Bikes Of 2022: Black Mountain Cycles Monstercross

It's the end of the year and time to review what's up with the bikes I used over the course of 2022. You'll get a brief overview, any changes made, and what the future has in store for each bike listed. Enjoy!

Another 'long hauler' of my bicycle fleet, the Black Mountain cycles "Monstercross" I have came out of the very first batch of frames Mike Varley made available back in 2011. Due to that fact, my bike has a bit different geometry and a bit different front fork than many Monstercross bikes that came later on. 

That made this bike not the greatest on really loose gravel on high speed descents. I mean, you could ride it, but it was sketchy and didn't feel as planted and stable as I'd like a bike to be in that situation. So, the BMC "Orange Crush", as I like to call it, became a bit of a conundrum for me. I liked the bike, but it wasn't the best at gravel in my region. 

But after reverting back to single speed use, and after installing 180mm long cranks, which made me lower the saddle a tad, effectively negating that high bottom bracket to a small degree, I think that this bike has found its niche in my stable.

Then later this past Summer this bike became a part of a handle bar swap with the Fargo Gen I bike. It also brought the BMC "Orange Crush" back full circle to its beginnings here. Here's how it all started....

In 2014, late in the year, I had a bad fall on ice which was the second bad fall on my left shoulder that year. I really did a number on it and on my left side of my rib cage. In fact, early on during the 2015 riding season I determined that I pretty much had to ride a Luxy Bar or a Midge Bar as they were the only two handle bars I could use that allowed me to ride for more than about an hour. Otherwise my shoulder would ache so badly that I had to stop riding. 

That meant a bar swap for the Fargo Gen I to a Luxy Bar and my other green Gen 2 Fargo got a Midge Bar, as those were my "long haul gravel bikes" for 2015, for the most part. (Also, come to think of it, I got hit by a truck on the 2014 GTDRI as well, which may have contributed to all of this)

Anyway, I never swapped the bars back off the Gen I Fargo and the Gen 2 Fargo was sold. I decided that the old BMC would someday get Luxy Bars again, but it did not happen until I had to review a Kitchen Sink Bar Bag on the Gen I Fargo this Summer. That freed up the Luxy Bar I needed and that ended up on the Orange Crush. Whew! Sometimes things take a long time to work out around here! 

As far as any other changes I might want to upgrade things like the brakes and get a single speed specific rear wheel going for this bike. But it is fine as it is, really. So, I may just let it go.

Bikes Of 2022: Pofahl Custom Signature

  It's the end of the year and time to review what's up with the bikes I used over the course of 2022. You'll get a brief overview, any changes made, and what the future has in store for each bike listed. Enjoy!

The Pofahl Custom Signature single speed I have had since 2007 was a strange idea I had for a 29"er based off my Karate Monkey single speed. It never would have seen the light of day had it not been for Ben Witt who pretty much put me and Mike Pofahl together to get this project done. 

The bike was always going to be a single speed, so there are no provisions for a rear or a front derailleur. There is only a full run housing stop circuit for the rear brake. 

In recent times this has become a favorite for longer single speed gravel travels. I wish I would have had the foresight to have had Mike put on fork mounted bottle cage bosses, but I have managed to get by with a seat post mounted bottle and Chaff Bags from Bike Bag Dude used as bottle holders as well. I've been running a set of Industry 9 tubeless compatible wheels on this for several years now and other than that, not much has been swapped out on this bike. 

I did score a 27.0mm USE seat post for this bike since it has that oddball size. I don't ever expect my original 1990's era Syncros to give up the ghost on me, but you never know, and 27.00mm posts are hard to come by in anything that doesn't weigh a ton and that is not a cheap replacement grade. 

And the only thing I can add about this bike is that I really love to ride it. I am glad I got it out in the country the few times that I have this past year. Hopefully that continues in 2023.

Bikes Of 2022: Pofahl Custom Signature

  It's the end of the year and time to review what's up with the bikes I used over the course of 2022. You'll get a brief overview, any changes made, and what the future has in store for each bike listed. Enjoy!

The Pofahl Custom Signature single speed I have had since 2007 was a strange idea I had for a 29"er based off my Karate Monkey single speed. It never would have seen the light of day had it not been for Ben Witt who pretty much put me and Mike Pofahl together to get this project done. 

The bike was always going to be a single speed, so there are no provisions for a rear or a front derailleur. There is only a full run housing stop circuit for the rear brake. 

In recent times this has become a favorite for longer single speed gravel travels. I wish I would have had the foresight to have had Mike put on fork mounted bottle cage bosses, but I have managed to get by with a seat post mounted bottle and Chaff Bags from Bike Bag Dude used as bottle holders as well. I've been running a set of Industry 9 tubeless compatible wheels on this for several years now and other than that, not much has been swapped out on this bike. 

I did score a 27.0mm USE seat post for this bike since it has that oddball size. I don't ever expect my original 1990's era Syncros to give up the ghost on me, but you never know, and 27.00mm posts are hard to come by in anything that doesn't weigh a ton and that is not a cheap replacement grade. 

And the only thing I can add about this bike is that I really love to ride it. I am glad I got it out in the country the few times that I have this past year. Hopefully that continues in 2023.

Bikes Of 2022: Black Mountain Cycles Monstercross

It's the end of the year and time to review what's up with the bikes I used over the course of 2022. You'll get a brief overview, any changes made, and what the future has in store for each bike listed. Enjoy!

Another 'long hauler' of my bicycle fleet, the Black Mountain cycles "Monstercross" I have came out of the very first batch of frames Mike Varley made available back in 2011. Due to that fact, my bike has a bit different geometry and a bit different front fork than many Monstercross bikes that came later on. 

That made this bike not the greatest on really loose gravel on high speed descents. I mean, you could ride it, but it was sketchy and didn't feel as planted and stable as I'd like a bike to be in that situation. So, the BMC "Orange Crush", as I like to call it, became a bit of a conundrum for me. I liked the bike, but it wasn't the best at gravel in my region. 

But after reverting back to single speed use, and after installing 180mm long cranks, which made me lower the saddle a tad, effectively negating that high bottom bracket to a small degree, I think that this bike has found its niche in my stable.

Then later this past Summer this bike became a part of a handle bar swap with the Fargo Gen I bike. It also brought the BMC "Orange Crush" back full circle to its beginnings here. Here's how it all started....

In 2014, late in the year, I had a bad fall on ice which was the second bad fall on my left shoulder that year. I really did a number on it and on my left side of my rib cage. In fact, early on during the 2015 riding season I determined that I pretty much had to ride a Luxy Bar or a Midge Bar as they were the only two handle bars I could use that allowed me to ride for more than about an hour. Otherwise my shoulder would ache so badly that I had to stop riding. 

That meant a bar swap for the Fargo Gen I to a Luxy Bar and my other green Gen 2 Fargo got a Midge Bar, as those were my "long haul gravel bikes" for 2015, for the most part. (Also, come to think of it, I got hit by a truck on the 2014 GTDRI as well, which may have contributed to all of this)

Anyway, I never swapped the bars back off the Gen I Fargo and the Gen 2 Fargo was sold. I decided that the old BMC would someday get Luxy Bars again, but it did not happen until I had to review a Kitchen Sink Bar Bag on the Gen I Fargo this Summer. That freed up the Luxy Bar I needed and that ended up on the Orange Crush. Whew! Sometimes things take a long time to work out around here! 

As far as any other changes I might want to upgrade things like the brakes and get a single speed specific rear wheel going for this bike. But it is fine as it is, really. So, I may just let it go.

Bikes Of 2022: Raleigh Tamland Two

  It's the end of the year and time to review what's up with the bikes I used over the course of 2022. You'll get a brief overview, any changes made, and what the future has in store for each bike listed. Enjoy!

The Raleigh Tamland Two. Yeah..... You all know this bike if you've been here any amount of time at all since 2014. 

That was when I bought mine at employee discount from a former bike shop job I had. There isn't much here that is original to the bike anymore other than the seat collar, the rear derailleur, the crankset, and the main frame. 

I just switched to a carbon set of wheels, my Irwin Aon Carbon 35's, to be exact, and I think I've swapped out the handle bar this year and installed new handle bar tape. The carbon wheels are a nice upgrade and something I should have done a long time ago. 

This bike was to have been retired three years ago now. Guess not, eh?

I probably won't be changing much on this bike besides the obvious wear items. I have a TRP Hydro braking system on there now which may end up getting retired and see me going back to TRP Spyre brakes or something cable actuated hydraulic. We'll see. No hurry on any of that.

Other than that, this bike keeps reminding me about how it represents what a gravel bike/all-road geometry is about. I see press releases a lot and many for gravel bikes that have so-called "modern" or "radical" geometry for a gravel bike. I check out the geometry charts, and unless they are designs derived from current state of the art mountain bike numbers, they are almost all very similar to, or not even as pushed forward, as the Tamland's. 

When I got this bike in 2014, it was one of the rare choices that was "gravel specific". Now in 2022/23, it still stands tall when compared against the hordes of bicycles called "gravel bikes". A bike ahead of its time?

It would seem so, and it isn't going out of style anytime soon, it would appear.

Bikes Of 2022: Raleigh Tamland Two

  It's the end of the year and time to review what's up with the bikes I used over the course of 2022. You'll get a brief overview, any changes made, and what the future has in store for each bike listed. Enjoy!

The Raleigh Tamland Two. Yeah..... You all know this bike if you've been here any amount of time at all since 2014. 

That was when I bought mine at employee discount from a former bike shop job I had. There isn't much here that is original to the bike anymore other than the seat collar, the rear derailleur, the crankset, and the main frame. 

I just switched to a carbon set of wheels, my Irwin Aon Carbon 35's, to be exact, and I think I've swapped out the handle bar this year and installed new handle bar tape. The carbon wheels are a nice upgrade and something I should have done a long time ago. 

This bike was to have been retired three years ago now. Guess not, eh?

I probably won't be changing much on this bike besides the obvious wear items. I have a TRP Hydro braking system on there now which may end up getting retired and see me going back to TRP Spyre brakes or something cable actuated hydraulic. We'll see. No hurry on any of that.

Other than that, this bike keeps reminding me about how it represents what a gravel bike/all-road geometry is about. I see press releases a lot and many for gravel bikes that have so-called "modern" or "radical" geometry for a gravel bike. I check out the geometry charts, and unless they are designs derived from current state of the art mountain bike numbers, they are almost all very similar to, or not even as pushed forward, as the Tamland's. 

When I got this bike in 2014, it was one of the rare choices that was "gravel specific". Now in 2022/23, it still stands tall when compared against the hordes of bicycles called "gravel bikes". A bike ahead of its time?

It would seem so, and it isn't going out of style anytime soon, it would appear.

Bikes Of 2022: Noble Bikes GX5

 It's the end of the year and time to review what's up with the bikes I used over the course of 2022. You'll get a brief overview, any changes made, and what the future has in store for each bike listed. Enjoy!

The Noble Bikes GX5 started out as a review bike for RidingGravel.com back in 2019. For some odd reason it seems that I've had this bike longer than that, but there it is. 2019 was when it showed up here. 

Of course, that means that the Standard Disclaimer applies to this bike. I realize how fortunate I am to have a bicycle of this caliber available for me to ride. trust me, I think about that often as I would not have been eyeing a carbon fiber bike had it not been for this rig appearing in my life. 

Also, it is by extension, an evolution of the bike I advised Raleigh to make in 2012, as Mark Landsaat, the owner of Noble Bikes, was one of the engineers on the Raleigh Tamland project and took those ideas to use on the GX5. The Tamland and GX5 are almost identical in terms of geometry. So, it stands to reason that I'd have a liking for the GX5 and to be honest, it is probably right up there in terms of my favorites of all the bikes I've had. 

The GX5 as it stands today.

I've also swapped out everything on this bike except the head set. It was a SRAM bike when I received it, but now it is a Shimano GRX equipped bike. The seat post, bars, saddle, and even the bottom bracket are all different from when I got this bike here. 

Changes? there may be several, or hardly any at all. This kind of depends upon the whims of what comes in for review at RidingGravel.com. The Noble is my "test mule" for the site, so this is why it gets all these new parts on it all the time. 

For a carbon fiber bike, it is holding up pretty well, I think, but I also know that at some point it will need replacing. I've been keeping an eye out for replacements, actually, because you just never know with a carbon bike when it might fail due to impacts from rocks, or worse! But the reality is that it probably will be here next year for this same rundown of my bikes. Because I love riding it, and I see no reason now why I would stop riding it.

Stay tuned for more Bikes Of 2022 soon!

Bikes Of 2022: Noble Bikes GX5

 It's the end of the year and time to review what's up with the bikes I used over the course of 2022. You'll get a brief overview, any changes made, and what the future has in store for each bike listed. Enjoy!

The Noble Bikes GX5 started out as a review bike for RidingGravel.com back in 2019. For some odd reason it seems that I've had this bike longer than that, but there it is. 2019 was when it showed up here. 

Of course, that means that the Standard Disclaimer applies to this bike. I realize how fortunate I am to have a bicycle of this caliber available for me to ride. trust me, I think about that often as I would not have been eyeing a carbon fiber bike had it not been for this rig appearing in my life. 

Also, it is by extension, an evolution of the bike I advised Raleigh to make in 2012, as Mark Landsaat, the owner of Noble Bikes, was one of the engineers on the Raleigh Tamland project and took those ideas to use on the GX5. The Tamland and GX5 are almost identical in terms of geometry. So, it stands to reason that I'd have a liking for the GX5 and to be honest, it is probably right up there in terms of my favorites of all the bikes I've had. 

The GX5 as it stands today.

I've also swapped out everything on this bike except the head set. It was a SRAM bike when I received it, but now it is a Shimano GRX equipped bike. The seat post, bars, saddle, and even the bottom bracket are all different from when I got this bike here. 

Changes? there may be several, or hardly any at all. This kind of depends upon the whims of what comes in for review at RidingGravel.com. The Noble is my "test mule" for the site, so this is why it gets all these new parts on it all the time. 

For a carbon fiber bike, it is holding up pretty well, I think, but I also know that at some point it will need replacing. I've been keeping an eye out for replacements, actually, because you just never know with a carbon bike when it might fail due to impacts from rocks, or worse! But the reality is that it probably will be here next year for this same rundown of my bikes. Because I love riding it, and I see no reason now why I would stop riding it.

Stay tuned for more Bikes Of 2022 soon!

Bikes Of 2022: Black Mountain Cycles MCD

 It's the end of the year and time to review what's up with the bikes I used over the course of 2022. You'll get a brief overview, any changes made, and what the future has in store for each bike listed. Enjoy!

The Black Mountain Cycles MCD has been a staple on here since I got it back in 2018. I kind of thought of this bike as being my present for doing Trans Iowa all those years, and when the last Trans Iowa happened in 2018 I had this bike on order already. 

Since the initial build of the MCD, I have swapped in several other bits and accessories doing testing for Riding Gravel. (Standard Disclaimer) Much of what is on it now is from review work for the site, but the frame, fork, head set, bottom bracket, and the current handle bars are all parts and pieces I bought. 

In the relatively short time I've owned this bike I have had some great adventures on it. One adventure I was looking forward to having on this bike did not happen as planned due to scheduling conflicts, but I think that next year this bike will play a big part in a two-day adventure I have planned. Hopefully I can make that happen with some things that are happening now that should change the amount of time I should have to pull a two-day trip off like the one I have in mind.

Testing for a fully loaded gravel tour went well last Summer.

So, that will likely be a change in status for the MCD next year, at least for a while, as I reinstall the rack and perhaps I may look into putting a front rack on there as well. I tried it this past Summer with a bikepacking type handle bar roll and I wasn't digging the higher center of gravity that the weight had on the steering. I have some nice Jaand Mini Mountain panniers which would work well with a front rack, and that may end up becoming my set-up. Or not..... Anyway....

That and wheel swaps, testing and reviewing things, and just riding more is what will be in store for this bike soon. 

Stay tuned for more Bikes Of 2022 soon.

Bikes Of 2022: Black Mountain Cycles MCD

 It's the end of the year and time to review what's up with the bikes I used over the course of 2022. You'll get a brief overview, any changes made, and what the future has in store for each bike listed. Enjoy!

The Black Mountain Cycles MCD has been a staple on here since I got it back in 2018. I kind of thought of this bike as being my present for doing Trans Iowa all those years, and when the last Trans Iowa happened in 2018 I had this bike on order already. 

Since the initial build of the MCD, I have swapped in several other bits and accessories doing testing for Riding Gravel. (Standard Disclaimer) Much of what is on it now is from review work for the site, but the frame, fork, head set, bottom bracket, and the current handle bars are all parts and pieces I bought. 

In the relatively short time I've owned this bike I have had some great adventures on it. One adventure I was looking forward to having on this bike did not happen as planned due to scheduling conflicts, but I think that next year this bike will play a big part in a two-day adventure I have planned. Hopefully I can make that happen with some things that are happening now that should change the amount of time I should have to pull a two-day trip off like the one I have in mind.

Testing for a fully loaded gravel tour went well last Summer.

So, that will likely be a change in status for the MCD next year, at least for a while, as I reinstall the rack and perhaps I may look into putting a front rack on there as well. I tried it this past Summer with a bikepacking type handle bar roll and I wasn't digging the higher center of gravity that the weight had on the steering. I have some nice Jaand Mini Mountain panniers which would work well with a front rack, and that may end up becoming my set-up. Or not..... Anyway....

That and wheel swaps, testing and reviewing things, and just riding more is what will be in store for this bike soon. 

Stay tuned for more Bikes Of 2022 soon.

Bikes Of 2022: OS Bikes Blackbuck

It's the end of the year and time to review what's up with the bikes I used over the course of 2022. You'll get a brief overview, any changes made, and what the future has in store for each bike listed. Enjoy!

Mountain bikes. Ah! I used to ride them weekly for years around here. Then I stopped writing for the website "Twentynine Inches.com" in 2014 and then my usage of mountain bikes started to decline until now, well, I hardly ever go mountain biking around here. 

So, I have whittled down my mountain biking stable to just a few examples and those are mostly single speed bikes, with the exception that I suppose that you could say my fat bikes are mountain bikes as well. You wouldn't be wrong......

So, one of those MTB's I've kept going all along is my OS Bikes Blackbuck. I use it mostly for commuting and errands now. If you've been around this blog a long time, you've seen various incarnations of this bike over the years. Always a single speed, but this bike has sported more and different front forks than I can count.

The bike has an old Bontrager Switchblade carbon composite fork on it currently which I've had off and on the Blackbuck before this. This is the fork I will run 80% of the time. I also have a suspension fork I can run on it as well as the original Blackbuck fork which makes this bike a really oddball affair. 

Mountain Bike Hall of Fame member, Mark Slate, of WTB, and owner of OS Bikes, made a rigid steel fork for this bike. It is short, and it has 51mm of offset. So when you use it on this bike the seat tube and head tube angles, which are parallel, are 74°, and with that short fork, this bike rides like a criterium bike with fat tires. It's really weird! I will rarely ever use that fork, but it's nice to have the OG fork for the bike on hand. 

I may get a different crank for this someday. A White Industries silver crank would be nice since i am running White Industries hubs and freewheel on this bike. I could also pull the Chris King pink head set, (an OG, first run one), and install a White Industries head set as well, making everything al matchy-matchy, but that's not high priority here. 

Stay tuned.....more Bikes of 2022 are yet to come!

Bikes Of 2022: OS Bikes Blackbuck

It's the end of the year and time to review what's up with the bikes I used over the course of 2022. You'll get a brief overview, any changes made, and what the future has in store for each bike listed. Enjoy!

Mountain bikes. Ah! I used to ride them weekly for years around here. Then I stopped writing for the website "Twentynine Inches.com" in 2014 and then my usage of mountain bikes started to decline until now, well, I hardly ever go mountain biking around here. 

So, I have whittled down my mountain biking stable to just a few examples and those are mostly single speed bikes, with the exception that I suppose that you could say my fat bikes are mountain bikes as well. You wouldn't be wrong......

So, one of those MTB's I've kept going all along is my OS Bikes Blackbuck. I use it mostly for commuting and errands now. If you've been around this blog a long time, you've seen various incarnations of this bike over the years. Always a single speed, but this bike has sported more and different front forks than I can count.

The bike has an old Bontrager Switchblade carbon composite fork on it currently which I've had off and on the Blackbuck before this. This is the fork I will run 80% of the time. I also have a suspension fork I can run on it as well as the original Blackbuck fork which makes this bike a really oddball affair. 

Mountain Bike Hall of Fame member, Mark Slate, of WTB, and owner of OS Bikes, made a rigid steel fork for this bike. It is short, and it has 51mm of offset. So when you use it on this bike the seat tube and head tube angles, which are parallel, are 74°, and with that short fork, this bike rides like a criterium bike with fat tires. It's really weird! I will rarely ever use that fork, but it's nice to have the OG fork for the bike on hand. 

I may get a different crank for this someday. A White Industries silver crank would be nice since i am running White Industries hubs and freewheel on this bike. I could also pull the Chris King pink head set, (an OG, first run one), and install a White Industries head set as well, making everything al matchy-matchy, but that's not high priority here. 

Stay tuned.....more Bikes of 2022 are yet to come!

Bikes Of 2022: Karate Monkey

It's the end of the year and time to review what's up with the bikes I used over the course of 2022. You'll get a brief overview, any changes made, and what the future has in store for each bike listed. Enjoy!

The 2003 Campstove Green Karate Monkey has been a fixture on this blog since the beginning.  It was my first 29 inch wheeled bike.It was my first "big-wheeled" drop bar bike. It was my first "gravel grinder". I did my longest ride ever on it. It has always been a single speed. 

I'll probably never get rid of this bike. Like anything one uses for years and becomes a trusted tool, you have your moments when you are maybe thinking something else would work better for the job. An idea that pops up that seems, somehow, 'better'. Yet that old tool just seems to fit to hand so well that you cannot retire it to the back end of the shop, nor sell it off to make room for the "Next Shiny Thing", whatever that may be. 

And the Karate Monkey is 'that bike' for me. It is somehow a classic bike that just seems to have its place amongst my other bicycles. Yes- it is not perfect, but its flaws are somehow not that big of a deal. 

It's one of the single speed gravel grinder bikes nowadays.

So, the future for this bike looks to be one of commuting and single speed gravel adventures. Since I converted over the Standard Rando to gears, this and the Pofahl, (post upcoming) are going to fulfill that single speed gravel bike role for me again. 

I don't foresee any big changes here unless that would be in tires. I'm not really digging those old Saguaros. I'd really like to put some skin wall tires on this bike and I have a set of Maxxis something or another that I just need to slip on here. And no- these are not tubeless. I'm using tubes in there! Those old Delgado Cross rims are not really tubeless compatible anyway. 

Look for more "Bikes of 2022" coming soon!

Bikes Of 2022: Karate Monkey

It's the end of the year and time to review what's up with the bikes I used over the course of 2022. You'll get a brief overview, any changes made, and what the future has in store for each bike listed. Enjoy!

The 2003 Campstove Green Karate Monkey has been a fixture on this blog since the beginning.  It was my first 29 inch wheeled bike.It was my first "big-wheeled" drop bar bike. It was my first "gravel grinder". I did my longest ride ever on it. It has always been a single speed. 

I'll probably never get rid of this bike. Like anything one uses for years and becomes a trusted tool, you have your moments when you are maybe thinking something else would work better for the job. An idea that pops up that seems, somehow, 'better'. Yet that old tool just seems to fit to hand so well that you cannot retire it to the back end of the shop, nor sell it off to make room for the "Next Shiny Thing", whatever that may be. 

And the Karate Monkey is 'that bike' for me. It is somehow a classic bike that just seems to have its place amongst my other bicycles. Yes- it is not perfect, but its flaws are somehow not that big of a deal. 

It's one of the single speed gravel grinder bikes nowadays.

So, the future for this bike looks to be one of commuting and single speed gravel adventures. Since I converted over the Standard Rando to gears, this and the Pofahl, (post upcoming) are going to fulfill that single speed gravel bike role for me again. 

I don't foresee any big changes here unless that would be in tires. I'm not really digging those old Saguaros. I'd really like to put some skin wall tires on this bike and I have a set of Maxxis something or another that I just need to slip on here. And no- these are not tubeless. I'm using tubes in there! Those old Delgado Cross rims are not really tubeless compatible anyway. 

Look for more "Bikes of 2022" coming soon!

Bikes Of 2022: Surly Big Dummy

It's the end of the year and time to review what's up with the bikes I used over the course of 2022. You'll get a brief overview, any changes made, and what the future has in store for each bike listed. Enjoy!

This is my "pick-up truck" in my bicycle fleet. This one is all about utility and hauling stuff I'd not be able to on other bicycles I have. Granted, it is a fancy-pants utility rig, and it bucks the current trend of having an electric motor on it, but that's all good with me. 

This year the Big Dummy expanded it's duties as a carrier of parts for the Cedar Valley Bicycle Collective. Since the shop is a non-profit, our hours are not "regular" in that we are not open every day. That makes deliveries difficult at the shop for folks like UPS, who handle our distributor's shipping duties. 

So, the Board of Directors set up a drop box at our local UPS Store where I can go anytime they are open, pick up our supplies, and haul them to the shop in downtown Waterloo. Instead of using a car, or my pick-up truck, I use the Big Dummy.

After a bike rodeo we helped put on this past Summer

I also used this bike twice to help with support of two bike rodeos we put on over the Summer. Runs to pick up other stuff for our household were done, and, of course, I used the Big Dummy for some recycling runs. The Big Dummy also serves as a bike I can utilize when I go to work, ferrying bits I am donating to the Collective. 

So, 2022 saw a big uptick in usage for the Big Dummy, and that's a very good thing. 

Stay tuned for more "Bikes Of 2022" coming soon!

Bikes Of 2022: Surly Big Dummy

It's the end of the year and time to review what's up with the bikes I used over the course of 2022. You'll get a brief overview, any changes made, and what the future has in store for each bike listed. Enjoy!

This is my "pick-up truck" in my bicycle fleet. This one is all about utility and hauling stuff I'd not be able to on other bicycles I have. Granted, it is a fancy-pants utility rig, and it bucks the current trend of having an electric motor on it, but that's all good with me. 

This year the Big Dummy expanded it's duties as a carrier of parts for the Cedar Valley Bicycle Collective. Since the shop is a non-profit, our hours are not "regular" in that we are not open every day. That makes deliveries difficult at the shop for folks like UPS, who handle our distributor's shipping duties. 

So, the Board of Directors set up a drop box at our local UPS Store where I can go anytime they are open, pick up our supplies, and haul them to the shop in downtown Waterloo. Instead of using a car, or my pick-up truck, I use the Big Dummy.

After a bike rodeo we helped put on this past Summer

I also used this bike twice to help with support of two bike rodeos we put on over the Summer. Runs to pick up other stuff for our household were done, and, of course, I used the Big Dummy for some recycling runs. The Big Dummy also serves as a bike I can utilize when I go to work, ferrying bits I am donating to the Collective. 

So, 2022 saw a big uptick in usage for the Big Dummy, and that's a very good thing. 

Stay tuned for more "Bikes Of 2022" coming soon!

Bikes Of 2022: Standard Rando v2

It's the end of the year and time to review what's up with the bikes I used over the course of 2022. You'll get a brief overview, any changes made, and what the future has in store for each bike listed. Enjoy!

The Standard Rando v2 was probably the bike I switched around the most in 2022. I also used it a fair amount as well. So, without further adieu, let's dive into this one.  

The first thing I did was to get in a Paul Components through axle rear hub for single speed. I also relaced another wheel to match it so I would have a dedicated single speed wheel set for this bike. 

That lasted a few months, then, a chance meeting at the Gravel Cycling Hall of Fame after-party yielded a big box about a month or so later on my doorstep. That big box contained a Limited Edition Silver GRX component group. 

Now that started a big internal debate as to where to use this batch of silvery goodness. After a lot of internal deliberation, I finally arrived on the conclusion that the best choice to use the bits on was my Twin Six Standard Rando v2.

I was unsure how I would like the silver on the Saffron Yellow paint job on the Standard Rando. But, in the end, it grew on me and I am happy with the results. Now, what to do with that through axle, single speed specific wheel set? Well, I have a plan for that as well, but that will happen later....

For now I plan on just enjoying the Standard Rando v2 out on the gravel as much as possible.

Stay tuned for more Bikes Of 2022 coming soon.

Bikes Of 2022: Standard Rando v2

It's the end of the year and time to review what's up with the bikes I used over the course of 2022. You'll get a brief overview, any changes made, and what the future has in store for each bike listed. Enjoy!

The Standard Rando v2 was probably the bike I switched around the most in 2022. I also used it a fair amount as well. So, without further adieu, let's dive into this one.  

The first thing I did was to get in a Paul Components through axle rear hub for single speed. I also relaced another wheel to match it so I would have a dedicated single speed wheel set for this bike. 

That lasted a few months, then, a chance meeting at the Gravel Cycling Hall of Fame after-party yielded a big box about a month or so later on my doorstep. That big box contained a Limited Edition Silver GRX component group. 

Now that started a big internal debate as to where to use this batch of silvery goodness. After a lot of internal deliberation, I finally arrived on the conclusion that the best choice to use the bits on was my Twin Six Standard Rando v2.

I was unsure how I would like the silver on the Saffron Yellow paint job on the Standard Rando. But, in the end, it grew on me and I am happy with the results. Now, what to do with that through axle, single speed specific wheel set? Well, I have a plan for that as well, but that will happen later....

For now I plan on just enjoying the Standard Rando v2 out on the gravel as much as possible.

Stay tuned for more Bikes Of 2022 coming soon.

Bikes Of 2022: Salsa Cycles Ti Mukluk

It's the end of the year and time to review what's up with the bikes I used over the course of 2022. You'll get a brief overview, any changes made, and what the future has in store for each bike listed. Enjoy!

The titanium Mukluk I own, which I have dubbed the "Ti Muk 2", because it is the second titanium Mukluk I have owned, was refreshed over the course of late Summer and Fall here. That may remain fresh enough in you reader's minds that I may not have to go over much of that again here. 

Briefly, the drive train is new, including a new bottom bracket, but the Rohloff rear cog is the original one yet. At some point I can take that cog off, reverse it, and continue to use it in the reverse direction until I wear it out completely. I don't foresee that happening anytime soon though. 

So, besides that I did install the new Schmidt Edelux II light unit and here is what I think about that so far. I had been using a Bausch and Mueller light until that failed on me. So, the Schmidt light is different, most definitely. I am still dialing it in on my commutes, but I am very close to having it where I feel it will stay for the duration of its service life. This has to do with aiming the light, by the way.

The Schmidt light "throws" light a LOT further up the road than the previous light did. I wouldn't say that this is necessarily the brightest light, but it illuminates the road in a broad stroke which covers both lanes and I would say that it easily illuminates up to two blocks ahead of me, much as if you were in an automobile, in that respect. I can also see the light reflecting off traffic signs even further away than that, so I am sure approaching motorists are seeing me! That is, unless they are not paying attention. 

By the way, this is at speeds of about 12mph.

The Ti Muk 2 currently.

I also added the Scoutset rack out front which has come in handy for commutes, errands, and I hope for some Wintertime outdoor coffee runs. I did a review of this rack which you can find linked to the page for the rack. (See my link above) (Standard Disclaimer applies) 

In the future I'd like to upgrade my fender situation. What I have now 'works' but it looks horrible. Hopefully I can work on something for that this Winter. Other than that, the Ti Muk 2 is ready to roll.

Look for more Bikes of 2022 soon!

Bikes Of 2022: Salsa Cycles Ti Mukluk

It's the end of the year and time to review what's up with the bikes I used over the course of 2022. You'll get a brief overview, any changes made, and what the future has in store for each bike listed. Enjoy!

The titanium Mukluk I own, which I have dubbed the "Ti Muk 2", because it is the second titanium Mukluk I have owned, was refreshed over the course of late Summer and Fall here. That may remain fresh enough in you reader's minds that I may not have to go over much of that again here. 

Briefly, the drive train is new, including a new bottom bracket, but the Rohloff rear cog is the original one yet. At some point I can take that cog off, reverse it, and continue to use it in the reverse direction until I wear it out completely. I don't foresee that happening anytime soon though. 

So, besides that I did install the new Schmidt Edelux II light unit and here is what I think about that so far. I had been using a Bausch and Mueller light until that failed on me. So, the Schmidt light is different, most definitely. I am still dialing it in on my commutes, but I am very close to having it where I feel it will stay for the duration of its service life. This has to do with aiming the light, by the way.

The Schmidt light "throws" light a LOT further up the road than the previous light did. I wouldn't say that this is necessarily the brightest light, but it illuminates the road in a broad stroke which covers both lanes and I would say that it easily illuminates up to two blocks ahead of me, much as if you were in an automobile, in that respect. I can also see the light reflecting off traffic signs even further away than that, so I am sure approaching motorists are seeing me! That is, unless they are not paying attention. 

By the way, this is at speeds of about 12mph.

The Ti Muk 2 currently.

I also added the Scoutset rack out front which has come in handy for commutes, errands, and I hope for some Wintertime outdoor coffee runs. I did a review of this rack which you can find linked to the page for the rack. (See my link above) (Standard Disclaimer applies) 

In the future I'd like to upgrade my fender situation. What I have now 'works' but it looks horrible. Hopefully I can work on something for that this Winter. Other than that, the Ti Muk 2 is ready to roll.

Look for more Bikes of 2022 soon!