Bikes Of 2021: Twin Six Standard Rando v2

Earlier 2021 version of the T-6 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 2021. 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 is my newest bicycle in the stable here. I purchased this in the Summer of 2020, so it is my 'pandemic bike', I guess. But be that as it may, this one also does a lot of RidingGravel.com review work, so once again- Standard Disclaimer.  

Okay, so this single speed has seen the most changes of any of the bikes here this year. From 650B wheels and tires and a mustache bar to 700c wheels and tires and a drop bar, the Standard Rando v2 has been a joy to ride and with the Redshift ShockStop stem, even that beefy, over-built front carbon fork is no big deal anymore. 

Drop bars, 700c wheels

 If you ask me, (and you probably wouldn't, but I'm telling you anyway!), I like the 700c better and the drop bars are better too. So, don't expect to see the Standard Rando set up the way it was this Spring here again. That said, for Winter/early Spring, I may go back to the 650B wheels as they seem to track better in poor conditions and softer terrain. 

I recently added an under-the-downtube water bottle cage for better self-sufficiency. I did not have to stop at all at a convenience store on my Turkey Burn ride, as an example. I like that, especially with regard to this pandemic deal. So, while some may eschew all the bottles due to 'the look' or because of 'aero' concerns, I don't care. Self-sufficiency trumps all of that for me. If I can pack it on me or the bike, I will do that first. 

Changes? Probably only review items from this point. I really like it single speed. I'd be hard pressed to go geared with this bike, although I'd likely love it that way also. So, for now, what you see is what you will get to see. Besides a pipe dream I have of getting single speed specific through axle disc hubs for this, and maybe a new crank set- that carbon one is getting pretty janky looking, I just don't see any big changes anytime soon. 

That's a wrap on the Bikes of 2021. Thanks for reading these entries!

Bikes Of 2021: Twin Six Standard Rando v2

Earlier 2021 version of the T-6 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 2021. 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 is my newest bicycle in the stable here. I purchased this in the Summer of 2020, so it is my 'pandemic bike', I guess. But be that as it may, this one also does a lot of RidingGravel.com review work, so once again- Standard Disclaimer.  

Okay, so this single speed has seen the most changes of any of the bikes here this year. From 650B wheels and tires and a mustache bar to 700c wheels and tires and a drop bar, the Standard Rando v2 has been a joy to ride and with the Redshift ShockStop stem, even that beefy, over-built front carbon fork is no big deal anymore. 

Drop bars, 700c wheels

 If you ask me, (and you probably wouldn't, but I'm telling you anyway!), I like the 700c better and the drop bars are better too. So, don't expect to see the Standard Rando set up the way it was this Spring here again. That said, for Winter/early Spring, I may go back to the 650B wheels as they seem to track better in poor conditions and softer terrain. 

I recently added an under-the-downtube water bottle cage for better self-sufficiency. I did not have to stop at all at a convenience store on my Turkey Burn ride, as an example. I like that, especially with regard to this pandemic deal. So, while some may eschew all the bottles due to 'the look' or because of 'aero' concerns, I don't care. Self-sufficiency trumps all of that for me. If I can pack it on me or the bike, I will do that first. 

Changes? Probably only review items from this point. I really like it single speed. I'd be hard pressed to go geared with this bike, although I'd likely love it that way also. So, for now, what you see is what you will get to see. Besides a pipe dream I have of getting single speed specific through axle disc hubs for this, and maybe a new crank set- that carbon one is getting pretty janky looking, I just don't see any big changes anytime soon. 

That's a wrap on the Bikes of 2021. Thanks for reading these entries!

Bikes Of 2021: Black Mountain Cycles MCD

The Black Mountain Cycles MCD set up for Gravel Worlds.

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

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

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

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

Testing bottles and cages here during the Summer of 2021.

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

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

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

Next: The Standard Rando v2

Bikes Of 2021: Black Mountain Cycles MCD

The Black Mountain Cycles MCD set up for Gravel Worlds.

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

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

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

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

Testing bottles and cages here during the Summer of 2021.

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

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

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

Next: The Standard Rando v2

Bikes Of 2021: 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 2021. You'll get a brief overview, any changes made, and what the future has in store for each bike listed. Enjoy!

The Noble GX5 is a bike many of you know well. It was a review bike at one point for RidingGravel.com, so the Standard Disclaimer must be pointed out in regard to it still being here, and of course, many of the parts are under that disclaimer as well since this is a test sled for Riding Gravel. 

So, since this bike gets the lions share of duties for my gig reviewing stuff, I ride it a fair amount. It also has a fair amount of components rotating in and out of service on it. There isn't much left here which is original equipment from Noble! 

I think I have to point to my "Tour of Black Hawk County" as being my number one most memorable ride on this bike so far. That was a ride I had been building up to for many weeks and I had made a few important tweaks to the bike to accommodate that ride and which helped make it successful.

I didn't take many images of the bike on my Tour of Black Hawk County, but the GX5 was an important part of my success that day.

Of course, there will be lots of changes, most likely, to this bike going forward. I'm not sure how long this rig will last- it being carbon fiber and all- so I am always keeping an eye out for a possible successor in metal to replace it with. That said, I am in no hurry to retire this bike. It represents current gravel bike themes very well, and it is not 'outdated' by any means. Until that happens, or until I finally get that dream bike in titanium, I think this one will do quite nicely for the time being. 

Next: The pink BMC

Bikes Of 2021: 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 2021. You'll get a brief overview, any changes made, and what the future has in store for each bike listed. Enjoy!

The Noble GX5 is a bike many of you know well. It was a review bike at one point for RidingGravel.com, so the Standard Disclaimer must be pointed out in regard to it still being here, and of course, many of the parts are under that disclaimer as well since this is a test sled for Riding Gravel. 

So, since this bike gets the lions share of duties for my gig reviewing stuff, I ride it a fair amount. It also has a fair amount of components rotating in and out of service on it. There isn't much left here which is original equipment from Noble! 

I think I have to point to my "Tour of Black Hawk County" as being my number one most memorable ride on this bike so far. That was a ride I had been building up to for many weeks and I had made a few important tweaks to the bike to accommodate that ride and which helped make it successful.

I didn't take many images of the bike on my Tour of Black Hawk County, but the GX5 was an important part of my success that day.

Of course, there will be lots of changes, most likely, to this bike going forward. I'm not sure how long this rig will last- it being carbon fiber and all- so I am always keeping an eye out for a possible successor in metal to replace it with. That said, I am in no hurry to retire this bike. It represents current gravel bike themes very well, and it is not 'outdated' by any means. Until that happens, or until I finally get that dream bike in titanium, I think this one will do quite nicely for the time being. 

Next: The pink BMC

Bikes Of 2021: The 'Other Townie'

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

This old bike is my 'other townie' rig which, as you can see, is a hauler more than the first one is. Regular long-time readers of the blog will recognize this bike as the old Schwinn High Sierra from about 1988 or so when the roller cam brake was popular.

This old rig had sat out in the garage too long and the Brooks Pro saddle got pretty dried up and water damaged. I managed to bring it back to life with a good slathering, both topside and bottom, of Brook's Proofide. A little cleaning and a tune up later I was back on the road with this old rig. 

What is ironic about this bike is that the wheels I am using on it came off that old Mongoose MTB I turned into a touring bike and was the bike I rode and is featured in the "Touring Series" posts, (link under the header). Wheels deemed 'too weak' by one of my mentors in the cycling world. Well, this is one of those deals where you might say. "Look at me now, why don'tcha?!" 

I've got a few niggles to work out with this bike. The fenders rattle against the tires too much, so they have to be removed or changed out to wider fenders, if possible. I have a front brake boss which is out of round ( I think) and needs attention, but the tools specific for roller cam brake bosses are rare and I don't have any of that stuff. 

Otherwise this is about as good as it gets for urban rambling. 

Next: A pair of gravel bikes. Gotta go to two-a-days to get these all in!

Bikes Of 2021: The 'Other Townie'

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

This old bike is my 'other townie' rig which, as you can see, is a hauler more than the first one is. Regular long-time readers of the blog will recognize this bike as the old Schwinn High Sierra from about 1988 or so when the roller cam brake was popular.

This old rig had sat out in the garage too long and the Brooks Pro saddle got pretty dried up and water damaged. I managed to bring it back to life with a good slathering, both topside and bottom, of Brook's Proofide. A little cleaning and a tune up later I was back on the road with this old rig. 

What is ironic about this bike is that the wheels I am using on it came off that old Mongoose MTB I turned into a touring bike and was the bike I rode and is featured in the "Touring Series" posts, (link under the header). Wheels deemed 'too weak' by one of my mentors in the cycling world. Well, this is one of those deals where you might say. "Look at me now, why don'tcha?!" 

I've got a few niggles to work out with this bike. The fenders rattle against the tires too much, so they have to be removed or changed out to wider fenders, if possible. I have a front brake boss which is out of round ( I think) and needs attention, but the tools specific for roller cam brake bosses are rare and I don't have any of that stuff. 

Otherwise this is about as good as it gets for urban rambling. 

Next: A pair of gravel bikes. Gotta go to two-a-days to get these all in!

Bikes Of 2021: The Townie Project

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

Last January I pulled the old Trek road bike I had hanging from a hook for many years down and started to transform/restore/maintenance it into a 'townie' bike I would use for errand running. The bike formerly had a short life as a "Gravel Mutt" when I tried it out as a beater gravel bike. While the tire clearances were not the greatest, the thing that really was not much fun was that Trek- for whatever reasons back in the late 70's when this bike was made- decided a shallow bottom bracket drop was the way to go. Honestly, this thing feels like a cross bike. It's kind of ridiculous. 

So, I stripped off all the dangly bits and went to the simplest form of bike- a single speed. The wheels which this bike had were not really what I had in mind and I came up with another plan when I rediscovered these NOS Salsa Delgado Cross rims in the Lab hanging from another hook down there. These were paired with some OG Dura Ace hubs, which were from the days of thread-on freewheels, and so that lent itself perfectly to the single speed idea. 

Things went smoothly and I ended up with a much more useful (to me) bicycle. I still am not a big fan of the long, flat tiller of a stem and the handle bars, being older flared drops, are not my cup of tea either. All that will probably get sorted at some point, but the bike works and I do use it fairly often. So, it is a success story from the standpoint that most of the time I've owned this bike it has hung from a hook. That's not ideal.

Next: The "Other Townie"

Bikes Of 2021: The Townie Project

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

Last January I pulled the old Trek road bike I had hanging from a hook for many years down and started to transform/restore/maintenance it into a 'townie' bike I would use for errand running. The bike formerly had a short life as a "Gravel Mutt" when I tried it out as a beater gravel bike. While the tire clearances were not the greatest, the thing that really was not much fun was that Trek- for whatever reasons back in the late 70's when this bike was made- decided a shallow bottom bracket drop was the way to go. Honestly, this thing feels like a cross bike. It's kind of ridiculous. 

So, I stripped off all the dangly bits and went to the simplest form of bike- a single speed. The wheels which this bike had were not really what I had in mind and I came up with another plan when I rediscovered these NOS Salsa Delgado Cross rims in the Lab hanging from another hook down there. These were paired with some OG Dura Ace hubs, which were from the days of thread-on freewheels, and so that lent itself perfectly to the single speed idea. 

Things went smoothly and I ended up with a much more useful (to me) bicycle. I still am not a big fan of the long, flat tiller of a stem and the handle bars, being older flared drops, are not my cup of tea either. All that will probably get sorted at some point, but the bike works and I do use it fairly often. So, it is a success story from the standpoint that most of the time I've owned this bike it has hung from a hook. That's not ideal.

Next: The "Other Townie"

Bikes Of 2021: Ti Muk 2

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

Now here is a bike that I do use quite a bit and I probably won't ever be getting rid of it. It is a 2015 model Titanium Mukluk with a Rohloff 14 speed internal geared hub. To my way of thinking, it is about as good a fat bike as I'll ever need, plus it handles okay as a trail bike also. 

I use this bike a lot for Winter commutes and as a Winter trail bike, but I do use it in Summer occasionally on dirt and I have also done gravel rides with it. I fully expect to use it in all of those capacities going forward as well.

I did make a change to this bike in 2021. I wasn't taking to the Carbon Jones Bar like I thought I might. That 45° bend to the extensions is a wee much for me. Then this past Summer a post by Mike Curiak concerning one of his bikes caught my attention. In that post he showed some Pro Taper carbon bars which had a decent amount of sweep but not a crazy amount like the Jones bar. So, I ordered up some for the Ti Muk 2.

This is working out much better than the old Jones Bars did for me.

I have to admit that these handle bars have worked out very well. (So, yes, I have some Jones Carbon H Bars for sale too) The 20° of backsweep is a lot nicer on my hands and the 720mm width is wide enough! I will likely be getting some cork grips at some point for these, but otherwise I am set on things to change on the Ti Muk for now. 

Someday.....maybe....I will pop for a carbon fork for this bike. It would probably be a Salsa Kingpin with the Anything Cage mounts, but we will see. They don't exactly give those away. I do like that that fork has internal dynamo routing though. That would be nice since I have a dynamo hub on the Ti Muk 2. 

Next: The Townie Project

Bikes Of 2021: Ti Muk 2

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

Now here is a bike that I do use quite a bit and I probably won't ever be getting rid of it. It is a 2015 model Titanium Mukluk with a Rohloff 14 speed internal geared hub. To my way of thinking, it is about as good a fat bike as I'll ever need, plus it handles okay as a trail bike also. 

I use this bike a lot for Winter commutes and as a Winter trail bike, but I do use it in Summer occasionally on dirt and I have also done gravel rides with it. I fully expect to use it in all of those capacities going forward as well.

I did make a change to this bike in 2021. I wasn't taking to the Carbon Jones Bar like I thought I might. That 45° bend to the extensions is a wee much for me. Then this past Summer a post by Mike Curiak concerning one of his bikes caught my attention. In that post he showed some Pro Taper carbon bars which had a decent amount of sweep but not a crazy amount like the Jones bar. So, I ordered up some for the Ti Muk 2.

This is working out much better than the old Jones Bars did for me.

I have to admit that these handle bars have worked out very well. (So, yes, I have some Jones Carbon H Bars for sale too) The 20° of backsweep is a lot nicer on my hands and the 720mm width is wide enough! I will likely be getting some cork grips at some point for these, but otherwise I am set on things to change on the Ti Muk for now. 

Someday.....maybe....I will pop for a carbon fork for this bike. It would probably be a Salsa Kingpin with the Anything Cage mounts, but we will see. They don't exactly give those away. I do like that that fork has internal dynamo routing though. That would be nice since I have a dynamo hub on the Ti Muk 2. 

Next: The Townie Project

Bikes Of 2021: Blackborow DS

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

I figured it would make sense to start out with bikes I was using most at the beginning of the year and then work my way up to the present. So, with that in mind I bring to you today the Blackborow DS. The bike from the first generation of the Blackborow line, which is now defunct in any form. This model is from the first year, 2014, and is representative of one of the only bikes you can get which will accept over 5" Vee Rubber fat bike tires on 100mm rims. 

My Blackborow is the "DS", or 'Dinglespeed' version, which is a parallel single speed drive train. The chain length is the same, but in one set up you have a faster result and in the other, a slower, crawler gear. Changing gears requires the rear wheel to be dropped and the chain to be manually moved over. It's not as painful as it sounds, by the way. 

Anyway, this bike is stock but for the pedals and handle bar/grips. Everything is the same, otherwise, as the day I bought this bike. The bike was nearly perfect out of the gate for me. 

The future for this bike is probably going to be with someone else. That is, if you want to buy it. It's for sale. (Give me a shout if you are interested) I just do not use this bike enough to keep it around. Plus, I have two other fat bikes I am not going to get rid of, and having three is just silly. But if I don't sell it, well that's not a big deal. 

Next up will be one of my other fat bikes, the Ti Muk 2.

Bikes Of 2021: Blackborow DS

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

I figured it would make sense to start out with bikes I was using most at the beginning of the year and then work my way up to the present. So, with that in mind I bring to you today the Blackborow DS. The bike from the first generation of the Blackborow line, which is now defunct in any form. This model is from the first year, 2014, and is representative of one of the only bikes you can get which will accept over 5" Vee Rubber fat bike tires on 100mm rims. 

My Blackborow is the "DS", or 'Dinglespeed' version, which is a parallel single speed drive train. The chain length is the same, but in one set up you have a faster result and in the other, a slower, crawler gear. Changing gears requires the rear wheel to be dropped and the chain to be manually moved over. It's not as painful as it sounds, by the way. 

Anyway, this bike is stock but for the pedals and handle bar/grips. Everything is the same, otherwise, as the day I bought this bike. The bike was nearly perfect out of the gate for me. 

The future for this bike is probably going to be with someone else. That is, if you want to buy it. It's for sale. (Give me a shout if you are interested) I just do not use this bike enough to keep it around. Plus, I have two other fat bikes I am not going to get rid of, and having three is just silly. But if I don't sell it, well that's not a big deal. 

Next up will be one of my other fat bikes, the Ti Muk 2.