Fit Science - The it factor

The it factor. No one can truly explain it, but some bikes feel WAY better than others. I don't think it is just the fit of a bike, though that makes all the difference in the world on a road bike. But, certain bike brands continuously shock me with how great their bikes feel/work/function. Oh, by the way, we are talking about road bikes, definitely not mountain.

Through the years, the sleeper brands that come up are repeatedly the same: Miyata, Centurion, Some Fujis, Lugged Treks, Panasonic (hehe). After we repair these bikes, we test ride them and it is always the same response. Holy $*!^ these are SO nice, why did they ever stop making them? And moreover why do these feel so so so good to ride? I have tried to note some of the things that I have seen that makes them feel good. It still doesn't all add up to me, but it is a start of a list of things to look for when scooping up a garage sale or craigslist bike.

1. Typically, these are built from nothing but double butted steel (thicker where the lugs are and thinner in the middle with no loss of strength). This cannot be the it factor alone because plenty of "custom" frame builders use double butted steel and their bikes feel like so-so frames from anytime in history.

2. The geometry (of the road bikes) is typically similar in that the seat tube from the middle of the bottom bracket to the middle of the top tube is within 2cm of the length of the top tube center to center. What does this do for most people? It forces them to sit relatively upright; allows the weight of the hands to be nearly even with the weight on the rear-end. That is comfort! (note: this seems to be happening on Japanese lugged steel from mid-80s on, which the Italian manufacturers copied quickly)

Everything else doesn't matter from what I can tell. The parts hanging on the frame haven't ever made a bike for me. The frame is the glue pulling it all together. I have ridden some bikes that I am sure were not sold for very much brand new that felt better than almost any of the custom bikes I have ridden.

That said, the reason Salvagetti carries the brands we carry is just that: Black Sheep, Jamis and Giant all feel "it". They follow different rules then the old lugged manufacturers, but still get to the same place. We are very lucky to carry exactly what we love. But, the factors that led us to choose them were simple: The bikes have the it factor and people can afford them.

White Ranch Testing Grounds

Chris from Generic Cycles and I went to White Ranch because we both kind of hate it. The downhill is super fun on Belcher (at least at the top), but climbing it is long and boring. It is the definition of a Front Range ride. 80% up, followed by 20% down and that is the end of the ride. BUT, this time I didn't hate it. I, in fact, enjoyed it.

I'm gonna stop for a second and explain something to everyone: Bigger bikes (as long as it still fits) have always been my preferred climbing bikes and smaller bikes have always been my preferred downhill bikes. This means the seat height as well as the top tube length. I have the most fun on my Brooklyn Park bike because it is short all around and I am a better climber than descender. I climb fastest on my Black Sheep 29er because it is 'Scott' sized for climbing.

Side note is done and I continue with my story.

Chris and I were both excited because the parking lot was about as empty as it could be at the bottom.

I set up the bike that I have been hearing so much about to be as tall as possible so I could climb like I want to. This bike is the Maverick ML8. More about the gear itself when I am feeling techy. I adjusted the seat such that I could get a great amount of extension and not tear myself up given that I have a negative bump. So off we go. Climbing. Climbing. Climbing. Turning. Climbing. Turning. Climbing. Turning. Climbing. Not turning. Not turning. Please note the lack of walking. I cleared everything. My preseason lungs weren't screaming at me because this bike is so efficient at climbing. It tracked through everything.

And then we got close enough to the top that the snow was becoming too frequent. So, we turned around. I pushed the knob by my right thumb and BOOM! I had dropped the SIZE of the bike to full dh mode. **We are talking about the Maverick Speedball Seatpost. It is like an office chair for your bike. Pneumatic and stylish, while still light. ** The top tube shortened dramatically. The overall height dropped dramatically and all of the sudden I was on my Brooklyn. But, not quite. The Maverick sticks through horrible line choices. It stick off of drop offs. It sticks to high wet berms.

I should say here that we were exceptionally responsible and didn't do any extra tearing up of the wet trail.

I intentionally picked some pretty horrid lines with to see if the Maverick would buck me. Not only did it not want me to go anywhere but forward, but it acted like a rubber ducky, too. It would pop me back upright even when my body was trying to force it groundward.

At the end of the rocky sections is a little creek area with a staircase and thin wooden path. I was so high from my ride that I could hardly keep my eyes on the trail. It was there that I figured out what the Maverick isn't so great at: Going really slow when the rider is not paying attention. My wheels went off to the side of the logs and I STILL DIDN'T FALL.

I loved riding this bike. It brought back all sorts of bicycle fantasies that I shouldn't talk about in public. This just means I have to get one of my own. The Maverick is the first bike I have ridden in some time that showed my quietly and confidently just how amazing it is. It lives up to the hype like a live Bob Log the 3rd show.

Scott - Maverick ML8 - DUC fork - Nice parts 6" travel front and rear
Chris - Generic Steel 29er - White Bros Fork - Bike sticker on downtube

Poetry in Motion

During this last rain storm, I saw so many cyclists riding and smiling and being tough as hell all at once. It made me feel great inside. I was walking because Myra almost pulls me off the bike when it is dry out...

It occurred to me how bikes and cars should be separated in the mind into uses: (Please add to this list as I should be corrected for acting like an authority. I do borrow cars for groceries.)
Bikes are for moving a person and things that a person can easily carry to destinations within a 20 minute ride (give or take how much time a person has)
Cars are for carrying heavy or bulky items that a bike cannot handle. The exception is that you (yes, YOU) could borrow Scott's Xtracycle pretty much anytime to move much larger items. It can take up to about 200 lbs.
Buses are for extending the distance a cyclist can get to. They extend the reach of the bike to where there truly are few excuses for driving. Anyone who is not sure how to ride the bus with a bike should ask one of us at Salvagetti.

Following these ideas/rules/ways would make the world a less brown-cloud place to be. But, as it stands, people use a car to: go to work, visit a friend, go to Boulder (take the RTD B line!!), pick up a few things at the grocery store. Bus/Bike will do all of these things and save you money.

I am hoping that someone will join me when I ride a bike to a wedding.
Or perhaps offer me a ride to the Vitamin Cottage whenever you are going by car.
Or join me on the RTD 3 to go ride at Green Mountain/ Mathews Winters.
Or walk to your friends house 3 blocks away.

April Showers us with LOVE

We are in the process of bringing in one of the most exciting brands in bicycling history. We will let you know more as we learn, but we wanted to let you know first. A demo bike was dropped off yesterday and a deal was struck, so soon enough everyone will know and jump up and down with us!

Start saving money now. Start doing sit ups and push ups. In about a month you will be able to climb up anything and keep up with your downhilling buddies.

Damn straight.

As for us, we are drinking lots of coffee and studying up for the coming months. Please come out for our breakfast rides. Why? So you can meet some hot and friendly cyclists.

Section 16 Trails

Dave N (slowerthansnot) and I took a ride in the Springs with Chris S. (Generic Cycles) and Scottie B.

Dave and I took the FREX down in the morning and met at a coffee shop waiting for the others. Once assembled we rode across town to the mountains.

The climb today hurt more than anything I have experienced in a while, but it was completely worth the hour and a half or so of pain. Once we turned up onto the trailhead (the real one) we got to see some amazing views and do some insanely technical downhills. We all were feeling good and no one was under/over dressed. I was the first to take a dive off the bike. My front tire slipped WAY out from under me. I landed quickly and stopped even quicker. I got up and kept going.

Dave was next... He "french kissed" a rock. I didn't see it, and he isn't terribly verbose about falling. He was okay and we continued.

We rode Rick Boyer's special trail for the rest of the way down. We then played at the freeride park until we needed Chipotle.

Fun, fun, fun, fun ride. Thank you!

Dave - Blacksheep Steel Fixed Gear
Scott - Blacksheep Ti SS
Chris - Generic SS
Scott B. - Carl The Snarl SS Steel

Unprecedented

Evergreen on Tuesday April 10, 2007. It began snowing as we pulled up to the Park N' Ride / Church in Evergreen. "Dammit! We are riding anyways."

Mike S. has been someone I always have loved to ride with. Today he was sporting his 6" travel Kona that he has upgraded all over the place. It is now set up for anything that can be found on a trail.

I am concentrating on getting smoother and faster, so I am sticking to the same bike for a while: Black Sheep Ti 29 SS. It is fast and fun.

Today, I was ready for the cold. I had some thermal gloves and a compression top from the one and only Louis Garneau. Icebreaker on the outside for the warmth. The only change I made was midride... I pulled up my sleeves. Otherwise, I was the perfect temperature. My diaper (or chamois) was the LG Big air short, which is easily the most comfortable padding I have encountered in my years in the business.

I called Dave (aka Slowerthensnot) to see what conditions were to be like in Evergreen. He said that is would be likely muddy and sloppy. As I said, it was snowing lightly as we drove up. As we stepped out of the car, it opened up to be amazing and beautiful. We rode out in the green and got lost as quickly as I have ever heard of.

After back tracking for a while, we made a big change and turned back on track. This led to downhill after downhill where I couldn't catch up, nor wipe the smile off my face. The trail was as sticky as I have ever seen it. So, there was no slipping, no sliding, no missing lines. It was pure fun. We agreed that this was the most ideal we had seen the trails in a long time.

We finally descended into Evergreen and checked in at the great Creekside Winery. They were closed, but gave us some good directions back to the car.

We had a blast! Come with us next time, instead of just reading about it. Bring water and a snack and you will have a blast.

Mmmm... death...

What do you get when you cross 4 male cyclists, 3000 vertical ft. of climbing and 4 SS 29ers? Tired.

Eric B. (of Ground Up Designs), Scottie B, EJ and Myself did a super secret trail in Colorado Springs. I couldn't take you there if I tried.

We started out from EJs place above a coffee shop downtown. We met up with Eric on the way to the trailhead. It was cold. So cold that I had to stop at a Starbucks... to wash my fingers. It burned severely. I guess I wasn't ready for the cold as I should've been. We made it to the trailhead and everyone warned me that we were in for a bit of a climb. Damn. Damn. %$*@#!! 8 miles on a SS going up 3000 ft. Steep, bumpy, cold. Also, for grins, there was a bit of a crackle in the air with a threat of lightening. Mmmm... death.

We rode underneath a shooting range near the top of the mountain and Eric told me we were almost there. No close calls with the shot flying overhead. MMM...DEATH!!

Eric and I stopped to wait for Scott and EJ (who were fasting at the time, so they were feeling unfresh to say the least (mmm. death.) Once we stretched a bit, we went through a secret opening in the side of the road and voila, scary tech trail.

The trail was as east coast as I have seen on the west coast. Wet, rooty, loggy, and green. I was truly a treat to be had. All of us had to walk several sections because we felt that dying on each other would really impose on our friendship. Mmm... death. Several of the sections were so scary that they had nasty nicknames. Something about gashing your head open and bleeding out half you body weight into a river doesn't seem appealing. We rode in a creek for a bit that actually moved to take over the trail. We went over logs that were 3 feet around with makeshift rock ramps. You couldn't tell what was on the other side till you were on top. So FUN.

The trail ended up coming out to a gravel access road that we flew down into Manitou Springs. We (eric and I) drank some yerba mate and relaxed.

Thanks fellas for a great ride in the Springs!

Eric - Ground Up 29 SS (prototype aluminum)
Scottie B - Vicious Cycles 29 SS steel
EJ - Redline Flight 29 SS steel
Scott T. - Black Sheep 29 SS ti