What _____ Think I Do – Cyclocross Edition

Cyclocross is a zany bunch, and East Coast vs West Coast vs Euro have many different views on things…

Tell me what you think:

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Titus Video Contest

Titus Cycles is having a contest where you submit a 30 second video link showing why you think you would be a good global brand ambassador. Here is my submission:

Check the criteria on the site if you want to read about what this contest was about:

http://dev.titusti.com/2011/10/titus-global-brand-ambassador-program/

#globalteamtitus

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Turn Your Head/Screen For Optimum Viewing Angle

Dirty MTB Route I found last year. Decided to try it on the MTB. It was rought, but refreshing, in this all-road season!

Here is the link to the route: http://connect.garmin.com/activity/52806296

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This Is How a Cyclist Decorates For Christmas

John ‘Impy’ Imperial has posted some funny pictures on facebook. His wife allegedly left him in charge of decorating the Christmas tree, so he went to town adding his own touch to the style of the ornaments:

I’m wondering how his wife like the decorations…. I think he would have had better luck with something like this:

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Finding New MTB Trails

Velominati’s post about non-paved road riding made want to get on the mountain bike. Yes, riding the 29’er is pretty shameful to do in perfect road riding weather, but I couldn’t help myself… I just had to go out for a few hours. Trying to decide exactly where to ride at was nearly as difficult as climbing some of the local mountains. Either the trails were too far, or I had spent so much time on them in the Fall and Winter that riding them would have been as lame as riding one of these:

All issues aside, I needed to be on the 29er, and find a new trail to ride around on… but where? How do you, the readers, find new trail systems to ride on?

• Ask friends or your LBS?
• Exploration?
• Check Internet/Garmin/Forums/The Google Maps?
• Use Other Types of Trails?

I have heard stories of people finding trails using Topo Maps, following jeep trails and gas wells. With this technique, and a bit of freestyle exploration, I was able to find some pretty sweet gas well routes that resulted into ATV trails going into the woods. If there was ever a honey pot of local trails… this would be it!

After a ride or two, I have been able to map out just a fraction of the entire trail network on just one side of the forest. I’m guessing there is around ten miles of rideable trails, but with the amount of the paths going up and down a 200+ foot climb would make it a hell of a ride if you tried to do it all at once. This trail system is going to take a while to fully explore, but I think I’m willing to take the time to document it for local MTB’ers.

It all goes to show you that spending some time, and taking an educated guess can really pay off. Having ten or more miles of trail less than a mile away from home is such an amazing gift. I’m very glad (and very lucky) that such elaborate trails were found.

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This Saddle Gave Me A Fyxation

All erection puns aside, I want to get around to reviewing a new saddle I purchased from Fyxation

Not sure if you have noticed, but Fyxation has spot-on made a saddle that is pretty classy with it’s leather cover, but also has a somewhat regale shape that we have seen before. There have been a few tweaks to this saddle to save weight and increase comfort compared to other riveted, leather saddles, and Fyxation succeeded in nearly all categories.

First of all, let’s talk about the quality. While this saddle is probably made by Velo, or some other large Asian component manufacturer; it has the craftsmanship of a saddle from a mid-to-upper range company, as you would expect to see in Cannondale or Specialized saddle group. The leather is very typical and soft, but this is not a negative attribute. Your rear end will feel very welcome here. The rails are Cr-Mo, and not attempting to be lightweight for the urban/fixed gear crowd, but are still nothing to skoff about. The shape of the saddle is slightly pliable around the edges, somewhat giving in the middle (which is fantastic for those longer rides), and has held up well to use and weather conditions. The rivets on the rear of the saddle are crome plated, and have a somewhat brass-colored metal under the gloss. I found this out when I received the saddle from Fyxation, and saw that all of the rivets had light scratches or scuffs on them. I’m sure this is normal, and happens in either the manufacturing or distribution process, but it is something to warn you about if you are an OCD perfectionist.

After spending some time with this saddle, I have placed it on my touring/cyclocross bike due to the long-lasting comfort, and lack of concern for weight for these types of rides. At $65, this classic styled saddle with leather and rivets is hard to beat. Fyxation found a way to take an old product, make it cheap, comfortable, and still look pretty classy. It’s hard to do that in the modern world, and still have your products come out this well.

Final suggestion? Buy it if you are looking for comfort and classic styling, while trying to keep a hold of your wallet.

Pros:

• Quality Leather
• Classic Styling
• Comfortable Design

Cons:

• Weight
• Marred Rivets – This may only be on the saddle I received.

3/4 Stars.

Photos by N-Bomb

Buy Fyxation Saddles Here

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Behold, The Crying Wolf Challenge

Someone gave me a link to an event in West Virginia that I thought should be shared with everyone; it is called the Crying Wolf Challenge. This event is going to be located in Mercer County, WV and held on May 16th, 2010. (Mixer on May 15th) It is primarily hosted by Bill Cole Subaru, which some people may be like UGH CARS? Two Wheels forevarrr!, but I think it is a great promotion and really brings people from all over the state together.

iPlayoutside has this listed under the description:

Distances/Course Map

Experts 4 laps (22 miles), Sports 3 laps (17 miles), Beginners 1 lap
View the [Course Map]

The event also has its own big, crazy website with all sorts of social networking widgets and places to register for everything from the race to getting a tattoo of the race standings on your neck.

So with a quick scan of the site, I have determined that on Saturday May 15, the mixer will happen from 5-7pm; this was said about it:

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