Friday News And Views

Geezer Ride 2018:

Last year I tried putting on a Geezer Ride, but it got put off by the weather twice and I finally just gave up on it due to my busy schedule in 2018. That was a bit of a regret for last year. However; this time the Geezer Ride is planned and hopefully it will go off on its date of Saturday, October 5th. 

In another change, this time the Geezer Ride goes North! During one of the past Geezer Rides, a couple of fellows came down who are affiliated with Cresco Bikes. They expressed interest in doing a Geezer Ride, but due to injuries and what not, it did not happen last year. (Another reason there were no Geezer Rides in 2018) That health issue has been overcome, seemingly, for one of the organizers, and it appears that the group out of Cresco Bikes has a great route, not very hilly, but interesting, for us to tackle this Fall.

This would not be the first time that a Geezer Ride route was not planned by me. This occurred a few years back when we had the Geezer Ride out of North English. That ride, in fact, was an inspiration for part of the last route for Trans Iowa v14. It took us through some Amish country, and we had a fantastic time. This route that is being planned by the Cresco Bikes folks is, apparently, going to have some cool stuff on it as well, so I look forward to being a part of this.

Stay tuned- I'll have more detailed information as the date draws nearer.

The Black Mountain Cycles MCD did really well- once again.

Gear Review For The Solstice 100:

The report of my wanderings in the Nebraska countryside are well detailed in my three Solstice 100 posts from earlier in the week. This little bit will be about some of the gear I used during, and before and after the event.

Of course, the Bubblegum Princess was used, (Black Mountain Cycles MCD) and it performed flawlessly. This bike is so comfortable and smooth. The shifting (Shimano) and the brakes (TRP Spyre) both were quiet and fault-free. The tires and wheels were WTB Resolute 42's on Spinergy wheels. No flats, no issues.

I wore a Twin Six Standard Wool jersey over a Bontrager base layer with liner shorts from Zoic and Showers Pass shorts. The socks were wool, Hiwassee brand, and the shoes were older Shimano MTB shoes. I wore an aero helmet from Bolle', which surprisingly was quite cool and comfortable.

One big plus in the gear department wasn't used on the ride, but it sure helped me get to the ride and back again. It was the Silca Maratona Minimo Gear Bag which I just reviewed for RidingGravel.com. You can click through to read the review if you want to. All I'll say here is that I doubt I ever forget my shoes for an event again. The bag is good. I like it.

So, gear-wise, I was not let down at all. It was a failure to be prepared on my part in terms of fitness. I also screwed up navigating, somehow, and that also contributed to my failure. But as far as gear goes, I was spot on. I wouldn't have changed a thing there.

The new version of the All City Electric Queen.

 Enough Of The "Shred-Tails" Already:

Mountain bike "fashion" has swung this way and that throughout the decades. First it was all about touring/exploration. then it was XC racing, then Free Ride, and "Long Travel", then "Enduro", and on and on. It used to be that the base MTB bike was a hard tail. You started there, and then you branched off. Hard tail MTB's were declared "dead" in the late 90's/early 00"s, but 29"ers brought them back. Somehow they persist. Yet, it could be said today that the "hard tail" is dead. The "all-purpose", go anywhere, do anything MTB has become what I call the "shred-tail". Long, slack, and low, it is a tool bent by the designers for going down. Fast.

The slack head angle on a lot of these rigs handles like a wheel barrow in tight single track. Most "younginz" have zero experience on a bike that actually shreds tight single track, and can do fire roads, and can do berms. Because the pendulum of geometry has swung so far to the "playful, down hill oriented, fast, shreddy, jumping, popping, wide open trail type of bike that it suffers on anything but groomed, buff single track with long sight lines.

Anyway, All City claims that this new fashioned rig "climbs well" and does all the "fun stuff". yeah....hmmm. I bet it does. Ya know, I recall the days of the old geometry 29"ers, and the fast, razor sharp steering and climbing abilities of my old Bontrager Race 26'er. Now those bikes climbed and were awesome in tight single track.

I'd rip my old OS Bikes Blackbuck any day in the woods here over a slack front end, long traveled, short rear ended "shred tail" that is the norm now. But I can also see where 27.5 X 2.8's on the Electric Queen could be a blast as well. I just think these shred-tail rigs are compromised in the "all arounder" category hard tails used to live in, but are seemingly extinct as far as choices go nowadays. (Or are they? Read on...)

The New Jones LWB Complete

Then Just When You Think All Is Lost:

So, are there any hard tails that aren't "shred-tails"? Why, yes there are. Here's a great example of one- The new Jones Bikes LWB Complete which was just announced recently.

I've spent some time speaking with Jeff Jones, the designer of this bike, and he would not like it if this was called a mountain bike, because in his parlance, it's just a great bicycle. Good for anything- road, gravel, mountain, touring, and....well, you get the idea. But there is no denying the fact that Jeff Jones was selling these designs as mountain bikes first, and that's probably how they are best known.

That said, Jeff Jones would also tell you that his design, unconventional as it may be, does the climbing, descending, and single track shredding all well because it was designed to excel at everything. To my way of thinking, this is a great example of what an "all-arounder" is. I'm sure there are others, but it does stand out from the herd and according to its owners, some who I know personally, the Jones Bike is just a great bicycle.

So, there you go- the hard tail lives.

That's a wrap for this week. have a great weekend and keep on riding!