September 2012 – Rando Richard Blog

Admundson 14’0″ SUP Board Review

Amundson Design 14’0″ TR-X Carbon (distributed by Aquaglide, shaped by John Amundson of Hawaii)

After purchasing a 12′ 6″ board, I knew that for any long distance stand-up I would need a fourteen footer. In August I rode several models at the Outdoor Retailer show and decided that the 27-inch wide boards were just a little too unstable for multi-hour touring. (This was also confirmed my several of the manufactures as they discouraged me from considering their narrow race boards for touring). They work fine for a short races, but trying to stay upright in variable conditions for hours on end seemed too difficult.

I was attracted to this board for the foll0wing reasons:

It was lighter in weight due to the carbon construction
It had built-in deck inserts for gear tie downs
It was more stable with it’s 28-inch width than other narrower models
It had a displacement-like or “canoe style” nose
And although this is a minor point…I got special trade pricing direct through the manufacturer.

I have only used the board about three times now. My first experience was dreadful as I had very choppy conditions with winds approaching perhaps 15 MPH. Going straight into the wind, or in a downwinder direction was OK, but the minute I turned cross wind, I had a difficult time staying upright in the 1-foot+ waves.

Later tests proved that this board is about 9% faster than my 12’6″ board. Last week, I did a 19-mile Utah Lake “double crossing,” averaging about 4.7 MPH for this multi-hour paddle in decent (nearly wind free) conditions. My average multi-hour speed on the shorter board was 4.3 MPH in similar conditions. Unlike my shorter board, this board drains much better as little water accumulated on the deck. It is called a “TR” board as it is classified as a Tour/Race board.

This brand is not noted for their “race” pedigree as most of their current line of SUP boards appear to be for recreation use. But then…I was not looking for a fast touring board, not a so-called race board, so I figured that their designs would be OK for my needs. This board has a list price of about $2,100. It included a breather hole with a large Phillips screw (instead of a breathable “GoreTex” type membrane as found on some boards). It has a rated volume of 275 liters and is sold as a 7-1/4″ thick board, but overall it appears much thinner than this. The claimed weight is 27 pounds.

Nebo Mania

Our start was near the restrooms on the north side of the Nebo Loop, a few miles from the junction at Salt Creek Canyon.

This is what is referred to as “Open Range” in Utah. Nebo in the background. My bike looked like $%&* when I was done, due to the many cow pies I road through!

Stream next to the road on the ascent up the north side.

Brian in suffer mode, heading up the north side on “lap two.”

Earlier this spring, I made the acquaintance of a local roadie, Brian Whipple. He and I are the same age and we ride very close to the same speed and intensity. He has complained about getting “out climbed” by many of his cycling partners, so this season he was making a concerted effort to work on doing more climbing (& prepare for the LoToJa in September). One of the local favorite climbs is the (Mount) Nebo Loop road, which is a 30 minute drive from us in Sanpete County. Most people start on the north side as it is near the metro area of Provo and Payson. The grade is also less severe starting on that end (the grade going up the south side approaches 14 to 16% depending on who’s GPS you rely on). For us, the southern approach is a shorter drive.
I have done a single crossing of the Loop in conjunction with some organized rides, but never a “double crossing.” This summer, I did two doubles with Brian (and Richard Anderson on once occasion, who was usually off the front and not in the photos). The distance was 75 miles with about 9800 feet of vertical gain. It typically took us seven hours to complete.

This tough duty “double” business reminds me of my ultrarunning days, when I did a double crossing of the Grand Canyon or a double summit bid on Mount Timpanogos — both of which I did solo.

New Shimano 11-speed Drive Train

This month, Shimano announced a new 9000-series, eleven speed drive train for road bikes. At this point, it is only available in Dura-Ace, and not for their Di2 electronic shifting. The grouppo includes a new STI shifter set, cassette, crankarm (in both compact & regular), bottom bracket, chain and a front and rear derailleur. For me, this is not a big deal, since I already have several bikes and wheel sets that use 10-speed. This is a case of “keeping up with the Jones” (Campy). Now one has to wonder if Sram will follow suit.