If the Super Bowl Wasn't Exciting Enough...Mud Bowl 2008

Last week, someone asked me if I was going to ride over the weekend, and hadn't given it much thought. I just sort of assumed that it would be cold and crappy. But after some consideration, I gave weather.com a look see, and lo and behold, it was predicted to be a lot nicer than some rides I have been on. So I ride was born.

After many phone calls, it boiled down to Biker Bill, Jen, and me. We met up at Lewis Morris Park and set out from the parking lot above Sunrise Lake on a beautiful 50 degree day. I was pretty excited because I had been doing a lot of work on the trainer. Not nearly enough it seems. I guess there is no thing like the real thing, and I am sure I would have been hurting even more had I not been doing the training.

It started pretty good, with the usual uphill grinds. As it got muddier, it got harder to keep pedaling up. I couldn't quite get the traction. I think it may be yet another downside of my massive girth. Where Bill and Jen were cranking right up, my rear tire was spinning while I proceeded to go no where.

After that we had some good downhill with some switchbacks, a little hair raising, but good just the same (is there really any bad downhill?). I was having problem tracking because I did not have my front wheel. I had a front wheel, just not mine. Last fall, I went on a bike date with a girl with whom I am no longer in contact, and apparently I gave her back the wrong wheel. Good for her, bad for me. I'd like to blame it on her, but it is really all my fault. Anyhow, I did the needful, and made do with what I had (note to self, get new rubber soon).

Then it was back up hill, and this time I wasn't the only sorry soul pushing. The mud was quite deep, and not really ideal for pedaling uphill. I was having problems even pushing, as mud was clogging my brakes and fork. Bill and Jen were blessed with disc brakes, and were not suffering the same misfortunes. We had a nice little break at the top, where we practiced a few log rolls, and then I finished my ride with another screaming down hill. Seriously, I screamed a lot. It was that lousy front wheel again. I only swallowed a modest amount of mud in the process.

I closed it out by heading back to the parking lot, spent after two hours. Bill and Jen were still sufficiently motivated to ride up Heart Attack Hill. I did not wait around. I had a Super Bowl Party to take a nap for.

This All Seems Familiar Somehow

Back when I first started road biking, a good friend told me to get a bike computer with a cadence meter. If you don't know what cadence is, don't feel bad, I had to have it explained to me as well. In a nutshell, it is how fast you pedal. And if you already knew that, my apologies for back tracking. I got the cadence meter and was told, "Don't let your cadence drop below 80 RPM"

Now, my frame is what I like to describe as being of heroic proportions, and it was easier for me to pedal slower in a harder gear than to spin the pedals faster, so for later computers, I opted to save money by eliminating the cadence feature.

This fall, I got a trainer for the bike in order to try and get a jump on the spring season. Biker Bill was kind enough to let me keep the trainer set up at his house, and we committed to doing training rides twice a week. Bill shelled out for the entire Carmichael Training Series (Chris Carmichael was one of Lance's trainers. I know this because he casually mentions it several times each DVD). And low an behold, they are back to talking about cadence. I couldn't escape it.

So just before last nights trainer ride, Bill (graciously and without complaint) installed an inexpensive Cat Eye Cadence computer. It took about a half an hour, and I am quite sure it was the last thing he wanted to be doing. It made a difference in the ride. I can only say to all the big boys out there, learn to ride cadence. I can also say, "Thanks Bill!"

Triathlon News

Hi Everyone,

Now that 2008 is upon us it is time to start thinking about the upcoming triathlon season. If you are like me and think the best warm-up for a 30 mile road race is swimming one mile next to hundreds of others competitors read on.


The masters swimming at Drew University started on 1/14. It runs for 15 weeks and costs $225. These workouts are coached by Dorsi, the head swimming coach at Drew. The sessions are:
Mon: 6:00-7:15 AM, 9:15-10:30AM
Tues: 7:45-9:00 PM
Weds: 6:00-7:15 AM, 9:15-10:30AM
Thurs: 7:45-9:00 PM
Fri: 6:00-7:15 AM, 9:15-10:30AM
Sat: 7:00-9:00AM

Although most races are months away it is time to start registering as many of the better races close out early. Here is a list of race dates that myself or other members of the Marty's Triathlon team will be competing in:

4/27 Bassman Tri and Du athlon - Bass River State Forest http://www.citytri.com/
6/1 Black Bear Half and Sprint - Beltzville State Park, PA http://www.cgiracing.com/
6/14 Wyckoff Sprint http://www.wyckoffymca.org/
6/21 Philadelphia Sprint and Olympic
7/13 Randolph Sprint
7/20 Ironman Lake Placid http://www.ironmanusa.com/
7/27 New Jersey Sprint and Olympic http://www.cgiracing.com/
8/3 Cayuga Lake Triathlon (Sprint National Championships)
http://www.ithacatriathlonclub.org/race/default.html
8/17 Timberman Half and Sprint - Lake Winnipesaukee, NH
9/7 Patanella's Buckman Sprint and Olympic, Round Valley Reservoir http://www.greenbrookracing.com/
10/4 Bassman Half and Sprint - Bass River State Forest http://www.citytri.com/

If you have never attempted a triathlon but want this to be the year you tri, (sorry for the bad pun) there are many local short races to consider. The Randolph Triathlon is held right behind Marty's in Randolph and is a sprint distance race. If you want information about training for this race, send me an e-mail jtiman@comcast.net and I can help get you started. The Friday night rides on the Randolph course will start up again this spring.
If you want to do one part of the triathlon as part of a team let me know and I can help find others who are looking for teammates.

There is also a going to be a triathlon seminar at Starting Line Sports in Madison for novice to intermediate triathletes. The seminar is on Sunday 2/24 at 9:00. You can register through http://www.trisports.com/

As it gets warmer I would like to organize weekly open water swim sessions along with some track running work-outs. I am also planning to go up to Lake Placid for a weekend to train on the Ironman course with anyone who is interested.

That's it for now but I will keep you posted on any other multisport happenings in our area.

For now stay warm, be one with your indoor trainer, (remember it is our friend) and before you know it the season will be under way.

John

Our trip to Guru

Montreal, home of the Canadiens, Expos, Mt. Royal, Notre Dame Basilica, Old Montreal, Guru, Rue St. Catherine, Martin Brodeur......wait a second, didn't the Expos move to Washington D.C.? Oh, yeah. And this Guru you mentioned, what's his name? No, not a spiritual leader, Guru bikes. Never heard of them? You will.
When Marty's was looking for another bike line to carry, many names popped up. One of the areas we wanted to address was the custom market. Guru was a name mentioned. So, we gave them a call. As luck would have it, they were having a dealer open house in 2 weeks and invited us up. No need to ask twice. I dusted off my passport and along with Jesse, Ben and Marc we headed out in Marc's Eurovan to the Great White North. Sorry Rush, no residuals here. You either Bob and Doug Mckenzie. One grumpy customs officer and seven hours later we arrived in Montreal.
Marc and I caught a Canadiens game that first night. The next morning it was down to business. We took a shuttle bus from our hotel in Old Montreal to the Guru factory. Guru makes custom, hand built bikes in four weeks. They've been doing this since 1997. We were met by the founders of Guru Tony and Robert. Nice blokes, sorry, bonne mecs. Tony gave us a tour of the factory. As you can see from the pictures, their carbon bikes are indeed hand made. He explained that they only use the best carbon, which incidentally comes from California, not Taiwan. Tony also explained that it is how you lay the carbon up that determines stiffness. He then gave us a tour of the rest of the factory. The welding station for aluminum and titanium frames, the paint booth, decal station, finishing station.....okay, if you're like me this is all well and good, but the bottom line is, how do the bikes ride?
Guru makes four road models. The top of the line Geneo and the Evolo are carbon frames. The Praemio which is titanium and the aluminum Venio. They also have four triathlon/time trial models. Crono, which is the top of the line, and Magis are made out of carbon. Merus is made out of titanium and the aluminum Ventus rounds out the line. Guess which ones I wanted to ride? If you know me, you already know the answer.
First up, Geneo. After taking ten minutes to dress for the cold, lightly snowing Montreal weather, it was time to put the Geneo through it's paces. This bike is light, but it's not stupid light. Just because you have a 900 gram frame doesn't mean it will ride nice. At 1,150 grams, the Geneo is plenty light. The ride quality is excellent. The bottom bracket is nice and stiff. The carbon frame did what carbon frames are supposed to, it soaked up the road vibrations extremely well. When you are going around corners at race speed, which I did, the Geneo goes with you. It doesn't want to go in a different direction. That is a good thing. Sorry Martha.
Next up? You guessed it, Crono. I was lucky enough to find a straight, flat road section. I tucked down on the aero bars and let the Crono do the rest. Like Geneo, the Crono is stiff at the bottom bracket. When you step on it the Crono responds immediately. Instantaneously I felt a surge in my speed. Going around corners at speed was also a treat. I felt very stable and at no time did I feel the Crono would come out from under me. Test rides over, it was time to tell Tony and Robert what a great ride the Geneo and Crono are. One last night in Montreal and one rooster sculpture for my mom later, it was time to pile into Marc's van and head South.
Something Tony said during our visit stuck with me. "I believe we make the best damn bikes in the world, but nobody knows who we are." That's passion, and it shows in everything Guru does. Now you know. But don't take Tony's or my word. Marty's has demo Guru bikes for you to ride. I'm not talking about a parking lot or a down the street ride. Take them out for a couple of days. When you return the bike, we'll be here to take your custom Guru order. It'll be ready in four weeks.

Thanks
Lou

Photos courtesy of Marc

New Guru wows me!

Hi Everyone,

I just rode my new Guru Geneo for the first time a few days ago. I was extremely pleased with the ride, and am happy to report that it is the most beautiful and best riding bike that I have ever owned. I find myself thinking about it a lot while I'm at work, and sometimes I go to the service shop of Marty's just to peak at it. Don't tell Marty.

It's really nice to have a bike that makes your blood run hot and helps to motive you to get out there and ride when its 10 below zero. OK, I'll never ride in weather that cold, but you get the idea.

What I like about the Geneo, is that it is not only really light, like every other bike in that category, but it is extremely stiff in the bottom bracket area, and rides like I was sitting on a cloud. I really feel a big difference in the power transfer from my 2007 s-works Roubaix, to the Guru. Don't get me wrong, I really loved that Specialized, and I thought that it was an incredible riding bike. I especially liked the smooth ride and upright position of the Roubaix, but the Guru is everything that the Roubaix was and more.

The paint is custom Team Marty's blue and white, which makes it even more amazing looking, not to mention the really cool way that Guru shapes the tubes of the bike to give it a unique look. The ride of the bike was really second to none, which amazes me because, I was so happy with everything that the Specialized has to offer.

The fact that every bike that Guru makes is a custom machine designed for the individual rider makes all the difference in the world. You cannot appreciate a custom bike until you have ridden one that has been designed for you and only you. This has been a huge transformation for me. There is a noticeable difference between this bike and every other stock bike that I have ever ridden, and to be honest, I didn't always believe that there would be. I'll be posting more about my Guru soon, so tune in.

Happy New Year,

Jesse

Racing Schedule 2008

Hi everyone,

Just wanted to post the endurance race schedule that I am planning on doing this season. I would like to encourage anyone and everyone who is interested to come out and play in some of the longest and most exciting mountain bike races in the World.

You see, racing for 4 or more hours is not only about being on your bike for a really really long time, but it is also about exploration, in every sense of the word.

Exploring the outdoors is something that most people will never get to do in their entire lives. We now have the option to sit at home on a couch, or at a computer and watch our lives pass us by. The point is, we don't need go out into the wilderness at all if we choose not to.

To me there is no greater feeling than to be on my bike, 7 hours into a race, be feeling strong, fit, happy, euphoric, and completely as ease with the world around me. To some people being on a mountain bike for such a long time might sound miserable, but I have learned a lot from being on my bike for hours on end. Besides spending time with my wife and my family, there is no where else I would rather be than riding my bike all day long.

That is precisely the reason that I have decided to race as many long races as my schedule will allow this year. The schedule is as Follows:

1. 4/19 Cohutta 100 Tennessee
2. 6/7 Mohican 100 Ohio
3. 6/14 Lumerjack 100 Michigan
4. 7/26 Wilderness 101 P.A.
5. 8/16 Fools Gold 100 Georgia
6. 8/31 Shenandoah 100 Virginia

These races are part of a 100 mile race series called the NUE series. It is a point series of 8 races and it takes your 4 best finishes toward the final number of points. Last year I did 2 races and actually placed in the top 50, so hopefully by completing six races I can do a lot better.

I am also planning on doing a few stage races. A stage race for those who are unfamiliar, is a race that is more than one day and can also incorporate different types of bicycle racing in some circumstances. The first one will be sometime in June. It is called the Tour De Burg and is located in Harrisonburg Virginia. It is a very low key event that is also low cost and not totally organized from what I understand. However, it is supposed to be a lot of fun and extremely difficult. All of the best riders from that general area and many from the rest of the east coast come out to play and it is supposed to be very difficult to hang with the pack. It is an on road/off road event that takes place over 6 days in June. The climbing is supposed to be brutal and the stages vary from a very short up hill, then down hill prologue to 100 mile road or mountain bike days. It should be very interesting, challenging and fun.

The next race that I am planning on in in October and is called "El Reto De Quetzal" or The Challenge of the Quetzal. It takes place in Guatemala, a country that I have visited before and is known for it's huge mountains and very rough terraine. It is a two person partner race and T.C. Crawford, the manager of our Hackettstown store will be my race partner.

The third stage race that I would like to do this year is "La Ruta de Los Conquistadores" or The Route of the Conquistadores. This race takes place in Costa Rica and it will be my third attempt at this event. I completed it in 2005 with T.C. and in 2006 I had some logistical problems and was not able to finish. However, this year I am going back with a vengeance and hope to have a lot of fun and no crashing of any support vehicles.

So, there you have it, my very extensive and expensive race schedule for 2008. I may not be able to commit to all of these races, as I do have a job and a wife, but these are the ones that I would like to shoot for. I will also throw in a few of the h2h series races as well as some other semi-local races. I will keep you all posted, and if anyone would like to accompany me on any of these adventures please e-mail me at jesse@martysreliable.com See you at the shop or on one of our rides or maybe in Guatemala!

--Jesse

Thanks and our Sunday morning ride from Randolph

Thanks to everyone who came out for our Thanksgiving Day ride yesterday. The weather was great and everyone had a good time. Don't forget, we do Sunday rides leaving at 10 a.m. from our Randolph store. Hopefully the weather will be just as nice. I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving, and I hope to see you Sunday morning.

Thanks
Lou

Thanksgiving Day ride from Randolph & the weather

This past Sunday the Randolph ride was canceled due to rain, snow, sleet you name it, it fell from the sky. Which brings us to our Thanksgiving Day ride. If we have the same type of weather, there will be no ride. If the ride is canceled, I will post it at 9 a.m. Remember, the ride leaves at 10 a.m., so this should give you plenty of warning if the ride is canceled. If I don't see you on Thanksgiving Day, have a great Thanksgiving and come out Sunday to burn off all those calories from your Thanksgiving feast.

Thanks
Lou

Blackburn Trakstand Ultra

I have finally succumbed to winter. My leaves have not even all fallen and there is snow on the ground. It is a very strange season. When you have to ride and you have no alternative-use a trainer. I decided to use the Blackburn Trakstand Ultra this year. Another strange thing happens seasonally. I could not find my trainer from last year. I guess this is what happens when your son works in the same business as you do.
The Blackburn trainer needs no assembly. That was nice. Good thing because the instruction manual included is terrible. No instruction cd included either. No video is included like Cycleops includes either.
So I unfolded the trainer and proceeded to try to put my bike on the trainer. It was not as intuitive as I had expected. The adjustment for the resistance unit was a little difficult to figure out-it probably was just me. Anyway, I figured it out and put the bike on the trainer.
That was pretty straight forward. Remember to air your tires!!
The coolest design of the trainer is the height adjustment. You just turn two knobs, one on each leg and your trainer is at the right height for your rear wheel to clear the floor. The best part is that you do not need a trainer block.
Once the resistance unit was adjusted for tension, I was ready to sweat.
The trainer is the quietest trainer I have ever used. I could watch TV without blasting the sound way up. The resistance was smooth and I encountered no problems. I rode for an hour and all was good. Not as good as outside but that is the way the season goes.
I was totally satisfied and highly recommend this trainer to everyone. The trainer costs $329.99 and if you are a Team Martys member-15% discount!! Remember to wear your jersey-you never know who is looking in your window.

Thanksgiving Day road ride

We will be doing a Thanksgiving Day road ride at 10 a.m. from our Randolph store. It will be very similar to our Sunday rides as far as distance and pace. For those not familiar with the Sunday morning rides that means a distance of 30-40 miles and a nice casual, talk as you ride pace. Again, no one gets left behind. As with the Sunday rides, women are more than welcome. So far we have the following participants; Tim and maybe his sons, Ken and his son, Hector, Cathy, Ola and myself. That makes a solid 7 with the possibility of 9 if Tim's sons come. Let's see if we can bump it into double digits. Hope to see you there. I promise it will be a lot of fun.

Lou

Sunday morning road rides from the Randolph store

As you may or may not know, we do Sunday morning rides from the Randolph store at 10 a.m. The pace is easy, no one really wants to hammer this time of year. 30-40 miles is the norm depending on the route we take. Women are welcome, and we don't leave anybody behind to fend for themselves. We will be going out as long as the weather holds up. Meaning if it's cold like this past Sunday, we are still going. If there is snow on the ground or it is raining, we're not that crazy and there will be no ride. This past Sunday the only ones to "man up" were Hector and myself. So get thee to Marty's for some fine winter clothing and join us on Sunday. You'll be glad you did.

Lou

Baby, It's Cold Outside..But Don't Let That Stop You

Ah yes, we are deep into fall, and winter is right around the corner. A good many people use falling temperatures to put up the bikes for the season, but that seems like a waste of good riding opportunities, especially for mountain biking. While winter wind may make road riding less than pleasant, the trees on the woods break up a lot of that wind. As you can see from the picture Biker Bill is having a splendid time on his late fall ride. See how he is gritting his teeth in pleasure? As long as the trails are not covered in ice, get out and ride! Here are some recommendations:

For the rider

• Dress in layers - This is key to controlling your heat levels. Get too warm, pull off a layer. Too cold, put a layer back on. Also, make you bottom layer a shirt that pulls moisture away from the body. I used to think I was clever by wearing a thermal long john shirt for a ride until Biker Bill explained to me the concept of hypothermia, and how I could get it.
• Keep thy head warm - It seems a lot of heat will escape through your head if you don't keep it covered. Go figure.
• Also the hands and feet - While were on the subject, your extremities seem to be vulnerable to cold as well. Good socks are a must, and shoe covers or winter shoes are recommended by many. Also, good weather proof gloves increase the riding pleasure for me, because before my fingers go mercifully numb, there is a long period of excruciating pain that is preferable to avoid. Weather proof gloves help break the induced wind, keeping your hands, if not toasty, at least tolerable.
• Start the ride a little chilly - This may be a personal thing with me, but I find that if I am comfortable temperature wise when I set out, I get too hot PDQ.
• Bring a change of clothes to the ride - Nothing can suck the fun out of a ride faster than an hour and a half car ride in cold, wet biking gear (been there, done that). Bring a change for that comfortable commute.

For the bike

• Use a dry graphite lube - When you hit the low 30's or 20's, some lubes can freeze up on you. Dry graphite seems to be the lube of choice for the winter.
• Check tire pressure - When the bike moves from a 60 degree environment to a 40 degree environment, loss of tire pressure is likely. So don't forget your pump.
• Clean the bike - After a cold,muddy ride, cleaning and drying the bike will prevent problems on your next ride. After all, you're going to clean up (I hope), so do the same for the bike. Oh yeah, I almost forgot, storing it in a dry and reasonably warm place does a lot in the way of prevention.

This are some of my tips for better winter riding. If you have some of your own (other than stay inside by the fire and ride your trainer), please comment so that we will all know them too.

My next ride!

So as many of you already know, I've begun a long conquest in search of my next off-road demon...So far, I've previewed the new stumpjumper with rear brain up at split rock and it blew my mind...similar to my first experience in a high pursuit chase when I was 19 and some jokers with bright flashing lights kept trying to slow me down...I just put my head down, closed my eyes and let the bike do the work. Needless to say, I was seriously impressed with the stumpjumper. However, for trails such as split-rock, I have an '05 Enduro which, though fairly heavy, is a monster on highly technical trails. That being said, I really don't see the need for another bike with gobs of suspension. This brings me to my next option, the bike of all bikes, an "Epic". It seems silly to even consider anything else, but I would like to see if any of you feel that I should look into any other rides before I make my final decision...Thoughts??

Better than HID?!?

The new NiteRider TriNewt lighting systems have finally arrived! We have been messing around with this new system over here at Marty's of Morristown and we are pretty impressed! Niterider had been advertising this system as the brightest system they have ever made and all we kept saying was "brighter than HID???"

We did a little hands-on comparison here at the store, and found that the TriNewt is brighter! How could an LED system be brigher than the famed HID system? We don't know. All we know is that this thing is bright.

Not only is it bright, but it also has a more adjustable mounting system that works well on your handlebar or your helmet, it is less expensive than most HID systems out there($399), the battery is relatively small and light weight, it burns for 3.5 hours on the brightest setting, it charges quickly, the casing on the headlamp and the battery seem really sturdy, and its super cool looking! Wow, that's a lot of good stuff.

The only downside we have discovered thus far is that the headlamp weighs slightly more than an HID headlamp. It's not a large difference, but it is noticeable. This shouldn't be too much of a problem since the new helmet mount positions the lamp closer to the center of the helmet instead of it sticking out the front, so the helmet is not pulled forward.

Check out this link for purchasing info: http://martysreliable.com/itemdetails.cfm?catalogId=39&id=6630 or, come in and check it out!

Trek Demo Day

Today, Jesse, Nick, Artie, John and I hopped on the bus and headed to Lewis Morris with the goal of testing out some new Trek bikes. The two bikes we were most intersted in were the new Fuel Ex and the new Madone. The new Fuel EX is quite different from past models, and all of us were hoping it would be a drastic improvement.

The Fuel didn't let us down! All of us who rode it felt that it was "friggin fast!" The bike was actually not particularly light weight for a bike that has lot of XTR and a carbon frame,(26.3 lbs) but it FELT very light while riding it. Trek's new Full Floater linkage design seems to do everything Trek wants it to do. It feels plush. You don't feel the shock topping out like you did on older Fuel EX models and on some other full suspension bikes. It feels like you are always floating somewhere in the middle of the travel. Now, normally, a bike that feels that plush would feel innefficient, but not this one! The Fuel felt just as light and nimble on the climbs as on the downhills. The rear shock was certainly working on the ascents, but you didn't feel it bobbing around at all. This made for smooth fast climbing (much faster climbing than we expected).

Descending was at least as much fun as climbing. Traction became a non-issue on the new Fuel EX. The bike gripped the ground so tightly, I kept pedaling to get more speed even on relatively steep dowhills. This bike begs to go fast!


The new Madone also seemed to achieve all Trek's goals for overhauling their high end road line. I tested a Madone 5.2 which is made of OCLV Black carbon. Black is the intermediate quality level of OCLV. White is entry level and Red is the high end.

I immediately noticed the bike's rigidity in the bottom bracket area. The bike just felt really solid. I stood up and pushed up a steep hill, and I still couldn't feel the bike flexing. The front of the bike also felt really stable. The new large lower headset cup seems to make a big difference.

I was very happy with the bike overall. It felt smooth, but extremely stable. I suspect that riding a higher end model with OCLV Red carbon would have giving the bike a silkier ride. I also would have preferred a wider handlebar, but that could obviously be switched. (the 54 cm test bike had a 42 cm bar on it)

Trek took some huge steps for 2008. I think they are going to be a much bigger player in the mountain bike scene this year.