The Week In Review

Fargo upgrade before I even got it cleaned!

Post DK200 I was fatigued big time. I managed to ride to work all week, but several parts of my body hurt and I was really slow. In fact, several times I felt sleepy, and so slow I thought I should go home from work, but I managed to keep going.

One thing was waiting for me when I got back- a Salsa Cycles Cowchipper Bar. I actually had it on order before the DK200, and may have swapped it out had it arrived in time, but it had to wait until I got home. Many are wondering if it is a hybrid of the Cowbell and Woodchipper. It is nothing like a Woodchipper at all, other than the two bars are drop bars. I would suggest that the Cowchipper is a "more flared-more swept" Cowbell. So, in other words, if you have tried a Cowbell Bar, and thought a bit more flare and sweep in the extensions would be good, this is your bar. If you are looking for the reincarnation of the Luxy Bar, or the "more Midge, Midge Bar", keep looking. If you were thinking this is a less radical version of a Woodchipper, it is not.

The Cowchipper Bar I got is the widest available at 46cm. I think there are 5 sizes. Retail is about 75 bucks. It's nice. It is bar end shifter compatible, by the way. I haven't had a proper ride on it yet, but I can tell I'll like it since it is similar to the Cowbell. Is it better than the Midge Bar I had on it before? Time will tell.

Work has been nuts with the uptick in repairs which can be mostly blamed on RAGBRAI. I did manage to keep up with the help of the rest of the staff. Oh! And just before the DK200 we were broken in to, but yesterday I received news that both bikes stolen were recovered and the perpetrator has been apprehended. So, there was some excitement revolving around that. In fact, last Tuesday my boss and I went on a wild goose chase, hiking around a wooded area based on a tip my boss received. Yeah.......my DK200 blasted legs were loving that! 

Some more testing of the Twin Six Standard Rando has been occurring as well.  I'm seriously impressed by this bicycle. It rides quite nicely, and I believe it is a fine value, especially if you get the SRAM Rival group with it. It's a crazy deal, I think. Anyway, this bike will be getting flogged more around here soon.

So, my buddy Ari wanted me to discuss how we noticed so many road derailleurs biting the dust at the DK200. Certainly some mtb derailleurs did as well, but the vast majority of the carnage was roadie based. I believe it was because these road based derailleurs are not designed to shed mud. However; it is merely a theory. I cannot prove that, but it does make a lot of sense when you think about that. Hopefully in the future a hybrid design for road will be developed that does more than work just on pavement. 

Other than that it has been business as usual around here again for a while, anyway. The next big dance is Odin's Revenge on June 27th. Time to get crackin'