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Thursday, July 02, 2009
 Riding & Smiling & Racing on the Team-Issue TCB Podios In 2009 the Team Clif Bar Cycling squad started racing on the all-scandium Salsa Podio frame with the Alpha Q GS10 fork. Over here at Team Clif we'd worked with Salsa for a couple seasons through the Boulder-based Clif Bar Development Cyclocross Team, so we were already big fans of the Salsa Chili con Crosso. When it came time to track down a bike sponsor for the road team in '09 it was an easy decision to first check in with Jason at Salsa. Our hope was that he'd be interested in expanding the existing CX relationship to include the NorCal-based TCB road team as well as the pro TCB Cyclocross duo of Troy & Brady. Fortunately, Salsa was launching the new Podio road frameset so it made sense for Salsa to have a team race the rig like nobody's business (whatever that expression means). Jason and I started hatching a master plan and when it was all said & done the Team Clif Podios were created in all their glory - sprayed white with red & green decals to compliment the TCB kits Capo had put together for us. So far this season we've raced the heck out of the Podios here in California; Jeff is ripping around Bozeman on his; JD just headed to Belgium to show the Podio off in some races over there; Eric was recently flying the colors in New Mexico; Troy raced his at the Giro di Jersey; I'm taking mine on the road to race in Idaho & Montana this July; the team's won a couple races on the Podios and chalked up a number of nice results; and we've even done our share of crash testing too - with the Podio holding up better than my femur in one such test back in February.  The gist of it is that the guys absolutely love their Salsa Podios. Here are what a few of them had to say about their shiny (or in some cases not so shiny anymore - scratched up & dented is more accurate for a few of them - "well loved") white race bikes: "The Podio is hands-down the best-handling bike I have ever ridden in my 10+ years of racing. Light, stiff with good ride quality...all you can ask for in a great race bike." Eric W. "I have a half season in on my Podio and it's working like a charm. It's super quick and snappy in the crits yet comfortable for the road races." Mark S. "Great acceleration, great stiffness but not too stiff, and excellent handling. The Salsa Podio incorporates everything you want in an alloy frame and is still incredibly comfortable." Joe I. "The bikes are super responsive. You stand on the pedals and get an awesome jump." Aaron B. "For several of us our first ride on the Podios was a crit... they didn't disappoint. Stiff, predictable ride that was easy to feel confident on." Josh R. It's refreshing to race on a capable frameset that can be purchased without breaking the bank. For the rider looking to hop on a very race-worthy ride at a good price the Podio is a great choice. Every rider on the Team Clif squad has spent time racing much more expensive bikes, but it's telling when the relatively affordable full-scandium frameset ends up being the riders' favorite.  Thanks for the support Salsa. You've got a bunch of Podio fans here at Team Clif Bar. -DS Dylan Seguin manages the Team Clif Bar Athlete Sponsorship Program and races on a Salsa Podio as a member of the TCB Cycling squad. Please visit the Team Clif Bar Blog for more TCB athlete stories. Dylan, thanks to you too. We are honored to be part of the CLIF Bar Team Program. Posted by Butcher : 2:42 PM 1 comments | permalink 
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
- I believe Joe is the only rider riding a drop bar rigid mountain bike. Personally I can't imagine doing 2700 miles on a flat bar. - Joe has overcome some big obstacles thus far. We figure he's had at least 26-30 hours of time committed to working on his bike or waiting for parts after his mud, derailleur and derailleur hanger incident outside of Lima. He also did a frame swap in Steamboat, CO at Orange Peelz (Our great Salsa dealer). - Despite Joe's set backs, his spirit seems good. This is the Joe we all know. - Joe has caught the lead chase group. I think there are 6 or 7 riders in a pack right now. I predict that on one of these last days in New Mexico, Joe will attempt to make a Trans Iowa like day and pull away from the pack. We are predicting a 5th place for Joe, 4th if call out individual riders and put he Peterverys in their own crazy classification. Not bad considering the 30+ hours of bike work. - If Joe get's 5th, it looks like we will have 2 Salsa's in the top 5 placing. Kurt is riding a Dos Niner and Joe is riding a Fargo. Both bikes are equiped with custom frame bags. Joe's are from Eric at Epic Designs. I'm not sure about Kurts. Lastly, we can't wait for Joe's return so we can hear all his stories. We hope to share some of the best of them. Stay tuned. Go Joe! Labels: Fargo, Joe's Great Adventure, Tour Divide Race Posted by Butcher : 9:16 AM 3 comments | permalink
Monday, June 22, 2009
 These have all the right buzz words. They are light, stiff, carbon friendly, use titanium bolts, and come in a high end gloss black finish. In stock in low quantities with more coming in mid to late July. QBP Part number series is SM0110 - SM0118. MSRP $90  Same forging as ProMoto Ti but this stem has less machining and processing making it less expensive and a great value. We've already received and sold a bunch of these with more arriving around the 4th of July. QBP part number series SM0120 - SM0128. MSRP $50 For more details including downloadable PDF's, go here.  We are working to update ALL our CroMoto forks to use our new stainless forward facing drop outs. The stainless material doesn't chip when you clamp skewers or when you take the front wheel off and set it on the ground. It looks really good too. The forward facing drop outs resist disc brake forces and make front wheel removal easier when running full coverage fenders. Sweet little tweaks to an already good product. For more details, go here. In other news, we have added two new CroMoto forks. They are in stock but we haven't gotten them photographed and added to the Salsa website yet. CroMoto Fargo fork in black. Our amazing adventure fork in 2 rakes. Make sure your bikes geometry is right, but you could be one of the first on your block to have 2 additional water bottles on your fork legs. Make your daily adventure a little longer and enjoyable with a CroMoto Fargo fork. In Stock at QBP. MSRP $140 55mm rake = QBP Part# FK0540 (In stock now!) 50mm rake = QBP Part# FK0542 (Due mid July) CroMoto La Cruz fork in black. You know you want a monster cross bike. In stock at QBP. MSRP $120 45MM rake = QBP Part# FK0531 Hope you enjoy. Now go buy one of these fine products. Posted by Butcher : 10:30 AM 11 comments | permalink
Thursday, June 18, 2009
Labels: Joe's Great Adventure, Tour Divide Race Posted by Butcher : 3:38 PM 3 comments | permalink
Thursday, June 11, 2009
Joe said travel to Banff was pleasantly uneventful. No problems with flights or the shuttle bus he took from Calgary to Banff. He did say the shuttle ride was through some truly beautiful countryside. He says it is great fun to be with all these people that have come from all over the world. He met two guys from Ohio, one from Toledo and the other from Cleveland. Joe grew up in Michigan, not far from the one fellow. There is a rider who shipped his bike to Banff...and it has not yet arrived. Terrible news for that person. Joe was a bit surprised that some folks did not really have their gear dialed in yet, and are frantically trying to figure out where to mount cycle computers and other assorted gear. Joe on the other hand said his stuff is ready to go, so he has been trying to relax. He said he spun around town for 20 minutes today and hit a grocery store. Said he can feel the altitude a bit and feels like his heart rate is up. He doesn't monitor his heart rate on a regular basis. There is a BBQ tonight that serves as the pre-race meeting and allows everyone to meet and mingle. He said it is cool to see the different bikes and gear setups that folks are using. He's heard that record holder John Nobile isn't carrying a sleeping system and is intending to find shelter when needed. Joe agreed that he is probably carrying a minimalist emergency blanket at least however. The weather today in Banff is gorgeous, but calls for some rain showers at times tomorrow. He said there is a lot of talk among various riders of trying to break 20 days. My understanding is that this year's course is taking a new, off-road route through the Flathead region. Joe said they still don't have the cue sheets for that section but are told they will receive them tonight. He's a bit nervous about that. He's been told that there are people out there flagging it today. All in all, Joe said his nerves are good. He said he's had trouble sleeping today but has forced himself to lay down and just stay still for 20 minutes at a time. He said he's excited and that it is a great group of people readying themselves for this adventure. He met two folks from the United Kingdom that have done the event before and have returned to do it again, bringing with them a few more of their countrymen. He said all the Brits are on 29'ers. Tomorrow morning at 10 AM Mountain Standard Time the Tour Divide 2009 is on. Joe said he expects the race to break into several big pieces right from the start. There is a place to get some food 60 miles down the trail, and then it is something like another 70 or 80 miles to the next town. Some folks are aiming at 130 miles or so tomorrow, but he said some others are looking at more like 160. What will Joe do? We will see tomorrow. Joe, in case you are reading this tonight at an internet cafe or on a borrowed laptop, everyone here wishes you the best of luck. There has already been too much internal debate as to whether you will ever wash your shorts during this adventure...but I encourage you to do so if you get the chance! Rubber side down! Ride safe! Enjoy the journey! -Kid Labels: 29'er, Fargo, Great Divide Race, Joe's Great Adventure, Kid, Tour Divide Race Posted by Kid Riemer : 5:45 PM 6 comments | permalink
That really seems to have changed recently. The internet, blogs, podcasts, SPOT trackers, GPS units, sat phones, and other technological advances have made 'coverage' of long distance, remote races possible in ways that we never would have imagined not that long ago. Like it or not, these advances have made it possible for us to watch what's going on. It turns a multi-day mystery into a multi-day event we can all enjoy. You can see that on the right side of this page we've added a 'Where the heck is Joe?' link. It provides a link to Joe's SPOT Tracker as well as to the Tour Divide Leaderboard. I'm sure Joe has a busy day ahead of him taking care of last minute preparations. While he's doing that he's probably busy 'trying to rest'. I'm sure many of you have experienced the weirdness off 'trying to rest' and understand the difficulty in that. A couple interesting facts about this year's Tour Divide Race. Based on the published roster, I see entrants from 6 different countries. That list includes: Austria Canada Germany Italy United Kingdom and the United States Within the United States, 18 different states are represented: Alaska Arizona California Colorado Connecticut Florida Iowa Kentucky Minnesota (Go Joe!) Ohio New Mexico North Carolina Pennsylvania Tennessee Texas Washington Wisconsin Wyoming If you think about it, that's a pretty darn diverse list in a field of 41 racers. We wish them all a safe and fulfilling adventure. -Kid Labels: adventuring, Great Divide Race, Joe's Great Adventure, Kid, Tour Divide Race Posted by Kid Riemer : 11:00 AM 0 comments | permalink
Tuesday, June 09, 2009
Tim was riding his mean, Rolhoff-equipped, El Mariachi, the rest of us were on Fargo's. Between the four bikes, we had a fresh combination of frame bags and rack and pannier systems. The weather here has been awesome for riding, but not so good for growing crops. We're in a drought really. The month of May was the Twin Cities third driest in recorded weather history...or something like that. For this overnighter we rolled east on the river trail, crossing the Minnesota river at Hwy 77, and heading through the 'burbs of Eagan out to the campground at Lebanon Hills Park.  Once we reached the campground and got a site, we dropped off some of our gear, built a firewood cooler to hold some ice, and left the beers to chill. The Lebanon Hills mountain bike trails are just up the road so we headed over there to get a lap in before darkness settled. I rarely drive out of my way to ride MTB trails so I hadn't been at Leb for quite a while. It was also my first time putting the Fargo through a more rugged off-road experience. Here is my mini-review of the Fargo's performance at Lebanon Hills. Much of this I already knew or suspected, but it may interest folks considering the bike. Also, keep in mind that I did not do the XX Loop this time around, mainly because I already had about 50 miles on my legs before getting to it. -The steering is agile. The front end is quick to respond, and allows for aggressive maneuvering. -Lifting the front end is not as easy with a drop bar, but can still be done. I preferred to have my hands on the tops if I was going to lift the front wheel or ride over a large log pile. -Rock gardens were all conquered without issue, except the one where I always get suckered into the wrong line and wind up jammed in the corner. Personally I feel I ride many rock gardens better on a hard tail than on a full-sus. I think this is because I drop my momentum and on a full-sus that really takes the steam out of the engine. -Braking is effective from the hoods, but when the going gets rough I want to be down in the drops. This means thinking ahead and getting there before it is too late. -Bar end shifters also encourage you to plan ahead. -Big wheels still smooth out a trail. I feel the 'longer' wheelbase of the Fargo helps in this regard as well. Interestingly, by staying seated and spinning I have yet to find a climb where the 'longer' Fargo wheelbase is a negative. -It is fun to catch up and pass someone on a suspended mountain bike while you're riding a drop-bar, rigid bike. Not in a 'Look at me, I'm a jerk' way,' but in a 'Reality check, hmmm, look what two wheels and a frame can accomplish' sort of way. One note on the trails at Leb. It had been a long time since I'd bypassed the XX loop and boy was I glad I did. There has been so much trail added in that non-XX section that is so much fun. I loved it. I am really looking forward to hitting it again now that I've seen that stuff. Nice job to the folks that designed and built it. Super flow. Super fun. After hitting the trails we rode back to camp, got a fire going, and started cooking the grub. This overnighter was not lacking in the good eats department. -Bean burritos -Ramyon and pad thai noodles -Bratwurst -Steak for Joe -Chocolate chip cookies -Cashews -Beer If you are going for an overnighter, I suggest working Tim into your plan! In a former life he guided road touring trips and he pulls out all the stops for an enjoyable campsite experience! After dinner we listened to the coyotes howling nearby, an owl hooting, and enjoyed fire lit conversation. Much of the conversation was in anticipation of Joe's upcoming Tour Divide Race. A clear sky and forecast allowed us to sleep out under the stars.  Friday morning as Tim brewed up some coffee, we had two large snapping turtles move close to our camp. The turtle shells were a good 12" to 14" long. We suspected they might be looking to lay their eggs and that seems to have been confirmed by the third large turtle we came across doing just that while riding back to work an hour later. June overnighter...a success. July overnighter...planning has commenced. Go sleep outside. -Kid Labels: 29'er, bike camping, El Mariachi, Fargo, Kid, Lebanon Hills, Moutain Biking Posted by Kid Riemer : 9:50 AM 2 comments | permalink
Wednesday, June 03, 2009
Joe heads north and west early next week en-route to Banff for the start of the Tour Divide on June 12th. When the event begins will have Joe's SPOT tracker link on the Amigos page so you can follow his progress, and we'll provide links to the Tour Divide leader board as well. Till then, enjoy Part Three. -Kid Labels: 29'er, Fargo, Great Divide Race, Joe's Great Adventure, Mountain Biking Posted by Kid Riemer : 9:30 AM 2 comments | permalink
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TRACK JOE'S PROGRESS2009 TOUR DIVIDE LEADERBOARD Amigos Calendario TWEK BORDER BATTLE Salsa Two-Four in Support of MORC EuroBike OutDoor Demo Interbike
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