Tour Divide 2015 Grand Depart

When you wake up for the next 3 or 4 weeks there is going to be a group of bike riders heading south towards the Mexico/USA border and another crew heading east towards the Virginia coast.

Steve is up in Banff (well actually headed out as I type this) hanging out with fellow riders and doing some easy pre-rides and providing us with some cool photos in the meantime.  That is how these types of rides go - you find an individual or two and end up sharing stories, misery and smiles for the next 3 weeks.

As you can see in the above photo, Scott has made it to Montana and seems to be finding his riding zone because he is smiling!

That is how I met Scott - we rode together in the TransIowa 3 years ago for roughly 200 miles and you just connect with people in that situation.  I have ridden with guys that I met only because of a common drive and still keep in touch with them - that is the cool thing about cycling long distances - meeting like minded individuals!

http://trackleaders.com/transam15

This is the link for the Trans-America tracker

http://trackleaders.com/tourdivide15

This is the link for the Tour Divide tracker

Keep an eye out on them, send them some good thoughts through their individual page, and go out and ride your bike this weekend!

If you need any information on bikes or gearing that will carry you across one of these challenging race tracks, stop by the shop.  We are open from 10-6 today and tomorrow!

Summer Sale is starting soon!

Specialized 60 Day Challenge is going on - sign up and earn a chance to win some cool prizes.

Don't forget to sign up for the National Bike Challenge.

Want to race that Mountain Bike.  Wednesday Night Single Track Racing at Sprague Brook Registration is open.  There are still 3 races remaining!  It was a great time with many new faces trying it out - so don't be afraid to try something new!

Tom's Pro Bike

3687 Walden Avenue
Lancaster, NY 14086
(716) 651-9995

Tour Divide Race Bikes - SURLY ECR

We have been discussing bikes that are capable of cross 'Merica from Oregon to Virginia on the road this week, but today we switch gears.  Friday is the start of the Tour Divide which carries bikers from Banff, Alberta to the Mexico boarder town of Antelope Wells, NM.  They cross the Continental Divide numerous times, ride through desert high country, camp in bear country, and have memories for a lifetime.  Today we are discussing the newly released Surly ECR:

Attention bike camp/exploration nerds! Are you sitting down? Behold ECR. ECR is a sure-footed, multi-terrain, offroad-obsessed 29+ camp bike. It’s something of a lovechild borne of our Krampus, Ogre and Long Haul Trucker.

Like the Ogre, ECR can run racks, fenders and disc brakes simultaneously, front and rear. It’s compatible with singlespeed, full derailleur and IGH drivetrains (it even features a dedicated Rohloff torque arm mount) because the rear dropouts are just like those on our Ogre and Troll frames. Run what you like. ECR has multiple mounts on the frame and fork for water bottle cages and larger gear cages, so you can bring lots of water, stove fuel, milk, a sleeping pad, small mammals or what have you.

It takes standard 34mm headsets and regular mountain bike hubs (100mm front and 135mm rear). It’s designed for full length housing to keep out the elements and keep brakes braking and shifters shifting on long treks in rough conditions. The rigid fork can be swapped out for an 80mm suspension fork if you like, but this would mean you’d lose the extra carrying capacity of the stock fork, and you couldn’t run a 3” tire and 50mm rim.

That last point is something to seriously ponder. ECR is of the 29+ category, a name we made up when we introduced the Krampus. 29+ means more width, more height, more traction, more cushion and more float than standard 29ers. The approach angle of such big tires (close to 31˝) combined with the extra traction and float of high volume, low weight rubber make this bike extremely capable of going lots of places, from roads to trails to little-traveled back country. While the ECR borrows from Ogre, Krampus and even the Long Haul Trucker, its ride quality and capabilities are unique. It’s a pack mule, a pedal-powered escape pod. Wherever you want to explore, this is the bike that can get you there.

If you are interested in learning more about this bike stop by the shop today from 10-8.  We can discuss storage options for carrying gear on the trail, gears that would work carrying you up and over multiple Continental Divide crossings, and something that would bring you south to the Mexico boarder with style and comfort.

Summer Sale is starting soon!

Specialized 60 Day Challenge is going on - sign up and earn a chance to win some cool prizes.

Don't forget to sign up for the National Bike Challenge.

Want to race that Mountain Bike.  Wednesday Night Single Track Racing at Sprague Brook Registration is open.  There are still 3 races remaining!  It was a great time with many new faces trying it out - so don't be afraid to try something new!

Tom's Pro Bike

3687 Walden Avenue
Lancaster, NY 14086
(716) 651-9995
email: tom@tomsprobike.com