Well, here is the latest on the bikepacking set up. I got some dry bags for my sleeping bag, ground cloth, and sleeping pad. The bonus thing here is that the tent has its own dry bag, so I didn't need one for it, but just in case I ever get another tent, or go to a tarp, I purchased an extra dry bag.
Another thing I noted was that the lateral dry bag has loops where I could stash poles for a tarp in the future, which is nice.
Next on the "to-do list". Find my cooking set. I know I have one, still in the box for a tour to New Orleans which never happened. Gotta track that down. I also fabbed up a stove, but since then I have seen another design I like better. It requires a Guinness can. Oh....I suppose I could force myself to get one of those!
The dry bag on the bars is resting mostly on the brake lever master cylinders. Not an ideal situation, but the bag is light. I may let that go for now, but ideally I will probably get into a Minimalist rack for the fork. (My other bike I would use this on has plenty of room for the bag on the handle bars.)
I scouted out a place to do the S24O on Wednesday. I saw three good, out of the way, remote, (as remote as one can get here), spots. One borders on a bit of Cedar River backwater and would be awesome from a "view" angle, but I won't be too picky. At least one of these three will work, and all are within a mile of each other.
I also am getting this cute little chrome number for another project. This is a "Pass Hunter" rack from Velo Orange. I have something else coming that goes onto this rack, but that will have to wait for a bit.
Oddly enough, I will not be "pass hunting" with this rack, but I will be hunting something else. That would have to do with Trans Iowa V9 . I plan on getting this mounted and with the "other component" I will be getting, they will help with a long ride or two that I have planned to scout out the Trans Iowa V9 route.
We'll see how that turns out, and of course, a full report will follow. I am pretty stoked about the T.I.V9 route so far. I have things pretty firmed up as far as exact routing goes for the first third of the course. That could change, of course, depending upon what I find out there, but I am pretty hopeful there will be little if any trouble.
In other T.I.V9 news, I've got the request in to the Grinnell Chamber of Commerce's Sheryl Parmley and things should start happening later this year with regard to news on that front, but suffice it to say that they are pretty happy about our coming back again.
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| 2013 Salsa Mukluk 2 |
A couple of years ago, some dear friends went way out of their way to hook me up with a 2011 Salsa Cycles Mukluk frame and fork. I ride that bike regularly, and I love it. However; those dastardly folks at Salsa don't sleep until they have improved upon a design, or so it would seem. Here we have a new 2013 example of a Mukluk. You may not see much of anything different here. Trust me- much has changed!
I happen to like the 44mm head tube, the new Altenator drop outs, and ability to run a slightly shorter or longer wheel base with those Altenators than I can now. I don't like that my current Muk, The Snow Dog, is a special gift and replacing it with an "upgrade" seems kind of unsavory to my sense of sentimentality and loyalty.
Meh!
Well, we're getting some of these Mukluks into the shop soon, and I will have to decide what to do. I do know that black with purple decals on the frame set only choice will be hard to resist!
3GR: I'll be at Gateway Park again at 8:30am to get some gravel on. Hope some of you can join in on the fun. Should be a good time.
Have a great weekend!
As one of the folks that contributed to the Snow Dog, from my perspective, I'm just fine with you getting a new frame. I appreciate your sentimentality though. You're a good friend and that's why stuff like that gets done for you...
ReplyDeleteWe are all fortunate for what we have...
I have been looking at putting together a bikepacking setup and so have been following your progress with some interest. One thing i can't figure out: As a guy with not one but two Fargos, why would you choose to build your setup around a fatbike on custom 29er wheels? Is there something i'm not seeing that makes a ti Mukluk the best bickpacking rig in your well-stocked shed? Just curious. Keep up the good work, and post pics of your Guiness stove when it's done!
ReplyDelete@MG: Thanks Bro! I appreciate those words very much. I just don't see The Snow Dog when I look at it, or feel the bike when I ride it, I see and feel each one of you somehow in it when I ride it. That's where I am maybe stuck with regard to ever parking the thing for another fat bike.
ReplyDeleteWe are all really fortunate for what we have. That's a great reminder, and thanks for that most of all.
@Hook: You know- that is a great question. I guess it all stems from how I feel about Fargo Gen I, which I see as my all-purpose gravel/back road exploration machine. Fargo Gen II I see as my pure steel mountain bike hard tail.
ReplyDeleteThe Muk is just an incredible rig. It is the titanium, really, that makes it so. I couldn't envision a smoother riding bikepacking rig unless it was a suspended frame. Another thing is the Muks stability, and that plays right into a good touring bike sort of thing. It is way more stable than my Fargos are. With a load on, it rides like a Caddy.
So, that is why I picked it, but I would have just as easily taken the newer Fargo as my bike packing rig had I not had the titanium Mukluk at my disposal.
I'll post on the stoves coming up soon. Thanks for checking my blog out.