CamelBak Tip

If you use a CamelBak, you know the thumb breaking struggle to get the "cap" screwed on and off of the reservoir. Sometimes, I think it's never coming off again. I started using olive oil or canola oil on the o-ring and what a difference. I just put a little bit on my finger and coat the o-ring with a small amount and Shazam, it threads on and off much easier. Hydrate or die!

What a place for a demo day

Super Six

Today and tomorrow from 11am-4pm Cannondale is having a dirt/road demo day down at the American River confluence in Auburn. I plan on hitting the event tomorrow and test riding a new, full carbon Super Six road bike. If my instincts are correct, based on how well my full carbon Taurine rides, I think they should rename this bike the Super Sic! Come see all the new Cannondales and enjoy the beautiful American River. See you there, hopefully! AMO

The greatest rig ever?!

Could there be the best bike ever made? For each person it's a different rig huh? I've found mine, I think. I just recently got my hands on a 2008 Cannondale Team Taurine. This is Cannondale's flagship hardtail. The steed I'm coming off of is a 2002 Cannondale F900 with a CAAD 5 frame and the lastest Headshok with 80mm of travel, damping control and lock-out. With the exception of the size, it's an 18 inch (med) which is a little small for me, I didn't think another hardtail could really ride any better. Boy howdy......................was I wrong! If your not familiar with Cannondale bicycles, the CAAD 5 is a full aluminum frame and fork, the Taurine is a full carbon fiber frame with mostly carbon fiber in the fork too. The fork, or should I say strut, is a Lefty with 110mm of travel, the plushest travel you can get. I also got this rig in a large frame size, which is close to a 20 inch, or a 19.5 inch with a 1/2 inch longer reach to the handlebars. This is a bike I sit in, not on! My 02' Dale was just over 24 pounds, and the 08' Dale is just over 20 pounds. It's lighter than my road bike! The best way to describe this Taurine is, it rides like a road bike, off road. It is truly amazing. The carbon, I'm guessing, takes the top off the bumps, and the Lefty soaks up every bump from big to small with laser precision steering. I'm beside myself with the accuracy of the Sram XO shifting and how quick the chain moves flawlessly from cog to cog and chainring to chainring. Don't get me started on the Cannondale Si Carbon Crankset........................DANG! They even eliminated the female side of the chainring fixing bolts and have the male side thread directly into the small chainring, brilliant! The bike shines the most when you get out of the saddle to climb. There is not one ounce of energy that isn't transferred to the rear wheel and to the tire where it meets the dirt. In the words of the great Macky Packy, "The bike actually leaps off the ground, forward, every pedal stroke". Here's my final thought for this bike. If more people rode a bike like this, more people would ride bikes. Now get out and turn those pedals!