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Letter of the Month
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Dear MBT:
Why in the world aren’t there any mountain biking video games? It seems like there should be.
Jeff Alagar
Jeff:
Indeed it is difficult to imagine a more worthy subject matter for pounding pixels than that of our own sport. Especially considering that racing games in general (particularly off-road racing) sell very well. With the popularity and capabilities of today’s game consoles, there is near limitless opportunity for brand licensing, course editing, and online competition. Even more convincing is the simple fact that mountain biking hovers on the edge of the “extreme sports” genre as well as the off-road racing niche which could easily place it in the running with such long standing franchises as Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater or Dave Mirra BMX.
We should point out, however, that suggesting there are no mountain biking video games is inaccurate. While there may be no new entries for the current generation of game consoles, there are three titles that come to mind released in recent years on past systems: No Fear Downhill Mountain Bike Racing for the Sony Playstation and Downhill Domination and Mountain Bike Adrenalin both for the PS2.
We still play both of the PS2 entries around here and recommend Downhill Domination for its fantastic racing action and Mountain Bike Adrenalin for its technical nature. Thanks to sites like eBay, all of these titles can be had for next to nothing. Finally, to see our full review of Mountain Bike Adrenalin, click here.
www.mountainbiketales.com
For making us think, we’re going to send you a $20 gift certificate to spend at Evomo. Go get yourself a kick ass shirt, and send us a snapshot of you rocking it out: www.evomo.com/
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Welcome to but another edition of ASK MBT where our editors tackle your pressing questions in effort to earn their keep. For whatever reason, our inbox has been filled with nearly as many comments as questions so we’ve decided to sprinkle these in with the usual Q&A (because, after all, Tell MBT isn’t nearly as catchy a column name).
Without further ado:
Dear MBT:
I’ve noticed the economy has a lot of people cutting down on unnecessary spending. I bring up the obvious because I was recently doing some shopping for a unique bike and came upon the Jones Steel singlespeed. The oversized tires and strange curves had me convinced that I had found my next purchase. That is until I saw the sticker: $4300 for the rigid steel frame alone? I mean come on, how about a little mercy on us working stiffs? I understand that there is a cost associated with being unique but if this is the way of the American business model, no wonder our economy is in the tank. Okay, rant over now. Carry on.
Adam Shoop
Adam,
Your rant was solid enough to stir our own resident “ranter”, CG, into coherence. He adds that should you ever feel like becoming a protégée, he’s always wanted to be a mentor. That terrifying mental image aside, we understand your frustration. Sometimes the concept of stirring up the economy with a little impulse purchase gets squashed by the realities of domestic labor costs, raw materials, distributor cuts, and so on. In the case with the Jones, keep in mind that company founder Jeff Jones isn’t forced to play by any of the rules of the mass-produced big label bike makers and hence falls neatly into that rare niche where each frame produced is basically a one-off work of art. As such, expect to pay a premium for having the only one of something not simply on your block but perhaps in your entire state.
Dear MBT:
Just thought your readers would benefit from a little tip I discovered accidentally on the first mile of a day in Moab without a patch kit. If you happen to be rolling tubeless and hear the telltale hiss of your tire loosing air, grab something off the ground about the same size as the puncture (a small stick or firm base of briar) and as quickly as possible and force it into the hole. This slowed the rate of the escaping air enough to get me back to the car where I found an old tube of superglue in the glove box. I applied a coat of glue over the top of the protruding stick, and then cut the stick down so that it was no higher than the surrounding tire treads and voila- I was able to ride out the entire day with my homemade remedy.
Ken Andrews
Ken,
Thanks for the tip, Ken. While we’re glad to hear your remedy worked well enough to get you through the ride, we’re not sure how many of readers are going to have access to a tube of superglue when they happen to puncture one of their tires. Even so, we appreciate the ingenuity you displayed and hope that your idea will, at the very least, inspire other riders to think fast and make use of the limited materials around them should a mechanical failure of any kind nip them in the proverbial bud.
Dear MBT:
What’s the scoop on Nike’s riding shoes? I’ve noticed them on several pro riders and was wondering where to get a pair?
Calvin Simmons
Calvin,
We imagine you are referring to the Nike Heist 6.0 that can commonly be found gracing the feet of riders JD Swanguen and Brandon Semenuk. Featuring Nike’s patented Air Max system, the skate/ BMX inspired shoe alleges an additional measure of cushion from impact. They’re stocked in select locations where Nike sneakers are sold and if you need help identifying precisely where that is in your area, give Nike a call at 800-806-6453.
Dear MBT:
I'm looking to purchase the Fuji Reveal 2.0 and right now I'm just debating which size to get. I've read posts saying the sizing runs large. At 5'10" (inseam 31") I'm thinking about getting the small. I would appreciate any advice you could give.
Jon Remington
Jon,
We’re always glad to help a fellow New Yorker in need. Especially when they’re considering one of our all time favorite bikes. The Reveal 2.0 (like most of Fuji’s bikes) tends to run a bit larger than the S, M, and L moniker dictates. Our testers ranged in height from 5’7” to 5’8” and found the 19-inch medium a tad larger than the medium (17.5-18”) offerings of other brands. Then again at 5’10”, we suspect the medium would likely fit your stats like a glove.
You could probably get away with the small, but based on Fuji’s sizing chart and our own experience with the bike, you fall perfectly into the big M category.
Earn Money by Making Us Work
Attention ASK MBT fans: You’ve always got questions and we like to think that we have the answers but now you could earn some swag just for putting our collective melons to the test. In each issue we will choose a winning question or comment to become Letter of the Month and send its author $20 toward the Evomo online store. What are you waiting for? Get hammering on those keyboards.
Got a question? Fire it away to us and we'll do the best we can to answer it. Send your inquiries to Ask Mountain Bike Tales.
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