Unofficially, December was my official time-off-the-bike. I entered the month with Lenten passion, always assuming some new balance will be discovered in my legs, hips, or obsessions. Marking a decade as a mountain biker, 2018’s time-off-the-bike seemed significant, though I knew not why until we yielded to our teenage daughter’s annual appeal for a surf trip to Mexico. You see, I forgot what it feels like to be a beginner.

We first surfed Riviera Nayarit in 2013, and though we return semi-regularly, I am decidedly a beginner surfer. When you surf once a year at best, you learn just enough to bring you back to the board again. I know enough – academically – to be dangerous: how to arch my back when I paddle, how to position my feet on the board, and how to avoid being pile-driven in the impact zone, for example. What stands between my knowing those skills in an academic sense, and my body knowing those things in an intuitive sense, is about six months on a surfboard. It takes time to become a surfer. It’s not easy. I’m literally drowning in my own lack of skill. Mid-set, I thought to myself, “Is this how I felt when I was learning to mountain bike?!?!”

Of all the skills we acquire as mountain bikers, the ability to step into the beginner’s mind is the most underrated at every level of the sport. In November, 2015, Professor Victor Ottati from Loyola University of Chicago reported in The Journal of Experimental Psychologythat “self-perceptions of expertise increase closed-minded cognition.” Translation: the better we think we are at something, the more close-minded we are. It is our beginner’s mind, not our expertise, that makes us more willing learners, more empathetic buddies, or wiser advanced riders. “With a Beginner’s Mind, you will be more open to possibilities and more creative. You will also form closer bonds with others in your life as they experience your interest in them and your appreciation for their thoughts and ideas,” reports Professor Ottati.

At the beginning of a new year, it is worth considering our own self-perceptions as riders. Should someone ask me for advice about a “beginner” trail, through what eyes do I look at the map? Should someone ask me for advice on how to ride a challenging trail, how do I advise scaffolding his or her learning experiences to reach that goal? When I ride a challenging trail blind, what do I take for granted about my body’s intuition?

The Pacific Ocean, on it’s gentlest of days, will leave a beginning surfer’s shoulders and neck exhausted. I come to the ocean to be humbled. To forget everything I have ever known about mountain biking…and to get a very serious saline sinus flush. I love helping new mountain bikers develop skills and confidence, but only remember while surfing what it actually feels like to be a beginning mountain biker. I respect the ocean. And I need to remember to respect the trail.

If you are not already a surfer, and if improving your riding by facing the humbling power of the Pacific Ocean interests you, we highly recommend contacting Risa and Diego at Surf It Out in Sayulita, Mexico. They are a husband wife team like Sports Garage.  Tell them Brad and Elorie sent you. They’ll know what you’re there for: time off the bike.

Note: The author is NOT a beginner street taco consumer. We encountered these seriously technical taco features at Tacos Itacate in Sayulita.

Elorie Slater, Co-Owner

In January 2018 Sports Garage hosted the U.S. launch of the women’s Ergon saddles – SR and SM for road and mountain respectively – with an evening of education, demos, and networking. Following pelvic reconstruction, Amy had some of the most thoughtful and challenging questions in the crowd. Among her posts from the ROAM festival in Sedona last week was the following review:

Amy: “My Year on a Women’s Ergon Saddle”

Product review update (warning long post)! I’ve now ridden on this Ergon Bike SM Women’s MTB saddle since late January. I also have the SR Women’s saddle on my road bike.

To date, I’ve logged 360 hours and 4,360 miles between the saddles. The majority of the hours have been spent on the MTB saddle and I’ll focus my comments on those since mountain biking is very dynamic with constant movement on/off saddle.

I only had two rides on the saddle before we rode 5 hours on it in very hot conditions in NZ (early Feb). I did not have enough chamois cream so things were more irritated vs bony sore. Since it was early season, everything hurt after that ride. That’s not necessarily a fault of this saddle. Pretty sure I’d have been sore regardless. We continued to ride for several days and while the next two were skin-wise (lady parts) sore, the other bony parts got significantly better as my butt got used to riding long hours again.

My pelvis is super sensitive to changes after my pelvis reconstruction so it did take most of NZ to not feel the saddle anymore. I usually find a saddle and never change it. But I was intrigued to try these and (full disclosure) the Beti Bike Bash is supported by Ergon. Plus the Berry color was a perfect match for the 2018 Yeti Cycles SB5 Beti. With rides as long as 7 hours, I had very little discomfort- lots of other body parts hurt but not my sit bones or surrounding lady parts. Notably I had just one sore late in the season which I’m sure was insufficient chamois cream for a 3 hour ride.

It’s incredible to see so much R&D put into designing these saddles. 20 years ago a women’s saddle or chamois barely existed. I spent a little time with Karen Jarchow this last weekend as they demo’d saddles [at the ROAM festival] and I only heard positive comments immediately post ride. I would like to see them offer titanium rails to lighten the weight a tad for my XC rig, but overall this will be the same saddle I ride next year. The saddle still looks new and the trail bike saddle does have a few scratches after crashes but for all the abuse, they’ve held up well. If you’ve had issues in the past, definitely give these saddles a test ride.

We demo Ergon saddles too, both SR and SM. The women at Sports Garage have been on these saddles since January, and are happy share their experiences. The price point relative to the effectiveness of the technology is mind boggling (SR and SM each $69.95, SR Gel and SM Gel each $89.95). Christmas is coming. Hint, hint. Contact the shop at sales@sportsgarage.net or 303-473-0033 for additional information about Ergon saddle demos.

Recently, unsolicited reviews for two of Sports Garage’s contemporary pieces of equipment organically popped into our field. Both friends of SG, we asked Lee McCormack, founder of Lee Likes Bikes, and Amy Thomas, founder of the Beti Bike Bash, if we could share their respective reviews.

This is the best kind of information to pay attention to: savvy riders – who have not been asked or compensated in any way – having an exceptional experience significant enough to share it with others.

Lee: “Two Rides on a Pivot Shuttle”

Lee popped in one day a few weeks ago and asked to take a quick spin on our Pivot Shuttle demo. We encountered this review, which we had no idea he intended to post, later on the Lee Likes Bikes Facebook page.

Thanks to the folks at Sports Garage Cycling in Boulder, I just enjoyed a pair of adventures on the Pivot Cycles Shuttle.

BIKE BASICS

Pivot Shuttle: Trail/enduro bike with Class 1 e-assist. That means the motor feeds power only when you’re pedaling, and the motor power stops at 20mph or higher.

Shimano STEPS E8000 motor: It has three modes: eco, trail and boost, plus a walking mode.

27.5×2.8 Minion tire in front, Rekon in back.

150mm Fox 36 Performance Elite fork, Fox Float Performance Elite DPX2 shock. DW-Link rear travel is 140mm.

Shimano XT brakes and XT Di2 drivetrain, which is integrated into the motor control system.

Retail price $9,999 (not an unusual price for a high end bike, but this one has a motor).

Weight is reportedly 46 pounds without pedals, which makes this a very light -ebike. It feels heavy when I’m loading the bike in my van, but not when I ride it.

RIDE #1
Riding time: 10 minutes. Very short and quick, but I really wanted to try the bike.

Easy dirt road climb and smooth, bermy, pumpy, jumpy descent.

This downhill is very familiar to me (as a matter of fact, I used to have a top Strava time on it). I’ve ridden it on DJ hardtails, slalom bikes, trail hardtails and trail bikes.

The Shuttle instantly felt like, uh, a really nice bike. It turns and pumps and jumps very well. What I mean is, I’m carving hard, manualing easy and jumping as big as normal. The bike does not hold me back.

Compared to a regular bike, the whole system feels quieter, muted and planted. I think that’s because the motor adds weight low in the frame.

Then you pedal. And the Shimano motor feeds power. Within 3-4 cycles, I learned exactly how to edge a turn and accelerate — much like rolling throttle on a moto — with just a few well-placed strokes.

I carried tons of flow and speed down the hill, so much so that I kept pinging over the motor-assist speed limit. I quickly learned to keep the bike just under that speed. My heart rate was still very high, but that was more from managing fun and less from pedaling hard.

The climb? Wow.  At the boost motor setting, I was easily climbing at hyper speed. My heart rate was the same as normal; I was just climbing a lot faster. And that speed allowed me another lap before it got dark.

Initial impression: Compared to a pedal-only bike, climbing is a whole other world, and a world that I like. Descending is just like riding a high-end bike, but more planted and, I think, faster in many places (up the 20mph line). You can, of course, sprint above 20 mph, but 20 is plenty.

RIDE #2

Riding time: 1 hour 22 minutes. This is usually over two hours.

Big, steep, rocky, loose climb. Most people, including me, walk long sections of it. Equally big, fast rough, steep and technical descent. This is proper mountain biking.

The climb begins smooth and mellow. I started in eco mode, which allowed me to turn a healthy cadence, rather than grind unpleasantly. I was hovering around level 2 effort, which is working but not hard.

As the climb got steeper and looser, the motor helped me stay on the bike in sections where I usually walk. In the crux sections I upped the motor to trail mode. In the main toughest section, I used boost. My heart rate hit threshold, but I was able to stay on the bike and recover quickly. Back to trail mode for the rest of the climb.

Last time I did this climb, it took me an hour and 10 minutes of misery. This time took 40 minutes. It was still work, but it was a lot more pleasant (and I had more juice left for the downhill).

Descending the same way. Fast with lots of loose rocks and a bunch of rock rollers. Carrying full coast/pump speed, plus some pedaling. The bike felt easy, controlled and planted, yet awake and fun. In a couple tricky corners I carried way more speed than normal.

I think that’s because of the tires (a 2.8 Minion is a hungry beast), the low-slung weight and an effective chassis/suspension package. I could have gone faster, but I had fun at my speed, which was fast enough.

Peel off to a flattish, rocky traverse. The faster you ride this section, the more fun it is. I laid down some motor-assisted pedal strokes and dove in. Braaap braaap through the corners, bap bap bap across the rocks: skimming and pumping and jumping like normal (usually on an Enduro Coil), but taking straighter lines and not worrying about the details. Again, I think the heavy frame, with its weight low down, gives you a sense of OK-ness.

And then the main bit of gnar. This singletrack has some easy flow, but it’s mostly very steep with some interesting rock/drop/turn combos — plus exposure. While I did have the KOM on this a long while ago, I’m never in a hurry. I’m more interested in being smooth and safe.

On this day, I was smooth and safe. The bike worked great. Fun in the fun parts. Controlled in the parts that need control. Totally composed in the steep rocks. Totally hooking up in the loose turns. Totally fun.

When I got back to the dirt road to go out, I had time for more riding. Motor on boost, blast up the road, enjoy a short new-school DH trail, repeat. I was climbing at threshold heart rate, but something like 3X my normal speed. What fun.

Curious note: While I was scrubbing speed before corners, I felt like I was using every bit of the XT brakes. That almost never happens, and it gave me an idea of, despite how controlled I felt, how freaking fast I was riding. It also indicates that, if you’re really pushing this bike, you might want some Saints.

I got more than 2,500 feet of descending. At the end I felt energized rather than beat down.

Impression: Holy cow, this is a fun bike. If you’re blasting a short ride, you can climb incredibly fast. If you’re doing a longer ride, you can use the motor to keep your effort reasonable (and increase your speed and range). Descending is awesome. Just like a high-end mountain bike, but with a heavier, more planted feel that a lot of riders will enjoy and some will use to push harder and faster.

After this ride, I was thinking: I already have some great mountain bikes. If I was going to buy something new, I’d want an e-bike.

Before you judge, try one. If you’re near Boulder, you can demo this bike at Sports Garage.

Though you will not find any information about the Pivot Shuttle currently on our website, we have available medium and large Shuttle demos through the end of this year. As a shop, we have not fully authored any “official” stance on e-mtb, but we are deeply engaged in learning about the equipment, the experience, and our responsibilities as an independent bike shop.  Contact the shop at sales@sportsgarage.net or 303-473-0033 for additional information about Pivot demos.

Few things are more inspiring than the high country during summer’s peak. Snow recedes, trails re-emerge, and for a glorious window of time, we ride high. The experience is about more than sucking thin oxygen and muscling through: we love the surprises. While riding the Government Trail from Aspen to Snowmass, we entered a dense aspen grove and were surprised to find ourselves ripping through a patch of Jurassic-ly proportioned Queen Anne’s Lace blossoms. We were surprised to discover that Monarch Crest, when socked into a dense fog bank above the tree line, has an eerie beauty not previously noticed under bright blue skies. You will not, however, be surprised by the level of adventure in the following three suggestions for Riding High this summer:

Tackle a 14’er

It’s been three summers since Ian Fohrman and Whit Boucher proposed to mountain bike all of the Colorado 14’ers legal to cyclists. There are eighteen. The Bike the 14’ersproject spurred plenty of dialogue about trail use, like this 2015 article from Bicycling.com. The Adventure Sports Network, around the same time, offered this well thought out advicefor tackling a 14’er with your mountain bike. The Barr Trail on Pike’s Peakis an excellent (almost) backyard trail for tacking your first 14’er.z

Shuttle a point to point

Partnerships and relationships.

Focus.

Service.

Expertise.

By many accounts, mountain biking lags behind other outdoor industries such as rock climbing, hiking, and camping in their outreach to female riders. Although the mountain biking industry has put many wins on the board for women “Is mountain biking a bro’s club?” is still a relevant question. We need women’s advocacy to advance the sport as a whole.

As the co-owner of Sports Garage, I love riding and ride all the time, with both men and women, but still mostly men. Often trailside conversations turn to bicycle technical specs or issues within the sport, and upon expressing my opinion, I have actually heard the response, “Yeah El, but you’re not a real girl.”  So what does that make me? A “bro girl?” With two daughters and a lovely collection of heels? Some weird ego voice reminds me that on the trail, not being a “real girl” is a compliment. However, I believe the “bro girl” assumption raises an important question for the industry: What does an authentic female identity in mountain biking look like?

This question is the driving force behind the inaugural Women’s Off-Road Cycling Congress (WORCC). On October 25th, one hundred women of all experience levels will get together outside Boulder, Colorado to answer the question “What do you love, hate, and hope for in off-road cycling?” Let me pause here for a moment and address any potential male eye-rolling: This is NOT an article about a new femi-nazi mountain biking movement. This is not an argument in favor of pinkifying the industry. Women – from beginners to experts – are simply experiencing the sport differently than our male counterparts.

At Sports Garage, I have a front row seat to observe this experience. WORCC presents an opportunity to unify female voices in a constructive message to the mountain biking industry.  Any time the collective voice of one particular rider group has the opportunity to move the needle for the overall betterment of the industry, I see a potential win.  You can learn more about the Congress here.

So why do we need women’s advocacy? Why the collective female voice?

Welcoming New Riders
Mountain biking allows a person to get fit, explore beautiful surroundings, build community, and maybe (hopefully) get an adrenaline rush. Men outnumber women on the trail an average of 9:1. That means there are still quite a few more potential female newbies than male newbies. I believe that makes the female audience uniquely qualified to discuss how our industry breaks down barriers to entry for new riders.

Better Bike Shops
Knowing all the technical specs of your bike should not be a prerequisite to receiving good customer service. Get a bunch of lady shredders in a room with beer, and you’ll hear some pretty funny stories about visiting bike shops and service departments. I have a friend who stopped by her local bike shop for a new pair of mountain biking shoes and was redirected three times to the commuter accessories. She clarified her request by saying, “No, I just want some f*&^ing mountain biking shoes. I ride on a trail, not a sidewalk”, and then went in search of better customer service.

Women are really good customers and community builders. Sometimes funny and sometimes tragic, our experiences in bike shops can inform how to train bikes shops for better engagement with all customers.

Innovative Manufacturers
I believe one of the key ways to impact the sport is to vertically integrate important conversations, such as the Women’s Off-Road Cycling Congress, to make sure that consumers, retailers, distributors, and manufacturers receive a consistent message. Not only a consistent message, but one that includes useful and actionable feedback.

Manufacturers who make a concerted effort to engage with women are already moving the needle by sending new cues to the marketplace about what women need and want in a bike. There are phenomenally successful brands making significant strides with branding and product development, and they have only done so through innovation. I believe the female voice can call attention to the need for continued meaningful innovation and greater consumer education to support innovation. Case in point: last week a gentleman who was shopping for his wife’s new bike asked me, “Is that really a women’s specific bike, or is that a women’s specific saddle and paint job?”  Not 100% sure I nailed the answer to that one….

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Our goal at Sports Garage is to create a positive experience for everyone, from experienced male and female riders to newbies. Yes, I do believe bike shops can do better than hosting ladies nights. However, I am confident that in searching for an answer to the question “What does an authentic female identity in mountain biking look like?”, the Women’s Off-Road Cycling Congress will ultimately benefit the entire industry.