Equipment

2006 Ventana X-5

• Large (19") frame
• Electric Red, Quad bearings
• RockShox Pike fork
• Fox DHX Air rear shock
• SRAM X0 shifters
• SRAM X9 rear derailleur (replacement for an X0 which broke a spring after 10,000 miles)
• Shimano XT front derailleur
• Shimano XT crank
• SRAM PG 990 cassette
• SRAM 991 chain
• Shimano XT disk brakes
• Thomson Elite post and stem
• Hadley hubs
• DT Swiss 4.1D front rim, Mavic 819 UST rear rim
• Continental Trail King 2.2 tires
• WTB Laser-V saddle
• Time ATAC XS pedals
• Answer Pro Taper handlebars
• ODI Rogue lock-on grips

This bike was spec'ed by me and built by Chad at Red Barn Bicycles in Montana. I have given this bike a beating and it has kept going. The components are starting to show their age, but they have done very well in light of the amount of year-round riding I have done.

• 2001 Gary Fisher Sugar 2

2013 Trek Madone 5.2 road bike:

• 54 cm frame
• Ultegra components
• 700 x 23c Bontrager tires
• Built-in speed and cadence sensor

2015 Santa Cruz 5010

• XTR 3x build kit
• ENVR M60/40 carbon wheels

Ken's Old Bike

• 2006 Ventana X-5
• Similar configuration as above with
• Medium (17") blue frame
• This bike was also built by Chad at Red Barn Bicycles in Montana.

Ken's Old Old Bike

• 2001 Klein Adept Comp

I am not a fanatic on clothing. Fit is the most important feature followed by price and features.  Some of my favorites are:

• Primal Wear jerseys - I have several that have lasted many years. There is a range of designs to fit your style.
• Fox Head jerseys - Good fit and I like the full length zipper. The rear side pockets aren't as deep as Primal for my camera, but I haven't lost it yet.
• Voler shorts and bibs - last a long time and good bang for the buck.
• Gore Phantom jacket. This has Windstopper on the front, is much more porous on the back than "regular" jackets and has removable sleeves for changing weather or early rides. I really like this jacket.
• Sock Guy socks - Tough and the elastic doesn't die.
• Shoes - I have tried a few types. I currently have a pair of Shimano mountain bike shoes that are comfortable, affordable and do pretty well on hike-a-bike sections. Sidis are good but they are expensive and the soles wear pretty fast (I don't know how this happens). I had a pair of Lake shoes with a Boa closure (mounted in the back), but I don't really like the Boa system and a seam blew out on a very tough hike-a-bike.  I have Sidi road shoes which I really like.
• Gloves - I am using the Fox Head Reflex gloves and Specialized Body Geometry. I find that I like the padding on the heel of the palm.
• Glasses - I am getting old, so I got a pair of Dual Eyewear glasses that really help seeing both the road and the GPS. I was using Tifosi which seem pretty good and are not too expensive. I had a pair of Specialized photochromatic glasses that I won in a contest but eventually lost. I find the photochromatic lenses are a good feature, but not polarized lenses.

In addition to clothing, every mountain biker needs to have the proper gear:

• Helmets - Bell Helmets seem to fit my head right. I have tried a few others that were just OK, but Bell seems to hit the mark for fit, weight, ventilation and price.
• Hydration Pack - Camelbak Hawg. It can be a bit big in the summer but packs a lot of gear or clothing when you need it. The weight difference with the smaller pack is not that large and I like to be able to be self sufficient for tools, emergency gear, food, spare parts, etc.
• SKS fenders - Just because it is a bit wet out does mean you shouldn't ride (on the proper trail). These quick on/off fenders do the job, especially on the down hills, keeping things visible and a bit cleaner
• Plastic bin - I keep a big bin with a lid in the trunk. Dirty or sweaty gear goes in the bin after the ride. This simple solution keeps the trunk neat, clean and fresh while keeping your gear from rolling all over the place.
• A big towel - this is great for "surfer style" clothing changes at the end of the ride. It is very nice to get out of sweaty or wet clothes at the end of the ride. Wrapping the big towel around me while changing keeps everyone happy.

• Garmin Edge 510 - A GPS is another thing I take on every ride. It sits on my stem and quietly does its job regardless of the trail or weather conditions.It has lots of features, starts up faster, has good satellite reception, more memory, long battery life, handles two bikes very easily and is generally wonderful. If you are riding alone, it also has a live tracking feature that connects through your cell phone to let other know where you are (just in case). I use the cadence sensor on the road bike but rarely use the heart rate monitor. This is the third Garmin GPS I have used over the years. They have worked well for me.

• Gloworm XS - a small light head that throws out 2200 lumens! I did not realized how much I was missing!  It also runs a very long time at lower light levels, which is nice when doing a long slow climb. It is small enough that I could use it on my helmet but the handle bar mount is very nice. I thought that having the light switch separate from the light head was a gimmick but it is actually pretty useful.
• Gemini Xera light. Small head, small battery and puts out a good amount of light. This is now my helmet light since I can mount the battery on the helmet itself.
• NiteRider Lumina 750 - a rechargeable handlebar light that throws out a lot of light. Small enough to drop in the Camelbak just in case and can live comfortably on the handlebars. You can ride pretty fast with this light. I use it as my primary commute headlight because it is very bright and has a good flash model just to warn traffic that you are there.
• Portland Design Works Danger Zone rear blinky for the road bike. Very bright and visible for a small light.