It's your ride

Today I'm changing the theme again, and linking to an excelent film sponsored by Hutchinson Tires. I think it conveys beautifully the freedom of riding a bicycle on a sunny day. Be sure to select HD mode.


It's Your Ride from Cinecycle on Vimeo

Special Handlebars for MTB

Regarding handlebars, the only decision to be made when selecting them is usually the choice between flat or riser bar. These two types of handlebar dominate the market and are present in almost any mountain bike sold today.

However, there are some alternative choices that can be interesting for someone looking for a bit more of comfort or a different type of steering behavior. I've compiled a small list of handlebars that fit in this category. This list might be useful for somebody currently unsatisfied with their current handlebar and trying to find a perfect handlebar for their favorite type of riding.

Groovycycleworks Luv Handles


Handmade in Wooster Ohio by Rody Walter, these steel bars have a very interesting geometry, with 1 inch (25.4 mm) of rise and 21.5 degrees of sweep in the grip section. They fit quite well in the hand and show a very good balance between stiffness and comfort.

Clamp: 25.4 mm
Price: 85 USD
Weight: 315 g advertised, mine weighted 386 g

Groovycycleworks Luv Handles Ti

This is a titanium version of the steel Luv Handles. Lighter and obviously more expensive than the original.

Clamp: 25.4 mm
Price: 245 USD
Weight: 275 g

On-One Mary

From England comes the Mary bar, probably the most popular swept handlebar. It combines significant rise with gradual sweep. Due to aluminum construction it is relatively light and cheap.

Clamp: 25.4 mm
Price: 36 GBP
Weight: 300 g

On-One Mary Cro-Mo

This is a Cro-mo version of the Mary bar, intended for heavier riders.

Clamp: 25.4 mm
Price: 36 GBP
Weight: 525g

On-One Fleegle


Also from On-One comes this very wide (716.7 mm) swept flat bar. Due to the absence of rise, it is intended for bikes with high front end. The sweep angle is above average, standing at 15 degrees.

Clamp: 25.4 mm
Price: 30.80 GBP
Weight: 330 g

On One Fleegle Pro

A shorter (673 mm) and lighter version of the Fleegle, made with a different aluminum alloy.

Clamp: 25.4 mm
Price: 36 GBP
Weight: 241 g

Misfit Psycles FU bar

A nice aluminum riser bar, 635 mm wide and with a large 33 degrees of sweep. The grips rise 26 mm from the center section.

Clamp: 25.4 mm
Price: 43 USD
Weight: 378 g

Misfit Pscycles FU2 bar

A shorter version of the FU bar, with sweep angle increased from 33 to a massive 37 degrees.

Clamp: 25.4 mm
Price: 42 USD
Weight: 351 g

Jones H-bar Original

Extremely expensive, the H-bar is handcrafted in titanium by Jeff Jones in Oregon. It is highly swept (45º)and made in three separate sections welded together.

Clamp: 25.4 mm or 31.8 shimmed
Price: 500 USD
Weight: 440 g

Jones H-bar Loop

A variation of the H-bar with a continuous front loop instead of the two separate grip sections of the original.The loop provides more hand positions and a place to mount accessories. It also features a curved center section to allow the placement of levers behind the crossbar (it is impossible to fit them in the closed loop).

Clamp: 25.4 mm or 31.8 shimmed
Price: 550 USD
Weight: 467 g

Jones H-bar Cut

A shorter version (590 mm) of the Loop H-bar, with an opening in the front loop that allows the placement of levers ahead of the crossbar.

Clamp: 25.4 mm or 31.8 shimmed
Price: 550 USD
Weight: 416 g

Titec H-bar

Aluminum version of the original H-bar, made by Titec according to the Jeff Jones design. Considerably cheaper than the the original, it also differs from the original by featuring a 37 mm rise.

Clamp: 25.4 mm
Price: 60 USD
Weight: 430 g

Titec J-Bar

This is a variation of the J-bar. The grip section is the same, but it has no rise and clamps in 31.8 stems.

Clamp: 31.8 mm
Price: 68 USD
Weight: 400 g

Bontrager Satellite Trekking

These trekking handlebars have found some acceptance for MTB use due to their swept shape. 610 mm wide, it has a 35º bend.

Clamp: 25.4 mm
Price: 16 USD
Weight: 335 g

Bontrager Satellite Plus Trekking

Another trekking handlebar, featuring a short and closed front arch, practical for mounting accessories. It's relatively wide (650 mm ) and has 20 degrees of bend.

Clamp: 25.4 mm
Price: 50 USD
Weight: 300 g

Origin8 SpaceBar

Similar in design to the Mary bar, the SpaceBar features a 645 mm width, a 37.5 mm rise and it's made in 6065-T6 Aluminum. Despite not being recommended by the manufacturer for offroad use, it is also commonly seen in MTBs.

Clamp: 25.4 mm
Price: 23 USD
Weight: 300 g

Surly Torsion Bar

The Torsion Bar is a flat bar made with 4130 Cro-Mo Steel. Features 15 degrees of sweep and the width stands at a very devilish 666 mm.

Clamp: 25.4 mm
Price: 46 USD
Weight: 280 g

Bikes on Snow FloWing Ti

The FloWing Ti is produced by Bikes on Snow, a small manufacturer from Vermont.  The bar is swept back 27 degrees, 686 mm wide and made in titanium.

Clamp: 25.4 mm

Price: 175 USD

Weight: ??

European Cycling Online Shop List

This post lists some of the most important cycling online shops located inside Europe. I started doing this mainly as a future reference for myself, but I think this list might be useful for someone trying to find a special deal in some specific component as most of these shops have numerous sales and discounts.

The shops from which I have already bought are marked with "√". All other shops have some positive reference in cycling forums so they seem to be reliable.

United Kingdom:

http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/√
http://www.wiggle.co.uk/√
http://www.charliethebikemonger.com/√
http://www.ukbikestore.co.uk√
http://www.evanscycles.com/√
http://www.probikekit.com/
http://superstar.tibolts.co.uk/
http://www.totalcycling.com/
http://www.justridingalong.com/
http://www.merlincycles.co.uk/
http://www.thetristore.com
http://www.petracycles.co.uk/ (Shimano Spare Parts)
http://www.cyclex.co.uk/
http://www.cyclestore.co.uk/
http://www.poshbikes.com/
http://www.jejamescycles.co.uk/
http://www.carboncycles.cc/
http://www.winstanleysbikes.co.uk/
http://www.bromleybike.co.uk/

http://www.stif.co.uk/

Germany

http://www.bike-components.de/
http://www.bike24.com/√
http://www.bike-discount.de/
http://shop.cnc-bike.de/√
http://www.actionsports.de/√
http://www.starbike.com/√
http://www.roseversand.de
http://www.bikediscount.com
http://www.boc24.de
http://www.heli-bikes.com
http://www.nano-bike-parts.de/
http://www.xx-light-bikes.de/
http://bike-products.com/
http://egle.mediamambo.de/
http://www.bike-mailorder.de/
http://www.pro-sport-bikes.de/
http://www.zweirad-stadler.de/
http://www4.hibike.com/
http://www.jehlebikes.de/
http://www.bikeparts-online.de/
http://www.2radzone.de/

Austria

http://www.cycleshop.at/
http://www.bikestore.cc/
http://www.bikeonlineshop.at/

Andorra

http://www.jormabike.com/
http://www.totbike.com/
http://www.dandybike.com/

Luxemburg

http://www.fizzbikes.com/√
http://www.kompressor-bike.com/

France

http://www.probikeshop.fr/
http://www.go1bike.com/
http://www.alltricks.fr

Spain

http://www.xclusivebikes.com/
http://tiendaonline.territoriobike.com/
http://www.ltmracing.com/
http://www.bicimania.com/
http://www.bicicletasguillermo.com/
http://sportandbike.com/

http://bicisbuendia.es/

http://www.karacol.com/

Portugal

http://www.bikezone.pt/
http://racingcycle.net
http://patocycles.com
http://www.regiabike.com/
http://loja.3bike.com.pt/
http://ezi-bike.com

Belgium

http://www.mtbikers.com/

Sweden

http://www.cyclecomponents.com/

Ireland

http://www.bikebits.ie/index.asp

Netherlands

http://www.bike2build.nl/
http://www.singlespeed.nl/

This list is by no means definitive. I will try to update and mantain it as regularly as possible.

Fixing what does not need to be fixed.

Ever since I've started riding singlespeed, I've been interested in trying off-road fixed gear riding. I was fascinated by the tales of crazy descents and

I even had an 18T Tomicog patiently awating in my desk for more than a year. But to ride fixed, first I needed a frame that didn't require external tensioners and a rear wheel combining disc mounts with v-brake ready rims. The first problem was solved with the sliding dropouts of my Explosif frame. The second problem was solved when a few months later I picked an SS specific wheel with the required hub and rims rims mount from an online sale.

The assembly was quick. Mount an old tyre, tighten 6 screws, retension the chain and recenter the rear brake. Off to the trails.


The first impression was shocking. I tought I had forgotten how to ride a bike, it pushed me up and down incessantly, placed my feet in the wrong places at the wrong times and didn't leave a single second for me to rest.

But I insisted. First slowly without clipless pedals to gain confidence. I learned to stop gradually with my feet, to control the position of the cranks using slides. With time, everything becomes more natural and the final result is a whole new level of control over the bike.

Climbing with fixed gear is also a really cool experience. There are no dead centers and the stroke becomes more fluid. Each climb is always taken in full attack position, there is no single moment of hesitation.


In the end of my third week riding a fixed bike, I was already descending (albeit somewhat slowly) really rough terrain, including a local DH track. Once you understand the basic rules it becomes natural.

I'll probably just use the fixed gear setup occasionaly, because it is a bit slower and more tiring. But whenever I feel like having real fun in a bike, I know that I can just mount a rear wheel and hit the trails.

My Kona Explosif 2008

After using a singlespeed bike assembled with old and budget parts for 6 months, I found myself completely convinced by the concept and decided to build a new bike, based in a dedicated singlespeed frame.

Some online research brought the 2008 Kona Explosif frame to my attention. A nice Cromoly steel frame, with sliding dropouts and well sorted geometry. I also had the luck to find it quite cheap in the wiggle.co.uk online shop. After some further comparison with the alternatives, I found no better deal and as such, a size 19 Explosif frame was delivered to me in July 2008. The frame is relatively heavy as mine weighted 2399 grams (5.3 pounds) with seatcollar and dropouts.


The final setup has changed a bit during the first six months after I received the frame. While I initially assembled it with some components from my previous build, slowly these components were traded for some high quality ones. The final result was this:


The bike rides very nicely and feels precise and quick in the trails. The frame ride is refined and has a distinct feel from the aluminum frame I had before. The custom made Amaro Ti fork was purposefully built with a very short axle-to-crown length (395mm) and large trail (45 mm), values typical of older rigid forks or cyclocross forks. The final result is a low front coupled with the extremely sharp steering due to the steep head angle.A Groovy Cycleworks Luv Handle provides a comfortable yet sporty riding position.

The light v-brakes XTR wheels are shod with large volume Schwalbe Nobby Nick 2.25 tyres. The tires combine with the titanium fork to provide reasonable shock absorption. While not comparable to an actual suspension fork, this setup is very usable and allows more than sufficient control to handle rocky terrain.


The drivetrain uses a XTR crankset converted to singlespeed with a lightweight Salsa 32t ring. The rear cog is a Surly 16t, a high quality component that has almost perfect finish and according to other users should last very long. The chain tension is easy to adjust using the sliding dropouts and I've not experienced any slippage problem that sometimes affects this kind of design. The only drawback with these dropouts is the reduced capability to hold a wheel with the skewers undone. If there is not enough tension in the skewers the wheel can jump out and jam in the frame.

Avid Single Digit 7 v-brakes were used in this ride to reduce cost, complexity, weight and simplify the maintenance. While not as consistent as discs for all-weather use,the power is more than enough and I've always had good experiences with the Avids.

The Explosif frame was discontinued for 2009, and replaced by the Unit 29er.

The full component list:

Snow in Alvão Mountains

After our crossing of the Peneda-Geres National Park last week, the weather in the Iberian Peninsula changed dramatically. The air cooled down to atypical freezing temperatures and the humidity rose sharply. As a consequence, many of the northern mountain peaks and plateaus became white, covered in a dense layer of snow. Heavy snow is not very common here, Portugal is known for its mediterranean climate, with hot and dry summers followed by reasonably mild and rainy winters. Mountain bikers here are only accustomed to ride in dusty or muddy trails. We had to use this rare chance to ride in the snow.

I packed my bike, picked Pedro up and headed to the Alvão National Park. Located 50 miles East from the city of Oporto, its name means "Great White" in arcaic Portuguese, due to its propensity to become heavily covered in snow.


We started the ride near the Ermelo waterfall, 1700 feet high. The initial ascent was made along an asphalt road, leisurely following the slope of the mountain. The view was magnificent, all the peaks around us were shrouded in a mix of clouds and snow. A few rays of sun shone trough the clouds, adding a few gold accents to the landscape.

A bit ahead, a large heard of goats crossed the road, followed by some herding dogs. The dogs, probably bored from dealing with the goats, decided to chase us for a few moments, barking all the way. We just kept pedaling, absorbed in the beauty of the scenery.

The first snow appeared soon after.


Left and right, we found fields and houses covered with snow. White-out conditions prevailed during much of the journey uphill


Trees welcomed our passage, their branches curved by the overwhelming weight of the snow.


We had intentions to leave the road and follow a trail to the top of the mountain just before the village of Lamas-de-Olo. However, when we reached the trailhead we found out that such route was totally impassable. The snow was much more that we had anticipated, in some places deep enough to bury half a wheel. We had no option but to keep following the mountain road into the village, something also challenging as demonstrated by the following pic:


We entered the picturesque mountain village and slid down the slippery cobblestone road.


After the village we resumed the climb, periodically stopping to photograph the winter scenery.

We didn't have studded snow tires so traction was poor. Some sections had to be walked, the ice cracking underneath our feet with each step.


A mile out from the village lies the Cimeira dam. Snow started to fall intensely when we reached this area, making the road almost invisible. The dam spread to our right, providing a magnificent but quite distinct view from the typical summer landscape we are more familiar with.


We headed to a small pub located in a wooded area near the dam. Practically isolated, only the owners occupied it. Worried with a failing electricity supply they still found the time to prepare us something to eat and tell some tales of winters past, the crackling wood burning in the fireplace serving as background.


After leaving the bar we decided to head down and start the descent. Frozen brakes and slippery roads made for an interesting challenge. The bicycles weaved almost unpredictably as we fought to keep them pointed in a straight line. We were thrilled, it was just like learning how to ride a bike all over again.

We had a laugh after Pedro's close encounter with a snow bank.


The rest of the return was uneventful. We carefully coasted all the way down through the cold air, enjoying the magic scenery. Truly another memorable ride.

Serra Amarela

The ride started at 8:30 AM in the small mountain town of Campo do Geres, located at 2100 feet of altitude. In this time of the year, winter starts to take hold of these mountain valleys so the air was cold and windy. The mountain peaks to be climbed were shrouded in clouds.


We started the journey by crossing a large hydroelectric dam and then followed a narrow mountain road upwards into the village of Brufe. From there we followed a series of rural trails, paved with centenary cobblestones. These extremely technical trails are covered with drops, mud puddles and river crossings. They run on a plateau and pass trough another small two villages: Cortinhas and Cutelo. Due to their remote location these villages have very few inhabitants, most of them eldery. Agriculture is the main mean of subsistence; fields and cattle are a constant part of the landscape. The stark contrast between these villages the modern parts of the country can sometimes be shocking.



Exiting the village of Cutelo we found ourselves riding down a smooth descent through a large and flowing trail, covered in wet grass and some loose sand. From there we crossed an asphalt road and went on to descend an old and twisty mountain path, once again paved with large stones. Constantly snaking down a valley, it crosses ancient bridges, muddy water courses and a few forests.


This road started relatively smooth, but as we descended we found the ever increasing damage caused by the passage of time. Dozens of loose rocks, overgrown vegetation and the deep ruts carved by rain water make this section into a fun challenge that forces us to use all of our MTB handling skills just to reach the bottom safely.


A few other short trails left us in the left margin of the Lima river. From there we climbed a few miles along an asphalt road and reached the old village of Lindoso. This village, located very near the border between Portugal and Spain has a very rich history. A 13th century castle is located in the town center and is surrounded by dozens of traditional stone structures called "espigueiros", used to store and dry cereals. Definitely a place worth a visit...


From there we started the ascent to the 4450 feet Louriça peak. The climb is done via a wide dirt road, engineered with an almost constant grade. As we slowly ascended the mountain the winds gradually gained strength and speed. Each turn of the climb completed left us with the wind in a different position. From some angles it was a strong tailwind, propelling us uphill. At its worst, it turned into a fierce headwind, almost able to stop us in our tracks.

The last mile of the climb was especially difficult, as it combined the wind with even more physically demanding grades. We had to gather all our remaining energy to traverse this section and finally reach the top.


The mountain top was cold and gusty, a very uninviting place. We admired the awe-inspiring view for a few moments, chewed on some energy bars and started to make our way down.

The descent starts as a fast roll-down along the very same trails used to reach the top. But we quickly abandoned this tame dirt road and headed to a series of singletracks and exhilarating technical sections. We rode quickly trough forests, their grass floor covered with fallen Autumn leaves and we passed over lichen covered bridges and splashed our bikes in muddy swamps.


We were now in the village of Ermida. This cliffs surrounding this village conceal the most breathtaking trail of this ride. A singletrack, carved in the mountain with thousands of stones, winding in an apparently never-ending sequence of turns. The first impact is staggering, as the trail disappears into the cliff.


And it can be ridden quite fast. Each rocky step approached with confidence, letting the bike flow almost effortlessly into the next turn. Fun and undeniably beautiful.


At the bottom of this singletrack lies the village of Lourido. After a quick rest we headed to the final climb of the journey. First an easy dirt road, then a long, steep and sinuous mountain road.


The shy winter sun started to disappear while we were still fighting with the climb. We stopped quickly to mount our lights and immediately kept going. When we finally reached the top of the mountain pass we were rewarded with a sublime view of the crepuscule.


We crossed the mountain pass near Brufe and pedaled through the darkness, descending again towards the dam we had encountered 9 hours before. The wind was strong again, howling fiercely while we negotiated each turn of the road. After passing the dam only a quick climb separated us from our cars. We had reached the end of our journey.