Snow Dunes? Sand Drifts?

After an idyllic fat bike ride yesterday in a postcard perfect alpine setting, Kellen, Tony, and I went on a ride today which was marked by bitter cold, high winds, and a combination of blowing snow and dirt accumulating in brownish drifts.

Snow Ride at Harriman State Park

Prior to yesterday, neither Tony nor I had ever ridden snow bikes at Harriman State Park. Jeff needed some time on the skate skis to prepare for the upcoming Rendezvous Race so a trip to Harriman seemed like a good way to kill two birds with one stone. I was hesitant to tear up the skate track, but I realized that Harriman has quite a bit of grooming which is either fat bike specific or fat bike compatible parallel to groomed classic track.  We battled a little fresh snow, but in general, Harriman is experiencing the best snow conditions of the season. The experience is essentially fat bike single track but with a groomed base rather than the rutted base that can form in the absence of mechanical grooming. We had a lot of fun. The ride provided a welcome reprieve from long sometimes tedious rides on snowmobile trails.

Semi-Custom Boone Gravel Build

You will probably see this orange Boone frame around the shop at the Sled Shed. It is going to take a while to round up all of the parts, especially since some items are back-ordered. Joe and I went through the Trek Catalog looking for the perfect Crusher bike, but we did not find it. The gravel bikes lacked tire clearance, the cyclocross bikes lacked gearing. We decided the best option was to build the bike up from a bare frame with a Sram 2 x 11 drivetrain, hydraulic disc brakes, and 40 mm tubeless tires on a Bontrager wheelset.

Tomáš Slavik's Winning Run at Valparaíso Cerro Urban Abajo 2018

Start of the TNR, Saturday Ride, Lotoja, Sled Shed Kit

I hope the winter has treated everyone well. I am planning to use email sparingly again for 2018 and to communicate primarily through the Rexburg Cycling Blog and Facebook, but here are a few announcements to start the season.

<· The Tuesday Night Ride season will begin Tuesday March 13^th at 6 p.m. at Sticks and Stones/Sled Shed (more on that in a minute). Early season rides are subject to cancellation for dangerous weather conditions. If the weather seems too bad for a club ride, please consider the ride cancelled.

<· If you are interested in riding Lotoja either as an individual or team, please contact Jeff to discuss issues of organization and sponsorship.

<· A number of people have asked if we can get some Saturday rides going. We missed a great opportunity last Saturday, but I was out of town and other people had obligations as well. The forecast does not look great for the next two Saturday’s, at least not good enough to put a specific plan in place. We will continue to watch the forecast and may put out a last minute invitation via the Blog and Facebook. If you have a high level of interest in a road ride Saturday, please drop me a text or get in touch with me.

<· Joe is putting the final touches on a new 2018 Sled Shed kit. I have seen the mock-ups and it is incredible-more information on that to follow as details are finalized. As a marketing decision, Joe will be emphasizing the Sled Shed name and de-emphasizing the Sticks and Stones name. The new kit will reflect that. Plus we need to get used to saying that the TNR meets at Sled Shed.

<· Mark your calendar for the Cube Saturday October 20^th.

Tubeless Sealant That Will Never Dry Out

https://www.bikerumor.com/2018/02/12/new-finish-line-tubeless-tire-sealant-will-never-dry-out/

Tour of Utah Summer of Cycling

 

                                                           

TOBIN ORTENBLAD: STAYING HUNGRY - A FILM BY BEN GOMEZ VILLAFAÑE

Road to NAHBS 2018: Interview with Adam Sklar of Sklar Bikes - Bikerumor

https://www.bikerumor.com/2018/02/02/road-nahbs-2018-interview-adam-sklar-sklar-bikes/

From The Banff Film Festival: Where the Wild Things Play

There is minimal cycling in this video, but it is entertaining with a retro Cake soundtrack and a white Chrysler Le Baron from Pocatello.

Team USA Previews CX Worlds

I am looking forward to the CX Worlds Coverage on NBC Sports Gold as well as the extensive coverage provided by Cyclocross Magazine: https://www.cxmagazine.com/2018-uci-cyclocross-world-championships-valkenburg-limburg-results-video  As far as the preview video is concerned someone will need to watch it for me. The POV video makes me too motion sick.

Last Look Back at CX Nats from Crosshairs TV