  I kept it in the middle chain ring and shifted the rears as needed.  The Tektro V brakes stops the bike (and the its heavy load–me) with confidence, which makes me wonder if disc brakes would make it even better.

The Trek 7000-series bike are of the hybrid design but is geared mostly for paved road.  Unlike knobby off road tires, the Bontrager 700cc tires are low resistance and will get up to speed in no time.  The 7000-series are supposed to be able to handle a dirt path but I found out that due to the street-biased tires, it wont be able to handle much without slipping.  Riding on dirt isnt confidence-inspiring.

What this bike is not is a racing bike, an aggressive riding fitness bike or a dirt trail or jumping bike. I would recomment this bike as a beginners bike or for someone who is looking for a casual-riding bike or for fitness or a commuter bike.

Trek 7100 –  $359.99 + tax

Other accessories

Trek Vapor helmet — $39.99
Kryptonite combination cable lock — $19.99
Saris Bones 2 bike carrier –  $119.99

 

I don’t have the Trek anymore.  In a span of 12 months I have bought and sold 5 bikes, including a 24 inch BMX.  A few things have also changed within that year.  I still have the Bones Saris 2 rack but no longer use it.  When loaded with 2 bikes the rack isn’t as tight and sways and moves a bit, especially on longer drives.  I’m keeping it though just in case I need to use it on a vehicle that doesn’t have a rack.

I have outgrown the Trek very fast during the summer in which I was riding over 10 miles 4-5 and sometimes 7 days a week.  I felt like I needed something more performance oriented and something I could used as a loaner bike.  I do miss the bike every now and then, especially when I feel a bit beat up riding the Monocog 29er.  I miss the smooth ride and cushy feeling of the wide seat and upright riding position.  I know the bike has a good home now and I hope the new owner gets the same level of enjoyment as I did.

Topeak Pocket Rocket Pump

From the Master Blaster series, the Topeak Pocket Rocket mini pump:  I love it so much I bought 2!

 

This pump is small enough that it takes up little space in my Camelbak pack and is very light.  The head is interchangable between Schraeder and Presta valves and has saved my bacon from long walks back to the car several times already.

Since I changed over to Slime tubes my pump has seen little action (aside from having my friend use it for his flat) but I still bought a second pump anyway to put in another pack I use when I ride my singlespeed.

It does take a lot of strokes to fully inflate an MTB tire but afterall, this is a mini pump.  You want large air volume, strap a floor pump in your back.

Primal Wear Tattoo Warmers: Get warm and have fun while at it!

My initial review of the Primal Wear Tattoo Arm Warmers:

Its mid to late fall and temps are starting to dip to where its noticable chilly and warm riding wear is becoming to be a necessity.  In Southern California we dont really need heavy duty winter gear and layering is still the best.  Knee / leg and arm warmers are pretty much standard gear for this time of year.  I have several moisture wicking long sleeved shirts like Under Armor and Nike Fit that can keep me warm but the problem with those is that once it gets warm, I can’t easily take it off and its usually the base layer.  So its time for me to shop for arm warmers.

I’ve had my eye on the Primal Wear arm warmers for some time.  Primal Wear literally stands out among other brands.  Bands, armed forces branches and tattoo designs are the main appeal for this brand.  Also compared to others, Primal Wear is significantly thinner and is not micro fleece lined or thermal lined.  I dont get cold easily and need just enough to keep the cold air off my bare arm skins.

So I got the Tattoo arm warmers, I figured if I’m going to wear arm warmers I might as well have fun with it.  The Tattoo, Snake and Samurai designs are brightly colored and is definitely eye catching.  My wife had the WTF shocked look when she first saw it and my friends actually thought I had inked.  Riding at my local path / trail I got some stares and second looks from the non-biking crowd.

Primal Wear Arm warmers are made of polyester and lycra blend, the same material used for cycling shorts and has the same compression fit.  The upper part of the sleeve has a rubberized cuff to prevent it from slipping down the arm.  Fit as mentioned is compression but its not hard to put on at all.  Once it gets hot its easy to pull off and both sleeves roll up small and light that it will fit almost any pocket without adding bulk or weight.

Bold design and colors guaranteed to catch anyone's attention

It was chilly enough early in the morning the weekend I got the arm warmers and I was able to get an hour’s plus ride in them.  Because the sleeves are not thermal or fleece lined, I could feel the cold from the lycra fabric but not as cold compared to bare skin.  As I started rolling, I could feel that the polyester/lycra fabric was cold to the touch.  After 20 minutes, I was starting to feel warmer and begin to sweat.  I could feel that my arms were sweating under the warmers and I noticed, as I sweat the arm warmers were getting warmer!  It seems that my body heat warmed the moisture trapped in between my skin and the fabric.

Because of the wicking properties of polyester and lycra, moisture would evaporate quickly and the arm warmers would dry up and making the warmers cold again.  I suppose this wouldn’t be an issue if the rider is continously riding.

Excellent compression fit and warm.

With its bold colors, Primal Wear Tattoo, Snake and Samurai add a distinct flair in style in an otherwise boring and ho-hum riding accessory.