#249 - HardTails

We felt sooo 'lazy' on this ride that we thought we'd rather climb
a few stairs than go to the reroute to Jalan Tenaga on the way to
Tampines Trail

A very delicious Storck. I asked the owner if I could lift it
.... and I was very surprised at how light this bike is!

All five slots in the wash bay was occupied by hardtails.
The ones waiting their turn are all on hardtails as well.
Some were on 29ers, most were carbon HTs. By the way,
notice the inverted handle bar on this 29er?

Lately, I have been going to Tampines Trail on Sundays.

This particular Sunday, I saw Boom and KK there ... so that

was one carbon 29er HT and one 26 HT.... and when I reached

the gate it was then that I noticed that almost everyone there

was on a carbon HT. Also there seems to be more 29ers now.

Finally, when I was waiting my turn to clean my bike on the

wash bay, all five slots were taken up by hardtails ... and those

waiting their turn were also on hardtails. And! Only me, my

friend and another guy (on a white Merida HT) were cleaning

aluminum hardtails! Most were on hardcore carbon race bikes!

What's the big deal you say? Nothing. Just an observation.

Four years ago, when I bought my first MTB. I bought a HT

because of budget issues. Most people I meet on the trails,

be it Bukit Timah (and surrounding trails) or Tampines Trail

are using 140mm bikes. I remembered that there was even

a strong XC team that had it's members using ML8s

(remember those?).

Fast forward 4 years later, to the present. Here I am

having three FS frames at my disposal and yet I'm using my

aluminum Jamis HT in Tampines Trail :-) The thing is, now

that we can't go to the nicest trails in Singapore anymore

due to their being illegal, couple that with me and my friends

discovering the joy of attending Malaysia's jamborees, I am

seriously considering getting a carbon HT ... or a Lysnkey.

... and so, if you are seriously considering giving the sport/hobby

of mountain biking a shot, just get a simple hardtail first. Who knows,

maybe that is all you need? :-)



#248 - Bontrager RXL

I almost didn't buy this pair of shoes. My wife told me that

since my birthday was quite near, she will close one eye

when she sees the price displayed on the Point Of Sales

machine and just enter her PIN very very quickly and so

I better go and buy what I really want!

   

... but still 335SGD is very very hard to swallow for some

thing that will offer benefits that can only be felt and

not measured. So, there I was, looking at the RXL, the RL

and the Race models of the Bontrager MTB line of shoes.

After looking (really just looking) long and hard at the RXL,

I decided not to buy them and went home ..... and then

I came back the next day and bought them hehehehehe.

Above picture shows the crux of the matter. The sole is

made up of carbon fiber. I mean the whole sole is carbon

fiber, not just the itsy-bitsy teenie-weenie 'window' where

you attach the cleats. Due to this construction, the shoe

is sooo stiff ... and it is sooo light that I am shedding tears

of joy whenever I am wearing them while climbing

Personal Challenge.

   

Note the 2 screws that are in place of the two 'cobra fangs'

or football studs. 2 pairs of football studs came with the

shoes as well as a tool to screw and unscrew said football

studs. However, I used them in KulaiJaya and I lost one

of them (remember to use Loctite!!). So instead of

going around with a pair and a half of football studs,

I decided to take them out and just use screws instead.

Anyway, I'll try and see if there are any spare football

studs in any of the T3/Treknology branches.

   

Also, if you could just go back to the first picture?

Notice that the buckle has these 2 black buttons? You

can't miss is it. The buckle is silver and the buttons are

black. Pressing the two black buttons simultaneously

will totally release the strap ... pressing just one button

will adjust the strap tension a little at a time. Neat eh!?  

Now, refer to the red arrow in the photo above.

The red arrow is pointing to a metal band that I always

pinch before I wear these shoes. What it does is it 'narrows'

the part that touches my Achilles tendon. As you wear the

shoe, the back part then conforms to your Achilles tendon

leaving you with a really snug feeling ... ahhhh the devil

is in the details. Not just that! See the silvery cloth material

that will come into contact with your socks? Even that

material has a function! Your socks will slide down

perfectly when you are wearing these shoes. BUT in the

opposite direction, the material feels like velcro!

what this means is you will not encounter any

'resistance' when wearing these shoes BUT when you

are pedalling, this material is 'fighting' the tendency

of your heel to 'lift' your foot out of the shoe!

Very nice (thumbs up like Borat)!

    

Now, see the Aqua arrow? That arrow is pointing to

a vent protected by a mesh ... looks like it was taken

from a Maserati :)

  

Lastly, the insert that came with the shoes can

be baked and it will then conform to your feet! The

instructions came in the box ... but I'm lazy ... and

who really does these things? Maybe there will come

a day when I will appreciate these baked shoes/shoe

parts ... but for now ....

     

...and ok, I hear you, how does it 'ride' you say?

As I said at the beginning, there is no way to measure this

... maybe unless I buy a Power Meter? But I don't have

a Power Meter and I don't know if any of my Roadie

friends have one also. But the difference is very obvious!

Climbing is easier. Power transfer is very good as there

is less energy wasted on flex.

   

Now, I've professed my love for my new shoes, I would

just like to say that for me, shoes like these really make

XC a lot more enjoyable. Notice that I am not just singling

the Bontrager RXL. I believe you will not go wrong with the

top of the line Shimano, yellow Mavic Furies or SIDI Dragons.

The only consideration is how much money would you

be willing to part with to take advantage of these racing tools.

... ok, next post I'll be telling you about some thing that

I've noticed lately ...