Harsens works in WSW Gale!

Glad I drove to HI for this blow. 30-35 SW steady and solid winds with long curling swell in the shallows. Fun WS sesh on the 4.2 for 2 and 3.7 for 1. 4 hours on the gear and really with Keith, Mark, Craig and Jerry. Cold yes but drysuit was nearly dry and 6mm NP booties rule. I don't see this setup failing until there's ice! Great fall sailing ahead. Schoolhouse burgers with Jerry and Craig made this another worthy HI drive.

More Holly Fat-Ti Action.

Gorgeous Sunday 1-3pm for 15.5 miles in 60 degree bluebird. Not a cloud in the sky and a slightly damp 100% leaf covered single track. Thinking it would be slick but fat 4.5's were amazing both up and in turns (had another high speeder where both tires slide controlled just like a snowboard).

More impressions: bike does not under steer like FatBoy, slacker geo is great in turns and off steep drops. Braking and fat tires is amazing you hardly ever lock up the tires even in slippery leaves - there's just so much traction. 1x10 is winner never going back, although I tried to ghost trigger the front derailleur a couple of times...

Fun fun fun on the fall leaves too. Nothing stops the Fat-Ti.

Pontiac Eve Ride w/ JabSports

Nice loop on the Fat-Ti with JB. Clear and dry and loving the 26PLUS+++ float. Fun ride and totally new on the big fat wheels. 10.2 in 1:05.

Fat-Ti is here and first 20 is fun!!

Night Train Ti was rightly named after getting home in the dark after a cherry popping 20 mile ride to/around Bloomer. Bike arrived perfectly packed with tires fully inflated and bike tuned with no need for adjustment!! Super easy unpack and an hour later bars were on, rotor and front wheel install and seat and post. Next, pop 2 links off chain, remove front shifter assembly, install RaceFace 30t and were 1x10! Lastly put on the great Ergon GP-1 grips and my Candy 2 pedals. Awesome bike - gorgeous full polished titanium, flawless welds and medium was right call (thank god) and bonus geo was much slacker than FatBoy. Bluto fork finally.

1st Ride impressions:
-slacker ride than FB means back further and this descends awesome without endo factor FB seems to have with shorter wheelbase
-Bluto fork rocks!! 100mm seems to be enough but could go to 120 cartridge if needed. Night and day difference on roots, big bumps, log piles. Rock Shox has a winner here - better than Fox in feel. Rode FatBoy at Bloomer last week and would never go back.
-Guide RS brakes are incredible. Tektro hydraulic brakes on FB suck in comparison from day 1. No fade, silent, stops smooth and in control even braking while turning.
-4.5 tires are SMALL in comparison to huge 4.6 Specialized Ground Control. This is great size in dry summer season (GC felt too big sometimes) but must size up at minimum to 4.8-5 (Surly - $120+) if going in snow. Spech has got the winter tire size right.
-1X10 is awesome. First time really on it for long ride. 30t with Fatbike is right on. Really tight and quiet with zero chain slap. Gearing mentally keeps you shifting less and not playing with granny gears since even top ring isn't super spinny. I stood to climb more than ever but this bike climbs better than my 29er did. Rear cassette is shifting great and coast sound is super loud.
-Steers well which is common knock on fatties. Handled 5-6 tight turns easier than FB - the geo-slack helped here. Bars seem plenty wide but I like that.

*Only con is weight of bike at 35.7#. FatBoy at 32 and 29er was 30. Really felt weight on the flats and a little climbing, however downhill and coasting down seemed faster than FB... Have to get used to it as it is Fat and there's not not to lighten up without $$$$ carbon.

Last item is dropper KS eten and I think were perfect. Bring on winter!

Metro Sunny Cool Fall Blast

Another great day at MetroBeach kiting on the 12m in winds that range from 15 to 30 from the south southwest. Great time on the Mako and a little time on the Duke. Great swell on the outside of the point and lots of rollers the play on. 4.5 hours on water. Can't believe the temperatures are still in the 60s in the water in the 50s! Got the first chance to try out the kite line camera mount and the results are promising - check it out. In the final hour got a chance to do a little bit of wind surfing on JB's gear as he was out on my kite ripping it up. We need more days like this.

HI on the Pivot and Duke

Woo 3 day in row getting in 4 hours riding - now at HI. Dozen or so out for 12m to start for first 2 hours then boom - rocking 9m on new Pivot. Ripping the Duke all the way up to 6pm then final 1/2 hour on Mako. Great W 20-30++ with mostly cloudy 60 temps. Pivot showed good low end and sheeting thru a couple of lulls and holes. Great in nuke blasts. Shortened the bar ends and the kite turns super fast. I liked the turning as you don't have to follow the kite - you have to go with it or you will pay for it. Loved the west swell action perfection for carving and working the rails. Dinner with the gang at San Souci Bar was good end cap to not getting home until 10pm. Fun day and not a weed to be seen on the water.

Second day at metro. Magic on 12.

Metro one great 12m sesh 3-6:30. Wind up high with nothing on water. Jumps easy and high with steady cruising on Mako. Too many weeds for the Duke there. Fun owning the beach with TJ, JB and the Fox. Great solid afternoon that looked like nada. Bonus is seeing Harry's new 16' Vette Stingray. What a car for the guy to play with... Before he sells it.

More Metro Halloween bash shots.

Metro HalloKite Sunday.

Sun and 77 for a high and 12-20 SSW winds. Good while I got out 9-11am for the 12 but then 15-17m rest of day. Got to demo OR 17m flight with short lines and it's a really easy flying fun kite. Literally everyone showed up today and Craigs stadium brats were a hit. No complaints though it felt like summer and everyone was smiling.

Fat Tuesday - all I got...

29er is gone! Fat going forward. Fun ride met up with Matt, Eric and Wayne mid-loop. Still feeling the roots - missing the front suspension.

Saturday Dead East Lex and late rain ends the Wind Streak at 5

Back up for Saturday afternoon and now solid east 20-35+ with waves building tight and tall with gusty blasts. Started on Mako due to huge shorebreak but quickly moved to Duke with the 9m Pivot back in the groove. Straight along coast for something new here but still easy getting back upwind. Again more heel side slash work on tack back. Also crashing inside impact zone finally got me to not look at all at kite when waterstarting strapless. You get locked into watching the kite fly but when not doing that you can look at the board and the incoming sets. You learn lots when you put together so many good days. Let's hope it happens again soon
.
Some Friday video!

Friday more Lexy.

Friday we kite and got almost 7 hrs. On new 9m Pivot and Duke. More east today- ENE 20-35+ with inside smooth faces and tons of down the line curling 3-7'. Mostly cloudy with peaks of sun and temps in 60's. Could have used 7m but the depower and predictable nature of the Pivot worked well. Very happy with the upgrade. Really got some foot switching nailed and carving the Duke heel side on wave faces. Also carving toe into oncoming wave faces. Great long epic day of op'd wave kiting.

Perfect Lexington Day

Epic day. 10/10. Huge waves couple 15' footers way out paired with 35+ near gales. Really good day 4.2 op'd the whole time. Classic Sun and 60 degrees with solid cool N to NE winds. The ramps were everywhere to ride and jump. Too windy to kite 9m. Most all on 7's including Keith who made some great lofty jumps right off big incoming curling bombs. 6 1/2 hours riding and that included the first 2 by myself!! More coming...

Harsens starts BIG NE week!

Great pickup 15-20 then into 30's at HI on Tuesday afternoon. NE going N this time sailing up into Muskamoot Bay for something new. Tom, Craig, Jerry and I owned the bay for almost 4 hours. 12m op'd the last 2 hours - coulda/shoulda tried the 9m Pivot but loving ripping the Duke too much. Let the week begin.