Successful? Or Bust?

I had been out of mountain biking for 12 years. I played hockey, and did other activities but had not been riding. I recently have had 2 children in the last 4 years and could not continue to pay the large hockey fees and buy the equipment so I was looking for an outlet to get out and do something. To be active and have some fun.

This season is over and I do wish I would have ridden even more but was it a good season? Was it a success?

I have to say yes. I started, again, on a hobby that I enjoy. I was active and was able to start the process of getting my legs and lungs working together on a bike. Yes I had some bad weeks, and some vacation, and even my first big crash, but I am so glad I was able to start mountain biking again. I want to get some rides in this winter still but it will be hard. With trying to keep the kids active and busy while not being able to get outside much it will definitely be a challenge. But as soon as I can I want to start riding in the new year. I want to set a goal of 70 miles a month. I had been trying to do 10 -20 miles a week but would miss a week and get frustrated. I need a more flexible plan.

I really have to thank Airborne Bicycles for putting out a product that I could afford that met my expectations. I knew they had put together a good bike. But until you actually get to ride it and enjoy it everything seems like just a dream. Something out there but without substance. Without a solid bike to ride at a decent price point I would not have started this journey.

And the journey at this stage is the most important part. Getting on the mountain bike, enjoying the thrill of the ride and pushing my limits again. So onward.....

Head over heels

Had a good ride but a interlude of a head over heels crash. Bike is good but I am in some pain. I was really enjoying my time going down the hill. The day was gorgeous and everything seemed so great. I was just out having fun. I am going to be riding this circle as my circuit. It is 6.2 miles with some good climbing and some fun singletrack heading down. I did find out though that when you are tired you make little mistakes.

I made one little error. I was not going fast but I was tired. Fatigued from the climb up the hill and should have slowed down even a little more. I came up to a right hand with a little rock and then a good sized drop. Instead of prepping for the drop and unweighting the bike so I could settle it on the drop and ride out I just rode through. The rock did just enough to slide the front tire a little and then the back tire hit the rock which made my momentum go even more forward. I keep playing that back over and over in my mind. I still feel like I should have been able to ride that out but nope, my momentum carried me over the bars. Took the impact with my hands and then ate the track up with my face and chest. OUCH. This is the first crash that I have ever had that hurt me more then me just hurting my pride.

This was the path to my demise! Yes this was the top of the hill and made for such a nice view. The weather was great and I was happy to be on the bike again. I have not been as faithful to riding as I should have. And now I have paid the price. Now I have a sprained wrist and elbow. So I have to made sure I have the stamina and am pain free before I try this ride again. But oh what fun it was until my experience of flying into the side of the hill.

I had to grab a parting shot of the sunset. Some beauty while I was in pain heading down the hill to rest up and heal for some more adventures.

Time Z Mountain Bike Pedal Review

I have to say I was excited when I saw these pedals for the price. I wanted something I could throw on the bike that I could use my MTB shoes and be able to clip in right away but also be able to jump on the bike and go on a ride with my son.

These pedals were exactly what I was looking for. They have a good clip in system that is similar the the Shimano SPD's I rode with before but they give a great platform for a quick run to the store or a leisure bike ride with my 3 yr old.

I have ridden around 120 miles on these pedals now and am very happy with how well they have behaved. There has not been one problem and I have used em for some big crazy climbs and descents, as well as just jumping around while on a nice ride with my boy.

Where to Buy
I am riding on an Airborne Guardian 29er and these are a great compliment to a budget friendly ride.

You can see my review of the bike here.

I give these a 10/10 for price, performance, looks, and feel.

Lovely evening for a ride

I was able to get out and get a good ride in. I have not been as good about prioritizing riding and I need to get out and continue to ride more. I am feeling the effects more this morning because I have not been as consistent as I would like. I found a little singletrack that was a fun ride. It is really bumpy though but was good to enjoy the trail.

I want to find a good circuit and I think I can include this singletrack on the way home. I can head around on the larger trail and pick this up to finish the ride. So that is my goal. Get this done as a big circuit and then ride it so I can start improving my times.

 This panorama shot shows a big curve. Comes down from the right and continues down the ridge looking over the town of Concord.

There was a fire on the other side of the hills, they had started to get it contained by the time I was out riding. Every time I get out riding I enjoy it and feel better about getting out but then it seems like I want to keep getting out but then life rears its ugly head and just seems to put lots of obstacles in my way.
Fire in the distance

Sunset Ride

 Had a nice 5.7 mile ride, finally, after getting moved and settled. We just moved in town as the rent was going up we found a better place for a better price. Was some work and took away from me being able to get some ride time in. I need to make up for my lack of riding. So I plan to go out a couple more times this week. It has been really hot here in NorCal the last week so I
waited for the end of the day to get
 my ride in and I was so surprised
 by the beauty I found.

 Its hard to see in the picture to the left but there were three deer that were looking at me as I started back home. I did some digital zoom work just to show them on the ridge(two pictures above). It was fun to see them out eating and enjoying the evening as I was.

I need to find a good circuit or route now from my new place to see how I am improving my riding and fitness. I am closer to some decent riding so that shouldn't be to hard.

I also had another great ride with my little guy. We rode 2.2 miles broken up half way by a Jamba Juice stop. Was a little slow at times and I am having to work on him to use the brakes rather than his shoes but he is riding so well. I cant wait to move him up to a bigger bike. He is such a champ!

Moved.....uhg

So have not been able to ride for a little over a week because of packing and moving. But our new place is in a better neighborhood and is closer to some trails.

Two positives.

So this week I have to get out to ride and make up for the last week. Hope to get some good pictures, and some great rides in.

Longest ride, fun ride

 This is my ride. A 18" Airborne Guardian. I bought this bike to get back into doing something outdoors and active so I can have more energy with my wonderful two kids. I have been trying to get in at least 10 miles a week and have been enjoying my new bike and my rekindled love of mountain biking.

I have been riding around 9 miles on a nice little loop plus another ride of a couple miles each week. This week I wanted to go further. I didnt get too much further then a thought, but it is progress. I pushed it to 10.4 miles. It was 90 degrees and baking with little shade to ride in.

Luckily I had my new hydration pack with me. I just bought a High Sierra pack for $25.00 from Costco.

Similar Product

This worked great as it kept the water cool and helped keep me hydrated. I would recommend a hydration pack as it allowed me to more easily drink on the go yet kept the water nice and cool. Very happy to have found one for so cheap.



Everything around is now shades of brown. I really wish I lived in an area that still had some lush greens. But luckily I have many places to ride and enjoy. Glad I did 10 miles. See if I can improve on that next week.

What goes up must come down.

Took a quick ride up at Briones. I really like the ride except you just climb, climb and then climb. So there are really no good breaks between getting up to the top and then heading back down. I will be coming here again though and working out some of their larger loops. But I needed more water then the bottle I had with me.

The view from up here was gorgeous though, looking out over the bay that is the Sacramento River Delta was great and I can't wait for the weekend to get back up here and do it all over again.

Riding is good

I have a nice little 8.83 mile loop I do from my house that has a few climbs and just a little bit of fun stuff. I have been doing this as a measurement to how well I am doing getting back into mountain biking and getting the legs and lungs working. I have been using Endomondo but am looking for other options that might be better. Looking at Strava and a couple others.

I rode to work last week because of some crazy work I had to get done over the weekend and then this week I did my loop again. I feel like I am back on track after the vacation being away from my Guardian.

So now my plan is to start doing some more exploring. I am going to go ride Briones, it is an area we have gone hiking numerous times, and have been looking forward to riding there. Part of this whole journey is making sure I am still having fun and improving my riding. And soon I will be heading up to Rockville. I have wanted my legs and lungs to be in better working shape when I head up there because of it being a ways to drive. I want to really enjoy the singletrack and more technical riding. I have always enjoyed the twisties and technical aspects of riding, where to weight the pedals. How to balance weight between the two contact points for the best traction to get over the obstacle or around the corner.

So I am getting into a groove and getting in 10 miles a week, but feel like I need to step that up and try and make sure I get 15 miles in each week. I continually want to progress as a rider but also really improve my fitness as I want to be a good example to my kids.

My son is really killing it on his 12" I need to keep raising the training wheels so he has to balance more and more. Going riding with him at least once a week now around the neighborhood or to the park. Now that is a great time on the bike!

2 Weeks of Vacation, bad for riding

I really, REALLY need to get a tow hitch and bike rack.

Taking my bike, my wife's bike, and my sons bike will need a rack. I am looking into getting a hitch with a Yakima or Thule bike rack as I have really liked their strap and mount systems.

I was on the bike last week for a 3.8 mile ride and an 8.8 mile ride. They really wore me out though after being away from riding after just 2 weeks. I was very surprised at the difference and am even more convinced I need to keep up with riding at the least 10 miles a week. After this riding season I want to really think about a goal for next year. Thinking around the 600 to 800 miles of off road riding. Will have to evaluate after I see how many miles I get in this year.

I hope to get up into the 400-500 mile range this year but that will include some on road rides. What I have also noticed is it is harder to get out and ride when you have wonderful children. I want to get home and spend time with them, but I also need to get out and ride. And so that is why the consistency needs to be there. Balance between riding for health and psychological well being and having enough time to work, and need some really good family time.

So Vacation was good, and now back to getting on the trails.

Best Ride EVER

Rode to the park with my son!

Now as I say rode, it was more like walk, push while in saddle, and just having my bike with me.....

BUT! This is the reason I bought my new Guardian and have been trying to get my little guy excited about riding. We started him on a balance bike and he picked that up so fast. His transition to a pedal bike has taken some time. He wants to push, although he does love to brake. Getting that back tire to skid is an obsession of his.

The fun was getting him motivated so having him ride to the park was motivation enough. Getting him home again, now that was a chore. He did not want to leave the fun of the park.

Oh the adventures we are going to have!

I do have to say on the way back from the park my little guy was doing so much better. I had more saddle time and was working on my slow balance skills. Like I said, BEST RIDE EVER!

I miss my Airborne

On vacation for a couple weeks and I am missing my bike. We went up north to the Portland, OR area and have been having a great time. There is so much amazing nature to be seen. I wish I had the bike up here but dont know when I would be able to ride because we have just been busy doing family hikes and sight seeing.

 This is Mount Shasta. HUGE, 13 thousand and some odd feet tall. Such a majestic and amazing mount.

 Then the iconic Mount Hood. This is where I learned to ski and then snowboard. There are so many places around Hood and the Columbia Gorge to hike and camp. I am sure I could find some great trails to bike around here.

 Crown Point sits at the entrance to the gorge, and just a sight to behold. The drive up there is fun too. This is looking east into the mouth of the gorge. Up further near Hood River is one of the world's best places for wind surfing.

 Multnomah Falls. 532 feet of water dropping. Gorgeous at any time of the year. Always love going here and hiking.

Finally the most active mountain in the Cascade range. Mount Saint Helens. Was fun showing my kids the power of mother nature. My son was amazed and he remembers the volcano. Such a great  trip and soon to be headed back to NorCal and back to riding. It has been great to have some time off but I am missing my riding.

The grasses of Norcal

I am really enjoying riding this area. This is the second time over by the Old Borges Ranch. The grasses are so brown now and its only the beginning of summer. I miss the beautiful greens but am still happy to get out and ride.

 

 This area has some punishing hills, but they are not so steep that you cant ride up em. There was two climbs on my route that had 300ft of elevation change. The day was perfect though, clear skies right around 80 degrees.

 All day I was seeing these birds of prey. The area has a number of ground squirrels and so these birds were soaring looking for a little meal. Amazing to see such great sites while out for a little ride. Considering I am on the outskirts of such a huge Metropolitan area as San Francisco. Below here its hard to see but that is the 680 and 24 exchange. So only a few miles from thousands of cars and yet I feel like I am out in the wilderness.

This picture really gives the scale of the hills here. The washout provided a great natural kickstand, showing off that nice Airborne Guardian. There are some good climbs and great downhills. The trails here are all 8 feet wide though there are a couple single-tracks that are for hiking and horseback riding. Dont understand why bikes are not allowed. I poach a little bit but have to be careful not to upset the hikers or equestrian type people.

There is a great place to ride about 20 mins north of where I live that has a network of single-track(meant specifically for Mountain Biking) and I will be heading up there, but I am still exploring the rides close by. There is so much trail here that I can make different routes and ride varying trails so it keeps things exciting.

I love it when a plan comes together.

A good 9 mile ride in the books. I have been feeling like I need to get some stamina back in the legs and get the lungs working again so this was more of a training ride then finding good places to get the bike out there and see what I can do.

I could have tried to get a gym membership and kept on going to the gym every now and then. I could have paid more for hockey each session and had a blast. But I am very happy that I was able to find a bike that I am riding. I love the fact that at this point I am the limiting factor. The bike will do what I need of it.

After being away from biking for a while I have rekindled my passion for getting in the saddle. I am working on  getting a good cadence, and feeling in rhythm.  Each ride feels better and my legs and lungs allow me to keep riding and I have more and more fun.

So finally after figuring out that I wanted a new bike, going through a process of what to buy and now working my self back into riding, now I am seeing that the initial step of saying yes I want to mountain bike again was such a good plan. I am now feeling better, and seeing how awesome I feel after a good ride. Now I have to get my son working up on his 12 inch specialized so that we can start going out for little rides together.

4.5 Miles and then a flat

I was thinking about changing out my front tube but was wanting to get some money out of the stock tube. Well after another wonderful thorn I am now running both tubes with slime and should not have to stop a ride due to a wonderful thorn.

I called my wife to come pick me up as I was about 2 miles away from home when I ran out of air. My wonderful little son kept saying, "we are going to save daddy!" My little hero.

I am feeling more and more comfortable on this bike. I am loving the 29er and would suggest to anyone to try one out. I was really hoping to pump out another good 7-8 mile ride but was stuck with the flat. Just have to make it up later this week.

I am thinking about picking up a CO2 Cartridge and Inflater. I guess I could just carry around a pump then I wouldn't have to worry about cartridges. Not sure which way to go. Probably I'll just grab a pump for sustainability versus having to discard and buy new cartridges. Any thoughts and ideas I would really appreciate it.

Airborne Guardian Review

Review Post - After 1 year


I feel that finally after almost 40 miles of riding on this bike I can give it a good review. I have rode around town with the family, and have done some good off-road riding on my own to break it in.

Frame	6061 Hydroformed Aluminum Hardtail 29"
Fork	RockShox XC28 TK Mg29 with Preload Adjust, Rebound Adjust and Lock-Out, 80mm
Headset	Ahead Sealed Cartridge 1 1/8"
Brake Levers	Tektro Auriga Comp
Brakes	Tektro Auriga Comp Hydraulic Disc
Rotors	Tektro 160mm Rotor
Shifters	SRAM X-5 Trigger 9-Speed
F Derailleur	SRAM X3
R Derailleur	SRAM X5 9speed Long Cage
Cassette	SRAM PG-950 12-34T 9-Speed
Chain	KMC X-9
Crank	Truvative E400 22-32-42T
Bottom Bracket	Powerspline Sealed Cartridge
Pedals	NONE
Rims	Weinmann Disc Bull Double-Walled with Eyelets, 32H
Hubs	KT HiFlange 32H
Spokes	Black 14g Stainless
Tires	KENDA Small Block 8, 2.1"
Handlebar	AIRBORNE Alloy Flat, 640mm width
Stem	AIRBORNE Alloy +/- 7 Degree Rise, size specific
Saddle	Selle San Marco SPID White/Black
Seat Post	AIRBORNE Alloy 31.6mm Diameter, 350mm Length
Extras	Owner's Manual, Clear Coat, H20 Bottle Mounts

This comes straight from the Airborne Website. Go to Airborne Here

First off the frame. I look at how the welds are lined up(almost artistic, which also means they are a good bond). The frame looks rock solid and feels rigid. My guess is this frame will last me a long time and that is always a good thing on a mountain bike. Change the components, break some stuff, and just keep on riding. Airborne has a lifetime warranty on the frame and that makes me happy knowing I can ride without worry that I am not going to have to buy a new bike any time soon. Frame 10/10

Fork:
The Rockshox delivers some great absorption, I rode a rigid Trek 950 for years and so moving to a front suspension takes a little getting used to but I can feel the front end is planted and connected. It eats up the little bumps and makes riding that much easier. When I break down and upgrade I'll then do a comparison but as for first fork I am impressed. I can pick a line and stick to it without hopping off a rock or jostling from a rough trail. This fork gives my riding confidence. I did play around with the rebound adjust and am glad I can lock it out if needed. Those were some features I was looking for when I bought this 29er. I know there are better shocks out there but for this price point I am happy. 9/10 (ignorance in not knowing better)

Headset: No complaints here. Allows the bars to control the wheel and the shock to work well. Smooth. 10/10

Brake Levers: I have never been real picky about small or large levers. I have large hands and am able to adjust my grip placement quite easilty.  The levers are on the longer side so if I were to actually care I would get shorter levers. They work well in the fact that I can grab hard and lock up the brakes or modulate for just the right amount to slow or scrub some speed. 9/10

Brakes: I have gone down some very steep descents and been able to control the bike and felt comfortable doing it. These have been really steep short hills and longer higher speed bumpy hills. These are the first disc brakes I have ridden hard, but I would say right now there is no need to pay more. The ability to lock up the wheel or modulate the brake pressure is there. I am at the point now where my cables have stretched and I need to tighten them but so far nothing but perfection from these. A huge upgrade from cantilever or v-brakes. 10/10

Rotor: Goes with the brakes, no problems with these. I have yet to try em really muddy or wet so I can not yet comment on that. 10/10

Shifters: I am still learning these even after 36 miles. I really liked my rapid fires and its taking just a little getting used to making my thumbs to both up and down shifting. They fire quickly and the pressure you need to shift is a good "feel." Not too hard, yet crisp so you know you made a shift. A nice audible click as well to complete the feedback. 8/10

F Derailleur: This and the crank would probably be my least favorite parts on the bike. Nothing really against them except at some point I will probably change these out. They work fine and I have no real problems its just that I would rather have a 2x10 or 2x9 set up. I hardly every use another gear other then the middle front rung. The front derailleur is a little slow in shifting and I did have to adjust it out of the box because the chain dropped down onto the BB housing. 5/10

R Derailleur: No problems at all, shifts very crisp. I probably wont ever touch it unless I wear it out. Perfect shifting out of the box and no problems missing a shift after 40 miles. 10/10

Crank: As far as the crank working it is wonderful. Power goes hard to the chain and rear tire and I dont feel like I am losing anything as I pedal. One big problem that has yet to be remedied is that I am missing a spacer on the right side of the BB. So I am able to power the crank enough to hit the rear frame, only about a mm or less of a gap right now. I have contacted Airborne and they said they would get the part out to me, yet I am still waiting so I can get that on my bike. As far as cranks go I can not complain, seems light and responsive. 9/10

Bottom Bracket: As with bottom brackets I usually wear them out. This one feels smooth and tight. I wonder if it will still feel that way after a few hundred miles. No problems with the BB. As with all bottom brackets its really how long they last. 8/10

Rims: I like these rims. They look great on the bike, and roll really good. Maybe this is just the difference in 26 to 29 inch diameters? Not quite sure but I changed out the factory tube for a slime after some thorns gave me a leak. Easy to change out, a little heavy but love how they roll and ride. 8/10

Hubs: At of the box I have had no problems. Again there are probably better nubs but the bike rolls great. It climbs well and descends like a champ. 9/10

Spokes: If only I had magnesium composite light as air spokes on a $600 bike......(what can you really say about spokes?)

Tires: These tires are very cross country tires. I have always liked very aggressive tires and these are far from aggressive. They give adequate grip, but I have spun them out on a hard-pack climb. More likely technique then tire grip. So I cant knock these tires in how they perform. Its more likely just personal taste of why I will change them. They have done an admiral job of getting me out and riding without any problems. 8/10

Handlebar: If I can turn, climb, descend, and go in a straight line then to me the bars have done their job. Just like the brake levers I am not very picky and my preference is is actually a straight bar so I really like these. I will probably add some bar ends just for comfort but have been happy with position and style of these bars. 10/10

Stem: Fits the bike well, looks good! I feel like the bars are in a great position for riding and so the the stem works for me. Again the price point of this bike means there are better stems out there but I don't think this would be something I will change because it works great as is. 10/10

Saddle: I enjoy this saddle. I love the look and I found it to be pretty comfortable for the shorter rides I have done. Not sure I am ready for a long journey on this saddle yet but I think it works great on this bike. Looks phenomenal and is a good place to sit for a good ride. 10/10

Seat Post: Love the white post and it feels really solid and yet pretty light. I did have a creak in either the seat post or the saddle but a little grease on the post and screws fixed it really fast. 10/10

153/180 or 8.5/10

This review is completely my opinion. I am not an employee or have any affiliation with Airborne Bicycles as I have written this review. I am reviewing this for the price point of $600 and know that there are lots of better parts that could go on this bike. If you added those better, lighter parts you would increase the price and then the bike would not be affordable to me or many others.

In high school I rode a Trek 950. I still have it! I rode many miles with that bike and beat it up over the years. I am now in my 30's and wanted to get back into riding so I can teach my son and daughter about the wonderful sport of Mountain Biking. While on the 950 I taught mountain biking to summer campers and we rode a ton. I have never raced but really enjoy the technical riding aspect of singletrack with some tight corners, rocks, roots and what many other obstacles that can be thrown at a mtb rider.

Hope you come back for more adventures as I get back into the sport and enjoy my rides.

Old Borges Ranch RIde

This was a great place to ride. Still quite a lot of elevation change, 260 ft of it. This ride wasn't just go to the top and then fly down. You do climb right off the bat and then get into the meat of the ride.

 The first ridge you see here is actually what I climbed and then the fun decent during the last ride. You start in the valley on the opposite side which is where a creek bed lies. The hills in the background are those lush green hills which are already browning this early in late spring.

Late afternoon ride after work, this is about a third of the way up the hill as I was trying to get a decent sun bloom shot but didn't quite work out.

 

 Looking south east during the ride this is such a great view. What a great place to be able to ride! Glad I love exploring, but I am sure I will be visiting this place and getting some good riding in all summer long. This is in the East Bay Area in Northern California. Berkeley and Oakland are on the other side of those hills with San Francisco past them. Yet up here I feel like I am away from all the crazy population.

A few shots of the Airborne Guardian and the singletrack.

 Showing Mount Diablo looming over my riding area.

After the ride a parting shot of the trail.

So far the 29er is doing a good job of keeping me riding. I did have to break out the grease and take care of a creak in either the seat rails or the seat post. 

I am really loving the hydraulic disc brakes. They are a large upgrade from my previous Trek 950 and I have been confident in my ability to scrub speed or control the bike on some steep transitions. Overall I have positive things to say about the Guardian. For only $600 the bike has been a great purchase for me to get out and ride.

Castle Rock Park Ride

 A good 4+ mile ride with about 400+ ft of elevation to climb. Some of it incredibly steep! Hard to even walk up, but hella fun to ride down.

The trail for the most part was pretty wide, but there were a few singletrack sections. This one was a little fun because of the drop off to the left.

As you were going down the singletrack this was the view to the left. This is the best time of the year as everything is green. I'll ride here again in a week, or so and everything will be yellowish and golden.

This rock was where the elevation started to change. I rode along the valley for about 8/10ths of a mile and then things started to get fun. The trail is not very technical to ride, there were some washouts from the rain and some big flat rocks to navigate around. Easy enough for those just starting out, but very challenging with the climb.

I was trying to show the change in elevation. This part though was very timid compared to some of the sections of the trail. The right is the trail where I came from and on the left is the trail that keeps going up.

These are the foothills of Mount Diablo. I have heard that Mount Diablo is one of two spots that you can see  such an incredible distance. The surrounding land is all flat farm land. You can see the Golden Gate Bridge and all the way to the Mountains surrounding Tahoe. The rock formations were fun to look at as I caught my breath.

If you look in the bottom center of this pic    ^    that is the trail I rode to the big rock which then I started the huge climb. But wow this had a great view. I was lucky enough to frame it with my bike. Didnt know it would turn out to be such a good shot.

This last pick is of Mount Diablo, but it also shows how steep the path drops off down and to the left. The 29er Guardian does climb incredibly well. I am starting to get some of my riding habits back and the legs are working a little better. I cant wait to keep exploring as there are more trails in this park and a few other parks close by that I can get to and ride. Ah what a journey I have begun....