Anyways, during this time, to clip in to the pedals at the gym, I attached to the soles, a pair of Shimano SPD SH-51 cleats that I received for free from purchasing my previous biking shoes. Though the SH-51s (lateral release), in my opinion, are inferior to the SH-56s (multi-directional release), I didn’t think it would affect my spinning experience, or really matter. They were made by the same company, as well as looked pretty much the same. And, these shoes were going to primarily perform indoors.

For the most part, my experience with the Shimano SH-51s were okay. They allowed me to clip in to the bike pedals and kept me secure. However, the daily clipping and lateral-unclipping of the shoes took a toll on the reinforcement plates, and eventually, stripped out a thread….

I prolonged the need to replace the reinforcement plates by switching holes (in both shoes for consistency) to thread the cleats in. But recently, the last set of holes gave way, and now, here I am, sharing my experience in replacing the Sidi Reinforcement Plates…. which was not all that fun, considering that access is granted only through the inner sole.

To get started… I removed the blue outer-inner liner (green arrow below) to expose the inner-inner sole (mustard yellow arrow). You’ll notice that there are two screws embedded at the heel – there’s no need to remove them (Trust me, I did myself and that did nothing but waste time).

Next step was to unbuckle the straps. This exposed the inner sole better and allowed for better access to the reinforcement plate.

Flipping the shoe over, all I did was take a screwdriver and jammed that thing through the inner sole….

.. anticipating the need to eventually replace this plate, Sidi pre-cut the inner sole. I used my screwdriver to help widen the flap opening to pop out the broken reinforcement plate…

did a quick switcheroo…

…After replacing the inner-inner sole flap and the outer-inner sole, the shoe was almost ready to rock-n-roll.

For good measure, I got rid of the SH-51s, and replaced them with the SH-56s, so hopefully, I will not have to ever replace the reinforcement plates again.

Cheers!

You can pick up replacement reinforcement plates from pretty much any bicycling shop.

I picked mine up from Huck n Roll via Amazon.

You can’t see it from this angle, but the sole is made of carbon, and is entirely replaceable. In fact, the SRS in the name stands for Sole Replacement System. However, more than the sole, the company makes spare parts for pretty much everything on the shoe.

In addition, as you might notice, this shoe features different kinds of straps all over it. There’s the special high security velcro near the toe, a Techno 2 buckle that kind of look like my contacts case, a pretty big caliper buckle system at the top of the tongue, and some kind of heal security system…. all of which are patented.

Want to know the real reason I got these? …. it’s because they looked cool =)

Link: Sidi

- Rapha Winter Jersey, $230. Can also wear it as a light jacket.
- The Quants by Scott Patterson, $17.82 at Amazon.
- Framed Print of Untitled (Red and Black), 1955 by Mark Rothko, $200 at MoMA.
- Sidi Dragon 2 SRS Carbon Mountain Bike Shoes in Red, $372.50 at Chainreactioncycles. Retails for $465.
- Paddle Shifting Steering Wheel for my car, $2,095 at Suncoast. Retails for $2615.
- Decoded by Jay-Z, $18.88 at Amazon.
- Vision Racer VR3 Racing Simulator, $1295. The best way to play Gran Turismo.
- Rapha 3/4 Bib shorts, $225. I’m a sucker for that white stripe.

Cheers!

Long story short of why, what, how - a couple of rides ago, while out on the trail, my chain kept on disengaging from the chain ring and locking up my pedals. Upon close inspection, I found that my middle chain ring teeth were all bent and worn. I’m sure it was due to all of the times I crashed and ate sh##. Anyhow, I chose to replace and upgrade my crankset with a non-black colored, heavy-duty, yet fairly-priced crankset from a well-respected name in the industry. And taking advantage of a 50% off after Thanksgiving sale from one of my favorite online retailers, I found the Race Face Atlas to fit all of my criteria. Awesomeness.

Anyways, being my first time performing this kind of operation, it took me all afternoon, a few instructional internet clips, and a couple of round trips to the local bicycle shop to complete. Nevertheless, I managed to do it and gained additional knowledge that I’ll employ the next time I need to upgrade. =)

For those interested, here are the tools that I used..

For removing the old, crappy crank set:

• 8mm Hex
• 10mm Hex
• Park Tool Crank Puller for Square Taper Cranks (model CCP-2)
• Spin Doctor Cartridge Bottom Bracket Tool w/ a socket wrench I found in the garage

For installing the new, shiny crank set:

• 8mm Hex 
• 10mm Hex
• Park Tool Bottom Bracket Tool (model BBT-9)
• Park Tool Polylube 1000 (waterproof grease)

This particular Youtube clip introduced me to the Crank Arm puller and prompted my first visit to the bicycle shop.

This video had me going to the bicycle shop a second time to pick up a cartridge bottom bracket tool. LOL. =P

Fortunately, the hard part in this exercise was removing the old stuff. The instructions for the new crankset were pretty straightforward. However, it did introduce me to a couple of new words that created moments of pause:

• Bottom Bracket (BB) Shell Width. Mine was 68mm.
• Nominal Chainline, which is basically the distance from the middle of the seat tube to the middle chainring. I guestimated mine to be 48mm. In other words, I didn’t use any of the spacers that came in the box. Oh well.

And that’s that! Now, hopefully, I’ll get another ride in before the year ends. Cheers!

Link:
Race Face

The frame looks amazing, and it’s made of carbon fiber. One day, it will be mine!

Link: Ibis Cycles

Link: DiNotte Special Package.

JC going down this really sandy decline.

The next decline was insane. From the top, near the cylindrical thingamagig, it already looked pretty hairy. One thing I did not anticipate was the drop being split into two sections, with the latter part being much more steep. Whhheeeeee! I took the whole thing down with no brakes and ended up quite a ways up the following hill (where i took the below photo). For scale, peep that little guy in the upper right. The trek up from the other side was particularly brutal, but we were sufficiently rewarded with this nugget of adrenaline.

Getting dark and hungry, we called it a day.

I’d definitely come back to explore the other areas of the park. Cheers!

Link:
Peters Canyon Regional Park Trail

Here is a picture of CQ emerging from the forest and catching a little bit of air. This was about 1/2 way through our ride.

Until next time. Cheers!

From here, we either make our way to Sullivan Canyon, or just go back the way we came.

On this day, the weather was awesome. The air was cool and fresh. I felt like I could ride forever.

Cheers!

Copy + Paste from the Manufacturer’s website:

A free ride glove, where ventilation, touch and feel are the key criteria. The knuckle shields are divided in two parts and the joint protection is made of soft but durable rubber. The inside is made of grippy Pittards® and digital leather and has just the right feel to it.

Link: POC

Half way up the mountain, PH surveying the landscape.

This day, I actually had to leave the group early to be on time for dinner reservations. When zooming down the mountain, I was quite amazed at the distance we covered. It took a good 15 to 20 minutes going down with minimal application of brakes. Very, very fun.

I later saw video of the guys taking an alternate, much scarier route down. Pretty ballsy if you ask me, especially since most wear minimal body armor.

I’d like to come back again! Cheers!

Link: La Tuna Canyon Loop

it was a baby rattler.

i also spotted a coyote near the top of the mountain. i guess all i need to see now to make my mountain biking experience complete is a bear and a mountain lion – i’d rather not.

Here is a pic of CQ (he’s the most badass out of all of us) giving a warning to us newbies of the cliff at the turn in Rock-it.

Leaving the Nike Missile Base to head back to the car..

At our left, we were above the clouds.

At our right, a picturesque sunset.

anyways, we did two loops and called it a day.

the beginning was an uphill fireroad with a reasonable incline. we went around the water tower at the top, and made our way through a white fence, where we put on our armor to tackle the second half of the loop… which was pretttty fun. The first part, with tight turns and a pretty uneven path, was the more challenging to maneuver. There was an additional, short incline before we got to the speedy wide fire road that took us back to the beginning.

The first time around, other than losing a water bottle along the way, there were no major mishaps. We were pumped to do it again.

The second time around, however, we weren’t so lucky. On the first downhill, I took a tight turn too fast, fishtailed and had my front tire caught in a deep groove, flipping me over the handlebars. Luckily, I had my stormtrooper armor on and only got a minor bruise on my right hip, where there was no padding. PH, I think, got caught in a similar spot and without pads, wasn’t as lucky. He got scraped up good enough to draw some blood, but overall continued to do well.

PH showing off battle wounds.

Until next time.

we didnt follow the correct route. got whipped by random shrubs on the single track. still really fun.

cooling off in the shade. we underestimated the heat.

I will definitely need to come back on a cooler day.

Tip: The gates to the parking lot close at 5pm

For the most part, it was pretty fun. The ride down was good. It was not very steep and the path was also peppered with rocks (and piles of horse shit) to remind us that we were on a mountain. Other than one of the guys breaking his rear hydraulic brakes, there were no major mishaps. We did get wet a few times going through the streams – thank gawd I carry an extra pair of socks. 

Afterwards, we went for a light dinner at Urth in Downtown Los Angeles Arts District. I ordered my usual, sandwich caprese and a small green tea latte, complete with a Hello Kitty-wannabe foam.

Can’t wait until next week to ride some more. Cheers!

Links:
Brown Mountain – Ken Burton Trail
Urth Caffe

..in action. it pumps tires really fast. i especially like how the gauge is near the top.

Copy + Paste of the specs:

Link: Topeak

i got a new helmet and goggles…..

Since it seems like we are going on more and more dangerous trails, I thought it was a good a time as any to get a proper helmet to protect my face and teeth. Being thoughtful in gear selection, I chose POC. Hailing from Sweden, they partner up with experts in Biometrics to make siiiiick, siiiick gear. I also appreciate not having any gauche graphics on it. It’s understated and CLEAN! 

I got the Cortex Flow helmet and the Iris Flow goggles for my XC adventures.

Here is a Copy+Paste from the company’s website on the helmet:

When entering the bike scene, we have made use of the experiences learned from our short but successful history in making revolutionizing ski helmets. The concepts that we have developed for ski helmets has been taken further and optimized to reach up to and beyond the demands of today’s bike users in the Downhill mountain bike, Dirt, Freeride and BMX disciplines. The aim has been to provide better head protection than ever before. The concepts that we have developed for ski helmets has been taken further and optimized to reach up to and beyond the demands of today’s bike users in the Downhill Mountain Bike, Dirt, Free ride and BMX disciplines.

The safety requirements for ski and bike helmets are similar but bike helmets call for some additional require- ments when it comes to ventilation and comfort. A bike helmet should have full ventilation to let fresh air flow into the helmet as well as letting excess heat and moisture out. The challenge with ventilation is that open vents in the helmet leaves the user unprotected from sharp objects that may penetrate the vents. This is a serious risk, especially for Downhill riders since they are likely to be exposed to branches, sharp rocks and other hazardous objects in a crash.

To overcome the challenge of providing penetration resistance, excellent ventilation and impact protection properties, we developed our patented concept with double overlapping shells (VDSAP).

POC´s double shell helmets

Traditionally, there have been two different types of bike helmets on the market. First, there is the traditional hard shell helmet with a thick outer shell, covering a shock absorbing liner of EPS. The hard shell helmet provides good protection against penetration and makes a durable construction. But, the nature of the stiff outer shell also has drawbacks. On impact, the hard shell causes an abrupt stop of the head. This increases the risk of brain injuries.

The hard shell may also bounce on the ground and thereby increase the risk of whiplash injuries.

The second type of traditional bike helmet is the “in-mold” type. These helmets have a thin shell of Poly- carbonate molded together with an EPS liner. The impact energy is very well absorbed with this construction as the thin shell allows the helmet to deconstruct on impact, creating lower energy levels for the brain to deal with and minimal bounce. The disadvantages are poor resistance to penetration and a less durable construction.

Our effort to combine the strengths of these two major concepts in ski helmets led to our patent pending “Aramid ballistic penetration barrier”: APB. By adding a layer of penetration-resistant aramid between the shell and the liner, the shell thickness could be reduced, leading to weight reduction and better energy absorption.

Transferring the APB concept into a fully ventilated system for bike users led to our revolutionary, patented Ventilated-Double-Shell-Anti-Penetration: VDSAP.

VDSAP has two ventilated shells, placed offset, for maximum penetration resistance and channels in between the shells to ventilate heat, moisture, or water. The inner shell is an extremely thin layer of polycarbonate while the outer shell is made of Carbon fiber or injected plastic depending on model. The properties are amazing and these helmets represent a unique thinking in helmet design.  

Their stuff is built to protect and fits great. In addition to head gear, I also rock their Bone VPD Leg guards and Bone arm guards. Expensive as hell, but still much cheaper than a trip to the emergency room.

Cheers!

Link: POC

However, understanding that the saddle is one of the most important, if not the most important contact for a cyclist, I could not simply pick the first colorful thing that caught my eye. If it looked good but caused numbness down there or gave me a sore ass, I knew I would make excuses to not cycle.

Researching, I found the offerings from Fizik - or fi’zi:k, as its spelled on the company’s website – to be highly regarded for its comfort by both the mountain biking and road-going set. The Aliante model was called out numerous times; many cyclists noted how they were able to ride for extended periods of time with it.

At first, I was discouraged since most retailers only carried it in white or black, which defeated the whole purpose of me replacing my saddle. I comtemplated the offerings from Selle San Marco and Selle Italia, because you know the Italians know color! I almost pulled the trigger on one of those until I read too many negative reviews for my taste.

Then, as if by fate, I came across this orangina beauty. =)

You will notice that it says “test,” and that is because these are normally provided to bike shops for customers to sample, and are not supposed to be for sale. I guess I was fortunate to find a roundabout way of picking up a new one. >=)

It is from the Gamma line and has K:IUM rails, which is made up of a proprietary alloy that supposedly provides strength while simultaneously reducing weight – 8% less than solid titanium - (i.e. having cake….). It also has the ICS (Integrated Clip System) feature, which allows for attachment of other fizik stuff (saddle bag, tail lights, etc.) which I will probably also get in the future.

I am not certain of the weight but it is definitely not the lightest. Still, mission accomplished.

Cheers!

Link:
Fi’zi:k

Near the entrance, it was pretty serene.

At times, I felt like I was in the movie, Predator.

taking a break, JC watering the tree.

Eventually, the trail got a bit technical. I like.

Requisite bike picture.

the descent down back to our cars was a lot of fun….

however, i did eat it pretty hard on the rocky single track. i don’t recall exactly what happened. i could’ve lost balance, might have hit a bad rock, i don’t know. i just know that all of a sudden, i flipped over the handle bars, got thrown off the bike, and instinctively covered my face with my right arm – there were some pretty sharp rocks. fortunately, my backpack took the brunt of the impact.

i was surprised that i got up with very little pain; even now, i only feel a slight discomfort when i press the bruise on my right inner thigh. for a brief second, i was kind of amused to see my bike upside down on the side of the track.  i did check out my bike and found all to be okay, no broken parts. this incident definitely made me appreciate my helmet and want to upgrade my safety equipment as soon as possible. 

i’m sure i have and am thankful for having a guardian angel watching out for me. at the speed i was going, i know i could have broken bones, or worse.

here is PH sporting some of his own battle wounds. 

It was fun. We’ll be back again. Cheers!

Link: Westridge-Sullivan Canyon

The damages came to light when I got to the bottom of the mountain. What is kind of funny is that I parked my car at the top of the mountain. The ride down was a glorious and speedy 20-minutes. The walk back up (in hard-soled bicycle shoes, no less) was a pretty grueling hour and half.

Anyways, it was a good opportunity to upgrade another bike component. Still getting used to my bike (I know, not yet a month-old and I broke it =T), I opted to just go one level up, from X.7 to X.9. Other than the finish, the only real difference seems to be weight. The X.9s are 30 grams lighter.

Here is the actual damage. BENT parallelogram. This, technically, could be straightened, but the time/effort involved would’ve cost more than simply replacing/upgrading it.

Action shot: already attached to the derailleur hanger, used my multi-tool (Topeak Alien II) to screw the unit to the frame.

Stock photo of the part. Pretty, aint it?

Copy + Paste from SRAM’s website:

Rear Derailleur

• Stylish and Strong! A forged 6061 aluminum B-Knuckle improves stiffness while the X.9 styling exudes our commitment to quality. X.9 is now available in three cage sizes.
• World Cup Proven Composite Cage
• Outside Facing Limit Screws – Intuitive Adjustment
• Sealed Bearing Upper Pulley
• Di.R.T: Direct Route Technology™
• 1:1 Actuation Ratio™ Superior Shift Quality
• Weight: Short 212g / Medium 227g / Long 230g

As I mentioned before, in addition to my old rear derailleur, my bicycle chain was rendered useless. Instead of getting another generic 9-speed chain from KMC, I upgraded to SRAM PC-991 chains. Not only do these have convenient Powerlink (those gold things) connectors to make installation realtively pain-free, they were also on sale at the local bike shop =).

PC-991

• Compatibility: 9-speed
• Push Pin Power: 200 kgf, Chrome Hardened Pins
• Technology: PowerChain II™, PowerLink™ Gold
• Weight: 300g / 114 Links

Given this was my first time replacing a chain and a rear derailleur, it took me a good hour or two.. or three.. to read the instructions and watch YouTube demonstrations to get the job done. Before you say anything, I know I could’ve spent the time doing something more productive and pay an expert to do the repairs, but I think that takes away from the hobby. Besides, I like fixing things. In any case, I’m sure I will be much quicker next time around. =]

Bonus:

Last week, watched the sunset at Chilao.

Link:
SRAM

At the entrance, there are signs warning people of the wild life.

At the top, just past the entrance, looking down.

There is a main, wide path for bicyclists, hikers, as well as horses (i did encounter some serious mounds of shit)….

… and a variety of trails (for all skill levels) that branch off of it… like this one, Eagle’s Nest Trail. On a whim, I decided to take it.

At the end of this uphill trail, there were a bunch of pine trees, and a stone bench to take in the fresh air. This little area is named the Harman Overlook, named after donors to the region.

The view from the Harman Overlook.

Looking back to where I came from, I could appreciate the long journey I would take going back up.

The Eagle’s Nest Trail was the only trail I took off of the main path. I did continue quite a ways down the mountain (so much fun!) and met some friendly people… before backtracking uphill to the car (quite the workout!). 

Overall, this place is very nice and I will have to explore more trails next time. But before I do, I’ll have to get a refresher on how to treat snake bites.

Until next time…

Link:
Del Cerro Park Trail Reviews

… it was a nice way to spend a Saturday afternoon.

.. one day, i’ll be able to tackle something crazy like this…

we will definitely be coming back here again…

not only is the site awesome, so is the drive to and fro… many, many blind turns.

.. and picturesque views…

BONUS:

How many newbies does it take to change a flat tire? This was kind of funny. Neither of us had all of the info/know-how to change a tire, but by putting our minds together, we were able to remove the rear wheel, make use of the tire levers, take out the tube, find the hole, patch it up, and then put the whole thing back together again… 

.. in its natural habitat.

Until next time…. Cheers!

Links:
Angeles National Forest

This particular model is the GC2-L (Large).

Here is a Copy+Paste from Ergon’s website:

…the GC2 offers optimal pressure distribution and an integrated forged aluminum bar end. Both the support platform and bar end can be individually positioned by loosening the bar end which also acts as the clamp.

Stock photo:

Researching and reading other people’s reviews, it turns out that despite their heft and weight, many professional bicycle riders also love the grips coming out of Ergon. Awesome.

Link: Ergon

Today,  I added a black water bottle holder made by Cannondale (model GT40). It’s made out of 6061 aluminum like the bike frame and is also quite curvaceous. It weighs 40 grams, which doesn’t really mean much to me. In any case, I like it.

At the same time, I also picked up a Camelbak water bottle that holds 21 fluid ounces. Some of its cool features include that it is BPA-free (so water will not taste like the bottle) and it has an insulating jacket to keep the drink cool longer.

… that’s it for now.. see ya.

Links:
Cannondale
Camelbak

.. in order to fit in my car, i had to remove both tires and seat
….thank gawd for quick-release.

… and so it begins…. upgrading bike components…

not yet 1 day in my possession, i performed the first modification… to the pedals.

though my bike (2009 Cannondale F5) came with decent alloy platform pedals in matte black by Wellgo (model LU-C25) that matched the color of the frame, i knew i would not be content with them…primarily because they were standard, platform pedals with no clipless option.

To remedy, I picked up Shimano’s PD-M324 pedals that not only have the clipless option, but also supports a regular platform pedal for those times I want to wear regular shoes.

Tools required: 5/8″ wrench + long ass metal tube for leverage.

The pedals came with a pair of compatible SM-SH56 (multi-release) cleats that allow the shoe to disengage the pedal by rolling or twisting the foot in any direction which is all good. One of my fears is falling over while still clipped in and stuck to the bike (ouch!).

 Anyways, here is a stock photo of Shimano PD-M324:

Copy+Paste of the Specs from Shimano:

That’s it for now….Cheers!

Links:
Shimano
Wellgo

These past few days, I’ve been spending many, many hours researching bicycles… learning about the different types, brands, component parts, accessories, etc… and I’m at a point where I trust that I know enough to be confident in owning the F5 model.

Specs:

Looking at the manufacturer’s specs, there seems to be decent components in this package. I am planning to do some upgrades as I become more familiar with how the bike rides and also as things start to wear down. Evenutally, I hope to have a creation that distinguishes this Cannondale F5 as my own. =)

This whole cycling thing is part of my attempt to incorporate more sporty and outdoorsy activities into my lifestyle. On weekends and future camping trips, I plan to ride trails and conquer mountains with friends. 

Cheers!

Links:
Cannondale F5 (2009 Model)
REI