Yesterdays post, Picking at Scabs, has drawn quite a few comments. I suspect that this is going to be a hot button subject for awhile to come. (No thanks in part to cyclingnews.com !) At any rate, there are other things to talk about and, ( believe it or not) rides to be done!
29" tire promises. Pipedreams? It seems that about every month I hear a rumor about some new 29" tire coming down the pipeline. Then months go by............hmmm....... No tires! So, forgive me if I seem a bit cynical. The latest rumors have it that Maxxis is coming out with two new treads. One based on the Advantage tread, and the other on the Cross Mark tread design. Panaracer is said to be in developement of a 2.3 inch wide "Rampage" treaded tire, which is supposed to be an all new, aggressive tire for both 26 and 29 inch tires. Kenda is said to be coming out with a Nevegal in a 29 inch size, although it's now reported that it will not be in the previously rumored size of 2.3, but something skinnier. (Dumb idea!) Time of delivery? Riiiggghhhtt! We'll let that go for now. When they are actually in shops for sale, I'll be excited then!
Small companies "weeding up" the market place: I find just about as many small start up 29" frame builders or sellers as I do tire rumors! Volcano, Mr. Bigg, and several from the North American Handmade Bicycle Show. It's crazy! Mountain Goat Route 29's are just days away from being out on the trail. Niner is still pumping out new models, with their "Zen" full suspension model on the way. The thing that this reminds me of is the late 80's/ early nineties "cottage industry" mtb companies. Remember all those old bikes? Will the same thing happen all over again with 29"ers? Could be. Once some of the other major companies like Specialized, or Giant decide to jump on this, it just might be deja vu for all of us! Hmm.......still missing all the purple anno!
New bikes, more training rides! I work at a shop where everyone is a Cannondale freak......except me. Not that I do not like them, I do! I just can't get my freak on for a company that doesn't do 29"ers. Maybe some day........? Anyway, the new rigs hitting the door at the shop for Kerkove and Buchanandale are pretty sweet. Of course that means that training rides and events are imminent. We are all itching to start logging miles on our new bikes!
Speaking of training...... If you are thinking, "I'd like to try a solo ultra endurance or 24hr race", then you need to check out Dave Harris' blogsite. He's got some great tips on what to do to prepare for your first event. What to expect from your training, all the way to the LeMans run, and what to do if you start seeing pink elephants! (I made that last part up!) Anyway, check it out, the info is found in a clickable heading in a sidebar on the left side of his blogpage under "Post Categories"
That's it for now! Have a great weekend, and get out and ride! (yes, that means you paddy and Dallas!)
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