It is that time of the year again my friends and I just want to start out saying thank you to all my fellow friends, readers, and riders that have always supported the site. I know things have come to a abrupt halt on Mashafix without notice. I assure you that there are many reasons for this but in the end I want everyone to know I did not forget about all of you nor have I forgot about old projects I started. Everything will be out in due time. As for today I encourage everyone to celebrate this amazing 4/20 holiday safely with some good friends, herbs, and good vibes. It’s ALWAYS 4:20 on my watch !!! Just saying
I know this is a huge topic of controversy at the moment but I really feel compelled to speak up and say something. In this video you will see the finish of the 2012 MASH ALLY CAT RACE that took place this past Thursday night in beautiful Las Vegas, Nevada. The first rider that clearly comes in first place is wearing the black Engine 11 kit who is followed by a rider wearing the CHROME COVETED JERSEY and another rider which is wearing a black jersey with a white helmet. In this finish take notice to the first two riders I mention and pay close attention to when they try to hand their manifests to the person at the finish line. You will notice after the first two riders attempt to hand off their manifest the third rider to finish has no problem because his is clearly grabbed from his hand. These riders were all coming in fast but it was very clear the order they finished in. Technically what was witnessed at the finish was Bud Abille coming threw the finish line first, who was followed by 2nd. Place Alvin Escajeda and 3rd. Place Hern Montenegro. I know this is not what was awarded when all was said and done so this is why I am speaking up. I know Bud Abille raced his heart out that night and clearly won this race. So if anyone has not congratulated him yet then I would like to be the first to congratulate Bud on his victory. In the end their was two sets of “winners” awarded. There was the the “technical winners” and the “physical winners”. This was very unfair to the riders that clearly finished first and second place. So great job to all of these guys and to all the racers that came out to make this event so special. I am really sad to hear this is the last year that the MASH race will take place because the last race should not be one of controversy. Mike Martin needs to be thanked for all the things he has done for the bike community because I think we can all agree and appreciate all of his hard work. In the end we all share the same love and we all need to work together and stay positive.
Just some food for thought….
Maybe it is the fact that I grew up playing different sports like Golf in which integrity is a huge part of the game but from what I have witnessed at races this past month is a bit sad. Most of the racers are also friends outside of riding and with that said I think it is very important that we really think about that in regards to how we treat one another. Just be humble and pay respect when it is due. You all work super hard so do not let your talents be overshadowed by controversy because we are all adults that know what is wrong from what is right and if you don’t, then I suggest you pick up a bible and relate your lives to the stories in it so you have some guidance in life on what is the right thing to do when you are not sure. If you are wrong or dishonest people will see that but if you can catch it before others call you out then it makes you that much more of man. When people look up to you and what you do then you can consider yourself to be a “Leader” whether you want to be a “Leader” or not, but as a “Leader” you also have the responsibility to do things right and lead by example so that those who look up to you can follow your lead. It only takes one influential person to stand up and say what needs to be said and it will pave the way for many others to do and say the right thing when need be. We are all big boys and it is up to us and not the race organizers or volunteers to do the right thing when we already know whats good. #YOUKNOWwAZGOOD
One of the stops I had to make sure I hit at the 2012 Interbike show in Las Vegas, NV was the AMERICAN CLASSIC booth. I have been hearing so much about these wheels lately and I decided to do some investigating for myself so that I could share it with all of you out there.
I have always been a huge fan of the “Mavic Ellipse” wheelsets, however, I myself have had many problems recently with my set of Ellipse wheels. So when it comes down to performance I believe in taking a scientific approach towards building your bike, especially when it comes to building up your race or “track bike”. One huge difference I noticed between the Mavic Ellipse and the AERO 420 by AMERICAN CLASSIC was the overall weight. The Mavic Ellipse wheelset weighs in at appx. 1895 grams with the rear wheels weighing appx. 995 grams and the front wheel weighing appx. 905 grams. The AMERICAN CLASSIC AERO 420 wheelset weighs appx. 1585 grams, with a rear wheel weight coming in at 840 grams and the front weighing only 745 grams. This is already a huge difference when you are able to drop appx. 315 grams just by switching wheelsets to the AERO 420 WHEELS. This is absolutely astonishing to me because most full carbon wheels do not even weigh less than 1585 grams for a set ! There is appx. 453.59237 grams in one pound and by shaving 315 grams on just the wheelset you use will drop your overall bike weight by .6944651 pounds (appx. 3/4 of a pound). Now keep in mind that the Mavic Ellipse wheelset comes with 20 spokes in the front and rear wheel and has a 30mm deep rim profile. When this is compared to the AERO 420 WHEELS you can not help but notice the differences. The AERO 420 WHEELS have a 34mm deep rim profile and have a spoke count of 24 in the rear and 18 in the front wheel. Technically the AMERICAN CLASSIC wheels have 2 more total spokes than the ellipse wheels and also have a deeper profile rim but still weigh less than the Mavic Ellipse wheelset. One thing I must point out in the design of the rear AERO 420 wheel is that it has 24 spokes compared to only 20 with the Ellipse wheel. By adding 4 spokes to the rear wheel you will notice a significant difference in the stiffness of the wheel compared to the Mavic ellipse. When you are trying to shave seconds off your time you do not want any flexing of the wheels when applying torque because any flex in the wheel will make you lose power.
The next key feature I would like to point out about the AMERICAN CLASSIC AERO 420 WHEELS is their use of ceramic bearings. When using a ceramic bearing you are doing two things. One, the ceramic bearings are going to be lighter in weight compared to any other kinds of bearings. Two, because these are ceramic they offer superb rolling with little to no resistance while also maintaining performance over a long period of time or use. This is something to think about when choosing a good track wheelset that you plan on riding on the street and on the track. I know the next wheelset I own is going to be the AMERICAN CLASSIC AERO 420 WHEELS without a doubt.
I would like to thank all of the crew at AMERICAN CLASSIC who helped me out during my Interbike 2012 visit to their booth. I would also like to thank Helen for sitting down with me and going over their product line and making me a true believer in the products they manufacture.
Get ready for this ! I know I can not wait to get back down to San Diego, Ca. for this awesome event ! November 10, 2012 so remember to mark that date in your calendars. If you would like to donate to this event then contact Rocko vie email. His contact info is posted in the flyer however the deadline to become a sponsor is coming up soon so get on that ASAP !
So yesterday was the first of four events for the Fortune 700 Race to the End of Summer Sessions III. The racers were faced with a 3 lap time trial of the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, Ca. Each lap was approximately 3.57 miles which ended up being a total of 10.71 miles. This was mapped out courtesy of the event coordinators for this event series. I think the highlight of the day had to be the run by Edgar “WILLO” Juarez, who finished with a time of 20:37 which was 1 minute and 22 seconds ahead of the second place time for mens fixed gear. Not only was Edgar’s time good enough to win the Mens 1st. Place for fixed gear, but his time also beat the 1st. Place Mens Road division by 31 seconds !!! WOW ! THIS GUY IS A BEAST !!!! Edgar “WILLO” Juarez averaged a pace of appx. 31.16 mph for the entire 10.71 mile time trial. I still can not explain how incredible this was to see happen and the fact that he is a good friend made it that much more special. So congratulations again to Edgar and to all of the winners yesterday who came out and gave it their all. I can not wait to see what happens next Sunday !
This is SERIES of 4 Sunday events with each event being unique in it’s own right. The all around rider(s) who do well in all events will be able to walk away with an option of 3 best of event jerseys! Do you have what it takes to capture “sprinter” jersey? Or a “climbers” jersey? Not to mention an overall stage class jersey?!
I have always loved going to Critical Mass bike rides but when I got a chance to help out with a local “Kidical Mass” ride in my community of Long Beach, Ca. I could not help but want to get involved with a awesome event like this for kids. I must give a special thank you to one of the MASHAFIX.com sponsors that donated over $1000 in brand new bicycle HELMETS for these young kids. So from all the kids and parents you helped out and THE WORKSHOP LB we give a HUGE THANK YOU to PRO-TEC HELMETS.
filmed and edited by – JahRome
music by – The Pharcyde – “Passing Me By” – instrumental version
The Workshop LB would like to give a special thanks to PRO-TEC for donating over $1000 in helmets to help keep these young riders safe. PRO-TEC.net
On Sunday August 19, 2012 a large group of parents and their children got together at Los Cerritos Park which is located in Bixby Knolls, Ca.(long beach). This was not just any ordinary bicycle ride. In fact, this is something very special that is put on every month to help young bicycle riders learn to ride as a group while also learning all of the laws of the road to help keep them safe. Kids from all ages showed up on this particular Sunday afternoon to take part in this group bike ride. The Workshop LB has been taking part in this event by offering free bike tune ups and maintenance tips to all parents and kids that come out to Kidical Mass, but this time was even more special because PRO-TEC Helmets has teamed up with The Workshop LB and Mashafix.com to provide free helmets to these young riders. PRO-TEC believes in tradition and so many many adults have grown up wearing PRO-TEC helmets that it is why we pass along this tradition to the kids that come out for this event. We encourage anyone in the LA County and Long Beach, Ca. area to come out and take part in Kidical Mass. If you would like more information on Kidical Mass in Bixby Knolls, Ca. please visit bixbyknollsinfo.com/kidicalmass.html or call 1-(562)-595-0081
The next Kidical Mass will take place on Sunday September 23, 2012 at 1:00 pm pst
You can also visit The Workshop LB for more information or for any of your cycling needs which is located at – 4250, Atlantic Ave. Bixby Knolls, Ca. 90807 – 1-(562)-424-7433(RIDE) or visit THEWORKSHOPLB.com
So if you missed out on yesterdays garage sale at the Fixie Factory in downtown Long Beach, Ca. then you missed out on some great deals and some good times. I stopped by the sale while I was downtown yesterday afternoon and saw bikes piled high on the front porch of the Fixie Factory with kids all over swapping parts and installing new parts and accessories on their bikes. I myself swooped up a new UNKNOWN BIKE CO. hat and some WOLF DRAWN stickers and patches. I hope they have more sales like this because it is great for the community and gives kids a chance to buy parts they could normally not afford when at regular price.
It is going down tomorrow night at THE WORKSHOP LB. They will be showing one of the sickest riding movies out there called “LINE OF SIGHT” BY LUCAS BRUNELLE. If you have not seen this I can promise you it is going to be better then “Premium Fail” …. I mean “Rush” that comes out this Friday in movie theaters worldwide. Lucas captures the most intense real raw riding footage I have ever seen to this day. If you like riding bikes and love riding in traffic even more then this video is for you. No acting, just pure riding and living in the moment.
Be sure to show up to THE WORKSHOP LB by 7pm. The movie will not start until 8pm so be here early and come hang out at the shop. I know they are having a special giveaway to whoever brings the most friends with them to this event. Oh yeah did I mention this MOVIE IS FREE !!! YUP YUP ! #YOUKNOWWAZGOOD
So this Sunday August 19th. there will be a “Kidical Mass” ride leaving from Los Cerritos Park in Long Beach, Ca. at at 1:00 pm. This bike ride is mainly for little kids and families to come out and ride together in a safe friendly environment while learning about bikes and bike safety. This ride was first brought to my attention by GRAHAM BADEN(HEAD MECHANIC AT THE WORKSHOP LB). Graham is also a parent so he tries to get involved in events that promote kids to ride bikes. This Sunday you can find Graham and myself out at this event working on bikes and handing out free helmets to kids, all compliments of THE WORKSHOP and PRO-TEC HELMETS.
When you come out this Sunday please remember the theme is to decorate your bikes ! Kids and adults of all ages are welcome to attend this event. The ride will leave promptly at 1:00 pm from Los Cerritos Park led by Olympic Cyclist Tony Cruz. The route is about 2.5 miles and will end at Summerset Park for a BBQ. If you have questions please call (562)-595-0081 or email info@bixbyknollsinfo.com
WHAT IS KIDICAL MASS?
Kidical Mass is a legal, safe and FUN bike ride for kids, kids at heart, and their families. The first ride was held in April 2008 in Eugene, Oregon and has now spread to over a dozen communities throughout North America and beyond. The rides are meant to be family friendly bike rides through a community.
Kidical Mass Bixby Knolls will host rides that connect the community to the businesses in Bixby Knolls. Our goal is to show people how easy it is to get around in Bixby Knolls by bike and support local business.
All types of bikes, trailers, trail-a-bikes, Xtracycles, longtails, bakfiets, Long Johns, tandems, folders, trikes, and whatever rolls are welcome! We celebrate the fact that Kids are Traffic Too and aim for family fun on vehicles that don’t hurt the future! It’s just another excuse to pedal around town with your family.
Here is a event that everyone should be at if you live in California that was just created by rider Kenny Arimoto. The date is set for September 1st !!! There is a FACEBOOK EVENT SET UP so if you are on FACEBOOK CLICK HERE.
“Man Up! : Fixed Freestyle Open.
Saturday September 1st in Palo Alto CA, MAN UP! : Fixed Freestyle Open. No invite needed. No entry fee. You got the trick? Throw down.
Its time to Put Up or Shut Up.
After party and awards @DestroyBikes. Party management provided by Chrome Bags.
Meet at Palo Alto Caltrain Station at 10:30 am.” -KENNY ARIMOTO
meant to be family friendly bike rides through a community. 
