How to: Install RWC Needle Bearing Kit
I'm pretty nit-picky about my bikes and any noise, whether creaking BB, headsets, or drivetrains really bug me. So naturally I was upset when my shiny new SC Hightower LT developed an audible clunk. A quick search online on how to diagnose "strange noises" yields about a thousand different possibilities, so the only thing to do was to try to systematically isolate the issue myself. The headset and dropper post were pretty easy to rule out by performing the normal tests. Then,
How to: Affordable Water Bottle / Cage Setup for Full Suspension Bikes
My local go to loop is in Fullerton, CA. It's just over 11 miles with about 1100ft of climbing and I can get in a full loop in about an hour. By locals, it's just called "Fullerton Loop," or "Floop" for short. Best of all, it's in my backyard so there's no need to drive anywhere. This also means that a hydration pack feels like overkill, and that a water bottle would be enough to do a quick lap and still keep hydrated. The thing is there's about a thousand different bottle op
New Bike Day: 2018 Santa Cruz Hightower LT
I've been a fan of Santa Cruz bikes since I worked as a bike shop mechanic in the late 90's. But the idea of owning one (as a high school kid) never seemed like a reality. At that time spending $2,000 or more on a bike seemed crazy to me (although in 2019 it seems like a steal, with modern bike price tags easily exceeding $10,000). So at 16 years old, I took advantage of my employee discount and bought more reasonable bike. A 1999 GT XCR3000 was my first full suspension bike.
