On The Pedals
By Jason Giacchino

Bring On Those Perfect Autumn Rides

Can you believe that just last month I had the gall to use my column space to prove how hard it is to predict the flow of events here at MBT this time of year only to have our servers go down unexpectedly just as the issue was about to go live? Nothing like being proven correct! Fortunately the temporary disappearance of our site from existence has been resolved which means we can finally get back to doing what we do best- sharing our mountain bike tales with the world.

As you can imagine, all of the industry focus of late is on Interbike. At the time of this column’s writing, the show has yet to have taken place and information is slowly trickling down from the manufacturers. If these preliminary reports are correct, we have much to get excited about this season. Each day our inbox is bombarded with press releases and product images worthy of sharing. Sometimes it’s hard to keep up! Among the email submissions are your questions and comments (which help us mold the magazine) and keep us in touch with what you’re getting excited about. It turns out many of you are just as eager about the return of the Tomac brand as we are. Rest assured that we will publish a thorough review of either the Snyper or the (carbon fiber) Carbide XC as soon as a test bike is made available to us. We’ve been working closely with the brand manager (Joel Smith) on making this prospect a reality. Also topping the most inquired about model list would have to be the Ibis Mojo and Bionicon Edison. All I’m allowed to say is hang in there; we’ll have the tests you lust after in the months to come.

The weather here in New York is finally starting to show signs that summer’s reign is nearly at an end. While I despise the long drawn out winters of this area (no, I don’t snowboard) I am enjoying the cooler daytime temps of fall. Our trails are yet in the early stage of their annual transition with splashes of yellow appearing among the green canopies. If you have yet to get out there and enjoy a crisp morning ride across trails that sparkle with dew, the clock is ticking.

Like most years, I may attempt to develop a backyard pump track made entirely of snow to help alleviate some the depression that accompanies long ugly winters, but doing so is a sure-fire way to bring about a 40 degree day. There’s nothing quite as disturbing as the audible dripping of hours of hard work melting away alongside your neighbor’s snowman.

I also wanted to comment on the season’s gradual completion and the success I’ve had with my Iron Horse MKIII thus far. This is usually the time of year where I temporarily lose control of my willpower and unholster my flash burnt credit card like some kind of cowboy drawing at high noon. I’m pleased to report that the bike’s still feeling fresh after a few months of daily abuse much to the delight of both me and my wallet. Rather than start over, I’ll probably use the off-season to upgrade and replace. I must confess a slight nagging lust of late toward building up a big-hit bike to compliment my stable of wispy XC and middle-of-the-road trail bikes although nothing’s manifested yet. It is probably in my best interest to avoid the catalogs and eBay for a while just in case.

Questions? Comments? Love letters? Send 'em to Editor@mountainbiketales.com.