Category: Bicycle
York Timbers Sabie Experience mountain bike race. 2008
I just got back on the farm after riding 3 of the 4 days of Sabie Experience. Sabie is only 80km from our farm and when my good friend (and Specialized Factory team damager) Bobby Behan said we were invited to ride, we couldnt say no. Despite still being in the midst of “ice cream and beer season”.
Turns out were were guests of Ian van der Walt and his newly formed DCM racing team. What a fun group of characters. After 3 days of hanging with these guys my voice box hurt more than my legs. Not they they are slow – its just that the amount and intensity of chatting, cajoling and prank playing was significant.
Visiting Specialized Bicycles in Morgan Hill, California
Checking my flexibility, Scott Holz, bike fit guru at Specialized’s OSBU headquarters in Morgan Hill, CA.
The week leading up to Ironman Hawaii, Kona
The Ironman village had a demo booth where athletes can test run shoes, ride bikes etc. I worked at the Avia booth and was amazed at the size and energy of this whole Kona/Ironman thing. The Avi Lite II seems to be the most popular for IM racing- its light with plenty of cushioning. I was also surprised at the might of the Triathlon Dollar, despite the world wide economic slump. Just proves again- Triathletes are overachievers, and Ironpeople more than most. Tomorrow is the big day- let the suffering begin!
Signing autographs at the Avia demo booth with triathlon legend Scott Tinley. Or, more like “watching Tinley sign his books.” I have been a Scott Tinley fan since (especially) my beginnings in triathlon in the late 80s, and I was stoked with my autographed ST books. The one says: “To the Conradenator”
Bike porn from Interbike 2007
The Avia bike drew a lot of attention and explained bike show goers why there’s running shoes at their “bike show”. Triathletes!
The sweetest bike of all. 2009 Specialized Epic S-works
The 2009 Specialized Epic S-works.
The press has hyped the bike up and Susi won the XC World Champs on it, but DANG, I was especially surprised by: a) the suspension and b) the weight. And, yes, it is a really pretty bike.
As you can see in the background, I tested the bike on a not-so-old lava flow at Edison snow park outside Bend, to see how the new Specialized Armadillo Elite (Fast Trak 2.00) tires would hold up through the sharp lava. I ran into big lumps of sharp lava as hard as I could (to test the tires for tire cut resistance) but every time the suspension just ate up the much anticipated jolt. When the suspension is not active, bike is 100% rigid- unlike anything I’ve felt since… well, since my Tarmac road bike. The New Epic’s suspension is definitely a few cuts above the “old” Epic. And I’m sure many cuts above anything else out there.
