Big Hiting Hardtail - Pace 325.5 Custom Build

This is a custom build Pace 325.5 hardtail that we put together recently for a customer.  A different but very well thought through mixture of light-weight and more burly (160mm Lyrik Air fork/Bash Ring/Freeride Front Tyre) components.  The customer who is a previous Pace 303 owner loves the ride and chasing full-sus bikes downhill!  It shows how flexible the Pace design is!  The full spec list is and photos are below:

Spec as follows:

Frame: 325.5 (medium)
Fork: Rockshox Lyric Solo air (160mm)
Headset: Hope (intergrated)
Stem: Hope 70mm (zero degree)
Handlebar: Easton EC70 Monkeylite (hi-rise)
Shifters: Shimano SLX
Brakeset: Hope Tech M4's (200mm front / 160mm rear)
Seat Clamp: Hope QR
Seat Post: Kore carbon I-Beam
Saddle: SDG carbon I-Beam
Crank Arms: Shimano SLX
Chain Rings: Middleburn (24/34)
Bash Ring: e13 Turbocharger 36T
Front Mech: Shimano SLX Compact
Rear Mech: Shimano XT GS
Cassette: XT (11-34)
Chain: Sram 991
Wheel Set: DT 240 hubs with ZTR Arch rims (tubeless)
Tyres: Bontrager Mud-X 2.0 rear / Bontrager FRS 2.35 front

The Effects of Aging

Humans are often assumed to be at their peak of physical fitness in their late 20’s, and in physical decline from the early 30’s onwards. Although the number of “older” athletes reaching the top of their sports well beyond this age shows that this need not necessarily be so, like it or not it is well documented that as time goes by it takes its toll on the human body. When you reach your sixties, fitness becomes an increasingly important factor in your general health and well-being. Your reaction times are 20 per cent slower than at their peak. In your seventies, you will use up to 50 per cent of your aerobic capacity just to do everyday tasks, such as getting the shopping in.

So how does Father Time exert these changes on us? Thinking mainly in terms of attributes that affect healthy individuals (rather than the increase of diseases that may affect us as we age) it is reported that our maximum heart rate and VO2 max decline, strength reduces, body fat increases, ability to clear lactic acid reduces and bone density declines.

The good news however, is that exercise can have a big impact in reducing and delaying these effects. For example one indisputable outcome of aging is declining aerobic horsepower. Classically, this is measured via VO2 max, your maximum rate of oxygen usage per unit of body weight. For sedentary people, VO2 max typically declines by about 10 percent per decade after age 30. For athletes who keep in training, the rate of decline can often be held to about half that.

With regards to cardiac capacity, although your maximum heart rate drops about one beat per minute each year, the stroke volume (the amount of blood pumped out by the left ventricle to the body) naturally increases with age to compensate for this. In theory this maintains the cardiac output (which is a function of stroke volume multiplied by heart rate) so the amount of oxygen reaching the muscles is the same. A 50-year-old's heart might not beat as rapidly as it once did, but it can pump at least as much blood per minute. However, stroke volume can be significantly improved (increased) through aerobic training, and therefore if your heart becomes more efficient (because it is pumping more blood through with each contraction) then it stands to reason that your heart rate, both measured whilst exercising and whilst at rest drops. This in turn means that you maintain a large differential between your maximum heart rate (which is lowering naturally with age) and your resting heart rate. In other words you still have a good range of heart rates to utilize for different training zones.

However, if the heart is delivering as much oxygen as before, but VO2 max is declining, it must be that the muscles are becoming less adept at using it. What precisely is going on is still being disputed. However, all parties seem to be in agreement that if you do not use your muscles then you lose certain types of muscles fibres. Strength training should not be seen as the preserve of young people, in fact it may be more important to include elements of this type of training as you age.

It comes down to “use it or loose it”. 'Evidence suggests that if you stay active, the rate of physical decline is halved,' claims Mike Stroud (Author of Survival of the Fittest). It's a comforting thought! A bit of an endurance junkie (i.e. with Sir Ranulph Fiennes he did the 7 marathons on 7 Continents in 7 days) he believes the body is tuned for slow-burn efforts during its whole lifespan and that we have an evolutionary capability for it. “People who are doing extreme endurance events are voluntarily accessing this survival capacity. You just have to ask your body hard enough.”

'Evidence suggests that if you stay active, the rate of physical decline is halved,' claims Stroud. Now that's a  comforting thought! MF

Sunday Road Rides for 2011

It’s a shame these have stopped due to the bad weather but they will resume when sensible to do so. Having discussed with a few people the consensus of opinion is that it would be good to have a monthly ride and view it as a ‘challenge ride’ as the first one was back in November. The challenge will be the distance and the hills, the overall pace will be moderate though. These rides will be in the best and most scenic moors countryside. Distance would be 50-70 miles. I’ll give a couple of weeks notice before doing the first one. It’s still too icy on the higher moors sections at the moment though. A good alternative is to join in with the Malton Wheelers rides from the Malton train station at 9.00am.

In the mean time I will be riding Sunday mornings if not racing. These will be at a moderate / easy pace but on A roads and back roads away from the moors. If that’s of interest to you then give me some feedback or let the shop know and I’ll post up times when we plan to head out. mph.

Grab a BBB Bargain Bike - 2010 Gary Fisher (Trek) Paragon 29er - £1250 !!!

This is a 19" frame, it looks stunning in the metal and of course - demo rides are available.  This is a fantastic way to get into 29ers with a hard-tail that would make a great winter bike and has an awesome spec as it has been somewhat 'pimped' by an indulgent owner who happens to have a bike shop - yes it is the boss's old bike!

The 'standard' spec is below but we have added full Shiamano XTR Shifters and Mechs, a white Race Face Atlas crank-set, 100mm Fox forks, SDG I-Beam Seat and Post, Easton carbon bars 685mm and best of all the wheelset which is a pair of ultralight DT240s hubs laced with DT double butted spokes and alloy nipples to Stans No-Tubes, Arch Rims.  The wheelset alone would cost over £600 for the pair.

The orginal 2010 bike was £1500 plus a further £1500 was spent on the upgrades and this bike is now for sale at £1250 or just £49/month on 0% finance over 24 months with a 20% deposit!

The photo is the standard bike before pimping:

Grab a BBB Bargain Bike - 2010 Trek Remedy 8 - Reduced by £1000...

We only have one left, an 18.5" frame and its got 33% off at £1999 or just £75 per month on 0% finance over 24 months with a 20% deposit! 

                                       

Brand new it was £3000 and to explain, this bike has been used for the occasional demo ride but is sold with warranty and in 'as new condition'. Come and have a demo ride to see if it could be the bike for you?

What we think....

"If you crave high speeds and rough descents over long single-track days, the Remedy is your ride. Every Remedy gets matched 150mm front/rear travel, a proprietary DRCV shock, and ABP, making it the all-mountain machine for every trail rider looking to go faster, longer"......well, that's what Trek had to say about the remedy last year but recently we had a chance to put the bike to a real test in the snows of the Lake District before Christmas and this is what one of the bears had to say about it..........

"Riding a 6 inch trail bike for the past 18 months I know a thing or two about all mountain bikes and what they are capable of! Having had only had a couple of short rides on the Remedy before I was looking forward to seeing what the bike was capable of in the home of all mountain bike riding....and it was going to be a proper test as this time in the Lakes there was snow on the ground!!

Over three days I would cover 65miles, climb 12500 feet and spend over 16hours in the saddle of the Remedy on a mix of trails from the Altura trail at Whinlatter to the Back of Skiddaw but this is the account of the Saturday Ride on the Borrowdale Bash.

Looking at the weekends forecast anything above 600m was out of bounds as the there was just too much snow so a tour of the Borrowdale Bash was just the thing. After a shortish road ride was a long, long climb up to the village of High Watendlath (.....the clue is in the name!!). This is a good 30min climb up a narrow road, I know, I know it's not singletrack but it was a good first test of a bikes climbing ability. Leaving the rear in pro pedal and locking the front out at its full travel of 150mm the bike climbed just like a hardtail. It felt responsive and energy efficient and I could certainly feel the benefit of the Remedys lightweight design as the climb tightened in places. There was certainly none of the usual bobbing from the rear suspension even though there is no real lockout for the rear (which my back was very grateful of) and I didn't feel the need to wind the travel down on the front at it steered straight and true with none of that anoying torque steer.

Reaching the summit of the climb it was time to get serious and head downwards :) I have ridden this trail before on my normal bike so I khew there was going to be a couple of "moments" on the decent and the snow and ice was going to make it only more interesting! I had no need to worry, the Remedy was every bit as composed on the down as it was capable on the up. The suspension just soaked everything the trail had to through at it. Even the 3 foot square drop off with the icy bottom was easily despatched, and I really appreciated the relaxed head angle of the forks. For 32mm stantions the forks were very composed and I only had to look at a line and the Remedy was on it without having to fight the bike at all.

The trail continued with a steady singletrack climb with a mix of techy squirts and fast rolling hills and the Remedy was very composed. The Snow was making some of the climbs a bit challenging but I could lay none of it at the door of the Remedy. Tyre choice and pressure were more of the problem but dropping the pro-pedal off the rear shock helped a lot as the rear became a lot more responsive to the trail and I could really feel the difference in the settings on the shock.

Again the trail headed down on a more gradual, but none the less challenging descent in to the village of Grange. This one was a fast pedal on a causeway style trail. The snow was hiding a lot of the bigger boulders but having a confidence in the bike allowed me to just concentrate on the line and steer round the largest of obsticles, letting the bike deal with the rest. The bottom of this descent is one of those high-five moments as your on the edge all the way down. Again the relaxed geometry, 150mm travel and stiff frame allow you to just concentrate on the trail without a thought for the bike - just the way it should be.

After another rolling singletrack trail with steeper sections to burn your thighs on, the trail head up again as we climbed to the top of Catbells. With an uncoventional descent off the ridge the trail turned in to a series of steep switchbacks with tight corners. Again the bike coped with it all very well. At slow speeds in the corners the bike was very composed and held its line perfectly, as I knew by now it would be.

With the end of the singletrack all that remained was a fast road ride back into Keswick. Locking it all out the bike was fast on the road and standing out the saddle on the climbs the front just didn't move allowing more power to the rear which is always a good thing when the pub is calling!!

Having spent over three days on the Remedy I can honestly say that it is a very very compotent all mountain bike. Equally composed on a trail centre red/black route to the wilds of the Lake Districts truely natural trails. It is responsive and energy efficent as a climbing bike but even more at home on the descents. Best of all it allows you to tune out from the bike and just concentrate on the trail. This is the best feature that any bike can offer, as only then does it become an extension of the rider."

All in all it's a real joy to ride and if your thinking of buying an all mountain bike then at this price you'd be mad not to get this one!!!

Just call (01751 474220) or email (shop@bigbearbikes.co.uk) to discuss further.

The spec...

Frame  -  Alpha Red Aluminum w/ABP Race, Full Floater, E2 tapered head tube, magnesium EVO Link, oversized pivot bearings, ISCG03 mounts, replaceable derailleur hanger, 150mm travel

Front Suspension  -  Fox 32 Talas RLsteerer, 15QR, 110-130-150mm

Rear Shock  -  Fox Float RP-2 w/proprietary Trek DRCV, Pro Pedal, rebound; 7.75x2.25"

Wheels  -  Bontrager Rhythm Comp Disc wheel system, 6 bolt, tubeless ready

Shifters  -  Shimano Deore XT

Front Derailleur  -  Shimano Deore XT

Rear Derailleur  -  Shimano Deore XT Shadow

Crank  -  Shimano Deore XT 44/32/22

Saddle  -  Bontrager Rhythm

Seat Post  -  Bontrager Rhythm Elite, 31.6mm, 5mm offset

Handlebars  -  Bontrager Race Lite, 25mm rise

Stem  -  Bontrager Rhythm

Headset  -  FSA NO.57E, E2, ACB sealed bearings

Brakeset  -  Avid Elixir R Carbon, hydraulic disc

BBB - Christmas & New Year Opening Times

Christmas Eve          Close @ 13.00pm
Christmas Day         Closed
Boxing Day              Closed
Mon 27th                 Closed
Tue 28th - Thu 30th  Open as usual
Fri 31st                     Close @ 13.00pm
New Years Day        Closed
From Sun 2nd           Open as usual

Big Bear Bikes - Boxing Day Ride, Social and All Day Breakfast!

We have planned a ride on Boxing Day from the Cayley Arms on the A170 in Allerston near Pickering.   So far we will have 12 riders and at least 5 walking. It's a family affair so feel free to bring the other half, kids & dogs.   The plan is to meet at the pub for say 10.30ish (hey, its Boxing Day!) and do a couple of hours (max) ride and a walk for those not riding and then retire to the pub for something to eat as they do a fantastic 'All Boxing Day Breakfast' for about £7.50 and then we can have a few drinks by the fire afterwards.....nice!

If you want to come along either reply to this TONIGHT (david@bigbearbikes.co.uk) and let me know the numbers etc, or ring the pub direct on 01723 859338 and book yourselves in and tell them you're with the mountain bikers.

Looking forwarding to it.
DB & the Bears

Pub website: http://www.cayley-arms.co.uk/

Icy Alternatives..

I kept on road riding through last years’ cold snap and I’m not sure it did me much good to be honest. The physical benefits may have been outweighed by the mental dislike of the conditions which meant that by the time it got warmer I felt like taking a break… bad timing!

At the moment I feel like hibernating as I was not designed for sub zero temperatures. The turbo is a good way to train and so is running but weight training is also beneficial, particularly for those 35 and over. When you hit your mid thirties your strength starts to decline but it can be kept up with specific strength training sessions. On the bike these can be as simple as riding up a hill in a bigger gear than normal and focussing on keeping your body movement to a minimum so all the work is being done by your legs. Running up an incline or stairs is also good.

In the gym there are lots of leg machines and gizmos but comparative testing has shown that free weight, compound leg movements are the most effective at maintaining and building strength. Free weights = not using a machine and compound means a multi-joint exercise e.g. Leg extensions are a single joint exercise and involve the quads only but a squat is a multi-joint exercise as it involves the knee and hip joints.

Multi joint / compound movements are much harder which is why you see so few gym goers doing them!

Top leg exercises: Squats and Deadlifts but you need to know how to do them properly to protect your lower back, but instead of not doing them its better to stick to higher repetitions of these exercises than work on lower reps on machines. If you want to try them but have no idea how to then ask for a qualified coach to show you. Mags like Men’s Health often have instruction on how to do these.

I wont go into all the different types of leg exercises here but if you have any doubt as to the effectiveness and targeting squats have on your major leg muscles then simply try this: lean against a wall with your back (push your chest out and arch your back so you can slide your hand behind your lower back) and lower yourself slowly until your thighs are parallel to the floor. Time how long you can do this for until your legs are screaming at you! This can also be done with one of those large exercise balls between your back and the wall. You can also do reps of these by simply standing and then slowly lowering yourself to parallel.

I really feel a benefit from doing leg exercises, particularly on short steep hills where you need to power up them to maintain your speed. Mph.

Tough Choices for Single-Speeders in 2011...

Choices, choices...  If you like beer and your mountain bike with one gear, both of which we do at BBB then you are spoilt for choice in 2011.


The world champs are in Ireland on the 27th August SSWC 2011 Ireland and the europeans are in Belgium on the 30th April SSEC 2011 Belgium.  There is a UK champs also which is going to be held in the South-East but that's all they are telling us at the moment SSUK 2011!


If you've not done a Single-Speed champs before then this is a must do in the annual calendar.  Its more about the beer and the bikes than the racing - much more!  If you've got room in the celendar for any of these wild weekends away and want some pointers then just drop in or give us all a call.  We hope that some of us will be at all three weekends!


PS.  This week we've sold two single-speeds, both the Trek Marlin which looks superb in the flesh and is a steal at £450 Marlin Single Speed. 

Its great to ride an MTB and not to have bother with gears.  It makes you a better, fitter and stronger rider and there's not much to clean after the ride and even less to service or repair.  They kind of make sense, especially in the winter and if you aren't sure we have demo bikes for you to try. DB

Caffeine - Why do athletes take it?

Caffeine is a legitimate supplement for many athletes, but why do they take it? It is of course a central nervous stimulant, found naturally in coffee, tea, as well as many soda drinks, chocolate and of course those pro-plus tablets! It is often used by athletes as a pre-workout stimulant  and there is general agreement that caffeine can enhance performance in endurance sports. Simply put caffeine enhances the contractility of skeletal and cardiac muscle, and helps metabolise fat, thereby sparing muscle glycogen stores.

To explain this process in more detail needs an understanding of the energy systems involved but the following explanation isn't too tortuous.
However, you do become habituated to it and removing it from a diet heavy in caffeine can frequently lead to caffeine withdrawal symptoms such as headaches. Side effects can include irritability, restlessness, diarrhoea, insomnia, and anxiety.
Glycogen is the principal fuel for muscles and exhaustion occurs when it is depleted. Typically this is after 90 mins of exercise (up to 3 hours for those who train regularly) and if not replaced' this is when people "hit the wall" or "bonk".  A secondary fuel, which is much more abundant, is fat. As long as there is still glycogen available, working muscles can utilize fat. Caffeine mobilizes fat stores and encourages working muscles to use fat as a fuel. This delays the depletion of muscle glycogen. The critical time period in glycogen sparing is reported to occur during the first 15 minutes of exercise, where caffeine has been shown to decrease glycogen utilization by as much as 50%. Glycogen saved at the beginning is thus available during the later stages of exercise and in most experimental studies this meant that the athletes were able to exercise longer until exhaustion occurred.

So there you have it.


So maybe it's time to personally review the daily caffeine uptake! Mands