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Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill

Writings on Riding
This is the place for monthy content from a few of our local members. Here you may find articles about events in the Triangle, interviews with local mountain bike leaders, write ups and editorials. Check back here often for new "news" stories. Want to be a regular contributer? Contact the webmaster at [email protected].

Writings on Riding will no longer be updated on a monthly basis. I will update it as we get new material and news. - Tim

WHEN FEAR WINS
by Tammy Kaufmann
October 2003

Someone once told me that everyone who races downhill gets scared, and I believe that is probably true. However, sometimes there comes a point when fear overtakes desire, and confidence is crippled, paralyzed, beaten down and left at the start gate. That unfortunately is where I have now arrived. For the past several years, downhill racing has defined who I am; it has been my passion, fellow competitors my “family”.

Racing filled the tremendous void left in my soul when I lost my horse to a broken leg 8 years ago, thus separating me from the only life I had known for 35 years – that of the horse-show world. And now, my heart is breaking once again, as I find that I can no longer manage the terror that rises up in me when the beeps start at the top of the course, or force myself to let my bike carry me over the rocks and ruts that make up the trail snaking its way down the side of the mountain. I can no longer hold back the tears when I realize that I am afraid, and timidly walking sections of trail that just a couple of years ago I easily rode, or would at least attempt. Suddenly, I feel the weight of my ever advancing age when I notice how much more I have in common with the parents on the sidelines cheering on their daughters who are competing with me in the races, and I can no longer find the joy.

The excitement has been replaced with embarrassment – I am ashamed of my overwhelming fear despite layers of body armor and long travel bikes, ashamed of my inability to conquer that fear and convert it into the adrenaline needed to tackle the courses. I am defeated because I do not understand what is happening or how to correct it. I want desperately to be able to ride well, and I have tried everything I can think of – clinics, private coaching sessions; I take my bike out all the time and try to just enjoy riding, yet the skills continue to elude me. Rather than improving, I find that I am regressing, becoming more and more hesitant as a rider. Worse, the memories of losing so much of my social connection and lifestyle upon the loss of my horse alarms me with respect to the prospect of losing my downhill racing “family” now that I can no longer participate, and may be relegated to the outsider-looking-in status. At this point, I can only console myself in the hopes that during my time as a downhiller maybe I was able to inspire at least one person to stretch their limits and attempt things they never thought possible, and hopefully to achieve those things. If that is true, then perhaps I will not have failed, no matter where this life’s journey may next lead me.

 

Lume Lighting Strada HID review
October 2003
By Tim Broyer

I love to night ride. If you haven't tried it, you are missing out and I just can't put into words the feeling you get of bombing down a tunnel of darkness with your lights, using your reflexes and instincts to react. TriangleMTB.com picked up a new sponsor this past summer, Lume Lighting out of California. It's a small company who only make lights and darn good ones as far as I can tell.

I'm not going to hide the fact that yes, I did get a set of lights at cost but I'm not going to let it bias my review. Sometimes being the webmaster has its perks. The regular cost is very competitive with other HID systems on the market. In fact, using the TMTB.com purchase code (found on the site), you can purchase a HID system for $265. That's a few Benjamin's less than Night Rider.

I bought the Strada HID with a fast charger. It comes with everything you need, including a helmet mount, bar mount, extension cord, charger, battery mounts, 9.6 volt NiMH battery and Velcro strips. Why don't the competitors include both types of mounts in their lights? At first glance, this stuff is the bomb. It is made from CNC machined 6061 aircraft aluminum and a filament wound composite shell. It looks bullet proof.

My first real test of the Strada HID was the night ride at Uhwarrie this past August. The light performed flawlessly. It was a wet ride with lots of big spiders. I had the HID mounted on my helmet and my trusty old Night Rider Trail Rat on my bars. I turned the Trail Rat off because the Strada put out so much light that the Trail Rat was not adding to it. It turned into my back up light set. I like stuff that you don't have to fool with or constantly pamper to get it to work. I rode the whole night with zero problems and enjoyed the ride. Lume Lighting advertises 3.5 hours of run time but I haven't tested that yet. I rode for two hours and the lights didn't even flinch.

The fast charger is a great benefit and I'm glad I got it. It's not the speed of charging that I was looking for but the plug it in and forget it feature. It won't overcharge your battery. Come back the next morning and the LED indicator say's it's finished.

The one major beef I have with the Strada HID is the helmet mount system. The light is semi-permanently attached to the helmet mount by a screw and sits in a tilt mechanism allowing for easy angle adjustment of the beam. The light and mount are then attached to the helmet via velcro straps. Once you get the helmet on, adjust the angle of the light to suit your position, you are all set and it is solid. It is pretty stiff and might take some doing to get it to budge. What's my complaint? The helmet mount and the light virtually become one piece. During the Shenandoah Mountain 100 ( a race I did in late August), you are required to have lights after checkpoint 5. I had to strap the lights onto the helmet at the aid station and adjust it. I would have preferred to have the mount already on the helmet and just snap the light in (similar to the Night Rider set up). It's a minor complaint, but it cost me a little frustration. The straps holding the mount to the helmet are okay at best. I drilled a couple holes in the mount and zip tied it directly to the helmet. On the flip side, the bar mount is made of machined aluminum with a large, knurled nut to secure it. It works flawlessly. They also supply rubber rings that go around the battery that allow for a pretty good fit to the frame when you Velcro it down. That's a nice touch.

These are good lights. They are tough although a tad heavy. Everything about them is first class (minus the helmet mount). The cables are tough and snap together with a nice tight snap. Lume Lighting has a pretty cool website with all the technical specifications and prices. You can order direct from their website.

These are damn good lights. You can check them out for yourself at the Harris Lake Night Ride series this winter.


 

 

 

 

"Just keep riding your bikes. Make fun of each other, make fun of yourselves. Just keep riding your bike and have a good time." Zap