So.....What's Next?

Okay, June is shot, so what's next? Plenty! That's what! Here are some things that I will be focusing on in the immediate future.....

Getting Torqued Off: I have recently received a "D-Torq" wrench from Topeak to check out for The Cyclist  and Twenty Nine Inches. With the high tech gizmos and ultra-lightweight bits and pieces we are playing with on our bicycles these days, it is becoming more and more imperative that we pay attention to proper torque on fasteners. I've been reading about stem/steer tube failures, and other cracked bits and snapped parts. Maybe some of this could have been prevented by applying proper torque protocol, maybe not, but we really should be doing our part where we can. I'll be writing up some posts which I'll link to later. These posts will focus on proper torque wrench use and the D-Torq in particular.

The Tale Of The Tape: I also have a proper Velocity approved rim tape and valve stem kit for the P-35 rims I have on test at Twenty Nine Inches. Once I get this kit installed and ridden, I'll be doing a write up on the strips, stems, and a final review on the wheels/rims.

DynaSys XT 10 speed: I also have a DynaSys 10 speed group that is starting to show up at the shop. It will be put on a test sled and flogged within an inch of its life and then I will put up the results here and on the sites.

10 speed mtb stuff has a lot of folks questioning things, bemoaning another standard, and drooling, depending upon who you are and your point of view. I am not a fan going in, but I have talked to the principals involved in the testing of this group and I have delved into the Shimano marketing pool to see what is up with this stuff. We'll see. So far, the group shows some very meticulous engineering and manufacturing prowess, so I am expecting a lot from this move to 10 speed. 

When The Scout Comes In: Hopefully soon I will be swapping over some single speed parts onto one of these Origin 8 Scout 29 frames. I've reserved one to get in and check out which I will also be doing a review on for Twenty Nine Inches. This frame features revised clearances from the original steel Scout 29"er and still retains the super-short chain stays. I'll have to see how those short chain stays work out on our trails here.

Guitar Ted Death Ride Invitational: My annual, stupid-long, crazy hilly, in the hottest time of the year, gravel grinder is coming up soon. Check out the details here.  I have to double check the course out, but we'll be doing the same loop as last year which will be 118 miles of loopy, crazy gravel roads with a total elevation gain just six feet shy of 10,000 feet. If you add in the climb back into the campground, it easily goes over that figure! We'll be camping out afterwards too, so plan on staying late. Unfortunately, this falls on the same date as the Ponca 155 in Nebraska, so I doubt we'll be seeing any of the Lincoln crew, but I'm sure they'll have a great ride over there. One of these days I'd like to do that one!

And I am sure I am missing some other details of the summer which have slipped my mind. This is going to make summer feel very short!