Golden Memories

  In celebration of the twentieth year of this blog, I have a few tales to tell. This post is one of them. This series will occur off and on throughout this anniversary year, I hope to illuminate some behind-the-scenes stories and highlights from the blog during this time. Enjoy!

One of my favorite times of the year to ride has always been Fall. This started when I was mountain biking in the 1990's, probably due to the fact that during Summer a few things were happening that prevented good times on the trails, at least for myself. 

One of those things was that from about June through until the first frost, weeds would grow so high along all the trail network that one could not ride without a major hassle from Nature. Stinging nettles, branches, thorny plants, and just plain ol' weeds would always be blocking your path through the woodlands here. And back then, no one mowed trails. 

Secondly, probably a situation exacerbated by the weeds, we had mega-mosquito issues. One stop and you would become a pin cushion! Many times this was also accompanied by high-water/mud so it was a double whammy. 

But mostly it was because I worked at a bike shop and we were so busy I was too tuckered out at the end of an 8 - 10 hour shift to do much of anything else. When Fall came around the hours decreased and we would not be very busy at all. I had plenty of time and energy to go trail riding. So, it would make sense that when the weeds were brown, the bugs were mostly dead, and I had the time and energy that this would become my favorite time of year to ride bicycles.

Riding a Salsa Cycles Big Mama at Cedar Bend Park October 2009

At the height of my reviewing product for 29"ers, I often used a park North of Waverly, Iowa as a test track. It had a small network of single track trails that were originally put in as hiking/equestrian trails. There were a few spots where there were steps and wooden bridges, but I could make a reasonable loop through the park and not repeat any trails with about an hour or so of ride time. 

Old time blog readers might recall seeing a lot of images from this park from about 2008 - 2012 or so. The best times riding MTB's often were from this venue, at least locally. One of my chief memories of riding comes from this park in 2009 when the leaves throughout Cedar Bend were this fabulous hue of gold. 

Looking at old 29"ers now, it seems they were all run into brick walls! Look at that head angle!

The bikes from that time period all look so weird, and so wrong to me now. First generation 29"er geometry mistakenly sought to feel like 1990's 26"er bikes, just with bigger wheels. It would take another decade for this to get worked out of 29"ers as companies, and sponsored riders, started to push for the evolution toward slack and low geometry. Then the slacker head tube angles started to become more commonplace. 

Looking back now I wish 29"ers like the Big Mama had done a radical thing and had been produced with a slacker head tube angle. I mostly loved the way this bike climbed and rode on single track, but it was a handful on steep descents. In fact, this was the bike I went over the bars on in Texas, smacking my left knee cap into a rock, and having a really sketchy experience afterward in the desert all alone. 

I also LOVED this paint scheme. It is kind of a burnt orange with brownish graphics. VERY subtle but VERY cool. I still have the frame in the Lab downstairs. The last bit of kit to remind me of this fabulous day in Cedar Bend Park in October of 2009.

Minus Ten Review 2009-13

The Fargo Gen 1 and an old derelict windmill on Quarry Road

Ten years ago on the blog I was talking about windy, early Spring rides. Sound familiar? Yep! Still doing this, ten years down the road. Amazing to think that I have been into riding gravel for more than ten years now.....

Well, the story of this windmill is interesting. I remember coming across it first when I was gravel grinding South on Ansborough Avenue back around 2006 or so. It was actually a working windmill at that time. I recall one foggy Fall ride on the Karate Monkey single speed where I heard this mournful groan, echoey, and far off. It sounded spooky, actually, and as I rode Southward it got more pronounced. I realized after I approached Quarry Road that it was that old windmill, groaning on its bearings in the winds of Fall. I'll never forget that.

Then one day the next Spring I saw that the vanes were all torn off. No doubt the bearings seized up in some Winter storm and the wind just tore off the old vanes and that was the end of that. I found the old windmill still standing in 2009, but not long after this, it disappeared and the vestiges of another homestead disappeared forever. I know a lot of places that are like this. Places that once told of families, of struggles and life on the farm, that are gone forever. It's hard not to feel something tug at you when you ride in the countryside and you see the decay and eventual disappearance of things like this.

I always thought it was strange when my grandpa used to drive around the country with his second wife and I. They used to go back and forth about the folks that lived on various farms we would pass. Between the two of them, they knew the history going back into the 19th Century. Once in awhile they would point at an open field and recount the families that had once lived on farms long since gone. I thought they were a special kind of crazy. That is until I started riding in the country. There are ghosts out there, whether I know them or not.......

A Salsa Big Mama- Look at that impossibly steep head angle!

Ten years ago I also got to try out a Salsa Cycles Big Mama. I really, really enjoyed that bike, but by today's standards it is a dud. The steep head angle, long chain stays, and short-ish front center would be considered a laughingstock today.

Yet this bike provided me with many an awesome ride in the North side of the Boy Scout Camp, and at Cedar Bend. It was so awesome I thought it would be a killer Texas rig, and when I took it there I expected to slay Franklin Mountain with ease. Unfortunately, it bit me. I went head over heels on a bedrock downhill and smashed my knee wide open on a sharp rock. It was then that I saw what was wrong with this bike and why it wasn't going to be a long term solution for me as far as mountain biking. That head angle! Wow!

Anyway, as far as I am concerned, the Big Mama was the best graphic design and color package for a bike Salsa Cycles has ever done since the Ross Schafer era. The new Warroad in the top of the range comes close, but this Big Mama scheme was so good it stands up to scrutiny ten years down the road.

I still have this frame in the bowels of the Guitar Ted Laboratories and I look at it once in awhile and smile. Maybe some day I'll replicate this scheme on the old Gen I Fargo........

Minus Ten Review 2009-13

The Fargo Gen 1 and an old derelict windmill on Quarry Road

Ten years ago on the blog I was talking about windy, early Spring rides. Sound familiar? Yep! Still doing this, ten years down the road. Amazing to think that I have been into riding gravel for more than ten years now.....

Well, the story of this windmill is interesting. I remember coming across it first when I was gravel grinding South on Ansborough Avenue back around 2006 or so. It was actually a working windmill at that time. I recall one foggy Fall ride on the Karate Monkey single speed where I heard this mournful groan, echoey, and far off. It sounded spooky, actually, and as I rode Southward it got more pronounced. I realized after I approached Quarry Road that it was that old windmill, groaning on its bearings in the winds of Fall. I'll never forget that.

Then one day the next Spring I saw that the vanes were all torn off. No doubt the bearings seized up in some Winter storm and the wind just tore off the old vanes and that was the end of that. I found the old windmill still standing in 2009, but not long after this, it disappeared and the vestiges of another homestead disappeared forever. I know a lot of places that are like this. Places that once told of families, of struggles and life on the farm, that are gone forever. It's hard not to feel something tug at you when you ride in the countryside and you see the decay and eventual disappearance of things like this.

I always thought it was strange when my grandpa used to drive around the country with his second wife and I. They used to go back and forth about the folks that lived on various farms we would pass. Between the two of them, they knew the history going back into the 19th Century. Once in awhile they would point at an open field and recount the families that had once lived on farms long since gone. I thought they were a special kind of crazy. That is until I started riding in the country. There are ghosts out there, whether I know them or not.......

A Salsa Big Mama- Look at that impossibly steep head angle!

Ten years ago I also got to try out a Salsa Cycles Big Mama. I really, really enjoyed that bike, but by today's standards it is a dud. The steep head angle, long chain stays, and short-ish front center would be considered a laughingstock today.

Yet this bike provided me with many an awesome ride in the North side of the Boy Scout Camp, and at Cedar Bend. It was so awesome I thought it would be a killer Texas rig, and when I took it there I expected to slay Franklin Mountain with ease. Unfortunately, it bit me. I went head over heels on a bedrock downhill and smashed my knee wide open on a sharp rock. It was then that I saw what was wrong with this bike and why it wasn't going to be a long term solution for me as far as mountain biking. That head angle! Wow!

Anyway, as far as I am concerned, the Big Mama was the best graphic design and color package for a bike Salsa Cycles has ever done since the Ross Schafer era. The new Warroad in the top of the range comes close, but this Big Mama scheme was so good it stands up to scrutiny ten years down the road.

I still have this frame in the bowels of the Guitar Ted Laboratories and I look at it once in awhile and smile. Maybe some day I'll replicate this scheme on the old Gen I Fargo........

Minus Ten Review -25

I got this old El Mariachi from a friend at the time. What a great bike that was!

Ten years ago on the blog here I was gabbing about all sorts of things. I got an old El Mariachi demo fleet bike from a then friend of mine. That was a great bike too. Then later in the week I was up in the Twin Cities for the media launch of the Salsa "Big Mama" full suspension bike. Remember that one? It was pretty rad at that time, but it quickly fell off the back as geometry, standards for frames, and more were quickly changing for 29"ers. For instance, the Big Mama had a head tube angle of 71°. Imagine a bike with that steep of a head angle today!

Then there was a move to ban bicycle group rides in Dallas County by way of making the requirements to have such a ride so burdensome that the ordinance would effectively wipe out any chance of organized rides happening in that county. Here's a snippet from back then:

On June 24th at 9:30 am the Dallas County Board of Supervisors will meet at the Adel City Hall, 301 S. 10th Street Adel, IA 50003, to discuss an ordinance that will require bicycle events to obtain $1 million insurance policies for bicycle events. This could effect rides as small as 10-20 people.

Fortunately that never happened!

Then a significant date in Trans Iowa history happened, which was a bicycle ride and blog post about it that had nothing at all to do with Trans Iowa. You can read that post HERE.  If you click that link you will read about the day that the second Big Wheeled Ballyhoo was to take place in Decorah, Iowa, but did not happen due to the raging flooding that affected Decorah and Iowa that year in general. 

How in the world is this tied to Trans Iowa? Well, after that blog post was published, I received an e-mail from a disgruntled, influential member of the Decorah cycling community who shall remain nameless here. Who it was doesn't matter today. The person in question was offended greatly that I had suggested certain things were the way I described them in my post. I had a back and forth e-mail conversation with the individual to settle our differences, but, this individual asked that I ".....not consider Decorah for any future cycling events." With the situation being what it was in 2008, and my initial plans for doing another Trans Iowa out of Decorah for 2009, I had to stop and reconsider those plans. I discussed the situation with my then co-director, David Pals, and we agreed that this was now not a welcome home for Trans Iowa. Such sway this person held over cycling matters in Decorah at that time would have made planning difficult at best. So we decided to move Trans Iowa's start for the second time in its history.  

That story will come up later this year....... 

Minus Ten Review -25

I got this old El Mariachi from a friend at the time. What a great bike that was!

Ten years ago on the blog here I was gabbing about all sorts of things. I got an old El Mariachi demo fleet bike from a then friend of mine. That was a great bike too. Then later in the week I was up in the Twin Cities for the media launch of the Salsa "Big Mama" full suspension bike. Remember that one? It was pretty rad at that time, but it quickly fell off the back as geometry, standards for frames, and more were quickly changing for 29"ers. For instance, the Big Mama had a head tube angle of 71°. Imagine a bike with that steep of a head angle today!

Then there was a move to ban bicycle group rides in Dallas County by way of making the requirements to have such a ride so burdensome that the ordinance would effectively wipe out any chance of organized rides happening in that county. Here's a snippet from back then:

On June 24th at 9:30 am the Dallas County Board of Supervisors will meet at the Adel City Hall, 301 S. 10th Street Adel, IA 50003, to discuss an ordinance that will require bicycle events to obtain $1 million insurance policies for bicycle events. This could effect rides as small as 10-20 people.

Fortunately that never happened!

Then a significant date in Trans Iowa history happened, which was a bicycle ride and blog post about it that had nothing at all to do with Trans Iowa. You can read that post HERE.  If you click that link you will read about the day that the second Big Wheeled Ballyhoo was to take place in Decorah, Iowa, but did not happen due to the raging flooding that affected Decorah and Iowa that year in general. 

How in the world is this tied to Trans Iowa? Well, after that blog post was published, I received an e-mail from a disgruntled, influential member of the Decorah cycling community who shall remain nameless here. Who it was doesn't matter today. The person in question was offended greatly that I had suggested certain things were the way I described them in my post. I had a back and forth e-mail conversation with the individual to settle our differences, but, this individual asked that I ".....not consider Decorah for any future cycling events." With the situation being what it was in 2008, and my initial plans for doing another Trans Iowa out of Decorah for 2009, I had to stop and reconsider those plans. I discussed the situation with my then co-director, David Pals, and we agreed that this was now not a welcome home for Trans Iowa. Such sway this person held over cycling matters in Decorah at that time would have made planning difficult at best. So we decided to move Trans Iowa's start for the second time in its history.  

That story will come up later this year....... 

Salsa: Three Flavors

I did a few rides over the past three days, and it wasn't until later that I realized they were all on Salsa Cycles bikes.

Disclaimer: Now, I have to explain that I have been a big fan of what Salsa Cycles has been doing in regards to ideas for bicycles for several years now, and each one of these bikes I have exemplify certain aspects of what excites me about riding bicycles. This may come off as a "fanboi" post, but it is what it is. I like these bikes. So, here we go- I'll give some commentary on each bike as I go....

Big Mama

Saturday it was the Big Mama that got the call. This rig isn't in production anymore. It has been replaced by the Horsethief, but the Big Mama is a solid rig that has a great balanced feel with the Manitou Tower fork up front.

I was rocking this bike at the camp's South side where conditions were bone dry and rock hard. Having all that suspension on tap made mincemeat of the trails, and I did two passes which left me feeling fine afterward. I wasn't rattled. I felt tired, but not beat up.

Not that those hidden roots and rocks under the leaves didn't try to rattle my cage, because they did. The combination of big Bontrager 29-4's and Big Mama suspension just smoothed it all over though. The Bontrager tires seem to be gripping well, and these would be a good tire for around here on the front of a rigid single speed, or as I have them- on a full suspension trail bike.

Mukluk

Sunday nearly got away from me before I found some time before the sun set to get away on my Salsa Cycles Mukluk. This could possibly be my favorite Salsa Cycles bike ever. I know it is high on the "fun factor".

The Mukluk and I have been heading over to the "lake-let", (overgrown pond?),  nearby the Guitar Ted Laboratories where there is a neat path around the lake. I was taking in some late Fall colors here, but what is really cool is that the water levels are down slightly.

This has exposed a lot of boggy, mossy, and sandy areas often covered in Red Cedar dead fall that I can now ride across on my Mukluk. Right on the water's edge, I can cruise along rather easily, for the most part, where there is no way I could even ride another bike at all. Probably not even walk on some of it without sinking through to my ankles in gooey mud. Those big Larry tires and 82mm wide Rolling Darryl rims just make this "impossible" terrain a possibility that is a ton of fun to be able to do.

The bonus here is that I didn't even tear up anything. In fact, I think I didn't even get any mud on the bike. Just got a bit wet is all. This is a low impact rig, that's for sure. I recently scored some Big Fat Larrys from Ben Witt that are even wider tires than what I have on this now. When those go on, the flotation level will go up a few more notches, taking me into even more normally unrideable territory. Fun? Are you kidding? This thing makes me grin on every ride I take it on.

Fargo Gen I

I just got the Fargo re-done. I used my Midge Bar I had in reserve, and set it up with different wheels and tires. Different stem with zero rise, and a tad shorter. New bar tape too. I rode it Monday to make sure everything was just right.

Ya know, I just got a new Fargo Gen II, and I am really stoked about that rig. It is going to tear up the single track when I get it ready, and I could even get a suspension fork on it when the going gets rough, but there is something about Gen I that I can't let go of.

I "bonded" with this bike almost immediately. Ever since I've had it, it just feels "right" every time I throw a leg over it. Like it was custom made just for me. Uncanny that. I've never had a feeling like that since I've had this bike around with any other bike I've ridden, and I've ridden a lot of different bikes.

Added to that is all the great rides I've had on this bike. Two Fargo Adventure Rides, numerous gravel rides, and even some single track rides. This bike has been all over the Mid-West with me. Night gravel rides and commuting. All those great memories. I plan on making many more with this bike.

Adventure By Bike

So yeah.....I like my Salsa bikes, but they have a similar philosophy that I have been cultivating since I was a kid back in my home town of Charles City, Iowa. They call it "Adventure by Bike", and I have always felt any bike ride could turn into an adventure at any time.

Their bicycles reflect this, and it fits my style. Just like the days back when I would ply the paths down by the Cedar River on my single speed, coaster brake Huffy with 26 X 1 3/8ths tires, only now the bikes are way better tools for my poking around. They assist me in seeing what is down by the water's edge, what is over that next big hill, or what is just beyond the woods.

I suppose I could use anybody's bikes for this, but when the company has people that live and breathe the same things I do, it comes out in the products. So, a tip of the cycling cap to Salsa and the crew that made this stuff a reality.

Yeah- they aren't perfect, but nobody is. They just seem to keep pushing my buttons, and I am glad to be able to ride these rigs that fit me and my style really well.

Salsa: Three Flavors

I did a few rides over the past three days, and it wasn't until later that I realized they were all on Salsa Cycles bikes.

Disclaimer: Now, I have to explain that I have been a big fan of what Salsa Cycles has been doing in regards to ideas for bicycles for several years now, and each one of these bikes I have exemplify certain aspects of what excites me about riding bicycles. This may come off as a "fanboi" post, but it is what it is. I like these bikes. So, here we go- I'll give some commentary on each bike as I go....

Big Mama

Saturday it was the Big Mama that got the call. This rig isn't in production anymore. It has been replaced by the Horsethief, but the Big Mama is a solid rig that has a great balanced feel with the Manitou Tower fork up front.

I was rocking this bike at the camp's South side where conditions were bone dry and rock hard. Having all that suspension on tap made mincemeat of the trails, and I did two passes which left me feeling fine afterward. I wasn't rattled. I felt tired, but not beat up.

Not that those hidden roots and rocks under the leaves didn't try to rattle my cage, because they did. The combination of big Bontrager 29-4's and Big Mama suspension just smoothed it all over though. The Bontrager tires seem to be gripping well, and these would be a good tire for around here on the front of a rigid single speed, or as I have them- on a full suspension trail bike.

Mukluk

Sunday nearly got away from me before I found some time before the sun set to get away on my Salsa Cycles Mukluk. This could possibly be my favorite Salsa Cycles bike ever. I know it is high on the "fun factor".

The Mukluk and I have been heading over to the "lake-let", (overgrown pond?),  nearby the Guitar Ted Laboratories where there is a neat path around the lake. I was taking in some late Fall colors here, but what is really cool is that the water levels are down slightly.

This has exposed a lot of boggy, mossy, and sandy areas often covered in Red Cedar dead fall that I can now ride across on my Mukluk. Right on the water's edge, I can cruise along rather easily, for the most part, where there is no way I could even ride another bike at all. Probably not even walk on some of it without sinking through to my ankles in gooey mud. Those big Larry tires and 82mm wide Rolling Darryl rims just make this "impossible" terrain a possibility that is a ton of fun to be able to do.

The bonus here is that I didn't even tear up anything. In fact, I think I didn't even get any mud on the bike. Just got a bit wet is all. This is a low impact rig, that's for sure. I recently scored some Big Fat Larrys from Ben Witt that are even wider tires than what I have on this now. When those go on, the flotation level will go up a few more notches, taking me into even more normally unrideable territory. Fun? Are you kidding? This thing makes me grin on every ride I take it on.

Fargo Gen I

I just got the Fargo re-done. I used my Midge Bar I had in reserve, and set it up with different wheels and tires. Different stem with zero rise, and a tad shorter. New bar tape too. I rode it Monday to make sure everything was just right.

Ya know, I just got a new Fargo Gen II, and I am really stoked about that rig. It is going to tear up the single track when I get it ready, and I could even get a suspension fork on it when the going gets rough, but there is something about Gen I that I can't let go of.

I "bonded" with this bike almost immediately. Ever since I've had it, it just feels "right" every time I throw a leg over it. Like it was custom made just for me. Uncanny that. I've never had a feeling like that since I've had this bike around with any other bike I've ridden, and I've ridden a lot of different bikes.

Added to that is all the great rides I've had on this bike. Two Fargo Adventure Rides, numerous gravel rides, and even some single track rides. This bike has been all over the Mid-West with me. Night gravel rides and commuting. All those great memories. I plan on making many more with this bike.

Adventure By Bike

So yeah.....I like my Salsa bikes, but they have a similar philosophy that I have been cultivating since I was a kid back in my home town of Charles City, Iowa. They call it "Adventure by Bike", and I have always felt any bike ride could turn into an adventure at any time.

Their bicycles reflect this, and it fits my style. Just like the days back when I would ply the paths down by the Cedar River on my single speed, coaster brake Huffy with 26 X 1 3/8ths tires, only now the bikes are way better tools for my poking around. They assist me in seeing what is down by the water's edge, what is over that next big hill, or what is just beyond the woods.

I suppose I could use anybody's bikes for this, but when the company has people that live and breathe the same things I do, it comes out in the products. So, a tip of the cycling cap to Salsa and the crew that made this stuff a reality.

Yeah- they aren't perfect, but nobody is. They just seem to keep pushing my buttons, and I am glad to be able to ride these rigs that fit me and my style really well.

Surfing With The Arachnids

Wednesday I got out to The Camp for some single track testing on the Geax Gato tires. As always in August, there is a certain little something one has to deal with if they are the first out on the trails that day.

Surfing A Different Kind Of Web

That would be the terror of the Arachnids, the spider web. These webs get laced across the trail where two trees are close enough together, (only needs to be less than ten feet in most cases), that the insect murderers can sling their webs of death across the open trails. Then, when the sun arises, they hope to have unsuspecting flying insects get caught in the sticky network of nearly invisible silk while the spiders wait patiently in the center.

A mountain bike rider doesn't really stand a chance of seeing these fine works of the Arachnids until it is too late. I have taken my past experiences as a warning though. I went quite slowly on my first circuit through the Camp's South side.

Squinting into the shadows, I could barely make out the gleam of the spider's handiwork before I tore through it. Most webs have their makers residing somewhere on them. As I said, usually in the center, right where your body makes contact with the web as you ride along. I saw several within the first 100 yards in. I would stop, pick up a stick, and looking like a mountain biking version of Harry Potter, I would wave my wooden wand and strike down the offending eight legged creature and then mount up and ride away.

A Likely Spot For Them

There were some sections where the trees were too far apart, or there were open areas, where I could ride without fear of hearing that ripping, zipper like sound of a web being stretched to the breaking point across my face. I could surf along the twisting single track with no worries, but only for a stretch. Then the trees would come together again, the webs would re-appear, and I would be waving my arms in front of me to ward off unseen traps.

I suppose I would have looked pretty spastic out there had anyone other than the couple young deer had seen me. Fortunately, no one did. I made one slow circuit, then it was wide open. I ripped through the turns, the hard pack, Geax Gato tires, and Salsa Cycles Big Mama all working in harmony. Well, now that I figured out the air pressure settings this tire likes!

I was running 20psi rear and in the mid teens up front. Those TNT sidewalls were just getting really happy at these pressures and allowing the tire to work the terrain much better than they would at higher pressures. Even in corners covered in an inch of fine sand, I was getting Velcro-like traction while ripping through the corner. Outstanding!

I'll have more to say about the Gato soon on Twenty Nine Inches.

Hopefully, I'll have no more to say about riding through anymore spider webs!

Surfing With The Arachnids

Wednesday I got out to The Camp for some single track testing on the Geax Gato tires. As always in August, there is a certain little something one has to deal with if they are the first out on the trails that day.

Surfing A Different Kind Of Web

That would be the terror of the Arachnids, the spider web. These webs get laced across the trail where two trees are close enough together, (only needs to be less than ten feet in most cases), that the insect murderers can sling their webs of death across the open trails. Then, when the sun arises, they hope to have unsuspecting flying insects get caught in the sticky network of nearly invisible silk while the spiders wait patiently in the center.

A mountain bike rider doesn't really stand a chance of seeing these fine works of the Arachnids until it is too late. I have taken my past experiences as a warning though. I went quite slowly on my first circuit through the Camp's South side.

Squinting into the shadows, I could barely make out the gleam of the spider's handiwork before I tore through it. Most webs have their makers residing somewhere on them. As I said, usually in the center, right where your body makes contact with the web as you ride along. I saw several within the first 100 yards in. I would stop, pick up a stick, and looking like a mountain biking version of Harry Potter, I would wave my wooden wand and strike down the offending eight legged creature and then mount up and ride away.

A Likely Spot For Them

There were some sections where the trees were too far apart, or there were open areas, where I could ride without fear of hearing that ripping, zipper like sound of a web being stretched to the breaking point across my face. I could surf along the twisting single track with no worries, but only for a stretch. Then the trees would come together again, the webs would re-appear, and I would be waving my arms in front of me to ward off unseen traps.

I suppose I would have looked pretty spastic out there had anyone other than the couple young deer had seen me. Fortunately, no one did. I made one slow circuit, then it was wide open. I ripped through the turns, the hard pack, Geax Gato tires, and Salsa Cycles Big Mama all working in harmony. Well, now that I figured out the air pressure settings this tire likes!

I was running 20psi rear and in the mid teens up front. Those TNT sidewalls were just getting really happy at these pressures and allowing the tire to work the terrain much better than they would at higher pressures. Even in corners covered in an inch of fine sand, I was getting Velcro-like traction while ripping through the corner. Outstanding!

I'll have more to say about the Gato soon on Twenty Nine Inches.

Hopefully, I'll have no more to say about riding through anymore spider webs!

Friday News And Views

Transition Bikes Bandit 29

Take Another Name Off The List: For several years now, it has been easier to name who wasn't making a 29"er than who is. Take Transition Bikes off the "Who Isn't" list. They just announced a full suspension 29"er they are naming the Bandit 29.

It is a 130mm rear/140mm front bike that should be interesting, given the way their 26"ers have gained a lot of notoriety for being great handling trail/AM/DH rigs.

But it is interesting from another standpoint. Transition Bikes has a rather vocal, passionate fan base that always thought, (much like I did), that 29 inch wheeled bikes would never be great at 5 plus inches of travel, and certainly would not work as Down Hill/All Mountain rigs. Brands like Transition were places riders were enjoying not having to hear about, much less think about, 29"ers.

Now that they do have to consider the possibility, some of the riders on their Facebook page are saying they "sold out".

Wow! I never thought I would see the day that 29"ers were considered a "sell out". That says something about big wheelers when riders are saying and writing those types of comments. It's as if 26"ers were.....well.....I don't know. I just think that comment makes it seem the folks thinking this feel threatened by something. Hey. It's a bicycle. Ya know?

All Mountain hard tail: Kona's Honzo

29"er Geometry 3.0: Then there is this beast. Kona's Honzo steel hard tail 29"er. Kona takes a page from 26"ers and recent small company 29"ers and mixes it up with what comes out as a steel frame with a slack 68* head angle with a 120mm fork. Short, 16.3" chain stays are tied to the seat stays with sliding drop outs, which make for an easy single speed set up. Oh yeah, big tire clearances meant no front derailleur can be mounted here."1X" set ups only if going geared.

My take on these bikes and the full suspension, 130mm travel rigs coming out is that they represent a new change in 29"er geometry. Gone are the days when head tube angles that were 71 degrees were considered "slack" for 29"ers. Now we're taliking about XC racing bikes with 70-71 degree head angles and full suspension bikes are considered too steep if they wander above 69 degrees head angle.

Anybody remember the first generation Mamasita with the 73 degree head angle? Whoo boy! Them's old times now! (And that was just 5 years ago!) That was 1.0 geometry. Then we got the longer fork offsets, and head angles pulled back a degree or two. That was 2.0 geometry. Now we're entering the era of 3.0 geometry, and anyone holding on to steep-ish head angles and long-ish chain stays will be "off the back", as they used to say in roadie parlance.

Kona's Satori 130mm travel rig

We're Gettin' There Now: I have to say that I think this 29"er full suspension geometry is headed in the right direction. I felt it with Fisher's Rumblefish, and now that would be considered a "steep" full suspension trail bike. I felt it on LenzSport's Lunchbox, which really opened up my eyes to what a "slack" bike could ride like.  I felt the old geometry was wrong with my Big Mama. Too XC-ish, which was made plain to me on my wreck-shortened Texas ride.

That's why I find bikes like these to be very interesting. I think we're headed in a very good direction, and I am thinking the bikes are getting refined to become very capable rigs for the rough stuff.

Well, I'm off to Northfield Minnesota for the weekend. I hope ya'all have a great Holiday weekend, and that you are safe, and that you all ride a bicycle.....a lot!

Friday News And Views

Transition Bikes Bandit 29

Take Another Name Off The List: For several years now, it has been easier to name who wasn't making a 29"er than who is. Take Transition Bikes off the "Who Isn't" list. They just announced a full suspension 29"er they are naming the Bandit 29.

It is a 130mm rear/140mm front bike that should be interesting, given the way their 26"ers have gained a lot of notoriety for being great handling trail/AM/DH rigs.

But it is interesting from another standpoint. Transition Bikes has a rather vocal, passionate fan base that always thought, (much like I did), that 29 inch wheeled bikes would never be great at 5 plus inches of travel, and certainly would not work as Down Hill/All Mountain rigs. Brands like Transition were places riders were enjoying not having to hear about, much less think about, 29"ers.

Now that they do have to consider the possibility, some of the riders on their Facebook page are saying they "sold out".

Wow! I never thought I would see the day that 29"ers were considered a "sell out". That says something about big wheelers when riders are saying and writing those types of comments. It's as if 26"ers were.....well.....I don't know. I just think that comment makes it seem the folks thinking this feel threatened by something. Hey. It's a bicycle. Ya know?

All Mountain hard tail: Kona's Honzo

29"er Geometry 3.0: Then there is this beast. Kona's Honzo steel hard tail 29"er. Kona takes a page from 26"ers and recent small company 29"ers and mixes it up with what comes out as a steel frame with a slack 68* head angle with a 120mm fork. Short, 16.3" chain stays are tied to the seat stays with sliding drop outs, which make for an easy single speed set up. Oh yeah, big tire clearances meant no front derailleur can be mounted here."1X" set ups only if going geared.

My take on these bikes and the full suspension, 130mm travel rigs coming out is that they represent a new change in 29"er geometry. Gone are the days when head tube angles that were 71 degrees were considered "slack" for 29"ers. Now we're taliking about XC racing bikes with 70-71 degree head angles and full suspension bikes are considered too steep if they wander above 69 degrees head angle.

Anybody remember the first generation Mamasita with the 73 degree head angle? Whoo boy! Them's old times now! (And that was just 5 years ago!) That was 1.0 geometry. Then we got the longer fork offsets, and head angles pulled back a degree or two. That was 2.0 geometry. Now we're entering the era of 3.0 geometry, and anyone holding on to steep-ish head angles and long-ish chain stays will be "off the back", as they used to say in roadie parlance.

Kona's Satori 130mm travel rig

We're Gettin' There Now: I have to say that I think this 29"er full suspension geometry is headed in the right direction. I felt it with Fisher's Rumblefish, and now that would be considered a "steep" full suspension trail bike. I felt it on LenzSport's Lunchbox, which really opened up my eyes to what a "slack" bike could ride like.  I felt the old geometry was wrong with my Big Mama. Too XC-ish, which was made plain to me on my wreck-shortened Texas ride.

That's why I find bikes like these to be very interesting. I think we're headed in a very good direction, and I am thinking the bikes are getting refined to become very capable rigs for the rough stuff.

Well, I'm off to Northfield Minnesota for the weekend. I hope ya'all have a great Holiday weekend, and that you are safe, and that you all ride a bicycle.....a lot!

The Warmth Arrives!

<===Big Mama on the South Side

The big holiday weekend brought with it some real warmth and humidity. Finally. Maybe now I can pack away the woolen goods for a few months! I did that a few weeks ago, but  it still stayed really cool in the mornings, requiring something warm for commuting. I think those days are gone for awhile now.

Anyway, I got three days of riding in, but they were three very different rides. My son, who will be 8 in July, just learned how to ride this past spring, and now wants to go further abroad than just "around the block". So, I obliged him with his first "on street" lesson. We went about a mile from home on back streets and back again. At the turn around point, I surprised him with about 30 yards of off road path. He didn't flinch, but his way-to-high-geared BMX street/park bike made the dip a bit of a challenge!

The following day, we did the same path again, and this time he did better, clearing the single track section, and learning that "burning legs" on uphills is something "normal" for cycling. We then did several laps around the block, and through the alley. He dumped the bike on a left hander, scratching up his arm in the process. But now, instead of crying, he gets up, jumps up and down a bit, and walks in a big circle in silence. Not sure where that came from, but I'll bet it is play ground related.

Later in the day, I took out the Xtracycle, and my son and I went to a graduation ceremony on it. You'd have thought we were aliens by the looks on peoples faces.

Monday was a ride on my own on the Camp's South Side. I ran across Paul M who was out weed-whacking the whole network of trails. The loop, along with new sections just added in, are all good to go now. Only a bit on the lower end is still too wet to ride.

I rode the loop both ways and had a great time. The combined heat and humidity made for some slow going, since I am not used to that just yet, but I made it through pretty well. The dirt was about perfect. Not too dry, not too wet, and no greasy spots. I had a great time for a couple of hours. I even saw a Bald Eagle up close. Pretty appropriate for memorial Day, I'd say!

The Warmth Arrives!

<===Big Mama on the South Side

The big holiday weekend brought with it some real warmth and humidity. Finally. Maybe now I can pack away the woolen goods for a few months! I did that a few weeks ago, but  it still stayed really cool in the mornings, requiring something warm for commuting. I think those days are gone for awhile now.

Anyway, I got three days of riding in, but they were three very different rides. My son, who will be 8 in July, just learned how to ride this past spring, and now wants to go further abroad than just "around the block". So, I obliged him with his first "on street" lesson. We went about a mile from home on back streets and back again. At the turn around point, I surprised him with about 30 yards of off road path. He didn't flinch, but his way-to-high-geared BMX street/park bike made the dip a bit of a challenge!

The following day, we did the same path again, and this time he did better, clearing the single track section, and learning that "burning legs" on uphills is something "normal" for cycling. We then did several laps around the block, and through the alley. He dumped the bike on a left hander, scratching up his arm in the process. But now, instead of crying, he gets up, jumps up and down a bit, and walks in a big circle in silence. Not sure where that came from, but I'll bet it is play ground related.

Later in the day, I took out the Xtracycle, and my son and I went to a graduation ceremony on it. You'd have thought we were aliens by the looks on peoples faces.

Monday was a ride on my own on the Camp's South Side. I ran across Paul M who was out weed-whacking the whole network of trails. The loop, along with new sections just added in, are all good to go now. Only a bit on the lower end is still too wet to ride.

I rode the loop both ways and had a great time. The combined heat and humidity made for some slow going, since I am not used to that just yet, but I made it through pretty well. The dirt was about perfect. Not too dry, not too wet, and no greasy spots. I had a great time for a couple of hours. I even saw a Bald Eagle up close. Pretty appropriate for memorial Day, I'd say!

Getting The Horse Ready

 
My trip to El Paso, Texas is fast approaching, and I need to tweak out this rig to take with me. Of course, I'm talking about the Big Mama.

This is a bike I've wanted to take down there for quite awhile now. It is very rough, rocky, and the down hill parts can be quite technical. The bikes I have taken down there before were just barely passable as trail bikes there.

A couple of great additions recently to the rig are these Geax Gato 2.3"ers that are TNT which means they are tubeless compatible, but more importantly than that, they have a sidewall reinforcement that protects the casing, and it will allow for some (hopefully) waaaay low pressures so I can rock crawl my way through the Franklin Mountains.

The other nice addition is the Specialized Blacklite Command Post, which is a "dropper post" that will make going down a couple of the switch backs a much easier thing to do now. One thing that won't be easy- The heat! It already is getting upwards of 100 degrees during the day down there. Of course, that's a different kind of heat, but all the same, I'll be pushed pretty hard just by that.

I've got to get a bash guard in place of that big ring though. No sense in having a big ring down there. It won't be about going fast! That's for sure. I've got a 36T ring on that rear cassette though, and I'm hoping to finally slay that beast of a climb exiting the trails from the west in the Tom May's Unit.

Last time I was there, I did the Upper and Lower Sunset loop on a Specialized Stumpjumper Carbon Expert hard tail. It was fairly brutal riding a hard tail for that loop for me. I know this bike, albeit heavier, will be easier on me, and hopefully, a faster loop time will result. We'll see.

I've got some tweaking to do, and hopefully that will get done this weekend. I hope you all have a great Memorial Day Weekend!

Getting The Horse Ready

 
My trip to El Paso, Texas is fast approaching, and I need to tweak out this rig to take with me. Of course, I'm talking about the Big Mama.

This is a bike I've wanted to take down there for quite awhile now. It is very rough, rocky, and the down hill parts can be quite technical. The bikes I have taken down there before were just barely passable as trail bikes there.

A couple of great additions recently to the rig are these Geax Gato 2.3"ers that are TNT which means they are tubeless compatible, but more importantly than that, they have a sidewall reinforcement that protects the casing, and it will allow for some (hopefully) waaaay low pressures so I can rock crawl my way through the Franklin Mountains.

The other nice addition is the Specialized Blacklite Command Post, which is a "dropper post" that will make going down a couple of the switch backs a much easier thing to do now. One thing that won't be easy- The heat! It already is getting upwards of 100 degrees during the day down there. Of course, that's a different kind of heat, but all the same, I'll be pushed pretty hard just by that.

I've got to get a bash guard in place of that big ring though. No sense in having a big ring down there. It won't be about going fast! That's for sure. I've got a 36T ring on that rear cassette though, and I'm hoping to finally slay that beast of a climb exiting the trails from the west in the Tom May's Unit.

Last time I was there, I did the Upper and Lower Sunset loop on a Specialized Stumpjumper Carbon Expert hard tail. It was fairly brutal riding a hard tail for that loop for me. I know this bike, albeit heavier, will be easier on me, and hopefully, a faster loop time will result. We'll see.

I've got some tweaking to do, and hopefully that will get done this weekend. I hope you all have a great Memorial Day Weekend!

Green Has A Grip

As per yesterday's post, I did get the Big Mama out and ridden yesterday. The Pure V saddle is on it, but other refinements have yet to occur. I couldn't wait though! It was too nice to wait out there, and I knew that Cedar Bend was open again, so I went north and checked it out.

The trails are so dry in most parts of the park that it reminds me of very late summer/early fall when things are rock hard, buff, and there are a few sandy spots. Those conditions prevailed yesterday, along with a healthy amount of duff here and there left over from last fall and winter.

This time of year is great when the trails allow you to experience the woods as things green up. The trees look like they have green fuzz on their branches, and the forest floors are just rife with new underbrush that doesn't look all crazy, and out of control yet.

Sure, there is mud along the lower trail, and yes, I got into it. Like a dang fool! That mud is super sticky! But beyond that, I had a great time and the trails were fast everywhere but on the lower section.

Besides that, my body was working surprisingly well.

The Big Mama was too. Man! That bike just sails over rough trail like it isn't even there. The Manitou and Fox rear damper are working well together and the front to rear balance is spot on.

The Pure V is stellar. Such a great saddle, and I will be getting some more of these. I can sit on the nose to climb comfortably, or slide back and power along the flats. It feels great on my posterior!

I still have to get some decent brakes on it, but this bike is pretty close right now to being perfect for my needs. I did mention swapping drive train parts, but that can wait. It's time to get some spring woods riding in!

Green Has A Grip

As per yesterday's post, I did get the Big Mama out and ridden yesterday. The Pure V saddle is on it, but other refinements have yet to occur. I couldn't wait though! It was too nice to wait out there, and I knew that Cedar Bend was open again, so I went north and checked it out.

The trails are so dry in most parts of the park that it reminds me of very late summer/early fall when things are rock hard, buff, and there are a few sandy spots. Those conditions prevailed yesterday, along with a healthy amount of duff here and there left over from last fall and winter.

This time of year is great when the trails allow you to experience the woods as things green up. The trees look like they have green fuzz on their branches, and the forest floors are just rife with new underbrush that doesn't look all crazy, and out of control yet.

Sure, there is mud along the lower trail, and yes, I got into it. Like a dang fool! That mud is super sticky! But beyond that, I had a great time and the trails were fast everywhere but on the lower section.

Besides that, my body was working surprisingly well.

The Big Mama was too. Man! That bike just sails over rough trail like it isn't even there. The Manitou and Fox rear damper are working well together and the front to rear balance is spot on.

The Pure V is stellar. Such a great saddle, and I will be getting some more of these. I can sit on the nose to climb comfortably, or slide back and power along the flats. It feels great on my posterior!

I still have to get some decent brakes on it, but this bike is pretty close right now to being perfect for my needs. I did mention swapping drive train parts, but that can wait. It's time to get some spring woods riding in!

Next Up On The List

Well, since things have cleared up around here as far as the trails go, and that one race I'm involved with is over, I have been working through the fleet to get some things back on track again around here.

The next bike on the docket is the Big Mama. I have a "proper" fork on it these days. It was designed for 100mm of travel, but darn near the whole time I've had it I've run a 120mm on it. Last fall, I finally got this 100mm fork to try on it, and only got in a few rides before the weather set in, and then it got parked.

So, now the bike will get a sealant refresh, and a brand spankin' new WTB Pure V saddle. Next upgrade will be on the brakes at some point. I also may swap out the crankset to a SRAM Stylo.

The idea will be to get this rig all ready to go to El Paso Texas soon. More details on that trip will be told later, but for right now, I just have to get this fully going again. One big upgrade that may be coming in is a dropper seat post.

I've never even considered using one of these multi-height posts. Never really saw the need, but I keep hearing they are really nice to use, so I figured that going back to the crazy rocks of the El Paso area would be a perfect place to try one out.

I thought about taking the Snow Dog, because I heard it would make an excellent Desert Rat bike, but......

Snow Dog Down: 70 Days And Counting.......

Thanks to Phil Wood And Co. 

Next Up On The List

Well, since things have cleared up around here as far as the trails go, and that one race I'm involved with is over, I have been working through the fleet to get some things back on track again around here.

The next bike on the docket is the Big Mama. I have a "proper" fork on it these days. It was designed for 100mm of travel, but darn near the whole time I've had it I've run a 120mm on it. Last fall, I finally got this 100mm fork to try on it, and only got in a few rides before the weather set in, and then it got parked.

So, now the bike will get a sealant refresh, and a brand spankin' new WTB Pure V saddle. Next upgrade will be on the brakes at some point. I also may swap out the crankset to a SRAM Stylo.

The idea will be to get this rig all ready to go to El Paso Texas soon. More details on that trip will be told later, but for right now, I just have to get this fully going again. One big upgrade that may be coming in is a dropper seat post.

I've never even considered using one of these multi-height posts. Never really saw the need, but I keep hearing they are really nice to use, so I figured that going back to the crazy rocks of the El Paso area would be a perfect place to try one out.

I thought about taking the Snow Dog, because I heard it would make an excellent Desert Rat bike, but......

Snow Dog Down: 70 Days And Counting.......

Thanks to Phil Wood And Co. 

Less "Big", More "Better"

I meant to opine on my steed of choice from my ride Wednesday. The Salsa Cycles Big Mama. There have been a couple changes to the bike set up that have made the Big Mama a different rig lately. Well, different for me, probably not so much for a whole lot of other folks.

The first big change was to get "less big" with the front fork. Funny as it may seem, I never ran the Big Mama with anything less than 120mm fork until recently. The bike was designed around a 100mm fork.

So, recently this Manitou Tower Pro 100mm fork came into my life equipped with the 20mm through axle. I swapped over to that fork and it has made a big difference in handling. The bike feels "lighter on its feet", if that makes any sense. Still has the plush, "plow over" stuff feeling, but not as dramatic as it used to. Now it feels more tuned to Mid-West single track, albeit, rougher, steeper stuff. We've got some actual rock gardens that the parks commission laid down out in the Green Belt recently. The Big Mama still bounded through, but I could tell things were a bit more lively.

In corners the Big Mama felt like the front end was pinned to the trail in a better way. Of course, a shorter fork should do that. The big plus is that the front now feels more balanced with the rear. Huh! Guess those Salsa designers had it right all along, eh?

The other thing that worked real well that was new is the Bontrager FR-4 tires. These tires are real knobby!

The tires weren't working the best in the grease the other day, but what does? They were holding their own. In the dry, frozen terrain we have now, they grip really well. What I am thinking is that these will rip in rocky terrain and in loose over hard pack.

The tires look like perfect "El Paso" trip tires to me, and they are TLR tubeless ready varmints to boot. I wish I was going there tomorrow to ride these. (And the Big Mama!)

The next few months of coldness will probably see this bike resting more than not, but I am excited to get a few lighter parts on it here and there to tweak out the weight a bit. Then in March I sure hope an El Paso trip happens, because I think this rig is going to be spot on. Less "big", but more "better" for trail riding there, and a whole lot of other places.

And the Big Mama? I hear it is coming back at some point, but as a "bigger" Big Mama. Huh! Guess I was on to something all along to. Ha!