andy-eunson profile

The last night ride I remember was up the Microwave climb at Whistler and down Tunnel Vision when they were completing the fire smart thinning. Trees were cut out and burned in numerous piles. It was surreal to ride in light sporadic smoke and glowing heaps of bonfires all around. Solo. I don’t even think I had the dogs with me. Getting antsy to night ride again.

Now that I am retired I just don’t night ride much anymore. The last toonie is often a night ride at Lost Lake and I keep threatening to do that. That would be a good reason the charge the cells and get out. Dougal. He was a good dog, but loud. Kept the mean beasties away.

Actually I can see DI2 more so than this gizmo. Some bikes have horrible cable routing and shitty shifting as a result. DI2 cures that although better cable routing does too. But that is not always possible given the complexities of suspension linkages. But this? I think Pivot’s own website claims the DW link needs no lockouts or climb switches because of excellent kinematics. 

I keep reading how lockouts allow better more efficient climbing but no one has ever to my knowledge put a number to it. No real numbers, no sale. 

Like boost or super boost plus. I don’t know about others, but I haven’t been blowing up non boost wheels  right left and center. Sure better bracing angle of spokes should be stronger. How much stronger? How much stiffer?  If what I have is strong enough and stiff enough why is more better?

I think you’d find that the Turbine weight does not include a chain ring whereas the Next R includes a 32 ring. And RF list the Turbine at 522 not 422.  had a Turbine and Next SL in my hands a while back each with a ring and the weight difference was very noticeable. My Next SL has been on two bikes and is heading into its fourth season with no issues thus far. That said I totally understand why folks would avoid carbon cranks. I’ve seen the broken cranks. I’ve seen aluminum cranks fail too and aluminum pedal threads stripped out. I couldn’t say if aluminum cranks fail less or not. But there is certainly more “comfort” with aluminum being metal and all.

Chromag are based on 160 travel forks though. The Kona is based on a 130.  But I agree the Kona does seem a bit on the steep side. Riding it is the test though.

I found the non adjustable visor on the 2.0 a problem. I needed it higher than it went. Fit was similar to the 3.0 which I do own.

I much prefer a fatter and more firm grip. I get all my absorption from soft tires and suspension.

My new bike came with I9 hubs which skipped on the first ride. Pulled them apart and found the mechanism full of a blue greased. Wiped the grease mostly out and I’ve only had a couple skips science. I’ve wrecked a 32 tooth DT Swiss ratchet probably from too much grease. These things really don’t need much lubricant. Just a bare minimum. It’s not like the hub bearings that are moving while under load. There isn’t much load while freewheeling and while pedaling there isn’t any movement at the pawls or there shouldn’t be. Grease can keep the pawls from engaging properly. 

I don’t know who greased the crap out of my hub. Either I9 does it that way or Santacruz who built the wheels did. It’s wrong.

I’ve wrecked a 36 tooth star ratchet probably from a bit too much grease. That may have caused the ratchets to stick a bit and not engage fully. Using a small amount of the correct grease and it never happened again. I don’t get too fussed about really rapid engagement. I can tell the difference between my Hope hub and I9 hub but it makes no real difference in my riding. I can tell the difference with the slow engagement DT ratchet and I don’t care for that but again it’s not a huge difference for me. 

A hub that requires little service and is easy to do when it needs it is what is important to me. The next instalment on these hubs will be the important one. 

Now if I can figure out how to make 30mm bsa B.B. last more than six months I’ll be happier.

Are so called rogue trails (other than ones constructed in a provincial park or something equally egregious) really a problem? Is the heavy hand of government simply a “come on strong, but actually act mild” type of thing? I can show you quite a number of off the maps trails in my home town but most get ridden very very little. The majority of riders are not interested in seeking out these secret trails that are constructed by and for the hard core. 

There are certainly some lines created that should not have been because they exit on private property for example. Or in parks and private property. Doing that is asking for trouble. But way out in the boonies, don’t ask don’t tell seems to be the way. At some point I suppose that catches up as heat maps and word of mouth makes trails known and popular. 

There seems to be a desire in this province and country to move away from a resource based economy to something else. Tourism is one of those other ways. Mountain bike tourists spend money like any other tourist and deserves as much support as any other attraction. 

My knee jerk reaction when I hear my government come out all heavy handed is like most people’s. FOAD. Leave us alone we don’t need non mountain bikers telling us how to have fun. I wonder what has caused this issue to come up.

The creator of Roach products has passed away. I understand she had been ill for a while and passed peacefully and quietly recently. I knew her from way back in the late 80’s from racing xc and later when she was making her iconic clothing and accessories and sponsored races. We lost a good one.

I have been referred to the hand docs at St Paul’s where I go tomorrow morning for probably a better splint and a book of instructions for rehab. My trainer is a physio too so I should be in good hands. Haha hands. Anyway it is possible that I come home looking like I had an extreme knitting injury according to a friend that used to be an orthopaedic surgeon. He did both my knee repairs. He said it is possible that they might pin it and place a small splint on it. Hope not. We’ll see. Don’t want to loose any range in my left middle finger  as that’s my driving finger. 

The injury didn’t really hurt and neither did the subsequent dislocation or putting the digit back in place. Oh well. Shit happens.

Went off a small drop on Its Business Time this morning, front tire slipped right and I went ass over tea kettle. Landed on my head and I guess rolled forward out of it. My fanny pack was off after it all. Scuffed helmet a bit. Knee hurt a bit just near the top of the pads where the pad tappers thin. Finger hurt a bit. About ten minutes further down and almost out my finger feels stiff and it’s like there is a pebble in my glove. Remove glove. Left middle finger won’t bend and it doesn’t line up right. Pull it lightly and pop pop it goes back in. A short while later I poke at my pad where my knee hurts and the finger goes out again. And again when I’m pulling my socks on after my shower. X-rays say a ligament pulled a tiny hunk of bone off the last phalange. Splinted now and it should heal in a few weeks on its own.

Posted by: Brocklanders

Posted by: andy-eunson

So once we all have ebikes, then what? Mark my words, more powerful motors are coming. Not just more range but faster too.

Such a slippery slope. I don't know where the line in the sand is, but the bike industry seems to think what they are pushing with the "pendelec label" is ok. Once the bikes cease to be bicycles and more like dirt bikes there will be major conflict between trail user groups here on the shore. Not going to be a positive end result, sure hope it doesn't come to that.....

I did a little regulation checking last night. In BC and other provinces the power limit is 500 Watts. I wasn’t able to download the regulatory acts but I am pretty sure the regulations only apply for ebike use on roads.

https://www.icbc.com/vehicle-registration/specialty-vehicles/Low-powered-vehicles/Pages/Electric-bikes.aspx

And a throttle is allowed. Max speed without pedalling is 32kph on the flats so with pedaling more speed. Again, that is for use on roads. Off road? No regulations as far as I can tell.

So once we all have ebikes, then what? Mark my words, more powerful motors are coming. Not just more range but faster too.

Posted by: DemonMike

Posted by: andy-eunson

Posted by: PUNKY

Someone needs to buy the suspension grips that were reviewed on PB and report back.

I’ll let you know soon. I’ve had on and off tennis elbow all summer plus hands going numb. The numbness issue has been solved by a higher rise bar. I was leaning too hard into the grips and the rise has allowed a more neutral balance. I think the elbow issue came as a result of a crash in March where I hurt my left thumb. Altered how I could grip stuff and spring brush clearing cause further problems which I thought were resolved. So I’m gonna try Revgrips and see. Expensive but cheaper than a couple physio visits.

Stretch and strengthen your shoulders. I have beat up hands and shoulders from riding and work related. I have found keeping my shoulders stretched and doing exercises  has helped reduce numbness. I still get it on the climbs , but I can recovery from it faster.

For grips ODI ,I switched to these a few months back with carbon bars. They do rotate a bit but , no where near like the pre lock-on days.

http://odigrips.com/store/mtb/mtb-products/f-1-vapor-mtb-ply-grips

Oh yeah. I do go to the gym a couple times a week to work on old guy issues. I have a trainer who is also a physio and she is giving me lots of shoulder stuff but lots of issues from the neck end up in the shoulder too. Thing is riding, the elbows only hurt if I have to do some abrupt crank on the bars or bunny hop. Or carry the bike up something. Usually it’s after the ride and it does go away after some rest. But yeah it’s important to look at various aspects.

Posted by: PUNKY

Someone needs to buy the suspension grips that were reviewed on PB and report back.

I’ll let you know soon. I’ve had on and off tennis elbow all summer plus hands going numb. The numbness issue has been solved by a higher rise bar. I was leaning too hard into the grips and the rise has allowed a more neutral balance. I think the elbow issue came as a result of a crash in March where I hurt my left thumb. Altered how I could grip stuff and spring brush clearing cause further problems which I thought were resolved. So I’m gonna try Revgrips and see. Expensive but cheaper than a couple physio visits.

Posted by: FLATCH

and really, e bikes could be responsible for a grizzly attack? C'mon what a fucking ass hat comment.

What I implied was that more people in grizzly habitat potentially leads to more conflicts. That’s a fact. I think if there are enough people though, grizzlies would move away from the area. Maybe. That is why the conservationists were upset with the lack of consultation before the Sproat network went ahead. That’s why people are against the Jumbo resort development, human incursion into grizzly habitat.

Posted by: norona

Posted by: earleb

Some questions for Dave.

Does it have a motor? Yes or No?

Is it an electric motorized bicycle? Yes or No?

Are you advocating for trails currently designated as non-motorized to have their designation changed to include motorized vehicles?

The size of the motor or how it's applied is irrelevant. Motorized yes or no.

Allowing the debate to be clouded with talk of cardio, fitness, bullying and weight is obfuscating the core of the issue. Are they motorized and should current trail networks that are not clearly designated mixed use allow motorized.

Yes - Remember Sierra Club calls bikes mechanized and has them banned! Do you agree with that?

Yes - Under the current legislation in Europe Pedtec, anything more is labelled motorized like a dirt bike and I get that, I am not advocating that electric moto's now go anywhere as they have much more power, I have one and know! I hope government legislation goes the same way.The Government is also saying they are making a different form of legislation that will be easier to change in the future, which tells you that they are just going to go the easy route and change it once so many riders start riding these. By the way that is what happened to us as mountain bikers in the late 80's and early nineties, before hikers could ban us, we were everywhere!

In the USA the Forest Service has banned them in many places, but is already going back on their plan, Mamoth Mountain Opened their mountain to e-bikes and Forest Service then opened up all their trails around there to them. Here there is no legislation so for the guys mentioning whistler and worca and LOTS, that is a joke, they think they are above the law, by the way that was built with tax payers money. I can't put a sign on my street saying the speed limit is 30 when law says its 50, I can but no one would have to abide by it. Worca is doing the same in this case, there is no legislation on ebike currently so nothing can be enforced, that is why they are asking people to tell them to turn around, what if your wife was asked to be turned around for riding 3.0 inch tires, by a big guy who just said so, your okay with that. If it is the law, then she should turn around but causing conflict is not cool. Especially when you ask a guy like Todd Hellinga about trials bikes who build a huge amount of trails in whistler. He says its a grey area and he does not mind them, so he is okay with trials bike that burn gas, but not e-bikes. This shit just gets more and more funny! Non

No But since ebikes under the current power ratings are considered the same as legacy bikes, then there is no issue. Fromme or MTN Hwy is not non motorized it is a private road with guys using it on dirt bikes, cars, trucks, and is used for trail maintenance with vehicles. Why would you care is someone goes up the road then rides down normally, once down e-bikes dont help you, guys think they are a hindrence since they weight more, they are not by the way. The size of the motor does matter. most non-motorized was created for dirt bikes, which I get, however you are using old tech to define new tech, again you have to ride one to see the difference.

I am not clouding anything, I dont care what workout you get fitness wise, I am stating facts upon riding one, most of the drivel you read is from people that only have an opinion based off of limited info, not actually riding one. I am still laughing at synchro for his comment on how you can only get a limited workout on one. Love the explanation on that one...too funny!

Wow. Just. Wow.

This just in: Into the Mystic, On the Rocks, Happy Hour And Lord of The Squirrels is closed as a grizzly has been encountered. Also the trails further up the valley on that side as well. I read that conservation groups were not happy with some of those trails going in without them being consulted first. Ebikes make it easier to get up there. More people. More potential bear conflict. Trail closed permanently??  Get the picture. You are not going to convince us. Some of us like climbing under our own power. You like motor sports. Great. Me too, in the right places. 

From the Pique:  UPDATE: The Sproatt Alpine Network (Into the Mystic, Lord of the Squirrels, Happy Hour and With a Twist) and Rainbow Lake Trail are now closed, along with Skywalk, Kevin’s Homerun, Screaming Cat Lake and Upper 19 Mile Creek trails closed until further notice.

The closures are a result of human-wildlife conflict with a confirmed grizzly in the area. 

Thank you to the community for helping to protect people and Whistler’s bears by avoiding these trails.

Posted by: Cabana76

Ryders Fyre Incline. All the benefits of "Prizm" and "Chromapop" without the mega price. Plus they are photochromic and fog proof. Wait until Ryders puts them on sale. I got them for 50% off on "sunglasses appreciation day" or something like that a couple months ago.

Fog resistant. I have those lenses too and they are probably the best I have ever used. In summer they go on in at the beginning g of the ride and come off at the end unless I have sweated all over them and they need a wipe. Yeah, I fogged the up yesterday a bit and had to put them in my pack. Today wasn’t as bad and I just wiped them. Pretty scratched up though but I ve got a couple hundred days on them at least. I’d get another pair.