We have a new blog...and you need to check it out.

It's called Adventure Fit Life.

We, the crew of Adventure Fit Inc, do more than ride bikes, drink beer, and power slide big wheels. Some of the other things we do include: eating tacos, throwing frisbees for our doggies, kissing our babies, and rocking out at concerts.

And we run this pretty cool company that puts on events like the Diva Dash and the Urban Assault Ride. The blog is a journal of it all. So check it out will ya?!

http://www.adventurefitlife.blogspot.com/

Lots and lots of pretty bicycles

We made a quick run down to Austin to plan out the course for the new Diva Dash and had to swing by the North American Handmade Bicycle Show. It's amazing how the bicycle is such a simple creation, but there are some very creative people out there that are able to tweak the design and style just so...in a way that makes them so beautiful. The engineering, design, paint, and general artistry was amazing.

Here are a few things that caught my eye with a couple notes about the bikes....

 Loved the paint, head tube lugs, hammered fenders and white racks. A fun bike for the Ft Collins Ralleye rides

 This is a Black Cat. They're famous for our their pivoting dropouts that allow a chain to be tensioned. They did this paint in house - which is pretty sweet.

 This bike got a lot of attention. Custom Ti single speed cross with belt drive, tapered headtube fork, and deep carbon wheels.

 Here's that headtube, made possible due to some nice Chris King headset engineering. Also loved the V-brakes

 Oh how I love IF bikes. Here's a nice simple 29er single speed rigid. Integrated seat post, carbon wheels -no doubt this one is well below 20 lbs.

 Here's that seatpost.

 This bike was insane. There were no bolts to be seem. Super CLEAN. Inset leather on the top tube bad grips, integrated/seamless everything. This got my vote for best of show. It's by Naked, who won best of show in Portland in 2008.

 Here's the curvy rear end

 so pretty! looks at those lines!

 Milwaukee bikes had a single speed road frame as their 1st model about 7 years ago. They're branching out now. This is a cool and simple 29er hardtail

 This bike was full of tricks. Not something you'd want to take on a long remote MTB ride due to the tubular wheels, but if you light light bikes, this one was under 19lbs

 The good fellas at Ft Collin's Panda bikes had some really nice bikes on display. They use the bamboo for main tubes and metal lugs. you'll be seeing these at some UARs this year

 It's really cool how you can see the texture and organic look of the tubes. Bamboo is light, strong, renewable, and easy on the eyes

 This could very well be my next bike. A full-squish blacksheep. I didn't get a lot of photos of this one -I was too busy drooling over it. Some cool things: 4" of travel, pivoting on a plate welded to the bottom bracket shell. The chain is tensioned with a 2 sliding attachments that not only allow the frame to accomodate a belt drive, but it can also be taken apart - to fit in a suit case. I LOVED it.

 Crumpton is an Austin builder who has been in the game for quite a long time. This is a Di2, electronic shifting bike

 Erickson has some of the cleanest welds around

 Another nice custom cross bike

 Vanilla bikes really caught my eye back when the NAHBS 1st started up. Since they won best of show, they now have a 5 year wait and are not taking orders. This is their Speedvagon model - which you can order. Beautiful paint that starts at the stem and goes all the way down the bike

 I knew a rider in Austin who was a huge fan of Richard Sachs bikes. I didn't really get them until a few years back. They take the art of lugged bikes to a new level

 Another Vanilla Speedvagon

 Vanilla paint

 Closer to see the lines. I'm a sucker for continuous lines

 This is a nice clean builder from Boulder: Mosaic Cycles. I really liked their style.

 very clean.

 Check out the Liger. Napoleon Dynamite would be proud

 At the Cielo booth, they had this stem. What's cool? Integrated top cap and headset top, with a cable line through the middle for clean cross bike cable routing

 At Geek House - here's a sweet bike that resonates with probably less than 1000 people in in the world. It's a dedicated bike polo ride. Dual disc brakes - with one lever. Rotor guards, mallet mount, and front full disc wheel

 They welded another rotor to the fork to protect the actual brake rotor

 Eye candy at the Erickson booth. So colorful and precise

 Here's another shot of the Naked 'boltless bike'

 Creativity must run the family. Zack (owner of Panda bikes) brought some saddles handmade by his Dad. Love these and they felt way more comfortable than Brooks saddles

 Looks like something you'd see on a German kids toy.

 At the same booth, a rather unique looking carbon wheel. One question: how do you true it? Oh...I guess you don't. Maybe this is a good wheelset for your rollers at home

 Pretty pretty paint

 Pretty wild looking. Gotta wonder how much the bottom bracket would flex under hard pedaling

 Another custom cross bike - this one from Independent Fabrications.

Here's the headtube.

So there you have it folks. If you are a bike geek like me, you've got to make your way to this show next time around!

Thanks for checking out my photos and ramblings

Another day at the office

Hmmm....what could we be working on here?

One for the weekend

3 things you should check out...

1. TWO by TEN mtb gearing. You can get it from Sram (they're all-in with 2x10 options at 4 levels). You can get it from Shimano (if you feel like rocking das XTR. You can even get some rings to retro fit it. But if you like to ride in the dirt. it's the way to go: simple, full use of gears, lighter, less chain slap.Check it out now. You can high five me later.

2. Danny MacAkill's new video. I just love those backwards manuals and nose wheelies. True story - I have reoccuring dreams about have mad wheelie skills. I wake up from these dreams with the same feeling I had as a kid - when I'd wake up from a dream realizing that I couldn't play with the GI Joe of Transformer that I just dreamed about.


3. Sleigh Bells. If you listened to the new MIA album, you may recognize some beats. I love how much sound can come out of two people.

Random thoughts on the single track

Did a great ride on Boulder County's best trails on Saturday. Here are some of the things that went through my mind (in no particular order):

• idea for a new event: have a bunch of folks race from point A to point B and back. The time is recorded. Then they drink beers. They get 10 minutes taken off their time for every beer they drink. They they do the drunken bike obstacle course. For every time their foot touches or the bike goes off course, they get their overall time multiplied. What to call it? My mind wandered before the name came to me
• I saved the life of a small rattlesnake on the trail.  It was about 12 inches long. I tried to push it with my wheel, but it wasn't going for it. So a fellow rider held my bike while a found a stick. I used the stick to fling the snake about 50' off the trail. Less sun there, but also less threat of vertebrae breaking mountain bikers. I wondered why people feel they they should kill snakes when they see them. I know they pose a danger, but so do cars (even more so). You don't see people destroying cars when they ride.
• While listening to my ipod, Metallica's cover of 'Last Caress' (originally by the Misfits). The lyric, "I've got something to say - I killed your baby today" idn't seem as amusing as they used to - now that I'm less than a month away from being a Dad. Still love how the melody of the song makes me joyfully whistle despite the message.
• On the topic of Metallica, I came across the album, Garage Days Re-Revisted. It's so awesome when you can re-find an album that sounds better than ever before. The songs on this album are so good, it's no wonder that they released it as an EP. Sometimes it's about quality not quantity (did you hear that Kings of Leon?)
• There were so many people on the trail that I wondered if there were some sort of Batman 'bat-shadow on the moon' signal that I missed. Then I thought - just like me - it must be the 75 degees in November signal that called everybody out. Aha.
• Listening to the MGMT song Congratulations, I wondered if fame and money cause people to hire others to do ordinary tasks not because they are too busy with important celebrity stuff, but rather they simply have enough money to pay other people to do it. I'm sure SOME people make better use of their time when they hire others, but mostly it allows people to be lazy. But then maybe instead of lazy, they are allowing their celebrity brains to recharge so they can impress us with another fantastic project.
• Full suspension bikes are just so incredible. I was riding a Specialized Stumpy FSR Carbon Pro and it was awesome. Faster, more comfortable, and so much more capable. I know this for a fact since the day before a rode a 29er hardtail. It was nowhere near as fun. I tend to agree with Zach's conclusions in this article.

Riding is a great way to let the brain loose. I've had some of my best epiphanies on a bike (thoughts above not included)

Quiz Answers - REVEALED

FINALLY, you'll  be able to sleep at night - aren't you happy!

Here are the answers to the 2010 Urban Assault Ride BONUS QUIZ....

(we're not including local questions -so if one is still bugging you, comment on the blog, and we'll let you know the answer;)

Q: Specialized has a killer line of bikes designed for urban cyclists, commuters, and city dwellers. They gave some lucky folks some of these bikes on the condition that they blog about their experiences. One of these bloggers rides a beautiful Live bike and she installed something special on her bike. What did she install?
- a 'floating' beer handlebar holder
- a 'floating' beer frame holder
- a 'dynamo-powered' front light
+ a 'skirt guard'
(explanation: Specialized's line of city bikes are Globe line and they've got a bunch of Bloggers writing about their experiences with their Globes. One blogger: Sweet Georgia Brown, wrote about her skirtguard for her sweet looking Globe Live)

Q: Specialized sponsors a rider that won two of the 'Spring Classics'.
 This rider has a nickname that shares the name of a movie directed by a man who also directed which other movie?
> Check all that apply
+ Full Metal Jacket
- Rad
+ Eyes Wide Shut
- Cannonball Run
- Matrix
- Speed Racer
(Explanation: the Rider who won the races is none other than Fabian Cancellara. His nickname is Spartacus. Spartacus was directed by Stanley Kubrick in 1960. My Kubrick also directed the movies Full Metal Jacket and Eyes Wide Shut. Hopefully this question got you to watch the movie Rad as well!)

Q: New Belgium's Tour De Fat is another crazy celebration of Bikes and Beer. It's a tradition at the Tour de Fat to offer up a custom bicycle to a rider willing become car free and donate their car to the TDF's local beneficiary. Which TDF hosted the very 1st car for bike trade?
+ Denver 2007
- Ft Collins 2007
- Austin 2008
- Durango 2007
(Explanation: this was a tough one to track down. But if you did, you'd see the it was a close-to-home Tour de Fat where the 1st Car/Bike Trade occurred.)

Q: New Belgium became the country's first brewery to subscribe to 100% wind powered electricity in 1998 and can produce up to 15% of its electrical needs by capturing methane from its process water treatment plant to fire a co-generation engine which produces heat and electricity on site. What is another sustainable feather New Belgium Brewing can add to its cap?
- Over 75% of employees ride their bicycles to work at least 3 days a week.
+ They have the largest privately owned solar array in Colorado
- Over 80% of employees ride their bicycles to work at least 4 days a week.
- Almost all paper used by New Belgium employees is recycled and used for beer packaging
(Explanation: New Belgium does indeed have the largest private solar array in the state of Colorado. Many folks ride their bikes to work as well...but the percentage is not documented. And using paper for beer packaging - that's a good idea, huh? Maybe it'll happen soon.)

Q: Which beer in New Belgium's Explore Series is the "hoppiest"?
+ Ranger
- Trippel
- Abbey
- Mothership
(Explanation: Ranger is the hoppiest. If you don't already know this from taste, you can look at the IBU (International Bittering Units) rating on each of the beer's pages on the New Belgium website.)

Q: If you were to submit a film to New Belgium's new Film/Beer festival, what topics can your film be about? check all that apply
- bikes
+ beer
+ whimsy
- big wheels
+ sustainability
- pets
(Explanation - technically the films can be about anything, but we're focusing on the Bonus Points:

• Your film can be on any subject in any genre but for bonus credit, try to include one or more of
  New Belgium's three main follies:
• Craft Beer
• Sustainability (think environmental statements)
• Whimsy (think spoofs, giddy candid moments or anything worth watching)

Q: Where might you be (legally) able to purchase a New Belgium beer?
> check all that apply
+ Missoula, Montana
- New York, New York
+ San Antonio, Texas
- Richmond, Virginia
+ Charlotte, North Carolina
(Explanation: not too many states East of the Mississippi River get to buy NBB beers. Here's the place to check.)

Q: In the current (issue 7) of Bicycle Times, which of our sponsor's products do they review?
- Keen Commuter shoe
+ Globe Live 3 bike
+ Timbuk 2 backpack
- Pedros trixie tool
(Explanation: you gots ta pick up the magazine for this one. Once you do, this is pretty easy)

Q: In the current issue of Dirt Rag (issue 151) there is an article about the Boonville Beer Festival.
> Which beer is mentioned in this article?
> Choose all that apply
- Lips of Faith Berlinerweiss
+ Founder's Kentucky Breakfast Stout
+ Firestoen Walker's Parabola
+ Castle Brewery's Samichlaus Bier
(Explanation: you gots ta pick up the magazine for this one. Once you do, this is pretty easy)

Q: Who did Clif Bar bid farewell to in 2009?
- Banjo
- Bubbles
- Sandy
+ Scrubby
(Explanation: Poor Scrubby. Clif Bars VP of Dogs passed on to the land of unlimited snausages and tummy rubs. We found this info here.

Q: Which Clif products have extra protein (a key nutrient for sustained energy)?
> Check all that apply
+ Builder
+ Roks
- Clif Kid
- Clif Mojo
(Explanation: you could just go out and try all the products, or research the ingredients. The top two are high in protein.)

Q: Which Keen shoe model now has a clipless pedal option?
> Check all that apply
- Coronado
- Venice
- Boston
+ Austin
(Explanation: we got a ton of questions about this one. Altough the Coronado has a cycling option, it's a firmer sole - which is great for pedaling...but it's not an SPD clipless pedal option ;)

Q: What will most Keen shoes protect?
> Check all that apply
+ 1st Distal Phalange
+ 4th Metatarsal
- Malleus
- Fibula
(Explanation: If you have a pair of Keen shoes (we hope everybody does) you'll know that most models have toe protection. It's a cool look in addition to protecting your feet. The top two question choices are bones in your foot. The Malleus bone is in your ear and the Fibula is the calf bone)

Q: Which element of Keen's Hybrid life is missing: Create, Care, and _____
A: play
Explanation: pretty cool concept for a company if you ask us!


Q: Which city was the bag in this photo made?

A: San Francisco
A: San Fran
A: San Francisco, CA
A: San Francisco, California

(Explanation: Timbuk 2's custom bags (like the bags in the photo) are all made in San Francisco CA. You had the option of spelling it a few ways.)

Q: What year and by whom was Timbuk 2 created?
+ in 1989 by a bike messenger
- in 1950 by a telephone lineman
- in 1985 by a seamstress
- in 1990 by a starving bike racer
(Explanation: Dig a big on Timbuk 2's site and you'll see the history which reveals the story of a bike messenger's  creation of TB2)

Q: On Giro's blog, they feature a video of another 'urban race'.
> What country does this race take place in?
A: Brazil
Explanation: Here's the race - in Rio. Pretty incredible!

Q: Giro has a signature helmet for one of its riders who has a private training facility.
> What unique feature does he have on the sides of his jumps?
A: rocks
(Explanation: on Giro's Red Kite Blog, there's a video for Paul Basagoitia's private jumping compound. You had to do serious digging to find this one. When asked about the rocks on the sides of his jumps, he said they just look cool. He hand picked them from a local river. Unique.
Paul Bassagoitia's compound from Jorge Alvarez on Vimeo.

Q: Go to the Urban Assault Ride's Facebook page, find the question in the 'Discussion Board'.
> After following the instructions, choose your answer.
3 is the answer
(Explanation: sure there are a lot of things NOT like the others. For example the Pharcyde video was shot backwards. The Daft Punk video is the only techno song. However, this question was designed to bring some props to Spike Jonze, one of my favorite directors. The only video in this group that he didn't direct was the Beastie Boys Intergallactic.

So there you have it folks. Hope you learned some cool things and earned some valuable bonus time in the process. Thanks for playing!