Happy Holidays!

Wanted to say Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to all and your families. May everyone get out and ride!

"The non professional review" Canfield Brothers Nimble 9

So I picked up a Nimble 9 from Canfield Brothers a couple weeks ago as I was looking for a steel HT 29 with a slack head angle that I could run single speed or gears. This frame is my first Chrome Moly 4130 frame as I heard of the hype of steel vs aluminum and from my first ride the difference was very noticeable! it almost acts as suspension and the bike is very quite and stiff. The bike has a slack 69 degree head angle when using a 100mm fork and a short chain stay that is adjustable with slide drop outs for either single speed or gears. The frame is very well built and the attention to detail is crazy for the price you pay ($650).

The ride of this bike is a blast! quick and stable handling at any speed and with the short chain stay it turns on a dime! one of my biggest concerns of having a slack HA/short chain stay bike was the ability to climb steeps, no worries with this bike just crank and it goes up without the typical slack head angle front end "wandering" and when you get out of the saddle the bike just digs in and goes!

I'm currently set up SS with a 32x20 combo that works best for the places I ride though I feel a 18 for the rear is in the future as soon as my legs get stronger :) I'm running a Fox Float 100mm fork with a Cane Creek head set with a Thomson 70mm stem and Easton Haven carbon bars (711mm wide). Formula R1 brakes. Thomson Elite set back seat post with a WTB Volt saddle (awesome saddle) The wheels are WTB trail 29 hoops laced to a Chub Front hub and a Chub single speed rear with Maxxis Ardent 2.25 tires set up tubeless. For cranks I'm running the E13 XCX+Single Speed crank set and bottom bracket. To finish it off I'm running Shimano XT pedals. The complete build weighs 26 lbs! Not bad for a steel HT29:)

One thing that also turned me on to the Nimble was the great customer service I received from Sean at Canfield! I must have emailed him 50 times with questions and concerns and he responded to all of them! Being a smaller company you really get that "Mom and Pop shop feel"

If your interested you should check out their website at www.canfieldbrothers.com or give them a call at 801-548-2556 ask for Sean :)

Back on the 29er!

So it's raining and looks like a wash out for today(will try for tomorrow) so I thought I might as well post up on the Blog since it's been months!

SeanLife's been busy since my last post with the kids back in school and work busy as ever and trying to get rides in whenever possible. So you might have noticed I'm back on a 29er again (Santa Cruz TBLTC pictured) after I sold the TRC after summer time. Hell I also got a hard tail 29er single speed as well to kick my ass :) Pretty stoked on this ride so far, Climbs really well even with a single 35 tooth up front (1x10) and when you point it down it really comes to life! Weighing in a 27lbs it's light enough for a epic xc day of riding but strong enough for a awesome day in Santa Cruz! I will post some more reviews after I get some more miles on her.

Thanks

Sean

Coolest 24hr Race For Cancer

So I'm recovering from yet another great time with my extended family at this years Coolest 24hr Race For Cancer at Soda Springs! As you know I've lost some great people in my life from this terrible disease from my mother in law to my good friends Allan and Chris's dads so to spend a sleepless weekend doing what I love to do and for the cause well... count me in!Team Spare Change came in a respectable 2nd place this year making a improvement over last years 3rd place. Plus we avoided having to wear pink next year as we where threaten by our team mom that if we lost to the all girls team that would be our punishment! They came in 4th! Great bunch of ladies who have never done a race before! I want to thank Jim Northey with Global Biorhythm Events for putting on another great race! Check out his site for some great races he puts on!   http://www.globalbiorhythmevents.com/

I also would like to thank Eileen Milleza one of the sweetest people I have ever met, I call her mom because she is so caring and giving she makes you feel like giving her a hug! :)  Also to all my team mates and families they have made me feel welcome and part of their family for the last three years and I always look forward to spending a sleepless weekend with! 

Its funny I could write a bunch of stuff about how the race was and so on but I've pretty much summed it up with spending a great weekend with great friends working to make money to kick Cancers Ass! 

Here are some pictures from the race.

Thanks  to all that supported and donated to the cause! 

Sean

The non professional WTB Frequency i19 TCS rim review

So I've been so impressed with the new WTB Frequency i19 TCS rims I thought I would give you some feedback on them after my second trip up to Downieville this past weekend. First I need to clarify that I'm not known for having the best line choices by my riding buddies! not that I don't have a agenda when I'm pointed down the trail but the fact is if I think to much about the line I'll screw it up anyways! Regardless these rims are very strong and for a 185lb rider, shitty line choices and rocks galore on Butcher trail (man it's getting tore up!) I've yet to dent or burp them! I'm running a WTB Bronson 2.3 AM TCS on the front and Wolverine 2.2 AM TCS rear. Also I'm running them tubeless (who doesn't?) and on that note this combo that WTB has created the TCS rim/tire is the best sealing set up I've used yet! They hold air for days! These are also very light rims at 385g so if I want to go xc racing I can bolt on some lighter rubber and park the Reverb for my Thomson and be ready to race at a sub 25lb's!

So there you have it another review from a guy who likes to ride.

For more info on WTB check out their site
http://www.wtb.com/news/

Liking the brakes so maybe the next review?

Sean

The non professional Santa Cruz Blur TRC Review

Thought I do a little review on my latest ride a Santa Cruz Blur TRC with a modified SPX build kit.

First off I want to say that coming off a 29er back to a 26er wasn't a big change as I would of thought.Yes the 29er rolls faster if your not pedaling and does handle the small chop nicely and takes less thought in climbing technical stuff but that being said I've found I haven't missed those things since I've been riding the Blur TRC. This thing fit's perfectly between my last Blur Xcc and my Nomad Carbon, Light at 26.3lbs with a XT kit and a Reverb seat post.I'm running a 1x10 with a 35 ring up front and a Lopes guide and Crank Bros Egg beater pedals.This things climbs like a goat! much less effort than the 29er by a long shot! I removed the 10mm spacer from the fork to get the full 140mm travel on the Fox fork and added Easton Havoc carbon bars and a Thomson 70mm stem and this thing rips down hill and tracks really well! Also with all the comments of "Pedal Strikes" in the reviews out there I hadn't had a issue even at Downieville on Butcher Ranch on my second day on the bike! Putting the fork to 140mm did raise the BB a 1/4 inch so I'm sure that help:) The Shimano XT components are top notch and the XT Brakes are unbelievable how much power they have even running 6" rotor front and rear!
The WTB I19 hoops with the DT Swiss 350 Hubs work perfect and the WTB Bronson TCS AM front tire and WTB Wolverine TCS AM Rear are a great compromise between XC and DH trails (Tubeless of course with Schwartz Special Brew Sealant) Also Santa Cruz did a great job on cable routing on this bike, no open cables and a guide added for a seat post! The Fox RP23 is the best I've ridden so far it really works well compared to the previous models along with the Fox Float fork you can tell Fox is at their prime!

So hope you find this review interesting as it's my first review:)

Time to ride!

Sean

Downieville Memories

So I headed up to Downieville Saturday afternoon to meet up with Jeff who was staying up with his family in town so he offered me the couch for the night so we could book a late shuttle and ride again on Sunday (Much thanks) I was dying to try out my new ride for the summer a Santa Cruz Blur TRC (yes back to 26" wheels) loved my TBC but had been wanting to give this bike a whirl! It had rained the night before so the conditions where near perfect and Jeff and I had a great ride! On Sunday John came up and we rode with Joe and his son Angelo  and we had a great ride as well.  Funny every time I get on the mountain It's like all the stress in life is just lifted off your shoulders and your mind is wiped clean of all the crap everyday life can throw at you! Then again that's pretty much why we ride! right? :) Anyways afterward we got a burrito at the local Mexican place and then headed over to our friend Will's place (49 Wines) and had a beer or two or three:) Will and I ended up closing the place and just talking about life in general (mine and his) and we both came to a realization that life is all about the memories you have and give to people and not material objects or money so many of us strive for!
So I thought to my self Downieville always gives me great memories so here are a couple of my favorite shots of my favorite place to ride! Enjoy and I'll try to post a little sooner next time :)

Thanks
Sean

Hazard Peak Trail

I was going thru some pictures of my bikes from the past and came across this shot I had taken down in So Cal near a job we did at Morrow Bay. The Hazard Peak Trail system has to be on my top 5 funniest places to ride so far. The trails are clearly marked and each trail head they provide shovels and rakes for people to help maintain the trails! Wait people actually wanting bike riders to have a place to ride? Crazy!!! Any how if you get a chance to get down to So Cal you must stop and spend the day riding these awesome trails near the ocean! FYI mines the Nomad on the left :) 

Giving it all for a good cause!

So it's been awhile since I've last posted but it's been pretty crazy. Last weekend I ran with a 12 person team for "The Relay" a race from Calistoga to Santa Cruz!  Basically each person ran a total of 16 or 20 miles in a span of 24 hrs (or 30!:)

and this little gem was at our 2nd van hand off near Petaluma.

All in all it was a great time and for a good cause but I still prefer riding my bike than running! ;) 

Wicked picture

Friend of mine is going off! on the nature shots!

Just a cool shot!

Sea Otter Classic 2012

So yesterday was my first Sea Otter Classic Cat 2 cross country race and my first time back at SOC in 2 years. Previously I had ran DH but my fitness had been shitty and bikes to big and heavy! :) So my buddy and I headed down Saturday around 11:30 and checked in our hotel in Monterey and unloaded the bikes and arrived at SOC around 2:30 and it was pretty dam hot out! Stopped by the WTB booth and saw Forrest and Marsh and Dev and got to hold little Finn for the first time! We walked pretty much the whole booth area and grabbed a beer and headed up the hill to the DS final. These guys haul Ass! Cool to see Ryan Condrashoff get 14th killing it in a skin suit! Afterwords we headed back to town for some grub and one last beer before calling it a night. The next day we woke up and headed out to a foggy morning but at least it wasn't sunny and hot as I was concerned about riding in the heat! My Class had 39 riders so I staged my self towards the back of the pack about 5 rows (On the right side of the picture)

So at 8:05am my group took off for a good stint on the road course before filing off onto the dirt. My thoughts of hanging back and not burning out of the start kinda backfired on me because I ended up getting into alot of traffic on the first single track descent so it was a little follow the leader but after a little bit I was able to pass people on the climbs and fire roads. My body felt in pretty good shape but I think I need to push more for sure next time but you have to start somewhere:) My goal was to finish in the second half of the group and I accomplished that by taking a 16th place out of 39 riders in my class with a time of 1:47 Not bad for a traffic filled 20.6 miles:)

So I would like to thank RideSFO and Team Spare Change for there support and looking forward to some more races this year! Sean

Someone is out there!

So this week has been interesting to say the least! Had a great pre ride on the Sea Otter XC course on Sunday followed by a viewing on Monday night for my good friends dad who past last week of Cancer:( Tuesday was the funeral in Pleasanton at St Augustine Church then off to the cemetery for more services. My self and a couple of great friends who I have known for the past 20+ years arrived early and we visited the grave of a good friend we lost back in 1992 and also my grandfather who past in 1985. While walking around waiting for the procession to arrive I was reminded how fast life passes by and talking with my buds I thought to my self "living is really a luxury" think about it, most people complain of not having the greatest toys, houses,cars and bikes :) etc and just assume they are supposed to have it! Kinda like they are owed something just for living! In reality I thinking we owe someone or something else for being able to enjoy the simple things in life like seeing your kids grow up, growing old with your split apart (Wife:) and being able to remember the good old days with your buds at a cemetery! While I'll be the first to admit I'm not much of a religious type I will give in to the fact that something greater than human exist. Sorry for the heavy post but it's interesting to me :) Sean

Post ride delight!

Why we ride!

Month In Review

So thought I would give the month of March a 6 out of 10 for the ups and downs that made up most of the month. Ups where getting started with my new venture in project management and being able to get home by 5pm and leave work at work! Spending more time with the family is going to be a huge plus with this position for sure. I'm so proud of both my children doing really well in school this year my oldest has always done well but my youngest has made a huge turn around and I couldn't be happier about that! Being able to ride without lights is awesome not to say I don't like riding at night but when you ride alone at night you get kinda bored :). Getting signed up for the Sea Otter Classic XC Cat 2 race and racing with my best friend is pretty sweet as well. The down's where some of my co workers having medical issues and one of my good friends dad being diagnosed with terminal Cancer:( I saw him the other day at my friend shop and shocked on how much he changed in such a short time. So as I'm writing this I realized that there might be a little more good than bad but I'll keep my rating just the same and hope for my friends dad somehow gets better. Tell next time Sean

Power Breakfast!

Has to be the best suggestion I've ever gotten for a great breakfast food for riding or everyday! Steel Oats! Thanks Jeff:)

Is it Summer yet?

A Way Of Life Downieville - Yeti Cycles from Yeti Cycles on Vimeo.

Houston we have a problem!

Bottle down! Thankfully reserves are ready!

Live life!

So this week has been full of reminders of just how fortunate we all are.

Started out with one of our operators/friend going to the hospital with a Ventricular rupture in the base of the Brain (He is 40) the good part he will be ok but the bad part they don't know what caused it! Another co worker went to the hospital with a resting heart rate of 205! (He is 47?) He is doing well but cause unknown!
and then the superintendent I'm working on this latest project with went to the hospital Tuesday morning with light headed feelings and was admitted for evaluation! He is doing better but cause unknown!

Then yesterday I was speaking with a good friend and found out his dad is dying of terminal Cancer :(
I was told by one of my other friends dad who passed away 8 years (Cancer) ago that this is the time in your life you start loosing people!

Kiss your family everyday and live everyday like it might be your last!

Good ride is in order this weekend for sure!

Sorry for the Buzz kill post! :(

Sean

Found good dirt!

Great day at Rockville! Not alot of miles but good none the less.

True Statement!

So True!

Favorite new hang out!

Great place for great beer!

OL Walnut Creek CA

New Job Position Perks!

So recently I made a transfer from Operations Manager to Project Manager at my company, I'd been a Operations Manager for the past four and half years so my company wanted me to have the experience of doing Project Management full time. In the past I've managed small projects but with little attention to detail due to the amount of work involved being a Operations Manager. So when I was approached with the idea I was very skeptical on if I would like it or not but the company wanted me to have the experience so to have the knowledge needed to one day run a branch or some type of expansion company. Tonight I was in town by 5:30pm from the job I'm currently working on in San Francisco and if not for the bad weather conditions I would have saved another 25 minutes easy! This afternoon I got to take a walk with my wife (and dog:)  I cant remember in the last 5 to 6 years I've ever gotten to do that after work? Sappy as it sounds but it means something to me:)

Bike talk next time! :)

Post rain ride lunch.

Road most of the day in the drizzling rain at Annadel State Park.
It was primo conditions!
Now time to clean :)

Speed secrets!

I know fast people that like this:)

Another week in the books!

Nice way to end the week with a ride.

Schwartz Crystal!

Largest so far! 1/4 pound? :)

First laugh of the day!

This was on FB this morning and it made my day!

Sundays post ride report

Got out early this morning with some buds for a ride at my local spot. Made some adjustments to my riding cockpit by moving my seat forward and up and lowering my stem. Huge improvement on my pedaling and had all kinds of power on my uphills,going to try some wider bars next And see how they feel,I had them on my Nomad Carbon and liked them.Anyways back to the ride... The weather was summer like and the dirt was Hero like!started getting busy around 9:30am so we headed out. Looking forward to riding later this week. Tell later Sean

Bikes,Tequila and Pledge?

Bike's,Tequila and Pledge? 

Friday night standard with the wife followed by homemade Tacos! Yum! (Pledge is for the bike)

This afternoon post ride report

So finished up a quick 8miles at my favorite spot in the east bay and it happens to be 10 minutes from the shop so that's a bonus! After some fork maintenance earlier this week the bike completely changed on me :)

Prior to changing the fluids in the fork my max travel was 100mm max and that was pushing it, after the fluid change I got a full 120mm of travel! stoked! I have to fine tune it now but what a difference. What was strange is that the float chamber on the fork had much more fluid than 5cc of Float fluid it should and the lower leg was pretty much empty? My suspicion is the fork oil might be migrating into the Float chamber but we will have to see. I will recheck everything after a couple of rides and see.

All and all the dirt was really good and will be better this weekend! Looking forward to getting some of the Band together Sunday for a great outing in the back country.

Type Soon

Sean
 

How to start the weekend!

Dirts feeling good!

New Running Rubber

Gave these a try on this mornings run!

They are Nike LunarGlides

First new pair of running shoes in 6 years?

Technology is huge on these!

Not a Huge runner but I'm able.:)

Tallboy Love

Giving my Bike some needed maintenance

I like this shot! 

Fork Love!

Doing a little fork love to my Fox F29 120 fork.