Gear review TSG Trailfox Mips helmet

Seaotter was pretty fun this year, I changed it up and rode the MTB tour. The helmet i was using was a middle/lower range giro XC helmet that i got on sale on line. The padding on the inside wasn’t the best but since i dont ride my mtb all the time i just lived with it. You can always tell the difference between the price of a 40$ piece of kit and a 140$ piece of kit and the trailfox it a fine example of that.

This helmet was just better than any trail/xc helmet I’ve worn, everything was just nicer and more comfortable and well built. The padding is nice and thick and comes with replacement pieces, it fit snug with a adjustment dial on back to get that custom fit locked in. The matte black color goes with any bike. The chin strap was easily adjustable and comfortable and the removable visor was and and big but not too big…

This is TSG’s top of the line enduro/trial helmet, its equipped with a MIPS liner. The MIPS liner is designed to reduce the amount of rotational force that may be transferred to the rider’s brain in certain oblique impacts. Which is quite helpful in MTB riding. The Large vents make this a very cool helmet to ride in too.

If your in the market for a really nice well fitting enduro helmet put the TSG Trailfox on your list. Check out TSG’s site for a full spec sheet. Thanks again to Buddy from TSG for sending me out this rad helmet and also some knee and elbow pads that ill be reviewing in a different post. I’ve been logging some miles in this kit and i can’t seem to find and complaints its a pretty sweet helmet. I beat the brakes off the a santa cruz hightower during demo day wearing a this gear and it all worked great! Look for a long term review on the helmet and a first review on the elbow and knee pads

Seaotter 2016 recap part 1

Well the seaotter has come and gone, this has become one of my favorite weekends of the year. I was camping out at Laguna Seca with my buddy Noah and a few other dudes that have been coming up year after year also. This being my fourth year i knew exactly what to expect, this year was a little different i had a bit more spending money in my pocket due to the chain reaction/ bicycle times contest that i won and received a weekend festival pass and entry fee which i used for the 20 mile MTB tour ride.

I had a blast riding with my buddy Noah even though i held him back on most of the climbs. W ended up splitting up after a long technical climb which he zipped right up. The ride was pretty fun it was a little bottlenecked at a few points in the beginning then the riders spread out. Their was a total of 3000′ of climbing over 20 miles and most of it single track technical climbs. Their was a nice rest stop/refueling station at about mile 11. I tend to cram up quite a bit but i was taking s-caps electrolyte pills every 30-40 min which actually worked great.

I finished the ride in just over 3 hours which was about middle of the pack, i did have to get off and walk a few times but i want alone. All in all it was a fun ride and id probably do it again. this was the first time i rode with a buddy the 2 times I did the grand fondo i rode solo, it was a great ride can’t wait till next year

Now to the good stuff! There was so much cool stuff this year i didn’t know where to start. So heres a chris king 40th anniversary santa cruz 5010, limited to only 40 bikes this had a custom chris king headset bottom bracket and hub set in a limited color, if you got an extra  $9k this bike can have a spot in your garage.

Keeping with the Santa Cruz theme this 1×11 Stigmata, shown here with color matching Slica frame and floor pump was a bargain at $6500. I was drooling over it the entire weekend…

One of the most versatile bikes Santa Cruz introduced a new model this year the High tower, capable of running either 29″ or 27.5+” wheels you can pretty much have two bike all you have to do is buy another set of rims, At $7700 you can justify it by making the argument that its technically 2 bikes, (cyclist logic)

Adventure/ gravel bikes were all the rage this year hers one that really caught my eye. The raleigh Stuntman is a tribute to the The 80’s tv show the Fall Guy. Starring Lee Majors as Colt Severs. This bike is the same color as his his 82′ GMC. With huge 29×2.1 meats this bike is built to shred, add a dropper post disc brakes and all the rack mount points you can think of and this bike is ready out of the box to do some damage.

Kona always come to party and this year was no different, i stopped by their tent to see what they had brought with them and low and behold kona had a couple carbon bikes with them. Known for aluminum and titanium and steel this is a big deal for them. Not only were they speced nice they also had a nice price tag a well. Per usually i had to take a shot of tequila and have a beer with them and talk bikes, they really now how to threaten me with a good time. The one bike that kinda stole the show was their steel road/cross like with exposed fillet brasing it looked rather nice.

I was pretty excited to see this bike in person , this is the open cycles UP (unbeaten path) with the option of running a 700×40 cx tire a 700×28 road tire or a 650×2.1 mtb tire this bike can go pretty much anywhere. They say the amount of bikes a cyclist wants is N+1, N being the amount you have and always wanting another, well i think open cycles may have just solved that equation or at least shortened it. If you have a chance to demo this bike In person don’t bring you wallet because you won’t leave with out it.

Ill be posting a few more of these seaotter recaps in the next couple weeks, for a 4 day event they pack a bunch of stuff in to it, f you have never been or never heard of it you should defiantly put it on your to do list

 

Seaotter classic 2016!

Its that time of year again, time for the Sea Otter classic. Four days and 3 night of all bike fun! If you are not familiar with the  seaotter its the larges bicycle festival in the world! With MTB races, downhill enduro and xc, road races and the first unofficial cross race of the year, and over 300 venders shows off all the new and hot bike stuff you can live with out.

This year I’m switching it up a bit. This is my 4th year of attending the seaotter and every year i have a blast. I did the 60 mile costal fondo the first 2 years and had a great time, minus the 2500′ climb in the last 2.5 miles, but this year ill be doing the 25 miles MTB tour, same amount of climbing but about 40 miles less. I wasn’t planning on riding in the tour this year but I won a weekend pass and an entry to a ride or race from the bicycle times/dirtrag  contest on Instagram and a camelbak KUDU 18 pack. Pretty sweet giveaway, ill be doing a review on the pack in the next few weeks

Im really stoked to see all the new products from all the venders, shimano and sram usually debut new groupsets and most of the bike company have 2017 models on display. You can usually score some pretty sweet deals on parts and clothing too, last year i scored a couple really nice jerseys from an itialian cycling clothing  Pissei for 30$ a pop. I always like going by certain booths to see what new products they have coming out. The guys at ESI grips have always treated me well and I’m stoked to see what new products they have.

If you ever wanted to check it out you won’t be disappointed its 4 solid days of racing and bike fun, over 300 venders and the swag is pretty nice too, hats bottles and socks and anything else you can think of are handed out, i always stock up on the free stuff. Be sure to follow me on instagram (@fbt_cyclist) to see all of the fun I’m having!

 

 

 

 

 

Eroica time!

Its that time a year again the Eroica is upon us. The 2nd year of the California edition of the Eroica will take place again in Paso Robles CA April 8th-10th, conveniently located 25 min from my house. Last year was a great time, so many great vintage bikes, lots of bianchi’s, colnago’s, Pinerellos, and many more.

The Eroica has 4 different rides, The “short” ride is a 39.9 mile ride with 12 miles on unpaved roads with 2200′ of climbing. The medium ride is 73 miles with 18 miles of unpaved road and 5900′ of climbing. The new costal ride is 87.2 miles 25 miles unpaved and 7300′ of climbing. The last ride is heroic ride which is 126.9 miles 36 miles unpaved and just under 10,000′ climbing. Mind you all these rides are being done on pre- 1987 bikes some even from the 50’s and 60’s. I’ve been trying to build a bike this past year but it just didn’t happen, I hope to have a bike put together for next year and ride the short ride.

On a recent trip to my local shop they had on display this amazing vintage Masi with full campy record. This is a restored bike with a new paint job and some re-chroming. This thing was in perfect shape, it had no expense sparred, the chain rings, brakes, down tube shifters and brake levers were all drilled for weight savings. this bike was areal eye catcher! They have been getting all kinds of great bikes around this time for eroica .

Also on the radar is the seaotter which is the weekend after Eroica. This is pretty much my favorite 2 weeks of the year for cycling you get the best of the old and the best of the new in a 2 week span. If you haven’t been to either seaotter or Eroica, i highly encourage you to check it them out, you won’t be disappointed!

 

Cav’s Cervelo S5…

Looks like Cav is adjusting well to his new ride taking the over all win at the Tour of Qatar and only missing out on the final sprint victory by millimeters. He’s riding all new gear down to the saddle and it looks like it agrees with him. Those gigantic enve wheels are doing just that making me envy them. Doesn’t look like its slowing him down any. Cav also switched from shimano to speedplay  which it a huge change in its self, when i made the switch to speedpaly their was defiantly a learning curve, shimano is a toe first then heel down engagement while speedplay are a straight down motion if you try and go toe first the cleat won’t engage.

12 February 2016 15th Tour of Qatar Stage 05 : Sealine Beach Resort – Doha Corniche 1st : KRISTOFF Alexander (NOR) Katusha, Leader of the Points Classification 2nd : CAVENDISH Mark (GBR) Dimension Data Photo : Yuzuru SUNADA

But the question is which bike looks better? specialized venge or cervelo s5? Sound off in the comment section which you prefer!

BMX and MTB lost 2 greats…

This past couple weeks have been rough for the cycling community, two great riders in their respective fields were laid to rest and to top it off the first ever documented case of “mechanical doping” was discovered. The MTB community lost a great rider by the name of Kelly McGarry, the 32 year old rider past away from cardiac arrest on Feb 1st, he was well known in the downhill scene for doing some of the biggest drops and jumps including backflipping a 72ft gap earning 2nd place at the 2013 redbull rampage. An outpouring of grief and support came from the MTB community in the days that followed his death.

While Kelly’s death was sudden i wasn’t as familiar with him as i was with Dave Mirra who passed away just 3 days later from a self inflicted gun shot wound. Being a BMX rider in the early 2000’s you couldn’t read a BMX publication without an interview or an amazing photo add with Dave defying gravity. I logged many hours on both of his video games that were named after him, Dave was the face of bmx for over a decade.

Dave was a consistant figure in BMX for almost 20 years, turning pro in 92′ and retiring from competition on 2011, during that time he racked up 24 X-Games medals it was the record until 2013. One of the first pro,s i remember to have a signature shoe on DC. Dave mostly completed in ramp and halfpipe competitions but wast afraid to get down and dirty and ride street either. In one of my my favorite BMX videos road fools 9 dave goes on a west coast tour with some of the best street riders of the time. He not only holds his own but actually does some pretty gnarly stuff, in that video Dave goes for a grind down a rail and eats it hard to where his feet hit the back of his head and the crew dubbed it the scorpion grind.

Since retiring from BMX Dave was a decorated triathlete being a sponsored athlete for cervelo. Finishing top 20 in his age group and even qualifying for the knoa ironman. Being extremely competitive it was a great fit for him in his life after BMX.

While being a competitive triathlete would be enough for most people Dave also drove professional for Subaru  global rally cross, and also driving with Travis Pistrana in the redbull car. He finished as high as 8th during the season. Once released from subaru dave drove for redbull mini and earning 2 x games medals .

On Feb 4 2016 police found Dave with what appeared to be a self inflicted gunshot wound to the head in his truck. Its hard to see people who you once looked up to so much do something like this, I can’t speculate what he was going through i only knew what he showed on the outside, He left behind a wife and 2 kinds my heart goes out his family and thank him so much for all he did for BMX.

Since Dave’s untimely passing the BMX community has come to show support in the way of painting their pedals gold in remembrance in honor of his gold medal winning gold plated bike. I plan on doing this too on both my MTB and road bike. BMX lost a legend and no one will be able to fill that hole. If you know anyone in crisis please urge them to seek help.

Shoes to fit my weird feet, Pre-review of the Lake cx237

So I finally pulled the trigger on the best fitting shoes I’ve ever tried on. Ive been in the hunt for a properly fitting pair of shoes since i started seriously cycling. A couple years ago i tried on a pair of lake cx237’s and fell in love with how well they fit, what i didn’t fall in love with was the $300 price tag. Before that i had tried a few pair of shoes. My fist pair were a pair of entry level pearl izumi that took both MTB and road cleats with 3 velcro straps, pretty basic but they did the job i was running the shimano A530 platform/spd pedals. Then i went to a pair of northwave’s which were to big and didn’t fit properly but it still wore anyway, then i went with the pair of bontrager rxl they fit the best and I’ve been wearing for a a couple years now, but i still couldn’t get the Lake’s out of my head.

After years of looking on eBay and scouring the internet for a sale i finally found them on sale on a website i go to often and is based in the town where i live, they post daily sales and always send out discounts emails to members, so last week the planets aligned and they had them for half off ($149.99) and i had a %20 off promo code which brought down the final price to $121.43, I was stoked behind belief that i finally had my “perfect fitting” shoes. Due to my weirdly odd shaped foot i can’t wear most narrow shoes like sidi’s and fizik’s, the lakes hit it on the head with there wider toe box and fits my flat no arch foot great. Im really stoked to put some miles on these shoes. Im runnng speedplay zero pedals they don’t have the traditional 3 hole boy pattern they have a 4 bolt pattern but they provide a adapter plate to mount to 3 hole shoes

If you have zero arch like me i highly recommend lake shoes by far the best fitting shoe I’ve found. They have a full grain leather upper and a carbon sole and are pretty light to top to off. I hope after all these years i haven’t built up these to be more than they are, but I’m super excited to put some miles on these very sleek and stylish shoes. Check out lakes site for their full line of road, tri, MTB and cold weather shoes.

Gear review Connex 11sp SO chain

This gear review has been about 8 months in the making. At the last years seaotter i talked with a rep from the Connex booth and i was really interested in trying out their chain. They were cool enough to send me out one to ry out. To me a chain is a chain but what really stood out to me with the connex chain was their connector link. Their link was different than any one I’ve seen, sram shimano and kmc all have a pretty similar system where the link together

And they snap together and usually require tools to separate them

 

The connex link is in my opinion quite superior to all the others I’ve used. 

It doesn’t require and tools to install and it makes it super easy to take on and off for cleaning. it slides in to place and stays in place with tension and the unique design. I’ve put about 1000 miles on this chain since i installed this chain and i couldn’t be happier. the chain shifts super smooth and because its easy to take off and deep clean i can get it cleaner than a standard chain. I can really get in all the places you can’t when its on the bike. I will usually clean and lube my chain every other ride sometimes if I’m lazy ill go 3 rides in between cleaning and lubes, but with the connex i could take the whole thing off clean it and reinstall it in about the same time i would spend with my old chain.

 

Its super easy to put together, the performance of the chain was great, it shifted smooth in every gear and was quiet as well. The link is shaped slightly different but doesn’t effect shifting or performance. If you’re in the market for a new chain that’s easy to maintain give the Connex chain a try. Make sure and check out the Connex website to see their full line of products or purchase directly from the cantitoeroad 

  
 

Stocking stuffers under $25

 

Only 10 more days till christmas, still looking for those last minute stocking stuffers for that hard to shop for cyclist? Well i got you covered here are a few stocking stuffers any cyclist would be stoked to get.

 

 

What cyclist doesn’t like a cool cycling cap and these two are some of the coolest I’ve come across. First one is a full metal jacket helmet cap from Mashsf. Mashsf is a cool fixie shop in San Francisco that always has cool cycling accessories. Next cap I came across was this super cool Replica Colnago Sydney Deane (wesley snipes) white men can’t jump cap, i came across this one on eBay and had to swoop one up just because its so cool. Go check out mashsf web site to see all their cool cycling accessories

 

Next up and also from Mashsf are theses super cool 35mm film purist bottles. These bottles appeal to me because I shoot a lot of Ilford hp5, fuji velvia and tri-x. These bottles are not only cool but are high quality as well, i only use purist bottles i just like they way they look and how the valve functions in my opinion they are one of the best bottles on the market. Not to worry though if the cyclist you buying gifts for isn’t in to film photography mash has a bunch of other bottles to choose from. P.S. RIP  Kodachrome, arguably the best film ever made…

 

 

Next up are with out a doubt my favorite tire lever ever made. The Pedros tire lever is in my opinion the best tire lever on the market. I have 2 in all my flat kits i carry. They slide so smooth and I’ve never had them get caught on the tube when changing a tire. Pedros really nailed it in the design of the levers and the material there made, i believe its a special blend of unicorn horn and wizard dust formed in to a tire lever, thats the only way i can explain how they work so well. At a price of $5 a pair their a deal at twice the price, go check out Pedros site to see all of their awesome products

Looking for something for the pizza cycling enthusiast in your life? Well I got you covered with this rad fixe pizza cutter, what goes better than pizza and bikes? Maybe beer and bikes, but pizza beer and bikes is the trifecta. You can swoop up one of these rad little guys on Amazon for around $20
 
I think cyclists are the only people who like getting socks for Christmas, and why not get them some of the coolest cycling socks from hbstache. At $15 these socks are the perfect stocking stuffer and with a few dozen options you can find the perfect ones to match just about any kit. 

That just about does it for my holiday stocking stuffers hope this helped for shopping for that particular cyclist on your list.

 

 

FBTC’s holiday gift guide, part 2

Continuing on with my holiday gift guide i have a great pair of shoes at a great price. The Bont riot are a great pair of shoes that pack a lot of high end features on a budget price. Ive been wearing bontrager RXL shoes for a while now these have been the best fitting shoes I’ve found till  saw the Bont’s. Bont are unique in the fact that all of their shoes are anatomical with a wide toe box and the carbon composite sole is easily heat moldable for a truly custom fit, all at a MSRP of $149.99 but easily found on the good old inter webs for around $90-$120, i found mine new eBay for  a steal $70 shipped. Bout also has a fancy system of tracing your foot and measuring the widest and longest part and telling what size and width to get, I’ve been wearing a 46 in most cycling shoes the Bont fitting system suggested a 45 regular width, the fit well and with a heat molding will make them fit perfect. If looking for a good light shoe at a great price give the Bont riot a chance. Only negative review i have is that where the upper meets the sole it loos unfinished needing a rubber strip for a more finished look, which Bont sells separate”bumper” for $10, why they don’t just add them on i have no clue

 

 

Next up on the list is a second Silca product that has quite a buzz about it. The Slica Impero Ultimate frame pump is just that, the ultimate frame pump. I have an old 80’s Slica floor pump i inherited from a relative when i started to get in cycling, this thing is built to last, I’ve been using it for years with no issues they make absolutely great products that are not only built for years of use but look great too. Silca claims that the impero can inflate a 23c tire to 90psi in 100 strokes, which is either great or horrible i have to clue, i use a co2 inflater in my flat kit, but if your looking for a top of the line frame pump check out the impero!

 

 

Another must have for any cyclist is a work stand. It literally makes working on your bike 1000% easier. The park pcs-9 is a great work stand for the home mechanic, at  price of $139.99 it a good deal on a park stand, it folds up for easy transportation for taking to the races or cleaning and lubing your bike after a ride. if you don’t have a work stand i highly recommend getting one, i use mine all the time weather I’m cleaning and lubing the drivetrain or giving my bike a bath. Its also great for bike storage i always have one of my 4 bikes in the stand. Do your self a favor and grab a park stand and you won’t look back.

 

Michelin Pro4 Endurance tyres 

 

 

What cyclist doesn’t like to ride new tires, nothing better than unfolding a new tires and putting it on a rim. Ive been running the Michelin pro 4 endurance for a few years now, and over that time  I’ve had about 1 flat. Im currently running a 25c tire on a hed beligum + rim and i absolutely love them. The pro 4 endurance has a a nice kevlar side wall to help with puncture protection, and it works really well for me i rarely get flats (knock on wood). The pro4 has a great rubber compound with excellent grip and also come in a in a few different colors to match whatever color your bike is. At a price of $44.99 its as good as tires the cost %50 more. If your in the market for a light, grippy and tough tire give the Michelin pro 4 endurance a try

 

 

As a cyclist i can never have enough lights, i have lights for all my bikes along with flat kit with co2 set ups and tire levers. Im always stoked wen some one gives me a light as a present i always end up using them. The Lezyne zecto drive pro is a great all purpose light, it functions as a front a rear light and has 3 different colored aluminum bezels if thats something you’re in to. The red LEDs range between 10-40 lumens and the white LED’s go from 40-160 lumens. USB rechargeable and a fairly quick recharge time of 2.5 hours and a cool red green and blue led inside the power button to tell what the battery level is. Lezyne always makes really rice products and the zecto drive is no different its made well and looks cool and it water resistant, this thing can take pretty much any riding condition, if your like me and like to have light for all your bike pick up one of these cool. At $49.99 its a tad on the pricy but you really get what you pay for.