I've always loved the great outdoors. I'm not as spry as I used to be, but I still yearn to earn a few turns and put the backpack on for a few days of solitude in the wilderness. I feel very fortunate to live in a location where these activities are close by and that I have the time to enjoy them.
I named some of them that stand out. I think I will name my new electric Cannondale Tesoro Neo X bicycle the Beast. That name is subject to change once it is delivered to the bicycle store 3 hours away and I pick it up. There is no bicycle shop in this small town in West Texas so I have to drive to Lubbock Texas to get pick it up.
We were in in similar situation when we purchased ours. We picked it up at the Bozeman MT REI, which is 256 miles (one way). REI has since opened up a store 45 miles away in Jackson WY. Be sure to give the bike a good test ride while you are at the store to make sure that everything is working smoothly to your satisfaction. Let me know what you settle on for a name, Be safe and have fun.
I just purchased a Cannondale Tesoro Neo X 2024. It on closeout for $2700 was originally $5500. Comes with Premium SmartForm C1 Alloy frame, dual-battery-ready / Suntour Raidon 34, 100mm travel fork Shimano Deore 12-speed drivetrain / Magura MTNext hydraulic disc brakes with brake lights, mid drive Bosch Performance Line Speed 250W drive-unit / 625Wh battery / Range: up to 117km (73mi) Max assist speed - 28 mph. I hope I made a great choice. I currently ridding non electric Gaint Fastroads AR2 fitness bicycle about 24 miles a day 4 day on 1 off. I am 59 years old and the headwinds in Texas are starting to have a negative effect on me keeping riding my bicycle. I am hoping the Neo X helps me stay on the bicycle.
That sounds like a great deal indeed. I predict you will have a great time with your new bike and you will not be bothered as much by windy or hot days. On those days when you want a traditional workout, the choice is yours. Julie and I are both over 70 YO and both agree that our Ebikes have put the fun back in riding. Thanks for tuning in, be safe in your rides and have a great week.
I really enjoyed this. I like to see the nature there at summer time. I noticed the spruce trees, they look really dense (i hope its the right word at this case). In Finland spruces in higher elevation, or just near or above arctic circe are really thin, with little brances. They are called "candle spruces" if you translate it directly. Here they are evolved that way under heavy snowload winter after winter. Your spruces are surely some different type, but do they withstand heavy snow load what you surely have there too or do wind clean the snow from trees on high elevation at there, so they dont have to?
The spruce trees in this video are Engelmann spruce and can get up to 55 m (180 ft) in height. They are a great looking tree. Their long-tapered shape helps them to shed snow. Some of the trees in this video are Alpine Fir. They are even more tapered in shape and a little shorter, up to 40 m (137 ft) in height. There are also three different pines that grow in this area, Lodgepole, Whitebark, and Limber and we also have Douglas Fir. The latitude in this video is about 43.5 degrees North, and the hike elevations ranged from 1951 to 3268 m (6,400 to 10,720 ft) and the forest mix will depend greatly on elevation, soil type, slope aspect, and precipitation. I have spent a lot of time North of 65 degrees in Alaska where the predominate forest tree is the black spruce and it sounds very similar to the candle spruces you describe. Thanks for tuning in and for being a subscriber and I hope you are having a great week.
Beautiful! What is this area called? I imagine it a ways from GTNP and Bridger Teton NF. Also, good thing you made it out before the storm (at least it looked that way).
The outing was organized by our friends and is in the Teton Mountain Range of Northwest Wyoming. We had a few sprinkles on and off on the way out and then it really let loose just after we got back to the car. Thanks for tuning in and have a great week.
Just stumbled upon your video. Spent a couple weeks in the Winds a few years back. Hiked down to Cook on the way to Cloverleaf after climbing up from High Meadow. Was pretty up there. Thanks for bringing back the memories.
What a Godsend your video is to me. Back in 20" i purchased a Specialized Como 3.0. Fast forward I've had two total knee replacements and four level lumbar fusion. I'm rehabbing by getting back on my bike. My Como has a high bar and zero suspension.....all things that need to be addressed. I'm considering a Thudbuster but that only take care of half my suspension problem. So I started looking at new rides and boiled them down to Vado and Tesoro and low and behold I stumble across your video. I'm 70 and 220 lbs. and ride mostly in central Pennsylvania with mixture of gravel and backroads just like your travels. Mostly I need to protect my back fusion .....that's where I need a suspension. Any thoughts on my possible purchase would be appreciated. Like seeing your rides ...before COVID my wife and I bought property near Island Park, Idaho to build. We love snow but winter was just too long for us. Grace and Peace~
Hi David, I'm glad you found the channel. First of all, I hope that your new knees and fused lumbar will enable you to resume your active lifestyle. Between the two bikes, Julies 2022 Turbo Vado 4 bike and the 2021 Tesero Neo X1, I prefer to ride the Tesero and Julie prefers the Vado, but I tend to ride rougher routes and Julie prefers smoother routes. The riding position is similar, both have a suspension seat post and suspension front forks. The Cannondale can be made a bit more "cushy" as the front fork is an air adjustable fork and it has larger diameter wheels and wider tires. Both bikes are more than adequate for gravel roads and cobbles but neither will be as forgiving as a high-quality full suspension mountain bike. I don't know if the 2024 versions of these bikes are similarly equipped, so the difference between our two bikes may or may not still be valid. I have back and knee issues as well, so I have pretty much given up mountain biking and we no longer have the full suspension mountain bikes that we rode for years. At first I was a bit worried about giving up my rear suspension mountain bike, but for the type of riding I do now, cranking hard seems to bother my back more than the occasional bump. I like your idea of getting a Thudbuster for your current bike. Who knows, maybe adding a Thudbuster, lowering the tire pressure on your current bike and taking a standing position when you encounter a big bump might just be enough cushion so that you won't irritate your back. I suspect the Thudbuster is probably better than the suspension seat posts that are on our bikes, but I don't know that for sure. If so, it wouldn't be wasted money, as you might be able to use it on a new bike, depending on the diameter. Thanks for tuning in and best wishes.
I only use a nickname when I am with my kids. So mine is Blue Thunder (1983 movie), a sleekly cut drop handled Norco, my daughter’s kids bike was the Red Hot Rider after an old old bugs bunny cartoon and my son’s black Specialized drop handle bike is the ‘masked marauder’ of the same cartoon episode. Nice footage btw.
Im probably little boring, but all my bikes are called just by the useage. Gravel, xc and fatbike. Some apropriate names has to be considered from now on🤔
Love the videos! I recently bought my first set of skis in an attempt to stay in bike shape throughout the winter and am excited to see the backcountry during a different time of year. I’ve been binge watching your channel and it’s great! I too am in southeast Idaho. I would love to ski or ride bikes with you for a day sometime.
I'm glad you found the channel and thanks for posting feedback. I'm always up for an outing, so it would be possible to link up for a ski. Take care and have a great summer.
We did see some deer. There are elk and bear in the area, but we did not see any on this particular outing. Thanks for tuning in and I hope you are having a great summer.
@@tomm9850 Incredible, thank you! Have you ever encountered a grizzly bear in those areas like the salt river? Or is it strictly black bears? I am planning a trip this summer but unsure if I should be worried about Grizzlies while sleeping out there overnight. Stay safe out there! I look forward to seeing more of your adventures.
@@Ra05 The Southern ends of the Salt River and Wyoming Ranges are mostly inhabited by Black Bears. I carry bear spray when hiking in these areas and use a bear vault to store food when overnighting in the back country. I have had bear encounters in all of the areas I hike, but not every year or on every outing. There is some risk, but I think it is manageable. Check out this link if you haven't already wgfd.wyo.gov/wyoming-wildlife/large-carnivore/grizzly-bears-wyoming
Be advised 😊 There’s a little Tech Talk thread: Tom, you’ve given me some of reading and research (action cams - insta360) in the last week since our last discussion - Thank you for sharing. In this video, on my mobile devices (apple) will only stream at most, 4k. On my desktop, I can force the chrome browser to stream at 8k, but it very intermittent with my 40Mbit down-feed that I have. I had hoped if I walked away and then replay the video, I could see it normally, but that didn’t work. Next, I wanted to see if I could read the road signs better, but the 8k video on my 31” screen (various viewport sizes) didn’t reveal much better details than the 4k on the tablet. I think it’s the youtube compression and the cache syncing that is of issue very blotchy in spots. If someone on RU-vid Premium can chime it that would be great. Still, I was able to read the sign at some points which is useful for various curiosity, just tricky to time the still frame. Moving forward I’m sure you’ll have some creative freedom to crop in on specific scenery and point of interest and share some more wilderness beauty.
The original file was captured at 200 Mbps and looks better with fewer motion artifacts than what RU-vid is streaming. The original file was 11.2 Gb in size for this 8 minute video. RU-vid took about 4 days to process the original file so that it could be streamed in their 8k format. I doubt that many viewers will be able to view this video at RU-vid's 8k streaming rate, especially if connected via WiFi on a mobile device, but at some point in the future everyone's capabilities will improve and 8k won't be as much of a struggle or novelty. RU-vid's 8k streaming looks much better for static (stationary) camera placement as demonstrated in my previously linked test video ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-hi-Yd9fpVSI.html than it does in this video where everything is moving, but maybe motion blur is acceptable as long as the viewer's focus is on the static objects, such as me on the bike as opposed to trying to view the scenery on the side of the road. 360 video streaming is mainly a novelty at this point and mostly directed to the few people using a VR headset. I don't have access to one, but I think it would be a fun experience. As you noted, the real benefit of the higher resolution 360 capture is for post production framing of standard video. It is such a powerful tool and it tickles my creative side more than any other camera I have used in the past, especially for ski sequences. As always, thanks for tuning in and posting feedback. Have a great week and a fun Summer.
That’s a great observation about the detail in static subjects. To make this all worth while, it might make sense to plan some pit stops in journeys, to appreciate the scenery for what 8k can do. I particularly loved the view of the amphitheater in Shoshone National Forest; it reminded me of an impromptu hike I took 20 years ago near Escalante, Utah. Maybe the other subscribers will have a déjà vu experience in these videos and resonate with them as well. Living in the Northeast, life is always on the go, and we often don’t take the time to see, appreciate, or respect nature. In your video, it was amazing to look up and see the clouds glide over the canyon-something that’s often missing in many still photos. As I said before, Its also very cool to ride along and see your entourage, your cycling equipment, or your ski technique. Keep on trekking (and shootiing)!
Hey Tom. I’m just about to mount a pair of voile witchbacks on a pair of Fischer 125’s. Length 165. Planning on going up to 3cm forward of balance point. Mid pint of ski is 1cm forward of BP. From measuring at least 6+ sets of Tele skis the Majority of pin lines are on MP of ski. Altai comms (v similar shaped ski) recommended pin line is 75mm forward of BP. User is a conservative Skiier. Not much powder skiing, so forward is the go. What’s your thoughts. Appreciated. Cheers Rohan. Australia.
I mounted my Switchback X2's using Voile's paper template with their pin line on the balance point of my S-Bound 125. I really didn't give it much thought at the time, it was just the way I had always mounted my Cross Country Skis. I've also skied SB 125's with a 3 pin binding on the balance point and I was happy with that position as well. I think you are wise to consider other options and 1 cm forward is pretty darn close, probably not enough to make a dramatic difference in how the ski feels. Most Alpine downhill skis use a boot center position and when I mount them up, the pin line tends to be a bit forward of the balance point of the ski given my shoe size. The SB 125's are in the middle ground area of ski design, a cross country downhill ski, but I think you will be happy mounting yours in either location.
@@tomm9850 Tom. Your reply very much appreciated for additional confirmation. I went with 3cm forward of BP, comfortable with that given it is only 2cm forward of mid point. (My new point of reference given so many pin lines, all mounted by different people, have been on ski centre - which also included skis mounted for boot centre) With the SB125 skis having a chunky aluminium tail guard, the actual ski BP could arguably be slightly forward anyway. Thanks Tom.
@@rohansyer9388 I really think that the balance point pin line mounting on cross country skis was a general rule of thumb for good kick and glide performance, based on XC ski design for skis with minimal side cut, and had little to do with turn performance. I sure wish that Fischer would provide their recommendations for mounting, and it should probably be related to boot center, especially if the intended use for the ski is for downhill performance. Please post back after you have had a season on your skis and give your thoughts on mounting them 3 cm forward (1.2 inches). Thanks for posting and have a great week.
So when I thought I was hearing the Mormon Tabernacle Choir I surmised you were getting really nostalgic but reading that you did this with AI... I was astounded. Nice end of season production Maestro!
These videos really demonstrate your telemark skiing very well to people who might need a little more demonstration in developing their technique. The camera pointing out in front seems like a good way to have a walking (and skiing) dialog with your audience. I suspect your dislike for this view, is what I will now call the ‘Parrot’ view, where we, the audience are like a sitting parrot on your shoulder and your leaning back to counter balance yourself. Perhaps instead of your shoulder, it could be mounted to your waist and have the same perspective as the bonus clip. To address the accident potential, we need to find an expendable fail point in the rig. I have a hard plastic, phone mount with go-pro style hing arm made by Peak Design. In two separate fall occasions, I had the arm break on me rather than my phone. Not desirable, but cost effective. Keep up with the alternating view points, they really make an exciting viewing of you and the fantastic location you’re at.
Hello Tom, This video is fantastic! First off, I’m really sorry that I missed this video when it was posted. We had a very early spring here in the N.E. where the 60* weather compelled me to abandon my skis in favor of my road bike. I usually have a hard time adjusting to this time of season so couldn’t bear to see any more ski videos. What changed today was when my boss told me that he’s thinking of buying and Insta360 for our accident (transportation) investigation work and I instantly thought your good shares.
I do enjoy the 360 camera but it does have its limitations. I picked up their newest camera, the X4, this spring and I'm hoping the higher resolution will make it more useful. If you are curious, here is link to a sample 8K 360 video that I uploaded to RU-vid just as a test. ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-hi-Yd9fpVSI.html I'm glad you were finally able to see this video. Take care, have a great summer, and be safe on your bike outing.
@@tomm9850 Yes, I suppose the high resolution will help to crop the video down. I was chatting with Jarred at Tahoe Tr Guide, and really, every camera (and lens) has its frustrating limits. Last year, I thought the iPhone 15 with its 3 lenses would be all that I would need but I’m still working on it my ski shots. Its wasn’t a waste since I needed a phone, lol.
I have a newer winter tent, but this one has so many memories I just can't seem to part with it. Thanks for tuning in and for posting. Hope you are having a great week.
Nice Bike... which Racktime adapter does the rear cargo have? Is it Racktime SnapIt or SnapIt 2.0? Would be great if you could answer this :) Thanks in advance!
I'm not that familiar with the Racktime system, but I went out into the garage and took some photos and measurements for you and have uploaded this video. ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-Z5tu5Vlbic8.html I hope this helps. If you can determine which system this is, post your findings so that others will know. For others reading this post, it appears that Cannondale is using a different rear rack on the newer models of the Tesero Neo X1. A set of Ortlieb panniers work well hanging off the side of the 2021 rack and are easy to put on and take off. I only use the Ortlieb setup for bike packing. For normal day use, I have a Topeak strap mount bag. It would be a pain to use the Topeak as a daily commuter setup where you would need to put the bag on and take it off a couple of times a day, but for my recreation rides, it works well.
It sure is a lot of fun riding at max assist, especially uphill and against the wind. Take care, be safe, and watch the range estimate to make sure you can complete your journey. :)
Hey Tom. Interested in your comment on a technique I use on pattern base skis. Using a lint free fabric (moleskin in my case) soaked in wax, applied with iron on top, tip to tail, even runs across pattern base - at speed that does not leave too much wax or effect pattern. Does not leave hot wax in pattern as fabric retains dripping liquid form that a bare iron does not. Seems to work brilliantly. Cheers.
I've not tried that technique. I've known people who hot wax the crown pattern and avoid filling in the dips by dusting cold wax powder or shavings over the pattern followed by the hot iron. II'll have to give your technique a test run next winter. Thanks for posting your waxing tips and have a great week. :)
@@tomm9850 PS - its not just my method. I always though it must be industry standard. It was passed to me from an old expert who ran a ski shop for some 50 years or more. Method is time tested. Maybe try it before next season and let people know your results. It also conserves wax and prevents contact between metal base of iron and synthetic base of ski. cheers
Sir, thank you very much for your instruction video. Through your videos I saw first time the Rottefella Xplore system and I decided to try it out with backcountry skiing. Got bought two skis - Åsnes Falketind 62 and Madshus Panorama 78 with Boots from Apha Skaget Perform/ Alpina Pioneer/ Crispi Futura. I am looking forward to the next winter season here in Switzerland. Best regards - S ki Heil!
I'm sure you will have a blast with your new gear and I hope that next winter will be a great snow season for you. Thanks for tuning in and for posting. Enjoy your summer.
I just checked the chain on the Cannondale Tesero Neo X1 (thanks for reminding me) with the Park tool and the stretch is between 0.5 and 0.75 percent. It is a 12 speed and Park recommends replacing the chain when at 0.5 percent, so it is time to get a new chain. The Turbo Vado 4 bike chain is still less than 0.5 percent, so it will be good for another season. As far as the brakes, no squealing yet on either bike, but a quick visual inspection of the remaining pad thickness indicates that the front brakes on the Cannondale, and the rear brakes on the Specialized bike are worn down to the point where they should be replaced this season. Both bikes have been pretty much trouble free. I've had to tighten the head tube on the Cannondale a couple of times as it seems to loosen on its own, and the rubber charging port cover on the Cannondale can be a bit finnicky (it doesn't always want to stay closed). I don't know if the rubber flap on the cover was defective from the start or if it is just a poor design. It is held in place with a pressure fit. The flap can be easily replaced with a new one, I've just put up with it popping open on its own from the beginning. It is more of a dust cover than anything else and it stays down most of the time when riding. I'm glad that Cannondale has moved the charging port on the new Tesero Neo bikes from the bottom bracket location to the side of the downtube as I think that is a better location.
Julie switched from the 2021 Tesoro Neo X1 to the 2022 Turbo Vado 4 because she felt that the Cannondale was too large for her (both bikes are the small frame size). It wasn't that she couldn't adjust the saddle low enough for her leg length, it was hopping on and off the bike that seemed to be her biggest complaint. The wheel diameter on the Cannondale is larger (29" on her Cannondale and 650 b, 27.5 on the Turbo Vado 4 ) and that makes the overall height from the saddle to the ground greater. When I put the bikes side by side, they don't seem all that different, but Julie says that she prefers a lower overall position. I notice on Cannondale's newer version of the Tesoro Neo bikes, the small frame size uses a smaller diameter wheel than the medium sized frames (27.5" on the small frame and 29" on all other frame sizes.) The other thing that Julie really likes on her Turbo Vado 4 bike is the ability to adjust the power assist in 10% increments, and there are only 4 levels of assist on her 2021 Cannondale. I think the Cannondale is a better bike for very rocky trails, especially with big cobbles, but for gravel roads and pavement, Julie prefers the Vado over the Cannondale.
Hi Susan. I'd be happy to answer any questions you might have in the channel comments. The danger of either you or I posting our email address in a public forum is the risk of being bombarded with spam and unwanted emails. I wish there was a way to have a private conversation on the RU-vid platform, but as far as I know, there is none.
Great video Tom! Was curious why you weren’t on your AT skis, but then you mentioned that you probably should have been. Question, were you using the mini skins on your 98’s? Thanks for the cool ski videos!!
I did not use the mini skins on my SBound 98's on this tour, but I did have them along. The traction pattern on these skis works very well on warm wet snow and I just used a lower angle of attack with switchbacks across the slope for the climbs. This particular ski route is a route I used to ski in my youth, last century (1970's), with my brothers, and so I picked the 98's more for nostalgic reasons. It certainly is more of a challenge to ski with lightweight gear than with my plastic boot telemark setup. In hindsight, my Hypervector / Xplore / Alfa Free would have been a better choice for the downhill sections, as the snow was very deep and heavy. I checked the snotel site before I left home and I was expecting a few inches of heavy spring snow on top of a hard consolidated base, but instead there were sections of the trail (away from the snowmobile tracks) where I was sinking 24 inches, and I just couldn't power my turns in the heavy snow. I did make several downhill runs, but they were not very graceful. Just for fun, you might check out this video I posted several years ago, skiing the basic route as this video under June snow conditions, skiing SBound 98's and 3 pin soft leathers. The capability of this setup is similar to what I skied back in the 70's and is similar to the Xplore/Alfa Vista setup in this video. ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-rT0YKf9_QDs.html
You are doing your own soundtracks now? There is no end to your talent. Quite a variety of music! As for the skiing--I will never tire of these videos, even if you feel they get repetitive. It's always interesting to see recent snow and weather conditions, etc. I did what I believe was just about the same tour, a couple of years ago. I had the idea it was more or less along the CDT, and that snowmobiles were not permitted there...but there were plenty of tracks, anyway. I didn't notice any tracks in your video, so maybe that is an advantage of going later in the season. Sure looked nice! I hope you'll get out skiing a few more times, but have a good summer, too.
I was following the CDT route over Sublette Pass and it is used by snowmobiles. I won't ski this route mid winter for that reason. There were a few groups in the area and I was surprised to see them this late in the year. The fresh snow sure made everything look pristine, but it was very heavy and deep. Not ideal conditions, but a great outing none the less. Thanks for tuning in and have a great off season. :)
Both songs in this video were created with the AI software, Udio. It this instance, I provided the lyrics and some specific musical guidance and it was able to generate this song. It is simply amazing.
Thanks again, Tom. It's hard to imagine that another ski season is over. You really went out on a high note, so to speak, with this video. As always, thanks for the mini-vacation in my day.
