2010 Pivot Mach 4...

Here it is! Isn't it just lovely.

Quality to the power of 10.

Where you can get one.

Joey

Big Snow of '09 (Dec. 19th)

Saturday:

The snowmobile was completely covered.

Skied right out the bike shop door Saturday morning and...

...down to the rail trail. Were I broke tracks for Mandi so she could SKI to work. Her boss was ecstatic as she to is also an avid skier.

Sunday:
Skied right from the house. That has only happened a couple time since we moved to Elkins.

Monday:

Open for Business.

Big pile of snow just begging for a snow cave!

Happy Winter Solstice, Joey.

Mini-Review: Breezer Finesse

Submitted by Frank Wuerthele on Wed, 12/02/2009 - 09:48

When the daily commute is long and the round trip demands speed and function above all, the Breezer Finesse is a bike worthy of consideration.

Under the Breezer tent at this year's Interbike Dirt Demo, it was no surprise to have Joe Breeze himself personally prep and detail my Vegas commuter. (Our compound was a few miles outside the Strip and offered a great opportunity to test ride-to-work commuter bikes.) Joe prefers to be in the mix. His accomplishments are numerous. He has achieved the highest level of respect amongst his racing, design, frame building and advocacy peers. Yet, more than anything, all Joe Breeze wants is for us to enjoy the ride.

I've ridden plenty of "purpose-built" advertised bicycles. Few have delivered as well on their promise as the $1800 Finesse. The merits of this bike go well beyond its advertisement as "a fine-tuned speed machine."

The chassis is a butted 7005 aluminum frame—stiff and light. That's good. The frame is painted in a rich, BMW-like blue and accessorized with a carbon fork and seat post—light and vibration-damping to smooth out the ride and ease my back pain. That's good too. It has an eccentric bottom bracket. Why is that good? It keeps tension on the chain (as this bike comes with an internal geared hub—more about this later) and it makes for a quick change in the case of a flat rear tire. But more than anything what I really liked about the frame was how it felt when riding, just the right balance between an aggressive road bike position and the comfort of a hybrid. It didn't twitch or wobble at speed under a load. It was still comfortable. And most of all, it was fast!

The component bundle selected for this bicycle is top-shelf. I've never ridden Shimano's top-of-the-line Alfine component group before and didn't know just why it is held in such high regard until we set out on our first ride. As we approached a busy intersection, a traffic light quickly turned red and caught me by surprise. I didn't have to down-shift while still pedaling toward the light. The Alfine shifter partnered with the 8-speed internally geared hub allowed me to shift while at a standstill. That's huge! It allowed me to focus on traffic instead of shifting. Of course, the transmission also worked flawlessly when on the move.

The feel of the Alfine brake levers mated to the Shimano hydraulic brakes instilled confidence—powerful but not too grabby. One-finger braking allows me to keep the rest of my fingers on the handlebar doing their job—steering accurately. When hauling ass to work and back these brakes will help shave off some time and keep you safer in traffic.

Inevitably I'll slam a curb or pothole with the bike loaded down. Shimano's Alfine hubs laced with double-butted spokes to Shimano rims are solid and reliable yet do not detract from the need for speed. As much as I try to pronounce "Schwalbe" correctly I just can't. But from experience I can announce that their Marathon Racer tires are an excellent choice to make the ride faster and safely navigate around that occasional gravel blob that jumps in your immediate line just as a 16-wheeler is buzzing past.

Attention to detail—the extras parts on the Finesse are what really elevates an already distinguished bicycle to the next level. In many cases a commuter bike comes plain and the rider has to take the time, effort and money to purchase the stuff that makes the rig safe, functional and comfortable. The Finesse comes with almost all of the goodies you can ask for.

Lights matter. The Finesse comes equipped with Busch & Muller's hub-powered headlight and taillight package, called the Lumotec IQ Fly Senso Plus. With a name like that you know that it's got to be totally rad. Really bright, no maintenance—no batteries, reliable, along with clever and clean wire routing integrated into the frame. All these things make the nighttime commute back home safe and quick without any fuss.

When I do long rides, I appreciate having multiple hand positions at my disposal to help keep my back pain-free. The Finesse addresses that need with the addition of adjustable "Joe Bars," bar extensions attached on each side of the stem of the swept-back riser handlebar. When the opportunity presents itself on long straights I can get low on the Joe Bars and really crank it out, and it gives my back a different angle to keep the pain in check. In addition to the Joe Bars, a Ritchey adjustable stem allows the rider to dial in just the right angle for the ride.

Front and rear fenders and a chain guard help to keep things clean and dry on crappy, wet days. A warning bell comes in handy when overtaking other slower commuters (who unfortunately aren't riding a Finesse). To round out the Finesse's well-appointed package, a really cool "Truss Sport" rear rack mounts higher up on the seatstays, offering a cleaner look and less wind resistance than traditional rear racks, but unfortunately it does not support standard panniers. Shucks.

All things considered, the Breezer Finesse offers clean, crisp lines, a regal paint scheme, a machine designed for speed and function that comes bundled with all the right goodies packaged expertly together. All you need now is to move far enough away from the job to appreciate the ride.

Breezer Bikes is online at www.breezerbikes.com.

SUNday...

It was a tad snowy starting but once we got up high and in to the sun it was marvelous. Every weekend this month has been great. Warm, sunny and dry. I really hope it continues. Fingers crossed.

Peace, Joey.

Happy First Snow Day...

Hey there cycling enthusiast. What a great fall it has been! The weather could not be beat. Warm and dry just like fall should be. But alas it had to end. Today the snow flakes are dancing around in dizzy little circles. Some are accumulating but for the most part they are all melting away into oblivion.

The snow flakes act as a reminder though. A reminder that Christmas is just around the corner! In celebration of the Holiday season JOEY'S Bike Shop is having a BIG SALE.

All Bikes in stock 20% off.

All special order bikes 10% off.

All in stock items 20% off.

All special order items 15% off.

Also JOEY'S has a rather large selection of USED bikes. Ranging from 24" wheeled kids to a mondo large cruiser bike. Priced from $50---$130.

Have some old cycling gear lying around? Have a couple old bikes collecting dust in the garage? Let ME sell them for you on EBAY!! For a nominal fee I will sell your "stuff" on EBAY and make you some CASH. I have been "EBAYING" for several years now and have a perfect 100% rating.

Peace, Joey

PS: Remember to always shop locally and support those that support you.

North Fork...

North Forked again and boy was it mighty beautiful up on that wonderful ridge on Sunday. A rowdy bunch we were: Mandi, John, Me and (gasp) Jason Cyr. It would have been the perfect ride if wouldn't have been for all my pesky flats. I guess 850 grams tires just are not tough enough for my 115 lb bee-hind. If you have never rode North Fork trail you shouldn't or maybe you should. It is up to you.

Peace, Joey

Slaty Ride...

Corral? No, corral mushroom under glass.

John rode 30 miles in his dress shoes! That will teach him.

The pond but no beavers.

Peace, Joey

Sully...

If you are ever in the Elkins area and are looking for a killer road ride look no further. We call it the Sully ride you will call it tough.

Peace, Joey

Dirt Rag Mini Review: Fuji Cross RC

Submitted by shannon on Thu, 10/08/2009 - 12:43

At the closing of this year's Interbike Dirt Demo in Bootleg Canyon I wandered over to the Fuji Bicycles compound to pick up my three-day loaner bike, a Fuji Cross RC. Unlike most of the other bikes that were loaned to the Bicycle Times/Dirt Rag staff, mine wasn't strictly a city bike. It didn't fold for easy transporting, have a hard leather saddle, or color matched fenders. Instead, I opted for a do anything, go anywhere, take a beating machine, because in Las Vegas you never know where the evening will take you.

I discovered immediately by the multiple "Hey! Nice Bike!" as I made my way back to the van, that the Fuji Cross RC draws a lot of attention and people recognize it as a badass cyclocross bike. So, I decided to leave it a little on the dusty side during the test to roll incognito. Even with a layer of desert obscuring the Dead Chrome/ Orange paint the compliments kept coming over the next three days, and for good reason.

Fuji's A-6 Quaternary custom butted aluminum frame has an eye catching flat top tube with cable routing along the topside to make shouldering the bike comfortable and easy during races. Along with the Fuji bonded Carbon Cross fork with aluminum steerer, Fuji carbon bar and seatpost, and Mavic Ksyrium Elite wheelset the Cross RC looks hot and rides like a rocket.

Even before the first pedal stroke I could tell that the frameset was stiff, and throwing a leg over the bar to commute to the convention center, my preconceived notion was confirmed. This bike gets up and goes with seemingly all energy transferred from my legs to the rear wheel. And when standing and cranking on the pedals I didn't feel any flex from the frame or fork. The quick pickup and un-wasted, sustained power was much appreciated when zipping along with multiple lanes of traffic and through construction zones.

Handling felt quick and snappy up front, and the riding position is pretty aggressive due to the 110mm stem combined with the 72-degree head tube and 73-degree seat tube. The 16.9" chainstays allow the rear to track fast and the 40.77" wheelbase of the size 58cm tester, along with the solid frame, gave the Cross RC a very live and active feel. While this bike performed excellent as a commuter in my time of need, I wish I had the opportunity to get it on its home turf and push the boundaries on grass and mud.

At first glance I wasn't crazy about the shape redesign of the new Shimano Ultegra shifter/brake levers and thought they would be more difficult to use during braking while riding with my hands on the hoods. They ended up feeling comfortable and the levers were easier to reach while operating from the drops. Shimano's Ultegra 10-speed drivetrain functioned flawless and got along well with the FSA Gossamer Cross crankset. I would have liked more stopping power from the TRP EuroX cantilever brakes, but that has been the demon of all cantilever brakes that I've ridden. For those that like bar mounted brakes, the Cross RC also has a set of Tektro RL-951 brake levers mounted to the flats of the drop bar.

Any cross racers out there, or those thinking about racing, looking for a light-weight, stiff and fast cyclocross bike will be pleasantly surprised by the Fuji Cross RC. You get a lot of bike for the MSRP of $2400, so check it out.

Cool Bikes and good deals...

15 lbs!!! Carbon everywhere!!! Want to see a sweet Pro level road bike stop by and check it out. Was:$7600 Now: $5500

2009 Fuji Cross Comp
Was: $1480
Now: $1000

2009 Fuji Outland RC 29
Was: $4850
Now: $3400

2009 Fuji Dynamite 24" Kids bike.
Was: $460
Now: $400

All 2009 bikes are 15% off. Come and get them why the last.

Joey

Tour de Lilly...

Tour de Lilly was a hoot this year. Roger and the crew at BWB know how to have a good time and put together a good ride.

Joey.