Category: specialized
94.7 MTB race & Specialized Concept store opening
In Johannesburg, attended the Specialized Concept store opening here in the amazing Melrose Arch last night. Good to see fellow Specialized riders Burry Stander and Dan Hugo and caught up with journos (read “old triathletes”) from way back. Paul Ingpen, Sean Badenhorst and the like.
All the best for South Africa’s only concept store. Looks great. Signing autographs (on above poster from XTERRA Worlds in Maui) from 11 to 2 today. So book your flight now!
Racing 94.7 MTB race in 2 hrs. The road race is huge 26 000 riders. Not sure what the MTB race holds- Burry Stander and Kevin Evans are racing. But then, its end of season for all of us, not one is really in form, so one could call it: “May the least pathetic win…”
Ironman World Championships, Kona, Hawaii. Pix by Conrad Stoltz
Macca piloting his Specialized SHIV out on the Kona Ironman course. By Conrad Stoltz (I’m showing off my mad camera skills, hoping to someday get paid for this writing/photography hobby of mine).
The reason I havent blogged in a while is the lack of interwebs connection at our Kona condo. Been knocking out some amazing power numbers on the bike, and other than recovering and eating, havent found the energy to go blog. I find it hard hard to sit and blog from a coffee shop (Lava Java of course) squinting at the screen in the sun, with the stunning ocean views, Big Island pork pizza in one hand, typing with the other and ogling the sea of finely chisseled/ tanned/ tattoed/ coiffed Ironman bodies streaming by.
Back to the race.
Clipping or cutting tires
This is a quick post to explain to John Harrington (facebook discussion on 24 August ) about clipping tires.
(There is more, but I couldnt screen shoot the whole thing- was born in the 70s)
These Specialized Captain 2.00 tires clogged with mud at XTERRA Vermont in 2009 (Read more about the race, rotten foot and tire story here) Not knowing Vermont, I didnt bring real mud tires, so I had to make do, so I used a sharp wire cutter and clipped every 2nd knob out of the center line of knobs. Which would help the mud shed (fling off) the tire easier when speed increase.
Real mud tires are narrow (sinks to the bottom of the mud where the real traction is) with few, but tall knobs. Tall knobs provide more grip (like paddles or spikes) and few because, too many knobs will let the mud pack onto the tire and make a thick sausage like the pic above.
Downhill racers are famous for cutting tires to suit certain courses.
Off course, a rainy pre race taper allows for plenty of cutting time, so here is my product. Cant see on the pic, I clipped every 2nd knob out of the center row of this Specialized Captain for better mud clearing.
Of course, its a tedious job, it takes seemingly hours and 1 slight mishap and you can throw the tire in the garbage.
Before the new fast rolling Specialized Renegade tire the Specialized Factory Team (especially Susi and Burry) used to cut the Fast Trak knobs shorter for less rolling. (and less stopping/cornering 🙂 ) But now they’d cut Fast Trak tires for more grip on somewhat muddy courses. If it gets real muddy, they’ll go with a full on mud tire. Except Burry. He just sticks to low knobs and goes with the sliding- I saw it 1st hand at Sani2C…
A clever story about a flat tire, Caveman teeth and ingenuity.
I never tire of this episode from XTERRA Richmond Virginia 2009. “Tire” pun intended…
Dan Hugo and I pre rode the XTERRA Richmond course shortly after our arrival from XTERRA Northwest Cup in Coeur D’Alene, where I had a 4 inch nail puncture my tubeless tire in 2 places. See previous blog.
My replacement tire was in the mail, so I rode the tire with the 2 nail holes, and just put in a tube. Of course it flatted. I changed the tube. It deflated faster than I could pump. Before putting our last tube in I carefully inspected for sharp objects.
It also deflated faster than what I could pump.
We still had a lot of riding to do and I wasnt going to call it quits.
I was going to make that tire tubeless again- no matter what!
First I used a bottle cap to scoop the sealant from the healthy front tire and put it in the rear. With the 2 huge holes.
Hoping the front tire seals up, (since I took out almost all the sealant) I poured energy drink in the tire…
XTERRA Alabama preview
Yup, I brought the big dog. This is the perfect 29er course- fast, rocky, rooty and technical.
For more on 29ers, visit my my 29er page on Facebook
-Command Post telescopic seat post. (notice dropped seat height for the technical terrain) I wrote about the Command Post exhaustively on this previous post
-Specialized Fast Trak LK S Works 2.00 tires. 24psi front and 29 psi rear. This course has a super rocky high speed section with some water bar jumps, so I run more psi than I normally would.
I’m very tempted to run The Captain 2.00 in the front- it has taller knobs and corners better in the loose (or if it gets wet), but they roll quite a bit slower, (about 30W vs Fast Trak) so I’m going to go with the Fast Trak, use the Command Post and finesse the loose corners.
-Roval carbon wheels- super stiff and light.
-LOOK Quartz Ti pedals
Blood Rock is famous here on the Oak Mountain, Alabama bike course. Thanks to BUMP for building, maintaining and advocating this epic course. On race day, its lined with spectators, who take incriminating pictures of failure and cowardice…
