29er air cartidges and other stuff

Are you sick and tired of having to rely upon pumps to air up your 29er tires or large volume 26er's. Well no more will you have to flail away with your mini pumps. Birzman have a 25g co2 cartridges Buy the pack and you get 3 cartridges, the head unit and a nifty neoprene sleeve to stop your fingers from freezing to the cartridge. Spare cartridges will be available also.










A tire lever is a tire lever right? Well as much as a Bentley is just a car. Crank Bros new tire lever, the Speedier Lever, replaces the Speed Lever. From speed to speedier, I see what they did there!
Simply place your hand inside like a set of knuckle dusters, insert the remove end of the lever (handily labeled) into the tire, lever, and then draw around the tire. To refit the tire, place the other end onto the rim (this end is also handily labeled) and draw around the rim. It's so simple that even a BushLove athlete could manage it.
I do have to admit, I did scoff at the concept, but darned if they don't work. And the proof is in the fact that I use one in the workshop now. I'd still recommend super beefy levers for hard to remove DH tires, but for most other tires, damned if they don't work. Come in and have a look at the speedier lever tower on the front counter and decide for yourself.

For you Strava geeks, and people who need to have their Iphone readily and handily available at all times, Topeak have a super handy gadget that can help you.
Lets hear from the marketing guys at Topeak -

RideCase

Compatible with iPhone 4/4S

Clip in your iPhone* 4/4S and keep it close at hand for use as a GPS for navigating, for listening to music, and much more while cycling. The RideCase has a separate protective carbon fiber sheet which integrates with the engineering grade plastic exoskeleton to securely hold your iPhone 4/4S while on the go. Its unique, and fully angle adjustable Stem Cap Mount allows viewing in landscape or portrait orientation. The integrated QuickClick™ mounting system lets you mount or remove the RideCase in seconds.

Wow, better than I can say it. It's cool, it's got carbon, it swivels, it tilts, it's attaches to your stem nice and securely, and you can even get a drybag (click here) for it.

Kim Hamer-Hurst

pic by Mel Hamer-Hurst

Mud Cycles is super proud to help sponsor NZ National CX champ Kim Hamer-Hurst.
We'll be helping her out with mechanical support for the coming season. If you haven't heard of Kim before, you will soon. Capable of ripping the legs off most dudes whilst retaining a smile on her face the whole time.
Have a read of her blog post from last weekends CX race out in Upper Hutt. Kims Blog

Tuesday sifty shop night rides

Sifty Tuesday night shop rides.
EVERY tuesday, not rain, nor snow, nor rampaging postmen will stop us.
Sifty pace, talk and banter pace, race pace only allowed on the downs. Bring your trail bikes or your XC bikes. Trails will depend on who shows but will differ every week. Come out and maybe get to ride some trails that you didn't even know existed.
Meeting at the shop at 6:30pm Tuesdays!

Marsh Guards

In stock now!!
Marsh Guards are designed by ex-pat Kiwi Jason Marsh, Jason has been a mechanic on the World Cup DH circuit for the last few years and is currently Greg Minnaars  mechanic.
Designed as a replacement for the ubiquitous piece of tube stretched between crown and fork arch, it's a much more elegant solution to helping keep mud out of your face.
First seen on World Cup riders bikes at the Fort William World Cup race this year, they are quickly becoming the goto option for wet conditions. With riders such as  Greg Minnaar, Aaron Gwin, Brook McDonald, Emmeline Ragot and many many more rolling with them on their bikes.
Not guaranteed to make you as fast as the above riders, but will help you in looking as cool as them. 

Non heavy 24" kids bike

Our Customer wanted a bike that would really jazz his kid into riding. Because if Son wants to go riding, Dad gets to go riding. But he wanted his son to have something capable and well off-road worthy.
As some of you with kids may well know, there is a lack of really nice and light kids bikes out there on the market. Lots of nice ones, lots of mid weight ones, but none really nice and light. Merida bikes do a lovely wee 24" Dakar Lite. Lovely lightweight rims and a nice light weight frame
This was a perfect wee bike to base a build off.
First I stripped the bike down......completely. I dismantled the wheels, leaving me with just the rims. These I built onto some Stans disc hubs, dropping some 300g from the wheels.
I then fitted a lovely FSA Headset, into which I fitted a RST first air fork. This fork is air sprung, has adjustable rebound and weighs only 1650g. It has standard v-brake mounts and also post disc mounts too. AND only cost $300. If you want a fork for your kids 24" bike that actually works well and isn't a boat anchor, we do have a few pairs in store.

I then fitted a Gravity lite stem and some FSA k-force flat bars. On which some ESI grips in Nico's preferred colour (blue) would go on once the shifters and brakes were fitted.

On went the Shimano Deore XT 10spd front and rear derailleurs, the XT shifters, and XT cluster in 11-36

In with some custom shortened Truvativ Isoflow cranks. There are no nice real options for front shifting cranks under 165mm so we shortened these down to 153mm. Perfect for his 7-8 year old legs. XT chainrings and FSA bash-rng were added as well.

Then Shimano M505 brakes in a lovely white colour scheme were added. An adapter was needed for the rear brake as no disc mounts were on the frame. This fitted on with only a few modifications.

Now our customer can take his kid riding, his son won't struggle with an overly heavy bike and the shifting and braking performance will be awesome.And instead of lifting a 30odd+ pound kids bike he'll only have to lift 24.5pounds
If you would like to get your child on something that makes it easier for them to go riding, come and and have a chat. We can make a difference. Remember if you equated most kids bikes to adults, it would be like riding a 50+ pound hardtail with very basic suspension...............

Oh hai Rain, pah! I laugh at you

Yet another damp and soggy day in the murky depths of Winter. But wait, you're sick and tired of being put off by the bad weather. Hanging out to go riding? We have some solutions for you.
A huge range of mudguards, including Crud catchers (the official brand) and coming soon the amazing Marsh Guard (as seen on Greg Minnaar's and many other top DH pro's bikes) 
And Endura Jackets - Ranging from the super lightweight Pakajak to the amazing Stealth Jacket

Pakajak Jacket

 Performance Ultra packable Showerproof Jacket (available in black, red, green, white, yellow, ladies pink, baby blue and black)

• Ultra lightweight and showerproof ripstop fabric
• Bonded and laser cut storm flap with zip guard
• Reflective trims on sleeves, shoulders and rear
• Underarm mesh vents for optimal breathability
• Elasticated cuffs, rear neck and hem

Laser II Jacket

 Laser II Waterproof Jacket (available in Orange and fluro yellow)

• Compact 2-layer waterproof breathable fabric
• Waterproof rear zipped pocket with reflective print
• Folds into rear pocket with Velcro® frame straps
• Single hand cinch drawcord at collar and hem
• Slimline Velcro® cuff adjusters
• Reflective piping and shoulder prints visible through 360
• Waterproofness: 5,000mm
• Breathability: 5,000gms

Luminite Jacket

 Luminite Jacket (available in fluro yellow and black)

2.5L Breathable/Waterproof - fully seam sealed Luminite LED Light Strip fibre optic unit with 50hr flashing run time bonded into rear of jacket providing additional safety light Multiple reflective flashes around whole garment Large rear pocket with storm flap Zipped pit-vents with easy-grab pullers Stormflap on front zipper with reflective piping trim Waterproof Napoleon pocket on chest with media port Cozy-touch lining on handwarmer pockets and inner collar Drawcord adjustment at neck and hem. Velcro® hem adjusters

MT500 Jacket

 MT500 Hooded Jacket (Don rocks one of these)

• 3-layer waterproof/breathable PTFE Protection™ technology plus Cordura® fabric
• Fully seam-sealed
• Grown-on helmet-compatible hood with 3D adjustment, reflective trim and visibility perforations
• Extended waterproof zipper vents which double as cargo pockets
• Discrete Napoleon chest pocket and waterproof zipped wrist pocket
• Detachable internal stretch wrist cuff with mesh venting fore-arm
• Seam-free shoulder panels in Cordura®
• Waterproofness: 12,000mm
• Breathability: 28,000gms

Stealth Jacket

Stealth Jacket (I run one of these and it's outright amazing)

We’ve combined the latest ultrasonic welding construction techniques and external seam-sealing technology to create the first ever and Eurobike award-winning fully waterproof, breathable soft-shell cycling jacket
• Externally seam-sealed waterproof breathable soft-shell fabric with stretch Entrant® fabric front collar, underarms and side panels create a superbly well fitted garment
• Ultrasonically welded seams offer ultimate comfort by creating a smooth internal surface
• Flexible ventilation is provided via side and underarm zip vents (accessible even when wearing a back-pack)
• Waterproof wrist zips ensure a snug-fit and facilitate closure over gloves
• Waterproof zipped rear pocket and welded chest pocket with iPod® port
• Reflective on chest, back, shoulders and sleeves
• Waterproofness: 10,000mm
• Breathability: 5,000gms

Whats up in Mudland

The last few weeks have whipped on by. In that time we've seen and done many things, tweaked this, moved that, had things stickered up.
My own personal bike is running like a dream, 29er Mudcycles Mudslut. Full XT, Carbon wheels, Marzocchi Corsa fork.  The bike sits in at a respectable, but sturdy non weight weenie build of 23.6 pound (10.7kg).
Super stiff and aggressive race machine, every thing about it makes you want to go faster.

Not a bike for comfort, but that's what I have a Trail bike for.

Look out for another one of these to be built soon, even flasher and blinged out.

We now have a heatpump in store, so we don't freeze and you can shop in comfort away from the inclement weather.
And you are all more than welcome to come in and sift, chill on the new couch, watch some MTB DVDs on the telly, and regale us with tales of trail carnage.

Angry Clive has a new rig all primed and ready to go. Niner RDO. Super lush.

Red Porsche?

Custom shortened cranks for a kids build. 153mm cranks suit 7yr legs much better

Big ole pile of XTR Bits for some lucky lady

Fork Servicing

Would you let your vehicle go well past it's oil change? Sure it'll still work, maybe not as nicely, and the chance of a really big mechanics bill goes right up. And if it's a performance car, that's doubly so.
So why would you let your suspension go without servicing.
Over time a fork will get sticky and dirty, and because the performance degrades slowly, you might not even notice it. Just because you fork doesn't have oil leaking out, doesn't mean it doesn't need a service.

Cartridge from a Lefty Fork

After a service here at Mud Cycles, your fork will feel like new again. We use only the finest oils and lubes, and do all the work in-house. Fox, Rockshox, Marzocchi, even Cannondale Lefty's.
Ricky can even service your rear shocks, and replace all the bearings in your rear suspension.



 Front Fork Service from $70
Rear shock Air Can Service $35
Suspension Pivot Service from $80

You wouldn't buy a performance car and treat it like a Morris Minor, cos it will end up driving like one.  
Don't do the same to your bike

Be Safe, Be Seen

Worried about riding to and from work or just riding around the streets at night.
Recently Simon Kennett, Coordinator for Greater Wellington’s Active Transport & Road Safety Group tested a large range of lights under $100. You can read how they performed the test here. Be Safe Be Seen

In store we stock the Niterider Mako front lights (1st= and 4th=), and the Niterider Cherry Bomb rear lights (1st= and 6th=). We also stock a large range of reflective gear, from the superb Endura Luminate Jacket, to a range of ankle bands, tailgates, bandoliers/sash's, and vests.

We also have a large range of other lights to suit every need and budget.

And for your night riding needs, in store we have the Magicshine 1200 lumen light, the Magicshine 1600 lumen light, and also the fabulous Gloworm X2 light that has had so many great reviews.
Come on in and check them out. Remember, during the week we are open until 6:30, so you can come in after work and see just how bright they are in person. Take them outside and properly see how good they are.

In breaking news, MudCycles has been brought by Ricky Pincott and Dave Waugh.

Have nothing to fear, Mudcycles will still be Mudcycles. Just better.

Some of the older/longer term Muds customers, may remember Ricky from some 5+ years working at Mudcycles. Or the even more old skool may remember him riding and racing in Mudcycles kit for the decade before that.
Here's part 1 of getting to know the owners


Just who the heck are you - Ricky Pincott, aka SlackBoy. Part owner of Muds, workshop manager, wrench monkey, bike geek, downhiller, trail rider, XC jeiboi, and every now and then, fashion bike fixie rider. And part of the Almighty Bushlove Racing team.

What sort of riding do you do - Well, pretty much everything. I'm not really a road rider tho, mainly cos I suck at it. I can walk the talk tho. Last 2 years I've been riding downhill, for 4-5 years before that I raced XC, and then the decade before that I was downhilling. And 5 years before that XC, as that was really all there was way way way back then. In the lsat wee while I've been doing super D's and I'm currently getting back into XC. I've also raced a small bit of casual track racing as well.
At the moment I have an Intense M9 DH bike, A Santa Cruz Nickel trail bike and a Mudcycles branded Carbon 29er HT.

What other cycling related stuff do you do -  A ton of track building. For the last 2 years I've been building trail fulltime in Nelson at a private mountainbike park. Before I left Wellington for that job, I had a lot to do with building Jailbrake, Conviction and Bootleg in Miramar. Over the years I've done a heap of building, with my opus being Trickle Falls. I've also had a heap to do with races in welly over the years. From National champ races, to national series rounds, both DH and XC. Short course races, and even helping out with the awesome foursome races many many moons ago.

Why should I bring my bike to you? - As a rider and a racer, I know what it means to have your bike running mint. I was the mechanic for the Monster Energy NZ DH team in it's first year, and worked in the highly regarded Burkes cycles wokshop for several years. I can service your forks, and shocks, your disc brakes, and build you some mean wheels. I can geek out with you over kit, weight weenie or dh strong. Conversely, many years ago I was known as the ghetto master, so I know and understand getting the most of of your kit as well. I can winterize your bike so it can shrug off wellingtons wonderful weather more readily than the norm.
One of my big things is lightening Kids bikes. Kids bike are just too damn heavy for the most part. Parents all want to go riding with their kids, but whilst they ride on their uber bling and light rigs, the kids are most often on bike well heavier and with gears and brakes that don't work even half as well.
All in all, I'm a bike geek, I've been riding and racing mountainbikes for the last 22 years, and it's my overriding passion.