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Unsolicited Rider Reviews Part 2 of 2: The Ergon Saddle

Woman trying out Yeti bike at Sports Garage store

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.

SportsGarage
In Blog

Unsolicited Rider Reviews Part 1 of 2: The Pivot Shuttle

Riding on Pivot Cycles Shuttle on outdoor trail

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.

SportsGarage
In Blog

Riding High

Cyclist riding on wooded trail

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:

image: Men’s Journal

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

This is our annual plug to get down to Salida and ride Monarch Crest. It really is an iconic Colorado ride, and the terrain at 11,312 feet – above the tree line – is awe-inspiring. We explicitly refer to this ride as a “point to point”. Regardless the MTBProject stats, Monarch Crest is not a downhill run. True, you descend xxxx feet, but this epic ride includes plenty of pedaling, including in the final 10 miles. Bring a sandwich. Or two. And plenty of water. Shuttles are operated by High Valley Bike Shuttles and Absolute Bikes.
image:  Warriors Cycling

Compete in an iconic race

The Breckenridge 100 has been raced for 13 years, with the 14th annual running scheduled for July 14th, 2018 in Breckenridge’s Carter Park.  The Breck 100, once an anchor of the National Ultra Endurance Series, features 100 unique miles, and touches over 12,000 feet on the stunning Wheeler Pass during the first 30 miles. Choosing either the Breck 68 (Marathon) or Breck 32 (XC) distances will take racers to 11,000 feet at Little French’s Flume and the top of the West Ridge on the Colorado Trail. However you choose to participate in the Breck 100, it’s a riding high bucket list item.The straightforward way to visit the high country, if you’re interested in small-a-adventure, is simply put your bike on the car and travel to any number of Colorado mountain towns. Find a trail head and point your bike uphill. Crested Butte, Steamboat Springs, and Vail are all riding destinations with outstanding single track winding through fields of wildflowers. Boulder’s Sacred Rides published this blog post with a great set of tips for easing discomfort while riding at altitude. Surprise us, if you wouldn’t mind, with a report from your experiences Riding High in 2018. Keep in touch via marketing@sportsgarage.net.

 

SportsGarage
In Blog

Pivot Cycles: Factory Insights and Backyard Demos

Pivot bikes

Earlier this winter we were given two separate gifts: a weekend in Tempe, and later a sunny day with dry trails. Elorie used both of these gifts to spend time with Pivot Cycles.  

 

I never thought that my local lunch loop would double as a test track. Don’t get me wrong, it’s a great ride from downtown that includes a warm-up road climb, some flowy singletrack – that you can either pay close attention to or let-your-mind wander through – and a fun and fast AF descent. It’s just that. . .I always ride it. So, given the two bikes I needed to test, I also believed that I knew which one would do what. Short travel race bike = climb. Long travel 29’er = descend.

Nevertheless, I try to ascribe to a ‘beginner’s mind’ approach to life, and after a visit to the Pivot factory in Tempe, I couldn’t wait for a trail-side debrief of everything we’d been taught and shown by the generous leadership team there.
Although Pivot has recently blown out the candles on its 10th birthday cake, founder Chris Cocalis had to try a few recipes to get there. Like a true innovator, Cocalis won’t stop until he gets all of the ingredients just right. At the factory in Tempe, we felt a bit like we were in a mad scientist’s laboratory, something akin to Willy Wonka’s chocolate factory but with a little less psychedelia and a few more right angles.  Perfectionism, precision, obsession – you won’t find a story about Cocalis and the brand that doesn’t mention their commitment to quality.  Our experience? Admirable quantities of creativity, ingenuity, and careful craftsmanship are being cooked up at the factory in Tempe, but the real magic happens on the trail.

 

 

Like I said, before we headed up the canyon, I was pretty sure which bike would do what – I’d zip up the road climb on the racy Mach 4 and stay conservative on the descent. On the other hand,  I couldn’t wait to float down the steep bits on the slacked-out Switchblade but I wasn’t particularly psyched about pushing it up the road to get there. Was I wrong? Yes. Was I right? Yes. Don’t you love it when that happens?
As I mentioned, touring Pivot’s Tempe digs is a bit like taking a magical mystery tour. A full machine shop and manufacturing capabilities support product development in-house which gives the team much greater control over what happens on the outside. Pivot often works out complicated assembly problems at home and then transports the improved technology to its production factories in Asia. The ability to make multiple prototype runs to get things dialed – rather than having to wait on someone else to execute their vision – gives Pivot a huge leg up in both quality control and efficiency in getting products to the market.  Pivot is concerned with creating manufacturable processes: they’re not only designing bikes, but making the tooling to prototype the parts.

 

 

Take the sag indicators that Pivot puts on their Fox shocks – those bad boys were designed in Tempe and born out of a 3D printer. When I was setting up the Mach 4 and the Switchblade for my afternoon ride, I found the indicator to be a very helpful tool setting up my shock and understanding how it would function. It’s quintessential Pivot, I thought: innovation with intention.

 

 

When I started pedaling the Switchblade up Fourmile Canyon, I got a bit worried. This bike felt…big.  Before I got my chamois in a bunch, though, the bike corrected me: yes, the head tube angle was a slack 67.25, and the rubber a beefy 2.5, but as soon I was able to relax into that, we got along just fine.  It sorta felt like the bike was telling me – “hey, I’ll get you where you wanna go, just relax a little bit.”  The Mach 4 on the other hand was a hyperactive Aussie Shepherd, tugging at the leash. As I pedaled, I actually felt like I was running. This bike, unlike its Switchblade sister, felt compact, small, athletic.  I felt like I was in a hurry. I wondered if the bike was actually too small – should I be on a Medium?

 

 

Regarding the whole “women on bikes” thing (and, for the record, we’re hoping that 2018 brings a less hysterical approach to this concept), Pivot has a pretty healthy take on smaller riders:  let’s make bikes that fit everybody.  Rather than wrapping something up in a Women Specific (WSD) package, Pivot’s approach to rider-size-specific geometry “relies on a balanced fit and adjusted geometry to maintain correct wheelbase length and handling to properly accommodate the proportions of a smaller rider.”  Most significantly, this means that their smaller sizes are built with shorter head tubes to create more stand-over height.  Using size-specific carbon molds enables Pivot to use smaller diameters for lighter frames while maintaining the same high strength.  No loss of stiffness here baby!
The Mach 4’s super stable geometry, low bottom bracket height and 115 mm of dw-link suspension mean that it can rip downhill, which was where it sold me.  The “Link,” the grand finale of my lunch loop, is steep, has a few decent drops, and is most fun ridden very fast. I approached it with trepidation on the Mach 4, but once I could tell that I was not going to end up ass over teakettle, this gave me confidence so I pinned it. The bike quickly realized what it was up for and acted accordingly. Why don’t all children behave this way?
The Switchblade was also incredibly obedient. We made it up the hill together, and as my body warmed up, my sluggishness dissipated. Whereas the front end of some enduro-style bikes tend to have a mind of their own, the Switchblade went where it was told. Truthfully, I didn’t have to tell it much. It rode like a V8 on the trail, and, as expected, made me feel like a rockstar on the descent.”
SportsGarage
In Blog

The IBD Effect

Sports Garage staff headshots
Amazon arrived in Australia earlier this year, and their cycling industry was keen to get the American perspective on how the Internet giant has affected the health of the Independent Bike Dealer (IBD) in the U.S.  When @CyclingTips reached out to Sports Garage for comment, it definitely prompted some introspection: how is the IBD maintaining its well being? We thought long and hard about how the structure of our business counteracts the “Amazon Effect” (which, for the bike industry, might as well be called the “Competitive Cyclist” or “Jensen” Effect) and why it’s ultimately a more healthy alternative than an online bike-related transaction.  With so many well-articulated “effect” theories in the financial marketplace, we’d like to go so far as to say that there is, in fact, an “IBD Effect”.

 

Partnerships and relationships.
As cyclists we know: the highlights of the ride are never just about the bike itself. It’s the conversation with our buddy as we’re climbing the logging road. It’s the first descent on the bermy new trail that the city approved and the volunteers built. It’s the story of the high school kid that couldn’t afford to join the MTB team until she got a scholarship. The ‘ride’ is almost always rooted in relationships, between people and places and between people and people. As far as we know, Amazon hasn’t shown up to build trails, give scholarships, or volunteer time to rebuild bikes at a local nonprofit. The IBD, on the other hand, has the ability to be an integral force in forging community partnerships and relationships between cyclists and non-cyclists alike.  In Colorado, Sports Garage is a business partner of the Boulder Mountain Bike Alliance, a group that fundraises for, advocates for, and gets people out on singletrack.  We are the title sponsor of Singletrack Mountain Bike Adventures, a premiere youth mountain biking program.  We host weekly rides and sponsor community events such as Boulder’s huge Bike To Work Day program. And, we’re not the only ones: at Scottsdale’s Bicycle Ranch, group rides still attract 100 people on a Saturday. As owner Markus Zimmer said, “people still do want a bike shop.” Translation: bike shops create community.

 

Focus.
We believe in specializing.  We’ve honed our product line and suite of services to focus on off-road cycling only.  While dirt-centric cycling is a passion for our entire staff, our decision to eliminate skinny slicks from the showroom floor goes beyond personal preference.  Narrowing our focus to off-road cycling has allowed Sports Garage to accumulate a wealth of resources for our audience. We have information and expert advice that it would take a great deal of ‘filtering’ to find on the internet. And, the most important strategic move we made was to commit – in a big way – to being a full suspension mountain bike and gravel grinder demo center.

 

Service.
Try as it might, there are certain things the Internet can’t replicate – I mean, do you really want to suture your own knee? – and greasy hands on your bike are one of them.  Healthy IBD’s have found that by expanding their service departments, they become inherently more valuable than an internet retailer. In the Phoenix area, according to a longtime Arizona bike rep, as many as 20 shops have closed their doors in the past three years. For some of those that remain, adopting a service-focused operation has meant the difference in keeping the doors open. Bicycle Ranch in Scottsdale not only doubled their in-house mechanic staff, but partners Markus Zimmer and Andrew Peshek also invested in a Sprinter van to offer delivery and pick-up of bikes. Here at SG, we have just launched our own in-house suspension studio and are expanding our staff, which will make us the most integrated MTB service department in Boulder.

 

Expertise.

With a focus on a certain product line or aspect of the business, the IBD earns another credential the Internet can’t claim: expertise. Remember Malcolm Gladwell’s Tipping Point?  According to the book, it takes 10,000 hours to become an expert at something.  That’s a lot of time – hours that can’t be logged if the caseload is too spread out.  At Sports Garage, we are committed to creating a team of experts, something made possible by our shop’s commitment to off-road cycling. Our technicians are working on the same kind of high-end technology over and over and over again.  Keeping suspension work in-house means continuity of care and greater service value. For the technicians, it’s hours toward expertise.  And, for the consumer, it’s one more reason to choose the expert clinician over an online diagnosis.

 

Prove your value.
Six or seven years ago IBD’s were talking about building out their own e-commerce platforms. They seemed to be missing a critical point, however: engaging in head-to-head competition with Amazon, Competitive Cyclist, Jensen, etc, has a fairly predictable outcome. Therefore the IBD should consider its own adage: ‘if you can’t join them, beat them.’ We are acutely aware of what we do, as an IBD, that cannot be replaced by the internet.  Whether by choosing to focus its expertise and inventory on one particular aspect of cycling – e-bikes or gravel bikes, for example – or whether it host group rides twice a week, without muscling up to Amazon or Backcountry, the IBD can offer value where the Internet giants simply can’t.  Take Sports Garage’s demo program, for example. It boasts a fleet of over 40 premium builds, and customers are encouraged to ride as many bikes as they can when they sign up to demo.  If we aren’t able to take you to the trail ourselves, we’ll sit down and pore over maps with you. If the saddle doesn’t feel right, our technicians will switch it out for a more comfortable one.  We invite consumers into a completely different kind of buying experience that is value driven, not discount driven.

 

While it may not be easy to do, the IBD can credit the “Amazon Effect” with one thing: it’s forced “brick and mortar” bike shops to do better business and evaluate how they can contribute real value to the industry.  Consequently, the IBD is having its own effect, and the results are felt where they matter most – in the local economy, the community, and on the trail.
SportsGarage
In Blog

Choose Your Own Adventure: A Moab Mountain Bike Guide

Tents set up in Moab, Utah with mountains in the background

If you’re a mountain biker whose local trails (and fingertips) turn to ice in the winter, plug ‘Moab, Utah’ into your favorite weather forecasting app and check often.  Even though the slickrock playground is known for its early start to spring and extended sun-drenched autumn, the locals whisper about November – March (psst – it’s still rideable). The other best thing about mountain biking Moab (if anything can top its inviting climate and otherworldly scenery) is the ability to choose-your-own-adventure in where to eat, sleep, and – of course – ride. We’ve got you covered.

Getting There

Moab is about a 6 hour drive from the Denver International Airport, a 4 hour drive from the Salt Lake City International Airport, and a 2 hour drive from the Grand Junction Regional Airport.  If you’re driving in from the East, check out Utah State Highway 128, off the Cisco exit on I-70. Commonly called the “River Road,” this ribbon of pavement is puny compared to the scenery on either side. Stop along the Colorado River to have a picnic at one of the campgrounds or day use areas, or stretch your legs on the trail to Fisher Towers. If someone in your car is feeling spry, drop them off where the paved Moab Canyon bike path begins and they can pedal the last 4 miles to town.

Riding

OK, first with a little bubble bursting: Moab has more trails than you likely have time. But, with the right bike (Our team recommends a mid-travel full suspension rig like a Pivot Switchblade a Juliana Furtado , or several other desert-worthy machines in our demo fleet) a bit of planning, a good night’s sleep and lots of healthy eats (see below), you can definitely maximize trail time.

Sometimes it’s best to ease into your Moab MTB experience; the Moab Brand trails off of HWY 191 are a good place to start.  The ‘Brand’ trails are ranked using the ski industry green/blue/black level of difficulty rating system, which allows you to make a parking lot decision of what to ride depending on how you’re feeling.  The Klondike Bluffs trail system, north of there , also has some less technical riding (although it’s there if you want it) with both singletrack and slickrock.

Then, there are the classics. Slickrock, an 11 mile ride through a lunar landscape, will have you whooping as you swoop through the petrified sand dunes. Your experience will be enhanced by good, grippy tires. Oh, and try to hit Slickrock at sunrise or sunset for even better breathtaking vistas.  The other ‘must ride’ in Moab is Porcupine Rim, an athletic romp down slickrock slabs, old 4×4 roads, and high exposure singletrack.  Depending on the weather, you can extend your Porcupine ride by adding UPS and LPS at the top. There are two options for accessing Porcupine Rim: you can ride up Sand Flats Road (a 16 mile, 3700’ climb) or hire a shuttle to drop you at the top.

Now you’re ready for the crown jewels. The Amasa Back area trails, which includes Captain Ahab, Hymasa, Jackson’s, and Rockstacker, deserve at least a few hours, if not all day.  Riders used to have to share the 4×4 routes with motorized vehicles, but the purpose build Ahab and Hymasa trails speak our language. Challenging, technical sections beg for session’ing, and slabby drops are too fun to slow down on.  Similarly, the Magnificent “Mag” 7 trails also showcase Moab’s commitment to building trails that are both challenging but accessible and that can be ridden as all-day epics (Mag 7 is most often done as a 20-mile point to point shuttle ride) or bitten off in smaller chunks. It goes without saying (but we have to say it anyway) that the views from Amasa Back and the Mag 7 are mind-blowing.  Shuttles for Porcupine Rim and Mag 7 can be coordinated through local bike shop Poison Spider.

Sleeping

Moab has a bed for every budget (and some of the best ones are free). The city’s airbnb.com listings offer accommodation in cabins, houses, condos, and RV’s, and hotels.  Sorrel River Ranch, 12 miles out of town on aforementioned “River Road” has luxury options, while the Redstone Inn and Gonzo Inn are longstanding favorite mid-range options on Main Street. Moab Under Canvas offers ‘glamping’ in high end tents and yurts near the Moab Brand trail system.

If weather permits, sleeping under the star-studded sky is the way to go. Moab boasts thousands of campsites, from primitive areas on BLM land with no amenities to sites with pit toilets, picnic tables, and fire rings. Sand Flats Road Recreation Area (home to the famed Slickrock Trail) is close to town with over 120 campsites. In the winter, you’re likely to have the pick of the litter (which, in our opinion are the sites nestled beneath big, blonde, sandstone boulders on the north side of the road). There are first come, first serve BLM campsites along Highways 128, 279, 313, and Kane Creek Road. Fill your water jugs (no potable agua at those locations) at Gearheads in town (and get some 0.99$ Clif Bars while you’re at it!).  If you want to camp but are worried about post-ride sweaty and stinkiness, the Moab Recreation Center offers warm $5 showers.

Eating

Like sleeping, eating in Moab can be a dirtbag or decadent affair. For firing up the Coleman stove at your campsite, visit City Market or the Moonflower Community Cooperative for groceries. If you’re more in the mood for candlelight than moonlight, check out the Desert Bistro. The only required eating in Moab is a burger (sub veggie burger, grilled cheese, or avocado melt), fries, and shake at Milt’s Stop & Eat and a breakfast burrito and coffee at the Love Muffin. Just go, we won’t even say ‘told ya so.’

SportsGarage
In Blog

Shoulder season survival guide for off-road cycling

Man biking on trail through snowy scenery

Shoulder season.   Though not technically in full swing, this morning’s early winter storm looks a lot like shoulder season; that unpredictable time between glorious single track summer days, and winter mountain bike hibernation in the high ground.   We’ve developed a robust Shoulder Season Survival Guide so as to make the hibernation as short as possible.

Embrace the Roadtrip

We constantly monitor the Rocky Mountain Banana Belt – network of towns and trail systems all within 6 hours of Sports Garage where trails are largely accessible long past Boulder’s first snowfall.     The weekend warrior is never more at home than during the shoulder season. Embrace spontaneity and chase blue skies, because these destinations offer some of the best riding of the year.   In the case of inclement local weekend weather, we begin discussing road trip options as a staff on Wednesday afternoon.   Most frequented locations include:

  • Fruita/Grand Junction – Kokopelli Trailhead
  • Moab – Everything below the LaSalles
  • Salida – S-Mountain
  • Pueblo – Lake Pueblo State Park

Stay tuned for our “48 Hours In” blog post series where we further breakdown how to make the most of shoulder season road trips in these and other spots.

Watch the Weather Channel

Don’t get too upset.   The long range forecast for Colorado’s front range still indicates that we’ll be riding straight through Halloween. Many meteorological sources indicate that an El Niño–like pattern for Colorado is becoming the new norm…that means warmer, drier autumns and cooler, wetter springs.   Though we may need to address shoulder season survival again in April, it appears that October and November are likely to remain good riding months.   Another reason for watching the weather is to scout your road trip destinations.

Get Some Gravel

At Sports Garage, we like to consider ourselves equal opportunity dirt consumers. A dirt road, whether widely traveled or primitive, is it’s own brand of exhilaration…provided you have the right tool.   When we’re locked out of local single tracks, we turn to our gravel adventure rigs for escape and saddle time.   Mountain bikers who eschew fire roads as a totally boring ride alternative are not necessarily in the minority. However we have discovered that the problem is not the road: it’s not having the right tool for the job.   The gravel bikes we are building are tested to mountain bike standards, built with endurance geometry, and are spec’d to tackle much more than meets the eye.   They are responsive, rugged, fast, and adaptable.   There is plenty of joy in riding gravel year-round, but it is particularly sweet during the shoulder.

Gear Up

The most obvious of survival strategies, gearing up is particularly important during the shoulders. Every season in the mountains requires the proper layers, but there are a few ways to weatherproof your gravel and mountain bike wardrobe that benefit the in-between months.   With high temps somewhere in the upper 40’s or 50’s, keeping your core warm is not as urgent a matter, but this is the time of year to think about your head, fingers, toes, knees, and ass.

We have curated a collection of accessories from cold weather innovators like Endura and Hestra, focusing on garments that keep all your parts warm and dry, and at the same time prevent you from sweating too heavily inside your layers. We are particularly impressed by the waterproofness and breathability ratings of the MT500 Waterproof Jacket. Also in the MT500 collection, Endura’s line of Spray trousers and baggies features a durable, 3-layer puddle and mud-proof rear panel. Start the day with a lightweight liner underneath your helmet, toe caps, and knee covers.   Bring both an intermediate weight glove and your regular trail gloves: if you’re doing a big climb, your hands will likely be damp from sweat by the time you get to the top.   Flying downhill in cooler temps can chill and cramp fingers quickly, so we like to have a dry glove option with wind protection.

These four simple steps in the SG Shoulder Season Survival Guide will seriously extend your off-road riding season.

  • Step 1:  Watch the weather.
  • Step 2: Hone your road trip skills.
  • Step 3: Get an adventure loving gravel rig that gives you the freedom to get out and go between road trips.
  • Step 4: Identify gaps in your gear collection that make Steps 2 and 3 more comfortable.

See you on the trail!

SportsGarage
In Blog

The Case for Women’s Advocacy in Mountain Biking

Two women riding bikes together

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's advocacy

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.

SportsGarage
In Blog

Intro to Boulder County Mountain Biking: The Best Backyard Trails

Cyclist's view over handlebars on trail ride

If you’re new to Boulder or new to mountain biking, getting the inside scoop on local trails doesn’t have to be challenging. The good news is Boulder County maintains world-class singletrack trailheads. Stay local and check out these awesome Boulder County mountain biking trails.

Boulder County Mountain Biking

Here are 4 of our favorite Boulder County trails, recos from our team and our favorite stops nearby:

Heil Valley Ranch

Overland Loop – Elevation Gain: 240 ft., 2.3 miles
Wapiti Trail – Elevation Gain: 822 ft., 2.5 miles
Ponderosa Loop – Elevation Gain: 270 ft., 2.6 miles
Wild Turkey Trail – Elevation Gain: 215 ft., 2.9 miles
Picture Rock Trail – Elevation Gain: 1056 ft., 5.5 miles

Some folks think that Riding Heil Valley can be a little rough, but there are options here for either a short or a long ride. The brand new Overland Loop extends the single track for access to Heil Valley Ranch. Connect Overland to Wapiti and beyond by parking in the new Corral Parking on Geer Canyon Drive.

If you are looking for an even longer ride follow Wapiti to the Wild Turkey Trail and the top of Picture Rock. The Picture Rock trail is full of tight turns so leave the headphones behind and be aware of others on the trail. As you descend be courteous to riders who are climbing Picture Rock, it’s not easy! An out and back (descend, then climb back up) on Picture Rock will add just over 10 miles of riding to your day.

Sports Garage Recommendation: Overland is a great new piece of connector trail that has great sections of flow: this is a great place to introduce new riders or kids to a single track experience.

After the Trail: Our favorite spot to stop on the way back into town is Upslope Brewery just off 36 and Lee Hill Drive.

Hall Ranch

Antelope Trailhead – Elevation Gain: 450 ft., 1.0 miles
Bitterbrush Trailhead – Elevation Gain: 1,182 ft., 3.7 miles
Nelson Loop – Elevation Gain: 299 ft., 2.2 miles

Hall Ranch offers fun for every level of mountain biker, from novice to advanced. There are two main trailheads, Antelope and Bitterbrush. Antelope is where to head for a mellower climb. The trail from there has a little bit of everything to help build your skills. You’ll ride switchbacks, rocks and cruise through flowy turns. From Antelope, connect to the Nelson Loop and ride the lollipop clockwise. The descent from the top of Nelson all the way back to the parking lot is a blast.

Now for more advanced riders…nearly every rider in the county knows exactly where to find the “Rock Garden.” Some riders describe the ride from the Bitterbrush trailhead as Jekyll and Hyde in nature. The lower trail is a place to test your technical skills, with a mile of gut-busting features that provide a veritable full body workout. Be prepared for some very technical rock climbs. The upper trail, once you make it through the rock garden, is mellow and wide and speckled with a few easy rocky spots. You’ll intersect Antelope at the bench, continuing up to the Nelson Loop.

Sports Garage Recommendation: Up Antelope and down Bitterbrush for intermediate riders who don’t want to suffer the rocky climb, but enjoy the adrenaline of a technical descent.

Make it a Day: If you meet your crew in Lyons, start the day at Stone Cup coffee shop in Lyons. From there you have easy access to the trailheads. If you’re riding later in the day, head to Oskar Blues for a beer to relax and swap stories of your day on the trails.

Betasso Preserve

Canyon Loop – Elevation Gain: 429 ft., 3.3 miles
Benjamin Loop – Elevation Gain: 291 ft., 2.4 miles
Betasso Link – Elevation Gain: 605 ft., 1.3 miles

Important: Betasso Preserve is closed to cyclists on Wednesdays and Saturdays. The trails at Betasso Preserve are directional and change every 15 days. Pay attention to the signs. The direction for the day is clearly marked.

Sports Garage Recommendation: Betasso Preserve is one of the few trails you can access from town without a car. Extend your ride by riding up the Boulder Creek Path to the crosswalk at Fourmile Canyon. Enjoy a leisurely (or push the pace) 3.8 mile pedal up Fourmile Drive and drop into the trails at the Benjamin Link. There are two sets of stairs within the first mile of trail. For advanced riders only: both sets of stairs are rideable, but once you drop in, there’s no going back.

The Betasso trail system can also be accessed from the Betasso Link trail on highway 119, or from the main parking lot at the Betasso Preserve. The Canyon Loop and Benjamin Loop are connected by a link trail. The loops themselves are beginner-friendly. Traffic goes both ways on the link, so please observe trail etiquette. Enjoy as many laps or figure 8’s as your time allows. The Betasso Link trail is arguably one of the best descents in the county, with some fantastic flow punctuated by purpose-built features. A trip down the Betasso Link is a full-tilt fun way for intermediate to advanced riders to the finish a ride at Betasso.

Walker Ranch

Walker Ranch Loop – Elevation Gain: 892 ft., 7.6 miles

Walker Ranch features super fun highs and lows. There are some challenging technical sections with some fun, fast descents. If Walker ever gets a bad rep, it’s due to one mega-serious hike-a-bike.

How Sports Garage Rides it: We recommend riding the Walker Ranch Loop clockwise, though you do start climbing right out of the gates with one or two technical features. You’ll be rewarded for your hard work with a nice singletrack descent to the river, where you begin to climb again and shortly encounter a gnarly set of stairs. You’ll probably need to shoulder your bike to climb. Think of it as off-road cycling CrossFit. Back on the bike, you’ll continue to climb. The good news is you’ll get to celebrate your hard work with another beautiful section of downhill. Intermediate riders can send it from the apex down to the river, and call us liars if it doesn’t make you smile. A twenty-minute climb returns you to the parking lot.

After the Trail: We like to hit up the Chataqua Dining Hall on the way back to town. It’s an iconic piece of the Boulder landscape, with a fantastic menu from the gourmands at Three Leaf Farm.

Magnolia Trails Project

The Boulder Mountainbike Alliance has partnered with the U.S. forest service to turn otherwise threatened social trails off of Magnolia road into an authorized 44-mile stacked loop trail system. Read more about this exciting project here. We’re super excited to support the Magnolia Trails project!

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Regardless of the trail you choose, the Boulder area is a dream for off-road cyclists. Whether you’re looking for a quick ride or a day trip, you’ll find it here. If you’re new to the area, stop by for proper flat repair equipment and more insider tips about how to connect Boulder County mountain biking trails.

SportsGarage
In Blog

Top 5 MTB Date Nights

Seats at the bar of restaurant

Whether you’re already in a committed mountain biking relationship or looking for love on the trail, Sports Garage fully supports a “play together, stay together” lifestyle. You gotta have your #boyzclub, and the #ladyshred is here to stay, but we’d put our money on these Top 5 MTB Date Nights to keep the fun rolling this summer – literally.

#1: Blood Road at the Boulder Theater on August 19th

Tickets are on sale for Red Bull’s first feature length film….about mountain biking. Blood Roadfollows the journey of ultra-endurance mountain bike athlete Rebecca Rusch and her Vietnamese riding partner, Huyen Nguyen, as they pedal 1,200 miles along the infamous Ho Chi Minh Trail through the dense jungles of Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia. Their goal: to reach the site where Rebecca’s father, a U.S. Air Force pilot, was shot down in Laos more than 40 years earlier. Come early to belly up at Boulder Theater’s bar, and then snuggle up for a mountain biking movie. All of the profits will be donated to trail building in Boulder County. This is a no brainer for the #1 MTB Date Night.  Learn more about the event or buy tickets now.   ($10 Advance / $12 At the Door)

Photo:  Red Bull Media House

#2: “Ride-And-Then-Dinner”

The most traditional and obvious MTB Date Night, “Ride-And-Then-Dinner” deserves differentiation from “Ride-And-Grab-A-Beer”.  We’d like to share our favorite trail and dinner pairings in Boulder County:

Hall Ranch & Farmer Girl: Park downtown in Lyons, and roll on the pavement to either the Bitterbrush or Antelope Trailheads.   Proceed with single track. Return to Farmer Girl, a fresh farm-to-table restaurant with a garage door that opens onto the sidewalk.   Nice job, Lyons.

Walker Ranch & the Dining Hall:   Park at the trailhead, ride clockwise. Load up after your ride and cruise directly down Flagstaff to the Dining Hall at Chataqua Park.   The Dining Hall has a fantastic post-adventure vibe, and keep your fingers crossed for elk sausage on the menu.

Heil Ranch & The Greenbriar Inn: Dinner at The Greenbriar Inn after a down and dirty lap at Heil is a well-earned massagemetro.com/shop/xenical/ indulgence…and an unexpected MTB Date Night move.   Choose this option when looking to impress your sig other riding partner.

Hot Tip 1: Wear your trail attire. It’s part of the adventure.

Hot Tip 2: Always, always sit at the bar for the Ride-And-Then-Dinner.

Photo:  Boulder Lifestyle Magazine

#3: His-and-Hers Demo

This is the mountain biking couple’s equivalent of dressing to the nine’s to go out for dinner.   No matter your riding style and trail preference, make your regular after work ride into an MTB Date Night by picking up his and hers demos from our fleet.   We’ll suggest some appropriate models, dial in your suspension settings, and even send you out the door with a couple of cold beers for post-ride.   It always feels good to get fancy every now and then, and share the stoke with your honey.    #mysgdemo

#4: Night Ride Picnic

Everything is more romantic after dark, right?  The night ride picnic is about the adventure, not about Strava.   With the use of appropriate lighting, there are plenty of places in the Boulder area to ride when the sun goes down.   Trade your energy bars and gels for charcuterie and antipasto in your hydration pack . Ride out about 30-40 minutes, find a comfy spot to watch the stars, and enjoy a wilderness picnic.   Boulder Mountainbike Alliance has a useful night riding guide.   In general, trails on U.S. Forest Service and City of Boulder Open Space are accessible. Boulder County is not.   I guess the county’s just not that into love.

Photo:  White Pine Touring

#5: Private Maintenance Class

By special request, Sports Garage mechanics offer private maintenance classes. Bring your own bikes, ask whatever you want to ask, learn whatever you want to learn, deliver whatever pizza you want to deliver, dial up whatever ZZ Top you want to dial up: a private maintenance class is your night, and we will tailor the instruction to you and your honey.   Talk about romantic….we give you free [chain] lube.

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