More info and pics here:
VitalMTB always has the best photos and most reliable info.
Wednesday, July 27, 2011
Under the Radar - Intense Surprises All Their Fans
Intense ventured in to the carbon trail bike market with this smoking bike - the Carbine! At 5.5 pounds and a lot of trendy specs, it should sell like hot cakes.
More info and pics here:
VitalMTB always has the best photos and most reliable info.
More info and pics here:
VitalMTB always has the best photos and most reliable info.
Canadian National Championship - Panorama Resort, BC
Well it wasn't what I had hoped for, but the same track was used again this year. It's not a track that I get stoked to race on. It has two horrible uphill sections, but the rest isn't too bad. I got past the point of not having fun on the track and just tried to race it like everyone else would have to do.
My bad luck from Windham followed me into my seeding run at Nationals, where I entered a steep rockface near the end of the track. I snagged my pants behind my seat and couldn't make the turn after the rockface. My seat post hardware snapped and I had to reset on track again...without a seat. Sketchy!!
In my race run, I didn't feel fast in the first couple turns and tried to forget about it and keep riding. It was smooth but not fast. Things went totally wrong near the rockgarden. The wind was blowing the course tape into my braking line and it played with my head. I came in too hot and lost speed for the rockgarden. I them tried to make up for the lost time and let it fly. I still not sure what happened, but my front end got loose and before I had time to react, I hit a huge tree with my shoulder. I knocked the wind out of myself and couldn't finish the race. I did ride down on my own though.
This year hasn't been what I thought it would be. After having some good race results last year, I really wanted to improve further. A little sports psychology lesson should get me back on track!
Tuesday, July 19, 2011
Wednesday, July 13, 2011
Tuesday, July 12, 2011
Scott Sharples Signs as Intense Cycles Marketing Manager
The retired Aussie WC racer and coach of many world class riders joins Intense Cycles!
http://www.vitalmtb.com/news/press-release/Scott-Sharples-Joins-Intense-Cycles,357
http://www.vitalmtb.com/news/press-release/Scott-Sharples-Joins-Intense-Cycles,357
Windham World Cup
In the middle of New York state are the Catskills Mountains. During prohibition, bootleggers would voyage up here from New York City to escape authorities. Many horror legends originated from this area and presumably from intoxicated people wandering through the woods.
Sounds like a great place to host a world cup race. Well, it was. The track was short, but technical and had all elements of what a true race should have. It rained again, but only on Thursday and as the weekend progressed, the track dried out and some great ruts formed.
I haven't been feeling 100% in my race runs lately, so I tried listening to music and warming up with a little more intensity this time for qualifying. I think I'm finding the right balance of what works for me leading up to an important run. The times were tight in qualifying, with the gap between first and eightieth only 25 seconds apart, I managed to sneak in - 76th. Not exactly what I wanted, but I did made some crucial mistakes and knew I had a lot left in the tank for Sunday.
My run started great, I felt faster than all of practice, but still in control, until this happened:
My tire rolls off the rim and I could not finish the race
The same thing happened to Gee Atherton last weekend in Mont St Anne, so it can happen to anyone, even World Champions.
Riding and racing are two totally different things and I feel like I'm finally learning the difference. I no know how I have to prepare myself for the start gate.
Mont Saint Anne World Cup
My first world cup and my first DirtTV appearance! (About 1:07 in)
DirtTV MSA Thursday Practice
More mud and rain made the course rough once it dried up for qualifying. After my less than acceptable performance at the previous race here, I wanted to do well. My whole qualifying run just felt slow and I didn't get into a good rhythm. A small crash near the flatter, end of the course keep me from qualifying, but it was a good learning experience. After watching the pros ride in practice and then also in the finals, I saw how their paced slowed towards the bottom of such a long track. It was good to know that even the top guys get tired.
Sunday, July 3, 2011
Bromont Canada Cup #2
Bromont has one crazy race course! It has some very technical sections and to make it harder, it rained a lot...again! Check out this video by Vicent Allard:
I got a little wild in my race run and had a small spill. I finished 9th and only 5 seconds off first place, but had fun all weekend. I'm still learning how to get warmed up for my race run and still stay relaxed enough to focus. Hopefully the result I want will come soon!
I got a little wild in my race run and had a small spill. I finished 9th and only 5 seconds off first place, but had fun all weekend. I'm still learning how to get warmed up for my race run and still stay relaxed enough to focus. Hopefully the result I want will come soon!
Wednesday, June 22, 2011
The Adrenaline Festival at Sugarloaf, NB - July 9-10
If you ride bikes and live in Atlantic Canada, go check out this event!
http://www.sugarloafpark.ca/bikepark/node/129
Lots of free prizes and sweet trails to enjoy!
http://www.sugarloafpark.ca/bikepark/node/129
Lots of free prizes and sweet trails to enjoy!
Mont Saint Anne Quebec Cup
The Quebec Cup at MSA this past weekend was great practice for the world cup round which, is taking place on July 3, because it used 90% of the world cup track. There was a lot of speculation as to where the track would start as rumors started between peer groups.
MSA has around a 2200m vertical drop, nearly to sea level, and winning times are close to four and a half minutes. This track is very high speed for the most part and has every good feature a proper downhill track should have.
This race brought out some big names like Olypmic Skier Cross gold medalist, Chris Del Bosco and Trek World Racing's, Neko Mullaly, plus all the competitive Quebec racers. Friday and Saturday brought thunderstorms and some rain. It wasn't a down pour, but it was enough to convince me to run Wetscream tires, with the knobs uncut. Those tires are just so much fun when it's muddy! Practice went well and on Saturday there was timed seeding to arrange the start list for Sunday's final. I seeded 2nd with a run that felt below average. It was a surprise to me to be so close and knew I could push a lot harder for finals.
I woke up to sunshine on Sunday morning, but there were some threatening clouds not to far away. By this time though, the track was rapidly drying out. I did two practice runs Sunday morning, one on mud tires and another on dry condition tires. The mud was tacky enough that traction was available even with dry tires which roll much faster, so that was my choice for finals.
Everything was looking good and I was going for the win. I wasn't feeling pressure and was relaxed in the start gate. I just wanted to pin it to the bottom because the course is so much fun. I pedalled hard out of the gate with only one rider behind me to start. After the first turn was a short flat sprint that had some small but deep mud holes along it. There was a sneaky line on one side of the track that I was hitting great in practice. I stayed left and jumped off a root to clear two consecutive mud pits and did it fine in my practice runs, but either my chainguide or pedal hung up on the root and pitched me over the bars in my race run. I landed softly in the mud, uninjured, but my goggles and helmet were crooked and covered in mud. The rest was ok but trying to recover and go faster to make up time on a run that is already supposed to be your fastest isn't ideal. It usually results in small mistakes so I finished 11th. I was really disappointed and pretty bummed out about the unusual crash.
This weekend is the Bromont Canada Cup and I'm looking to turn things around. The forecast is rain... A lot of rain actually! It should be tangley!
- Helmet cams videos will uploaded shortly
MSA finals - home stretch
Photo by - Edouard Levesque
MSA has around a 2200m vertical drop, nearly to sea level, and winning times are close to four and a half minutes. This track is very high speed for the most part and has every good feature a proper downhill track should have.
This race brought out some big names like Olypmic Skier Cross gold medalist, Chris Del Bosco and Trek World Racing's, Neko Mullaly, plus all the competitive Quebec racers. Friday and Saturday brought thunderstorms and some rain. It wasn't a down pour, but it was enough to convince me to run Wetscream tires, with the knobs uncut. Those tires are just so much fun when it's muddy! Practice went well and on Saturday there was timed seeding to arrange the start list for Sunday's final. I seeded 2nd with a run that felt below average. It was a surprise to me to be so close and knew I could push a lot harder for finals.
I woke up to sunshine on Sunday morning, but there were some threatening clouds not to far away. By this time though, the track was rapidly drying out. I did two practice runs Sunday morning, one on mud tires and another on dry condition tires. The mud was tacky enough that traction was available even with dry tires which roll much faster, so that was my choice for finals.
Everything was looking good and I was going for the win. I wasn't feeling pressure and was relaxed in the start gate. I just wanted to pin it to the bottom because the course is so much fun. I pedalled hard out of the gate with only one rider behind me to start. After the first turn was a short flat sprint that had some small but deep mud holes along it. There was a sneaky line on one side of the track that I was hitting great in practice. I stayed left and jumped off a root to clear two consecutive mud pits and did it fine in my practice runs, but either my chainguide or pedal hung up on the root and pitched me over the bars in my race run. I landed softly in the mud, uninjured, but my goggles and helmet were crooked and covered in mud. The rest was ok but trying to recover and go faster to make up time on a run that is already supposed to be your fastest isn't ideal. It usually results in small mistakes so I finished 11th. I was really disappointed and pretty bummed out about the unusual crash.
This weekend is the Bromont Canada Cup and I'm looking to turn things around. The forecast is rain... A lot of rain actually! It should be tangley!
- Helmet cams videos will uploaded shortly
MSA finals - home stretch
Photo by - Edouard Levesque
Tuesday, June 14, 2011
New Dual ring guide from MRP
After using the XCG triple ring chain device from MRP myself, I know this will be even better. They both feature a skid plate that also prevents the chain from dropping below the smaller front ring. With the addition of the lower pulley wheel, it should be even quieter. A dual ring setup with a 10 speed setup allows for smaller front rings, better chainline, less weight and more ground clearance.
Inside the Chromag Warehouse
Watch the most stylish and colorful pieces of aluminum be machined and assembled right in Whistler.
Chromag Space from chromag on Vimeo.
Monday, June 13, 2011
My Intense M9 FRO and Bike Test on Pinkbike
Here is a pretty accurate review of the M9 by Fraser Britton:
Pinkbike Intense M9 Review
Some people will argue that there are too many adjustments with this bike, but right out of the box, all the middle settings work great. I weigh 170 lbs with riding gear and am 5'9" and ride the medium size. To be fair, the cockpit seems a little longer than some mediums, but the 2011 trends in geometry lean towards longer front centers and shorter chainstays in combination with slacker head angles/ lower bottom brackets.
I have tried most of the settings and have stuck with the -1 angle set cup (sits at 63 degrees with fork stanchions at 8.25"- crown to seals), top shock mount on the front triangle (gives a more linear shock ratio). This makes the shock do more of the work and is a little easier to tune the shock. I moved up from a 350# spring to a 400# and use the middle 9.0" travel setting on the shock link. The bottom bracket height is average (14.0") in the middle G3 dropout setting and the chainstays measure to 17.5". I ride this setup for more technical trails like Bromont, but will probably try the longest and lowest G3 setting for faster tracks like Mont Sainte Anne and raise the fork stanchions in the crowns by .25 or .5" to maximize the wheelbase and traction. It would be a good idea to use 165mm length cranks and a chain guide that has a maximum ring size of 36 teeth for better clearance.
The Fox RC4 is a huge improvement over the older DHX 5. I have been liking the shock set to 165 PSI in the boost chamber, 1 full turn on the bottom out, 3 click of high speed, 3 of low speed, 6-7 of rebound with one turn of pre-load on the 400# spring.
I am glad to be back on the Fox 40 for it's stiffness and confidence. Nothing eats bumps like a fresh 40. They require maintenance, but it's quick and easy even for beginners to change the oil and clean the seals and bushings. Pick up a the newest copy of Dirt Magazine to read their thoughts on the best fork of 2011. The stock blue spring works best for me in conjunction with 3 clicks of high speed compression from open, 2 of low speed, 9-10 of rebound and 1/2 turn of pre-load. If the spring clicks when you compress the fork, check to see the rubber cover on the spring is in the middle. You can also go to an electrical supplier and pick up some shrink wrap and cover the entire spring if the other suggestion doesn't help.
If the travel chips in the frame linkage start creaking, clean them and wrap them with a two turns of teflon tape. Intense has changed the grade of aluminum used here, so contact OGC if you have this minor problem. This also works for the gimbles on the Cane Creek Angle set if you run the offset cup and they move under braking or big compressions. A 2mm steer tube spacer between the crown and headset top cap is also known to top the moving gimbles.
Everyone has a different riding style and bike setup, but this is just some feedback of how I like the settings.
Don't hesitate to contact OGC who distribute Intense and Fox in Canada at info@ogc.ca and ask for their assistance!
Friday, June 10, 2011
Settling into the Bromont lifestyle
I'm a little behind the times and should have started this as soon as my race season started, but here's an update to fill you in on the last 3 weeks.
May 22nd - Mt. Tremblant Canada Cup #1
2011 got off to a rough start even before the races began. It was tough to leave home this year, but with too many commitments to back down from, I left St. John's for the first stop of the race season in Mt. Trembant.
It was my first real practise session on my new Intense M9 and things weren't going well. New bikes can take time to get used to and the Mt. Tremblant race track can feel awkward at times. The guys at Outdoor Gear Canada (OGC) were on hand for tech support as they are one of my main sponsors this year, helping me out with Intense Cycles, Fox Racing Shox, and Mavic rims. After a few drastic suspension changes, each practise run felt better and better. I knew the track because I raced it last year and was looking to improve on my 4th place finish from 2010.
My race run felt pretty good as I hit all the lines I wanted to, but rolled into a few rocks the wrong way and lost some carrying speed. When I came down, I grabbed the hot seat, but was bumped out and finished 4th in the Elite Mens catergory. I was happy with that considering how early in the season it was for me, but everyone wants to win!
May 29th - US Open, Diablo Freeride Park, New Jersey
It has become routine now for a lot of the Canadian racers to head south over the border after Tremblant and enter this awesome race. The US Open attracts stiff world cup competition due to the hefty $7500 cash prize for winning the Pro Men's category. It's a great racetrack and gets a lot of media attention.
I've been suffering with the heat a humidity of the Appalachian Mountains. The temps climbed to over 40C when the humidex was factored in. It was something I needed to get used to racing in, after leaving St. John's with a hoodie, pants and beanie.
Practice went well because I was dialing in the bike and the track is amazing. It offers everything a racetrack should - a good mellow start, rock gardens, jumps, woods and open sections, as well as some pedalling sections. I just sqeaked into the top 50 qualifiers in 42nd spot. I rode conservatively because I didn't want to flat or crash and not make finals. What I didn't realize was the depth of the field. Last year I qualified 20th with a cruisey run - lesson learned!
Sunday came around and it was race day. I really wanted to improve on last year's result of 18th, but knew I would have to step it up from my speed in the qualifying run - a lot! I hit the first half of the track without any mistakes, but lower down I got a bit sketchy on a new section which was constantly changing. I guess it played on my mind throughout the rest of the run and I just couldn't get back into a smooth rythym. At the end of the day I finished 19th and took 11 seconds off my qualifying time with a 2:32, I was a little pissed to be honest. I wanted to be the 2nd fastest Canadian to Steve Smith who smashed out a smoking time and took 2nd spot, but Kyle Sangers of Ontario put in a good run. Final times were tight and if I had been 3 seconds faster, I would have made the top 15. The truth is you learn from your mitakes.
Photo credit: Ben Stanziale
May 22nd - Mt. Tremblant Canada Cup #1
2011 got off to a rough start even before the races began. It was tough to leave home this year, but with too many commitments to back down from, I left St. John's for the first stop of the race season in Mt. Trembant.
It was my first real practise session on my new Intense M9 and things weren't going well. New bikes can take time to get used to and the Mt. Tremblant race track can feel awkward at times. The guys at Outdoor Gear Canada (OGC) were on hand for tech support as they are one of my main sponsors this year, helping me out with Intense Cycles, Fox Racing Shox, and Mavic rims. After a few drastic suspension changes, each practise run felt better and better. I knew the track because I raced it last year and was looking to improve on my 4th place finish from 2010.
My race run felt pretty good as I hit all the lines I wanted to, but rolled into a few rocks the wrong way and lost some carrying speed. When I came down, I grabbed the hot seat, but was bumped out and finished 4th in the Elite Mens catergory. I was happy with that considering how early in the season it was for me, but everyone wants to win!
May 29th - US Open, Diablo Freeride Park, New Jersey
It has become routine now for a lot of the Canadian racers to head south over the border after Tremblant and enter this awesome race. The US Open attracts stiff world cup competition due to the hefty $7500 cash prize for winning the Pro Men's category. It's a great racetrack and gets a lot of media attention.
I've been suffering with the heat a humidity of the Appalachian Mountains. The temps climbed to over 40C when the humidex was factored in. It was something I needed to get used to racing in, after leaving St. John's with a hoodie, pants and beanie.
Practice went well because I was dialing in the bike and the track is amazing. It offers everything a racetrack should - a good mellow start, rock gardens, jumps, woods and open sections, as well as some pedalling sections. I just sqeaked into the top 50 qualifiers in 42nd spot. I rode conservatively because I didn't want to flat or crash and not make finals. What I didn't realize was the depth of the field. Last year I qualified 20th with a cruisey run - lesson learned!
Sunday came around and it was race day. I really wanted to improve on last year's result of 18th, but knew I would have to step it up from my speed in the qualifying run - a lot! I hit the first half of the track without any mistakes, but lower down I got a bit sketchy on a new section which was constantly changing. I guess it played on my mind throughout the rest of the run and I just couldn't get back into a smooth rythym. At the end of the day I finished 19th and took 11 seconds off my qualifying time with a 2:32, I was a little pissed to be honest. I wanted to be the 2nd fastest Canadian to Steve Smith who smashed out a smoking time and took 2nd spot, but Kyle Sangers of Ontario put in a good run. Final times were tight and if I had been 3 seconds faster, I would have made the top 15. The truth is you learn from your mitakes.
Photo credit: Ben Stanziale
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