A quick stem question
Lee, I have 90mm 6 degree stem and want to convert to a 70mm. What rise do I
need for the height to be the same? I was thinking 10 degrees. thanks
Can I manual with a high seat?
Hey Lee,
Love the site and the book. I ride an Epic and run a high seat. I live in a flat part of the world (Lubbock, Texas) so its all pretty much XC. Question: Can I do the manuals with the seat as high as it is (an inch or so above the bars)? Haven’t had much luck with it so far. Thanks for any tips you might have…
Barron
Manuals: Tallness is no excuse
Hi Lee,
Long time listener, first time caller. I’ve got a few questions about tall riders – I’m 6ft5 and pretty lean (read skinny) and I’m looking for tips to make a lanky bloke faster. My centre of gravity is higher (I ride an XL Heckler) so I guess manualling isn’t ever going to be my strong point, but can you give some tips of ways of using my height and long limbs to get down (and occasionally up) the hill faster?
Thanks, Matt
PS I’d love to be able to manual and I think I might be using my height as an excuse …
Off to SoCal
It’s weird to travel without a bike. With a ton of work to do, there’s no time for the usual take-a-month-in-the-Sprinter adventure. I’m flying to O.C. for almost a week, staying with my parents and interviewing some BMX pros for a big project. The weather report isn’t promising, but I choose to hope for the best.
Knowing Lopes, he’ll loan me a bike because he needs to get waxed. … Oh yeah, it’s on!
Pump track surface report: Decomposed granite
AA Pro BMXer Jason Richardson recently built a pump track using decomposed granite, and he says it’s working well.
MTB park in Denver?
Lee,
Ft.Collins has two mountain bike parks, Boulder has a few, and now I think c-springs has something, not to mention leadville and durango and all the other mountain towns. Ever hear of anyone getting the ball rolling in Denver? I’m wondering if there’s a wagon I can jump on, or if I should try to start something for next spring or summer. If so, any suggestions you have on getting it going would be great, I think I might have some lines on it, but any input would be great. Thanks alot for your time, Mike Winston
Pump: It’s OK to pedal (sometimes)
This evening I stopped by The Fix for 100 Laps of Pump Track Love. The wind was crazy! I usually follow a Don’t Ask, Don’t Pedal policy, but there was no way to ride the uphill into the bluster.
East Coast tech: My hands hurt!
Hey, Lee. Your answer to my burnin’ quads question a while ago was really helpful, so here’s another one: hand fatigue. I recently moved to New England, and the terrain around here is steep, slow and technical, and I find myself relying on my rear brake a lot more than I’m used to. Lately my right hand has been getting so fatigued that I’ll have to stop and rest in the middle of a descent. I’ve noticed a loss of grip strength off the bike, too. I put on a bigger rotor, and tried moving my levers around on the bar, but nothing really helps. Any suggestions?
Jesse
Natural skate park: Pawnee National Grassland
This tale was originally posted Nov. 16, 2004. There is so much goodness here, I just had to re-post it on the new site platform.
Short, medium or long cage X.0?
hey Lee, i run a long cage SRAM X.O rear derailleur on both my Giant Reign and Giant DH bikes. i was thinking about picking up a spare XO rear, to have on hand if i bash either one of those to death.
but short, mid or long? i could use this opportunity to go short, and put the new short cage on the DH, saving the long cage for the spare, but now i am confused by chain wrap, slack pickup and more.
thanks! robyn
Climbing, climbing, climbing …
This morning I meant to spin up Sugarloaf Road and rip down the Boulder Link Trail a couple times. Lingering snow and a forgotten helmet changed that plan.
Pump track surface report: base rock fines
In August I posted photos of a beautifully landscaped pump track made out of finely crushed rock, aka “compacted base rock fines.” Here’s a status report from Cynthia Tanyan of Mozaic Landscape design.