Local Rides: Luther Forest / NYSERDA STEP Trails

Was up at 6:30am with the dog because his bladder is the size of a bottle cap and he had to go. I had every intention of going mountain biking this weekend so I figured if I am already awake I probably should get out and ride before the day gets any older. Also, it wasn't going to get any cooler. I decided on going up to Malta because it drains well and Central Park is still wet from all the rain, Colonie and Lock 7 are probably in the same condition, I don't know the trails as well as I would like at Thatcher and same goes for Schodack. I was parked at the trail head and riding by 7:45am, awesome. I know the trails in Malta pretty well and also rode a couple of new ones...well new to me anyway. Definitely a good choice, even with all the rain the trails are in great shape. The surface was fairly tacky which was good for traction although there are several areas that are really sandy which made some of the hard corners precarious. I took the big bike today, seems I haven't trail ridden it in months and it showed. I am just so used to riding the SS that I had to take some time to acclimate. I was flying over logs and bombing down hills in no time. As much work as it is getting uphill, it definitely rewards on jumps and when the trail points down. I rode for about two hours and now I feel great! Wish I always had time to get up early and ride. Glad my wife was okay with staying with the kids too. Guess it's always give and take when you have a family.

 

Problem Solving: Why I love what I do.

104 Bronson: Design, Engineering & Product Development from santa cruz bikes on Vimeo. I am always fascinated by how companies, not just bike manufacturers, but companies that make all sorts of consumer products go through their design process. I guess its because I am a designer and work through similar processes. My job is just like Nick Anderson's...except I don't design bikes I design fuel cells. I even use the same design software he does. To be honest I do more than just the engineering part but that is my primary responsibility. I love how they look at problems encountered during the design process. Like me, they tend to look at things from a different perspective than someone not involved in product design. If someone where to ask me what my job is in just a few words, I would say "I solve problems, that's what I do." I love solving problems. I love being challenged, whether the problem is related to cost, some physical aspect like specific size or weight, or even performance driven. A problem isn't a problem...it's an opportunity for improvement. I love my job even though it might not be designing bikes it's still pretty cool.

Hiking in Kennedy Park, Lenox, MA

Kennedy Park Belvedere Lookout

 I spent the day in Lenox yesterday. I drove in with Tasha since we were going to her office party that night and didn't want to bring two cars. I worked remotely from her office for most of the day. In the afternoon I met Jamie's husband Kevin for a hike in Kennedy Park which is right behind the Ultrawellness Center. We hiked for about 1:45 in the rain mostly. Still had a good time and good conversation. Kevin brought their new dog Ryder, he was awesome. Would love to get back there soon while there is still snow on the ground.

Another Plug Power GenCore Fuel Cell Sighting

3D Model Rendering

GenCore was the first real fuel cell product I worked on at Plug Power Inc. and even though this part of our business was phased out several years ago, I still see these systems pop up on the internet or even installed at a building. Not sure what a fuel cell is? Here is quick explanation...

"GenCore® fuel cell systems are high-performance solutions for the critical backup power needs of wireless and wireline providers. Our on-site energy system is based on the proton exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cell. A fuel cell is an electrochemical energy conversion device, similar to a battery in that it provides continuous DC power, which converts the chemical energy from a fuel directly into electricity and heat. When operated directly on hydrogen, the fuel cell produces this energy with clean water as the only by-product. Unlike a battery, which is limited to the stored energy within, a fuel cell is capable of generating power as long as fuel is supplied. Although hydrogen is the primary fuel source for fuel cells, the process of fuel reforming allows for the extraction of hydrogen from more widely available fuels such as natural gas and propane or any other hydrogen containing fuel."

I pulled that from a design contest submittion...that we won...on two separate occasions. Because I spent such a large part of my time at Plug working on this product (about 6 years), it brings me some satisfaction to see these systems out there in the world.

I live in Delmar, NY and both my girls go to a dance studio close by. I usually drive into the parking lot, park and walk the girls in. This time I had to park in a different spot than usual and when walking back to the car I saw the unmistakable Hydrogen storage enclosure. I was like, it can't be...can it? But low and behold it was, right in my own back yard. Apparently we must have sold a system to the New York State Department of Public Service. Unreal. Even though this product never really took off, I have a lot of fond memories working on this product but more so with the people I worked with. Some were douchebags, but most I considered friends and I consider myself lucky to have worked with them. So to all my GenCore Engineering Alumni...Gooooooooooooooooooo GENCORE! It's not a complete disaster.

I Must Be Dreaming

It seems I have a not so rare condition
called Bicicletas Encephalitis

Had a dream the other night that I didn't quite remember until I saw this clip. I dreamt I was mountain biking and just decided I was going to start doing 360's off everything I could. No hesitation  no fear just started pulling them off and landing them with no problem. The dream was so real and it felt so awesome that when I woke up I thought I could do it. Haven't had a good dream like that in a while and I will probably be unable to pull these off even if I wanted to. For now I'll just watch the clip and dream on...

Geoff Gulevich - Jack of All Trades

Local Ride: Night Ride in the Pinebush

I've been pretty busy lately with little or no time for riding. Tonight I had to get out and ride. I really didn't want to go, just feeling lazy I guess, it was cold too and this would be a solo ride. I didn't want to take the easy way out, I am riding dammit! Was it cold? Yeah pretty cold, probably 25 degrees before the windchill. Winter is here but I would not be deterred. Started in and came across some deer. Ground was hard, crunchy in places, other places still had a dusting of snow. Trails are in good shape, hard and fast. The leaves and soft sand in some places still make corners sketchy at high speed. Not surprisingly I didn't see anyone out riding. I thought it would be more of a chore but it wasn't. After a while I didn't mind the cold so much. I enjoyed the absence of sound. No chainslap or clunky noises from my SS, just the sound of the leaves and ground crunching under my tires, the wind blowing in the trees and the rhythmic sound of my breathing. Peaceful. I did the standard loop we usually do, leaving out the cemetery for obvious reasons (alone at night, no thanks). Made my way past the cemetery loop and out of no where I see an owl take flight. It was perched in a tree right next to the trail and I probably would not have seen it had it not have flown away. I was right on top of it when it took off, scarred the crap out of me. But it was so cool to see, it was big and it flew down the trail before turning right and flying up into another tree. I've never seen one that close, such a privilege. There is a bridge out one of the trails just after leaving the powerlines, had to cross on foot. Made it back to the car, probably only rode for an hour and a half but that was enough for me. My feet were starting to get cold anyway. I am glad I went out, I feel tired but I feel good. I know I need to step up my exercise or all this healthy eating and weight loss will be all for not. Bundle up and get out there and ride, even if it's just for a half hour. Your body will be glad you did. But do dress warm.

Local Rides: Albany Pine Bush

Been riding quite a bit at the Pine Bush now that I know my way in there quite well. Trails have been fantastic and the only downer to riding there is ticks, which haven't become a big problem yet, and horses. Don't get me wrong, I like horses and afford them the best trail manners when I encounter them on the trail. But I do not like running through their piles of shit around every corner, I mean come on...dog owners have to (should also) clean up after their dogs and horse owners should too. So far the horse riders I have come across have been polite and grateful to me for showing them the right of way. How ever I am not sure everyone like the idea of mountain bikers riding the trails. Mountain bikers have always been perceived as a problem in the Pine Bush by other trail users and the Pine Bush themselves. Ask me how I know. Not sure if I am reading this right but by the way this douche bag parked right in front of my vehicle when there was plenty of parking available pretty much sums it up.

Who parks like a douche bag? This guy.

You know what, fuck you buddy, now I am going to ride there more often.

Handlebar Setup for the SS Revisited

The Easton EA50 bar with the two inch rise does not work well. The width is great but it makes the steering too twitchy. I had another Titec stem which is longer, 120 vs. 105, so I put that on to see if it would counter the effects of the riser bar.

Hopefully the longer stem will work

Verdict? While it is better, it's still too twitchy and it just doesn't feel right. I do have a low rise Bontrager Select bar that I can try. It's not the right width but maybe it'll be good enough till I get the funds for a new wider flat bar.

Upgrades: New Bits for the Rocky

The headset in my Rocky is original, circa 2005, it was time for a change. I picked up this sweet Chris King headset used for $70 from my friend Luca. He even helped me install it...what a guy. Always wanted another King headset but just couldn't swallow the $110 plus price tag. Now I need anodized spacers too...i need them.

Just added a bit of King bling to the cockpit

Also replaced the kick plates on the Mallets, they were pretty beat up. I had them so might as well use them.

New kick plates for the Mallets

What Was Old is Now New Again

Laptop needs a new battery...already. Shortly after getting this laptop up and running again, I had bought a replacement battery last year because the original one was shot. It was fairly inexpensive at about $35. I knew it wouldn't last long, as these laptop batteries never seem to do, but I was hoping it would have lasted a bit longer. Even when it was new it would only last about 2.5 hours which was never long enough...for me anyway.

Modular bay and standard batteries

I've been looking for a replacement that would last longer but I haven't found one. I knew I might have trouble finding replacement parts for this laptop since it's so old. Luckily I came across not only a replacement battery, but an additional battery that plugs into the modular bay. This is one of the things I love about this old laptop. It's got a modular bay that fits either a 3'5 floppy drive, CD or DVD ROM drive, or an extra battery.

Modular drives and battery

The new batteries cost me just over $100 shipped from battdepot.com and battery life is now around five hours. Much better. I hated having to plug it in every time I wanted to use it, kind of defeats the purpose of having a laptop in the first place. Maybe this old laptop still has some life left in it.

What's the Best Handlebar Setup for a Singlespeed?

Oh wait, don't tell me...it's dependent on the rider and type of riding right? So I guess I should also add that this is a 26" wheeled bike. Well whatever the case I wish it was easier to figure this stuff out than the tried and true method of swapping parts until something works.

I have been running my SS for the past two to three years with basically the same type of cockpit setup. I've been looking for different types of bars, like a big 12 degree backswept or H-bar versions, but i could just never bring myself to drop the cash only to find out I don't like them. So I left it as is. But more and more I find that the bar I have on there feels wrong, especially when I'm climbing and really torquing it. Tonight I measured the current bar, a Raceface Air Alloy Low Riser,  it comes in just over 25". It's a 1" riser bar with standard upsweep and backsweep angles and a 31.8mm clamp section. Now I am not a big guy but I am a bit wider at the shoulder than some so I figured maybe I just need a wider bar? I have a few bars laying around that I can try and I came across an Easton EA50 bar that used to be on my Rocky. This bar measures 26-3/4" and has a 2" rise, the other details are the same as the current bar. It's a bit beat up and a bit heavier than what I have now but should work fine. I could trim this bar down if I wanted it shorter but I am not sure what the higher rise will do, other than the more upright seating position. My fear is that it will be even more twitchy but I do have some stems I could try, longer stems, that would help slow down the steering a bit and bring it back to its previous bar height.

A well used Easton EA50 is on test

So what is the best handlebar setup? What are you using? What have you had success or failure with? Let me know, I could use the help.

Local Ride: Albany Pine Bush, Water Tower Trails

Can't really see it but it was snowing a bit...I love riding while it snows.

Got out for an extended ride (~2 hours) at the Pinebush today. I was not sure how the trails would be but I knew there would be no need for studs so I took them off and replaced them with a pair of 26 x 2.5 Kenda Kinetics. These are very light for their size and are the Stick-E compound. I knew it was going to be slick back there and I wanted a tire with a rounded profile and a more aggressive shoulder tread. These tires, at the proper pressure, have a nice slow rebound effect, have tremendous traction, and because they are light makes for less rotational mass. This was clearly evident during climbing and I was able to make it up several hills I was not able to make it up last ride.

Trail conditions...muddy. These tires are much better in dry conditions. They have a tendency to slide off wet roots but are decent on wet rocks. They also pack up with mud unless you keep riding at a good clip. Even though they are light tires, it takes effort to keep up your speed. Probably due to the Stick-E compound and the aggressive tread. These are definitely coming off until everything dries up. I've got some other tires I wanted to try out anyway. All in all it was a good ride.

Quiet and peaceful

Fun singletrack

At the top of a big hill...one of my favorite places to be.