mrraulduke profile

So no more Shimano to north america via the evil Chain Reaction Cycles...

Thoughts

CRC no longer selling Shimano to north america

I just went through the process of teaching both kids to ski. Mine are now 6 and 8. my kids were late starters, i think i tried at 3, then 4. my kids were smaller than average and didn't have the strength to ski well. Both are also timid kids so we had that to deal with.

my only advise, start with low expectations. 1 or 2 bunny hill runs, a hot chocolate and a cookie ... that's a good day of toddler skiing.

i too switched over to skis from snowboarding, party for touring, partly cause it's easier to ski down with a kid between your legs. Oh, and lots of skiing backwards holding ski tips together at the start too!

but, now kids are in lessons, wife and i get to ski together, and the kids are getting good so skiing as a family is fun. they aren't better than us .. yet!

I have a pair of the Endura MT500. they work well, not fully waterproof, but the back is. keeps the spray down. the front has a good DWR treatment for keeping the wetness down. little velcro closures at the leg. i have nothing bad to say about them. they are not crazy sweaty. I guess if i can't say anything bad about them that makes them an OK short!  i've switched over to them on rainy rides now...

kept the bike in slack mode. rode 7 times in 7 days. maybe 6 pedal strikes, most jut bad planning on my part, mostly at one climbing spot en route to the top. i would of clipped most pedals on that one. but then again, it's Hornby and there wasn't a lot to clip pedals on, or a lot of vert to make me want to swap it out of slack mode!

less, because i think the leverage is more progressive. i can run more pressure in the can and still have good suspension feel.

i think i was just having too many pedal strikes due to the fact that i have a bit of gravity, and i'm 7 years off of only riding hardtails, so suspension setup wasn't that easy first go. i have a week on Hornby, so i think i will be going back to neutral settings ... but i'll try day 1 in slack.

and i'll keep a pedal strike log to keep you up to date ;-)

I'm new on a 2018 Instinct ( 6 ish rides ) and i have had it in neutral for a few rides to fiddle with the shock, then stuck it in slack my last ride. I don't see myself changing it much, as it climbed fairly well in slack mode for my local trails, but i's see myself going back steeper for LOTS. 9 choices is a bit too much for me though!

Posted by: rnayel

Posted by: craw

Posted by: rnayel

I've given up on on-bike storage and picked up a Dakine low profile waist pack (hot-laps stealth). Like a less tech futuristic version of the Race Face lumbar belt.

Looks like a good option if you just need a good spot for your phone, keys, mini tool and CO2.

Exactly what I need. It fits a multi tool, tire lever, tube, keys, phone, couple of snack bars and a flask. Some reviewers fit a lightweight packable jacket in there too - but it's tight and defeats the point of low profile. I have a pump and 500ml water bottle on my frame. My typical ride lately has been home (near capilano mall) climb to Braemar trail - where I stop at Princess Park to refill my water bottle (very handy water station by the men's washroom), up the climbing trail to 7th or Upper Oil Can, then down. I exit around the same place, back to Princess Park for a drink/refill my water bottle and home. I find that I have enough water for the ride and it's a 2.5 to 3 hrs loop.

Since I picked it up on Tuesday, I've only filled it with gear, I haven't used it yet, will test it on the weekend.

I have the hot laps for the extra bottle sling on the side.

while i can pack in a small jacket ( OR Helium - it's a very simplistic and small jacket ) - its TIGHT

packed in the pack is a wallet, phone, keys, snack bar, CB multi-tool, tiny leatherman style multi-tool ( mostly for pliers to get off tight tubless valves - i learned that one!). extra 500ml bottle in the carrier.

on the bike is a pump under WB cage, 750ml bottle. tire lever is wrapped in tube, that is ski-strapped between heattube/downtube.

this does me well except for long rides / hot days where i need more than 1.25l of water. i don't have many refill areas. i use my larger Camelbak hip pack with a bladder. the jacket fits in there nicely.

both are more comfortable than a full size pack.

Posted by: Fast-Orange

That's messed up. I thought we were all supposed to leave a car's length between us and the car in front of us when stopping at an intersection?

I was taught in driving school the fact that you should leave enough room so you can see the vehicle ahead of you tires touching the pavement.

i still use that to date. seems to work well.

I have 2 hip packs.

1 is the smaller Dakine with the side bottle holder. great for short rides, i typically throw a small bottle on the pack, phone, keys, tool in the bag and i'm good to go.

2 is a Camelbak with a 1.5l bladder. it has more room inside, plus the way the buckle velcos / buckles in place i can stow a jacket. i had my headlamp battery and a rainjacket in it the other night and it fit snug. it's gone on some longer rides this year, and i was good for water with a bottle on the bike.

i still get a sweaty lower back, but i don't miss the whole sweaty back thing.  As for crashing, i don't think about it. best thing to do is just not crash!!

Posted by: JBV

Posted by: jitenshakun

I think all these towns have a "locals vs. visitors" thing, which is BS that's as old as time.  It's like that episode of Flaked where the barista says "I'm a local - I've been here since 2010".

haha. as a fan of the series i totally recall that. it reminds me of the current vibe in Cumberland. any conversation at the CBC (Cumberland Brewing Company) very quickly goes to 'you from town?'. what they mean is 'do you live in Cumberland within a couple blocks of my house' then (quite often without hearing the answer) starts casting aspersions on the rest of the region.

I visit cumby a lot, and i have had a response that works well.

I ask back if they are local, and live in a 'real' Cumberland house, or one of the large new subdivisions... or as i view them, soul crushing clear cuts!

Full disclosure, not local, grew up in area, Grampa born in Cumby.