The Rove thus far....

I first met the Rove at Kona’s 2013 product launch in Bellingham WA. What drew me to this bike were four things; 1) steel 2) disc brakes 3) the geometry 4) the tire width that it could handle.

At this time, I was looking for a cross style bike that was all of these things. It’s like the fine folks at Kona were reading my mind (enter in spooky music). So after I got myself checked out for a chip in my head, and got over my paranoid delusions (or are they?) I took a test ride on the Rove at the demo and immediately fell for this bike.

Why did the four for mentioned things intrigue me? Well; I am one of “steel is real” kind of guys. I’m picking steel if I have a choice. I love the feel and how it responds. Disc brakes for stopping power. There’s a reason why the motto for canti’s is “can’t stop, won’t stop”, because they don’t. Canti’s are great for racing cross, because you don’t want to stop; but not when you’re commuting. The geometry is that of a gravel grinder bike.  The handling was just what I was looking for. It was quick and responsive, yet stable and predictable. Finally some big fat tires that would still take a fender.

I received my Rove at the end of February 2013. I threw some fenders on it, and a Portland Design rack on it right away. The Rove has become a staple in my quiver. One of my go to bikes. I use it mostly for commuting and exploring. There are times that my commute asks more of me than just getting to work. There are times that that dirt path calls me, or the gravel road, or the brick road. The Rove is all up for whatever I throw at it.

The Kona Rove has not only gotten me through many, many miles of commuting and exploring (though all weather conditions, summer & winter with studs on); it has also helped me get through a few Cleveland Cobbles, and one Funk Bottoms Gravel Race (Ohio’s toughest Gravel Race. If you are not familiar with it…look it up, or click -- http://funkbottomsgravel.blogspot.com/   ), and it will help me this year at the race as well.

I have had zero issues with this bike. With all that I put it through, I take really good care of it; especially in the winter. Keep the frame and drivetrain clean of the harshness of winter. I’ve had to change a chain or two and some cables, but that’s really it.

Kona did an amazing job with the design and set up for the Rove, this is a bike I will not be parting with any time soon. Kona meant this bike to be the “do all machine”, from commuting, gravel grinding, and even to cross; and they have achieved that with this bike. Check out one of Kona’s videos here: https://vimeo.com/77090243

And if the Rove is a bit out of your price range; they make the Big Rove & Rove Al that is a little friendlier to your wallet. Found here: http://konaworld.com/freerange_rd.cfm

Thanks, and enjoy the journey.

Nutrition - Gels

In terms of nutrition for a cyclist on the go, whether racing, touring, or getting mileage in - what is the quick fix? Let's explore some of the gel products we put on our shelves and why.

Carb Boom, under Boom Nutrition is the "official energy gel of USA Triathlon" until 2017, according to their website. Their gels come in six different flavors. Pictured above, is grape pomegranate. These gels contain zero artificial flavors, colors, or sweetener, according to their packaging. One gel is recommended per 20-30 minutes of exercise and weighs in at 110 calories per gel.

So what's so great about gels? They are easy to consume, light to carry and give you a quick boost. Gels are mainly carbohydrates which equals fuel. Carb Boom gels contain 27 g of Carbs per serving. They also contain a pinch of potassium, sodium, and 2 g of sugar. Think back in bike racing when snickers were consumed for that energy boost.

 

Hammer Gels have been a staple on our shelves and are a slightly lower calorie, lower carbohydrate option at 80 calories and 21 g of carbs a pop. We also carry other Hammer Nutrition products, such as Endurolyte capsules which are an "electrolyte replenishment."

Gels are meant to be included in a well rounded diet and can be easily combined with other nutrition products, depending on rider preference.

So whether you are about to ride the Sunday in June organized ride in a few weeks, or race some weekend crits, we got you covered on a variety of nutrition products in all our locations.

Fat bike season....

 The season of fat bikes are upon us. The snow is here (although as I write this, it will be gone for the weekend). But rest assured, this is the Cleveland area, and it will be back, and this is in part why this post is getting written.

There has come a ‘new’ bike craze that is happening now. It’s the fat bike. I put the word new in quotations, because it’s been around for quite some time being used in races in Alaska.

They have grown quite a bit in popularity over the last few years as Surly has made them a staple in their production line. Other companies have seen the fat bike popularity, and have followed suit. In our line, not only do we carry Surly for your fat bike needs, we also carry the Kona Wo & Moots FrosTi (special order only). More on the differences in a moment.

Why would one buy a fat bike? These bikes excel in snow and winter riding. The size of the tires starts at 26x3.8 and can go to 4.8”.  The wider the tire the less tire pressure (anywhere from 8psi-20psi), less tire pressure means better traction. These are able to float over a lot of different kind of terrain. Snow is the big one, but sand, gravel, roots, rocks, etc. are handled just as well with the wider tire.

So this line of bikes is not limiting at all. You are able to ride fat bikes all year long. There are those that are ditching their mtn bikes, and just riding these all over the place all year long. With the big and wide tires, put that together with the low psi; and the bike will absorb much of the trail. In a sense, the tire becomes your suspension.

One of the apprehensions with fat bikes is the question of handling. How do they handle? The answer is simple; just like any other mtn bike. They are however, harder to get to high speeds because of the tires, but you’re not picking one up for speed. Once you are able to ride one, you realize the ease of the maneuverability of the bike.

I recently picked up a Surly Pug Ops & was able to take it out on a local mtn bike trail before all the snow hit, and it handled just as well as any other mtn bike, except I was not concerned with taking the ‘right lines’ or rolling over a rock or root wrong. I just went, and let the bike do the rest. It will

just power through and over anything you put in its way. The gearing is low enough where climbing is not an issue.

The differences between what we carry are as follows:

The big one is frame material. Surly deals in 4120 cro-moly steel. The tubes are designed for the frame. They are not taking regular tubes that would be used for other mtn bikes and ‘making them work.’ You have a higher bb, like you would find on a mtn bike; which gives you ample clearance over objects.  The way Surly set up the geometry is that it is able to be ridden off road just as well as an all day grind or day out exploring the winter wonderland, trail, or whatever nature may throw at you.

http://surlybikes.com//bikes#omniterra

The Kona Wo is set up similar to the Surly line as far as geometry goes. They do have a different cockpit out of the box, and is made of aluminum. The aluminum will save you some weight (my Pug Ops comes in at 34 lbs), and will stiffen up the ride a bit. Both have 2x10 drivetrains.

http://konaworld.com/wo.cfm

And if you know Moots; the FrosTi is, you guessed it, Ti. Moots only does a limited run of these frames, so if you want one, you have to get on the list early. They do the frame, we’ll do the rest.

http://moots.com/our-bike/mtb-26/frosti/overview/

So feel free to stop on in and talk to us about getting fat….

2013 Kona Rove Review:

When I was lucky enough to go out to the Kona launch in August; there was one bike that I was really excited to ride, and that was their Rove. I’m a big fan of all things cross, so the chance to get on something new lit my eyes like a little child on Christmas morning. From the start, the Rove is drastically different from any other cross bike out there. Kona lists it as a “ultimate cyclocross/gravel-grinding/commuting machine.”  So to say that this one bike is a utilitarian machine would be an understatement.

With slightly different geometry than their Jake series, this bike gives you the best of all worlds. Longer wheelbase gives you stability. Different angles in the seat tube, head tube, and longer chain stays gives you comfort. Being equipped with disc brakes will give you the stopping power you need when you need it; when you are either commuting in the worst of weather, or racing in your next cross race.

Out of the box highlights are as follows; with a mix of Sram Apex & Rival with cross gearing (36/46) up front with an 11-32 in the rear. I was a little skeptical of the 36/46 up front, only because I am used to a more traditional compact up front (34/50); but more on that later. A solid Formula Disc wheelset, with your braking provided by a set of Hayes CX5 discs; which are beefy reliable brakes.  They do provide more adjustment than the Avid BB7’s, so you are able to really fine tune the brake feel.  And with the ability to throw on a set of 40c tires and hit the gravel roads for an all day adventure.

The frame is a 4130 CroMoly; which is on the higher end of the ‘steel’ scale. A lot of companies are getting away from this material; but believe me, when you use this bike for what it was built for you will be thankful. It will absorb what the road throws at it, and your body will thank you for it.

I immediately put on full fenders and a rack. I plan on mostly using this for my commuting needs throughout the year and dealing with Cleveland weather fenders are a must. I also want to use my pannier bags instead of using my messenger bags. This will take weight off of my back and feel better while I ride.

I already have about 70 miles on it with my commuting and riding so far (one week of ownership).  First I would like to say how smooth and responsive the frame is. It soaked up the bumps of the Cleveland streets and the pavement on the Metroparks trails. I was also able to get off the pavement and feel how it handled.  It wasn’t anything too rough, but it blazed right through the mud and chipped wood like a champ. And again smooth as can be. No excessive vibrations coming up through the frame. In addition, with carrying my pannier, the bike stayed grounded. Often riding with lighter weight frames with panniers the rear end would start to wander over bumps. The Rove kept everything where you’d expect it. That being said, you are not buying the Rove for any weight savings.

As I was skeptical about the cross gearing up front (36/46), I am used to a more of a compact gearing up front (34/50), but with the weight of the bike, plus the weight of my gear and the wide range of gearing in the back (11-32), it made gearing up hills pleasant. Also, with the 46 up front, I was able to play more with the gearing in the cassette than if I had a 50 up front.

The Rove is going to become my ‘go-to’ bike for this up coming year. I doubt with the set-up I have on it now, that I will take it to the mtn bike trails, but you never know.

Here is a link to Kona's page on the Rove http://konaworld.com/bike.cfm?content=rove 

keep the rubber side down...

 

Killer video of the 2012 Solon CX Race!

Jacob English, owner of Mountain Road Cycles, recently visited Chagrin Falls Middle School to conduct a bicycle education course during students' physical education classes. During the introductory program, students learned about gears, brakes, maintenance, safety checks and road skills. Afterward, students practiced their bike riding skills using bikes donated by Safe Routes Chagrin. CHAGRIN FALLS--Out of 13,500 Safe Routes to School programs nationwide, Chagrin Falls stood out on the national platform as this year’s James L. Oberstar Safe Routes to School Award recipient. The award, granted by the National Center for Safe Routes to School, is the highest honor a Safe Routes to School program can receive. Safe Routes Chagrin is only the seventh program in the nation to receive this honor since the award was founded in 2007. Along with programs throughout the country, Safe Routes Chagrin works to encourage students to safely walk or bike to school instead of hopping on a bus each morning. 2012 James L. Oberstar award applicants were reviewed and selected by a committee comprising representatives from various organizations, such as the National Center for Safe Routes to School, the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials, the Institute of Transportation Engineers and the National PTA. Safe Routes Chagrin stood out primarily because it increased the number of Chagrin Falls student bicyclists and walkers by 50 percent since 2009. By 2011, more than 180 Chagrin Falls middle and intermediate school students chose to travel to school by foot or bike. The program was also recognized for improving safety for students through volunteer crossing guards, increased speed enforcement and ongoing safety education. Additionally, Safe Routes Chagrin was applauded for its impact in creating new partnerships among community stakeholders while making active transportation an integral part of the Chagrin Falls School District’s culture. With the help of Safe Routes Chagrin, students engage in district-endorsed events such as Walk to School Day, which has grown to more than 800 student participants. Other events endorsed by the district and village include Bike to School Day and the Chagrin Falls Police Department’s Bike-a-Palooza bike rodeo. This year, students will take part in “Walk and Roll Wednesdays,” during which they will log miles walked during recess and during their commute to and from school. Also new this year is the incorporation of bike safety and skills training in the middle and intermediate schools’ physical education classes. Safe Routes Chagrin supported this new curriculum by providing the district with a portable bike trailer and a set of 35 new Giant brand bicycles, a set of resources valued at $15,000. Last fall, Safe Routes Chagrin also made $150,000 in infrastructure improvements to areas surrounding the Chagrin Schools, including new bike and pedestrian paths and bike racks. A large portion of Safe Routes’ funding was made possible with federal money. Chagrin Falls Mayor Tom Brick said Safe Routes Chagrin is “a truly cooperative, community endeavor.” “By improving communication and making some fairly straightforward changes, like adding sidewalks to connect students in the north part of the village to their schools and providing volunteer crossing guards, we have strengthened what was already a very accessible and walkable community,” he said. An awards ceremony will be held Oct. 19 to honor Safe Routes Chagrin. Further details regarding the ceremony, including a time, are still being determined and will be announced by the Chagrin Schools in the near future.

recent work in at Berea...

We recently had this little gem in at our Berea shop for some work. It is a Royce Union Savoy. I haven't been able to find out much about the company, except that the Royce Union was a 'dept. store bike.' However this did catch my eye, because this is a full Ti frame, with a Ti handlebar and I believe a Ti fork. These were the first impressions.

I asked how old the bike was, and the customer told me around 20 years old.

Then upon further inspection, the entire bike is out fitted with XTR. (the drool started) This is full XTR. Except the XT front derailleur. No fault there.

But I'm talking hubs, brakes, rear derailleur, crankset, shifter/brake lever set.  All this stuff is at least 20 years old.

Took my time with this, and cleaned it up really nice with Pledge (hope they like orange sent).  Took it on a short little test ride, and it shifts like new.  XTR has always been like this. Always nice and smooth no matter how old. The only down fall that I found was the length of the stem. On a bike that is built for a short guy like me with a 130mm stem, it just felt jacked up. Bring down the stem length and kill the angle, and it would be a nice ride.

It could use some more work, but I only do what the customer wants and pays for.

That being said, it is kind of funny, in retrospect, riding something that old. Even taking the Kona Kilauea from '96 in the shop for a quick little ride around town to get some air is an experience. Just the overall different geometry and gearing ideas that where, even now takes some getting used to.

In any case, I hope to see this one again.

Enjoy the ride, whatever it may be, wherever you are going...