Brookview Golf Course in Golden Valley will be welcoming fat tire cyclists again this Winter by grooming trails for riding and holding a fatbike race. Two Winter multi-use trails of ¾ and 3½ miles will be corduroy-style compacted 6 to 8 feet wide. These trails will be unlit and rely on natural snowfall. Opening date is set for December 11th, weather permitting and the trails will be groomed through the end of February. Fatbikes will also be available for rent during Winter Fatty Shack hours or call 763-512-2305 for reservations. Visit the Brookview Fat Tire Biking page for more infromation.
The Fatty Shack at Brookview will be open for food, cocktails, beer and wine most Thursdays through Sundays and on school holidays. There will also be warm-up areas inside the Fatty Shack or outside around the fire pit. There is no charge for cyclists to use the trails and they will be available for use during the weekdays but the Fatty Shack will be closed. See the calendars below for Fatty Shack and fatbike rental hours.
Fatty Shack & Fatbike Rental Hours
Brookview will be hosting one fatbike race this Winter, the Brookview Meltdown on January 16th.
Race Information When: Saturday, January 16, 2016
First Race Starts at 10 am Where: Brookview Golf Course, 200 Brookview Parkway, Golden Valley, MN 55426 Check In: Friday, January 15, 12:00-8:00 pm and Saturday, January 16, 7:30-10:00 am Format: Categories will include Beginner (1 lap), Sport (2 laps),
and Expert (3 laps). Each lap is approximately 3.5 miles. Races will be
timed using computer chips with a mini-wave start format. Bike tires
must be a minimum of 3.8” wide. Fees: $15 per participant for pre-registration (limited to 160 participants)
$18 registration day of race (if space is available)
Registration and Payment to Brookview Golf Course
Questions? Call 763-512-2305
45NRTH brings back its very successful Winter cycling boot, the Wölvhammer for 2016 with many improvements over the previous years' models. The new design will make this boot easier to get on and off by doing away with the outer zipper/velcro for a gusseted tongue lace-up drawstring design. For fatbikers and commuters it still maintains its 0°-25° F comfort rating making it a comfortable choice for Winter riding.
The outside of the boot now has a full grain leather and Ballistic Nylon Cordura shell for warmth and durability giving it the look and styling of a traditional mountaineering boot.
45NRTH added a protective rubber toe cap to help keep moisture out and to give some impact and abrasion resistance. Though the new Wölvhammer is shorter than the previous model, it still comes to the mid-calf to help keep snow out and warmth in. A slightly wider toe box and outsole allows for a better fit which means warmer toes.
The toe hook remains for use with gaiters in deeper snow.
Gone now is the restrictive D-ring on the Power Strap at the top of the boot. This will make putting them on easier and allow adjustments to be made while wearing gloves.
The single layer boot construction of the new model still maintains its waterproof membrane and allows for feet to breathe.
Inside the boot is 200g Primaloft ECO Gold insulation with a fleece lining to wick away moisture keeping feet dry and warm. The NASA approved Aerogel insulation of the footbed from previous models remains to eliminate cold transfer from cleats. The drawstring lace now has a velcro tab at the top that can be attached underneath the Power Strap so excess lacing can be neatly tucked away.
Maintaining the deep lug pattern Vibram sole of previous models, the new Wölvhammer will come in an SPD compatible model only. But it comes with a cleat plug giving it the versatility to be used with flat pedals or 2-bolt style clipless pedals.
For night riding, the reflective area on the heel is larger and very bright to get you seen on commutes or while riding in a group.
I will be writing a more in-depth review of the 2016 Wölvhammer boot with details on its performance in a variety of cold and snow conditions after more testing to come this Winter.
45NRTH Wölvhammer boots are now available in Mens extra wide 38–50 (no size 49), full sizes only at Penn Cycle and other fine bike shops for $325.
Disclosure: 45NRTH provided the review samples for this article,
but offered no other form of compensation for this review.
Global Fat-Bike Day
is a worldwide grassroots campaign that started three years ago
to bring people from the fatbike community together to ride and make new
friends. In honor of Global Fat-Bike Day there are several rides
scheduled here in Minnesota on December 5th that you may want to get in
on as well as the Winter Bike Expo, 45NRTH Vinterhammer Superfat Crit and the first race of the Frozen Frolic Fatbike Race Series. I have complied a list of them so you
can get your "fat on" and ride with others of the "well-endowed tire
crowd".
Global Fatbike Weekend is a new event this year taking place at the Cuyuna Lakes Mountain Bike Trails in Crosby, MN. This three day event kicks off on Friday night with an opening ceremony at 7pm at True North Basecamp followed by a bonfire lighting and snow dance. Saturday brings a morning group ride at 10:30am followed by a lunch break and an afternoon group ride at 2:30pm, both starting at True North Basecamp. At 6pm a beer hour and pizza party will be held at Cuyuna Lanes in Crosby with presenters JP LaMere, Aaron Hautala and the Cuyuna Lakes Yeti. There will also be a DJ, fortune telling, a meat raffle and bowling. Sunday closes up the weekend with a morning group ride at 10:30am followed by a lunch break and an afternoon group ride at 2:30pm, both again starting at True North Basecamp.
"Global Fat Bike Weekend is a fundraiser for the Cuyuna Lakes Mountain
Bike Trails. All profit goes toward building and maintaining the
fatbike trails and all the funds raised will receive a $1 for $1 match.
Activities include fatbike demos, meat raffles, music, pizza party and
happy hour and multiple fatbike rides. Tickets start at $9. More
information about tickets purchasing is available at www.fatbikeweekend.com."
The first race of the Frozen Frolic Fat Bike Race Series will be at Elm Creek Park Reserve in Champlin.Registration begins at 10am and racing starts at 11am. "Test your speed and skill in a time trial format racing a 10.5-mile loop
through trees and snow. After, warm up at the trailhead for awards and
door prizes. Divisions include men's, women's, and U-17." Facebook Event Page
Update: ****CANCELLED**** PLEASE READ
Due to the
warmer temperatures we will be experiencing this week and the freeze /
thaw cycle that is occuring. We are cancelling this ride on the
Minnesota River Bottoms. Please share this with anyone you know that is
planning on this ride. By all means though, ride your bike this
weekend. The weather is going to be very mild. The paved trails around
the Twin Cities are waiting for your wheels to roll down them.
That is all,
Jonathan
Jonathan Bistodeau will be hosting his weekly Faturday ride with a special Faturday / Global Fatbike Day Minnesota River Bottoms that will start at 10am at the Russell A. Sorenson Landing (Lyndale Ave. lot)
in Bloomington and follow the river bottoms trails to the Sibley House
in Mendota and back with more mileage afterward for those that want to continue riding.
The Global Fatbike Day Ride-Northfield Edition starts at 1:30pm at Bridge Square in Northfield. This no-drop "rain, snow, sun, or shade" ride will take participants on "some of our fair city's best fatbike terrain, like
Sechler Park, the St. Olaf Natural Lands, maybe Odd Fellows or Lashbrook
parks, and other points t.b.d." After about 90 minutes of riding, it will conclude with refreshments at Downtown Bicycles. Register online for free.
Charly Tri and Rochester Cycling will be hosting Global Fatbike Day-Rochester, MN at 5:30pm at Rochester Cycling. "December 5th is global fatbike day which is just a
reason to get a bunch of fatbikers together to ride, goof off, and have
fun in the moment. Come ride with us and then hangout by the fire after
with refreshments. The ride will be casual, have a few stops, and
cater to those that want to have FUN on their fatbikes." Check the Facebook Event Page for upcoming details.
The Iron Range Fat Bike Riders will be celebrating with the Hibbing Global Fat Bike Dayin Hibbing, organized by Joe Sacco. The start point is yet to be determined, but if I know Joe, you will not want to miss out on this one.He knows and rides the Hibbing area year round and the route for this year's Global Fat Bike Day will not disappoint.
"Nothing too serious, low exertion, slow to moderate pace. Our children will be joining in on the fun. Be prepared for plenty of stops. We'll start from TBD. The ride will consist of snowshoe groomed singletrack (snow dependant), and plenty of frozen water."
Nicollet Bike will be holding their 2nd annualNicollet Bike Global Fat Bike Day Ride with the ride starting at the Nicollet Bike Shop in Mankato. The ride starts at 1pm and details are coming soon. Check the Facebook Event page at the link above for updates.
The Winter Bike Expo presented by Freewheel Bike returns for its fifth year December 5th & 6th to the Freewheel Midtown Bike Center.
The expo draws hearty cyclists from
all over to see and demo all that manufacturers have to offer for winter
commuters & fatbikers. Admission is free and the fun kicks
off at 9 am each day. Winter biking seminars will be held throughout
both days and there will be fatbike demos, raffles and beer! For a
schedule of events, visit the Winter Bike Expo link above.
Stick around after the Winter Bike Expo on Saturday night for the Superfat Crit,
a criterium race for fatbikes set up on a feature laden course along
the railroad trench of the Midtown Greenway. Racers must have fat tires
of at least 3.7" or wider and lights since the race will be conducted
in the dark. Racing starts at 6:00pm and entry requires you to brink "a pack of something to share with your new friends." Freewheel
Midtown Bike Center is located at 2834 10th Ave. S. in Minneapolis right on the Midtown Greenway.
Penn Cycle in Eagan will have a fleet of rental fatbikes for this Winter. If you would like to give fatbiking a try or see what Winter singletrack riding is all about, now you have the opportunity. The Eagan store is in close proximity to some great nearby trails including Lebanon Hills, Murphey-Hanrehan and the Minnesota River Bottoms. These trails are ridden all Winter long by fatbike enthusiasts who believe just because it is cold outside that doesn't mean their riding season is over.
Penn Cycle's rental fleet will include:
Trek Farley 5
Trek Farley Custom
Framed Wolftrax X5 Womens
Framed Wolftrax
Trek Farley 24
Great for kids and smaller riders.
Rentals can be reserved online through Velolet by visiting the Penn Cycle Bike Rental Page and selecting "Penn Cycle - Eagan" for the Location under the "Pick Up" and "Drop Off" dates and selecting "Update Results". Bikes can be rented for 4 hours, Daily or Weekly. If you decide to buy a fatbike from Penn Cycle after renting one from them the rental fee will be applied toward your purchase.
Faturday group ride
New to fatbiking? There are plenty of group rides to join in on during the Winter months. A good place to find these is on the MN Fatbike Group Rides Facebook Group. A beginner-friendly, no-drop group ride that has become very popular with Twin Cities fatbikers is the "Faturday" ride. This weekly group ride usually takes place at the Minnesota River Bottoms on Saturday mornings at 10am.
A rental from Penn Cycle is a great way to give fatbiking a try before you buy. Ride with a friend or join a group ride and once you see how much fun fatbikes can be, you're going to want one. Visit the Penn Cycle Bike Rental Page for sizes and availability.
Dakota County Parks is now recruiting volunteers for their Mountain Bike Patrol Team at the Lebanon Hills Mountain Bike Trails in Eagan. Volunteers must meet qualifications and complete all training required. All details and requirements for these volunteer positions are listed below.
Qualifications:
Minimum age 16 years
Good physical fitness and customer service skills
Adult/Child CPR Certification
Basic First Aid Certification
IMBA National Mountain Bike Patrol Member
Intermediate riding skill level
Must provide own bike and helmet
Completion of all required training
Required training: (Volunteers must complete all training before working as patrol.)
CPR & First Aid Certification
Current certification through March 31, 2016 is required for all
Mountain Bike Patrol volunteers. Volunteers may seek and register for
these certification programs on their own, and Dakota County Parks will provide reimbursement for those qualifying certification
programs.
Qualifying certification programs: Layman or Basic Adult/Child CPR and Basic First Aid certification.
Certification programs must be completed by Dec. 15, 2015 to be eligible to volunteer.
Those
volunteers who have been previously certified within the past five
years, who need to be recertified, can register for a Recertification
Program
coordinated by Dakota County Parks, at no cost:
Recertification in Layman Adult/Child CPR & Basic First Aid
Thursday, Nov. 17, 6-8 p.m.
Black Hawk Middle School, Eagan
Time commitment
The Volunteer Mountain Bike Patrol team is a one year commitment: Nov.
1-Oct. 31. Volunteers are asked to commit to 30 hours per year.
Sign Up
FYI, We’re still learning all the bells and whistles with a new
volunteer software system…but soon you’ll see Mountain Bike Patrol as an
option to sign up for.
In the meantime, you can set up your own account
HERE so you’re ready to go when we post the Mountain Bike Patrol position (hopefully by the end of this week).
CatEye introduced the Strada Smart late last year as a cycling computer that connects to your smartphone with the CatEye Cycling App (iPhone & Android) and also to optional Bluetooth Smart sensors. With the Strada Smart mounted on the bars a smartphone can be safely tucked away in a pocket or bag while recording your ride data.
There are two modes that can be used while riding, Mirror Mode and Sensor Direct Mode. Mirror Mode uses ride data from the smartphone with the CatEye Cycling App and transmits it to the Strada Smart. Gps from the smartphone records speed, distance and altitude. Email, text messages and calls from the smartphone are displayed as alerts on the Strada Smart when in mirror mode. Optional Bluetooth Smart sensors can also be used in this mode to record and display cadence, heart rate and power.
Display data on the Strada Smart in Sensor Direct Mode using optional Bluetooth Smart speed/cadence, heart rate and power sensors without the use of a smartphone.
Now that you know how the Strada Smart works, I can share my user experiences with you. I have had a lot of time and many miles of rides to thoroughly test this product out and one of my favorite applications for the Strada Smart was using it on my fatbike in Mirror Mode. I could have bike computer ride stats in real time without having a sensor/magnet mounted. Sometimes spacing from the fork to the spokes can be an issue using standard bike computers for speed and distance. Since the Strada Smart is paired with my smartphone no sensors are needed. Speed and distance stats are displayed as well as avg. speed, max speed and elapsed time.
The Strada Smart is easy to read and the alert features are a nice addition when paired with a smartphone. It would display an icon when I was receiving a call, had text message or new email. This allowed me to know someone was trying to get in touch with me while I was riding and I could call them back or reply to their text at my next stop. When connected to a smartphone or optional sensors, an icon displays that connection. Notice it is connected to a speed/cadence sensor and a smartphone in the picture.
I set up the speed/cadence sensor on my gravel bike which allowed me to use the Strada Smart with or without my smartphone. Pairing was easy and the connection without using a smartphone was good. I did however have some problems losing the connection between the speed/cadence sensor and the Strada Smart during longer breaks or pauses during a ride. Paring the speed/cadence sensor and the Strada Smart with my smartphone using the CatEye Cycling App was also very easy and took no time at all.
The CatEye Cycling app has a nice layout of ride data summaries including a ride map, ride statistics and a graph containing altitude, speed and heart rate or cadence (when those sensors are used).
Uploading your ride activities is quick and easy. When using the app select the finish flag icon at the end of recording a ride and a Save & Upload screen appears to name the ride. Then upload to your Strava, CatEye Atlas or TrainingPeaks account by selecting the Save & Upload icon. Facebook and Twitter sharing is also available on this screen.
I have really come to like the functionality of the Strada Smart on both my fatbike (without speed/cadence sensor) and commuter/gravel bike (with speed/cadence sensor). It is now standard equipment on all of my rides and works flawlessly with the CatEye Cycling app on my smartphone. With its Bluetooth Smart connection from smartphone to computer, battery drain is relatively small.
The Strada Smart is compatible with the iPhone 6, 6 Plus, 5S, 5C and 5 running iOS 8.0-8.4 and 9. For Android phones running Android 4.4 or above and Bluetooth 4.0 check the Cateye Cycling Recommended Devices page for compatibility. I used the Strada Smart Package with a Galaxy S4 (Android 4.4) and a Galaxy S6 (Android 5.1) for testing without any compatibility problems.
The CatEye Strada is available in several package options, the Strada Smart for $80, Strada Smart Package (speed/cadence sensor) for $140 and Strada Smart Bundle (speed/cadence & heart rate sensors) for $210 from Penn Cycle and other fine bike shops.
Disclosure: RP Active Sports on behalf of CatEye Co. LTD provided the review sample to me at a reduced price for this article,
but offered no other form of compensation for this review.
After spending five days in Las Vegas for Interbike and the Outdoor
Demo, I came across a lot of cool new bike stuff that I wanted to share
with my readers. These are products that are now available or in the
case of some of them, will be available soon from your local bike shop.
This is the final installment of a three part series where I will highlight some of
the items that caught my attention.
Serfas Orion Blast Tail Light
Coming soon from Serfas is the Orion Blast Tail Light. This light will be one of the brightest tail lights on the market and is sure to scream out “hey bike right here!” during the dark months commuters encounter when Daylight Saving Time ends. The Orion Blast is designed with 70 micro LED's in red and amber and its internal Lithium-Polymer batteries are micro USB rechargeable. Solid mode (85, 50 and 25 Lumens) flashes Red with a battery life of between 1 and 4 hours. The five Flash/Pulse modes (150/70 Pulse Red/Amber, 70/35 Alt Red/Amber, 150 High Flash Red, 60 Low Flash Red, 70 High Flash Amber) give it battery run times of 1.25 to 10.5 hours.
This light also has the new Serfas Blast Audible Warning System that will emit an 85 decibel signal when there is only 10 minutes battery life remaining in that particular mode. This allows the user to switch to a lower mode and restarts the battery low alert thus extending the battery life.
The Orion Blast Tail Light weighs only 55 grams. It will be available in three colors (Red, Black and White) and comes with a new Aero-Bracket to fit any seatpost or application on a bike. Retail price is $90 but no word yet on when it will be available at your local bike shop.
Upstand
The Upstand was first introduced through a successful Kickstarter campaign by Garrett Blake back in late 2013. It is a lightweight, high tech kickstand for your road bike. Made of carbon fiber tubes with a shock cord, this device connects to a metal attachment tab that mounts on your skewer inside the the quick release. The carbon fiber tubing has a rubber cap on one end and a magnet on the other to secure it to the metal attachment tab.
The metal magnet attachment tab only adds 15 grams to the bike while the stand itself a mere 25 grams. Installation takes only 30 seconds and when the Upstand is not needed, slide it off and fold it in half for storage in seat bag, jersey pocket or attach it to the bike using the optional Upclip.
The folding Upstand is available in standard (26"/700 wheels), 20" and 29" wheels with the option of adding the Upclip or an extra tab at a discount. Purchase direct from the Upstanding Bicycle Company on their website.
SRAM Red eTap
SRAM displayed their first electronic shifting groupset at Interbike, the Red eTap Wireless. While SRAM is late with this offering to the electronic drivetrain market, they did what their competitors (Shimano, Campagnolo) haven't done yet and that is to make their system wireless. SRAM uses a wireless proprietary protocol called Airea instead of using others protocols like Ant+ or Bluetooth.
Both the front and rear shifters have their own battery and wireless transmitter making them self-contained. Batteries charge in only 45 minutes and SRAM promises 1000 km of life per charge. For time trial and triathlon bikes with aero bars, the system can be paired with eTap Blip satellite shifters for remote placement using the eTap BlipBox.
Unlike the Shimano and Campagnolo electronic shift logic that is identical to their mechanical groups, SRAM's Red eTap is entirely different. With only one shift paddle per shifter, shifting mistakes are almost eliminated. Shift with the left shifter paddle to an easier gear on the cassette, shift with the right shifter paddle to a harder gear on the cassette and shift both at the same time to shift the front derailleur. What could be more simple?
The SRAM Red eTap Road and TT Groupset will be available in the Spring of 2016. The complete Red eTap Road Groupset will list at $2758 and the complete Red eTap TT Groupset for $2835. It will also be standard equipment on high-end 2016 complete bikes next Spring from brands like Trek, Giant, Specialized and others.
SKS Fatboard Fender Set
SKS introduced their new Fatboard Fender Set at the Outdoor Demo and Interbike. This two-piece fender set will cover tires up to 5" wide and weighs 353 grams. The rear fender attaches to the seat post with a quick release clamp and has a two-hinge arm to adjust for any frame geometry or bikes with dropper posts. It provides 20" of horizontal coverage keeping the rider clean and dry.
The front fender attaches to the downtube using high performance straps and works with all types of fatbike forks. This design allows it to secure easily to any frame including irregular shaped or round tubes and also provides 20" of coverage.
The Fatboard Fender set will be available at local bike shops in January, 2016 for a retail price of $54.99.
Swiftwick Vision Team
Swiftwick was at Interbike with a wide variety of cycling compression socks. New this year are the Swiftwick Vision Team socks. This sock is available "in designs that sync with any team’s colors". Featuring Swiftick's signature Managed Compression and antimicrobial moisture wicking technologies, these socks will provide blister-free comfort, improve circulation and keep feet dry.
Vision Team comes in an 8" cuff length, twelve color combinations in sizes S, M, L, XL from the Swiftwick website and Swiftwick retailers for $17.99/pair.
