Bikes Of 2021: Black Mountain Cycles MCD

The Black Mountain Cycles MCD set up for Gravel Worlds.

 It's the end of the year and time to review what's up with the bikes I used over the course of 2021. You'll get a brief overview, any changes made, and what the future has in store for each bike listed. Enjoy!

Another obvious bike around here, since it sees so much usage, is the Black Mountain Cycles MCD, (Monster Cross Disc). This was the bike I got in 2018 and one that I've always thought of as my gift to myself for 14 years of Trans Iowas. Anyway, this also serves as a test bed for a lot of RidingGravel.com reviews so once again- Standard Disclaimer applies. That said, a lot of this bike I did pay for out of pocket. 

With this bike I have already had several adventures, but this year's Gravel Worlds was right up there with one of the best rides of 2021. 116 miles of those hills is no joke, and while it wasn't the full distance, I am good with what I was able to accomplish there. 

This bike also served as my experimental test bed for getting some really big water bottles on the frame which has made this bike sort of a 'bulk tanker' of water over the gravel seas! Ha! I also used this bike most of 2021 with the Redshift Sports Kitchen Sink Bar, which has an integrated 'aero bar' of sorts as part of the component. It's interesting, and I've liked it alright, but I am thinking about swapping over to something a bit more gravel-compliant than this bar is. 

Testing bottles and cages here during the Summer of 2021.

Other than going back to the Whiskey carbon seat post and swapping wheels around like I do, this bike is pretty much stable for now. I'd like to eventually get some GRX levers for it, but the old 11 speed Ultegra allows for the mechanical Spyre brakes to be used which are excellent brakes. So, no hurry on that, and ya know- someday there will be 12 speed GRX, so I may as well wait for the inevitable changes once they come. 

I often think of this bike as my 'skinny fargo'. It's set up very much like my Gen I Fargo and it feels a lot like that bike does. I can even squeeze in some big tires on this- up to 50mm- so it approximates a Fargo in that way. It is definitely not a Vaya. I know- I've had one. But be that as it may, it is an excellent bike, and from what I hear, maybe- probably - not available in this configuration ever again. You can thank changes forced by this new age we are in for that. Not that I am 'in the know'......

Anyway, it is a great bike. I am really happy I got one while I could.

Next: The Standard Rando v2