Saturday I entered my first road race in nearly 18 years. My history was not all that big of a deal since when I tried this as a youngster I was not that good at it, and I am not claiming I am good at it now. However, I think I am much better at it than before. Going at this as an adult has been a different experience. For the past couple of years now the bike has become an outlet for frustrations, disappointments, a place to meditate and think, a place to be angry over things that in the big picture are not significant, to wonder how I might be able to make a positive impact for others one day. The bike has become my "church".

Just in time for Spring, we finally put through our order of CogSnob Club Ride jerseys from Hincapie Sports. If you are in the North Denver Suburbs and want to join our weekend rides, drop us a line, we would love to have ya! (we'll even throw in a jersey!)

Well there was an issue with my Ellsworth Truth. Last week I went to the Ellsworth web site to ask a technical question on what was the prescribed negative travel setting for the rear shock. I wondered since the Fox shock was specially tuned for the Truth if I should follow the setup from the Fox manual or if there was something different I needed to follow from Ellsworth. In order to receive technical support I needed to register my Truth. So I filled out the online form and put that it was a 2007 frame since that is what I thought I had bought and also entered the serial number.

A very short time later, Tony Ellsworth (founder, owner, designer of my bike) emails me Subject: "Your 2004 Truth". Then Tony writes "I hope you got a good deal". I was concerned and confused. After a few emails back and forth with Tony I was wondering what the deal was. Later that weekend after doing some research I emailed the guys at Schwab Cycles.

The Schwab guys on Monday called the Ellsworth guys to confirm the SN and date, ect. It ends up that my Truth is likely a 2005 frame. It seems that the 2005 models had a different rear triangle, so Ellsworth took some 2004 frames they had left over and rebuilt them with the new rear end. Either case, it was not a 2007 frame like I thought. I figured I overpaid for the bike by at least $750. The Schwab Cycles guys were good enough to make me happy though. First they offered to swap the frame for a 2009. I was not so interested in that since there is not a huge difference in frames. So I countered that they put a Fox F100 RLC shock on. For a small reasonable amount of dinero, since the shock retail is more than $750, and my estimate was in my favor, we agreed that it was a reasonable compromise.

There remains some mystery around all this since Schwabe did not become an Ellsworth dealer until 2005. And apparently they did not buy this frame until 2007 for a customer. This happens to coincide with my first sighting of the bike in early Feb. 2008 when it had been waiting to be picked up by the customer. Hmmm, oh well. I am happy and the Truth climbs like a jack rabbit. It is awesome.

So this is the latest pic with the new Fox F100 RLC fork, the wheels and tires I had originally ordered too. If the bathroom scale is accurate enough, the kit weighs in somewhere between 24.5 and 25 lbs. Not too shabby for an aluminum full suspension XC bike. I have seen carbon bikes come in around 23 lbs at 3x the price. Plus I probably would have compromised a carbon frame by now since I have a tendency to crash pretty hard on the trails

Overview
Known for their high-performance compression wear, 2XU has been steadily beefing-up their line to accommodate a full range of clothing, with and without compression. Since we consider ourselves somewhat of self proclaimed bib snobs, we didn't hesitate putting a pair through the paces.

The Good
The craftsmanship feels like a nice Assos or Giordana that we have in our closet, and the 2xu.com site states that they are made with "Swiss dimpled airflow technology and Japanese extreme moisture management fabrics". We did like how the straps seemed to blend into the body when we settled into our riding position. Like most high-end bibs, they (straps) will be a bit tight and awkward until you reach over into a riding position.
The fabric is one test, but for our money, the chamois better do the talking. While the "Fusion Pro Chamois" didn't feel as substantial as that of the Rapha Bib Short or Assos F.I. Mille S5 Bib Shorts, after several weekends of 80+ miles, they totally and completely surprised us. We now wonder what is so special in the Fusion Pro material? It has us wanting more information.

The Snob In Us
Truly, these are remarkable bibs, except for one thing. We found the area that joins the chamois to the inner thigh material very, very tight. Not so much uncomfortable on the bike, but when off the bike, we felt a bit uncomfortable. Our guess is that this is a carryover from their compression heritage with a very functional purpose: help blood-flow and reduce muscle damage.

Our recommendation
While Assos, Giordana, and Rapha make a wonderful bib with fantastic chamois providing unparalleled craftsmanship, 2XU has completely caught us off guard with the Elite Bib Short. Retailing around $60 less than similar featured Assos, we are adding 2XU to our new favorite list. You can find them at www.gearandtraining.com for $140.

This is going to be a short one... I'll be doing the Leadville 100 this year so I thought I would update the mountain bike. I picked up an Ellsworth Truth at my usual shop, Schwab (no I don't work there and they don't give me free stuff. I have given them about 15% of my income over the past 12 months though. Foolish me, eh?).

Quick rundown... Frame specs can be found on at Ellsworth Bikes. Hardware is comprised of SRAM X-9 drive train and shifters, FSA V-Drive crankset, the Ellsworth special Fox RP3 rear shock, Juicy 7 brakes, and Ritchey Pro bars, stem, and seat post. Wheels are Mavic Crossmax SLs with Schwable Racing Ralph tires (wheels and tires not pictured as they have not arrived yet, pictured with loaner wheels, Ellsworth built with Ringle hubs). The Fox Talas came off my old bike, I love the Talas even though it is more of an all mountain fork than an XC fork.

Anywho... I wanted to manage cost a bit since most of my day to day workouts are on the road bike. Managing cost is a relative term, most people might buy two or three nice mountain bikes for what I spent. My wife was definitely not pleased with this purchase.

So far I have ridden the Truth about five times over the past two weeks. My first real test was up White Ranch Belcher Hill. I did a back to back comparison to my old bike (a Rocky Mountain ETSX-50) and shaved about 10 minutes off my time on the Truth.

The Ellsworth Truth CLIMBS LIKE A HARDTAIL!

I did have a nice tumble Friday evening, so I managed to put some scuffs on the pretty parts (not counting my left knee, hip, and arm), sigh...

So far no buyers remorse and am looking forward to getting the wheels I ordered as they should be lighter and faster. Lookout Wiens and Armstrong, you guys ready to race?!!!