This week's Topics:

1. Wednesday Wrides: Skinsuit Hill Climb ITT, Party Ride, Big Bikes, or White Socks
2. New Santa Cruz Nomad
3. Charles to Baldface, Mt Saint Helens, Oakridge
4. Mere Mortals Beginner Ride August 12
5. Bicycle Shaped Object, Sorta
6. Female Friday: August 22


1. Wednesday Wrides: Skinsuit Hill Climb ITT, Party Ride, Big Bikes, or White Socks

Note: The new Weekly Wride page is updated weekly on Tuesdays for the next day's Weekly Wednesday Wride. For all the details, please refer to this page on our website. If your questions aren't answered there, you can also email us for info at info@passiontrailbikes.com.

Sunset is at 8:16pm this Wednesday 07/30/08.

Please remember to put a light on your handlebar and have a blinky ready for the ride back to the shop! CA vehicle code requires it. Don't get caught out on the streets in the dark!

Specials this week: Skinsuit Hill Climb ITT, Party Ride, Big Bikes, or White Socks.

This week Daniel is making good on a thinly veiled threat: He's wearing a skinsuit and throwing down his fastest time to the top of the Finch Trail. Stopwatch smacking will occur at the bridge and the "No Parking" sign under the bay trees. Smack talk will occur at a regroup at the junction with Rambler. So if you feel a need to show the lad who has legs of steel, go get your climb on. Rumor has it he has some sort of dorky prize for the fastest time. 6:15 launch time.

Jay, or maybe Sterling or maybe Sully, somebody, is leading the Ridiculous, I mean Party Ride. Sense of humor required for intermediate riders who want to try some challenges, and try, try again. Reports are that there may be odd articles of clothing or accessories adorning these riders, and we're not talking skinsuits. 6:20 launch time.

Scott is bringing his Big Bike to session Carlmont. He is NOT going to wear a skinsuit. Maybe a pressure suit, or at least shin guards. We encourage mocking of others in the parking lot; it makes it all so much more fun!! Kids young and old are welcome to join him. 6:30 launch time.

Patty is going to start splitting up the FBG group to form a White Socks ride in addition to the FBG ride. In the spirit of Rodney Johnson, the White Socks ride is oriented to advanced beginners and intermediates who like to go slower. Last week we had three or four riders for each group, and one group went down Rambler. So if you are not sure you are ready for the Regular ride, the White Socks ride is for you. 6:20 launch time

Also, there will be the usual variety of rides on the twisty narrow singletrack that makes Waterdog famous. All rides start pedaling from the shop: Passion Trail Bikes, 415 Old County Road, Belmont, CA 94002 650-620-9798

The EARLY rides group will go out at 6:15 PM.

The REGULAR rides group will go out at 6:30 PM.

The FBG or Fat Bottomed Girl ride will go out at 6:20 PM. This week Patty sez "White Socks Rule but we still love beginners."

For those that can't sneak out of work on time, or are habitually late, we will be offering a STRAGGLERS ride group that goes out at 6:45 PM.

Please bring a blinky light for the back of your bike, and a white handlebar light for the front.

All groups will meet back here at Passion Trail Bikes shortly before dark (about 8:45pm) for the usual story telling & beverage enjoyment. We will have stuff for the BBQ along with some carb laden side dish, chips and fatty snacks and EANABS to pair up with the Devil's Canyon Brewery offerings. We will hang out until about 10pm, so come on down, even if you can't make the ride! Passion Parties are better with YOU in the mix!

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2. New Santa Cruz Nomad

Introducing the new Nomad

Following in the footsteps of the Blur LT's redesign earlier this year, the Nomad is the latest recipient of SCB's next generation VPP.

The Cliff Notes for this redesign are as follows:
- Revised links and VPP shock rates
- Grease ports in lower link
- Carbon fiber upper link
- All-new link hardware
- Shorter chainstays
- Redesigned front triangle
- ISCG 05 mount

Read the whole scoop and see more groovy pictures on the Santa Cruz website

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3. Charles to Baldface, Mt Saint Helens, Oakridge

Charles is taking, get this, a vacation. V A C A T I O N. Wow. hard to believe. Other than a couple of long weekends, Charles hasn't had a real vacation since the summer of 2005. He will be gone, and often out of cell or internet acess, from 7/30 to 8/11. Reports are that he's picked some of the most fabulous riding locations on the western side of the northern hemisphere for his much needed resting and relaxation. We will be lonely without him. Reba sez "No Playing Cats" while Charles is away. Patty is planning on posting some reports as she gets them on our blog. Stay tuned.

Here's the Prius with a test run for the bike rack. Yikes!

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4. Mere Mortals Beginner Ride August 12

Ride Level: Beginner only. If you are an advanced rider, please email to help.
What: Absolute beginner ride and lunch!
When: Tue Aug 12 9am – Tue Aug 12 12pm
Where: Baylands Park, Palo Alto, San Antonio Rd and Terminal Rd.
Ride Leader: Anne aka Stripes, stripes@tigerlair.com or 408 718 8027
Ride Level: beginner only. If you are an advanced rider, please email to help.
Description: Do you feel uncomfortable on a mountain bike, but what to learn how to have a good time on it? This is the ride for you. We'll focus on the the absolute basics:
- Shifting
- Braking
- Body movements
- Pedaling

Check out the Mere Mortals Calendar for updates.

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5. Bicycle Shaped Object, Sorta

We got this link from another bicycle shop. In our line of business, department store bikes are often called "Bicycle Shaped Objects" because they appear to be bicycles but often can't actually but used as such, much to the buyer's regret.

We've made a choice here not to work on $80 department store bikes. These are disposable, brightly painted toys. The aren't what you and I really think of as a functional bike. We can't make the owner happy. Read the features on the website, and you'll see what we mean. You can't adjust them to perform adequately, and the costs of repairing at our shop rates often excede the value of the bike. Why are these bikes so cheap? Because they hire the cheapest possible labor to build and assemble them and have zero quality control. If this is what they take pictures of for their website, can you imagine the problems the bikes on the floor have? We especially enjoyed examining the creative cable routing and the unique "backwards fork" installation offering "negative trail geometry". We think it's primed and ready for a Huffy Toss, don't you?

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6. Female Friday: August 22

This month the Ladies' night is Friday August 22. See our blog post for details on what happened last month. Save the date. Tell your girlfriends!

Girls riding, boys cooking. We like it!

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Happy Trails, the PTB crew
Charles, Patty, Berry, John, Bret, Sterling, Daryl, Daniel, Peter, Reba and Buster