The Bike: Obviously many of you are familiar with Black Mountain Cycles and their MCD model. But I had several questions about what my bicycle was during the event, so obviously many folks are unaware of Black Mountain Cycles yet.
In my opinion, this bike is a cross between a Salsa Cycles Fargo and a Vaya. It does some things neither of those two can do and in a style that is all its own. The segmented fork and cool rear drop outs are something not usually found on frames at this price and the bike handles and rides really well. I was able to shoe-horn in bottle cages and bottles with enough capacity that I did not have to worry about running out of water or have to carry any on my back in a hydration pack.
The gearing I chose was spot-on, for the most part. There were maybe three times I hit the right shift lever hoping for one more gear and there wasn't one, so overall, pretty good there. I ran my 11 speed SRAM 11-36T cassette. I have an 11-40T Shimano cassette I toyed around with putting on, but that would have necessitated some modifications and a new chain. Chains are hard to come by now, so I just dealt with what I had on there. And as I said- it got me by. I never had to consider hopping off and walking. Crank gearing was my preferred 36/46T CX gearing which has less range, but also less of a cadence jump when you switch over rings. If you get into a groove with 36/46 gearing it can feel exactly like a cassette gearing change when you shift in a sequence. For me? It is the only way to go with a double.
I use Bike Bag Dude bags which- in my opinion - are the toughest, most functional bags around. They are light too, which is a big deal when you are climbing 10,000+ feet in a day. BBD bags have never let me down and I have no reason to look elsewhere for basic, "nothing you don't need and everything you do" bags. I used the Garage Top Tube Bag and a pair of Chaff Bags on either side of the stem. In the right one I had my water bottle. Easy access and it always stayed put. The left one carried food and other nutrition. The Top Tube Garage held a Silca mini-pump, a multi-tool, and some supplements along with my cell phone.
The cock pit was all Redshift Sports. Their Kitchen Sink handle bar, ShockStop Stem, and hand grips all added up to comfort and control all day. Especially on the rutted dirt roads and gravel road washboard sections. In conjunction with the ShockStop seat post, with the WTB Silverado saddle, I was isolated from all that chatter and bigger hits were rounded off so I did not have to absorb the full impact. I will add that the aero bit on the handlebar did not really factor into my ride, so I could have maybe done without that bit but it did make for a convenient place to mount my GPS computer, which was a Super GPS from Lezyne, by the way.
My home made cue sheet holder, while not being very pretty, was cheap, easy, and very effective. My packing tape laminated T.I. style cues were great. My paying attention? Could use a little polishing up there! But yeah....I'd do it this way again. I don't think you could come up with a lighter, more effective way to do this than what I had on there.
Lights were the Ravemen 800 Lumen head light and the Ravemen 50 Lumen tail light. Both were great and did just what I needed them to do.
As I stated, I used a set of WTB's newest carbon wheels at Gravel Worlds. The CZR wheels were super! I'll save the rest of my thoughts on why for the RidingGravel.com review.
The tires were WTB Resolute SG2 models. The Resolute was designed with heavy input from Trans Iowa experiences with multiple surfaces in mind. As an all-around tire, it has few peers. Plus with the SG2 puncture protection, these tires are up to the task of not letting you down in the middle of no where. These tires were used with Stan's, by the way.
The combination of the Resolute's width and the wheels was a winner. I tracked straight and true and the tires never let go once on me, even getting me through the sandiest sections of road with confidence inspiring stability. I had thought about popping on some Riddlers which I probably would have liked better had the course not received any rain, but as it was, everything worked out perfect here.
Apparel:
Insert Side Track Story: Warren Weibe, who- as I mentioned in the GW '21 race report- was at the start of the Long Voyage. He had a bit of advice for me as a bibs wearer. Apparently, when it gets super-stupid hot in Kansas they call it a "Bibs Day" and they take off their jersey, and they roll the bib straps down into their waist area, and ride that way to be cooler. Many bib shorts come up on the torso quite a ways, so I can see how this would be an effective measure. Fortunately I did not have to use this tip, but I thought I'd pass that along....
I'm going to mention my chamois creme here as it is imperative to use a product on the insert to help cut down on chafing and the resulting saddle sores which can develop. I used something I am going to review for RidingGravel.com shortly called "Honeybutt Chamois Creme". It works very well, by the way, and I was happy to have it to use.
As for a base layer, I used my new Twin Six base layer and over that went my limited edition Bike Rags Merino wool, Summer-weight, full zip jersey. The combination kept me dry, cool, and comfortable all day long. The security zip pocket in the left rear was perfect for my money as well, by the way. Unfortunately, you cannot get this jersey anymore, but it is probably the best wool jersey I have ever used in warm weather.
I also used PCL branded Voler Sol Skin Sleeves which I was super happy to have on. I also used some Mint socks and I wore the Shimano MTB shoes from way back which I wrote about last week. On the head I wore a gifted Omaha Jackrabbit cycling cap and my Bontrager WaveCell helmet. Glasses were the transition lens Rudy Project glasses I have here. Everything worked great. I also wore a Twenty One Pilots branded bandana that my daughter gave to me around my neck and that served as my face mask at the start line. I kept it on all day though as it seemed to keep my neck cooler.
NOTE: A LOT of what I used at GW '21 was former or current review stuff and as such, the Standard Disclaimer applies here.
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| Besides these wheels and tires, this was the set-up I used at GW '21. |
Final Verdict: Would I change anything about my set-up or my clothing? Hmm...... I cannot really say that I would. I don't recall getting frustrated with anything I used with the exception of the dried bananas, which were sticky-gooey and caused a bit of a mess on the levers after I handled the food and ate it. There I probably would do something differently, but other than that? No. I was about as dialed in as I could be.
That bottle set up was perfect! I was so glad I spent the time dialing that in because there were some BIG hits on fast down hills. Especially on the dirt roads where I would have ejected those two big bottles in a heartbeat had I not figured out a secure strapping system for both of them. As it was, I was amazed something didn't come loose or fall off the bike, the biggest hits being that alarming.
In conjunction with that, the Redshift ShockStop stuff was worth its weight in gold. I simply would never consider riding Gravel Worlds without those items. Maybe the handle bar could be left off, but those accessory grips did help a lot. Yeah....it would be hard for me to not take those things to a Gravel Worlds again.
My issues at Gravel Worlds were self-inflicted. I should have done something different with the computer at the start. I probably would not have missed the turn later had I been on track mileage-wise. The sleepy issue may have been mitigated had I done several longer 75-100 mile rides for training where - perhaps- I would have been able to work on that. But all this year I did not ever once have those issues. Anyway, the gear and apparel? Spot on. Best I've done for an event in my opinion.
And that closes out the GW '21 posts. I will return to regular posting on Monday!
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