Friday, July 29, 2016

Recovery or Why We Get Back on the Bike

It is said that the doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results is the definition of insanity (which is really extreme foolishness or irrationality or a state of madness).  Some people would apply both definitions to any one who mountain bikes.  Why do we (mountain bikers) think we can fly down trails, drop of ledges and dodge trees and expect not to get hurt.  Because we love the thrill (yes) the rush (yes), but really it is for what I call the "moment."  The thing about mountain biking is you have to be laser focused on what is happening in that very moment, and that intense focus blocks out everything else.  You aren't worried about work, politics, the neighbor's dog or anything else for that matter.  You are focused only on that next berm, drop or jump, because if you aren't, well we have a saying "look at the scenery, become the scenery." In other words you are in the moment - no past or future, just "now" and if you aren't you are going to crash, a lot.

But that's not to say that you can't "think" while you are climbing.  In the Northwest (at least around Corvallis) climbs will be long and sometimes steep (say a normal 8 mile round trip ride will be a minimum 1600 feet of climbing and many times will be over 2000). So most of the time when you are climbing, you are also in the moment, just trying to make it to the top controlling your cadence, breathing and heartbeat.

Unfortunately, we will do all of this and expect not to get hurt.  If you ask a road biker about their crashes and they will tell you about their "two" because you generally don't get more than that.  Because falling on a road bike is memorable and very painful.  Contrast that to a mountain biker where crashing, washing out or tipping over is a normal occurrence almost on every ride. So much so that we can get to feeling that we are invincible (which we aren't) because of all the falls we do have without getting really hurt.  But all of us are going to have that "one time" when a split second puts us in "recovery" mode.

For me this has happened on more than one occasion and it always seems to happen at the start of the summer riding season or just before or after a big trip.  This year was no different as I broke my fibula just above my right ankle three days before going to Whistler.  The thing that hurt the most, outside of watching my buddies drive off with my Suburban for Whistler or being off the bike for a time, was that I didn't really crash.  I just washed out on the backside of a table top (landing a little nose heavy - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jCz8QptOtz0).  I even came up laughing and telling the guys riding with me that I was all right.  I even clipped in and road out (but as I started I realized I couldn't stand on my pedals), but I didn't really crash.  I've had far worse, like flying over the bars, etc. without any issues, but this time I got my leg pinned between the hillside and my bike and just got my foot twisted as I slid along.

The Break
This was on the Saturday of Memorial Day weekend.  By last count I've broken 16 bones (including fingers and toes), so I am used to this, but never in my leg.  So started the hardest recovery I've had to go through.  After a collarbone (I've broke the same one 4 times) I can be back on the bike riding flat pavement in about two weeks.  This one has taken longer, not because of the break which healed quickly, especially after the plate was put in.

Inside 10 screws and a plate

And Outside
It is the twisted ankle that has caused me issues.  A word about plates, the doctor said that with a break like mine he has seen them not heal after 6 weeks in a cast.  So about 10 days after the break I had the plate put in and he said I would heal faster and not need a cast, and he was right.  But I had three issues to deal with besides managing the pain which only took a few days.  The first was bruising, the second was swelling and the third was loss of muscle tone (man that happens fast).  The break healed fast, but real issue was dealing with a sever twisted ankle (which twisted until the fibula snapped).  That is where most of the swelling and bruising came from.

Bruising

Swelling blocked by a sock and ankle brace

Loss of calf muscle tone at four weeks
 So it has now been 60 days since the break and I've learned a few things:
  1. Anytime you are off the bike, it is a pain
  2. With a broken leg you can still do upper body work (increased my bench PR by 20 lbs.)
  3. Crutches suck, don't rest them in your pits, use your arms
  4. Walking boots are better than a cast, but sleeping with them is still a pain
  5. If you are going to break your leg, do the left one, at least you can then drive
  6. Stay on top of you pain, but get off them as soon as you can (I was off in about 5 days)
  7. Go to physical therapy - at least twice.
  8. Elevate and Ice (for months) for a twisted ankle
  9. Walking highlights that your ankle isn't right, but being on the bike (even a spin bike) felt great very early after the surgery (even in the boot).
  10. You can ride a bike with a walking boot, a flat pedal and flat roads
  11. Being in shape helps you heal quicker.  (I recovered three weeks ahead of where the doctor said the norm was because of the shape I was in before the break)
  12. Breaks heal fast, but twisted ankles don't. It can take months and months to heal
  13. Chicks may dig scars, but wives don't
Second ride on the bike with my brother Darin (still in walking boot)
Getting back on the bike was wonderful and scary at the same time.  Wonderful because I love to be on my mountain bike.  Scary because you wonder if a break like that is going to mess with your mind and keep you from getting back into the "moment."  Luckily for me it did didn't.  I started out on a spin bike, then moved to riding my bike in the boot on paved roads round town.  I then moved to gravel roads with the fork and shock unlocked to remove any vibration.  Then I started climbing fire roads and finally I took my first single track.  The was the test and I passed, because as we dropped into that first trail all the muscle memory took over and I was railing the trails again, not as fast, but not with fear either.
My buddies went to Whistler and all I got was a shirt and walking boot! But I love the shirt.
Last night I went on my first night ride on some very good trails (the Plunge, Endo and Extendo) and it felt pretty good and I wasn't scared to go fast (like before) or take a drop.  But I did ride around a few things I would normally go over and I could feel the climbs a bit (but that is to be expected).  My ankle still hurts, I'm still icing it and keeping it elevated when I can, but I can ride too.

As mountain bikers we are going to crash and one of those crashes may result in a serious injury.  Do all you can to prevent that (improve riding skills, fitness, armor, pads, faith and prayers), but if it happens, take on your recovery the same way you do your riding.  Head on with a proper level of cautious fear and you'll heal faster and be back on the bike sooner.  Keep the crash and your injury out of your head so you can stay in the moment when you get back on it.  Thanks and now go ride!

Saturday, April 23, 2016

Buying Your First Mountain Bike

I get asked time to time about what kind of mountain bike to buy or what type.  It happened again recently by a fine young man looking to get his first bike.  After composing a long email to him about it, I thought it would be a good idea to share what I told him.  Now I'm not an expert on the subject, especially when it comes to the engineering and specifications side (know several great guys who are), but I do like to ride and I ride a lot.  Based on that here are my thoughts on what to look for or think about before buying:
General – buy the best bike you can afford, don’t say I’ll scrimp and then upgrade the components later. First you never do that because it costs more and you don't have the time.  Second if you are riding hard or a lot, you’ll be replacing other parts that break and won't have the funds to upgrade.  So buy the best and here are some decision points:
Complete Bike or Build My Own – A complete bike lets you start riding now, build your own takes time and will likely cost you more.  But you will know all about bikes if you build your own.  For me I like a complete bike and I then buy a good bike repair book, like Park Tools.
New or Used – New lets you break it in and you get any warranty associated with it.  Used lets you get more bike than you could afford new, but like buying a used car, you may have some components to replace sooner.  It can also be tough to know the true condition if you buying online like eBay.  At least on Craig’s List you might be able to test ride it.  I do the best of both worlds by purchasing a demo bike from a local bike shop like Peak Sports in Corvallis.  You get a discounted price because it is used, but it has also been well maintained by the shop.  You can also purchase last year’s new model after the current year’s bikes are out and save money there too.
Online or Local – You can get a bike with better components sometimes online, but you don’t get to test ride it and see if you like the feel.  There are some great online bikes, like the Airborne Griffin (http://www.airbornebicycles.com/16-griffin-3), but you will have some assembly and you’ll need to figure out your bike size from their online resources.  Buying local gives you that, a local shop who knows the bike and you’ll have a place to take it for warranty work vs. having to send parts in to the online shop.  With that said, the local bike shop will work on your online purchased bike.  The other benefit of buying local is that you can go in and ride the bike and see if you like it before purchasing it.
Sizing – This is one good reason to buy local in that you can get the bike that fits you and your riding style.  For example, I’m about 5’7” so everyone would say I’m supposed to ride a medium size frame, but I have never felt comfortable because of my position on the bike with a medium so I have always purchased larges.  That only happens when you buy local and can ride different frame sizes and see what fits.
Wheel Size – There is a lot of selection and discussion around this topic.  For me my recommendation is don’t purchase a 26” they are really dead for mountain biking (in my opinion).  The 27.5 gives you the best of both world – good cornering but increased size for clearing obstacles and more travel.  For me I’m a 29 fan.  I’ve been riding them for 5 years now and I get all the clearance and I don’t notice that much cornering sacrifice.  You’ll be happy with either. Also, if you can get through axle wheels, meaning they have an axle bolt that holds the wheel on vs. drop outs, that will be the best. They are more stable and safer.
Weight – I’m not a weight weenie, meaning I’m not spending thousands to save ounces.  You’ll want a bike around 30 lbs. or under for riding around the Corvallis area and really anywhere in the Northwest, unless you want to do pure downhill.  The Mac Dun forest and most Oregon riding (besides Bend) is a lot of going up to go down, so you want a good climbing bike.
Must Have – A locking fork, locking rear shock (if a full-suspension) and disk brakes. The locking fork (and shock) will making climbing easier and really every new bike or 5 year old one will have disk brakes.  I’m okay with hydraulic or cable disc brakes, especially for your first bike.  Most are coming with hydraulic now, but the cable breaks are easier to adjust on the trail.
Dropper Post – I would almost put this in the “Must Have” category, because of the climbing and descending we do around Corvallis. Having it makes it easier than always having to adjust it before going down.  So if you don’t have one on your bike, make sure you have a quick release seat post.
Hard Tail vs. Full Suspension – If you are young and this is your first bike, most will say that for the riding around here you can get by with a hard tail which will save you money and let you get a better component spec’d hard tail.  But I am older and I like the plushness of a full suspension bike.  If you ride lots of roots or rocks or bumps a hard tail can be rougher on your body.  With a hard tail tire pressure is more important.  If you do go full suspension then you want to make sure your rear shock has a lock out on it which is a must for climbing.  The other thing to think about is make sure you can put a water bottle cage on the frame.  Some full-suspension frames don’t allow that and also make sure if you get a full suspension that it will fit the type of bike rack you’ll have.  Some full suspension bikes don’t fit the hanging bike racks (I’m a fan of the ones that hold the wheels, and don’t require you to take the front wheel off).
Riding Type – I like an all mountain bike which lets me climb, descend and ride for a long time in the saddle.  It will have more clearance in the fork but it is not a heavy downhill bike.  If all you want to do is do shuttle rides and fly through the air then you want a downhill bike with a dual crown fork, but it will be a bear to pedal up hill.  If you are racing cross country or you are going to do a lot of gravel road riding then a cross country bike will work.  It will be lighter and have less travel in the shock and fork.  For me an all mountain bike gives me the best of both and lets me ride any terrain – from Black Rock to Alsea to the Mac and any where else.  Of course I’m older and overtime I’ve been able to have two bikes, which I like because if one is in the shop, I have my back-up and if someone comes into town and wants to ride I have a second.  So I have a trail/cross country bike for long rides like to the coast or in the winter when we spend more time on the gravel and my all mountain for all the other times.
Gears - I tend to be a “boy scout” kind of rider, I want a bike that doesn’t hold me back from riding anything.  So that’s another reason I like a full suspension and I like having gears.  But gears can be goofy, for example my 3x9 has 27 options, but really there is overlap.  Some say you only have 21. Here are some thoughts on it from a biking forum: 
"A 3 x 9 setup does not have 27 gears, don't let anyone tell you differently because the 3 front rings are not meant to be used with all 9 cogs out back. If you use the ring/cog combo properly and don;t cross chain there are effectively 21 useable gear combos - granny ring +1,2,3,4,5 ; middle ring+1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9 ; big ring+3,4,5,6,7,8,9. Use the small chain ring for gears 1-5 on the cassette, middle chain ring for 3-7 on the cassette, and the large chain ring for 6-9 on the cassette. You are overlapping and nearly duplicating some ratios here but you are creating the least stressful chainline which is important to the lifespan of your drivetrain. I use to think it was cool to steep climb in the middle chain ring and the lowest (1st) gear on the cassette (11-34). But it was wearing on my gears and chain because of the angled chainline. I now only steep climb in the small chain ring.”
So this is one reason why I have two bikes.  A Specialized Stumpjumper for technical stuff and a Specialized Epic for the cross country long days in the saddle stuff (and winter gravel road riding). In comparison, I will take my Epic on long cross country rides vs. my 2x10 StumpJumper. The Epic has a 3x9 and low granny gear for climbing (or when my legs are tired).  So with my 2x10, I probably have closer to 20 gear ratios (probably more like 17). But still a good granny gear to climb in.
So looking at a 1x10, you have 10 gears, and what I have seen is guys replacing their granny gear (the easiest) with a really easy after market one, so they have a steep climb gear to use.  If you get a 1x10 or even a single speed for a while you’ll probably be walking parts of climbs you used to make. But overtime if you keep at it, you’ll be stronger (and you can play with that replacing of the granny gear to something even easier to pedal).  So it comes back to the type of ride you want to experience.
Brands – I’m a Specialized guy (Stumpjumper, Enduro, Camber and Epic).  They are tough, well built and Peak Sports (a local Corvallis bike shop) is a great bike shop.  For a full suspension bike I would look at the Camber. I also like the Trek Fuel’s.  But most of the big brand bikes are all good.  In my riding group we have everything from Niners, Giant, Scott, etc. We have single speeds, hard tails, full suspension and 26, 27.5 and 29.  The best part is getting out and riding. I think you can't pick a bike without riding it.  It gives you a chance to get the feel of it and decide if it will work for you.
Riding Gear – Now we haven’t talked gear, so for helmets get one that protects the back of your head, and I’d get at least some knee pads.  For shoes, that is your choice and depends if you are clips or flats.  I purchase inexpensive shoes ones online that are clipless, meaning you clip in (I know it is weird, but it means you don't have the old "Toe Clips".  I am an SPD fan. I would wear gloves (full finger) and get at least one bike jersey because the three rear pockets are great to have.  I also like a visor on my helmet.
Bike Racks - I like a rack that doesn't make you remove the front wheel.  I don't like the ones that let you hang the bike off your rear hitch.  The hanging ones let the bike move around to much, don't work with some of the frame designs.  I like the roof top ones and the rear hitch ones that let you set up to 4 bikes on it.  Yakima and Thule are the big players, but I like a company called Hollywood Racks, they are heavier but cost less.  You can also get used ones from a place in Portland Oregon called "Re-Rack."  If you don't want to mount them on top of you car, then first make sure you have a hitch on your car.  If yes, check to see if it has a 1" or 2" "female" receiver.  If you don't have one, then when you go to a local hitch installer (like U-Haul), make sure they put a 2" receiver on it. You can also get racks that mount to your truck (if you have one) using straps.  They work, but they are the hanging kind.  Just make sure your exhaust pipe doesn't going directly at a wheel as it can heat up the rubber and blow your tire (yes I it happened to me). Also, they can scratch your car and make sure your bike doesn't rub against the car anywhere. They also make "suction" racks.  I've never tried them but I hear they work great.  You would need them for a car that didn't have a rack or  hitch.  Play it Again sports is another place to get starter racks.
Tires - Tubeless vs. Tubes - When it comes to inflating your chosen tire size you have two options.  1) The traditional way by putting a tube in it, or 2) going tubeless with a sealant.  Tubes are a little heavier (but I'm not a weight weenie remember) but can flat easily.  Tubeless makes the tire assembly a little lighter, but requires extra time, prevents most flats, but if you "burp" out and flat a tubeless tire on the trail, it is very hard to inflate it.  So you'll want to carry a tube and small pump.  Tubeless is just that, there is no tube in the tire.  The tire inflates against the sidewall of the rim and a liquid sealant seals most potential flats.
Other Items - You'll probably want to get a backpack with a water bladder in it like a Camelback, so you can carry a spare tube, bike specific multi-tool, a pump, some food, some zip-ties and toilet paper (you never know).  You don't want to carry around the kitchen sink, but it is nice to have things to get you back to the car if something goes wrong.
Bike Geometry - We could talk all day about that, so here is a good picture from an article in the March 2016 Mountain Bike Action that does a great job pointing out the different areas on a bike.

That is a lot and I hope it helps anyone out there looking for a bike.  Good luck, now go ride!

Monday, January 18, 2016

Moab 2015 and Why You Need a Road Trip

(Editors Note: It has been a crazy second half of the year, so I apologize for how late this post is)

Every year the "old men" take a road trip and this year was no different.  We've settled into a pattern of going to Moab every other year and then some place different on the other year.  So for example, 3 years ago we went to Moab.  Last year we did the "Tour of Oregon" and then this year it was back to Moab for our 2015 trip.

Road trips one of the things that makes riding a mountain bike special.  Getting a group of friends together to share together some new trails or familiar trails with new adventures.  The 2015 Moab trip was no different. 

Planning - the hardest part about a road trip is picking a date that everyone can agree upon.  We like to go in May or June to get away from the Oregon rains.  We then assign everyone an assignment.  "Donald" has the housing, The Prez has the transportation, PT has the trails to ride, etc.  You get the idea.  Then you are off and in our case that meant an all night 16 hour drive to Moab. We had rented an Expedition, piled 7 bikes on it, shifted drivers every 3 hours and arrived at noon on Tuesday with the temperature in the high 90's.

Riding - Road trips are fun because you get to ride trails that are different in make-up from your home trails.  In our case we have lots of flowy dirt trails, lush evergreen forests and roots.  In Moab it is rocky/sandy trails, not trees, slick rock and hot. But the riding is so fun.  Painted trails, rock drops and the Whole Enchilada.  Everyone should ride the Slick Rock trails, but for my money I'd skip even the top part of WE and just shuttle rounds of Porcupine Rim.  I've done a number of other trails around Moab and liked them all, but that is my favorite.  The thing to watch out for as you arrive later and later in the summer is the heat.  I got behind on my drinking the first day of riding in near 100 degrees and on the second day I got dehydrated (no matter how much I drank) and near heat stroke as the temp hit 106.  Learned my lesson with that one.

The Un-Planned Other Adventures - Road Trips always have unplanned events.  Ours started as we rolled into town after 16 hours of driving and promptly got a flat tire.  There will always be bike brake downs and the occasional injury.  But all of it builds memories, so don't be afraid to try.

Other Hints or Lessons Learned - Rent a house if you can, having a laundry and plenty of sleeping rooms/areas with showers and a garage to work on the bikes is wonderful.  Share making meals to save money, but hit the local spots also (not the chains, but the local spots). Assign a treasurer to keep track of what everyone spends so it can all be settled fairly at the end (gas, car, housing, groceries, etc.).  We've found that most week long trips cost about $400 to $500 each for everything once it has all been totaled.  Also, hit the local bikes shops for advice on where to ride, maps, gear, stickers and repairs.  Finally, take advantage of a shuttle service if they have it. 
Going down the "Stairs" on Amasa Out n Back
A different kind of riding
Porcupine Rim view point

Good Friends, Fun and Views