Mountain Biking

Woodward West Race Report

I always look forward to the Woodward West race. The venue is so much different than the Fontana race and that is quite refreshing. This year was different, I usually go to Woodward for the entire weekend, not this time. I got up at 4:00 am and headed to Tehachapi to be there as soon as practice started.

As I arrived, the temperature was quite cold but I was eager to get on the course so I could dial in the Airborne Taka and get familiar with the course. After my first run, I came back down and adjusted the Taka a bit. The course was tacky with sweep turns, a couple of jumps and an off-camber turn. I managed to squeeze in a couple of more practice runs, but I felt that it was not enough. Oh well.

I felt good on my first run, I didn’t make any mistakes and that yielded me a decent time. I was only 15 seconds from first place. After a long wait for my second run (unfortunately someone got injured), I felt a little stiff and tired. This showed during my second run, I wobbled off the start and almost ate it. I regained composure but I raced a bit more cautious.

I ended up 6th and I was quite pleased with my results. I was also very happy with the Airborne Taka; this type of course really suited its quick steering and pedaling capabilities. Next Race: May 21st @ Fontana.

I really want to thank my sponsors: Airborne Bicycles, VIP energy Mix, Evomo, The Sweet Cakery, Serfas Optics, DirtyDogMTB and Ergon.

The Fullerton Loop Trail guide

I just posted a Trail guide of the Fullerton Loop.

Click on the following link: http://www.thefullertonloop.com/2011/04/07/fullerton-loop-trail-guide/

Airborne Ranger and racing the Airborne Taka

I’m extremely excited to announce that Team MtnBikeRiders.com is sponsored by Airborne Bicycles. That makes this Bike Geek an Airborne Ranger!

I will be racing the Airborne Taka, a 8″ Freeride/Downhill bike for the remaining of the year. The Taka is a very affordable Downhill bicycle, it sells for $1,399.95 at GiantNerd.com. The Taka is decently spec’d, featuring a Marzocchi 888 fork, Kore Stem and handlebars, WTB rims, Avid Brakes and SRAM shifters/derailleurs.

My first race was a couple of weeks ago at Fontana, this was the first race of the Golden State DH series. The bikes arrived the Friday before the race weekend so that meant I had to setup the bike and get used to it during my practice runs. The first thing I noticed was how light the bike was, I was used to riding the KHS DH200 which weighs 49lbs, the Taka weighed in at 42lbs.

Handling the Airborne Taka took a little more finesse than I’m used to, the bike is really responsive and it corners very well. The Marzocchi Suspension on the Taka is awesome, the team was lucky that Marzocchi was at the Race venue and they were more than happy to help us set up the bikes. The Avid Brakes held up very well, the stopping power is more than sufficient. Although I’m a Shimano guy, the SRAM shifters and derailleurs did the job they just needed a little fine tuning out of the box.

I’m really impressed with the Airborne Taka, I look forward to keep racing it. Next stop: Woodward West!

Stuff for sale at Bicyclebids.com

Check out some of the stuff that is for sale at www.bicyclebids.com:

A vintage Pinarello Fork, hard to find!

Brand new SunRingle Drift 2.1 wheelset with brand new tires.

Hardly used Shimano Saint Cranks with a BlackSpire chainring.

KHS Team Alite Frame with RockShox SID Race fork

Jamis Diablo 1.0 Frame with a brand new Marzocchi 66 RCV Fork

Kind Shock KSP-851 adjustable seatpost=Fail

I was going to post a first impression on this adjustable seatpost last Friday, but I decided to wait after Saturday’s race to do this write up. I first rode with the KSP-851 for 5 miles last Friday. I wanted to get used to how it worked and wanted to make sure that it was what I really wanted for my SuperD machine.

During the five mile ride, I tested the seatpost’s multiple positions. It worked OK, it had a few glitches but I thought that it was because I needed to “break it in”. Some of the glitches included the seatpost getting briefly stuck on either the up or down position and the seatpost also “adjusting” itself during the ride.

Let’s forward to Saturday’s SuperD race, the course was 98% downhill with a couple of small uphill sections. I placed the seatpost on its lowest setting for the start of the race. As I reached the uphill section, I reached for the remote so the seatpost would go up and I would start climbing. I pushed on the remote’s lever and no luck, the seatpost did not move. I pushed it again, nothing… I actually stopped, dismounted the bike pushed on the lever AND pulled on the saddle to get it unstuck and NOTHING. Freaking thing would not budge.

So I ended up racing with the seatpost stuck on the downhill position the entire way. I guess it could have been worse and the seatpost would have gotten stuck on the up position instead. Needless to say, I’m very disappointed, although the KSP-851 is the least expensive adjustable seatpost in the market, at $81.00 is still not cheap. Now let’s see if I can get my money back.