Category: squirt lube
The Caveman uses Squirt lube
Recent Squirt photo shoot in Knysna, South Africa – Squirt’s HQ.
The two Cape Epic mountain bike stage races (900km in a week) I did taught me a few things:
1) Chamois cream goes with backsides like wheels goes with bicycles,
2) There is only one chain lube that lasts longer and keeps your chain clean: Squirt. If you dont rate triathletes, ask Ned and Travis and Kloser and those pros who use Squirt on the sly…
Because when the doing gets tough, the tough gets going…
Caveman takes XTERRA Knysna
Getting technical- bike set up for XTERRA Waco
I’m very lucky to have a full quiver of Specialized bikes to chose from!
After watching a few youtube videos on the Waco course, I decided to travel to Waco with my 29er Epic (Aluminium)- it loves rocky, rooty and twisty. But 30min into pre riding the course on wednesday I had to call a friend to ship me a kiddie bike. (with 26inch wheels) Its true, TV (and youtube) makes courses look flat! OK, my legs were also seriously dented from training, but this course has about 20 short, granny gear climbs and I think the number of times your speed falls below 5mi/h was a lot, a lot. In other words, there was a lot, a lot of acceleration from almost stand still– the one 29er drawback. The (only) other shortcoming to this 29er is weight- the white bike is 5 lbs more than the one in the white wrapping. For now…
The perfect XTERRA bike. Specialized Epic S-works.
Photo by RichCruse.com.
My Specialized Epic S-works worked like a dream, and this course on Maui is infamously tough on equipment. A lot of work has gone into the preparation of the bike for this race in particular.
Here are a few highlights:
Specialized tires
Specialized has been amazingly helpful in helping me find a tire that is truly Caveman proof. Over the past year we have had 2 extensive tire testing camps. We tried numerous prototypes and found a casing that works exceptionally well. It weighs roughly 630g, rolls well at low pressures, the casing is cleverly assembled to make it supple, but most importantly it is very, very strong. In 8 months of testing I have had 2 flats: One at XTERRA Idaho where a 5 inch nail went through both sides and once when I rode over a broken bottle bottom. The tire will be called the GRID and will come in Fast Track LK, The Captain and some of the free ride tire tread patterns. Importantly, the GRID will also be available in 29″…
Because these sidewalls are so strong, you have to run really low pressure to provide a good, comfey ride. I rolled 23.5psi in the front and 27.5psi in the rear. (on “normal” courses I would go 23 and 26.5psi)
The Caveman Cometh (and he’s on a 29er)
So, you are a trail mashing mofo; gnarliest of the gnar. Yes, you are a fit machine and can ride. You have skills. Skills, eh? How about swimming, mountain biking and running — as in consecutively… in one day… at race pace?
Whaddya say? That off-road triathlon stuff — Xterra — isn’t for true mountain bikers? It’s so easy even a caveman could do it?
Straight-up fact: The Caveman does make it look easy. And the Caveman will make it look easy as he smokes you out on some technical singletrack — on a big-wheeled bike, no less.
He isn’t racing Xterra — yet — on a 29er, Conrad Stoltz rides his Specialized Epic 29er the rest of the time. CHECK OUT MORE PHOTOS IN THE SLIDESHOW BELOW Photo by Seth Lightcap
A couple of weeks ago I did an interview and shoot with Singletrack.com editor Jamie Bate (and photoman Seth Lightcap) in Truckee. We talked 29er, kicked some ideas around and I have to say I’m quite stoked with the result. This website has some real meat to it. Informative, technical material for the serious trail rider.
Here is the complete article from SingleTrack.com
Visit Stoltz29.org for my 29er manifesto
THE XTERRA U.S. PRO SERIES SHOWDOWN…err, THROWDOWN!
XTERRA Utah 08
Saturday I will toe the line for my 7th XTERRA USA Series title. The Series title points to consistency throughout the season. After consistently winning a few races earlier this year, I got a nail through the tire in Idaho, and cut my foot in Richmond. (go here to see those juicy pics again) Those setbacks, (setback seems to be a Caveman consistency in itself) means that the points are closer than I would like. I really dislike this course- its lots of climbing and a little bit of down hilling. 2800ft of down hilling is lost with this point to point race up the site of the 2006 Winter Olympic Super G course.
That said, Ogden is a great town, the people are really welcoming and the scenery is amazing. The trees are turning red and yellow on the mountain slopes. The Utah Sports commission is putting a lot of money into promoting sport and sports events in the state, and they are quickly building a sportsman destination reputation.
I borrowed this piece below from the www.XTERRAplanet.com newsletter. For press info, and pics, say you are a journalist and want to be placed on the mailing list, email Trey Garman. For video on previous XTERRA races, go to www.XTERRA.TV
“It all comes down to this. The 8-stop XTERRA Cup Series for professionals that started in early May wraps up with the ultimate showdown of XTERRA’s best on Saturday, Sept. 26 in Utah. And when we say the best, we mean it as the top 13 ranked men and women are on the start list – the lone exception being fourth-ranked Dan Hugo who just suffered through two weeks of a severe flu and painstakingly decided to stay home in South Africa to build an 8-month-base of training so he could tackle 2010 with a vengeance.
