Updating helmets
16/09/25 15:56 Filed in: Gear
A few weeks ago Fox announced their new pro-level downhill helmet. The Rampage Pro RS. It went on sale immediately in Canada, a few weeks after in the US (odd for an American company) and arrived last week in Australia. I immediately thought it looked good (some of the top Fox pros have been wearing one all season long too).
I have been wearing a Rampage Carbon Pro for a while. I began to wonder just how long? Google helped me pinpoint the colour scheme to the 2015 season. Wow - a decade. I thought it was time to replace it, even if it hasn't had a big impact.
On the weekend I picked up my new Rampage RS. Wow it feels so much lighter than the old one, which itself didn't feel too heavy compared to some helmets I've worn.
My only possible disappointment with it is the fact that it is all carbon with a couple of black Fox stickers. There is a coloured version in matte olive - not my thing. I'm thinking of getting some vinyl stickers cut in silver foil to add some contrast to it. But for now, the bare carbon is cool.
I've actually been splitting my time at Thredbo across the Proframe RS and the Rampage Pro. For next summer, unless it is especially hot, I will be using the new Rampage RS there all the time. All of the Fox RS helmets use a newer development of MIPS called Split Integra, where the slippery layer is between two layers of foam. The benefit of that is quietness and more predictable behaviour in a crash (apparently). My old Proframe (the non-RS one) was not noisy that I can recall (not like my road helmet where I clearly hear the creak of the slip layer against the foam). But this new split system allows for a layer of EPP and a layer of EPS for better impact management across different levels of impact.
Might be worth noting that for me in an XL size, the two Rampage models fit almost exactly the same. Differences could be due to the new vs old nature of the helmets.
I'll report back here after the first couple of outings in the new helmet.
I have been wearing a Rampage Carbon Pro for a while. I began to wonder just how long? Google helped me pinpoint the colour scheme to the 2015 season. Wow - a decade. I thought it was time to replace it, even if it hasn't had a big impact.
On the weekend I picked up my new Rampage RS. Wow it feels so much lighter than the old one, which itself didn't feel too heavy compared to some helmets I've worn.
My only possible disappointment with it is the fact that it is all carbon with a couple of black Fox stickers. There is a coloured version in matte olive - not my thing. I'm thinking of getting some vinyl stickers cut in silver foil to add some contrast to it. But for now, the bare carbon is cool.
I've actually been splitting my time at Thredbo across the Proframe RS and the Rampage Pro. For next summer, unless it is especially hot, I will be using the new Rampage RS there all the time. All of the Fox RS helmets use a newer development of MIPS called Split Integra, where the slippery layer is between two layers of foam. The benefit of that is quietness and more predictable behaviour in a crash (apparently). My old Proframe (the non-RS one) was not noisy that I can recall (not like my road helmet where I clearly hear the creak of the slip layer against the foam). But this new split system allows for a layer of EPP and a layer of EPS for better impact management across different levels of impact.
Might be worth noting that for me in an XL size, the two Rampage models fit almost exactly the same. Differences could be due to the new vs old nature of the helmets.
I'll report back here after the first couple of outings in the new helmet.
Lubricated valve stems
10/09/25 19:49 Filed in: Gear
Another great idea from Josh at Silca. To prevent the sealant from sealing the valves on your wheels, lubricate them! Sealant and lubricants do not go together well. Josh recommends a lube with adhering microparticles (molybdenum disulphides, as an example - I think the Silca Synergetic has tungsten-based particles).
I didn’t have any of those, but I do have a quite full bottle of Shimano dry lube with PTFE (teflon) particles. I gathered all the good valve cores I could find in the house (16 of them) and put them in a small cup. I poured in a few millilitres of Shimano dry lube and left them to sit. I got a chance to use one on Monday. The valve stem in my commuting bike had a sealing incident. That was last week and it has been extremely difficult to pump up the tyre since. The pump needs around 100 psi more than the tyre to force the air in. Lots of pumping for not much result.
The lubricated valve core works really well. The locking knob on the tip turns smoothly with some lube on the threads. The plunger portion moves up and down easily lubricated.
I think this is going to pay off.
As I swap in the lubricated cores for the ones in use now, I can drop them in the dry lube to bring them up to speed. Which is good because there are more than 16 tubeless wheels in this household.
The other task Josh suggested was running a lubricated pipe cleaner up through the centre of the valve stems to prevent sealant from sticking to them as well. All of my MTB wheels have CushCore in the rim, necessitating valve stems with a 90 degree bend in the air passage (if it ran straight through like a “regular” valve stem, it would get blocked by the insert). They can’t be run through with a pipe cleaner (or anything else) but maybe a cotton bud with oil on it? I’ll have to see what I can come up with.
I think the cores are the more important part of this equation.
I didn’t have any of those, but I do have a quite full bottle of Shimano dry lube with PTFE (teflon) particles. I gathered all the good valve cores I could find in the house (16 of them) and put them in a small cup. I poured in a few millilitres of Shimano dry lube and left them to sit. I got a chance to use one on Monday. The valve stem in my commuting bike had a sealing incident. That was last week and it has been extremely difficult to pump up the tyre since. The pump needs around 100 psi more than the tyre to force the air in. Lots of pumping for not much result.
The lubricated valve core works really well. The locking knob on the tip turns smoothly with some lube on the threads. The plunger portion moves up and down easily lubricated.
I think this is going to pay off.
As I swap in the lubricated cores for the ones in use now, I can drop them in the dry lube to bring them up to speed. Which is good because there are more than 16 tubeless wheels in this household.
The other task Josh suggested was running a lubricated pipe cleaner up through the centre of the valve stems to prevent sealant from sticking to them as well. All of my MTB wheels have CushCore in the rim, necessitating valve stems with a 90 degree bend in the air passage (if it ran straight through like a “regular” valve stem, it would get blocked by the insert). They can’t be run through with a pipe cleaner (or anything else) but maybe a cotton bud with oil on it? I’ll have to see what I can come up with.
I think the cores are the more important part of this equation.
Saddle comfort
06/09/25 20:34 Filed in: Riding
Being comfortable on your saddle while riding is about a lot more than just selecting the correct saddle. The body sitting on that saddle has to have a certain level of stability to achieve "saddle comfort" (Whatever that is!).
Feet, hands, back - instability here can lead to discomfort on the seat.
For the feet it can be the shoe, the cleat placement or the insole.
For the hands it can be bar height or stem length as the most likely culprits.
For the back I find it is either how one sits on the bike or core strength that impact back alignment.
Any and all of these combine to determine how one sits on the saddle and subsequently how comfortable the saddle feels.
Seat height, seat angle and seat setback are also obvious determinants of comfort.
Enough padding is nice, but any more than "enough" is too much and can cause pelvic instability and discomfort.
The most comfortable saddle I've ever used was a bare carbon shell that had "just" the right shape for me and it literally disappeared under me - the highest compliment for a saddle. Comfort on a bike is not like comfort in your favourite armchair. If the seat slips from your thoughts for much or most of the ride, then it is doing really well.
The bottom line is, if your saddle causes distress when you ride pay attention to the whole bike and not simply the saddle. Best bet is to consult an experienced fitter for assistance.
Feet, hands, back - instability here can lead to discomfort on the seat.
For the feet it can be the shoe, the cleat placement or the insole.
For the hands it can be bar height or stem length as the most likely culprits.
For the back I find it is either how one sits on the bike or core strength that impact back alignment.
Any and all of these combine to determine how one sits on the saddle and subsequently how comfortable the saddle feels.
Seat height, seat angle and seat setback are also obvious determinants of comfort.
Enough padding is nice, but any more than "enough" is too much and can cause pelvic instability and discomfort.
The most comfortable saddle I've ever used was a bare carbon shell that had "just" the right shape for me and it literally disappeared under me - the highest compliment for a saddle. Comfort on a bike is not like comfort in your favourite armchair. If the seat slips from your thoughts for much or most of the ride, then it is doing really well.
The bottom line is, if your saddle causes distress when you ride pay attention to the whole bike and not simply the saddle. Best bet is to consult an experienced fitter for assistance.
Zwifting
02/09/25 20:31 Filed in: Riding
A few years ago Wahoo purchased the online trainer interface program RGT. Current subscribers to either the Wahoo system or RGT got access to both. RGT didn't have many rides, but the Stelvio Pass in Italy was a good one. Wahoo pulled the pin rather than develop it, and put all their efforts into the System. As compensation to everyone with a subscription, they offered us a free year of Zwift.
In case you don't know, System training is always over a set profile. Most have a video that typically comes from pro racing too. So entirely different to the Zwift free riding experience. With the free riding experience of RGT gone, Zwift was an excellent substitution.
I had used Zwift back when I did a massive smart trainer review article that involved me testing out around 8 different smart trainers. I subscribed to Zwift to test them all in a popular environment. When I had my account resurrected, I still had all the experience and items I left behind a few years prior. (As you ride in Zwift, you get experience points - like many games - and can qualify for upgrades like better bikes, different jerseys, socks and gloves and so on.)
I continued to pay for Wahoo's System, but rode only in Zwift. As I approached the end date of my freebie from Wahoo, I cancelled my Zwift subscription. But I was granted almost 18 months more (can't explain that). The final date was in August. And now it's gone. I will return to System - they've added many new rides and I enjoy the yoga practice offered - but I will miss Zwift.
Zwift has added the climb portal. People wanted an iconic climb, so they mapped and added Alpe d'Huez under the name Alpe du Zwift. It is guarded by a forcefield until you achieve a particular level (maybe 8 - not a high one). Even though it is set on a small island in the Pacific Ocean, it is exactly like l'Alpe d'Huez. But there is a lot of work in reproducing an iconic climb. The climb portal allows Zwift to offer lots of new climbs without that effort. Climbs in the portal and not rendered. The climb itself is an exact replica of the actual climb, but without any scenery at all. The road is coloured to indicate the slope of the road at any given moment. You can see all the other cyclists around you. But the sky is a starry night sky and there is no ground around the climbing road. During the Tour this year, there were four famous French climbs that would be tackled by the peloton this year, inside the climb portal. Riding one gets you a commemorative Tour jersey to wear in virtual life. Doing all 4 unlocks a little devil cap in honour of Didi Senft, the guy dressed like the devil while appearing roadside at the Tour for around 20 years.
My first time on Zwift there were about 3 locations to ride in. One per day was chosen by the program and you could override that choice by writing a bit of autoexec code. Now there are numerous locales to ride in and 3 are active at any one time. I don't think the code thing works any more. Pretty much everything about Zwift has gotten bigger and better in the 10 or so years since I first tried it out. More roads, more locations, running (free too), dinosaurs at the side of the road, more bikes, more challenges, more jerseys - I got a pair of S-Works shoes on my last ride. Most of all I notice the crowds. Thousands of cyclists riding around in the virtual world at any time, instead of tens.
I still want to try Zwift with a Kickr Climb device (it alters the height of the front wheel to correspond to the slope of the terrain). And I would like to achieve the Tron style bike (100,000 m of climbing might be the way to unlock that, yet I'm at 15,000 m and have a LONG way to go still).
I could run two subscriptions, and if I rode indoors more often than I do it might even make sense. With only 20 or so indoor rides per year, I don't need two options. And with the yoga option from Wahoo, I'm not ready to give up that option.
If you haven't tried Zwift and have a trainer, I suggest you try it out. It really is well done.
In case you don't know, System training is always over a set profile. Most have a video that typically comes from pro racing too. So entirely different to the Zwift free riding experience. With the free riding experience of RGT gone, Zwift was an excellent substitution.
I had used Zwift back when I did a massive smart trainer review article that involved me testing out around 8 different smart trainers. I subscribed to Zwift to test them all in a popular environment. When I had my account resurrected, I still had all the experience and items I left behind a few years prior. (As you ride in Zwift, you get experience points - like many games - and can qualify for upgrades like better bikes, different jerseys, socks and gloves and so on.)
I continued to pay for Wahoo's System, but rode only in Zwift. As I approached the end date of my freebie from Wahoo, I cancelled my Zwift subscription. But I was granted almost 18 months more (can't explain that). The final date was in August. And now it's gone. I will return to System - they've added many new rides and I enjoy the yoga practice offered - but I will miss Zwift.
Zwift has added the climb portal. People wanted an iconic climb, so they mapped and added Alpe d'Huez under the name Alpe du Zwift. It is guarded by a forcefield until you achieve a particular level (maybe 8 - not a high one). Even though it is set on a small island in the Pacific Ocean, it is exactly like l'Alpe d'Huez. But there is a lot of work in reproducing an iconic climb. The climb portal allows Zwift to offer lots of new climbs without that effort. Climbs in the portal and not rendered. The climb itself is an exact replica of the actual climb, but without any scenery at all. The road is coloured to indicate the slope of the road at any given moment. You can see all the other cyclists around you. But the sky is a starry night sky and there is no ground around the climbing road. During the Tour this year, there were four famous French climbs that would be tackled by the peloton this year, inside the climb portal. Riding one gets you a commemorative Tour jersey to wear in virtual life. Doing all 4 unlocks a little devil cap in honour of Didi Senft, the guy dressed like the devil while appearing roadside at the Tour for around 20 years.
My first time on Zwift there were about 3 locations to ride in. One per day was chosen by the program and you could override that choice by writing a bit of autoexec code. Now there are numerous locales to ride in and 3 are active at any one time. I don't think the code thing works any more. Pretty much everything about Zwift has gotten bigger and better in the 10 or so years since I first tried it out. More roads, more locations, running (free too), dinosaurs at the side of the road, more bikes, more challenges, more jerseys - I got a pair of S-Works shoes on my last ride. Most of all I notice the crowds. Thousands of cyclists riding around in the virtual world at any time, instead of tens.
I still want to try Zwift with a Kickr Climb device (it alters the height of the front wheel to correspond to the slope of the terrain). And I would like to achieve the Tron style bike (100,000 m of climbing might be the way to unlock that, yet I'm at 15,000 m and have a LONG way to go still).
I could run two subscriptions, and if I rode indoors more often than I do it might even make sense. With only 20 or so indoor rides per year, I don't need two options. And with the yoga option from Wahoo, I'm not ready to give up that option.
If you haven't tried Zwift and have a trainer, I suggest you try it out. It really is well done.
Post-kangaroo repairs
17/08/25 22:19 Filed in: Gear
In the middle of May, on a Wednesday evening, riding along the bike path adjacent to the river below the dam, I hit a kangaroo. I've had numerous close calls, especially in that stretch of path. There is a horse jumping park up the slope and the river down the slope from the bike path with a small ditch between the horse area and the bike path. It grows great looking grass that the kangaroos like to eat. They only have one exit plan - towards the river. Up is not an option, only down. On that evening the 'roo bolted as I was right there (not before, not after - right at the inopportune time). I dodged behind her. She only took one hop. I plowed into her right hip with my front wheel and strained my shoulders and arms trying to force the bike to remain upright. It was never going to happen because the tyre was buried in her hip.
I fell to the left and got most possible spots on my body on the way down: bruised ankle, knee, hip, elbow and shoulder. Scraped a lot of material off my left shoe. Took the left shoulder out of my rain jacket. Heavily scuffed both brake levers, both lever bodies and tore both brake hoods. Scuffed bar tape. Scratched the Tubus rack on the ground - was easy to buff it smooth with fine sandpaper.
Seat didn't touch the ground. Bars not obviously damaged where the levers clamp on. Frame didn't hit anything.
Before I could stand up, the 'roo was gone.
Replaced levers completely. Ordered new rain jacket. Plan to move the heavily scuffed dial off my shoe to be replaced with another from a same model/year/colour shoe I used to ride in.
With the brake levers replaced, re-paired in the system and everything checked, the bike rides 100%.
I fell to the left and got most possible spots on my body on the way down: bruised ankle, knee, hip, elbow and shoulder. Scraped a lot of material off my left shoe. Took the left shoulder out of my rain jacket. Heavily scuffed both brake levers, both lever bodies and tore both brake hoods. Scuffed bar tape. Scratched the Tubus rack on the ground - was easy to buff it smooth with fine sandpaper.
Seat didn't touch the ground. Bars not obviously damaged where the levers clamp on. Frame didn't hit anything.
Before I could stand up, the 'roo was gone.
Replaced levers completely. Ordered new rain jacket. Plan to move the heavily scuffed dial off my shoe to be replaced with another from a same model/year/colour shoe I used to ride in.
With the brake levers replaced, re-paired in the system and everything checked, the bike rides 100%.
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