Friday News And Views

SRAM X0 Trail Brake

Competition Improves The Breed: Yesterday SRAM released details on a new, light weight, four piston brake caliper and new lever aimed at "trail" riders. (Interpretation: "regular mountain bikers") The details can be seen here.

Interestingly, many riders seem to be poo-pooing SRAM for "playing catch up" to Shimano's XTR Trail brakes. I say it's just good competition.

SRAM is also doing a similar rear derailleur clutch as Shimano for the rear cage to help prevent tossed chains on 1X and 2X set ups. This is just all good stuff for riders whether you use Shimano or SRAM and no matter who was "first" and who is "copying" whom.

Now what I'd like to see is SRAM do something to address their less than stellar modulation. It is "okay", but if you've used Magura, Hope, or Shimano's latest Ice Tech brakes, you know SRAM isn't really that good in this department.

You gotta hand it to SRAM though, they have pushed Shimano to be better, and now it would seem the favor has been returned. The winners in all of this are the riders who get to benefit from the competition and the better products they have produced.

Sea Otter is usually SRAM's big stage to introduce the newest technologies they have been working on. I expect this Sea Otter to be rather interesting. Twenty Nine Inches will have a representative there, so any news coming from Sea Otter that shakes my world will get covered here as well.

Pre-Race Meat-Up Details: Yesterday I traveled to Grinnell, Iowa, the site for the start of T.I.V8, and sewed up details for the Pre-Race Meat-Up to be held at the Grinnell Steakhouse.

The event will be mandatory for Trans Iowa racers. On April 27th, starting at 4pm, the doors to the Pre-Race Meat-Up will open and riders can check in with me, get started grillin' their grub, and chatting with fellow racers. Eat up quick because by 6:30pm we'll be wrapping things up in the dining area and retiring to the meeting room for a showing of the film, "300 Miles of Gravel" by Jeff Frings.

The film is about a half an hour in length, so by 7:30-ish we'll be starting a brief Pre-Race meeting and then Rider Call Up will end the gathering, after which you'll be free to bug out. I expect that to end about 8:00-ish.

So, to recap:

• Doors open for Check In and eating at 4:00pm, Friday April 27th at The Grinnell Steakhouse
• Eating should be done by 6:30pm- No rider check ins after this time! If you miss the check in, you do not race.
• At 7:00pm there will be a brief welcome, introductions, and then the showing of the film, "300 Miles of Gravel" by Jeff Frings.
• 7:30-ish: Pre Race details and Rider Call Up. 
• 8:00-ish Pre-Race Meat-Up will end.

Then there will be an Oakley Swap Special at Bikes To You located at 921 Broad Street, (where T.I.V8 will start) which will go on until 10pm Friday night. The shop is also a great place to pick up any last minute essentials you may have forgotten to bring like tubes, patch kits, derailluer cables, etc.

I'll have more on this at a later date.

Okay folks, that's it for today. Have a great weekend and ride yer bikes!