Speedgoat's commentary and opinion on cycling and the cycling industry.http://www.speedgoat.com/blog.aspen-usFri, 12 Mar 2010 15:54:44 EST Fri, 12 Mar 2010 03:52:00 ESThttp://www.speedgoat.com/blog.asp?p=2187http://www.speedgoat.com/blog.asp?p=2187
The event will now return to Moab, Utah for 2010, to be held in conjunction with the 24-Hours of Moab event, October 9-10.

The USA Cycling 24-Hour Mountain Bike National Championships were originally scheduled to take place alongside the 24-Hours of Big Bear in Hazelton, W. Va., June 12-13. However, due to financial concerns, 24-hour race series promoter, Laird Knight, cancelled the 2010 edition of the West Virginia race.

“It’s unfortunate that Big Bear isn’t happening this year,” said USA Cycling’s Mountain Bike Events Director, Kelli Lusk. “But it’s exciting to have the 24-Hours of Moab host our 24-Hour Mountain Bike National Championships again. We are certainly looking forward to a great second year in Moab.”

This will be the second year that the 24-Hours of Moab host the USA Cycling 24-Hour Mountain Bike National Championships. National titles will be awarded in fifteen different categories: Male and Female Solo, Single speed, Duo, 4-person team, Junior 4-person team, Master 4-person team 35+, Master 4-person team 45+, as well as Mixed Duo.

For more information about the 24-Hours of Moab, or to learn about registration for the event, please visit the official website by clicking here http://www.grannygear.com. ]]> Thu, 11 Mar 2010 18:18:00 ESThttp://www.speedgoat.com/blog.asp?p=2186http://www.speedgoat.com/blog.asp?p=2186




More to come as we receive further updates.]]> Thu, 11 Mar 2010 05:48:00 ESThttp://www.speedgoat.com/blog.asp?p=2185http://www.speedgoat.com/blog.asp?p=2185
If your wildest dreams include being able to ride your bike more conveniently/more safely in your neighborhood and beyond, then you'll want to keep reading:

"Imagine one million people speaking out for bicycling with a united, powerful voice.

Last night, at the National Bike Summit in Washington, DC, Bikes Belong officially launched peopleforbikes.org – a brand-new initiative to put more people on bikes more often.

We're collecting one million names in support of a better future for biking – one that's safer, more convenient, and more appealing for everyone. And we're giving people the tools to support pro-bike policies and spread the joy of bicycling in their own communities.

At this very early stage, the peopleforbikes.org movement will depend heavily on support from bicycle advocates, enthusiasts, and leaders like you. Please take a moment to visit our website and become one of the first to sign our pledge:

http://peopleforbikes.org

Every day, millions of Americans ride for their health, for the environment, for their communities, and for the pure joy of bicycling. But until now, only a fraction of riders have stood up to help improve bicycling in America.

Peopleforbikes.org is going to change all that. We'll build on the expert work of existing bike advocacy groups – our partners – to develop a powerful movement with the clout and influence to get things done. That means promoting bike-riding on an individual level, but also sending a unified message to our elected leaders, the media, and the public that bicycling should have their full support.

Check out our website and learn more about this effort:

http://peopleforbikes.org

Though peopleforbikes.org is already up and running, we're planning a broader public launch to coincide with the Bicycle Leadership Conference and Sea Otter Classic in April. Right now, your support is essential to launch and grow this effort.

After all, life is better when it's experienced on two wheels. You and I know this – and now we can take this message to millions of people across the country.

Sincerely,

Tim Blumenthal
Executive Director, Bikes Belong Coalition"]]> Wed, 10 Mar 2010 17:51:00 ESThttp://www.speedgoat.com/blog.asp?p=2182http://www.speedgoat.com/blog.asp?p=2182
from the Official Google Blog
"Whenever I meet someone who finds out that I work on the directions team for Google Maps, the first question I'm asked is often "So when's Google Maps going to add biking directions?" We're big biking fans too, so we've been itching to give you a concrete answer. I don't want to keep the good news a secret any longer, so the answer is: right now!

Today we've added biking directions and extensive bike trail data to Google Maps for the U.S. My team has been keeping close tabs on all the public support for biking directions that’s been steadily coming in, but we knew that when we added the feature, we wanted to do it right: we wanted to include as much bike trail data as possible, provide efficient routes, allow riders to customize their trip, make use of bike lanes, calculate rider-friendly routes that avoid big hills and customize the look of the map for cycling to encourage folks to hop on their bikes. So that's exactly what we've done." Read on...]]> Wed, 10 Mar 2010 14:58:00 ESThttp://www.speedgoat.com/blog.asp?p=2177http://www.speedgoat.com/blog.asp?p=2177Speedgoat Bicycles proudly supports the 2010 Appalachian Road Race Series

The 2010 season of Appalachian Road Race Series gets underway in a little over three weeks with the Morgantown Road Race starting things off on Saturday, April 3. All categories for men and women plus men's masters (40+ and 50+), junior (12-18) and tandem categories will be contested and it only costs $20 to enter.

Series promoter, the Appalachian Bicycle Racing Association, doled out this advice for racing Morgantown via the race registration page:

"Leave your expensive Flux-Capacitors and fancy wheels at home cause it's WV and we got pot holes, but do not forget your climbing legs, and yes, they can have hair on them too. We don't judge! If you want to climb your legs off come join us over in West "by god" Virginia for some wicked hard yet truly fun grassroots road racn'!! This race course has just about everything a cyclist could wish for in ridge top views, back country road, big climbs and gear pounds flats."

This is the first in the series of six road races, which will take place over the next five months before switching over to a 'cross series.

Speedgoat Bicycles has shown its support for the entire series by providing prizes, which series promoter, ABRA, preferred over - we can only guess - the impersonality of cash.

Win Without Suffering
Each month ABRA distributes a newsletter that highlights vital information pertaining to racing. In addition, each newsletter features a contest that awards the winner some necessary item that any self-respecting cyclist wouldn't live without.
View March's Newsletter here and see if you can win this month's prize, a Camelbak Lobo Hydration Pack.

Series overview:
April 3, 2010 Morgantown Road Race APRRS # 1
May 8, 2010 New Martinsville Road Race APRRS # 2
May 16, 2010 The Crimson Classic APRRS # 3
May 29, 2010 Tour of Tucker County Road Race APRRS # 4
July 3, 2010 Barbour Detour Road Race APRRS # 5
August 14, 2010 Appalachia Visited Road Race APRRS # 6

For complete information and registration, visit the series page on ABRA's website: http://www.abraracing.com/Schedule.html]]> Tue, 09 Mar 2010 14:10:00 ESThttp://www.speedgoat.com/blog.asp?p=2180http://www.speedgoat.com/blog.asp?p=2180
The team set out today from Lisbon under bright, clear skies that hinted nothing of what was ahead along the 225-kilometer stage 1. Rains in previous days flooded the road to such a depth in some places that the cyclists were diverted by local firemen.

Although an occasional sign warned the team of the dunked roads, perhaps a sense of adventure prevailed and the team took their chances with the rain and with their BH G5 bikes, which doubled as amphibious vehicles to get them through the oversized puddles.

In the end, the team added an extra 30 kilometers to the day, which cost them two hours. Heavy rains throughout the Iberian Peninsula this winter have caused problems in nearly every region, which - on the bright side - may result in a more scenic Clásica San Sebastián on July 31.

]]> Mon, 08 Mar 2010 17:03:00 ESThttp://www.speedgoat.com/blog.asp?p=2179http://www.speedgoat.com/blog.asp?p=2179
Before you get started, please familiarize yourself with the official hub overhaul instructions: http://www.dtswiss.com/Products/Accessories/Hub-Accessories/36-T-upgrade-kit-for-star-ratchet-hubs.aspx (look for the link on the right side of the page called “Manual Hubs 240s.pdf). This blog entry is a brief overview of the procedure; it is not intended to replace precise instructions.

Start by pulling off the non-drive end caps (these may be a bit stuck: hold both end caps and twist several times to warm and loosen o-ring seals).


Stick a Bic pen into the axle and give it a few gentle taps until the drive side end cap pops off (be careful or the freehub and ratchet guts will pop out too).




Dismantle the freehub and ratchet mechanism (pay close attention to the order and orientation to apply during reassembly).




Comparison: 18 vs. 36 steps
36-step star ratchet offers 10 degrees of engagement (compared to 20 degrees from the original 18-step) and additional machining that saves 10 grams.


Don’t forget to clean and lube!








Here is where all of those memory games you played in Kindergarten pay off.

Finesse with a twist and a gentle push to guide the ratchet assembly into the hub shell. Finish off by replacing the end caps on the axle (you have to do this while holding the freehub in place since the springs tend to push the assembly back out until you get the end caps back in place).

]]> Mon, 08 Mar 2010 16:00:00 ESThttp://www.speedgoat.com/blog.asp?p=2178http://www.speedgoat.com/blog.asp?p=2178
We're glad to announce that Uvex sunglasses are now available here at Speedgoat Bicycles.

Featuring German engineering and styling and ranging in price from $30.00 to $100.00, you don't have to break the bank to get your euro-look groove on.]]> Sat, 06 Mar 2010 08:00:00 ESThttp://www.speedgoat.com/blog.asp?p=2171http://www.speedgoat.com/blog.asp?p=2171
The Jet 9 is Niner's lightweight cross-country, full-suspension frame that features 80 mm of rear wheel travel in the form of Niner's own CVA™ suspension system. First debuted in 2008, the Jet 9 has received multiple improvements for 2010.
The head tube is now a tapered 1-1/8” to 1.5” design that uses an integrated upper and lower headset assembly to keep the stack height low and steering precise. Niner includes a custom FSA headset with each frame and also provides both a 1.5” and a 1.5” to 1-1/8” reducer base plate assembly for your choice of running a standard 1-1/8” or tapered steerer tube fork. This new tapered head tube allows for a larger hydro-formed down tube, a larger hydro-formed top tube and a new top tube-to-down tube gusset area – all of which drastically increase the torsional strength and steering response of the frame.
The new hydro-formed top tube and seat mast are also larger in size and have an increased weld surface area where they meet the seat tube.
The entire front triangle is completely reworked and much stiffer than the previous version of the Jet 9.
The swingarm forgings have also received a redesign and the Y-brace from the R.I.P. 9 and W.F.O. 9 has been added for additional strength.
The seat stays have been changed to a square profile and the chain stays are now hydro-formed for additional gains in stiffness and torsional strength.

The most impressive result of all these changes…the weight.

I wish I had a weight for the complete bike, but I forgot to put the bike on the scale. Give a call to Niner and set me straight on that, however we can confirm that the target weight of the frame only is 2810 grams/6.2 lbs for a Medium in Licorice Anodized.

]]> Fri, 05 Mar 2010 16:09:00 ESThttp://www.speedgoat.com/blog.asp?p=2174http://www.speedgoat.com/blog.asp?p=2174
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