Five Steps To A Clean Bike!

As a rider who’s lucky enough to live on the North Shore, you’re blessed with being able to ride twelve months a year. Riding on Mt. Fromme and Mt. Seymour in December and January can be a lot of fun, but also quite hard on your bike. After each and every ride, you should be cleaning your bike for proper storage.

Steed Cycles mechanic, Dave Nordman, has put together a quick list 5 things to do after each and every ride in order to prep your bike for storage and have it ready for your next big ride.

1.    Lightly Hose Down Your bike: The first step to cleaning a mud-caked bike after a good ride is a gentle soak with a garden hose. The point of this soak is to clean off any excessive mud that may be hanging on after the ride. It is important to not apply too much pressure to any of the bearings or fork seals as this may dry out the lubricant that helps these surfaces to run smooth.

2.    Dry Off Your Bike: Now that you’ve removed all of the excessive dirt and mud from your bike, it’s time to dry the bike properly. The best (and most fun) way to do this is to take your bike for a quick ride around the block. The alternative is to use an old rag or towel, removing most of the water.

3.    Clean and Inspect Fork Seals: A clean and dry bike is almost ready to be put away properly. But what about your fork seals? One of the most neglected part of any mountain bike, your fork seals need a quick wipe down paying specific attention to removing most or all of the excessive dirt and mud. This will allow them to last longer and make your fork feel better.

At this point, your bike has been washed, dried, and you have checked your fork seals to make sure there is no excess dirt or mud. Your bike is now ready to be stored. Before your next ride, be sure to complete the following two steps:

4.    Lube and Clean Chain: Your chain should always have a sufficient amount of lubricant on it before you head out for any ride. To make sure of this, lightly apply your favorite brand of lube to your chain, which had been cleaned after your last ride. It is important to add a bit of lube and allow the lube to sink into the chain. After the lube has been disperse into the chain, clean off the excess with a rag or towel. By lubing your chain and removing the excess lube, you will also be removing any dried dirt from your last ride. This can help to add 15%-20% more life to your chain.

5.    Check Tire and Suspension Pressure: If your riding hard pack trails or deep muddy Mt Seymour laps, tire and suspension pressure can make a big difference in your rude quality. If you are new to riding, or have not played with your suspension and tire pressure settings much, you may also be unaware if the pressure is not set at the optimum level.  If you are unsure of what your suspension and tires should be set at, check with the manufacturer or call your local shop.

By following these 5 steps to post ride bike maintenance, you’re sure to have your bike last longer and ride smoother. You’ll also be ready to ride when your buddy calls at the last second for  a shuttle on your favorite trail.

Chris Brown

Loonar Enduro

Squamish Loonar Enduro

Not the way the way you want to start a 6 hour race with no lights.Except a petzl headlamp.I was going to bag it.I didn't want to hammer for hours and hours only to get beat, because I didn't have proper lights.

I started and decided to go as hard as I could while it was still light out and make all my time in the daylight, even though it got dark a few hours in.I had a bit of a down point at the 2 hour mark.I took a small break and had a peanut butter sandwich quickly.I led right from the start but a few two man teams passed me, but I kept my lead in the solo.

After 3 hours I saw Mike Carney at the start finish line. Mike was a downhill ski racer in the 1988 Calgary Olympics, so I was pretty stoked when he lent me his head light on the next lap.I didn't know how long it would last.

I now had a 2 minute lead on John, then 1 minute and he eventually caught me on the false flat section.It was right around the 5 hour mark.I immediately jammed in the big ring and didn't look back.The course was getting wet and slick from the pouring rain.As my one and only light faded into the night as I crossed the line for the victory.

15 laps
125 km
5600 feet of climbing
6 hour enduro



















Story: Andy Traslin

North Shore's Gabe Fox | Devinci

Gabe Fox for International Sales & Marketing- Devinci, the producer of Canadian hand crafted bicycles from Quebec, has hired Gabe Fox for International Sales & Marketing in the mountain bike sector.

Gabe comes with over 15 years of bicycle industry experience in sales and marketing. As Cycles Devinci’s newest member, Fox will be responsible for everything from International Sales to Global Mountain Bike Marketing.

Cycles Devinci Marketing Manager David Régnier-Bourque stated: "We're so excited to work with someone who shares the same vision for the company! Cycles Devinci will be pushing hard this year with the introduction of the new Split Pivot suspension platform, and Gabe will be an asset in achieving all of our goals."

The production of the new Spilt Pivot bikes has started in our Chicoutimi Quebec facility with delivery slated for late 2010. The addition of new staff is a key part of the expected growth and will definitely help us move in the right direction.

"Gabe has some great ideas and I am excited about the future of Devinci", said Sales Director Max Lamirande. "His main objective at Devinci will be to take our Canadian based renowned brand and place it at the same level internationally.”

“I am really excited to be part of such a strong team. We share the same visions and it is amazing to see such a great facility in Canada producing bikes, it is very impressive. They have every detail covered in house,” stated Fox.

The move comes as Cycles Devinci is making a push on the international market. Interest has grown after the global launch of the Split Pivot product at Interbike last September.

The Sum Of All Things

What does it mean when we toss about this term, "epic"? It can be used pretty loosely. Was shot-gunning that beer really epic? ...maybe that wasn't a good example. Anyhow, being pegged to the North Shore mountains for so long, I felt like I had put myself on some sort of house arrest. This year would be different. This year would be epic!

It doesn't mean that we don't still do epic rides on the Shore. The Summer Hummer is for sure epic! But I was out to conquer some of these so called epic rides I hear everyone else talking about.

There was an epic ride that was planned between friends. The excitement juices were flowing. There was pre-ride prep, the day off work, we were pumped!! But, then the bad news came that the person leading the ride couldn't make it anymore. We were lost, frustrated, and stoked! Dan and I didn't let this get us down. We were set to crank out some epic miles. So we stirred up our own plan of action!

We got up early, and set off on the highway... for coffee! I believe that every good ride starts with a coffee, and a good one! Okay, sometimes in the wee hours of the morning Tim Ho's is your one stop shop. We also loaded our Dakine bags with a foot of get'er done in the form of Subway. There were some other food items packed to keep us going!

We must have chosen one of the best days of the year to ride. It was a blue-bird day! The sun was out, and it wasn't too warm. We made sure the bikes were in working order and set off.

We had a long haul on our hands,(check the epic list) with a lot of climbing. I had my work cut out for me to keep up with Dan on his Santa Cruz Blur LT Carbon, on my Nomad. We kept a steady pace, but its no race. We're riding to have fun and not burn out.

We had a couple close calls on the mission, as some people coming down the road, that we were struggling up, made sure to mention that we might consider turning around. I think we charmed them enough, as were definitely didn't turn around. We weren't missing out on this ride!

Having good company can make the long haul way less painful, and a lot of fun! Its so good to get out and enjoy a big ride like this with good people, and friends. There's not much else like it!

The views were incredible that day, without a cloud to hide from, mother nature was on display from all angles.

With all there is to take in, its still a challenge. We were riding in our granny ring's pretty much the entire ride. But, its the challenge that brings excitement and the motivation to take it on. I especially like the challenge of trying to climb tough sections, and push on. The same goes for the descent, what we all look forward to!

Dan and I hammered all the way to the Peak of Whistler! Not, Garbonzo, THE Peak! It was awesome to know that we started at the parking lot, and propelled ourselves to the very top of a mountain, under our own power... and we didn't pay to ride! HA!

What's that in the background?....

All our hard work payed off. Just to see where we were and what was around us was impressive. I was stoked! We were on top of everything!

We cracked the ceremonial beers at the top, a must! After all we earned it! Maybe Granville Island Brewery will toss some sponsorship dollars our way...

We found our way to the trail head. We had to ride down some rough sections of what you could call a trail, avoiding lose rocks all over the place. Then we found ourselves on about a 45 degree slope that looked like the run into to an Olympic ski jump! The potent smell of disc brake pad was in the air as we got ourselves to a safely rideable section just above the trail head. We made it! Woooo! we were pumped to pin it! We rode three awesome trails, with nothing but memorable moments, and hollering on the way down. It was awesome we even had to repel down a rope. The descent was Epic!!

We had no choice but to refuel at the bottom, and the best way I know of to get energy back in ya was a pitcher of fresh cold beer! We took in the ride, the food, the refreshments, and the view from the Southside Diner in Creekside before pedalling back to where we parked. Not, bad so something that wasn't supposed to work out.
Yup, we had an epic ride! But, you can't just pinpoint the descent or how long it took to claim epicness. Its the sum of all things. The three hours sleep the night before, the laughs, the close calls, the views, the manuvers, the great company. It all adds up to an experience to talk about for seasons to come, and it keeps you coming back for more.
Tomorrow should be even better ;)

-Scott

Cross on the Rock #3: CROSSTOBERFEST

16 women - a record start for Cross on the Rock

Another fantastic turnout and great weather for this weekend’s Crosstoberfest in Duncan. The women's start line held sixteen riders, all anticipating the twisty turny, hay bale jumping and pumpkin maze riding course at Providence Farm. Right off the start, which was a straight away gravel road, I tried to jump up front, and avoid the cluster !(&(@ as we entered the woods. It worked well, as I was able to hop over the three bales in our path unscathed, and find a rhythm. I am learning heaps and mounds from previous races, firstly, that a strong start is a must to avoid the shmozzle at the first turn or jump! Unfortunately though, the Berg sisters and co. had already created a gap after the first minute. I found myself tight roping with good friend, Kristenn Magusson to catch those ahead of us through the first four laps. Great course, loved the technical components that allowed me to make up time on some of the roadies ahead of me. I had no problem with the log jumps and the hills, only the turns, which were somewhat reminiscent of Rob’s Corners at the Test of Metal. The grassy turns seemed to swallow any speed I had established, (and took my back tire out least five times).  There were other nasties too; the tractor scoop corner on gravel became more slippery with each lap, the hay in the bales ate a few derailleurs, and the roots in the pumpkin maze jumped out at you like little goblins. Despite the nasty obstacles, I was feeling fantastic, shouting out at Kristenn to make a pass, or watch out for a hairpin turn, as I hung on to her wheel. We moved up to fourth place, mid-race, passing a Team Sask rider, but could not hold on to the position for long as she fought us back. The battle seemed to wear Kristenn out as she started to fall off her pace, I took the opportunity to pass her as her energy faltered. I was ecstatic that my mounts and dismounts had improved 100% from the Kona Cup and I decided to give it all through the remaining laps to finish strong in fifth place. Looking back at the race, my time in relation to the lead pack improved immensely, but I realized that I need to work on cornering for the next race in Victoria.

Justin trying to hold off his mountain biking buddy Billy Mac

Justin’s race was a “whole nother story”!! starting with a 12 pack of tasty little stubbies called Mickeys, the night before.  (Okay so we don’t get an evening baby sitter often).  Regretting his indulgences of the past night I dragged him out of bed, half drunk to get a move on for our 45 min drive to Duncan.  He felt like @#$, but I knew his race wasn’t until 2, so he’d have a bit of sunshine to dry out in. The Masters Mens race is the largest field with about 40 competitors on average, and there were several racers on the start line with fancy bikes, kits and nose strips to boot. I don’t know if he was worried, but I was glad he had the sunshine green Steed kit on, as its easy for our two year old to spot, and cheer daddy on, with all his gusto!! Justin of course, jumped with the horn, and lead the pack down the gravel into the woods for the first half lap. I was a bit worried as he hadn’t created a gap, and by the time second lap rolled by, a buddy, Bill MacMillan, passed him on his mountain bike. No shabby feat I must say!! (Great race Bill!) I think that this shook Justin up though, and after making the pass for the lead again, he never looked back. Ten seconds, thirty seconds, fifty four seconds by the finish line... he steam rolled and tippy toed through the course with ease. A master plan?? maybe? I think they will definitely push him up to expert category for the next race.

Cross on the Rock: Kona Cup Race #2

Justin leading the charge in the Masters Category




"Water...Gasp...Water" - I wish it was fashionable to wear a camelback in cross, or even mount a water bottle cage. Thanksgiving Monday's Kona Cup hosted in Nanaimo's Bowen Park was a fantastic way to overcome our Sunday night Turkey dinner hangovers. The course was fast and scary, highlighted by two considerable sand pits. Cyclocross racing has become quite the family affair for us. Our Honda FIT lived up to its name as we packed it full of two babies, double stroller, snacks, toys, breast pump, two Giant TCX cross bikes and all our kit. I've never had a strong pre-race warmup ritual, but having two kids has basically eliminated it all together, unless you consider breast feeding, and speed diaper changes effective warm-up. Personally I still think it beats warming on a trainer. My race started slowly, and mid-way through the first lap I was running 8th place in the women's category. Despite my efforts to pre-ride and practice my transitions, I struggled miserably in the sand, and continued to lose any hard-earned efforts I gained on the climb with sloppy transitions. To make matters worse I ran into the back wheel of the lady ahead of me, and stuffed my new SRAM RIVAL shifters full of sand. Struggling with my left pedal, it seemed like it took me half the race just to settle down. Finally getting the course under control, I started to regain my confidence and composure and managed to pick off 3 riders on the last two laps to finish 4th overall. The top 3 were minutes ahead, those speedy Berg sisters. Anyways, lots of lessons learned and despite my issues I loved the fit and ride of my new 2011 Giant TCX womens edition bike.

The future of cyclocross


Justin's race went a little smoother (to say it mildly), racing in a field of 36 masters racers including the surprise appearance of a less than healthy Norm Thibault, who pulled triple duty as race organizer, parent and racer. Justin decided to start a little harder than Comox and led coming out of the climb. He was briefly passed going into the first sandpit, but aggressively shouldered past his challenger in the sand corner and continued to keep his competition behind him for his 7 lap, 47 minute victory. The nearest competitor (Brian Griffin/Team Alliance) finished over 2 minutes behind him. For his efforts he was rewarded with a promotion to the expert category. Looks like his days at the front of the pack are over for now. Proud but tired Papa at the end of the race

Overall fantastic day with the family. Chase loved playing in the fall leaves. We're looking forward to next weekend's race in Duncan. Gotta love Island cross racing.

Carey Sather

:Hawaii

Tough day on the course! Managed an 11 hrs 9 min...with literally blowing up on the run. I accidentally left my salt tabs in transition,and realised on the run, I didn't have them, so, all the water I consumed just absorbed in my tissues- so, when I finished, the handlers thought I looked "puffy",so, brought me to the Med tent- and then I was promptly weighed- gained 13.8 pds! More than 10 percent of my body weight- ...no wonder i felt "fat" running!, anyway, they woulddn't let me leave until I consumed salt and peed twice, plus, I could'nt go to bed until I lost some of the weight I had gained- that was OK..stayed and watched the Midnight finishers! - so, the aftermath today, I need to consume salt- and lose some of the fluid- so, far so good- ...:)
So, happy they didn't notice "puffy" on the course and hauled me off!- glad I finished before finding out my diagnoses- hypotrenemia- dangerously low sodium blood level-

Great tough day for all the finishers! Hawaii is awesome :) and thx for the wishes and support!
Time to pack up the bike....
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My New Giant TCX Advanced SL!

Riding my new TCX Carbon at the New Brighton BC Cup Race.
Photo-John Irvine

As luck would have it, the rain hasn't fallen on one of the first three BC Cup Cyclocross races this season (looks like tomorrow's race will be torrential though). I am fully ready for the axle deep mud bogs and crusted mud-in-the-eyes. This past weekend was the second and third races at New Brighton Park and Vanier Park. I am on a role of second place finishes which I am partially ecstatic about, however, after three second place finishes, I am starting to wonder what I need to do to win!? This new bike I have leaves me with no excuses in the hardware department! I better get training and study the tactics book some more...

Dream CX machine at 16.18 pounds, race ready.

My new TCX SL Advanced is not only a beautiful thing to look at but is amazing to ride. I knew it was going to be an improvement over the former aluminum TCX from last year but you should feel this thing accelerate. When you step on the gas, there is no flex in the bottom bracket, and direct power to the rear wheel moving you forward like the A-Team van through a brick wall.

The integrated carbon seat mast smooths out the bumps

The integrated seat mast absorbs much more of the rough terrain on the cross course and eliminates the potential for a slipping seat post. Sounds like a joke but it happens all the time on a cross bike. I went with the WTB Siverado saddle with ti-rail and genuine leather cover. I find with all the dismounting and re-mounting in 'cross a slightly wider saddle is a requirement rather than a bonus. I also have a Silverado on my mountain and road bike, and that seat fits!

Internal cable routing. Just look at the smooth lines of this frame!

One of my favorite features of the TCX in the looks department, is the internal cable routing. On a cyclocross bike you tend to pick it up and run with it a fair amount. You either carry it by the top tube or the downtube and often the cables get in the way and scratch up the paint. With the internal cable routing you also can clean the bike more efficiently and wipe it down with ease. Love it.

Rear brake cable flows through the seat tube, on the integrated seat mast frame.

Often on cyclocross rigs, I find the rear brake feels crunchy after a few rides in the rain and mud. With the internal cable routing the friction is reduced dramatically. As well, with the cable inside the frame it's hidden from the elements and stays out of trouble.

Avid Shorty Ultimate Brakes. Yup, the Ultimate.

A big surprise for this season was the new Avid Shorty Ultimate cantilever brake. SRAM really added a great new brake to the line up. Ok, you're probably thinking I am joking when I use cantilever and new in the same sentence, but they are truely impressive. The spring tension is infinitely adjustable for everything from light action to monster snappy lever return. The brakes themselves have two positions per side, so you can run them wide open for mud clearance or nice and tight to the frame for streamlined style, and max calf clearance. As an added feature they also sport a small very usable barrel adjuster on one side of the straddle cable that allows for a quick tension adjust in a flash. They are $125 per brake though, so at this price they had better be as good as their hydraulic disc brake cousins, starting as similar price!

SRAM Red shifter / brake levers. More carbon...

Making the decision on Shimano vs. SRAM was actually pretty hard for me this time around. I have Dura-ace on my road bike and really like it. For the last few years I have had SRAM Force on my 'cross bikes and former road bikes... I really like the smooth flowing feel of the Shimano shifting but the SRAM shifting is super precise with short throws to the levers. In the end I decided on SRAM. Can't lose really anyway, they are both wickity-wick!

Ok, I know, why RED shifters and Force rear derailleur? ... no comment

Sram Red carbon cranks. BB-86

Super light and stiff SRAM Red cranks in 172.5mm in the native BB-86 set up. I am running compact gearing with a 38-46t ring set up which so far works out to stay in the 46 tooth ring all the time and span the entire 12-25 cassette throughout various sections of the race.

The current wheelset I have on the bike is last years Easton EC90 Aero carbon tubular wheels with Tufo Flexus Primus, 32mm tubular tires. If someone asked me what part of the bike I couldn't race without, it's tubulars. If you don't know what a tubular is, it is a tire and tube in one, glued to the wheel directly. You could say it's a bit crude, but they have been around for over 100 years, pretty much since bikes were invented. It's a bit of a secret it seems amongst cross racers, that if you have tubulars you have a gift in the corners; really it's just the wheels. With tubulars you are able to drop the tire pressure under 30psi, thus smoothing out the bumps and dropping into corners with ridiculous traction!

More internal cable routing- Get the coat hanger out and go fish- jokes!

Here is a shot of the BB shell and you can see how they manufactured the frame to have both the derailleur cables run inside the downtube and pop out to both the derailleurs. Again this keeps the cables clean and out of the way! I am sure it wasn't an easy move in production. I will admit though, it took some fishing around to get the cables through when I was building it up.

Well, it's Friday night so tomorrow must be cross racing! Have a good Thanksgiving!

-Kimbo

Transition

Bike's in Transition!
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Giants ready to go for Ironman

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Kohala Coast ..

Well the bike made it to Kona and thanks to Jordan's great packing..it was the bike got here safely and was relatively easy to assemble!

The ride up to the Kohala Coast was a challenge! The winds were Brutal! So, the bike had a pit stop on the way back to refuel at Starbucks:) thank God - I did that...lost the water bottle on the way back! It flew out the cage into the lava rocks..glad the cage is at the back!

Will send more updates as race week unfolds here in Kona!
Mahalo
Carolyn
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