Keystone Bike Park: TNT Update

If you've been at Keystone Bike Park recently or if you've been checking in on social media, you may have learned that the upper part up TNT has been closed for the last couple of weeks. So what's going on? I got the tour of what's been done so far by the trail crew today and the changes to this trail should get riders pretty excited.

After the initial drop in to TNT, a massive left hand berm will send you into this section of more berms and huge jumps.

It's all about the details with even the landscaping is getting some good attention. Carins, and rocks have been strategically placed and trees were worked around throughout the trail.

Looking uphill at the series of berms that leads you into the lip of this right hand hip jump.

Trail crew members finish up the section that leads into a 25 ft. step down jump. You'll be able to send it deep on this one which will have a 35 ft. landing.

Weather pending, the trail crew has a goal of wrapping up this section of trail by the end of the first full week of August. From there, the crew has plans to start cutting the new blue trail from the top Dercum Mountain which will then connect to Eye of the Tiger. For more info on what's in store for Keystone Bike Park, check out our opening day report with out friends at mtbparks.com. 

Review: Novik T.E.C. Gloves

I tend to go through gloves quickly. The last few pairs I've owned from a couple different well-known brands didn't get me through a month. I experience ripped seams, velcro not holding up and even holes worn through the tips of the index fingers from braking. I either have terrible luck or I'm pretty good at picking out shitty gloves, but I would expect a little more life out of gloves in the $25-35 range. I decided to give another brand a shot.
I learned about Novik gloves from an online ad. Novik started out in 2009, making gear for the motocross industry, and are based out of Silverthorne, CO. I knew none of this when I placed an order with them, but was glad to learn later on that I was buying from a local company.
I bought a pair of their T.E.C. (That's Even Cooler) gloves. Their minimal design is different from what I usually go for. But from my experience, little pieces of rubber on the fingers doesn't make it feel any better when your hands come between the bars and a tree. Double layers on the palm haven't increased their lifespan, so maybe less is more?
The first thing I noticed when putting these on were how comfortable they are. Soft! The I-Span flexible material on top of the gloves is a big part of what makes these so comfortable. They form to your hands well, and after a few months of riding, these gloves have shown no loss of elasticity. Lycra on the sides of the fingers also help make these a snug fit.

 The palms are a single breathable layer with an extra layer on the thumbs. There's also a pattern of small holes on the palms for ventilation. I've taken a couple falls to the hands and so far they've held up well with no tears in the palms. There's some stitching that came loose on the left thumb at some point early on, but it hasn't gotten any worse since it happened a couple months ago.
Novik was generous with the amount of silicone used on the fingertips for lever grip and they show no signs of wear.

Novik went with an elastic wrist band with pull tabs added below the palms. I wasn't sure how I'd like this as I've always had the velcro closure at the wrist. The elastic isn't tight around your wrist but by no means loose, either. They are snug enough to stay comfortably in place.

 It's obvious Novik was going for comfort, breath-ability and simplistic design with their T.E.C. gloves. I can easily say they're the most comfortable gloves I've worn. So far, they're holding up well and have lasted longer than others I've tried in recent years. Beside the stitching that's come loose on the thumb, I've had no issues with these gloves. And at just over $20, the price is right. I probably won't wear these for downhill, as I'd like a little more length at the wrist with a velcro closure for the inevitable first bail off the bike, but for everyday trail riding, these are great. So great, I've got another pair of Noviks on the way! Check out more at www.novikgloves.com

Well, I finally finished the Demo 8 rebuild. It was getting to a point where I didn't think the paint stripping process would ever end. It started out promising, big flakes of paint peeling right off. It became more of a pain in the ass around the welds. Oh well, it's done and bike parks are opening. Here's a list of what I did:

1. Full frame paint strip- I like the look but I'll never do it again.
2. Enduro sealed frame linkage bearings (the blue ones)
3. Stans Flow EX- We'll see how those hold up.
4. Maxxis Minion DHF EXO tires- I run these on my Slash and they've held up well.
5. Replaced brake lines and pads- The Stroker Ace's have been good to me, no need to replace them.
6. Shimano Zee 170mm cranks- should be a hell of a lot better than the old Truvativ Stylos I had.
7. Shimano Saint pedals- Other than weight, I've heard good things.
8. Shock sent in to Push Industries for a factory tune- Pretty excited to see the improvements in this.
9. Rebuilt Boxxer fork- I realized today that the rebound knob assembly is going to hell and leaks oil. It's currently held together with duct tape until I get a new one.
10. DT Swiss 10x135 axle- Yes, I was actually running a standard quick release on the rear with the old wheelset.

So I didn't replace everything, only what was needed. I originally bought this frame and fork new and transferred a bunch of parts over from my old 05' Enduro. It was definitely time for a parts upgrade.

Update: Got it out for opening day at Keystone and it rides better than it used to. The Pushed shock and lighter wheelset is very noticable. I'm running 32psi in the tires with no issues, wheels stayed true.

Fox Float RP3 PUSH Factory Tune Review

Over the last year of riding my 2012 Trek Slash 9, I slowly became more disappointed with the rear shock that came on this bike, the Fox Float RP3. I was constantly messing with rebound, Pro Pedal and sag settings, and putting way more air into it than what should have been needed. It never felt quite right when setting the sag within the 25-30% range. The shock would blow through its travel on an average Summit County rocky trail, yet it still felt pretty harsh on rocky sections. Standing up to pedal was a waste of energy because I was pedaling right through it's travel. Even when sitting down and pedaling on level ground, there was more pedal bob than what I would consider acceptable, even for a longer travel bike. I also noticed the lack of response from the bike when exiting berms. The shock just wasn't doing anything for me other than just getting me by.

In an attempt to remedy some of these issues, I first ordered the volume tuning kit from Push, made specifically for DRCV shocks found on Trek bikes. It came with 7cc and 10cc volume reducers. I went with the 7cc reducer which was a quick and simple install. The result was an improvement with the end stroke of the shock as expected. I didn't blow right through the travel like I did before, but I still wasn't completely happy with the way it rode and the other issues still lingered.

I decided to send the shock to Push Industries and filled out the necessary information on their website (http://www.pushindustries.com/) to send in the shock for a factory tune. They ask for some basic info about me and my bike and allowed space to leave comments for additional info. I mentioned that this was my everyday trail bike / enduro race bike and described the problems with the way the shock rode. I shipped out the shock and waited for it to return, which was less than two weeks.

When I got the shock back, it came in a padded box with old internal shock parts in a plastic bag and a card with the tech signatures and the shock's settings. For this shock, specifically, the rebound and psi were noted. Other than a Push sticker on the shock and a blue sag ring installed in place of the black one, everything looked stock. However, it doesn't ride like it's stock, not even close.

I've been on a number of rides on the "Pushed" shock including the 18 Rd. trails in Fruita, Salida trails and White Ranch in Golden. I immediately noticed how the shock sits up higher in its travel when pedaling. There is a more stable pedaling platform, eliminating the excessive "bob" that used to plague my bike, even when the Pro Pedal was all the way on. I now just keep the Pro Pedal in it's first position unless I'm climbing a steep section where I'm standing. This brings me into the next ride improvement. I was climbing a hellish section on the White Ranch trail network in Golden, CO. I think it was Whippletree. This steep section had a number of water bars and rocks, a short but technical climb. With the Pro Pedal on 3, I shifted into a lower gear, stood up and began to sprint up this section. This is where I noticed how much better the rear wheel tracked. There was no loss of traction at any point. Even when fighting through the worst of it, the rear felt locked down to the ground.

As far as riding berms, I'd describe the ride as "snappy." The bike now carries through berms with no loss of energy, but instead it gains speed out of berms with that snap, as I'd describe it.

With all of this added stability and stiffness at the top, the shock is still very plush on hard edge hits and landings. I haven't been able to fully bottom out this shock, yet, after the rebuild. Instead, it's a smooth ramp up with the feeling of endless travel.

If you've experienced any of the problems I mentioned, look into getting this tune on your shock. It was well worth the investment, and the most noticeable improvement of any bike upgrade I've done in the past. I was so impressed with the "Pushed" shock, that I sent in the shock from my 2010 Specialized Demo for a factory tune. I've got it back and the bike together.... There may have to be a road trip to Angelfire Bike Park in the near future to test it out! If you'd like any further feedback, feel free to email me at info@downhillcolorado.com

I finally got out on the bike again yesterday and rode Green Mountain down off Alameda and 470. Not the greatest ride in the area but usually one of the first to dry out. There were a few muddy spots but still worth riding if you're looking to get out there. Looks like some trail maintenance is in the works and I noticed a reroute on I believe "Box of Rocks". I was hoping to ride Chimney Gulch in Golden but the trailhead was muddy and I turned around. Ride while you can because it looks like winter is returning. 

I've got some different ideas for the website that I'm currently working on for the coming season. You'll notice there are no longer Bikes or Race Schedule tabs. I'm pulling the Bikes page completely and replacing it with something new which will be an ongoing project throughout the season and will require some rider participation. As far as the Race Schedule page goes, I'm looking at a new layout. 

This year I'll also be shooting with a new camera, a Nikon D7000. I shot with an old Nikon D70 last year which was fine to get things going, but it's time for an upgrade. Going from 6MP to 16.1MP and 3fps to 6fps is what really stands out, but it's an upgrade in all catagories. I'm pretty excited to get out there and start shooting races again (when not racing myself).

Lastly, the Demo project is slowly moving along. I've got the frame completely stripped of paint and have been sanding and polishing away. I'll get up some pictures soon, the polished raw aluminum is looking good! If anyone is looking to strip down a frame, I recommend using Citrustrip on the paint. It does a great job of pulling off old paint, only gives off a faint citrus scent and you can use it indoors without worrying about harmful fumes. I did have to apply it a couple times in a few areas but it works well overall.   

I've decided after four years of hard riding mostly at Keystone, the Demo will get a serious overhaul this winter. It needs it. Bent rims and chainring, trashed brake pads, dented frame, thrashed chainguide....and then there's the suspension.
I'll be posting updates throughout the winter on this project. First thing will be completely disassembling the bike then getting the frame down to raw aluminum. The fork will be completely rebuilt, shock is going to Push Industries for a factory tune, several components will be replaced...I'm looking forward to this one. Stay tuned.

Red Bull Final Descent, Trestle Bike Park

This past Sunday, Trestle Bike Park played host to the Red Bull Final Descent. This downhill race was a 12 hour event, starting at 7am and the most laps takes the win. Racers could enter solo or run teams up to four. After deciding that the current condition of my downhill bike most likely wouldn't make it through this one, I showed up to the event to shoot photos instead.
I spent my time shooting on Search and Seizure and Trestle Downhill. These trails had the best sections for great shots with plenty of berms, jumps and rock gardens. With all men and women of all skill levels racing at once, there was plenty of "rider up" call-outs and passing going on. It was difficult at times to shoot every rider coming by when the gap between riders was consistently inconsistent. With variable lighting in the trees, I was shooting with a remote flash for fill lighting which you'll notice in the pictures I posted. I simply wanted to light up the shaded areas of the rider a bit and show their eyes through the goggles. I'm still in the learning process of using this kind of flash and photography in general, some shots came out, many didn't.
Overall, I was pretty happy with the amount of decent shots I got from this event. If they hold this race here again next year, it'll be hard for me not to enter. But if I'm not racing, I'll surely be out there shooting again. If you raced this one and you don't see a shot of yourself on my link of photos, send me an email with your plate number and I'll take a look! Link