Prophet Upgrade Project: Phase II

Well, after returning from Italy, and with a good three years of hard riding on the bike, it was definitely in need of some TLC.  The bike was really in need of two major upgrades or repairs: new rims and an overhaul for the fork.

I had done some research regarding the Prophet's Lefty fork, and I discovered that the TPC Max fork that came equipped with my 2005 Prophet could be upgraded to "PBR" (Progressive Bend Radius...whatever that means?!?).  What a PBR upgrade equated to me was upgrading the fork's spring from an actual "spring" to an air spring, which is more fine-tunable.  Also, most importantly, the PBR upgrade would provide me with a lockout feature on the front fork.  This is a feature I had on my previous mountain bike, a 2001 Jekyll, and it was a feature I rather enjoyed.  It was nice to lock out the fork on climbs or on pavement.  It was surprisingly useful, so it was a feature I was looking forward to getting on my "new" fork.

Top of the new/improved Lefty Fork, showing off the PBR controls.  The blue "Poptop"  activates the lockout and also exposes more of the red Rebound Adjustment knob that surrounds the "poptop".  Pushing the red Rebound knob down reactivates the fork.  Easy!  

As it turned out, much of the maintenance on Cannondale's Headshok forks is now accomplished at the Cannondale factory.  However, my research on the potential for fixing and upgrading my fork also uncovered a small New York based bike shop that specializes in fixing and upgrading Cannondale Headshok suspension systems.  Mendon Cyclesmith is the shop,and Craig is owner, operator, and Headshok expert.  So, I just removed the Headshok Lefty from my Prophet, stuffed it one of the many post-move-from-Italy boxes I had lying around, and shipped it off to NY.  To my pleasant surprise, Craig had it back to me in about a week!  Very fast service.  And the fork feels like new.  It's like butter!  And the added lockout feature is great.  There's a small "pop-top" button to hit, and that's it.  The fork is locked out.  The "pop-top" button releases the compression dampening adjustment knob that is beneath it.  To reactivate the fork, I simply pushing the larger compression dampening knob back down.  Piece of cake!  Actually easier to use than the previous Jekyll's method, which was a dial or switch on the top that had to be turned about a quarter turn to activate/deactivate the fork.  So, this option is battery free and easier than the old switch.  And it looks great, too.

Craig also re-greased everything, and got all the fairly complicated details of the Headshok in perfect working order.  As I said earlier, the fork feels like new, and considering how inexpensive it was for him to service it and upgrade it, I will be getting it service regularly by him, which he and Cannondale recommends to be once a year.

The second upgrade was new wheels!  Well, sort of...  Like the fork, I actually saved most of the wheels, or the most important part, the hubs, and had my local bike shop lace up a new set of rims.  I had been considering a whole new set of wheels, in fact I had started to settle on a sweet set of Mavic wheels.  But rather than go all out and get a new set of Mavics, I figured I spend half as much and get a great set of custom built wheels.  I brought the old wheels, which had slightly bent rims and spokes (did I mention they were well worn?!) and asked to get some Mavic XM819s laced onto the existing hubs.  The next day I received a call from the shop, and was told the XM819s would not be compatible, so they gave me a couple other options to consider.  I took those options to the "internets", and decided upon the "Stan's No Tubes ZTR Arch EX".  Wow. That's a mouthful!  My local bike shop, Big Shark, built them up, and I have to say, they look great!  I have not had the opportunity to give them a proper ride yet, but the test flights in the neighborhood were all successful.

Beautiful new wheels.

So, the Prophet is all set for a new set of adventures in Missouri and where ever else I may find myself!  Happy Trails!

...and a video demonstrating the Cannondale Lefty with PBR upgrade:

Trails: Ischia

This summer I had the pleasure of riding over on the Isle of Ischia twice.  The route, pictured below, is just over 36 km long, and puts you through 1091m of climbing with a maximum altitude of 772m.  Needless to say, it's quite the ride, and while the distance and climbing may be grueling, the vistas along the way are breathtaking!  The climb is mostly road to the top, with plenty of places to stop for breaks and to pick up additional food and water.  At the top, you descend on some of the best single track I've ridden in Europe, swooping down along the ancient volcano, finally reaching Porto Ischia for mandatory carb-loading (read: German beer and Italian pizza).  Ischia attracts many German tourists, and as such, the beer selection on the Isle is typically better than on the nearby mainland city of Napoli.  

The route: 36km, 1091m of climbing! 

I live on the mainland, in the small town of Monte di Procida, which features a small port were small ferries operate during the summer.  The ferries are only large enough for passengers, and take foot bound traffic (and bicycles) over to the nearby isles of Procida and Ischia.  Unlike the larger car ferries that operate out of Pozzuoli and Napoli, these little pedestrian ferries move a lot quicker.  Typical travel time on a ferry out of Pozzuoli to Ischia is about an hour.  The ferry from Monte di Procida to Ischia is just 20 minutes!  Not only are these ferries from my hometown faster, but they also save me from the additional trip via train or car to Napoli or Pozzuoli.  Added bonus!  So, for the first ride of the summer over to Ischia, my friend, Rich, and I met up at my house early that morning, did some last minute maintenance on the bikes, and rolled down the hill to the port.  Once at the port, we bought our roundtrip tickets and waited for a few minutes for the ferry to arrive.  After about 10 minutes, the ferry pulled up, we rolled the bikes over "the hook" and got settled up on the bow of the boat for the short trip to Ischia.

Rich checking out the view from the top deck of the ferry.  Ischia far off in the distance (center), with the smaller isle of Procida just off port side (left).  

Our two bikes safely stowed on the back of the ferry.  

The ferry pulls into Porto Ischia, a small port town on the north eastern side of Ischia that is overrun with tourists from all over Europe.  Taxis and buses rush them off to other parts of the isle, as most tourists are there for the wonderful beaches and volcanic hot springs.  We begin our journey by starting a short climb out of Porto Ischia to the west toward Forio.  On the way toward Forio, we pass through Casimicciola Terme and Lacco Ameno.  There are a number of shops in both of these towns, most of them selling typical tourist fare, however these are great places to pick up some fruit and water for the ride.  And if you like super yachts, this is the place to see them.  With all the British flagged vessels, you think all of London's financial district takes vacation here.  I feel lucky that I can enjoy this island with just a short ferry ride! 

Looking back toward Lacco Ameno.  My yacht is parked

 After we ride through Lacco Ameno, we begin the ascent over the small hill that separates Lacco Ameno and Forio, further to the south.  The hill provides wonderful vistas of Lacco Ameno and Forio, and our route between the two towns is along the dramatic (steep!) coastline.  The Mediterranean is beautiful from up there! 

Looking south toward Forio

The road that leads into Forio along our route became cobblestone covered and twisted back and forth, even going through an arch at one point.  Some of the best urban "trail" riding I've experienced!  Once down in the town of Forio, we rode along the road that parallels the beach.  We stopped for a quick break at a local fruit stand, where I enjoyed a fresh nectarine.  Sure beats a Power Bar!  We continued through Forio, taking another moment to enjoy the vista from the Church of Soccorso.  We rode down a steep staircase, to the road below, and continue along the beach, until we reached the base of Monte Epomeo.  The next couple hours would be spent climbing  to the top of this ancient volcano!  (ugh!).  

We maintained a good pace on the way up, taking breaks whenever the need arose.  The heat and humidity added to the challenge, however we were well prepared.  I alone was carrying two liters of water in my Camelbak, with an additional water bottle full of Gatorade.  

House atop a large volcanic boulder, with a surrounding vineyard. 

The road we follow toward the top of Monte Epomeo provides some wonderful views, which help keep your mind off the heat and the climb.  Vineyards, fruit trees, and small villages line the route, with expansive views of the Mediterranean below.  

View of the Mediterranean as we ride along...

Almost at Fontana, looking back at our route and Panza in the distance.

We continue to climb along the road, until we reach Fontana, where we take a short lunch break.  We also buy some more water at Fontana, because the remainder of the route is away from civilization and off road.  At this point in the ride, I've already drank all two liters of water in my Camelbak, so I'm grateful for the opportunity to refill along the way.  

After we refill our water, we continue on our route, turning off the main road, looking forward to the final leg of our climb.  This last section of the climb is the most difficult, as it's extremely steep, and by this point we're pretty tired from a couple hours exertion in the heat.  Once at the top, we enjoy the trails atop Monte Epomeo, and take another break to enjoy the view of the towns and sea below us.  

Enjoying the view from the top (and the break!).   

Atop Monte Epomeo

Rich enjoying the trail atop Monte Epomeo.  The peak is in the background.  

After playing around a bit on the trails atop Monte Epomeo, we point downhill!  We descend along the trail we followed to the top, turning off this trail into the wood just below the peak of the mountain.  The fast singletrack descent begins here!  The trail follows along the ridgeline from Monte Epomeo to the east.  The trail is lined with trees and brush, and along the way we got nipped by a few thorns.  The trail twists and turns, at one point leading us through an abandoned farm.  The buildings were overgrown with ferns, which covered much of the field that we were riding through.  We continued on, descending the mountain, coming to a rest area for horses, where a local group of riders were having lunch.  Our aluminum steeds pushed on, pointed downhill, and picked up the pace as the slope became steeper.  We ride down through a dark, root covered crevasse that looks as though it belongs in the beginning of Raiders of the Lost Arc.  We finally break out of the forest in Cretaio, where our tires meet asphalt for the first time since we started our descent.  Back on the road, we continue onto a park that sits just above Porto Ischia.  This park is a relatively new cinder cone from the most recent eruption on the island, dating to 1306.  A short climb to the top of the pine tree covered mini-volcano is followed by the final downhill of the day.  Once through the park, we were back on the road just above Porto Ischia where our ride began.  We rode down into the port and stopped off for a well deserved beer and pizza while awaiting our return trip to the mainland.  What a bella giornata on Ischia!  

Alas; Beer and Pizza!  :)

Prophet Upgrade Project: Phase 1

I've had my Cannondale Prophet for over five years, and I've really enjoyed riding it.  That said, I was looking to improve the climbing capability on the bike by changing the rear shock with one that would "lock out".  The original shock, a Manitou, didn't include a lock out feature, and it's something I missed on the Prophet.  A previous bike of mine had front and rear lock out on the shocks, and I really liked being able to make the full suspension bike into a fully rigid bike on the road and on long climbs.  I really enjoyed the feature on that bike (a 2001 Cannondale Jekyll), and as such, I was ready to improve the capability of my  new(er) mountain bike.

I looked at the available rear suspension shocks on the market, and determined that the Fox Float RL would fit the bill, in that it features a lock out, rebound adjustment, and is reasonably priced.  I determined that the Prophet frame required a rear shock to be 7.875 inches long and have 2.0 inches of stroke.  Fox's Float RL came in this variety, so I ordered it online.

Fox Float RL

When the shock arrived in the mail, I was "shocked" to find that the original shock brackets (called shock reducers) didn't fit my new shock.  Searching online, I found that Cambria bike had them available, so I ordered them online.  When they arrived in the mail, I was able to install the new shock!

Needless to say, I've enjoyed the new shock, with a recent ride on Monte Matese allowing me to lock out the rear shock, effectively making my full suspension bike a hard tail to more efficiently climb the 4265 foot ascent.

Next on the list for the upgrade:

• New wheels: My wheels are in pretty bad shape after 5+ years of use and abuse.  They are overdue for a rebuild.  Do I get all new wheels or just rebuild on the existing hubs?  If I get new wheels, I'm thinking about the Mavic Crossmax ST's.  Clearly, rebuilding on the existing hubs would provide a great ride at a fraction of the price of the Mavics.  ...and I'd also not have white hubs (that will look horrible if I don't keep them spotlessly clean).  As you can tell, I'm leaning toward the rebuild option.  
• Fork Rehabilitation: my Cannondale Lefty TPC Max is in dire need of some serious maintenance after 3 serious years of use and abuse in Italy and Europe.  These forks work great, but are very difficult to work on if you don't know what you're doing.  Clearly I don't.  :)  Luckily, there's a bike shop back in the states that specializes in fixing and upgrading Lefties.  So, I'm thinking about shipping my fork off to Mendon Cyclesmith for a complete rebuild and upgrade.  I'm thinking about getting the "guts" upgraded to PBR, essentially converting my front shock from spring to air spring, and providing a lock out capability.