Making Plans To Go

There is a plan being worked through that involves the solving of the creak I detailed yesterday. I have had this thought for a plan for a long time, and now I am making way for it to happen.

I am going to use the titanium Mukluk with the 29"er wheel set as you see it here. I do have to order a couple of components yet to make all of this a "go", but that part order will go in this week. Once I receive and install the parts, I will be putting these oft too often put off plans into "go" mode.

Mistakes will surely be made. In fact, I anticipate that there will be perhaps many of them, but for too long I have put this off because I didn't have something, or was afraid I'd mess the deal up. If I keep the past pattern of thought going, I'll likely never get around to doing what it is I wanted to do.

Stay tuned....

Making Plans To Go

There is a plan being worked through that involves the solving of the creak I detailed yesterday. I have had this thought for a plan for a long time, and now I am making way for it to happen.

I am going to use the titanium Mukluk with the 29"er wheel set as you see it here. I do have to order a couple of components yet to make all of this a "go", but that part order will go in this week. Once I receive and install the parts, I will be putting these oft too often put off plans into "go" mode.

Mistakes will surely be made. In fact, I anticipate that there will be perhaps many of them, but for too long I have put this off because I didn't have something, or was afraid I'd mess the deal up. If I keep the past pattern of thought going, I'll likely never get around to doing what it is I wanted to do.

Stay tuned....

Creaky Toy Part II

The creaky subject...

Saturday I wrote about my creaky Mukluk. I tested the bike after removing the bottom bracket, cleaning up a small fistful of dirt, and then re-anti-seizing the cartridge unit. But although that needed to be done, it did not eradicate the squeak. I still had the exact same amount and kind of annoying creaky-squeaky as before.

Now this is where a lot of folks might just throw up their hands in disgust and get angry. I understand that feeling. However; I've been a bicycle mechanic long enough to know that just because a noise sounds like it is coming from a certain place, it doesn't mean that it is. Such is the way of bicycles and noises. So, instead of giving up it was time to get crackin'.

Altenator B-bad

So I started thinking about what else it could be. While it seemed at first the noise only happened when I pedaled, I noticed small amounts of creaking when I hit bumps, and if I changed directions suddenly. Hmm......It could be something else entirely.

By-Tor The Titanium Mukluk has the Salsa Cycles Altenator drop outs. These are essentially a modular plate that bolts on to the rear of the frame at the chain stay/seat stay junction and can be "swung" by its upper bolt to adjust wheel base or to tension a chain on a single speed set up.

Anytime you bolt two pieces together on a bicycle it is a potential noise maker. Especially if those two peices are part of a high stress area on the frame, like the drop out area is at the rear of a bicycle frame. In this case, it became apparent that either contamination, oxidation, or both may have occurred between the titanium of the frame and the aluminum of the drop out plate. Obviously the rear drop out area is a place where dirt and grime is going to be constantly coating the frame through riding off road. No surprise that the Altenantor might make noise then. I did a few more tests and my strong feeling was that the Altenator was the source of my creak. There were a couple of other hypothesis, but this seemed the more likely of my choices.

Two bolts- simple!

By-Tor went in the repair stand and within a few minutes I had one Altenator off. Salsa's drop out design, called a "swinging type", due to it's pivoting motion when adjusted, is dead simple. Easily taken on and off with  5mm and 6mm Allen keys.

When I inspected the mating surfaces, I could see a white, powdery looking substance, which may have been oxidation, near the swinging bolt on the frame. There was a fine coating of dirt as well over everything.  A similar looking situation was discovered when I removed the non drive side drop out.

Obviously, a quick clean up was in order. Once I had the surfaces free of anything that smacked of foreign substances, I began to re-install the Altenator plates. I re-applied Loctite to the bolt threads, and put a very small amount of grease under the bolt heads where they would spin against the frame as I snugged everything back up.

I installed the Altenators dry otherwise. Some may think that a fine coating of grease would be good here, but I don't adhere to this way of thinking myself. The plates don't slide against the frame in use, (other than if one was to tension a single speed chain or alter a wheel base), and grease would only serve to attract more dirt, to my way of thinking. This would only yield a creak anyway, since dirt and contamination are what caused the creak in the first place. This is different than a bottom bracket shell, which isn't directly exposed to the elements, like the Altenators are. My opinion is that a coating of grease would get washed out of there right away after anything wet was encountered anyway. So- I didn't do anything but assemble the plates back together with the aforementioned Loctite on the bolts and grease under the bolt heads for secure fastening.

And did it work? Why yes. Yes it did. No more creaky-squeaky, and all is well with By-Tor The Titanium Mukluk and me once more.

 

Creaky Toy Part II

The creaky subject...

Saturday I wrote about my creaky Mukluk. I tested the bike after removing the bottom bracket, cleaning up a small fistful of dirt, and then re-anti-seizing the cartridge unit. But although that needed to be done, it did not eradicate the squeak. I still had the exact same amount and kind of annoying creaky-squeaky as before.

Now this is where a lot of folks might just throw up their hands in disgust and get angry. I understand that feeling. However; I've been a bicycle mechanic long enough to know that just because a noise sounds like it is coming from a certain place, it doesn't mean that it is. Such is the way of bicycles and noises. So, instead of giving up it was time to get crackin'.

Altenator B-bad

So I started thinking about what else it could be. While it seemed at first the noise only happened when I pedaled, I noticed small amounts of creaking when I hit bumps, and if I changed directions suddenly. Hmm......It could be something else entirely.

By-Tor The Titanium Mukluk has the Salsa Cycles Altenator drop outs. These are essentially a modular plate that bolts on to the rear of the frame at the chain stay/seat stay junction and can be "swung" by its upper bolt to adjust wheel base or to tension a chain on a single speed set up.

Anytime you bolt two pieces together on a bicycle it is a potential noise maker. Especially if those two peices are part of a high stress area on the frame, like the drop out area is at the rear of a bicycle frame. In this case, it became apparent that either contamination, oxidation, or both may have occurred between the titanium of the frame and the aluminum of the drop out plate. Obviously the rear drop out area is a place where dirt and grime is going to be constantly coating the frame through riding off road. No surprise that the Altenantor might make noise then. I did a few more tests and my strong feeling was that the Altenator was the source of my creak. There were a couple of other hypothesis, but this seemed the more likely of my choices.

Two bolts- simple!

By-Tor went in the repair stand and within a few minutes I had one Altenator off. Salsa's drop out design, called a "swinging type", due to it's pivoting motion when adjusted, is dead simple. Easily taken on and off with  5mm and 6mm Allen keys.

When I inspected the mating surfaces, I could see a white, powdery looking substance, which may have been oxidation, near the swinging bolt on the frame. There was a fine coating of dirt as well over everything.  A similar looking situation was discovered when I removed the non drive side drop out.

Obviously, a quick clean up was in order. Once I had the surfaces free of anything that smacked of foreign substances, I began to re-install the Altenator plates. I re-applied Loctite to the bolt threads, and put a very small amount of grease under the bolt heads where they would spin against the frame as I snugged everything back up.

I installed the Altenators dry otherwise. Some may think that a fine coating of grease would be good here, but I don't adhere to this way of thinking myself. The plates don't slide against the frame in use, (other than if one was to tension a single speed chain or alter a wheel base), and grease would only serve to attract more dirt, to my way of thinking. This would only yield a creak anyway, since dirt and contamination are what caused the creak in the first place. This is different than a bottom bracket shell, which isn't directly exposed to the elements, like the Altenators are. My opinion is that a coating of grease would get washed out of there right away after anything wet was encountered anyway. So- I didn't do anything but assemble the plates back together with the aforementioned Loctite on the bolts and grease under the bolt heads for secure fastening.

And did it work? Why yes. Yes it did. No more creaky-squeaky, and all is well with By-Tor The Titanium Mukluk and me once more.

 

3GR Report

This 3GR was another threesome including Mike and Craig. Craig was wearing the same Twin Six jersey I was, so we were also the "Matching Guys" for the ride.

Same route as always, and also similar looking skies to what most of the 3GR's have had. Some overcast with threatening rain clouds out to the West.

The ride went pretty fast, just about the same as last week, and therefore conversation was at a minimum after we got into the rollers on Streeter Road. There also was some more fresh gravel that made the going a bit more difficult than last week. Even though the rain should have knocked down the dust factor, it was still pretty dusty out there, which shows me just how badly we still need rain.

The big thing that developed from this ride is that we decided that in almost two weeks the 3GR will be the 3GR- The Fat Bike Version. That's right! On Saturday August 11th, the 3GR will be for fat bikes. Mike, Craig, and myself will be planning to have our fatties there, and if you want to bring yours, please do so. If you do not have a fat bike, well come on and ride anyway. Listen to the car tire-like crush of gravel as we roll at least three fatties on this 27-ish mile loop.

Should be a good time, and there is talk of eating Pedro's burritos afterward. We'll see, but it'll be fun regardless.

3GR Report

This 3GR was another threesome including Mike and Craig. Craig was wearing the same Twin Six jersey I was, so we were also the "Matching Guys" for the ride.

Same route as always, and also similar looking skies to what most of the 3GR's have had. Some overcast with threatening rain clouds out to the West.

The ride went pretty fast, just about the same as last week, and therefore conversation was at a minimum after we got into the rollers on Streeter Road. There also was some more fresh gravel that made the going a bit more difficult than last week. Even though the rain should have knocked down the dust factor, it was still pretty dusty out there, which shows me just how badly we still need rain.

The big thing that developed from this ride is that we decided that in almost two weeks the 3GR will be the 3GR- The Fat Bike Version. That's right! On Saturday August 11th, the 3GR will be for fat bikes. Mike, Craig, and myself will be planning to have our fatties there, and if you want to bring yours, please do so. If you do not have a fat bike, well come on and ride anyway. Listen to the car tire-like crush of gravel as we roll at least three fatties on this 27-ish mile loop.

Should be a good time, and there is talk of eating Pedro's burritos afterward. We'll see, but it'll be fun regardless.

Creaky Toy

Fat Bike Bottom Bracket: You make the world go round!

Recently By-Tor The Titanium Mukluk has developed a creaky-squeaky noise. I determined it was from the bottom bracket area, as it emanated from the nether regions of the bike, and made noise whether seated or standing. Mostly only making noise if I pedaled.

Well, I figured it was high time to take a peek in that bottom bracket shell anyway. I have been riding this since last December pretty regularly and in all sorts of conditions ranging from mud, snow, rain, to dry and dusty.

It really needed to be sussed out before winter gets here, (yes- it is coming, but I make no promises for snow), and now was the time to get after this. Besides, I have some immediate plans for this bike that can not wait long.

So I cracked it all open and whatta ya know.....I found a small pile of dried up dirt inside! Not muddy, not greasy at all, just good ol' dry dirt. A couple of table spoons full, I'd wager. Some of it was even slightly chunky, as in formed in small clods. Weird! How it got in there and in that form, I've no good answer for that.

Well, I cleaned it out easily enough, cleaned off the old anti-seize from the threads, reapplied new anti-seize, and re-installed everything. I figured that would take care of that! Well.........I was wrong. Creaky-squeaky still there! Now I am pointing an accusational finger at the Altenator drop outs. Still have not gotten around to taking that apart and cleaning them, but I'll report back with my results when I do.

Creaks. I hate 'em!

Creaky Toy

Fat Bike Bottom Bracket: You make the world go round!

Recently By-Tor The Titanium Mukluk has developed a creaky-squeaky noise. I determined it was from the bottom bracket area, as it emanated from the nether regions of the bike, and made noise whether seated or standing. Mostly only making noise if I pedaled.

Well, I figured it was high time to take a peek in that bottom bracket shell anyway. I have been riding this since last December pretty regularly and in all sorts of conditions ranging from mud, snow, rain, to dry and dusty.

It really needed to be sussed out before winter gets here, (yes- it is coming, but I make no promises for snow), and now was the time to get after this. Besides, I have some immediate plans for this bike that can not wait long.

So I cracked it all open and whatta ya know.....I found a small pile of dried up dirt inside! Not muddy, not greasy at all, just good ol' dry dirt. A couple of table spoons full, I'd wager. Some of it was even slightly chunky, as in formed in small clods. Weird! How it got in there and in that form, I've no good answer for that.

Well, I cleaned it out easily enough, cleaned off the old anti-seize from the threads, reapplied new anti-seize, and re-installed everything. I figured that would take care of that! Well.........I was wrong. Creaky-squeaky still there! Now I am pointing an accusational finger at the Altenator drop outs. Still have not gotten around to taking that apart and cleaning them, but I'll report back with my results when I do.

Creaks. I hate 'em!

Friday News And Views

Salsa Cycles Reveal the Path Video Contest: Make a video, send it to Salsa Cycles Reveal The Path Video Contest, and win a Mukluk Titanium complete and a beach riding trip in Alaska.

Sounds pretty reasonable to me!

This is an amazing opportunity to go to a place that I've only dreamed about, and others have raved about. Salsa Cycles asked me to put the word out about this, so I am. (Apparently they think I have some sizable audience out there or something!) Anyway, I am glad to do it to hopefully help someone in getting motivated to go get this deal. I mean, you get a sweet fat bike, how could this be bad?

BMC with a 1.9"er

Thoughts On Tire Clearances: 

There were some new bikes discussed earlier in the week here on this blog and some "concerns" were raised by my comments about tire clearances. So following is my take on this subject in reference to gravel road biking.

Some folks have no need for a bigger tire than a 38mm on a gravel road machine, or so I am told. I find this interesting, since back about three years ago I did a survey of what tire diameters and sizes were going to be used at Trans Iowa and the overwhelming category named was 35-42mm. Yes- 38mm is right in the middle of that, but it is a range where most gravel riders seemed to be at that time for that event. A data point, if you will.

In discussing a gravel road bike on Rawland's blog, a discussion about tire size was struck up and most agreed that a 38-42mm tire was optimal. (It was noted that if you wanted to run a 35mm tire with fenders this was also necessitating a max tire size without fenders at about 42mm.) Okay, another data point.

My experiences have been that many gravel riders are looking for a 40-ish millimeter wide tire, and I have forwarded that on to tire makers and others interested in the industry. Clement responded with a 35mm and a 40mm tire. Interesting data point.....

So- if you were to make a gravel road racing machine, why not add in some extra clearance? Is it going to put off the "go-fast" racer guys? Is more mud clearance a "bad thing"? Is it really going to add that much extra weight? Wouldn't this sort of tire clearance make the bike more versatile and more appealing across a wider user base?

I don't design bicycles or market them, and this is merely my opinion. Take it for what it is worth. But it makes a heck of a lot more sense to me to allow the choices than it does to limit them when you can.

Nuff said...........

Come ride into The Black Hole with us...

3GR: 

The 3GR will be happening again on Saturday from Gateway Park across from downtown Cedar Falls at 8:30am.

We'll be doing the 27-ish mile loop again and if it is nice, we'll maybe even hit Cup of Joe's afterward. Please consider joining us. It is a group ride for fun and fitness and the vibe is pretty relaxed.

Maybe I'll have my "Orange Crush" back in action. It's been sidelined since late June when I traded off the wheels for a new ride for my wife. Good trade, but I needed to grab new wheels for it. Fortunately Mike from the 3GR ride had a nice set sitting unused- a XTR hubs with Delgado Cross rimmed set, so I have them but I need to get everything mounted before Saturday morning.

Now it may sound like I am procrastinating, but when my 9 year old son asks to go ride with him so he can get his brand new bike out, I am not saying no. Ya know what I mean? So, the wheels have set around for the time being.

Okay folks, I hope ya'all have a great weekend and get in some good rides.

Friday News And Views

Salsa Cycles Reveal the Path Video Contest: Make a video, send it to Salsa Cycles Reveal The Path Video Contest, and win a Mukluk Titanium complete and a beach riding trip in Alaska.

Sounds pretty reasonable to me!

This is an amazing opportunity to go to a place that I've only dreamed about, and others have raved about. Salsa Cycles asked me to put the word out about this, so I am. (Apparently they think I have some sizable audience out there or something!) Anyway, I am glad to do it to hopefully help someone in getting motivated to go get this deal. I mean, you get a sweet fat bike, how could this be bad?

BMC with a 1.9"er

Thoughts On Tire Clearances: 

There were some new bikes discussed earlier in the week here on this blog and some "concerns" were raised by my comments about tire clearances. So following is my take on this subject in reference to gravel road biking.

Some folks have no need for a bigger tire than a 38mm on a gravel road machine, or so I am told. I find this interesting, since back about three years ago I did a survey of what tire diameters and sizes were going to be used at Trans Iowa and the overwhelming category named was 35-42mm. Yes- 38mm is right in the middle of that, but it is a range where most gravel riders seemed to be at that time for that event. A data point, if you will.

In discussing a gravel road bike on Rawland's blog, a discussion about tire size was struck up and most agreed that a 38-42mm tire was optimal. (It was noted that if you wanted to run a 35mm tire with fenders this was also necessitating a max tire size without fenders at about 42mm.) Okay, another data point.

My experiences have been that many gravel riders are looking for a 40-ish millimeter wide tire, and I have forwarded that on to tire makers and others interested in the industry. Clement responded with a 35mm and a 40mm tire. Interesting data point.....

So- if you were to make a gravel road racing machine, why not add in some extra clearance? Is it going to put off the "go-fast" racer guys? Is more mud clearance a "bad thing"? Is it really going to add that much extra weight? Wouldn't this sort of tire clearance make the bike more versatile and more appealing across a wider user base?

I don't design bicycles or market them, and this is merely my opinion. Take it for what it is worth. But it makes a heck of a lot more sense to me to allow the choices than it does to limit them when you can.

Nuff said...........

Come ride into The Black Hole with us...

3GR: 

The 3GR will be happening again on Saturday from Gateway Park across from downtown Cedar Falls at 8:30am.

We'll be doing the 27-ish mile loop again and if it is nice, we'll maybe even hit Cup of Joe's afterward. Please consider joining us. It is a group ride for fun and fitness and the vibe is pretty relaxed.

Maybe I'll have my "Orange Crush" back in action. It's been sidelined since late June when I traded off the wheels for a new ride for my wife. Good trade, but I needed to grab new wheels for it. Fortunately Mike from the 3GR ride had a nice set sitting unused- a XTR hubs with Delgado Cross rimmed set, so I have them but I need to get everything mounted before Saturday morning.

Now it may sound like I am procrastinating, but when my 9 year old son asks to go ride with him so he can get his brand new bike out, I am not saying no. Ya know what I mean? So, the wheels have set around for the time being.

Okay folks, I hope ya'all have a great weekend and get in some good rides.

Back To Riding A Bicycle Again

The last few days of giving my opinions on the latest from Saddledrive has spurred a lot of interest on the blog here. But today I am giving you a run down of a ride I did instead. Hey......I can't be Mr. Entertainment every day, ya know? Suffice it to say that I'll be making more observations once I learn more, (and hopefully ride), some of the latest hardware from Salsa and Surly.

Yeah...we got yer roots and rocks.

Of course, I rode up at The Camp again. It is hard not to when it has so much that is good so close to home. There are other great places to ride in Iowa, but they would be 6 hour round trips for the most part, and the Camp maybe eats up an hour of travel time max. A no brainer when gas prices are as high as they've been lately.

I also bugged out at about 9:30am to beat the increasing heat. It was forecast to be brutal Wednesday, and I wasn't up for being zapped by the heat. It was in the 80's as it was, and the South wind was promising a heater of a day ahead.

The sled on deck today was the Fuji SLM LTD carbon hard tail 29"er. Say what you will about carbon fiber, but there is something to all the hoopla surrounding the use of this for frames and components.  It's stiff where it needs to be, (assuming it is designed correctly and all), and that translates to a definite "scoot forward feel" when you stomp on the pedals. The material can also be shaped in weird ways that metal can not be. (Hydro-forming comes close) This really helps in the torsional area, where 29"ers often feel like the front and rear wheels are tracking independently of one another. The carbon Fuji just rockets forward.

Of course, it doesn't hurt that this rig is decked out in XTR parts. Oddly enough, they picked the trail version of XTR for the braking duties. Finned pads and all.

The wild paint scheme almost acts as camo in the woods.

The neatest thing about the components on this bike is the Shadow Plus rear mech. If you haven't heard, this rear derailleur has a clutch mechanism making the cage more stationary during riding which cuts way down on, if not completely eliminates, chain slap on the frame.

This feature renders the Fuji as quiet as a single speed in most riding. Sure, I got the derailleur to move on some bigger hits, but the major clatter is gone. Besides, I probably could tune out all the noise by adjusting the clutch torque on the cage.

Now back to the ride. Here's a story illustrating how speed is your friend. I got out there yesterday to find another car in the grassy lot. I recognized it as being the rig of Eric, a guy I had just loaned the Milwaukee Bicycle Company single speed rig to for a test ride. Oooo! A "carrot" to chase!

I didn't know how long he'd been there, so I blasted off to chase. The loop comes back close enough after the initial few loops to see the lot again. When I looked, his car was still there. I committed to the chase. Further on I verified he was there by the Michelin Wild Race'R prints I saw. No one else around has these tires that I am aware of, so it had to be Eric on my loaner rig.

Fuji bike captured by a Fuji camera. Weird.

I went pretty fast throughout the loop. I was a bit conservative in the corners. I had the WTB Bronson on up front, and the trails were a bit blasted out. Many corners were pretty much covered in a fine, hour glass grade sand. Makes for really sketchy cornering.  That and those flexy knobbed Bronsons are not a good match. I did a preemptive strike though. I aired down the Bronson to about 18psi. This helped tremendously.

To keep the momentum high, I tried not to ditch off into the inner ring of the 2X10 crank. I was just fine with that too, motoring right up the climbs and steeps out there. I think I may have jumped to the inner ring once going out of the bottoms, but that was it. This let me go about as fast as I've ever gone on the South Camp loop.

Once I started getting past the flowy section, and Karmen's addition, I could see the parking lot again. The car was still there! One loop over to Eagle Lodge and maybe I'd catch him. But by the time I got to the trail head, his car was gone. Drat! Must have just missed him. That was okay though, as the speedy loop left me feeling really good about my riding and fitness so far.

So I rested a bit, downed a bottle of water, and headed out for a more leisurely lap. Took some images, (which you see here), and did a lazy loop. At one point, I decided to kick it in up a longer grade and while it wasn't near as fast as earlier, the result wasn't pleasant. I pinged a tree with my left side of the handle bar, which ricocheted me off to the right. I thought I could save it, then I dead headed a big ol' tree instead, which stopped me cold in my tracks. No harm, no foul, but it ticked me off. My lack of speed and concentration made me crash. Going real fast, and being "up on the wheel" made it so this section wasn't even memorable. 

As they say- "speed is your friend", especially when you are mountain biking!

Back To Riding A Bicycle Again

The last few days of giving my opinions on the latest from Saddledrive has spurred a lot of interest on the blog here. But today I am giving you a run down of a ride I did instead. Hey......I can't be Mr. Entertainment every day, ya know? Suffice it to say that I'll be making more observations once I learn more, (and hopefully ride), some of the latest hardware from Salsa and Surly.

Yeah...we got yer roots and rocks.

Of course, I rode up at The Camp again. It is hard not to when it has so much that is good so close to home. There are other great places to ride in Iowa, but they would be 6 hour round trips for the most part, and the Camp maybe eats up an hour of travel time max. A no brainer when gas prices are as high as they've been lately.

I also bugged out at about 9:30am to beat the increasing heat. It was forecast to be brutal Wednesday, and I wasn't up for being zapped by the heat. It was in the 80's as it was, and the South wind was promising a heater of a day ahead.

The sled on deck today was the Fuji SLM LTD carbon hard tail 29"er. Say what you will about carbon fiber, but there is something to all the hoopla surrounding the use of this for frames and components.  It's stiff where it needs to be, (assuming it is designed correctly and all), and that translates to a definite "scoot forward feel" when you stomp on the pedals. The material can also be shaped in weird ways that metal can not be. (Hydro-forming comes close) This really helps in the torsional area, where 29"ers often feel like the front and rear wheels are tracking independently of one another. The carbon Fuji just rockets forward.

Of course, it doesn't hurt that this rig is decked out in XTR parts. Oddly enough, they picked the trail version of XTR for the braking duties. Finned pads and all.

The wild paint scheme almost acts as camo in the woods.

The neatest thing about the components on this bike is the Shadow Plus rear mech. If you haven't heard, this rear derailleur has a clutch mechanism making the cage more stationary during riding which cuts way down on, if not completely eliminates, chain slap on the frame.

This feature renders the Fuji as quiet as a single speed in most riding. Sure, I got the derailleur to move on some bigger hits, but the major clatter is gone. Besides, I probably could tune out all the noise by adjusting the clutch torque on the cage.

Now back to the ride. Here's a story illustrating how speed is your friend. I got out there yesterday to find another car in the grassy lot. I recognized it as being the rig of Eric, a guy I had just loaned the Milwaukee Bicycle Company single speed rig to for a test ride. Oooo! A "carrot" to chase!

I didn't know how long he'd been there, so I blasted off to chase. The loop comes back close enough after the initial few loops to see the lot again. When I looked, his car was still there. I committed to the chase. Further on I verified he was there by the Michelin Wild Race'R prints I saw. No one else around has these tires that I am aware of, so it had to be Eric on my loaner rig.

Fuji bike captured by a Fuji camera. Weird.

I went pretty fast throughout the loop. I was a bit conservative in the corners. I had the WTB Bronson on up front, and the trails were a bit blasted out. Many corners were pretty much covered in a fine, hour glass grade sand. Makes for really sketchy cornering.  That and those flexy knobbed Bronsons are not a good match. I did a preemptive strike though. I aired down the Bronson to about 18psi. This helped tremendously.

To keep the momentum high, I tried not to ditch off into the inner ring of the 2X10 crank. I was just fine with that too, motoring right up the climbs and steeps out there. I think I may have jumped to the inner ring once going out of the bottoms, but that was it. This let me go about as fast as I've ever gone on the South Camp loop.

Once I started getting past the flowy section, and Karmen's addition, I could see the parking lot again. The car was still there! One loop over to Eagle Lodge and maybe I'd catch him. But by the time I got to the trail head, his car was gone. Drat! Must have just missed him. That was okay though, as the speedy loop left me feeling really good about my riding and fitness so far.

So I rested a bit, downed a bottle of water, and headed out for a more leisurely lap. Took some images, (which you see here), and did a lazy loop. At one point, I decided to kick it in up a longer grade and while it wasn't near as fast as earlier, the result wasn't pleasant. I pinged a tree with my left side of the handle bar, which ricocheted me off to the right. I thought I could save it, then I dead headed a big ol' tree instead, which stopped me cold in my tracks. No harm, no foul, but it ticked me off. My lack of speed and concentration made me crash. Going real fast, and being "up on the wheel" made it so this section wasn't even memorable. 

As they say- "speed is your friend", especially when you are mountain biking!

Salsa Cycles Vaya Travel: An Interesting Creature

Stainless, S&S, AND single speed capable?

Salsa Cycles just released a slew of new stuff, and with Surly Bikes stealing a lot of the thunder with the new Krampus, a few things kind of flew under the radar over the weekend.

Yesterday I reported on the Warbird, the gravel road racing rocket. Today, I want to feature the bike that might actually be a better adventure/gravel road racer than the Warbird for many riders- the Vaya Travel.

Okay, maybe you think I am nuts. A travel bike? Yes- it is legit folks, and when you start digging in, this thing is probably the single most interesting bike Salsa Cycles has made since the Mukluk. Let's check out what we do know so far....

First of all, this is a Vaya. Salsa Cycles' original gravel road machine. The geometry is odd for purely road going, and it isn't quite right on single track, but put this bike on gravel and you will find out where its true purpose comes to life.

Secondly- it is steel, but not just any steel. It is stainless steel. This is cool from the non-corrosion factor, low maintenance finish, (no paint, just buff out scratches), and even the decal set is replaceable! (An extra set ships with each bike)

Finally, it is a single speed capable design.  Using Salsa Cycles excellent Altenators, one could simply get their single speed on and ride away, or gear it up for that crazy hilly Guitar Ted Death Ride Invitational ride. (eh heh heh!) But it isn't for just that reason that I like this Vaya. Nope- here's the biggie. You have an option when you crack that rear mech off in a B Road, or on some other nasty-nasty. Think I am over-stating this case? Well, just from my Trans Iowa observations, I can easily list off over half a dozen instances where rear mechs ended someones day. With the Vaya, you could go on as a single speeder.

Okay- so maybe you don't race gravel. But there is that chance you might be out on a longer ride, and "pop"! The Altenator might just come in handy at that point. Big bonus points for the versatility here. While I am not 100% sure, I believe this has a 44mm head tube, so if you wanted a carbon tapered steer tube fork to lighten this up some, that's probably a possibility here. (I'm thinking it is a 44mm head tube anyway!) Update- it isn't a 44mm head tube. (But that doesn't mean you still couldn't get a lighter fork.) Also- the sticker kits come in different colors, and the quad butted tubing means this Vaya is lighter than the other steel ones.(Thanks Jason B. of Salsa Cycles for that info.)

Icing on the cake? Why yes- yes there is! This rig will easily take your 40-42mm tires. No problems. Take that Warbird!

So for my money, this is the real deal gravel road rig from Salsa Cycles this year. While it is not offered in titanium, the stainless is almost as nice, and with the couplers, it just adds to the value you get here. The Warbird is a single mission focused rig, in my mind, while this Vaya is the pinnacle of versatility for gravel adventuring, and still works a trick for those who want to race a gravel event from time to time. Add on Salsa's new titanium seat post, a carbon fork, and nice, light wheels, and I bet you'd be in the ball park weight-wise with a Warbird.

This bike is definitely on my radar!

Salsa Cycles Vaya Travel: An Interesting Creature

Stainless, S&S, AND single speed capable?

Salsa Cycles just released a slew of new stuff, and with Surly Bikes stealing a lot of the thunder with the new Krampus, a few things kind of flew under the radar over the weekend.

Yesterday I reported on the Warbird, the gravel road racing rocket. Today, I want to feature the bike that might actually be a better adventure/gravel road racer than the Warbird for many riders- the Vaya Travel.

Okay, maybe you think I am nuts. A travel bike? Yes- it is legit folks, and when you start digging in, this thing is probably the single most interesting bike Salsa Cycles has made since the Mukluk. Let's check out what we do know so far....

First of all, this is a Vaya. Salsa Cycles' original gravel road machine. The geometry is odd for purely road going, and it isn't quite right on single track, but put this bike on gravel and you will find out where its true purpose comes to life.

Secondly- it is steel, but not just any steel. It is stainless steel. This is cool from the non-corrosion factor, low maintenance finish, (no paint, just buff out scratches), and even the decal set is replaceable! (An extra set ships with each bike)

Finally, it is a single speed capable design.  Using Salsa Cycles excellent Altenators, one could simply get their single speed on and ride away, or gear it up for that crazy hilly Guitar Ted Death Ride Invitational ride. (eh heh heh!) But it isn't for just that reason that I like this Vaya. Nope- here's the biggie. You have an option when you crack that rear mech off in a B Road, or on some other nasty-nasty. Think I am over-stating this case? Well, just from my Trans Iowa observations, I can easily list off over half a dozen instances where rear mechs ended someones day. With the Vaya, you could go on as a single speeder.

Okay- so maybe you don't race gravel. But there is that chance you might be out on a longer ride, and "pop"! The Altenator might just come in handy at that point. Big bonus points for the versatility here. While I am not 100% sure, I believe this has a 44mm head tube, so if you wanted a carbon tapered steer tube fork to lighten this up some, that's probably a possibility here. (I'm thinking it is a 44mm head tube anyway!) Update- it isn't a 44mm head tube. (But that doesn't mean you still couldn't get a lighter fork.) Also- the sticker kits come in different colors, and the quad butted tubing means this Vaya is lighter than the other steel ones.(Thanks Jason B. of Salsa Cycles for that info.)

Icing on the cake? Why yes- yes there is! This rig will easily take your 40-42mm tires. No problems. Take that Warbird!

So for my money, this is the real deal gravel road rig from Salsa Cycles this year. While it is not offered in titanium, the stainless is almost as nice, and with the couplers, it just adds to the value you get here. The Warbird is a single mission focused rig, in my mind, while this Vaya is the pinnacle of versatility for gravel adventuring, and still works a trick for those who want to race a gravel event from time to time. Add on Salsa's new titanium seat post, a carbon fork, and nice, light wheels, and I bet you'd be in the ball park weight-wise with a Warbird.

This bike is definitely on my radar!

Salsa Cycles Warbird: Gravel Road Bike

Salsa Cycles Warbird Ti: Image by Ben Witt

Recently I wrote on Gravel Grinder News about the concept of a "gravel road" specific bike. (see here) Many people will scoff at this idea, but Salsa Cycles has been working with some of the gravel scene's well known racers and from that feedback mixed with their engineer's ideas, they now present their version of what a gravel road adventure bike is. They call it the "Warbird".

While all the nitty-gritty details are not widely known at this point, here is what I do know: This will be offered in two levels. A titanium bike with mostly an Ultegra build, and an aluminum version with a mostly 105 spec. At the least, a titanium frame only option is to be made available as well. The fork is a special design in conjunction with the folks at Enve Composites standard disc fork. (Updated thanks to Tim K at Salsa!) Disc only, and has full run cable housings for running in the muck and mire that is part of many gravel road racing classics.

Okay, here is my take on this: Leaving aside whether disc brakes are good or no, I have had a close look at a prototype Warbird in titanium. It is an impressive rig. I actually got a very short spin on it, and I can say that the magical titanium feel was there. I bet it would make for a nice platform for long gravel assaults.

That said, this is a racer's rig. There are certain things I can see this bike will do well at, but there are certain things it makes compromises on due to its racing bent. It has the roadie position spot on, and makes no concessions for bigger rubber. (Claimed clearance is for up to 38mm tires) To my mind it cuts a line and leaves the explorer/tourer/, and yes- the adventure rider, on the other side of that line. Of course, there is the Vaya for those folks.

But there is no more Vaya titanium for 2013. That said, the Fargo is still offered as a titanium frame, and that bike makes a great, versatile platform that can not only race, but be an adventure rig, fat tired friend, and stay reasonably lightweight.

It's not that I am knocking the Warbird, but like it's namesake, these bikes will be for dog-fighting other gravel road racers on courses that most gravel races are held on. Most non-militaristic pilots will be better served with a more versatile rig. I'd like one, but then again, it doesn't really do anything my BMC already does so well, and doesn't do other things that BMC can do. Well......other than the Warbird's titanium material, which I have to say, almost makes it worth it right there.

I'll reserve final judgement until I see some more specs, but if you are looking to go fast on gravel and need a great weapon for that two wheeled pursuit, this looks mighty tasty.

Updated 7/27/12: I would like to underscore that the above verbiage is only my opinion. To address the concerns put forth on Facebook and on this blog that I received about tire clearances, I  would like to point you to my "News and Views" post from 7/27/12. Click this link to see this.
 

Salsa Cycles Warbird: Gravel Road Bike

Salsa Cycles Warbird Ti: Image by Ben Witt

Recently I wrote on Gravel Grinder News about the concept of a "gravel road" specific bike. (see here) Many people will scoff at this idea, but Salsa Cycles has been working with some of the gravel scene's well known racers and from that feedback mixed with their engineer's ideas, they now present their version of what a gravel road adventure bike is. They call it the "Warbird".

While all the nitty-gritty details are not widely known at this point, here is what I do know: This will be offered in two levels. A titanium bike with mostly an Ultegra build, and an aluminum version with a mostly 105 spec. At the least, a titanium frame only option is to be made available as well. The fork is a special design in conjunction with the folks at Enve Composites standard disc fork. (Updated thanks to Tim K at Salsa!) Disc only, and has full run cable housings for running in the muck and mire that is part of many gravel road racing classics.

Okay, here is my take on this: Leaving aside whether disc brakes are good or no, I have had a close look at a prototype Warbird in titanium. It is an impressive rig. I actually got a very short spin on it, and I can say that the magical titanium feel was there. I bet it would make for a nice platform for long gravel assaults.

That said, this is a racer's rig. There are certain things I can see this bike will do well at, but there are certain things it makes compromises on due to its racing bent. It has the roadie position spot on, and makes no concessions for bigger rubber. (Claimed clearance is for up to 38mm tires) To my mind it cuts a line and leaves the explorer/tourer/, and yes- the adventure rider, on the other side of that line. Of course, there is the Vaya for those folks.

But there is no more Vaya titanium for 2013. That said, the Fargo is still offered as a titanium frame, and that bike makes a great, versatile platform that can not only race, but be an adventure rig, fat tired friend, and stay reasonably lightweight.

It's not that I am knocking the Warbird, but like it's namesake, these bikes will be for dog-fighting other gravel road racers on courses that most gravel races are held on. Most non-militaristic pilots will be better served with a more versatile rig. I'd like one, but then again, it doesn't really do anything my BMC already does so well, and doesn't do other things that BMC can do. Well......other than the Warbird's titanium material, which I have to say, almost makes it worth it right there.

I'll reserve final judgement until I see some more specs, but if you are looking to go fast on gravel and need a great weapon for that two wheeled pursuit, this looks mighty tasty.

Updated 7/27/12: I would like to underscore that the above verbiage is only my opinion. To address the concerns put forth on Facebook and on this blog that I received about tire clearances, I  would like to point you to my "News and Views" post from 7/27/12. Click this link to see this.
 

Titanium Mukluk Gets Upgraded

By-Tor with new DynaSys stuff

By-Tor the Titanium Mukluk has been upgraded to some new components recently. I'll give you the run down here and the "why" behind it all here as we go...

First up, I decided to switch from SRAM to Shimano DynaSys trigger shifters which are a big improvement over the SRAM bar end mounted on a Paul's Thumbie. Shifting in rough stuff was tough with the Thumbie, since it was so stiff, especially over older thumbies, like SunTour or Deore vintage examples.

DynaSys triggers can actually be actuated in a couple different ways, but the traditional "Rapid Fire" method works well with gloved hands. (At least I haven't had any issues with this) But the biggest thing is I don't have to move my hand from the grip much, if at all.

Next we have the Shadow Plus derailleur. The "Plus" part is what is cool. It is all about a little clutch mechanism in the pivot for the derailleur cage which can be switched "On" to prevent the cage from swinging and detensioning the chain over rough terrain. This is audible on "non-Plus" derailleurs as chain slap on your chain stay. But the big deal here is that since I run a 1 X 10, I may be able to ditch my chain watcher since it won't have to keep a flopping chain in check. The chain won't be flopping over rough stuff because the derailleur cage won't be swinging. Good stuff.

New shoes

Finally, I swapped tires for these new On One Smorgasbord tires. Listed as 2.25's, they actually measured slightly bigger than that on the Stan's Flow rims, (tubeless of course).

Out of the gate they measured 2.28", so with a bit of stretch they become 2.3"ers, which is a good, all around trail tire width.

The weight of these tires suggests that they may be pretty dang tough too. 860/870 grams for the pair. They are made by Maxxis and have what On One calls "ekso" sidewall protection. The sidewalls are thicker in the hand than many tires I've handled. The tires are definitely for bashing about, they have a nice, aggressive tread with an open pattern, and should prove to work well in tough conditions.

I have not had a chance to really put these to the test, so no ride reports yet, but I'll be back here with some observations soon.

Meanwhile, all the newest fat bike goodness has been slowly leaking out from Saddle Drive in Utah. The Salsa bikes will have some new features. Mukluks will now have Altenator drop outs, and there is a new model called the Beargrease. It has shorter stays, handles more like a traditional mountain bike, and weighs less than 29 lbs out of the box. Tapered head tube and frame tubing like a Mamasita. No Altenators on the Beargrease, which is a "race" version of the Muk.

Sounds awesome, but I'm fat-biked up for now, so I guess I'll be okay with what I've got here. Just wish my Titanium Muk had a 44mm head tube!

Titanium Mukluk Gets Upgraded

By-Tor with new DynaSys stuff

By-Tor the Titanium Mukluk has been upgraded to some new components recently. I'll give you the run down here and the "why" behind it all here as we go...

First up, I decided to switch from SRAM to Shimano DynaSys trigger shifters which are a big improvement over the SRAM bar end mounted on a Paul's Thumbie. Shifting in rough stuff was tough with the Thumbie, since it was so stiff, especially over older thumbies, like SunTour or Deore vintage examples.

DynaSys triggers can actually be actuated in a couple different ways, but the traditional "Rapid Fire" method works well with gloved hands. (At least I haven't had any issues with this) But the biggest thing is I don't have to move my hand from the grip much, if at all.

Next we have the Shadow Plus derailleur. The "Plus" part is what is cool. It is all about a little clutch mechanism in the pivot for the derailleur cage which can be switched "On" to prevent the cage from swinging and detensioning the chain over rough terrain. This is audible on "non-Plus" derailleurs as chain slap on your chain stay. But the big deal here is that since I run a 1 X 10, I may be able to ditch my chain watcher since it won't have to keep a flopping chain in check. The chain won't be flopping over rough stuff because the derailleur cage won't be swinging. Good stuff.

New shoes

Finally, I swapped tires for these new On One Smorgasbord tires. Listed as 2.25's, they actually measured slightly bigger than that on the Stan's Flow rims, (tubeless of course).

Out of the gate they measured 2.28", so with a bit of stretch they become 2.3"ers, which is a good, all around trail tire width.

The weight of these tires suggests that they may be pretty dang tough too. 860/870 grams for the pair. They are made by Maxxis and have what On One calls "ekso" sidewall protection. The sidewalls are thicker in the hand than many tires I've handled. The tires are definitely for bashing about, they have a nice, aggressive tread with an open pattern, and should prove to work well in tough conditions.

I have not had a chance to really put these to the test, so no ride reports yet, but I'll be back here with some observations soon.

Meanwhile, all the newest fat bike goodness has been slowly leaking out from Saddle Drive in Utah. The Salsa bikes will have some new features. Mukluks will now have Altenator drop outs, and there is a new model called the Beargrease. It has shorter stays, handles more like a traditional mountain bike, and weighs less than 29 lbs out of the box. Tapered head tube and frame tubing like a Mamasita. No Altenators on the Beargrease, which is a "race" version of the Muk.

Sounds awesome, but I'm fat-biked up for now, so I guess I'll be okay with what I've got here. Just wish my Titanium Muk had a 44mm head tube!

3GR Report

Joe and Mike discuss Leadville 100 strategy

3GR Report: Saturday, July 21st: 

So this week, one removed from the GTDRI, I decided to ride a single speed on the 3GR. Then I decided to ride from the house, which tacks on an extra 14 miles or so to the ride for me. Finally- I gave myself a half an hour to get to the 3GR meet up spot on time.

Wonder of wonders, I made it there with a minute or two to spare! I saw Mike there on his Vaya, and since it did not appear anyone else was going to show up, we took off. About a half a mile up the bike path, I heard Mike speaking to someone that had come up from behind us, and by the tone of his voice, it was apparent that it was someone he recognized. Turns out it was a guy named Joe and he decided to join us in the ride.

Joe is going to Leadville soon to race the LT-100 and since Mike has done the event, he and Joe entered into a conversation about strategy for the event. While that was going on, I noticed how brown, stunted, and shriveled our local cornfields are. Nothing at all like last week, where around Grinnell everything was tall, lush, and vibrant green in color. It really is sad to see the fields around the Janesville area especially.

It looks like a black hole! Dead ahead!

The sky for the ride was increasingly overcast and the temperatures were in the high 70's to low 80's for the ride. Quite comfortable compared to recent days, actually. The clouds were thickening the entire ride, but it never did rain on us, which was a bit surprising to me.

Pace for the ride was kept pretty high. We never did slow down much and I think we were holding one of the fastest 3GR's yet. I felt pretty good during the ride, despite being the only one on a single speed.

Joe took leave of us near the end, and Mike and I rolled in to Cedar Falls the way we started out- a twosome. Mike and I then took our bikes to Cup Of Joe's and had some beverages and a small bite to eat sitting outside along the street.

Finally, I had to hit the trail back home. I made good time and when I got back, I felt pretty whooped. In fact, I was pretty much good for nothing the rest of the day! Must not be quite 100% after last weekend's ride, but I suppose the single speed had a bit to do with it as well!

3GR Report

Joe and Mike discuss Leadville 100 strategy

3GR Report: Saturday, July 21st: 

So this week, one removed from the GTDRI, I decided to ride a single speed on the 3GR. Then I decided to ride from the house, which tacks on an extra 14 miles or so to the ride for me. Finally- I gave myself a half an hour to get to the 3GR meet up spot on time.

Wonder of wonders, I made it there with a minute or two to spare! I saw Mike there on his Vaya, and since it did not appear anyone else was going to show up, we took off. About a half a mile up the bike path, I heard Mike speaking to someone that had come up from behind us, and by the tone of his voice, it was apparent that it was someone he recognized. Turns out it was a guy named Joe and he decided to join us in the ride.

Joe is going to Leadville soon to race the LT-100 and since Mike has done the event, he and Joe entered into a conversation about strategy for the event. While that was going on, I noticed how brown, stunted, and shriveled our local cornfields are. Nothing at all like last week, where around Grinnell everything was tall, lush, and vibrant green in color. It really is sad to see the fields around the Janesville area especially.

It looks like a black hole! Dead ahead!

The sky for the ride was increasingly overcast and the temperatures were in the high 70's to low 80's for the ride. Quite comfortable compared to recent days, actually. The clouds were thickening the entire ride, but it never did rain on us, which was a bit surprising to me.

Pace for the ride was kept pretty high. We never did slow down much and I think we were holding one of the fastest 3GR's yet. I felt pretty good during the ride, despite being the only one on a single speed.

Joe took leave of us near the end, and Mike and I rolled in to Cedar Falls the way we started out- a twosome. Mike and I then took our bikes to Cup Of Joe's and had some beverages and a small bite to eat sitting outside along the street.

Finally, I had to hit the trail back home. I made good time and when I got back, I felt pretty whooped. In fact, I was pretty much good for nothing the rest of the day! Must not be quite 100% after last weekend's ride, but I suppose the single speed had a bit to do with it as well!

Bigger, Badder, And Green Metalflake!

Fat tires rule!

By now most bike geeks have seen this. Surly Bikes' newest crazy idea, the "Krampus". (Click on the name for its background) Surly has come up with a way to get around a previous barrier to 29"ers- that being the size of the largest ISO 622 bead tire one could make.

Previous to the Krampus, the largest sized 29"er tires could only be about 2.4-2.5 inches wide. This was due to mold machine constraints. Simply- a bigger tire just wouldn't fit in the mold machines available.

Obviously Surly has surmounted this issue in some way. The tires on the Krampus are 29 X 3.0, which would be the largest ISO 622 bead tire ever made, as far as I am aware. Pretty amazing right there, really, and a fact that is being looked over a bit in the hoopla surrounding the Krampus' arrival on the scene.

A couple of other interesting things stand out to me here. First, the tire, dubbed the "Knard", is said to weigh only 850 grams. Really? If that is true, then it must be a pretty thin tire in the side walls. Why is that? I have handled a lot of different 29"er tires. To get a lot of volume and low weight, you have to spread the butter pretty thin over the toast. I have not seen the 3.0" tire, but I know it can't weigh what they say it does without being pretty thin. For example, I have a pretty burly 2.25" tire in hand here. One I would trust to bash around in rocks, hold up tubeless, and be overall a durable, long lasting tire for general trail riding. Weight? 870 grams.

Get the picture?

So what is the Knard going to be good for? Probably lots of stuff. I'm just saying it isn't going to be very durable, most likely, for hard chargers riding in rock infested places where folks shred tires a lot.

Don't get me wrong here, I am excited about this tire and platform. I really am interested in getting one of these, but it isn't going to be my first choice for bashing into rough stuff. The dirt we have here wouldn't be an issue, most likely, and I can think of lots of places I want to ride a bike like this.

Secondly, going along with the places I want to ride a bike like this- I think the Krampus is the ideal platform for longer, really rough road/back road/fire road riding in a bike packing set up. The tires should exhibit lots of grip, and with the volume, lots of suspension. Plus, a bit lower angle of attack should smooth out bumps even more than a typical 29"er. It appears the Krampus has rack mounts, so frame bag set ups or rack set ups should be possible.

My only issue is that it appears from sneak peeks I've seen that the Krampus is limited to a single front chain ring. That limits gearing choices. Looks like it is time I bought a Rohloff!

UPDATE: Now learning the MSRP on the complete with 1 X 10 SLX drivetrain is $1950.00, available in March 2013. Frames, rims, and tires should be in this fall with a MSRP on the frame set @ $750.00 Total weight for bike as shown = 30lbs. This is said to be Surly's toughest, heaviest tube set yet developed.

Bigger, Badder, And Green Metalflake!

Fat tires rule!

By now most bike geeks have seen this. Surly Bikes' newest crazy idea, the "Krampus". (Click on the name for its background) Surly has come up with a way to get around a previous barrier to 29"ers- that being the size of the largest ISO 622 bead tire one could make.

Previous to the Krampus, the largest sized 29"er tires could only be about 2.4-2.5 inches wide. This was due to mold machine constraints. Simply- a bigger tire just wouldn't fit in the mold machines available.

Obviously Surly has surmounted this issue in some way. The tires on the Krampus are 29 X 3.0, which would be the largest ISO 622 bead tire ever made, as far as I am aware. Pretty amazing right there, really, and a fact that is being looked over a bit in the hoopla surrounding the Krampus' arrival on the scene.

A couple of other interesting things stand out to me here. First, the tire, dubbed the "Knard", is said to weigh only 850 grams. Really? If that is true, then it must be a pretty thin tire in the side walls. Why is that? I have handled a lot of different 29"er tires. To get a lot of volume and low weight, you have to spread the butter pretty thin over the toast. I have not seen the 3.0" tire, but I know it can't weigh what they say it does without being pretty thin. For example, I have a pretty burly 2.25" tire in hand here. One I would trust to bash around in rocks, hold up tubeless, and be overall a durable, long lasting tire for general trail riding. Weight? 870 grams.

Get the picture?

So what is the Knard going to be good for? Probably lots of stuff. I'm just saying it isn't going to be very durable, most likely, for hard chargers riding in rock infested places where folks shred tires a lot.

Don't get me wrong here, I am excited about this tire and platform. I really am interested in getting one of these, but it isn't going to be my first choice for bashing into rough stuff. The dirt we have here wouldn't be an issue, most likely, and I can think of lots of places I want to ride a bike like this.

Secondly, going along with the places I want to ride a bike like this- I think the Krampus is the ideal platform for longer, really rough road/back road/fire road riding in a bike packing set up. The tires should exhibit lots of grip, and with the volume, lots of suspension. Plus, a bit lower angle of attack should smooth out bumps even more than a typical 29"er. It appears the Krampus has rack mounts, so frame bag set ups or rack set ups should be possible.

My only issue is that it appears from sneak peeks I've seen that the Krampus is limited to a single front chain ring. That limits gearing choices. Looks like it is time I bought a Rohloff!

UPDATE: Now learning the MSRP on the complete with 1 X 10 SLX drivetrain is $1950.00, available in March 2013. Frames, rims, and tires should be in this fall with a MSRP on the frame set @ $750.00 Total weight for bike as shown = 30lbs. This is said to be Surly's toughest, heaviest tube set yet developed.

Guitar Ted Death Ride Invitational 2012: Ride Report IV

Gilman To Grinnell: Here we get to the final and shortest leg of the ride. But first, we had to stop in Gilman to rest, recuperate, and have an ice cold beer!

Six weary riders: Image by Celeste Matthias

When we rode into town, I figured we were on the wrong street to get to the convenience store the quickest. I signaled Matt to follow me while the rest of the bunch went the wrong way around.

Matt headed straight to the beer cooler and on his way to the register he lifted a sixer of Bud Heavy Tall Boys and softly asked, "Would you help me with these?" Of course, the answer was an enthusiastic "yes". I went about my business grabbing something suitable to munch on. Hmm....two packets of Planters Cashews should do fine.

Matt and I went outside and repaired to the back of the convenience store, out of sight from most folks, and started to drink our beers. Soon the rest of the guys followed suit and brought their purchases around the back and we had ourselves a little sit down for a bit.

By now the sun was back out in full force and we could feel the temperatures rising back through the 80's and on through the 90's again. But for now, we were just enjoying a bit of rest and conversations. Things eventually wound down though, and soon we were slowly adjusting helmets and topping off bottles for the final 14.8 miles back to Grinnell.

One last B Road

We weren't quite through with adventure though. First we were about buzzed by a crop duster, but we timed our passage across his flight path to miss his low flying antics. Those guys that fly those planes are dare-devils! Crazy to see them at work.

Then I had one last scheduled B Road to traverse. It was another goodie. Smooth, fast, and scenic. It's just great to be able to ride these in summer. It is too bad Trans Iowa guys hardly ever get to have that opportunity, but with every season there are drawbacks. Good B Roads in summer, but it was also 100 degrees at the time. Ouch!

It didn't stay that hot for long, as the sun was lowering in the Western sky, but by now, with all the heat and miles, my legs were zapped. I was pretty much in survival mode by this point of the ride. It was nice to have John slip back a few times to chat to take my mind off of my burning quads.

The thing about the Grinnell area is that there is hardly a flat road near it. The road we were on had some average rollers, but they may as well have been mountains at this point. I was barely crawling over the tops of each successive hill.

Dirty, Dusty, yet strangely happy: Image by Celeste Matthias

Finally we made the left turn towards Grinnell's paved streets and put the sun at our back for the last stretch home. The pace might have quickened a bit, anticipation for finally putting the pain behind us perhaps.

Turning the corner on Broad Street we laid eyes on the start line we left 12 and a half hours earlier. That was right about what I was hoping for in regard to time. I was satisfied with the group's performance, realizing that our stop in Gilman went on a lot longer than maybe it should have.

John's wife, Celeste was there and someone suggested we line up for a photo. We shook hands, congratulated and thanked each other, and waved good bye to Jeremy, John, and Cody. Matt, Mike, and I still had three miles to go to get back to our motel rooms and a nice shower.

These rides are always kind of odd at the end. You share an entire day on a bike, struggling with the others on the ride, and it is impossible not to have shared something a bit more than the usual. I won't get all dramatic here, but those that have done long, long rides with others through some less than ideal conditions will know what I mean there.

Making our way back to the rooms....

Matt and Mike agreed with me to take the pace slow back to the motel. I held up my end of the bargain gladly, but Matt and Mike got into a conversation and lifted the pace anyway. I stuck to the plan.

As I rode the last mile along the shoulder of Highway 146 South, I thought about how blessed I am to even be able to do this stuff, much less have folks come from so far away to join me in this madness. It truly is an honor for me.

We got cleaned up, were joined by Mike's wife Amy, (who celebrated her birthday that day), and had a killer Mexican meal. Afterward we went for some ice cream, and drove around like teenagers in Mike's car like we had nothing to do. It was a sweet ending to a great day of cycling.

Thanks to... The Riders: Dennis, Courtney, Craig, Matt, Mike, Jeremy, John, and Cody. Celeste Matthias for the awesome images. Jeremy and Mike for sharing images. Mike and Cody for sharing GPS data, and thanks to all our spouses and families for understanding our gravel road riding passion.

Ride Data: Total Distance- 122.5m (Matt, Mike, and I actually got in about six bonus "to and from" miles from the motel and back). Total Ride Time: 9:36.34 Total Elapsed Time:  12.44.03. Elevation Gain: 5873Ft. Minimum Temp: 59F Maximum Temp: 104F (Thanks to Cody Matthias for the Garmin GPS data)

NOTICE: The 3GR will be happening tomorrow at 8:30am from the parking lot of Gateway Park if you are interested. Should be about 27 miles of gravel road fun!