Group Rides

Group rides every Saturday in January and February

-Leaving from the shop at 10 am

-Route and pace decided by the group

Maxxis ADvantage Tires

Maxxis ADvantage 2.10 Tires, Reviewed by Brad Sims

I was looking for a solid all condition race worthy tire that could also handle a good dose of mud. This search led me to the Maxxis ADvantage.  I picked up a pair of 2.10 70a tires and mounted them on my Giant Anthem.  I am currently running them with tubes at 38 psi front and 41 psi rear (I’ll run less pressure when I convert them to tubeless).  I have had a chance to run the tires on a variety of terrain, from rocky hard pack to greasy mud.  The combination of block and paddle style center knobs provide excellent pedaling and braking traction.  The fairly open center/mid tread shed mud quite well and kept the tires biting in wet conditions.  The open tread did result in a slightly slowly tire when you opened it up on flat hard pack but that was expected.  The side knobs are large, tightly spaced, and stiff.  This helps them bite very well into soft ground while providing predictable cornering on hard pack.  Overall I am very pleased with these tires.  During the 2010 season I will likely train and race more technical courses with an ADvantage on the front and a Crossmark (for the decreased rolling resistance) on the rear saving the double ADvantage setup for muddy XC race days.  For those looking for a true mud only tire check out the Maxxis Medusa.

Avid/Sram Matchmaker

Gear Review

Avid/Sram Matchmaker, Reviewed by Rob Stanley

With all the gear you can strap to a handlebar nowadays finding room for it all can be a big problem.  Chris Kehoe an Echelon Spokes and Slopes Racing team member told me about the Avid/Sram Matchmaker and I picked up a pair.  It allows you to uses one mount for shifters and brakes.  There is plenty of adjustment in the Matchmaker for that perfect preferred placement and frees up one more spot for that computer or light mount.  One added bonus I have learned at the Stone Temple 8 after a crash is that they break.  “Added bonus!” you say?  Well yes, the crash did not destroy my X.O trigger shifter as it would have if I had used the normal mount!  Let’s see, $30 vs. $200+ that is a bonus!  The shifter was fine and I just replaced the Matchmaker.  Pick up a pair and add that gadget you cannot live without, clean up your handlebar, or save your shifter!

Giant TCX Cyclocross Bike

This is the first of our regular gear reviews written by members of the Team, old reviews will be archived under the Gear Reviews Tab.

Reviewed by Brad Sims

My 2009 mountain bike season ended in late September with the Stone Temple 8 endurance race.  This excellent but grueling race combined with a tough season put me deep in burn out territory.  I wanted to hang up my mountain bike and get some solid sofa surfing in, but wait….    did I just hear a cow bell?  Oh no, the season wasn’t over, it was time to renew my relationship with those forgotten fast twitch muscles and get my cross on.  Now what better way to get back into the season than on a new steed.  I talked to Echelon Spokes and Slopes about a Giant TCX.  After doing bit of work (the TCX was a hot seller this year) the shop called me up and had located a 2009 (same frame as 2010) TCX0 in an XL.  Only a few days later I it showed all and I’d have to say the thing looked fast sitting in the bike stand.  I swapped the double for a single 42 tooth ring and a bash then stuck a 11-28 cassette on and rolled out.  First thing I noticed was how well it accelerated, better than my road bike.  Must be the stiffness from those big box section hydro-formed aluminum tubes.  When I got the chance to take it onto some single track I was impressed by how much fun the bike was to ride.  The stiff Giant fork provided excellent control and the stock Michelin Mud2 tires had surprising grip.   I only got a few short rides on the bike before my first race (Interlocken) but felt totally confident on the my TCX.  JD at Echelon let me borrow a sweet set of Easton wheels with Challenge tubular tires and I had a solid Cat3 finish (12th, I’m an endurance guy).  During the race my speed was limited by my legs and my cornering confidence not my bike.  I proceed to race a variety or courses and conditions during the season and continued to be impressed with the machine.   The season included two ridiculously muddy races an Xilinx,  one being the last Boulder Series race where my bike had a good 20 lbs of mud on.  Despite all the mud my TCX ran like a champ, I was amazed.  Having spent the season on this bike I would recommend a Giant TCX to anyone looking for a fast and solid cyclocross race bike (and at a good price too).  I know I’ll be on one again next season.  Now for that sofa surfing….

2010 Sponsors

We will be finalizing our 2010 Sponsors on January 15th and are still looking to fill a few spots on our Jerseys.  We have many levels of sponsorship available.

Interested parties please email me @ zuff911@gmail.com

Red Echelon Spokes and Slopes Jersey will be out in force this season, don’t miss out.

2009 Cyclocross National Champioship Live

Cycling Dirt will be have LIVE video coverage on Saturday (12/11) and Sunday (12/12) including Colligate Men, Junior Men 17-18, U23 Men, Elite Women, U23 Women, and Elite Men!

http://www.cyclingdirt.org/sc/2009CrossNats

EK Endurance Coaching Seminar

Eric Kenney of EK Endurance Coaching will be offering a free seminar on off season training for cyclists.  The seminar will be Thursday (12/10) from 7-9 pm at Echelon Spokes and Slopes.

Great Cross Training Ride!

Thanks to Brad Sims and Dave Vogal for a great day out on the cx bikes. We road an hour twenty with a lot of mount/dismount practice. Lets do more of these and get a larger group next time. Sorry for the short notice.

Welcome to our new Blog

Welcome to our new Blog!  Come here for the latest local information and events.  We will be keeping you up to date on the happenings from inside the team with results and photos. Enjoy!

Oh my, didn’t know that was possible!