Passion Trail Bikes, Belmont, CA - specialists in quality bike service and custom-built mountain bikes

Santa Cruz Nomad Carbon

Charles — Thu, 15 Jul 2010 02:14:00 +0000

Service customer and frequent bike buyer Nigel Ray sent us a few notes about a good ride he had last week:

“I took my first ride on the Santa Cruz Nomad Carbon today and was very impressed. Some of you may know I have had a lot of bikes over the years, keeping two or three good mountain bikes in the stable, and buying a new one maybe once per year. Some I felt immediately at one with (‘03 S-works Enduro), some take a few weeks to settle into that sweet spot (Ibis Mojo), and some just never get there (Ellsworth Moment). My ride on the Nomad today, definitely placed it in the former category.

I have been riding a Santa Cruz Blur LT carbon with a 150 mm Fox Float 32 fork over the last several months and I have found it a light (~26 pounds), well-mannered trail bike. There are a lot of positive things to be said about the BLTc, and if I had a complaint about it that would be that, when climbing, the pedaling force tends to negate the suspension suppleness, resulting in sub-optimal rear wheel traction. In the early years of mountain biking, when all we had were hardtails, climbing required a certain finesse, as you needed to apply power intermittently depending on available traction. Plush, full suspension rigs have largely done away with this skill, allowing riders to just sit and spin, regardless of the rocks and roots that the rear wheel is tracking over. The BLTc climbs well, but requires that the rider exert a degree of finesse as the rear wheel tends to skip over rocks and roots during hard pedaling, rather than track through them. The BLTc also has a low bottom bracked, which results in frequent pedal strikes and the need for extra oomph during log-overs.

The Nomad carbon has the typical geometry for a 6” bike, in that the angles are slack, the front wheel is well out in front, and you sit more over the rear wheel. At 29 pounds, this bike is light for bike with 6.5” of travel, thanks to a mostly XTR build, some sweet carbon RaceFace cranks, and a light wheelset.

Color is Matte Black, which looks cool both clean and with a coating of dust (photos were shot without cleaning the bike after a dusty UC ride). Overall color motif is black and gold with silver accents—I typically like my bikes to be tastefully stealth, but this color scheme, while not exactly “pimp daddy,” matches the pin striping on the frame. I don’t know if it is the rigidity of the frame or the light wheelset, handbuilt by Charles on King hubs, but the Nomad is a very lively pedaling bike.

It pedals much more like a 26 pound bike than a 6-inch, 29 pound bike. It also lacks the aforementioned climbing traction problem, as it seems to track through rock gardens and sketchy traction sections without hesitation. In fact, Bill and I dropped Mailboxes and climbed Fence Line and I cleaned the steep, loose, rocky climb at the bottom of Fence Line on the first try. The BLTc descends well, but the Nomad just rails the same downhills. The Nomad is burly and well mannered, but has that BMX-bike feel that just makes you want to jump things and push the edge of the envelope. It also has a higher BB, which means fewer pedal strikes and easier log-overs, and unlike a lot of 6” bikes which tend to sacrifice agility for strait line stability, the Nomad changes direction easily, carving up the downhills. On the first ride, the 36 Float 160 and the rear shock were plush and well tuned, using more than 97% of available travel with no adjustments needed! Drivetrain was butter smooth. All in all, I would put the Nomad in the top 10% of bikes that I have ridden over the years….”

Thank you Nigel. You can find more pictures of Nigel’s Nomad at Bikes 2010 and other Passion builds at the Bike Doula site

Closed on Sunday July 4th

Patty — Fri, 25 Jun 2010 20:00:00 +0000

Yo. We are going riding on the 4th of July. Get your shopping done a day early!

Colors of the holiday – made in Portland, Oregon, USA by skilled workers earning a living wage

Places to eat near the shop

Patty — Tue, 22 Jun 2010 22:09:00 +0000

After a good hard day of work at the shop, we often opt for dining out instead of heading straight home to a dirty kitchen and empty cupboards. Where do we go to eat?

Here’s a list of places we like with links to the yelp page for each:

Bar Food
- $ Aussiello’s Tavern, Belmont – your basic hangout bar; shuffle board, pool, and a grill
- $$ City Pub, Redwood City – a bit more upclass, with outside dining, fireplace inside
- $$ Devil’s Canyon map of tap locations – If you must have a Full Boar Scotch Ale with your meal (and who wouldn’t?), search here

Burgers
- $$ Jack’s Prime, San Mateo – High quality, fresh meat. Excellent. Trumer Pils on tap.
- $$ Godfathers’ Burger Lounge, Belmont – Bustling burger restaurant
- $ Classic 101 , Belmont – Not quite a drive through. Sterling and Pancho like it.

Mexican
- $$ Hola, Belmont - a staple in the C&P dinner out rotation. Good margaritas
- $ El Metate, Belmont – fast, cheap, yummy, and across from Devils’ Canyon

Italian
- $$$ Caprino’s, Belmont – Excellent food, nice wine list, full bar. White table cloths fancy.
- $$ Toto’s Pizza, Belmont – CJ’s Dad’s favorite pizza. Watch the dough discs fly.

Chinese
- $$ Gin Mon, Belmont – small, fast, family run. We like the reasonably priced food too.
- $$ China Village, Belmont - Large rooms for big parties. Jay likes the Dim Sum.

Sushi
- $$$ Sushi Sam’s Edomata, San Mateo – high quality artistic sushi. The real deal.

Indian
- $$ Koriander, Bemont – brand new. Good food, next to an Indian Food Market

Thai
- $$ Thai Time, San Carlos – Excellent food, with a full bar.

Afghan
- $$ Kabul, San Carlos – YUM. Charles gets the lamb kabob, Patty gets pumpkin in yogurt

Scottish
- $$$ Martin’s West Gastropub, RWC - Full bar, many Scotches, kitchen open late. Quality food.

Please post your comments below on where YOU like to eat, and maybe you can get a group together for tomorrow’s Wride.

Yes We Can

Charles — Wed, 09 Jun 2010 22:23:00 +0000

We had a customer inquire about getting a Fox Float 36 for the bike we are about to build for him, but in a Matte Black to match the rest of his build. Fox offers this fork only in White for aftermarket sales, but all the parts are available individually in black. This weekend John will be assembling this box of parts, and the following week we will be installing it on a new Carbon Nomad.

You can track the build progress at BikeDoula.com

Follow Me DVDs in stock now!

Pancho — Thu, 20 May 2010 22:05:00 +0000

New at the shop is the Follow Me DVD made by Anthill Films. This high definition film showcases all your favorite riders outside of the traditional individual rider segments. The film pairs up world class riders for epic segments through some of the best terrain on the planet. Follow Me brings a modern look at the mountain bike lifestyle – think back-yard sessions, ripping local trails, training bike parks, epic road trips and heli drops – it’s all about having fun your bike.

Riders include the likes of Sam Hill, Gee Atherton, Darren Berreclough, Ben Boyko, Brendan Fairclough, Geoff Gulevich, Matt Hunter, Cam McCaul, Brandon Semenuk, Steve Smith, Kurt Sorge, and Thomas Vanderham. Shot on location in Queenstown NZ, Baja (Punta San Carlos), Whistler, Sun Peaks, Silver Star, Mt. Washington, the North Shore, Sunshine Coast, Kamloops, and Mt. Hood.

After seeing the world premier at Sea Otter this year, Will and I have been eagerly awaiting this DVD release. We ordered a dozen copies for the shop and they are already selling pretty fast. Come and get your copy while they last!

New Demo Bikes In Town

Charles — Sun, 02 May 2010 21:26:00 +0000

There has been a lot of interest in the two new mountain bikes coming out from Breezer but they have been pretty hard to get a hold of til now. We got a chance to finally meet them last night, and they will be staying with us for a little while.

Breezer Bikes has been kind enough to loan a couple of really sweet demo bikes to us for a week or two. We currently have one 18.5” Lightening Team, and one 17” Thunder Comp. Our normal demo fee is $75 for a one day rental, and $25 for each additional day, but Breezer is subsidizing these two bikes, so they are available right now at half our normal rate. In addition to the discount, all rental fees can be applied to the purchase of any new bike within 30 days of the rental, so try a couple different bikes while you are at it.

John on Makalu

PeterD — Wed, 07 Apr 2010 23:35:00 +0000

You may have noticed that head mechanic John is missing from the shop. No, he didn’t quit. He is just taking a little vacation to climb some little hill on the other side of the world called Makalu.

Outside of biking, John does have the love of climbing these little hills. Those who have been around Passion since the early days may remember a little slide show he gave on a hill he climbed before joining us. The picture to the right is actually of John at the top of the hill (can’t you tell?).

Makalu isn’t quite as high, but I have heard that it can be more challenging. Here’s wishing godspeed to John and his partners.

If you want to follow his progress, they have a fan page on Facebook called Team X Whisperers’ Excellent Adventure on Makalu.

Look for him when he returns in a month or two with some great stories (though he can be so quiet, you may have to pry them out of him).

We're hiring again, mechanic needed

Patty — Wed, 31 Mar 2010 00:00:00 +0000

We are seeking a mechanic for our high-end service department. This is a full time position in the best mountain bike focused shop in the Bay Area.

The ideal candidate is someone who:
• has extremely high standards for precision mechanical work
• turns a wrench with a nuanced hand
• values time and skill
• stays on track despite distractions
• is intelligent and wants to learn
• has excellent interpersonal skills
• is passionate about mountain biking and trails

We are looking for someone who either has experience working as a bicycle mechanic or who would like to transfer their skills from another industry and work in a bike shop.

Ideally you would be confident in your ability to take apart, troubleshoot, and reassemble bicycle components such as forks, shocks, suspension linkages, hydraulic brake systems, and drivetrains. You would also be experienced in facing frames, assembly, and all other typical duties of a bicycle mechanic. Although we prefer someone with experience working on mountain bikes, we are willing to train the right person. Most important is that you have really good problem solving skills, you have a good touch with a wrench, you can handle working in a demanding environment, and you can work with customers from all walks of life with respect and a high level of customer service. Sales experience is also helpful.

To apply, please send your resume to Charles at info@passiontrailbikes.com, and include a cover letter explaining why you are qualified and want to work at our shop. Please no in-person or phone inquiries.

Demo Days Bike Reservation List is UP!!

Patty — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 23:34:00 +0000

WOOT! We have published the Demo Days Bike List and it is available for you to look over HERE. Call or email us with your reservation request, including the following info:

Rider’s Name
Rider’s Cell Phone Number
Bike Model
Bike Size
Reservation Date and Time
Pedal Preference (yours, or our platforms, or our SPDs)

Also, a quick note from Mark of MBOSC, the group ride that was scheduled for tomorrow at Soquel Demo as part of the film festival has been canceled due to soggy trail conditions. The Jump Jam is still on. See their www.mbosc.org website for details.

We are hiring! Full Time Mountain Bike Customer Service and Merchandise Specialist

Patty — Wed, 24 Feb 2010 20:10:00 +0000

We are thriving! This important new position in our sales department offers an exceptional opportunity to help our business grow, if you are a motivated, self-directed, problem-solving person.

We need someone with a combination of bike knowledge, customer service, sales, visual design and merchandising, buying and inventory management, and leadership skills.

Details after the break

Bike knowledge: This position requires that you know a lot about mountain bikes. Some mechanical aptitude is required; you should have the ability to make fitting adjustments, minor tune-ups, assembly, etc. You should be adept in discussing both big-picture topics such as different riding styles and ride characteristics of different bikes, as well as the finer points of various mountain bike suspension types, pros and cons of various parts, accessories, equipment, and clothing etc.

Customer service, sales skills: You should be able to intelligently talk with avid mountain bike enthusiasts to determine their specific background, goals, needs, wants, budget. Your job will be helping people select and buy the right bike, the right gear. You will need to be able to manage the sales floor and work as a team leader with other sales and service department staff to satisfy customer service and sales needs.

Visual design, merchandising aptitude: This position also requires that you have excellent visual merchandising skills. You will be required to identify opportunities to improve our merchandising and execute amazing visual displays. You will create and manage improvements and maintenance to our sales floor plan, point-of-purchase fixtures, and signage.

Buying & inventory management: You would be helping us select new product to bring into the store, manage our current product inventory, and move stale inventory out by implementing markdowns and closeouts. Involves receiving, shipping, database management and report generation, and warrantee management duties. Some back office work will be a regular part of your day.

Leadership experience: Our sales staff are good people but we have blind spots and priorities that pull us away from areas where we could be improving. We are looking for someone who is experienced in leading project teams and in being a motivating influence on others. Sales management experience is a plus.

Other: We have a lot of other needs. What skills do you have?

Compensation based on qualifications and experience; benefits include health insurance, paid vacation, and other perks. Start date is ASAP.

To apply for this position, please send your resume as an attachment to info@passiontrailbikes.com; include a cover letter summarizing your qualifications and reason for applying. Please, no phone calls or in-person inquiries.