Newsletter Issue No. 1
www.mtbkanata.com







In this edition:

News From The Editors
The Wrench (Maintenance Tips & Tricks)
Featured Product ('02 Rockshox Psylo)
Flat Tire Award Nominations
The Web

News from the editors: 

    Welcome to the MTBKanata.com's first newsletter!  Sure there are only a few people on the mailing now, but with your help, and time, soon we hope MTBKanata.com will be Kanata's Premiere Mountain Biking Site.  A lot has happened since we first set the site up just over a month ago.  We have moved from my old server in New Jersey, to a new server and new Domain in Victoria, BC.  We have also added a picture gallery, video gallery and a How To section.  The future holds even more!  This winter, with your help, we hope to fill the site with relevant and informative content.  Other great additions to the site include this newsletter, and a SMTP mail server!  This means you can now sign up (which most have you have) for your own Email address @MTBKanata.com.     

 - Joe Elliott

Wrench:

    Our local wrench will try to answer all reasonable questions related to maintenance tips and will provide one article each issue on how to perform some type of maintenance. Send your suggestions for articles to wrench@mtbkanata.com 

Coming soon:

o How to install Magura HS-33 Hydraulics. 
o Time to put the bike away for the winter

Featured Product:

Eric's 2002 Psylo SL

    I'm sure that anyone that rides with me doesn't want to read this article... I haven't shut up about this fork since I got it.  Read all about the features of this fork at the official www.rockshox.com website.

    Eric's review: I've got three distinct bikes now... I've got my really heavy cross country bike (80mm setting) my heavy trail bike (95-105mm setting) and a nice light duty free ride bike (125mm setting).
The fork is so plush it isn't funny. One test pilot did notice that the fork dives a fair amount under braking, but they also though my disc brakes were set up fairly "grabby". The only thing missing on this fork is an actual preload adjustment... the mechanical configuration of the U-turn adjuster seems to preclude a convenient preload adjuster but even though I'll admit that I'm all for setting sag height properly this fork seems setup perfectly out of the box. The default target rider weight is 150-170 pounds, I'm 190-200 pounds but I like a bit more sag than recommended. 

    The first comments I had about the fork were that the front wheel goes exactly where I point it, but it doesn't matter. When set at 100mm of travel the fork eats anything I feel comfortable to hit... time to look for bigger rocks along the trail. The rebound adjuster gives you a really wide range, set about midway I get a nicely damped fork that doesn't "pack-up" on successive hits (like a long staircase). At the slowest rebound setting the fork is visibly slow... I've got to think that that range was only included for show... but it's a neat show. The seals appear to work well but I still prefer to run an aftermarket fork boot (even though the brake post/arch configuration makes them hard to attach). 

    Since I got the fork I ride things differently. This has made the same performance difference to my bike and my riding that upgrading from a 43mm elastomer sprung travel 1997 Rockshox Quadra 5 to my 80mm coil sprung travel 1998 Judy SL. Anyone that tried following my line after that upgrade has noticed the same change in riding style

-Eric Twers

Flat Tire Award Nomination:

About the "Flat Tire Award":
You're having a great ride, the group is fairly well matched in skill and fitness, it's a social group, laughs are had by all... then it happens... someone gets a flat tire. Even the most social, happy group all stare at the ground and say "oh gosh" (Ok they don't say that, but you get the idea). Everyone will stop and offer to help repair the damage but it still sets the ride back. The award isn't meant as a shot at anyone that's got a flat tire on a group ride, the person getting the flat isn't (usually) at fault, it just happens. This award is so named because of the same "stare-at-the-ground-muttering-oh-gosh" that happens when someone close to biking does something really dumb.

Categories:
Least responsible statement or action from a member of an organized trail advocacy group

Why this should win:
This answer doesn't just admit that the members fail to follow rules fundamental to trail advocacy groups everywhere, break the laws of the land and disregard the expressed wishes of the landowner, it gives "pointers" for those heading out into an area that is dangerous. Admittedly, the answer was not posted as an official statement of the trail advocacy group but folks have got to be careful about what they say and do.

Subject: Re: Trails Question

There has been much discussion over [TRAIL NAME DELETED]. We have spoken to the owner a couple of times and he is against bikers using the trails. He cites liability and powered vehicles as the 2 problems. He is concerned that someone may hurt themselves and the turn and sue him. This is based on an incident at a pit that has been closed and someone got hurt swimming. He went to a large degree of effort last year to post more private property signage. The signs would serve to show he went to an effort to deter people using the trails. He also tried building a fence at the entrance which did not last. We stayed off his trails last year but they are so good that we had to go back. Try to avoid cutting new trails on his property and while I would like to say staff off of them, they are the best in [CITY DELETED] right now.

One thing to note is that he and a few other owners seem to allow hunting on their property which can be dangerous in the fall. There is supposedly a large buck that a few hunters are after. Be careful in the fall and maybe use a bear bell or dress brightly.

If you head right up the [LANDMARK DELETED] and cross [LANDMARK DELETED] that land is now city land. We have been talking about creating some trails in that area as the terrain is similar to that [TRAIL NAME DELETED] and the highest point is actually not on [TRAIL NAME DELETED] but near the [LANDMARK DELETED] off that trail. If you see anyone hunting in the area North of [LANDMARK DELETED], call the police. Most of that is now city land and we know that people hunt at the [LANDMARK DELETED] for ducks and there is bow hunting for deer. If you haven't seen the [LANDMARK DELETED] you should check them out they are pretty cool and surprising large. Only part of the [LANDMARK DELETED] is city land. You can see it clearly in the aerial shots.

Hope this helps.

Nomination By: Eric

Dumbest crash award - with special consideration for not wearing a helmet.

With a glazed look in his eyes and in a slightly shaky voice, the 13 year old wanna-be poster boy for brain damage says "can anyone get this thing out of here"? The thing is question was his fleece jacket which he had originally been tied around his waist. While biking with his friends, the jacket had got snagged by the front tire of the front wheel, and was now firmly wedged between the front tire and the fork bridge. I stopped to give this kid some help, and successfully extricated the jacket from between the tire and fork. By way of being a responsible adult (not mature, just responsible) I suggested that he may want to consider wearing a helmet since accidents happen fast and when you least expect them. I pointed out that he was lucky not to have hit his head on the pavement, and that the accident was a good demonstration to him and his friends on the necessity of wearing a helmet. Whether it was the onset of post traumatic stress, arrogant disrespect, or stupidity resulting from too many skid-lidless endos, his only response was a slack jawed, blank stare that indicated that this one was beyond recovery. One more witless statistic for the coroner.

Nomination By: Rick

The Web:

As you have probably noticed, the web site is alive and kicking... many days in a row!  If you have any questions, or comments, or just need someone to talk to, send an email to webmaster@mtbkanata.com. 





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