Blood Stains

I have seven work days till I blow this Popsicle stand and head out to the desert. 

This will be the first time really getting to ride the new bike and the 

last bit of training before coming home and hitting up the first race. 

I have been spending a lot of time on this here bike to and from work,, finding the miles when the workload and #dadlife will let me. The miles have been good and from what I can tell 

I think that I am on pace to where I want to be. 

This trip to the desert is going to be timed perfect as we can't ride dirt here yet and I 

need to get use to the way my new Race bike rides. 

Not a whole lot has changed... My Maverick was sent out to Ethan who run  the Flow Zone Suspension  center based out of Denver. He has been working on my forks ever since 

I started riding them some 9 years ago. He found that the whole air side was shot, cleaned and replaced and now more than ever the fork is riding like butter,, I can't wait..

Rock Shock has their new version of one out and it is turning heads in the MTB world..

And I am sure it is going to be good,, if it is half as good as the real deal it is going to change the market for suspension.

The Thomson bars are not brand new they showed at the end of last season and I only raced on them once,, but was able to get some miles on them before the snow fell.. 

After years of 9+ degrees of sweep I am still getting used to flat and more of a straight bar,

I like the position and how low I now am to the front end of the bike. 

The frame LaMare is new this year I wanted to get the newer version that Buzzy had brought in,, it has better cable routing than the first generation and allowed me to pass on my last years bike to one of the young fast kids on the team. 

With the new frame came a BB30 which I now know so much more about... I was super stoked when King sent me a Bottom Bracket for it only to learn that their are BB30's and PFBB30's and so on and so forth,, Unfortunately I wont get to run the super sexy King BB on this rig.

I am however going with out a guide,, and this has me more nervous than anything. 

I am still 9sp somewhat by choice and somewhat because I am dirtbag laborer that can't afford a full new drivetrain. What I have working here is a 36 tooth Raceface Narrow>wide<narrow>Wide

front ring and a Sram short cage XO derailleur.   

I have had the bike out a few times around the hood jumping curbs and finding anything rocky rooty bouncy that I can find. Everyone tells me that it is going to work and so far from my far from scientific testing it is. 

The New Look S-track Pedals have been rock solid so far been running a set on my 

Cross bike and have been totally impressed. 

 Now I just need to get there. Time seems to be going by slow. 

Last things to be done is get the tires set up new sealant and valve stems,,

then break the bike down wrap it tight and get it in a box for shipping. 

Going to send it out on Tuesday,, wanting to see if it will make it to Scottsdale by

that friday.

On the return home I need to have the bike home no later than Friday the  twenty-fifth 

because we are racing the 26th in Decorah Iowa.. Going to be cutting it close. 

Ok time to do some more bike work..

As the Sticker Says Party ON!!