I felt that the titanium Mukluk was a bit nicer ride than the aluminum one, and that titanium really makes a difference. Wow! Can you really feel that now or what? These skinny, super stiff wheels really draw out that smooth titanium ride that is hiding inside of every titanium Mukluk out there.
It is a very different feel from the steel bikes I've been riding lately too. It would be very difficult for me to explain it, but it is noticeably different. It also rides differently than the other Lynskey built 29"ers I have tried before as well. Maybe not quite as smooth as the Ridgeline, but not as dead feeling, (for titanium), as the Pro 29 I tried. Somewhere in between, but good.
The other thing I like is the handling. Very neutral, not at all quick, but not so stable it is floppy in the front at all. This makes a great hard tail 29"er. I could see doing bike packing on it easily. The chain stays are longer than some may like, but for stability, climbing, and ride feel, these are dialed for long rides and bike packing. The bike as you see here without the Revelate Tangle bag weighs 26.3lbs. Not a super-light rigid hard tail by any means, but it is 4lbs lighter than it is with fat bike wheels/tires. Definitely a solidly built frame and no-nonsense components, so I am not sweating the weight.
The skinnier wheels are fun, and I will be looking forward to riding this rig through the summer months like this.
2 comments:
GT, those wheels look great. Any idea what Handspun charges for a pair? And, would you consider using them on an Aluma-Muk3? Have been looking to buy a Fargo 2, but might consider 29 wheels instead since I can't find a small Fargo anyway. Great blog, by the way.
@David Garrett: The wheelset would be approximately $650-$700.00 depending on specific spec. These wheels have a Hope front hub and Salsa rear with DT Swiss spokes and Flow rims for reference.
The Alu Muk would be a great fit for these as well. I will probably swap over to my aluminum Muk for a bit to confirm that as well. That said, there is no reason that these shouldn't play well on a Mukluk of any material.
The main benefit is the wider flanges on the wheels make the wheels super stiff laterally. The best feeling 29"er wheels I've ever ridden, hands down.
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