Hey all
you Trail Heads!
Well, it's been a while since my last out burst, which makes it hard to
decide what to share with everyone 'cause this Summer has been packed
with good times! I'd better just put it off until I'm done sharing what
is still to come. That is, right after I thank all of you for your continued
support of Trail Head Cyclery! As most of you know, we've been celebrating
our 10th Anniversary all year. I am just overwhelmed that so many of you
share our passion. The Trail Head Crew appreciates being chosen as the
shop to help all of you get out and ride! It's been a challenging ten
years, building the shop that is Trail Head, re-investing, dirt demoing,
supporting our schools, supporting our trails, supporting our riders,
and I can tell you that the next ten years are looking very, very bright.
So, let's go! I really hope to see you at the Swap Meet and the Dirt Demo!
Thank you so very much for all of your support!
-Lars
In this issue:
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INTERBIKE
2007, Sept. 23-28, Las Vegas:
This was my twelfth trip to the International Bicycle Trade Show that
started off with two wicked days of Dirt Demo. Yea, this is where I got
the idea. These are always the two most important days for us. It is our
chance to ride all the bikes we don't already have in our quiver!
 There
are lots of great bikes out there, and even more hype. Nowhere cuts through
the hype like Bootleg Canyon, Boulder City Nevada. Just a 45 minute bus
ride south of the sinking city is a cheese grater of a mountain surrounded
by flowing and twisted trails. G-out arroyos spit you back into the air
just to plummet into another, then challenge your side knobs and every
other component to hang onto loose desert topsoil. There are no soft places
to land at Bootleg, especially if you take the shuttle to the top, then
climb another mile to a damn fine view and point your demo bike down trails
like "Armageddon" or "The Reaper." Gypsy is three
diamonds, and I won't ride it during the show week. Nope. Once I saw a
couple riders creeping down a sharp ridge-line, looking kinda sketchy
and these euro dudes next to me say "that there in the front is Lopes
and the dude behind him is Hans Rey." I'd never seen Hans dab a foot
before... Nah, another day.
Riding with me this year are my friends Jack Perry, Ford Young, Shawn
Siebe, Rudy Quan and Tom Morrissey. These guys are vertebrae to the shop
and did some real scrutinizing of the fresh product with wicked grins.
We then hit the halls for one on one chats with our suppliers and a good
close look at the latest this industry has researched and developed. Good
times. I hope to do a report on this soon, but for now swing by the shop
and we'll talk your ears off!
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THE
SPOOKY SWAP MEET, Sunday, October 28th:
Arrrrrr mateys! Dar be time arrgen to be treated to yet another of THC's
Spooky Swap Meets. Don't risk missing out on the staff dressed as pirtates
and the booty to be spoiled behind the S.S.T.H.C. 
Thar be forks and drivetrains, frames and shocks, hubs and rims, wheels
too. I've got tons of great gear from Oakley and Fox, Specialized and
Dakine, plus SixSixOne, TSG, Five.10, and Marzocchi. Thar be great deals
onboard the ship as well. A bow to stern sail to help all find the Booty
yee be lookin for. (Land lubbers, that means we will be having a store
wide sale) So swagger on by, just remember to come early or you'll miss
out on the spoils being looted out back in the swap.
I've seen it all at these swaps; all the above plus old vintage cruisers,
kids bikes, cool ass jerseys, fun duds, even one of Tom Ritchey's first
ever frames..! The booty is real, and it is ripe for the takin, so tell
yer mates, spread the news, Trail Head is the place to be Sunday the 28th
of October! Ya don't need the whole day, just an hour is enough time to
find some really great deals. I've known riders to stop by and shop before
a cross race in Aptos, so no excuses, come check out the local bike scene!
Please, tell all your mates! 
Buyers, here is the deal: Same
as always, simple and easy.
- It's FREE. That's right, no fees whatsoever.
- 8 a.m. folks. Show up early for the best booty selection.
- Swapping usually goes steady until noon.
- Shop sale is all weekend, including Saturday.
- Thar be ATM's on site, BofA and Bank of the West.
- Thar be authentic Mexican right next door at Alicia's. Mean breakfast
burros!
- Thar be a Pete's Coffee across dar street.
- Thar be a Boulanger across dar street.
- Thar be Sunny's Doughnuts across dar street.
Swappers, here's the deal. Same
as always. Simple and clean.
- $20 a space, unless it rains. Then it's free.
- Swappers dressed in real costumes only pay $10.
- 7 a.m. Set up begins
- Set up is BEHIND THE SHOP. NOT out at the corner. (I've got too much
stuff to shlep out there!)
- Did I mention the Swap Meet is behind the shop?
- Drive in, set up next to your vehicle, take as much space as you
need.
- Sell your booty.
- When said booty is sold, pack up and drive out when you want.
- Thar be ATM's on site, BofA and Bank of the West.
- Thar be authentic Mexican right next door at Alicia's. Mean breakfast
burros!
- Thar be a Pete's Coffee across dar street.
- Thar be a Boulanger across dar street.
- Thar be Sunny's Doughnuts across dar street.
I think this is the easiest swap meet in all the seas. Don't be afraid
to start a box right now and label it "Booty for cash."
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DIRT DEMO IN
THE DEMO, NOV. 3rd & 4th:
 We
are excited to share with you the new 2008 Demo Fleets at our favorite
place to ride! I'm expecting some of the best conditions all year, as
Fall usually conjures up moist and tacky trail, free of dust and soaring
temps. Fall offers some of the best riding conditions of the year. ( Sorry
to spill the beans all you riders who already know this!) As some of you
know, these Dirt Demo's are a blast. How often do you get the chance to
ride sweet new bikes in our favorite forest for free and then eat free
food and drink free drinks when you're done? How 'bout three or four times
a year with the Trail Head Cyclery crew! We are committed to bringing
you the opportunity to ride what we ride, where we ride. Whether you're
just interested in finding out what the full suspension thing is all about
or you are honing in your decision on a wicked new steed, this is the
chance to find out for real.
When: Nov. 3rd and 4th, 9 a.m. 'till 3 p.m.
What: Demo bikes from Specialized, Intense, Ibis and
Yeti
Where: Soquel Demonstration Forest
We'll have BBQ and plenty of good snacks
What to remember:
- Your driver's license is mandatory
- Your credit card is a must have
- Your riding gear. (helmets, gloves, hydration, tools, fuel)
- If you know how to remove your pedals, bring 'em.
- Trail difficulty ranges from as easy as it gets to advanced.
- Kids are welcome, but they need a parent or guardian.
- This is to test out multiple bikes.
- If you want to do a three hour ride just rent one of our bikes sometime.
Here's the catch though,,, HIGHLAND ROAD
IS OFFICIALLY CLOSED
We've been driving through the closed section for like a year now, but
the county does consider it closed due
to a short section that is very narrowly hanging onto the mountain-side.
Trail Head Cyclery recommends driving through Corralitos to access the
Demo. This will take 45 minutes from the shop, so plan ahead! I know,
it's a long drive, but there is NOWHERE else like the Demonstration Forest...
And, nowhere else allows a mountain bike dirt demo like this one. Let's
hear it for the SDF! What? You haven't been there? Dang, you really should
come to this!
This is how you get there:
- Drive Hwy 17 to Santa Cruz and go South on Hwy 1, past Aptos and exit
on Freedom Rd.
- Go left on Freedom, drive a few miles and turn left onto Hames Rd.
- A few more miles and you reach the intersection for Corralitos Rd.
and Eureka Canyon Rd.
- Turn Left onto Eureka Canyon Road.
- This is your road to the Demo. Up Up Up the twisty mountain road to
Highland Way. Down Highland Way approximately 2 miles from the high
point will be The Soquel Demonstration Forest.
- A long dirt parking area on Highland Way on the left with a narrow
steel bridge going across a stream is the trail head. If you don't drive
a sports car, you can drive across the bridge and up a very short dirt
hill to the right into a large parking lot.
- You are there! Yeehaww!
I highly recommend looking keenly at a map before
making the drive! Do not attempt any short cuts. Do not take Buzzards
Lagoon Rd. Do not take Lower Highland Way.
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