Monday, November 17, 2008

Covered...


Photo © Tony Bursey - All rights reserved.
Covered...
Originally uploaded by Tony's Outdoors
The Duke's Epic 8-Hour held at Hardwood Hills at the end of September was quite an experience! A little on the muddy side for the first lap... this is the result from doing my first lap entirely in full-on rain. The trail became pretty slick in a few areas. A few crashes ensued, but all in all everyone had a great time.

An absolute must event for next year!

Monday, June 23, 2008

Postponing the Inevitable


Photo © Tony Bursey - All rights reserved.
Postponing the Inevitable
Originally uploaded by Tony's Outdoors
The rider, while attempting to cross the pirate plank obstacle, is trying so hard to avoid going for a swim at the 24 Hours of Summer Solstice mountain biking race put on this weekend by Chico Racing. The crowd awaiting in eager anticipation of the rider taking a mud bath, and they were not disappointed.

Tuesday, June 10, 2008

Looks are Deceiving


Photo © Tony Bursey - All rights reserved.
Looks are Deceiving
Originally uploaded by Tony's Outdoors
Well the 24 Hours of Summer Solstice, put on by Chico Racing, is coming up in less than 2 weeks at Albion Hills. The need to get out on the trails is strong with this one.

Some things to consider, especially for a camping weekend at events such as this one... make a list of things well in advance. It may seem a little anal now, but just wait until arriving at the venue to find that something important has been forgotten.

Proper nutrition is a must. At this particular event, there will be plenty of food, but things like higher protein snacks and drinks are also important.

Some basic tools, a few spare tubes and tires should also be on the list.

For creature comfort, consider a good camping chair, dry tent and sleeping bag to fit the season.

Friday, April 11, 2008

Finally Riding Again

Now that the winter is finally over, although today is rainy and 3 degrees Celcius, and Spring has sprung, time to get the bike out of storage and get serviced for another riding season.


Photo © Tony Bursey - All rights reserved.
My Ride, originally uploaded by Tony's Outdoors.


If you have ridden throughout the winter, at the very least you need to clean and lube everything. Make sure you have your chain checked for being within spec. One of the worst things for your drive train is a stretched chain. It will start carving out the grooves in all your chain rings and eventually you will not only have to replace the chain, but all you rings as well which could get real costly.

Last year, when I spent a boat load on a full service (because it had been years since it was done last), the technician suggested the chain be replaced every two years at least. You will spend about $50 each time, but it is peanuts compared to having to replace your whole drive train. And if you are going to ride during the winter, you might even consider a low-cost "beater" chain.

If you had your main ride stored or were riding a beater for the winter, a simple tune-up would suffice just to make sure everything is optimal.

One thing that may be overlooked is the condition of your tires. I know I have to get new rubber this year. The sidewalls on my trail tires are all cracking. These were kelvar bead tires (meaning you could fold them as opposed to wire bead which you cannot fold) they were more expensive. It depends on your needs. I got a deal on them years ago so I cannot complain.

Above all the objective is to have fun and a little preventative maintenance ahead of time will go a long way on the trail.