TRAILGRAMS
“Trailgrams” tip of the month:
Rear tires wear out about twice as fast
as front tires. To get the best bang for the
buck, when your rear one wears out, simply move the front to the back and buy a
new front. That’s where the traction is most
needed anyway.
GOOD ADVICE
Desperately needed: an article on trail
etiquette. Because of all the new trails in
Moab, more mountain bikers than ever are
showing up here. It’s so surprising that otherwise good riders would be clueless about
trail etiquette. Here are some suggestions:
1) Stay on the trail—always. Don’t ride off
trail to pass someone. Those tracks are
ugly and last forever in the desert. 2) If you
need to let someone pass, stop with both
wheels on the edge of the trail, put one
foot off the trail and lean the bike to let the
other rider pass. 3) If you are riding downhill (any downhill), you must yield to an
uphill rider. The trails can be busy, and this
is the set-in-stone rule to eliminate conflict.
Yield to the uphill rider by leaning the bike
out of the way (#2). Please help with this
problem. Things are getting ugly out there.
Bruce Condie
Via Facebook A NOTE FOR THE E-BIKERS OUT THERE
I’m a NICA head coach. I ride and race with one leg. It got harder to train the riders riding with one leg, so last year CAF got me this MTB electric bike. It helped tremendously!
I was able to really push the riders. One drawback is that the battery pack is really heavy,
and bike handling is a real workout.
Coach Frank Garduno
Via Facebook
THE MOTOR KEEPS ON RUNNING
It was pretty inspiring to see legend
Tinker Juarez in pictures taken 20 years
apart, pedaling in a modern Sho-Air advertisement on page 137, and then in your
flashback race picture on the next page.
But I must know, was it coincidence? ❏
Andrew Dhulst
Portland, Oregon
Yes, it was.
STICKER-SHOCK ISSUE KEEPS ON GOING
After reading the last issue’s letters, I couldn’t help but write in. So many people write
in regarding the price of a new mountain bike. I agree, but I also don’t want to read a
magazine that’s just made up of cheapie bikes. I don’t buy a car magazine to read about
Honda Civics and Toyota Corollas. Additionally, most of the top-end bikes tested in the
magazine have less expensive versions that have much of the same technology with a
more affordable price tag. I would like to see some more shootouts in the middle price
range, but when it comes to testing the new bikes, it’s cool to read about the “Ferraris
and Porsches” of our sport rather than only the ones I can afford.
Jason Tierney
San Francisco, California