The 32" Watch: Some Background On Those Bigger Big Wheels

Not really a novel concept. (Image courtesy of Baum Cycles)

 The 32"er wheel thing is all the buzz in certain circles of the cycling innerwebs. I decided today to take a cruise through the archives of 20 years of information logged on this platform to see if anything might pop up concerning bigger big wheels. 

Like so many other times I research this blog I found things I had forgotten about. Stories about 36'ers and 32" wheels which might surprise you from the standpoint of how long ago some of this stuff has been percolating in the background.  

My first introduction to anything larger than a 29"er wheel was back in 2006 at Frostbike when Ben Witt had brought his creation to the show to share with the bike nerds in attendance. It was a frame welded up by Mike Pofahl with Ben's 36" wheels attached. It was a raw, unpainted idea, and it was very impressive. 

The first 36"er. I had a chance to buy this thing. 

To my knowledge Ben's bike was the first 36" wheeled bike around. I knew of a 32"er cruiser made with Coker branding, but not a 36"er. The bike was an amazing experience. But a parking lot ride does not tell the complete story. 

Fortunately, I was afforded the chance to try the big 36"er out for a couple of months when Ben was considering selling the bike. By this time it had been painted red. This would have been back in 2009. I used it primarily for commuting, and a lot of what people are saying about 32"ers is very true for 36"ers. Big stability, major roll-over capabilities, lots of steering inertia. I was thinking hard about buying the bike and doing gravel on it, but in the end I passed on the offer. 

Eventually someone did do a proper gravel bike with 36" wheels. I wrote about this in 2021. So, yeah.....big wheels on gravel has been a thing for a while already. And if you click the link and read my post from back then, you'll see reference to the idea dating back to 2006. Right about the same time Ben made his first 36"er, and in fact, the idea was spawned by Ben's bike. 

Even as recently as two years ago, Curve Cycling from Australia was producing a big wheeled gravel bike. I posted about that and made my case for Ben Witt's pioneering influence then. So, I think it is a good perspective to give Ben some props for sparking interest in larger than 29"er wheels. Would it have happened anyway? Yeah.....probably. But it happened the way it did. 

And I think that is worth noting. 

Industry Changes Revolve Around Wheels

A 29"er wheel circa 2012

 I was researching my blog, as one does after writing stuff for nearly 20 years, and came across something that made me think. I wrote this post about how 29 inch wheels had changed the cycling industry. First off, I often find it surprising to see what I wrote more than ten years ago. But more than that, I noted that as of 2025 we have finally exited an era where wheel sizes and types have finally settled back into a groove not seen since the year 2000. 

Previous to 2000 wheel size was not a question. Road bikes? 700c. Mountain bikes? 26" diameter. Sure, you had some weird niches here and there. Of course, we cannot ignore the rando/French touring group. A small, insular bunch. Hardly anyone outside of themselves had any idea of their existence. They were the bastion of 650B tire use. There were the old 27"ers being used yet, but no new bikes with those wheels were being produced anymore. Finally, you had the oddball 26" based tires and rims which some Schwinns had and some 70's era department store bikes used. 

But for the outliers, it was 700c based stuff and 26"er MTB wheels. That was pretty much it. Then "The Tire" came along, the internet became democratized, and information started to flow in a way that had never occurred before. These things made a pathway for people to start dreaming about "what ifs" and some business people bought in. 

If 29"ers hadn't come along, would we have ever seen things like this?

I'd argue that the 2010's were the zenith for wheel experimentation. Bicycle shops were then carrying a dizzying assortment of wheel diameters and tires to fit them. 

There were even variants on certain diameters that made them so different that they were unrecognizable next to their more traditional rim/tire combinations. 650B tires, fat bike tires, and 29"ers all used rim diameters that had been around for decades, but they were so different they all required their own special components and frames/forks. 

The "Pandora's Box" of wheel sizes and tire formats had been opened. 36" wheels, 32" wheels, and now 24" X 6" wheels and tires are now all a thing which previous to 2000 did not have any foothold or even a hint of a chance of being real, as they are now. Add to this the weird combinations that some electrified bikes have these days and you can see how things are very different now. 

In my opinion, these wheel size changes and innovations are what drives the industry. Just take the big fat bike tires, or larger, wider 700c tires that became known as 29"ers as an example. Both wrought changes in the industry that were exciting and drove consumer demand. Without those tires, and rims, of course, that demand doesn't materialize. 

Now that the wheel thing has been pretty much exhausted, the cycling industry is trying to recreate demand with "technological advancements" and motors. Aerodynamics, esoteric changes to cabling, and proprietary drive train ideas are being put forth with the hopes that "the next big thing" will be hit on. But these types of incremental, niche interest changes are not going to move the needle like the wheel changes and ideas to implement those ideas did. 

The "next big thing", in my opinion, will be when governments and the people at large start to realize that electric cars, self-driving cars, and more of those are not the answer. Healthy, outdoors in the Sun, moving on bicycles and the safer, separated infrastructure to utilize bicycles on - be they motorized or not - is what we need. That will be the next big deal, and while it may not happen in my lifetime, the sooner it does, the better for the cycling industry, people, and the environment.

Curve Cycling Pushes Boundaries Of Gravel Bikes

Image of Curve Titanosaur courtesy of Curve Cycling.

 Many years ago, at the first Dirty Kanza 200 in 2006, I met a frame builder who was singing the theoretical benefits of a 36" inch diameter wheel for gravel cycling. He theororized that the possibilities of having a momentum-saving, "flywheel" effect could help propel riders up and over the rollers common to Mid-Western gravel roads. 

The idea was so appealing to this man that he was certain it would work, if only.....

If only wheels and tires existed that would be tuned for such riding. All that did exist at that point were items meant for the niche of unicycling. That one-wheeled vehicle whose gearing was determined by wheel diameter only. To get "lower" gearing you had to build a unicycle with a smaller wheel. 20" and 24" being very popular wheel sizes for unicycles. But for over-the-road cycling, those smaller diameter wheels presented "too low a gear", as it were. So bigger hoops were made. The 29"er tires made this more available, but what about larger wheels than that?

That's where 32" and 36" wheels came into play for unicyclists. In 2006 the market for such behemoth sized 'wagon wheels' was super small. So, the available parts reflected that. They were heavy, reliable but heavy. 

Late into 2006 Ben Witt, then the owner of Milltown Cycles in Faribault, Minnesota, had a nutty idea: Take those heavy 36"er unicycle tires and wheels and make a bicycle out of that! And so he did. By February of 2007 he had the finished, but unpainted bike, in the parking lot of parts distributor Quality Bicycle Products and was letting people ride it. I was one of those folks. 

Image of a Salsa El Mariachi 29"er next to Ben Witt's 36"er. (Image courtesy of Ben Witt)

Ben is the "father" of modern 36"ers, as far as I am concerned. No one else was doing this in 2006/07 when Ben had Mike Pofahl braze up that frame and when Ben hand-cut the tread into the heavy 36"er tires. 

Of course, there were things that weren't that great about this idea and this bike in particular. The wheels were ponderous. Due to the straight-gauge, super-long spokes, the brakes were kind of winding up the wheel, and with all that momentum, a typical MTB disc brake was getting pretty over-worked. The geometry of the frame and fork weren't completely realized either. That said, the bike was amazingly fun to ride and the idea sparked off a 36"er movement across the world. Eventually. by 2011, the company, Dirty Sixer came along and started making more 36"er bikes for big and tall folks. This sparked enough activity to warrant lighter tires, rims, better geometries, and other fine details which made 36"ers a "real" viable bicycle, not a novelty item. 

Image courtesy of Curve Cycling

This brings us up to date and now we can appreciate what Curve Cycling has produced here better than we maybe could have before. It should be noted that Curve Cycling basically made this a pre-order option with a trigger for production set at 20 units committed to be purchased. Once they have reached that goal, these bikes, in titanium and carbon, will be coming out. 

With modernized carbon rims, "real" tires that are tubeless, and geometry dialed in, I have no doubt that this bike would ride amazingly well. I know it looks goofy, but that's just us not being around 36" wheels, that's all. I mean, people thought the same about 29"er wheels in 2003, but who thinks a 29"er wheel looks "weird" now? Not may do. We're used to them. 

Will 36"ers be a more commonly seen bike? Doubtful, but you may spy one here or there. They are really best for folks 6ft-plus. The Curve marketing blurb states that this could fit someone as short as 5'7", but.....yeah. You're going to see this more often under 6'4"-plus sized riders than shorter than that height. 

But it is super-cool, and while I cannot vouch for that frame builder's opinion given to me in 2006, I'd sure give this a try to find out if he was right all along. 

Friday News And Views

The Trentasi 36"er gravel bike (Image from 36 POLLICI)

And You Thought 29" Wheels Were Big:

History Lesson: In 2006 Ben Witt hatched an idea to take 36 inch diameter uni-cycling wheels and put them into a bicycle. By early 2007 his idea was reality, and the buzz it created was a low hum in the background that never went away. (Learn more about the initial idea from my post about it here)

At the 2006 Dirty Kanza 200, a frame builder I spoke with proposed that the 36"er idea might be pretty cool for a gravel rig. His idea was that the big wheels would act like a fly wheel, storing energy for the climbs and gaining it back on the down hills. A rolling course might see such a big wheeled rig have an advantage, if the rider was hip to the momentum game. 

Nice theory, but in '06/'07, the technology and specifically, materials technology, had not been applied to this novelty wheel size. Later years saw companies developed around the sales of 36" wheels, most notably here, "Dirty Sixer", who cater to the larger framed humans amongst us. Another notable early proponent of the wheel size was custom bike builder, WaltWorks, who made several examples early on as well. 

Okay, now we have that as a backdrop for this: The 36 Pollici "Trentasei" Gravel Bike. This Italian based company also does MTB's in carbon, aluminum, and combinations of those materials. It was inevitable that something along these lines would eventually be done.

Comments: So, yeah.....like the frame builder back in 2006, I too have often wondered about the 36"er's potential for gravel travel fun. No doubt it would have certain advantages. That said, there are certain elements of such a bike that you cannot design out. The most important of those being wheel weight.

You often hear that wheel weight, and more importantly- where that weight is- will determine how well or not a wheel will perform. Too light and you actually harm the important flywheel effects that carry your energy through your pedaling 'dead spots'. (Think counterweights on a crank shaft as a way to understand that) Too heavy and the inertia factor raises its ugly head and imposes upon your energy reserves whenever you have to accelerate that mass. 

So, yeah....I've actually ridden a 36'er on a regular basis for a bit. I'd guess - and it is only a guess - that 36"er wheels would not be my preferred wheel size. And when you stop to think about where 700c came from, (a story far too long for this post), you will find other good reasons why we landed where we are. It's based in science and math folks. We didn't end up here by accident. 

The American Classic Wentworth from a ride I did in November.

More On The American Classic Company Comes To Light:

In the most recent "Bicycle Retailer and Industry News" it was reported that industry veteran Chris Clinton is working for American Classic now as of October 1st. This is not of relevance to many of you readers, but it stands out for me because I know Chris and have dealt with him on various occasions. 

Chris has done tires- mostly- since I have known him. I first met him when he was with Bontrager. Most recently I worked with him on a review of Challenge Tires' new Getaway model. I am glad to see he is at American Classic now as Chris has a wealth of knowledge concerning bicycle tires and should be able to bring a lot of improvements to this range of tires. 

Secondly, and of more import to you, the reader, is that the article mentions Chris as saying that at some point we can expect American Classic wheels again. This should be good news, since the new American Classic company has all the intellectual properties from the original American Classic company. 

I would suspect rim designs, which were excellent, and perhaps even that unique hub design the company had, to be re-introduced in the wheel line. Current wide inner widths for gravel will need to be addressed as the former American Classic gravel wheels would be considered far too narrow internally than the competition offers in 2021 and beyond. Hopefully the American Classic wheel, when it comes out, will feature a gravel tire friendly 24-25mm internal rim width, at least, which I feel is pretty much the sweet spot for internal widths on gravel wheels.

New Member Of The Family:

Meet Felix. He's the newest member of the family around here. Seems that Mrs. Guitar Ted thought that our first feline, Minka, needed a companion. So, last weekend Felix came home to live with us.

He, like Minka before him, came from the Cedar Valley Humane Society shelter. Felix also is a full black cat, (UPDATE: Wait! We found a white patch of fur on his belly!) and we purposely wanted a black cat because they are hardest, (from what I hear) to place with adoptive families. 

So, yeah......no superstitions here. I've actually never thought black cats were unlucky. And, the name, Felix, was specifically chosen to reflect that. Well, that and because I watched Felix The Cat when I was a youngster. 

So far integrating the year and a half old Minka with the 10 week old Felix has been going alright. I mean, they have their moments and it reminds me somewhat of when we had small children. Jealousy, competitiveness, and such things are part of the deal we have to work through. Then you have a baby cat, full of the berries, and it can be a handful. But it is fun and we'll get through. 

Wilde Bicycle Co. Announced- New "Earth Ship" Gravel Bike: 

Monday news broke on a new bicycle company based in Minnesota called the Wilde Bicycle Co. The company is run by former All City Bikes head honcho, Jeff Frane and he is joined in this new venture by Angry Catfish bike shop owners Josh Klauk and Andy Tesh. 

Their company offers US made steel and titanium frames for mountain (Yo-Jeffy) and gravel (Earth Ship), although the press release stated bicycle frames in aluminum would also be offered. 

Frames can be ordered in stock sizes, modified somewhat by semi-custom order, or completely customized frame/fork bicycles can be ordered through Wilde. Earth Ship models in steel start at $2500.00 and in titanium for $3900.00. 

Furthermore; the site states that their geometry is a 'trade secret" and that they do not want their work being copied. While elsewhere it also states that the head and seat tube angles are "fairly traditional". 

Comments: Okay, Jeff Frane has a track record of designing cool bikes at All City. The Angry Catfish guys have experience with manufacturing small batch stuff and have a great business model for selling upscale bicycles. But some of this is a bit odd. USA made frames in "stock" sizes starting at well over 2G? And in a geometry you are keeping "secret"? Let's be honest here- If I am spending nearly three grand on a frame and fork I will know the geometry first. I am betting customers will have this info provided to them. Otherwise, uh.....fairly traditional angles doesn't sound all that "proprietary" to my way of thinking. 

And how much different will this be from an All City Cosmic Stallion? I bet it isn't by very much, if at all. Maybe they have used nicer, thinner frame tubing at Wilde for a nicer ride? I don't know... But that aside, the "DNA" from All City is apparent here. And why wouldn't it be? 

That's a wrap on news for this week. Have a great weekend and thanks for reading Guitar Ted Productions!

Friday News And Views

The Trentasi 36"er gravel bike (Image from 36 POLLICI)

And You Thought 29" Wheels Were Big:

History Lesson: In 2006 Ben Witt hatched an idea to take 36 inch diameter uni-cycling wheels and put them into a bicycle. By early 2007 his idea was reality, and the buzz it created was a low hum in the background that never went away. (Learn more about the initial idea from my post about it here)

At the 2006 Dirty Kanza 200, a frame builder I spoke with proposed that the 36"er idea might be pretty cool for a gravel rig. His idea was that the big wheels would act like a fly wheel, storing energy for the climbs and gaining it back on the down hills. A rolling course might see such a big wheeled rig have an advantage, if the rider was hip to the momentum game. 

Nice theory, but in '06/'07, the technology and specifically, materials technology, had not been applied to this novelty wheel size. Later years saw companies developed around the sales of 36" wheels, most notably here, "Dirty Sixer", who cater to the larger framed humans amongst us. Another notable early proponent of the wheel size was custom bike builder, WaltWorks, who made several examples early on as well. 

Okay, now we have that as a backdrop for this: The 36 Pollici "Trentasei" Gravel Bike. This Italian based company also does MTB's in carbon, aluminum, and combinations of those materials. It was inevitable that something along these lines would eventually be done.

Comments: So, yeah.....like the frame builder back in 2006, I too have often wondered about the 36"er's potential for gravel travel fun. No doubt it would have certain advantages. That said, there are certain elements of such a bike that you cannot design out. The most important of those being wheel weight.

You often hear that wheel weight, and more importantly- where that weight is- will determine how well or not a wheel will perform. Too light and you actually harm the important flywheel effects that carry your energy through your pedaling 'dead spots'. (Think counterweights on a crank shaft as a way to understand that) Too heavy and the inertia factor raises its ugly head and imposes upon your energy reserves whenever you have to accelerate that mass. 

So, yeah....I've actually ridden a 36'er on a regular basis for a bit. I'd guess - and it is only a guess - that 36"er wheels would not be my preferred wheel size. And when you stop to think about where 700c came from, (a story far too long for this post), you will find other good reasons why we landed where we are. It's based in science and math folks. We didn't end up here by accident. 

The American Classic Wentworth from a ride I did in November.

More On The American Classic Company Comes To Light:

In the most recent "Bicycle Retailer and Industry News" it was reported that industry veteran Chris Clinton is working for American Classic now as of October 1st. This is not of relevance to many of you readers, but it stands out for me because I know Chris and have dealt with him on various occasions. 

Chris has done tires- mostly- since I have known him. I first met him when he was with Bontrager. Most recently I worked with him on a review of Challenge Tires' new Getaway model. I am glad to see he is at American Classic now as Chris has a wealth of knowledge concerning bicycle tires and should be able to bring a lot of improvements to this range of tires. 

Secondly, and of more import to you, the reader, is that the article mentions Chris as saying that at some point we can expect American Classic wheels again. This should be good news, since the new American Classic company has all the intellectual properties from the original American Classic company. 

I would suspect rim designs, which were excellent, and perhaps even that unique hub design the company had, to be re-introduced in the wheel line. Current wide inner widths for gravel will need to be addressed as the former American Classic gravel wheels would be considered far too narrow internally than the competition offers in 2021 and beyond. Hopefully the American Classic wheel, when it comes out, will feature a gravel tire friendly 24-25mm internal rim width, at least, which I feel is pretty much the sweet spot for internal widths on gravel wheels.

New Member Of The Family:

Meet Felix. He's the newest member of the family around here. Seems that Mrs. Guitar Ted thought that our first feline, Minka, needed a companion. So, last weekend Felix came home to live with us.

He, like Minka before him, came from the Cedar Valley Humane Society shelter. Felix also is a full black cat, (UPDATE: Wait! We found a white patch of fur on his belly!) and we purposely wanted a black cat because they are hardest, (from what I hear) to place with adoptive families. 

So, yeah......no superstitions here. I've actually never thought black cats were unlucky. And, the name, Felix, was specifically chosen to reflect that. Well, that and because I watched Felix The Cat when I was a youngster. 

So far integrating the year and a half old Minka with the 10 week old Felix has been going alright. I mean, they have their moments and it reminds me somewhat of when we had small children. Jealousy, competitiveness, and such things are part of the deal we have to work through. Then you have a baby cat, full of the berries, and it can be a handful. But it is fun and we'll get through. 

Wilde Bicycle Co. Announced- New "Earth Ship" Gravel Bike: 

Monday news broke on a new bicycle company based in Minnesota called the Wilde Bicycle Co. The company is run by former All City Bikes head honcho, Jeff Frane and he is joined in this new venture by Angry Catfish bike shop owners Josh Klauk and Andy Tesh. 

Their company offers US made steel and titanium frames for mountain (Yo-Jeffy) and gravel (Earth Ship), although the press release stated bicycle frames in aluminum would also be offered. 

Frames can be ordered in stock sizes, modified somewhat by semi-custom order, or completely customized frame/fork bicycles can be ordered through Wilde. Earth Ship models in steel start at $2500.00 and in titanium for $3900.00. 

Furthermore; the site states that their geometry is a 'trade secret" and that they do not want their work being copied. While elsewhere it also states that the head and seat tube angles are "fairly traditional". 

Comments: Okay, Jeff Frane has a track record of designing cool bikes at All City. The Angry Catfish guys have experience with manufacturing small batch stuff and have a great business model for selling upscale bicycles. But some of this is a bit odd. USA made frames in "stock" sizes starting at well over 2G? And in a geometry you are keeping "secret"? Let's be honest here- If I am spending nearly three grand on a frame and fork I will know the geometry first. I am betting customers will have this info provided to them. Otherwise, uh.....fairly traditional angles doesn't sound all that "proprietary" to my way of thinking. 

And how much different will this be from an All City Cosmic Stallion? I bet it isn't by very much, if at all. Maybe they have used nicer, thinner frame tubing at Wilde for a nicer ride? I don't know... But that aside, the "DNA" from All City is apparent here. And why wouldn't it be? 

That's a wrap on news for this week. Have a great weekend and thanks for reading Guitar Ted Productions!

Bonus Post- About That Bike

Hold on just a minute..... What about this bike?

Earlier on Saturday my usual "Minus Ten Review" post went up and I posted an image of Ben Witt's 36"er he lent me for a few months. I got a message from N.Y. Roll that asked for more information, so this is what this post is about. What I know about this bike. Maybe you wanted more about it as well? Hope so, but if not, pass on by....

Okay, so the first thing you need to know about Ben Witt is that he is a thinker, tinkerer, and loves mechanical things like bicycles, motorcycles, and cars. His father, Mark, runs an auto repair shop in Northfield, Minnesota, so Ben has been around this stuff all his life.

I came to know Ben when he got a hold of me to take a look at a 29"er design he helped develop back when he was the owner of Milltown Cycles in Faribault, Minnesota. Ben spent a lot of time working up ideas on BikeCad, a design program on the internet that allowed you to make drawings which could then be used to fabricate a bicycle frame and fork. Ben was aware of a local to him frame maker, Mike Pofahl, and Ben has had several designs brazed up by Mike over the years, including my Pofahl Special gravel grinder.

The very same 36"er as above, only in its unpainted state, next to a 2007 Salsa El Mariachi 29"er. Image by Ben Witt

Ben sent me an image one day and he was telling me about this 36" wheeled bike he was having built. The image was a BikeCad drawing and Ben shared a lot of his development thoughts which we discussed as his project went along. Now before I get to the story proper, there are a couple of things you need to know about 36 inch wheeled bicycles circa 2006-2007.

Other than a novelty cruiser built by the Coker brand, there were no 36'ers, and most definitely no "serious" 36"er bikes for gravel or dirt. 36" wheels existed mostly for unicycles. See, unicycles rely on wheel size for their "gear", just like the old time high wheeler bikes did. The taller the wheel, the faster potential speed the bike, or unicycle had. With the development of the chain for tricycles in the late 19th Century, the mechanical advantage of multiple cogs and wheel size was employed to make the basic bicycle as we know it today. So, anyway, 36 inch wheels were a unicycle thing.

Spokes, rims, and tires for 36" wheeled unicycles in 2007 were pretty crude. The tires, with a thick casing and thick, smooth rubber tread, were not conducive to any potential successful, or fun, single track activity. So, Ben got a tread cutter, similar to what a moto-cross racer would use to trim knobs on tires, and he cut his own tread pattern into the stock unicycle tires. Wheels were laced, the frame and fork was brazed by Mike Pofahl, and Ben supplied the other components. By Frostbike 2006 the beast was rideable and I rode it at Frostbike for the first time then.

Originally, the frame and fork were bare steel. Ben wasn't sure the wheels would hold up under the pressures of disc braking, and the fork, which placed the back of the front tire precariously close to the down tube, might flex enough to actually contact it. So, I am not sure the bike was considered a "mountain bike", but it was really fun to ride and the potential for what could be was certainly opened up for discussion.

Eventually Ben had another, improved 36"er built. By this time folks were catching on to the idea, and several other 36"ers started popping up. It wasn't like hundreds of them were being made, but a few here and there. The OG 36"er got painted and Ben lent it to me for a time, which is what the previous "Minus Ten" post was mentioning. I'm not sure what happened to it, but I know Ben was pursuing the sale of it at one time.

And that's what I know about that bike.....

Bonus Post- About That Bike

Hold on just a minute..... What about this bike?

Earlier on Saturday my usual "Minus Ten Review" post went up and I posted an image of Ben Witt's 36"er he lent me for a few months. I got a message from N.Y. Roll that asked for more information, so this is what this post is about. What I know about this bike. Maybe you wanted more about it as well? Hope so, but if not, pass on by....

Okay, so the first thing you need to know about Ben Witt is that he is a thinker, tinkerer, and loves mechanical things like bicycles, motorcycles, and cars. His father, Mark, runs an auto repair shop in Northfield, Minnesota, so Ben has been around this stuff all his life.

I came to know Ben when he got a hold of me to take a look at a 29"er design he helped develop back when he was the owner of Milltown Cycles in Faribault, Minnesota. Ben spent a lot of time working up ideas on BikeCad, a design program on the internet that allowed you to make drawings which could then be used to fabricate a bicycle frame and fork. Ben was aware of a local to him frame maker, Mike Pofahl, and Ben has had several designs brazed up by Mike over the years, including my Pofahl Special gravel grinder.

The very same 36"er as above, only in its unpainted state, next to a 2007 Salsa El Mariachi 29"er. Image by Ben Witt

Ben sent me an image one day and he was telling me about this 36" wheeled bike he was having built. The image was a BikeCad drawing and Ben shared a lot of his development thoughts which we discussed as his project went along. Now before I get to the story proper, there are a couple of things you need to know about 36 inch wheeled bicycles circa 2006-2007.

Other than a novelty cruiser built by the Coker brand, there were no 36'ers, and most definitely no "serious" 36"er bikes for gravel or dirt. 36" wheels existed mostly for unicycles. See, unicycles rely on wheel size for their "gear", just like the old time high wheeler bikes did. The taller the wheel, the faster potential speed the bike, or unicycle had. With the development of the chain for tricycles in the late 19th Century, the mechanical advantage of multiple cogs and wheel size was employed to make the basic bicycle as we know it today. So, anyway, 36 inch wheels were a unicycle thing.

Spokes, rims, and tires for 36" wheeled unicycles in 2007 were pretty crude. The tires, with a thick casing and thick, smooth rubber tread, were not conducive to any potential successful, or fun, single track activity. So, Ben got a tread cutter, similar to what a moto-cross racer would use to trim knobs on tires, and he cut his own tread pattern into the stock unicycle tires. Wheels were laced, the frame and fork was brazed by Mike Pofahl, and Ben supplied the other components. By Frostbike 2006 the beast was rideable and I rode it at Frostbike for the first time then.

Originally, the frame and fork were bare steel. Ben wasn't sure the wheels would hold up under the pressures of disc braking, and the fork, which placed the back of the front tire precariously close to the down tube, might flex enough to actually contact it. So, I am not sure the bike was considered a "mountain bike", but it was really fun to ride and the potential for what could be was certainly opened up for discussion.

Eventually Ben had another, improved 36"er built. By this time folks were catching on to the idea, and several other 36"ers started popping up. It wasn't like hundreds of them were being made, but a few here and there. The OG 36"er got painted and Ben lent it to me for a time, which is what the previous "Minus Ten" post was mentioning. I'm not sure what happened to it, but I know Ben was pursuing the sale of it at one time.

And that's what I know about that bike.....

Minus Ten Review 2009-17

Ben Witt's first 36"er. The first one I ever saw or rode. I actually had this a while.

Ten years ago this week I bet you can't guess what I was up to my ears in. Go ahead......guess. I know that you know the answer.

That's right, it was Trans Iowa time, all the time, for the whole week. Well, almost the whole week. I did have a couple of diversions including getting Ben Witt's first 36"er that he had made by Mike Pofahl, the frame builder from Northfield Minnesota.

But it was definitely mostly about Trans Iowa. T.I.v5, to be exact. I was detailing the fact that we had several drop outs from the roster. Not that it was unexpected. It happened every year. I was also enlightened to find out that the drop out tradition has continued with the inaugural Iowa Wind And Rock. They had 71 on their roster, apparently, the day of the pre-race, and started 57. Damn droppers. I know the IW&R folks never said anything negative about this, but that had to chap their hides a bit. And really, it is completely unnecessary and totally unfair to the organizers to just not bother showing up for an event when the organizers have busted their asses for the riders.

Here's what I said ten years ago:

"Anyway, I see we are down to 59 riders as of today. I have said all along that just above 50 is where I'd expect the roster to get to before the start. With the expected "few" no-shows, this is a stone cold lock now. We may even get below 50, which would be dipping into record low numbers for a T.I.

Does that matter? Not to me. I don't measure the success or failure of T.I. by numbers. If the event comes off safely, and folks get some satisfaction from the challenge, then that is all that really matters in the end"

I'm willing to bet that the IW&R folks also really care about the same things more than folks not showing up, but still- shame on you folks if you just didn't show up without warning. Of course, I can say that now, because I am not running that event, but I know exactly how it feels to be on the end of the stick IW&R is, and it sucks when you just don't bother to be a responsible adult and you just don't show without warning. Trust me. 

Anyway, I'll have more to say about this when I get to my "Trans Iowa Stories" series here on the blog. Stay tuned for that.

Minus Ten Review 2009-17

Ben Witt's first 36"er. The first one I ever saw or rode. I actually had this a while.

Ten years ago this week I bet you can't guess what I was up to my ears in. Go ahead......guess. I know that you know the answer.

That's right, it was Trans Iowa time, all the time, for the whole week. Well, almost the whole week. I did have a couple of diversions including getting Ben Witt's first 36"er that he had made by Mike Pofahl, the frame builder from Northfield Minnesota.

But it was definitely mostly about Trans Iowa. T.I.v5, to be exact. I was detailing the fact that we had several drop outs from the roster. Not that it was unexpected. It happened every year. I was also enlightened to find out that the drop out tradition has continued with the inaugural Iowa Wind And Rock. They had 71 on their roster, apparently, the day of the pre-race, and started 57. Damn droppers. I know the IW&R folks never said anything negative about this, but that had to chap their hides a bit. And really, it is completely unnecessary and totally unfair to the organizers to just not bother showing up for an event when the organizers have busted their asses for the riders.

Here's what I said ten years ago:

"Anyway, I see we are down to 59 riders as of today. I have said all along that just above 50 is where I'd expect the roster to get to before the start. With the expected "few" no-shows, this is a stone cold lock now. We may even get below 50, which would be dipping into record low numbers for a T.I.

Does that matter? Not to me. I don't measure the success or failure of T.I. by numbers. If the event comes off safely, and folks get some satisfaction from the challenge, then that is all that really matters in the end"

I'm willing to bet that the IW&R folks also really care about the same things more than folks not showing up, but still- shame on you folks if you just didn't show up without warning. Of course, I can say that now, because I am not running that event, but I know exactly how it feels to be on the end of the stick IW&R is, and it sucks when you just don't bother to be a responsible adult and you just don't show without warning. Trust me. 

Anyway, I'll have more to say about this when I get to my "Trans Iowa Stories" series here on the blog. Stay tuned for that.

Minus Ten Review- 8

Still rolling these things.

Ten years ago here on the blog I had plenty of pictures! However; I must not have pulled my camera out at Frostbike ten years ago because I had no images posted of that show at all. I think I know what happened there.....

A little over eleven years ago, nobody had ever heard of me. Then this blog got started, I got recognized by the bicycle industry as a 29"er guy, and then all the Trans Iowa brouhaha blew up, especially after V2. By 2007, I was getting tapped on the shoulder and shaking a lot of hands wherever I went to a bicycling type of gathering.

Looking back on my Frostbike report from '07, I see that I ended up yakking for several hours before I went into "work mode" and went about the show at the last minute to gather information. This between times of riding Ben Witt's 36"er outside, gathering up my brand spankin' new Industry 9 single speed wheel set, and more gabbing.

So, that was a prototype and foreshadowing of the next several Frostbikes to come for me. That weekend used to be pretty crazy, but those times are gone now. It was a fun period in my life I won't soon forget.

Anyway, the I-9 wheels were part of a special bike build I was having put together which included the special custom fillet brazed frame I mentioned yesterday in the blog. That frame was supposed to be a single speed frame, but due to some weird circumstances, it came to me as a vertical drop out frame with no provisions for single speed set up. So, this wheel set ended up on a completely different bike, and is on that bike to this day. One more thing- This was supposed to be an orange anodized hub set, but it came out an orangey-bronze-brown instead. Very odd. Definitely NOT orange like I-9 has been doing of late.

More on those special bikes as we get into the Minus Ten Reviews this year.......

Minus Ten Review- 8

Still rolling these things.

Ten years ago here on the blog I had plenty of pictures! However; I must not have pulled my camera out at Frostbike ten years ago because I had no images posted of that show at all. I think I know what happened there.....

A little over eleven years ago, nobody had ever heard of me. Then this blog got started, I got recognized by the bicycle industry as a 29"er guy, and then all the Trans Iowa brouhaha blew up, especially after V2. By 2007, I was getting tapped on the shoulder and shaking a lot of hands wherever I went to a bicycling type of gathering.

Looking back on my Frostbike report from '07, I see that I ended up yakking for several hours before I went into "work mode" and went about the show at the last minute to gather information. This between times of riding Ben Witt's 36"er outside, gathering up my brand spankin' new Industry 9 single speed wheel set, and more gabbing.

So, that was a prototype and foreshadowing of the next several Frostbikes to come for me. That weekend used to be pretty crazy, but those times are gone now. It was a fun period in my life I won't soon forget.

Anyway, the I-9 wheels were part of a special bike build I was having put together which included the special custom fillet brazed frame I mentioned yesterday in the blog. That frame was supposed to be a single speed frame, but due to some weird circumstances, it came to me as a vertical drop out frame with no provisions for single speed set up. So, this wheel set ended up on a completely different bike, and is on that bike to this day. One more thing- This was supposed to be an orange anodized hub set, but it came out an orangey-bronze-brown instead. Very odd. Definitely NOT orange like I-9 has been doing of late.

More on those special bikes as we get into the Minus Ten Reviews this year.......

Minus Ten Review- 7

Karate Monkey in '07 "perfection mode".

On the blog ten years ago I had plenty of images! Hooray! I think the deal was that I was not well versed yet in how to get files uploaded on Blogger, so until I figured that out and was comfortable with that, I went a few times without images. From this point on though, things like that seem to be rare, if not non-existent.

Anyway, here is a shot of my Karate Monkey from February of '07 right after Planet Bike sent me some Cascadia fenders for 29"ers. I mounted those up on my Monkey, which as I posted earlier this week, was dialed to perfection at that point for gravel travel. You can see the Cooks Brothers crank set and the disc brake set up which I no longer am using on this bike.

I was deep into getting bikes ridden and components tested at this time. I was fiddling with the XXIX+G, which I had the good sense to have sent to me in a size Large. The medium XXIX single speed was a medium, and it didn't fit as well, so that bike already was languishing in the basement unridden and would eventually get sold off later in '07, I believe it was. The Haro Mary was also a medium, but seemed to fit a little better. So that was still in play yet and I had wheels and tires being tested on that bike. Plus I had other pet project bikes I was dealing with which included a vintage 650B Raleigh mountain bike.

Another interesting development was that I had tried some DuMonde Tech lube at this point based off of an experience I had with Mike Curiak, who was using that lube at Trans Iowa v1. Later on when I told the DuMonde Tech rep about that, he contacted Mr. Curiak who then, (according to the DuMonde Tech guy) denied that he had ever used the stuff, or at least he couldn't remember ever having used it. Whatever. I saw what I saw, and it influenced me to try it. By the way, it was as good then as it is now. You should try it out too.

Now those are some REAL wagon wheels! Image courtesy of Ben Witt

Then also on the blog ten years ago- I was forwarded an image of what I thought was, (and very well could be), the first 36 inch wheeled mountain bike. It was a collaboration between Mike Pofahl and Ben Witt. Ben owned and operated Milltown Cycles then and Mike Pofahl is a custom frame builder from Northfield Minnesota.

In this image there is also a Salsa Cycles El Mariachi 29"er. You can see how those 36" wheels really dwarf the 29"ers!

This is the same 36"er which Ben had painted a maroon color later on. (Note- It is in a raw, unpainted state in this image and remained that way for several years) This is the very same bike I had here for several months on loan from Ben to use. I mostly did commuter rides on it. Oddly enough, it never did draw any attention as I rode it. People hardly noticed that it had gargantuan hoops.

Weird that.

Anyway, this bike caused quite a stir, and Ben and Mike later on collaborated on another version of this bike with some big improvements in the design. I reckon this first one is the stone that kicked off the entire 36"er bikes for off road niche as it stands today. I don't think Ben and Mike get any credit at all for doing this and being innovators. They should be recognized as such, in my opinion.

Minus Ten Review- 7

Karate Monkey in '07 "perfection mode".

On the blog ten years ago I had plenty of images! Hooray! I think the deal was that I was not well versed yet in how to get files uploaded on Blogger, so until I figured that out and was comfortable with that, I went a few times without images. From this point on though, things like that seem to be rare, if not non-existent.

Anyway, here is a shot of my Karate Monkey from February of '07 right after Planet Bike sent me some Cascadia fenders for 29"ers. I mounted those up on my Monkey, which as I posted earlier this week, was dialed to perfection at that point for gravel travel. You can see the Cooks Brothers crank set and the disc brake set up which I no longer am using on this bike.

I was deep into getting bikes ridden and components tested at this time. I was fiddling with the XXIX+G, which I had the good sense to have sent to me in a size Large. The medium XXIX single speed was a medium, and it didn't fit as well, so that bike already was languishing in the basement unridden and would eventually get sold off later in '07, I believe it was. The Haro Mary was also a medium, but seemed to fit a little better. So that was still in play yet and I had wheels and tires being tested on that bike. Plus I had other pet project bikes I was dealing with which included a vintage 650B Raleigh mountain bike.

Another interesting development was that I had tried some DuMonde Tech lube at this point based off of an experience I had with Mike Curiak, who was using that lube at Trans Iowa v1. Later on when I told the DuMonde Tech rep about that, he contacted Mr. Curiak who then, (according to the DuMonde Tech guy) denied that he had ever used the stuff, or at least he couldn't remember ever having used it. Whatever. I saw what I saw, and it influenced me to try it. By the way, it was as good then as it is now. You should try it out too.

Now those are some REAL wagon wheels! Image courtesy of Ben Witt

Then also on the blog ten years ago- I was forwarded an image of what I thought was, (and very well could be), the first 36 inch wheeled mountain bike. It was a collaboration between Mike Pofahl and Ben Witt. Ben owned and operated Milltown Cycles then and Mike Pofahl is a custom frame builder from Northfield Minnesota.

In this image there is also a Salsa Cycles El Mariachi 29"er. You can see how those 36" wheels really dwarf the 29"ers!

This is the same 36"er which Ben had painted a maroon color later on. (Note- It is in a raw, unpainted state in this image and remained that way for several years) This is the very same bike I had here for several months on loan from Ben to use. I mostly did commuter rides on it. Oddly enough, it never did draw any attention as I rode it. People hardly noticed that it had gargantuan hoops.

Weird that.

Anyway, this bike caused quite a stir, and Ben and Mike later on collaborated on another version of this bike with some big improvements in the design. I reckon this first one is the stone that kicked off the entire 36"er bikes for off road niche as it stands today. I don't think Ben and Mike get any credit at all for doing this and being innovators. They should be recognized as such, in my opinion.

Friday News And Views

Meet The Maker

Most fat biking freaks know all about Surly fat bike rims, or do you? They are not manufactured by Surly at all, but by a company called Alex Rims. They make stuff under their own name as well. In fact, I used to use their workmanlike TD-17 Disc as a 29"er hoop back when. Anyway......

I found a link to a Polish site that had information saying that Alex Rims are going to release a version of the Rolling Darryl and another, slightly less wide fat bike rim. See the post here and use Google Translate to read it if you want.

You'll also see there that Alex Rims is releasing a 29+ hoop. This is all relevant to those of you looking for bargain hoops that are of decent quality, as I have found Alex rims to be quite serviceable if not very spectacular. They just work. Typically they are pretty reasonably priced as well.

Curiously, there is also news on the bottom of that post revealing the fact that Alex Rims is also doing a 36"er rim that will be tubeless ready. Hmmm......... Could someone actually be considering releasing a mass produced 36"er mtb? Alex Rims do a lot of OE work, so that could be, but I'd be willing to bet that a unicycle wheel would be a safer bet here. But.......you never know.

Registration: 

Hey, remember when I wrote this big, long post about registering for T.I.V11?  It had the following line in it:

"30 spots for Finishers will also be up for grabs by post card entry starting October 27th. Again- DON"T SEND ENTRIES SOONER!! They will not be accepted"

Notice that I stated very clearly that post cards sent early would not be accepted? Yeah? Well, someone didn't listen.  Someone actually tried to send my boss a letter containing a post card and with it a note that instructed my boss to wait until the 27th of October and then hand me the card. There was also some money with instructions to buy the shop some beer.

Bzzzzzt! You've been red flagged! 

First off, this is an unfair tactic to those who will actually play by the rules. On that basis alone I have to disallow this entry. This person just left me no choice in the matter. Secondly, my boss is quite possibly the worst person ever to have asked to buy the shop beers. Well.......unless you like Miller Lite. Because that is what he would buy. I told him to not bother. But the offending potential entrant wouldn't have known that. That's just collateral damage there!

 So, besides that oddity, Trans Iowa registration kicks off next week, and I am sure more crazy stuff will happen. I can just feel it. I also can about guarantee some more folks will do some things that will be outside the parameters of the instructions I gave or their cards will be unreadable. Some folks will miss T.I.V11 on technicalities. It happens every year.........

2015 Beargrease XX1

Beargreased Lightning:

At the shop the other day I had the honor of building up this 2015 Salsa Cycles Beargrease XX1. They should just rename this the "Beargreased Lightning" and shorten it to "BL-XX1". Why?

Because it weighs 24.38lbs in a size Large. 24.38 freakin pounds!!! That's just nuts right there.

This is with tubes, mind you, and if you went tubeless on this beast, it would easily drop a couple of "el-bees". Okay? So we're looking at a potential weight with pedals of a bit over 22 pounds. Blame this on a liberal sprinkling of carbon fiber. There isn't a whole lot of metal bits on this rig. Even the rims are carbon fiber here.

Sure.....it costs a lot of money. Over 5G to buy this one, but you have to pay to play when it comes to light weight bicycles. In the case of the "BL-XX1" model, it is well worth it if you race one of these fat bikes in Winter events. It is worth it if you want a premium, all year around mountain bike. It is worth it if you like to have fun and go fast and have the cash to spend. I don't know many folks who would turn down one of these rigs if money wasn't a barrier. It's that nice.

The deal here though is that it kind of casts a pall over anything heavier. That's too bad, because you can have a blast on a fat bike that weighs 5, 8, or even 10 pounds heavier. You don't have to spend an enormous amount of cash to get into this sort of bike and have a blast on any sort of terrain. Take the Mukluk 3, as an example, which goes for a very reasonable $1899.00 and weighs about 34 pounds. Point is, I hope my posting about this crazy bike doesn't put you off from getting jazzed about fat bikes, because they are a ton of fun. Try one and see.......

Friday News And Views

Meet The Maker

Most fat biking freaks know all about Surly fat bike rims, or do you? They are not manufactured by Surly at all, but by a company called Alex Rims. They make stuff under their own name as well. In fact, I used to use their workmanlike TD-17 Disc as a 29"er hoop back when. Anyway......

I found a link to a Polish site that had information saying that Alex Rims are going to release a version of the Rolling Darryl and another, slightly less wide fat bike rim. See the post here and use Google Translate to read it if you want.

You'll also see there that Alex Rims is releasing a 29+ hoop. This is all relevant to those of you looking for bargain hoops that are of decent quality, as I have found Alex rims to be quite serviceable if not very spectacular. They just work. Typically they are pretty reasonably priced as well.

Curiously, there is also news on the bottom of that post revealing the fact that Alex Rims is also doing a 36"er rim that will be tubeless ready. Hmmm......... Could someone actually be considering releasing a mass produced 36"er mtb? Alex Rims do a lot of OE work, so that could be, but I'd be willing to bet that a unicycle wheel would be a safer bet here. But.......you never know.

Registration: 

Hey, remember when I wrote this big, long post about registering for T.I.V11?  It had the following line in it:

"30 spots for Finishers will also be up for grabs by post card entry starting October 27th. Again- DON"T SEND ENTRIES SOONER!! They will not be accepted"

Notice that I stated very clearly that post cards sent early would not be accepted? Yeah? Well, someone didn't listen.  Someone actually tried to send my boss a letter containing a post card and with it a note that instructed my boss to wait until the 27th of October and then hand me the card. There was also some money with instructions to buy the shop some beer.

Bzzzzzt! You've been red flagged! 

First off, this is an unfair tactic to those who will actually play by the rules. On that basis alone I have to disallow this entry. This person just left me no choice in the matter. Secondly, my boss is quite possibly the worst person ever to have asked to buy the shop beers. Well.......unless you like Miller Lite. Because that is what he would buy. I told him to not bother. But the offending potential entrant wouldn't have known that. That's just collateral damage there!

 So, besides that oddity, Trans Iowa registration kicks off next week, and I am sure more crazy stuff will happen. I can just feel it. I also can about guarantee some more folks will do some things that will be outside the parameters of the instructions I gave or their cards will be unreadable. Some folks will miss T.I.V11 on technicalities. It happens every year.........

2015 Beargrease XX1

Beargreased Lightning:

At the shop the other day I had the honor of building up this 2015 Salsa Cycles Beargrease XX1. They should just rename this the "Beargreased Lightning" and shorten it to "BL-XX1". Why?

Because it weighs 24.38lbs in a size Large. 24.38 freakin pounds!!! That's just nuts right there.

This is with tubes, mind you, and if you went tubeless on this beast, it would easily drop a couple of "el-bees". Okay? So we're looking at a potential weight with pedals of a bit over 22 pounds. Blame this on a liberal sprinkling of carbon fiber. There isn't a whole lot of metal bits on this rig. Even the rims are carbon fiber here.

Sure.....it costs a lot of money. Over 5G to buy this one, but you have to pay to play when it comes to light weight bicycles. In the case of the "BL-XX1" model, it is well worth it if you race one of these fat bikes in Winter events. It is worth it if you want a premium, all year around mountain bike. It is worth it if you like to have fun and go fast and have the cash to spend. I don't know many folks who would turn down one of these rigs if money wasn't a barrier. It's that nice.

The deal here though is that it kind of casts a pall over anything heavier. That's too bad, because you can have a blast on a fat bike that weighs 5, 8, or even 10 pounds heavier. You don't have to spend an enormous amount of cash to get into this sort of bike and have a blast on any sort of terrain. Take the Mukluk 3, as an example, which goes for a very reasonable $1899.00 and weighs about 34 pounds. Point is, I hope my posting about this crazy bike doesn't put you off from getting jazzed about fat bikes, because they are a ton of fun. Try one and see.......

An End And A Beginning

<===This spider was like a glowing golden orb in the middle of the trail.

Labor Day Weekend. Pretty much the "official" end of summer bash/celebration/holiday for us here in the U.S. It marks the entrance into Fall, cooler temps, less sunlight, and wool jerseys.

Kind of an end and a beginning.

XC/endurance racing, criteriums and time trials come to an end, but cyclo-cross begins.

Long, blazing hot summer rides are gone, but the crispy, crunchy fall riding is just around the corner.

The summer doldrums here at Guitar Ted Productions are over as the fall trade show season kicks into high gear.



<===The Badger Dorothy at the North side of The Camp last Wednesday. There were some muddy spots!

So this weekend is sort of that line, that marker we use to move from one thing to the other, although really- change is happening all the time.

Well, enough of that. I will be trying to get in a ride here and there this weekend between watching the kids, and then on Monday going over to visit some family.




<===It was just a short ride, but a good one...

I think I have fully recovered from the Good Life Gravel Adventure. Well, I should say that whole weekend, really. The ride at Potter's was nothing to sneeze at, and all that travel wears on ya.

We'll see. I plan on getting a bit longer ride in today to measure how things are coming along.

Oh yeah, and I need to mow the lawn!!





<===The results of being on a "cob web ride".

So, I hope you all have a great Labor Day Weekend. I hope you all have some great bicycling plans ahead. Fall is an awesome time to ride in the woods around here. I can't wait!

I'll also be doing a lot of traveling in the next month and a half. I won't have time to let the dust settle until mid-October.

Should be a crazy time.




<===Another 36"er is born.

Down under in Austrailia another 36"er is stalking the streets. This one from Kaos Custom Bikes. It is fashioned from titanium, set up with XO components, and tubeless wheels. Pretty trick set up for a 36"er!

The bent seat tube is pretty cool. I bet that wasn't easy to get right.

Okay, now get out and ride your bike!

An End And A Beginning

<===This spider was like a glowing golden orb in the middle of the trail.

Labor Day Weekend. Pretty much the "official" end of summer bash/celebration/holiday for us here in the U.S. It marks the entrance into Fall, cooler temps, less sunlight, and wool jerseys.

Kind of an end and a beginning.

XC/endurance racing, criteriums and time trials come to an end, but cyclo-cross begins.

Long, blazing hot summer rides are gone, but the crispy, crunchy fall riding is just around the corner.

The summer doldrums here at Guitar Ted Productions are over as the fall trade show season kicks into high gear.



<===The Badger Dorothy at the North side of The Camp last Wednesday. There were some muddy spots!

So this weekend is sort of that line, that marker we use to move from one thing to the other, although really- change is happening all the time.

Well, enough of that. I will be trying to get in a ride here and there this weekend between watching the kids, and then on Monday going over to visit some family.




<===It was just a short ride, but a good one...

I think I have fully recovered from the Good Life Gravel Adventure. Well, I should say that whole weekend, really. The ride at Potter's was nothing to sneeze at, and all that travel wears on ya.

We'll see. I plan on getting a bit longer ride in today to measure how things are coming along.

Oh yeah, and I need to mow the lawn!!





<===The results of being on a "cob web ride".

So, I hope you all have a great Labor Day Weekend. I hope you all have some great bicycling plans ahead. Fall is an awesome time to ride in the woods around here. I can't wait!

I'll also be doing a lot of traveling in the next month and a half. I won't have time to let the dust settle until mid-October.

Should be a crazy time.




<===Another 36"er is born.

Down under in Austrailia another 36"er is stalking the streets. This one from Kaos Custom Bikes. It is fashioned from titanium, set up with XO components, and tubeless wheels. Pretty trick set up for a 36"er!

The bent seat tube is pretty cool. I bet that wasn't easy to get right.

Okay, now get out and ride your bike!