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| Back when we used to actually get snow. |
Two things struck me as I went back to recap this week on the blog. The first was that I sure wished we had easy access to fat bikes back then. I sure could have used a Pugs or Mukluk with 3.8"s for Winter commutes back then.
But that said, I did get a long way with tires like the WTB Stout which had great traction on snow. I just lacked float, obviously. The Schwalbe Racing Ralphs from this period also were great in that regard. A pair of 2.4 Ardents on Blunt 35's was also one of the better snow tire set ups I used on a 29"er. I could imagine 29+ being really good at this as well.
The other thing I noted about things ten years ago was that Winter was actually a thing. We had snow, ice, and cold all at the same time! Amazing, right? I mean, the past several inters have really been kind of messed up as far as snow goes for the season. I kind of gauge this off how the shop I work at rents skis. Cross country skiing needs a good base of snow, so if the shop doesn't rent many days then it is indicative of a poor Winter, and we haven't rented a lot of skis the past several years.
Hmmm........ Thinking about these two things I wonder whether I shouldn't sell my fat bikes and just get a decent 29 plus rig and call it good!
2 comments:
I'm sitting here drinking a hot cup of tea after moving 5 inches of new snow. Pushed the banks back, too, to make room for the 8-12 inches arriving Monday. I''m so happy we still have real winters.
For where and how I ride fat bikes rule, one could say I'm enamored with them. In fact, the new Blackborow frame arrived last week and I plan to build it over the holidays into my around town cruiser.
But I'm curious, what makes for a decent 29 plus rig?
@Robert Jones- My take is that 29+ has, for the most part, been dominated by trail bike oriented designs and conversions of fat bikes. Both have their places. That's not what I want.
I like the Jones take on 29+. It may be what Jeff Jones says it is,the best evolution of the bicycle. Then again..... I just don't have a good feel for what Jones has done, enough so to pop for one of his creations, which are expensive. But that idea of his is intriguing.
I've ridden a Surly ECR once. Very nice, but very over-built and over-purposed, as is Surly's way. I am not thinking I want a super-versatile 29+ bike, or even one that is designed for bikepacking.
So that also kind of rules out the Trek 1120. That bike also is limited to a 1X drive train and would have a very limited gear range due to the fact that it cannot take a very big drive ring. (Info provided to me by a shop that had a customer with one. ) I would require a good range including a decent gravel road cruising gear.
So, I am left still looking. So far a Jones bike seems to be the best option I've seen without going full custom.
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