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SuperFly 100 Dream Come True

Those that follow my blog or at least know me as 29er guy will remember 8 months ago when I wrote my first impressions of my Gary Fisher HiFi 29er. I loved the bike, but couldn't help but wonder how much nicer it would be if it were a few pounds lighter. I had been riding a Superfly hardtail for a year and loved the way the carbon bike climbed. I sent an e-mail to my "inside guy" at Fisher saying how much I liked the full suspension HiFi, but how I also thought it was the perfect platform for a carbon 29er. Well low and behold the SuperFly 100 is born. The first "spy photos" of the bike are all over the Internet and it looks great. http://www.velonews.com/photo/92616 The bikes shown have the RockShox Sid fork and rear shock, but my guy at Fisher says the bike will probably be speced with the Fox F100 RLC and Fox rear shock. I hope to see the new Fox 15mm thru axle fork, as I think this would really help the handling of this big wheeled bike. Dont worry, 29er guy will be one of the first to have this new beauty and I will keep you all posted.

Taint Paint - Great Name

If you have a tweeter acount with any activity you get a bunch of what I call Spam followers. I ususally just delete the notices but you got to love the twitter name of this guy:

Taint Paint (FrictionFreedom) is now following your updates on Twitter.

To bad they did not have the guts to name the product Taint Paint. I bet it would sell better.
http://www.frictionfreedom.com/

Would you take your bike if you had to evacuate?

Saw this picture (LA Times Bike Photo from the Santa Barbara fire). Started me thinking about which bikes I would take if I needed to leave my house in a hurry....

Free Tubeless Tire Conversion Seminar @ El Camino Bike Shop

Wednesday April 29th from 6-8pm
Here is the link:
http://tinyurl.com/cyzomo

Join Our own 29ER Guy (Will S.) and find out how to convert your Mtn Bike wheels to tubeless technology. Bontranger & Stans conversions will be presented.

What you need:

• Very little mechanical ability to install.
• Your existing non tubeless wheels or tubeless ready wheels

What you get:

• Fun evening with the mountain biking gang - AKA Swamis Gets Dirty
• 29ER Guy showing you the secret ins & outs of perfect tubeless conversions.
• Your lightweight wheel set can be converted to a tubeless set up with only 56 grams of added weight per wheel. Saving hundreds of dollars over purchasing new wheels.
• You will be able to keep using your lightweight tires and not be limited to buying expensive and much heavier tubeless specific tires.
• You can lose anywhere from 100 grams up to 400 grams of rotating weight per wheel set.
• Lower the air Pressure of your tires for better traction and ride and not worry about the dreaded pinch flat.

Inspired Bicycles - Danny MacAskill April 2009

This guy is way out there...

Sunday Short Vista Twist Route

People are asking for the basic Vista Twist Route. I am not totally sure as I do not do the whole thing. Here is the ~40 mile version. I just learned how to us google maps to make courses that are more circluar and you can print these as apposed to www.mapmyride.com, which I paid $25.00 for and still do not seem to be able to print without a charge...


View Larger Map

Head Missing for weeks - Spotted in Cancun

The Head was last seen in Cancun, possibly finding work as a "Beach Braider." NY Times reporter not knowing The Head was missing, discussed the world economy. The Head being a PhD Economist was able to fool the reporter into thinking The Head knew something about something. The reporter was able to take this pontient picture of The Head looking for work.

Friends and relatives of The Head continue their search. If you have any information please contact The Head's Foster Dad Will S. Here are pictures of the friends & relatives discussing their next move to find The Head

Gary Fisher Superfly SS are all gone

Sorry - But there are no more Superfly SS frames available... They are all gone

Limited Edition Gary Fisher Superfly SS Available NOW!

You heard correctly! The famed carbon 29er is available in very limited quantities as a single speed. Will S our very own 29ER Guy has secured a very limited quantities of sub 18LB 29ER SS Framesets. Check it out here.

29ER guy has a nice write up on the bike here.

Bontrager Saddle helps Lance

Press Release - Bontrager inForm® Technology Aids Armstrong's Recovery

04/01/2009

Lance Armstrong and Bontrager today released more details regarding Armstrong’s recent collarbone surgery. While it was previously reported that Armstrong’s right clavicle was screwed and plated back together after his March 23rd crash at the Castilla y Leon stage race in Spain, Armstrong and equipment sponsor Bontrager, jointly announced that he was the world’s first recipient of an inForm® CarbonClavicle™ Upgrade.

Originally slated to be released at the AAOS (American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeon) Convention May 18-24th in Las Vegas, Bontrager moved up the launch date of the inForm CarbonClavicle to aid the return of Armstrong to the peloton.

“The original intent of the Bontrager inForm line was to use medical research to aid us in creating better cycling contact points, such as saddles, shoes, and grips. But when we did the research into the most common cycling-related injuries, the broken collarbone proved to be an area where we could actually help cyclists get back on the road sooner,” relates John Balmer, head of Bontrager Development.

The CarbonClavicle, available for both left and right shoulders in four male sizes and four WSD (Women’s Specific Design) sizes, is an actual carbon fiber replacement of the clavicle. Developed with the aid of Sports Medicine Specialist Dr. Mark Timmerman, a Bontrager consultant, the inForm CarbonClavicle has greater shock absorption, greater impact strength, and a greater tensile strength—all while being grams lighter than the OEM bone.

“The installation on Armstrong was completely coincidental. But I must admit, the Bontrager marketing team was doing high-fives when we heard about Lance’s crash. It really was a marketing god-send. I mean, could there have been a better way to launch the new Bontrager medical Upgrade line?” explains Chris Clinton, Bontrager Marketing Manager.

The installation procedure is substantially quicker than the conventional collarbone repair procedures of stabilizing, drilling and pinning, as this is a full replacement. Essentially, the broken bone is completely removed and the CarbonClavicle is anchored in place. Armstrong’s procedure took approximately 30 minutes and will reduce his recovery time from 3 weeks, to 5-7 days for the sutures to fully heal.

The delay in releasing details was due to an extended approval process with the UCI, which has now ruled that since this piece is structural yet provides only minor aerodynamic advantage over the traditional ‘bump’ of a healed broken clavicle, it falls with the current parameters of the UCI rules.

Future sponsorship plans include full support and pre-emptive upgrades for the full Trek-Livestrong U23 team. “These guys are early in their careers, and if averages apply to the team, we think we can prevent about ten or more future breaks across the 12 members of the team,” adds Clinton.

Backed by Bontrager’s best-in-industry 5-year warranty, inForm CarbonClavicles will be available through referrals from Trek and Fisher dealers exclusively. Retail prices will be set by the retailer.

For more information, please download the complete press release attached below or visit Bontrager online at www.bontrager.com.

Gary Fisher Superfly SS - First Ride/Review

I unveiled the new ride this morning on the Friday morning executive ride. Mike M, Dave C and I met at 6:30 sharp in La Costa. I gave Mike the privilege of lifting the bike out of the back of my truck. He was in awe. He could not believe the weight (or should I say lack of weight) of the new ride. He commented on how it felt like a road bike.

Thanks to Mike W for dropping off a rear cog for me to complete the project. It was not the 20 I wanted, but a 21 proved to work just fine. I went with a White Brothers Carbon rigid fork for the front. I also added some nifty Bontrager Race-X-Lite carbon bar ends that I discovered the last time I was in Wisconsin at TREK. Shimano XTR brakes, Truvative crank and Bontrager wheels round out the package. I was very pleased with the maden voyage. No mechanical problems and no adjustments were needed. I was pleased to see how well the rear wheel held even with the horizontal dropouts. I had been concerned that it might pull sideways under a heavy load, but it was not a problem.

I think I am going to have a lot of fun on this thing. It acceclerates out of the swith back turns effortlessly. The rigid front fork is great for out of the saddle climbing and bar-ends are great for yanking on the bars.

And the best part we found out we can get a few more.... Check it out.

Wednesday Night After Party

If you have not been to one of our Wed night rides, you should come just to be served by the host. Look how I welcome our new rider Connie after she has a hard ride with the boys..

Connie wants Red wine at a Beer party and I bring it. How can the W5 boys do better than that.

So remember - If you want it, we will give it to you.

Superfly SS Still Not Ready For Prime Time

Us 29er guys have it hard. I am having a tough time finding a rear cog that will give me the correct gearing for my new ride. There are plenty of cogs out there for the 26" wheel guys, but I need something a little bigger to go with my BIG WHEELS. Some people have been asking me about the Superfly SS frame and how it works so I thought I would share a few more photos.

The frame has horizontal rear drop-outs that allow you to slide the rear wheel back and forth to get the correct chain tension without using a heavy eccentric BB or a hokey chain tensioner.
The frame also has a slick "sliding" mount for the rear brake caliper so that you can re-position the brake after moving the wheel. I have seen this on some custom made steel frames from small builders, but never on a carbon frame.
I wanted to ride this bike tomorrow night on the Wednesday Night Mt. Ride, but I am not sure it is going to happen. Stay tuned.

Superfly SS - FINALLY HERE

After 7 months of waiting the GaryFisher Superfly Single Speed frame has arrived. I ordered this frame at the TREK dealer show in Wisconsin last August. It is a limited edition "not for the public" frame based on the very popular carbon 29er Superfly from Gary Fisher.

I will be building it up over the next few days using various parts that I have picked for the occasion. What I can tell you now is that it is going to be extremely light. My Carver aluminum 96er frame was light, but this thing is silly light. I think the built bike will be around 18lbs. Oh yeah.

W5 Attitude at the Gran Fondo

Nice video from CNN of the 2009 Gran Fondo starting from Little Italy in San Diego. Check out the Swami action around 1:48 minutes into the video

El Camino Bike Shop riding Palm Springs Century

ECBS was out in force at the Century. Robin & Dave Goehring, Ernie E, Michealangelo P and Mike T were out at the Tour de Palm Springs. Robin heard many shout outs for El Camino Bike Shop along the way...

W5 meets Gary Fisher @ Competitor's Film Festival

Will S, Joe Pusl, Ann Z, Tony B and I went to see Gary Fisher and the movie KlunkerZ.

Competitor Magazine and Bob Babbitt put on a great film festival with an assortment of cycling/multi-sport related films and end tonight with Breaking Away at the La Paloma. Plus, Dennis Christopher, the star of BREAKING AWAY, will be at the showing of that classic film that evening.

One of the films will be KLUNKERZ, was followed by a Q&A from Gary Fisher and Charlie Kelly along with the movie producer Billy Savagedoing.

The big sound bite was that the first downhill Mtn Bike race was where the winner won a bag of pot and Gary Fisher won... Oh the '70s.....

Ann was the only one who got a good picture with Gary Fisher.

Observations of a 53 yr.old virgin 12 hr Mtn Biker

OK - I am back at my house, had a nice night's sleep in a comfortable bed. If you had ask me if you should start your your career in long distant Mtn Biking when you are over 50 I would have told you, only if you want to hear your back pop ever time you bend over at the end of the race and ask your younger racers to pack your car with the heavier stuff. But now that I have had almost 12 hours to recuperate I say HELL YES...

So with my first 12 hour race under my belt what are my observations...

Use Rock, Paper, Sissors to select who go, 2nd, 3rd, 4th

Make sure you have your proper belly dancing belt on so all those riders you come up upon know you are about to pass....

There were a lot of Gary Fisher Hard Tail 29ERs (Mostly Superflys, but some Paragons) in the race. This maybe because I was riding one, but I hope it is because I picked the right bike at least for 12 hours of Temecula.

For the first couple of laps I loved the Paragon (Hard Tail). As my legs got tired and the sun went down, I may have been better off with a Full Suspension Bike. My suspension legs that I used to good effect at first, sometimes did not work very well on my last lap. Maybe a Trek Top Fuel 9.9 SSL that Lance Armstrong and Jose Q rode to great results should be my pitch hitter bike.

Take the time to demo products from the vendors at the race. Troy from Cannondale gave John Abate a cool Cannondale Scalpel for the day, and he was shaving 2 minutes a lap after changing from his Specialized bike...


I need all the light I can get at night. I demo'd a Niterider Tri Newt for my bike and a cool dual beam CREE Q5 helmet light from AYUP for my two night laps. I was glad I had both. Light is so touchy for me that the first lap my Tri Newt was off center and did not work as well as my 2nd lap where it was pointed straight ahead.

Keep hydrated, but it may not be smart to drink a Coke just before your lap. My last lap had me wishing I would stop, pee and burp. But I just could not take the time....

Have a bunch of Swamis around in a great camp site and lots of Teams riding in the race. I think we had over 30 riders from Swamis or FOS. We were everywhere on the course and at the Start/Finish Line

If you want to see all the pictures I took with my crappy camera phone click here.

6:30pm it's dark and still 2 and a half hours of racing to go. It's crunch time! This is when they seperate the men from the boys. Come on you guys, I am sick of seeing us finish this race in second place.

Will