Coming from someone who didn’t ride The Whole Enchilada “clean” on the way down, it is amazing to think it is even possible to ride it all the way up. But, Braydon Bringhurst apparently has done all 8,600 feet of climbing. And here’s 100 minutes of proof of the process. Cheers to those who still like pedaling their bikes!
We were just dealing with messed up old valve stems on our MTB today, thinking what a nightmare it was going to be to replace the valves just so we could get some air into the tire.Then we saw this story on Vital MTB on the Reserve Fillmore valve stems and it was like a divine revelation. We already ordered a pair ($50 for two, ouch). You can, too, Right here. Then maybe we can figure out how to “inject the sealant” through the valve. Haven’t really figured out that part of the equation yet. But we’ll let you know.
We all know locks are just to slow down the lazy and that the only way to protect a bike is to not leave it out there on the streets in the first place, but still, it’s kind of crazy how easy most locks are to get around. . . especially with the right tools.
Keegen Swenson gets it done on Moab’s White Rim Trail.
The White Rim Trail in Moab is a famed 100-mile loop in Canyonlands National Park. In 2019 the record was set, the “Fastest Known Time” on a bicycle was under 6hrs. This is no easy task for any human, the loop stretches across the vast canyonlands carved by the Colorado River. It’s full of a colorful landscape that has eroded into countless canyons, mesa’s, and arches. This makes for a daunting task on a self-supported bike adventure. Current US Cross Country National Champion Keegen Swenson once had the infamous FKT on the White Rim trail but recently lost it. Since losing it Keegan has made it a priority of his to return and reclaim the FKT.
Skater Mark Partain is joining the Loose Riders family and moves his shred from four wheels to two. Even at 57 it doesn’t appear that Mark’s even begun to think twice, or slow down.
For those who love the 100 mile Strava segment: Peter Stetina and Amity Rockwell, roll out to see if they can be the king and queen of Moab’s White Rim Trail. Did they make it? Watch and see.
Grinduro is celebrating five years (if you can believe that) and as a reminder of how great the events have been they created a film. Check it. And then pray that we get all this pandemic stuff sorted out before fall, right?
On the Thursday evening before the Elite racers took to the battered course in Lakewood, Washington, I stood in the Trek Store in Tacoma with about 50 cross fans, also in town for the 2019 USA Cycling Cyclocross National Championships. And, like them, I was listening intently as Katie Compton, the fifteen-time (consecutive) National Champion and the most decorated American cyclocrosser ever, addressed my spontaneous question (“Should cyclocross be in the Winter Olympics?”) with all the sincerity and thoroughness of a PhD candidate defending her thesis.
I honestly didn’t mean to provoke such a detailed response—her live interview with Cyclocross Radio podcaster Bill Schieken had concluded (you can hear the whole thing right here) and the rest of the crowd awkwardly hesitated when he invited questions from the audience. So, I opened my big fat mouth.
Part of their discussion covered the lack of sponsorship for cyclocross racers and races. So, a little Olympic coverage, it seemed to me, could change that. And, gee, wouldn’t it be cool to have just one bike race in the Winter Games?
Cyclocross doesn’t need the Olympics, she said. It thrives on a participant fan base, and that distinguishes American cyclocross from the European sort. And we Yanks deserve to make cyclocross our own. That seemed to be the theme of the evening.
The Olympics would bring in a less committed fan base, she continued, and that would change the nature of cross events and culture. We can grow it, organically, and continue to build it from a solid base. We’ve been doing great, so far. And she should know, she’s been National F’n Champ fifteen times! On Sunday she’d be defending her title and going for number sixteen. Unbelievable.