Bikes Of 2019: Raleigh Tamland Two

That old stand-by- The Raleigh Tamland 2

Raleigh Tamland 2: Okay, the last day of 2019 and so we have to roll out a classic of the blog here- The Raleigh Tamland 2.

You readers have seen this bike for years, and really, if I had to pick a "Bike Of The Decade", the Raleigh Tamland 2 from the first run of this bike would be it. To recap, let's briefly run over the history one more time, for old time's sake. (It is New Year's Eve, after all!)

So, I was at the now defunct shop where I used to work. It was a busy day and a phone call comes in for me. It was Raleigh, and they had set up a conference call with their R&D, engineers, and marketing folk. They asked me to tell them what I would do if I had free reign to design a gravel bike. Their only caveat was that "it has to be sell-able".

Keeping in mind, this was 2012. There were no gravel bikes. (Well, there was the Warbird, but it had just come out, and I wasn't impressed, much to the chagrin of certain Salsa Cycles folks.) Disc brakes weren't a slam dunk.....yet. Carbon fiber was coming, but it would be too expensive and too far outside of what the gravel riders then wanted. So, it was a steel frame then, steel fork, (because no one was making a very smooth feeling carbon fork for gravel in 2012), and yes- disc brakes. The Raleigh folks were like, "Are you sure?", and I told them to just wait- it was coming.

I asked for rack and fender mounts, a lower bottom bracket, a slacker head tube angle, a longer offset fork, room for big 700c tires (43mm w/fenders) and a braze on chain hanger. Why not? It was a fantasy at that time, and I had no idea if any of it would ever come true. Fast forward to 2013 Interbike. I was aware that Raleigh had come out with the Tamland series. I walked into the show and saw the Tamland as then head of Raleigh's marketing, Brian Fournes told me that Raleigh utilized every one of my suggestions! The geometry, the disc brakes, even the chain hangar! 

The current state of the Tamland 2

 I was floored, slightly embarrassed, and very worried that the bike would be a flop. It was definitely not a flop. The 2014 Tamland sold out, Raleigh subsequently ran the same color scheme for 2015, and the model is still being produced to this day, although Raleigh is not the company it once was.

If I screwed up here it was that I did not have the foresight to spec through axles. Flat mount brakes weren't even on anyone's radar yet in 2012, but through axles were, although we were a couple of years away from seeing that on gravel bikes. But that said, I am proud that the Tamland came out the way it did and that it is one of the modern day classics of gravel bikes. As I've said many times, I'll likely never have this much influence over a design of a bicycle again- unless I weld it up! 

The years have passed and I have had several adventures on this bike. Six seasons of riding have left their scars and six years of parts swaps have left little of the original Tamland 2 but the frame, crank set, and the rear derailleur. I keep threatening to park this thing and not ride it anymore, but it is just too good.

Many people have asked me if Raleigh gave me a Tamland 2, or if they compensated me in any way for the consultation. They did not do anything for me. I bought my Tamland 2 from Europa Cycle & Ski, (now out of business) and paid employee discount for it. (Perk of working at the shop at the time) So, I have no ties to it that way. All I have is the knowledge that I have had an influence on the design.

The future for this bike? Well, things will change on it, more than likely. The drive train needs updating, that's one thing that will likely happen. I still have the original fork for it, but this Fyxation one is actually a better fork, in my opinion. I may get it re-powder coated. Who knows! I'm sure I'll be putting more miles on it in the future though.

With this post I bring to a close my "Bikes of 2019" series. Happy New Year!

Bikes Of 2019: Raleigh Tamland Two

That old stand-by- The Raleigh Tamland 2

Raleigh Tamland 2: Okay, the last day of 2019 and so we have to roll out a classic of the blog here- The Raleigh Tamland 2.

You readers have seen this bike for years, and really, if I had to pick a "Bike Of The Decade", the Raleigh Tamland 2 from the first run of this bike would be it. To recap, let's briefly run over the history one more time, for old time's sake. (It is New Year's Eve, after all!)

So, I was at the now defunct shop where I used to work. It was a busy day and a phone call comes in for me. It was Raleigh, and they had set up a conference call with their R&D, engineers, and marketing folk. They asked me to tell them what I would do if I had free reign to design a gravel bike. Their only caveat was that "it has to be sell-able".

Keeping in mind, this was 2012. There were no gravel bikes. (Well, there was the Warbird, but it had just come out, and I wasn't impressed, much to the chagrin of certain Salsa Cycles folks.) Disc brakes weren't a slam dunk.....yet. Carbon fiber was coming, but it would be too expensive and too far outside of what the gravel riders then wanted. So, it was a steel frame then, steel fork, (because no one was making a very smooth feeling carbon fork for gravel in 2012), and yes- disc brakes. The Raleigh folks were like, "Are you sure?", and I told them to just wait- it was coming.

I asked for rack and fender mounts, a lower bottom bracket, a slacker head tube angle, a longer offset fork, room for big 700c tires (43mm w/fenders) and a braze on chain hanger. Why not? It was a fantasy at that time, and I had no idea if any of it would ever come true. Fast forward to 2013 Interbike. I was aware that Raleigh had come out with the Tamland series. I walked into the show and saw the Tamland as then head of Raleigh's marketing, Brian Fournes told me that Raleigh utilized every one of my suggestions! The geometry, the disc brakes, even the chain hangar! 

The current state of the Tamland 2

 I was floored, slightly embarrassed, and very worried that the bike would be a flop. It was definitely not a flop. The 2014 Tamland sold out, Raleigh subsequently ran the same color scheme for 2015, and the model is still being produced to this day, although Raleigh is not the company it once was.

If I screwed up here it was that I did not have the foresight to spec through axles. Flat mount brakes weren't even on anyone's radar yet in 2012, but through axles were, although we were a couple of years away from seeing that on gravel bikes. But that said, I am proud that the Tamland came out the way it did and that it is one of the modern day classics of gravel bikes. As I've said many times, I'll likely never have this much influence over a design of a bicycle again- unless I weld it up! 

The years have passed and I have had several adventures on this bike. Six seasons of riding have left their scars and six years of parts swaps have left little of the original Tamland 2 but the frame, crank set, and the rear derailleur. I keep threatening to park this thing and not ride it anymore, but it is just too good.

Many people have asked me if Raleigh gave me a Tamland 2, or if they compensated me in any way for the consultation. They did not do anything for me. I bought my Tamland 2 from Europa Cycle & Ski, (now out of business) and paid employee discount for it. (Perk of working at the shop at the time) So, I have no ties to it that way. All I have is the knowledge that I have had an influence on the design.

The future for this bike? Well, things will change on it, more than likely. The drive train needs updating, that's one thing that will likely happen. I still have the original fork for it, but this Fyxation one is actually a better fork, in my opinion. I may get it re-powder coated. Who knows! I'm sure I'll be putting more miles on it in the future though.

With this post I bring to a close my "Bikes of 2019" series. Happy New Year!

Bikes Of 2019: Noble Bikes GX5

As currently set up. A "test mule" for Riding Gravel

Nobel Bikes GX5: This will be an odd post for this series because this bike was a review bike for RidingGravel.com . It was a test/review bike sent at no charge, and I am under no obligation whatsoever to talk about this bike at all. So a bit of disclosure here to begin with:

Here is something not many folks that review stuff tell you- they end up with things companies don't take back, or do not want to take back. You can look at that however you want. I'm not completely sure how to explain it, and I've been doing this sort of thing since 2005.

What I can tell you is that most wear items, clothing, and accessories under, oh say $100.00, maybe more- don't go back. Some of this is obvious. What is a company going to do with a pair of socks after a reviewer has ridden in them several times? Same goes for shoes, jerseys.....you get the idea. It isn't new anymore and you don't want to wear clothes that someone else has sweat in. Well, typically..... Anywho.... Tires, bar tape, and things like that fall into this category as well. Bikes however; well, they usually almost always go back, always on the company's dime, as far as shipping goes.

Back to this bike. I offered to send it back. It was left here. So, instead of just leaving it to rot in a corner, I'm using it as a test sled for stuff for Riding Gravel. Currently it is set up with Shimano GRX 1X which is being reviewed for the site. The drive train and wheels are all GRX here. Shimano PRO covers the bars, seat post, and stem. The saddle is a WTB Volt.

I've ridden this bike a lot throughout 2019, and so it deserves to be on this list. It's a great bike, taking the "DNA" of the Raleigh Tamland and translating that to carbon fiber. It rides very smoothly for a carbon bike. The fork is nice, not a jackhammer, but not a noodle either. It isn't going to probably be the bike that folks coming from the roadie side think will be good on gravel, because those folks want to mimic the road geometry on gravel, which isn't optimal. The Noble Bikes GX5 avoided that trap, thankfully, and rides far better on gravel for it.

It's not a perfect bike by any stretch. It isn't mechanical front derailleur compatible, so this is a 1X only bike unless you go Di2 or AXS. The tire clearance is good, but it isn't what some bikes have now. It doesn't have a lot of extra bottle mounts. (Nothing on the fork) So, there are things it could have that its competition does have, but this is still a great gravel bike.

Plans for this bike in the future? Ride it as a test sled until the manufacturer wants it back, or....???  Stay tuned.... 

Note: Noble Bikes sent the GX5 for test and review to Riding Gravel at no charge. 

Bikes Of 2019: Noble Bikes GX5

As currently set up. A "test mule" for Riding Gravel

Nobel Bikes GX5: This will be an odd post for this series because this bike was a review bike for RidingGravel.com . It was a test/review bike sent at no charge, and I am under no obligation whatsoever to talk about this bike at all. So a bit of disclosure here to begin with:

Here is something not many folks that review stuff tell you- they end up with things companies don't take back, or do not want to take back. You can look at that however you want. I'm not completely sure how to explain it, and I've been doing this sort of thing since 2005.

What I can tell you is that most wear items, clothing, and accessories under, oh say $100.00, maybe more- don't go back. Some of this is obvious. What is a company going to do with a pair of socks after a reviewer has ridden in them several times? Same goes for shoes, jerseys.....you get the idea. It isn't new anymore and you don't want to wear clothes that someone else has sweat in. Well, typically..... Anywho.... Tires, bar tape, and things like that fall into this category as well. Bikes however; well, they usually almost always go back, always on the company's dime, as far as shipping goes.

Back to this bike. I offered to send it back. It was left here. So, instead of just leaving it to rot in a corner, I'm using it as a test sled for stuff for Riding Gravel. Currently it is set up with Shimano GRX 1X which is being reviewed for the site. The drive train and wheels are all GRX here. Shimano PRO covers the bars, seat post, and stem. The saddle is a WTB Volt.

I've ridden this bike a lot throughout 2019, and so it deserves to be on this list. It's a great bike, taking the "DNA" of the Raleigh Tamland and translating that to carbon fiber. It rides very smoothly for a carbon bike. The fork is nice, not a jackhammer, but not a noodle either. It isn't going to probably be the bike that folks coming from the roadie side think will be good on gravel, because those folks want to mimic the road geometry on gravel, which isn't optimal. The Noble Bikes GX5 avoided that trap, thankfully, and rides far better on gravel for it.

It's not a perfect bike by any stretch. It isn't mechanical front derailleur compatible, so this is a 1X only bike unless you go Di2 or AXS. The tire clearance is good, but it isn't what some bikes have now. It doesn't have a lot of extra bottle mounts. (Nothing on the fork) So, there are things it could have that its competition does have, but this is still a great gravel bike.

Plans for this bike in the future? Ride it as a test sled until the manufacturer wants it back, or....???  Stay tuned.... 

Note: Noble Bikes sent the GX5 for test and review to Riding Gravel at no charge. 

Bikes of 2019 - Black Mountain Cycles MCD

The BMC MCD, or as my daughter dubbed it- The Bubblegum Princess.

About Fall time in 2017, Mike Varley of Black Mountain Cycles let the cat out of the bag that he was signing off on the final design for a disc brake version of the popular "Monster Cross" model he has offered since 2011.

To say that I was stoked would be a mild understatement. See, I had often been considering getting another Monster Cross frame and fork, especially since Mike had gravitated toward a more "gravel friendly" geometry, added a new, fancy fork, and had offered some rad colors over the ensuing years since I had purchased my frame and fork, #49 in the run, by the way.

The thing was, Mike has doggedly held to cantilever brakes, and in 2017, well, it was painfully obvious that testing wheels for Riding Gravel was going to require that I had a disc compatible frame and fork. Not only that, but 12mm through axles were also beginning to overtake quick releases as the primary form of wheel attachment. Mike addressed both of my concerns with the MCD, (Monster Cross Disc).

When I saw his prototype bike he had built for himself, I was sold. However; when he announced a limited run of pink for the first offering, I contacted him immediately. "Put my name down for a pink one!", I wasn't about to wait for pre-orders to open. I definitely wanted one of these.

I've used this for gravel events and for RidingGravel.com testing purposes since I got it built up during the Summer of 2018. The mainstays of the original build are all there, but wheels and tires change with some regularity. I won't get into the current build, that is mostly Shimano Ultegra/Whisky carbon, and TRP brakes, but I will list a few future upgrades this bike will be seeing.

• Chris King bottom bracket. Hopefully in purple!
• A purple seat collar. 
• Shimano GRX rear derailleur in 11 speed. 
• A little longer front through axle. The PMW one I have doesn't engage all the threads in the fork. That bugs me. 
• Maybe- GRX levers, front derailleur, and crank set. (Not necessary, but GRX stuff is very good)

Yeah, this bike is pretty much spot on. I would dump the bottom bracket a few more millimeters, if I had my say, but this works so well with 650B X 47mm tires that, well.....maybe leave it as is. Look for this to show up at gravel rides next year. This or the next bike on the "Bikes of 2019" list. Stay tuned.......

Bikes of 2019 - Black Mountain Cycles MCD

The BMC MCD, or as my daughter dubbed it- The Bubblegum Princess.

About Fall time in 2017, Mike Varley of Black Mountain Cycles let the cat out of the bag that he was signing off on the final design for a disc brake version of the popular "Monster Cross" model he has offered since 2011.

To say that I was stoked would be a mild understatement. See, I had often been considering getting another Monster Cross frame and fork, especially since Mike had gravitated toward a more "gravel friendly" geometry, added a new, fancy fork, and had offered some rad colors over the ensuing years since I had purchased my frame and fork, #49 in the run, by the way.

The thing was, Mike has doggedly held to cantilever brakes, and in 2017, well, it was painfully obvious that testing wheels for Riding Gravel was going to require that I had a disc compatible frame and fork. Not only that, but 12mm through axles were also beginning to overtake quick releases as the primary form of wheel attachment. Mike addressed both of my concerns with the MCD, (Monster Cross Disc).

When I saw his prototype bike he had built for himself, I was sold. However; when he announced a limited run of pink for the first offering, I contacted him immediately. "Put my name down for a pink one!", I wasn't about to wait for pre-orders to open. I definitely wanted one of these.

I've used this for gravel events and for RidingGravel.com testing purposes since I got it built up during the Summer of 2018. The mainstays of the original build are all there, but wheels and tires change with some regularity. I won't get into the current build, that is mostly Shimano Ultegra/Whisky carbon, and TRP brakes, but I will list a few future upgrades this bike will be seeing.

• Chris King bottom bracket. Hopefully in purple!
• A purple seat collar. 
• Shimano GRX rear derailleur in 11 speed. 
• A little longer front through axle. The PMW one I have doesn't engage all the threads in the fork. That bugs me. 
• Maybe- GRX levers, front derailleur, and crank set. (Not necessary, but GRX stuff is very good)

Yeah, this bike is pretty much spot on. I would dump the bottom bracket a few more millimeters, if I had my say, but this works so well with 650B X 47mm tires that, well.....maybe leave it as is. Look for this to show up at gravel rides next year. This or the next bike on the "Bikes of 2019" list. Stay tuned.......

Bikes Of 2019 - Ti Muk 2

Salsa Cycles Ti Mukluk, or "Ti Muk 2", as I call it.

This bike makes its first appearance on the "Bikes of....." list as I just received it this past Spring. This bike has a very special story attached to it.

So, as most of you long time readers may remember, I have had a titanium fat bike, the original "Ti Muk", since about December 2011. I rode that bike on all sorts of adventures, fat bike races, gravel rides, slogging through mud in the Green Belt, and more.

And you longtime readers may also recall that I had mentioned that, in my opinion, the Rohloff internal geared hub on a Ti Muk might be the perfect fat bike. Of course, the getting of a Rohloff hub, shifter, lacing it into a wheel, and all would easily eclipse the 2G level, and I was not prepared to make that kind of an investment into my Ti Muk. Not only was the money a barrier, but since Salsa Cycles ill-advisedly stuck to a straight 1 1/8th steer tube format for the first titanium Mukluks, my bike was essentially out of date. I was pretty much stuck with rear brake format, 135mm spaced, straight steer tube front forks. And if you keep up with fat bikes, you know those forks are rare. So, upgrading an off-the back standard titanium frame seemed rather ill advised. I would need the second gen Ti Muk, or equivalent, and that needed to be single speed compatible. Again, not a common frame. Oh......and Rohloff only does 170mm spaced rear hubs. Not the 190mm rear, and its through-axle variants, as is most common today in fat bikes.

For a while I thought about getting the new Pugsley, with its updated geometry, and wider tire clearances. However, I didn't really need the offset wheel thing, and I am not sure Rohloff advises one do that with their hub. Also, while steel is okay, in my neck-o-the woods, titanium is best for dealing with corrosive environments as we have with city streets and the chemicals that are used in Winter to treat the roads here.

The recent addition of a Mucky Nutz fender to the seat tube has worked to perfection.

Well, it was all on the back-burner for me for those reasons until this past March when my friend Sam had decided to part ways with his Rohloff equipped 2015 Ti Mukluk.

The backstory on this bike I am familiar with. The bike started out life as a frame/fork which former Milltown Cycles owner Ben Witt purchased. (He may have been with Salsa Cycles by this time, I cannot remember.) At any rate, I stayed with Ben at his home for the 2017 Fargo Reunion Ride, where I saw this frame built with a Rohloff hub, Whiskey 70mm rear carbon rim, and nothing more. Ben said it was a project that he was probably going to sell off. I was quite tempted at the time, but going into Winter is the worst time for me traditionally to buy big bike purchases. So, with prudence in mind, I passed. Sam was the eventual buyer of the bike. He finished out the build.

Sam, being a huge fan of dynamo hubs, got the Schmidt SON 150mm disc front hub, and had it laced to a Whiskey carbon 70mm rim I had procured for him at a fantastic deal, since it was a replaced rim due to cosmetic damage. So, my story was loosely wrapped up into this bike from the get-go. But it got completely entangled in a way I had not foreseen.

On Sam's Facebook page advertising the sale of this bike, I stated that "....someone should get this as it is the perfect fat bike build!" That caught the notice of MG. Later, he asked me in the midst of a text dealing with a bunch of other stuff if I really thought that Sam's bike was the perfect fat bike. I answered that, for me, yes- it was. We moved on, and I forgot all about Sam's bike and MG's question.

Some weeks later, MG got a hold of me to let me know that he had raised some crazy amount of cash through pledges he drummed up to contribute to a "fat bike fund" for me. Wow! I am still blown away by this gesture that 21 people contributed to, which defrayed the costs to me to a mere pittance for this bike. Thank you could never say enough! So, yeah......wow. 

Obviously this is a very special bike to me. While it may not reflect the "perfect fat bike" for many, I cannot think of any major changes I would make to this bike. I have made a few additions, and they include accessories, for the most part.

• Mucky Nutz fenders- One under the fork crown, the other behind the seat tube.
• Modified Dave Grey Mud Shovel rear fender.
• Salsa Cycles Alternator Rack 
• New Schmidt rear dynamo light and wiring mods.
• Bike Bag Dude frame bag, Garage Top Tube Bag, and Chaff Bags in purple, (originally meant for the Ti Muk 1)
• Terrene Cake Eater 26 X 4.0 stud-able tires
• Temporary "top secret seat post" with WTB Volt saddle.
• Pogie Lite handle bar pogies by BikeIowa.com

Plans are to run this rig most of the time through Winter and for appropriate adventures, which will hopefully include some Sub-24 bikepacking and gravel next year.

Once again- My sincere, heartfelt thanks to those who made my getting this bike a reality, including my brothers MG and Sam who I love dearly.

Bikes Of 2019 - Ti Muk 2

Salsa Cycles Ti Mukluk, or "Ti Muk 2", as I call it.

This bike makes its first appearance on the "Bikes of....." list as I just received it this past Spring. This bike has a very special story attached to it.

So, as most of you long time readers may remember, I have had a titanium fat bike, the original "Ti Muk", since about December 2011. I rode that bike on all sorts of adventures, fat bike races, gravel rides, slogging through mud in the Green Belt, and more.

And you longtime readers may also recall that I had mentioned that, in my opinion, the Rohloff internal geared hub on a Ti Muk might be the perfect fat bike. Of course, the getting of a Rohloff hub, shifter, lacing it into a wheel, and all would easily eclipse the 2G level, and I was not prepared to make that kind of an investment into my Ti Muk. Not only was the money a barrier, but since Salsa Cycles ill-advisedly stuck to a straight 1 1/8th steer tube format for the first titanium Mukluks, my bike was essentially out of date. I was pretty much stuck with rear brake format, 135mm spaced, straight steer tube front forks. And if you keep up with fat bikes, you know those forks are rare. So, upgrading an off-the back standard titanium frame seemed rather ill advised. I would need the second gen Ti Muk, or equivalent, and that needed to be single speed compatible. Again, not a common frame. Oh......and Rohloff only does 170mm spaced rear hubs. Not the 190mm rear, and its through-axle variants, as is most common today in fat bikes.

For a while I thought about getting the new Pugsley, with its updated geometry, and wider tire clearances. However, I didn't really need the offset wheel thing, and I am not sure Rohloff advises one do that with their hub. Also, while steel is okay, in my neck-o-the woods, titanium is best for dealing with corrosive environments as we have with city streets and the chemicals that are used in Winter to treat the roads here.

The recent addition of a Mucky Nutz fender to the seat tube has worked to perfection.

Well, it was all on the back-burner for me for those reasons until this past March when my friend Sam had decided to part ways with his Rohloff equipped 2015 Ti Mukluk.

The backstory on this bike I am familiar with. The bike started out life as a frame/fork which former Milltown Cycles owner Ben Witt purchased. (He may have been with Salsa Cycles by this time, I cannot remember.) At any rate, I stayed with Ben at his home for the 2017 Fargo Reunion Ride, where I saw this frame built with a Rohloff hub, Whiskey 70mm rear carbon rim, and nothing more. Ben said it was a project that he was probably going to sell off. I was quite tempted at the time, but going into Winter is the worst time for me traditionally to buy big bike purchases. So, with prudence in mind, I passed. Sam was the eventual buyer of the bike. He finished out the build.

Sam, being a huge fan of dynamo hubs, got the Schmidt SON 150mm disc front hub, and had it laced to a Whiskey carbon 70mm rim I had procured for him at a fantastic deal, since it was a replaced rim due to cosmetic damage. So, my story was loosely wrapped up into this bike from the get-go. But it got completely entangled in a way I had not foreseen.

On Sam's Facebook page advertising the sale of this bike, I stated that "....someone should get this as it is the perfect fat bike build!" That caught the notice of MG. Later, he asked me in the midst of a text dealing with a bunch of other stuff if I really thought that Sam's bike was the perfect fat bike. I answered that, for me, yes- it was. We moved on, and I forgot all about Sam's bike and MG's question.

Some weeks later, MG got a hold of me to let me know that he had raised some crazy amount of cash through pledges he drummed up to contribute to a "fat bike fund" for me. Wow! I am still blown away by this gesture that 21 people contributed to, which defrayed the costs to me to a mere pittance for this bike. Thank you could never say enough! So, yeah......wow. 

Obviously this is a very special bike to me. While it may not reflect the "perfect fat bike" for many, I cannot think of any major changes I would make to this bike. I have made a few additions, and they include accessories, for the most part.

• Mucky Nutz fenders- One under the fork crown, the other behind the seat tube.
• Modified Dave Grey Mud Shovel rear fender.
• Salsa Cycles Alternator Rack 
• New Schmidt rear dynamo light and wiring mods.
• Bike Bag Dude frame bag, Garage Top Tube Bag, and Chaff Bags in purple, (originally meant for the Ti Muk 1)
• Terrene Cake Eater 26 X 4.0 stud-able tires
• Temporary "top secret seat post" with WTB Volt saddle.
• Pogie Lite handle bar pogies by BikeIowa.com

Plans are to run this rig most of the time through Winter and for appropriate adventures, which will hopefully include some Sub-24 bikepacking and gravel next year.

Once again- My sincere, heartfelt thanks to those who made my getting this bike a reality, including my brothers MG and Sam who I love dearly.

Bikes Of 2019: Black Mountain Cycles Monster Cross

The "Orange Crush" went single in 2019.

Most of you readers that have been around a while know all about my orange Black Mountain Cycles "Monster Cross" bike that I have had sine, what? 2011? Wow! That's been a long time, right? So, for many years you readers have known this bike as a geared rig with a 2X9 drive train. Back in 2011, that made sense to have. Now? Not so much, as 9speed stuff is getting pushed away more. Good cassettes, good chain rings, and all that will become hard to get a hold of. I contemplated going to 11 speeds with this bike, but that would have required a new wheel set and with rim brakes, well, I wasn't too awful stoked about doing all of that.

What many of you readers may not realize is that the original set up for this bike was single speed. It didn't remain that way for long, but I thought, hey! Why not? I had the stuff on hand, so I took an afternoon in December of 2018 and converted the bike to SS mode.

The list goes like this:

• Crankset- 180mm 110 BCD Sakae from an early 80's Specialized sequoia touring bike.
• Chain ring- 40T "no-name" steel ring, likely from an old 7 or 8 speed triple. 
• Cog- 16T Boone Titanium with matching single speed cassette spacers. 
• Bottom bracket - Old 90's era UN-52 Shimano cartridge style. Square taper natch! 

Everything else remained the same. And.......the ride? Well, with those long cranks it is different. I had to lower my saddle a bit, which was good, because these first run Monster Cross bikes had pretty high bottom brackets. Otherwise, it is the ol' Orange Crush. I do forget at times that the levers don't do anything and I have no gears to select though!

I have had an idea running for several years now to get out and do a single speed century. When I do, it will be on this bike. I added a Wolf Tooth B-Rad rack adapter which allows me to squeeze in an extra water bottle, and where I have that pack mounted may become another mount. A nice Lezyne side loader cage should make that possible. Then I'd have 4 bottles on board. Plenty to get quite a ways down the road.

I recently added some fender "skirt" extenders....flaps? Not sure what the rando guys call those, but this will make the Orange Crush a lot better in sloppy, wet, and rainy conditions, which is partially why I went single speed with this old rig. It'll be the Winter hack, mucky roads choice when those situations arise.

Stay tuned next week for the next "Bikes of 2019" post.

Bikes Of 2019: Black Mountain Cycles Monster Cross

The "Orange Crush" went single in 2019.

Most of you readers that have been around a while know all about my orange Black Mountain Cycles "Monster Cross" bike that I have had sine, what? 2011? Wow! That's been a long time, right? So, for many years you readers have known this bike as a geared rig with a 2X9 drive train. Back in 2011, that made sense to have. Now? Not so much, as 9speed stuff is getting pushed away more. Good cassettes, good chain rings, and all that will become hard to get a hold of. I contemplated going to 11 speeds with this bike, but that would have required a new wheel set and with rim brakes, well, I wasn't too awful stoked about doing all of that.

What many of you readers may not realize is that the original set up for this bike was single speed. It didn't remain that way for long, but I thought, hey! Why not? I had the stuff on hand, so I took an afternoon in December of 2018 and converted the bike to SS mode.

The list goes like this:

• Crankset- 180mm 110 BCD Sakae from an early 80's Specialized sequoia touring bike.
• Chain ring- 40T "no-name" steel ring, likely from an old 7 or 8 speed triple. 
• Cog- 16T Boone Titanium with matching single speed cassette spacers. 
• Bottom bracket - Old 90's era UN-52 Shimano cartridge style. Square taper natch! 

Everything else remained the same. And.......the ride? Well, with those long cranks it is different. I had to lower my saddle a bit, which was good, because these first run Monster Cross bikes had pretty high bottom brackets. Otherwise, it is the ol' Orange Crush. I do forget at times that the levers don't do anything and I have no gears to select though!

I have had an idea running for several years now to get out and do a single speed century. When I do, it will be on this bike. I added a Wolf Tooth B-Rad rack adapter which allows me to squeeze in an extra water bottle, and where I have that pack mounted may become another mount. A nice Lezyne side loader cage should make that possible. Then I'd have 4 bottles on board. Plenty to get quite a ways down the road.

I recently added some fender "skirt" extenders....flaps? Not sure what the rando guys call those, but this will make the Orange Crush a lot better in sloppy, wet, and rainy conditions, which is partially why I went single speed with this old rig. It'll be the Winter hack, mucky roads choice when those situations arise.

Stay tuned next week for the next "Bikes of 2019" post.