Race: Tour De Tykes

Fun Stuff!

The weekend started out normal enough, bolting out of work like a child on the first day of summer and screaming yippy all the way to the car. Once we were all packed Heather and I headed north for the Tour De Tykes in Danville PA directly behind Geisinger Hospital. This was a race to benefit the Children’s Miracle Network at the Janet Wise Children’s Hospital. I must admit that I was looking at this race as an opportunity to do something charitable and to train for the later season.

It was a quick trip 2 hours later and we were in my parent’s driveway. And though they were not going to be there for the weekend (they were visiting my new niece) we deiced that we would stay there. We could do this because we have a key! Yes, we have a key that we had left in Maryland. Oh well, we thought a night at the grandparents house will not be bad at all, it will be a wonderful opportunity to visit for the night and good food too.

After a night spent awake, partly because I am anxious by nature, and partly due to the 90 + year old grandfather clock chiming the Westminster chimes every 15, 30, and a full on version at 60 minutes and a great breakfast we were on the road to Danville.

Pulling into the lot was a surprise for me. There were a ton of folks riding and watching this one. I pulled in swerving to miss small kids on bikes and adults on foot, I found a spot and picked up my number and swag. A quick change of cloths and some checking over of my bike I was ready to go and after some warming up so too where the rest of the racers.

At the start racers exchanged pleasantries and talked of the fun climbs ahead, and then, it started. The first thing that shocked me was that I was suddenly not nervous at all and the second thing was the steep climb that had just smacked me in my face. The field of sport racers quickly pulled away but I just picked a steady pace that I wanted to maintain for this race, after all this was more training than racing. This decision to hold back in the beginning was both a blessing and a curse. It was a blessing because I didn’t explode before the race ended, and a curse because I was unaware that there would be almost no place except the first .25 mile to pass. Lack of fitness? I am not convinced that is that was the cause of my finishing time, I think it was a lack of experience and no pre-ride that got me on this one, I just simply couldn’t pass later on. But enough of the excuses, lets talk course.

Generally the course was extremely smooth with some technical and rocky up/down hills. What made this course tough was the narrowness of the single track, extremely tight turns, and steep climbs that put you within kissing range of your headset.

Climb, climb, climb, around every turn there was more climbing. Then an all too short steep and off camber down hill that would make one hair raising turn after another, and just when you thought you had it licked with out warning a sudden dip and then a climb so steep that the line of single speeders in front of me stopped like a train wreck, crunched up like an accordion. Later on the same scenario, I and another 29er guy riding down a steep descent, sharp right, sharp left, Pine tree, CLIMB! And like a slow motion video I could see the climb coming at me but there was no time to shift. One pedal stroke, two pedal strokes, right calf cramp, left calf cramp, unclipping, running. At the top the other 29er guy looks at me, and I at him. “Caught with our pants down (pause). In terms of gears I mean,” he says. I laugh, “this is where a pre ride woulda’ helped.”

Further on, climbing up the trail, negotiating the sharp up hill corners, through a patch of pines and I can hear the music. The end is near, and as soon as it seemed to begin, it ended.

After 3500 feet of vertical climbing over just 13.5 miles I felt like I could have gone for the 18.5 mile race, but I was satisfied with my performance and feeling the gains from that race in my riding now. At 1:53:16 and 7th out of twelve riders (20 mins back from 1st) I can honestly say that I think with some more experience I could have done better. I also notice that I was able to pass climbing but was unsure on the down hills. Given this I think that if I practice my descents more and could stop holding back so much I might do much better next time. An excuse or the truth? Only time will tell.

Next race, On the Rocks at French Creek May 8th!

Jesse Suders

Ramble Around Prattsburgh

First I thought I'd let you know how I tried to get into shape for the race, secret training. I left Wellsboro and headed to Pittsburgh for a flight to California to see my grandson-Finn, daughters- Teri and Serena, and son-in-law Chad. I stayed in Pittsburgh for a couple days with John Majors and we got a couple of rides in, both days it rained on us but we had a good time anyway. I was sure it would be warmer in CA. so I left my cold weather gear at John's place. Not a good idea as it struggled to get into the low 60's just about every day with a cool wind blowing off the ocean. I keep an old mountain bike in San Deigo so I have something to ride while I'm there, not as fun as riding my cross bike, but it gets me around. Chad came home from work on Wed. told me a couple of co-workers rode their bikes to work and one of them, Stephane B had a spare road bike he would let me use if it fit me. Stephane and Sage invited me on their Sat. morning group ride and I accepted their offer but let them know I wasn't in real good shape and might not be able to keep up on the climbs. As it turned out, I was right. They were very gracious and waited at the top of every climb and I apologized for being so slow and they said it wasn't a problem that I was doing fine. The ride was supposed to be around 50 miles but turned out to be 38, I'm sure I was the reason for the mileage being less but we had a good ride. I want to thank the group, Stephane B, for letting me use his spare bike and the ride on sunday up Solidad Mountain, Sage, Bill, Eric, and Stephane for allowing me to ride with them on their Sat. ride.




NOW, back to the Ramble Around Prattsburgh. I did this race two years ago and really enjoyed the race course, missed last year because of shoulder surgery and was really looking forward to this year. I talked John Majors into driving up from Pittsburgh to do this race and told him he would really enjoy this one. I was right, we both did. The weather was cool cloudy and wet and made for a real good day for racing. The start was at 1:00 PM and took a differnt way than last two years making a loop around the town, down the main street, up the hill out on route 53 about 2 miles, making a right at the top of the hill in to some real nice single track with alot of twisting turns down hill, some real muddy spots, one of which I lost control and sliding laid my bike and left knee firmly into the ground, leaving me muddy and with a little less skin than I had when I started. No serious damage to bike or body just my confidence. Back on the bike I decided to be a little more cautious as I still had about 30 miles to go. Out on the road it seemed no matter which direction I pointed my nose the wind was blowing into my face which made it feel like I was pedaling in mud, oh it was mud. Around 25 miles in I was having alot of shifting problems as my drive train was caked with mud. First the chain came off and wedged between the frame and the cassette, lost a few minutes there and about 1 mile from the finish it locked up again, and I used two water bottles to clean the mud out of the cassette and continue through the last section of single track and on to the finish. Thanks to all the people working out on the course and all the people who help put this race together. I can only speak for myself and John, but we had a great time, looking forward to next year. I finished 62nd, John 44th out of 93, not great but good enough for me. Oh by the way alot of people were asking where Tom and the rest of the Mansfield crew was. I told every one you guys would be there. I figured you must of had car trouble.

THE MOVING FINGER WRITES; HAVING WRIT MOVES ON.

For those who like to Travel: Frederick County, Maryland

Frederick County, Maryland

When you think Maryland, you might have images of clogged streets, sprawling cities, and a lack of natural beauty. I too was drawn to those thoughts when I first moved to Maryland. And while there is some of that stuff listed above, there is also an abundance of beautiful things that can be seen from a bike, on a hike, or from some other form of transportation.

The gem I wish to discuss is Frederick County, MD. While containing one of the largest cities in Maryland, Frederick City, the county remains mostly agricultural. This offers up some wonderful rolling views that no camera can do justice to and many peaceful low traffic roads running through fields, wooded areas, residential areas, and over moderate to steep climbs/descents.

While Maryland is thought to be generally flat, Frederick County offers the opposite. A mostly rolling terrain with several very steep climbs on roads like Hamburg RD, Coxey Brown RD, and MT. Zion RD to name some of the better known.

As with any area there will come time when you might have to ride on a busy road, or cross one which has traffic that riders might find intimidating, but it is fairly easy to tie a series of roads together that have little traffic and a variety of terrains to keep your nerves at ease and you legs challenged.

You might be thinking that this sounds great, but you could experience this type of riding anywhere. To that, I would have to agree. However, it is the abundance of things to do and see that have moved me to write this entry.

Frederick, a historic city with some of the best rated restaurants in Maryland (i.e. the Volt Restaurant), can act as a hub for those looking to travel during the day, and rest comfortably at night. If you prefer rustic, then one of the many campgrounds might suffice.

From Frederick you can travel to places near by to ride. Such as Gambrill State Park for a mountain bike excursion, or hop on you road bike and loop your way through the farm country over to Point of Rocks MD. Possibly even over the bridge to Virginia and West Virginia for some awesome hills and wonderful country roads. In the evening you could travel to one of the many historic battle fields or down to Washington D.C. to see the memorials and Cherry blossoms.

If rail trail or hiking is more your style then you could consider a visit to the C&O Canal. This 184.5 mile trail runs from D.C. to Cumberland Maryland, where it connects up to the Allegheny Extension leading to Pittsburgh. At rail road grade there is almost no elevation gain or loss and has locks and towns along the way that offer photo opportunities and an education. You could even go all the way to historic Harpers Ferry!

Still not your thing? Then e-mail me with your ideas and I will try to find something that fits and is near Frederick or some other awesome town around the Mid-Atlantic!

Close by attractions include:

Gambrill State Park
The Frederick Water Shed
Cunningham Falls State Park
Catoctin National Park
The C&O Canal
George Washington National Forest
Washington D.C.
The Baltimore Aquarium
The Chesapeake Bay, with lot and lots of National Wildlife Refuge areas

There is a lot more off to the eastern coast and to the west in West Virginia. And of course, I can not forget to mention the north, Pennsylvania, in areas like Michaux State Forest. I hope to post on these and more soon!

May your travels be safe and fun!

Later,

Jesse Suders

Scott Scale 29er review

Scott Scale 29er review

I recently purchased the Scott Scale 29er at Oswald Cycle Works. Starting out it is important to note that I tested many other bikes from other manufactures and several variations of a good thing, the 29 inch wheel, even a 29er unicycle.

What I was looking for in a bike was a component group that offered the most of this years trickle down effect while remaining durable and that won’t hurt my wallet too bad in the case of part replacement. I wanted to avoid carbon on any part of the bike because of the areas that I ride in Maryland and Southern Pennsylvania (tight trails and a lot of rock gardens).

Also, I wanted something that came with the new Reba SL Dual Air shock. Really, at this level I felt that the decision between Fox and Rock Shox was based on whom you want to thumb your nose at. Cost really didn’t play a factor here as I found similarly equipped bikes with a Fox forks at the same price.

On the flats:

The locked out fork and hard tail offer you maximum efficiency and the 29er wheels make each pedal stroke feel worth it. The Shimano Deore cockpit makes shifting easy with the 2 way release levers, no matter what strange position I found my hands in I was always able to make that critical shift when necessary. Though, I did find that I personally had to set my shifters in rather far to accommodate my wider hands and freakishly long thumbs. On the flats the bike responds well in tight cornering, even while pedaling through corners. The front wheel tracks where you put it and the rear wheel complies, providing strong forward and side to side traction. The Frame remains stiff and there is little movement when sprinting. Over obstacles the bike does well, the bottom bracket is high enough that it can handle obstacles of a foot in height with little effort, much higher and you will need some effort and skill. The larger wheels make log rolls and rock gardens seem like nothing. The Scale floats over tight rock gardens and is fairly nimble in rock gardens that are more spread out. Ramped up and down log rolls do feel strange and require some caution and change in technique, as you have a considerable higher center of gravity on a 29er.

What did you go over the mountain for?

Up hill this bike seems to pedal its self. Either that or I was so dehydrated when riding in the 90+ degree heat this week that it simply felt that way. But honestly, this bike flies up the hills, from paved road, to logging road, to steep rocky hill the front of the Scale stays on the ground and the rear wheel digs in. The frame complies with each pedal stroke and you simply move forward. While the larger wheels help with bumps and obstacles, if some quick twitchy maneuvers become necessary on an up hill climb you might be out of luck. Tight and sudden responsiveness is noticeable reduce when compared to a comparable 26er on steep technical climbs. However, I also found this reduction with other comparable 29ers.

Going down?

This is a cross country/marathon hard tail. While the Reba SL Dual Air remains obedient and works hard on rocky down hills the rear tends to be a bit jumpy, at times feeling like it is getting away from you. This can be helped with a strong core and training, but in reality this bike isn’t meant for long fast rock garden descents. In fast tight down hills the bike is much more responsive that while climbing similar terrain. The front tracks well, and the rear is very compliant. The Scale tends to respond to a change in body position or body pressure quickly, making for a fun fast time. The Elixir 5 hydraulic disc brakes help in forcing the bike into tight spots. The motion control technology that Rock Shox has included in the Reba really helps brake dive and other issues associated with the user.

Things to be prepared when buying this bike (in my opinion)

The first thing is that you will not want to stop riding, so remind yourself that there is a tomorrow. Second, the tires, Schwalbe Racing Ralph, are highly susceptible to side wall blow outs. If you ride in rocky or stick filled areas, use caution and plan on replacing them. Within five long rides on this bike I have blown out one and I am suspect that the other is going to make me go for a long walk this weekend. The last thing is that you will need to remind yourself that this is a cross-country/marathon bike, especially if you currently ride full suspension or all mountain bikes. As with any bike of this kind, you are sacrificing some ruggedness for a light and fast bike. On that note, the warranty that Scott provides with this frame is for 5 years, but it is conditional on the fact that you do regular maintenance and not abuse the bike otherwise it can be reduced to three years.

Conclusion

This is a bike that respects the rider. It will respond to you. If you buy it you will love it. Some people buy bikes and feel the need to upgrade components soon after, with this bike you will feel like you got you moneys worth. The only thing you will want to change is the saddle (because we are all different) and the tires (depending on where you ride). The fork is full adjustable to your liking from 100mm travel to 80mm, adjustable lockout flood gate, and rigidness.

Out of the eight bikes I tested, which fit my criteria, I bought this one (for whatever that’s worth!)

I give it a big shiny gold star!

Specifications at: http://www.scottusa.com/us_en/product/8280/45570/scale_29er

Ride Safe, Ride hard, Ride often
Ride for fun!

Later,

Jesse Suders