In this edition:

News From The Editors
The Wrench (Maintenance Tips & Tricks)
Featured Product (Magura HS-33 Hydraulic Rim Brakes)
Flat Tire Award Nominations
"Radio Free Kanata"
Ride Review
Dream Bike
The Question - this issue
The Web

News from the editors: 

    Hey, It's our second newsletter! Not much has happened since our last newsletter but that depends on your perspective.  We've had a new subscriber here or there. We've posted our website information on the notice boards at the Kanata Lakes trail head parking lots and even if it's just you folks trying to make us feel better, some of the tear off strips are gone. Our  "How To" section is progressing slowly and has been a lot of fun for a couple of us.  This winter, we have some "frightening" projects of interest and usefulness. GPS mapping of the trails has started. We hope to not have the same "Skier vs. MTB view of the trail" conflict that has affected actual organizations ("according to the map we can bike right across this lake?").

I'm taking a turn as the "Editor in Chief", with Joe serving as the "Editor in a few desks over".  

 - Eric Twers

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 

Since our last newsletter we had no questions...

This issue's "Sneaky Tip"

Removing grips is a pain... water is the best solvent / lubricant going right now to help remove grips, but own to get it under the grip? Jam a screwdriver under the grip and drip water in - thanks magazine folks - makes short work of clear coat on carbon fiber bars and generally messes up aluminum, stretches the grip too. So now that I've griped about grip tips, here's how to get around this, use a syringe. You'll need to get an actual syringe with needle so here's the safety lecture: be careful.

Inject the grip with a bit of water about 2/3rds of the way in from the end and then press the water around under the grip. If you're careful you should be able to inject the grip without actually touching the bar with the needle.

But the real secret is: When you pull the grip off make sure you grab the grip near the brake lever and push it off instead of trying to pull it off.

Available On MTBKanata.com:

We have a "How To" on MTBKanata.com on the installation of Magura HS-33 Hydraulic Rim brakes. you can get to the "Wrench pages" though www.mtbkanata.com/wrench/  

Coming soon:

o Time to put the bike away for the winter - if you insist...

Featured Product:

Magura HS-33 Hydraulic Rim Brakes

The History:
MTB brakes have always been a frustration for me.  I started with LX  cantilever brakes.  What a pain they were to adjust and once you finally did get the adjustment right, they did not stop you all that well anyway.  So, this of course let to a Linear Pull ('V') brake upgrade.  I picked up a wonderful set of Avid brakes.  They were great, easy to set up and they had plenty of stopping power.  However, they suffered the same fate as all cable actuated brakes.  The cables stretch, get grimed up and in general become more binary (on or off) with poor modulation.  The brakes require by far the most fiddling of anything else on the bike.  It seemed as if there as always some adjustment to be made, or some squeak to be eliminated, or some cable to be replaced...  So, this of course let to a brake upgrade.

The Decision:
My frame is too mature (old) to have disk brake mount tabs.  This meant that the only possible upgrades were better cable actuated brakes or Magura hydraulic rim brakes.  I immediately ruled out another set of cable actuated brakes since the benefit would be marginal and yes, that would not
be so cool.   I actually spent a significant amount of time thinking/researching about the upgrade to hydraulic brakes. I was not concerned about the extra weight (they weigh about 2000g).  After all, if I really was a weight weenie, I could lose significantly more than the difference from my waist.  They are really expensive and it was pointed out to me many times that we could upgrade the brakes on the car for the same price.  My biggest concern was not spending the money, but receiving value for the money spent.  Could I spend the $350 on some other component(s) and
get a greater MTBing benefit?  Anyway, with some trepidation, I placed my order for a set of silver Magura  HS-33 brakes with my favorite retailer, www.SpokeWrench.com.

The Upgrade:
It was a big day the brakes arrived.  It is always exciting to have an excuse to head to the Sportsbar for an upgrade.  Installing the brakes was painless, especially since Eric did the upgrade.  The only issue was the need for front spacers to clear the front shock arch.  A call to our friendly SpokeWrench supplier had the problem solved in an hour (try getting this kind of service at your LBS at 10PM!).  The supplied instructions where quite clear and it did not hurt that this was the second time Eric has installed Magura HS-33 brakes.  It took about 2.5 hours to do the upgrade for both front and back.  Be prepared, the hoses Magura supplies are really long (for Giant bikes?).  You will have to do a hose cut and bleed*.  They supply these nifty cable routing bits which fit in the regular cable guides and provide very neat hose routing.  The only thing which I don't like is that the levers are bulky which means the shifters can't be positioned as close to the brake handles as I would like.

The First Ride:
Needless to say, I was very eager for the first ride with the new brakes.  It turned out to be one of our famous early morning Kanata Lakes rides.  I must tell you that these brakes have exceeded my
expectations.  They are wonderful.  The stopping power is extremely linear.  You have wonderful modulation and can apply any amount of braking power you desire.  The braking is soooo smooth. When you want to stop, you stop.  The brake squeals are gone forever.  I love being able to do front wheelie stops now.  There did not seem to be any real break in period.  They  work great right from the first pull of the lever.

The First Muddy Ride:
The next ride was the famous 'Not Halloween Ride'.  It was very dark and wet.  There was water and mud everywhere.  I was eager to find out how the brakes performed in nasty conditions.  I must say that I was not disappointed.  They work wonderful even when it is very wet and muddy.  I
did not notice any real degradation in the modulation or stopping power (I was just glad that I was not a piece of mud being crushed into the rim).

Final Thoughts:
Would I buy them again,  no doubt about it!  I love these brakes.  If you love to MTB and don't have disk tabs on your bike then don't be afraid to spend the money.  You won't be disappointed.

+'s
+ They give you great modulation
+ They don't need to be fiddled with (at least not yet)
+ You can do a front wheelie
+ They look cool

-'s
- They do take some work to install and initially setup
- It is a bit more difficult to take your wheel off, but not that bad.
- They don't fit very well with the shifters.  I wish Magura had sculpted the handles to mesh with shifters.
- I wish the brake booster was really silver rather than gray.

-Steve Taylor

Eric's Notes:

*We actually didn't have to do a bleed - follow the steps in the manual with the extra information in the  linked How-To article above and you can likely shorten a brake hose without having to do a bleed. -Really!

Not Really Features, but Product Reviews!

We are now going to be placing Product Reviews online!  I will be working on a submission form, but for now, take a look at the two reviews I have made, and if you want to add your own, send an email to me!  webmaster@mtbkanata.com

Review 1 - Sigma Sport Cycle Computer
Review 2 - Total Air Fork/Shock Pump

Ride Review:

The Not Halloween Ride

The Not Halloween Night Ride did not happen on Halloween.   We gathered at 9:00PM on November 4th at the Upper Parking lot on  Goulbourn Forced Road in Kanata.  Eric was the organizer of this wonderful event.  Peter, Rick and Steve all participated.  The conditions were not ideal.  Due to a considerable amount of rainfall, not only was it muddy, there was water lying everywhere.  The wet conditions did not dampen the riders spirits as the great reflector hunt got underway.  This event was inspired by the
countless pedal reflectors which are scattered all over the trails.  Eric had strategically placed color coded pedal reflectors (mounted on popsicle sticks) throughout the trail.  The idea was for the participants to find the reflectors (while following a specific set of rules) and claim the prize associated with the color code.  The prizes include cables, patches and lube.  The sound of the word REFLECTOR being shouted in the woods will bring a smile to the face of all the participants. It was great fun, an
event that was enjoyed by all.  After the prize presentation ceremonies, we all enjoyed a night ride on our favorite trails.  Which no matter how wet and muddy, it is always more fun than hunting for a lost battery in the woods.

Thanks to Eric for organizing this unique and special night riding event.  For those who missed it, you have a chance to participate in the Decemberrrrr ride on Dec 2 which is rumored to also include a repeat of the great reflector hunt.  Check out the "Event Calendar" at http://www.mtbkanata.com for details.

Oh, in case your wondering why the Not Halloween Ride was not held on Halloween?  The weather Halloween night was so nasty that the event was postponed.

-Steve Taylor

Dream Bike:

Joe thought of this great idea. Over the winter, design your Dream Bike. State the purpose of your Dream Bike and then use the Bike Profile Template:

www.mtbkanata.com/unlinked/bikeProfileTemplate.html

List how you would build your dream bike. Your dream bike doesn't have to be "practical", remember it's a "dream". (As an example: my dream involves being in a "Freeride" video, but not in the "outtakes").

Once the submissions are in, MTBKanata.com will then tabulate an approximate retail value and try to determine if it would actually work for both its intended purpose (Hint: an 18 pound DH bike might not last) and mechanically (Hint: be careful about specifying things like 32 tooth middle chainrings and 110mm BCD five-bolt cranks). 

We hope the results and the assessments will educate and amuse.

 - Eric Twers

The Web:

Well, everything this month is humming along just like it's supposed to.  This winter I will have plenty of time to add more to the website... so send me your ideas!   webmaster@mtbkanata.com. 

Make sure to visit http://www.mtbkanata.com for all your mountain biking needs!
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