Welcome to Sunnyside Sports
Welcome to Sunnyside Sports - Cycling and Cross Country Skiing in Bend, Oregon
We strive to be the most excellent place to shop for bike and cross country ski gear in Central Oregon. Since 1972 we have serviced and supported those many road cyclists, cyclocross riders, mountain bikers and Nordic skiers who live or visit our beautiful town of Bend, Oregon. Please enjoy our website!
| Bike Reviews |
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It's been a couple of seasons since I've had a real road bike, and I'm glad now that I waited. This bike differs from the Treks in a few areas: Fischer
I like a long-legged trail bike--I've covered a lot of miles on Mavericks and Yetis, but this is my first Trek, and it's my first 6" travel bike. Here's what I like: The E2 headset (1 1/2" bottom race, 1 1/8" top race) makes for a super-stable and stiff front end. I notice that when I lay the front wheel on a rock, the front wheel stays exactly where I put it--no lateral flex whatsoever. This bike also climbs really well--I think it feels like a regular 5" cross-country bike when you point it uphill. I'd recommend the Remedy for anyone who rides aggressively, and who may be considering an all-mountain bike.
I just got another new bike. Most of my new bikes have been great, light and beautiful, but most of them have not changed how fast I go or how much fun I have. There have been three exceptions: 1) Fox Float RL fork from a Rock Shock SID. The difference in stiffness allowed me to ride more technical trails. 2) Last years Trek Fuel Ex 9.0. The geometry of this bike totally changed how I ride uphill and downhill. 3)This year's Trek Fuel EX 9.9 Frame with the new E2 headtube. E2 means it has an 1 1/8 top bearing with an 1 1/2 bottom bearing. The Fox Fork has an 1 1/2 crown. This makes for a stiff combination, without the penalty of added weight. I made one upgrade to this system, putting on the new FOX 15mm through-axle. The combination of both the E2 and the 15mm through axle is sweet. It makes as much difference as going from my SID to the FOX Float. I like to ride at Horse Ridge, where it is quite rocky. The trail I go up is hard but I have cleared every section--just not all on the same day. Yesterday I made a clean run on my new bike. Instead of bouncing from rock to rock I was able to steer back to the good line if I bounced out of it. I was surprised as to how easy it was to negotiate through every rock section. Stiffness makes a difference on a bike, we have always known this. Now I have a 5" travel bike that is super-stiff laterally and weighs only 23 pounds. Stiffness, travel, and light weight--you can't go wrong with that.
 I got to test ride a lot of bikes at the Dirt Demo in ‘Vegas, and I liked most of them, but the bike I wanted to own was the . There’s something about the 6” (well, 5.75”) of travel…it completely smooths out the small bumps and makes you feel totally confident on the big ones. The 575 has more travel than most cross country bikes, and I like that because I like to catch at least three feet of sweet air every time I ride.
 OK, OK, I caved into the Sunnyside peer pressure and bought myself a single speed. Here is what I wanted:1) Simplicity--one speed, no suspension 2) Cheapness--I don't ride off-road that often, and I didn't want to break the bank. 3) Light weight--I am a confessed weight-weenie, and I'm used to a road bike, so my bike has to be light. And here's what I did: I ordered a SE Stout 29er singlespeed, which retails at $575. I made a couple of upgrades--Mavic wheels, and Avid juicy 7 mechanical disc brakes. And...I LOVE that bike! It is 100% fun, rolls over everything, and makes me feel as bad-ass as a 40-year-old-married-mom can feel. I totally recommend the Stout to anyone looking for a fun bike on a budget.  We call her Shamu and she is, in the immortal words of Derek Zoolander, ridiculously good-looking. She also rides like a dream--very smooth, light, and quick. Interestingly, this bike is one of the few in the industry that is woman-designed, and it's winning design awards all over the place. I spec'ed her out on the cheap side with Ultegra compact drive train, and then I zooted up the wheels to Rolf Elan. The result is 16 pounds fun. Because I'm tall and have gorilla arms, I went for the men's frame. It's also available in a women's model, however, called the Diva, and it is gorgeous as well.http://www.orbea-usa.com/fly.aspx?layout=bikes&taxid=57&pid=137
 When I heard that Trek was bumping the travel on the Fuel EX line of bikes up to 5 inches of travel I thought sounds like a downhill bike. And then I rode one. WOW! I didn't want to quit! How is this possible? With Fox shox front and rear it eats bumps like magic, while the pro-pedal setting on the rear shock kills any pedal-induced bob. Say what? It pedals like a 2 inch travel bike, and descends like a downhill bike. The icing on the cake is the handling. Perfect angles allow the EX to carve the tightest corners better than before, yet it is super-stable on fast technical descents. Also the new High-Low rear end drops half a pound off last years bike, and with more travel to boot. This bike is a steal at $2085 with Avid hydraulic disc brakes, LX cranks, Bontrager tubeless ready wheels and XTR rear derailleur. I added some XTR cranks, brakes and shifters and dropped the weight to 26ish lbs.This is my favorite bike yet for sure, but don't take my word for it, test ride or rent one and have fun. Happy trails, Eric http://www.trekbikes.com/us/en/bikes/mountain_full_suspension/fuel_ex/fuelex8/  It's the ultimate town bike. This custom built Independent Fabrication single speed is exactly what I dreamed of. Weighing in at a slight 28 pounds, I can get like, three feet of air. It wheelies like a tractor pull, and there are none more black. Here are some details: Hookworm 2.5 slick tires, Thomson seatpost and stem (black, of course) Phil Wood hubs, White Industries crank set, Easton Carbon riser handlebar, and Avid Ultimate brakes and levers.
 I've always ridden a road bike--I thought mountain bikes were for Other People. Then I rode this TREK FUEL EX9.5. Within one hour, I ordered one. I could probably go on and on about the comfort of the ride, the lightness of the bike, the various adjustments that make this bike perfect for this 57-year-old woman or the racer-dude who can also be found on this page. What I really want to say is that every single time I ride this bike, I smile so much that I have to get a jaw massage after each outing. The incredible XTR disc brakes enable me to ride things I never considered before, the 5-inch travel of the shocks ensures that Wonder Woman has nothing on me. I even named my bike the Vaporizer, because every time I approach a rocky outcropping in the trail, as I go over it, my bike makes a woosh sound and the obstacle disappears beneath my tires. Oooooh, I am having fun riding this bike!http://www.trekbikes.com/fuelex/
 ...after a brief foray across the border for a cafe au lait. Then back into Spain for some cycling on the roads of the Vuelta. After switching from a triple on my stay-at-home bike, I found the compact double on my RITCHEY gave me plenty of gears to pedal the Pyrenees. Sagrada Familia? El Drac? No, give me the svelte lines of my beautiful new, easy to carry BREAKAWAY. Oh, and who is that handsome dude to my left? My mechanic, of course!http://www.ritcheylogic.com/dyn_category.php?k=97991
 This one is my pride and joy! It is so well-designed, really it is the ultimate metro-mobile. The shifting is 8-speed internal, the generator-powered lights come on automatically, it has fabulous fenders, a chain guard, and a euro-style wheel lock. It just makes it so easy to hop on your bike!http://www.breezerbikes.com/bike_details.cfm?bikeType=town&frame=d&bike=uptown
 Versatile...that sums up the new Trek EX 9.5. All the new Fuel EX bikes from Trek (except the base model EX 5) have gained travel, lost weight and include rear shocks with pro-pedal. The 9.5 is top-of-the line, with new XTR and many other zoot parts. The versatility comes from the fork and shock adjustment. You want a stiff XC race feel? Turn the travel down to 90mm on the Fox Talus and turn up the low-speed compression,and match that with the pro-pedal set to 3. This will not completely lock out the bike but will set up the platform. The bike will still react to big fast drops and rocks but keep a racey feel. If you prefer a supple five inch ride, open the fork to 130mm, loosen the low-speed compression, turn off the pro-pedal setting, and this bike will melt most any terrain. The new XTR brakes will blow your mind. This bike is sweet.Add this page to your favorite Social Bookmarking websites          |
has used a proprietary large-flange front hub and fork make for very responsive steering. The bottom bracket is larger than the state of New Hampshire--and that makes for super-quick acceleration. I find myself riding this bike out of the saddle on climbs, more than I ever have on any other bike. The 6700 Ultegra component group has the best front shifting under load that I've ever used, and the braking is amazing. Overall this bike reminds me of what a true-blue road bike should be. 
