The Salomon BBR

Sean and the BBR

Hello all. Sorry it's been a while since I have written, we were in Sunday River skiing with the family and the day after I got home I was hit with a 6 day long cold that knocked me on my butt. Needless to say when your huddled under the covers and freezing and sweating profusely at the same time you don't really feel like writing. I did however manager to get in a couple hours of Call of Duty, Modern Warfare 3 on the Playstation 3 and maybe I'll write about that next...who knows.

ANYWAY...so this week I want to talk about my experience with The Salomon BBR ski. In case you don't know it, the BBR is Salomon's latest "re-invention" of the ski that they seem to do it every 4-5 years. The BBR, The Pilot System, the X-Scream, Prolink...etc. etc. They all do make manufacturers re-think how skis work and how can they get better and within 2 years almost every ski brand has a version of their latest revolution built into it. They also look totally wacky...until you try them. Salomon has rockered the BBR to make the ski easier to steer and turn and changed the shape to brand them as the true "One Quiver" ski. The super fat tip floats like a rocker and the patented V-shape allows them to rip on groomers

So I had looked at them a few times on retailer racks around town, read about how they worked online and talked to a couple of friends who worked for Salomon to also get their take, so I had a fairly good idea of what I was in for. I picked up the 8.9 176CM's from Adam on the Monday before we were leaving so that gave my lots of time to tune them up they way I wanted. I knew that the snow in Sunday River this time of year is pretty granular and heavy so I prepped accordingly at the shop. First thing I noticed is man these suckers are heav-y! But most wider skis are these days ( 147-88-102 dimensions aren't your Daddy's Rossi 4SK's).

So we loaded up the van with 2 kids, 6 pairs of skis, 4 bags of gear and clothes, toys, pillows, games and apparently a hippopotamus, and off we went to Sunday River, or during March Break I like to call it Bluenoser's run amok. I managed to get a solid afternoon in on Monday with just me, the sun and the mountain and decided to give these blue monsters a go.

The one thing I found right off the bat is they love to turn, they initiate very very easily. Almost too easily, but I started off just cruising along to try to get a feel, so far so good, but now I wanted to head to something steeper and really try to open them up. on my way to Black Diamond nirvana I noticed a lot of kick at the back end of my turns, so much so I was scrubbing speed at times. It almost felt like they were mounted too far forward. So I decided to shift the binding back a centimeter and EUREKA! The next run was like...wow! The BBR was dialed, I was trying all different turn shapes all the rest of the day, short rapid fall line turns, longer GS type turn shapes, it was easy.

I do want to mention that I really found the skis performed best in a neutral stance, in other words don't push too much on the tongues of your boots, they didn't seem to enjoy too much tip pressure, but you can push them pretty good. Also, dont go fiddling with your bindings yourself, let someone in a ski shop do that, we go through vendor specific training that allows us to set them properly for you.

So what's the take? These really are a "do it all" ski for an advanced skier looking for just one weapon. Salomon has invested a lot into the BBR line for next year. In the US there are 9-10 BBR skis in their line ( I managed to get my hands on next years catalog when I was in Sunday River) for both men and women, and I'm sure the line will be similarly ranged in Canada. I strongly urge you to get out and try before you buy. Stock levels don't really start to dwindle until mid February so with an early season ride you have lots of time to hunt them down.

Thanks go out to Peter and Adam at Salomon for letting me take these puppies for a rip! I appreciate everyone reading! See you soon.

GT Bicycles and I Drive (No, it's not a Autobiography)

I Drive, or Independent Drive train, it's the revolutionary drive train system from GT Bicycles that allows their bikes to pedal with out changing chain length while navigating uneven terrain. It's pretty freakin' cool, and has actually been around for a while. But how does it work and how will it make riding easier for you? Well read on...

With I-Drive, regardless of how the rear wheel moves, it wont pull on the chain, crank or pedals.That way the rider wont get pedal feedback and it improves your pedal stroke efficiency. Because the suspension operates independently of the drive train, it allows both components to focus on what they are meant to do. So with the suspension not having to take orders from the drive train anymore it makes for a smooth ride and allows the suspension to follow the path of impact which considerably quiets the bike. The rider can keep the momentum, especially going up hill (it's hard enough going uphill without your bike working against you).

The other good thing is there aren't any other components or linkages or pivot points, so that way things don't break, the less headaches the better. You can find the I Drive or pretty much any of the bike in GT lineup of gravity, all mountain, and most of the enduro product families. I think it's a very cool piece of tech and I can't wait to get out and try it.

The other thing about GT is you can now find them in Sportchek stores across Canada. So add the GT line with Jamis, in itself a very reputable product and all of a sudden you have a very attractive product line up. Throw in the value added Reebok and Nakamura brands and you can truly find a bike for anyone here. The prices range from $180-ish up to $1300 and higher in larger stores like Sportchek/Atmosphere in Halifax Shopping Center

Make sure that when you buy your bike you are properly sized. You don't want to get into a frame that is too big or too small as it will make handling the bike more difficult, cause stress on your neck, arms and back, and generally make for a less enjoyable riding experience. Make sure you have 1-3" of clearance under the tires when you hoist it up and it's, ahem... "snug". Then place the ball of your foot on the pedal when it's at the bottom of the pedal stroke, you should have a very slight bend in your knee when your seated with your butt cheeks properly placed on the saddle.

Dont forget you have to have a noise making device (aka bell) and padded shorts are always a good idea if your planning to spend any amount of time in the saddle. Watch for upcoming blogs that will focus on these products.

As always thanks again for reading. next week I'm going to venture into the travel realm as we head to Sunday River for the week to ski, ride, drink, shop, sleep, and as always do it all with big smiles on our faces. Stay tuned.