Outside All Day || We Have To Be Outside All Day » Dave’s Reviews

2010 Rock City Saddle

davesheek — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 04:45:35 +0000

I was at SDG the other day saying hello and finally saw a sneak peak of their new 2010 ROCK CITY SADDLE. It might be cool hipster/fixed gear rider inspired but I need one.

The shape of the saddle is great. The hidden rails take it from stock to sexy and the under shell cut out makes for a smooth ride. It reminds me of the classic San Marco Lance races. The specs: 272 x 150mm and I weighed it at about 280grams, which is pretty damn light considering the buttons

Stay tuned for more new stuff from SDG or go to: www.sdgusa.com

-DSheek
I might be racing cross on this season Rock City Style… Hint Hint Guys, I need one!

Is the Tour Champion Doped to the Max?

davesheek — Sun, 26 Jul 2009 05:21:39 +0000

I love reading the blog, The Science of Sport, it is two professors who use their blog to make sports science writings/research more understandable to the common folk. They do a great job and are almost as awesome as Brazelton and I.

The point is they recently looked at the power output of the new tour champion:

Tour de France 2009: Contador VO2max

Alberto Contador – can he have a VO2max of 99.5 ml/kg/min?

I came across this interesting piece on Cyclingnews this morning. It caught my eye because it’s an extension of a topic that we’ve been covering in the last week, analysing Alberto Contador’s Tour-winning climb up to Verbier.

In the article, Antoine Vayer calculates that given Contador’s power output on that climb (which he calculates as 490W for a 78kg “normalized” rider – more on that later), and with one or two assumptions to turn that power output into oxygen consumption, Contador would be riding at 5.55 L/min. The problem with this is that it implies that Contador’s VO2max is about 99.5ml/kg/min!

Read the rest here… to see if he is legit!

US ProXCT #1 and Kenda Cup West #2 – The Fontana National

davesheek — Tue, 31 Mar 2009 00:11:05 +0000

USA Cycling’s PRO XCT Tour Presented by SHO-AIR International

Mountain Bike (MTB) Racing is back! I have been out to the first two stops of the KENDA Cup West and US Pro XCT #1 and the racing is out of control… USA Cycling has made changes to the categories in MTB racing and the groups are faster and more competitive. I, of course, have raced like a small child on a tricycle at the first two events pedaling around slowly with mechanical issues or just feeling like crud because the Cat 1 (category) is like semipro and my body is in shock, but the racing is too much fun and the events are huge. This weekends US Pro Cross Country Tour (XCT) was the closest thing to the Sea Otter or MTB racing in the 1990′s. Again, I was impressed with the racer/fan turnout, quality of racing, difficult course selections, and most of all cooperation of the cycling industry whom are getting involved and showing representation at events.

In a short summary this was the hardest 5 mile course I have seen. The climbs were steep and technical and the descents did not leave room to pass. In the end there was great racing in all the fields. Geoff Kabush (Maxxis/RockyMountain) showed up again this season to dominate the Fontana XC as did Georgia Gould of the Luna Team. I can’t wait to see the next stop US Pro XCT #2 in Monterrey, California at the legendary Sea Otter Classic.

I was going to post results and the schedule but the turnouts are so big and there are so many racers you just have to go to the US Cup Website for the full list/Schedule of events and race results check the series site: www.mtb-uscup.com

For a professional more in depth report check: Cycling News
By Dave McElwaine in Fontana, California

Geoff Kabush (Team Maxxis-Rocky Mountain) won again at Fontana despite trailing a talented ShoAir team until the final lap. Newly acquired ShoAir racer Max Plaxton had to settle for second place, although he had led most of the race. Jeremy Horgan-Kobelski (Gary Fisher/Subaru) out-sprinted his teammate Sam Schultz for third. Adam Craig (Giant) finished fifth.

The newly designed cross country course proved to be much more challenging than in years past. It featured a steep, technical climb, followed by technical, downhill singletrack. Even the leaders were forced off their bikes at time due to deep sand an rocky obstacles. For the first time in race history, a major section of course was open to pros only…

For the best amateur journalism and video and interviews check my new favorite site (Thanks Colt): http://www.cyclingdirt.org/videos/coverage/view/234765-us-pro-xct-1-fontana-city-national

With all this said, for real enjoyment on Cycling Dirt check the videos on the left side, if I did not upload this correctly, of the men’s cat1 30-34 video and watch our group get destroyed as Sho-Air’s Gary Douville rides away on the first climb while the rest of us suffered or walked the first major climb… Hint Outsideallday jersey (black and white), EC is the fast one and I am the slow one

Gary is racing well and went on to capture the fastest amateur time of the day… Nice one!

Enjoy!!!

-DSheek
Until next weeks racing destruction and humiliation

“better way to start the season…”

davesheek — Wed, 04 Mar 2009 05:07:00 +0000

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

MOTOR TABS sports drink launches season with consumer starter kit

COSTA MESA, Cal.(March 2, 2009) There’s no better way to start the season than with a new Specialized water bottle and samples of all four flavors of the portable, lower sugar MOTOR TABS Fluid Replacement System, the official sports drink of Ironman Triathlon World Champion Michellie Jones and Kenda Pro Cycling. MOTOR TABS� Starter Kit (suggested $6.99) is available at bicycle, running, multi-sport and sport specialty retailers nationwide, including Sport Chalet�s 55 stores throughout California, Arizona and Nevada, which feature top brands within each sports category.

Utilizing a patented, effervescent delivery system, the easily portable tablets are individually wrapped in water-and-air-tight foil packages protecting them from sweat, dirt and other harmful elements. Drop one into 16 to 20 ounces of water, allow it to dissolve for just a few minutes at room temperature, and MOTOR TABS is ready to drink with no residual settling.

Available in Fruit Punch, Lemon-Lime, Orange, and Grape, MOTOR TABS is lower in calories and sugar than many powdered or ready-to-drink sports beverages, easier on the stomach and designed to hydrate and re-hydrate during sports, fitness activity, the work day, and whenever supplemental electrolytes are needed. Each tablet contains an optimal ratio of sodium-to-potassium and an optimal carbohydrate energy blend of dextrose, sucrose and maltodextrin � 250mg sodium, 75mg of potassium, 16g carbohydrate and 65 calories. MOTOR TABS does not contain aspartame, sucralose, acesulphame potassium or high fructose corn syrup.

The brand supports pro and elite amateur triathletes and cycling teams, including Michellie Jones, who won the 2006 Ironman Triathlon World Championship in Hawaii�s punishing climate drinking MOTOR TABS, Chris Foster, Kenda Pro Cycling presented by Spinergy, Vanderkitten Racing, Evomo, and SoCalcycling.com.

Sports Engine LLC, parent company of MOTOR TABS, is a sports nutrition enterprise dedicated to developing nutritional products that help elite athletes, recreational athletes, weekend warriors, and casual exercisers perform at their best and ultimately have more fun on their chosen field of play. MOTOR TABS is currently available in nine countries outside of the U.S., including Australia, Canada, Mexico, New Zealand, Puerto Rico, Singapore, South Africa, Spain, Taiwan and the United Kingdom. Learn more about the company and MOTOR TABS at www.motortabs.com.

Race Report – Cross Fever Race #4, Last Chance Cross

davesheek — Wed, 28 Jan 2009 04:09:38 +0000

World Cup Style Course + World Cup Rider = The Flying B, the Final Race of the So Cal Cross Fever and �08-09 CX Season

Sunday, January 25th, 2009

LAST CHANCE (to) CROSS , hosted by Rock N Road Cyclery – January 25, 2009 —
By David Sheek

�Last Chance Cross� took place Sunday Jan 25th, as the last race in So Cal AND the finale of the Cross Fever Series. The event took place at Cornerstone RV Park and Picnic area affectionately known as the Flying B Ranch in Black Star Canyon, CA. The ranch presented amazing terrain with world cup potential. Race director and long-time Pro MTBer, Michael Lee brought his experience along with support from World Champion mountain biker Brian Lopes (Oakley/Ibis) to create a course with plenty of excitement for those who challenged it. The course was a mix of fast pavement, numerous off camber S-turns around trees, through gravel and steep hillsides as well as the tricky u-turn barriers and sand pit made riders dismount and remount numerous times per lap. Overall, it was another one of the great courses of this season and a recipe of road, bumpy dirt, sand, gravel, wood chips, banked turns, and steep jolting climbs to make it one of the most technically challenging course yet…

Click the grean to read the whole report!

Cross Fever #4 Race Report

-DSheek
By CX see you in September

Interbike 2008 – Part 1 Shimano Dura-Ace Gone Wild!

davesheek — Mon, 29 Sep 2008 17:19:53 +0000

The new Electronic Shimano Dura-Ace is one of the most impressive pieces of product developed for 2009. This is going to be one of the most important developments in cycling that will take equipment to a whole new world. After the long drive back home the Outsideallday group has decided we absolutely need the new Electronic Dura-Ace.
However, we were not the only people excited or obsessive about the new Dura-Ace as there were hordes of people around the sample bike all day waiting for their turn to ride, photograph, and drool over this shifting progression.

The best way to explain to people the feeling of the new Dura-Ace electronic shifting is by comparing it to the electronic hand towel dispensers in public restrooms, as you place your fingers in front of the shifters and start to apply pressure (very minimal amounts) the shifters begin to work. They just shift up or down as you please and their is no finessing the chain into a gear. This system is going to take some great mechanic skills otherwise it will shift as asked whether that is into a gear or between two gears.

Regardless, this is amazing new gear for cycling.

-DSheek
Welcome to the future!

Review: 2008 Pivot Mach 4

davesheek — Wed, 30 Jul 2008 07:20:05 +0000

Product for Review:
Pivot, Mach 4
Size: Medium
Geometry: (100MM Fork)
Seat tube: 18.5″
Top Tube (effective): 23.25″
Head Tube: 4.5″
Head Angle: 70.8
Seat Tube Angle: 73
Chainstay: 16.75″
Bottom Bracket Height: 12.8
Stand Over Height: 29.5

Product Strengths:
Aesthetically (Its Looks): Amazing and the anodized finish is great on a mountain bike so one does not have to worry about paint chipping and little nicks that are always happening.
Rear suspension design- This bike has the stiffest rear suspension that I have felt in a four inch travel bike. I loved Chris Cocalis’ original creations, the Titus Racer-X and Moto Lite, but this bike is on a new level in comparison. This beefy rear suspension system allows a rider to really rail the bike in corners and ride much more aggressively than one would normally do on a four inch bike.
The rear suspension system used also allows the bike to stretch out/grip or grab the ground better from its dual pivot controls. This was the one of the best features that was noticed in comparison to the Titus, Racer-X. One can really climb and descend on this machine.
Direct Mount Front Deraileur- The Front derailleur mount used for this bike is also a plus as it creates one of the fastest and definitely the strongest shifting experiences on a mountain bike. The mount allows the derailleur a lot of backbone so that it gets its maximum potential because of the stiffness provided from the frame.
Integrated Bottom Bracket- The bottom bracket is stiff. It allows the bike to put out the most power possible with each pedal stroke and again help provide a nice solid base to the frame when turning and pushing down on the outward pedal.

Product Weaknesses:
Weight- If you are a weight weenie sorry but it’s on the heavy side. If the bike is being built for racing one might get frustrated with a bike that is 23-24lbs. This is about the average wight of our builds composed of Shimano XTR and Sram XO components, Stan’s No Tubes Wheelsets, and a lot of other expensive carbon/weight weenie junk.
However, if you think about the frame and how it comes with a front derailer, bottom bracket cups, and headset 6.14 lbs is not too heavy.

Similar Products Used:
Titus Racer-x (4″ travel)
Titus Motolite (5″ travel)
Pivot Mach 5 (5″ travel)
Pivot Mach 429

The Bottom Line:
The bike rips! It’s a 4inch bike on steroids… It can be ridden like a trail bike with its slack angles and fantastic suspension system.

Rating: 1-5

For more information go to: www.pivotcycles.com

-DSheek
This bike makes me love riding!

On Review, 2008 Niner Air 9

davesheek — Thu, 12 Jun 2008 00:05:35 +0000

This is one of those toys you want to keep forever!

The bike is set up with all my favorite components and tires. I have weighed it in at 23.2lbs. This is without making the tires tubeless and with my enormous computer plus all of its extra parts.
Click to get the full story:
Niner, Air 9 Product Review

-DSheek
It’s a keeper!

June 1, Big Bear Shoot Out – Big Bear Lake, CA

davesheek — Tue, 03 Jun 2008 01:32:37 +0000

The Southern California XC and SD race series is heating up.

Read the report, check the results, and team standings…

-DSheek
Send us your reports!

BH Bikes New Cross Bikes for 2008… Carbon?

davesheek — Sat, 24 May 2008 01:30:41 +0000

The Carbon Bike
I think I have found my new bike for cross season… But, price will tell. I have rolled around on the BH G4 Road bike, which this frame was obviously designed around, and it rides awesome. It was responsive and a comfortable fit, something I hardly say. If the carbon version is too much they also have their aluminum version.

BH released this about the new bike:
Next month, BH will present its new frame: the Cross Carbon, designed specifically for cyclo-cross.
This cutting-edge monocoque carbon frame weighs as little as 1.250 kg, and together with its Full Carbon fork, will revolutionize the field of cyclo-cross.

Following the positive results obtained last season with the BH Titan frame, and after almost a full year of testing different prototypes, improvements have been made to the frame�s geometry, strength and weight. Proof of this is professional cyclist and Ag2r team member John Gadret�s 8th place position in the last World Championship in Livigno.

Laboratory tests have also shown that these improvements are a big step forward, by optimizing performance without sacrificing reliability, which is essential for competition.

The frame will be available in four sizes (51, 54, 57, and 59) and in the Ag2r colors, as well as in aluminum.

The frame will be used by some of the best cyclo-cross racers such as Unai Yus, Isaac Su�rez, John Gadret, Jerome Chevalier and the women cyclists Roc�o Gamonal and Ruth Moll, among others.

The Aluminum frame with Carbon Fork

For more information go to:
www.bhbikes-us.com

-DSheek
Mountain Bikes are beating me up… I need cross season!