Friday News And Views

Not a Pugs, but perhaps what the Pugs should have evolved into.

Tumbleweed Prospector:

I cannot recall when it was that I came across the Tumbleweed Bicycle Company, but it was months ago, and I remember thinking that this bike that they were working on was exactly what the Surly Pugsley should have morphed into. The steel fat bike idea with versatility built in and made to work with "standard" components, even more so than an original Pugsley.

There are several really cool features of the frame, one of which is that, like the original Pugs, you can swap the front and rear wheels out. So, if you ran a Rohloff in back, you could run a single speed hub up front, in case something went pear shaped with the Rohloff. Or you could run two different single speed ratios, or other configurations as well.

Then there is the bottom bracket. One of the things that even the OG Pugs does is that it forces your feet wider apart than typical bicycles do. This is sometimes referred to as the "Q" factor. Anyway, 100mm bottom brackets don't work for some folks, so they cannot enjoy fat bikes. This Prospector has a 73mm bottom bracket, like many mountain bikes do, so the cranks are "normal" and this allows for more folks to get on a fat bike that otherwise wouldn't.

This is the special bottom bracket yoke which allows for a 73mm BB to be used on the Prospector.

That is a brilliant idea, and the specially made yoke that gets everything to work out- drive train, cranks, tires- was designed by Anna Schwinn. She's a really bright bicycle person that has done some really good work on All City, Foundry, Zipp, and other bicycle company's stuff. In fact, she also designed the drop outs for the Prospector. Cool.

Anyway, if I didn't already have way too many bikes, this Prospector and I would be searching for gold in the hills. It's a cool bike with great features and multiple wheel size capabilities. Check it out sometime.

My daughter says it looks like something from Dr. Who.

WTB Galaxy Saddle Limited Edition To Support Buddy Newman Scholarship Fund:

Sometimes really cool people leave this orb way too soon. This must have been the case with a guy named Buddy Newman who worked his magic for WTB. So, in a way to memorialize and honor this fellow, WTB is offering this Team Volt "Galaxy" custom saddle, with graphics designed by Buddy Newman, and is using the proceeds of the sale of this saddle to support the high school mtb team Buddy was on in his days in high school.

"The WTB Galaxy saddle is a Team-level Volt saddle, features titanium rails and DNA Padding, and is available in a limited quantity of 135mm width. Now available for purchase through WTB’s online store for a retail price of $129.95, the Galaxy saddle mirrors the MSRP of a non-custom WTB Volt Team saddle. Proceeds from sales of the Galaxy saddle will pay for racing fees for the Nevada Union Miners mountain bike team."

 Check one out if you are in need of a cool saddle for your bicycle, or heck.....put it up as part of your own Dr. Who shrine!

Registration Update:

With the course recon happening tomorrow I thought I would give an update on the registration now. Going back to the Current Winners and "Plus Six' riders, we did not get 25 slots filled. We got only got 14 in. So we had 11 spots get kicked down to the Veterans registration. That boosted their limit to 66 riders.

Well, with today and tomorrow left to receive cards yet, we have only reached 37 entrants in the Vets category. I would seriously be surprised if we receive 29 cards in total between today and tomorrow, but you never know. At the rate they have been coming in, I would venture a guess that we will not be having a lottery drawing for the Vets class Sunday. Maybe I am wrong, but maybe not. If I am right, all the Vets that I have received properly filled out cards from will transfer in. Any left over, unclaimed Vet spots would then get kicked into the Rookie pool.

If I get even one card over 29 between now and Saturday afternoon, there will be a lottery drawing. I will have to determine the format depending on how far over the 66 rider limit we go, because if we only go over by one or two, I will just draw out one or two names to reduce the pile to 66. I think that makes more sense than the other way. However; if I miraculously get 10 or more over the 66 rider limit, then there will be a full on, traditional drawing of names. Okay?

I suspect recon will take me till early evening or maybe later Saturday, so the determination of how this gets done may not be made until as late as Sunday afternoon. Either way, the Vets will be locked in, one way or the other, by Sunday evening and the Rookie cards will start coming in Monday through till two weeks from this Saturday. Then, on October 31st, it will all be over when the Rookie Lottery drawing takes place.

Have a great weekend, y'all!